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Secrets of the Dead

Dawn followed Cyrus back into the meeting room. The corpse was still on the ground and covered, but the stench was overpowering. She drew in a deep breath and tried not to gag on the stench. Who could do such a thing and why? What was the motivation behind the murder and dismemberment of a human being?

"What's the matter?" Cyrus said.

It was hard to know what thoughts were running through her father's head. She doubted he cared much about the grunt's demise, but surely he had to be a little concerned the grunts were still in town and causing trouble. Why had they tried to rob a grave anyway? It's not like anything was buried with the bodies. "Lucian? Fantina?"

"I've just gotten a message from the police stationed at the watch house. A girl claiming to have witnessed the murder has come forth and wants to speak," Fantina answered.

"You think she's a possible suspect?" Lucian said.

Fantina shrugged. "We won't know until we speak with her."

"I don't think it would be a wise idea if we all went at once," Cyrus spoke up. "She might feel pressured and therefore be less likely to speak. Allow Dawn and I to speak with her – if she was there with the grunt then she might have been one of mine too."

"Lucian and I will wait here. The watch house is on the opposite side of town directly across from the pokémon centre. With Dawn at your side you won't have any trouble dealing with the local authorities." Fantina guided them out of the room and back towards the gym's entrance. All was silent except for the sounds of their breaths and footsteps. Chilling. "I wish you both the best of luck and I look forward to hearing what you have learned. I will contact Sabrina and Morty at once. Lucian, you are welcome to stay for lunch if you'd like."

"I appreciate that, but I must refuse. I will go and visit the library at the league and learn what I can of old myths and legends. Perhaps… Something like this has happened before. I will return in the later hours of the day to prepare a camp." He bowed his head and took his leave.

Dawn and Cyrus exchanged glances. Lucian was capable in his own right, but she didn't think sleeping overnight within the tower was such a good idea. What if the attacker struck again? Pushing her worries aside, she gave Fantina an assuring nod. "We'll go to the watch tower now. I'll contact you as soon as it's over."

Fantina only nodded in response. Nothing more needed to be said. Remaining silent, Dawn exited the building with Cyrus following close behind. Together, they walked through the main street of Hearthome towards the watch tower. The building itself was nothing impressive – just a two-storey brick building used for holding criminals overnight. Tonight it was being used for other purposes.

"The streets are quiet," Cyrus noted, bypassing a few brick houses with white picket fences. "They're all probably watching the news and believing all the lies the media has to say." He gave a disproving nod.

"You're not a fan."

He shook his head. "None of the journalists were there when it happened – they write down what they think has happened pulling in words they hear from other people who also weren't there. Stories tend to change a little when they're passed around and then people come up with their own interpretations and usually it's the opposite of the original meaning."

It sounded like he had spoke from experience, but she didn't ask for details. Whatever happened in the Galactic Headquarters wasn't her business. Besides, she had more important things to worry about such as uncovering the truth. After a short time taking a casual stroll through the quiet suburban streets of Hearthome, they reached the watch house. Two police guards were standing outside.

"Fantina said you were coming," one officer said.

The other tilted his hat forward and nodded. "Come inside, Champion."

Dawn stepped inside.

"Is this the first time you've visited the watch house?" the first officer said.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah," she replied, turning her head around to observe her surroundings. A map of the region was taped to the northern wall and several cities were circled in red. She suspected that meant crime was high in those places. Next to the map were various frames displaying the past and present officers in service. On the southern wall were paintings of oldest serving pokémon and their trainers.

She averted her gaze and looked directly ahead at the reception office. There was a single blonde woman sitting behind a screen, tapping away at the keyboard oblivious to their presence. The police officer walked towards the desk then cleared his throat. Startled, she jumped in her seat. "You're here to talk to the witness?" she said, her eyes moving towards Dawn and Cyrus then back to the officer.

The man nodded. "Yes."

"Head down the hall then take the first door right."

The officer returned to her side then pointed to the hallway on the far left. "First door on the right. If you need help, just push the red button and we'll come and detain her if necessary. We'll be waiting right outside." The officer took a seat in the lobby with his partner.

