"Mick." Ben whispered. The echo of his voice bouncing off the walls. "Mick."

She shushed him, turning over but keeping her gun pointed forwards. He always had something to say at the worst possible time. "Ben, This is a bad time to have doubts."

"No." He cut in. "It's not that."

Mick furrowed her brow, letting herself turn all the way over to him, and taking a pause from walking. "I have to come clean, Mick."

He took a moment, his breathing becoming heavier. Whatever he said, he better spit it out, because Mick was becoming annoyed. As much as she loved her brother, she had a husband to save, callings to fulfill, and a killer to stop. She didn't have time for this.

"The handwriting." He spoke. "It was mine."

The room went silent as Mick and Drea stood there shocked. Mick read those letters a million times, how could she not have noticed? How could she not have realized that it was her owns brothers handwriting for gods sake? Does this mean...?

"Ben. This isn't a joke." She replied.

"It's not, I promise."

She was at a loss for words. This couldn't be happening, she thought. But she felt like she said that a lot. Of course this could be happening.

"Ben. How could-"

"-It's not me."

He cut her off, trying to get out what he wanted to say. She just scoffed at his remark, lifting her shoulder in a hunch. "You didn't think it was useful information? To tell me, or the police?" She asked exasperatedly. She can't believe he kept it a secret.

"No, because I knew they'd convict me." He spat. There was no way it was him, and even after he told her it wasn't, he felt like she had a hard time believing him. After all, why wouldn't she? considering he's made some pretty poor choices recently, she had a reason to be suspicious.

"So you're saying The Black Crow forged your handwriting?" She asked. "How?"

Ben sighed softly, not wanting to argue and raise her doubts more. But he knew what he was about to say would just make her even more upset. "I don't know."

Mick threw her hands in the air. "Ok. Well, why tell me now?"

Ben didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think. He had been sitting on this information for days, and he had his own suspicions, but he knew none them would hold.

"I can't keep secrets from you. It was only a matter of time before you found out anyway."

That was when they heard a loud bang from behind them.

The door swung open, the black of the night sky beaming into the room. They heard footsteps, and in the shuffle, Mick and Drea turned from the conversation and readied themselves.

"NYPD." Mick spoke, Drea trecking behind her.

That's when the shots began to fire, and a figure came running through the shadows. Mick ran, taking cover behind a wooden crate. Shots kept firing, and she didn't have a lot of ammo.

She ran behind another crate, attempting to get the shooter in the shoulder, but he was too fast. She heard his footsteps, and as soon as she was close enough, she grabbed the figure and flipped him. His body was now laying flat on the ground. All the breath escaping his lungs in a long grunt.

But suddenly, he fought back, pulling Mick's leg with a free hand and slamming her down onto her onto her back.

"Mick!" Drea let out a blood curdling scream, her hands shaking in the process. She ran to Mick's side in a panic. And when she saw that her friend was ok, she stopped the figure from going any further. She turned to him, forcefully kicking him in the side and causing him to cry out. But she didn't stop. She kicked him again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

She stared down at the man on the floor once she was satisfied, watching him bleed and gasp for breath... and mercy. But her stomach turned when she saw the figures face. Even in the dark his features were unforgettable, tangible.

She stuttered, not knowing why he was here. Not knowing how he knew to come, as they never called him.

"Jared?"


The Black Crow slammed the door shut behind him, slapping Zeke and Eagan awake. Eagan was still shaking from the drugs, his body heavy and clammy from the detoxing.

"Someones here." He spoke, grabbing each of them by the hand, and yanking them up from the floor. Zeke looked around, his eye sight foggy and clouded. "What?" He asked, trying to wrap his head around things.

Then The Black Crows words registered in his mind.

Someone had found them.

Something inside of him leaped for joy, while something else pulled it back. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but also wanted to have faith. He wanted to believe his love was there. That she was the one who had found him. "What's going on?" He asked, The Black Crow grabbing him by his wrists, and pulling Eagan up by his side like dead weight.

"What's happening?"

That was when he heard the banging... the fighting. Michaela and Ben were here... they had to be. But who were they fighting? He thought to himself.

"Where are we going?" Zeke asked, knowing full well The Black Crow knew what was happening. He was taking them away.

He was going to kill Michaela.

"Away from here."


"Jared?"

He groaned, holding his hand to his head as he stood up.

"What are you doing here?" Mick asked with a flinch, holding onto her back in pain. Jared flipped her so hard that the breath was completely knocked out of her, and she had no idea where her gun went. But she had other things to worry about.

