The Strange Case of #446

Leblanc paced towards the entrance, coffee in hand. He would have felt happy about this but something about a coffee in an afternoon didn't sit with him well. Not since after the disappearance of the usual afternoon sun. It was already three years, so he should have gotten used to it. But there was always something about that kind of sun and now that it was gone, he couldn't feel the same vibe. But there was something else that made him appreciate the fact he stood in front of a warehouse. The forbidden and "scary" case of #446. The Dawnbreaker who was feared by every Agent in the A.D.A. Well everyone except him. He knew that the infected person was a man like him and if he was made with flesh, then he could easily take him down.

The doors were left open, brown boxes and wooden crates pushed to the side alongside white rows that carried more. The floor was overflowed with some white powder. It retreated the more he went in. Being so close to the sea, he would have thought it were cocaine, unsure why but the youths regardless of normal or not loved drugs.

He took a gulp of the coffee and continued examining. The front was seemingly the most stacked, as though the workers felt like everything had to be there. It would take a while to remove everything if he had to investigate that part. It was cold. And the coffee was not helping. No matter how excited he was for this, he couldn't stop but feel wrong. Nonetheless, he was ready. Just like he always told himself, this was an ordinary case like any other and since he was the best he would be the one to put him where he belongs.

There was a rattle behind him. He quickly shifted to check. He was sure there was something but for him to get startled with such a minor issue, that was below him.

"Who's there?" He asked. Checking his coffee, he sighed and placed it on the row to his right. " I have a gun."

He pulled a pistol from his holster tied to the waist. He grasped, fingers playing about the trigger. Taking angles, he checked from side to side. Nothing. He scoffed and brought his weapon on the holster.

His eyes darted to the right and his head turned in swift motion. The culprit rose her arms. Accompanied with a conniving smile.

"You!" Leblanc muttered as he lowered the pistol. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question Stein," the woman answered lowering her arms as well. "Considering I was chosen for this assignment."

"Chosen?" He asked, anger flaring on his face. "I dunno where you got that but this is my assignment."

She chuckled, moving forward. Squatting, she wore white surgical gloves and played with the powder. Leblanc was still unconvinced and moved behind her.

"Explain yourself!" He demanded.

Her focus lingered to her fingers. "I know what I said. I don't understand why you're here but this is my mission."

He gritted his teeth, a picture forming in his mind. She always did best to get ahead of him. Acing all the exams and topping the class and finally the both of them graduated into what was known as the C.I.A. Transitioning both into the A.D.A made it all painful considering they were both dependable within the force. And now she was here, trying to take the spotlight. No, not this time.

"Look Madeline, I know you think you're doing your best with this but this is mine. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

This time she laughed then looked at him. "That's one of the funniest jokes I've heard you crack. Didn't know you as much of a comedian."

"This isn't a joke woman," he exploded. "Case #446 is a killer case and only someone of my caliber can do this."

"Oh yes, the one MAN who was afraid when he heard something crippling behind him."

Leblanc inhaled and kept his fingers to his nose. Why did this have to happen every time.

"Look Stein, I have everything under control. I know you're here out of your own accord so just go and leave everything to me," she pointed his coffee. "You even have coffee over there. No debating you just wanted to relax. So do that."

She returned to the powder. Leblanc finally exhaled. If she wasn't going to leave then he would just have to do this with her. There was no way he would let this slip by. He approached the row his coffee rested gazing the boxes stacked there, hoping he would find something. Silence echoed between them.

Madeline scooped another sample and took out a magnifying class. Agent, Detective, whatever she was, she had to be prepared for anything. There was something about the powder and she wished it were drugs. What was it about... Maybe he could... No way. She wasn't going to try and prove his point.

After minutes of finding... nothing, he contemplated whether he would just listen to her and leave. The powder was the only piece of evidence that could aid in the investigation and since it seemed that she had it covered, yet again he was bested. He took his coffee, sighing until his eyes caught something. There was a brown dusty wallet lying on the ground. He checked his pockets. Stopping midway, he never owned a brown wallet. Not that he knew of at least. He carefully walked and squatted. Despite how dirty, he swept it with his hands and opened it.

There was a photo of man, roughly in his early thirties together with what looked like his wife and two children. They responded as expected. He checked the pockets and found a card. He knew it, there was something familiar about him. This man worked for the A.D.A. With so many in the force, there was no way he would have known about him. His name was Curtis, I.D number 278956743542... That was dedicated for the new recruits. He traced it down and found a small smear of blood below it. As though the man were dragged and held it with bloody hands. The wind grew stronger and his body acted as expected.

He turned to face her. No matter how painful it felt, he couldn't go. He had to point it out.

"Madeline," she turned, "we have a problem."

He handed her the card. Her head jerked behind. "This is a new recruit."

"I know, he must have finished his training. But to go to his first mission so quickly..."

Madeline looked at her fingers once more. "I have something to show you to."

He checked, she had given way to the powder. "This powder, there's something about it. At first I thought it was cocaine..."

He snickered, she squinted. "Oh sorry, continue. Just remembered something."

"Mm Hmm," she hummed. "I don't know about this but I feel like... it's ash."

"Ash?" He asked, drawing downward. He requested for a glove and swept through the powder. "I thought ash was coarse."

"Yeah I thought that to but there's this murky, earthy smell."

Leblanc contemplated about it. He wafted the powder and caught wind of it. Was it gross. Pulling away, his head jerked to the multiple stacks upon stacks. There was something down there, why didn't he notice that before. He stood and tip toed towards it. Madeline must have asked what was going on but there was no recurring reply.

An actual skeletal hand stuck out at the bottom of all the boxes. The bones less sturdy and on the verge of fracture. The phalanges stuck out, so close to dismemberment. The ulna must have been connected underneath. He quickly removed all the boxes. Luckily they had nothing, what a way to improvise. He shoved them and with each pile gone his heart raced. Droplets formed on his forehead and fingers quivered. He carried the other box to the left but his strength failed him and it dropped. He looked at the truth.

Skeletons, human skeletons were piled upon one another. Some were pristine white as though they had been stolen from a lab. While others had a shade of orange and brown among them with missing body parts. He checked below them and saw the source for the ashes. The dawnbreaker did this.

Madeline stood beside him and positioned her hands above mouth, stepping behind slowly. The wind ravaged with a stronger pulse and the doors pulled in. As soon, both of them lifted their weapons and surveyed.

They approached with slow steps, looking side to side and pinning their backs against each other. Madeline was a strong woman but even at this point she couldn't deny the overwhelming feeling that consumed her. This was not normal. She sprinted to the doors and began banging it, tears welled up.

"We have to go. We have to go!" She pleaded, the door refused to budge. "No, no, no. Open!"

"Madeline, calm down." He urged retaining his pistol above the holster. "Nothing's gonna..."

A faint wisp of warmth coveted around him. A warmth he hadn't felt in three years as soon as the pandemic began. A warmth he wished it would never disappear. A warmth that was a warning.

He aligned the gun and saw a silhouette. A pale 6 foot scarred body with heat raining from it and head lowered. Then it rose with a wicked grin. Its mouth flared a bright but deep shade of orange, as though the sun was in there. Case #446.

There were gunshots then a scream followed. Afterwards, more gunshots sparked and a woman begged to be spared. With one final scream, the woman could no longer be heard. After a few moments, the doors swung open. The boxes and crates were arranged as they should and the floor was clean. The boxes at the end of the wall had simply... vanished. Along with what was the rest of the evidence. Wait... but what evidence?

Wherever you heard this from, it wasn't from me. But I can tell you one thing, the strange case of #446 will remain a mystery. And nobody will never know what or who it truly is.