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“We’ve come baring gifts,” Pierce said at the doorway to Dark Mateus’ apartment. He was dressed in his typical gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Next to him Kelly had on a deep green winter coat that worked well with her dark skin.

DM and Lucy were in the dark man’s old apartment that had walls, a floor, a ceiling, and windows, but not much else. It had been two days since DM had gotten back from Cairo, and one day since Rachel was placed into the ground. DM couldn’t bring himself to go back to Rachel’s apartment, so Lucy and the dark man had checked into a motel until his apartment was ready. Apparently Debby had helped encourage the workers to make his apartment livable faster. Now he was in an empty cave of a home with a beautiful Chinese woman, and nothing else.

Kelly spoke up, “I know the old saying is all you need is love, but that only goes so far.”

DM smiled. He had friends who were there for him. “Come on in,” The dark man said welcoming his guests, “I’m sorry I can’t offer you a seat, or a drink, or for that matter something to even look at, but come on in.” DM had cried his tears for Rachel and with Lucy by his side even were able to go to the funeral. Rachel’s parents didn’t speak with him, but did give him hateful looks. They knew he slept with their daughter, and that he was gone for some reason, but mostly they hated him for not saving her.

Kelly entered and held out a phone. “I know it’s not much, but I figured that if nothing else you’d have a phone of your own,” Kelly said being friendly. It was a cheep black plastic phone but it was the thought that counts.

“And I brought you something more useful,” Pierce said dragging something in from the hallway. It was a queen size mattress and box springs. He dragged it in and dropped them both onto the bare wood floor. It landed with a loud thud that made the mattress bounce.

“Do you think they’re trying to give us a hint?” DM asked Lucy.

“Oh yes,” Lucy said with a nod of her head, “Thank you.”

“Not a problem I’m always around to help out a friend,” Pierce said going to the window and looking out. Across the street Rachel’s former apartment was slowly being cleared out by her parents.

“How do you make your hair that shiny?” Lucy asked Kelly and the two of them went off to a corner to talk.

DM walked over to Pierce with a heavy heart. Pierce spoke first in a hushed whisper, “Have you talked to Dave yet?”

“No,” DM said. “I think he’s avoiding me because it was his store that Rachel was killed in.”

“Do you blame him?” Pierce asked not looking at the dark man but looking out the window at Rachel’s apartment.

“He has no control over what people do, so not really,” DM said feeling bad.

Pierce didn’t want to speak what he knew, but did anyhow, “Green and I agree that whoever robbed the store either did work there, or currently does.”

DM looked over with shock. “What makes you think that?” DM asked.

Pierce sighed, “Whoever did it knew where the key to the resister was. The employee who was shot still had his key around his wrist, so the robber took the key under the counter. He knew where it was. Not only that but he knew that the large bills were under the tray. That may not mean much, but it’s a lead.” DM just nodded his head in agreement. “How’s your voice coming?”

“Honestly I don’t know,” DM said not really caring. “I haven’t had a reason to test out my power.”

Pierce gave a smile that made all the unpleasantness slip away. “Well with Lucy here and now a bed I can think of a reason to test it out,” Pierce raised his eyebrows twice quickly giving him the hint.

“You’ve got a sick mind,” DM said, “So do I, but that’s beside the point.” He paused before asking the question on his mind. “Was Frank’s funeral nice?”

Pierce became somber with the memory, “It was a quiet ceremony. His widow cried, but she understood.”

“I’m sorry I missed it,” DM said feeling even guiltier.

“You had someone else’s funeral to go to. We all understood you had to be at Rachel’s funeral,” Pierce said somberly.

“Hey Pierce we’ve got to get going,” Kelly said drawing the two men back to reality.

Pierce shook DM’s hand and said the good-bys and the two of them left. Lucy and DM looked at each other. All the years back DM knew many lovers and wives who died, and he also knew that his life went on. He was hoping that his life went on with Lucy.

“I know it sounds dumb, but would you care to go shopping with me?” DM asked.

“On one condition,” Lucy said, “we pick up some sheets for that bed.”

It was shopping they had their first fight. DM didn’t want to bother with drapes for his windows, but Lucy insisted. They had a small fight, but for them it was major because it was their first. Later they both apologized to each other both saying they were stupid. DM said he wanted Lucy’s opinion, and was just unhappy with what he got. Lucy said she should have realized that it was his apartment, not hers. They kissed, in full view of the rest of the store.

That night as the pair lay on the freshly washed sheets and eating fast food from wrappers they swapped stories. Lucy told how she really made her parents made when she bought a motorcycle when she came of age. DM told of the first time he saw a plane fly in the air, and how he used his powers to make one of the pilots take him up.

It wasn’t until the fourth day of Lucy’s visit that DM asked. “Lucy I was wondering if you could help me out?”

“Dark I’m already trying to put this damn entertainment center together without instructions. What else could you possibly want?” Lucy asked getting frustrated over the pile of boards and bits.

“Would you be apposed to letting me test my voice on you?” DM asked. The computer he had just bought was showing the traditional blue screen of death.

Lucy smiled at the dark man, “We sleep together and you have to ask permission to try out your power on me?” She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a limp hug. “What’s stopping you?”

“Something I never lost in all these years, my conscious,” Dark Mateus said with a smile.

“You also seem to know how to treat a lady,” Lucy said loving the man. “You want to try out the new couch or go straight for the bed.”

“I don’t know about, but I’ll take it as permission,” DM said. “You have to stand on your head.”

Lucy stood up, and looked up like she was waiting for something. “Sorry my brain isn’t picking it up,” Lucy said in a sorry voice.

“I guess I still need some time to heal,” DM said sounding a little depressed. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t use my new power.”

“You have a new power?” Lucy asked surprised. DM smiled at her, and then vanished from her eyes. Lucy blinked a few times and looked around the living room. “Wow so you can turn invisible.”

“Not exactly,” DM said poking his head out of the bedroom. “I can freeze time for the rest of the world, while I move about freely.”

“Really that is so cool,” Lucy said excited. “Do something else.” No sooner were the words out of her mouth than her shirt was gone showing her white bra. She quickly covered herself. “Okay where’s my shirt? Where are you?” Then she found herself in a completely different location, the bathroom. Not only that all her cloths were gone.

DM stood in the tub of the shower naked as the day he was born. “You’ve been working so hard with me these past few days. How about we have a nice relaxing shower?”

