Guess what? WE'RE BACK! :D I bet you guys had given up on us, hadn't you? I think I speak for both myself (Olivia) and my wonderful co-writer when I say that I am so, so sorry that this story has gone so long without an update. We're both extraordinarily busy and, even with all of this newfangled technology, our lines of communication are a bit unreliable. It probably doesn't help that we semi-obsessive-compulsively revise every chapter.

Anyhoo, I apologize once more and I hope you enjoy!

OooOooO

Adam King was at a complete and total loss. He had really, really screwed up, and he didn't know what to do.

He glanced from his boss to the beaten and bound psychic in front of him. Yes, he thought, I've really messed up this time.

For the life of him, he couldn't understand how things had gotten so drastic. His position with Manning had been completely innocent at first. King had been the chief accountant for Hyperion Technology, Manning's research company. He had known that his boss acquired funding from…questionable means, but he had never been too involved with the business's shady side. That is, until a few months ago, when Adam realized that someone was stealing from the company.

Adam hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the beautiful wooden doors that led to Pierce Manning's office. He found the man intimidating, despite their past history, and was not in any way eager to be the bearer of bad news.

"Come in." Manning's deep voice reached Adam through the doors.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the office. The room was beautiful, decorated with with expensive sculptures and paintings that hung on the deep blue walls.

"Adam," Pierce greeted him warmly, "please, take a seat. What can I do to help you?"

Adam obliged, sitting in one of the comfortable armchairs in front of Manning's desk.

"I've come across something, Sir. Something you're not going to like." Adam told his boss, doing his best to keep his voice steady.

"Yes?"

"The Gentry brothers, Sir. They're stealing from you."

The Gentry brothers were two of Hyperion Tech's most valuable researchers. They had aided in developing some of the company's most groundbreaking experiments.

Manning stood up from his chair and crossed to one of the office's massive windows that looked out on the city. He was silent for a long moment.

"You know this for sure?" Manning asked, his voice so quiet that Adam had hardly heard him.

"Yes, sir." Adam nodded. "A few weeks ago I noticed that money was missing from the company's primary account. Someone has been skimming from your funds for a while now. It took time, but I was able to trace the leak back to the Gentrys."

"Conclusively?"

"Conclusively." King confirmed.

Manning sighed heavily and made his way back to his desk. The silence in the room was like a physical presence. Adam shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"I can get you evidence if you want to take this to court, Mr. Manning. I think I have enough to-"

"No." Pierce interrupted him. "No court, no lawyers. They know too much. We have to handle this ourselves."

"We, sir?" Adam piped up anxiously.

Manning stood up once again, this time moving to lean back against the front of his desk.

"You've done well, Adam." Manning told him. "Really well. I've kept an eye on you, you know. Ever since I brought you in. You have a lot more to offer to this company than your skills with a calculator. I want to bring you into my inner circle, but first you have to prove yourself."

Adam shuddered when he thought back on what he had to do to 'prove himself.' Manning had asked a lot of him. First he had to help kidnap the Gentry brothers. Then he was forced to view and conduct 'interrogations' where they questioned the brothers until they revealed the location of the stolen money. Adam had hated every second of the process, but he had a pretty good idea of what would happen to him if he refused his boss. He had seen too much-there was no way that Manning would let him pull out unscathed.

He almost did, though, when Pierce told him to kill those men. Adam was a good guy. He wasn't a killer. He hadn't even wanted to kidnap the Gentrys. Were it up to him, the police would have been called and justice would have been served the good old fashioned way.

But it wasn't up to him. He had done as he was told and now Melissa was going to pay the price. Adam felt an unforgiving combination of grief and guilt clawing at his insides. This was his fiancee, the love of his life, and now Pierce Manning wanted him to treat her like any other loose end.

"Why don't you keep at this, Adam." Manning's voice snapped him back to the present. "I have business to attend to."

"Where are you going?" King asked as Pierce and his hired muscle headed for the door.

"If he's not going to tell me where your girl is," Manning gestured to the psychic, "then I'm just going to have to find her myself."

Adam felt cold dread wash over him as Manning left the room. He knew what would happen if the man found Melissa.

"Don't worry." The psychic spoke weakly from his chair. He had just undergone another bout of abuse and was looking a bit worse for wear. "He'll never find Melissa."

Adam was torn between feelings of gratitude and anger towards the man before him. Spencer had protected Melissa, but now he refused to let him save her.

"I am sensing some major confusion from you, Mr. King." Shawn said cryptically. "You don't belong here at all, do you? With Manning. You're no criminal."

King huffed and said nothing, refusing to give the psychic the satisfaction of being right.

"I want to help you Adam. Really, I do. But you need to help me first. Get me out of here and I swear to you, Melissa will be safe." Shawn paused for a few seconds. Talking was clearly wearing him out, but he persisted. "We can take down Manning and I'll speak for you-make sure you get off with a light sentence for what you've done."

Adam ran his hand through his hair, agitated, and began pacing.

"But wait. That's not what you want, is it? You don't want Manning to go to jail."

"It isn't that," Manning assured Spencer quickly, "it's just that I…owe him…"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Look," Adam said, sitting in the chair in front of Shawn, "we went to school together, Pierce and I. Well, he was a senior in high school when I was a freshman. Neither of us came from the best of families, so he became a sort of mentor for me. We lost contact after he graduated. He went off to college and became ridiculously successful while I went down a...different road. Let's just say that he bailed me out. If he hadn't given me a job at Hyperion, who knows where I'd be."

Adam was surprised when the psychic began laughing quietly.

"Of course. How did I not see this coming? That twisted sense of obligation. Classic." Shawn stopped for a moment as harsh coughs racked his body. He wasn't looking too hot. "Ju-Just think, though, Adam. Who means m-more to you, your boss, or your fian-fiancee?" Another round of coughs had the psychic practically gasping for air. "There's n-not much t-time, Ad-Adam. Help me, and Mel-Melissa is s-safe."

And with that final push, Shawn Spencer's eyes slipped closed and he fell unconscious.

"Spencer?" Adam called out, not expecting an answer.

He crossed over to Shawn and shook his shoulder.

"Spencer?" He said again.

Not receiving an answer, Adam began to worry. If the psychic died he'd never find Melissa-not before Manning did, at least. He was scared. He knew what his boss was capable of. If he helped Shawn, he was as good as dead.

Adam crossed to the door and checked the hallway. He was surprised to find that no men were stationed outside. Manning had probably taken then all with him.

He glanced back at the bloodied, unconscious psychic.

He knew what he had to do.

OooOooO

Righto, if you're getting the vibe that this story is on the home stretch, I'm thinking you're right! While I can't tell you exactly when the next chappie will be up, I promise that the wait will be shorter this time. Please hang in there a bit longer! We're doing our best!

A few reviews definitely won't slow us down, though! Drop us a line and tell us what you think! Thanks so much! Y'all are the absolute greatest :D