Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Sorry, it's been a while. I hope none of you were really worried this fic was abandoned. I'll admit even I didn't know if this fic would go on. If I may be frank with you all, it was hard work writing the last few chapters before this. I didn't really like what I was putting out and it felt like such a drag. Soon, I felt like I was pumping out subpar work just to meet the monthly update schedule. So, I took a break and while it did take a little bit of reworking and squirming around I was able to get back in the zone again. And I had fun writing this chapter! So, at least we have higher quality chapters to look forward to in the future.

That hasn't been the only thing keeping me, however. I've also just been really busy with school and college applications. I'm a senior in the IB program (if you don't know what that is, it's pretty much college prep in high school. Basically AP but with more tests and work) so I'm super busy with IAs and stuff too (Don't tell, but I'm late on submitting my proposal on my Math IA, uuughghghghg). So I've been super busy. Like, I literally wrote this thing at 1 am. I'm posting this at 2:30 in the morning in my time zone.

So yeah, that's where I've been. Thank you all for being super gracious and patient and I love you all for supporting this fic! I hope I can get back to a regular update schedule soon. For now, enjoy the chapter! :)

14. Interrogation

Thomas Logge, nickname Mace, was a foe from Cadel's days in foster care. The two of them had been about the same ages when they'd lived in the Donkins' house, but other than that they had little in common. Their relationship had been an intense feud, involving soiled bedsheets, ruined magazines, and shattered coffee mugs.

Saul had been aware of Cadel's past at the time, but he had also known of Mace's record as well. And when weighing the evidence, it was soon crystal clear who the aggressor was. Mace had been a delinquent who had a brother in jail and a reputation for bullying his fellow students at school. Meanwhile, Cadel had been as clean as possible following Prosper's arrest, staying well behaved and out of trouble. And that wasn't even mentioning the many times Saul had to stop Mace from committing assault on his future son.

So Saul didn't like Mace. And it appeared the feeling was mutual, for when he and Prosper finally tied him up in one of the upstairs rooms, he continued to fire curses at them through the fine scotch tape they tied over his mouth.

Or maybe he just didn't like being tied up.

Well, he can look forward to a lot more confinement if he keeps this up, Saul thought as he gazed at the young man sitting in the old, rickety, dining chair (the detective swore up and down it was the sturdiest one he could find in the house). Though Mace had given him and Prosper quite the scare downstairs, even with the muscle he had grown in the last few years he was no match for the men's combined cunning, strength, and age. Not to mention, there were two of them and one of him. A stalemate with both sides being held at gunpoint was easily broken when Saul and Prosper worked together to overwhelm the dog and capture Mace.

And now the dog was tied to a pole in the hallway. And Mace was tied to a chair, screaming his head off.

"Jesus, does this child have an off button‽" Prosper asked, glancing at Mace before turning his gaze back to the laptop in front of him. He was hunched over a desk, which had been covered in stacks and stacks of books. He and Saul had been forced to wipe off whatever sticky substance had been on it before they were sure it was safe to put anything on there, much less an old laptop downloading sensitive data.

"No, I'm afraid not," Saul deadpanned. "He was just like this in the Donkin's home. All sorts of yelling and cursing…"

"I still don't understand why you didn't let me put duct tape over him. Don't you see? The scotch is already falling off!" Prosper gestured to Mace whose little patch of scotch tape was indeed peeling off of his mouth, no doubt due to his litany of curses. Who knew such vulgar words could make fly a piece of transparent tape like a wind in sails?

" We're not here to torture him. Duct tape is painful when torn off," was Saul's simple response.

"Well, he certainly didn't care about inflicting pain when it came to Cadel."

"Just like how you didn't care when you filled the basement of Clearview House with concrete?"

It had just been a bit of banter (not that Saul was having friendly banter with a known criminal, no way, he would never stoop that low). He hadn't expected Prosper to think anything of his comment, to brush it off and fire with an equally biting retort of his own. But to Saul's surprise Prosper froze, just for a split second. But it was noticeable. And if he looked really closely the psychologist seemed a bit pale.

Finally he swallowed, said, "That was just business."

"Just business‽" Saul echoed incredulously, before he could stop himself.

"Besides, I'm not the one Mace is firing curses at," said Prosper, deliberately changing the subject. Saul allowed it for now.

"I put him in a professional headlock. You got him in trouble with the police, that's different!"

Ptoo! "I don't care! I think you're both especially awful! You guys and Cadel!"

The tape had finally come off, drifting down to the ground pathetically and landing on the grimy, hardwood floor, where it stuck.

