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"What do you mean she's gone?," I questioned Jacob sternly.

"God help me, if there was ever a time for me to be sensitive, it's now," Jacob complained to himself, blocking my entry into the patient room. He looked back at me as if he was horrified of what's about to happen. "Nate, Selina is gone. The ricin took her."

"Don't tell me that," I told him with a mean eye. "Don't tell me that, Jake."

"I'm so sorry, buddy," Jacob says, reaching for my shoulder. "It just happened not even a minute ago."

"What, Jacob, what happened?," I asked, raising my voice and pulled away from his reach.

"She started to seize again," Jacob says, dropping his arm, "not a minute ago. We tried to help her and then she just..."

"No," I mumbled, "no, not yet!" I tried to push Jacob aside so I could go inside to see if he spoke the truth. Jacob pushed against me and tried his damnedest to make sure I didn't get in. I pushed harder and so did he. "Dammit, Jacob, don't make me hurt you!," I screamed as Elrick came running into the living area, "get the fuck out of my way!"

"You're not thinking straight, man!," Jacob yelled back, resisting me with everything he has. "There's nothing you can do!"

Blind with rage, I grabbed Jacob by the front of his orange and black strip jacket, pulled him toward me and smashed my skull into his with a harsh recoiling headbutt. Jacob instantly fell to the ground unconscious at my feet. Elrick fell down to the ground next to him to slap him awake instead of holding me back as Jacob did. Light headed, dizzy, and now experiencing a new headache magnified by the whiskey I had less than an hour ago, I stumbled through the open door of the patient room, unintentionally falling to my knees.

I looked up in front of me to see my comforter I gave Selina from my bed on the floor alongside the pillow. What I could see of her are only her purple and white wings hanging over the operating table, motionlessly.

"Selina!," I cried, stumbling back to my feet. "Selina! Wake up!"

I pulled myself up to the table and saw the rest of her lifeless body. Impulsively, I pressed my hands to her chest and began to thrust, counting my beats. I pumped my hands into her heart five times then leaned in, plugged her nostrils with my fingers and exhaled as hard as I could into her mouth. I did this three times then rested my ear over her heart. I heard nothing. I repeated my process in hopes that it would be different. I pumped then attempted to breath life into her before listening for a heart beat again.

"Dammit woman, fight!!," I screamed, thrusting my palm harder into her chest. "Don't you dare give up!!"

"Nate, stop!," Jacob yells at me.

I looked over to see Elrick helping him to his feet as he held his head in agony. Jacob rushed towards me and attempted to lock my arms behind my back and pull me away. Of course, I fought against it. I pulled away from him, over and over, trying to break free for one more chance to bring her back. Jacob tightened his grip on me as much as he could.

"Let it go, Nate!," Jacob yelled in my ear.

"No!," I screamed back, lunging myself forward. "I won't let her die!"

By a sudden whisk of luck, I slipped an arm free from Jacob's hold. Given the opportunity, I lunged again to break his grasp. Once free, I tripped forward and slammed into the operating table, almost knocking myself to the ground again. Jacob immediately latched onto my waist and pulled but I resisted by clamping to the table bolted to the floor that she lies on.

With one final attempt to rescue my friend, I threw a fist into the air and slammed it down over her heart as hard as I could. With the impact came a loud, suffocated shriek from Selina's mouth. I froze in my spot. Jacob did as well yet still held his grasp on me. We both looked down to her head and saw her breathing again. She now lies before us, eyes straining to open, mouth wide as she gasps for oxygen. Her hands, now rejuvenated with life, have a locked grip on the sides of the table. Her legs twitch up and down the table as if she's struggling to get away from something as her wings weakly yet vigorously flap off the edges of the metal.

I looked at Elrick who had been staring along with the rest of us. "What the hell are you waiting for?!," I yelled at his face from across the room. I looked at Jacob and pushed him off of me, "Help her!"

"Jacob, we have to get that tube out of her neck," Elrick says, pushing between us and holding her arm down to the table.

"What, why?," Jacob questioned, giving him a crazed look.

"The swelling in her esophagus must have gone down," Elrick replies, reaching under the table for a strap hidden underneath, "she's struggling to breath on her own!"

"Alright, what do I do?," Jacob asked.

"In the drawer under the counter, I need the medkit," Elrick answered as he strapped down Selina's arm.

"What can I do?," I asked, waving to grab Elrick's attention as he went for her other arm.

"Leave," Elrick says abruptly, "you can't help here."

"The hell I can't, I just beat her ass back to life!," I argued, pointing at Selina gasping through her spasms as she tries to comprehend what is happening. "Tell me what to do, Elrick, I need to help!"

"Fine," Elrick gave in as Jacob came back to the operating table with the medical kit he asked for while he strapped down her legs. After securing Selina to the table, Elrick retrieved a few alcohol wipes from the kit. With one hand, he pulled off the medical tape holding the trach tube in place. When the tape was removed, he wiped the skin around the tube that had been shaved off thoroughly with all the wipes then reached back into the kit for what looks like tissue paper. He wrapped the strange looking cloth around the tube then reached for my hand. He then wrapped my hand around the cloth and squeezed to tighten my grip. "Hold it just like that, when I pull the tube out, apply pressure onto the incision but for God's sake, don't choke her."

"Alright," I quickly agreed, looking down at her as I held my grip. Selina looked up at me with her sparkling blue eyes and stared into mine. I smiled pathetically back to her and felt tears roll up behind my eyes. "You're gonna be okay, Goose."

"What?," Jacob said, halting his motion in threading a surgical needle.

"What?," I repeated, breaking my gaze from Selina to him.

"What did you call her?," he asked.

"Does it matter right now?," I replied, irritated as I thrust my head at the needle in his hands. "Get on with it!"

"Are you ready, Nathaniel?," Elrick asks, his hands appropriately placed on the tube.

"Yes, do it already!," I yelled, bracing myself.

Elrick pulled the tube up over Selina's head slowly but surely. Instead of the wet sound of blood and meat squashing and splashing against each other, the tube slid out between my hands, silently passing through the hole in her neck. When the end of the tube came out, I pressed the cloth down on her neck, squeezing the incision together while holding pressure on top.

"Alright, son, when I say, remove the cloth," Elrick says, retrieving the needle from Jacob. He pulled some of the thread tied to it towards him then sliced it free from the roll in Jacob's hands with his claw. "Move."

I jumped back from the operating table with the cloth in my hand and watched Jacob take my place. He leaned over her head and used his fingertips to push the incision together like I was. Keeping himself clear of the actual hole, Jacob held his hands still as Elrick leaned in to insert the needle.

I looked away. I don't want to watch him stick that thing in her. I don't even like it when a needle is meant for me. Instead, I looked down at the cloth in my hands. There was a little blood on it. Not a whole lot. There's also some on my palms.

"Try not to speak, Selina," Elrick says from ahead of me. "Hold your breath and please be still."

Selina sounded as if she gulped like a scared child does. I looked back up and watched her nod twice to him then strain to look at me.

I don't believe it.

As Elrick's arms moved, pushing the curved needle into her skin on one side and back out on the other, Jacob continued to hold the pressure. Selina squinted hard and clenched her jaws when the needle punctured her skin, especially from the inside. Horrified by what comes next, I watched Elrick loop the thread, pull to tighten it then tie off the stitch and slice the thread free. As Elrick moved up the incision to stitch again, Jacob removed a finger from both hands and tucked them into his palms. Elrick repeated his stitching process four times then tied off the last one and cut it free.

When she had been stitched, Jacob rushed for the pillow on the floor and carefully propped it under Selina's head. Elrick reached into the med kit for a few more alcohol wipes and cleaned the area again. By this time, Selina's thrashing had come to a cease. For the most part. Terrified and in pain, she trembled on top of the table and stared at me. As Elrick unwrapped a large bandage and carefully placed it over the stitching, she mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" to me, then blinked away either tears of sorrow or joy. By the look on her face, I'd say sorrow.

Elrick placed his hand on her forehead while I approached the table. Hanging over her head with a relieved smile on my face, I placed my hands at her sides and brushed her cheeks.

"You're gonna be okay," I whispered down to her. "You did it, Selina. You beat the ricin."

"She really has," Elrick agreed, removing his hand in surprise. "Her body temperature has returned to normal." Elrick ventured over to the counter and retrieved a stethoscope from where it laid. He placed the plugs in his ears then the circular metal piece at the bottom - I don't know what the fuck it's called - over her chest. He listened for a moment as Selina breathed with small whimpers. He then moved it to the other side of her chest and listened again. "Her vitals are coming back," Elrick said then motioned at Jacob, "check her pulse."

Jacob rushed around the table to her arm and placed two fingers on her wrist then began to count one thousands. After fifteen seconds of him counting and Elrick stethoscope-ing various areas of her torso, Jacob released and said, "average." Jacob then looked at me and smiled. "She's gonna be alright," he told me. "You saved her life, Nate."

"Jesus," I blurted as tears rolled down the fur on my cheeks. I looked down at her and laughed at the thought that we were ever going to lose her to begin with. "I knew you wouldn't give up," I said to her. "You're one tough bitch."

I watched her struggle to smile at me and she managed to let it show while still fighting back the pain.

"Jacob, help me move her onto the bed," Elrick says as he unstrapped her limbs.

Jacob freed her legs and Elrick freed her arms. I moved back so they could lift her from the hard metal surface and gently place her in the bed across the room from the door. They covered her up, tucked her in then looked back at me together.

"Well, come say hello," Elrick urges me. "She's not capable of biting yet."

"Make jokes, Old Man," I said to him as I approached her bedside.

No longer straining to smile as it comes naturally for her, she looked at me gratefully as I bent down in front of her.

"Hi," Selina mouthed without a sound.

"Hey," I said back, smiling with joy. "How ya doing, Gooser?"

"Why the hell do you keep calling her that?," Jacob questioned as he tapped my arm.

"It's what my mom called me when I was an infant," I answered, keeping my gaze on her eyes now receiving life.

"She called you a goose?," he repeated my statement. "I didn't know that."

"Not A goose, Jake," I said, looking up at him. "Just Goose. Other than the definition of the animal, it also means to boost or increase something. My mom called me that because she said I always brightened her days." I looked back at my recovering friend laying before me. "Selina's always done the same for us."

"Adorable," Jacob rolled his eyes then thought to himself for a moment. "Actually, that last one rolls of the tongue nicely. Gooser. Gooooooser."

"Don't wear it out," I told him.

I watched Selina mouth a word but I couldn't make it out.

"What?," I mumbled, leaning in to move my ear to her snout.

"Victor," she whispered as her voice cracked, making it almost impossible to understand.

"What'd she say?," Elrick asked.

"She said 'Victor'," I told him, looking at him and Jacob.

I had completely forgotten about him. With all the hell raging on, it didn't seem like a priority anymore.

"Victor?," Jacob repeated. "That guy your dad told you to find in your coma?"

"Yeah," I nodded then looked back at her. "Don't worry about him. I won't go without you."

"You still plan to?," Elrick asks as he began to clean the mess he made on the operating table.

"Of course I do," I replied. "We just never got around to it before all of this."

"Well, when you decide to go, I still have the map drawn up for you," Elrick says. "But she will NOT leave that bed no matter what until I say otherwise. You may be able to heal in a short timeframe but she can't."

"I know, Elrick," I said, nodding as I scratched the back of one of her ears. "I don't want her to until she's back to her ass kicking self."

"Good," Elrick replied, returning the medical kit back into the drawer of the counter. He approached the bed and kneeled down to Selina next to me. "You need to rest." Elrick held a small bell he had most likely pulled from the drawer in front of her and let her focus in on it. "If you need anything, ring this bell. No matter what, do not try to speak anymore than you have to. Understand?"

Selina nodded which made Elrick smile. He placed the bell on the table at the headboard of the twin bed and began to walk out of the room.

"Come on, boys, let's let her sleep," Elrick said before disappearing through the doorway.

Jacob patted my chest with a proud look about him. He looked back down at Selina with a happy grin who smiled back at him then he followed in Elrick's footsteps. I kneeled down next to her one last time and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead with as much compassion as I have within me. She hummed softly as I did and held her smile in my face when I pulled back.

"Sleep well, dear," I said to her.

As she shut her eyes, I rose to my feet and ventured out into the living area with the others. I left the door open to be sure that the bell could be heard clearly if she ever rung it. Sitting at the table in the center of the room where we have our meals, Jacob and Elrick gibber to each other then silenced the atmosphere as I went over to sit with them.

"Well done, son," Elrick says to me as I sat next to Jacob.

"I take no credit for that," I told him. "She fought until the end, all I did was give her a little push."

"Call it what you have to," Jacob says, shrugging at the entire situation. "You saved her life."

"When we were sure she couldn't be saved, you proved us wrong, Nathaniel," Elrick adds. "Persistence is one of your most valuable, agitating traits."

"I'm just glad she's going to be okay," I said, looking down at the table. "I never doubted her. I knew she'd survive this."

"You most certainly did," Elrick agreed.

"And you were right," Jacob says. "You usually are."

"All qualities of a born leader," Elrick says.

"Enough praise, guys," I said, looking away from them. "She's gonna live. After dying first, she's gonna survive the ricin. We can get passed it now."

"Thank God," Jacob prayed, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a joint. "Can I borrow a light, buddy?"

I reached into my pocket for my tin case and felt oblivious for a moment before I realized it and my bowl are still in the greenhouse.

"Don't have anything on me," I told him. "Check the lab, there's probably some matchbooks in there somewhere."

"Awesome," Jacob exaggerated as he stood from his seat.

Jacob walked away and into the lab across from the patient room where Selina now rests her weary head.

"Nathaniel," Elrick calls to me.

"Yeah?," I replied, giving him my focus.

"I'd like to talk to you about something," he tells me.

"What's up, Doc?," I asked, feeling much more optimistic.

"It's about your mutation that allows you to heal," Elrick's says. "I reminded myself of a hypothesis I had."

"Does it involve more needles?," I asked him. "'Cause I've had my fill of them for a while."

"Just one more," Elrick admits as he raised a finger. "But you might not like this one."

"I don't like any type of needle, Elrick," I told him firmly.

"Yes, well, this one might be a little more painful," Elrick says, pinching the air between his fingers.

"How much more?," I asked with an inflicting tone, scared if I should have asked.

"I suppose the appropriate word would be," Elrick paused to think, "excruciating."

"Please tell me you're joking," I said, leaning back away from him. "What the fuck do you plan to poke me with, a wooden stake? I'm not a fucking vampire, Old Man!"

"Hear me out," Elrick says, holding his hands up to stop me from leaving the conversation. "I had a theory about the mutation. I was looking for evidence of a mutated organ in the cells of your blood where the protein resides that heals your wounds from the inside. I didn't think until recently that it could be where the cells are produced."

"Which is?," I asked.

"The marrow between your bones," Elrick says. "More specifically, your spinal cord."

"Are you out of your mind?," I cried out to the sound of his theory. "There is no way in hell your sticking a needle into my spinal cord!"

"What'd I miss?," Jacob asks, walking back into the room, flipping a matchbook in one hand and puffing his joint in the other.

"Your psychotic uncle wants to probe me," I answered, giving Elrick a mean look.

"Seriously?," Jacob questioned, taking his seat next to me. "That's a little twisted."

"Ya think?," I rhetorically asked with a little attitude then looked back at Elrick. "It's not happening. That's where I draw the line on being your experiment."

"It could help Selina," Elrick says.

"How?," I asked, regretting to return my attention to him.

"In the condition she's in, Selina will be bedridden for weeks," Elrick says. "But if my hypothesis is correct, I may be able to concoct a serum to literally inject your healing abilities into another person. Temporarily, of course."

"Would that work?," Jacob asked. "It sounds ridiculous."

"It might," Elrick nods to him. "There's a good chance. But we won't know unless I get a sample of the fluid in his marrow."

"Nate," Jacob says, "It's your call, man."

"How sure are you that this could work?," I asked Elrick.

He shrugged and looked up in thought. "Sixty-forty percent chance that it doesn't, if I had to estimate," Elrick answers.

"Sixty being the percentage that is doesn't work," I complained to myself. "Fantastic."

"You can still say no," Elrick tells me. "I'm not going to force you."

"If it's for her then obviously I'm going to do it," I replied, feeling a sharp pain in my back as I spoke the words.

"It won't be pleasant," Elrick adds. "I will have to strap you down on your stomach and -

"Don't tell me!," I yelled, pushing my hand in his face to stop him. "The less I know, the better. Just get it set up so we can get it over with."

"Not just yet," Elrick says. "We can do it tomorrow. For now, I want to keep my eye on her and make sure she doesn't slip away on us again."

"She's sleeping anyway," Jacob says. "I don't think hearing you scream like a girl will help her get her beauty sleep."

"Funny," I said sarcastically to Jacob then nodded at Elrick. "Alright, I'll do it. But we should probably get some sleep, too."

"Fine by me," Jacob says as he snuffed out his joint and returned it to his pocket. "I could use some Z's. Night guys."

"Night," Elrick and I replied as Jacob rose from the table and made way for the den below.

"You head to bed, too," I told Elrick. "I'll stay up with her. You've done more than enough to help, it's my turn."

"Fair enough," Elrick smiles then stands from the table. "Goodnight, Nathaniel."

"Goodnight, Elrick," I respond as I stood myself. "Thank you for everything you've done."

"Always," Elrick assured with a smile as he began to walk off. "Sleep well."

"You too," I replied then watched him disappear down the spiral staircase to the den.

When he was no longer in sight, I dragged my feet to each corner of the room and blew out all of the candles lighting the area. Once all was concealed in the darkness, I waited for my eyes to adjust then went into the patient room where Selina still lays in the bed, now sound asleep.

Unconscious and she still looks so full of life. I've never felt so relieved.

I shuffled over to the chair next to the bed where she slumbers and the end table the bell sits on top of, jacking the crappy patient pillow off of the desk as I went by, and took a seat. Stuffing the pillow behind my head, I let my body go limp and melted into my inconveniently improvised chair bed thing.

I laid, or sat, there for a few minutes, my eyes closed but so heavily, I still feel like they're not shut. My muscles feel sore now that I've finally taken the time to rest. I've been up for two days straight worrying about this case, and more specifically, Selina. But now, she's safe, out of harm's way and on the road to recovery. Which means I can rest easy working this case without any cravings to feed my hunger.

I'm back in control of myself. Before I knew of the hunger, when I began to go a little loopy, I felt like I had lost myself in my own concerns. I didn't know what to think about most things that came my way. After I knew, when I still had those worries, it wasn't much easier. I knew the hunger was there but I was just learning to control it. I still am learning to control it but now I feel like I can dominate this. The hunger and the case.

After I get some overdue sleep.

Three knocks were heard from the front door of the lab.

"Fuuuuuck," I groaned aloud, my body refusing to move.

Selina hummed when I realized I spoke too loudly but it didn't wake her. Just poked at her conscious. She wiggled a little, scrunched the blanket in her palm and silently drifted from this realm, back to her dreamland.

Irritated, I strained myself to my feet and dragged them through the open door of the patient room again. They pulled me down as I tried to move them across the floor of the living area. It felt like it was taking forever just to get to the door but, eventually, I made it to the knob before whoever the hell is knocking in the middle of the night decided to knock again.

I turned the knob and opened the door, my eyes half open and my body weak from repressed exhaustion. To the surprise I don't possess, Anthony stood on the other side, glimmering like an angel when I was blinded by the torches hanging on the wall behind him.

"You've got to be kidding me, Anthony," I said, straining to open my eyes in the small shadows my hand creates from blocking the light. "The sun's going to be out in a few hours, I need to sleep, man."

"Sorry, lad, I just thought you'd like to hear the news," Anthony's aspiring Irish voice replied.

"It can wait," I told him as I began to shut the door, "I'm fuckin' tired."

"No, actually, it can't," Anthony says, halting my action by planting his hand on the door. "It's important Nathaniel, you need to hear this."

"Fine, fine, whatever," I said in frustration, throwing the door open and stumbling over my own tired feet to the table.

Anthony closed the door behind him as I sat down then walked around the table in the dark to sit across from me.

"How about some light?," Anthony suggests, taking his seat blindly.

"Not a chance," I said, shaking my head. "Have you forgotten what you are, Admiral? Tigers can hunt in the night just like timber wolves, you should be able to see just as well as I can."

"I'm not as in tune with my animal side as you are," Anthony says as he leans in to squint, "I can barely see anything."

"You're a soldier, you can deal with it," I said, leaning on the table out of exhaustion. "You gonna tell me what you're keeping me awake for?"

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?," he asked.

I shrugged which he probably didn't see then rolled my eyes when I realized it which he most likely didn't see either. "Hit me with the bad," I said unenthusiastically. "Best get it out of the way."

"Well, I'll start by saying after I left Amber's apartment, I checked with all of Jason's jogging buddies to confirm he was with them the night Trevor was killed," Anthony explained. "Which he was. So whatever skeletons he has in his closet, they most likely aren't Trevor's."

"Awesome," I complained, thumping my head on the table. "There goes all of those theories we had about him. What's the good news?"

"Amber is the good news," Anthony said with a smile.

I love that he can't see anything right now. Mountain Man, two, Military Admiral, one. You're falling behind, Anthony.

"Care to explain what that means?," I asked, no longer looking at him but staring onto the wood tabletop instead.

"You know that thing that I do?," Anthony asks, "very well, I might add."

"Yeah, yeah, reading expressions," I replied, laying my head on the table. "Investigation being the only field in which you've bested me. I might add."

"You're cranky when you're tired," Anthony tells me as rudely as I was being to him. "And for the record, that isn't the only investigative skill I possess."

"There's a reason I don't get up early mornings when I don't have to, Anthony," I replied, rubbing my temple. "And for the record, kicking your ass isn't the only ass kicking skill I possess. So we're even."

"Right," Anthony nudged off the subject, "anyway, I asked her the basics, nothing too exaggerated or specific. Which I assume is what you did, or at least close to it considering the report Cole left on my desk about your interrogations."

"Speed it up," I said, waving an unseen hand in a circle between us.

"She stuck to the same story she told you, from her biological parent's being killed in a fire to the moment Trevor was killed," Anthony tells me, sternly as if I was supposed to pick up something.

"And?," I questioned him, rude as ever. "What does that tell us that we didn't know?"

