AN: Looks like Monday is upon us once again guys, hope this chapter makes it a little better. Anyhow, hope ya'll enjoy, and feel free to leave a review.

**6**

I'd taken off my blood soaked jacket and buried it in the snow. The cold was one of the only things that still got to me, so I might have been shivering like the last leaf on an oak tree.

Serves you right for being such a weak coward.

The Walrider had been like this since we'd left the courthouse half an hour ago.

Get off my damn back, the only reason he got away was because you took his hand off.

If I hadn't come back you would have been dead. You think you can handle yourself, but don't forget that you're nothing without me.

I was handling everything just fine, in case you didn't notice I was getting the job done and giving that slimy son of a bitch half the beating he deserved. If you hadn't shown up I'd have-

Done What! Gotten shot by some lowly police officer and died?

If you're so damned worried about having my breathing body to come back to then you should probably do a better job protecting it.

You idiot! You sent me away.

And you actually went. We both know that you didn't have to go if you didn't want to. Don't blame me when you just wanted to run off and be reckless.

You're doing that thing where you tell me to stop doing the things you're guilty of.

Stop avoiding the conversation.

There you go again. It's always my fault, isn't it?

This shit was getting old You don't have to be here. Go one, leave. Go find some other person to ride around on, I'm sure there's more than a few crazy bastards out there that wouldn't mind going on a killing spree.

You know that would require killing you.

Exactly and I know that you wouldn't, so shut up and help me take down Murkoff. My way.

You are a blind fool.

For a second I thought I had won the conversation, then the feeling returned to my shoulder and back where to where I'd been shot. The wounds had mostly healed and weren't in danger of bleeding out, but they were still sore and throbbed every time I moved.

Sometimes the Walrider was a whiny little bitch.

Stumbling through the cold and the nagging pain I considered my options.

There was probably a huge police presence at the courthouse, the CEO was more than likely in a hospital. I'd have to find out which one before I could finish the job. It was more than likely that Trisha and her company would know where to find him. But it seemed like a bad idea to go back there, I had no way of knowing what exactly Frank had seen. For all I knew he could be a gibbering wreck who was shouting what exactly happened to everyone who would listen, or he could be a stain in the snow. I didn't have a cell to call anyone with, and a cab was out of the question given the way I looked.

Mulling over what information I had, I walked back to the motel I'd been staying at. There was probably something important I'd missed at the courthouse, the DA had said that Murkoff agreed to hand over some sensitive documents. Anything there was probably a printed lie, but there could have been something useful.

The Walrider wasn't about to help me remember what I'd seen and I wasn't about to ask. Thinking as hard as I could I shuffled through all the papers I'd seen while looking through the swarms eyes. Most were irrelevant agreements, miscellaneous case work, a couple of contracts, even one that was labeled as a Project Walrider case report. Something nagged at me, but I couldn't remember what. There hadn't been anything damning in the room where I beat the CEO, it was just a clerk's office.

What was it then? I knew I was forgetting something.

While buried deep in my thoughts I came to the motel. It was a cheap place, I walked through the deserted parking lot while fishing the keys from my pants pocket. I let myself into the room and sat down, there was a growing sense that I was forgetting something.

Trying my best to remember, I undressed myself carefully, avoiding the wounds on my shoulder and got into the shower.

The warm water served to thaw out my cold limbs, and as better as that made me feel I still didn't know what I was trying to think of. Quickly, I got done rinsing off and dressed myself in clean cloths from the duffel bag that held all of my belongings. I plopped onto the bed and tried to focus.

This is pathetic.

I sighed in annoyance I take it you're done pouting now?

Not even close.

I closed my eyes just to avoid having to look at my surroundings What do you want then?

For you to stop moping and do something.

I'm not moping, there was something important at the courthouse and I don't remember what it was.

Did it have to do with where the CEO was going?

No, but-

Then it doesn't matter.

If the Walrider had a solid form I would have punched right in it's sarcastic mouth You can help me figure out what it was.

I can, but no.

Don't be such a little shit.

There was no reply and I couldn't help but feel like the Walrider was blocking whatever it was I was trying to think of.

I had no leads now, but the time was right for me to find some; it was nearly five in the afternoon. The local news would be coming on.

The cheap tv in the motel didn't get much aside from basic cable, but that was enough. Flipping on the tv I went to channel twelve, the opening sequence of the five o'clock news was flashing on the screen. I had to sit through the opening, but today's incident was the first thing they talked about.

"There was an attack on the county courthouse today, whether or not this was related to the Murkoff Corp. proceedings is as of yet unknown. Eyewitnesses report a dense black fog covering the area immediately before the incident." the anchorman told the report with a controlled lack of enthusiasm "as of now there are at least ten dead there, and dozens of wounded. Among the is Murkoffs CEO, Nelson Roberts, who is in critical condition…"

They didn't mention the name of the hospital, or the names of anyone else who was wounded, but that was beside the point. I watched the rest of the broadcast, though nothing useful came of it. I was starting to get twitchy being cooped up in the motel room, so I walked back outside. Maybe if I went back to the courthouse I could find something useful?

I must have taken a very round about way to get back to the motel because the courthouse was only twenty minutes away if you moved at a steady pace. Despite the time that had passed I could see that the snow in the courtyard was stained a worrying shade of pink, and that more than a few windows had been blown out of the building. Getting closer the exact number of officers in the area became more apparent. At least a dozen uniformed men were in the yard, with more shuffling in and out of the building. I walked nonchalantly down a side street and around to the other side of the building.

There was still a police presence here, but not nearly to the same caliber as the front of the building. I watched as two cops started to chat with each other, I took their being distracted as my chance to slip up to a back door. I lucked out when I found that it was unlocked, as silently as I could I ducked inside.

The hall wasn't as big as the main entry, but it was just as finely decorated, given that the area probably saw heavy foot traffic. There were still plain clothed people inside, most of whom looked shell shocked or worryingly emotionless.

See what you did I was pissed that the Walrider had gone off and started killing the people throughout the building without regard.

See what you let me do?

I actually was more than a little angry at myself for letting the Walrider go nuts, but there was no way in hell I was about to admit it.

Walking through the hall I made my way to the front of the building. The halls became wider, and more disheveled. a chandelier hung over the main foyer, loose strands hung from it here and there, most of the lights had burst, and it hung crookedly from a tiny string that was all there was left to support it. The rest of the building was in an equally rough state. Trying to look like I belonged I made my way to a group of people standing near the hall I had chased the CEO down. As I got there everyone was silent. The vacancy on their faces churned my stomach and reminded me of the inmates at Mount Massive.

While I was waiting for the cops to thin out a bit so I could move further in without being seen, a noticeably loud conversation sprung up from two officers.

"I don't care how hard your bell got range, we need to find the son of bitch that did this" an officer with a sargents marking on his uniform was giving a tongue lashing to a beat cop with no apparent status.

"Sergeant Murphy, I know I got a look at him, but I got knocked out cold. There's no way I could ID the guy anyway."

"Don't give me that crap Sanchez, go find something useful."

It was obvious that the young cop had more, less than kind, words. But he let the conversation idle anyways. As he walked away from the sergeant I got a better look. From the words I assumed it was the cop I'd thrown into a wall, looking at him confirmed it.

Unfortunately for me I took a second too long to look at him because he caught sight of me. Despite his just saying he wouldn't recognize me there was a look on his face.

I took the hint and made my way out of his line of sight.

Moving down the hall a bit quicker than was necessary I heard his footsteps behind me. I was back at the room from earlier when he caught up to me.

I stepped over the threshold and had just enough time to turn around to see him with his hand on his gun and standing in the doorway.