THE PLEASURED KILLING: AN INSTINCTS SHORT STORY

By

Ty’Ron W. C. Robinson II

(SET AFTER THE EVENTS OF LOST IN SHADOWS)

An array of marshals and police officers walk throughout the office building. Many spoke with each other. Others were in the boardroom with detectives discussing cases which culminate between Point Hope and New Haven, Connecticut. In the distance, a desk covered with files containing information on fugitives, murderers, and con artists. The phone rang, the fellow detective at the desk answered.
“This is Brant Harper. United States marshal and detective agent speaking.”
Brant is a young detective. Somewhat early in the field. Sitting quietly, listening to the other individual on the phone.
“Yes ma’am. I’ll look into that right away. Thank you.”
He hung up the phone and looked around the office area. Few detectives and marshals pass by in the office. Brant stood up from his desk, walking toward the filing room. He entered the filing room and went into the system of files. No one else was in the room as he entered. Searching and looking through the file system labeled “Code-names” While searching through the files, he stopped upon one, taking the information and printing it out. He approached the printer, waiting for the papers to release. The papers were printed and Brant exited the room. Brant returned to his desk and begun reading the files. He noticed the code-name listed above. “Code name: The Pleasure Man”.
“The Pleasure Man?”
He continued reading the file before stacking it, placing it inside a manila folder and putting it in his desk drawer. He looked at his watch, packed his gear, and left his desk. Brant walked through the area until he was stopped by a fellow detective.
“Sorry to bother you before leaving, Harper. From what I understand, you weren’t involved in the warehouse incident that occurred over in New Haven a week ago?”
“No I wasn’t.” Brant said. “Heard about the incident. Crime bosses meeting in secret. Discussing plots to shake down New Haven. The warehouse being attacked by a vigilante congregation lead by Hoyt Bennett. Last I heard of anything, the agency took care of it.”
“Sure they did. The Instinct Marshal was one of the leading officials there along with Emily Weston.”
Brant looked at his watch again before facing the detective. Time is moving.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“The Chief informed me to tell you you’re needed over in New Haven in about another two weeks.”
Brant shook his head in disagreement.
“What do you mean I’m needed over there? I have duties to take care of here.”
“The Chief’s aware of that. Which is why he placed your time slot to the next two weeks. He knows you’re currently on a case here.”
The Detective walked off as Brant turned his head toward him and back.
“Take care, Harper.”
“Same to you.”
Brant walked and exited the agency building.

In an undisclosed location elsewhere, a pair of mannequins sitting on a shelf, covered in blood that appeared to have been smeared upon them by a human hand. The sound of laughter echoes from behind. A man walked into the room, rubbing his hands together. Blood rested on his hands. Wet and warm.
“Only time will tell if they’ll ever enjoy the pleasure of my wonderful work.”
Brant drove down a street. Passing by homes as leaves fly off the ground as the car passed by. Brant reached over to the passenger seat, pulling up a map. He gazed at the map while driving. Glancing down the areas marked in red ink. The marks indicated locations of which the Pleasure Man was once located. The research was done due to left-behind messages and victims he murdered.
“He’s been around.”

Inside his home office, Brant sat at his desk, studying the map trying to decipher the Pleasure Man’s next possible location. He rubbed his head as he continued staring at the map.
“Only if I could find your next move without you even noticing me. Would it go as planned.”
Brant pulled some folders from the drawer. Placing them on the desk next to the map. He searched through the folders, revealing files. The files contain other information on the victims and the locations where they were killed.
He glanced over at the map and to the files and realized that the map was a definitive tool in searching for the Pleasure Man. Brant picks up the phone and contacts his Chief.
“Chief, yes, its Brant. I have discovered some information on the Pleasure Man and I would like to search these locations. If its fine with you.”
A slight pause as Brant listened to the Chief.
“Thank you, Chief. I’ll get to it immediately.”
Brant puts the phone down as the Chief hanged up on the other line. Brant stared at the map and the files.
“If I find these spots, I’ll find the Pleasure Man.”

