Crow's Path Ch. 01

As did her figure, which would rival any A-list actress he could think of. If her suitcase included a bikini Crow imagined the local hospital would soon be filled with patients begging to have their jaws returned to their correct position. That said, he had thus far managed to keep their relationship strictly professional. He imagined this was a major relief to a girl who likely anticipated being hit on by almost any other boss she could find herself working for.

"I want you to enjoy yourself this week Sam, but don't forget that we also have a job to do here."

"I know, I know. And don't you forget that all of this is here for you to enjoy during your down time!"

Crow laughed. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to try and live a little. I'll need you to teach me anyway. It's been a while since I did anything like this."

As Crow finished his sentence a group of girls passed by them in the opposite direction. Two of them gave him a quick glance, not subtle in the slightest. Sam turned her head to watch as they continued to give her boss a once-over with approving eyes. Crow may not be in college anymore, but she had to admit he was quite handsome.

"I'll do what I can boss. But some things, you're just gonna have to re-learn on your own."

Crow gave her a puzzled glance. "Such as?"

Sam laughed. "Oh, you know. Like how to pick up a girl at the bar? Look around you boss. Yes, you need a vacation, but if we're being honest with one another, you probably need to get laid just as badly."

She didn't expect the look of reproach Crow now gave her and immediately changed her tone. "Sorry boss, I didn't mean to overstep."

"It's okay. You're right, I probably do need to get laid, but it's still odd hearing it from an underling."

"I'm only three years younger than you."

"Fair enough, but we're also here because of a possible sex crime. Not exactly something to put me in the mood."

Sam hadn't really considered this, and she felt somewhat ashamed for overlooking the obvious. This was why she was still the trainee. Her emotions were more or less in check, but her mind wasn't exactly in the right place right now. She'd fix that quickly.

The pair made their way up the pier towards the processing area. Unlike the tourists around them, Jacob and Sam weren't heading to the visitors hall for the usual orientation. Instead, they made their way over to where a uniformed security officer was holding a sign bearing Crow's name.

Crow knew enough about private security to guess that the man standing to meet them was selected mainly because of his appearance. Visitors would be walking past him and nobody wants to see that their security for the weekend mainly consists of overweight ex-cops or ex-military personnel waiting for retirement. This particular officer was young, fit, and dressed in a uniform better suited for ceremony than guard duty.

"Crow. That's us." It was a simple enough greeting.

The officer smiled back at them as they set down their luggage. "Right, thought I recognized you. My name's Roger. I'll be your escort while we get you situated. Is there anything you need before we get started?" He seemed eager to get on the move.

Crow noticed in his peripheral that Sam was already ogling the poor bastard. Uniforms really do make a difference, though abs and broad shoulders also speak for themselves. If Roger noticed he was professional enough to ignore it. Crow liked him already.

"Nothing comes to mind. Unless you want to give my assistant here your phone number for a drink later."

Before Roger could speak Sam stepped in. "He's kidding. I'd blame it on the jet lag but honestly, it's been this was since we met."

There was a hint of a blush in Roger's cheeks, but once again he proved unshakable in his professionalism. "I certainly hope not. I think we're all somewhat counting on the both of you to take care of..."

It was clear he was uncomfortable putting the situation into words. Normally the smart-ass side of Crow would finish the sentence for him, but he had to admit that even he wasn't sure what to call their little problem.

Roger brought them off the pier and to an awaiting vehicle, a Suburban with the colorful paintjob of every other vehicle on the island. The inside still contained that new car smell. Crow expected Roger to hand them off to another driver, but instead Roger himself climbed into the driver's seat and started the ignition. Crow smiled to himself. Compartmentalization at its finest.

The drive was short but did offer the pair a great view of the territory. The arrival pier was on the west side of the island. Most visitors would fly on a commercial liner to one of the larger islands of the South Pacific and then travel to the resort itself by boat. A map of Festival Island was provided to them on arrival and Crow inspected it as he watched the scenery.

