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Ed sat up straight in bed, the sound of a gunshot still echoing inside his head. He wiped a shaky hand across his eyes, trying to shove away Noah's stony face and turned to Al's bed. It was empty. No doubt Al had gone for a walk, neither of them tended to sleep well. Ed sighed and fell backwards onto his pillow, wiping at the beads of sweat on his forehead with his flesh hand. When are these dreams going to end? He asked silently. He didn't quite know whom he was asking, but he was willing to take an answer from just about anyone right now. Unable to go back to sleep he hoisted himself out of bed and threw on some clothes in the dark.
The cool pre-dawn air was a relief as it cleared his head. Ed closed his eyes and took a deep breath of it. When he opened them he found Al on the sidewalk just outside the hotel. He was standing, staring at the sky. The streetlamps around them blocked any view of the stars, but the moon shone round and bright as a silver dollar above their heads. Al turned to his brother at the sound of his footsteps. Ed shifted his coat a little on his shoulders and nodded up the street.
"Wanna get started?" He asked. Al glanced down at his feet for a moment and nodded. They managed to find the military compound easily in the dark. Ed held his breath when they rounded a corner and it came into view, half expecting to see the monstrous white building displaying King Bradley's Banner. But it was nothing like the large, heavily guarded Central base. He probably wouldn't have been able to point it out from the other surrounding structures if it weren't for the fact that there was a sign above the door.
"Now what?" Al sighed. Ed pulled a small city map from his pocket and scanned over it.
"She said he was heading to her father's house the last she saw him. There's an apartment complex just a couple blocks away, Mayer most likely lives there. If not then we just have to wait until the compound opens in a few hours and ask for directions to his place." Ed said, tucking the map back into his pocket. They wordlessly started down the street. The buildings around them weren't particularly interesting or suspicious. There were no dark alleys to be dragged away down nor were there a lack of witnesses. They passed nearly a dozen homeless people slumbering on various stoops as they walked. They woke a few and questioned them if they were coherent, offering a few coins in payment but none they met had seen anything out of the ordinary a month before.
The sun was beginning to rise when they found the military housing. Ed slid a finger down the apartment listings and found three different people named Mayer. One was Gwen, one was James and the other was Bethany. Ed had guessed that Bethany could be ruled out as Gwen's father. After another half hour of peering at door numbers in the dim morning light they managed to find James Mayer's. To their surprise there was a light on inside. They quirked an eyebrow at each other and Al rapped audibly on the door. There was a bit of shuffling from the other side and the door opened. A man peered out at them curiously. He was fully dressed and clean-shaven; his black and silver-streaked hair was perfectly parted and combed.
"Can I help you?" he asked, smiling warmly as though five in the morning were a completely respectable time to receive visitors.
"We're very sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, but are you James Mayer? The Chemical Engineer for the military?" Ed asked politely. He could already tell that this man was Gwen's father. They didn't particularly look anything alike, but the black, piercing eyes staring at him were a near perfect match of hers.
"I am." James said, nodding.
"We are detectives Elric and Elric. We have been hired to investigate the circumstances of Mr. Dawson's current condition. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" Ed asked.
"Oh, of course of course. Come on in." James stepped backwards and allowed them through. The apartment consisted of a kitchen/dining room, a bathroom and a bedroom. There were a number of research papers scattered on a card table in the center of the room. James picked these ups and shuffled them into some semblance of order before tossing them onto the counter and motioning Ed and Al to take a seat on a few folding chairs.
"Again, we're sorry to barge in so early in the morning." Al said.
"Oh, it's no problem. I've been awake for a few hours now. Trust me, the interruption is welcome. Would you like some coffee?" James asked, walking over to a kettle on the stove without waiting for an answer.
"What we would really like is to ask you about the last time you saw Mr. Dawson." Ed said. James sighed and turned on the faucet.
"A real pity what happened to that boy. Nearly tore my little girl apart. And me as well, I had known him for some time and he was one of the good ones." James lit the stove, placed the kettle on it and came to sit down next to the brothers. "I understand you've already spoken to Gwen. She said that she had met a detective named Elric at the hospital?" James quirked an eyebrow at both of them. Ed lifted a hand slightly.
"Yeah, that was me." He said. James nodded and pursed his lips.
"I tell you, this whole mess has been one of the strangest things I've ever come into contact with. I saw Dewie just earlier that day and he was perfectly fine, if a bit jittery, but from what Gwen says he was going to talk to me about I can understand that." James fiddled absently with his earlobe, staring down at the green tabletop.
"Did you happen to know any of the other victims?" Ed asked, taking out his journal. James pursed his lips and shook his head.
"Nope. There was no link whatsoever between any of them and our Dewie. I even mapped out their different locations, but they're scattered around the city and surrounding country in no semblance of order. I don't think anybody could piece this puzzle together. But I do wish you luck." James titled his head towards them. There was a high-pitched whistling from the kettle and James immediately went to finish making the coffee.
"You have a map of their locations?" Al asked, "Could you show this to us perhaps? We haven't been able to access any of the other victim's records without a warrant. This would be a big help to our investigation."
"Of course. Anything I can do!" James said, pouring a measure of grounds into the pot. "Hold on for just a moment. I'll fetch it for you." With that he disappeared into the bedroom. No sooner had he vanished, Gwen burst into the room carrying a garment bag.
