Notes: Thanks to Lisa and Aubrie for the plot help!

Chapter Four

The Shinra prison on the outskirts of Midgar was a series of several long and plain buildings, all framed by a sturdy brick wall that rose ten feet off the ground. There were four watchtowers, one on each side, with at least two large searchlights attached to each citadel. Prison guards were always about, patrolling the area, and in the distance the sounds of men engaged in hard labor could be heard.

Zack stood to the side, crossing his arms as Sephiroth approached the gate and pressed the intercom button. It still did not seem the most pleasant way to spend this late morning, but after what Seph had told him about the casket, it did sound as though the trip was necessary. Or worth a try, at least. Seph was probably right about Dalton wanting to taunt them, and maybe he would reveal something in his speech that would prove helpful.

Right now, the former mayor of Dismal was just about Zack's least favorite person in existence. The only guy he would dread talking to even more was Rakesh, if Rakesh still lived.

The speaker crackled as the guard's voice came over it. "Identify yourself," the stern voice directed.

"General Sephiroth and General Fair," Seph answered. There was no need to state their business out here. Once inside, they would speak of it, most likely to the guard in charge of arranging visitations.

A whirring sound came in response to the announcement, and Zack looked up, watching as the security camera's lens focused on them. Then, apparently satisfied, the sentry pressed the button that activated the iron gates. They began to creak open.

"Come right in, Generals," said the guard. "This is unexpected."

Sephiroth did not offer an explanation. He walked through the opening, Zack right at his side. The ground was mostly dirt and stones, though here and there prisoners could be seen pulling up desert weeds. Grass was not grown here, in order to give the area all the more of a cold and stern appearance. They soon passed inside and were greeted with a burst of cool air from the air conditioning unit.

Zack breathed a sigh of relief. With Midgar having been built right near the desert wasteland, the temperatures in summer were much warmer than he liked---though not as bad as out at Dismal. Today, however, was an especially hot day, despite the overcast sky.

Sephiroth seemed unaffected. He went to the front desk and the receptionist with the questioning gaze. "General Fair and I are here to interview one of the prisoners," he said, before she could speak. "Dalton, the former mayor of Dismal. He was transferred here from Gladsheim a week or so ago."

She nodded. "Of course, General Sephiroth," she said, reaching for the phone. "I'll have to find out if he's with one of the work crews right now. Please wait a moment." She dialed the number of the sector in which Dalton had been placed, and spoke to the man in charge while Sephiroth and Zack did wait. Soon she hung up and looked to them.

"He's in his cell," she informed. "You could either visit him there, or in the visitor's room."

"He has a cell to himself, doesn't he?" Sephiroth said.

Again she nodded. "Yes, General. And there aren't others nearby."

"Then we'll go there." He glanced to Zack out of the corner of his key, as if to ask if he had any objections. But Zack was fine with Seph's decision.

After obtaining the directions and the cell number, they set out. It was not the first time they had been to the prison, but the sprawling, twisting corridors were still somewhat bewildering. Each one looked the same as the one before it, and in some ways, that was similar to the confusing layouts of some of the other Shinra buildings.

"Man," Zack said as they came upon the right hall after three misturns, "if I was by myself, I might wander in here for hours."

"Is that why it took so long for you to find General Weston's office in Gladsheim?" Sephiroth asked.

Zack nodded. "Yep."

An unpleasantly familiar voice echoed down the corridor. "Well, well, do my eyes deceive me? SOLDIER's highest ranked have come to visit the mayor of Dismal?" The venomous smirk in the tone was obvious. "Have they decided that they need his assistance?"

Zack regarded Dalton with disgust as they approached the cell. The well-built man was gripping the bars, his brown hair still pulled into a ponytail, his glasses slipping down his nose. His eyes glinted at the prospect of tormenting them, though at the same time, the orbs were filled with a deep loathing and a wish that they had not come.

"Prison life hasn't done anything for your personality," said Zack.