Most of the resort areas were located on the eastern side of the island, with the north containing what amounted to an amusement park while the hotels and pavilions occupied the south. There was a water park in the southwest and a section devoted to nature activities above that, but the map indicated that neither was ready for business just yet with a large "COMING SOON" printed over both locations.

There was no denying the beauty in this place. Once his eyes were away from the bikini-clad girls, Crow was able to truly take in his surroundings. He appreciated that the resort owner had left most of the natural habitat alone rather than developing every last square foot for real estate. The mountain was especially gorgeous with the setting sun painting the backdrop in shades of red and purple, and as Sam had pointed out earlier the surrounding water was as clear as anything he could ever imagine.

The SUV came to a slow crawl before turning left onto a somewhat hidden path that led north. Crow couldn't find this road labeled on the map he had been provided but assumed that it would lead to wherever the park security maintained their headquarters.

Five minutes later, his assumption was proven correct. Their vehicle came to a stop in front of a gorgeous modern building of concrete and glass. He could have guessed that this was a luxury home belonging to some corporate millionaire were it not for the armored gate, the row of security vehicles, and the ominous black helicopter sitting on its pad nearby. There were security personnel wandering about in the yard, some of which were armed with military rifles.

Sam's mouth opened in surprise but Crow wasn't shocked at all. "What did you expect? This is a place where the wealthy come to relax, isolated from everything they want to leave back home. That includes nine-one-one."

"I don't get it?"

Roger answered for Crow this time. "Let's put it this way. Millionaires like their safety as much as anyone else. They also like their privacy. Police departments get the job done but tend to ask uncomfortable questions. So, what they prefer, is to have highly trained, well-armed private security force able to respond when needed and paid enough to never ask questions that would otherwise be uncomfortable. They also like us to remain unseen. People like to feel security but not actually see security. That's why they keep us hidden away in the jungle for the most part."

"Do you think the threats out here are necessarily worth this kind of firepower?" Sam asked.

"I hope not, but you never know. Better to be prepared for the worst I suppose. Either way, we're the only help anyone will have around here if they need it quick."

Sam clearly wanted to ask more questions, but Crow was eager to get started. "Alright, let's get inside and see what all the fuss is about."

Roger opened the door for Sam as she stepped out, much to her pleasure. Crow didn't bother waiting for his turn and Roger didn't seem to mind. They made their way to the building's glass entrance. On closer inspection Crow determined from the thickness of each pane that the windows alone were rated to stop most calibers of rifle ammunition to some degree. They weren't taking chances with their own security obviously.

Roger gave a poorly concealed look of jealousy to another officer patrolling the grounds in a much comfier looking uniform before he stepped over to the proximity reader by the door and presented an ID badge. There was a green LED indicator and soft click as the doors unlocked for entry. Crow made a mental note of asking for entry requirements around the park and resort.

Inside they found marble floors and a floating staircase mixed in with large HD monitors and armored security doors. It looked like a cross between a fortress and a mansion. They were immediately met by two more individuals. Crow recognized the first of them right away.

The grey hair and impeccable suit set him apart from every other uniformed individual around him. He wasn't a large man, but it was clear that at his age weight control wasn't a priority. Crow had to place him in his late fifties at best. Sebastian Hall, the Operations Manager of Festival Island. Apart from the actual owner of Festival Island, Sebastian held the most authority in the decision making process of park activities. Crow shook his hand first only because it was the first to be offered.

"Detective Crow! So glad you could make it! I'm Sebastian Hall, Manager of Operations here on the island. Did you have any problems on the way over?" His handshake was firm and his smile was full of charm. Crow quickly understood how this man had earned his position.

"No problem at all, it was a great trip. Sam and I are eager to help in any way we can." Jacob gestured to his tiny assistant and Mr. Hall took her hand in welcome.

"Wonderful! I do love when people are focused on the job at hand, especially in a place where work feels like a distant memory."

"I assure you Mister Hall..."

"Oh please, call me Sebastian."

"I assure you Sebastian, we won't rest until we've found an answer to your mystery."

