Thank you to Phazon, Fenrir of the Shadows and AccessBlade for their reviews. We're really going to wrap things up now, with the final revealing of what Joseph has planned for Bob and Chocolat, what the police action will be, and the thing between Kate and Cameryn, as left off from last chapter. I hope you enjoy this suspense-filled part of our story, and on we go!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. Mandrakefunnyjuice owns Robert (Bob) Ross. Poet Bucky owns Cabalina and Fil Ashton. Fenrir of the Shadows owns Azul Kharlan. AccessBlade owns Cameryn Lachance.


The flashing lights of the ambulance outside beckoned the stretcher. Medical personnel slowly eased the wheeled bed out of the house as Cacao was tightly strapped on, with an oxygen mask covering her face and blankets clamped around her body. A petite, pink-haired officer was asked to escort the middle-aged woman to the hospital, and hopefully get a testimony from her when her condition stabilized. But given the cuts and bruises on Cacao's body, Presea doubted that it would be anytime soon. "Whoever did this really laid a pounding on her," she commented, also climbing into the ambulance.

While Presea went with the medical team, Gil and company were in the house, scouring through the living room and back hallways for any evidence of where Chocolat and the assailants might have gone. "According to the police tape from dispatch, the witness saw the people run out into the alley. That was when the victim shouted for help into each back door, and the witness then claimed there was a struggle of some sort between Chocolat, the assailants, and a supposed third party," Gil reported.

Azul and Cabalina immediately combed the back hallway, and indeed found the back door ajar. The cool breezes whistled and swished through the sliver, the night air biting into their skin, surprising the two officers still dressed in relatively light clothing. Azul squinted into the darkness as he shone the flashlight into the backyard. There were loose leaves and trampled flowers in the far end, pointing to some type of chase as the elf moved to the back fence. "There are some fibres here," he called, plucking some threads from the old, metal bars, "most likely from somebody's clothes."

Cabalina waved her flashlight down the alley, craning her neck as well as she observed each back gate astutely. Most of the time, she wasn't into observation and analysis, being more of a shoot-first type, but spending time with Gil and Cameryn made her soften her stance. Thinking back to the day when Robert revealed the truth to the unit, she felt she was unnecessarily harsh on him, and when the unit began accepting Robert more, Cabalina was placed into the role of outcast. "He did do what he had to, and I did embarrass him too much. Next time I see him, I'll make sure I apologize," she decided.

Glancing to the side, Cabalina could see Azul climb over the fence and into the back alley. The elf's stealthy movement allowed him to land softly on the uneven gravel and tread quietly into the alley. Cabalina turned around just as more voices could be heard, with Gil leading a few more officers into the backyard for forensic work. "Better go with Azul for now," she murmured. With that, she also climbed over the fence, trotting down the rocky road, trying to keep up with her tall, lean colleague.

The twosome trotted past many fences, leaning over each fence and trying to peer through the back doors and windows. Most, if not all, houses were relatively dark, which meant not too many people bothered to come out and look, let alone help Chocolat when she was being chased. Cabalina could only shake her head as she imagined the cries for help echoing through the darkness, the poor girl pleading for anyone to help her, only to have them fall on deaf ears. "I'm almost certain this is the work of Joseph Aubrey," she observed, "And when I get my hands on him, he'll pay for sure."

After passing a few houses, Cabalina finally caught up to Azul, who hunched his back and lowered his head closer to the ground. Cabalina positioned herself to the side, leaning on the fence of a nearby house while observing the elf that was poking around the gravel with his foot and sniffed in the dust strongly. "There seems to be fire mana here," he reported monotonously, "It couldn't have been any more than an hour when it was first unleashed, and the source is pretty close by. There must be a mana user in these houses."

Cabalina aimed her flashlight at the suspect area. Indeed, there were dark marks on the ground, looking like something had scorched the gravel, if that was even possible. As she bent down to touch the sandy material, Azul strolled around her, his eyes peeled for more clues as he continued explaining, "Fire mana is different than regular fire in the sense that it can set things you wouldn't normally associate with being flammable on fire. This is because mana affects the makeup of the material rather than actual burning. So in this case, it's not unusual to see things like dirt or stones being scorched."

Cabalina was about to inquire more when Azul stopped moving. He snapped his fingers to beckon the female officer, who looked on as the elf pointed to a strange, box-like object. "This looks like someone's cell phone," he stated, pulling out a small blanket. He covered his hand with the hanky and pinched the phone, flipping it over to see if it was operational. "It's still on," he reported, showing the dim light to Cabalina.

Cabalina looked on as Azul clicked around some buttons. Soon, an answering machine-like message played, causing a sharp gasp from the usually calm elf. Cabalina could only look on as Azul slowly turned to her, his face of shock illuminated by the lone light from the flashlight he held. "It's Bob. He must have been the one trying to stop the abduction, and now he's been abducted," Azul's voice stuttered weakly as Robert's voice from the cell phone echoed ominously through the dark night.

