John kept to Anna side in the small hallway. "Is this the part of the story where the killer comes for us?"

"That's exactly what part this is Mr. Bates."

"Then is now the best time to tell you this is not how I want to die?"

"Maybe not but," Anna shrugged and followed the corridor as the sound of music grew louder. "I'm curious how much you've thought about it."

"Probably about as much as you've thought about Green and whatever his relationship is with the Moonlight Sonata."

"I wonder why you said it with that tone."

John frowned. "What tone?"

Anna pivoted, pointing at him. "That tone that says you're suspicious of my hunch and you're questioning every decision I'm making."

"True as that may be," John help up a hand, "I'm sincerely interested in knowing why you immediately think that hearing Moonlight Sonatameans he's here."

"Why shouldn't it?"

"Feels a bit convenient." John shook his head, keeping his voice down as Anna turned her head to try and follow the sounds of the music. "I mean, it's a famous piece and one of the only classical pieces I actually know but it's also one that a lot of people know."

"He's obsessed with it."

"So are a lot of people. It's a great song."

"It's also a piece in three movements that a lot of people forget because the first movement is the most famous of the three of them." Anna continued down the hall, keeping her steps short. "But it's his favorite."

"He doesn't play it when he-"

"No," Anna stopped in the corridor, shaking her head. "He just thinks of himself as an educated person. He's not deep and complicated."

"Never would've given him the credit." John paused, "Then what's his obsession with the song?"

"He's a surface-level snob."

"And you know this because?" John shrugged at the scowl on Anna's face. "It's not a bad question."

"I know him because I've studied him. The way he acts is like he wants to be deep and suspicious but he's really just someone trying to overcome his own shortcomings." Anna stopped, pointing at a door. "He's an everyman snob."

"Hence the song choice?"

"Exactly. It's like those people who think the only operas ever written were La Bohèmeor Carmen."

"I've got to admit," John let Anna lead the way to the door. "Those are some of the only operas I actually know and I couldn't even begin to tell you how those plots go."

"No one really knows." Anna examined the door handle, twisting it before digging into her pocket. "But that's why I'm not a fan of opera."

"You're not?"

"No, I much preferred the idea of the musical. I could sing along to those since I don't speak German or Italian." Anna pulled out a wallet-like object and unzipped it. "I prefer to sing along to those things I can actually understand."

"Are those-" John turned away from her. "If you're going to continue breaking and entering then I can't watch."

"Don't be so surprised." John almost turned at the sound of her voice but kept himself away from her until the click of the lock opened the door. "There. Looks like the door was open."

"This isn't some American crime show where we can just do whatever we want and 'face the consequences later' because here it's not as simple as a slap on the wrist for plot convenience purposes." John pointed into the interior. "There are rules here. Rules we should probably appreciate and-"

"If you're going to keep arguing I'm going to go in myself and leave you debating it all with yourself in the hall." Anna tucked her lock-picking tools back into her pocket and slipped through the opening she made. "Follow me if you want because, technically, I'm breaking and entering and you're obligated to do something about that."

John groaned and followed her into the room. He pulled his sleeves over his hands and nodded at her to do the same. "If we're going to break all these rules then I insist we make sure we're not contaminating the scene so much we'll destroy the whole reason we're risking both of our jobs here."

Anna made a show of pulling her sleeves over her hands and dragged her phone from her pocket to flick the flashlight on. John did the same, wincing as the song started over again. "Does he have the thing on bloody repeat?"

"Maybe?" Anna took a turn on the spot. "I don't think he's here."

"The lack of maniacal laughter in the background told you that?" Anna scowled at John, blinding him with her phone light. "What? This is how we go."

"And how'd you figure that?"

"The music was my first clue but I guess there's a lot of things that could've been indicators."

"I do hope you're not commenting on the poor décor of this rather detestable flat." Anna shook her head, "And if you're commenting on the music after I've explained-"

"It's classical music."

"As we've already stated."

John rolled his eyes. "You know that any moment we turn around and there he'll be, waiting to garrote us or slit our throats or…"

"Or, whenever you finish your deteriorating comments, you'll remember what I just said about him not being here."

"Then he won't mind if I find his music and turn damn thing off." John aimed his flashlight along the walls and located the iPod speaker. "Finally."

Before John could hit the button something hit him. His hand went to the back of his head as his shoulder hit the bookcase holding the stereo. It toppled to the floor, knocking the iPod loose and ending the music.

That was the last thought in John's head before it too hit the floor.

A thudding behind John's eyes deterred him from opening them fully. And when he tried to shift in place the constraints of a chair held his arms in place while his legs locked firmly in position. John forced his eyes open to find himself tied in the middle of the sitting room with Anna in the chair next to him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the cracked iPod where he landed on it.

"Or they do this."

"What's that?" John blinked, noting a man sitting on the sofa across from them, peeling slices of cheese from the block and discarding the more suspicious parts.