"I told you we should have used duct tape, Greeniaus," Prosper said, but Saul's attention was entirely focused upon the youth before him.

"What do you know about Cadel, Thomas? You have something to do with his disappearance, don't you?"

Mace scoffed. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" he asked the two men, and he gave them both his most mischievous grin. Saul bristled. It seemed that Mace hadn't changed one bit since their last encounter. Sure, he was taller, with more muscle, and a bit of stubble had grown on his angular chin. But he was still a little shit. An annoying child with a shit eating grin, there was little that Saul detested more. But he knew he had to remain calm. This was an interrogation after all, and the main goal was always to gather information. And that couldn't be done effectively when he was beating someone.

So Saul kept his face and voice as impassive as possible.

"Yes, I would like to know," Saul retorted.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you," Mace said and that shit eating grin was still on his face. "Even if I wanted to, which I don't, I've been sworn to secrecy. I'll be destroyed if I tell."

A wet snort from Prosper English, who was still hunched over the computer. "Sworn to secrecy?" He repeated, aghast. For the first time he glanced back at Mace. "What, are you working for the CIA?"

"Eh, Maybe?" Mace shrugged. Saul sighed a long-suffering sigh.

"Thomas, we don't have time for games right now. Cadel is missing? You know that, right? And Prosper and I are wanted men."

"First of all, isn't Prosper supposed to be in trouble with the law? You only got me in trouble with the police because my brother was in jail in the first place!"

The psychologist whipped around. "How do you know that‽"

"Because I'm not stupid!" Mace's attention had entirely shifted now to Prosper English. And there was very little of the roguishness with which he had regarded Saul. "My brother and I pieced it all together the very next time we met! You knew Cadel's little officer friends would be there guarding him at Clearview house! That's why you had me plant the watch, so I would go over there attempting to frame him and get caught!"

"Wait! So that's what the watch incident was all about‽" Saul looked to Prosper. "Of course! It was your doing! Now, it makes so much more sense…"

"Yes, it was," Prosper admitted, his voice rough. He narrowed his eyes at Thomas. "Though, I didn't think you of all people would figure it out."

"And that's where you two have it all wrong," Mace said. "People are always so quick to discredit me, call me an oaf and slow and a thug. But people don't see how clever I really am. Or how serious I am. When I say I'm gonna get you I'm gonna get you. And Cadel's about to learn his lesson about that very soon…"

"Well, that's not ominous," Prosper commented and then to the computer he muttered quietly, "It's still downloading…"

Saul glanced between the psychologist and Thomas, pondering how to proceed. Mace was certainly involved in Cadel's disappearance, but just what role did he have? And why was he in Barney's house?

And then there was the dog. Saul's eyes travelled to the German shepherd who lay in the dark hall by the window, whining and looking forlorn. They were tied to the stair's banister with a leash. After it had tried to bite both him and Prosper, the detective wasn't keen to take any chances. Especially since he had pieced together that this dog was the same one he had encountered in the backyard on his trek to this very address. No doubt it had alerted Mace to his and Prosper's presence.

Glancing back to the computer, Saul saw that it was still uploading files. Prosper was tapping his foot anxiously, scowling at the screen. "Twenty-first century, my ass," he grumbled to himself. "I've seen telegraphs move faster than this thing…"

Saul looked back to Mace whose dark gaze was flitting between the detective and the psychologist. Perhaps if he changed tactics…

"Thomas, or, er, Mace." What a ridiculous nickname, Saul couldn't help but thinking. "I understand that you don't like us. And that you really don't like Cadel. And how you think it might be a good idea to hurt us by hurting him, or perhaps the other way around, but I don't think you realize how serious this situation is?"

"What do you mean?" Mace asked, defensively.

"Mace, Cadel is a missing child. There is a formal police investigation and alerts out. His photo is being printed on posters and is circulating the internet. If you're implicated in his arrest that could result in serious consequences-"

"Oh, shut up! You can't scare me with another 'oh, you'll go to jail' speech."

"Mace you won't just go to jail! Well, I mean, you will." Mace rolled his eyes, but this only made Saul bristle, argue his case harder. "But it won't just be for a handful of months or years like your brother's gotten. You could get in for fifty years, seventy years, ninety years." Saul counted the numbers on his fingers as he spoke. "You could get life or more in jail!"

"No way!" Mace said, and though he tried to retain his impassive expression Saul could see the slight unease in it too. "That's only if they die!"