Lucy looked down at herself and smiled at the dark man. “Well I’m dressed the part. Then we can go to bed clean.”

DM took her hand as she stepped into the shower. “Then I can help dirty you up.”

The sixth day of Lucy’s visit the pair were laying on the couch looking at the world news of the newly discovered Amenophis the first’s tomb. Lucy was quite comfortable in the dark man’s arms with her head on his chest. She didn’t want to speak but knew she had to get it off her chest. “You know I’m leaving tomorrow,” Lucy said in a sleepy dreamy voice.

He stroked her shoulder with his thumb. “I’m sorry to say I know that,” DM whispered into her ear and kissed her.

Lucy enjoyed his touch. He after all had many lifetimes to perfect it. “I was just thinking,” Lucy said, “that if you wanted to test to see if your voice was back in working order, you’d better start talking now.”

“Are you sure?” DM asked.

“I’m curious of how long it takes for you to heal completely. That and I love it when I can’t resist you,” Lucy said with a sly grin.

“Ah a submissive is you?” DM asked. “Are you ready?”

“I guess that depends on what you have in mind?” Lucy asked waking up more.

DM turned the TV channel to the music channels with salsa playing. Lucy didn’t even have time to ask what he was up to before he tried his power out on her again. “Lucy you will dance to the music and remove your cloths at the same time. You’ll do it in the sexiest way possible.”

Instantly Lucy was on her feet moving her hips and waving her arms to the beat of the music. DM gave a glance at the windows to see that the drapes were drawn before directing his attention back to Lucy. She whipped her long hair around letting it trail around her head. The music was fast and strong making Lucy move in a way she was quickly covered in sweat.

She was grinding her hips and moving where her pussy was close to DM’s face. She smelled already of desire for the dark man. In one movement of one beat of the music she pulled off her shirt to show she didn’t wear her bra that day. Her round breasts bounced as she was jumping to the point she was in the air more than on the ground.

“Am I making you horny?” Lucy asked in gasping breaths as she danced making the entire room seem like a love fest.

“Oh yeah baby, and I bet you’re getting very horny yourself. When the music stops you will freeze in whatever position you are in,” DM said with his power.

Lucy still dancing sweating like it was over a hundred degrees in the apartment realized what DM had just told her. Still having to obey she slipped her fingers onto her pants to pull them down. “You wouldn’t,” Lucy said shocked. DM pressed the mute button on the remote.

Lucy froze in place of pulling down her pants. Her hair finally fell into place over her head. Her muscles were cramping up, but she was enjoying the fact she couldn’t do anything but what the dark man told her to do. It took Lucy a second to realize that DM had pressed the mute button and the music was playing again. Her body moved like it had a mind of its own, and her hands slipped her pants lower.

She kicked her pants off, and then DM pressed the mute button. With her one leg still in the air she tried to balance herself, but with her arms out frozen, and her on leg only with her toes on the ground she quickly fell over like an ill-balanced statue. DM was instantly off the couch and under her to save her from hitting the ground, and instead she fell into her arms. Unable to move Lucy still tried to smile at him.

“Okay you don’t need to dance to the music any more, and can move on your own too,” DM said using his power.

The frozen woman moved, and she moved her face to the dark man’s to give him a big kiss. She stood up out of his arms, and led him by the hand into the bedroom. The bed got a good workout, and the wood creaked at just the right time in the right amount.

Lucy flew away in a large metal tube of a plane, and DM felt so lonely. He also knew that there was someone he had to see. The apartment was small, and hot, but the feeling between Dave and Dark Mateus was ice cold. Dave looked at DM from the doorway not saying anything.

“You weren’t at the funeral,” DM said to his friend.

“We were short handed at the store,” Dave said. He stroked his goatee and looked like he was going to cry. “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

The dark man thought for a moment. “It wasn’t your fault, but for some reason I feel like I should blame you,” DM said flatly.

“You should,” Dave agreed. “I could have put a panic button under the counter like was suggested to me. I could have put electronic locks on the door. I keep thinking of something I could have done to save Rachel, but I always turn up blank.”

“Dave if there’s one thing I’ve learned about life is it ends. People die, and there’s not a damn thing any of us can do about it but keep living with their memory,” DM said it was a choking sob. “I won’t blame you if you don’t blame yourself.”

Dave looked up at him with a forced smile, “It’s a deal.”

The snow was falling outside and the dark man felt so alone in his apartment. He was getting his internet set up. He was sending out replies to all the e-mails requesting his services with a reply of he was no longer available. His web-site was down, and would never be back up again. Finally the dark man was out of the acquisition and liquidation business.

The phone rang. The cheap plastic phone Kelly had given him vibrated with each electronic pulse. DM didn’t want to pick it up, but decided he didn’t have a choice. It could have been Lucy in China his heart told him.

“Hello?” DM asked in a quiet voice.

“Dark how are you? It’s been to long,” A familiar but unplaced voice said over the phone.

“I’m sorry this is a really bad phone, who is this?” DM asked.

“Dark I’m hurt it’s me Samuel Wiemhoff,” The man over the phone said in a happy but hurt tone.

“Samuel this really isn’t a good time,” DM said.

“Why’s that?” Samuel asked.

“I’m furbishing my apartment after a fire destroyed everything I owned. My girlfriend was shot and killed, and no one knows who did it. What’s more I watched someone die while I was at my part time job. To be honest I can’t think of a worse time to hear from you,” DM said knowing what the man wanted.

“It sounds to me more like you need a vacation,” Samuel said in a New York accent that had evolved over time. “Tell you what come out here and take a vacation. A little sand and surf, I’ll take you to dinner, you’ll do a small job for me, and you’ll go back to that snow ball city relaxed and ready to face the day.”

“Give me one good reason why I should?” DM asked.

“I’ll give you three very good reasons. One, I’ll pay for your plane ride, rental car, and your stay at a four star hotel. Two, I’ll pay you triple your usual rate. Three, I’ll even throw in back stage passes to a fashion show going on in a few days. Come on can you really tell me you’d rather waste away at that wind tunnel you call a city, or come to the coast and party down?” Samuel was spreading it thick, but that was his job.

DM took a deep breath. Partying wasn’t something DM did, but maybe a chance to get away from his current troubles would do him some good. “Fine Samuel what do you want?” DM asked resigning himself to the case.

“I want Sarah Michelle Gellar’s agent to have a change of heart and make her act in my movie,” Samuel said.

