Big thanks to Mandrakefunnyjuice, AccessBlade, and Wavebreeze for the reviews. We're getting to the climax here, with Warner and his final target both identified. Look for quick cameo appearances by Chloe Device, an OC belonging to Caro N from her Pokemon and Digimon trilogy, and Mao, from Tales of Rebirth. Mao's a musical guy in that game, and I incorporated that here by having him write Genis an instrumental piece. The song is the Genis theme from TOS, and Mao himself will refer to the famous TOR running gag that most Tales fans are familiar with. On that note, we're ready to start!
Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. AccessBlade owns Cameryn Lachance. Fenrir of the Shadows owns Azul Kharlan. No Pain No Gain owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have you attention please?" the DJ called amidst loud dance music. The annual spring dance was always a draw with teens in and around the neighbourhood, and they often enjoyed this as a way to kick off spring break. But today, there was something extra special for a certain attendee, and the DJ was about to reveal it.
"I have here a special request by someone who wrote a piece of music on their own, and wanted me to play it tonight," the DJ explained, the music from the speakers now simmering, "I was told this was dedicated to a friend of his who is celebrating a birthday today. Without further ado, I want to introduce this special musician. Please give it up for Mao Orselg!"
A youngster with red hair and red eyes took the stage to great applause. He had on a sky blue jacket, marine blue slacks, and ocean blue sneakers. Taking the microphone, he glanced at the crowd with thoughtful but energetic eyes. "Today, my good friend is turning thirteen. We met last year when I first moved to Iselia, and I was really thankful for his help and support in fitting in," he described, scanning the audience for the birthday boy, "Since I have a musical background, I thought I'd write up something for him. It's pretty short, only about two minutes long, and it has no lyrics. But it's pretty good for dancing to, especially considering how he's a pretty quirky dancer. So here's to wishing you a happy birthday, Genis Sage!"
The crowd roared and clapped in approval. Grinning shyly, Mao stepped back and handed the DJ a CD. With the DJ inserting it into place, Mao hustled back to an area to the left of the DJ, where his two friends were waiting for him. "You wrote a song all for me? That's amazing, Mao! Thank you for such a great present!" Genis exclaimed, giving Mao a high-five.
Mao smiled sheepishly again. Like Genis, Mao was in the eighth grade, but was nowhere near as outgoing as the half-elf. Many people viewed Mao with hesitance, almost fearful that Mao had some deep dark secret. While Mao didn't say much about his personal life, Genis felt people shouldn't be so judgmental about him. Because of that, Genis decided to help Mao adjust to the new school and city. "It's only right that I help you out, since so many people helped me in my life," Genis recalled telling Mao back then. Happily for both boys, they became good friends.
Just then, a very tropical theme aired through the speakers, surprising most dancers present. The song sounded more like it should be played at a tropical resort rather than a spring dance. "Spring break means vacations, and after that, summer is on the way," the DJ declared over the song, "Why not liven things up with Mao's summer-themed song?"
People around soon got into a groove, most of them doing freestyle dances. Genis also went into dance mode, stretching out his arms and holding his thumbs up. His arms alternated going up and down while his legs were slightly crouched. "Hey, not bad," he commented, grinning at Mao, "Definitely something with a kick in it. You dancing along, Chloe?"
The girl standing next to the two boys swayed along to the music, but barely lifted her feet. Like Mao, Chloe Device was a new student, arriving just this school year. She was fourteen and in ninth grade. Like Mao, she said little about her personal life, but soon befriended the two boys. "I'm staying a bit more low-key," she replied, fixing the gold headband on her dark hair.
Genis shrugged. He switched his random dancing style again, this time pretending to hold a comb and slowly preening it through his unruly hair. As the silver-haired boy continued his dance, Chloe turned to Mao and asked, "Why is it that you and Genis are in the same grade even though he's a year younger? I thought Genis never skipped a grade."
Mao shoved his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. "Genis told me he was offered a chance to skip a grade, but he and his grandmother declined it," he replied, his red eyes tilting in thought, "The reason he's a year younger than me is because he never attended pre-school before kindergarten. So technically speaking he didn't skip a grade, because pre-school is before school, but he did skip something, since he started kindergarten one year younger than everyone else."
"Starting one year before everyone else," Chloe quietly remarked, "I wonder if that's what led to Genis' weird sense of humour." Even though she, Mao, and Genis were good friends, there was still so much she didn't know about them, and so much that they didn't know about her. One of these days, Chloe swore to find a way for all three of them to talk more openly of their pasts. Turning back to Genis, Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the half-elf's new dance. "It's the trademark Genis Sage move, right?" she pointed out, winking her royal blue eye at him.
Mao turned as well, and couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Genis unzipped his vest and lifted his shirt underneath. He stuffed a finger into his navel and did a belly roll, pulling and wiggling the deep depression along with the music. "Belly dance for the belly button fanatic," Mao stated, pointing at Genis' abdomen, "Seems almost suitable, doesn't it?"
Genis stared up, a smile on his face as well. "The belly button is our first birthmark, courtesy of our umbilical cords being snipped off. What better way to celebrate a birthday than to do the belly button dance?" he explained sagely, not missing a beat with his belly roll, "Hey, isn't your birthday coming up soon, Mao? You're turning fourteen next month, right?" he asked.
Mao nodded sheepishly, slightly rubbing the back of his own head. "Don't tell me you plan to write a song too," Mao stuttered with a chuckle. By now, Chloe was with them again, only opting to glance at Genis while tapping her chin with a fingerless-gloved hand.
Genis smirked. Stopping his belly roll, he let his shirt fall back down, but kept a finger inside his navel. "I'll have something planned for you on that day, but you just make sure your belly button is front and centre, just like mine is today," Genis warned, pointing at Mao's gut.