Saul shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he said in an almost patronizing tone. "If they suspect what you did was bad enough, they don't have to know for sure. They can just convict you."

"Well, I won't be convicted anyway!" Mace shouted in a burst of confidence. "I won't even get caught! It's a top secret operation and not even you two can find out anything!"

"We found out about Barney." Saul raised his eyebrows. "And this house."

"You weren't wanted then."

"Actually, we were by the time we found this address." It was Prosper who said this. Having grown bored with the file uploads (which had stood at a solid 89% for several minutes now) he had turned his attention to Saul and Thomas's conversation. "Also, how could you know when we found our information?"

"The boss has his ways," Mace answered cryptically.

"Who's the boss?" Saul asked.

Mace's response was as cocky as ever. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?"

Saul groaned. None of his tactics were getting him anywhere and Cadel was running out of time.

"You know we could always try my way," Prosper suggested.

Saul didn't even turn to face him. "We're not torturing anybody."

Prosper scoffed. "I wasn't talking about torture, Mr. Greenaius! As you know, violence is far from my style, and to be honest I can't really stomach the smell or sight of blood."

"Then what are you suggesting? Some sort of mental, emotional manipulation?"

"Yes, that's it exactly!" Prosper nodded, smiling broadly. "Manipulation is far more effective than torture, not to mention less messy."

"No."

"What?"

"No, Prosper."

The psychologist spluttered. "But why not‽ None of your methods are working. Why don't you just let me have a go!"

"I just don't think it's a good idea."

"What, you don't think I'd be effective, Mr. Greenaius?"

"I-"

"Oh! You think I'd break his mind or something, isn't that right, Mr. Greeniaus?" Prosper's smile was a little unsettling as he chuckled softly. "It's flattering that you think so highly of my abilities, detective, but even I can't break someone by talking."

"Not that you'd be able to do it anyway!" Mace shouted from the sidelines.

Saul sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be working on the computer, anyway?"

Prosper huffed. "I am, Mr. Greeniaus, I am," he turned to the computer. "But it's all uploading at a snail's pace."

"Man. If only someone didn't nearly sabotage all the files by opening them without a care in the world…"

Prosper turned to Saul slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Now, listen here, Mr. Greeniaus-"

Ding!

All three men in the room jumped. A quick glance around the room revealed that the laptop had finally finished uploading. Now a nice library of files could be seen, neatly arranged on the computer screen. Saul and Prosper pounced like wildcats upon a mouse.

"What's in there?" Prosper asked.

"I'm looking, I'm looking."

"Do they have where Cadel is?"

"I'm looking."

"Whatever it is, you'll never be able to find it!" Mace called to them from his spot but his taunts were utterly useless for only a second afterward did the men find something of interest.

"This looks like a map," Saul said narrowing his eyes.

Prosper's sarcastic response was, "Oh, really? You know, I could hardly tell…"

"Don't be such a smart-ass. Here." Saul circled the whole thing with his mouse. "It looks like some sort of warehouse, or something?"

"Do human traffickers keep their victims in warehouses?"

"Sometimes… but if you ask me, I don't think we're dealing with a regular human trafficking scenario."

The two continued to study the pictures within the many files. Each one revealed sterile concrete halls and floors with fluorescent lighting. It looked quite dark and cold and damp.

"Do you really think they kept Cadel in there?" Prosper asked as they gazed upon a tiny little room with a mattress and a toilet. Saul didn't answer, but his jaw was tense and he could feel himself trembling in his chair.

Prosper turned to Mace, gazing at him with hooded eyes.

"Hey!" He pointed to the screen. "Did you keep Cadel in there‽"

"I haven't kept Cadel anywhere." Mace shrugged. "If you wanna get super technical and talk about just me for a moment, I haven't seen Cadel since foster care."

Saul clicked off the photos. He hadn't seen them all, but he couldn't take it anymore. The next file was a list of names matched to a number sequence. Phone numbers, Saul quickly realized.

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit!" Prosper snapped. "Come on! I know you know it! Did you keep Cadel in there‽"

"Look," Saul whispered. He tapped Prosper's shoulder. He looked to the screen and saw them too. The phone numbers and the names beside them. More than one had stood out among the detective. Dot, Com, Niobe.

Prosper gave Saul a pointed look. Yes, he recognized it. He fully understood what it means too. One familiar face in Thomas was a coincidence. But four. Well. That was cause for concern to say the least…

Saul turned back to Mace, still rooted to his dining chair. "Uh, Mace," he began. "How do you know Dot?"