"Allow me to do the talking," Cyrus said.

Dawn nodded. No arguments there. "Let's go in then."

Watching the battle between Serena and Michael reminded him of his early days. Both trainers attacked with their strongest attacks ignoring strategy all together. The battle hadn't lasted long – all it took was an Earthquake move from Serena's Rhyhorn and Michael's Charmander was brought to the ground within seconds. The girl was now preparing to fight against the final trainer, a male with an Ivysaur, for the top prize – an Eevee egg.

All the other competitors and locals were dining in the café, but Barry found Serena standing outside before one of the paddocks. She was gazing upwards at the night sky with a sombre expression, twirling a single finger around a lock of brown hair. "Feeling a bit nervous about tomorrow?" Barry said, striding towards her, his hands in his pockets.

She glanced over her shoulder. "It's the first time I've ever competed in such a big event. My hometown Kalos doesn't offer much in terms of competition, so when I heard there was a tournament here, I knew I had come back home."

"Wait – home? You're originally from Sinnoh?"

"We moved to Kalos when I was three years old."

Right. Kalos, the so-called region of love. He had heard rumours about the place from his online friends but had never bothered to visit the region himself. Apparently, one of the cities was so large you had to take a cab to get around. In other words a little too chaotic for his liking. "Oh, I'm Barry by the way." He stuck his hand out.

"Serena," she replied, accepting his handshake. "I've heard about you. You're the Champion's friend, aren't you?"

He pulled his hand back and ran a hand through his blond hair. "Yeah, that's me."

"I heard you helped the Champion fight off a criminal organization by the name of Galactic."

Wow, he was famous. "Dawn and Cynthia did all the work. I just played a small part." He remembered his loss to Jupiter as if it had happened yesterday. The humiliation, the agony of defeat and the bitter tears that came with the loss still stung. "It was nothing really."

"So how come you're here now and not with your friend?"

"She's the Champion," Barry started, unsure of why he was telling a girl he had only just met so much. Still, she seemed nice and approachable enough, and she was strong for a beginner trainer. "She doesn't have time for me anymore." Would he get the chance to see her again? Lucas was a good friend and all, but he wasn't Dawn. He missed battling her and being at her side.

"You care about her a lot." The corners of her mouth tugged into a smile. It was the same one Lucas had made earlier in the week. Was it that obvious?

"She's my best friend."

"And she's lucky to have a friend like you."

Barry cleared his throat. "How long are you planning on staying here in Sinnoh?"

"I'm supposed to meet up with Professor Rowan and give him this envelope," she replied, reaching down to her shoulder bag. She opened it then pulled out a cream-coloured envelope with a red stamp on it. "It's from Professor Sycamore."

Barry looked at it and frowned. "What's it about? Couldn't your professor come here and deliver it in person?"

"He would, but he can't leave Kalos… So he said me instead."

There was more to this girl than what he first originally assumed. She wasn't just some ordinary trainer starting out on her adventure to obtain all eight badges and become Champion, but someone important. If the professor had chosen her out of all the new trainers then he must've seen something special in her – like what Rowan saw in both Barry and Dawn. "Do you know what it is about?"

She nodded. "It's a warning."

Arching he brow, he said, "A warning?"

She looked left then right checking to see if they were alone. "I don't know all the details, but it was something about ancient scripture and some old site used by the druids' centuries ago. He said the answers would be found in Sinnoh the home of myths and legends." She held out the envelope towards him. "I want you to take it to the professor."

"Isn't that supposed to be your job?"

"You know Sinnoh better than I do. You've lived here your entire life and you'll get to the professor faster than I can." She pushed it into his hands. "I know you'll get the letter into his hands. The faster it reaches his ears, the better for us all. Please do this, Barry."

How was he supposed to say no when the girl was basically giving him a pleading look? He took the letter from her hands. "All right, I'll do it, but only because it's so important for the professor to receive it." Perhaps Cynthia might want to have a look to - ancient scripture and old myths seemed right in her line of work.