"Do I have to?" Mao hissed, slowly lifting up his shirt as well. Unlike Genis, Mao did not have a concave navel. In fact, the skin that supposedly dipped in protruded out, but did not exceed the abdominal skin around it. "My belly button is halfway between innie and outie, or an in-betweenie," Mao stated, gently pinching the protruding part, "Will people see this as odd?"
Before Genis could even roll his eyes, Chloe beat him to the point. "Mao, why are you so worried about how people view your belly button?" she retorted, placing her hands on her hips, "You should be proud of who you are, regardless of how people feel. Besides, if you want weird bellies, you should check out my boyfriend's trick. He's a natural innie, but can somehow turn that into an outie at will. Even today, I have no idea how he does that."
Genis' eyes widened. Chloe's boyfriend was in the same grade she was, and was part of the local soccer team. Genis and Mao had only met him once or twice, but never in Genis' mind could he imagine such a crazy trick like that. "So he's both an innie and an outie? How does that work?" he demanded, lifting his shirt once more and quickening his finger's jabs to his navel.
Chloe shrugged. "I can never really see how he does it, but somehow he can pull out the innie part and make it stay an outie for as long as he wants. I'm just surprised he hasn't given himself an umbilical hernia because of that," she pointed out in a sarcastic tone. Glancing at Genis, she could see his face turn pale, which only made Chloe chuckle. "Speaking of friends, shouldn't Lloyd and Colette be showing up soon? They are coming tonight, right?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Genis replied, removing his hand from his belly button. He slipped it into his pants pocket and yanked out his cellphone. "They told me they would be a little late, since Lloyd has to help his dad with a police investigation. Mr. Irving is at the station, and he wants Lloyd to email something to him. But seeing the time right now, I think they should already be here. Should I call them?" he asked, tilting his eyes between Chloe and Mao.
Genis' two friends glanced at each other. "I suppose it doesn't hurt," Mao suggested with a shrug, "I think you should call outside the hall, since it's pretty loud in here." Mao gestured at the DJ, who just finished Mao's tropical musical earlier and placed in another dance beat.
Genis hissed through his teeth. While he understood Gil had an important case, it was still kind of frustrating that Lloyd and Colette would be delayed by this much. Not only were they missing out on a great dance, Lloyd was also Genis' only source of transport home. Mao and Chloe both had their parents pick them up, but Genis was with Lloyd and Colette because he invited them to his house afterwards for a birthday cake. "Do you two want to tag along as well? I'm sure Grandma would love to have you around," Genis offered, waving his phone at them.
Mao and Chloe both seemed unsure. Since both had their parents picking them up, they would have to make alternate plans. "Why don't you call your grandmother after you call Lloyd and Colette?" Chloe responded, with Mao nodding alongside her, "That way, if your grandma says it's okay for Mao and me to come, then we can call our parents and tell them to pick us up at your house. Lloyd's okay driving the five of us to your place, right?"
Genis rolled his eyes. "Knowing Lloyd, he'll probably complain about gas again." Even though he drove a fuel-efficient MINI Cooper, Lloyd could be quite the cheapskate when it came to gasoline. Last summer, when Lloyd took Colette and Genis on a road trip, they ran into Raine and Sheena in another city. Raine asked Lloyd to drive her to another town for extra research, and Lloyd grumbled the whole way about how much gas it would cost. "Anyway, I'll call Lloyd, and then Grandma. If Grandma says yes, then you can come over for cake, okay?" With that, the silver-haired half-elf bounded out the dance floor, heading out the doors and into the brisk night.
The surprisingly chilly wind whipping at Oni's leather jacket barely did anything to take his mind off the dangerous dilemma. Oni was at the pool at the basement of his apartment building with his girlfriend when Gil called, claiming that Oni's life was threatened. Gil finally identified the serial killer they were pursuing, and he used to be a man that Oni tried to arrest back when Oni was still a cadet in Luin. Now, knowing the killer was a psychopath trying to identify Oni with his clothing, the only option was to get into protective custody immediately.
The roar of the motorcycle's engine did little to calm Oni's nerves, his pulse going faster than ever and goose bumps shooting up and down his arms. The killer, Frank Warner, could be on the loose right now. There was no telling what would happen if Warner found Oni, only knowing that Oni would be subject to some crazy killing method. "Had I known better, I would have bought a copy of Sarge's book and read it," Oni muttered.
Turning into a community zone, the rookie officer glanced at his surroundings before making a right turn. Other than streetlights and some isolated lighting from the few buildings nearby, not much was illuminated here. If he recalled correctly, Genis had a dance tonight, and the community hall holding it was nearby. Oni would love to drop by, but that wouldn't work tonight. Focusing on the road once more, he turned his bike to the direction of downtown, where the police headquarters was. The sooner he could get the information back to Elyria, the better.
Then, from the darkness to his left side, a large white van came up to the lane against his. Oni couldn't see the driver was or the license plate, but the larger vehicle took a dangerous lean towards him. Reacting quickly, Oni tilted hard to the right, edging closer to the sidewalk while shooting the van a look darker than the night. The last thing Oni wanted was to be delayed by a reckless driver. Was this guy drunk or something like that, driving in such a crazy way?
Oni barely had any time to contemplate that thought, as the crazy driver swerved his way again. Oni tried to brake and tilt at the same time, this time nearly going onto the sidewalk and knocking over a couple of newspaper dispensers. At this rate, it wouldn't be Frank Warner who would kill Oni, but this lunatic in the white van. Tilting once more to avoid another hit, Oni felt enough was enough. "Why don't I call for backup from the traffic team?" he murmured.
