Monday, September 24, 2018

Team of Seven Heroes Shorts Tales 3; Chapter 5


5.

Doctor Moriarty had a distracted day with his mind shifting to the murders from his lecture. He found the former more intriguing than his usual rambling of models and equations which he knew well. He left the lecture hall and then retired to his personal chamber with the instruction that he was not to be disturbed. Once behind the locked door, he drew apart the shelves to reveal the hidden compartment where a board was mounted with a number of news clippings with the strings strung across it to denote the possible relationships. He had set up the data there as if he was looking at from mathematical approach. He drew on probability or correlation of the data to arrive at the results. He drew a blank on one field; authorities. At the current onset then, the only ones involved were the local enforcements. He held some other data cards namely the national and international parties.

“Maybe it had not escalated to that level.” The Doctor muttered to himself. He knew from his previous readings; the Ripper sensation have hit the headlines even up to the other continent and many replicate cases of similar killings have been linked to it. It was then he stumbled on a name he wrote on the board.

‘Holmes’

The Doctor have never encountered the person named there. He had planned his own existence outside of the academic field as inconspicuous to the outsiders.

Holmes was however coming into prominence with his exploits reported by the papers and the tongue wagging of the elites. Holmes have been busy then as reported to him by his agents. That may had eliminated the detective role here. So, he thought of a new field.

The letters written by the Ripper then.

An interesting field. It spoke of a mind with some education. A person without such skills will not penned down the words. It may be crude but that could be a distortion to the identity.

‘Letters with words’

The victims were dissected with skill. Not a butcher rough chopping but trained cuts. From the ‘letters with word’ he drew a new line to the word ‘Skills’.

Doctor Moriarty was at then focussed on the deeper end of the equation and not of the many variables. He then gave his mind a sweep of the original Ripper notes. One came to his mind.

‘Suspects’.

The cases unresolved and the suspects were released. Not all were apprehended. There were some who were not all that easy to do that. They had protection. He changed the ‘Suspects to something new.

‘Elites’.

Doctor Moriarty frowned then on his addition. He shook his head and then relooked at the board. He studied the details and then nodded on his new addition. It was never dismissed the data then presented. The crime scenes were around Whitechapel but there were some indications that the killing took place on weekends and holidays. They critics and so named experts narrowed down the killers or killers to someone with working hours on regular days. The beating by Bernard Cairnhill of the two young lads may hold justifications.

‘Bernard Cairnhill.’

It may be the missing equation to solve the problem. Doctor Moriarty recalled the Doctor’s word on one named Igor. It was the name Bernard mentioned; Igor was the name but who was Igor

‘Igor’

Doctor Moriarty wrote on the board. Was he Slav? Russian? Or Prussian?

He knew he had to find Igor.

At that moment, in a huge factory space in London gutter area, there was some activity there. It used to be a candle factory but the years of neglect on its management silenced the area until recently. The windows were painted over with dark shade, and flooring cleared of the debris, and then furnished with the house import of laboratory tools and equipment. There were the shelves of bottles in there with the working tables in the centre. There were two persons pacing the area around the tables then in which was covered on the top concealing what was beneath. The space there was converted into a lab.

“Herr Doctor, what are we looking for?” The one who spoke was a figure with a stooped back but given his tall height and dimension, he appeared like a over grown ape. He had stooped to arrange the tools for the use of the named Herr Doctor.
“Evolution, Igor.” The one referred to as Herr Doctor replied. “The future of mankind will benefit from our study.”

“Can it bring her back?” Igor asked back. He was dressed in the dark apron that covered the front of his body. He had on the dark visor over his face which he had then raised it up. It revealed a face of a handsome Slavic man with the perfect facial muscles.

“I am working, Igor. I cannot tell you otherwise now.” The Doctor snapped out. “I am a follower of science and not God. Only he can perform miracles. I am to do only his works given the expanse of my mind.”

“No, Doctor. Please do get upset. I have faith in you.” The giant ape-man stared at the Doctor with the expression of pain. He reached out to the doctor but the other pulled away.

“Igor, I am not your …. lover’ saviour. I am your mother. I cannot be ….”

“Mother, you have done more than anyone I know. Shelly is alive because of you. She will live once more because of you.” Igor looked to the other table where his lover lies in the state of suspended animation. It was not his words but of his mother. She had kept Shelly alive with the power of electricity that was powering her organs including the heart with low electrocution.

“Shelly…. Yes, she will live. I will find her cure.” The doctor stooped over the other table to examine the extracted samples. There was the liver and the spleen immersed in alcohol to preserve it with the electrical cords providing the stimulant to keep it alive. The doctor was an aged lady dressed in the white frock over her yellow dress. She had on the thick reading glasses to allow her the closer vision on the kidney that she was probing then with the electrical prods. She had saved Shelly upon near death and preserved her lifeform with the singular ambition to revive her once more.

“Mother, do we need more samples?” Igor asked. “I can arrange it.”

“No, Igor. Not now. The last retrieval had almost exposed you. I cannot risk that now.” The Doctor protested. “Let me do my task for now. You go and play with your toys. Get freshen up. The carriage will be here soon.”

Igor stepped away and upon passing the other table, he reached out with his right hand to touch the cover that had his love beneath. He wanted to open the cover but Mother was specific with her instruction. He left the huge chamber and moved outside. He felt alone out there.

“Is she satisfied?” The voice came from the shadow. Igor did not turn to look and then nodded before he replied.

“She is pleased. We will call you on the need for anymore.” Igor then looked at the dark skies. “Your money will be in by morning.”

The figure in the shadow then moved away leaving Igor who had then removed the apron and smoothen his suit below it. He has to look smart for the party. He likes the party but disliked some of the others. They grossed on his appearance but he knew they will soon patronised him. He held their pockets filled with coins. After all being rich could buy you almost anything except maybe the love he required still on the table. The carriage soon arrived and Igor was on his way to the party. The journey was short but he was intoxicated by then with drinks served in the carriage.

“Master Charles Millard.” That was his real name with the family name changed to follow his mother side. Only his mother called him Igor. He held the name of his mother’s family name and half the estate of the Millard then. His uncle Lord Millard does not appreciate that but the old fart could do nothing about it. He was after all family.

“Oliver, you for a huge brute.” The lady snaked her arm on the hunchback elbow. “Why are you late? The party have started earlier.”

“The brute is here.” The calls went out and then more drinks guzzled down the throat, and before long Oliver Millard aka Igor was stomping his feet on the dead rabbit on the flooring. It was his opening act of brutality before he was to bed the helpless wench they have prepared for him. He was the brute in all his doing but the coins silenced the victims.

Or death will stifle their cries.

And sometimes the dead cries louder before it.



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