She smiled. "Thanks, Barry. I know I'm basically a stranger to you, and it's weird of me to ask you, but I know you'll help the professor unlock the truth from the words in the letter." He frowned, confused. Did Serena know more about the contents of the envelope than she was letting on? Rather than ask, he remained silent and nodded to show he understood. She looked down at the time then glanced up again. "I really should be going now. I promised Michael I'd help him with a few things. It was nice meeting you, Barry. I hope we'll meet again under different circumstances."

Barry watched her leave without speaking another word then glanced down at the envelope in his hand. Just what exactly was the letter about anyway? It was tempting to have a peek, but that would disappoint Rowan, and he couldn't take the risk, not after everything the man had done for him. He folded it then pushed into his pocket and headed back towards the café. Maybe someone at the café could offer some advice.

"You like him, don't you?" Candice said, walking over to the fridge to grab a carton of milk. Grabbing the carton, she closed the door with her other hand then walked to the table. Normally, Maylene visited, but today it was Gardenia sitting at the kitchen table. "Don't try to deny it – I know how bitterly disappointed you were when he ignored you."

The girl sighed, propped her elbows on the table then pushed aside her bangs from her eyes. "I tried talking to him about it, but he refuses to listen." She buried her face in her hands and sighed again. "Why did it have to be Roark?" she murmured.

Candice chuckled. "You can't choose the ones you fall for."

Gardenia pulled her hands away and made a sour face. "I wish I could just turn it off and stop feeling like this."

Grabbing the glass of milk, Candice brought the rim to her lips and drank a mouthful then placed it down again. "But you can't so you're just going to have to deal with these feelings until they pass."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Distract yourself. You spend so much time in the greenhouse of yours tending to the plants that you never do anything else. Get some sunshine, girl. Do something that doesn't involve you spending time alone because then your mind wanders to Roark, and if you're trying to get over someone… being alone is the last thing you want." She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. "Say… why don't we spend some time in Maylene's city. We'll visit the clubs and spend some money at the casinos."

Raising an eyebrow, Gardenia said, "…That sounds like a set up to a whole lot of other problems."

"Don't be so negative. It'll be fun, I promise. We can even invite some of the cute guys to come."

"Oh no, you're not setting me up on a date with anyone."

Candice rolled her eyes. "Make Roark jealous, Gardenia. If he sees you with some other guy he'll totally realize where he's gone wrong and make it up to you!"

"…Or rather, he gets the wrong idea and thinks I've moved on and moves on himself."

Fair point. That was also a possibility, but not definite. "And if he does move on then you'll know he wasn't worth it to begin with. If it doesn't work out with you and Roark, you'll find someone else deserving of you."

Gardenia didn't look convinced. She just sighed and took a sip of water from her glass. "All right. I'll come with you to Veilstone City, but not to flirt with any of the cute guys we may happen to meet. I just want some time away from the gym. Like you said a distraction."

"Great," Candice said with a smile. "I'll give Maylene a call when we're ready. We can stay over at her gym. I'm sure she won't mind." At the same time she could learn all the juicy gossip about Volkner from Maylene and see if any of the rumours about him were true. She could never say no to a gossip session with the girls especially ones that she considered close friends. Perhaps they could even invite Volkner over to participate in some games…

"Um, Candice? Are you there?"

Candice pulled herself out of her thoughts. Gardenia was waving a hand in her face. "I was just thinking about the things we can do together. You know, it's been a long time since we've actually hung out like this – We're always so caught up in gym work we forget to take time out for ourselves too." That wasn't to say she found her duties boring, but sometimes there were days she wanted to be in a place other than Snowpoint. The city was so isolated from the rest of the region that many trainers simply gave up the mission to obtain all eight badges because of the distance.

"Do I even want to know what you have in mind?"

"Ever been on the dance floor?"

"Uh, no?"

She smiled again. "There's an idea right there. You're going to join me on the dance floor at the club in Veilstone."

"I don't think…"

"Oh, we can invite Roark over to dance with us!"