Yet Oni was unable to make this move. The van made its most unpredictable move of the night, speeding past Oni and violently zipping into his lane. Positioning itself right in front of the motorbike, the white van braked immediately. Oni could only brake hard in reaction to that, losing all concentration on the road and letting his motorbike wobble in an unbalanced way. Before long, the bike toppled to the side, sending Oni sprawling onto the asphalt pavement. Had it not been for the thick helmet he wore, Oni swore his head would have cracked open by now.
With pain throbbing from all parts of his body, Oni could barely move his arm, struggling to pull off his helmet. From his blurred vision, the van grinded to a halt before him, an ominous figure stepping out from the driver's side. Like a beast stalking its prey in the night, the strange figure reached over and turned off the engine to Oni's motorbike. As he continued to approach, Oni saw the man pull a bottle from his pocket. "That's not chloroform, is it?" Oni muttered.
Soon, Oni got a chance to find out in person. The figure threw the half-elf to the ground and placed a knee on his back, keeping Oni completely immobile. He placed the bottle on the ground next to Oni and ripped the helmet off Oni's head, almost decapitating the rookie officer. "Who are you? What do you think you're doing?" Oni roared, struggling from his helpless position to break free. From on top of him, Oni could hear the bottle being snapped open, with the dripping of some liquid following that. "Let me go, now!" Oni yelled again.
There was no response. Before long, the rancid smell of chloroform filled the air, and one arm slowly wrapped around Oni's neck like a boa constrictor. Oni could barely holler when a wet cloth smothered the lower half of his face, covering his mouth and nose and sending the putrid chemical up his nostrils. Soon enough, Oni's breathing became shallow, his eyelids heavy, and his entire body relaxed. Darkness and unconsciousness soon descended over his body.
"Fireball!" a voice from afar shouted, followed by three bright orange spheres slamming into the area. Oni felt the weight lifting off his body, even though the chloroform already started working on him. Oni barely peeled his eyelids upward when he saw a figure smaller than the one who attacked him approach. "Are you alright?" the recognizable voice of Genis Sage called, placing a hand on Oni's shoulder, "Oni? What happened here? What's going on?"
Genis barely got a chance to check before he too was thrown to the ground, the attacker sending him a few metres in front of Oni. Undaunted, Genis popped back up concentrated on the ground near the attacker's feet. "Icicle!" he shouted, sending frozen blades shooting from the cement. The boy hoped to freeze the attacker's feet in place for just long enough to let him call the police. "I can't waste any time here," he murmured, whipping out his cellphone.
While waiting for the call to connect, Genis tried to check on Oni's condition. His police officer friend now had a dazed look on his face, almost like he was confused as to where he was. Genis realized he couldn't just leave Oni here with the attacker, but also figured Oni would be too heavy to drag to somewhere safe. Wringing his free hand in frustration, the silver-haired half-elf racked his brain. "This isn't supposed to happen," he muttered anxiously, wiping his mouth with a fingerless-gloved hand, "Why didn't I ask Mao and Chloe to come out too?"
Just as the operator answered, Genis quickly described his situation. "Yes, my friend is unconscious and being attacked. I'm standing across the street from the community hall right now," he explained, giving the address of the community centre to the operator, "I can't drag Oni back to the hall with me, and the attacker is still nearby. I want your help…"
Genis didn't get a chance to finish. A quick chop to the side of his neck soon made the pre-teen lose consciousness, his body hitting the asphalt like a sack of potatoes. With the boy out of the way, the attacker picked up the chloroform-soaked cloth and smothered Oni's face once more, knocking the rookie officer out cold. The only sound heard was the operator calling for backup from Genis' cellphone as the two unconscious individuals were thrown into the van.
"Sergeant, all we have here are a motorcycle and a cellphone," an officer reported to Gil, who silently observed the disturbing scene. After receiving a strange call from a cellphone, 9-1-1 dispatch sent a patrol car into the area, with the only knowledge being there was an attempted abduction. Yet by the time the officer got there, the scene was surprisingly clean, with nothing more than the two stated objects lying harmlessly on the ground. What strange event was this?
One look at the motorcycle's license plate and Gil was suspicious, something about the numbers and letters reminding him of something. "Did dispatch say who was taken? Can we run a check as to who has this license number?" Gil asked, his eyes boring straight into the plate.
Before the officer responded, the lost cellphone rang. Gil glanced through the transparent evidence bag the phone was in, and the caller ID shocked him. Pushing the phone's receiving button through the bag, he placed it next to his ear. "Hi Lloyd, how do you know this number?"
"Dad, what's going on?" Lloyd retorted from the other line. From the earpiece through the plastic bag, Gil could hear that Lloyd was most likely behind the wheel, courtesy of that distinctive low hum from Lloyd's MINI Cooper. "I'm on my way to the dance right now. How come you have Genis' cellphone? Is Genis with you right now?"
Gil's face paled. So Genis was the 9-1-1 caller who disappeared. Was he taken alongside the original target? Gil racked his brain, thinking hard about where he last saw the motorcycle license plate. Years of undercover work trained Gil to observe and analyze even tiniest details, and right now he was really put to work with the license. "Actually, I think I see you," Lloyd continued over the phone, "Are you with the police cars? I'm pulling up behind them right now."
Gil looked up just in time to see two headlights screech to a halt behind the cruiser, followed by two teens stepping out from both sides of the vehicle. The emergency lights on top of the cruiser did just enough to illuminate the worried looks on the faces of Lloyd and Colette. "Is everything alright? What happened to Genis?" Colette asked, tugging on her jacket.
"Lloyd, Colette!" another voice called. Gil turned to his right and saw two younger teens trotting across the road. One was female, had dark hair, and wore a light blue jacket, dark open-fingered gloves, and a gold headband. The other was male, had red hair, also wearing a blue jacket, along with blue slacks and sneakers. "We were wondering when you'll show up. In fact, Genis stepped out of the hall just to call you," the girl, Chloe Device, informed the group.
