Jenni woke up with an extreme headache. Her light blue eyes were the only source of light in the dark room. She shook her head and looked around. She was siting or strapped down, rather, in a rather comfy chair. Her arms and legs were strapped down with brown leather belts. Jenni had keen natural night vision so she could see she was in a musty warehouse or something. The area was a pitiful mess but she was sure no one would hear her. There was also two swirling staircases and two large windows next to her. A small wooden table and a tall lamp was sitting to her left.

Jenni was in a white collared shirt, blue satin shorts, and no shoes. Her sleep wears. She didn't have anything else. Jen sniffed the air and sighed, "I know you're there Heller, I can smell your deodorant. You're the only person I know who actually uses it regularly. Where are you anyway?" Silence. "If you're planning on jump scaring me, it's not going to work. My brother took me to haunted houses every Halloween...whether I wanted to or not." Nothing again. Jen turned her head around lifted herself up.

The tuxedo cat was nowhere to be found. "So, you think silence is going to intimidate me." Jenni said, quietly, "It won't work." Jenni's ears twitched violently. She knew someone else was in there with her. "Donde estas Gato Negro?" she said, while looking around. "I can understand your Spanish." A dark voice echoed. Jenni looked to her right and saw her mentor standing there. He had on a white shirt, black pants with suspenders, and black polished shoes. He was holding a brown file and a small suitcase.

Jenni's tail flew to the buckles of the straps on her legs. Jen remained silent as her mentor moved a metal chair across the room a few feet in front of her, not even flinching at the sounds of the metal scraping across the dirty floor. The two cats locked eyes, "Enjoyed your futile party with your friends Ms. Graves?" Heller asked. Jenni sighed, "It was enlightening." Jenni replied,

"However, I didn't see you very much. Or the Savoys. Care to explain why?"

"We had business to tend to."

"And that business was to break into my room and wait for me to get back from the party and fall asleep per my usual routine, inject me with stimulants to make sure I was truly asleep, drag me out of the hotel and into the back of a car, drive me to some discrete location, restrain me to a chair, and try and interrogate me? Is that the type of business you were tending to Mr. Heller? Or were you scared to ask me out on a date and thought this was the best way to..."

Heller slammed the file on to the chair angrily. Jenni didn't flinch but she shut up immediately. The tuxedo cat growled, "I am so tired of everyone thinking you and I are...involved. Just yesterday Nico asked me if you and I were going to...after we got done with this." Jen shuttered,

"You mean...Ugh! Absolutely not! No offense, but I have no interest in... obscene acts of...that."

"Why would I find that offensive?"

"A lot of males who wanted me to have intercourse with them, they got offended when I said no."

"Like who? Moore?"

"Moore. Prano. Stone. Technically every man...except you."

"Sweet asked you?"

"Not yet but I have a bad feeling about..."

"Mr. Sweet is married and has children."

"So did Stone. That didn't stop him."

"Is that why you killed him?"

"What?"

"Rhadamanthus Stone, owner of a wine company over in Michigan. You worked with him."

"Yes. He needed my assistance tying up some loose ends."

"What jobs did he assign you?"

"He wanted me to assassinate a young bartender in Detroit. He forgot to send his check to Stone. The check was to pay off a rather large supply of liquor. I got up close and personal with the bartender. I had a clear shot. We were alone. No witnesses. No feds."

"Did you shoot him?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I have specific rules and obligations when it comes to targets. 1. Never harm an innocent. 2. Never harm the victim's family. 3. Only kill if it ensures the safety of yourself and others. And that's just for starters."

"So, which of these "Rules" applied to this young man?"

"He was someone who was minor in crime. I'm not going to kill someone just because they missed a payment. That's what I call, a trifling matter."

"But it was your job to kill him."

"It was a no questions asked job. I merely collected the check for Stone and gave it to him. No need for a bloody altercation over dirty money."

"Speak for yourself Ms. Graves. It seems you've had the only the most uncomplex of tasks."

"Speak for yourself Mr. Heller. I have had more violent jobs than serene ones."

"Do tell."

"I can't remember who this was but one of my clients had a missing wife and two daughters. He had a note saying if he didn't bring three boxes of whiskey to their meeting point, his family would be killed. I met the kidnapper's contact at their meeting point and got him to take to his boss. I killed everyone but the family."

"That's impressive. Not a lot of people can do a solo rescue mission. Especially ones you claim to have succeeded in."

"When you know stealth, there's nothing that can stop you."

"Good advice. So, who don't you have a problem murdering?"

"I only kill people who perform major crimes such as murder, kidnappers, rapists, etc. People like you."

Heller growled and glared at his protégé. "But don't worry, no one's put a price on your head...yet." "Oh, I'm sure they have. You just haven't met them yet, and nor will you ever if these snide comments of yours keeps up."

Jenni rolled her eyes, "And here we go with the threats. What are you going to do? Torture me? With what: a cork bottle opener? A hammer? A knife? Going to shake your gun at me?" Mordecai looked at her with curiosity,

"You've been kidnapped more than once?"

"I've had some practice."