"And almost losing your precious friend hasn't improved yours, Mr. Fair," Dalton sneered. He looked to Sephiroth, eyeing the sling as well as the pieces of bandage that were showing from under the coat. "You're looking well, sir," he said.

Sephiroth ignored the facetious comments. "What do you know of Broken Circle?" he demanded.

"Broken circle?" Dalton said, his voice smooth. "Did you break a ring?"

"I'm not in the mood for jokes," Sephiroth said, his tone filled with ice and warnings.

Dalton removed a hand from the bars as he made a shrugging gesture. "Then, good sir, how do I help you? I don't know what you mean by 'broken circle.'"

"Except I think you do," Sephiroth said. "Maybe you even worked with them to bring down the mako reactor in Dismal."

"I'm sure you haven't forgotten that it was an accident," Dalton replied.

"What about Maryn?" Zack interjected. This run-around had only just begun, but he was sick of it already. He did not want to be here all day, in such abhorrent company! "You told her aunt that Maryn had died too, when you knew she hadn't! So why did you really take her in? It wasn't out of the goodness of your heart!"

To this Dalton smirked again and seemed amused. "I see you're still trying to unravel the secrets you perceive exist concerning Dismal," he said. "Whatever will you do if you can't find the answers? Or if there aren't any answers to find? Will you drive yourselves mad while seeking, refusing to abandon the quest?"

"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you," Zack muttered. Sephiroth made no response.

"You know, now that I think of it," Dalton mused, "someone named Rakesh died in Gladsheim the other day. And it seems as though he worked for some company called Broken Circle. Odd coincidence about his name, isn't it?"

"I'm sure it's more than a coincidence," Sephiroth returned. Anything Dalton chose to mention should be considered as important and remembered.

"You would be, sir," Dalton said, his voice light and unconcerned.

"Especially when the body's build and the face are identical to that of the Rakesh who served under you," Sephiroth said in a flat tone.

Dalton blinked, for the first time a hint of surprise coming over him. "Ah," he said, "so you saw into the coffin? I hope you've given it back. The funeral is the day after tomorrow, you know, and they can't very well conduct it without the guest of honor!"

"If we had it, we wouldn't be conforming to their schedule." Sephiroth's voice was clipped now, his expression bored. Did Dalton

have some other reason for his comments? Did he know that Broken Circle, and whatever allies they had, would try to reclaim the corpse? Did he suspect that it had already been done?

"Well, I would be cautious if I were you," Dalton smiled. "I don't think they'll appreciate it at all."

"Who's 'they'?" Zack demanded.

"Those who were going to receive the coffin, of course," Dalton returned. "The people at Broken Circle. He didn't have any family."

"Except maybe a twin brother?" Sephiroth said. "And you seem to know a lot about him."

"Only what was told on the news," Dalton acknowledged.

Sephiroth gave him a piercing look. "I doubt they said on the news that we had the coffin," he said. "What makes you think we do? If we were going to see what the man looked like, all we would have to do is to look up the news stories where he's mentioned. There have been pictures released of him."

Dalton smirked. "I think you have it," he said, "because it would be so like you, to want to investigate once you saw from photographs that the deceased resembled my right-hand man. Plus, the casket should have been delivered this morning, and it still hasn't been."

Zack glared at him. "You're pretty well-informed, for being behind bars," he said. "I wonder what kinds of visitors you've been getting."

The smirk widened. "It was a prison guard mentioning it. He said that the company was going to be furious at the delay, and he wondered if the SOLDIER dogs had taken it after the commotion on their train."

Now Sephiroth and Zack exchanged startled and grim looks, and not just because of the comment about "SOLDIER dogs." The story about the hijacking had not gotten out. The passengers had been instructed to keep quiet, and that they would be well paid for doing so. And the police had also been told to say nothing of the matter while it was being investigated. For a prison guard to be talking about it, was he in the employ of Broken Circle? How else would he know?

"Who was he talking to?" Sephiroth asked, turning back to Dalton.

"I really couldn't say," Dalton shrugged. "He was on his phone."

