Jessi keyed the password into the Kesdet entry keypad while Kyle stood waiting next to her. He commented, "Declan's already here, his car's over there." He pointed at Declan's SUV.

She opened the door and they went inside carefully locking it behind them. They climbed the stairs to the place where, until recently, Tom Foss had lived. Declan was sitting at the monitors fast forwarding through the recordings of the outside of the Trager and Bloom houses.

"I thought I'd catch up on reviewing the video," Declan explained.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about," Kyle objected. "I doubt Grace is going to do anything threatening and everyone else is accounted for."

"Brian is still hiding something," Jessi reminded him.

"Yes, but I think he sincerely wishes us well," Kyle said. "I don't know what he's keeping secret, but I don't think that he's a threat to us or the Tragers."

"It's my job to keep an eye on things," Declan said with a tired voice. "When things were quiet, Foss wouldn't watch the monitors real time, just review the record to make sure nothing suspicious was happening. It doesn't take long to review exterior views looking for anything suspicious."

"How have you been?" Jessi asked.

Declan sighed, "It's been hard to sleep. I keep seeing the surprised look on his face, the blood on his chest." He looked down at the floor. "I know it was necessary."

"It's supposed to bother you," Jessi assured him. "It's the price you have to pay. Tom told me that it means that you're still human."

Kyle advised, "You should talk to Nicole. She's worried about you. She said that she would be willing to talk with you informally. She's good, Declan, she can help you."

"She is good," Jessi agreed. "You should talk to her."

"Maybe I will," Declan agreed. "The sleeping pills aren't doing it for me." He sighed, "Let's get this done."

Kyle glanced around the room at the few possessions that Foss had left behind, his eyes coming to rest on the picture of his wife and daughter. "Erica and Sara," Kyle said. "He never told me their names, not until the end."

Declan's mouth turned down, "I haven't wanted to touch his things. When they're gone, it will really feel like he's gone." He pointed to a pile of boxes in the corner, "I've got some boxes to put them in. I was just waiting for you two to get here. It will be easier with help."

"What are we going to do with his things?" Kyle asked.

"We can just leave appliances, tools and things like that in place and use them," Declan said. "They weren't personal. The rest we can store. He never had many things." He glanced at Kyle, "I'll keep his gun, if you don't mind." His voice broke slightly as he added, "It's just like mine."

"Of course," Kyle said.

In a short time we were able to sort through Tom Foss's small number of possessions. He had few of them. As Declan had said, some of them were simple tools and utensils which we left for us to use in the office, there were his clothes and a small number of personal items which we packed. There was also a surprising amount of ammunition and a couple of other guns that Declan hadn't known about. He took possession of them as well.

"I've saved this for last," Declan said, picking up the picture. "This was probably the only thing he owned that he really cared about." He put it into the last box and started to close it. He stopped and looked at the box for a moment, then opened it and took the picture back out. "I think I want to leave it out." He looked at them and shrugged apologetically, "I'm not ready to put it away, yet." No one commented. He sealed the remaining items in the box and put the picture back on the console, "That's it."

"There's still his safe," Kyle said.

"Do you think you can open it?" Declan asked.

Jessi smiled and went to the keypad and tried combinations for a few moments. The safe opened. She looked inside, "There's just this folder." She pulled out a thin manila folder. On the front it said, 'Declan', inside were a small number of papers and a DVD. She handed Declan the DVD and handed the folder to Kyle.

"There are signed documents transferring a couple of bank accounts into Declan's name," Kyle said. "Here's one for his car as well." He looked at Declan, "He obviously intended for you to have his assets."

Declan sighed and put the DVD into the computer. As it spun up, the video player appeared and Tom Foss's image appeared on the screen.

Foss's image spoke, "Declan, if you're watching this, I'm probably dead." He took a breath, "Don't feel sorry for me, I don't mind. The real Tom Foss died years ago in that crash. I'm just what's left, a man stuck with a gift that he didn't want who couldn't bring himself to throw it away. I only hope that when the time came, I did something useful with it." He swallowed, "I guess you know the answer to that."

Declan glanced at Kyle, there was a tear running down his cheek. Declan rubbed his own cheek to erase the matching one.

"You've been a good student and studied hard. You're far more than a failed basketball player. You're a promising young man and I'm proud to have been able to work with you. I've tried to get you started on learning all the things you'll need to learn. With me gone, you'll have to seek out other teachers, spend time on the range and learn all you can. What you learn in your classes will matter too. If you face difficulties, you may have to hire people with backgrounds like mine to help. But remember, you have the most important thing already, you're loyal to Kyle. Loyalty is everything. You've always watched his back. You can't trust anyone to care as much as you do."

"I've left papers to transfer the few assets I have to you. Most of that is what's left from the funds Adam Baylin left me to look after Kyle. Use them to look after Kyle and Jessi. I'm counting on you to keep them safe. They're going to change the world." Foss smiled, "Remember what I said about the trophy." He paused for a moment and then added, "Good luck."

The screen went blank and they sat looking at it. Kyle broke the silence by asking, "What trophy?"

"Foss told me that when the team won, everyone got to hold up the trophy, not just the stars of the team," Declan explained.

Kyle nodded, "Is that what you want to do, Declan, spend your time watching out for us, helping us?"

"Of course, Kyle," Declan assured him, "I've always had your back. I've always asked you to just keep me in the loop."

"I will, but I think the threat is much less now that we have dealt with Latnok," Kyle said. "I'm not sure how much security we're going to need."

"Good," Declan said. "I'll get to learn and practice before you stir up your next hornet's nest."

"I'm not sure there are going to be any more hornets," Kyle objected.

"Zzyzx, then Madacorp, then Latnok?" Declan asked. "You always seem to find another one. I'll just keep reviewing the monitors every couple of days. If nothing happens it won't take long to do." He thought for a moment, "But I'm not sure what I am going to do when you go off to school. Are you going to live in the dorms?"

"We haven't decided," Kyle said. "Why?"

"It's easy to watch the perimeter of a house like the Tragers," Declan explained. "I'm not sure how to monitor a dorm room." He glanced at Jessi, "I'm sure you won't want cameras inside your rooms."

"If it's easier to protect a house," Jessi observed, "maybe we should buy a house near the campus." She smiled at Kyle, "I'd like living with you in a house, our house."

Kyle reddened and agreed, "It would be nice." He glanced at Declan.

Declan smiled and said, "It would make my job easier."

"We can think about it," Kyle said. "I'm not sure Nicole would approve."

"Part of going off to college is establishing your independence," Jessi said. "That's what Nicole told Lori."

"That's true," Kyle agreed.