Oh, hi! The votes are in, and the names… you'll find out at the end! Btw, thanks for pointing that out, I did accidentally load it twice… sorry!

Jace Du Mort

Valkyrie checked the front while Rife checked his office. To them it wasn't a big deal if Alice and Skulduggery were missing, they just had nothing to do.

"What you looking for?" Tanith asked Valkyrie.

"I'm looking for Skul and Emera."

"I think I saw them walk outside, like, five minutes ago."

"Thanks." she waved back and ventured outside. The snow was a at an easy pace, quite beautiful really. The two were by where Fletcher was lying.

"Anything?" she asked.

"No, not really," Skulduggery said, "just a lot of movement, course we can't tell where he left. The snow covered his tracks."

"Did you get anything from the footage?" Alice asked in turn.

"Yeah," she walked to face a direction, "I think he ran off screen that way. Also, he chopped Fletcher on his left temple. Do you think it's combat or magic?"

"Little bit of both, you can't paralyze a victim by chopping the temple, but there's a risk of death or blackout."

"Shock?"

"Maybe, that doesn't explain anything, though."

"OK. I doubt there's anything more out here. I got Rife on trying to identify the guys face."

"Can we go inside then?" Alice begged.

"Yes we can." Valkyrie started first but Alice passed her.

"Oh," Rife said, "you found them."

"Yeah, I did. Anything on his face?"

"Not yet."

"Figures." Skulduggery muttered.

"Fine, you try."

"No, I'm good." he kept walking but Rife stopped and smiled triumphantly.

"Is there any left over Chinese?" Tanith asked while they waited for the results.

"It's three-thirty, in between meals, Tanith." Valkyrie said.

"So?"

"Fine," she tossed Tanith the last box of noodles, "but dinner's on you, K?"

"Alright, sure, fine." she started sipping the cold broth, finishing the last bits of noodles in the process.

Each in a different tone four beeps came from Rife's desktop, going low to high. "It found a match." he exclaimed and swiveled to his desk.

"Well, who is it?" Alice asked. He turned his monitor to face the others.

"Jace Du Mort. Adept, like Tanith, relies on strength and combat more than magic-"

"Is he a hit-guy?" Alice interjected.

"I think when he gets bored, yes."

"Ally?"

"Yes, but only if the best are busy."

"Does he have a reference?" Valkyrie asked.

"No, not that I know of."

"Great, I'm going to tell Fletcher." she headed out and Skulduggery followed.

"Is he actually dangerous?"

"Doubt it, but we should be worried about who hired him."

"So he's a nobody?"

"No, wannabe."

"Huh."

Short chapter, but I have plans. Training, beating friends at video games, and a rendezvous with a friend on my team…talking about how the Whistler team will eat our dust! Yeah, I know. I'm anything but a normal teenage girl.

OK, back to business. The name Jace Du Mort got PM'd by the original Rife. I have a feeling that he got it from City of Bones (great book by the way). Du Mort means 'of death'. hey, I did say it has to include the word death! And the polls for which valduggery you prefer. No one reviewed about it and the PM's are all OC names. The final vote PM came from Vendetta Tenterhooks, don't worry I'm not mad. I think it's cute, but not possible…

The polls are.

Romance: 41

Bond: 54

What ever you feel right: 23

You guys racked up my inbox!