"Did anyone else hear him?" Zack wanted to know.

"Possible, but not likely. This corridor is rather bare, as I'm sure you know, Mr. Fair." As always, the name was spoken with a mocking tone.

"I don't suppose you know what his name was," Sephiroth said. "Or that you would tell us even if you did."

"You don't think I would help you on your adventure, good sir?" Dalton smirked. "I'm sure that with some of that investigating you're so good at, you can discover the answers. For now I'll just say that there's more than one guard here who isn't satisfied with Shinra. If there was a way to see that you and your company would get what you deserve, they would take it in an instant."

Then he paused, as if mulling over something else in his mind. "Actually," he mused, "do you know that you can trust each other? One of you could secretly be working against the other, and Shinra, and it would never be realized until it was too late!"

"What?" Zack burst out. "That's nuts!"

Dalton looked to Zack, unruffled. "Maybe Sephiroth is growing tired of fighting and being injured for this foul corporation. And maybe he's weary of you. Have you ever been able to do anything for him, or is he always saving you? I seem to recall you being quite helpless at your execution. It was only because of Sephiroth that you lived."

Zack clenched a fist. Those words dug too deep. Seph would never betray SOLDIER or Zack, but it was true, so very true, that Zack had held those feelings in Dismal. There had been such an acute sense of helplessness when Seph had died . . . when Zack had not been able to revive him. . . .

But . . . then Seph had revived. If Zack had not found him, maybe no one would have, until he would have been entirely beyond help. Zack had not been able to prevent him from being injured, but he had helped to save Seph's life. And that was something for which he would always be thankful.

Satisfied that he had sent Zack into internal turmoil, Dalton looked back to Sephiroth and into the revolted and outraged green eyes. "Or maybe," he mused, "Mr. Fair is never able to help you because he really doesn't want to. Where was he when you were bleeding to death after the battle with Rakesh? He could have located you sooner, if he had tried. Maybe he was making plans with some of the other traitors. Maybe they were going to leave you there and say that you had already been beyond help."

Zack could no longer restrain himself. The very thought was abominable! He would never think of doing that, to Seph or to anyone! "That's a lie!" he cried in indignation.

A firm hand came down on his shoulder. He blinked, looking over at Seph in surprise. The green eyes were kind and without blame or doubt. Seph knew that Dalton was only trying to make them upset, and that there was not a shred of truth in these words. At least, not concerning Zack. Maybe, possibly, it was true of some of the SOLDIERs who had come to their aid in Dismal, and that was where Dalton had learned of it, as opposed to extracting the idea from thin air. It would not be surprising now, to learn that some of the SOLDIERs were in league with Broken Circle.

Sephiroth glanced back to Dalton in disgust. "There's no reason why we should stay here and listen to this," he said, his voice chilled. "You're spouting nonsense."

Dalton leaned back, seeming satisfied that he had accomplished something. "Very well, good sir," he replied, "but you asked me for information, and I'm only providing you with some possibilities that you may have overlooked. You do need to be thorough in this search, don't you? Though I wonder whatever you will do if you learn that Mr. Fair has betrayed you, or if he learns the same thing about you. It sounds deliciously intense."

"Fortunately, it's impossible." Sephiroth turned to leave, and Zack followed suit. As they walked back up the hallway, Dalton's unwelcome voice could still be heard wafting to them.

"I will see you both at my trial, unless one or both of you is killed first! Or unless you betray Shinra!"

Zack snorted as they turned the corner. "Why would he think there'd even be any danger that we'd die, unless he knows what's going on with Broken Circle?" he muttered.

"My thoughts exactly," said Sephiroth.

"And that stuff he was going on about . . ." Zack clenched a fist, the righteous anger still very clear in his lavender eyes. "Man, I just wanted to give him a good sock in the face."

"I'm sure he would have been overjoyed to make you that furious," Sephiroth answered. "Though I wouldn't have minded striking him myself."

