A/N:- Allright, being sick sucks. The delay is due to a combination of vomiting, stomach aches, head pounding and a host of other 'fun' side effects. I could hardly eat anything let alone get the effort up to write a chapter. But I'm feeling better now, and I got a chapter with a trademark ending!

Also, depending on whether or not I get worse, the next chapter may or may not be coming normal time. Just giving you a heads up so you're not wondering when the next chapter is coming out.

Chapter 33

Searching for Mr. Roche

Richard shivered involuntarily, due neither to the rain or the wind. Glancing left and right, he realised the only way into the school would be through the front door. A fence expanded from both the right and left side, expanding all the way around the hollow square shaped structure. Between the fence and the building were recreational sections; tarmac areas with wilted plants which probably looked quite good when they were healthy. Richard could have climbed over the fence or gone through a window, but he wasn't willing to go over-the-top, at least not yet. It wasn't like the movies. Nothing had proven to him that going through the front door was dangerous. The door was not open at all and everything looked undisturbed.

Of course, it was dangerous. That much was proven by the fact that Mr. Roche had been taken from his home. Richard couldn't help but remember back to a similar circumstance near the beginning of his career as a Private Detective. He took a job to find a lost husband. Evidence suggested he had run off with another woman. Tracking down the woman, Richard had found that she had died almost twenty years before. A false trail. Eventually Richard had found eye witness accounts tracking the man to a warehouse. What he found was a week old corpse.

Richard was hoping that this wouldn't be the case. You never got over seeing dead bodies, no matter what anyone says. The stench, the look in the eyes, the pure fact that there was no life... it was horrible. Over his career Richard had seen many dead bodies, and each time he could only call the police and bear it. Each body was a fresh punch to his gut.

Although, evidence suggested Mr. Roche wouldn't have been killed, at least not yet. If he was going to be killed, why not do it at the house for the wife to find? No, whoever it was wanted the wife to come to the school. One thought led to another and Richard started to pace back and forth while stroking his chin, brushing over scruffy unshaven facial hair.

Perhaps the wife is the target? The husband could just be bait.

Richard grew more irritated. He didn't know anything about the situation. He didn't know the reason, the motive, the suspects, nothing. All he knew was time was against him and that the husband was currently in the school. If he wasn't careful, the wife would come and screw everything up.

With that final thought, Richard pushed open the double doors and walked into the corridor, right hand on his waist. As he walked slowly, making sure hardly any sounds were coming from his shoes, he peeked into doors that appeared down the corridors. Classrooms with desks over turned, debris from homeless people who decided to live here. One particular classroom had syringes scattered around the floor. So far, it looked like a normal abandoned place. Nothing suggested any kidnapping of any kind.

However, Richard still had much of the school to search. Eventually, he came upon the gym. Peeking in he found broken girders crushed onto the floor. Ducking down, Richard saw that they must've fallen recently, since the dust grew thicker as it spread out from the metal girders. Seeing nothing of interest, Richard quickly left the gym and headed up some stairs. After going up the zig-zag style stairs, he took a few steps forward when he heard faint voices.

Stiffening up and tightening his grip on his gun, Richard crept forward until he was outside a room with a faded plaque outside the door. The voices were now clear, since the walls weren't particularly sound-proof.

"...of them."

"Two of them?"

"Yeah. The target and the guy we sent to kill 'em."

"What about the kid?"

"Nowhere to be seen. But it's clear that the guy screwed the boss over."

"Well, in a way I guess it's better for us. I mean, the boss did tell us to give the bodies to her."

"True. But, y'know since the guy broke his promise, I think we can deal with the girl now, can't we?"

"Good point. I think I'm in the mood. Let's go."

The door suddenly opened, and Richard pushed himself against the wall, glad that the door opened outwards, blocking him from sight. He heard footsteps going down the corridor. Waiting a few seconds, Richard ducked out from behind the door and saw two men walking down the corridor. One wore some kind of leather jacket while the other wasn't wearing anything on the top half of his body. Tattoo's criss-crossed down his arms and back.

"I'm gonna have fun with her, that's for sure." The man in the jacket said with a small chuckle. "You know how I love Russian chicks."

"What are we doing with Roche?" The tattooed man asked.

"Well, we're waiting for little miss lover to come, aren't we?" Replied the man in the jacket. "His wife won't be coming back for a while, but we know that the other woman will be coming earlier to get it on with Roche."

Richard's eyes widened slightly. Mr. Roche is having an affair? Wasn't expecting that. So that target is whoever he is having an affair with. They would be coming earlier... they could already be coming... I need to hurry.

Richard followed the duo until they were outside a plain door without any sort of window or sign. Not a classroom or important room, then. The tattooed man opening it up, and Richard stiffened some more. Inside, tied to a chair was a young woman with dark brown hair and duct tape wrapped around her mouth and eyes. She was surprisingly calm, breathing slowly through her nose. When the door opened, her head tilted slightly upwards to face the duo.

"Hey, hey." The man in the jacket said with a leer. "Looks like your boyfriend didn't do his job. You know what that means, don't you?"

A small sound came from the girl as the man approached. The man with tattoos stood back, watching.

Knowing whatever was about to happen wouldn't be good, Richard started to pull his gun out when a hand on his shoulder startled him. Swinging around, Richard was surprised to see a woman putting a finger to her lips while covering his mouth. She must've been around thirty or forty, but looked brilliant for her age. Natural jet black hair that hadn't greyed fell down straight down her back, save for two strands which fell down the front of her shoulders on either sides. Her blue eyes stared deep at Richard and he could immediately sense that she wanted him to stay quiet. Nodding silently to herself, the woman let go of Richard and silently walked down the corridor towards the room.

Richard could only watch, speechless. For once, his mind refused to work.

The woman was inches away from the man with tattoo's before she pushed out with her left hand, touching his back and pushing forward.

"Wha...?" The man stumbled forward until he was side by side with his partner. The woman stepped forward again as the man in the jacket faced his partner in confusion. Reaching to the side of the tattooed man's head and the back of the man with the jacket's head, the woman pushed hard.

Crunch.

With an unsettling sound two heads impacted. Without any other sound, both men collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Without a pause the woman leaned forward towards Dominika.

"Sorry, darling, but this is gonna hurt." With one swift movement, the woman peeled the duct tape from Dominika's eyes and quickly followed with the piece of duct tape over her mouth. "Yebat!" Dominika cursed in her native language, hissing through her teeth.

"That's the spirit." The woman said with a small smile, before quickly untying Dominika. "Come on, get out of here as fast as you can."

Richard finally regained his senses and walked forward, facing the woman.

"Yes?" The woman asked, stroking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Who are you?" Richard found himself asking. The woman was obviously some sort of professional. Of what, he had no clue.

"Who am I?" The woman raised an eyebrow. "Lover of Mr. Roche, some would say. Although you can just call me Lisa. Lisa Valentine."

A/N: Alright, thanks to Cenobia100, Bookreader2010, Gabe's-Girl-Forever and Silentking1 for your ever appreciated reviews!

We're coming up to the finale of Act 1, so keep on joining me for the adventures. 'Till next time!