The following day, Brant entered through the door of an abandoned home. The home was one of the dotted locations on the map of where the Pleasure Man has once been spotted or sometimes located directly. The electricity of the home was shut off. Brant pulled out a flashlight to search the home, spotting for anything that could be a signal of the Pleasure Man.
Brant walked into the living room of the home. Holding the flashlight in his left hand while his right hand is holding the map and near his weapon on his side. He sees the living room completely cleaned out. No furniture, no home equipment. Just the walls and the floor.
“There has to be something here that could lead to him.”
He continued searching, heading into the kitchen. Entering the kitchen, Brant saw the stove, a counter, drawers, but no table for anything to sit on. Not even a dining room table.
“I should check the upstairs area.”
He left the kitchen, turning toward the staircase.
He walked up the stairs, seeing three doors. One in front of him, another to his right, and the last one down a hallway near a bathroom. He enters the room in front of him.
Upon opening the door, he saw the room is completely spotless with nothing inside. However, he did notice the room was very clean as if someone was previously inside the home.
“Someone cleaned up well.”
Brant left the room and went into the second room, which was to his right.
He opened the door slightly and saw the room was filled with a wooden table and some old furniture. The room appeared to be a storage room. Brant searched the room and was unable to find anything.
He exited, staring down the hall toward the last room. Walking down the hall to the door, he caught the sound of a slight creak from the bottom floor. He decided to take a look back and didn’t see anything. He focused his attention back toward the last room. Taking a small glance in the nearby bathroom. Nothing was there to incicate evidence. He opened the last room’s door and Brant saw the room was set up as if someone was living there. There was a bed, clothes racked in the closet, and even a flat-screen TV rested on the wall. He scratched his head before walking to the closet. Moving the clothes in the closet and searched them. Finding nothing but old receipts and tissue paper. He searched the drawer, finding nothing but old newspapers and magazines.
“Appears this place isn’t the spot.”
Brant left the house.

The next location Brant arrived to was an old theater in Point Hope. Seeing no one around as he approached the doors. He enters the old abandoned theater and looks at the map. The theater is placed as the number two location to where the Pleasure Man was last seen.
“Hopefully I can find something here. This looks like his kind of place.”
Brant entered, searching the theater in every spot possible. He then opened the double-door room and revealed it was an auditorium with a stage. Used for plays. He walked down the long aisle of the auditorium. Seeing only empty seats and hearing nothing but his footsteps, he approached the stage and walk up the stairs. He took a look at the seats and thought in his mind of how many people would be sitting in those seats while watching a play or a musical. He approached the back rooms. The rooms where the actors and crew would be preparing themselves for their roles in the musicals or plays.
Brant noticed that the room was recently used. He’s unsure of the reason due to the theater being closed. He did notice the costumes in the closets and the amount of make-up tools that were sitting on the tables along with wigs and hair brushes and combs. Brant looked at his watch.
“Almost time to return to the office. I’ll take one last look.”
Brant came up to another room nearby, opening the doors. The room was pitch black with only the light from the sun coming in from the other room. Brant took out his flashlight and saw a pair of mannequins atop a table. The mannequins' faces have been decorated with sinister and creepy smiles, frowns, anger, confusion. Brant pulled out his gun, aiming it toward the mannequins.
“The hell is this?” Brant questioned.
He approached the table, seeing the red coloring on the mannequins. He shined the flashlight on the mannequins, all have been decorated with a red substance. Brant pulled out a cloth, wiping some of the red material and put it in a plastic bag. Brant caught a strange smell, which came from within the room. Tracing the odor, he realized the smell came from the mannequins themselves, particularly the red substance. Brant recognized such a stench.
“Blood.”
Shining the flashlight on the rest of the mannequins and seeing they’re all covered with the blood and looked at the one with the smiling face, seeing it has a handprint on the chest made from the blood itself. He spotted a note on the table in front of the smiling mannequin.
The letter said, “Without pleasure, there can be no true satisfaction.” Signed, The Pleasure Man. Brant took the letter and threw it onto the table, resting in a small puddle of blood.
“I have to find him.”
Brant left out of the auditorium after seeing the blood-covered mannequins. Outside, he approached his car as his cell phone rang. He looked at the ID, seeing it’s the office.
“Harper.” Brant said.
“We have some major news for you, Marshal.”
“Does it relate to the Pleasure Man case?”
“A family of five are being held hostage in their home.”
Brant stood next to his car as he listened. He unlocked his car, opening the door. He entered into the car while listening to the office over the phone.
“Where is their home located?”
“In the suburbs. Not far from where you are.”
“I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
An electrical cracking sound came through the phone, interrupting on both ends. Brant looks at the screen, seeing it begin to warp and twist. A glitch? He continued to hear the official on the other side, cracking up.
“I can’t hear you clearly through this disturbance. Hello?”
“Is this the marshal that is currently tracking my whereabouts?” Another voice said through the cracking.
“Who is this?” Brant asked. “Who’s hacking through this line?”
“By now you should know full well who I am. I’m the guy you’re looking for.”
Brant paused.
“You’re him. The Pleasure Man.”
“It’s about time we spoke.”
“How’d you get this line?”
“I wouldn’t concern myself with such pettiness. You’re speaking to me, aren’t you?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m currently sitting in a suburban home with a family of, about five. Two adults and three children. That’s about right.”
“I hope you’re ready for the two of us to meet in person because I’m on my way there now.”
“While, your on your way over here, let’s see how fast you can get here to save this family in despair. I feel like teaching them some pleasurable techniques.”
“Don’t you dare place your hands on that family. If I see a scratch or a slight bruise, I will not hesitate.”
“I’m counting on it, Marshal. I’ll see you very soon. Don’t be late.”
Brant heard the screeching screams and hollers in the background.
“You better not harm them! You hear me!”
The phone clicked off with complete silence.
“Damn it!”
Brant started the car, driving at quick speed. Brant speeds down the road, heading towards the suburb home where the Pleasure Man is holding a family hostage. Passing by other vehicles and driving pass stop signs and red lights, nearby causing collisions between cars. He continued to speed up, until he saw a series of suburb homes ahead. Brant took out his phone, pressed speed dial to contact the office.
“Someone pick up.” Brant clamored.