Cabalina's determined look turned into downright fear as the notion of their colleague being kidnapped and possibly tortured crossed her mind. Azul clicked a few more buttons, trying to trace the last call Robert had made while telling Cabalina to look around. "Given that there's a mana user here, I'm guessing the person is either an elf or a half-elf. We have to know the source of this, plus whether they saw anything," Azul explained his partner swiftly, his eyes never leaving the phone screen, "What's more, we don't know if the user is friend or foe, so we have to be extra careful here."

After a few more clicks, Azul handed the phone over to Cabalina and pulled out his firearm from his holster. "Keep looking through the records, and try to find out who he called last," he instructed Cabalina. While leaving the brunette to check the records, Azul took a deep breath and dug deep into his mana. Being an elf, he had the ability to identify another mana user nearby, and he realized he must put that ability into good use if they wanted to find out what happened. Closing his eyes, Azul absorbed the air around.

Seconds into his concentration, a gentle tingling sensation shot up his spine. Azul tilted himself to the source of the mana, and realized the house standing right before him emitted the strongest signal. From the outside, it seemed like any regular suburban unit, with a backyard lined by a small fence, and the second floor rooms still lit, most likely housing a family member hard at work. Determined, Azul climbed over the fence and cross the backyard, on his way to the front door as he sought the answer. "Cabalina, you want to come with me?" he called to his colleague still standing in the alley.

Azul's long, pointy ears could pick up the sounds of Cabalina negotiating the fence as they trotted from the backyard to the front of the house. From the back, Cabalina pulled out her own cell phone and pecked away at the keypad. She clamped it between her ear and her left shoulder while her right hand held Robert's phone. As she waited for the call to connect, Azul climbed the steps to the front door. Save for a dim light from the side, which Azul guessed was the kitchen, the house was relatively dark. Taking another deep breath, Azul lifted his hand and jabbed a finger into the door bell.

"Hello, Sarge? Cabalina here," Azul could hear his colleague speak on the phone. Right now, Cabalina's job was to find out who spoke with Robert last, and if there were any possible places Joseph's group might have taken him to, if he was abducted. As these thoughts rushed through Azul's mind, a silhouette showed up at the door. The locks were undone with crisp clicks as the metal door was pulled open, sending the heated air from inside the house out the doorframe, greeting Azul's body and warming him up.

The elf turned around and was met with a familiar silver-haired young woman. "Miss Sage, I didn't know you live here," Azul marvelled, looking at the very person who healed the police team of their injuries the first time.

"Officer Kharlan, good evening," Raine greeted in a friendly tone, "What brings you here, is there an investigation?" she asked, wiping her brow.

"Yes. In fact, we believe there may have been a disturbance in the alley just behind your house," Azul replied, describing the situation. From behind, he could hear Cabalina discussing more details, presumably with Gil. Knowing that Raine might have seen or heard something suspicious, this interview would be crucial to their investigation. "I found a cell phone belonging to one of my colleagues in the back, along with some fire-based mana in the gravel. Do you know anyone that can use mana like that?"

Raine thought for a while, and then chuckled. "That would be my little brother. I can get him down here if you want," she responded. Turning around, she strode to the bottom of the stairs and shouted above. "Genis, can you come down here?"

Just then, Cabalina tapped Azul on the shoulder, prompting the elf to turn back at her. "Sergeant Irving said that if Joseph Aubrey is indeed behind this, then he can only suspect that both Bob and Chocolat will be in danger. We have to get a confirmation that there is abduction, and then send in a police search unit to all possible rendezvous places Aubrey frequents," she reported, her eyeballs twitching slightly in worry.

Azul nodded, signalling to the phone for Cabalina to keep talking with Gil. As the female officer turned back, a smaller silver-haired boy trudged to the door. Save for a pair of baggy brown boxer shorts, his body was completely bare. There was a grimace on his face, and his hand was positioned right on his stomach. "What happened?" he asked weakly.

Azul cocked an eyebrow at the boy, who seemed almost sickly with a pale face, which was only compounded by the grumbling coming from his bare tummy. But the most surprising thing was where Genis placed the hand on his stomach, as his index finger was dipped inside his belly button, wiggling it and making a small circle simultaneously. "Uh, what exactly are you doing?" he asked, pointing at Genis' gut.


Cameryn Lachance was in no mood to deal with any distractions right now. The fact that there was still so much paperwork from both the police case and miscellaneous information from the investments and insurance she helped Kate purchase soured her mood drastically. "How will I ever get this done?" she grumbled, throwing down her pen in frustration and burying her fingers in her strawberry hair.

And that was why when her home phone sounded off, it only made her angrier. Glaring at the offending object, which emitted a shrill ring slicing across her apartment unit and reaching every corner of the room, she grunted in exasperation and marched to the small coffee table. Shooting it a dark look, she snatched it off the stand, and stabbed a digit into the receive button, her fingers squeezing the life out of the phone as the ringing halted. "Hello? Cameryn speaking," she greeted gruffly, her face creased in anger.

"Cameryn, this is Gil Irving. We have a situation here where Aubrey's group attacked Chocolat's house. They injured Cacao, and abducted Chocolat. According to evidence collected by Azul and Cabalina, it seems like Bob tried to stop the kidnapping but ended up getting snatched by them as well," Gil described, a frantic tone echoing from the earpiece, "From the past investigations, our unit requested from Major Crimes the former hiding places of Joseph Aubrey and his gang. Do you have that list available?"