"Dot?" Mace glanced towards the computer, as if wondering just how much information was in there. He was obviously caught off guard, as seen by the wide eyes, the high-pitched voice.

"Yes, Dot." Saul said. "She was a member of Genius Squad at Clearview House. Later, she worked for Prosper. As far as I know, you two have never met."

"Well, that's not fair!" Mace shouted. "Those are Barney's contacts! Not mine!"

"True," Saul conceded. "But you were in cahoots with Barney."

"That doesn't mean I know these people."

Saul raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Yeah, um, I'm a freelance. I do criminal stuff, I guess. But I don't work with any organization or anything like that." Mace was beginning to crack now. Saul could feel it. And see it. In the way his eyes darted back and forth, in the sweat forming on his forehead…

Prosper English watched the interrogation with dark, piercing eyes.

"Well, what about Barney? Was he freelancing too? Or did he work for some sort of organization?"

"Well…" Mace hesitated, perhaps for a bit too long. "Well, he was freelance too."

Thomas's words died in the murky air. The room was deathly silent for several moments as Mace stared at Saul and Prosper and Saul and Prosper stared at him. The sun was high in the sky now, casting a golden light that colored the dirty room a soft brown. Neighbors were awake and sounds filtered in through the window. The rumbling of a school bus, the mowing of a lawn, the twittering of the songbirds…

"I don't buy it," Prosper said at last.

In a frenzy of energy, the psychologist stormed out of the room. "Prosper, wait!" Saul called out. Helplessly, he glanced at Thomas, who was gazing at him with a curious expression. "Prosper, we can't leave him alone!" The detective didn't even trust him tied up.

"Don't worry, Greeniaus," Prosper called up. "I'm not going anywhere." And within seconds he was climbing the stairs again, carrying one of those home phones he hadn't seen in ages.

"A cell phone‽" Saul was aghast. "Prosper, we're on the run!"

"Don't you forget, Greeniaus, I'm the expert here! And I doubt being traced is any concern for the Virus!"

"What are you calling the Virus for‽"

"The same thing I always call him for," the psychologist said smiling, though there wasn't a hint of joy or goodwill in his voice, whatsoever. "Infiltration."

"What are you infiltrating?" Saul asked under his breath, but by then, Prosper was already dialing the number. "Wait, we didn't agree on this!" Saul shouted.

"Ah, good morning, Doctor," Prosper said quite politely when the Virus picked up the phone. "How are you this morning?" A pause. "A cold. Another cold? And a fever? Are you sure that's possible. Well, no matter." Prosper waved his hand. "We're still looking for Cadel, Saul and I, and I was wondering if you could be so kind as to provide some extra help."

"You see, we have this young lad," Prosper turned to Mace smiling. "And we have overwhelming evidence that he's part of a team of sorts, working to terrorize poor little Cadel. Or at least that he knows more than he's letting on. And well, we really need to get him to speak, you see?"

"What is this about?" Mace asked, suspicion laced in all of his features. "Why are you calling a virus?"

Yes, why are you calling the Virus, Prosper? Saul wondered. What on Earth could your plan be?

"Oh, not much. All I really need is for you to make a quick fix in the prison's databases. Look for a mister Logge. I have some changes I need to make to his file."

"My brother?" Thomas went pale. "What? No!"

"Prosper, don't do anything drastic," Saul warned, but the psychologist merely gave him a mischievous smile.

"What changes?" Prosper put his finger on his chin in an almost comic manner. "Well, let's see. We're going to make sure he's classified as high security. That'll get him a place in solitary confinement…"

"Solitary confinement?" Mace echoed. All at once his voice sounded small and young.

"Which means that he won't get to have any in person visits."

"What‽"

"And phone calls… those would be limited to five minutes, per month, correct?"

"Hey, you can't keep me from my family!" Mace shouted. "That's not fair!" And when Prosper didn't let up, when he only gazed at him with that dark piercing stare he added. "And it's not going to get me to talk anyway! Nothing you do will get me to talk!"

Prosper stared for a moment, eyes narrowed. He blinked, rather slowly.

"Excuse me, Virus, what's the fastest and easiest way you can get Mr. Logge lined up for Death Row?"

"Prosper!" Saul shouted.

"Okay, alright!" Mace shouted. "I'll talk! I promise I'll talk!"

"Hmmm…" The psychologist's eyes were still narrowed. "Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

Thomas nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, I'll tell the truth please! Just don't kill my brother!"