"She was lying," Anthony smirked. "I picked up on her tell when we started the interrogation. When she began with her parents, I didn't notice any sign of deception so obviously that part is true but it's also what gave her away."

"Still dying of sleep deprivation," I mumbled, half awake yet somehow catching every annoying word.

"After we got past her parents and more onto the subject of her adopted father, I asked her to explain her relationship with him before his death," Anthony continues, ignoring my words. "I asked some things we already knew, things she would know that we knew, such as her feelings towards him. Then I asked things she couldn't know we knew and that's where she slipped up."

"For fuck's sake, man, get on with it," I complained, raising my voice a little. "I don't have the energy for this."

"I asked her things that Jason told us," Anthony said abruptly as if my interruption was annoying to him. "Like if Trevor ever had anything that she wanted."

"And she lied," I finished for him. "Fan-fucking-tastic. Can I go to sleep now?"

"Denied," Anthony replied as if I was one of his soldiers. "Yes, she lied, but that's just where I learned to notice when she lies. From that point on, I could tell when she was bending the truth. So I began to ask her the questions you obviously didn't think to ask."

"Such as?," I prompted him, looking up to hear his answer.

"Her daily schedule before Trevor's murder, the reasons why she hated him," Anthony listed with his fingers. "If she was envious of his wealth, if he approved of her boyfriend, if he ever made an effort to bond with her and how she handled it, why -

"Alright, I get it, geez," I stopped him by covering his mouth with my hand. "You're voice is giving me a hangover. I get you're point. But why the boyfriend one, what does that have to do with anything?"

"That was just to test my theory on her tell," Anthony answers after I uncovered his mouth.

"She was so calm when Cole and I spoke with her," I mumbled to myself then looked back up at Anthony's blackened face. "What's her tell?"

"Her left pinky finger twitches when she lies," Anthony tells me. "More specifically, when she lies about Trevor. It's hardly noticeable but it's there."

"Now I'm interested," I told Anthony then began to think aloud. "If that's the case then her closet is where we should be looking for skeletons."

"Exactly," Anthony agreed. "Whatever she's trying to hide from us, it has to do with him."

"Which makes her our prime suspect," I announced happily. "Great job, Admiral. Where do you wanna go from here?"

"We can talk about that tomorrow when you've rested," Anthony tells me as he reached into his pocket. "Unfortunately, I have more bad news."

"Why didn't you give it to me with the thing about Jason's buddies?," I asked, questioning him with my hands that he couldn't see. "You just got me excited that we're finally getting somewhere."

"What can I say, I like to be dramatic," Anthony says then sticks his arm out to hand something to me. Instead of reaching for my hand, he poked me in the face with it. I flinched and groaned as he apologized with a chuckle then snatched the object from his hand.

It's a card. With words. I had to squint to read them as best as I could. "To Jason," I read the front of the card out loud then looked up to Anthony. "How did you get this?"

"While you were busy deflecting Jason's advances towards you, I took a peek at his desk in the corner and found that," Anthony tells me proudly.

"You stole it?," I asked then looked back down at the card. "Well, look at you being all badass and breaking the rules." I flipped the card open then read the words on the inside to myself.

From ME to you.

"What the hell?," I questioned the paper out loud. "Anthony, does this say what I think it says?"

"I'm afraid so, lad," Anthony assures me. "If that card is what I think it is, Jason is going to die."

"What do you mean if it's what you think it is?," I asked him, looking back up again.

"All this time, we were looking for initials or abbreviations of some kind to match the capitalized 'ME' to," Anthony began to explain. "It's not either, Nathaniel."

"Then what is it?," I questioned him, handing the card back.

"It's a signature," Anthony says. "But not the average kind. Notes like this are how serial killers and assassins make their mark for a kill."

"Did you say, 'assassins'?," I asked, flashing back to my conversation with Tyler and Damon.

"Yes," Anthony nodded. "Why did you say that like you know something?"

"I kinda had a talk with a couple of the kids from the apartment duplex," I admitted. "They said they saw Derrick inconspicuously pay off a hooded man in the park."

"You're serious?," he asks.

"Mhm," I hummed to confirm.

"That makes sense," Anthony says with confidence in his voice. "Oh, that cheetah is one bloody clever girl."

"Lemme guess," I said, holding up a finger he couldn't see. "You think Amber used Derrick's affection for her to hire an assassin to kill Trevor?"

"So if we actually got anywhere, the blame would shift to Derrick and leave her incognito to our suspect list," Anthony throws in.

"Not to mention even if we began to suspect her, there's no supporting evidence against her," I added, twirling the hairs on my chin with my fingers. "She'd get off scott-free."

"Putting Derrick behind bars for plotting and acting on an assassination and leaving the inheritance to her and only her, yes, exactly!," Anthony yells in a whisper.

"Great," I said in a peppy tone. "I wanna do it."

"Do what?," Anthony asked.

"Arrest him," I answer. "You can cuff Amber if we find the evidence to convict her."

"Not so fast," Anthony warns me. "We don't have any physical evidence on either one of them yet, remember?"

"I know, I'm just speaking in future tense," I chuckled to myself. "I can't wait to see that bulldog's face when I slap cuffs on him."

"What's the deal with you and him, anyway?," Anthony asked.

"He's a douchebag, Anthony," I pointed out. "You know how I get along with those."

"Of course," Anthony says, shaking his head. "Oh, there's one other thing."

"Jesus," I prayed, slamming my head into my palm. "What else are you forgetting?"

"I ran into Cole on my way up here," Anthony says. "He said you were supposed to meet him in front of the doors to go over what he learned from Ashley and Johnathan."

"Ah, shit, I completely forgot," I said, rubbing my face in disappointment. "He's not still down there waiting for me, is he?"

"No, I sent him home," Anthony tells me as he pulled another object out of his pocket. "But I did get his notepad from him. Everything he learned from the two is in here but I already looked through it three times, I didn't find anything useful."

"Just another dead end," I complained, pushing the notepad away. "It's no use to us."

"Most likely," Anthony agreed, stowing the pad back into his pocket. "I'm going to have Cole keep the pages. Just in case we might have overlooked something."

"Is that all, Admiral?," I asked him, looking back up to his blinded eyes.

"Yes, Nathaniel, that's all," Anthony chuckled, reaching over the table to pat my shoulder. "I'll let you get some rest."

"Thanks," I said, standing with him. "Hey, before you go, can you do me a favor?"

"Depends," Anthony replied. "What do you want?"

"An address," I told him. "Derrick's."

"Nathaniel," Anthony said cautiously as he moved closer to my voice, "what are you planning?"

"Nothing physical, I swear," I said, holding out a hand to keep him from running into me.

"Tell me," he says.

"It's better if you don't know," I told him, pushing him back a little bit. "Trust me. Just know that we need evidence to convict the two of them and I have a way to get it."

"Oh, no," Anthony says, raising a finger to me, "no, Nathaniel, you will not break into their homes."

"I didn't say that, you trying to put words in my mouth might get us both into shit," I told him, horribly protecting my intentions. "All you know, Anthony, is that I am a civilian volunteering my services to the local law enforcement. You took my authority away, remember? As far as the rest of Canniban is concerned, I am no part of the military. If I get caught, it's on me."

"That is exactly why you won't do it," Anthony tells me. "You do not need to be in anymore trouble than you've already worked onto your record."

"Anthony, you got this whole investigating thing on the wraps," I said to him. "I bet you wouldn't even need my help to solve this case on your own. You have over thirty years of experience and training that make you accel in ways that I won't for a time to come. Guess what, buddy, I got the same advantage on you. I'm stronger, faster, deadlier, quieter, and trained in ways you could only learn from me. And as an extra perk, I can do things that law enforcement can't. Not without a warrant at least. Let me do what I have to do so we can close this God damn case."

"I don't like this idea," Anthony tells me.

"But you're going to let me do it because it's the only one we have right now," I finished for him.

"What will I tell the King?," he asks me. "It would be illegally obtained evidence, by law, I can't accept it."

"Whatever I find, I will slip under the door of your office if I can bring it back," I explained. "You may know how it got there but at least when you tell him how you got it, you won't be lying."

"And you planned this all in a few minutes?," he asked me.

"Give or take," I replied. "It's not the best but it will work. If you let it."

"Damn it, boy," Anthony complains. "Trusting you is going to be the end of my career."

"What did I tell you about calling me that?," I asked him, irritation in my voice.

"Get over it," he tells me. "I'm putting my ass on the line just knowing what I'm allowing you to do."

"Get over it," I mimicked him like a child. "Do you want to find your murderer or not? Catching an assassin would do your career a lot of good."

"Only if this ridiculous plan works," Anthony adds. "If there is even the smallest mistake, it could all backfire in our faces."

"There's always a risk in the field, Admiral," I said to him. "You of all people know that."

"Alright," Anthony surrendered. "Fine. I'll get the address for you. But dammit, Nathaniel, you better not screw up."

"Have a little faith, O'Heir," I said with a grin he still can't see. "I got a little of the blood in me, maybe knowing I got some Irish luck on my side will ease your mind."

"You're Irish?," Anthony asked. "I didn't know that."

"One-fifth Irish," I admitted, "along with a little Polish, English, Blackfoot and Cherokee. The point is, I have no doubt I can pull this off."

"You better," Anthony warns me. "Or else we're both fucked."

"Anyone ever tell you you're sexy when you swear?," I joked, laughing at myself. "Hey, say 'shit' for me. Or 'ass', those two are my favorites when they come from your mouth."

"To hell with you," Anthony says, walking towards the door. "I'll have it by the time you wake. Stop by my office when you get the chance."

"Right-o," I assured him, dragging my feet back to the patient room. "Later Admiral."

"Goodnight, you arrogant arsehole," Anthony says before he walks through the front door.

Ha! He said it!

I laughed as the door shut behind him then slowly returned to the chair next to Selina. The little bit of energy I had left I spent discussing matters with Anthony and planning my next move. I'm too tired now to think. All I want to do is sleep. And that's exactly what I did. As soon as I fell back into the seat and rested my head on the cheap patient pillow, I dozed off quickly into a a silent slumber.

The next morning, or should I say afternoon, came fairly quickly. When I slowly came back to consciousness, the sun shining through the window struck me right in my face and blinded me instantly. Already frustrated, I held up a hand to block the light and leaned away to let my eyes adjust. Eventually, I picked myself up out of the chair, brushed Selina's cheek with a joyful smile without disturbing her sleep then dragged myself into the living area.

Coming into the room, Jacob and Elrick sat at the table. Jacob chews on pieces of sugar-frosted flake cereal as Elrick sits back in his usual spot reading his erotica. I walked passed them as I waved and went straight for the front door.

"Where you off to, Speedy?," Jacob asks, his mouth full and voice gurgled by milk.

"I need to spend a little bit more of your coin," I told him, turning to face the two at the table.

"On what exactly?," Jacob asks.

"Something very illegal," I told him.

You know, this would be something he would get a kick out of. I need my buddy by my side, it's been too long already. "Wanna do a B&E with me?"

"All these years, I always thought I'd be the one to ask you that," Jacob joked after swallowing his mouthful. "I guess, sounds fun. You don't need me anymore, right, Old Man?"

"Now that Selina's health is returning and the ricin is beginning to filter from her system, no, I believe I can handle things," Elrick says, dropping his book then turning to me, "but I know what you're up to, Nathaniel. I heard every words between you and the Admiral last night."

"Alright," I accepted with a gulp as I approached the table. "Your thoughts?"

"I don't like it," Elrick tells me harshly. "But I will let you make your own choices. Just be careful. The last thing we all need is you in prison."

"Believe me, I know it," I agreed with a nod.

"By the way, I washed your cloths last night," Elrick says, returning to his book. "If you plan on going into stealth mode, you will want your sweatshirt."

"I haven't had a chance to switch it out yet," I thought aloud to myself. "Not to mention those amazing knifes you gave me."

"You keep those hidden where they are," Elrick commands, pointing up at me. "You're body alone is more than enough of a weapon to defend yourself."

"Yes sir," I said with a smile as I made my way for the den. "Don't worry, I won't need them. Just having them there when I do is a rush. I didn't have many toys before you gave 'em to me, now I have an arsenal hidden in my favorite sweater."

That might be my hunger talking, now that I think about it. Sounds like something someone who craves power would say. Good thing I got Anthony to walk me through it.

"One more thing," the Old Man stopped me as I made my way for my bedroom, "you're replacing those sheets yourself."

Right... forgot about those, too.

I traveled down the spiral stairwell to the den below and placed the red carpeting under my boots then walked towards my bedroom door. Still left open, I walked through into the unlit chambers where I haven't slept in for a couple days. Sitting on the edge of my bed, the bed still covered by torn sheets from my night with Cassidy, are my sweatshirt, barely visible from the lighting of the den behind me, and a couple piles of my jeans. I pulled Cole's red tribal tee off and threw it on the bed then walked around to my dresser through the darkness, grabbing my sweatshirt as I went by. After slipping my head and arms through the sentimental treasure of mine and pulling the sleeves up, I sat down on my bed and pulled open the middle drawer. Inside, I found all the shirts I packed when Jacob and I moved sitting in the drawer collecting dust.

I really need to start considering and outfit change.

I placed all the clean jeans into the drawer except for one then closed it. Then I untied Jacob's coin bag from my belt loop, removed all of the contents of my pockets and changed into the clean ones. Trying to change pants with boots on is nearly impossible, God knows why I wouldn't just take them off, but I made it happen and found myself returning everything to my person.

As I turned around to walk out, I spotted my bow and quiver hanging from the inside knob of my bedroom door, hiding between the wall and the door itself. Without taking my eyes off of it, I walked around the bed again and sat on the other side. I pushed the door forward with my foot then snatched my bow and an arrow from its quiver. Placing the tail of the arrow on the string, I fell back onto the bed and pointed my weapon straight, in the air between me and the ceiling. Slowly, I pulled the string back by two fingers, listening to nothing but the sound of the string stretching and the wood bending, watching nothing but the glimmer of the arrow tip in the light of the den and the shine of the thin layer of the blue wood finish.

No weapon has ever felt as right in my hands as this one has.

"Come on, Nate!," I hear Jacob holler down the stairs. "Don't tell me you got me worked up for nothing!"

Snapping back to reality, I eased the string back, returned the arrow to the quiver and hung the bow back on the knob then bolted out. I curved up the stairs and whizzed passed Jacob.

"I bet that's what all the women say to you," I picked, passing by with a grin.

I heard him fake a laugh as I turned into the lab. Inside the metal and glass jungle, I walked over to the large icebox across the room then grabbed a couple apples from the basket sitting on the table next to it. Immediately sinking my fangs into the sweet fruit, I turned back and made way for our front door.

"Later Elrick," I said as I walked by him with my mouthful. "Let's go, Jake."

"Right behind ya, buddy," Jacob says, jogging up to follow me out.

"Be careful!," Elrick yells as the door shuts behind us.

"So where we going first?," Jacob asked as we walked towards the castle doors.

"Where all city teenagers go during their druggie phase," I told him. "There are a couple kids I need to have a chat with before we do anything."

"As long as it's temporary," Jacob groans as he looks towards the wall. "You know how I feel about kids."

"I could say the same to you," I replied, smirking to the irony.

Per our usual route, first the spiral stone stairwell leading to the castle's first floor revealed our path. Then more corridors. And more hallways. More corners and carpets and paintings and torches and pedestals with statues. Then, finally, the balcony above the courtroom then the stairs it connected to. As if it took longer to walk through every time, I rushed out into the main hall of the castle's interior behind the enormous stained glass windows, the crest above the gigantic doors and into the gargantuous open space. We crossed in front of the fancy staircase between the door we came out of and the one across from it, jogged across the open floor then popped through the open crack in the doors.

Finally into the fresh air, I took a long whiff and pressed on again, sinking my fangs into my other apple. We walked down to the city streets below and turned right as I began to route the path to Amber's apartment duplex in my head.

Provided I can remember where it is, that is.

"What's so important about these kids?," Jacob asks as I toss my first apple core into a trashcan we pass.

"These two saw something," I said then sunk my fangs in for another bite of my second apple. I chewed a little then continued to talk with my mouthful, "They were telling me about it last night before I came home but I didn't believe them."

"Why not?," Jacob asked.

"Do I really have to answer that?," I replied, looking back at him as I swallowed the fruit.

"Good point," Jacob says with a nod. "No one ever believes the kid."

"With good reason," I added then took another bite. "Imagination is one hell of a tool and drugs are one hell of an amplifier."

"So you wanna fill me in on what I'm missing?," Jacob questions as he nudges my arm. "What'd they see?"

"They think they witnessed the payoff for Trevor's assassination," I told him. "I thought they were just high on meth but Anthony found something really convenient yet disturbing last night that's starting to make me think they're right."

"So we're just grabbing information then," Jacob states with a sad sigh. "You did work me up for nothing."

"Relax, wouldja?," I said, slapping his chest with the back of my hand. "We're still gonna do the B&E but I need to know as much as I can before we go in."

"Can I get us in?," he asked with a grin.

"Hell no," I laughed as I shook my head. "Don't you remember the last time you tried to sneak into someone's house?"

"I didn't mean to put that much strength behind it!," Jacob yells to defend himself.

"You shattered the guy's window, Jake," I reminded him as I laughed some more. "You were only supposed to cut a circle with your claw big enough to get your arm in."

"I know what happened," Jacob says sternly. "I was there."

"So was I," I replied with a smile. "Until the glass broke."

"Yeah, you ditched me," Jacob says, nudging me again.

"Hey, I took a lot of the blame for you when we were kids," I said, pointing back at him with a grin. "Remember the whole stolen pack of cigarettes incident?"

"Alright, I get your point," Jacob says, waving off the subject. "Speaking of which, gimme one."

"Where are yours?," I asked, digging into my pocket for my pack with the apple core wedged between my jaws.

"I left them on my dresser when I got up," he tells me as he snatched the pack from my hands.

Jacob took a cigarette from my pack then handed it back to me. I took one, returned the pack to my pockets then pulled out the miniature matchbox in my tin case. Jacob lit his cigarette as I tossed my second apple core into another trashcan we passed by then I lit mine and we turned down into the inner city streets, disappearing into the large stone, brick, metal and wooden buildings.

We puffed as we walked, all the while weaving between the civilians crowding the street. Thankfully, these side streets aren't as flooded as the market street is so it made for easier travel to our destination. On the way, I informed Jacob of everything else pertaining to the case that he missed out on. I'm not really sure how Anthony would feel about me sharing information with him, he probably wouldn't be too happy but with it being Jacob, I'm sure he'd get over it pretty quickly.

The two of them bump heads easily but there's some kind of unspoken bond there. If not, they're gonna have to work on that before the King puts us into the field.

Not to mention that Selina will be there with us. Just like I knew she always would be. Everyone else had their doubts that she would live through this ricin poisoning but not me. I never denied that it was possible but I never accepted it. And if I had, she might not be alive right now. If I had, I probably would have just fallen and broken down on the floor like I did when Jacob and Elrick threw me out. Instead of lunging myself at her lifeless body and doing what I did. I really can't believe that it worked, I brought my best friend back to life in a fit of stubborn sorrow. I'm glad I'm stubborn. I'm glad I got Jacob to make me stubborn. I'm happy I have Anthony and Elrick to challenge my stubbornness but most of all, I'm thrilled that I'll still have Selina with us to rival it.

I pointed out Jason's place to Jacob as we passed by it and told him of the experience Anthony and I had inside his home. More specifically, I told him of the hash brownies - sorry, fudge - that he made while we were there. I went into extreme detail of the sensations of the flavors and the buzz of the high just to fuck with him. Then I told him about the giant portrait of himself and the joke I made to Anthony. I also told him about how Anthony turned that joke right back around on me when Jason saw my scars and Jacob instantly bursted out laughing wishing he could have seen it. But I saved the best for last when I described his girlish voice then attempted to imitate it in the best way I could. As hilarious as it sounded, enough to make us both bend over chuckling in our footsteps, it just wasn't the same.

Soon after the Jason story, we arrived to the apartment duplex where I expect Damon and Tyler to be inside.

"Probably shooting needles or something," I mumbled to myself as I shook my head. "Poor kids."

"What?," Jacob asked as we approached the entrance.

"Nothing," I said, whipping the door open and walking through. "Just thinking out loud."

I stomped up the first set of stairs on the left and flew up onto the second floor in just a few steps. I looked down the hall where, as expected, Damon, Tyler, and all the other delinquents stood in the way.

Oh, my bad, they're not shooting needles, they're popping pills. Delightful.

"Uh oh, it's the popo, yo!," one of the kids hollered, pretending to be scared as he pointed at me. "Y'all better run, boys!"

I walked up to the group and leaned into the speaker's face and waited for the laughter to die down.

"This is me reminding you what I did to Derrick," I said softly then smiled. He gulped with an angered look on his face then I turned and pointed at Damon and Tyler. "You two come with me. We need to talk." I turned around then began to walk towards the stairs again and stopped when I didn't hear any footsteps behind me. I turned back around and looked back at the juvenile adolescent group gawking back at me. "I wasn't asking!," I yelled back at them.

Immediately, Damon and Tyler broke from the group and hurried down the hall then followed Jacob and I down the stairs. We all hit the first floor and walked out into the open air outside.

"What's up, Nate?," Damon asks, jogging up between Jacob and I.

Jacob put a hand on his chest and pushed him back to reclaim his spot at my side. "You ever do that again and I'll snap your neck," Jacob threatened him, baring his fangs a bit.

"And what did I tell you about calling me that?," I asked, pointing at him.

"Sorry, guys," Damon says, holding up his hands in defense. "So what's up?"

"I need to know more about that deal you saw go down with Derrick," I told him. "Everything you can remember."

"Start from the beginning," Jacob adds as he calms himself.

"Uh, alright," Damon says, scratching his head then looks over to his friend. "Tyler?"

"Don't look at me, dude," the green monkey shrugged.

"Alright, how bout this, I'll help you through it," I told them, rubbing my temple. "How did you end up shadowing Derrick? Did you follow him or did you just happened to be walking by?"

"We followed him," Tyler answers.

"Great, we're getting somewhere," I sarcastically celebrated. "Why did you start to follow him?"

"Well, we were all just hanging out in the hall like always, waiting on him," Tyler continued.

"Yeah, then instead of coming to chill with us, he just kept on walkin'," Damon says next. "Like we weren't even there."