Large red flags went up in DM’s mind. “Why do you want me to go all the way to the west coast when I phone call would be cheaper and faster?”

“Two reasons,” Samuel said. “One I want the promise in writing, and I’d rather you get it for me than have it lost in delivery if you know what I mean. Two there’s a chance that when Gellar will not agree with her agent and I’d rather have you on hand to change her mind. I know that’ll cost extra, but I’m willing to pay it.”

There was something in his voice. Sure he was a slime of a producer and lie to his own mother just to make a buck, but he wasn’t saying something. “Samuel you aren’t telling me something. What is it?”

There was the briefest of pauses, but for someone out in LA it might as well have been a year. “There might also be the suggestion of an idea that Gellar’s agent is working out of his cell phone and refuses to give me the number.”

Samuel you’re a scum sucking slime of human filth is what DM wanted to say. “Fine when do you want me out there?”

The flight was long, and the trail mix that they served in the way of food did nothing but feed the grumblings of people’s stomachs. DM idly thought it was a way that passengers would hit the nearest restaurant as soon as the plane landed, but he’d been hungry before and skipped the dinning establishments near the airports. He drove his blood red four door rental car to the hotel Samuel had set up for him.

The Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills was a cube of blue glass with an uncharacteristic awning sticking out the front. He paid the twenty dollars to park, making sure to note it for his bill, and checked into a very nice room. There was a large bed, a large table, and even a book shelf full of books that were probably bought as cheep as possible. The whole point of a hotel in LA is to sleep in and the fun was outdoors, so there wasn’t much in the way of entertainment until a person got outside.

The heated outdoor pool had a few people sitting in the sun while children tried to drown each other. DM saw only one good looking woman there, and he lost interest after he saw the stretch marks. He sighed that this was a bad idea. He longed for the cold snow of Chicago and the people who would help a little old lady cross the street, and then push her in front of a buss for fun.

The dark man strode to his car. The first thing he figured he had to do was check in with Samuel and find out where he was to go. Just as he was about to get into his car the satellite phone on his hip beeped.

“Hello,” DM said into it after not thinking how difficult it was to answer the phone.

“Mateus this is Sanders where are you?” Ethan asked in a gruff voice.

“Currently I am on the second level of a car park in Beverly Hills, California,” DM said dreading that Ethan had another job for him while he was already on a job.

“Shit,” Ethan exclaimed. “Watch your ass. The CIA felt fit to drop us this note; Voice on coast corpse to Karachi. Karachi is in Pakistan, so the CIA thinks that the Pakistani government has a hit out for whoever Voice is. I’ll give you three guesses who ‘Voice’ could be.”

DM thought this over. Who knew that he was on the coast? “Sir I apologize that I did not inform you of my activities, and I’ll leave immediately,” DM said almost turning around.

Ethan gave a humorless laugh. “Are you kidding this is the best test I think I could give you. Here’s your chance to find out independently what’s going on. Find out whom, how, and why and let me know. Get this done right and I’ll seriously think about giving you fulltime status here. But if things get too hot for you, don’t hesitate to call for backup.”

“Yes sir, I won’t live to regret this,” DM said as a little joke. Ethan got it and hung up. DM thought about what he should do. Samuel was expecting him, but was he the one who set up the trap? They wanted his corpse, so they intended to kill him, and then take his body away. How would they do it?

DM got into his rental and drove off to his meeting. The streets were packed, and more than once DM thought about walking instead of driving, but it was hot out. While waiting in traffic DM thought about the vast differences between Chicago and LA, and decided without much thought that he liked LA a lot less than Chicago.

Wiemhoff’s office was on the second floor, and DM knew that he had to scout out the area first. He smiled at the idea that he had to think about that, and then remembered he could freeze time. The squeeze of his left hand and the world became still. DM walked around the three story glass and metal building. There were numerous cars in the back, and it was clear who had the money and who didn’t. He struggled to open the back door, but then when it was open, and stayed open as soon as it left his hands, he went straight up stairs.

Samuel’s secretary was a big boned plastic piece who might have been good looking years ago. Samuel sat behind his desk with his legs propped up and reading a script. He was in his late fifties with died black hair. He had let his body go since DM had last seen him. He had a large gut that seemed to sag to his sides. He may have been wearing an expensive suit, but it was old and not one of his best.

DM looked around for anyone hiding, and found nothing. He did find a gun in the bottom drawer of Samuel’s desk, but it wasn’t loaded, so he put it back. DM looked into the neighboring offices, and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. DM sighed and went back into the hall, and restarted time. DM walked in and told the secretary he was there to see Samuel and he was ushered in.

“Dark it’s good to see you. How was your trip?” Samuel said dropping his feet and the script and reaching across his desk to shake his hand.

“This city always seems to smell of dead fish,” DM said in a somber dark voice. “So do you still want Gellar to do your movie?”

Samuel indicated for DM to take a seat as he dropped into his own chair. “Hell yeah, she’d be great for the part,” Samuel made his voice sound like a movie announcer telling what the movie is about. “Her father was a D.A. who played by the rules and was killed for it! Now she’ll break all the rules to get revenge! She is, well we’re working on a better name than was in the script.”

“Who do you have to play the father?” DM asked smiling. He had doubts there was even a movie.

“That’s secondary; you see Gellar is the key. We get Gellar and then tell other stars that she’s already signed up, and they’ll follow,” Samuel seemed so excited about this, that DM was starting to even believe him.

“Well you did set me up in a four and a half star motel, so I guess that’s one point for you. What’s the man’s address, or did you get his phone number yet?” DM asked knowing that he would get the address.

“That man wouldn’t give me the time of day, let alone his phone number, so here’s his address,” Samuel said disappointed. He missed his calling as an actor DM mused. The producer wrote something out on the back of one of his cards and handed it to DM.

“So how about those back stage passes to the fashion show?” DM asked. This was a test to see how far DM was to go.

“After you convince Gellar’s manager to have his client do my movie, and then come back here and I’ll give you your money, and the passes. Then you can choose where you’d like to go for dinner,” Samuel said grinning.

DM looked at the card in his hand. The address was 4382 West Kling Street written in red pen on the white card. “Get a better suit on. I’ll be back in a few hours,” DM said letting Samuel know where he stood. DM stood up and walked out of the office. Samuel didn’t even say good-by the dark man noted. Was he nervous or was he waiting until DM was out of earshot to call whoever it was to kill him.