"You've practiced being kidnapped? That's concerning."

"Not really, can't be too careful. You've got to learn to increase your pain tolerance and your ability to withstand over monologuing. If you ask me, that's just pure torture right there."

"Couldn't agree more. Have you ever been waterboarded Ms. Graves."

"No. But I've practiced holding my head under water for several minutes. It's actually quite soothing. Helps with breathing control. Helps relax the mind, as long as you're not panicking. It's also helpful during a summer day."

"How about electrocuted?"

"I did at my aunt's house once. Kind of tickled."

"Branded?"

"Branded? No. Burned? Yes. When and where? No comment."

"And you're not even concerned that you've just awoken in a strange place, being restricted to a chair, and being interrogated by someone who has more kills under his belt than anyone in this state?"

"Besides me, no."

Heller crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, "You're definitely the most resilient protégé I've had but I do find your lack of fear to this situation rather disturbing." "And I find your lack of intimidation and technique disturbing. Even after all those stories I've heard about ruthless, infamous, hatchet man..." Mordecai quickly rushed up on Jen with a growl. He placed his hands on the arms of the chair.

"Careful Graves, it seems you've forgotten that you're the one who's restrained." The two cats faces were inches apart. Jen didn't even flinch but merely stiffened up, "And it seems you've forgotten that you're the one dealing with a professional...Just. Like. You." Jenni stated with a slight snarl.

"You and I are nothing alike. Understand? We just have the same birth year and birthplace. That doesn't mean anything."

"You're right, it doesn't"

Mordecai stepped back, "Good, now back to the matter at hand, I heard you talking to those three ladies at lunch earlier today. You were discussing matters regarding myself and Mr. Sweet. Care to elaborate?" Jenni looked down, "You heard that? Looks like I'm not the only one with stealth at their disposal."

"You're not answering my question."

"I told you. They're just friends. They just so happened to know I was having a meeting with Sweet. Nothing to concern yourself with."

"It's unwise, unorthodox, and perhaps worrisome that you've given imperative information to three strangers. They could be spies for the feds."

"Trust me, they're not."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Why should I trust you? How do I know that you're not working for the feds or worse...Lackadaisy?"

Heller gasped quietly and stared at Graves in shock. "I know you used to work for them. Sweet told me all about that. Though I don't know specific details, but I do know you worked closely with Atlas May, the head and founder of the speakeasy. Why did you leave after he was killed?" "That's none of your business." Heller glared. Jenni scoffed, "So much for trust and honesty. You want to prosecute me for your own erroneous beliefs, yet you won't even elucidate on your former employment of our most prominent adversaries. I would say you were hypocritical, but I don't think I'm in that position."

Heller growled deeper than usual, "You're walking on very thin ice Ms. Graves." "What are you going to do Gato? Kill me?" Jenni snarled, "I may be tied up, but I can do just as much damage sitting as I can standing." "I'm not going to kill you Ms. Graves. But perhaps you will choose your words more carefully with this." Heller reached into his coat pocket and pulled out Jenni's necklace. Jen's eyes widened. Her claws extended. Her fur stood up. "You put that down." she growled. "It's a stunning piece. Symmetrical on all sides. And it's in a heart shape. How durable do you think this necklace is Ms. Graves?"

"I'm sure it won't be as durable as your skull if you don't return it to me." Jenni snarled.

"You seem to care a lot about this particular necklace."

"My father gave it to me on my 5th birthday. It's the only thing I have left of him."

"Where did he find the jewel? It must have been expensive."

"He dug it up on his railroads. He had it shaped into a heart."

"Touching. Did he give you the chain too?"

"No. My friend Marley gave me that for Christmas. I was 12 I think."

"How long have you known Marley?"

"Since I was 8. We met in the orphanage. Her father had accidentally burned himself alive with a cigarette. Lit the whole house on fire."

"Dangers of smoking 101. Continue. Please."

"Marley was put into the same orphanage I was in. She was 5 years old. 6 weeks later, we escaped the orphanage through the air vents. It wasn't a great orphanage."

"You said you had a brother who's 10 years older than you are?"

"True."

"Why didn't he take custody over you after your father's death?"

"He wasn't allowed. He wasn't old enough. You have to be 21 or older but he was 18."

Heller crossed his arms and shook his head, "Why are laws these days so iniquitous?" Jen looked down, "I don't know. They harm more people than they help." Heller turned to look at Jenni who looked on the verge of tears. He glanced down at the necklace then back at her. He knew Jenni was hiding something, something dark. Something deep. Something she refuses to let go of. This necklace was connected to it. But how? "Moving on." he said, "Let's get back to the first thing we were discussing." He placed the necklace on a table next to Jen's chair.

"Can you remember anyone else that you've had employment with that I should know about?"

"Wallace. Aeacus Wallace. He owned a mining operation in Arizona. He fell into one of his shafts."

"He was also a supplier for Lackadaisy. Continue."

"Aego Hans. Owner of the Golden Lotus Hotel down in Vegas. He was shot and killed by an unhappy gambler."