Cameryn winced. While she was already swamped by work, she also realized how dangerous the situation was. Trotting back to the dining room table, where she had all the documents laid out before her, she dug through the piles of papers, looking for the right set. "I did recall grabbing those from Azul and Presea once they finished with them. They were placed in a brown envelope," she reported, "What's happening on your side now?"

"Presea's gone to the hospital with Cacao, but once Cacao's condition stabilizes we'll probably call her for an interrogation. Unless you have the suspected locations and can report them right now, all we can do is wait," Gil responded, his tone changing from determined to somewhat helpless, "That, and collect whatever evidence or testimonies available."

Cameryn nodded, her hands now almost ripping through the mountain. She had to find the envelope containing the vital information, otherwise lives would be at stake here. "Where could I have put it?" she murmured, throwing piles and piles of notes and pages onto the ground as she scoured the table. Could she have placed it in another area, like maybe inside her room? High-stepping her way through the waterfall of pages leaking off the table, she headed for her bedroom, all the while keeping the phone tightly at her ear. "If I do find it, do you want me to bring it to you? I don't know where you are right now, so that'll be hard to come by," Cameryn stated as she flipped on her bedroom lights.

"Well, the second you can give us the vital information, we're going to send in the pursuit teams," Gil replied, his breathing rate increasing by the second, "We're expecting at least three patrol cars plus the motorcycle squad to do a thorough ground search at the suspected location. If need be, we may even send a chopper in the air, just to observe from above." Gil's tone sounded both anxious and determined at the same time.

Cameryn scoured her desk, her eyes scanning the surface before reaching for the drawer. "So we're breaking out the big guns, right?" she asked, her digits wrapping onto the handle. In the back of her mind, Cameryn had the most violent urge to tell Gil about Kate right now. But part of her conscience tugged around, refusing to let Cameryn expose Kate, even though it might be useful to the case. Cameryn did feel somewhat guilty that she might hinder the case, but perhaps there was another piece of useful information she could give while she decided on her next move? There had to be something useful, right?

Cameryn yanked on the drawer, hoping something would shed some light on the issue. Her eyes dropped down and there it was: the brown envelope she had been looking for! The colour might be dull, and the lustre anything but shiny, but this ordinary object was worth more than any piece of jewellery in the entire world. Hiccupping a couple of times, both in surprise and relief, Cameryn wrapped her free hand around the envelope and pulled it out. "I got it, Sarge," she told Gil, "It's right here."

Hearing the great news, Gil immediately asked Cameryn to keep it somewhere safe but accessible, so that he could have the information in a hurry. "I'm reordering the teams right now, so we'll get moving as soon as the units are free," he described, "I'll send an officer to your apartment right away, so you don't have to worry about meeting us somewhere. Thank you so much, Cameryn, you can't believe what this means."

Cameryn heard a click from the other side, sensing that Gil had hung up already and was intent on his course of action. She strolled back into her living, her stress level dropping dramatically as she plopped herself onto the couch, a leisurely smile on her face as she thought about the issue. "They're going to get what they want, and I would have helped them out. So in essence, Kate can still be protected," she told herself.

But Cameryn was still unconvinced that Kate was out of danger. Should Joseph Aubrey be captured tonight, then there could still be a chance that Kate's name would be mentioned, whether in court or in interrogation. And with the gang's many connections, what if Joseph Aubrey chose to intimidate witnesses in his court case, threatening Kate to make her defend him? Knowing that Joseph used many dubious tactics in the Triet case and nearly forcing Robert to sacrifice his career, Cameryn could not possibly take that chance. "I better tell Kate as soon as possible. It's about time that she knew the truth about this investigation," Cameryn decided, leaning over and grabbing the phone.

She quickly dialled Kate's home number, hoping the half-elf would answer. The call tried to connect, with each tone sounding like the phone was being worked to death. At least five or six tones had passed, each one piercing into her ears, but Cameryn could not get anyone to pick up. "Strange, did she head out? Why would she be gone at this late hour?" she muttered. Disconnecting the call, she dialled in Kate's cell number instead.

This time, only three tones sounded off before her target picked up. "Kate, this is Cameryn. I have something really important that I have to tell you. Where are you right now?" Cameryn asked, her free hand wringing slightly in worry.

"Cameryn? Listen, I can't talk right now. I have something I must deal with, and I'm afraid I can't tell you where I am," Kate's tone replied. From the back, there was a great deal of noise, creating fuzz over Kate's voice. Cameryn wasn't sure whether it was static or people moving, but it was increasingly difficult to hear her friend. "Can I call you back, perhaps in the morning or something?" Kate asked amidst the sound.

Cameryn was about to inquire more, but Kate cut her off. "Oh no, they're here. I can't stick around, or they'll spot me. I'll talk later, okay?" And with that, she ended the call, leaving Cameryn in her living room flabbergasted and worried.