"And he was coming out of Amber's place, right?," I asked them.

"Yeah," Damon assures.

"So you followed him because he ignored you?," Jacob asked, looking at them like they're stupid. "Have you ever considered living your own lives?"

"No, we followed him because of that envelope we told you about," Damon says to me.

"It was sticking out of his back pocket and it was just weird," Tyler added. "Like, what are you doing walking down the street with a big orange package sticking out of your jeans?"

"Stay focused," I told them, keeping them from falling off topic. "So you followed him from here to the park way on the other side of the city."

"Right," Tyler nodded. "And when he got there, he just sat on the park benched and waited."

"Then this hooded dude sits down on the other side of the bench and talked to him," Damon says. "But it was like they were trying to hide that they knew each other."

"Yeah, their lips were moving but they never looked at each other," Tyler said.

"How did they act?," I asked, wondering if they'd understand what I mean. "Did one of them ever seem surprised or sad or -

"How about mad?," Damon asked, cutting me off.

"Mad works," Jacob answered then looked over to me. "Right?"

"Mad definitely works," I assured him as I nodded. "Who was mad?"

"Derrick," Tyler answered. "He kinda like threw a kiddie fit."

"Oh yeah, throwing his hands and head around," Damon finished for him. "All without even looking at the dude."

"Are we investigating a mental patient?," Jacob asked, looking over to me again. "I swear, I do just as bad with disabled people as I do with children."

"That's why I'm here, buddy," I told him with a smirk. "No one else is gonna keep you in line." I looked back at the boys and waved a hand to them. "What happened after Derrick threw his fit?"

"He got up and left," Damon tells us.

"Yeah, then the hooded guy took the package he left on the bench and left, too," Tyler finished.

"When was this?," Jacob asked.

"Four days ago," Tyler answered.

"That's the day before we first ran into that bulldog," Jacob says to me.

"More like he ran into us," I corrected him. "But you're right. So Derrick lays down a deal and two days later, Amber's adopted father is killed. And you guys are absolutely sure you didn't get a look at this guy's face?"

"Nah, man, no way," Tyler says. "His whole head was hidden in that hood."

"Alright, that's that," I said to myself, scratching my chin. "What about Amber, what can you tell me about her?"

"Like what?," Damon asks.

"What kind of person is she?," I restated my question.

"She's a bitch, man," Damon says. "The only person she isn't a bitch to is Derrick. I mean, she's still a bitch but she's never bitchy to him."

"Who would you say wears the pants in their relationship?," I asked.

"They both wear pants, dude," Tyler answers, looking at me with a weird stare. "Why wouldn't they be wearing pants?"

"Oh my fucking God," Jacob complained, wiping his face roughly with his hand. "Somebody help these two."

"I meant which is the dominant one," I rephrased my question, rubbing my temple that began to ache. "Which one has the control?"

"Ooohhhhhhh," Tyler says with a sudden understanding. "That'd be Amber. Controlling, hurtful bitch is what she is."

"Its my understanding she hated her father," I said to the boys. "You know anything about that?"

"Just what we listened to," Damon says, "when she was talking to Derrick about it."

"On a scale of one to ten, how much would you say she hated him?," Jacob asked, looking more like he was playing a game to screw with them.

"Eleven," Tyler answers.

"And a half," Damon added.

"Does she get angry a lot like Derrick?," I asked.

"Worse, man," Tyler says. "She freaks out completely if we don't do what she says."

"Or what Derrick says," Damon answered next. "But usually whatever he tells us to do is what she wants us to do."

"Like what exactly?," Jacob questions.

"Chores like cleaning and shopping," Damon says. "The only reason we do it is because she let's us hang out at her place."

"You do nothing but stand in that narrow ass hallway," I pointed out abruptly. "Popping pills, apparently."

"Well -

"Stop," I interrupted Tyler before he could speak anymore. "Forget I said it, it doesn't matter. How about Derrick's address, can you give me that?"

"Yeah, man," Damon nods. "It's 234 on Addison Avenue."

"You know where that is?," I asked Jacob, hoping we wouldn't have to be lead by the duo before us.

"Yeah," Jacob says as he nodded. "Right on the edge of the city's armpit."

"The poor district?," I asked him. Jacob nodded. I looked up and shook my head, "Why am I not surprised?" I looked back down at Damon and Tyler and said, "I think I've got all I'm gonna get out of you two."

"Does that mean we can go?," Jacob asked, looking over to me. "I think my headache is getting a headache."

"Yeah, we got other shit to do," I answered, turning away from the boys.

"What about us?," Tyler asks as Jacob and I start to walk off.

"Try making better friends," Jacob hollers back to them, not bothering to turn around.

"And stick to weed, it's better for you," I added, hollering without looking back either.

"Did you actually get anything useful?," Jacob asked as we made way for the main street.

"Nothing I didn't already know," I told him. "Except for the part about Derrick throwing a fit. I wonder what it was about."

"Maybe we'll find something about it at his house," Jacob says. "Which we are going the wrong way for, by the way."

"I know," I assured him. "I told you, we have some shopping to do first."

"What exactly are we buying?," Jacob asks. "And I'm getting sick of you spending all my money."

"Hey, you tossed it into my hands, it's not like I lifted it from you," I defended myself. "And we're going to buy some tools. Actually, just one, it's all I need."

"I think I know just the place," Jacob smiles and pushed ahead of me. "Follow me."

I did as Jacob asked and followed him down a number of different side streets. All the while, we drew a diagonal line with our footprints across one side of the city as we came closer to the main street. Eventually, we pulled out of the inner city streets just a little ways below the city square then turned towards the gate and began to walk some more. Jacob lead me fairly close to the gates then made a left turn back into the side streets. He lead me down halfway to the city wall and made another left turn then dragged me a couple yards further before stopping in front of a broken down metal shack that looks like it's been abandoned for years.

"What the hell is this?," I questioned the seemingly deserted flimsy structure.

"What's it look like?," Jacob asked, curious to my answer.

"Like shelter for the homeless," I mumbled, feeling a little discouraged as Jacob laughed at my response. "What is it really?"

"This, brother, is where all criminals go for their equipment," Jacob tells me as he began to walk towards the crappy screen door. "Whatever you need, I can guarantee you'll find it here."

"I probably could have found what I needed at a blacksmith," I told Jacob as I followed behind him. "But whatever. Maybe I'll find something else fun to use."

"Probably," Jacob replied as he opened the door. "Just don't go hog wild on my cash."

"I'll try not to," I smirked as I followed in behind him.

The inside, in design, was no more impressionable than the exterior, however, once you take a quick look around, given you're the type to appreciate the merchandise, it's much more respectable. Showcases sealed tight with pad locks lined the walls on both sides from front to back. In the center, there are two gated weapon racks also locked down and surrounding them are cloths racks. The showcases possess many small tools, some of which I've never seen before.

That's probably where I'll find what I need.

The weapon racks hold dozens of different swords, daggers, axes, throwing weapons such as stars and knives, cross bows, compound bows, recurve bows, arrows, bolts, and many more things like sheaths and pouches in each one. The cloths racks hold what you would think would be average wear, but when investigated closely, the cloth itself of each article is made completely of chainmail in the smallest of links. Each shirt or jacket, sweatshirt or hoodie, even a few pairs of jeans and shorts, strangely, are made of this tough metal cloth-like material. Way across on the opposite side of the front door is another door that's also been gated like the weapon racks but the padlock has been removed and lies on the showcase in front of the door.

"This place looked so much smaller on the outside...," I mumbled to myself as I continued to glance around.

"Yo, Tyrone!," Jacob yells, cupping his hands as he shuffled towards that very door. "Guess who, baby!"

"You gonna be a dead ma' fucka you call me 'baby' again, boy," a deep, DEEP voice replied from the other side.

A few large footsteps could be heard drawing closer until a hand pushed the gated door open. From within the confinement of that gated door comes a black bear the same size as the smuggler boss. The differences lie with the thick scar across his left cheek, a much more intimidating yet respectful vibe and the fashion design. Where as the smuggler boss wore torn jeans and old jackets, this bear, Tyrone, appeals with a style much like Jacob's of a enormously baggy red windbreaker and stoned washed jeans that appear to be damn well close to brand new.

Where was this guy when I made Jacob kill the Boss?

"Ho-ly-shit!," Tyrone's deep voice cursed as he threw a hand out to my brother with a happy grin on his face. "Jakeyboy, where ya been, cuz?"

"Out causing trouble," Jacob says with an equal grin as he gave Tyrone a brotha-hug. "The usual."

"For almost twenty years," Tyrone added as they laughed at each other. "Shit, I can't even 'member the last time I saw y'all's ass."

"I bought a glass breaker and used it to break into my neighbor's place," Jacob reminded him, leaning on the showcase.

"Oh, right, gotcha," Tyrone acknowledged as he nodded. "That came raining down on me in the long run."

"As if you had anything to worry about," Jacob says, waving away the information. "You're indestructible, no one could touch you."

"I'm willing to bet money against that," I butted in, approaching the showcase. "I've put down bigger game in my day."

"Tyrone, I'd like you to meet my brother with his own mother," Jacob introduces as he holds out a hand to me, "this is Nathaniel. And he's not lying, if anyone could bring you to your knees, it's him."

"Any brotha of Jake's is a brotha of mine," Tyrone says, holding his hand out to me. "Show me what you got, kid."

"Oh, you really shouldn't have said tha-

Jacob's words were cut off by Tyrone's deep, manly voice crying out in severe pain in an instant when I latched my hand onto his and squeezed my grip. Tyrone flinched and jerked a few times, much like the hippo did when I crushed his hand, before I released him.

The large black bear vigorously shook the pain away as he looked at me, eyebrow raised in question, then to Jacob with the same expression. "What da hell?," he asked with a high infliction.

"I'm not a kid," I told him, grinning to my own strength.

"Yeah, you don't wanna push that button," Jacob told him, laughing at the situation.

"Noted," Tyrone says as he continued to shake off the pain. "So whatchu guys looking for?"

"Ask him," Jacob says, pointing over to me.

"I need a lock pick," I told Tyrone. "Not a kit, just a pick for your average home."

"Just the pick?," Tyrone repeated, looking at me funny. "Whatayagonnado, scratch your ass with it?"

"I could but my claws are sharper," I replied, chuckling at his question. "It's the only piece I need."

"Are you serious right now?," Tyrone asks, inflicting his voice again.

"Hey, if it's a problem, I could just go make one with a paperclip," I said, raising my hands. "I just figured a real pick would last longer."

"Nah, I got you, dawg," Tyrone tells me, moving around to the back of the showcase at my right. "Whatchu lookin' at, quality?"

"Durability," I corrected him as he ducked down behind the case and opened the sliding glass door. "Something strong that won't rust."

"Steel?," he asked, rummaging his hand around in a few different bins of old tools.

"Try titanium," I told him.

"Seriously?," Jacob asks, looking at me. "That's it, no more toys for you after this. Spending all my damn money."

"Yes, Daddy," I joked with a smile as Tyrone moved across the room to another showcase. "You know I'll pay you back, I always do."

"Yeah, well I got about a month's worth of your IOU's," Jacob complains. "We better get one of these 'jobs' from you know who when Selina recovers, I'm sick of you being broke."

"You and me both, buddy," I agreed, feeling a bit remorseful.

"TITANIUM, BITCH!," Tyrone yells into the air as he popped up from behind the showcase. In his hand hanging in the air is a small, shiny tool with a thin sickle-like hook at the end. He tossed it to me from across the room, "How's this do ya?"

I caught the tool in my right hand and inspected it in my grasp. "Like a buttered up nymph on a Friday night," I replied with a smile. "It's perfect."

"Glad ta hear it," Tyrone says, returning to his old position behind the showcase in front of Jacob and I. "That's all you came here for?"

"Well, I kinda had something else in mind," I said, looking around the room. "But apparently Jacob's cut me off."

"God dammit," Jacob complains again, rubbing his forehead. "What else?"

"What types of arrowheads do you have?," I asked Tyrone.

"Ah, an archer," Tyrone says with a cocky laugh behind his words. "I got just the thing for you, man." Tyrone walked around the showcase again then to the weapon rack behind us. He put in the combination for the padlock, opened it up and grabbed a small cardboard box big enough to fit in both of my hands and one of his. He handed it out to me and crossed his arms with confidence. "Check those bitches out."

I sat the box on the showcase, tore the masking tape with my claw and opened it up. I looked inside and filled with excitement as I pulled one of many oddly designed heads from within. Each one spread out an inch or so from the tip with curved saw-like blades sharp as a razor.

"What the fuck is that?," Jacob questioned the exotic arrowhead in my hands. "That thing is three inches long."

"That is so what she said," I joked, laughing uncontrollably at that he set me up for that. Once I calmed, I handed the one I had to Jacob then took another from the box. "They're called reapers. Very deadly and very illegal."

" I see those sparks in your eyes," Tyrone says to me with a grin. "You want 'em, too, right?"

"I do but...," I paused in the middle of my sentence and looked at Jacob.

He sighed heavily then threw the arrowhead he had back into the box. "Write him up, T," he said to the black bear.

Awesome.

"I owe you so much money, buddy," I told him, tossing my arrowhead into the box as well then giving Jacob a big hug.

"Yeah, ya do," Jacob agreed, patting my back then pushed me off of him. "Pay the man so we can do what you promised we would."

"Right," I said then looked to Tyrone. "What's the damage?"

"You're looking at twelve G's, my man," Tyrone tells me as he reseals the box with masking tape he pulled from his back pocket.

"God damn," I mumbled, looking down into Jacob's coin bag hanging from my belt loop. "I guess black marketing pays off after all."

"You dunno the half of it," Jacob says to me, ripping the coin bag loose from my jeans. Jacob picked out ten gold pieces and four silvers then dropped each one into Tyrone's large hand. I then took the lock pick and stuck into my pocket then caught the small box of arrowheads as Jacob tossed them to me. "Can we go violate this dude's privacy now?"

"Might as well," I answered, holding up the box. "Unless you wanna watch me take a turkey off at the neck with one of these babies."

"Let's go," Jacob said, snatching the box and putting it into his jacket pocket. He turned and forced me out by pushing against my back as he waved to Tyrone. "Later, T."

"Have a good one, guys," Tyrone tells us as the door swings open. "Come back anytime."

"Shelter for the homeless just became so much more appealing,"I said to Jacob as the door shut behind us. "Why haven't you ever told me about this place?"

"Its been almost twenty years, Nate," Jacob says to me as he begins to lead me to Derrick's. "I forgot about it until you said something about 'illegal' back at the lab."

"I'm definitely going to have to go back there," I said, mostly to myself. "Oh, I have to show Selina, too. She'll flip when she sees all those toys."

"She's lived here longer than I have, don't you think she'd already know about it?," Jacob asked, looking over to me deep in my own imagination. "I was five fucking years old when I met Tyrone. How old is she again?"

"She just turned twenty-two not too long ago," I answered then continued to reminisce as we walked. "God, I wonder what else he's got locked up in that dinky shed."

"Hey, focus!," Jacob tells me, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "Derrick's place is right down the road."

"What?," I asked, breaking my daydream to look at him then down the road ahead of us. "Already?"

"We're on Addison Avenue," Jacob says to me. "Tyrone's place is the only reason I know how to get here."

"Oh," I mumbled, blinking at the information. "Well, shit. Do you see it yet?"

"234, right?," Jacob asked.

"Yup," I assured him.

"Well, if those little dipshits are right, that's the place right there," Jacob says, pointing to a small basic building no bigger than Tyrone's shed.

Brown roof, brown door, brown paneling, God damn, this place is one tiny pile of shit. Oh, and a window.

"That's sad," I said, smirking at the place Derrick calls home. "I'd be more sympathetic if he wasn't the definition of douchebag."

"I don't think you even needed to buy that pick," Jacob says as we approached the door.

"Not unless you wanna do this without getting caught," I said, pulling the pick from my pocket and kneeling down at the door. "Keep watch."

Before doing anything, I turned the knob both ways. Obviously, I expected it to be locked but I need to know which way the knob turns to open the door. There's more slack turning counterclockwise so that's the way to go once I've moved all the pins inside the lock. I placed the claw of my right index finger inside the very bottom of the keyhole to hold the tube inside still. The trick is to use the lock's tube to hold the pins in place once you've moved them all, then it's just a matter of knowing how to open a door, so you don't want that loose or else you'll end up starting all over. With the pick in my left, I slipped the hook end inside the keyhole facing up. With two strokes back an forth, I felt for each pin and counted five for the standard design.

Should have figured.

"Hurry up, wouldja?," Jacob pressed me as I worked. "I feel like we're being watched."

"That's because we're doing something we're not supposed to be doing," I told him as I pushed the first two pins up into place. "Gimme a second, I almost got it."

"This is taking too long," Jacob complains as he looks around.

"Jake, I've had thirty seconds to mess with this thing," I told him as the third and fourth pins clicked against the metal of the tube.

"You shoulda just let me bust his window -

Jacob's words were cut off by the sounds of the tube unlocking as I used my claw and the pick to spin it clockwise. I stood, turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"Out," Jacob finished his sentence as I grinned at him.

"Maybe next time, buddy," I told him as I walked inside. "Let's see what we can find."

It's even sadder on the inside. There is one wall separating the tiny bedroom from the not that much bigger living room. Here in the living room there is a chair, a desk and, surprisingly, a book. That's it. The opened bedroom door across the room shows a twin mattress sitting on a rusted frame with clothes spread everywhere.

Shit. Maybe he's the one after Trevor's money.

"What exactly are we looking for?," Jacob asked as he closed and relocked the door behind him.

"Anything that could be evidence of that deal those kids told us about," I told him as I began to shuffle through the apparently empty drawers of the desk.

"Well, it's not like we have a lot of places to look," Jacob says, kicking the chair with his sneaker.

"You're right," I agreed, lifting my head to spy into the bedroom again. At the sight of something I hope is what I think it is, I jumped up and dashed into the bedroom. I dropped, slid on my knees across the wood floor and stopped at the side of the bed then reached under it. After placing my hands on what I thought I was holding, I smiled and pulled a small box safe from underneath. "Jackpot."

"He can afford one of those?," Jacob questioned the metal contraption as I lifted it onto the bed.

"Doesn't matter," I said, spinning the dial to reset the combo. "If there's anything here worth finding, it's in this."

"What are you gonna do, punch it?," Jacob asked, giving me a funny look. "How do you plan to get in it?"

"It starts with you shutting up," I told him then pressed my ear against the door of the device.

All I have to do is listen for the tumblers. As long as Jacob stays quiet, that won't be a problem for me.

I began to slowly turn the dial to the right and waited. I watched the numbers pass as it turned then I heard the first tumbler click at thirty-two. I then began to spin the dial to the left, waited, and heard the second tumbler at five. I spun the dial one last time to the right and waited again until the final tumbler clicked at forty-one. With a proud smile on my face, I leaned back, turned the wheel until the locks clicked out of place then pulled the door open.

"Bravo," Jacob applauded me as he clapped. "I guess your ears really don't miss anything."

"Why do you think I've been saying it all these years?," I rhetorically asked as I examined the inside. "There's a lot of money here, look at all these coin bags."

Jacob took one of the coin bags and opened it to look inside. "It's nothing but gold," he tells me, reaching for another then inspects its contents as well. "They all are. Why's he living in a shithole when he's got all this money?"

"I don't know," I replied as I picked up some papers neatly stacked in the corner.

I looked through each one carefully. They're mostly just family documents, birth certificates, copies of citizen's cards, wills and the like retaining to Derrick himself, two people who I believe to be his parents and someone named Mathew Harrison, most likely his brother. Except for the last one.

"Look at this," I told Jacob as I returned everything I had back to the safe except for a small orange envelope. "Just like the boys said."

"What's in it?," he asked, tossing one of the coin bags he had back into the safe.

"Let's find out," I said then carefully opened the envelope.

It's flat as if there is nothing inside, no payoff, nothing but a pointlessly stored envelope. But once I stuck my hand inside, I felt what I believe to be another small piece of paper. I grabbed the edge of it between to fingers, pulled it out and fell completely speechless to what I was looking at. In my hand, from an envelope just like Damon and Tyler told me Derrick had when they saw him with our mystery assassin, is a very well sketched portrait. Of me.

"What the fuck?," I mumbled, looking down at the picture in astonishment.

"Whoa," Jacob says, eyes wide at the drawing. "Well, I'm not surprised, it's not the first time you've made someone want you dead."

"That bastard plans to put a hit out on me?," I questioned the picture, checking the back and the envelope for anything else. "Mother fucker!"

"You'll get over it," Jacob tells me. "Besides, who's still alive that could lay a finger on you?"

"I'm not invincible, Jake," I told him sternly, still staring at my picture. "I think an assassin would give me a longer run for my money than the smuggler boss ever did."

"See ya later, babe," a familiar voice could be easily heard from outside.

Oh, shit!

Quickly, I returned to picture to the envelope, the envelope to the safe, then after closing it and resetting the combination again, the safe to its place under the bed. As the knob of the front door began to jiggle, I rose to my feet, pushed Jacob to hide behind the wall on one side of the bedroom door then hid behind it across from him. No sooner did the front door open.

"Damn, it's good to be home," Derrick says to himself as Jacob gave me a look asking me what we'd do.

I simply rose a finger to my snout to order him to keep quiet then flicked the wall with my claw. Jacob looked at me like I'm stupid but I ignored him and did it again.

"Who's there?," Derrick asked, his voice carrying straight into the bedroom.

I flicked the wall one more time and waited. I heard his footsteps begin to make way for this very room. Jacob looked up and pretended to pray. Derrick's footsteps drew closer and closer until I could see his nose come through the doorway. At the instant, I elbowed Derrick between the eyes as hard as I could and knocked him unconscious before he got a look at either of us.

"Jesus, fuck, that was so close!," Jacob blurts out once we were sure Derrick wasn't awake. "Have you lost your mind?"

"What did you want me to do, let him find us?," I asked him then grabbed Derrick's legs. "Help me move him onto the bed."

"God dammit," Jacob replies, slipping his arms under Derrick's. We lifted him off the ground and literally threw him onto the bed. "That mother fucker is heavy!"

"He's a big dude," I said then turned for the front door. "C'mon, let's bounce before he wakes up."

