Chapter 13 - I'm Going to Jail, It Seems.
After dropping Carn off at the Theater Mall, Han drove north, entering a highway and heading to his office.
Suddenly, the quiet hum of the road was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Glancing at the screen, he saw the caller's name flash up.
It was his co-worker, Sam. He was a field operator and an explorer who specialized in scouting and cartography. He was also in charge of mapping the geography of the lands in other dimensions.
Han put on his Bluetooth earphones and pressed on his phone, answering the call.
"What up?"
"Han, did you visit the Theater Mall a few minutes ago? I saw it on the GPS."
The Theater Mall was the only three-story shopping mall in the state while most malls were limited to one or two floors. It had opened just a few months prior after a year of rapid construction.
Due to rising land taxes, increased dimensional rift activity, and the sudden availability of construction materials from other dimensions, constructing a single-story mall on expansive land had become more expensive than erecting a multi-story structure.
"Yeah, Why do you ask?"
"We've received reports that there's been some weird activities in that area. Local cops have logged multiple complaints about a suspicious-looking man dragging a smelly suitcase into a theater and then literally pissing at people."
Han chuckled, "Sounds like typical Florida Man headlines. Isn't that normal around here?"
"Yeah, no. Listen, none of the CCTV cameras or phones could capture the guy's face. Not a single frame. Can you head back and check it out? I'm afraid some kind of Voodoo is at play."
Han's smirk vanished. He furrowed his brow, falling into a deep thought.
Cameras couldn't capture the man's appearance? That wasn't normal.
Doppelgangers from another dimension…?
That thought echoed in his mind. Doppelgangers were notorious for distorting reality and slipping through the cracks of a rift undetected. But this felt too close to home.
'I just dropped Carn off over there... Could he be in danger?'
Sam's voice cut through his thoughts. "Georgia's units are losing it. They're pushing for full mobilization. They want every area with odd activity quarantined. They think this guy's linked to the mass slaughter at Valdosta."
Han's stomach twisted at the mention. Valdosta was a massacre site, infamous among cops for its connection to a rogue explorer or a mysterious doppelganger. The thought of Carn being anywhere near that kind of trouble set his nerves on edge.
"I need you on this, Han. Can you help?"
Concern gripped him. Carn could be in serious danger.
'Please don't let Carn run into this guy… or whatever the hell is causing this.' Han prayed.
Unable to push down the rising worry, he slammed the siren button and gunned the engine, swerving through traffic as he made a sharp U-turn at the nearest intersection.
"I'm on my way back. Get me backup and my gear, ASAP."
"Copy that," Sam confirmed.
Han floored it, racing against the clock and the unknown threat lurking in the shadows.
…
Because of the traffic, it took Han 30 minutes to get back. Upon arriving at the parking lot, a chaotic scene caught his attention.
A crowd of shoppers had gathered, murmuring and watching the police at work in front of the shopping mall. Three police cars were already at the scene.
At first glance, it seemed like the typical chaos at a big mall, especially when someone suddenly caused a public disturbance. But this time, something else stood out to Han.
Several cars near the entrance had their windshields shattered, and people who had escaped the area were cursing or throwing their phones away. Upon a closer look, their phones were all busted.
Sensing that something was wrong, Han honked and stepped out of his vehicle. He rushed to the entrance, but the crowd blocked his path.
"FBI! Make way!" Han shouted.
The crowd parted, letting him through. Han rushed into the mall but quickly came to a stop as he took in the scene.
There was barely any light inside. Only the sunlight streaming through the front entrance and rooftop provided some illumination. The balconies and center area were dimly visible, while the stores remained in darkness.
Inside, police officers had gathered in the plaza area. Their flashlights focused on the ground, observing something. Nearby, a young man sat with handcuffs on his wrists, and an officer stood in front of him, questioning him while shining a shoulder flashlight at his face.
Even from a distance, Han recognized the youth. It was the person that he had been worried about.
Without hesitation, Han approached the group of officers, ready to get his son out of trouble. He pulled out his badge.
As soon as Han got close, one of the officers stepped forward and warned him, "This is a crime scene. Please step back."
Han sighed and flashed his badge. "Special Agent, FBI."
"Oh," the officer glanced at the badge before stepping aside to let Han through.
Han stared at Carn, who returned the gaze and waved.
"Hi, Dad."
Han resisted the urge to facepalm in public. He rolled his eyes and sighed, "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
Carn shrugged. "Take a look for yourself. Actually, I need an explanation too. Is that a doppelganger?"
"Hmm?"
Han raised an eyebrow and shifted his attention to what the officers were inspecting on the ground.
There lay the withered corpse of a giant hand-like monster. Judging by its sheer size, it must have stood at least 7 feet tall. Whatever it was, it resembled the doppelgangers that Han and his colleagues had encountered inside a rift.
"Carn," Han asked without turning around. "Did you do this?"
Carn snickered. "Take a guess."
"I'm not playing games."
"Fine. I was just looking for a place to eat, and then everything in the mall went black. That crazy skinwalk… I mean… that monster jumped me."
"What?!"
Han was stunned. Every doppelganger he'd faced so far had been overwhelmingly tough, impervious to regular bullets. Usually, it took heavy machine guns, .50 caliber rifles, or even tanks to bring one down. Yet here was Carn, claiming he'd survived its attack.
To confirm, Han kicked the corpse, which was something a crime scene investigator shouldn't do. The flabby skin of the skinwalker jiggled and flopped like rubber.
Han's suspicions were confirmed. All dead doppelgangers left behind jelly-like corpses, and this body had the same trait.
Since Carn subdued a doppelganger, his status became questionable once more. However, this time, Han trusted his son.
Whatever his son's secrets were, Han decided to respect them. After all, he had proved that he was not on the doppelganger's side.
"Officers, could you release the young man?" Han sighed, rubbing his temples.
The cops exchanged glances before one of them voiced his disagreement, "The suspect had a knife when we arrived. We've also received multiple reports about a crazy man in the mall carrying a suitcase. We've collected the suitcase, and it matches the description. He was also the only one at the scene."
Han pointed to the monster's corpse. "Well, you can come to that conclusion if you're blind. Look at this. It's a rift monster. You've caught the person who probably fought it off and protected the civilians."
"But he doesn't have an explorer's license..."
"That's for me to question, not you, officer. I'll take him from here."
"..."
Reluctantly, the officers unlocked Carn's restraints, exchanging unhappy glances. Two of them left the area to prevent other civilians from entering the mall.
Carn let out a long sigh of relief. He thought he would be taken to the police station. Then, he would face his mother's wrath again.
"Thanks, Dad."
Han rolled his eyes. "Don't thank me. Be ready for what's coming."
"Huh?"
Han sighed again, giving up on explanations. He cut the conversation short to ease his growing headache.
"Get ready to explain yourself. I'm not going to bail you out tomorrow. Also, pack your bags when you get home. I'll tell you what to bring."
"What's wrong, Dad?"
"You're going straight to a juvenile prison. If you cooperate, you can leave early."
"...What? But I'm innocent!" Carn was confused. He had no idea why he would be sent to jail.
Han bitterly smiled and patted his son's head. "Don't worry. You'll understand once you're there."
"???"