The strawberry blonde gently placed the phone back on the stand, her eyebrows curled up in anxiety. What was Kate doing, and why couldn't she give any information? "She didn't get herself in more trouble, did she?" Cameryn said to herself. She wanted to search for Kate, but knowing the officer was about to arrive to pick up her files, she must stay. And as this thought crossed her mind, the room suddenly felt awfully cold to her. A series of goose bumps shot up her skin as helplessness descended upon Cameryn Lachance.


Robert Ross finally stirred after what seemed like an eternal sleep. The first thing he realized as he lifted his anchor-like eyelids was the immense pain coming from the back of his head. "Ugh, what happened?" he muttered, shaking his head a couple of times to ease the pain. Before him, the darkness was so thick that he doubted he could see his own fingers, even if he placed his hand right before his face.

Despite the grogginess, Robert realized that he wasn't tied or chained to anything, meaning it was possible for him to move. Taking a deep breath, he tried to listen for any sound around him, locating any potential danger around. And just like his sight, nothing could be picked up from his surroundings. In fact, it was so quiet that Robert wondered if the people who kidnapped him merely went off. Might as well try to escape, he thought to himself. With that, he slowly placed his hands before him, and struggled to get up.

But before Robert could even crawl, he was knocked to the ground again by a vicious side slam. And within seconds of the hit, two sets of arms immediately grabbed onto his shoulders, pinning him down and making him awfully vulnerable. Robert flailed and squirmed to break free of the hold, only to have a foot planted straight into his spine. "Argh!" Robert screamed in agony as his spine creaked in reaction to the shoe.

In the midst of the pain, Robert could hear footsteps as a metallic creak echoed through the room. "Your Eminence, the cop is now awake," he heard someone report outside. This was followed by several people moving around, their shadows sifting back and forth between the dim light from the adjacent room as a young girl's muffled screams pierced through the air. From his position, Robert could only wish nothing went wrong.

But the picture would become much clearer as the men holding onto Robert proceeded to dragging him out of the room. He was taken to the mouth of the staircase, where that familiar sinister moustachioed face waited for him. "Officer Robert Ross, we meet again," Joseph Aubrey sneered, "You're still the cop with the iron will, I see. But strange, you look different than you did nearly a decade ago when you interrupted my Triet operations. You had straighter hair, wore better clothes, were clean shaven, and had no pot belly. Why the drastic change?" he retorted, his men around him snickering.

Robert seethed with anger, his breathing hissing as he glared murderous eyes up to his nemesis. "If it weren't for all the dirty tricks you played in court those years ago, I say you'd be locked up for good!" Robert spat, shooting daggers at the half-silhouetted man.

Joseph said nothing. Instead, he marched forward and, reeling his fist back, swung a right hook straight at Robert's face. The knuckles connected with Robert's cheek bone, causing a cry of pain from the plump man. "You think you have a score to settle? Think again," Joseph replied cruelly, "I have something I want you to see as well. Since you weren't intent on giving up that easily, then I'll do everything in my power to ensure that your hope is crushed. You will feel helplessness like you've never felt it before." Joseph snapped a finger at the ones holding Robert and ordered them to take him to the roof.

Robert's struggles soon became fruitless as every step of the way, the two men made sure to take a couple of shots at him, weakening him so much that there were no more chances for retaliation. By the time Robert was dragged to the top, he could barely make out the figures before him. There was Joseph, grabbing a package with one hand while holding a water bottle with the other. There were two men holding down the blindfolded and gagged victim. Just like Robert, the young girl was pinned to the ground, not given even an inch to manoeuvre. Snapping his fingers again, Joseph instructed the coverings be removed. "Meet your friend, officer," he mocked Robert, "the same young lady you tried to defend in the alley."

Robert's eyes widened as the face was revealed. Chocolat had tears in her eyes, her lips quivering as she begged Joseph to spare her life. "Please, I know it was wrong for me to not save people. I hung out with Lloyd and Colette, and spent time with my mom. But it's not because I'm disobedient," she explained, her voice weak and battered, "I just want to help as many people as I can, starting with the ones closest to me. I understand if Your Eminence feels I should focus elsewhere, but give me another chance. I promise to do everything you say!" Chocolat pleaded, watching the man towering above her.

"Who told you they needed saving?" Joseph roared, smacking Chocolat across the face. From his position, Robert could only wince, but could not offer any help as his own injuries weakened him greatly. Add the two men holding onto him, and Robert was only deadweight. He could only watch as Joseph continued berating Chocolat, his words ringing through the night and reducing the poor girl to tears.

But then, Joseph paused, breaking open the package and holding it above the teen as he snickered, "I have something for you. Since you want to help others, I suggest you help out your police officer friend over there," he pointed a long finger to Robert, taunting them both with the gesture, "Nothing you can do will make it work now, because you can't save him from the beating, and he can't save you from what I'm about to do. You've been taught that by saving others, you'll reach Martel quicker. But I have an even better way to send you to her, and you'll get it tonight." Joseph turned back to Chocolat and grimaced, staring venomously at her before barking, "Say it! Tell the officer that you'll save him. Lie to him the same way you lied to me!"

Chocolat's teeth chattered even more. "Officer Ross," she stuttered, tears spilling from her eyes as she tried to stare at him, "I can sa…save you. All…all you have…to do, is to…to let Martel cl..cleanse your soul." She struggled with her words, which were only muffled more by the change of direction in the brisk evening wind.