Zack sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well . . . what now?" he asked. They were running out of options. There was probably only one course for them right now, but he would wait for Seph to talk about it, and to see if he had any other ideas as well.

"We need to get into Broken Circle somehow," Sephiroth said, confirming Zack's thoughts. "Which won't be easy. It isn't as if we can just go through the front doors. They'd recognize us." He frowned. "And there's no one else whom we could entrust with the assignment. For now, we have to assume that everyone is an enemy, no matter who they are.

"Judging by what happened this morning, Dalton is probably correct on at least one point---they most likely know that we had the body. And now they might have it again."

Zack frowned too. "But why not take the coffin too? Why just put a different body in there? Are they taunting us now?"

"It seems so. Either they want to have some fun, or we're being manipulated all along the way. Maybe they wanted us to find the coffin, and to see how the corpse resembles Rakesh."

Zack stared at him. "That's a creepy thought," he exclaimed. "If we're just pawns, what's the point? Are they going to use us to bring down Shinra?"

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised. They would consider it a great triumph, to use Shinra's military against them."

By now they were approaching the front desk again, and they both quieted. Even a receptionist could be a spy, or an unwitting help to the enemy, if she heard their conversation. It was better not to take chances.

"Was the visit helpful?" she asked.

"As helpful as could be expected from that madman," Sephiroth grunted.

Zack gave a lazy wave as they headed for the doors. "See ya," he called.

Once outside, they remained silent. Prisoners and guards were still around, some within hearing range. The duo walked past them all, almost certain that some of the pairs of eyes were unfriendly, possibly even some of the enemies for whom they were searching. It was bad enough to feel as though they were in a den of adversaries at Dismal, but here, among those who should be comrades, it was far more unsettling.

It was a relief to get back to the Jeep. Sephiroth climbed in on the passenger side, while Zack slid into the driver's seat. They pulled their doors shut firmly, and Zack pulled out the keys.

"So," he said, half-joking, "what are we going to do about Broken Circle? Sneak in at night and hope the watchman doesn't see us?"

"Actually," Sephiroth said, "that's probably exactly what we'll have to do."

Zack whistled under his breath. "We're being reduced to breaking and entering? Wouldn't that make a front-page story!"

"You'd better hope it doesn't."

Zack inserted the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine roared to life, and he began to pull out of the parking space. "Oh, I do," he said with a nod. "Believe me, I do." He smirked. "I'd have a really hard time explaining it to my folks."

They returned to Trista's house for the rest of the day, to Maryn's delight. She stayed close to Zack for a lot of the time, while Sephiroth tried to rest and plan for that night. They needed some kind of proof concerning Broken Circle's actions, possibly an outline of the areas they were currently observing, and a list of their allies, if at all possible. They would have to search through the manual filing system, as well as a computer, if they could find one. But all of the machines would likely be password protected.

And they would have to be careful not to trigger any alarms when going in, not to mention staying out of the way of any security cameras. The building might not have any, but then again, it might. This was not going to be the same as prowling through Dalton's home in the middle of the night.

It was ridiculous to even be thinking along these lines. They were SOLDIERs, not thieves. Such petty actions were below two of Shinra's best commanders. But they were being driven into a corner. And the incident with the casket let them know that they had been discovered. It was probably not even wise to tell President Shinra what was going on. At least, certainly not until there was proof.

Evening fell before they quite realized it was already descending. Trista made dinner, and they determined it would be wise to stay and have it, since there was no telling how long they might be at the company, or what they might do afterwards. The meal passed in relative peace, though Trista seemed to know that they were planning something. Every now and then, Zack caught her glancing their way, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Maryn was quick to realize as well. Following the meal, as the dishes were being cleared from the table and taken to the dishwasher, she looked up plaintively at Zack.

"You and Mr. Sephiroth are leaving again, aren't you?" she said.

Zack looked down at her, laying a hand on her head. "Yep, 'fraid so," he admitted, lowering his voice. "And we might be gone for a while, too. So can you do something for me?"

Her eyes brightened and she nodded, eager to please.