"Genis wanted to invite us to his house for the birthday cake, and since you're the driver, he wanted to ask if you can give us a lift too," the boy, Mao Orselg, added to Chloe's words, "He stepped out to call because it was so loud inside, but he never came back in. Chloe and I got worried, so we came out, and now this happened!" Mao exclaimed, gesturing at the police cars.
Lloyd and Colette looked at each other, their cheeks tense with stress. "Genis didn't call either one of us," Colette replied, rubbing her hands together anxiously, "Lloyd was just about to call him to tell him we're on our way, but then Mr. Irving picked up."
Four sets of eyes turned to Gil, who studied the phone with great interest. He scrolled through Genis' call log, and found that the last call was a 9-1-1 call. "So Genis called the police regarding the abduction only to get abducted as well?" Gil wondered aloud, "I'll have to call up my team and any other available officers for help. Plus, we still have to find out if the owner of that bike has anything to do with this. Is that person the culprit, or maybe got taken with Genis?"
Just then, an officer came by and tapped Gil on the shoulder. The goateed staff sergeant stepped away from the teens, leaving the foursome to stew in their own thoughts. "With the way the speakers were blaring inside that community hall, I doubt anyone could hear Genis cry for help, if he cried for help," Chloe pointed out, cupping her chin in thought.
"Unless you're like my friend Veigue Lungberg," Mao chimed in, a sly grin on his face, "Veigue's girlfriend is named Claire Bennett, and every time she gets in trouble or something, Veigue will scream her name on the top of his lungs. I bet if Veigue was the one out here, and Claire was being dragged off, he'd yell so loud that even the DJ would stop his music."
Mao's silly grin was soon wiped off his face, courtesy of three sets of glares. "Not funny, Mao. Our friend is in danger here!" Lloyd hissed through clenched teeth. The brunette was most worried about how Lynn and Raine would take it. Whether it was fighting Cruxis, or Raine using herself as bait to catch a killer in Altamira, or even Genis using his belly shot against an assailant in his backyard, the Sages were a cohesive bunch. The only time they were apart was when Lynn had an Exsphere in her body, and like Colette, it mutated her into a monster. Genis was forced to subdue his own grandmother with mana spells, and Lloyd could still recall the devastated look on Genis' face when the hospital staff took Lynn into isolation. Seeing how much grandmother and grandson meant to each other, how could anyone of them break this news to Lynn?
Just then, Gil marched back to the teens, all colours flushed from his face. "The officers just ran a license check on that motorbike, and they found it belongs to Oni Sheikah," Gil told the group, a shaking hand lifting to scratch his goatee, "I was waiting for Oni at the station to hand him some documents on protective custody. We believe that the serial killer is going to target him next. But right now, it looks like the killer might have beaten us to him."
All four teens looked like their guts were rammed by a dump truck. Could Genis and Oni be at the mercy of a psychotic killer? While Mao and Chloe were not informed of the case, they heard enough from the news to know about these mysterious deaths. "We got to do something," Colette fretted, her arms shaking weakly like jelly, "Is there any way to locate those two?"
"If we go according to my book, the killer is onto his last kill," Gil stuttered, wiping his mouth nervously, "The killer went back into his comfort zone, where he could access the things used to kill his targets. If Warner has Oni and Genis, there's only one place where he could be." He then requested the teens to give the officers any information on Genis prior to the half-elf stepping out of the hall. "Tell them what he did, what he wore, when he stepped out, how long he was gone for," he ordered to Mao and Chloe, "Meanwhile, I have some phone calls to make."
The four teens made their way to the officers while Gil stepped aside. Whipping out his cellphone, he rifled through his call ID list and pecked out the appropriate numbers. Never did he expect his case to go out with a bang the way his novel did. But if Frank Warner wanted to play this game this way, then it was time to break out the big guns.
"Ugh, where am I?" Oni murmured, a wave of pain washing over him from head to toe. The last thing he recalled before blacking out was a white van trying to sideswipe him on his motorcycle. Everything after that was just a blur, with him falling off the motorbike and then someone covering his face with a putrid cloth. Now, he was in a fairly dark room, his whole body throbbing with pain, and wasn't sure if he was even safe.
Fighting his aching head, Oni turned with great difficulty. Just then, he realized he couldn't move his hands, courtesy of his wrists being bound together behind his back. "What the…" Oni muttered, struggling to separate his hands. It proved to be impossible, with the ropes holding together tightly. The blood soon rushed in and out of Oni's face, his breathing now more frantic and shallow. Glancing around the dark room, was there a way out of here at all?
Oni's eyes soon stopped on a figure a short distance away. The darkness smothered most of the person's features, but Oni could make out some traits. Lucky for Oni, his feet were not bound, and his body wasn't tied to anything. That meant he was at least mobile enough to reach figure. "Hey, are you okay?" Oni asked, trudging over to the fallen figure, "Can you get up?"
One look at the smaller figure and Oni's heart nearly popped out of his chest. The unruly silver hair, the blue fleece vest, and the dark open-fingered gloves gave it all away. For some strange reason, Genis Sage was captured alongside him, and was now lying unconscious in this room. "Genis?" Oni gasped, his body turning into jelly, "What on earth is going on here?"
Before Oni could do anything to check on his young friend, two arms gripped him by the shoulders and violently hurled him back. It was like the worst case of whiplash Oni had ever experienced, adding to the already present pain over his body at the time. Yet Oni barely had time to holler out when a gun was placed right in from of him, the barrel tauntingly waving between his eyes. "How about a cop who gets killed by his own gun?" a voice sneered.