Joseph smirked at the pathetic states of his two nemeses, realizing that his plan had come to fruition. Tucking the open package under his arm, he reached for the water bottle, strutting in haughtily before Chocolat. "There's nothing you can do for him anymore, and we're going to prove it to you," he stated, waving the bottle in Chocolat's face, "We are going to show him how useless he is by turning the tables on you. That way, we'll send you two pathetic beings on your merry way to Martel, if she even considers you as part of her own after your treachery."

At this time, Robert could take know more. He could feel adrenaline rushing through his body as his body tensed up. Using his weight, he swung his torso around and thrashed nonstop, causing the grips from Joseph's men to loosen as he tried to make a dash for Chocolat. "You sick freaks, let her go!" he bellowed, edging himself forward as the two holders were thrown back. Every move Robert made to advance himself was met with a shot of pain, but in Robert's current state, he could only ignore everything.

But what Joseph's men lacked in size, they made up for in speed. Within seconds of being hurled back, they were on the chase again, grabbing Robert and spiking him into the concrete. It didn't help that Robert's injuries also slowed down his movement, which made the heavyset man easy pickings for the Cult members. A flurry of punches and kicks soon descended onto Robert, who was in so much pain that he could barely utter out a cry. "Make sure you keep him conscious. I want him awake when he sees me pour this stuff down Chocolat's gullet," Joseph ordered, waving the package and water again, "Officer, you're about to witness the same case that you worked so hard on a decade ago re-enacted before you. You'll see firsthand how the girl died, so consider this an honour."

Smirking again, Joseph turned back to Chocolat, signalling to the two men holding her to keep her face up front. In one smooth motion, he dumped the contents of the bag into Chocolat's face, smothering the girl with white powder. "Keep her mouth open, I want the amphetamines to go into her," he ordered, shaking the bottle with his free hand. From below, Chocolat coughed and wheezed as powder stuffed into her nose and throat, making her wonder what would kill her faster: overdose or suffocation.

Just then, someone burst in from the other staircase, opposite to the one Joseph and his men used to drag Chocolat and Robert up. "Your Eminence, Daggertooth and a bunch of his men are here. It seems like they entered the compound from the back, and are right below us. They're demanding that you return the money and goods, and are willing to use force," the younger man reported, hyperventilating after the long run.

Joseph paused, tossing the plastic package away as he turned back to look at Robert. Various wounds oozed blood as he laid unconscious, which pretty much sacked Joseph's plan to have him awake. But how about have Daggertooth be responsible for the deaths of Chocolat and Robert? Joseph could get his revenge, and get out of trouble by pointing the finger at Daggertooth. Another smile curled up his lips. "Gentlemen, I say we take a break from here. Grab our stuff and get ready to evacuate. I'll finish things up here," Joseph stated, signalling his men to release Chocolat and Robert.

As the men shuffled off, leaving from the staircase they brought Chocolat and Robert up from, Joseph returned to dealing with Chocolat. Gripping her by the shoulder, he dragged her to the ledge, shoving her back onto the railing and unscrewed the bottle. "If you don't get an overdose, you'd drop down into the dark abyss. Either way, you're well on your way. And when Daggertooth shows up, it's all in his hands," Joseph snidely muttered. Then, in one swift motion, he aimed the water at the mouth and poured it in.


Sirens blared through the night as a squad of officers sped towards the compound in question. After an officer went to Cameryn's apartment to grab the envelope from her, Gil ordered a massive search operation to all the bases in question. Luckily, with the help of the police helicopter, they were able to locate the compound within half an hour. "We have some disturbances here, with some type of a tussle on the roof. And now, there's a second group just infiltrating the compound," the pilot radioed over, "I can't make it out very clearly, so I'm going to fly around the perimeter to see if there are more people."

But Gil would have none of that, as he dispatched the units immediately following the report. "The helicopter can only do so much observation, so it's time to act," he decided. Led by the motorcycle unit, Gil's officers followed the leads as their vehicles powered toward the compound. With the exception of Cameryn, who stayed at her home as a backup, every officer in their unit, plus others from Major Crimes, hopped in on the operation. Presea was picked up from the hospital, and she reported that Cacao was not seriously hurt. But Cacao required rest at the moment, meaning an interview was out of the question.

The police vehicles plus members of the motorcycle team screeched through the main entrance of the compound, pulling off to each side and halting. Officers filed out into the open area to the sound of the chopper whirling above and the feel of brisk air on their skins. The officers surrounded Gil's Audi V8 as the goateed man stepped out of the car. Whipping out a walkie-talkie, he signalled everyone to turn theirs on and adjust to the right channel. "I want a clean, thorough sweep through the entire area, so leave no stone unturned," he instructed them, "Note that our suspects are most likely armed, so be very careful with where you proceed. If things get violent, don't hesitate in retaliating."

The officers all agreed and headed off, the clopping of the shoes echoing through the large area as Gil approached the main building. Following him closely were Presea, Azul, and Cabalina, each with their weapons drawn. "The pilot said there was another group infiltrating," Gil regurgitated the information to his colleagues, "If this may be a rival gang, we could very well be marching into a gang fight. Be alert, alright?"

