Begin!

~Karen's POV

In a stroke of luck, news of Olaf came within a week of me asking for it. Jacqueline gave me his last known location personally, and within the same hour Quinten and I were on our way there in his car.

I guess Ernest couldn't protect him forever. And I was also warned that he had gained some hired help in the form of a large bald man with a very long nose to protect him. Wonderful. He must have asked Ernest for a bodyguard. It didn't matter, Quinten knows I'm good at taking people down.

"What do you think we'll find?"

"An empty husk of a man cowering in the corner begging for us to let him go," I replied.

Quinten smirked at my snide comment. "I meant in the place."

"So did I."

It took a long time to reach it. But one thing I did know was that anywhere Olaf went was sure to be somewhere connected to our tunnel system. It was the fastest way to get around on foot, and he had to rely on it too if he was going to stay out of our reach. The hideout he had chosen was an abandoned factory outside the city. However, One quick check of our tunnel maps indicated that he had to have driven here; it wasn't on the map. It was evening when we arrived and we saw no sign of any danger in the area around the building. The place was deathly quiet. There was an empty long black car in the parking lot that I assumed belonged to our target.

Quinten looked around with his spyglass, "The building is falling apart. It'll be dangerous, love, you're sure you want to go in there anyway?"

"We don't have a choice, it's for the mission," I said. "We can get in through the back."

"He might already know we're here," Quinten said while following me out of the car. "It could be a trap."

"Then we have to tread carefully." I paused for a second. "Also, it's so obviously a trap, otherwise he would have covered his tracks better."

Quinten chuckled, "This is why I love you."

It was pitch black inside the building. The only sounds we heard were the occasional creaking of old equipment and the floorboards, along with wind blowing in from outside. That is until we heard Olaf start talking to us via the echo of the huge interior, unfortunately it was so dark we couldn't see where he was. All we could do was follow his voice. Thankfully, I've known him long enough to know he doesn't shut up once he starts talking. (Especially when it's about himself…)

"So they sent you of all people after me? How amusing. Ernest warned me that you were one to hold a grudge, Karen. How does it feel knowing your family betrayed you?"

"My family didn't betray me! Ernest did!"

"But he's still family? You can never stop being related to him you know."

"There's a difference between being family and being related…" I replied, bitterly.

Without warning, I heard Quinten get grabbed by Olaf's guard in the dark. I tried help at first, but Quinten insisted that I go after Olaf. He can handle himself.

I turned on my spyglass flashlight and ran towards the other end of the room where Olaf's voice had come from. I could hear Quinten and the man fighting behind me.

After minutes of wandering through the dark, I ended up at the office area of the factory. Still no sign of Olaf.

"Where the hell are you…" I muttered.

I pointed my flashlight around the room carefully. It looked like an ordinary office aside from the fact that the desks were overturned and it was a mess in every other way. He might have been here for a while to mess with these things so much. I noticed a switch on the wall that said it opened a trap-door to the basement below us. That could prove useful. I studied the room once more; there was still no sign of him. Perhaps he went the other way…

Clang

I blocked his spyglass with my own as he tried to knock me out from the shadows.

"Hello, Karrie, it's been so long," Olaf said as we fought. "How have you been?"

"Better than you'll be once you're locked up."

"Why? I haven't done anything wrong?"

"You tried to kill Beatrice. Lemony told us."

"Don't say that bastard's name in my presence!"

"Do I look like I care? You tried to kill my best friend!"

"She deserves it!"

"That attitude is gonna be the death of you."

Beatrice had told me everything. She might not be innocent in his mind, and he was a tiny bit understandable in believing so, but I would defend my friend to the death for her regretful accident. It was an accident.

"Where is Beatrice anyway," Olaf asked snarkily. "Did she survive that hang-gliding stunt off the balcony?"

I knew that she was alright. I knew where she was. But I had no reason to tell him that. So I made something up. But first…

I slammed down on the switch to open the trap door beneath him. He slipped inside and tumbled down the stairs into the basement.

"Good, that'll keep you still for a while," I called down to him.

I only heard him groaning in pain in reply, so I continued.

"Oh, and if you want to know where Bea is so bad, check the bottom of the ocean," I lied.

"Ugh, curse you, and your fucking trap doors…"

I closed the door so he couldn't escape. Now I just had to find Quinten and call for back-up to arrest these jerks. It was only then that I noticed how unusually quiet it was in here… Before I could hear Quinten and the henchman fighting but now I don't hear a thing. With my heart dropping into my stomach, I quickly ran back out of the office to the factory floor looking for my love.

"Quinten?!"

Silence.

I was enraged and worried beyond belief now. But before I had time to think of what to do, I heard the heavy creak of a floorboard and within seconds I was hit from the back knocking me out cold…

~Quinten's POV

That bastard had taken me down too easily, I gotta get some better training. When I got up it was nearly daylight, which was good because I needed to find Karen.

"Karen!?"

I had more than a few bruises and had to force myself to get up off the floor. I ran through the place looking everywhere for my girl. She can't have been far away. And she wouldn't have left me behind. I know her better than that.

"Karen!" I found her! She was unconscious too just outside the office area. I quickly tried to wake her up.

She groaned, "Quinten…?"

"Don't worry, Kare-bear, I'm here. How do you feel?"

"Like I was hit by a train…" She said weakly, "But I've felt worse. Help me up, we need to check the basement."

I helped her stand and she limped ahead of me to show where she had been. "I locked him in there through this trap door, but…"

Our suspicions were confirmed when she opened it once again. A quick look inside showed it was empty.

I frowned. "His goon freed him after we were out of the way… He could be anywhere by now."

Karen gave me a half-smile. "There is one upside…"

"Oh?"

"I told him Beatrice was dead. He didn't say he didn't believe me."

I couldn't help grinning despite our failure. "Have I told you how smart you are?"

~Karen's POV

When we got back to headquarters, we were in rough shape. Turns out we both had a few broken ribs and had to stay in the hospital for a while. Even so, R was immensely pleased with our efforts of deception. Though we still had to catch Olaf, and we likely never would, he at least believed that Beatrice was dead. That was the best I could do for my friend. I know she'll be grateful.

"I'm giving you commendations for this," R said during her visit to us in the hospital wing. "You'll both receive special awards for services to the V.F.D., and you have my personal appreciation for how fiercely you protected one of your own. When we stop looking out for each other, that's when we truly fail."

"It's what friends are for, ma'am, thank you," I replied. "Is there any word about-"

"Yes. They're ready, with one minor complication that will be discussed later."

"And what about the sugar," Quinten asked.

"I'm told it's close to completion, but there's still no sign of Esmé. We think she left the country by now. She was smarter than Olaf. Nonetheless, we are doing our best to track her. Samantha made a suggestion on multiple places we can check that Esmé liked to frequent for vacations."

"It's nice to know that there's a lead," Quinten said.

"Indeed, rest easy, both of you. I don't want you hurting yourselves more. You're on siesta until further notice." With that, R left the room.

I smiled at Quinten lying on his hospital bed beside mine. "We made a great team huh?"

"We always do, but it's your quick thinking that got him off their backs!"

I giggled, "Flatterer."

Quinten then gave me a thoughtful look. "Karrie, when we're feeling better can you do me a favor?"

"What kind of favor, honey?"

"I'll tell you once we're able to do it. I just wanted to know you'd listen."

I raised a brow at him. "What are you up to?"

"It's a surprise." He smiled.

~End of Chapter!