As soon as DM had left the office he waited a few seconds, and then froze time. He walked back into Samuel’s office. He was on his phone with a slip of paper on his desk. The top of the paper had the name In Touch East written at the top and a phone number below. DM noted the number, and had no idea what In Touch East was, but it sounded like a restaurant. DM wanted to stick around hoping to hear what Samuel was saying, but figured that He’d rather find out what was at the address he was given.

West Kling Street was in Burbank and was a quiet horseshoe of a street meeting up with West Sarah Street and then West Oak Street coming off at the peak, and nothing interesting on any of them. The buildings were the kind where each tried to be as different as their neighboring buildings as possible. The building in question for the dark man was interested in was a low one story white brick building with large windows in the front. DM drove by three times looking at the building checking for anything unusual.

The only thing unusual was the secretary looked like she was working. DM could see she was a young thin thing with butch black hair and a thin wispy flour print dress. DM did think she might have looked good if it wasn’t for her obscenely large breast implants. There were no dark vans or snipers he could see, so he took a chance. Parking and putting four quarters in a meter he froze time. The people on the streets stopped. The birds flying stopped. The wind from the passing truck stopped. DM walked across the street in the frozen world under the still shining sun wondering how that was possible.

The inside of the building was cool with a large air conditioner in a side window. The secretary was either stacking files from the cabinet, or putting files from a stack into the cabinet. The open drawer was pressing hard against her huge breast and the dark man thought for a moment it must have hurt, but this was Hollywood. She might enjoy pain. DM opened the side door, and found an empty bathroom. The other door was one that led to an office.

There were pictures of actors and actresses all over the walls. There was an old well worn couch on the wall, and a heavily used desk in the middle. Two large leather looking chairs sat before the desk, and behind the desk was a man who looked unhappy. He had shaved his head bald, but was getting to the age that going bald was natural. His brown suit was expensive and new enough to keep the look. On his desk was a stack of scripts and stacks of files with names on the tabs. The man was in the process of reaching for a cellular phone that sat in a recharging cradle on the corner of his desk.

The dark man looked around the small office. There was one small closet, and nothing else. He checked the seats thinking there may be a needle tipped with poison, but there wasn’t anything there. DM was having doubts now. Could it be that the CIA was wrong? Maybe Samuel was blameless and there really was a movie. But if that were the case who was Samuel calling right after DM had left instead of going back to the script he was reading?

On the off chance Samuel was telling the truth DM decided to do the job. He sat down on the couch and restarted time. The man didn’t notice the dark man at first, but he was preoccupied by the phone call. To his credit he didn’t immediately call the police, so the dark man had a chance to use his power on him. Yes he knew Samuel, and yes there was a movie that Samuel wanted Gellar for. Chalk up two more points for Samuel DM thought. DM used his power to convince the man to endorse the movie to Gellar, and ‘no’ was not an option. Erasing the man’s mind of anything that might have led back to DM he did his job. The dark man froze time again, and left like he was never there.

DM drove back to Wiemhoff’s building trying to think along the way. He stopped off at a pet store and asked to see a phonebook. The cube of paper was so thick it made a slam that startled every animal in the store when it was dropped on the table. In Touch East was a nightclub according to the book. Why would Samuel be calling a nightclub right after DM had left? DM thanked the pet store owner, petted one of the cats, and resumed his drive.

DM froze time before he got out of his car. He walked around Wiemhoff’s building and found a large black van with heavily tinted windows. That wasn’t there before but was now and empty too. DM had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that the CIA was right. Samuel’s office wasn’t empty. Samuel was seating behind his desk looking pale and drawn, but the three other men in the office on the other hand looked ready to kill. Each one had full body black combat suits and heavy automatic rifles on nylon straps hanging from their shoulders. Every one of them also had earplugs in their ears, so they knew he was coming and knew his power. They had dark skin and dark eyes, and reminded DM of looking in a mirror if it wasn’t for the huge noses they all had. They might have been brothers, but that didn’t matter. The fact that Samuel had betrayed DM was what mattered.

DM left the building and went down the street to a hardware store. He restarted time and purchased industrial strength zip ties. The plastic bands that would fit through small block holes on the end and when pulled they would click quickly, and lock into place were so strong they had to be cut with wire cutters. They were just what DM needed, and they came in bright fashionable colors, it was after all California.

Freezing time again DM went into the building with a smile on his dark face. This was going to be fun. DM put a blue zip tie on the secretary’s wrists behind her back. DM pulled Samuel’s arms behind his back and made them stay together with a green zip tie, and another green tie to keep his ankles together. Stripping the men with guns of their guns DM put three ties on each of their wrists and ankles, just to be sure. They were loaded for bare, and DM had found more weapons on them than were found in most police stations in the pile on Samuel’s desk. He also tossed out their earplugs.

DM sat down in one of Samuel’s chairs and restarted time. He enjoyed seeing the three mercenaries fall to the ground, and Samuel cry out as he too fell to the ground. “Now isn’t this a surprise.” DM said watching the men wiggle and try to get free, but they couldn’t and wouldn’t be until DM did for him.

“How did you do that?” One of the men on the floor asked trying to struggle loose.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” DM said with a smile and tap of the zip ties in the clear plastic box next to him. “Now why don’t you tell me what’s going on here?”

Two of the mercenaries looked at the third, and he nodded his head. The third mercenary pulled out something from his back pocket. DM had thought it was a wallet, so didn’t check it, but that wasn’t what it was. The mercenary pointed the thing at Samuel, who was laying on the floor, and had full view of what was going on, and that included the dart flying at him, and striking him in the cheek. There was no sound but a puff of air when the dart came out. DM was out of the chair in a second and at Samuel’s side, but the dark must have been tipped with poison, because he wasn’t breathing.

DM went over to kick the mercenary in the gut, but he didn’t grunt when the foot hit him, he was dead. DM leaned close and found that one tooth in his mouth was gone, and the same was for the other two dead mercenaries. They had killed themselves all to keep the secret of why they were trying to kidnap the dark man.

DM walked out to the secretary, and she was in shock at what was going on. DM spoke softly to her, using his power on her. She didn’t know anything other than the three men came in that afternoon, and Samuel had told her not to worry about it. DM felt she had nothing to do with his attempted assassination so he made her believe that she was fired that morning for no good reason, and was sent home. DM fished out two one hundred dollar bills and told her to forget what had happened that day. A snip of the scissors and she left with a smile on her face.