Gil hobbled to the front of the building, glancing around for any doors or other entrances. The inside was pitch dark, save for some dim lighting here or there. Figuring that some people might have gone inside already, the other team members scoured the surroundings, hoping to get any clues. While his eyes were somewhat limited by the darkness, Gil's hearing was strong as ever as he could hear the Major Crimes Unit flush out certain gang members, their hollering echoing into the night as Gil heard them shout, "Drop your weapon, get on the ground, and put your hands behind your head!"

Suddenly, Gil's radio fuzzed with static as a team member tried to reach him. "Gil, this is Presea. We found some type of entrance here to the side, and it's just slightly open. There are sounds from within, so we're guessing there's some type of a battle. Do you want us to pursue?" she asked, her usually monotone voice laced with worry.

Gil bit his lower lip. His eyes wandered to the other side, staring at the Major Crimes people drag suspect after suspect from their hiding places. The helicopter hovering above also shined a large spotlight on everyone, grazing past Gil and turning the glare onto the building itself. Lifting his radio, Gil brought it to his face and barked new orders in. "Major Crimes Unit, come in," he called, his eyes darting around, "I'm with my unit at the main building right now, and we're hearing a battle inside. Firearms are involved, so how many of you can free up?"

Instantly, several officers bounded over, leaving the suspects to be cuffed and taken to the police cruisers outside by their more junior partners. Seeing the team huddle in, Gil instructed them to go around the building to meet up with Presea. "Presea, give us your current location and I'll have the Major Crimes people come over," Gil ordered.

After another muffled response, Gil got the information he sought, and ordered the Major Crimes team to the location. As the heavier-armed officers sped off, Gil turned his attention to the two other team members. "Azul, Cabalina, where are you guys?" he asked, "Have you seen Chocolat or Bob anywhere around? What about Joseph Aubrey?"

"No Sarge, we got nothing so far," Cabalina's voice responded, her tone between anxiety and disappointment, "We were hoping…Holy Smokes!" she shouted.

Cabalina's scream shot through the walkie-talkie and pierced into Gil's ears, making the man with a cane wince in pain. Already, sounds of battle could be heard as the Major Crimes personnel reached Presea on the other side of the building. They then broke down the doors and barged in, hollering orders to halt and shooting their firearms. But given the situation with Miss Trigger-Happy and the elf, there was no way Gil could let it slide. "Cabalina, where are you? What happened?" he yelled back into the radio.

But the response was muffled, as Cabalina and Azul both spoke at the same time. They had immense worry in their tones, wondering what in the world just happened. "We have a body…" one voice began, only to be cut off by the other stating, "…main suspect is down. Still no sign of Bob or Chocolat…help over here now!"

Gil scrunched up his face. He could see shots being fired by officers and Presea as they slowly overtook the gang. Taking a deep breath, his fingers wrapped around his cane in an iron grip as he propelled himself to the back of the building, where he presumed the other two officers were. His heart beat fluttered around and his stomach churned as he got closer to the back. Near him, the other Major Crimes officers were just about finished their tasks, escorting suspects out and freeing more people to help with the final invasion. But Gil wiped that all from his mind, as he was only intent on finding out what happened to Azul and Cabalina. "I'm almost there, you guys," he stuttered.

But Gil would receive the shock of his life as he approached his colleagues. Azul knelt before a body, lying motionless and face-down on the ground while Cabalina could only glance around nervously. Gil limped his way forward, fearing the worst should the body belong to Robert. But before he could even ask, Azul interrupted him. "Looks like the killer became the killed," he replied. He gently grabbed the collar of the deceased's jacket and turned him over, revealing the moustachioed face of Joseph Aubrey.


"So that's how you got involved with Joseph Aubrey, right? Interesting," Azul stated as he scribbled more notes onto the page. The raid at the compound netted them a dead Joseph Aubrey, a splintered Cult of Martel, and a rival gang led by the infamous Daggertooth. Given that his gang attacked the warehouse at the same time Joseph fell to his death, it made him the prime suspect, causing a high-priority interrogation to take place when Gil's team and the Major Crimes Unit returned to the station.

"But here's one question I have," Azul asked, tapping his notebook. He stared across the interrogation table at the gang leader, who looked anything but confident. Instead of strutting around with his chest puffed out, talking tough to all those around, he had his head drooped, his voice toned down and his back hunched. "According to the reports, you're claiming that there's a dispute between you two. And a few days ago, the battle went so far that blows were exchanged. Can you elaborate on that a bit? And is this perhaps the reason why you paid this unexpected visit to him tonight?" Azul asked.

Daggertooth sighed, shaking his head in disgust. "It's all about his plan in trying to get his girls under control," he replied, avoiding eye contact with the elf, "When he first came out of Triet, he already had experience with starting his own group. When I first met him, he really thought he was some type of pope. He knows that the only way to have absolute control over those girls is to make them high, hence he asked me to provide him with amphetamines. Before long, he became my most frequent customer."

"And somewhere down the line, he wants to gain more, and uses this as a chance to take over your business too, correct?" Azul said, his eyes never leaving the page as he continued scribbling, "And that's why you wanted him dead tonight?"