Prosper smiled once again. He shrugged. "Very well." Speaking into the phone he said, "Did you hear that, Vee? It sounds like we won't be needing your services after all, so you're free to sleep in and take the day off. Oh, well, yes, of course. Well. I hope your fever, oh, cold gets better!" Prosper chuckled. "Goodbye!"

Prosper hung up. He and Saul turned to Mace who was suddenly an information machine.

"Alright, I admit it. I'm not a freelance criminal, and neither was Barney. We were both doing this entirely aware of the scope of the operation!"

"Operation?" Saul echoed. "Why do you need an operation to kidnap one child?"

"Well…" Mace looked to the ground. "Well, it's not just about Cadel. In fact, it's mostly not about Cadel at all…

"What?" Prosper asked. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, Cadel was only the bait. The real goal in all this… is to get at you guys…"

"You guys…?" Saul muttered, narrowing his eyes in thought. You guys. Saul Greeniaus and Prosper English. What could that possibly mean?

"You mean us?" Prosper asked, pointing between himself and Saul. "Us two?"

Mace nodded. "Yes, you two. It's, er… it's a revenge plot…"

"Revenge?" Saul was puzzled. "Who would want revenge on both of us? We're two completely different people!"

"Well, Cadel's been kidnapped…" Prosper said. "And we have both made paternal claims to him…"

"Yes, that's true…" Saul nodded. "And we weren't the only ones either…"

"Oh no!" Prosper's dark eyes went wide as a frightening possibility came to him. "What if Dr. Darkkon's back‽" he fretted. "What if the cancer didn't really kill him‽ If he's still alive it's likely he could've been hiding out somewhere! He might not know Cadel isn't biologically his son!"

"No, no, no! It's not Dr. Darkkon!" Mace sounded irritated. "Why would it be him? He's dead!"

Prosper only shrugged. "I came back from the dead, didn't I?" And when Mace only rolled his eyes he added, "You just wouldn't understand. Anything can occur in the criminal underworld."

This reasoning didn't seem to convince Mace, who remained quite huffy. "Well, anyway, it's not Darkkon you two have to worry about. The guy who kidnapped Cadel and is trying to get revenge on you is Trader Lynch!"

"Trader Lynch?" Saul repeated.

"Yes. Trader Lynch."

"Trader Lynch…" Prosper said. His face took on a pensive expression. Saul furrowed his brow. "Trader Lynch…" Prosper repeated.

Mace looked between the two men's faces, confusion morphing to disbelief. "Aw man, you've gotta be kidding me! You two remember Trader Lynch, right?"

"Of course, I do!" Prosper spluttered. "You know, he was the one… who…" The psychologist trailed off. At one point he sucked air through his teeth.

Lips pressed together; Saul shook his head. "Yeah, I don't think I remember a Trader Lynch…" he said.

"Oh, really? Come on," Mace urged. "Remember Genius Squad? He was the guy in charge, remember?"

"Genius Squad…" Prosper mused.

"Guy in charge… Oh, I got it!" Saul snapped his fingers. "Trader Lynch ran Genius Squad! He was arrested right when I was in the country with you!"

"Oh, yes, now I remember." It seemed that the detective's recollection had helped Prosper to remember too. "I gave him information about GenoMe from jail. And in exchange I had him add Cadel, Dot, and the crippled wheelchair girl…"

"Sonja," Saul corrected flatly.

"He must be upset with us because he got arrested."

Saul snorted. "Why? It was his own fault."

"I know right, like nobody else from Genius Squad got arrested, he was clearly doing something wrong."

"Yeah, yeah, well, Trader doesn't feel that way," Mace chimed in. "And now that he's plastered you two on the news…"

"Of course that was him," Prosper muttered under his breath.

"He's gonna move on to his next phase."

"Next phase?" Saul echoed, growing uneasy. "What is this next phase?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what it entails myself," Mace admitted. "But to do it he's flying Cadel all the way to Timor-Leste."

"Timor Leste‽" Both men were aghast.

"What is he some sort of human trafficker‽" Prosper shouted.

"Damn, he's going to take Cadel to a third location. This is not good…"

"When do they leave?"

"Today!" Mace answered.

Both men gasped in horror!

"But I don't know exactly when. If they've planned to leave later than you can still catch them!"

"Really? Are you sure?" Prosper leaned in close, his dark eyes boring into Mace's. "You're not just telling us all this to throw us off Cadel's real captor?"

"No! Like I said, I told you the truth! Please don't kill my brother!"

"Well, what are we waiting for!" Prosper straightened up. His dark eyes were filled with determination. "Trader Lynch is about to take Cadel to Timor-Leste! We've got to catch him!"