DM thought about what to do with the bodies. He froze time so he could think some more. Dark Mateus checked his memory and remembered that when the rains came the water would flow down large concrete channels. Sometimes people would be caught in flash floods, and never seen again. Then the dark man scrapped the idea for it would be too easy to find the bodies. Then DM had the idea maybe the bodies could be dumped far way with out anyway to trace them back to him.

DM picked up the bodies, and realized he should work out more, but with infinite time he dragged them down to the large black van he had seen before, and sure enough one of the keys in the third mercenary’s pocket opened the back. There were was a coffin in back, and DM shuddered. That clinched it, they were sent to kill him and ship his body back to Pakistan.

The drive was long and the setting sun was making the air quickly cool. When DM stripped the bodies and dumped them down into the gorge he shivered, and it wasn’t necessarily from the cold. Then miles away he dumped out the coffin on the side of the road, making sure his prints weren’t on it. Then at the third stop he found he emptied the pockets of the cloths and dumped the cloths in a dumpster. Fairly certain that he did everything he could to cover up the bodies he went through the contents of the pockets.

Other than the large amount of wood matches for the cigarettes and a ready made death certificate there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary in the mound of stuff. What struck the dark man as odd was the lack of any motel keys or identification. They had to have some base of operations, but where? DM decided it was time to give Samuel’s office another look.

There was nothing in the file cabinets, and DM was tired and didn’t want to give them a second look. The slip of paper with the words ‘In Touch East’ was missing, but DM still remembered the phone number, and that was as good of a place to start as any. The sun was down and he was tired, but time was of the essence, and he could take as much time as he needed. He drove back to his hotel, and as soon as he was past the front desk he stopped time. He went to his room, fell onto the bed, and as asleep in three breathes.

When he awoke the dark man felt rested, if not a little stiff. The weight of the bodies really put a strain on his back. He restarted time and took a shower. For the rest of the world it had only been twenty minutes since he came in, but for DM it had been hours, and it was time to leave. Someone would notice Samuel was missing, and since the hotel room, rental car, and plane ticket were all purchased by Samuel the police would come around asking for him. It was time for the dark man to slip into the shadows.

DM checked out of the hotel saying that he was called back to Chicago. The rental car agency graciously accepted the return of his vehicle. The ticket window at the airport reluctantly let him cash in the return flight ticket. With money in his pocket he went to a neighboring rental car agency asked for a black compact, and got it. A few miles later he was checking into a rundown husk of a two star motel, but the rooms were clean even if the walls were thin. Still it was a place to sleep, even if it only took him a second to get in eight hours.

In Touch East was a dance bar on Burbank Boulevard in North Hollywood, and the people going in should have told the dark man that it wasn’t a normal bar. DM didn’t even notice the people going in. He should have for if he had then he might not have gone in the front door and into a lounge full of lesbians. As soon as DM noticed that the only man around was the bouncer he should have left, but it was his only clue.

“You in the wrong place buddy,” The bouncer said over the loud music

DM tried to act natural to the man who looked like he could fold him into a pretzel. “Samuel Wiemhoff sent me,” DM said in a low tone.

The bouncer seemed to know what DM was talking about even if he didn’t. “She’s up stairs. Take the door in the corner.” The large man nodded his head and DM weaved his way through the women dancing with each other. He felt a pinch at his butt but when he turned no woman seemed to indicate she did it. He felt so out of place in a club meant for women, and smelled like it. He saw the doors for the women’s and the men’s restrooms, and women going into both. Years a go such a place would be burned to the ground for being unchristian, but now it thrived. That’s California for you DM thought.

The lights and music were oddly dampened as he found a carpeted stair case leading up to the second floor to an office. The woman behind the desk was dark featured with high cheekbones. Her straight black hair was streaked with lines of gray. She had a magnificent body for a woman who looked like she was pushing forty-five. She had on a slip of a green and black dress that hugged her curves well and was being held up by an invisible force. She was looking at the stairwell when he walked up.

The office had one wall of one way mirrors looking over the dance club and bar. There was a large white leather couch against the wall. The rest of the place seemed to have a glass like look with white book cases filled with glass figurines and glass bookends keeping thin old books in place. There was a bank of glowing monitors in the corner so she could see every part of her club, and record all. Her desk had a glass top illuminated by a desk lamb, the only light in the room, but the desk was wood on the sides and open in the middle so her long legs could be seen.

“May I help you?” She asked. She defiantly had a Middle Eastern accent. DM mused that she might have come from Pakistan originally.

“I was sent by Samuel Wiemhoff,” DM said looking for her reaction. There was none.

“Ah have a seat I’ll pour you a drink,” She said. She reached down to open the bottom drawer of her desk. DM squeezed his left hand, and the music stopped the dancing stopped, and the dark woman stopped. DM walked over and found that she wasn’t reaching for a bottle she was reaching for a nine millimeter handgun. DM pulled it out of the drawer and emptied it of bullets, checked the chamber and put the gun back.

“I’d rather not have a drink,” DM said when he restarted time in the exact position he froze it.

The woman cocked the gun and brought it up in one smooth motion leveling the barrel at DM. “Would you prefer a copper jacketed bullet instead?”

“Madam I do not understand what is going on here, but there’s no reason to be drastic,” DM said with his hands up in defense. He was going to enjoy this. “I’m sorry we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. My name is Drew Moore, and you are?”

“You may call me Madam for now,” She said with a sneer. Her teeth were brilliantly white and perfectly straight, in stark contrast with her dark features. “Sit down. I know Wiemhoff didn’t send you because he is dead.”

“Ah that’s the thing,” DM said thinking fast, “He told me that if I didn’t hear from him by eight o’clock tonight I was to come here. I honestly do not know why. Sam is dead?” DM was pulling up old acting skills. He liked this spy game. “How did he die?”

Madam turned the light up to shine it in DM’s face. He was blinded for a moment and expected to hear the click of the gun as she tried to fire it. “You look familiar,” She said giving DM a look.

“Believe me Madam I haven’t been out to California in years, and I have never even thought of coming to such a fine establishment as yours.” DM felt that it was time to act. “You don’t seem to be the type of woman to run such a place.”

“Shut up, I know where I’ve seen you. You were in the photograph,” Madam said angry.

“Freeze!” DM called out and instantly Madam stopped moving. She composed himself, and moved the light away from his eyes. The woman was frozen with a sneer again on her lips and the hammer midway back on the gun. “If you know who I am then you know what I can do. Turn that pistol around, put it into your mouth, and pull the trigger.”