"Don't gotta tell me twice," Jacob agreed as he dashed behind me.

I poked my head out of the front door to be sure Amber or whoever was no longer around then walked out and back onto the street with Jacob. Back on safe grounds, all that we need to do now is get far enough away from the area then tell Anthony what we found.

"That cock sucker put a hit out on me," I complained to myself as we made way for the castle. "Sonovabitch, I shoulda hit him harder!"

"I'll be surprised if he doesn't wake up with a puffed eye," Jacob tells me. "But if it makes you feel any better, I nabbed these."

I looked over at Jacob in the middle of my thoughts and saw two of the fat-filled coin bags from the safe in each of his hands.

"Are you crazy, he's gonna know someone was there now!," I yelled at him, stopping in my tracks.

"Nate, you busted his face like a coconut," Jacob says to me, stopping as well. "He won't even remember his own name when he wakes up."

"God dammit, Jake, of all the selfish things...," I complained more as I rubbed my temple. I thought for a few seconds longer then felt an epiphany come on. "Wait, no, this is good."

"Yeah, I know," Jacob said with a smile as he stared at the bags then looked at me. "Wait, what?"

"Think about it, I know I hit him hard enough to break something so obviously he's gonna know someone was there," I explained as I began to walk again. "But he didn't see our faces. So when he checks that safe and finds himself short, he's just gonna think that he was robbed. Our hands are clean."

"So we got away with an injustice," Jacob says, examining the coins within the bags. "Imagine that."

"You might have just saved our asses without even knowing it," I said to Jacob. "Nice job, buddy."

"Why do I feel like we get more luck than we deserve?," he asked me, grinning into the shiny gold.

"Because we do," I answered with a light laugh. "Except I'm a wanted man again."

"We'll pull through it," Jacob tells me, emptying all the gold of one of the stolen bags into his coin bag then stuffing the empty one into his pocket. "I kept you alive once, didn't I?"

"Oh, no," I said, raising my finger to him. "You are not having a part in anymore of this. Selina either, I've gotten you two into enough over the past month."

"Like that's going to keep me away," Jacob chuckles to himself. "Besides, do you think taking on an assassin is going to be much different than these missions the King wants us to do?"

"I'm serious, Jake," I told him.

"So am I, buddy," he replied without losing his smile as I rolled my eyes. "So now what?"

"Now, we go share what we've learned with Anthony," I answered as we turned down the street Jacob lead me down earlier. "Hopefully he's got something on that note he found at Jason's."

"What did you say he called it again?," Jacob asked, looking over at me.

"He said it's a signature," I inform him. "Something about how killers make their mark."

"And you didn't know this because...," Jacob lined up my next sentence.

"I was trained TO kill not how to catch a killer," I told him, looking over with lazy eyes. "Besides, he didn't know it either until he found that other note on Jason's desk."

"Ah, I just think there's a lack of effort going around," Jacob joked to frustrate me.

"I'd like to see you spend a day in my boots," I told him, immediately thinking of all the possible ways it would go wrong.

We spent the remainder of our walk in silence, excluding all of the background noise from the busy citizens running around of course. I don't think it's possible to tune that out. Nonetheless, I continued to ponder the fact that Derrick plans to have me killed.

All because I emasculated him in public for knocking down a defenseless girl. What kind of man pays to have another killed for defending a woman? I have half a mind to go back and slit his throat myself, I've got ten razor sharp throwing knives hidden in the back of my sweatshirt I have yet to use. What better practice target than THE douche of all bags?

No, as much as he deserves it, as much as I want to, I'd never act on it unless he came at me himself with the intention to kill. Then I'd be obliged to rip open his esophagus. Even though the remorse would hit me in the end, it always does.

I need to be on guard now that I know what's coming. Derrick still has that sketch of me so he hasn't actually ordered the hit yet. I have time to react. The first thing I need to do is let Anthony know. Although I'm a little concerned of how he'll respond to the information.

If he puts me under twenty-four hour protection, I swear, I'll kill him. His grunts couldn't handle fighting my pinky finger, let alone an assassin.

Now that I think about it, we have more names to add to our list. Eli, Gloria and Mathew Harrison. I'm assuming those first two names on the papers were his parents, judging by the dates of birth, which would make Mathew his brother. I'll have to be sure to have Cole look through the records and see what he can find on them, if we're lucky, maybe they can help us pin these criminal acts on Derrick somehow.

Anthony will know what to do.

Within time that I couldn't be happier to see go by, we made our way to the castle and ventured inside the large cracked doorway. Jacob and I passed through the doors on the right side of the stairs in the main hall then up the next set of stairs up to the balcony above the courtroom tunnel. We cut right, traveled the corridor, cut left, traveled that corridor followed by a few more corners and halls until we reached the spiral stone stairway leading to the floor of our home.

When we reached the top, I thought about turning left and going to check on Selina back at the lab. I'm so happy she's alive and breathing well again but I'll still be worried until she's back on her feet. As much as I'd like to see how she's doing, not to mention to get that painfully described sample Elrick wants to take from me out of the way so we can actually get her walking again, I turned right instead and lead Jacob down the next few corridors to Anthony's office.

When we found his door before us, Jacob started laughing before I could knock.

"What?," I asked him, turning around to see him chuckling.

"O'Heir," he says with a wide grin, pointing at the name plate on the door.

I don't know why that seems funnier when he points it out.

I shook my head at him with the same grin then turned back to the door and knocked three times.

"Come in," Anthony's Irish voice calls from the other side.

I opened the door, walked in and took a seat as Jacob closed the door behind himself. Anthony looked up at me then watched Jacob sit down in the chair next to me.

"You're taking him with you?," Anthony asks, pointing at Jacob with the pen in his right hand.

"Not taking," I corrected him. "Took. We've already been to Derrick's."

"Why I am not surprised?," Anthony asks himself. "You didn't steal anything, did you?"

"Let's just focus on the task at hand," I said before he could get a response, or worse, a reading from Jacob.

I'd rather not have to listen to that lecture.

"I've brought you news this time," I told Anthony. "Good or bad?"

"Bad," Anthony says.

"Well, the bad news is someone's going to try to kill me in the next day or so," I said, looking away like it was nothing. "Same old."

"Come again?," Anthony questions, giving me a confused eye.

"The good news is I'm positive that Derrick is the one who ordered Trevor's assassination," I continued, ignore his concern.

"Shite," Anthony cursed roughly. "Derrick ordered a hit on you?"

"That's putting it bluntly, yeah," I answered with a nod. "Or at least he's going to."

"And you know Derrick is the client how?," he asks, setting his pen down on the table.

"Remember those kids I told you about?," I asked him, pointing out his window. "Said they witnessed Derrick pass an envelope to a strange hooded individual."

"Yeah," Anthony nods.

"We found an envelope just like they described in a safe under his bed," I told him. "There's a lot of cash and family documents in the safe with it but in the envelope itself is a drawing of me. So either Derrick's got a gay crush or I really pissed him off."

"Great," Anthony says, rubbing his forehead before pointing at me. "I'm assigning you to protective detail."

"The hell you are," I replied with a little attitude. "I could bring your entire military force to it's knees myself, there's no way I'm letting your pets follow me around twenty-four seven."

"You'd rather face it on your own, what a shocker," Anthony replied with his own attitude. "I'm not asking, Nathaniel, it's happening."

"No, it isn't," I insisted, raising my voice. "I will fight you to the end on this one, Irishman. I can handle myself, YOU need to worry about our next move. Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," Anthony says, looking down at his desk for a moment. "Will those boys testify against Derrick?"

"I'm sure I could convince them to," I answered. "But even if they do, it's only enough to keep him in holding, we don't have any solid proof that he ordered the hit on Trevor."

"You're right," Anthony says, pointing at me, "but that doesn't mean we're at a dead end. If we can work up enough probable cause to get a search warrant, we may be able to bring Derrick into custody. Hopefully, that sketch of you will still be in the safe and we can arrest him for conspiracy to murder before he gets the chance to order your assassination. Maybe we'll even be able to get a confession to tie him to Trevor's murder as well."

"Not likely," I responded, shaking my head. "He's not exactly the helping type."

"Then we'll get him the hard way," Anthony says. "And save your life in the process. But we need those kids to testify if any of this is to happen."

"I'll get them," I assured Anthony.

"No, I'll send for them to be brought to the courtroom," Anthony says as he picks up his pen and scribbles on a fresh piece of paper. "The King will want you there when we bring this all up to him. What are their names?"

"Damon and Tyler," I told Anthony. "For some reason, those two have a fascination with me so make sure to use my name when you send for them. They might not be so cooperative if you don't."

"Noted," Anthony says as he scribbles his signature on the paper.

He then began to rummage through a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small clear plastic tube with rubber ends.

"What the fuck is that?," Jacob asks, finally joining the conversation.

Anthony didn't answer, instead he popped off one of the rubber ends, rolled up his note, stuck it into the tube then sealed it once more.

"You gonna toss it out the window?," Jacob joked as he raised an eyebrow. "Twenty points if you hit someone. Fifty if you knock 'em out."

Again, Anthony did not reply. He spun in his chair until his back faced us, rolled over to one side of the room then opened some kind of hidden compartment in the wall next to the window. A closer look reveals another larger tube with a rectangular cut out hidden within. Anthony then placed the tube in his hand inside the one in the wall and let go. The tube with his note fell like a rock and vanished within a single moment before Anthony closed the compartment then wheeled his chair back over to his desk.

"Does that answer your questions?," he asks Jacob with a cocky look.

"And just like that, our witnesses are on our way," I announced with a smile. "You really don't cease to surprise me sometimes, Admiral."

"It came with the office," he tells me modestly.

"So speaking of assassins, did you figure out which one those calling cards belong to?," I asked.

"No, I didn't," Anthony shook his head. "Either Trevor was his first kill or he's very, very good and very, very unpredictable at what he does. Either way, I've assigned detail to Jason, just to be safe."

"Given his method of murder, I don't think he's a noob," I said, remembering the not so easily obtainable ricin.

"That reminds me," Anthony begins, "how is Selina?"

"She died," Jacob answered first to fuck with the Admiral.

"Dear God," Anthony says then watches me grin. "Why the bloody hell are you smiling?"

"Because she didn't stay dead," I replied.

"What?," Anthony questions, obviously confused.

"Nate pounded on her chest until she jumped back to life," Jacob tells him. "She's in the lab recovering now."

"You're kidding," Anthony replied, looking shockingly surprised. "That's astounding!"

"You're telling me?," Jacob rhetorically asks as he looked over to me. "I almost kept him from doing it. I've never been so glad to be knocked unconscious."

"Impulse isn't always a bad thing, it would seem," Anthony says, smiling at me. "Well done, lad."

"I'm just happy she's going to live," I said, waving away the applause.

"As am I," Anthony agrees then rises to his feet. "We should go meet with the King. I've requested his audience in that note as well, the messages should have gone through by now. Damon and Tyler will arrive shortly."

"Let's go then," I said as I stood to my feet and looked at Jacob as he stood next. "Will you go check on her for me? See if there's anything you can help Elrick with for her."

"No problem," Jacob agreed, raising his hand to slap five and bump knuckles. "Lemme know how it goes."

"You got it," I replied.

Each of us ventured out into the corridors and walked together until we reached the spiral stairway. Jacob continued forward towards the lab while Anthony and I made way downward for the courtroom. The Admiral and I spent most of the walk in silence until something came to his mind.

"What did he take?," Anthony asks as we walked down the stairs of the balcony.

"Who?," I asked. "What?"

"Jacob," Anthony says. "He stole money from the safe, didn't he?"

"That's Jacob for you," I shrugged, hoping Anthony wouldn't freak. "But I'm glad he did."

"Why, dare I ask?," Anthony questions, raising his eyebrow.

"Because I kinda had to knock Derrick out," I answered.

Anthony stopped halfway down the stairs and looked at me like I was insane. "Why?!," he hollers his question, slightly enraged.

"Because he got home before we got out," I explained, grabbing his wrist to pull him back on track. "Don't worry, he didn't see us. If he remembers it, first thing he'll do is check that safe. When he sees he's missing some coin, he'll think that he was robbed, he'll have no idea we were ever there or what we were there for."

"Don't you think a thief would take all of the money in the safe?," Anthony questions as we touched the floor.

"I don't think Derrick is smart enough to think that," I replied, shrugging at the suggestion.

We made a U turn on the ground floor and curved into the tunnel under the stairs where two knights stand at the end guarding the doors to the courtroom. To my surprise, Twitch, Cole's old military buddy who introduced me to him, and the hippopotamus whose hand I nearly destroyed are the ones standing guard.

"Well, well, well," the hippo jabbers like an idiot. "Just the two people I'd like to see. Admiral, I have a little convicting information against your friend here."

"Can it," Anthony snaps at him as we approached the doors which immediately made me snicker. "I already know what he did and based on my first impression of you, I almost wish I had witnessed it. Lose the attitude and act as the dignified soldier you're supposed to."

"And him?," the hippo asks, pointing at me. "He nearly broke my hand for calling him a kid!"

"He does not work for me!," Anthony yelled in his face. "You, however, had better grow some balls if you want to keep your job!"

I began to snicker obnoxiously loud now, trying my damnedest to keep it to a low as not to agitate Anthony anymore. The hippo shot a piercing stare at me when I spit over myself from holding it in.

Oh, grow up. I'm a "kid", remember?

That was easily one of the most awesome things the Admiral has done in my benefit. He didn't even tell him that he plans to revoke my authority so that just makes it so much better.

"Is the King present?," Anthony asks Twitch.

"Yes sir," Twitch says, jumping to attention. "Arrived not a few moments ago."

"Fantastic," Anthony says, "let us in please."

Twitch knocked on the door a couple times to signal our arrival and not a second sooner did the bolts of the locks on the other side of the door clank and grind against identical metal. A second after that, Twitch's door dragged open from the inside and Anthony and I walked in.

As the door shut and locked behind us, I examined the enormous room I've seen a couple times over. The King sits at his thrown, waiting for us, the Queen and the council aren't present and the only other living things in the room are the other two guards at the inside of the doors and the assortment of potted plants lined against the podiums of the walls.

"Anthony, you look as irritable as ever," the King jokingly greets the Admiral with a smile then looks at me. "Nathaniel, how are you?"

"For once, My Lord, I feel good," I told him. "I think we're finally catching some breaks."

"That would be my understanding of the note you sent, Admiral," the King says, leaning forward in his throne. "Care to share?"

"Of course, Sire," Anthony agreed. "We believe that Mr. Draufht was eliminated by an assassin. We also believe we know who ordered the assassination."

"And who would that be?," the King asks.

"A twenty-something year old bulldog named Derrick Harrison," I answered. "Apparently, he's involved with the daughter we spoke with the other day."

"And you're proof?," the King asks.

"So far, we've obtained two cards we believe to be the assassin's signature," Anthony follows up. "One Nathaniel found in the vase of roses that was used to kill Trevor and another addressed to his former lover, Jason."

"So you believe Jason will be next?," the King asks.

"Yes, Sire," Anthony answers. "I have assigned protective detail to him. If anything happens, I believe it'll be safe to assume our hunches are correct."

"Very well," the King nods. "What else?"

"The cards are only our proof of the assassin himself," I added. "We also have two eye witnesses on there way here to testify against Derrick."

"On what grounds?," the King asks.

"They say they saw Derrick participate in a drop off of some kind," I told the King. "Involving a conspicuous envelope and a mysterious man barely two days before Trevor was found dead."

"Do you have a motive?," the King asked.

"We think he's doing it for Amber, My Lord," Anthony tells him. "But we don't quite have enough to be sure yet."

"Then why summon me if you've no other evidence?," he questioned, raising a hand to us.

"We were hoping after hearing the details, you'd provide us with a warrant to search Derrick's home," I answered next. "I've a good feeling he's hiding something worth having."

"Very well," the King agreed. "Let's hear it."

"Derrick has recently become our prime suspect for the order of Trevor's assassination but we also suspect Amber, Trevor's daughter," Anthony begins. "I interrogated her myself and to put it simply, she's a compulsive liar which gives us more than enough reason to consider her a part of it."

"And what role do you assume she plays?," the King asks.

"We think she might be the brain behind it," I replied. "Derrick is too... let's call it 'mentally inferior' to organize an assassination."

" You've met him?," the King asks.

"Unfortunately," Anthony and I answered in unison.

"Continue," the proud lion tells us.

"We assume Amber used Derrick's affection for her to exclude herself from the assassination directly," Anthony says. "We believe her motive is money."

"What leads you to believe that?," the King questioned.

"Anthony and I spoke with Jason personally and learned a few things about Amber that we didn't know," I told him. "Anthony's one on one time with her confirmed those ideas for us, one of them being her envious nature."

"I see," the King acknowledged, scratching his chin. "She did inherit quite a fortune, didn't she?"

"Yes, Sire," Anthony nodded. "She inherited his entire company, bank accounts, everything was left to her."

"Alright," the King said, sitting back in his chair. "I'll hear out your witnesses and make my decision then. Is there anything else I should know?"

"About the case, no," I answered, holding my arms together behind my back. "But on an unrelated note, I have more good news."

"This is not that time for that, Nathaniel," Anthony tells me quietly.

"C'mon, what else are we going to do until they get here other than stand in silence?," I asked him quietly. "Don't you think he'd want to know?"

"Please, gentlemen," the King stops us, "just tell me."

"It's Selina, My Lord," I told him with a smile. "She's finally recovering."

"Well, well," the King chuckled happily. "That is good news. How long until she's back on her feet?"

"I can't say for sure," I admitted. "It could be as early as tomorrow or as late as two weeks from now."

"The important thing is she will survive," the King tells me. "I can imagine you must be quite relieved."

"Not just me, Sire," I assured him. "She would have been a hefty loss on all of us. She's a great fighter, a great person, and a greater friend."

"That brings an interesting thought to my mind while we are on the subject," Anthony says to me, looking back at the knights guarding the doors. "I've been meaning to talk to you about your new job. Are you sure she should join us?"

"Are you telling me you don't have faith in her?," I answered with a question.

"Don't turn it around on me," Anthony says sternly. "I only concern for her safety, considering all that has happened."

"I have thought this myself," the King adds. "What say you, Nathaniel?"

"I have the utmost confidence in her," I told them both without hesitation. "She's a smart girl. She slipped up once and she doesn't have to be conscious to know that. She's a lot like me, she grew up being taught to defend herself in a moments notice. I know she won't be careless like that again."

"Are you certain?," the King asks, raising his hand to me.

"I am," I nodded. "When we are all ready to do what needs to be done, you'll both see what I mean come our testing day."

"Anthony, how do you feel about this?," the King asks him.

"I do not sit comfortably yet, My Lord," Anthony answers, looking over at me. "But she is significantly skilled, much like Nathaniel. If he says she will rise to the challenge then I will see to it that she does."

"Very well," the King acknowledged. "Then the offer still stands. When your team is ready, you will be tested."

"I expect nothing less than your worst, Sire," I told him with a respectful bow. "I humbly challenge you to hold nothing back."

"Believe me, son," the King smirks to himself, "I most certainly will not."

The four knocks of a signal for the arrival of our witnesses was heard at the door after a few moments of silence. The King waves his finger in the air to order the door open and at a moments notice, the one of the two doors opened followed by Damon and Tyler walking into the room.

For some reason, I'm actually hoping they don't embarrass themselves. Maybe because it would embarrass our chances at closing this case at the same time. I'm putting a lot of faith into these kids. They better not let me down.

"Welcome to court, boys," I greeted them as they walked in, gawking at the glorious detail of the castle's interior.

"This place is awesome," Damon chuckles to his friend.

"I know, right?," Tyler agreed, smiling back at the comment. "The floor is so awesome, I could sleep on it."

"Guys, pay attention," I said, snapping my fingers in their faces. "You can't let yourselves be distracted here."

"Right, sorry, bro," Damon said, then spotted the King on his throne and froze. "Tyler."

"Yeah?," Tyler acknowledged his friend.

"Is that who I think it is?," Damon asks, still frozen in place.

Tyler followed Damon's gaze to the throne and instantly froze as well, mocking Damon almost perfectly.

"I think it is, dude," Tyler said without moving a muscle.

Good God, they're high. I swear, I'm going to shove those pills up their asses if they fuck this up.

"Yes, boys, this is the King," I told them. "You'd be smart to show some respect."

"We're sorry, Sire," Damon says, dropping to his knees submissively.

"Yeah, really!," Tyler says, dropping next. "It's just we've never seen you before, we're nervous!"

"Relax," the King tells them. "You are in no sort of trouble. We only seek your testimony."

"About what?," they asked together, raising their heads.

"You remember that whole thing you witnessed with Derrick?," I asked them, motioning them to stand. They nodded as they did so. "You need to tell him exactly what you told me. Everything involving Derrick that day, from start to finish."

"Correction," Anthony butts in, "you will tell us, you will not speak to the King directly. Understand?"

That's probably best, considering the cloud they're sitting on right now.

"Yeah, no problem," Tyler says, nodding at the Admiral. "It goes like this. Derrick was supposed to hang out with us that day but he completely ignored us instead."

"Yeah, so we followed him," Damon says next. "All the way to the park. He had this big over-stuffed envelope in his back pocket."

"What do you think was in the envelope?," Anthony asks.

"Directions to kill someone, man," Tyler said. "Turns out it was Amber's dad."

"How do you know this?," Anthony asks next. "How can you be sure?"

"Because the guy turned up dead a couple days later, yo," Tyler said, looking over at his friend. "Don't you think that's weird?"

"It is a coincidence, yes," Anthony agreed. "But the question is if it is something more than that. How do you know Derrick wanted Amber's father dead? Why would he want such a thing?"

"I don't know, man," Damon shrugs. "There's lots of reasons."

"Give me some examples," Anthony encouraged them.

"Well, he's kind of a di -

"Language," I cautioned Damon before he finished his sentence. "Remember where you are and whose presence you are in."

"Right," he mumbled, too afraid to look up at the King.

"Derrick isn't all that nice," Tyler continued for his friend. "He's really kinda mean and if he doesn't get his way, he'll do whatever it takes."

"Interesting," Anthony says, tapping his finger to his utility belt in developing an anxious tick. "Now why would you say that?"

"Because he usually does," Tyler says.

"Usually gets what he wants?," I asked them to verify. "Or usually does whatever it takes?"