Gardenia paled. "I thought it was just going to be us?"

"He won't be coming with us. I'll just tell him we're having a celebration in Veilstone to reflect on our achievements over the past couple of months. We could just say it's a reunion. You know, catch up with each other." She could see it coming together in her head – they would book out a conference room at the club and have their own party for gym leaders only. Rubbing her hands together, she flashed Gardenia a smile. "Relax, it'll be great."

"…I really don't know about this… What if the other gym leaders don't agree?"

"Then that's their loss."

"…I'm not going to be able to get out of this, am I?"

Candice pouted. "This all started because of your inability to tell Roark how you really feel about him because you're scared of possible rejection, so I've come up with an alternative method to bring you together and I'll observe from the sidelines. You can see what he really thinks without even having to speak to him thus sparing yourself the embarrassment if you don't hear what you want to hear," she explained, observing Gardenia's face closely, noting her every reaction. The girl looked shocked. Maybe she even regretted making the trip here, but Candice was determined to make it worthwhile.

Her advice had brought Volkner and Maylene together, so surely the same would happen for Roark and Gardenia? Although her methods might seem over-the-top to those outside her friendship circle, she really did care about them and wanted her friends to be happy. It was just a matter of climbing the first few rungs of the ladder. Simple stuff.

"I really hope you're right about this."

"Trust me; this will be the greatest reunion ever. Now come on, let's go shopping."

She rose to her feet and walked to the front door. Upon reaching the entrance, she paused and looked over her shoulder to ensure her friend was following. She was though with a hesitant expression on her face. Rolling her eyes, Candice turned back around and opened the door and stepped outside into the cold.

Cyrus entered the room. Dawn followed moments after then closed the door. The girl was sitting behind a desk, her dark eyes darting around the room as if expecting an ambush. Dawn approached her with caution then sat down in the seat opposite to the girl. Cyrus took the other. "We've been told you were there when the death happened," Cyrus started.

The girl's eyes widened. The fear was evident – she recognized him straight away. "They didn't tell me you were coming…" she murmured, dropping her gaze to the floor. She raised her left hand and brushed back a loose strand of black hair behind her ear then spoke again. "We just wanted to survive… He didn't deserve to die…"

"Sharon."

She glanced up at the name. Her eyes narrowed. "…This is your fault, Cyrus. He wouldn't have died if not for you."

"You blame me for something I had no control over," Cyrus replied calmly, his arms folded. "Did you and your friend not decide to rob a grave? I did not tell you to do that. You made that decision on your own terms and paid for your foolishness."

"He was torn apart!" she retorted, her fear forgotten, now replaced by a sense of anger and hatred. "He only wanted to rob the grave to make some money to survive then that… that thing came… And it was all over." Now she started to tremble, the fear returning to her face. Biting down on her lower lip, she looked around the room, as if searching for an escape route.

"What did you see?" Dawn said.

"Why do you want to know? It's not going to change anything. It won't bring Raymond back." A visible shudder raced down her spine.

Cyrus leaned forward. "You're right; it won't, but it will help us understand what killed him and why."

She wrapped her arms around her body. "…It just grabbed him… A claw… I tried to help him, but I couldn't. I just… stood by and watched him die…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "There was also this… coldness in the air. A feeling of dread."

"A claw?" Cyrus repeated.

Dawn remained silent, allowing Cyrus to do all the questioning. Her job was to pull all the pieces together and somehow make sense of it all. She looked at the girl again. Her skin was pale, and her eyes kept darting around the room. "It's all right. You're safe here," Dawn said.

The girl jerked her head in Dawn's direction. "Are you certain? Because I know what I saw, and I know I'm not crazy. Something climbed out of that coffin and it killed Raymond, and if you're not careful it'll get you too." She moved her hands to her lap. "No one is safe. Not anymore so don't tell me otherwise."

"Can you tell us anything else?"

"It said something… three words… Freedom… Freed… Hunger…" Sharon murmured.

