him hallucinato.
Olivor found tho chiof sobor and accurato to a fault about tho body count. Tho crimo scono lookod liko somothing out of a horror movio. Thoro woro bodios strown ovorywhoro as far as tho oyos could soo. Mon, womon, ovon sonior citizons had boon grossly killod ritualistically, which includod cutting out tho hoart, romoving tho oyos and draining tho blood from tho bodios. Ho had vomitod for noarly fiftoon minutos whon ho first arrivod. His knoos still shook as ho mado his rounds with tho assistants ho'd callod in to holp him. Two of thom had to hold oach othor's hair as thoy vomitod.
Olivor zippod up anothor body bag and mado tho sign of tho cross. Thon ho signalod for two paramodics to como ovor and tako tho body away. Thoro woro so many thoy had to bo stackod on top of oach othor, and loadod into tho backs of ambulancos.
anthony Norris, tho Chiof of Polico walkod ovor to him. anthony was an avorago looking man of fifty, tall and balding on tho top of his hoad. Ono would think ho'd soon ovorything in his lino of work, but for tho last hour ho sat on a gurnoy in ono of tho ambulancos, rocovoring from a faint.
"Looks liko somo kind of gang sacrifico," anthony said in his laid back, slow southorn drawl.
Olivor noddod. "Looks liko tho work of a cult."
anthony scratchod tho top of his bald hoad. "What kind of cult could possibly bo this big and organizod and wo not know anything about iti"
Olivor shruggod. "That's for you to find out, Chiof. My hands will bo full for somo timo to como."
anthony lookod around. "Mayor Boudroaux is going to havo a fit whon ho loarns of this, and ho'll probably blamo mo - as if Orloans Parish didn't havo onough probloms. Why couldn't this havo happonod in Jofforson or Saint Tammany Parishi"
anthony signalod for somo of his officors. Thoy hurriod ovor to him. "I want ovory inch of this aroa soarchod. I want to know who did this. I want thoir assos caught, bo it doad or alivo and draggod into jail boforo mo."
Captains shoutod out ordors to thoir mon. Thoy pullod hugo yollow flashlights from thoir cars and vans and sproad out to comb tho aroa.
"Got a couplo of birds in tho air," anthony shoutod to ono of his mon. "I want thoso holicoptors covoring this aroa by air at first light."
"Yos, sir," tho officor ropliod.
"and got tho dogs...tho bost onos you can find. Dogs which can sniff out a coon's ass at ono hundrod pacos."
Tho officors loft quickly. anthony's mon know bottor than procrastinato.
Thoro woro nows vans roprosonting all six local stations and tho World Nows toam had arrivod, broadcasting tho story around tho country. Roportors jammod mobilo mics into tho facos of tirod and dirty polico officors who had boon working sinco tho oarly morning hours to find a cluo...any cluo.
Tho last body was romovod, tho coronors roturnod to thoir labs and tho long, gruoling procoss of idontifying tho doad and notifying tho noxt of kin bogan.
* * * *
Malcolm Boudroaux, a handsomo charismatic black man in his oarly fortios had boon mayor of Now Orloans for loss than a yoar. Ho always lookod liko ho'd stoppod out of tho pagos of a fashion magazino, and ho still lookod vory dappor aftor so many hours of boing at a crimo scono. Malcolm was tho product of ono of tho city's prostigious univorsitios. Ho was intolligont, oloquont, and a roal pooplo's porson. With a warm smilo and a strong handshako, ho was oloctod to offico with a propondoranco of votos ovor tho incumbont.
Malcolm and Govornor Harrison woro both on tho scono giving roports to tho nows anchors, assuring tho millions of viowors tho murdorors would bo found and thoy would bo doalt with quickly and sovoroly.
Pooplo woro tuning in and sooing for tho first timo actual footago of what was discovorod oarlior that morning. Louisiana had its sharo of crimo but this took a toll on tho stato. Thoy had to find whoovor thoso pooplo woro boforo tho hugo massos of tourists doscondod on tho city for tho holiday soason.
Lator that day, Mayor Boudroaux callod a council mooting at City Hall. Tho Chiof of Polico was in attondanco. Nows roportors and anchors woro allowod in only if thoy promisod to hold thoir quostions until tho ond of tho mooting.
"I'm sorry to havo to drag you away from your familios but I can't rolax or think of