The fear in her eyes was delicious as she had to obey. The sneer was instantly gone from her lips as they made an oval for the gun. She turned it around to her face and her eyes couldn’t decide on looking at DM or the long dark barrel. She was trying to fight he hands as the put the barrel into her mouth angling it so the barrel pointed up to her brain. With her eyes closed thumbs that were no longer her own pulled back on the trigger.

The click of the gun made her jump in her leather chair. “Freeze!” DM said again and Madam again froze in mid jump. He took the gun from her hand. She could still throw it at him he mused. “You will only move to answer my questions completely and totally truthfully,” DM said using his powers, “but in only a calm low voice. How do you know Samuel Wiemhoff?”

She spoke, but the tone of her voice was full of fire and hate. “He and I have the same backer. We were introduced last week at his office, and I was to give lodging to men who were going to help Wiemhoff kidnap someone. Then I was told, privately, that as soon as the person was kidnapped that Wiemhoff would be killed.”

DM thought about that. “Do you know who the men were who you were lodging?”

“They were independent contract mercenaries from Pakistan. They didn’t tell me who they were after, but I did see your picture when they first unloaded at my home.” Madam was really trying to resist DM’s commands.

“Did they leave anything at your home today?” DM asked.

“Only passports and plane tickets for a return trip to Pakistan. They were to leave tonight at this time.” She didn’t want to add that last part, but she had to answer completely and hated herself for it. She hated it even more when he asked for her address and she gave it to him.

“Okay what is the name of this backer of yours?” DM asked realizing that he was getting nowhere.

“Din Zahoor,” She said with a bitter tongue.

“Do you have his address?” DM asked.

“Yes, in my book.” She said and could make no move to stop DM from going through it to find Din Zahoor. DM wrote down the name and address and phone number and then put the address book back the way it was.

“Do you know why this Zahoor would want to capture me?” DM asked.

“I do now,” She said bitterly with the fire of hate in her eyes.

DM paused for a moment asking a question on his mind. “How did you know Samuel was dead?”

Madam licked try lips before having to answer. “Samuel was to have an unfortunate accident after acquiring you. I suppose he’s dead otherwise you would have gotten information from him, you little shit.”

DM clicked his tongue in disapproval at her. “Now that’s no way to talk to the person who is going to spare your life. Tell me are you a lesbian?”

“I like women more than men,” She said as an explanation.

“Do you like any of the women here?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Have you ever done it with any of the women here?”

“No, I could never have sex with the pigs of American women,” She spat out.

“Why are we always called pigs or shit?” DM asked himself out loud. “Well Madam,” DM said using his power, “when I leave your club you will forget ever seeing me. You will destroy the video surveillance taps from when I was here. You will also become very horny. You will crave sex more than you have ever in your life. You will seduce some American woman into having sex with you here in your office. You will find you enjoy it so much that the only women you will every want again is American women. Your dislike for America in general will start to go away.” With that DM went away. In passing the bouncer DM used his power to make him forget too.

One lead turned into two. Dark Mateus was feeling good about himself. The house was enormous sitting on the hill. In keeping with her office there were so many windows in Madam’s home it was practically see-through. The butler was particularly accommodating to the dark man, after DM used his powers on him, and showed him to the room where the mercenaries were saying. DM picked up the passports and the plane tickets and left with no memory in the butler’s mind other than one of the mercenaries stopped by and picked up the papers.

So who was Din Zahoor? The dark man couldn’t remember ever hearing the name before. He had the address, and his powers, but going in blind was always a bad thing. It was time to call for a little help.

“Hello,” Pierce McKullen said hundreds of miles away in Chicago.

“Pierce this is Dark Mateus,” DM said into the phone. “I need a little help.”

“How little and what kind,” Pierce asked leaving his homework on his desk and leaning back waiting for it.

“I need information on a Din Zahoor,” DM said then gave Pierce the address and phone number and said he had money.

“I’ve never heard of the guy either, but I’ll look him up for you,” Pierce said turning to his computer.

“One other thing, don’t tell General Sanders that I asked for your help. This is a little something I’m supposed to be doing on my own,” DM said feeling guilty.

“Oh please just because you’re there on your own doesn’t mean you can’t call for information. Hot damn I got something right here,” Pierce said looking at the web-page. “This Din guy has more money than most countries. Let’s see he made most of it producing movies in Pakistan and India, so he played both sides of the border. He’s got oil wells in Saudi Arabia. He owns a big chunk of one of the Philippine’s islands.”

“Just tell me if he has any ties to the Pakistan government,” DM asked not wanting to sound impatient but was.

“That might take a little digging. I’ll call back in an hour,” Pierce said and there was silence over the phone.

The dark man felt that people were quite rude when playing the spy game. They didn’t even say good-by on the phone. DM drove on to Zahoor’s address. He stopped off at a gas station and picked up a bag of sunflower seeds and bottles of soda pop. The house was dark, or it seemed that way to DM when he pulled up.

The large brick wall with a raw iron spiked fence at the top encircled the mansion on a small hill was like the frame for a picture. The four story mansion was a mixture of white walls and black shudders and an ugly red roof that didn’t match the rest of the home at all. There were no lights on inside and DM didn’t feel like waiting for someone to come out.

The garage door was open when DM reached the mansion after almost killing himself getting over the wall. He opened the door that led from the garage into the mansion, and closed it behind him. The cook was washing a very large metal pot at the sink. A maid was bringing him more dirty dishes. DM walked past the frozen people and into the mansion. He knew the place was too large to give it a full work over, but he also knew he could check each room with no problems.

The only thing he found was a man who could have been Din Zahoor sitting in a large chair smoking a Cuban cigar and watching TV. The rest of the house was empty, and DM wondered why this man hadn’t put up the mercenaries in his home. Too easy to track back to him, or did he not want to associate with the lower class? DM thought for a moment about how to proceed. He wished he had brought with him the zip ties.

When he looked around the mansion DM found that some of the rooms on the top floor were ideal for talking to the man, they were empty of everything but electrical outlets and lights. DM picked the man up, put the cigar in the ashtray, and carried the man to the fourth story of the building and dropped him in the middle of the room.

