Agent Reptilian: Exploiting Gold|editing

Chapter one: "My precious, my gold...my reptilian"

Yellow, a color generally affiliated with bright and happy things like sunshine and sunflowers.

Unfortunately, the yellow I was staring at was a long piece of tape with thick black letters that read, "Police line do not cross." I lifted the tape over my head and entered the crime scene.

"I think my eyebrows are getting goosebumps." My effervescent best friend Phoenix, named for her beautiful, copper hair whispered into my ear as we took in the unsettling sight in front of us. 

A lick of chill ran down my spine.

We stood inside of an aircraft, an A319 to be exact. Everything appeared normal as we ventured inside the compact space but just as we passed the business class  seats, Nix and I were met with a brutal sight. It was hard to tell but with the spotlights brightly lit up, the pool of blood on the ground was evident.

So was the body.  

As I walked further, I noticed that a few of the plane windows nearby were shattered, allowing the muffled voices of curious bystanders outside to seep in. Shards of glass crunched beneath our boots as we navigated the aisle, eyes scanning every corner, trying to piece the scene together.

The entire plane had been marked off as a 'warm zone', including the outside area since evidence could be lying beyond where the body was discovered. Our team from Secretum Academy along with a few other top New York City detectives and forensic investigators were working together on this case from the little information I had been given.

The 'hot zone' perimeter, was where the body of the unidentified victim laid and where most of the evidences were concentrated. News channel crews and journalists swarmed around like a hive of bees, attempting to get a shot of the scene. Security guards stood shoulder to shoulder, forming an unbroken line that blocked access to the crime scene.

I frowned, uneasy.

Why are there so many people here... and news crews?" I whispered, scanning the crowd. "What happened?"

Nix shook her head. "That's what we're all trying to figure out."

I vaguely recalled Agent Adams, Head Agent of Secretum Academy, mentioning that today's career rotations would take place off-campus which was not entirely unusual. These rotations typically paired us with field agents or professionals working in specialized forensic units within the academy's broader network. We shadowed them, observed real cases, and gained insight into potential career paths we might pursue after graduation. 

What I didn't recall, however, was any mention of the rotation involving a crime scene that looked more like Hollywood movie premiere rather than your typical crime scene.

"Ms. Scott, Ms. Brooks. You're both cleared to observe the scene. Stick to the perimeter, follow Officer Lesley's lead, and don't interfere with any active evidence processing," Agent Adams said firmly, his voice clipped and precise, directed at both me and Nix.

He stood before us, composed and unreadable, clad in a fitted black leather coat and trousers. A pair of clear, square glasses sat fogged on the bridge of his nose. His brown hair was meticulously slicked back with gel, catching the light in a sharp, mirror-like sheen.

Nix and I both nodded in unison. "Yes, sir."

As Nix stepped forward to adjust her gloves, Adams leaned slightly closer to me, just enough so only I could hear.

"Alaska," he murmured, his voice lower now, careful. "Are you okay with this? You don't have to prove anything."

I gave a small nod, barely perceptible. "I'm fine. A little shocked-but I guess if I want to work in this field, I have to get used to it." He nodded.