"Both, I guess," Damon shrugged.

"We need you to not guess," Anthony says, pointing a finger at them. "Either you know or you don't, it's as simple as that."

"Then yeah, definitely both," Tyler assures, nodding quickly. "Well, all except for one time."

"What happened that one time?," I asked, curious as to what they were referring to.

"Amber made him mad one day and he slapped her," Damon says.

"And what did she do?," I asked.

"Threw hot grease in his face," Tyler replied, trying not to laugh. "He hasn't dared to piss her off - I mean set her off since."

That's hilarious.

"Let's get back on track," I told them. "You followed Derrick to the park with that stuffed envelope in his back pocket. You believe they were instructions on how to kill Mr. Draufht," as wrong as that technically is, "what exactly do you mean it was stuffed?"

"It looked weird, man," Damon answers. "It had like this big bulge in the middle of it. Like a ball or something."

"Or a coin bag," I mumbled to myself then looked at Anthony.

"Right," the Admiral mumbled to himself then looked back at the boys. "What happened once you got to the park?"

"Derrick sat on a bench and we hid behind a tree," Tyler answered. "Then this hooded guy shows up and sits on the other end of the bench."

"And then they started talking," Damon says. "But it was like they weren't talking to each other, even though they took turns talking."

"Did you get a look at this man?," Anthony asks. "Any distinctive features at all?"

"No, we couldn't see his face," Damon says, shaking his head.

" He was wearing a black trench coat and a black hoodie under it," Tyler adds. "That's all I remember."

"I don't even remember that," Damon says, looking over at Tyler.

"How bout his species?," I asked. "Were you able to see what he was?"

"I dunno," Tyler shrugs. "A dog of some kind, maybe."

"What happened after the conversation?," Anthony questions the boys.

"Derrick got up, put the envelope on the bench and left," Damon says. "The mystery dude took the envelope and a couple days later, Trevor's pushing daisies."

"Do either of you have any clue why Derrick would do this kind of thing?," Anthony asked them. "Or even Amber?"

"Amber always hated her dad," Tyler says. "It was like one of the things she talked about the most."

"Did she complain about anything about him any time before you followed Derrick?," I asked next.

"Nothing new," Damon said.

"And Derrick?," I asked. "Did he have anything against Trevor?"

"I don't think so," Damon says, shaking his head again. "He only met the guy like twice. Maybe. Probably."

"So he would have no apparent reason to have him killed?," I ask.

"No," the boys said together, shaking their heads.

"Let's go back to Amber," Anthony says, raising his finger. "Do you think if her father made her angry enough that she would go to these great of lengths?"

"She threw boiling grease in Derrick's face, dude," Tyler laughs. "What do you think?"

"Fantastic," I smiled then looked over to Anthony. "How's that work for you, Admiral?"

"I believe I've heard enough," Anthony nods then looks up to the King. "Sire?"

"I do have one question for the two of you," the King's deep voice echoes through the courtroom. "Where is Derrick now?"

"Probably at Amber's apartment, My Lord," Tyler answers quickly.

"Uh," I mumbled, remembering where I was earlier. "Maybe check his place first."

"Very well," the King nods as he waves his finger in the air. "You two may leave."

"Thank you," the boys said, looking quite relieve to be released.

"Actually," Anthony stopped them as they began to turn around for the doors, "could you two stay in the building, please? I have a theory I may need you for later."

"Uh, sure thing," Damon nodded. "Is there somewhere we can chill?"

"Just wait out on the hall," I told them. "We won't be but an hour or so."

"Alright," Damon says as the two of them head for the open doors. "See you later, Nathaniel."

"Later," I said back, unenthusiastically.

That went better than expected. They still bug the shit out of me.

"Well, Sire," I began, turning back to face the thrones. "Whatdoyathink?"

"I'm intrigued," he says, scratching his chin. "I believe there may be something to this. That and it's all we have. You do know that this isn't a lot to go on?"

"I do and I believe we may find something more if we search the contents of their homes," Anthony says. "One of them may have something left over from the payoff. A mistake that will work as evidence for us."

"Calm down, Admiral," the King tells him. "I will give you your warrant. Do you have the proper papers?"

"I wrote one before I came down, My Lord," Anthony says, approaching the thrones as he reached into one of the bags on his belt.

He pulled out a folded piece of paper and a pen then handed both to the King and turned around. The King then placed the page on his back, scribbled what I'm sure was his signature, then returned both the pen and paper to Anthony.

"I expect you to get right on this, Admiral," the King tells him then looks at me. "I will not stand for an assassin raining hell in my city."

"Understood," Anthony says. "Would you like us to bring Derrick in as well?"

"One thing at a time, Admiral," he says. "You're dismissed. Hurry back, I'll be waiting to hear what you've found."

Anthony and I bowed to the King to show our respect then walked towards the doors. The guards on the inside pulled on the large bolt locks then dragged both doors open to let us pass through. Once back into the courtroom hall, Anthony continued to walk, straight passed the boys where they sat against the wall of the tunnel sharing a blunt with Twitch and the Hippo. I followed Anthony out into the open room as he plotted his course.

"So how does this work?," I asked him as we traveled through the next set of doors into the main hall. "We gonna round up some boys and bust down his door?"

"Obviously not," Anthony says, shaking his head at me. "You and I will go to Derrick's home to search ourselves and you are going to pretend like you've never been there before."

"Obviously," I said, imitating his accent. "Well, that's dull. I don't even get to book him."

"Stop that," Anthony says, peering at me.

"Why?," I asked, dragging on the accent. "I think I do a pretty good impression."

"Real cute," Anthony says, rolling his eyes as we walked out into the open air outside. "Are you always like this when Jacob isn't around?"

"Don't hate," I told him with a grin on my face, losing the accent. "Ah, I'm just fuckin' with ya, Admiral. I'm in a good mood, you should be, too. Things are finally turning around."

"This case isn't closed yet, lad," he tells me. "But we are that much closer."

"What do we do about this assassin?," I asked him as we stepped onto the city's market street. "How are we gonna catch this guy?"

"I'm still working on that," Anthony says, the pride wiped from his face. "As long as I've been in service, I've never dealt with this sort of thing before."

"Really?," I asked obnoxiously. "That's a surprise. And here I was thinking you'd seen it all in your old age."

"Excuse me?," he pardoned, peering at me again.

"How old are you anyway?," I asked, ignoring him to screw with him some more.

"Old enough to ground you if you don't shut your keghole," he says to me. I chuckled at the sound of that which he must have found funny, too. Once he thought about it.

"So what about this theory of yours?," I asked, pointing a finger. "What do we still need them for?"

"You'll see," he tells me. "When we get back."

Whatever. This is starting to get exciting. We're getting closer. Like the King said, we're a ways away from having something totally solid but when we confiscate what's in that safe, the King will want to hear what Derrick has to say for himself. And so will I. I'm going to have to really bite my tongue trying not to freak about him planning to have me killed.

Time passed rather quickly as Anthony and I made our way towards Derrick's home. It must be the anxiety. We're both so pent up on closing this case, maybe we're moving faster than we think. Either way, we found ourselves approaching his front door soon enough.

"Anthony, I have a favor to ask," I said to my partner. "Before we go inside."

"I can already tell I don't like where this is going," he says to me, turning to face me in front of the doorstep. "What is it?"

"I've been thinking about this whole hunger thing," I said, resting my hands in my pockets. "I want to test my control. Let me lead this search."

"I'm inclined to say no," Anthony said then began to turn around for the door before I stopped him.

"Please, Admiral," I begged him, placing my hand on his shoulder. "I'm trying to be a genuine as possible right now. I really think I got a good grasp on it so far."

"And you're telling me you developed this control overnight?," Anthony questions me. "After your episode in Amber's apartment? After the stories I shared with you explaining why it took me years to develop the very same control myself?"

"I'm a quick learner," I shrugged with a grin to which he rolled his eyes and turned to the door again. And again, I stopped him by placing my hand on his shoulder, "I was kidding, Anthony. No, not overnight, obviously. But I think I'm on the right track. I'll never learn if I don't get to try and who better to supervise the situation than a man with the same problems himself?"

"You're not going to let up on this until I say yes, are you?," he asked, peering back at me over his shoulder.

"Do I ever?," I asked, raising my hands in question.

"Fine," the Admiral gave in. "But keep in mind, the moment I see you start to slip again, I'm throwing you out. Again."

"Fair enough," I grinned, swapping places with Anthony for the door. "Let's catch us some bad guys."

I knocked on the door a few times and waited for an answer. Nothing.

I hope he's not still unconscious. I don't think I hit him that hard.

I knocked again, much louder.

"I'M COMING!," Derrick's angry voice screams from the other side.

Ah, there we go.

A few seconds passed before the door knob giggled from the bulldog messing with the lock on the other side. He cursed a few times as it began to giggle more violently but eventually he managed to get the door open.

"I know what you're thinking," I said to Derrick as his eyes met mine, "but you really don't want to do that."

"What the hell do you two want?," he asks obnoxiously. Like Anthony's military status gave us no reason to knock on his door unannounced.

"We have a warrant to search your home," I said, smiling at him as Anthony passed the warrant forward over my shoulder. As Derrick snatched the paper from Anthony's hand, I leaned to my side to pretend to peek into the nearly empty building that I'm not supposed to know anything about. "If this is what you call home."

Derrick looked at me after skimming the page then to Anthony who I can only assume is smiling as rudely as I am.

"Excuse us," the Admiral said to him with an uplifting tone to which I tried not to laugh at, given the accent.

With animosity spread over his face, obviously directed at me, Derrick stepped back into his home and regretfully allowed us entry. I continued to smile to myself as I casually walked inside first, pretending to look around as if I haven't seen the place yet.

"Shit," I faked a complaint as I turned towards Anthony. "There really isn't much here to search."

"Take the bedroom, then," Anthony says as he begins to rummage through the things in and on Derrick's desk.

I walked into the bedroom that is just as empty as the living room and stared at the bed. The only difference from when I was last here is an icepack laying on the pillow. Derrick walked into the room behind me and crossed his arms with a stupid grin.

"What's a matter?," he asked in a cocky way much worse than anything Jacob would ever dish out. "Thought you'd find more? What's this even for?"

"Actually, I'm wondering what that icepack on the bed is for," I said with a stupid look like I didn't know. "Also where the hell you got the ice from because I don't see so much as a beer cooler in here."

"Don't worry about it," he told me smugly as he looked away.

That's what I thought.

I walked around the bed to "make sure" there was nothing hidden on the other side. Then I tossed the icepack on the floor followed by the only pillow in sight. Then the blanket hit the ground next followed by the sheet then the mattress after that. Derrick stared at me as I did so like I was destroying his home and possessions. Like I was taking away the only things that ever matter to him. That kind of look. Jaw dropped gawking with pure idiocy.

Mkay, well, at least I can keep it to myself.

When the mattress hit the floor, Derrick looked straight at me, refusing to look inside the bedframe where the safe I don't know about sits and stared right into my eyes. I played him with an oblivious face then looked down at the metallic box and smiled widely.

"Hey, Admiral," I called for Anthony in the only other room as I continued to smile right at Derrick. "Look what I found."

I heard Anthony's footsteps begin to make their way closer before the Admiral's orange, black, and white face popped through the open doorway.

"For Christ sake, lad, you didn't have to make a mess of the place," Anthony says, starting at the obliterated bed on the floor. His eyes casually shifted from the mattress and sheets and such to the floor in the center of the bedframe where the "mysterious" safe still sits. Without a word, the Admiral blinked twice at the box then looked right at Derrick with the most offended look imaginable. "Really? The best hiding place you could think of was under the bed?"

"Look around, man, there's not a lot here to work with!," Derrick defended himself against the Irishman as he waved his arms around the room.

"Open it," Anthony tells him as he points at the safe.

A barrage of emotions washed over the bulldog's face as he started to realize how fucked he is. For a moment he stood shifting his gaze between the Admiral and I. I just kept on smiling at him but I tried desperately not to give away the fact that I already know what's inside. Although I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be able to connect those dots but in this case, it'd be smart to play it safe. After another moment or two, Derrick looked down at the safe and slowly reached down for it. He lifted it up and carried it into the next room then sat it down on the desk. He began to fiddle with the dial and I mouthed the combination to myself as the numbers passed by. The tumblers clicked, although I might be the only one who heard it in the silence, then the wheel turned and the safe door opened, revealing every last bag of coin Jacob left inside, all of his family documents which really were of no use to us, and most importantly, the orange envelope in the corner with my fucking picture inside it meant for the man who killed Trevor Draufht.

Stay calm, Nathan.

"Hello there," Anthony says with a tune as he reached for one of the bags. He opened it, reached in, and pulled out a handful of gold coins then looked at Derrick again. "What might all this be for?"

"Savings," Derrick says without looking him in the eye.

"That was a lie," Anthony replies, returning the coins then the bag back to the safe. He then reached in and took the documents and the envelope. As Anthony began to skim through the words of the top page, he handed the orange envelope to me and said, "Open that."

I thought we agreed I'd take the lead on this but alright.

I took the envelope from his hands, acting as curious as possible to continue fooling this dimwit, then used my claw to tear open the seal I so carefully tampered with earlier to be sure Derrick wouldn't know someone was in it. Thankfully, it doesn't appear that he has any idea so I pressed on the edges of the envelope to reveal its contents then hung it over my hand to let my picture fall out into my palm.

"What the fuck?," I questioned the sketch, trying my best to imitate my surprise when I originally first discovered it. I looked up at Derrick, raised an eyebrow then tossed the picture at him, "You got a hard on for me or something?"

"I hope not," Anthony says as he leans down to retrieve the photo. "I've had my fill of watching men hit on you." The Admiral picked up the picture, examined it for only a few moments before turning it around to face Derrick. "Care to explain what this is for?"

"I take art classes," Derrick blurted out, looking like he didn't know what else to say.

"Right, so you draw a picture of the guy who handed you your ass three times and lock it in a safe?," I questioned him, looking at him like he's as stupid as I think he is. "Why the fuck do you have a picture of me stored in that safe with all that money?"

"You'd do well to answer him honestly," Anthony insisted.

"Fine," Derrick says, faking a cooperative smile. "Amber drew it, she's the one taking art classes. She's the one with the hard on for you."

"And I believe that just as much as I did the last lie," Anthony says as he rolled his eyes then looked at me, "how about you?"

"Are you kidding?," I asked sarcastically as I looked back at him. "You saw the way she made you throw me out yesterday. You're the deception expert, you tell me."

"Grab a few of those coin bags, son," Anthony tells me as he took the envelope from me, stuffed the photo of me inside it then concealed the envelope in his tunic.

"Mkay then," I mumbled as I did as he instructed.

"Hey, wait a minute, what for?," Derrick pleads as he blocked me from the safe.

"We're going to take it as evidence against you," Anthony tells him. I smiled when he said that and pushed the bulldog out of my way then continued to retrieve the bags.

"Evidence for what?," Derrick continued to plead as he sobbed on the inside while he watched me loot his safe.

"Did we forget to tell you why we're here?," I asked him rhetorically as I emerged from the metal box, tying the bags to my belt loop. "Or were you just too simple minded to read the warrant?"

"Which, by the way, you still have," Anthony said as he began to make for the door, "so if you're smart, you'll read it then work up an alibi. Let's go, Nathaniel."

"You know, I recall you agreeing to let me call the shots this time," I bitched as I followed out behind him. I then turned my head as we walked out and said, "Good luck, Derrick. Give Amber my best, too."

Not another word was heard from his fat mouth, not another sound or complaint or plead. One can only imagine the expression riddled across his face right now and as much as I wanted to see the "I'm fucked" look on him one last time, I kept my head forward and shut the door behind me.

"Sorry about that," Anthony says as we head back towards the castle once more. "When you've been doing the job as long as I have, the rank becomes a little bit of who you are."

"Understandable, I guess," I replied as I peered over to him. "But just a fair warning, next time I'm going to slap you for it."

Anthony laughed and ruffled the fur on my head like parents do to their kids which kind of annoyed me because I got that same "kid" vibe I always do but I ignored it because I can see he's not trying to aggravate me. He then patted my back and pushed ahead of me in a hurry, "Come on, lad, the job's not done yet," he told me.

Anxious to put Derrick behind bars and even more so to catch this so titled "assassin", I pushed on ahead along with the Admiral, jogging up to his side then matching his pace all the way back to the castle.

I didn't even think the whole way back. My mind was on a single track and I wasn't about to let anything distract me. Not now, not since we've gotten this close. We legally obtained the sketch, the envelope, and plenty of the gold to build a case against Derrick. When we confront the King with all of this and our theory, I'll be shocked if he doesn't send for the bulldog's arrest. I don't think he won't. But if he doesn't, I don't know where we're going to go from there. For now, I just want to lock Derrick up so that's what we're going to make happen.

As soon as we found ourselves in front of the castle doors again, jogging closer to the enormous structure, we tracked our path back to the courtroom. Through the front doors, across the main hall, through the door to the right of the grand staircase, across the next hall, under the balcony and into that small tunnel where the courtroom doors stand at the end, Twitch, Damon, Tyler, and the hippo all leaning against them as they toke a blunt identical to the one they had when we left.

"Is the King still present?," Anthony asks the two guards as we approached the doors.

"I believe so, sir," Twitch says with a nod. "The Queen came in not too long ago, as well. Although we haven't heard that much from the inside since."

"They must be in the war room with the council," Anthony muttered to me then looks back at Twitch and the hippo, "open up."

"What's going on that the council is stuck back there twenty-four/seven?," I asked the Admiral under my breath as Twitch signaled through the doors.

"I can't discuss that with you," Anthony says as the bolts clank.

"C'mon, Anthony," I muttered again, "I want to help."

"When the time comes, lad, we will pull you and the others out of the dark but for now, please, leave it be," Anthony tells me, still peering ahead as one of the doors opened. "The King will only pardon so much. Your leisure in this city will cease to exist if you continue to pick at matters that do not yet concern you."

There it is again. The King also told me that it is not "yet" my concern. None of this sounds good. I wish he would tell me something.

"Damon, Tyler, come with us, please," Anthony said to the boys as I followed him through the open door of the courtroom.

"Okay," they answer together as they trail behind me.

The door shut behind us and the two guards on the inside locked the bolts in place. The four of us approached the empty thrones at the end of the courtroom.

"Wait here," Anthony tells the boys and I as he walked up the steps to the thrones.

Within a moment, he disappeared behind the thrones. I listened closely and heard his footsteps tap further and further away. I then heard the squeaking of an old door knob echo ever so silently throughout what sounded like another smaller hallway until it reached my presence and echoed again into my eardrums. After that, a door opened and one last moment later, closed with a loud clap followed by silence. That is, until another moment later when Tyler decided to break that blissful silence.

"So Nathaniel," he says from behind me.

"What?," I asked abruptly without turning around to face him.

"What is it that he still needs us for?," Tyler asks. "If it's alright that I ask."

"Yes, it's alright, just try not to speak openly when the King and Queen show up," I told them, examining the gems in the thrones. "And I have no idea. I asked him myself and all he told me was, 'you'll see'."

"Huh," Tyler mumbled to the lack of info.

"Weird," Damon says afterwards.

"Not really," I replied as I shook my head. "That man is one of mystery."

"He looks pretty smart," Damon says.

"And tough," Tyler added.

"Would it surprise you if I told you I kicked his ass?," I asked, turning my head to the side for only a moment to catch their reactions in my peripheral vision. "Twice, technically. I pinned him in an instant when we first met but if you brought it up with him, he'll just tell you I caught him off guard."

"He's the Admiral, right?," Tyler asked. "The head of Canniban's military?"

"That's right," I assured with a nod.

"How'd you pull that off?," Damon asks. "I mean, Derrick is one thing, but that burly ass tiger?"

"I'm always on my guard," I answered. "I was raised to be."

Within that sentence, I heard the echo from that mysterious hallway of the door opening again. This time, I heard numerous footsteps growing closer as the door echoed shut once more. In the next second, Anthony appeared from behind the thrones followed by the King and his spouse. The two majesties took a seat in their rightful thrones as Anthony approached and stood beside me.

"You may begin," the King says, waving his hand towards us.

"As you know, we've returned from the search you warranted for the home of Derrick Harrison," Anthony stated as he reached into his tunic and looked at me, "give me one of those coin bags, lad."

"Alright," I said, beginning to untie one of the three coin bags hanging from my belt loop. Anthony pulled out the orange envelope as I handed the bag out to him, "Here ya go."

"Thank you," he said then turned back to the King and held up the coin bag for both of them to see, "hidden under Mr. Harrison's bed, of all places, we found a safe contained several coin bags identical to this one here. Each one holding nothing but gold coins."

"Why is this significant to the case?," the Queen asks. "Many of our citizens stash their valuables, it's no crime."

"You're correct, My Lady," Anthony says. "And, normally, anyone would have considered it savings, as well."

"In fact, that's the exact excuse he used," I added, hopping that this plays out the way I think it's going to. "Honestly, that run down shack he calls a home was far too under furnished for all of that to be just savings. There was enough gold inside that safe to hire a contractor to build him a two story home and then some. In my opinion, Derrick planned that gold for something else."

"For what you theorize to be the assassination of Trevor Draufht?," The King asks, seemingly rhetorical. "Why jump to that conclusion?"

"Do you recall what these two boys told us earlier about Derrick's meet with a hooded man?," Anthony asks him.

So that's what you wanted them for. Clever dick.

"They mentioned spotting an orange envelope in Derrick's back pocket," I continued for the Admiral as I pointed to his right hand, "just like this one."

"They also mentioned the envelope appearing to be 'stuffed' with something round," Anthony says as he began to place the coin bag inside the envelope. "What we later theorized to be payment." Anthony then tossed the stuffed coin bag over his shoulder which Damon almost didn't catch.

I looked back to be sure he didn't drop it and ruin the moment, which, thankfully, he didn't, and asked, "does that look like what you saw?"

"Yeah," Damon said, staring at the envelope in his hands. "Exactly. It was bulging just like this one."

"Alright, I see where you're going with this," The Queen said as she raised a hand to us. "But that still doesn't prove that he paid for the murder of another citizen, you still have yet to provide any evidence supporting that."

"We realize this, My Lady," Anthony acknowledged, "but I believe I have the answer to connect those dots."

"Then please, do tell," the royal lioness encourages him.