Zack smiled. "Don't wait up for us, okay?" he said. "I want you to get a nice sleep tonight."

Maryn's gaze drifted closer to the floor, but she nodded again. "Okay," she agreed.

She knew that Zack and Sephiroth were going to have leave permanently before long, and she dreaded it, even though she loved her aunt. In her heart, she secretly wished that they would not have to leave at all. But at least, she wanted them to be able to stay here for as long as they could, and it seemed instead that they were always having to go investigate something.

She looked up again. "Where are you going?" she asked, her voice soft. Wherever it was, she had a bad feeling about it.

"Oooh, can't tell you that." Zack winked. "Official, top secret SOLDIER business."

Maryn bit her lip. Then she threw her arms around his waist, hugging him close.

Zack regarded her in surprise for a moment. She almost acted like she thought she would never see him again. Or was that just his imagination, because he was worried himself about how it might all turn out?

He reached out, returning the embrace. "Hey, we'll be back," he reassured her.

"I'm scared something will go wrong," she said, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his sweater shirt.

Zack was not sure what to say to that. After all, it was very possible. And telling Maryn otherwise would be ridiculous, after all she had seen.

"We made it back from Dismal, didn't we?" he said then.

She nodded. "Yeah . . ."

"Well, then the same thing will happen now," he said grandly.

She looked up at him, trying to smile.

Sephiroth sighed to himself, watching the scene. Zack was much too attached to the child, and she to him. It would only make their parting more difficult, especially if something actually did go wrong. If they ended up cornered by Broken Circle, for instance, any number of events could ensue---most of them unpleasant. Of course, he and Zack would both fight to the death, if necessary. But that was not something that should be told to Maryn.

"Where are you going?"

He turned slightly at Trista's voice. She was standing by the loaded dishwasher, her arms crossed as she watched him.

"To Broken Circle," he answered, keeping his voice low. "If we don't return tonight, or if you don't hear from us at all by morning, I want you to call President Shinra and explain all that you know."

It would be useful to have at least one person available and in the know, in case the worst happened. And Trista would almost assuredly do what was asked of her, due to her own interest in the matter as well as her probable desire to not see anyone good be harmed.

Trista nodded. "I'll do that." She gave him a sidelong look. "But try to come back alive, alright? Maryn would be crushed if anything happened to you and Commander Fair."

Sephiroth gave a cool nod. He knew that very well.

Being a fairly small town, Kalm only had one major business---and that was Broken Circle. The building was somewhat wide and a good size, being five or six stories. To the side was a parking garage, but Sephiroth determined they should not park inside. There would be a greater chance of them being seen in there, perhaps by a watchman just arriving, or by a janitor, or who knows what.

"Maybe I should park on the next block over," Zack suggested, "and we can cut through this alley here." He nodded to a narrow passage visible on the next block and coming out facing the back of the company building.

Sephiroth nodded. "Do that," he agreed, leaning back in the seat.

Zack drove past the side of Broken Circle, continuing to the next block. The property here seemed to belong to them as well, but the buildings were long and dark and deserted. He turned the corner, bringing the Jeep to a halt beside a tree. "If you'd told me when I joined up that I'd be breaking into a building like a common robber, I wouldn't have believed it," he smirked as he removed the key from the ignition and hopped onto the pavement.

Sephiroth followed more slowly, and both made sure that their respective doors shut without much noise. "I wouldn't have, either," he said dryly.

They approached and walked through the alley in almost perfect silence, keeping to the shadows so as not to be seen once they emerged onto the street. The trees on the grounds moved, their long branches stretching forth as if reaching for the intruders that were coming onto the property. But they could not succeed in touching the duo, as Sephiroth and Zack stayed close to the wall.

"There should be an employee entrance," Sephiroth mused. "But at this time of night, it might be locked, and only able to be opened with the card keys the workers carry."

"Maybe they wouldn't worry like that in Kalm," Zack suggested. "In Gongaga, even the businesses keep their doors unlocked."