"Sorry?"

"You just said 'or they do this' and I'll assume there was more to that thought before you said that part. Like a conversation I missed or something." The man nodded at him, "What was it you were saying?"

"I was just making a comment that killers usually corner the people stupid enough to track themselves into places like this. They usually take advantage of a moment of surprise to garrote you or slit your throat or-" John shuffled in his chair, rocking it a bit from side to side.

"Or they do this." The man pointed at John with the knife in his hand, nodding as comprehension dawned. "I get it now. Thank you."

"Not a problem." John paused, "Unless you're planning on killing me now."

"If I were a killer then I wasted my chance to slit your throat already by bothering to tie you up. Again when I let you speak. And again," The man stood and moved closer so John could see the lank face that matched the lanky body of a man with dark hair. "When I let you see my face."

"Wouldn't that mean you have to kill me now?"

"That's not how he works." Both men turned as Anna roused herself, wincing. "Did you taze me?"

"Thought you'd appreciate it a bit better than the blunt object I took to the back of this one's head." The man jerked his head in John's direction as he crouched on his long legs and let his arms drape over the arms. "It was what I could do to get you both at once."

"Because you left your sniper rifle at home Talbot?"

"You know I only ever use it for special requests." Talbot gestured around the room. "Like for this one, when I get him."

"Is he one of yours?"

"He-"

"Wait." John interrupted them and Talbot turned, pushing his hands into his pockets to face him. "What the hell is going on here?"

"I'm sorry. I've been exceedingly rude." Talbot extended a hand and then retracted it, nodding at John's secured wrists. "That was even worse."

"You could just untie me and we'll call it evens."

"I can't do that." Talbot shook his head. "Can't let you get in the way."

"You do realize you've not only assaulted but also restrained and held against his will, a Guard?"

"I know that now." Talbot winked at John. "And when we meet again I'll buy you a beer and we'll laugh about this."

"Not bloody likely."

"Well, be that as it may, I can't release you."

"Why not?"

"Because he's not supposed to be here." Anna snorted, shaking her head. "Talbot here is Captain Henry Talbot, operations officer with Special Branch."

"Do you specialize in abductions?"

"Interrogations and wetwork, mostly." Talbot shrugged, hands still in his pocket. "I handle those disgusting little jobs no one wants."

"Is this one of them."

"Green is." Talbot turned to Anna, "If I say more it'll give you ammunition you can't even fire so don't ask."

"You being here already tells me he's an officer with our government."

Talbot shrugged again, "I can neither confirm nor deny-"

"I didn't ask you anything you wanker." Anna cut him off, turning back to John. "Talbot here handles deserters. Shots the dangerous ones and has since he served abroad and killed a traitor ghosting their position to the enemy."

John faced Talbot, "How'd you do it?"

"I aimed and I fired." Talbot did not even blink. "The others in my group couldn't do it and I did since I could. It was simple. He betrayed us and didn't deserve our pity or our understanding. It's the same with this piece of shit."

"So you'll just shoot him if you get the chance?"

"Give me one bullet and it's done."

John took a turn to snort, "Got confidence out your ass there."

"He's not confident without excuse." Anna supplied, pulling at the bindings on her wrist. "He never misses."

"Never?"

"They don't call me the Scythe for nothing." Talbot sighed, "Although never to my face since everyone I work with thinks that I'm not loyal to the regiment or anyone. You know what they say about spook work… Down there long enough and no one trusts you."

"Should we?" John made a show of pulling at his ties again. "This doesn't exactly inspire confidence."

"It's necessary."

"Why?"

"Like I said, you'll get in my way."

"Of you shooting a man?"

Talbot nodded, "That's the intention. All I've got to do is track the bugger down and put one between his eyes. It's not difficult and I'll hopefully be done in time for my holiday."

"Maybe the gnomes hammering for ore in my head are demanding a bit more loudly than I can comprehend for the babbling flow of your arguments to cease but," John scrunched his eyes closed again and then blinked open to focus on Talbot. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"I would think the answer to that question would be 'obviously not' but I try not to judge other's lack of observational skills."

John worked to turn to Anna. "Can you not speak sense to him?"

"Why would you assume I could do anything?"

"Two reasons. First, you got us into this mess. Second, you know him."

Anna sighed, directing her next comments to Talbot. "Henry-"

"If you're hoping to get inside my head with your use of my first name as a technique of putting us on equal footing you're not giving me enough credit Anna."

"Then listen when I tell you that you can't end this man's life."

"My skills say otherwise."

"He's got a list of bodies he's got to answer for."

"And if I don't drop him there'll be more."

"And if you do then we might miss others he's hidden from us who'll never get the peace they deserve." John tried, noting the twitch in Talbot's shoulders. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"It means a great deal to me because the sodding bugger's not strung up to strangle slowly from the tallest bridge I can find." Talbot took a breath. "This is personal for me, Mr. Bates, and I don't intend to let it lie."