"We believe that either he or Amber sketched a portrait of Trevor included in that payoff to mark the target," Anthony tells them as he reached back to retrieve the envelope from Damon.

"There's also a possibility that one of them might be taking art classes to confirm that," I added as I raised a finger. "Someone could go through records to see if there's truth to that."

"Noted," the King replies. "Have that done, Admiral."

"Very well, Sire," Anthony nods.

"Actually, we can answer that," Tyler says from the rear." Anthony and I both peered back over our shoulders to stare at them. "If that's alright..."

"Mkay, so tell us," I urged them.

"It's Amber," Damon said. "She's been taking classes for a while now."

"Alright, so what makes you believe that this sketch was in the envelope these two say they saw Mr. Harrison with?," the King asked, leaning forward on his knees as he grew more interested.

"Because we found this envelope here in his safe with the gold," Anthony says as he reached into it and pulls out the sketch of me. He then approached the thrones and handed the sketch to the King. "There was no gold in the envelope when we found it but this was."

"My, my," the King hummed in a low voice, "this is quite good. But you hold the superior skill in my opinion, Anthony. I do admire your work."

"Thank you, Sire," Anthony says with a modest bow.

"You are welcome," the King nodded with a smile then looked at me. "So, assuming that all of your assumptions based off the evidence provided is true, would you mind explaining to me why Mr. Harrison wants you dead, Nathaniel?"

"Well, uh...," I mumbled, looking away in hopes that he doesn't punish me for this, "I may have had an aggressive encounter with him before Mr. Draufht's body was found."

"Nathaniel," Anthony says as he looked at me.

"Alright, a few encounters," I admitted, regretting to look up from the instant I did. "Before and after. All of which I may have... subdued him. In self defense, of course."

"That is not surprising," the King says with a small grin. "You have a way of antagonizing the wrong people, son."

"Yeah, I've come to realize that," I reply as I scratch the back of my head. "I've been a magnet for criminals lately."

"All that aside, we believe that Derrick Harrison set Trevor Draufht up to be killed the day Damon and Tyler followed him to the payoff in our park," Anthony continued the court. "We also believe that he planned to do the same to Nathaniel out of spite and hatred and this is our evidence to support our theories. We respectfully ask for a warrant for Derrick Harrison's arrest under association to murder and conspiracy to murder."

"How set are you on this, Admiral?," the King asks.

"Entirely, My Lord," Anthony answers without so much as blinking. "We still suspect Amber for association as well but we will know once we question her about the sketches."

"And whatever else we can get out of her," I said as I crossed my arms. "Derrick won't cooperate, of that I'm sure, but from what we've been told, that girl only looks out for herself. If either of them rats for us, it'll be her but I doubt she'll say anything without something like immunity."

"I concur," the Admiral agreed. "I can read her like a book, if we can get her to talk, provided she is in on it all, we can find out everything we need to close this case."

"Keep in mind, Anthony, the case isn't closed until our killer is caught," the Queen said to him.

"I haven't forgotten that, My Lady, and the statement still stands," Anthony said sternly.

Bold move, Admiral. Making promises you might not be able to keep. I hope you know what you're saying.

"Well, you've both peaked my interest to say the least," the King says as he leaned back in his throne. "Very well. I'll sign a warrant for his arrest and have him and Amber brought in to face the charges and whatever else we'll need to convict them."

"Thank you, My Lord," Anthony says as he approached the King, pulling another sheet of paper and the pen from earlier from his tunic.

The King took both items from Anthony then proceeded to sign the page on Anthony's back like he did before. "In the meantime, why don't you two take a break until they arrive?," he suggested as he finished his signature then waved for one of the guards. "You've both been abnormally busy lately."

"We appreciate that, Sire," Anthony says as he looks back to me, "I think we'll take you up on the offer."

"Fantastic," the King smiled then turned toward the guard who approached the thrones and handed him the warrant. "Have Derrick Harrison brought into custody. Send for Amber Draufht for questioning, as well."

"Very good, Sire," the guard said as he took the warrant then bowed and turned to leave the courtroom.

"Well then, I'm pleased to see you've made some progress today, boys," the King says to us as Anthony returned to my side. "Nathaniel, I meant to ask earlier, how fairs the training of your team?"

"I can't say for certain, Sire," I told him. "Anthony and I are more than prepared, Selina will be, too, once she's back on her feet, although her and I have been teaching the Admiral a few things. Other than that, it's been a couple days since I've had enough time to continue Jacob's training."

"I see," the King mumbled. "Should I wait to expect you?"

"Hopefully, it won't be much longer," I said. "I'll be sure to spar with Jacob to see if he's been practicing while I've been away. He has a certain potential sealed within his hard headed... uh, head... once we've closed this case, I can finish his training in a month or so then Selina will take him from there while I work with the Admiral."

"And after that, you will be prepared to accept your first mission?," the King asks.

"I believe so, My Lord," I answered with a nod. "With Anthony's natural comfort in the field and Jacob's hidden skill, I'm very confident we can fly through it if we can get back on track."

"Alright then," the King relied, "let's hope this arrest gets us the killer's name."

"Or a location," Anthony added. "Whatever draws us closer to him."

"Indeed," the King nodded then waved a finger to the other guard at the door. "Dismissed."

I followed behind Anthony as he made way for the opening half of the courtroom doors. Damon and Tyler followed behind me until the four of us reached the hallway outside the courtroom. Anthony stopped, almost forcing me to run straight into his back, then turned around to face us. However, it didn't appear that he was looking at me so I stepped aside and followed his gaze back to the boys.

"I'd like to thank the two of you for helping us today," Anthony said to duo. "Without you, I'm not so confident the King would have granted us this arrest warrant."

"The pleasure was all ours, dude," Tyler smiled.

"To say the least," Damon added. "We were getting sick of the way Derrick treats us, anyway."

"He deserves to be behind bars," Tyler finished.

"I don't think anyone will disagree with that once he's been prosecuted for his crimes," Anthony says. "Good job, boys. You're free to go."

"Thanks Admiral," Damon said then held out his hand. Anthony shook the kid's hand which turned out much more hilarious for me as I watched Damon fall to his knees, clenching his wrist in pain, "Ahh, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Anthony immediately let go as I chuckled to myself then smirked proudly like he doesn't know his own strength. "I barely squeezed," he mumbles as he looked down at Damon, "sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," Damon squeaked as he strained to rise to his feet, "you guys are a lot stronger than you look."

"It comes with the occupation," Anthony shrugged.

Damon and Tyler turned and looked at me, almost as if they wanted approval of something.

I talk down to them and they still worship me. Was I that annoying at their age?

"What?," I asked to break the silence. "Do you want me to disagree with him?"

"Hell no, we just respect you, man," Tyler says then looks back at the Admiral. "Both of you guys."

"You two need to learn to respect yourselves," I told them. "Don't take that the wrong way, I completely agree with Anthony. You both might have saved this case today but that's not what I'm referring to."

"Then what are you referring to?," Damon asked with a curiously hurt expression.

"You guys shouldn't have been in this mess in the first place," I told them, pointing my finger. "I know I'm not much older than either of you but take a lesson, look at the people you hang out with, they're poison in your veins. You followed Derrick and Amber's every command without considering of how it'd affect you."

"So what are you saying?," Tyler asked, giving me the same expression Damon is.

"You're good kids, I have no doubt of that," I said, "but you two need to make something for yourselves. Break away from those druggies, get a job, find a girlfriend, and live your own lives. Stop letting others lead you around, make your own decisions."

"Oh. Alright, I getcha," Damon nods. "Thanks Nate. Shit, sorry, Nathaniel."

"Don't worry about it," I told him as I waved away the apology. "Just do what I tell you and do something for yourselves."

"Well put, lad," Anthony laughs as he rolled his eyes. "Get going boys. You won't want to be here when Derrick shows up in cuffs."

"Alright," Tyler said, "see you guys around."

"Hey," I called out to them before they left the hallway, "one more thing."

"Yeah?," they responded as they turned around again.

"If I catch either of you popping pills again, I'll throw you both in the dungeon myself," I told them as I pointed at them again then shifted my gaze to the Admiral, "as soon as Anthony shows me where it is."

"Right," Damon mutters nervously. "We'll keep that in mind."

"Good," I nodded. "Take care, guys."

"Later," the boys said in unison as they waved back to us.

Once they vanished out of the tunnel outside the courtroom, Anthony turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

"What?," I asked his gazing eyes.

"You're a hypocrite," he told me with a grin. "Telling those two to stay out of trouble when you can't even do it yourself."

"Bite me," I said to the Admiral as he began to chuckle. "At least my brand of trouble brewing is productive."

"If you say so," Anthony chuckled again as he began to walk out of the tunnel. "If you ask me, I think YOU should learn to practice what you preach."

"I wouldn't be as kickass as I am if I did that," I joked as I followed out behind him.

Anthony traveled over our previous footsteps as I trailed behind him, all the way out into the fresh air of the open sky outside. As soon as I felt the warm beating of the sun on my face, I dropped down on my ass and leaned against the giant front door that is still technically closed. Anthony sat down next to me then reached into his tunic.

"Try this," he told me as he held out a fresh looking blunt in front of me.

"Ooo," I hummed as I took the piece from him. "Don't mind if I do."

"I grew it myself, I was hoping to get your professional opinion," Anthony says as lit a match then held it in front of me.

"Really?," I asked then leaned in with the blunt between my lips to burn one end. I puffed and continued with a hushed voice as I held in the smoke, "I didn't know you had a green thumb, Admiral."

"There's a lot about me you don't know," he told me with a grin. "But I'm sure you could say the same as well."

"Understatement of the century," I said with my hushed voice again just before exhaling what little smoke my lungs hadn't absorbed.

"So?," Anthony asks. "How is it?"

"Not bad, actually," I said, looking down at the burning cherry.

"In all brutal honesty?," he questions.

"Not the best I've ever had," I said with a shrug. "Smoke isn't really that harsh so I think you might've harvested it a little too early. It's got a great minty taste though."

"On a scale of one to ten?," Anthony continues his test.

"Based off taste alone, I'd have to put it at about a six," I answered before puffing again and passing back to him. "Well done, Admiral."

"This was my first attempt to grow," he says then takes a puff himself.

"In that case, very well done," I said as I gave him a slow applause. "I still remember my first."

"Weren't you living in the mountains before this?," he asks. "How'd you grow anything in the snow?"

"Very expensively," I replied with a laugh. "It was my idea but my father financed it. We built a small greenhouse a ways away from the village. Had it insulated and everything we needed."

"I get the feeling it didn't last," Anthony says as he passed back to me.

"You're not wrong," I assured him then took my puff and continued to speak again with my hushed voice, "it needed too much care to keep the plants growing. Keeping the soil warm with these tiny controlled fires we lit in the corners, shovelling the snow off the sunroof, hauling supplies back and forth in addition to the chores we already had, it just became too much so after our first harvest, we tore it down."

"And how did the bud turn out?," Anthony asks as he took the blunt from me.

"Not much worse than this," I said as I pointed at the blunt.

"Worse?," Anthony repeated.

"Yeah," I nodded as he puffed. "The insulation and fires couldn't keep it warm enough. All of it grew prematurely, the harvest didn't turn out right."

"That's why we learn from our mistakes," Anthony says in his own hushed Irish voice as he passed back to me.

"Amen to that," I agreed, holding the blunt out to the sky before drawing it back in for a toke. A small stroke a silence whizzed by as I inhaled and held my smoke as I passed back to the Admiral. After I exhaled, I elbowed his arm and asked, "How did you know?"

"Know what?," Anthony replied as he passed back to me after taking his puff.

"How did you know it'd go down this way?," I specified then proceeded to take my hit.

"And what, pray tell, is 'it'?," he asked in turn.

"This entire case," I answer as he snatched the blunt from me when I forgot to hand it to him. "Or at least, up to this point."

"What makes you think I knew what would happen?," he asks.

"You came to court too prepared," I said, feeling moronic as those words came out of my mouth. "You had the arrest warrant already written and stashed in that getup of yours ready for the King to sign at the very moment we requested it. I'm guessing that's what you were scribbling when Jake and I first showed up in your office today so what tipped you off?"

"Truthfully, it was just a precaution," Anthony responded humbly then puffed again. "Amber and Derrick are the only leads we have so I wrote up search and arrest warrants for them both, just in case. Better to have something and not need it."

"I guess so," I mumbled and snatched the blunt from him like he did to me. "Sure as hell saved us some time."

"What the fuck is this?," Jacob's voice bitched in my right ear. I turned my head to find him leaning against the cracked open castle door staring down at us with his eyebrow in the sky. "What makes you think you have the right to smoke without me?"

"Why don't you quit complaining and join us?," Anthony suggested with his eyebrow raised just as high.

"Not that I was waiting for permission," Jacob said as he stepped into the open sunlight and sat down next to me. "Hey, is this one of my blunt wraps? How'd you even get them off me?"

"I'm magic," I joked, feeling disgusted at the last word to roll over my tongue. "It's Anthony's, blunt wrap and all. He grew the bud himself."

I handed the blunt to Jacob and watched him inhale deeply until the moment he choked on it and strained to hold in the smoke as he tossed the piece back to me. The cheery end landed in my palm which burnt like hell. I gritted my teeth to the sudden shock - or burn, whatever - and quickly dropped it on the ground. No sooner, I glanced at Jacob just in time to catch him cough up his lungs with a large cloud of smoke.

"What the fuck did you use, man!?," Jacob questioned Anthony as he choked, peering at him in his suffocated state, "my throat is on minty fresh fire!"

Anthony instantly broke into laughter as he watched Jacob struggle. I laughed at the stupid pun he played out then picked the blunt off the ground and handed it back to the Admiral.

"I guess it's an acquired taste," Anthony chuckled with a shrug then took the blunt as Jacob continued to cough.

"Maybe for lightweights," I joked again as I continue to laugh.

"Suck it," Jacob told me, still slightly straining through his burning esophagus. "I could out smoke both of you any day so long as it's not poison like that shit."

"The last time you said that, you choked out," I pointed out to him. "I think I was eight at the time which would have made you twelve. Remember that?"

"Fuck off, both of ya," Jacob said, finally regaining his stamina as he reached in front of me, "but pass that back to me first."

"Wait your turn, you greedy narcissist," Anthony told him as he waved away his hand.

"Don't flatter me, Admiral," Jacob says as he waved the insult back at him.

"Speaking of poison," I muttered then looked at Jacob, "how's our girl doing?"

"I'll tell you what the Old Man told me," Jacob said then obnoxiously cleared his throat to imitate Elrick's voice as I inhaled smoke, "and I quote, 'how would you feel after being beaten back to life?'."

"Well, his criticism is still there so nothing's gone wrong yet," I mumble as I pass the blunt to Jacob. "At least she isn't dying anymore."

"That reminds me," Jacob says, holding the blunt an inch away from his lips, "he told me to tell you that he and his giant needle are ready for you anytime."

"Giant needle?," I repeated, giving him a strange stare.

Oh, fuck, that's right...

"Ah, dammit," I complained to myself as Jacob took his puff. "Somehow, I completely forgot about that."

"Do I want to know?," Anthony asks as he reached across me to take the blunt from Jacob.

"No," I told him, shaking my head. "Trust me, I don't even want to know but it's kinda late for that."

"Alright then," Anthony says then takes a puff.

"Whoa," Jacob mumbles. I looked up at him to see him squinting ahead of us, "What's all this?"

I followed his gaze down the road from our seats in front of the castle doors and found numerous silhouettes in the distance heading our way. Blinded by the glistening light of the summer sun, I held my hand over my eyes and squinted as well to focus in. There were five in total. On the far right, I saw Cole walking with nobility with Amber in custody. Beside the two of them are two other guards who I do not know dragging the big, bad bulldog himself in cuffs along with them. Not literally dragging although that'd be hilarious on our part.

"Damn, that was fast," I said, nudging Anthony's elbow again.

"Sounds about right," Anthony says with a couple nods. "He may appear as lazy as your friend here but Cole can be quite productive when he wants to be."

"He's got devotion, I can say that much," I replied as Anthony snuffed the blunt out on the ground.

"Why do you think he's a lieutenant?," Anthony rhetorically asked as the three of us stood.

I held my hands behind my back and watched as the five figures drew closer. My eyes were on Derrick mostly, waiting to see him notice the Admiral and I, with a few shifts over to glance up and down Amber's figure. As revolting as her true personality is, she's still got a hell of a body.

Once they came into clearer view, I watched Derrick's eyes scan from the left over the three of us to Anthony then instantly jump back and glue on me. His eyes narrowed and I could clearly see him clenching his teeth. It makes me wonder if he somehow found out that Jacob and I broke into his house earlier. Even so, he wouldn't be able to prove it but it'd still cause some problems that'll take some doing to handle.

"Good to see you two again," I sarcastically mouthed to them in the most obnoxiously polite way possible as they all drew into earshot.

"Go fuck yourself," Derrick muttered, straining to keep his eyes off me now.

"Right," I replied with a cocky smile. "How do you feel about metal bars, Derrick?"

He didn't answer, instead he stares straight ahead, now avoiding me at all costs. I'd like to say it's because he's scared of me but I know all to well his fighting the urge to tear me open.

Well, try to, at the most.

Once he and the two knights escorting him passed through the castle doors, I slid my gaze to Amber who was also trying her best to ignore me. I got a much different vibe from her. She's giving me that "pretending like you don't exist" walk by that teenaged girls do when they know they're too pretty for someone. That specific type of conceitedness is close to the top of my hate list, if not at the top itself, but I didn't let my irritation show. The people with that frame of mind are always doomed to fail in the end so I'll wear a very pleasurable smile on my face when she watches her world crumble around her. Provide we can convict her, too. Either way, whether or not the fact that I'd find solace in seeing these two put away just because of the type of person they are makes me a bad one, then I don't care to be good. Not in this situation.

Amber and Cole passed through the doors next followed by my trio as soon as the entrance cleared for us.

"Hey guys," Cole greets the three of us as we caught up to him making his way to the courtroom.

"What's poppin', Birdman?," I respond with a peppy tone in my voice then pointed to my brother, "Have you met Jacob yet?"

"Not officially, I don't think," Cole said, shaking his head. "I know you've talked about him." Cole held his free hand out to Jacob and shook his then said, "How's it going?"

"Just another loony day," Jacob shrugs. "So is your name actually Birdman?"

"No, it's Cole," he replied with a laugh. "That's just a nickname."

"Oh. Nice," Jacob said with a chuckle of his own then turned back to me. "So am I gonna get to watch hell break those for these two?"

"Absolutely not," Anthony told him before I could reply. "The only reason Nathaniel is going in is because he's been working this case with me from the beginning."

"Alright, sheesh," Jacob exaggerated, his hands up like he's defending himself. "I guess I'll sit out in the hall and have a toke then."

"I'll join you," Cole says. "I won't really serve any purpose in there now, best to leave it to these two. If that's alright with you, Admiral."

"Have at it," Anthony told his lieutenant then looked at me. "Make sure you debrief him later."

"Sure," I smiled with a nod, pointing at Derrick as we entered the courtroom tunnel. "Let's throw him in the slammer first."

"Will you shut up?," Amber snapped at me, metaphorically trying to spit in my face.

Said the bitch being investigated for murder.

"Raawwrrr, she's feisty," Jacob joked, tearing at the air with his claws as he imitated a hissing cat.

"I'm pretty sure you're in no place to make demands," I said, smirking widely at her. "Keep up the attitude though, that'll get you far in here."

"Enough, lad," Anthony calmly says to me. "You can torture the two of them when I'm not around."

"Fair enough," I agreed even though I know he's masking his order with humor for my benefit. With the same deserved smile spread from cheek to cheek, I cupped one hand around my snout and hollered down the hall to the same two knights at the end of the tunnel, "Open up, Twitch."

By the second we reached the end of the tunnel, the last bolt on the inside of the courtroom clanked as it was released and by the next, the right door slowly creaked open, allowing the guards with Derrick to pass through. Anthony passed through next guiding Amber as Cole began to make casual conversation with Jacob and I followed behind the Admiral, watching the booty of the girl I don't really want bounce up and down as she walked. The door then shut behind me, bolts clanked then silence filled the room as we all approached the empty thrones.

Anthony sighed then headed for what is apparently the war room. "I'll be right back," he said then disappeared behind the thrones.

Eventually, I tore my gaze away from Amber's ass to see how Derrick was doing with his escort on our right. The two knights had a firm grip on each of his restrained arms, clinging like their lives depended on him staying in custody. I guess they were squeezing too hard or something because Derrick tried to shake free of their grasp. In response, the guards tightened their grip and kicked behind the knee caps to bring him down to his knee.

"How 'bout a little elbow room, assholes," Derrick said, making more of a statement than a question.

"How dare you!," one of the guards hollered then drew his free arm back.

Oh, I don't fucking think so.

I zoomed around Amber and between Derrick and the guard then caught his unjustified blow meant for the bulldog. "What the hell do you think your doing?," I bitched quietly in his face as I tightened my own grip on him.

"He has -

"Shut up," I instantly stopped him as I threw his hand aside. "I don't give a damn how you think this works, we don't beat unarmed and bound men." I looked at Derrick who stared back up at me, looking confused as to why I would defend him but more angry at me for what I've done to him which isn't surprising.

He's got a worse one track mind than Jacob.

"No matter how fucked in the brain they may be," I concluded, still staring down to Derrick. "You're welcome." I then turned back to the guard and pointed at him, "And if I see you raise your fist to him again, I'll break off your arm."

"Alright, I get it," the guard softly yet angrily told me.

Now staring him down as I walked by him, I returned next to Amber where I didn't really care to be but someone has to stay close to her. No sooner after that little bit of hell died down did the war room door echo open and shut again. Three pairs of footsteps made their way to us until the King, Queen, and Admiral appeared once more and sat in their thrones. Anthony walked towards me and stood at Amber's other side, hopefully making her feel as trapped as her boyfriend.

"So this is the man responsible for raining hell in my city," the King states, mostly to himself then glances over to Amber. "Pleasure to see you again, Amber. You do know why you're here?"

"Yes, My Lord," she said with the same fake kindness from her last interrogation. "I'd also like to testify on Derrick's behalf."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," the King told her. "Seeing as you yourself are also suspected of the same crimes, your pleas cannot be trusted until proven innocent and we won't be getting to you until after he has been prosecuted."