"Gongaga isn't in such close proximity to a large city," Sephiroth said as they came upon the parking garage. He slipped under its cover, continuing to stay near the wall. Their footsteps and their voices would echo in here, if they weren't careful. But so far, it looked empty.

"Oh, here's some luck," Zack whispered as he chased Seph under the concrete roof. "Maybe!" He pointed to a door that seemed to lead into a stairwell.

Sephiroth went over, grasping the handle and giving it a slow tug. It began to open. "Let's try it," he said, stepping inside. Zack quickly followed.

"This might only go to the other levels of the parking garage," Sephiroth grunted as they began to ascend.

"I think it goes inside," Zack returned. "I didn't see a sign outside that said it goes to any other levels."

"Did you see any sign at all?" Sephiroth asked as he turned the corner.

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, no . . ." he admitted.

Now they were arriving at the first landing. Sephiroth stepped forward, approaching the door from the side. Slowly he leaned over, half-cupping his hands by the sides of his eyes to block out any surrounding view. He was gazing into what seemed to be a well-furnished lobby. There was a large desk for a receptionist, as well as several soft chairs and one or two potted plants. The overhead lights were dim, when they were on at all. The only ones burning were by the elevator and by the desk. But it was enough to see that the room was vacant.

Sephiroth gave a satisfied nod and straightened up, reaching for this door handle. It opened quietly, and he moved onto the carpet.

Zack was right behind him. "Lucky break," he commented.

"Maybe," Sephiroth said, his tone flat. "Or maybe we've just activated a silent alarm."

Zack poked him playfully on the arm. "You've always gotta think of the worst stuff," he said.

He stretched, looking about the room with curiosity. "Wonder where we'll go to look at the files," he mused.

"It isn't likely we'll find much down here," Sephiroth answered. "We should go up to the president's office." He turned, heading for another stairwell near the elevators. "But we won't take the elevator. The changing lights could alert anyone here of our presence."

Zack nodded, hurrying after him. "Nice place," he said. "Kinda weird to think of it being the headquarters for a weapons manufacturer."

Sephiroth allowed a small smirk as he entered the stairwell. "You'd be expecting something dark and dreary, with the paint peeling off of walls?"

Zack smirked as well. "Nah," he said, "but maybe something in between."

They arrived at the top floor without incident. The lobby into which the stairwell opened was deserted, with a minimal amount of lighting. Mostly it consisted of a waiting area and an outer office, plus the glass door into the inner room, where the president's office was located. All was dark inside.

Sephiroth headed in that direction. "You remembered the flashlights, I hope," he said. They would have to work in as much darkness as possible. Someone outside could see the office light going on and realize something was amiss, so that was not an option at all.

Zack pulled them out. "Right here," he said as they went in.

Sephiroth nodded, crossing the room to the filing cabinets. They were tall, coming up to his chest. He took one of the flashlights and opened a drawer, then shined the light on the contents. "This drawer seems to focus on business deals," he announced as he put on his glasses, "and the people with whom they were made."

Zack tackled the cabinet right next to it. "This one is weapons plans," he said. He pulled out a file and opened it, frowning at the blueprint of a new kind of automatic rifle.

Sephiroth took out a folder from the other drawer, skimming over the contents. It was all in order. Just the record of a deal with a chocobo-catching supplies company, one headquartered on the Northern Continent. He put it back, removing another.

The search went on in that way for some time. Most of what they found was interesting, but not useful to their investigation. And so far, none of it indicated that anything at all was amiss. Broken Circle seemed to be an average business, from the assembled information.

"Hey," Zack said about a half hour later, "here's the personnel drawer."

Sephiroth came to attention. "See if you can find Rakesh's file," he said.

Zack nodded. "Already on it!" he chirped. "The guy seemed to only go by that name, just like the first one did, but I'm gonna see if maybe it is a last name instead of the given name." He thumbed through the files for a moment. "Got it!" he said then, grinning as he triumphantly removed the folder in question.