Oni could feel beads dripping down his temples. Slowly lifting his eyes, he saw a man with shoulder-length red hair, wearing a workman's vest and cargo pants standing before him. "You're Frank Warner," Oni stuttered, tensing his arms to stop himself from shaking, "What is the meaning of this? Why did you bring me here? Let me go at once!"
Warner said nothing, only rearing back slightly before bringing the arm holding Oni's gun down. The blond half-elf got pistol-whipped straight to the face, the numbing sensation from his cheek enough to blur his vision. "You think you can escape me? For two years, you haunted my memories," Warner spat, leaning his face close to Oni's, "Had it not been those four people with their terrible fashion sense reminding me of you, I wouldn't even be here. Now I have you right where I want you, why will anyone think I'm willing to let you off the hook?"
Oni's face paled once more. "So Sarge was right then," he exclaimed, his voice a mix of astonishment and fear, "You're the one who killed those four people. What gives? What have they ever done to you to deserve death?" Oni demanded, scooting back against a wall.
"What have they ever done to me? Nothing, except for the fact that they're all scum of the earth," Warner snapped, inching closer to Oni. The renovation supplier now towered over the rookie officer like a falcon ready to dive-bomb its prey in the fields. "Starting with the first guy, John Walker, who cheated on his own wife and tried to break up another's family…"
"Lloyd, Colette, Genis, you three head to the cabin first. I'll join you guys later," Raine instructed the threesome while inspecting the scouts' injuries. The weak floorboards gave way when the scouts filed out from the campfire. From a distance, Warner observed Raine escort the injured to the main lodge, while the most senior scout leader and Walker debated how to fix up this mess. With the wind howling in from the coast, it would not be an easy task to do tonight.
But Walker stormed off anyway, heading to the direction of the shed. With the scout leader ambling back to the main lodge to check on his scouts, Warner took advantage of the empty scene and approached the sign. He had been in the area for the past few days, supplying Walker with materials and helping with renovation. Even though he didn't know Walker well, Warner heard enough about the scouts camp maintenance manager to know he was a scumbag. Throughout the week, Walker called his wife nonstop, claiming he still wanted her in his life and that the transgressions didn't mean anything. "Jacob Horace beat me for no reason. Will you take his word over mine?" Walker once told his wife in a phone conversation Warner overheard.
Yet what got Warner most upset was the way Walker was dressed, wearing that crop top shirt whenever he was working. Walker claimed it was the best way to let perspiration out and not have it stick to his body, but it reminded Warner too much of the incident in Luin, when that cadet tackled him, allowing Luin Police to arrest him. That cadet wore a nearly identical style, and even today Warner blamed the cadet for the deaths of his ship's crew. Now, seeing such a style making a return, worn by someone as sleazy as that cadet, Warner decided to take action.
The red-haired supplier climbed into the bushes and took out a small blade. Feeling the chains that held the sign, Warner could tell that they were quite old and weak, mainly the result of wear and tear by Mother Nature. That would mean these chains would not be hard to cut, as evident but some rust that were rubbed off without much effort. Judging by the way the wind blew tonight, this was Warner's perfect opportunity to make his move.
It took Warner about twenty minutes in total to find the weakest link in each chain, sever one side of each chain link, and keeping the other side intact. Climbing out of the bushes, Warner checked his watch once more before heading back to his van. Originally, he checked out of the campsite about half an hour ago. But if it meant wiping the disgusting family destroyer John Walker off the face of the planet, then this delay was definitely worth it. Warner peeked in the direction of the storage hut again, seeing Walker still going through some equipment. Right now, only the weather could affect this plan's success, and Warner could only hope the winds were as powerful as the ones that swept away his crew.
"You killed John Walker all because he tried to steal someone's wife? Are you out of your mind?" Oni blurted out, his heart pounding so hard that his ribcage could feel the tremors, "It doesn't even affect you. It's not like he stole your wife or something."
That comment only earned another pistol-whip from Warner, who kept the emotionless face on. "Anyone trying to undermine group loyalty is out," Warner spat, the gun still pointed at Oni, "That's the message for my crew when we were building my ship. Anyone questioning me was showing disloyalty, and they would be gone. But even those who were loyal ended up losing their lives too, courtesy of that Luin storm. That's something you would know about, correct?"
Oni took several deep breaths, trying hard to keep his head on straight. He was now pretty much in a corner, and he wasn't sure which would envelope him first; the darkness, or Frank Warner. "What about the second death," Oni pointed out, his eyebrows wavering in fear, "The one at the university with the TA, Andy Linton. Why did you make that kill?"
Warner snorted. Standing up slightly straighter, his arm relaxed a bit, but not enough to pull the shot away from Oni. "The university death was even more justified, because the guy was even worse than Walker. Might I remind you of what happened…"
"No big deal? My reputation is destroyed, and you dare say no big deal? I'm facing a possible suspension, if not downright expulsion here, Sir!" Andy's rant at Professor Albane was loud enough to be heard over the equipment's sounds. Before long, the blond TA stormed out, his Loni-Kyle shirt fluttering in the air while Albane and his visitors looked on. Warner was at the next aisle, ready to hand over some other materials when he saw that scene. The presence of the Loni-Kyle only brought back more memories of the cadet tackling him. Based on what he just heard from Professor Albane, the wearer was, just like the cadet, a scum of the earth.
Warner handed over the materials before excusing himself from the team. He ended up following the TA to the department staff lounge. Pushing himself against the wall outside the door, Warner hid himself while still leaving enough room to stick an ear into the lounge. From inside, Andy whipped out a cellphone and angrily pecked his finger on the keys.