"I'm glad to hear it! Truth be told, I don't think any of us will get much rest until we've found a few answers. This particular situation is...unprecedented, I think. The sooner we get to the bottom of it, the better we'll all feel."

You mean the better your stock holders will feel, thought Crow to himself. He looked past Sebastian now to the other person waiting to greet them. She wore the same uniform as Roger, though her rank insignia indicated that she was a Captain while Roger was still a Sergeant, assuming they abided by traditional rank terminology.

Crow didn't recognize her from any of his research but given her position in security this didn't strike him as odd. She was in her thirties, he assumed, though she could easily blend with the local crowd of college students with the right smile and a change of clothes. Her hair was darker than Sam's but not quite black, and it lay straight down to her shoulders despite the uniform. Her eyes were blue and piercing, and her figure left him wondering how her curves would look in a garment more flattering than the black uniform she currently wore.

Sebastian followed his gaze and hurried to continue introductions. "Allow me to introduce you to Captain Sarah LeCroix. Her official title is Manager of Security Operations but you can pretty much think of her as our chief of all things security related out here."

Sarah gave them a genuine smile for the first time as she shook hands. For a moment Crow had been fearful that her opinion of him was off to a rough start. Law enforcement types rarely appreciated a private detective poking around in their investigations.

"Pleased to meet you, I expect we'll be working together quite a lot in the next few days." Her voice was soft and unthreatening. Not quite what you'd expect from a chief of security.

Sebastian took the lead again. "If there's nothing else, I say we head on over to the situation room and start with our briefing?"

"Sounds good," Crow replied.

"Excellent. This way then."

They passed through an archway and down the hall to where Roger was waiting for them. Once they were all gathered, he swiped his ID at the card reader and the green LED indicated that he was allowed entry. Nobody else bothered to check their ID with the reader.

The room was what one might expect in a security conference room. There was a long wooden table dominating the room and a single row of windows to the north overlooking the forest. A large television display was on the wall but as Crow expected there was nothing to display just yet. They all took their positions quickly, even Roger who took a seat next to Sam across from Sebastian and Captain LeCroix.

The door closed behind them and the silence was immediately unnerving. The room had been soundproofed. LeCroix opened a locked file cabinet and withdrew three separate folders, placing one in front of Crow, Sam, and Roger in turn. Crow opened his to find a set of photographs, copies of written reports and interviews, and on the last page what appeared to be a psychological evaluation. It was too much to read through all at once, so he decided to put that aside for later. Sarah spoke first.

"I'm not sure how much you know of the situation already so I'll start from the beginning. Right now we appear to be looking at three possible sexual assault cases. The first case occurred six days ago, a girl named Stephanie Hodge. Her brother reported the incident, saying that he found her rocking back and forth in her bed the night after they arrived. She was found nude, with no visible signs of restraint or duress. She appeared happy, almost in a trance of some kind. According to the brother, Eric, she only responded when he shook her violently for several seconds, and then she told him about how before he arrived someone had come into their hotel room and..."

Sarah trailed off as if unsure how to phrase the next part. Sebastian finished for her.

"Basically, the story is that Stephanie found herself forced into sex with someone, or something, that she couldn't physically see. Now, I say forced, but again we have no visible signs of restraint nor did she mention that any actual physical force was used against her. It kind of comes off as a paradox when you hear her describe it."

Sarah found her voice again. "She also didn't appear to be emotionally or mentally stressed at all. I know in some cases of rape the victim will come to terms with their situation in ways that appear to be almost like they enjoy what happened, but this is different. Stephanie described to her brother, and later to us, that she felt almost as if she had lost all control of her actions. It was extremely odd to hear her talk about it. She described every detail as if it were still happening, and she smiled the whole damn time! It's as if she enjoyed it, not as a method of acceptance but genuinely enjoyed what happened. It almost sounds like some fork of mind control."

"Let's back up for a moment," Crow interrupted. "She said she couldn't physically see the person that was assaulting her, is that correct?"

