Here is the latest chapter sorry for the wait been busy. Anyway enough of that enjoy!

Chapter 4: Keeping an eye

It had been several hours since the incident and John was being looked over in the hospital by a doctor as he was having stitches put in his head and having his body x-ray'd for any broken bones.

"Well Mr. Carver you've avoided breaking any bones and no major damage done but my advice to you would be to take it easy over the next few days." he ordered him.

"Yeah no problem doc." John said as he put his shirt back on as he saw coming was a police detective.

"Mr. Carver I'm Detective James Vaughn, I would like to ask you a couple of questions if that's ok?" he asked.

"Sure officer." John said ready to answer questions.

"One of our officers encountered you and the offender were in a very hostile confrontation a few days ago?" he asked.

"Yeah I was in town gathering supplies to fix up my house and Karl came at me and talked about my brother and the pain he'd caused him and that led to him about to beat me down for it but an officer stopped him and arrested him for public intoxication." John explained as the detective took notes down.

"Yes we released him after a few hours, where were you in the late hours of last night before the incident?" he asked him.

"I was at a night club I believed some of your officers were monitoring me?" John said.

"Yes we know that but what about after you made it clear to them they were not welcome?" he asked.

John nodded his head in response.

He looked through his notebook. "The report says you were with a Juliet Starling last night?" he asked.

"Yes she invited me out last night and I spent the hours with her and her friends." John said confirming his whereabouts.

"Alright then Mr. Carver, I'll leave you to rest and we will be charging Karl and his friend for aggravated assault and dangerous driving." he explained what would happen to the two men.

"I don't want to press any charges, those men have been through enough and many also have in their situation and I know me being here is causing a bit of trouble and I will say this again…I'm not here to cause trouble, I came to bury my mother, fix the house up, then settle my affairs and leave." John said making it clear.

"Mr. Carver we will have to keep an eye on you for your own protection but I advise you will not be able to leave for a while until we've settled this." the detective told him.

"Fantastic." John said sarcastically as he was putting his clothes back on.

"Do you have anyone who can help you get home?" he asked.

"No I'm fine it's just a bump on the head, I'll walk it off." John said as he was dressed and ready to leave.

"Alright then Mr. Carver I'll leave you to it, try to stay out of trouble." the detective said as he left him.

John was discharged from the hospital and exited the building as he walked out but was a little surprised to see who was walking towards him.

"Juliet?" John said as he was a little confused to see her there.

She rushed up to him and just hugged him. "Oh Johnny are you ok?!" she asked him in a worried tone.

He cringed at her hugging him hard as she realised he was in pain from the incident. "Sorry Johnny!" she apologised as he smirked shrugging the pain off as then she had a closer look at his face and saw the cuts. "OMG! You really took it huh?" she said caressing his scratched up mug.

"Juliet I'm fine, just minor injuries and a bad headache." John said reassuring her it was nothing.

"But you almost got killed last night! Were you about to walk home?" Juliet asked.

"Well since my car is in the scrap heap it's all I can do." John said.

"No, your coming with me and I will look after you." Juliet said to him.

"Don't you have work today?" John asked.

"Like I did but when I heard about you I dropped everything and came here so no buts your coming home with me until your better." Juliet insisted as John gave in.

"Ok doc I'll do what you say." John joked.

She giggled as she led him to her car and took him to her place.

0-0-0-0-0

"AAARRGH!" A head was slammed against a desk.

"I will not be made a fool, tell me where the book is?"

"I told you…I don't know, all I know is that it was shipped elsewhere!"

"Where was it shipped and if your lying to me I'll take something very valuable to you." as a large knife was stuck into the desk as an exclamation point.

The guy was scared for his own life and then went into his drawer of his desk and pulled out a book as it was taken from him as it was looked over.

He took the knife from the desk and was satisfied with what he had found.

"Wonderful…" as then the sound of steel ripping through flesh was heard. "Thank you."

As he pulled out the blade and pulled out a phone. "Yes it's me, I have a location for the book."

"Where is it?"

"San Romero, it was given to the chosen one."

"Ah now we can truly begin our plan, but first must eliminate the Starlings and then he will take his place as the catalyst."

"Soon the world will be nothing but Rot."

0-0-0-0-0

John was now at the home of Juliet Starling and the place was not what he expected.

"Wow gotta say Juliet you live very…" John tired to find the right words to say.

"I know but it's mostly Rosalind and Cordelia's stuff but most of mine is in my room." Juliet said as it explained everything.

"So your sisters live with you?" John asked as he sat down on the couch as she joined him.

"Yeah it's only because like the economy is bad and it would be so much rad for us to live together for support and not stay with mom and dad." Juliet said as John got what she meant.

The place was littered with items of clothing, food wrappers and magazines but it didn't bother him at all.

"Look Juliet I don't think we should be around each other as much." John said as she widened her eyes in surprise hearing that.

"Why?!" Juliet asked wondering why he does not want that.

"This won't stop with one attack, it'll only get worse and if you got caught in the crossfire I'd never forgive myself." John said as he feared for her safety.

"I'm not going to let any of this stupid dick behaviour stop us hanging out and neither should you Johnny." Juliet said being defiant about this.

John admired her defiance and also her ability to make him smile. "Alright since you insist." he said.

"Now you stay here and I'll get you something to eat." she said as she went to the kitchen.

As he waited there the door to the front door opened.

"Juliet? Rosalind?" it was Cordelia and the elder Starling saw who was currently residing in her home. "John? What're you doing here?" Cordelia asked as she tossed her cases to one side.