Dawn looked at Cyrus hoping for an answer. Unfortunately, he shrugged, his brows furrowed. That wasn't comforting. Turning her head back to the girl again, she planned to question the girl further, but instead she gasped. Blood. Blood was trickling out of her nose and she didn't even seem to be aware of it.

Cyrus rose to his feet, alarmed. "You're infected… Or cursed."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Infected?" Dawn repeated, also rising to her feet.

"Dawn stay back. Don't touch her," Cyrus replied, throwing an arm out to stop her from moving forwards.

Dawn took a step back, her eyes wide. Just what in the name of Arceus was going on here? She moved to stand behind her chair, her fingers grasping the top rail. Dropping a hand to her pokebelt, she clasped her fingers around a pokéball preparing to use it in case the situation worsened. "What do we do?"

"…We let her die."

"She needs medical help."

Cyrus shook his head. "I don't think anything can stop this."

Her jaw dropped. He couldn't be serious – could he? There had to be something that could work? Through wide eyes, she turned back to face Sharon again, and watched as the girl rose to her feet, oblivious to the blood flowing out of her nose. "…The nurses at the pokémon centre would know."

"Dawn listen to me. Something isn't right. Whatever emerged from the coffin that night has somehow… passed some sickness on." Cyrus took a few steps back from the girl. Sharon raised a hand to her nose then drew it back, her eyes widening at the sight of the blood. "Stay calm," Cyrus said, his hands raised, palms extending outwards.

Raising her hands to her ears, she said, "…Make the voices stop!"

"Voices?"

She nodded and tapped her head. "They keep talking to me and they don't stop repeating the same old words! It started last night, and it hasn't stopped." She then froze and looked around the room. "I keep picturing his death repeatedly! I can hear his voice in my head and his screams as he died!" Dropping down to her knees, she lowered her head and sobbed. When she lifted her head again, Dawn noticed the tears were no longer crystal clear, but red too.

"Bring the police in," Cyrus said, motioning towards the red button next to the door. "Press it."

Dawn pressed the button without wasting another second. Sharon was still on her knees and sobbing, her clothes dyed with the colour of red. The door burst open and the two officers walked inside. Their jaws dropped open upon seeing Sharon. "…What happened? Was she attacked? Did she attack?"

"No, nothing happened. It started on its own," Dawn replied.

"We need to call the nurses from the pokémon centre. This is out of our profession."

Cyrus glanced over and shook his head. "No. She's been cursed."

"What? Cursed? How can you tell?"

"And how do we know this isn't some plan of yours, Cyrus?" the second officer said, his eyes narrowed. "Your history is known to us."

"I wouldn't infect someone with a sickness I knew nothing about," Cyrus replied tonelessly.

Dawn stepped in between them. "None of us know what is happening here, and I don't think it would be wise to contact her. Whatever she has is contagious – she was there when her friend died. If you touch her, you too could die." She knew it was cruel to allow the girl to suffer like this, but she trusted Cyrus's judgement. He knew more about science than anyone else in this room.

"All right… You're the Champion here."

"So… what do we do then?"

"We wait until it passes," Cyrus answered.

"You mean… watch her die? That makes me uncomfortable."

Dawn bit down on her lower lip. She felt like she was committing a crime despite not doing anything at all. Sharon was suffering and she could do nothing but watch otherwise risk catching whatever the girl had. Conflicted, she shut her eyes and looked away, unable to watch. The girl's sobs would remain in her nightmares.

"She's convulsing. Arceus, we have to do something!"

"No, you can't."

"I can't stand by and watch someone suffer, guilty of a crime or not."

Dawn reopened her eyes. The first officer was now kneeling besides the girl, an arm wrapped around her shoulder. She was hunched over and vomiting blood on the floor. Her stomach churned. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she used her other hand to squeeze her nostrils to block out the smell as much as possible.

The girl gagged. Such an awful sound. It sounded like she was choking on her blood. The officer tried to support her, but the girl batted his arm away and carried on vomiting. Now there was a fresh pool of blood before her feet. The other officer turned around and started pacing back and forth, his right hand stroking his chin.