"I remember him. He visited us a few months before you arrived. He beat Mr. Sweet at a poker game. He always smelled like mayonnaise for some reason."

"He had an addiction to it. Let's see, who else...Ah! Budvar Coves. He was some character."

"Was he that matador who was gored by a bull a year ago?"

"No. He's the one who was trampled to death by bulls during his rodeo. They still can't figure out how the bulls got out."

"Says here you also worked for Ms. Duncan."

"Yes, the artist. She hung herself. She was such a nice woman too."

"She was, what about Crags White?"

"Oh yes, the gourmet chef who ate an entire pufferfish. You can cook the fish but you can't cook out the poison."

"Gross, what about Hera Lupe."

"Very rich woman. Very arrogant too. I think she was a senator. She drowned in her own swimming pool."

"You seem to know a lot about your employers' demises."

"Word gets around fast to someone like me. Especially if it's a death."

"Back to Stone, he was stabbed in the back multiple times. Both literally and figuratively speaking."

"Ok, that was me. He was trying to...claim me."

"So, you stabbed him out of self-defense."

"It was either that or rape."

"And you didn't tell anyone?"

"Would you?"

The whole time they were talking. Jenni's tail has been undoing the buckles on her legs. She was also subtly loosening the straps on her wrists by wriggling her wrists and pulling them calmly. The black-footed cat finally felt the straps loosen around her ankles but it wasn't safe to make a move just yet. Jen didn't let the realization that her legs were nearly free, express on her face. "I'm still suspicious that you were involved in these peoples' deaths. I've been looking into the Graves family history and it appears everyone, except for Ms. Duncan, was at one point associated with Bruce Graves, the deceased owner of Graves Railways."

"You going to make some snarky comment about my mother killing my father too?"

"No. Your mother didn't have a bias to kill your father."

"Thank you!"

"However, Bruce was a double dealer to several companies causing these individuals and several others, I daresay, to leave. They might've been conspiring with one another to kill Mr. Graves. This would give you a bias to murder them."

Jenni's eyes widened, "You sure you're not some private investigator or something?" Heller smirked, "No, I'm just smart enough to do a background check on a newcomer. It helps me decide to trust them or not." Jenni sighed, "Well, I must admit. I'm impressed. You are one of the smartest characters I've worked with. However, there are some small flaws in your claim..." Heller advanced to the lamp next to Jen's chair and switched it on. Jenni shut her eyes and turned away. "Your eyes are photophobic right?" he asked. Jenni groaned, "Yeah. Bright lights give me a migraine. It's not a medical condition. It's a personal condition." "I see. But it still gives you a disadvantage in an interrogation situation."

Jenni's ears twitched as she listened to Heller's footsteps walking around her, "Well, you got me on that one Mr. Heller." Jenni heard her mentor's footsteps stop in front of the lamp. "However, there's something you don't realize. Have you heard of Harry Houdini?" "The magician? Yes? Why?" Jenni rammed her head on the lamp, causing it to fall over. Mordecai quickly jumped out of the way, looking frightened. Jenni pulled her wrists free and ripped the belts off her feet. She grabbed her necklace and the chair and threw it to the top of the stairs. She leaped up to the rails of the spiral staircase and acrobatically made her way to the top.

She looked back down at her stunned mentor and couldn't help but smile at him. She threw the chair through the glass windows on the roof and backflipped off a shelf. When she grabbed the side of the broken window, Jenni felt a sharp pain on her palm. She gasped and flipped onto the roof. She looked at her hand and she saw a nasty gash. Blood immediately flooded her hand. "Damn it!" she hissed. She tore a piece of cloth from her shirt and wrapped it around her wound.

A loud crash came from below and Jenni looked back down. Nico and Serafine had busted down into the room she was in. "Where is she?" Serafine asked. Jen whistled and the siblings looked up. "Oh hey Jen, how'd you get up there?" Nico asked. "Long story. Gotta go! Adios!" Jen cried out. She found a ladder and carefully climbed down it, checking to see if anyone was behind her, waiting in the dark. She heard footsteps approaching and she quickly dove in a bush. It was Heller and the Savoys. Wes and Fish came from the other side. "She had to have come down from here." Nico said.

"Find her! She hurt her hand. It might get infected." Heller cried. "Why do you care?" Wes asked. "She's your protege, not your girlfriend." "Or maybe Cher here has finally met his match. She outsmarted him and now you're getting a little...touched by this young lady." Serafine joked. "That's...what...she...just find her! She couldn't have gone far." Heller growled. "Ok." Nico said in a sing song voice, "You got the love bug on you and everyone can see it." Everyone scattered except for Mordecai. he couldn't believe someone outsmarted, let alone escape from him.

He sighed and glanced at the bush behind him. Jenni's fur stood up but she didn't move. Her hand burned terribly but she didn't mind. She was more focused on not being found. Heller's glare softened into a soft smile. He nodded and walked away. Jenni waited until he was gone to slowly emerge from the bush. She looked around quickly before making a break for the road. She looked back to see if anyone was following her. She made it to road and started walking back to the city. She asked herself "He let me go. I can't believe he let me go. Why?"