"Daddy! If you didn't get any sleep last night I swear I'm going to start drugging you-oh! I'm sorry!" She said, staring at the two brothers. "Um…I didn't expect to see you again so soon Mr. Elric!" Ed stood respectfully and inclined a head towards her.
"May I introduce my brother, Alphonse?" Ed said motioning a hand at Al who was staring blatantly at Gwen with his mouth slightly agape. Ed tapped Al's chin and that managed to snap him back to reality. He stood up and held a hand out to her.
"I'm sorry to stare, you just look a lot like an old acquaintance of ours," Al said, grinning lopsidedly. Gwen shook his hand warmly.
"Well, I'll take that as a compliment," She said with a smile.
"Don't. He was our boss," Ed said grinning. Gwen stared at him for a moment then burst into laughter.
"I like you," She said, waggling a finger at him.
"Ah, Gwen, you're here early!" James said, coming out of the room with a folded piece of paper in hand.
"Um, yeah. I need to use your shower. The plumbing is being replaced on my side of the building," She said holding up her garment bag and pulling a white bottle from one of its pockets. "And I need to get some more medicine today."
"Hmm, has it been two months already? Alright. Go ahead and I'll refill it for you." James said, taking the bottle from her. Gwen excused herself and disappeared into the bathroom. James unfolded the paper and spread it out on the table.
"The city is divided into quadrants. There were twelve of these cases in the Southern quadrant, twenty-three in the Eastern, two in the Northern and thirteen in the Western." James said, waving his hands over each section of red circles in turn. "None of the people had anything in common. They were of ages ranging from nineteen to sixty-five, all were of different social class and ethnicity, they weren't linked by occupation or religion or anything else I've been able to think of. The only thing similar between them is that they lived in this city and they breathed air."
Ed and Al leaned over the map and studied it closely. James was right. At a glance there was nothing special about the locations of the victims.
"The military compound," Ed murmured, pointing at the labeled square. "It's in the very center of the city."
"Yes. The city was sort of built around it," James said, nodding.
"I think I would like to start there," Ed said, sitting up straight.
"You wouldn't think the military is involved in this, would you?" James asked with a small smile.
"I was a soldier for several years and wouldn't doubt for a second that there's a chance they're involved," Ed said, leaning back casually.
"I assure you that Dewie was the only victim with any sort of link to the military," James said, studying Ed's face.
"Well, then it's still a good a place as any to start. I'll be damned if I know what else to do." Ed said, rubbing his nose absently. Al was still staring at the map fiercly, but sat back with a sigh.
"Could we borrow this?" Al asked, tapping the map.
"I'll do you one better, you can keep it. I have no use for it anymore," James said.
"Well then, we thank you for your help," Ed said, standing up.
"Are you going so soon? Why not stay for breakfast?" James asked, looking dramatically offended.
"We wouldn't want to impose…" Al said, standing up as well.
"Nonsense, nonsense. Sit down. You haven't even had your coffee yet! And afterwards I will escort you to the compound myself," James said. Ed and Al exchanged a glance. "And Gwen is one of the best cooks in the city." Ed sat down immediately. After serving coffee to the men, James picked up the white pill bottle and excused himself, disappearing once more into the apartment's bedroom. Ed and Al leaned once more over the map and began tracing non-existent lines between the red circles.
"I was hoping for some sort of array from the formation of the locations, but it's all so sporadic. No matter what angle you turn this thing, it doesn't make sense." Ed whispered, tilting his head. Al grunted and spun the map a few degrees. After another moment of silence, Ed clapped his hands together and placed them on the map. Nothing happened.
"Well, it was worth a try." He said, shrugging sheepishly. Gwen came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, fully groomed and dressed with her damp hair piled on her head and pinned in a bun.
"Have you made any progress?" She asked conversationally, walking over the stove.
"Not as much as we would have hoped for," Ed said, frowning at the map. Gwen made a small, noncommittal noise in her throat and began cracking eggs into a bowl. James came out of his bedroom and jiggled the bottle of pills at her. She took it from him hastily and swallowed a small, red capsule without water.
Ten minutes of casual conversation later, a hearty breakfast of eggs, ham and pancakes were set down in front of everyone. Ed constrained himself from wolfing the whole lot of it down and attempted to keep an agonizingly slow pace with Al.
"So how often do you go and visit Mr. Dawson?" Ed asked.
"Nearly every day if I get the chance," Gwen said, taking his mug and refilling it.
"Has he made any more progress?" James asked curiously.
"Quite a bit actually. He's been talking a lot more. Edward managed to get a reaction from him yesterday that links him to another case." Gwen said, spearing some eggs with her fork and biting them delicately.
"Is that so? How wonderful." James beamed. "So you'll be able to find the source soon I gather?"
"I'm afraid not. There have been several incidents like this and the proprietor of each has died or is in prison. This is a whole new villain altogether." Al said shaking his head. James stared at him hard.
"You mean it's a person responsible for this?" James asked.
"We're afraid so," Ed said, nodding. "But don't worry. We'll find him," He said, turning to Gwen.
"You say a person is responsible for this…how very unfortunate," James said softly, tapping his spoon against his chin. He glanced at his watch and stood up.
"If you're done with your breakfasts please follow me. I'll show you around the military base."
Please remember to review. Also, I did a drawing of Gwen Mayer. You'll find a link for it on my profile page.