I Can Hear a Serial Killer's Voice in My Head

As the sun begins to dip lower in the sky, I spot a nondescript van pulling up nearby. A man in casual clothes steps out, carrying a large case. I recognize him as Officer Kim from our tech division.

I casually make my way over to him, nodding in acknowledgment. "Let's head to the mountain," I murmur quietly. "We'll have better coverage from there."

We make our way to the nearby hillside, finding a secluded spot with a clear view of the village. Kim quickly sets up the drone and its monitoring equipment.

"Ready when you are," he says, his fingers poised over the controls.

I nod, and the drone takes off with a soft whir. On the monitor, the village unfolds beneath us in crystal clear detail. Kim expertly maneuvers the drone, methodically scanning the rooftops.

My eyes are glued to the screen, taking in every detail. There they are - the metal planks, glinting in the fading sunlight. They form an intricate network across the village, connecting buildings in a way that would be invisible from the ground.

"There," I point out, "zoom in on that cluster."

Kim obliges, revealing a particularly dense network of bridges around the center of the village. I make mental notes, trying to commit the layout to memory.

After what feels like hours but is probably only about forty-five minutes, we've scanned the entire village. Kim lands the drone and starts packing up the equipment.

"Good work," I tell him. "Let's get this back to the station."

Back at the office, I immediately settle at my desk with a large sheet of paper. My hand moves almost of its own accord, sketching out the buildings, marking the locations of the metal planks. As the map takes shape, patterns begin to emerge.

As I study the completed map, tracing the intricate network of rooftop connections with my finger, a chilling realization dawns on me. There's a clear path from the center of the village all the way to the nearest mountains, entirely avoiding main roads and even most of the alleyways.

"This is it," I mutter to myself, my heart racing. "This is how he did it."

I can visualize it now: the suspect using these metal planks to move swiftly and silently across the rooftops, far above the unsuspecting villagers below. He could have easily intercepted the children, then used this aerial route to transport them to the mountains without ever touching the ground.

"The suspect has to be a long-time resident," I say aloud, the pieces falling into place. "Someone who's been here for years, who knows every building, every rooftop like the back of their hand."

My eyes scan the map, searching for a starting point. Where would someone begin to construct such an elaborate network? The answer, I realize, must lie in the center of it all.

I circle an area near the heart of the village, where the network of bridges is particularly dense. "This has to be close to where he lives," I mutter. "The epicenter of his web."

I gather my findings and head straight to Seo's office. After a quick knock, I enter and lay out the map on his desk.

"Sir, I think I've found something crucial," I begin, quickly explaining my theory about the rooftop network and how the suspect might have used it.

Seo listens intently, his brow furrowing as he examines the map. After a moment, he looks up at me. "This is impressive work, but we need to be certain. Let's go back to the scene and test your theory."

Within the hour, we're back in the village. Seo and I, along with a small team, make our way to one of the buildings I've identified as part of the network. We climb to the roof, and there it is - a metal plank extending to the neighboring building.

"Alright," Seo says, "let's see if this holds up."

With caution, we test the plank. It's sturdy, easily supporting our weight as we cross to the next building. We continue this process, moving from rooftop to rooftop, following the path I'd mapped out.

"I'll be damned," Seo mutters as we reach the final building, the one closest to the mountain. "You were right."

He turns to the team, issuing quick orders. "I want you to question the residents. Ask if anyone's seen someone carrying metal planks or heard any unusual noises on their roofs. Be discreet – we don't want to tip off our suspect."

As the team disperses, Seo pulls out his phone. "I'm calling in another unit to set up surveillance. We'll install CCTVs on higher ground to monitor these rooftops."

I nod in agreement. "If the suspect is a long-term resident, he'll be trapped. With our presence here and the new surveillance, he won't be able to make another move without us knowing."

Seo's expression is grim. "Let's hope so. If he realizes we're onto him, he might feel cornered. That could make him even more dangerous."

As we watch the team get to work, setting up cameras and questioning residents, I can't help but feel a mix of triumph and trepidation. We're closer than ever to catching this killer, but the endgame could be the most perilous part yet.

***

I settle into the makeshift surveillance room, my eyes glued to the bank of monitors displaying live feeds from the newly installed CCTVs. The night has fallen, casting the village rooftops in shadows, but I remain vigilant. My gut tells me the suspect might make a move tonight, unaware of our new eyes in the sky.

"He'll try to erase his tracks," I mutter to myself, "now that he knows we're onto the rooftop network."

Hours tick by. One by one, my colleagues head home, but I stay put, fueled by determination and countless cups of coffee. The village sleeps, but I know somewhere out there, a predator might be preparing to strike.

As the clock inches towards 2:30 AM, movement on one of the screens catches my eye. I lean in, my heart rate quickening. There, emerging from the shadows on a rooftop, is a figure. The darkness obscures details, but I can make out a large, bulky silhouette.

"Got you," I whisper, my eyes locked on the screen.

The figure moves with purpose, methodically dismantling metal planks and moving them from building to building. It's clear he's trying to erase the evidence closest to what must be his home base.

Without taking my eyes off the screen, I grab my radio. "Suspect spotted on rooftops near Building C7," I report, my voice tense with excitement. "He's moving west. All units converge on that location."

I watch as officers on the ground begin to mobilize. But then, something changes. The suspect's movements become more erratic. He's noticed the approaching officers.

"No, no, no," I mutter, frustration building as I watch the figure melt back into the shadows, disappearing from view.

I focus on trying to reacquire the suspect on the other cameras. But it's no use. He's vanished, leaving behind only partially dismantled bridges as evidence of his presence.

About ten minutes after the suspect's disappearance, I hear hurried footsteps approaching. Seo bursts into the surveillance room, his face etched with a mix of anticipation and concern.

"What happened? How did it go?" he asks, slightly out of breath.

I turn to face him, unable to hide the frustration in my voice. "We spotted him, sir. A large man, moving planks on the rooftops. But... we lost him."

Seo's expression tightens, but he nods for me to continue.

"The good news is," I add, pulling up the recorded footage, "we were able to identify where he first emerged." I point to a specific building on the screen. "He came from this area, which narrows down our search considerably."

Seo leans in, studying the footage intently. After a moment, he straightens up, running a hand through his hair. "It's too late to start knocking on doors or entering buildings now. We'd risk alerting him and potentially losing our advantage."

I nod in agreement, relieved that Seo isn't pushing for immediate action.

"Here's what we'll do," Seo continues, his voice taking on a tone of determined authority. "We'll maintain surveillance around this area for the rest of the night. When the sun comes up, we'll start a thorough search of the buildings in this vicinity."

"Understood, sir," I respond, already mentally preparing for the long night ahead.

Seo places a hand on my shoulder. "Good work tonight. We may not have caught him, but we're closer than we've ever been. Get some rest if you can. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

The next morning, our team assembles in the area where we spotted the suspect. The rising sun casts long shadows between the tightly packed buildings, creating a maze of light and darkness. As we stand there, taking in the scene, a sense of frustration settles over the group.

Seo voices what we're all thinking. "This is going to be more difficult than we anticipated," he says, his brow furrowed as he surveys the densely packed structures. "These buildings are practically on top of each other. Our suspect could be hiding in any one of them."

The team murmurs in agreement, the enormity of the task ahead sinking in. But I barely hear them. My attention is caught by something else, a detail that seems to stand out amidst the jumble of residential buildings.

"Sir," I say, my voice quiet but urgent. "Look over there."

Seo follows my gaze, his eyes narrowing as he spots what I've seen. There, nestled between two apartment buildings, is a cheerful-looking structure with a colorful sign: "Happy Days Daycare Center."