"Read it to me," Sephiroth said. He was currently combing a second drawer with profiles of those with whom deals had been made, still in search of anything to do with Dalton or Dismal.

Zack flipped it open. "Guy's name was . . ." He blinked. "Azazel Rakesh."

"That's a mouthful," Sephiroth grunted.

Zack let his eyes travel over the top of the page. "And he did have a twin brother," he reported. "Gunju."

"How nice," Sephiroth said with sarcasm. The name meant "wild cat", rather appropriate for the terror they had encountered in Dismal. "Azazel" meant "scapegoat", and "Rakesh" itself meant "lord of the night"---a strange combination.

"Azazel went into business, which is pretty obvious, and his brother didn't have any interest in it. So he went out to Dismal and ended up a prison guard." Zack frowned. "Nothing that we didn't already suspect. But there's a note at the bottom that says to check the Dalton file."

"If I can ever find it," Sephiroth muttered. He was assuming that it was with the other files concerning business deals, though he was not sure. A few minutes ago, he had not even been positive that such a file existed, but now he knew that it did. Dalton was connected with the company.

After several more minutes, he located the wanted folder at last, pulling it out from where it had been filed out of place. Opening the front cover, he looked over the page and narrowed his eyes. "It says Dalton made a deal with them several months ago," he said, "with Gunju Rakesh as a go-between. That was when they arranged for the weapons to be sent. And that was only the most recent instance of his involvement with them."

Zack looked over. "Let me guess, he really did know them when there was still a mako reactor in Dismal?" he said, his tone dark.

"Yes." Sephiroth nodded. "Maryn's parents apparently worked under him. He was their go-between with Broken Circle."

"They should have a file here, too, shouldn't they?" Zack mused. Without waiting for an answer, he began to dig further into the personnel drawer. But he soon leaned back in frustration. There did not seem to be anything here in connection with them---unless it was filed out of place, too, in which case it could be anywhere, in any of the drawers. And that was a daunting prospect. Of course, if it had to be done, then it would be done!

"Maybe there's a section for deceased employees," Sephiroth suggested.

Zack nodded, pulling open the next drawer. "Here's one!" he announced. The blue tab at the beginning of the folders stated "Deceased." Quickly he thumbed through the contents, finally coming to the desired file. He read the opening part aloud, which was confirmation of what Trista had told them. Wilheim and Rachel had died fulfilling their mission to detonate the mako reactor in Dismal, successfully causing upheavel and hatred of Shinra.

Zack's voice tightened in revulsion as he spoke the words. It was still so hard to believe, that they---or at least Wilheim---would be willing to do that. What about everyone else who would die? What about all the kids left without parents, and parents whose kids would be ripped away? They should have taken Maryn and run for it. At least, Zack thought so with all his heart.

"Hey, this is interesting," he said after a moment, as he glanced over the rest of the dates. The files were done with the most recent events going to the top, and now he was nearing the bottom of the page. "It says they spent about a year in Bone Village before they moved to Dismal. And they were working for Broken Circle at the time."

"That's the second time the Northern Continent has come into this," Sephiroth observed.

"Yeah, true." Zack frowned. "Wonder what's there. Do you think they were trying to dig something up in Bone Village?"

Sephiroth finished glancing over Dalton's file. "I don't know," he said. "If so, it doesn't seem like they could have found it." He looked over at the Xerox machine in the corner. "Let's copy these before we put them back," he directed, starting to walk over there. Zack followed with the other folders.

A few moments later, Sephiroth crossed his arms in irritation as he watched the copies slide out of the machine. What they had found was useful, though it mostly confirmed what they had already thought. So far, they still had not found anything to connect Broken Circle with certain members of Shinra. Surely that would be kept on file somewhere. And they had already been there a couple hours now, at least, going over numberless files in the process. It would probably be necessary to explore every one.

Zack switched off the machine as he collected the originals. What a weird night, he thought as he idly glanced out the glass door. Then he frowned again, stiffening at the sight of the elevator opening and a man in a blue uniform getting out. "The night watchman's here!" he hissed to Seph, moving to press himself against the wall.