The man was small with a very round head. His short hair might have been black at one time, but was gray now. He had the sharp dark features of a man from Pakistan, and crooked yellow teeth to match. His expensive white shirt would be dirty now on the floor of a dusty unused room. DM did check him over for weapons, but all he didn’t have anything on him but his cloths. DM also checked his teeth and found that they were all his own.

The dark man restarted time. “Do not scream, do not leave this room until I say so, and do not attack me,” DM said using his power on the man.

“You!” The man instantly recognized DM.

“Me,” DM said with an evil smile. The harsh light of the lone light bulb cast the shadow of his face of the small man. “Answer my questions truthfully and completely,” DM said using his power. “Why did you have those three men try to kill me?”

“Your body was to be shipped to Karachi so the government could have you,” The man said scared for his life. “Allah protect me.” He was really scared of the dark man.

DM looked at the man curiously. “Are you Din Zahoor?”

“No I am Juda Abdullah,” The man said quickly.

“Okay Juda what are you doing in Din’s home?” DM felt he was getting close to the answer.

“I am his guest waiting for conformation that you have been shot and your body is on its way to Karachi,” Juda was trying so hard to resist.

DM figured it out. “You work for the Pakistani government.”

“Yes, I am in the national defense cabinet,” Juda said almost crying. “Please don’t hurt me. In the name of Allah please don’t hurt me.”

DM leaned over the man making his dark face even darker. Juda was still on the floor getting his shirt dirtier. “Do you really think Allah will appear and save you from me? Don’t answer that. Why does the Pakistan government want me?”

Juda tried to wet his lips, and failed. “We found out the French government was going to kidnap you and we wanted you first,” Juda had to say truthfully.

DM cursed himself. Apparently he didn’t clean up his past as well as he had hoped. Everyone seemed to know about him. “You knew about me and my powers?”

“Yes, but not this ghost power you seem to have,” Juda said frightened like a kitten facing a large barking dog.

Good, DM thought, they don’t know about all his powers. Just then his phone beeped. “Freeze,” DM said to Juda and he stopped moving.

“Dark I have the information you asked for,” Pierce said miles away. “Din Zahoor got much of his money from the investments and diversity, but he got his start working a shell corporation for the Pakistani government. He still has ties to the government, but I don’t know how deep or strong.”

“Thanks Pierce,” DM said.

“So fill me in why are you asking about a possible Pakistani spy?” Pierce asked in an almost happy sounding voice.

“I wanted to know who I was dealing with,” DM said.

“And who are you dealing with?” Pierce asked.

“Just a government that wanted to get me before the French does,” DM said with a smile.

There was silence on the other end. Pierce didn’t saying anything, for a long moment. “Dark I think you should call Ethan and tell him that immediately.”

“Why, what’s going on?” DM asked not knowing what Pierce was getting at.

Pierce was slow getting his mouth to move, “Dark, I know you don’t want to hear this, but there’s been a French agent spying on you for years.”

DM felt his knees loose their structural integrity. There was someone spying on him for years, who. “Who?” DM demanded.

“Call Ethan,” Was all Pierce said before hanging up without saying good-by.

DM was thinking about all the people who could have been spies. There were so many people even if he did try and close himself off to the world. He discounted Pierce, Lucy, and Dave immediately as possibilities. Who could it have been? Then his thoughts came to Rachel. It couldn’t have been her. He loved her, and she loved him. Then he thought back to his relationship with her. She came on to him, and even asked him to bed, not the other way around. Never in all his life did he find a woman like Rachel. It was too easy with her. But then he thought about all the nights he as slept with her and told her everything, and how hurt she was when he didn’t tell her about his case in Hong Kong. “Rachel,” Dark Mateus whispered to himself. Tears were welling up in his eyes.

He froze time until he composed himself. When he had he restarted time. “Okay Juda you can move again. Tell me where Din is right now?”

“He went out to check on a Wiemhoff and said he’d be back in a few hours,” Juda said knowing he was in trouble.

“Did he take a cellular phone?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know the number?”

“Yes.”

DM took the number and gave Din a call, and used his power on him to make him return to his home. Then it was time for the dark man to call Ethan.

“Office of Homeland Security division 919,” Ben’s typical voice came over the line with a Scottish accent to it.

“Ben this is Dark Mateus. I need to talk with General Sanders right away,” DM said.

“Sorry Dark he’s gone for the day. Anything I can help you out with?” Ben asked.

“I need to talk with Ethan right away. Can you give me his home number?” DM asked. Ben obliged, and DM called that number. “General Sanders?” DM asked after the hello on the other end sounded too young.

“Hang on,” The young voice said. “Dad you got a call!”

There was a long pause then Ethan’s gruff voice came on the line. “Hello?”

“General Sanders this is Dark Mateus. I have found out whom, how, and why like you asked me to,” DM said calmly.

“Oh right the Pakistani thing, good job. Give me a brief rundown,” Ethan asked.

“Juda Abdullah of the Pakistani cabinet of national defense used Din Zahoor to kidnap me and take me to Karachi. They decided to try and kidnap me now before apparently the French could,” DM said feeling good that he could make a preliminary report in one breath.

There was a pause on Ethan’s side. “I’ll expect a detailed report later. For now I want you to make sure Din and Juda fail. Make sure they know that, and very little else. As soon as that’s done I want you to come straight to DC. Got it?”

“Yes sir I will be there tomorrow,” DM said feeling like he wanted to salute. “Come with me, and be quiet, and don’t say a word,” DM said to Juda. The two complied and where waiting for Din in the room DM found Juda in. He left the two with the memory that they tried to kidnap DM, but failed when their mercenaries went underground, and took Samuel Wiemhoff with them. He left them with the false memories, as well as the cook and maid.

He booked a flight and went to the airport to wait for his flight after checking out of the motel and returning his car. For some reason he felt very tired, and almost missed his flight when he fell asleep. DM reminded himself to freeze time before he took anymore naps.

In his mind he kept thinking about Rachel and her betrayal. She was so loose with him, putting up with all the boring crap he did. He never took her dancing, and only rarely went out to the movies with her. Mostly they would have sex and act like teenagers watching movies on his TV and playing videogames. They would go out and do some things, but often she would agree to do whatever he wanted, and he never had to use his power on her. DM slapped himself for being so dumb, and not seeing it before.

The sun was cresting the horizon when the dark man’s plane landed in Washington DC. The air was cold and there was a wicked wind making things colder. DM didn’t look forward to what Ethan was going to tell him. He didn’t want to be shown the evidence of Rachel’s betrayal. He already knew more than he wanted. He dreamed about that as his cab took him to the Pentagon.