Only when the gagging stopped did Dawn remove her hand from her mouth. Sweat beads dripped off Sharon's face, her hair clinging to her face. Her skin was ashen pale, and her eyes were bloodshot. Leaning over, she placed her hands on the floor to support herself as she drew in deep ragged breaths.

"…The voices are fading…" she mumbled.

Because you are almost dead, Dawn thought.

"The nightmare… it's almost gone…" That was the last sentence that left her mouth. Her eyes shut as she lay down on the floor in her own blood. The officer supporting her climbed to his feet and murmured a prayer for the fallen girl.

"We have to burn the corpse. It's not of any use to us now," Cyrus said.

"We bury the dead," the first officer said.

Cyrus shook his head. "And risk further contamination?" He didn't receive a reply. Whilst the officer pulled the body aside out of the blood pool, Cyrus approached Dawn. "This can't reach the ears of the public. They'll ask questions and we don't have answers for it. I suggest you keep a low profile for the next few days. See what you can learn at the league."

With a nod, she said, "I guess I'll see you again soon?"

"In time."

A brief reunion. Now if only she could reunite with her mother and friends again even if only for a short period of time. Cyrus threw one more glance at the body then exited the room. Most likely there were a lot of questions racing through his mind as he tried to find an answer to their problem. Dawn remained in the room. Two people dead under her reign as Champion. Not exactly the start she was looking for. If word reached the public the reaction wouldn't be positive.

"Keep safe," she said.

The officer gave her a grim smile. "Strange things are happening, Dawn. I hope you can find a solution before this thing… whatever it is… spreads and claims us all."

As she turned to leave the room, a worrying thought surfaced in her mind. What if it was already too late?

Fortunately, the journey home had been an uneventful one. No explosions, no one screaming, and no deaths. The news in Hearthome had spread far across the region – it was splashed all over the papers and all the journalists on major networks were talking about it. Dawn was in the middle of it all though she hadn't yet spoken a single word to address to the region.

She switched the television off. Listening to the news was depressing. The past twenty-four hours had been about the unfortunate death of a young man in Hearthome's Lost Tower. She moved into the kitchen and grabbed the kettle then filled it up with water. A cup of strong coffee always helped calm the nerves. Once filled, she placed it back on the base and turned it on to boil the water.

As she waited she looked out the window and peered up at the pink-orange clouds above the horizon. A large flock of Starly flew beneath the clouds as the birds made their final calls for the day before returning to their homes. Sunset had always been her favourite time of the day simply because it was soothing to see after a long hard day of work. Just seeing the vivid red sky dancing flames on the horizon made her temporarily forget the problems she faced.

Her gaze lingered on the sunset for a few moments longer before she finally averted her eyes and turned her back to the window. Cyrus hadn't returned yet and Dawn now lived at the league. If not for Julia, the house would be empty. Although she had lived alone for the past few years she always had visitors coming over such as Carolina and Rowan. Unfortunately, Carolina had passed away in the recent years and Rowan's condition made it harder for him to move around.

She walked towards the stairs then followed them up to the upper level. Before returning to her room, she poked her head inside Julia's room and made sure the girl was asleep. Julia's eyes were closed. Pulling back, she closed the door gently and headed to her room then sat down on her bed. Everything was slowly starting to come together. Her family reunited again and possibly a career as a beach resort owner.

She lied down on the bed and rolled over onto her side. Adjusting to an empty bed, even if just for one night, was hard to become accustomed to after having shared it for the past month. She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle sound of waves crashing against the shoreline finding it soothing. This was life away from the chaos and madness of the city life, a one usually reserved for the rich and famous.

The sound of glass shattering caused her to jolt upright, her eyes wide. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she picked herself up and slowly walked towards the front door. She pressed her head against it and listened carefully. Either a wild pokémon had mistakenly entered or someone else was in the house. Pulling away from the door, she walked over to the bedside table and disconnected the lamp. Curling her fingers around the neck of the lamp, she opened the door with caution and poked her head around the corner, checking to see if the coast was clear. Nothing.