Warner stayed for a few minutes, hearing most of Andy's calls. Many were to professors from both this university and others that he worked with, requesting them to defend his academic misconduct charge. So far, none resulted in success, since the charge of plagiarism was pretty much a death sentence in academia. After a few more calls, Andy pretty much gave up. Getting up with a sigh, the TA trudged back to the lab, with Warner looking on from his hiding spot.
By the time Warner went back to the Albane lab was located, the renovation team was already packing up, thanks to the end of the shift. Peeking into the Albane lab, he saw a couple more angry exchanges between Andy and Albane, before the professor slung his bag over his shoulder and headed home as well. "Now it's just you and me," Warner murmured.
Warner's observations into the Albane lab took him late into the night. Andy didn't budge an inch from his desk, still writing up that proposal for Professor Albane to use to defend him before his committee hearing. No one from the renovation team or campus security was nearby, giving Warner plenty of time to spy on the blond TA. His eyes soon landed on a fish tank near the inner office, the light in it flickering nonstop. If there was something wrong with the wiring, and Albane never got it fixed, could this be the source Warner wanted to take out Andy?
Warner barely had time to react when Andy got up and left the room, heading into the staircase and away from the hall. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even bother closing the door to the lab. Sensing no one around, Warner stepped into the room and approached the fish tank. Opening the top, Warner took a quick glance at the wiring just above the water.
The red-haired renovation supplier pulled out a wire stripper from his pocket and aimed for the wires causing the lights to flicker. Cutting off the plastic covering from the top, Warner then grabbed the still-covered part of the wire and pulled it lower to the water. The intention was to have the light flicker so much that Andy simply could not concentrate. With him annoyed at the tank, he would stick his hand in there to fix it, and in the process electrocute himself.
Warner took one more check at the tank before leaving the lab, pocketing the cutter along the way. Andy was, just like the cadet, a leech on society who only cheated his way to the top. Just like how the cadet graduated by making an unjustified arrest on Warner, Andy would most likely get cleared by the committee and graduated from the university. If Warner could correct the injustice by ending Andy's life, then it at least got him closer to getting closure for that event.
"You're sick, you know that? Andy will get punished by the faculty anyway. He will be either suspended or expelled, so why did you even think about doing that?" Oni demanded angrily. Even though he was at Warner's mercy, Oni could not believe Warner would kill those wearing similar clothes as Oni. "Do you believe this is achieving justice?" Oni added.
A quick tap of the gun on Oni's forehead soon silenced the half-elf. Warner smirked and cocked an eyebrow at Oni. "And that's the issue with you police officers," he sneered, "You're trying to get justice, but always go after the wrong people. To you, justice is whatever you make of it, right? Well, your definition of justice just happens to contradict with mine."
"Okay. According to Azul's checks on Warner's warehouse earlier, we have a total of three entrances. Two are on each side and the main one is from the garage," Noishe announced. After finding the abandoned motorcycle, Gil had dispatch call ground patrol to go to the site, hoping to confirm that Warner's van was present. Luckily, Cameryn got Warner's driver's licence from meeting him at the mall, allowing Robert to retrieve the licence plate of Warner's van. "Opening the main garage door will bring us unwanted attention, so I think it'll be best we split up the team and go in from the side doors. SWAT members, can you guys lead the attack?"
The SWAT leader merely nodded, leading Noishe to turn to his team. All of them had tight cheeks, creased eyebrows, and locked jaws, wondering if their colleague and a young half-elf most of them called their friend were doing alright. Knowing that Warner was a psychopath intent on destroying anyone who even resembled Oni, they could only shudder in knowing what that madman would do now that the real deal was in his hands.
"Warner is very likely armed, given Oni may have brought his gun, only to have it taken by Warner," Gil pointed out, scanning over the warehouse blueprints, "Oni and Genis may be at the innermost parts of the building, but anything is possible. We have to be discreet and efficient, knowing how quickly Warner makes the kills. But knowing what I've seen so far, I doubt it."
"Why would you doubt that, Sarge?" Azul asked, brushing a strand of auburn hair away from his anxiety-filled eyes, "If Warner hates Oni that much, wouldn't he just shoot him dead and get it over with? And if he sees Genis as a nuisance, Warner won't hesitate to hurt him too."
Before Gil could even shake his head, Presea explained. "Oni is the one haunting Warner for the last two years, to the point where Warner snaps when he sees someone in a Loni-Kyle," she retorted, crossing her arms and staring holes into the map, "He'll want Oni to feel the pain he went through when his ship sank, just like how the killer in Gil's book kept the final target alive for a while. It bought the detective enough time then, so it might just do the same now."
Noishe pursed his lips. While the extra time was a blessing, it didn't make things any simpler. "As long as Oni and Genis are still in there, nobody is safe. That's why we can't take any risks on this operation," he stated. Turning to Gil, he asked the staff sergeant how Genis' family and Elyria were doing. "You did inform Oni's girlfriend and the Sages of this, correct?"
Gil nodded. "I told Elyria, Raine, and Lynn to stay at home for now. There's no telling what will happen until we fish them out," Gil replied, scratching the chin part of his goatee, "I told Lloyd and Colette to skip the dance and head over to the Sages, and just give them as much support as possible. I also had an officer go to Elyria's apartment to keep an eye on things there."
Just then, Noishe's cellphone rang, causing the captain to excuse himself. Flipping the phone open, Noishe mumbled some inaudible words into the mouthpiece, followed by a couple of nods and more orders. Except for the captain's words to the caller, not a single sound was heard in the room. The unit was already chilled, with only the lights at their half of the room on, yet the officers could feel goose bumps going up and down their limbs even more. Every second that sounded off from the clock at the far wall felt more like a countdown to the apocalypse.