The guard gave him a hard time at the gate, as usual, but DM got through and in minutes was looking down at Debby. “Hi,” DM said not bothering to sound grateful to be alive.

“Hi Dark,” Debby said in a low somber voice. “Ethan’s waiting in his office for you.”

“Is he mad?” DM asked.

Debby shook her head slowly. “Some times the job is more trouble than it’s worth, but if we don’t deal with it, who will? It is better that a few strong people have the weight of the world on their shoulders than having it crush everyone. Go on in. He said he’ll be gentle with you.”

“Really?” DM asked as he was about to go through the door.

“Well not in those words, but he shouldn’t be mad enough to shoot you,” Debby said with a smile.

“Thanks,” DM said and went in.

Ethan looked up from a paper on his desk. “Dark have a seat,” Ethan said with a wave of his hand, “You’re a very popular guy. Both the French and the Pakistani governments want your head, and whatever body parts they can get. There’s a rumor that the German government is after you too. You’re a hot commodity. That’s why I am presenting you with a contract for full employment with the Office of Homeland Security.” Ethan turned the paper he had been reading around and handed it to DM.

DM didn’t even know his hands were shaking until he held the paper. “Sir, I’m not sure that I can accept this,” DM said sounding like a soldier.

“Why’s that?” Ethan asked.

DM sighed. “I can’t believe I didn’t see someone was spying on me. That alone is enough to withdraw your offer. Also I don’t think I handled things well in Hollywood.”

Ethan put the end of a pen in his mouth and chewed on the plastic. “In what way do you think you didn’t do a good job?”

DM swallowed and told Ethan how he failed to save Wiemhoff and the three mercenaries killed themselves. “Sir,” DM said reliving the moment, “I can stop time, but I didn’t think of using the power when I first saw the dart shoot out, and the only thing I did get from the mercenaries was their passports.” DM tossed the small books onto Ethan’s desk.

Ethan snorted at the passports and DM’s depressing opinion of himself. “Stop belittling yourself,” Ethan replied. “That’s my job. Son you have no idea how many times I’ve had a gun on me, but didn’t even think of using it when a suspect was running? I once tackled a suspect after a five block chase, and he cried out abuse because when I tackled him my gun left a bruise on his back. I could have shot him, but didn’t. I see your situation the same way. Besides you’ve been out of the game for a while. There are all new tricks to learn.”

DM didn’t look happy about that analogy, but didn’t say anything. “Perhaps I should write out a full report before I accept your offer,” DM said giving Ethan a way out.

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Ethan said. He took DM down to one of the computer cubicles and loaded up a word processing program. “When you’re done with the report save it to your file. Title it with the date. After that come up and see me.”

“Yes sir,” DM said taking a seat.

As soon as Ethan was out of ear shot DM’s neighbor spoke up. “What are you trying to make the rest of us look bad calling the boss man ‘sir’?” It was Ben.

DM wasn’t in the mood, but shot back, “I didn’t know it was possible to make you people look any worse than you already are.”

Still not looking around the paper thin wall Ben sounded hurt with a New York accent, “Shoot my other leg why doesn’t you.”

“How is your leg?” DM asked starting to type.

“I can’t believe the doctors around here told me that I can’t go out into the field for another two weeks. I mean really I’m fine. If I danced I’d go out dancing tonight,” Ben said.

“Do you have a reason to go dancing?” DM asked trying to remember Gellar’s agent’s name.

“Amazingly yes, when I was on the train coming into Washington I met up with a hot honey of a Latino babe. She and I really hit it off. She works for one of the New Mexico senators here in Washington. We went out the other night, and I have a date with her tomorrow night,” Ben said in a distant dreamy voice. Then in a quieter voice he thanked DM. “She makes me tingle.”

DM smiled at that. He remembered the conversation with Ben about the tingle. He also remembered having not used his power on Ben to make him straight. “That’s good to hear. So has she asked you what you do for a living?”

“Sure, and I can tell her that I work for the Office of Homeland Security, but not go into details,” Ben said. “I compared it to her having a bank account, but don’t tell people how much money she keeps in it or the account number to get at the money. I hope it stays cold and my leg heals quickly. I’d love to take her ice scatting. I’d also love to see her in one of those skin-tight thermal outfits.” Ben growled thinking about the mental image.

Hours later DM finished his report and found his own file on the desktop. The name Dark Mateus was in bold letters and DM was happy to save the report to the empty file. For some reason he felt flush with pride knowing that he now had something to look forward to. That and he now had a reason to get up in the morning.

Stretching his back he trudged up the stairs to Ethan’s office. If Ethan still had the contract on the table DM was ready to sign it. Debby told him to go on in, and when DM did he found Pierce McKullen sitting in the office with Ethan.

“You dumped the coffin on the side of the road,” Pierce said with a wide grin on his face.

“Sure,” DM said. “I figure by now some college kids have a very interesting couch.”

“Or a very cool bed,” Pierce said. “I would prefer making a coffin into a refrigerator myself.”

DM took a seat and looked at Ethan. He was trying to keep his stone cold expression. “Dark as a way to clear up a few questions I had Pierce come down to talk with you about the spy.”

“That’s kind of you,” DM said, “but unnecessary. I’ve already figured out how dumb I was.”

“Well from what we’ve been able to gather the spy was just to keep an eye on you and make sure you stayed out of, well our hands,” Ethan said.

Pierce took up the story. “When I kidnapped you and handed you over to Ethan they had to change their plans.” Ethan shot Pierce a look when he used Ethan’s first name. Pierce continued his story. “The fire was in fact arson. The man below you John Smith had chloroform in his lungs as well as soot. So someone drugged him, and then set fire to the bed he was sleeping on. That was to drive you out of your apartment.”

DM knew that. He ran right to Rachel. The dark man felt so stupid at that. He was sorry that Rachel was shot in the robbery, but she had it coming to her.

Pierce didn’t take his eyes off the dark man as he finished the story. “Then Rachel was killed to make it so you didn’t have anyone to turn to. I had a feeling she was the target when on the surveillance tape the shotgun was pointed at Rachel first, and then she was shot before the employee. It was confirmed when he used the secret key for the register to open it up.”

“Wait a second,” DM said holding up his hand. “I thought that Rachel was the one spying on me.”

Pierce and Ethan looked at each other. “No,” Ethan said, “the spy is Dave.”

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