"Very well," Amber acknowledged, fighting to hold in her anger.

Sweet justice.

"Anthony, Nathaniel," the King calls, motioning to each of us, "you may begin."

The two guards holding Derrick down lifted him to his feet, brought him over to us and dropped him back down to his knees again next to Amber after the Admiral and I stepped forward. The couple looked at each other, sharing their concern with each other through a simple emotional stare.

These two belong together.

"Derrick Harrison," Anthony called the bulldog's attention. "You are charged with association to the murder of Trevor Draufht and conspiracy to murder of local law enforcement. How do you plea?"

"Local law enforcement?," Derrick repeated, more confused now than ever.

That's the part he chose to react on? This is going to be easier than I thought.

"That'd be me, hotshot," I said, pointing a thumb at myself. "Remember that nice little sketch of me you had stuffed in your safe? The one we now know to be Amber's work."

"Not guilty," Derrick quickly responds.

"Shocker," I mumbled under my breath.

"Very well," Anthony says with a polite nod. "Let's start from the beginning then, shall we?"

"The body of Trevor Draufht was found in an alleyway dumpster three days ago," I began with vivid confidence. "Autopsy showed he had been poisoned with a toxic powder we later discovered to be named ricin. We found the powder sprinkled in the petals of a vase of white roses on his desk at home that same day."

"This ricin is far too rare to be easily obtained so we knew only someone with knowledge and connections could get their hands on it," Anthony said, taking his turn. "In the vase with the white roses, we found a sheet of folded construction paper with the phrase "from me to you" written inside, "me" spelled in all capital letters. We had few assumptions of what this meant until the day Nathaniel and I questioned Mr. Draufht's former homosexual lover, Jason, and found the exact same card on his desk."

"Which lead us to believe that our killer is a professional," I threw into the list. "Or just stupid. Either way, this meant someone had ordered Trevor's death as well as Jason's. Luckily for him, we had protective detail placed at his home before the killer got the chance."

"I'm sure you've figured out by now that we suspect you to be responsible for calling out those hits," Anthony says, pointing at Derrick. "My theory here is that Amber wanted Jason dead because she knew he would point us in her direction, connecting her to the case. Which he did."

"Keep in mind, we found the killer's calling card on Jason's desk hardly a day after her original interrogation," I added as I raised a finger. "She's the one who gave us the name in the first place so she knew we would go to him. Between the final moments of her interrogation and the moments we began to spend questioning Jason, she had plenty of time to discuss his assassination with you then leave it to you to make it happen."

"Getting back to the charges, we were tipped off that you had been spotted making a handoff to an unknown hooded individual in the park," Anthony says then reaches into his tunic and pulls out the still stuffed orange envelope. "We also acquired confirmation that your package looked exactly like this. This envelope, as I'm sure you know, contains quite a bit of gold and the sketch of Nathaniel."

"Four days after your meet in the park, Trevor was fatally poisoned and dropped dead later that day," I continued. "How he ended up in the dumpster is beyond me. Obviously he was placed there but by who we can't say for sure. What we do know is that you two can't stand the sight of me either which easily explains the motive behind that envelope in the Admiral's hand."

"Assuming our informants are reliable which they have proven to be so far, the envelope you handed off to the man in the park contained a coin bag of gold and Trevor's sketch," Anthony pointed out. "A package that can only have one purpose with the evidence provided."

"Why would I have Trevor killed?," Derrick questioned us, finally deciding to speak up. "I never talked to him or cared to. He was my girlfriend's neglecting father, why would I have anything to do with him?"

"We're not saying you wanted him dead, we're saying that SHE did and had you handle it," I told him, pointing at Amber. "Given the fact that he neglected her doesn't help you either. In fact, it's just another motive for you to go through with it but we believe what the both of you really wanted was his fortune. Which Amber has now that Trevor's dead."

"As we said before, we also believe her to be behind Jason's pending assassination out of fear of being caught," Anthony says. "It clearly doesn't matter to you what happens to Jason so that call was easy for you to agree with. And then this," Anthony shook the orange envelope in his hand, "was the easiest of all. You had a confrontation with Nathaniel prior to the event of Trevor's death."

"One I take pleasure in reminding you that I was defending a helpless young woman you so ignorantly shoved to the ground," I told Derrick sternly. "And you didn't like it so you attacked me later that night and again at Amber's apartment days later."

"That developed a hatred for him within you that stuck so I believe it's safe to assume it was you who wanted this to happen," Anthony says, shaking the envelope again. "After witnessing you attack Nathaniel and no sooner brought down by him in front of her and myself, she could find it quite easy to agree to sketch his portrait so you both could be rid of him as well."

"Thanks for that, by the way," I said, gazing over to Amber who brought her eyes to meet mine. "We might not have gotten this far without it. Very nicely drawn, too."

"Do you really believe all that?," Derrick asks before giving us a contemptuous snicker. "When you think I was out ordering all these 'hits' I was working my minimum wage job at a local butcher shop. You can ask my boss, he'll vouch for me."

"Oh, really?," I asked him, questioning his alibi. "You sure about that? You sure he'll still vouch for you after we explain what you're being tried for and how that can fall back on him if he's caught withholding information related to a murder case? Are you really sure he'll risk everything he owns, including his freedom, for you?"

Derrick said nothing, instead his eyes grew wide for only a moment, his lips parted, hardly at all but they did nonetheless, then he looked away and immediately shit his gaze back to us. All of this within a fraction of a second before he nodded within a smirk. "Why don't you go find out for yourselves?," he questions.

"He's lying, My Lord," Anthony says, turning to spot the thrones. "I can read it all over his face. He wasn't working. I'm not even sure he has a job."

"Then how do you think I got all that gold in my safe?," Derrick asks, looking rather insulted.

"That's simple," I said, peering back at him from Anthony. "You got it from Amber. She may not have had a relationship with her father but she still had access to his funds. Limited access, of course, but now that Trevor's dead, she can do whatever she wants with everything that man ever possessed. Including having both myself and Jason Parker killed the same way she capped her own father."

"Adopted father," Amber rudely corrected me, speaking above my own tone.

"Still your tongue, girl!," the King shouted at her before I could tell her to shut her mouth.

Better that he does it, anyway, she'll actually listen to him.

"That didn't sound like you're denying the accusations," Anthony said to Amber then looked back at Derrick, "and we still have yet to hear a valid alibi from you."

"Before you speak, Harrison, know that Anthony is an expert in recognizing facial expression," the Queen warned Derrick. "That is how he knew you were lying about your job. So I strongly urge you, unless the next words to come from your mouth involve a truth retaining less criminal activity than these murder charges, simply change your plea so we can be done with it because I assure you, we will sort out the truth one way or the other."

"Make your choice, Derrick," I told him calmly. "You're going to end up behind bars today however this may end. Admit to what you've done or continue this hopeless fight. Either way, once you leave this room, you won't be seeing the light of day again anytime soon."

All emotion wiped away from his face as he slumped over himself and stared at the ground, he sighed loudly then looked back up at Anthony and I, accepting his fate. "Fine," he said sternly. "It was all me. All of it. Amber only drew the pictures but she didn't know what they were for. That's the truth."

"Correction," Anthony says, "that was half of the truth. You looked away again when you said Amber's name. YOU don't even believe what you're saying."

"That's my plea, old man," Derrick says, completely emotionless. "It's not changing. So put me away but you have no reason to go after her anymore."

"Yes we do," the King says. "As my lovely wife explained, the Admiral here can tell when you are lying, among other things. You just gave us a reason to continue pursuing her as well. But let's finish up here first. Derrick Harrison, with the evidence provided this day along with your newly announced confession, you are hereby found guilty of all previously stated charges. By law of Canniban rule, I have no choice but to sentence you to death."

Death? Is he for real?

"Guards," the Queen called out to the knights restraining him, "escort him to the dungeon until his execution can be scheduled."

"Right away, My Lady," the guard who attempted to strike him earlier acknowledged as the two of them pulled Derrick to his feet.

They then pushed him forward, passed Anthony and I, up the foundation of the thrones and instead of disappearing behind the King's throne as Anthony did each time he entered the war room, the two guards guided the bulldog behind the Queen's throne instead. I immediately assumed there to be a second hallway back there until I heard echoed footsteps and an opening then shutting door that confirmed that for me.

At least I know where the dungeon is now. But still, death? Is that a justifiable sentence? Granted, he killed people. Or had them killed, rather. I can see now the King will always have the punishment equal to the crime. I'm not so sure I'm okay with that, especially if he's going to have my friends and I doing it for him. He promised me any targets he assigned would be deserving of death, and even if he's proven right, I'm still not one hundred percent on board with it. But I was willing to accept the tasks anyway, so long as these targets show to be vermin undeserving of their freedom. I wouldn't like it but I was going to do it anyway. If he judges all based on their actions alone, working for him could get really bloody for us. If that turns out to be the case, I WILL make my voice heard, no matter the consequence.

"Now there is just the question of what to do with you, Amber," the King says, leaning in on his knees. "Will you admit to your faults and accept your fate or will you force us to pick at your words until we discover your truth?"

Appearing rather afraid, her hands shaking, her jaw slightly parted, eyebrows drooping over wide eyes, Amber searched herself for an explanation but what came out of her mouth surprised none of us.

"Did you even dig for anything about Jason?," she questioned Anthony and I, now displaying her anger before focusing on the Admiral. "If you're such an expert on expressions, you'd know that queer is a liar! I had nothing to do with any of it, Derrick said it himself!"

Letting him take the fall, just like we knew she would. Wait a second, I saw her pinky twitch!

"No, you're the liar, Amber," I told her, pointing a harsh finger. "Not only do we know for certain that you are just as guilty as Derrick, you also know Jason is simply an innocent bystander just as much as the rest of us. Go ahead, ask the guards behind you what they think, I can promise you that you won't get any support here."

"You don't know that for sure," she stated, smirking with an evil grin and a level of contempt that completely turned me off. "You have no proof. Did you even bother to figure out what he was doing during all of this."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we did," Anthony said, talking down her snotty attitude. "Four different individuals confirmed Jason to be jogging with them during the time your father was believed to be killed, which is much more than anyone can say for you."

"Adopted father!," she screamed at the Admiral.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!," the King screamed over her as he stood from his throne, his voice bouncing wildly off the courtroom walls as he pointed to the guards at the doors. "Restrain her then hand her off to the two who took Derrick below to join him, she will share his fate!"

"No, no, please, My Lord, I don't want to die!," Amber pleaded, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she backed away from everyone, unknowingly moving into both of the knights until they grasped her arms and cuffed her.

She instantly began to convulse in every direction, screaming for her life, attempting to break free from their hold as they dragged her in the same direction the others took Derrick. As much as I loath them, I truly feel bad for the both of them but there is nothing I can do at this point. I can only pray for them that they will make their peace before they're placed in the guillotine and maybe God will open his gates to them.

Sadly, I wouldn't count on it.

Once the door to the dungeon shut, the King calmed himself as he sat back down, took a deep breath then pointed to the Admiral and I. "Well done, gentlemen," he told us. "I knew I could count on your teamwork to solve this profoundly reckless mystery."

"Forgive me, Sire," I said as I raised my hand, "but we're not done yet, the killer is still out in our streets."

"I am well aware of this," the King replied, "and we will handle it."

"Alright," I mumbled, "what would you have us do next?"

"Rest," the Queen says. "Care for your recovering friend. Spend the little daylight left how you see fit."

"Honey, what are you doing?," the King asked her, shooting his questioning gaze her way. "There is still work to be done here."

"Honestly, darling, let them have the night off," the Queen urged her husband. "As quickly as they have worked this case, as constant as they have been working, I believe they've earned it. Do you even remember the last time you gave Anthony time off?"

"Well...," the King hummed lightly as he contemplated the idea. "I suppose I can have someone else question those two about the killer before they're executed. Where is Cole?"

"Actually, Sire, coincidentally, I sent him home before we entered earlier for the astounding effort he put in to help us," Anthony said. "I assured him he would have the day off as well."

What? No you didn't...

"Ugh," the King groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Very well, I'll have someone ELSE do it. You two may take the rest of the night off but you'll have to see yourselves out. And I expect you both to be prepared to continue the investigation in the morning."

"Of course, My Lord," Anthony says with a noble bow then looks over to me. "How about a drink, lad?"

"Sounds good," I agreed with a smile. "There's a new place down the street I've grown pretty fond of."

"Discuss this outside, gentlemen," the Queen told us.

Ha. Oops.

"Yes, My Lady," I accepted with a polite bow to the both of them.

Anthony and I turned around and walked towards the unguarded doors to unlock them ourselves. I approached the doors first so I reached up and pushed one of the bolts out of its lock then repeated this with the one directly under it and pulled the left door open. I let Anthony pass through first, nodded one final time to the King and his spouse then pulled the door shut behind me, knowing the bolts would be relocked in a matter of minutes.

"That was some heavy shit," Jacob says, immediately grasping my attention. "We heard most of that from out here."

"Now you know why I like working this post," Twitch told him with a little humor to be discovered in his voice.

"Anthony, did I hear all that right?," Jacob asks the Admiral. "Are they really going to be executed?"

"Aye," Anthony assured him. "They brought it upon themselves when they organized lives to be taken. By Canniban law, they deserve no less than that which they are guilty of."

"It's rough business," I said then tried to change the subject. "Feel like a drink, buddy? I figured we'd hit The Extra Mile."

"I've heard of that place," Cole says, joining the conversation. "I know they opened to the public just recently. How is it?"

"Pretty nice when you're not being tossed around in a weakened stated by a convicted felon," I told him, making my own brand of humor. "You wanna join us? The Admiral gave you the day off. Apparently."

"Oh, right," Anthony says, pointing at me as if he has just remembered that's what he told the King. "I'd rather not be caught in a complete lie so, yes, Lieutenant, you may take the rest of the night off."

"Awesome," Cole smiled widely. "I've been looking forward to hanging out with you guys. But I thought I might show Jake the greenhouse if you'd like to join us instead."

"I'm pissed at you for not telling me about that, by the way," Jacob says, poking me with his claw.

"And listen to that brother of yours rub his green thumb in my face?," Anthony questioned, raising and eyebrow at Cole. "Not happening."

"He's got beer," Cole says, smiling widely as the realization spread over Anthony's face.

"I'm in," Anthony said, apparently just now finding Marcus tolerable.

"Me too," I agreed, "I have to see Jake's face when he lays his eyes on those plants."

"I hope he reacts like you did," Cole said, laughing to himself, "that was priceless."

"He'll react exactly like I did, that's why I want to see it, I wanna make sure I didn't look like a drooling idiot," I joked as I began to map our route to the greenhouse. "Let's go, I left some stuff down there anyway."

I don't even know where we're going to begin in the morning. Our only lead to our killer are those cards of his and the only people who have seen or heard of him are on death row. We still haven't the slightest clue what those cards are truly supposed to mean. If the capital "ME" aren't initials or abbreviations then what the fuck are they? We almost stuck with the idea that it's calling out to someone the killer knows personally but after discovering his professionalism, his eyes on Jason and the fact that I was meant to be the third body, that possibility is long gone. I know they say that two is a coincidence, three is a pattern, and looking forward on it, after he goes for Jason, we'll be able to deduce his methods as best we can to gain the advantage on him then work out a deal with Derrick or Amber to place the hit on me so we can draw him out. But I'd rather not have to be bait, honestly. Not to gloat, I know I have some talent but I don't know how well I'd put up against an assassin. The smuggler boss gave me enough run for my money and dealing with him almost killed me. Twice, now that I think about it. Whatever happens, I hope Anthony doesn't come up with the same idea otherwise I'm fucked seven ways to Sunday. Again. Maybe eight this time.

With the greenhouse only yards away now, the smell of, well, many different things stretches the entire hall outside. I picked up several scents, all of which share that same deliciously potent stench that any bud will give off, but I also caught hints of different berries, some fruits, and... lemonade, I think?

I'm gonna have to try some of that.

Cole pushed through the doors first followed by Jacob, myself, then Anthony bringing up the rear. Clearly, he doesn't care for Marcus but his taste for the fizzy stuff appears to be a bit more convincing.

Cole lead the single file line of four across the room to the right into the office, all the while Jacob gawked at the mother plants across from us until he passed through the open door. Inside, Marcus sits at the desk in his actual office, easily able to spot jotting things on his paperwork through the large window at his side.

"Was that it?," Jacob asks Cole as I knocked on the window to get Marcus' attention. "That was hardly anything!"

"Chill out," Cole told him with a chuckle, "there's more, you'll see it."

"Hey guys," Marcus greeted us as he popped out of his domain. "I'm guessing your looking for your things, Nathaniel?"

"Yeah, that too," I answer with a nod. "Cole was gonna show my brother here around the greenhouse."

"Where's the keg, lizard?," Anthony asked Marcus, unsettled by his presence. For some reason.

"Hello Anthony," Marcus smiled at him then pointed into his office with his thumb. "There's a small ice box under my desk, help yourself."

"Grab me one, too," I told him before he ventured in to find Marcus' inebriating treasures.

"It's a good thing I held onto these when I found them," Marcus says, reaching into his lab coat then hands me my bowl and my tin case. "They would have been snatched had they stayed here on the table."

"Thanks for not letting that happen," I said with a grin then turned around, "hey Jake, you wanna - wait, where'd he go?"

"He and Cole left the room after you knocked on the glass," Anthony hollered from under the desk in the office.

"Those dicks!," I stated, turning around again to shoot my irritation in their direction. "I told them I wanted to see his face!"

"You'll get over it, lad," Anthony tells me, stepping out of the office with three beers in his hands. He handed one to me then another to the scaly florist in front of me. "Thank you, Marcus," he said to him, quite sternly as if trying not to show too much appreciation.

"You're welcome Admiral," Marcus told him, taking the beer from his hand before we all took a seat at the meeting table in the room. "So, how's it going out there?"

"Great," I said, popping the top off my bottle with my claw. "Two out of three of our suspects are behind bars, my best friend is gonna live and I haven't been punched in the face in well over forty-eight hours."

"I'm assuming there's more to that joke that I'm missing," Marcus says, waving his bottle at my words.

"It wasn't a joke," I laughed as I shook my head. "I attract the wrath of dicks ever since I left the mountains. Dick wrath, man. It's not fun."

"It doesn't sound fun," Marcus said with a grin then looked at Anthony, "and how about you, Admiral?"

"Can't complain," Anthony says, his bottle already three quarters empty. "As Nathaniel said, we've resolved most of the issue but there is still a killer in the streets. I'm beginning to wonder how we're going to find him."

"Let's not worry about it now, please," I begged the Irish tiger. "Having the day off means we don't think about work."

"It's my job to think about work even when I'm not working," he tells me. "Especially with something this big."

"Now I see why your still single," I picked at him before swigging some of my booze.

"Look who's talking," he picked back, "what's your excuse?"

"Finding love isn't as simple for me or Jake as it may be for you," I told him, getting a little technical. "Wolves mate for life, there's no getting around that no matter how much we've evolved over the centuries. We don't go falling head over heels for every pussy we touch. Why do you think Jake is such a smartass?"

"Or you, for that matter," Anthony says then finishes his beer.

"Damn, man, that Irish blood really flows through you, don't it?," I said, fucking with him a little more. "Want another one?"

"Racist," he calls me in his native accent. "But aye."

I laughed as I began to rise from my seat. "Fine then," I said as I walked into the office.

As soon as I spotted the ice box, I knelt down under the desk to grab another beer for the spoiled soldier and a second later, the doors into the rest of the greenhouse flew open.

"Where's Nathaniel?," I hear Cole's voice ask.

I popped my head up to spy at him and Jacob through the window while also catching Anthony and Marcus pointing in my direction.

"What's going on?," I asked, walking out of the office and tossing Anthony his beer.

"Not to push you out the door but you might want to leave," Cole tells me. "As quickly as possible."

"Why?," I asked, questioning him with my eyes.

"Why do you think?," a familiar female voice replies.

I leaned to my left to peer around Cole and spot the body of the voice I couldn't quite place.

"Oh, shit...," I cursed aloud to myself as the blonde haired mouse made her way toward me. I held up my hands and backed against the table as fear and remorse filled my core. "Sherry, I am so, so sor -

She instantly cut off my words, swinging her arm at breakneck speed that landed her palm square across my face, slapping me with utter disgust straight into the tabletop as little smoke clouds of anger shot out of her ears and nostrils. Not literally of course, but as infuriated as she is, I wouldn't be surprised if she spontaneously combusted.

"Asshole!," she yelled in my face before turning around and stomping out of the room in complete and total rage.

The doors shut behind her and silence filled the room. As the fear faded from my core, the regret gradually got worse and I only now realize how horrible that must have been for her. I knew it was bad but I never stopped to think about it.

I seriously need to make it up to her. I can't leave it like this.

"God damn," Jacob muttered as I rubbed my burning cheek. "I have never seen you so scared in all the years I've known you."

"Women are mighty creatures, Jake," I told him then swallowed every bit of liquid left in my bottle and fell back into my chair. "Always beware the rage of a victimized vagina."

"Victimized?," he repeated as Cole and Marcus busted out laughing. "You're more compassionate with women than anyone we know, what could you have possibly done to her?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," I told him, looking away. "Just remind me to make it up to her."

"Alright then," Jacob mutters again.

"I need a cigarette," I said to myself as I dug into my pocket.

"Uh uh, not here," Marcus stopped me as he waved his finger. "Sorry Nate but tobacco smoke kills the plants. Can't have you destroying my income."

"Fuck, right, I'm sorry," I said, stuffing my pack back into my pocket with frustration. "It slipped my mind."

"Don't beat yourself up, a lot of people make that mistake," he says to me.

"Let's head out to the courtyard," I said, looking at Jacob. "It's time I gave you a test, anyway."

"A test?," Jacob questions, "Did you forget about the pop quiz Elrick landed on me? I'm all tested out, man."

"Don't worry, you'll enjoy this one," I said, thought about it then added, "depending on how much you've been studying."

"Oohhhh, I see where you're going with this," Jacob replied as he scratched his head. "I dunno, Nate, I was lucky enough to get one good punch in last time but that was it."

"Trust me, just stay confident, you'll get this down sooner or later," I told him then looked back towards the others. "Care to join us?"

"Right behind you," Cole said with an excited grin. "I've been itching to see you fight."