"Personal how?"

"A friend of mine lost his wife to this wanker." Talbot sucked the inside of his cheek. "I'm not sure if you've looked through his grisly file but when you do you'll find the name Rose McClare Aldrige and her husband, Atticus, commissioned me for this personally."

"Rose was-" Anna did not finish her sentence as Talbot picked one of the phones off the table and dialed a number before leaving it to ring there. "Henry please don't do this."

"It's already done, Anna." Talbot bent over the back of the sofa and retrieve a long, zippered case. "This man destroyed my friend and that means something to me because this, in some small way, is how I give my contribution to the efforts of repairing him."

"Some things can't be fixed."

"But they can be balanced and I'm going to set things right with the world again, if I can." Talbot nodded at the phone. "Your friends should be retrieving you soon. I wish you luck on your hunt and remember, don't get in my way."

Talbot left the flat, closing the door behind him. John took one moment and then hitched up the chair to stumble forward. Ignoring Anna's sound of disapproval, he jumped backward and tensed his body. The weak chair shattered, knocking the air from him, but freeing John's arms and legs from the restraints.

Wheezing while shaking the bits loose, John turned to Anna and untied her before going to his phone. He pulled it to his ear, coughing as he struggled to answer the dispatcher on the other end. Anna slipped it from his grip and within ten minutes they stood in the middle of all the insignia-ed jackets they could count as forensic personnel and other Guards swarmed the flat.

One of them being Chief Crawley with a very nasty scowl painting his face. He gestured about them, dodging out of the way as two suited individuals collected evidence from the cracked iPod and the broken chair. "I'm sure you think this was brilliant of you."

"Quite the opposite sir." John answered, keeping his response short while glaring at Branson over Chief Crawley's shoulder.

"And that's it?" Chief Crawley waited but Anna answered before John could take another go.

"It's all Mr. Bates can say since this was my idea." Anna pointed her finger toward the roof. "I'm sure you've already got teams in the alley and up on the roof investigating his little tally board."

"They've gathered evidence but it's no excuse for why you're in here." Chief Crawley circled a finger as if to signal the area about them. "Do you have a reason why you're inside a private residence with no warrant in sight and no probable cause?"

"We heard music."

"There are five flats between here and the roof playing music, Bates. Try again." Chief Crawley waited as John winced. "What? The thought of doing this wrong and destroying the case making you as sick as it's making me?"

"It's more to do with the fact that I heard music that I've associated with Green and followed it." Anna offered, shrugging. "It was Moonlight Sonata."

"I don't give a hoot in Hell if it was the tune for the bloody icecapades. I care that you're in here when you shouldn't have been."

"It was the song for psychos." John almost kissed Branson full on the mouth for the comment and again for enduring the purpling face of Chief Crawley. "He's a psycho and then he's playing psycho music and-"

"If you don't get out of my sight, Branson, you'll find yourself scraping shit off the pavement as your next assignment." Branson slunk away and Chief Crawley faced John and Anna again. "Well?"

"We were attacked, sir." John put a hand to the back of his head, drawing away quickly when he touched the tender spot growing into a decently sized lump on the back of his brain. "Got taken by surprise."

"If it was the owner of the flat they were well within their rights to shoot you for being on their property."

"It wasn't the owner." John noted the wide eyes of Anna, the slight shake of her head but he plunged forward. "It was someone named Henry Talbot, not sure if it's his real name."

"And what's that to me?"

"He's hunting Green for himself."

"Hunting him?"

John shrugged, dropping his arm. "He's some kind of sniper."

"A hit man?"

"He's an operations officer with Special Branch." Anna filled in, shooting John a death glare. "And agent of the British Government."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? Knowing that a trained assassin is in my city hunting for a psychotic killer?"

"It at least tells us that Green's got association with the British Government and now we've got a face to look for instead of chasing shadows." John offered, holding his ground at the withering expression from Chief Crawley. "It's a place to start."

"And you think it's a viable lead?"

"The man tazed Ms. Smith and knocked me over the head to keep us down."

"I could've knocked you on the head if that's all it would've taken." Chief Crawley sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose and pinching there as he scrunched his eyes closed. "Fine. See what you can find to help us nail this bastard to the wall."

John frowned, "Which one?"

"Either. Both. Whichever answer gets me someone who could hang for murdering this many people like it's a game." Chief Crawley shook his head, leaving the flat and almost running into one of the forensic technicians. "Watch where you're going."

John turned to Anna, "I do hope your friend's not going to be a problem."

"He told us to stay out of his way and we'll be fine."

"Going after Green through whatever connection they could have seems the opposite of that admonition."

Anna managed a little grin. "I never was one for strict rules."

"Don't I know it."