Case # 88 by Gary Martinsky (little red riding hood read aloud TXT) 📗

was sleeping peacefully in his bed after a fresh portion of sedative. Good, the doctor thought, satisfied. Let him rest while I prepare for our next conversation. He was ready to leave as something crunched underneath his foot. A syringe! What was it doing on the floor? His heart sinking, the doctor turned around sharply to look at the person occupying the bed one more time. He could now tell that the man under the blanket was bigger than Finn, with facial hair and a different haircut.

Finn descended the fire escape as alarms began blaring above him, flashing red lights announcing his disappearance to everyone in the hospital. He started running faster, pushing the heavy metallic door of the parking lot open. The side door of a big gray van swung open, and a pair of hands gestured for him to hurry.

Finn began to run as he heard multiple pairs of footsteps descending the stairs after him. He grabbed Alexa’s hands and leaped into the van just in time. The vehicle sped off as several security guards rushed into the parking lot, shouting warnings.

Don’t worry, read the message on Alexa’s cell phone. I temporarily disabled the security cameras along your direct route in and outside of the hospital. They were already out on the highway, driving towards a safe house designated by their anonymous helper. I will be in touch soon. Cannot wait to meet you all in person. T.

Alexa reached out to check if Finn was hurt, but he pulled away from her. He stared at her and Dr. Trussel with suspicion in his eyes.

“Hello, Finn. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Dr. Trussel. I used to work on Project Orthia, and I—”

“Yeah, let me guess. You’re here to help me explain everything?” Finn looked annoyed. “I just had a similar conversation upstairs. How can I trust you two?”

Alexa was hurt by his comment, but Dr. Trussel put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

“You’ve been through a lot, and we understand your distrust, Finn. But, if you stick with us, I’ll show you everything. And you’ll know that I’m telling the truth. At least listen to both sides before making a decision.” Dr. Trussel paused to let his argument sink in.

“And, if you need proof right now, well… Take a look at your birthmark.” Dr. Trussel rolled up his own sleeve, pointing at the spot on his shoulder where Finn’s birthmark was. “The one on your shoulder. It has a peculiar shape, doesn’t it?”

Puzzled, Finn rolled up his sleeve. Indeed, he did have a peculiar birthmark on his right shoulder. It resembled two figure-eights or infinity signs, depending on how you looked at it. He had tried asking his parents about it, but they always brushed him off, saying that birthmarks come in all kinds of interesting shapes. And, while his birthmark was pretty unusual, it was not particularly special. But how would this conspiracy doctor know about that?

“It’s not a birthmark, Finn. It’s a case number. You’re #88.”

Epilogue

The two men stood facing each other, their long shadows stretching into the distance, merging with the different shades in the narrow alley.

“What a place to meet… I feel like a drug dealer. I’d invite you to my humble restaurant, but alas, under the current circumstances, it would be impossible.”

Agent Spencer smirked at the other man’s remark. “Please. We’re both men of business. I’m sure we can come to an agreement to leave that unfortunate episode behind us. Trust me. If you prove to be a valuable asset to our cause, you’ll be reimbursed tenfold for your losses.”

“In that case, I’m looking forward to working with you and your colleagues, dear agent. You won’t regret your decision.”

“And I trust that you’ll do your best. Finn Peterson has proven more troublesome than we initially anticipated. Having someone who knows him as well as you will prove to be very beneficial for us.”

“Making powerful friends such as yourself, Agent Spencer, is what I’m all about.” He reached out for a handshake, smiling cheerfully as his intense green eyes fixed on the agent’s face.

“My pleasure…” The agent shook his hand firmly. “Mr. Marino.”

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