"I came here to help!" He yelled angrily. "I had a feeling you needed backup. You never made it home." His hand was gripping his head tightly. When Mick grabbed him, he slammed head first into the ground on the hard cement floor. He was just praying he didn't have a concussion, and he was lucky he wasn't slurring his words.

"Well we don't, so you can leave." Suddenly, as Mick said the last few words of her sentence, she felt the world shift. She was being transported into a calling.

She felt like she couldn't open here eyes, like her chest was being compressed. But even with her eyes closed she could sense that no one else was there, not even Zeke.

She heard the heartbeat like a drum in her chest. Ba boom, ba boom, ba boom. She opened her eyes to the field, death rising upon it like a spirit coming for vengeance. The blackness looming upon the earth so ominously, she felt evil run through her body. A chill ran down her spine. There was something wrong about this.

But this is what Zeke had been seeing, she thought.

"Help me!" The young boy whispered as he wisped across the field. He was like a rabbit being chased by it's predator. He was fast, strong. Mick watched him dash by her, the breeze of his haste catching her hair. She only caught a glimpse of his face as he turned his head. He was looking behind him as him someone was following him. Someone was coming for him. His empty eyes were gray, lifeless. Like his soul had been sucked out.

Almost as if he was never given life to begin with.

"He's here!" The boy yelled into the emptiness. Mick scanned around them, the presence of evil only encroaching. "Who's coming?" She yelled back, desperately in search of a response.

She heard nothing, until the boy wailed as he faced a demon. "You have to find him!"

Mick felt herself come crashing into reality, knowing full well who the boy was talking about. They came here for one reason, and one reason only. To find The Black Crow, and save Zeke. Well, I guess that's two reasons. But at least they knew this wasn't a dead end, and The Black Crow was here... now. The aftermath of the heartbeat was still sitting in her body like a pit in her stomach. It was life after shock. Like the tingling remnants of migraine as you lay with your eyes closed.

"Well in case you haven't noticed," She spoke as Ben reached over to help her up. She was still on the ground, but now she was leaning over like she was gonna hurl. "We're fine."

She wasn't fine.

She had a calling, and Jared could tell.

He tilted his face, his lips pursing. "You didn't seem fine Mick."

She didn't want to reply, but she owed him an answer. "I had a calling, that's all." She placed her hand on her head, and the other on her stomach. Trying to find level ground and stop the world from spinning. The pain in her back only increasing with each inhale.

Jared bit his lip... hard. He hated when Mick had callings, because they flat out felt like excuses... if you could even call it that. "are you ok?" He asked sympathetically. Even though he hated the callings, he never wanted to see her in pain.

"Yeah. I'm ok."

"Same calling?" Ben asked.

Mick nodded slowly, her eyes open and alert now. "We must be closer then."

Mick didn't reply, but she didn't need to. Ben was spit balling, talking it through out loud. "What did the boy say?"

Mick swallowed. "That we had to find him."

Ben winced, as he was hoping to hear new information. But Mick wasn't done explaining the calling just yet. "That's not all Ben." She paused. Ben's hands running down his chin in anticipation , as he waited for her answer. 'he said that he was here."

"The Black Crow." Ben replied. 'So we're on the right track!"

Without hesitation, Jared butted in. "Regardless of if you were on the right track or no, why didn't you wait for the police?"

Mick wanted to strangle him. Flip him again. Maybe even shoot him in the balls just for fun. There were a lot of things she wanted to do, but unfortunately they all involved prison time.

And she couldn't get Zeke back if she was in jail.

"So I need some sort of go-ahead to save my husband?" She spat, wanting so badly to get into Jared's face.

"Well kind of!" He yelled back. "I thought we did these things together?"

Mick shot her hand by her sides in frustration. Why did he think that? Most importantly, why was he not reading between the lines? "Not anymore!" She felt like the whole world stopped at that moment. It was her and Jared in some sort of face off. And for some insane reason, he thought he was winning.

"I'm married to Zeke now. You have to understand that."

Jared was relentless in his approach. Wanting so desperately to get her to crack. To give in and find comfort in him. To come back to him. But Mick stared waiting for a response. And when he didn't give one, she walked off, Drea and Ben following behind. They had to continue their mission. They had to save Zeke.

But she stopped once more when Jared finally opened his mouth again. But his reply was something that left her speechless.

"Do you love him?"

Defeat flashed over his face like a spark that was going out. The light was gone from his eyes, leaving him as fast as it came.