The silence was stretched even when Noishe pocketed his phone and returned to them. Turning a grim face to the team, he made the announcement. "The dispatched cruiser arrived at the warehouse in question, and the officers saw a white van in the garage. The reported license plate matches the one we have for Warner's van. However, they saw no signs of Oni or Genis," he proclaimed, hovering over the warehouse blueprint once more, "I told them not to go in until we get there. Warner is a dangerous man, and he will hurt them if they aren't careful."
Turning to his team once more, he went through the infiltration plans again. "I'll have dispatch call in the motorcycle team. Any possible escape route for Warner must be cut off before he can get out. SWAT team, you guys go ahead to the warehouse. I'll have dispatch send at least three cruisers to clear the roads for you. We'll also get a chopper in the air if necessary. We have to hurry if we want to free the hostages. Let's take the map with us, and not make any mistakes!" With that, Noishe cleared everyone out, heading for the vehicles outside.
Presea and Azul hurried out first, followed by Cabalina, who checked her firearm once more. "Finally, I get to kick some butt," she sighed, thinking back to her trigger-happy days on the first case, "Warner better not let me get my hands on him, or he's toast," she threatened, albeit sarcastically, while shooting Gil a sly look.
Gil chuckled. He was about to slip the folded map into a manila envelope when his own cellphone rang. "Cabalina, can you hang on to the map for me?" Gil requested, giving the brunette the envelope while fishing out his phone. One look at the ID and Gil knew it could be grim. "Hi, Lloyd," he greeted his son, trying hard to stay calm, "Are you at the Sages now?"
"Yeah, Colette and I are still with Raine and Mrs. Sage. Mao and Chloe are also here, and we're just waiting on any updates," Lloyd replied tensely, the sounds of incoherent murmurs filling the background, "Actually, can Mrs. Sage talk to you for a second?"
Gil hustled out the unit, turning off the lights and closing the unit's door behind him as Lynn Sage's voice sounded off the earpiece. "Gil, do you know where Genis is?" the elderly woman fretted, sounding like she was close to breaking down. Lynn nearly fainted when Lloyd and Colette first informed her of the situation. "You have to bring Genis back home safely, Gil. Please, I beg of you, bring me back my grandson!" Lynn pleaded.
"I'll do all I can, Lynn," Gil assured her, trotting down the stairs and heading for the front door. Even with such a large operation, Gil was anything but certain of the outcome. With his heart nearly shattering his sternum, Gil slipped out the station and into his Audi V8, ready to drive off into the night, heading for the final showdown with this mad but cunning killer.
"I get it, alright? You feel John Walker's attempt to seduce another's wife is akin to your crew being disloyal. You also feel Andy Linton's plagiarism incident is similar to your crew not following orders," Oni stuttered, his breathing now turning into nervous pants. There was still no sign of stopping from Warner, who towered over the blond half-elf seated on the ground with his back against a wall. So far, Oni found nothing that could cut the ropes on his hands, and he wasn't sure how to deal with Genis, who was still out cold. Was this truly the end for them both?
Oni's attention went back to Warner once more, getting a glimpse of the former ship builder's smirk. "They're all scum, but none more than the drug addict at the police station," he growled, brandishing Oni's gun in front of the rookie officer's face, "I wasn't pleased with your friend Cabalina's rough interviewing method. But after seeing who was in the adjacent unit, I knew I had to act. I followed him all the way to the hospital, and then stayed outside his room until the perfect time came. I even wanted to do him in right there, just fiddle around with his IV and whatnot. But when Ruffin left the hospital by himself, I knew exactly where he would go…"
Ruffin barely had time to breathe after that mad dash from the hospital. He knew the police was on his tail, and there would soon be a city-wide warrant issued for his arrest. But for now, he was content to hide in the alley behind his former martial arts dojo and get juiced up once more. Sliding his key into the dojo's back door, he quickly made his way into the building.
Yet Ruffin was far from alone, as another figure stood just outside the alleyway. Crossing his arms, Frank Warner watched intently from the safety of the darkness. He saw Ruffin first take out an old gas lamp before heading inside once. Seeing the gas lamp sitting on the ground gave Warner the perfect idea to take care of this former MMA champion, now turned drug addict. Grabbing his toolbox from the ground, Warner hurried into the alley and approached the lamp.
A quick inspection allowed Warner to decipher exactly which wrench to use, and the red-haired renovator immediately snatched the right one from his box. A few turns on the main knobs later, and the work was done. Warner packed his toolbox once more and hurried back to his hiding place. Along the way, he could see Ruffin step out from the martial arts dojo with a white package in his hands. Ruffin's back was towards Warner, trying to lock the dojo's back door. It gave Warner the perfect opportunity to slip out unnoticed.
But Ruffin's turn into the alley where he placed the gas lamp allowed Warner to spot an interesting detail. The Loni-Kyle shirt Ruffin wore was a club shirt, indicating his belonging to this martial arts dojo. Did that mean there were more blond people in crop tops to be found in this group? Shaking his head a few times, Warner made a mental note to go inside the dojo to check this detail later on. For now, Warner was intent to see the beauty of his work go down.
It took less than a minute before Ruffin was a big ball of orange, and less than five before the deceased was no longer alive. Smirking at the perfection of his plan, Warner trotted back to his van and placed the toolbox in the back. Heading to the front, he opened the passenger side door and reached into the glove compartment. Taking out his flashlight and a lock-picking kit, Warner took a glance at his watch once more, figuring it wouldn't be long before someone found the burning body. If he could accomplish what he wanted in the next ten to fifteen minutes, then maybe he could still get out before the fire trucks and police cruisers came. Stepping up to the back door, Warner did a quick inspection of the lock before pulling out a thin rod from his kit. Gently inserting the right rod, he slowly twisted the lock back and forth.
