Leviathan's truth

Cooper could barely keep himself awake despite the sugary abomination that used to be black coffee being downed in one gulp, the burning sensation lingering in the back of his throat. It was too early in the morning, and with an entire weekend spent chasing down leads left by Leviathan without any chance for sleep, he amusedly wondered how much longer he would have to be sleep-deprived to start experiencing hallucinations.

Sitting down on his study, he checked his phone again, reading the message from the unknown number that stirred him from his well deserved nap not too long ago. He knew well enough who it was that send it, question was if it was merely done to prevent him from getting any rest or he had in fact come through with another lead in his investigation. Regardless of the reason, he wouldn’t discover it by merely staring at the digital smiley face that accompanied the command.

‘Check your email, L :)'

Tired and in no mood to give the bastard any more attention than need be, he did as instructed and booted up his computer, thankful that he never closed important tabs in case of emergencies. 

Upon having refreshed his feed, the sight of a new mail without any address to it popped up in his screen. 

He knew we was playing an extremely dangerous game with an even more dangerous ally, and that any singular mistake will result in the two of them dead in the most inhuman ways possible. It was bad enough having to confirm his fears about a serial killer lurking in the dark of the night, but being made aware nonchalantly that he was not the only monster lurking about made matters worse. Cooper was disheartened to have his eyes peeled open by a homicidal maniac and see that there was more behind each brutal killing, to see the world being ruled by only two groups of people. Those who were insane, and those who knew how to hide it behind a mask of false sanity.

When he opened the mail he found that there were another set of files, pictures and videos of the same three areas he knew were connected to the killings and the group. At just a glance it almost seemed like it was just a digital copy of the files forwarded to him after having his house broken in to, but as he began to read through them it was clear that wasn’t the case. The videos were a particularly unnerving and sickening addition, showcasing the twisted psyche of those in them. 

He’d heard of the concept before long ago, when the internet was still something new and as unexplored as the depths of the sea, the ever elusive red room. The existence of those sites were always disputed and it seemed as just another urban legend adapted to the modern times just to control the newer generations, but as always Cooper was mistaken again, and he had twenty videos proving that it was more than just a myth. 

The violence and brutality of them was tasteless to any normal man, and the reporter was grateful he had yet to have breakfast otherwise he would have emptied his as he skimmed through each video. Each one followed the same pattern; an introduction of the victim, mocking them for the sins which lead them to that fate, the terrible torture only twisted minds who’ve had enough empirical knowledge to make the suffering endure for so long could conjure, and finally the conclusion of all the suffering through a slit throat, the sound of gurgling quickly replacing the agonizing screams as their killers smiled at the camera and thanked all who participated in the demise of poor soul lost to madmen. That was what truly nauseated him, not the inhumane methods of inflicting pain nor the excruciating length of it that could have felt eternal, but the fact that it quickly dawned on him that all of what he saw was broadcasted live for the sick pleasure of other monsters. 

It was wrong, lacking so greatly when compared to the scenes left behind by Leviathan. What the monster of order did had a purpose, had an end goal that in his corrupted perception of the world was law and rational, it made him someone with a vision. The danger he posed was not of how many would die by his hand, but how many would rise to take his place once he is gone. That didn’t apply for these people. 

What was done as a sort of cleansing ritual for one, the other twisted it into a working policy. It left Cooper wondering who it was that inspired the other. One thing was clear however, and that was the reason behind why the Leviathan seemed to be aiding him in his investigations, why he wanted to keep him alive despite it being so easy for him to give the killer up to the authorities. The man was completely against the things the organization was doing, found it sickening, and everything that was being sent his way was just prove that he sought to destroy it from the insides without hope for them to rebuilding the original structure.

Should a mistake be made, regardless of how big or small, by either one of them, the results would be disastrous. A war amongst monsters hiding under the façade of men and women, with everyone else in the city becoming tragic victims of the crossfire. Part of him wondered just how many deaths he’d be responsible for once he gets the truth out, if he’d be murdered before guilt weighs his consciousness or if they let him live with the remorse of an empty victory.

As he kept reading the files, making sure to delete everything from his mail and saving everything in an external hard drive just as a safety measure, a particular document simply titled ‘List' drew his attention. While the others had been neatly arranged and saved as PDF's with dates for titles, this one was a small notepad file. Upon opening it, he was met with a long list of names. Cooper was overcome by a feeling of being at the brink of that one mistake that will burn the city to the ground, that he shouldn’t have opened that file, and it was only when he read those names that he realized why was that. 

Most of them at first seemed to have no importance to them, people he could have easily dismissed as just another face in the crowd, but then he found a name with a face he could relate it to, then another and another, until all color drained from his face as names of powerful and wealthy families, politicians, members of municipal police force and even owners of the media and news were all listed there, no elaboration as to why. Cooper didn’t need it though, he knew exactly what it all meant. At that moment he was really thankful that his stomach still remained empty.

It was more than obvious that an operation as big as it was being presented to him would need more than just people to make it work, money and protection were a must if they hoped to even survive for more than just a month, and it seemed in his eyes they’d been at it for years now. To think that all those conspiracy theories and claims regarding the wealthy and politically immune seemed to indeed have a modicum of truth to them made Cooper ponder upon the possibility of seeking the aid of a group he’d openly insulted, going so far as to call them kooks or aluminum hat nut jobs whenever they tried to convince him to seek out the truth they swore laid beneath the surface. Yet he knew better.

No matter how much they might swear that their drive for justice and the truth of the horrors of our world is unyielding, self preservation and fear would always be stronger the moment push comes to shove. It was cynical, disheartening, but also the sad reality of their world. 

For now he will not do anything, not that he could do anything at moment that wouldn’t paint a premature target on his back, all Cooper could do was wait and prepare for when all hell broke loose. Question was if he’d trust Leviathan to keep his word when that time came, or if everything he knew of him was another façade.

Perhaps it would be a good insurance if he became slightly distrustful and started planning his own way out, just in case.