"What?" Mick stared in confusion. Not understanding why he was even asking that in the first place. "Why would you ask me that?"

A tear fell from Jared's eyes as he held his stance, gripping tightly to his words.

"Do you love him?"

"Yes." Mick replied.

Jared didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to run off, he wanted to scream. But regardless of his feelings, he came here to help. He was broken, this broke him… Michaela broke him. But he could mend himself. At least he hoped he could.

"I love him with everything I have. Don't you get that?" Mick was practically pleading with him, the desperation for Jared to leave her and Zeke alone only growing. But Jared realized that now. He stood silently with his thoughts as he tried not to let a sob escape.

I can't have her anymore.

Those words had been playing over and over in his head for months. And in that moment, he stopped ignoring them. He wondered why he even thought, just for a second, that he had a chance.

"Yeah. I get it." He spoke. "So let's go save him… for you."


The continued searching as a group, Jared standing by Ben. Ben only flashed him a few dirty looks. The guy did a lot for them, he didn't fully hate his guts.

"All clear!" Drea yelled as she separated, taking a corner and checking the side. They weren't hearing or seeing any activity. This could be a bust.

"Wait." Mick whispered. "Do you hear that?"

She heard Ben cry out from behind her. She whipped herself around in fear, only to see his body on the floor shriveled up in pain. "Ben!" She ran to him, placing her hands at his sides. He wasn't shot, no blood, no puncture wounds. He must've just been thrown to the floor.

His eyes went wide as he turned the concentration he had on his sister, to the darkness behind them. He saw the shadow… his assailant.

"Mick!" He yelled out, the assailants hard right swing just inches from her face. It was The Black Crow... He was here. She punched him in the stomach… hard. He cried out in pain as he grabbed her arm, twisting it in the other direction. She cried out too, breaking free and kneeing him in the ribs.

He ran, grabbing Zeke and Eagan from their spot in the shadows. He pulled them tightly, keeping them in a hard grip at his sides.

"Mick!" Zeke called out, his voice still weak and groggy. He caught her gaze from across the room, locking eyes with her.

"Zeke!" She yelled through the pain. She held her arm tightly, hoping that it wasn't broken.

They stared at each other in relief, both trying not to let their emotions overwhelm them. She took a second to compose herself, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to speak without sobbing. She turned her gun to The Black Crow. Zeke was in arms length now, and it took all her strength not to run over and hug him. To shoot the man behind the dark clothes behind him.

Zeke felt the angst and simultaneous relief inside of her. 'It's ok' he mouthed, attempting to calm her down. She relaxed, taking a breath as she held her gun tighter.

"Finally." The Black Crow whispered, seeing everyone surround him like a caged animal. Jared was on the left, Drea the right, and Ben finally able to stand on the side. His hand at his hip bone, the pressure only making it worse as he shut his eyes in pain. "I've got you right where I want you."

"Wait." Ben spoke, turning to Zeke and Eagan who were restless in his grip. Eagans eyes were fluttering open and closed, his breath shallow. He was limp, like a ragdoll in The Black Crows arms. "I know that voice."

Ben realized at that moment that the modulator wasn't on. Mick recognized his voice too, and in an instant she knew exactly who she was talking to.

It wasn't Jared.

Obviously it wasn't Eagan.

But this guy knew how to copy Ben's handwriting.

He knew their lives, and had the ability to watch them. He was connected to them, and knew things he shouldn't have known.

It was like a light bulb flashed over her head like a cartoon.

She knew him.

She finally knew.

The Black Crows' demeanor changed as he watched her body language. He was proud… excited. Excited to kill Mick, happy that he fooled them? Mick didn't know, she didn't even know how he was alive.

At that moment, The Black Crow peeled off his hood like another layer of skin. Ripping off the black slowly, letting everyone catch a glimpse of his face. They stared in horror, his face contorting at their reactions.

This confirmed their conclusion.

Ben lowered his hands, his eyes wide as he stared at a man he once knew, what felt like a lifetime ago. How could he be here?

"D-Daly?"


Well. Now you know! The Black Crow is Daly! Wow! Did you guess it? Were you expecting it? How and why will be revealed in part II, and that'll be out soon! Well. What did you think?! Next chapter gets crazier, so buckle your seatbelts! haha!

As always, let me know what you think here, or Twitter! I'm always on there lol.

This chapter is dedicated to my fellow Olaf's children! And a special thank you to Sarah, Kirstyn, Hannah, and Ang for getting me to finish this chapter early! Love you guys!

And I love you all!

- The Color Gray