"We do not chase cases. Cases chase us wherever we go."

- Jamie Santiago

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Chapter 33:
Chasing Heartbeats

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RAINE

How could the killer be like this? How long has he or she known me? Is he or she responsible for that accident?

"Raine, I don't know why, but Cassandra wants to talk to you." Detective Cruz arrived in front of me, the officer who dislikes my interference. Unlike Detective Ferrer, she's stricter about crime scenes and work.

I pushed myself up from the waiting area, leaving Ron and Zane in the waiting room. Detective Cruz accompanied me to a small room with silence surrounding the both of us.

In front of me was Ma'am Cassandra, lying down, aided by a nasal cannula connected to an oxygen tank.

A woman probably in her fifties. Based on a picture I saw in the living room, she seemed older than her missing sister.

There was a distinct scent on her, unlike anything in that house—a jasmine fragrance, often found in city gardens or near parks.

Her shoes earlier had dust that looked like asphalt. Not the usual dirt from their small suburban village.

She's from the city.

"What's your name again?" she asked, clearly waiting for my arrival.

"Lorraine," I replied softly. I halted as I walked past the door, feeling a hand touch my back. Turning to my right, it was Detective Cruz, using her eyes to urge me closer to the woman.

"I heard the voice on your phone earlier. Do you know that man?" she asked. Glancing at the patient monitor, I noticed the beats had become more frequent, indicating a slight increase in her heart rate.

"Why?" I looked for Detective Cruz to give her opinion on the situation, but she had already left the room.

"It's just that..." she began.

"Calm down, ma'am," I reminded her, seeing her pulse continue to race.

"That voice..."

The hairs on my arm stood up at her words. Whatever she wanted to say was clearly causing her immense distress.

"Nurse!" I called for help, even though I felt awkward doing so. I didn't want her to have a heart attack because of what she was trying to tell me.

"Lorraine, m—"

Two nurses responded quickly, attending to her immediately. "Ma'am, take deep breaths. We need to make sure you stay calm," one nurse said soothingly.

"Miss, you need to step outside. She needs to calm down," another nurse instructed me.

"My child is on that landline!" she yelled before I could step away.

Those words hit me like lightning. The number of those willing to help us finish this game had grown, yet simultaneously, the number of potential perpetrators seemed to increase as well.

"Tell the police to... to save him," she held my hand as if unwilling to let go until I answered yes.

"Ma'am, the police are doing everything they can to handle the situation," the first nurse reassured her.

The woman calmed down, eventually falling asleep not due to anesthesia but likely from exhaustion. As her hand slipped away from mine, a strange unease settled in my chest.

And in an instant, everything around me blurred. Raging whispers filled my mind like buzzing bees, leaving me frozen in place.

Four hours left. Do you know what's going to happen to you, to your friend who blindly follows you, or to your remaining family?

You're useless, Raine! You were meant to be one of those family members of yours to fall down and die in a gruesome death back then!

You're going to lose everything no matter how hard you try to avoid Death. It's coming for you soon, Lorraine. The zephyr is—

"Raine?"

You are nothing! Just a timid little girl who is a walking dead. How pathetic you—

"Raine!" A clap in front of me jolted me awake.

Ron and a doctor stood over me, their eyes fixed on mine. It dawned on me that I was now lying down in a different room.

"What happened?"

"You had another attack," the familiar doctor quickly responded.

"You're really not in a good situation for this case," Ron added with a deep sigh.

"Raine, are you still taking your—" the doctor started, but I cut him off as I sat up.

"Where's the guy?"

"Zane?" Ron asked. "He's with Detective Chavez. They're questioning him about what happened in those cases she failed to monitor," he whispered, accompanied by a smile that revealed his dimple and a glint in his eyes.

Sir Ron Lee has always been a skilled forensic investigator ever since he started three years ago. He used to be a Chemistry Teacher before being promoted to the Crime Scene Investigation Department. Due to his expertise, he now holds the rank of CSI I, an entry-level investigator.

He's currently the heartthrob of their team because people say that he looks like a Korean. At just twenty-five years old, he's already successful in life.

"Who's that? Is he a friend of yours?" my doctor asked me.

Doctor Steven Santos has been my therapist for years.

"I don't know. He was just with me in the flat," I replied.

"Is it a woman or a man?" he continued.

"It's a man, but I know I don't have any choice," I added.

Ever since my older sister left me, my anxiety disorder has worsened. Doctor Steven has been my therapist ever since we moved into Mrs. Nuñez's building.

My doctor advised me that I needed to be with someone who could help me. I was already happy when Mary Nuñez was supposed to come in, but it didn't happen.

I spent a year in misery even though Doctor Steven visited me every day. When I heard news that a new tenant might come, I just grabbed the opportunity.

"Ah, that person Ron was talking to earlier!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, that's right," Ron confirmed.

"Here, take this to calm yourself down," Doctor Steven said, handing me a small round orange tablet from its container.

I was about to take it when memories of the effects similar medication had on me before came flooding back. "Wait, doesn't this make you sleepy?" I asked.

"Yes, it does," he replied.

More questions swirled in my mind as I stared at the clock on the wall. Three hours left! It would be worse if this continues, especially with the kidnapper possibly reducing the time even more.

I stood up and adjusted my ponytail. "Raine, you need to rest," Doctor Steven advised.

I walked towards the door of the room when those words caught my attention. The words I wanted to say to him were etched in my mind, but I didn't have the courage to speak them out loud.

If I rest, my thoughts pile up even more, don't they? My mind doesn't quiet down when I'm idle, and Detective Ferrer and the other police officers I've met know this well. My mind is driven by the need to seek justice for Mom and Dad.

I took a deep breath and faced them. I was about to speak when my phone rang again.

Unknown number. The same number that appeared on the screens of the previous hostages showed up again. Answer.

"Hello? Hello, are you the one I was talking to earlier?" My eyes widened as I heard the voice again — formerly calm, but now sounding hurried.

"Sir, is this still recording?" I whispered to Ron who was standing nearby.

"Yup!" he whispered back.

"I'm here! Who's speaking?"

"I felt the guard leave briefly, so I'm here not to waste time," the voice said. I could feel my heart pounding and noticed my hand shaking slightly as I held the phone.

"Just stay calm. If he finds out, he might—"

"Miss Lorraine, they've locked us in a dark room and given us a choice on how we want to die," he replied.

"Sir, please calm down. It's dangerous—" No matter how hard I tried to interrupt, he seemed determined. "Don't say anything about that person!"

I was about to end the call when he spoke again. "I know what's going to happen to me because I chose to be shot in the heart later!" he emphasized. "There were two in the room earlier — the person and their sniper left behind to keep watch."

I just closed my eyes, unable to influence whatever decision he had made. "The kidnapper..." His words trailed off mysteriously, sinking my spirits even further.

"Sir?"

"... the voice was so... so gentle and—"

Beep!