"But the lock did get compromised though, or else Sarge and Presea wouldn't go back to the dojo to investigate more," Oni pointed out, his tone somewhere between defiant and worried. He wanted so badly to find flaws in Warner's plans, as a way to show that the police did know about him. But right now, with Warner having the upper hand, there wasn't much he could do.
"But there was nothing in there that could help me, because there were no more blond fighters in the newest picture," Warner spat with disgust, his eyes shooting Oni a dark look, "But still, Ruffin deserved the die. Throwing away such potential for drugs is inexcusable. It's like my crew knowing they can do better, but choose not to. People like that have no place on my team."
"Then there's Death Angel," Oni whispered, sounding the name off like he was the devil, "You're a fan of the sergeant's book, and you go by Pirate King on Lloyd's website. You saw Death Angel commenting on all those deaths online, and you got involved by providing him with links of each death. It's like you're trying to get your message out through him, isn't it?"
Warner smirked once more. "Smart guess, rookie," he retorted backhandedly, "I admired that guy, given how brave he was in making these claims. Those people were scum of the earth, and did deserve to die. If there was a chance for me to remake my ship, the Van Eltia, that guy would make a good first mate. But I never knew Death Angel would turn on me, that traitor…"
An amazing stroke of luck occurred when Warner spotted Cook pulling his van into the alley behind this downtown hotel. It was a hotel that Warner did renovation work for last year, mainly in the basement. Given his familiarity with the building's interior, Warner's job just became a lot easier. Ever since the press conference by the police ethics commissioner, Warner was following the details on Cook, a deliveryman from a small logistics firm, who traveled all through the city like Warner did. To avoid suspicion, he parked his own van about a block away, and returned to the hotel on foot, slipping in through the back door, which was unlocked due to Cook making deliveries. Making sure no one was around, Warner took the stairs one floor down.
It was a narrow passageway straight to the power room, where Warner frequented a couple of times when the hotel asked him to upgrade some wiring during his renovation work. Warner already had an idea how to approach Cook for the kill, placing his hands around a package of powder in his pocket. Taking another glance around, he made note of how long it would take to get back to the exit before he was spotted. With everything in his mind settled, Warner took a deep breath and proceeded to picking the power room door.
Accessing the electric panels and grids was no problem for Warner, who knew exactly what buttons to press and levers to pull. Within seconds, the whole building was blacked out, with only the emergency lights making a dim line from the power room to the exits. The staff at the floors above was probably in disarray by now, giving Warner plenty of time to do the job outside. Taking long strides, Warner hurried back through the hallway, the darkness not affecting him one bit as he slipped back into the chilled night. Cook's van was just a few metres from the back door, and Warner knew exactly what he had to do here.
Warner soon made quick work of the van's door as well, taking a good look at the front of Cook's van. For a deliveryman that had so many places to go, Cook was surprisingly well-organized, with his laptop computer on the passenger seat and several notes ordered neatly on a clipboard on top of it. But right now, Warner's eyes were on one other object, a water bottle placed in the cup holder on the driver's side. Half of the liquid was still inside, and it was good enough for Warner to take action. Shooting out his hand like a viper, Warner snatched the bottle and opened the lid, holding it still while reaching into his pocket for the package.
"This is for my crew and their honour, after what this disgusting scumbag said on the chat room," Warner whispered venomously. Unzipping the bag, he proceeded to dumping the powder into the water, trying to leave as little of it outside the bottle as possible. The powder was potassium cyanide, which Warner used frequently for electroplating, both in the past when his ship was being built, and presently when he upgraded old pieces of metal in his renovation work. From his experience, Warner knew that anyone drinking a high enough concentration of this would die within seconds, which would suit his purposes just fine.
Making quick work of the water, Warner capped it once more and shook it violently, dissolving the powder completely into the water. He turned his head back to the hotel once more, and the building was still totally dark. The plan couldn't have worked out better for Warner, who was pretty much guaranteed an unimpeded journey back to his van. Placing the bottle back into the cup holder, Warner slowly closed and locked the van's door, making sure everything was in the same place before he came. Satisfied, Warner pocketed the empty bag and marched away.
"That was what it was? Cyanide?" Oni exclaimed, the colour draining from his face once more. He recalled from the forensics report that the water in Cook's bottle was contaminated, but didn't pay attention to the chemical or its concentration in the water. "That kill wasn't even in the sergeant's book, but you still came up with that? You're a sick man, you know that?"
"I thought he was on my side, since he told everyone he believes the other three deserved to die," Warner fumed, his eyes narrowing to darts, "Then he showed his true colours and turned on me, which is no different than a mutiny. You know what pirate captains do when there is a mutiny? They make the mutineers walk the plank, which is a much more painful exercise."
Oni's body shivered uncontrollably when Warner stalked up to him, pointing the gun at Oni's forehead. "Your staff sergeant is a good man, writing a book like this. It's a shame that we're on opposite sides, and I never got to know him better. But then again, after tonight, my mission will be done." Grabbing Oni by the arm, Warner proceeded to dragging Oni from the floor and onto his feet, jabbing the half-elf to move out with the gun. Upon that move, Oni's heart pounded nonstop, his stomach near his feet as he desperately searched for a way out.
Before the twosome could take another step, a soft groan was heard from the other side of the room. Both Oni and Warner turned to see a silver-haired figure slowly lift off the floor. The boy shook his head a few times before slowly facing them, his eyes going from squinting to wide within seconds. "Oni, what's going on here?" Genis demanded fearfully.
Well, what do you think about that? Warner has Oni and Genis captive, and he's ready to shoot Oni dead! Can Gil's team make in on time, or will this be it for the two half-elves? Find out in the exciting conclusion of this story in the final chapter!