That was when Daggertooth's head shot up, his eyes filled with worry. "No, we never killed him!" Daggertooth responded, waving his hands emphatically, "Yes, I was mad after he took my goods, and I always knew that he'd hide them in his warehouse. I only invaded because I knew the goods were there, but I didn't know that there would be others present as well. That Chocolat, the girl that's really popular with my clients, I didn't know she'd be on the roof. So I really didn't know what happened, honest!"

By the time Azul gathered enough information, he could officially press charges, but not the ones that confounded them. "There's definitely enough in there for concealing weapons, as well as public mischief and general misdemeanour," he informed Noishe, who was called into the station shortly before the arrests were made, "But we don't have any evidence pointing to them pushing Joseph Aubrey off the building."

Noishe nodded. Like Azul and many of the other officers, he had dark bags under his eyes, a sign of the extreme fatigue from dealing with the case. "And we still haven't even begun exploring the issue of what happened to Bob and Chocolat," he stated, "They should both be at the hospital, right? What are the reports on them so far?"

Azul flipped a page, looking at the initial analysis from the paramedics. "Bob has been diagnosed with physical injuries, most likely the result of severe bleeding. He's got wounds outside and inside, and because of blood loss, he lost consciousness. As for Chocolat, she's unconscious too. We found traces of powder on her face and collar, so they say it's most likely an overdose," Azul grimly looked up, gravely holding onto the paper.

Noishe's hands made their way up to his face, his palms rubbing his cheeks as he mulled the situation. Not only did they lose their main suspect, they might also lose their main witness and one of their own. "Have you managed to contact Joseph Aubrey's last living family members? I do recall hearing that he has a daughter," he pointed out.

"You see, that's the thing," Azul responded, flipping through his pages again. His lap was soon covered by loose pages as the usually organized and well-composed elf got overwhelmed. He wiped his forehead, the pressure getting to him as he sought out the correct information. "Last time we checked, his daughter still lives with him. But when we called his home, there's nobody there. We haven't done a cell phone check yet, provided she has one, but currently we can't contact her."

Noishe pursed his lips. Given that Presea was at the hospital, and Cabalina went home to check on more information, who else could he rely on? Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head a couple of times, trying to keep his brain clear. It was like the further they got into the case, the closer they got to the answers, the harder progress came by.


"Cabalina, what's going on?" a young man with mane-like brown hair trotted down the stairs as Cabalina entered the house. Fil was supposedly finishing his history homework when his older sister had to step out, citing an emergency situation with her unit. And Fil had been in a state of semi-paralysis ever since, his mind wandering to his sister and worrying over her safety rather than focused on the papers on his desk. Now, hearing the front door click open, Fil shot out of his chair and raced down the stairs.

"Everything's fine, Fil," Cabalina replied, her voice slightly shaken. This was not the Cabalina Fil was used to. Usually, his sister was brash, somewhat loud, and was never afraid to let her voice be heard. Now it almost seemed like Cabalina had been hit by a personal loss, like a dismissal from the force or something like that.

Concerned, the mullet-haired university freshman followed Cabalina into the dining room, where the female police officer poured a glass of water from the kitchen and gently placed it on the dining room table. Fil slid into the seat across from her and looked deeply into her face. Dark bags sagged from Cabalina's eyes, complemented by creases on various parts of her cheeks. Adding to this was the downward casting eyes that refused to look up, making Fil inquire, "Did something bad happen out there?"

Cabalina glanced up, her teeth clamped tight onto her lower lip. Her hand shook as she tried to lift the glass of water to her mouth with great difficulty. "Do you know Bob, the colleague that I told you about who was a real bum?" she asked, tremors crossing her lips, "Originally, I was going to use today's operation to work with him, and even apologize to him for my harshness. But tonight, looks like he might not make it. He's been physically beaten, and now he's unconscious at the hospital, along with Chocolat, the girl we're supposed to save," Cabalina finished, trying hard to contain her tears.

Fil stuttered, not knowing what to say. While it was against police protocol to release too much information regarding cases to outsiders, Fil had been aware of the news and things that his sister did at the unit. Knowing some of the history behind the main suspect, Joseph Aubrey, and all the sick and twisted things he did to assume control over teenagers, Fil truly felt like taking him out personally. And knowing that both the main victim and one of the unit's own were sent to hospital, unconscious and barely clinging onto life, Fil could feel his fists clench up involuntarily. "What happened to that sicko?" he demanded, "Where's the jerk Joseph Aubrey? Did you guys catch him?"

Cabalina shook her head, her hand now lifted from the glasses. She squeezed her hands under her armpits, rocking like a child who spent hours in the snow. "Joseph is dead now. He was pushed off the roof of the building," Cabalina replied, slight disgust in her voice, "We wanted him to face justice, but he got the easy way out. Now we have to call his last living relative, his daughter, and we have no idea where she lives now."

Fil's expression changed from revulsion to taken aback. Did Cabalina just say that the suspect had a daughter? What was that classmate of his named again? He recalled a half-elf with aquamarine hair and round, thick-rimmed glasses sitting next to him, getting chewed out by the TA during tutorial section. "Cabalina, I think I know who the daughter is. She's in one of my classes, actually," Fil responded, racking his brain hard.

