Death Stalker by Erik Daniel Shein

Author:Erik Daniel Shein [Shein, Erik Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
Published: 2023-10-17T19:23:38+00:00

Chapter 16

Lance gripped the edge of the stainless steel table as he stared at the vials neatly arranged in front of him. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting stark shadows on Gina’s face as she busily scribbled notes in her lab journal. A day in the lab, just like any other day, except today, they were trying to find the key that linked all these venoms together. It was still a source of aggravation.

“Look, Gina,” Lance said, his voice tense with frustration. “We’ve been through dozens of these samples, and there’s still no pattern to the venoms used. It’s like this guy’s switching it up every time just to mess with us.”

“It’s certainly unusual,” she agreed. “Each venom we’ve identified so far has been from a different species of snake or spider, which makes it difficult to predict what our perp might use next.”

“Tell me about it,” Lance muttered, rubbing his temples. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were missing something crucial, some hidden clue that would unlock the mystery of The Master’s twisted game. Lance needed to find this wicked Master before anyone else became a puppet or, worse yet, a target.

“From what I can tell,” Gina continued, “there doesn’t seem to be a signature calling card poison. If anything, the variety in choice of venoms is the only consistent detail.”

“Damn it!” Lance slammed his fist against the table, causing the vials to rattle precariously. He felt the weight of expectation pressing down on him, an unyielding reminder of his responsibility to catch the monster behind these killings. Lance did not like feeling like a failure, and this case was pushing that threshold.

“Easy, Special Agent,” Gina admonished, her sarcasm not quite masking her concern. “Let’s not add to the victim count by breaking these vials.”

“Sorry,” Lance mumbled, realizing he’d let his emotions get the better of him. “I just… I need to find this guy, Gina. We have to stop him.”

“I know,” she replied softly. “We will.”

In that moment, a sudden, gut-wrenching explosion tore through the lab. The shockwave threw Lance and Gina to the ground, shards of glass and debris raining down around them. Ears ringing, Lance instinctively covered his head with his arms, willing the debris to pass over him.

The sharp smell of burnt chemicals assaulted Lance’s nose, making him cough. His ears rang, and the dull pressure pounding in his skull made him see white spots flash before his eyes. He turned to Gina, who was slowly picking herself up from the floor.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

“Y-yeah,” she stammered, her eyes wide with shock. “I think so.”

They exchanged a glance, both realizing just how close they’d come to catastrophe. This was no accident; it was a warning, a clear message that The Master was watching their every move. And as Lance helped Gina to her feet, he knew that the stakes had just been raised higher than ever before.

The FBI liaison team arrived at the crime scene soon after. The

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