Chapter 9 (PREVIEW)- News

Authors Note: Holy Crap… Has- Has it been 4 months since I have uploaded a new chapter…? I have been unusually busy at school, and my personal life has gotten a tad bit more complicated (in both good and bad ways) so my mind has been absolutely EVERYWHERE, so I'm sorry if you were expecting a full chapter (which you more than deserve). I just looked back at my traffic stats for this story, and it never ceases to amaze me how this thing can still get over 1k views a month even though it has been all but abandoned for the last few months. First off, let me apologize for taking so freakin' long to get even to this point, and second of all, THANK YOU! If you are reading this now, it means that you are awesome! Thank you so much for supporting this story with your reads, as my only rewards for writing this story is a little number in the corner of my screen, and a review should you choose to leave one. I'm not going to make any promises as to when the next FULL chapter is going to be up, but expect it soon! It could be anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Now, without further ado, I present to you, 4 months in the making, a sneak peak at Chapter 9!

Ambroise was growing impatient; it had been several hours since he had assigned Zero to take care of his raccoon problem, and he had yet to hear back from anyone. He let out a long sigh that reverberated around his personal chamber, and then dug his claws into the fur armrest of his stone chair. Drawing his hand back slowly, he felt his razor sharp talons effortlessly slice through the thick hide. Allowing a low growl to grow in the back of his throat, he leaned forwards to his desk with a sharp motion. He reached out and gently touched a small leather bound journal, Anette's journal, that was placed in front of him. He slowly tapped the cover of the book twice, and then positioned his hand to the side as if he were going to open it. He inched the cover open a fraction, and then let it drop, sending up a small cloud of dust.

Every time I open this damned thing, he thought to himself, I just get farther and farther away from the answer that I seek.

It was true; he always managed to find something tucked away in its pages that could be interpreted as a clue. A reference to a chain of small islands in the Arctic Ocean, or maybe a nod to what was once a brothel in Eastern Germany, It didn't matter, they always ended up being a false trail.

"A wild goose chase, yes? None of the leads actually lead anywhere"

Ambroise looked up slowly, hiding his slight surprise with a long-practiced emotionless face. Standing, or laying as the case may have it, near the entrance to his chamber was a long adder with black and green stripes running the length of his body. Ambroise pushed the journal slightly away from himself, and towards the serpent.

The adder's body made a cool hissing noise as it slid over the stone floors of the chamber towards his master's desk. Propping himself up with a few of his steely coils, he peered over the edge of the desk at the journal. After a few seconds of silent investigation, he turned his gaze to the tiger opposite him.

Ambroise stared back into the unblinking, milky white eyes of the snake. They seemed to be searching him; for what, he did not know. Ambroise decided that their little staring contest had gone on long enough, and spoke up, breaking the deafening silence of the room.

"I suspect you came for something, 6; what is it?" asked the tiger in what amounted to a low growl.

The snake continued to stare blankly into his eyes, "There are more… pressing matters at the moment than chasing down another false lead," stated the snake, his voice quiet, yet eerily cool.

Ambroise folded his hands in front of him, and leaned back into his chair, not once breaking eye contact with the serpent. Even if he wanted to break contact, he wasn't sure he would be able to at this point. "Such as?"

"Our little raccoon friend has complicated things once more," hissed the snake, his tongue flicking out at the end of his statement. "He seems to have a real knack for this sort of thing, yes?"

The tiger's patience was running thin. His occult specialist, Ethan, was the best in the world at what he did, yet he had a tendency to make his thoughts a little less than clear for the average listener. Ambroise took a mental breath, and prodded his specialist with another question.

"What- How has he complicated things?" He asked, his voice the same low pitch as earlier. He unfolded his hands and began to rhythmically clack his claws against the stone of his chair.

The snake tilted his head slightly to the side, his tongue flicking out quickly once more. "He has found Claire, Master Roush. He is currently residing at her apartment."

Ambroise's claws shot downwards with an earsplitting crack, causing stone fragments to chip from the chair and fly in all directions.

Author's Note: I know it isn't a lot, but I just wanted to let you faithful readers know that I have not abandoned this story. I apologize once again for it having been so darn long since I have updated. Seriously, I can't believe how long it's been. It feels so good to be back writing! This story is still alive and kicking! Tune in next week (or whenever) for the exciting conclusion! Well, not conclusion, more like the beginning of the middle of the story. Rising action? Eh, whatever you call it, the next chapter should be up pretty soon! And don't be shy, leave a review! I love it when you guys do that. You actually have a review to thank for me writing this chapter, as I'm not connected to the internet right now I can't remember the name, but say thanks to the girl who read all 8 of the other chapters on her phone in one sitting. SHE is the reason that you are reading this now!

Until next time, friends,

-Jake