The Blood Mystery: Chapter 3

 Sumedha stepped into the Telangana State HQ, where her brother was waiting for her.

"This is all because of your sister, isn't it?" She heard someone shouting inside.

Sumedha knew that voice very well—it was Amith Mishra, yelling at Indra Vikram.

Amith was tall, but compared to Indra, he looked tiny. He lacked a muscular build, which made him appear even smaller than Dr. Aryan.

Sumedha, on the other hand, stood a solid six feet tall. Her long, black curly hair was tied in an elegant side bun. A black jumpsuit with matching boots completed her badass look.

Amith Mishra spotted Sumedha before Indra could.

Since he was closer to Sumedha than Indra, he sprinted toward her, aiming to land a punch—his way of blaming her for getting fired.

Unfortunately for him, Sumedha was accustomed to her brother's fighting speed, which was far quicker than Mishra's. She effortlessly dodged the punch, grabbed his arm, and pinned him to the ground in one swift motion.

"What is going on?" she asked as she dusted off her knees and stood up, releasing Mishra so another officer could cuff him.

"Oh, nothing serious. He just thinks he got fired because of you." Indra said, hugging Sumedha. "Long time no see, dear sister."

Sumedha smiled, returning the hug. "Yeah, it's been a while. But I think we should catch up later."

Indra nodded and stepped back.

Amith Mishra continued making a scene in the hall, catching Sunjay's attention as he made his rounds in the HQ.

"Mishra, be quiet." Sunjay said coldly as he passed by, barely sparing him a glance.

Turning his attention to Sumedha and Indra, he greeted her. "Welcome, Ms. Vikram. It's good to see you back."

"Thank you, sir. It's good to be back." Sumedha replied, shaking Sunjay's hand.

"We have information on another murder. Same pattern. Dr. Aryan has already left for the scene—shall we?" Sunjay asked.

Sumedha nodded. Indra handed her a badge and gun, which she placed in her pocket and holster.

An hour later, they arrived at the crime scene.

As expected, the victim was a woman. Her throat had been slit, allowing the blood to pool beneath her.

"Is it the same as before, Dr. Aryan?" Sumedha asked as she knelt beside the corpse.

"No. This one's different. She didn't die from blood loss. Her skull was cracked open by a blunt object—probably a heavy hit. She collapsed onto this rock, damaging her cervical spine. She died before the murderer could slit her throat." Veer explained, pointing at the wound.

"May I?" Sumedha asked, glancing at the body.

"Yes. I've collected the evidence. If you find anything, let me know." Veer confirmed.

Sumedha removed her gloves and placed her hands on the woman's cheeks.

Memory of the Dead Woman

"Let me go!" the woman screamed as a man dragged her deeper into the forest. It was late at night, and no one used this route.

"Be quiet. If you say another word, I'll torture you before I kill you." the man warned.

It was too dark to see his face clearly, but he was tall, well-built, and had a deep baritone voice. A mask covered his face completely.

The woman, desperate for help, ignored his threat and continued screaming louder, hoping someone would hear her.

Just then, a car passed nearby. Seizing the chance, she opened her mouth to call for help—but before she could, the man grabbed a wooden log and struck her with full force.

Her skull cracked instantly. She collapsed onto a jagged rock, her body going limp.

The man bent down, expecting resistance, but she didn't move. Confused, he slid a hand under her head and felt warm blood pooling beneath it.

He let out an enraged scream. His plan had been to slit her throat, watch her struggle to stop the bleeding, and crawl toward him, begging for mercy.

Now, that wasn't going to happen. She was already dead.

Furious, he still slit her throat, watching as the blood oozed out.

Realizing that no more blood was flowing, he abandoned her body and fled the forest on his bike. The number plate was obscured.

Memory Ends

"I couldn't see his face, but I know it's a man. Tall, well-built, deep voice. He came on a bike. If you check the CCTV footage from the forest entrance, you might find something," Sumedha reported.

"Could you tell if he was a trained fighter?" Indra asked.

"No idea. It was too dark when he killed her. But he screamed when she died. He wanted to watch her suffer—to see her slowly die." Sumedha said.

"If you hear his voice again, can you identify him?" Sunjay asked.

"Yes, I can." Sumedha confirmed.

"Get her to listen to all the criminals in our database. If he's in there, we might get a lead." Sunjay ordered.

Indra nodded.

"I'll call the medics to transport the body to the lab. If I find anything, I'll let you know." Veer said before leaving.

He wanted to talk to Sumedha, but he knew she was focused on the case. She was a workaholic—always working, always chasing leads.

"Dr. Aryan, be careful. Keep a field officer with you at all times. I have a bad feeling about the failed attack last week." Sumedha cautioned him.

Veer stiffened and nodded.

"Wait, Dr. Aryan. Indra, Sumedha, stay with him. I don't want to lose our forensic expert to a mercenary." Sunjay ordered.

Indra and Sumedha nodded in agreement.

They got into the car with Veer and drove back to the State HQ.

"Stay inside." Sumedha said suddenly, scanning their surroundings. "We're surrounded."

"Where?" Indra asked.

"Those three black cars with tinted windows. I don't have telepathy, but I do have enhanced hearing." Sumedha replied.

"She's right. They're here for me." Veer confirmed after reading the minds of the twelve men inside the cars.

"Are they armed?" Indra asked.

"Yes. Two pistols each. All Beretta M9A4s." Veer stated.

Indra nodded and concentrated. Sensing all the bullets in their guns, he used his powers to levitate the pistols and emptied the magazines—each bullet finding its mark in the attackers' shoulders.

Once the threat was neutralized, Indra stepped out to check on them. Confirming they were unable to fight back, he called the HQ officers to have them taken into custody and treated for their injuries.

"I'll be in my office." Veer said.

"My sister will stay with you. You'll be safer that way." Indra insisted.

Veer nodded and walked with Sumedha to his office.

Click 'Chapter 4' to read next chapter.