Sephiroth snatched the copies in annoyance, also passing into the shadows. If they were lucky, the sentry would not notice that some of the file drawers were still ajar. He had pushed back the ones that were out the farthest, but he had not closed them all the way. In retrospect, that had been a foolish oversight.

Outside, the guard's flashlight moved down the hall and into corners, and then through the office door. Zack held perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the glow. He and Seph were both up against the wall now, but the beam was getting close to them. Being discovered would not be a good thing at all, both because of the investigation and because of the principle of the thing. He and Seph were doing something that was technically illegal, even though right now there did not seem to be another choice. And though their evidence showed that this was something necessary for them to do, it would be a disaster if Broken Circle somehow destroyed all of it and made themselves look the victims.

Wow . . . his imagination really could run wild, if he let it. And he did not only dream up positive and pleasant scenarios anymore either, as he had done when he had been a child anxious to become a SOLDIER and make a difference in the world. He had been pretty naive then, in some ways. But he still only desired to make a difference for good.

At last the light turned its attention elsewhere, and the watchman continued his rounds, satisfied that all was as it should be.

Zack did not relax until he heard the elevator activate at the other end of the hall. Then the man's footsteps vanished into it and all was silent. He sighed, pushing himself forward. "Now I know how an escaped convict feels," he smirked sheepishly, taking the files back across the room to the cabinet.

Sephiroth grunted, folding the copies the long way and placing them in his inside coat pocket. Then he followed Zack to the other side of the room and opened another massive drawer.

It seemed like hours later when Zack slumped in exhaustion against the wall, having shut the final drawer in the last cabinet. "Man," he said, tipping his head back against the wall, "how long have we been at this?" It must be the middle of the night by now. Hopefully Maryn had followed his request and had gone to sleep. That was all that he felt like doing right now. He cupped his hand around his mouth as a yawn tore free.

Sephiroth pulled back his sleeve, glancing at his watch. "A long time," he grunted.

And it was frustrating. There was nothing on record about the traitors supposedly spying on Shinra, nothing concerning the suspected alliance. Was it at all possible that it did not exist? Sephiroth had suspected that it had to be true, that it was all that made sense. And then Dalton had mentioned it as well. There was the chance that he could have been lying, but in that case, how would he have known anything about the possibility that Sephiroth and Zack had taken the coffin?

"The only new clues we've actually gained," he said, "if they're clues at all, indicate that Bone Village should be visited. Maybe someone there knows what Maryn's parents were digging for."

Zack nodded. "That's true," he said.

They knew now, from a notation in a folder marked "Projects on hold", that her parents definitely had been investigating for Broken Circle while on the Northern Continent. They had been trying to locate a certain item. But the desired object was not mentioned at all. Everything was being kept very quiet, and it was irritating. Maybe the more useful files were elsewhere, even in a cabin somewhere on the Northern continent.

Zack pushed himself away from the wall. "So, I guess we should head out pretty quick," he mused.

Sephiroth nodded. "This night, if at all possible," he said. "But we should gather some supplies, especially warm clothes. The temperatures are much colder there, and snow covers quite a bit of the land."

Zack smirked. "Maybe you should wear a shirt, then," he joked, without much hope of agreement.

"I'll keep my coat closed, if we end up in the coldest regions."

"I knew you wearing a shirt wouldn't happen." Zack headed for the door, something else suddenly occurring to him. "Hey, do you think we should check out that chocobo supplies store too?" he asked. "I mean, since they have a deal with Broken Circle."

"Yes." Sephiroth smirked now, giving Zack a sidelong look as he walked beside the other. "But if we meet any chocobos, they might try to adopt you as a relation." He nodded to the wild black locks.

"I could be a distant cousin," Zack said mischievously.

Sephiroth stepped into the hall. "And that," he said, "is a very frightening thought."

Zack chased after him. "Many times removed, of course," he added.

"It's still frightening," Sephiroth grunted, as he turned to go to the stairwell.