"Juliet dragged me here." John replied as she came into the living area and saw the injuries he'd suffered.

"OMG what happened to you?" Cordelia asked.

"Midnight ambush, two guys wanted to take revenge on me for Swan's actions." John said as then in came Juliet.

"Cordelia? Thought I heard you come in, your back early?" Juliet said.

"Uh yeah I know, things were…a bit hectic." Cordelia said as John detected she was hesitating there.

"But you said you were going to get some groceries?" Juliet asked.

"I did? Oh wait yes but the store was out." Cordelia said as again he noticed she was now nervous.

"But that was like three days ago?" Juliet said as now there were questions raised.

"DING." the sound of food was being done.

"That's dinner!" Juliet said as she got distracted and went to do it leaving both John and Cordelia alone.

"So Cordelia how long exactly have you been doing this?" John asked her.

She looked a little confused at that question. "Doing what?" she asked.

"Guess a woman with your talent is used to be called on for wet work." John said as she looked surprised he saw through that.

"How'd you guess?" Cordelia asked.

"Well starters, you're a terrible liar." John said as she chuckled knowing that too well. "You're a crack shot when it comes to hitting the target and the fact you have a love for weaponry." she again chuckled. "And also your suitcases are large enough to carry large calibre weapons and also noticed the fake diplomatic tags on them good enough for customs and security to overlook you." John detailed as she looked impressed with his analysis.

"Let me guess government or military?" Cordelia asked.

"Military, pays to have good observation when your out in the field." John said.

"Johnny Carver is a soldier huh? Never thought you'd be one, but then again things change, people change." Cordelia said as the old saying went.

"Yeah so does your family even know about this?" John asked her.

"Nope, it's my life and I'd rather keep it private if you can respect that?" Cordelia asked him.

"I got no reason to tell anyone." John said as Juliet came back in with some plates of what could be described as microwave dinners.

"Again Juliet? Can't you do anything else?" Cordelia complained.

"It's all I can do and besides your always away and Rosalind nearly burned down the place after she tried to make soup." Juliet said as they had not forgotten that incident.

"Ok clearly this is not going to be solved that easy, show me the kitchen." John asked.

As he was led into there and began looking through the refrigerator and grabbed a few items from there.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll make this into a something edible." John said as he began cooking a new dinner.

0-0-0-0-0

"Anything new?"

"Nothing yet but he's with two of the Starling sisters Cordelia and Juliet."

"Leave them for now, but see if you can test his strength."

"Of course, it shall be done."

0-0-0-0-0

It was now a couple hours later and John had cooked a meal for them and they were enjoying it.

"How in the heck did you learn to cook something this good?" Cordelia asked.

"When your travelling a lot it tends to make you learn new things and I picked this up while I was in Madrid." John said.

"Army boy and chef, what else can't you do Johnny?" Juliet joked.

He chuckled. "Doing the laundry for one." he said.

They all got a laugh out of that as then the door of the apartment opened.

"Hey girls anyone home? I came to ask if I could bo-" it was Gideon and he was stopped in mid sentence by the sight of his two daughters sitting down with John.

"Hey daddy!" Juliet said.

"Hi dad." Cordelia said.

As then he approached up close to John seeing the scratches and bruising on his face.

"Looks like you had a rough night." Gideon said.

"Could say that sir." John replied as the tension between both men was still uneasy.

"Daddy is something wrong?" Juliet asked.

"Rosalind got her car and herself impounded again." Gideon said.

"Not again!" Juliet said.

"How does she still have a licence?" Cordelia said trying to figure out why her baby sister was even allowed on the road.

"Guess we have to bail her out." Juliet said.

"Uh I guess I'll head on back home if that's ok?" John asked.

"Are you sure you can make it back home Johnny?" Juliet asked.

"Yeah no problem, I'll hitch a ride home just make sure Rosalind is ok." john said as he left.

Gideon did not take his eyes off him the entire time. "Darlin why are you hanging around with that guy? You know he's nothin but trouble." he said warning Juliet.

"Daddy! He's not Swan, they're brothers but not the same, your just judging him for what happened to you ten years ago." Juliet said.

"Yeah I lost a nut because of that crazy bastard and him showing up nearly ten years to the day spells bad trouble, we need to keep an eye on im." Gideon said.

"Dad I'll look into it if it makes you feel better." Cordelia offered surprising them both.

0-0-0-0-0

It was now evening and John was now back home as he was called on his phone.

"Yeah?" John answered.

"Hey it's me, listen you need to see this." as then an attachment mail was sent to him and he opened it up.

It showed the murder of a local seller, he was stabbed through the chest as they had no leads or suspects.

"So? What's this about?" John asked.

"That guy was the one I used to find your book now he's dead."

"Any idea who did this?" John asked.

"One this was left on the wall." as another attachment was sent as he opened it up.

The wall had a symbol of sorts in blood.

"What does it mean?" John asked.

"No idea but I'll look into it, you need to be on guard and more so from angry relatives." he guessed he would find out about that.

"I was caught off guard and anyway I stopped them." John said trying to defend himself.

"Alright but try to stay in one piece, I'll call you as soon as I get more information." as the line went dead.

Time for patrol I guess.

John decided to go on out on patrol as he went to get changed.

However outside his home he was being watched.

"Alright Johnny boy, let's see what you get up to."

So Cordelia is now watching John, what will she find? What will be waiting for John when he goes out on patrol?

What you think? Reviews please!