Nods from Sarah and Sebastian. "That's right, none of the three individuals were able to describe their attacker. They didn't say it was anything paranormal, but all of them clearly implied that whoever was doing this to them was either invisible or imaginary."

Crow pondered this for a moment. "Continue."

Sarah indicated the next photo on the page, this one of a young man. "Jason Laws. He was here with his fiancée for the week. She came in to find him nude on the bed, staring straight up at the ceiling. When he finally came to, the only thing he would say to her was 'I had sex with an invisible woman.' He kept repeating it over and over until a doctor came and took him to the hospital. Again, no signs of struggle or anything. When we did finally get him talking he gave us a similar story as Stephanie. Same tone of excitement as he went over every detail. Someone came into his room while his fiancée was out, stripped him naked and forced him into intercourse by paralyzing his body."

"But again, he was unable to identify his attacker, nor did he seem to understand that it was an attack at all?" Crow asked.

"Right. And the third event happened three days ago. Claire Abernathy. She was here with a group of friends but she'd gone back to the room early to catch some sleep according to them. Her roommate found her at three in the morning when she came back with a guy. Claire was sitting in a cold shower when they came in. They didn't get much out of her before the EMT arrived and took her to the hospital. She's the only one with any actual injury, nearly slipped into hypothermia."

"But that's of course from the shower. There was no indication that her assailant left any actual damage to her body...or her mind," Sebastian added quickly.

Crow kept his eyes on Sarah, urging her on. "Our officers questioned her and her friend in the hospital when she was feeling well enough. That was two days ago. Her story was the same as the others. Something joined her in the shower. Paralyzed her. Had sex with her. She did mention that she achieved orgasm, which is something that Stephanie hadn't mentioned, but I'm not sure if that's relevant. And again, no indication at all that she was upset about what happened. All smiles and blushes when she gave her interview. It was the weirdest goddamn thing I've ever seen."

"I can imagine. So, I'm seeing the clear pattern here. All of the victims..."

"I've actually been urging miss LeCroix to not use the word 'victim' in regards to this situation," Sebastian interrupted.

"What would you call them then?" Crow wasn't pleased with this decision.

Sarah answered. "We're not really sure to be honest. I see why that might upset you, really I do. But the truth is none of us know what we're dealing with here, and it would be a lot easier to classify this as a crime if the vict...if the individuals seemed to have any actual indication that they had been violated."

Sam joined the conversation. "Just because you don't understand that you've been violated doesn't mean you aren't a victim. I think it's terrible what's happened to these people, even if they don't share my belief."

"So going back to the pattern," Crow said, "We have young adults, aged between twenty and twenty-five. All were alone when the events took place. They each reported a feeling of paralysis and loss of control. There was sex, or what they believe was sex. None of the three were able to see whoever they were having sex with, as if they were invisible, and even though in all three cases the sex was technically non-consensual, none of them seem to be bothered by it. In fact they all seem to be glad that it took place. Am I missing anything?"

Sebastian looked quietly at his hands, unable to add anything important to the conversation. Sarah couldn't think of anything either.

"You can see why this is such a unique situation for us," she said. "Now, nobody is saying anything paranormal is going on, but this is way beyond anything we've ever seen before."

"So you've given us the story of what happened. Now where are you at with the actual investigation?" Crow asked.

"What investigation?" Sarah replied. "Everything we have is literally inside of that file in your hand. Medical reports that all came up clean. Witness statements that don't make sense. Two psychological evaluations for the first two victims that left the psychologist wondering if he should resign." Nobody corrected her use of the word this time.

"What about the police, what have they come up with?"

Sarah sighed. "There are no police. This is a private island, under jurisdiction of U.S. and maritime law, but out here we are the law enforcement. Legally privatized, of course. The problem is we simply aren't equipped to handle an actual investigation like this. None of us have the proper experience. If an actual crime had been committed, one that could be proven anyway, then we could call on the Coast Guard or even the FBI to help us, but you try explaining to a federal agent that you have victims of sexual assault who don't actually feel like they were assaulted and, by the way, also claim their attacker was invisible."