Cabalina's head shot up. Did her brother just reveal the most important piece of information in this case? If they could locate the daughter, there might be enough to not just get the Cult of Martel shut down, but also take out whatever enemies or rival gang that invaded and left mysteriously before police arrived. "Do you know her name? Can we find a contact number?" Cabalina asked, excited as a little child on her birthday.

Fil glanced up, happy that his observational nature finally paid off. All his life, his family took friendly shots at him for seeing the most trivial things. While everyone, Fil included, took it as a joke, Fil had always wanted his special skill to help someone. Now, seeing his sister's spirits boosted like that, it brought a smile to his own face as well. "I know Bob and Chocolat are the only witnesses, so they can't say anything until they wake up. But let's hope the daughter can help you out," Fil stated, grabbing Cabalina's wrist, "Her name is Kate Aubrey, and she's in my history tutorial led by TA Raine Sage. The university student directory should have our contact info, so let's check it out."


Cameryn Lachance was not in a joyful mood ever since the officer left her home with the envelope containing the vital information. Still fretting over Kate's mysterious tone over her cell phone, Cameryn got another dose of bad news when Gil called her shortly before, informing her that Chocolat and Robert were both found unconscious, but Joseph Aubrey fell to his doom in the building below. "There's no evidence proving or disproving this was a possible homicide," Gil explained, "But given the situation that both Bob and Chocolat were incapacitated, the fact that Joseph was pushed is likely."

And that only got Cameryn even tenser, as she figured that Kate still had issues to settle with Joseph, especially regarding the investments. With all this important stuff on the line, there was no way anyone would take this sitting down. "I can't just sit here and wait forever," Cameryn muttered to herself, "But Kate seemed to have turned off her cell, so what now?" she hissed, her fingers clenching and unclenching around her phone.

The only sounds echoing through the living room were the ticking of the main clock, the seconds counting down to disaster as uneasiness swept over Cameryn's body. Her torso shivered in fear, her hands sweaty and ice-cold, and her face had a permanent wrinkle etched in as she wondered what happened to her friend. While she still felt she did the right thing by helping her police colleagues, somehow she felt Kate would still be in danger thanks to her indirect involvement with gangs. She tried to call once already, only to have her half-elf friend cut the line on her. Now, as it got later, and the results of the investigation came in, the chances seemed bleaker and bleaker for Kate. Stepping into her kitchen, Cameryn poured herself a glass of water, hoping that would calm her nerves.

But just as she sipped the cool liquid from the glass, the lights of the unit across from hers flashed on, causing Cameryn to divert her eyes across. She could see Kate enter her home, visibly shaken and disturbed. The aquamarine-haired half-elf seemed to be in shock, her chest heaved up and down and her body convulsed slightly. "Kate, what happened to you?" Cameryn whispered. Immediately, she placed the glass on the counter and shot out of her apartment, heading straight for the one on the other side.

"Kate, open up!" Cameryn shouted, pounding hard on the door. The strawberry blonde bit her lower lip hard as her eyebrows twisted in anxiety. Her heart pounded like a drum, the rhythm quickening as time seemed to slow down, edging slower and slower as she waited for her friend to open the door. From her position in the hallway, Cameryn could hear a muffled beep as a message played on an old answering machine. Kate told Cameryn that on the day they signed the investment agreement she went to a second-hand store after she did her groceries and bought more things for her apartment. One of which was this old answering machine, and Cameryn was curious to hear what message was sent to her. "It better not be her father threatening her again, or else I'll arrest him myself," Cameryn spat, anger now seeping into her nervously-wrecked mind.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors finally clicked open. The metal door creaked open, revealing little by little, with some hesitation on whether Cameryn should be welcomed in at all. It finally showed the face of Kate, her mug twisted in anxiety and discomfort as she nearly collapsed into Cameryn's arms. One look at her friend and the police secretary was shocked. "Kate, what happened? What's wrong?" she asked, trying to straighten Kate's pose, "Where did you go earlier? And what was that message?"

Kate barely uttered a word as Cameryn wrapped an arm around her. Escorting the half-elf back into the apartment, she sat Kate down on the old couch. Cameryn kept her hand on Kate's back, trying to comfort her. But Kate could only keep pointing at the answering machine, still too shocked to speak. "The message?" Cameryn asked.

Cameryn moved over to the answering machine, clicking the replay button and listened intently. After a shrill beep, Cabalina's voice appeared. "Miss Kate Aubrey? My name is Cabalina Ashton from the Iselia Police. It is with sincere regret that I bring forth the bad news that your father, Joseph Aubrey, has passed away. We found his body at the bottom of a building, so apparently he fell off the roof. We are very sorry for the loss, and if you have any other concerns, please feel free to contact us." The message ended with another beep, followed by an ominous silence. Cameryn's face turned pale-white, staring at Kate as the two sat across from each other, neither one daring to move a muscle.


The next chapter will be the last one, and after that I'm going to wrap up the story with an epilogue. I'm so happy with so many new readers supporting me this time, and hope you had fun reading this chapter.