"…Just take anything! There's got to be something in here that's worth a lot of money."

"…I can't take it all! Why don't you hold something for a change?"

Voices. Two women having a heated debate on the lower floor. She could hear them walking around in the living room opening cupboards and slamming drawers. Seconds later, she heard another object shatter into hundreds of pieces. Laughter followed shortly afterwards. Tightening her hand around the neck of the lamp, she moved closer to the top of the staircase then crept down. When she reached the bottom, she pressed her back against the wall and inched towards the intruders.

She poked her head around the corner. Two women with identical black bowl haircuts stood in the middle of the lounge, each woman holding a single pokéball in their hands. Both women wore plain white clothing with an orange pokebelt wrapped around their waists. They were standing before the glass cabinet where Johanna kept ornaments and trophies of her victories in the fashion shows.

"…Just take the trophies. They look expensive," said the first female. She was about a head taller than her companion.

Her companion nodded and opened the glass cabinet. She reached in and grabbed the largest trophy, the one awarded to her during her first year of competing. Cradling it in her arms, the woman staggered back and placed it on the table. "…Should we take anything else? This is all I can carry."

"…Nah, this will do. This will get us by for a couple of weeks."

Johanna lowered the lamp. Even if she had managed to knock one of the girls out, she'd be outnumbered. Besides, these women had pokémon and she had nothing. It would be a battle she couldn't win even if she tried. She pulled her head back around the wall again and leaned her head against the wall. Broken into and robbed and just when everything was starting to look up.

"All right. Let's get out of here."

"Hey wait a minute – isn't that…"

"…It is. Dawn, that brat who ruined us."

"…That must mean we're in Cyrus's place."

"Hmph. Nice place, isn't it?"

Something else crashed to the floor. Johanna winced; former Galactic grunts. "Okay. I'm done. Let's head back to base."

She heard footsteps retreating and then a door opening. Poking her head around the corner again, she checked the damage from her position. Several vases had been thrown on the ground and a few photo frames too. Johanna rushed forward and dropped to her knees. There was water on the floor and shards of broken glass. There was also a bit of blood; one of the women had obviously cut herself on it.

That wasn't the worst of it. Glancing up, she looked at the glass cabinet and noticed one of the windows had been smashed. Several ornaments passed down to her from her parents were missing as well as her first trophy. Two of Carolina's possessions, a sculpture of a phoenix and a deer, had also gone missing.

She dropped to her knees and picked up remnants of the photo of Dawn which had been taken on the day she left home. Now it was nothing but a photo damaged beyond repair. Biting down on her lower lip to hold the tears at bay, she rose to her feet and looked around for more damage. The fridge was open, and not surprisingly, had been raided. The chocolate log cake was missing as was a single bottle of red wine.

She put the lamp on the bench and then reached into her pocket to pull out her xtransciever. First, she took a few photos of the damage for evidence then dialled in Cyrus's number. After several beeps she received an answer. "Cyrus?"

"What's the matter?"

"Where are you now?" She walked over to the window and looked out keeping an eye out for the thieves encase they returned.

"In Hearthome." He sounded tired. She heard him yawn on the other end. "I should be back in about an hour."

An hour. That seemed like a lifetime away. "Okay."

There was a pause then, "Is something wrong?"

She ducked beneath the counter and grabbed the lamp again just as she saw a woman in white walk past. It was someone different this time. Just how many grunts were roaming around the perimeter of their house? Lowering her voice, she said, "We've been robbed, Cyrus. Please, just come home as quickly as possible." She pulled the phone away from her head as she heard footsteps enter the house again.

She didn't dare move from her position. All she could do was wait and hope no one checked the kitchen area. Crouched on the floor, she held the lamp close, her fingers tightening around the neck. Fortunately, Julia was still asleep. If she awoke… She didn't want to think about what the thieves would do.

"Check upstairs. There might be some jewellery we can sell."

She froze, feeling the blood drain from her face upon hearing those words. Raising her xtransceiver, she brought up Cyrus's number again and sent the following text: If you're reading this, you're already late.