"Anthony, how 'bout you?," I asked, peering over to the tiger.

"I guess," he shrugs, "So long as I don't have to step into the ring with you."

"Wow, really?," I asked, slightly surprised. "I thought you loved a good challenge."

"I do," Anthony assures, "but I can still feel your fist in my gut from the last time."

"I assume you will want a rematch eventually," I said to him as I stood. "I'll be expecting it, Admiral, don't let me down. And you, Marcus, care to catch the show?"

"I would but I have work to do," he says as he stood as well. "Work I should have gotten back to ten minutes ago so if you'll excuse me."

"Of course," Cole snickered. "We'll see you later, Mark."

"Have a good one, guys," Marcus says then vanished behind his office door and reappeared behind the window as he sat at his desk.

"Well, come on then," Anthony says as he stood last and began to walk out first. "I'm going to get a good laugh watching you beat the shite out of each other."

That's putting it mildly. A silver says he'll be cracking up every time I spot him.

Cole, Jacob, and I followed the Admiral through both doors and back into the hallways. As we tracked our way to the courtyard, all I could think about was how horrible I must have made Sherry feel.

I don't know how I'm going to fix that. I doubt she'll even want to look at me, let alone hear what I have to say. How do I make up for something like that? Leaving that poor women three stories underground, butt ass naked in nothing but a skirt with no wearable top when only seconds before I was balls deep inside her naked ass. I've never even heard of such a thing. And how she got out of it topless is beyond me but it had to have been humiliating. I've got to be the worst type of man in her book right about now. God dammit.

"So Jake," I said, nudging him as we came up on the doors into the courtyard, "what do you remember?"

"Most of what you showed me," he says with a slight shrug. "I've been playing the moves over in my head since but I dunno how well it stuck."

"I guess we're about to find out," I said as Anthony pushed through the doors.

As the doors creaked open, blinding light seeped through the crack and the wider it got, the more blinding it became until my boots touched the beautiful green grass out in the fresh open air.

I love this section of the castle. They should get some decorations up, though, the detail in the building walls are really the only significance.

"Maybe like a big pot leaf statue...," I mumbled to myself, feeling the sun beat down on my coat.

"What about pot?," Jacob asks as the four of us gathered in the center of the large field.

"Nothing, just thinking the King needs a new contractor," I told him then clapped my hands together. "Alright, you ready?"

"Not really," Jacob shrugged again. "I guess you're not gonna take it easy on me, are you?"

"Do I ever?," I asked rhetorically then took my stance as Cole and Anthony backed away to give us some space. "No cheap shots this time. If you're gonna learn, you're gonna do it right, then you can get fancy with it."

"Fine, whatever," Jacob said, eyeballing himself into his stance. "You go first this time."

"You sure about that?," Anthony breaks into our conversation.

"I gotta learn, right?," Jacob replied then looked back at me. "Let's go, already."

"Oooooookay," I muttered, "just remember you literally asked for it."

I count maybe ten yards between us. There's a number of ways I could approach him but maybe I should go a little easy on him, he is a beginner after all.

I charged at my brother without wasting another second. Clearing the distance between us caught Jacob off guard but he impressively brought it back up before I reached him. Keeping it simple, simple enough for him anyway, I attacked first by jamming a tight fist aimed for his stomach. His right arm flew downward and threw my thrust off course so I used the momentum to spin around on my left heel and swing the other around. Again, he blocked my roundhouse with a downward arm then used the opening he created to plant his fist in my chest with surprising impact, enough to push me back a few feet.

"Not bad," I told him, "you actually remembered to twist your wrist this time."

"You wouldn't let me forget it," he says then waved his fingers toward himself, "come on, this is actually more fun than I thought."

"Don't get cocky yet!," I said, my voice inclining as I kicked dirt and grass into the air, charging at him again.

Within inches away from him, I popped up off my left foot and raised my right knee towards his chin. Jacob cupped his hands palms down and caught the cap in the center of his interlocked fingers then threw my entire leg aside. He then mimicked my own style by using the momentum he gave himself to swing his opposing heel around to strike me in the left side of my ribcage. After planting my right foot back on the ground, I moved the same side arm across my chest to catch his roundhouse just before it made contact. I locked my grip around his ankle, spun counterclockwise on my right heel as my arm straightened out then released him as I planted the sole of my left boot into his chest, kicking him straight to the ground.

"C'mon, Jake, you can do better than that," I urged him as I eased back into my stance while also hearing Anthony burst into tears laughing. "Fight like your life depends on it."

"Oh, now you fuckin' tell me," Jacob complained sarcastically as he kicked himself back to his feet. "Don't worry, I'm not done yet. And shut up over there!"

"Sorry, lad, that was just too damn funny!," Anthony hollered back towards him with a wide smile spread across his face. "Let the show go on!"

Irritated at the Irishman, Jacob burst forward and attempted a forward kick with his right foot which I caught with one hand and tossed it aside then a left handed thrust that I let fly by my head. His fist grazing the hairs on my cheek, I placed my palm on his chest and pushed him back then swung a right hook towards his jaw. Jacob ducked behind a left side block then struck me square in the center of my temple with an upward right handed punch. Before I brought my focus back, he struck me again with a left handed fist into my right peck and threw me off balance for just a moment. I quickly shook off the disorientation, suddenly proud of his astounding improvement over mere minutes, then rushed him to test that improvement.

I threw another right hook, Jacob ducked and dodged then attempted an uppercut, I sidestepped and dodged then jabbed him in the side with my knuckles. Jacob stumbled back and left me a clear opening. I aimed a left hook for his chest but he just barely caught it in time, threw me aside then rose a knee into my own lower block. With both hands, he shoved me back like I did to him then jumped at me with a flying forward kick. His unexpected strike planted in my palms with great force, I think I even felt myself slide back in the grass. I pushed against him and threw him back into the air. Jacob back flipped off my hands and landed on all fours without a hint of exhaustion in him.

"I most definitely did not teach you that," I said to him, looking down to see small trails of dug up dirt in front of my feet.

"Heat of the moment?," Jacob excused himself as he rose back to his feet. "We're not done already, are we?"

"I've seen what I needed to," I told him. "I was planning to drag this on until that potential you have shown through but it didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would."

"Meaning what exactly?," Jacob asks.

"Meaning you're getting better really fast," I said. "If we did this at least once a day, Selina and I could make a monster out of you yet."

"What's the hold up?," Anthony calls out to us.

"We're finished, Admiral," I hollered back to him. "Jake proved his worth."

"Well, that's disappointing," Anthony says as he and Cole made there way back to us. "I expected him to go down at least two or three more times."

"I told you he had it in him," I said to Anthony. "We just needed to bring it out a couple times."

"Why don't you step into the ring with him, Cole?," Anthony suggested with a grin spread from cheek to cheek. "You did say you were itching to see him fight."

"I was thinking that myself actually," Cole says then looks at me. "How 'bout it Nate?"

"Can you succeed where the Admiral failed?," I asked, mostly picking on Anthony.

"Most likely not," Cole laughed as he shook his head, "but I'm gonna try regardless."

"That's what I like to hear," I said with a smile. "Alright Birdman, show me what you got."

"Gladly," Cole says confidentially as he took Jacob's spot.

I replaced my previous stance with one a little more exotic. As usual, I placed my right foot in the lead, pointed right towards Cole and my left one pointed ninety degrees outward only and inch away. I crossed my left arm across my back then pointed every finger on my right hand palm up in his direction.

I'm much less sturdy in this stance but I'm quicker, too. If he's anything like the Admiral, I'm gonna need the speed.

Cole, yards away in his of frame of mind, took no stance whatsoever. Which is odd for a military man so something tells me he's got a few tricks. But the eagle did not leave me surprised or disappointed when he rushed me right off the bat.

Cole jumped forward as the wings on his back spread wide then flapped towards the ground with intense velocity, sending him rocketing in my direction. Gliding on the air, Cole flew straight into my face but his technique really threw me off. Instead of throwing a midair punch, kick, knee or anything of traditional means, Cole spun in the air and struck at me with his wing of all things. I quickly ducked under it, now rethinking my strategy then thrust my open hand upward and nailed him hard in the chest with the heel of my palm. Cole flapped back once then immediately dove at me again. He swung his right wing down at me, I stepped aside and dodged then attempted to plant another blow across his cheek but with a single flap of the other wing, Cole gracefully ascended into the air, forcing me to miss by a mile. Another wing attack came down at me and missed followed by another flying horizontally towards my right side. I blocked with my left palm, latched onto his wing and tried to toss him behind me with all my strength but the bird easily caught the air under his wings again and sped towards me once more. One wing after another came my way, each one flying from a different direction, all the while he floats in front of me, all of these unusual strikes while remaining airborne. I dodged and blocked each one but every attempt I made to strike him back stunned him at the most if it hit only to have him bolting back at me.

Well, this isn't working. I gotta ground him.

The very next time Cole swung his wing at me, I pushed it to the ground and hopped on board. I jumped off his wing and flipped onto his back, landing each foot on a joint of both wings then pushed off sending him back down to the grass where I had the advantage. As soon as I touched back down, Cole popped back up onto his feet in one second then unleashed a barrage of fists at me with the next. The first one flew by my head, the second clipped my shoulder, the third caught me across the jaw and the fourth and fifth into the center of my chest. With a final blow, Cole flapped into the air a foot or two off the ground as he spun wildly then halted in an instant by swinging a roundhouse into the side of my head. Shocked that I actually let him get in some good hits, I ducked my head so my shoulders hit the ground first then rolled onto my back then pushed off the momentum and landed back on my feet.

My face is taking a lot of shit today.

"I'll hand it to you, Cole, you surprised me," I said as I rubbed the feeling of his heel on my cheek. "Not many people can do that."

"It's all in the wings," he said, stretching them out over a length much greater than Selina's.

"So I've gathered," I replied, devising ways to keep his feet grounded in round two. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I took some classes back in the day," Cole told me modestly. "I had a very strick Asian toucan as my sensei. He taught me how to use them as more than just a means for transportation."

"The Asian part seems kinda racist if you ask me," I joked as I reformed my stance. "But I guess it doesn't matter. I got your game now."

"Then don't hold back," he told me.

"You expected me to?," I asked as I laughed at his words.

"I guess not," he replies, laughing along with me.

The humor quickly faded and for a few moments, all that could be heard was the sound of the wind blowing through the grass under our feet. I didn't want to give him the chance to get back into the air so I quickly kicked up the dirt again and closed the gap once more. Cole flapped his enormous wings in my direction and popped off the ground as he put a little more space between us. I jumped off my toes and literally tackled him back to the ground before he got too comfortable. I landed on Cole who landed on his back and immediately threw me off of him. I found my footing when I hit the ground a second time and swung a left hook at his right cheek as he stood up and faced me. Cole ducked under it and countered with an uppercut which planted firmly in my right palm before it touched anything else. His counter was then countered by my rising left knee which struck him under the beak and sent him for a daze as he stumbled back a single step. I held onto the opening by popping back up into the air as soon as I touched the grass and struck him in the chin again with a right rising knee. Cole stumbled back again, now fighting himself to regain his comprehension before I got in any other strikes but it did him very little good. I jabbed him in the jaw with a left handed thrust, he blocked my right thrust but took the next punch in the center of his stomach. Cole choked over the wind knocked out of his lungs which threw him into my knee and kicked him back upright. I may have gotten a little out of control because I started becoming a little too hostile. With all my strength packed behind my right arm, I punched Cole directly between the eyes once, twice, then finally a third time as I screamed into it then spun a roundhouse in the air that hit the bullseye in the side of his head and sent him spinning to the ground. The next few moments, I stood in my stance facing the eagle as I caught up with my breath and waited for him to return to the fight. Except he didn't. Cole laid on the ground where he landed completely motionless.

Oh, shit.

"Cole?," I called his name, hoping I didn't hurt him too bad. "God dammit!"

I quickly ran forward and slid on my knees to his side to check his pulse as Anthony and Jacob sprinted over to make sure he's okay.

"Jesus Christ, Nate, what was that?," Jacob asked as he and the tiger joined me. "I haven't seen you go berserk like that since you fought the grizzly."

"I don't know, I just lost it for a second," I said as Cole's pulse pushed against my fingers. "He's fine, just unconscious."

"And here I was thinking he was giving you a run for your money," Anthony says as he looked down at his lieutenant. "That ended much faster than I expected."

"What happened...?," Cole mumbled, waving his head back and forth as he slowly regained consciousness.

"You just got your ass kicked, that's what," Jacob told him as he laughed.

"You alright, Cole?," I asked him as I softly slapped his cheek a few times to bring his focus back.

"Yeah... yeah, I think so...," he mumbled as he strained to sit up. "My face hurts."

"Well, it should," Anthony said as he laughed along with Jacob. "You just tasted raw power."

"I'm sorry, Cole, I got way out of hand," I apologized as his eyes met mine.

"No, don't be," he told me as he shook his head with a smile on his face. "I asked for it."

"Yeah, I guess you did," I agreed with him as I joined in on the humor. "You good to stand?"

"No, I think I'm gonna sit here for a minute," Cole laughed as his head waved here and there. "I'm a little dizzy."

"I think that's enough sparring for today," Anthony says as he sat down next to Cole and I. "One of these days, someone's going to end up with a broken bone against you."

"It'll probably be me," Jacob says as he sat down as well. "This guy's my teacher, remember?"

"Take this advice then, Jacob," Cole says as he rubbed his forehead. "Don't let him go all out on you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jacob said, trying not to laugh at him again.

"I'm impressed though," I said as I nudged Cole's arm. "That whole thing you did with your wings I did not see coming."

"Too bad it wasn't enough," Cole joked with a grin. "But thank you for that, Nathaniel. You just gave me a reason to train harder."

"I would say 'anytime' but I'm afraid I might actually hurt you next time," I joked as I pulled out my pipe and tin case.

"Just remind me not to tell you not to hold back and I think I could go home in one piece," Cole says as he chuckles.

"I might have to remind myself," I joked, "I don't know what that was. I just felt if I didn't step it up, I woulda lost."

"God forbid someone gets the better of you," Anthony says as he pushed me by the arm.

"Hey, easy, Admiral Asshole, this is all the weed I got left," I bitched as I caught the piece of Devil's Fruit he almost made me toss into the grass.

"What about all those pieces hanging from that big ass tree?," Jacob asks. "Remember, you were training me how to use the crossbow like you do?"

"Oh yeah," I mumbled, staring at him for a moment. "Somehow, I forgot about that. We should go cut them down sooner or later."

"That's what I said before we even left them there," Jacob says as he shakes his head at me.

"I have to know, Nathaniel, where do you learn to handle yourself so well?," Cole asks as I stow the tin case back into my pocket.

"My father," I answered him, handing Jacob the pipe to take the first hit. "Believe it or not, he was better than I ever will be."

"I doubt that," Jacob mumbles before he strikes a match.

"You said 'was'," Cole pointed out, "did he pass?"

"I don't know, to be honest," I said as I shrugged. "He just disappeared on my tenth birthday. He taught me everything he knew, every last fatal detail. He turned me into a weapon and then walked out and never looked back."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Cole says as he pats my shoulder.

"I'm passed it for the most part," I told him as Anthony snatched the pipe from Jacob. "I'm more curious about you though. How'd you end up working for this Irish ego over here?"

"I resent that," Anthony says as he points the bowl at me. I shook my head with a grin and looked back at Cole.

"It's kind of a family tradition," Cole started to explain. "When my father was a teenager, his father forced him to join like his father did with him. There's an entire line of my family in the Canniban military history books."

"Interesting," I mumble as Anthony hands Cole my pipe. "And the whole thing with your sensei?"

"That's something different entirely," Cole laughed before he inhaled to keep the cherry burning. He exhaled as he handed the pipe to me then continued as I took my hit, "Have you ever been in love, Nathaniel?"

"Apparently, it only happens once for his species," Anthony answered for me as I shook my head. "Learn something dumb everyday."

"Well, just after I finished my first term, I met a girl who had migrated here from Japan," Cole tells me. "I thought I was in love so I want back with her and took some local martial arts classes. But it didn't last so I came back, started my next term and I've been working under the Admiral since."

"That's the good thing about being a wolf," Jacob says as he took the bowl from me. "You'll know when you're really in love."

"So you two have literally never felt love before?," Cole asks as Jacob takes a puff.

"Not that kind of love," I told him. "Wolves only love once so if it doesn't happen with one girl, it never will."

"Is that why you jump around women so much?," Anthony asks with a wide grin on his face.

"To hell with you," I said, waving off his comment as I looked away. "I might not have loved one yet but that doesn't mean I don't respect them."

"I think that one girl would beg to differ," Jacob picks as he handed Anthony the bowl. "What's her name? Sherry?"

"I really fucked that up with her," I said, mostly to myself as I stared at the ground. "But I still respect her. Just like I do all women. Would you quit reminding me about that?"

"Hey, you literally told me to remind you not even an hour ago," Jacob defends himself.

"Yeah, remind me to make it up to her, not torture me with the memory," I corrected him. "Dick."

"Admiral O'Heir!," I voice calls Anthony from behind us.

"Yes?," Anthony replied as I turned around and spotted an unfamiliar soldier.

"We have a lead on the Draufht killer," the knight says. "The King requests your audience immediately."

"Very well," Anthony says as he tossed my pipe to me and rose to his feet.

"You want me to come with you?," I asked him as the piece landed in my lap.

"No, the King gave you the time off himself and I do not have the authority to recall you on it," Anthony says then looks at Cole. "You, however, I can recall. Let's go Lieutenant."

"Yes sir," Cole says then instantly jumps to his feet. "Have a good night, guys."

"Good luck," I told the both of them then watched all three soldiers disappear behind the doors across the field. I stuffed my pipe back into my pocket and looked up. "I guess it is getting late. Let's head back to the lab."

"Fine by me," Jacob says as the two of us stood together. "I didn't have anything else planned."

A lead already? I sure as hell wasn't expecting this assassin to slip up that fast. Fuck, I wasn't expecting him to slip up at all. He's supposed to be a professional. Maybe he's leaving behind bread crumbs... I've heard that serial killers can't resist an urge to want to get caught so they leave behind clues. That'd explain the calling cards. Either way, I'm extremely curious now but I'm going to try not to worry about it. I'm taking time off so I'm gonna go home, care for Selina, then relax until I pass out. No more work for the rest of the day.

Jacob and I headed back to the lab side by side. The walk felt short as I emptied my mind of all thought, attempting to stay out of work mode. Which is rare for me but I'm starting to get a little restless with this case so it's for the best anyway.

Jacob pulled ahead of me as the two of us stomped up the spiral stone stairwell leading up to our floor. I followed him down the hall and around the corners without actually looking where I was going. I almost bumped into him when he stopped to open our front door but I caught myself within the nick of time.

As the door shut behind me, we both looked around to find the Old Man but as far as we could see, he wasn't here.

"Elrick, you home?," Jacob called out to him as we walked further in.

"Right here," Elrick says, popping out of the patient room as he looks at me. "Guess who got her voice back."

"Really?," I questioned as I pushed by him to get inside. I trotted across the patient room and kneeled down next to Selina laying in the bed wearing her peppy smile.

"Hi," she greets me, her voice cracking a little bit. "Miss me?"

"Hey Gooser," I said, smiling wide as I brushed my fingers through her fur. "You're damn right I did. How you holdin' up?"

"Still kicking," Selina answered, refusing to lose her smile. "Elrick said... I should be back on my feet... in no time."

"I have no doubt of that," I told her then kissed her forehead and looked back at the Old Man. "So this whole spinal tap thing..."

"I'm ready when you are," Elrick told me as he slipped on a pair of white rubber gloves then patted the operating table. "Strip off your sweatshirt and lay down on your stomach."

"What, here?," I questioned him then pointed to Selina. "You said this was going to be agonizing, you're gonna make her watch it?"

"I'm sorry, son, but do you see any table in here I can strap you down to?," Elrick asked him as he waved his hand about our home. "You can be as tough as you want but you won't sit still through this, trust me. I need you on this table and only this one."

"Well, can we move her at least?," I asked him, "I don't want her to see this."

"No," Selina mumbled as she grabbed my arm. "Please, Nathan... let me stay... I want to make sure... you'll be okay."

"She's a tough bitch, remember?," Jacob says to me. "She'll be fine, she's just worried about you."

"Alright, fine," I said, sighing as I pulled off my sweatshirt. "Let's get it done so I can fucking hug her."

Growing a little uneasy as the seconds passed by, I walked around the table, hopped up and laid down on my gut. I turned my head to the side so I could see Selina still smiling at me while Jacob and Elrick released the straps under the operating table to tie me down. They tightened around my ankles first then around both wrists. I felt a little thankful that I couldn't see what was happening. I don't want to think about what the needle looks like so I just smiled back at Selina while I felt one of the others shave the hair off the center of my lower back.

"Take some deep breaths, Nathaniel," Elrick's voice tells me. "This will not be pleasant."

"Could you stop telling me that?," I asked him, averting from Selina's blue eyes just long enough to say it.

I felt a cold, damp cloth touch the skin where one of them had shaved the spot clean and wipe over it numerous times. After that, it was easy for me to make out the sharp point of the needle land on my back, pushing against the skin as Elrick prepared to stab me with it.

"On the count of three, I'm going to start inserting the needle," Elrick tells me. "I have dig all the way down to your spine so this is going to be really painful for a few seconds."

"Just get on with it, Old Man," I told him as I looked away from Selina.

I don't wanna watch her watch me go through this.

"One," Elrick began to count. "Two. Three."

On that last number, I felt the point of the needle break the skin. It felt like any ordinary needle until about a second later when he pierced his way to marrow between my bones and I could feel how long the damn thing really is. The very moment the needle touched the marrow, it felt like someone had stabbed a knife between the plates and was trying to pry them apart. I instantly started screaming in agony but the needle just kept digging deeper. The pain got so much worse than I originally thought and lasted so much longer than I could have hoped. It may have only been seconds until Elrick made it deep enough to take his sample but it was so excruciating, the pain is all my mind focused on for what felt like an hour. I have felt pain before but nothing like this. As I screamed bloody murder through it all, all I could do is remind myself who I was doing it for. That didn't keep me from convulsing wildly on the operating table as my voice pitched and went hoarse but it did help me endure it. Until I fainted.