Within the office, the ringing echoes as many detectives move continuously through the office. At one desk, an officer picked up the phone.
“Yes.
“I need to speak with the Chief, please. This is Marshal Brant Harper. On pursuit of the Pleasure Man’s location.”
“The Pleasure Man?“ The officer said. “Right away.”
The office gets up from his chair and runs toward the Chief’s office. The officer knocks as the Chief looks up.
“What can I help you with?” The Chief asked.
“Brant’s on the pursuit of the Pleasure Man as we speak. Do you want me to call in the officials for follow?
“Wait till Brant calls back for details.”
“Why?”
“Just do what I say. Brant knows how to operate in these matters.”
“Are you sure, sir?”
“He’s fine.”

Brant drove down the road of the suburban area. Scouting the homes for the exact one, he took small glances at a map and back toward the homes. Seeing no sign, impatience brewed within him. Up to that point, he saw a man standing outside of one home waving in the air. Brant knew such a sight.
“This must be the place.”
He pulled up his car and stormed out of it. Running toward the front door. He rammed through the front door, seeing a family. Husband, wife, two sons, and a daughter sitting in the living room. Their hands tied behind their back with duct tape placed on their mouths.
“I’m here to help you.”
Brant moved over to them, only to be stopped by the sound of the click of a gun behind him. He froze, slowly turning around to see the Pleasure Man standing in front of him with a gun. The Pleasure Man wore a white mask. No emotion. No life present. Giving himself the appearance of a doll or a walking mannequin.
“It’s about time we’ve come face to face. Now, remove your weapon from your side and slide it over to me.”
Brant pulled out his gun from his side slowly, leaning slowly toward the floor. He slid the gun across the living room floor. The Pleasure Man picked it up and set it on the counter. Brant stood still with his hands in the air.
“Isn’t this a sight to see. A marshal holding his hands up in the air in the presence of a fugitive.”
“I only ask that you do not hurt the family. That’s all I-”
“I believe that’s the usual cliché we’ve always heard someone say. Wouldn’t you agree, young man?”
The young boy’s voice muffled in fear. The Pleasure Man nodded.
“I thought so too.”
“This is only between us now.” said Brant. “Not the innocent family that’s sitting in their own living room tied down and taped.”
“The only reason they’re here is because I needed a suburb home to use and I love an audience. It gives me great pleasure.”
“What would you want? Pleasure or satisfaction?”
“I prefer both.” he Pleasure Man chuckled. “The more, the better.”
Brant slowly reaches behind his back and pulls out another gun and aims it toward the Pleasure Man.
“Oh!” The Pleasure Man jumped. “Another weapon.”
“I will ask you again. Let the family go and it will be settled between you and I.”
The Pleasure Man nodded slightly, snatching Brant’s other gun from the counter. Holding it up.
“I have a different agenda, Marshal.”
He slid the gun back toward Brant, who slowly reached down to pick it up, watching the Pleasure Man stand still. Brant now had both his firearms and only one aimed at the Pleasure Man.
“Looks to me that you’ve lost this one.”
“The show isn’t over just yet.”
The Pleasure Man reached behind his back, revealing a kitchen knife. He knelt down toward the young boy. The parents attempted to scream, they moved the bodies like tremors, but the duct tape held in their voices. Brant held his gun tightly, aiming at the Pleasure Man.
“Leave the kid alone!”
The Pleasure Man slowly slid the knife across the young boy’s throat. Laughing at the scenery.
“You’ve seen my mannequins. The work I displaced upon them. I believe that
I will need a younger one’s blood to complete my next one.”
The Pleasure Man pulled back the knife, inching closer toward the boy’s throat. The family trembled in horror as Brant fired a shot through the head of the Pleasure Man. He fell to the ground with blood pouring from his head.

Sometime later, the other officials arrived at the scene. Brant walked out of the home, approaching his car. The Chief came over toward him.
“How did it go in there?”
“It went into a necessary cause for action.”
The Chief nodded.
“I knew you could handle matters like this.”
Brant entered his car.
“So, where’s the Pleasure Man?” The Chief asked.
Brant’s car backed up into the street as a coroner van pulled up in the driveway. The Chief’s face went still.
“Never mind.”
The Chief entered the home with other officers at the scene. The coroners came out of the van, taking out the stretcher and the body bag. Brant drove down the street. He glanced at his mirror, seeing the home from behind. He focused his attention back to the road. Ending his mission of the Pleasure Man.