While (Rank) (Name) took charge in hiding Bernadine Rochester, Diego put the money he was given in the till box at the telegraph office. He had his own ideas regarding how to deal with Lawson, at least until the state arrived to deal with him. There was too much to risk now, and God only knows what would happen in two days. The telegraph office wouldn't open for another few hours, so Diego had time to make a phone call. Since the airship had its own switchboard, there was no need to go through the telephone company's lines. Charlie may trust the operators in the telephone company, but Diego didn't; even if he did, he'd still avoid the company, to give anyone supporting Charlie plausible deniability if nothing else.

"Flying Squad engine room," Charlie answered. "Charles Dupont speaking."

"Mister Dupont, this is Edward Lebold from the telegraph office," Diego said. "I'm afraid your services are required—we're having some trouble with our long-distance lines."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Mister Lebold, but I don't see—"

"It is imperative that you come fix the problem right away, Mister Dupont. The matter is most urgent."

"I…I'm free this afternoon. Should I arrive at the same time as my previous visit?"

"That would be perfect. I will see you this afternoon!" Charlie's arrival would fall under the telegraph office's lunch hour, so the place would be empty. That afternoon, Charlie arrived with his toolbox.

"I'm here, Mister Lebold!" Charlie said. "What seems to be the problem this time?"

"Relax, Charles, I took the cylinder out once the place was empty." Diego said. "I know this isn't ideal even with Lawson rescinding the ban on public assembly, but I couldn't risk us meeting at Concordia Tower as planned."

"I understand. The patrols are increasing at an alarming rate! Lawson is taking no chances, even though he's rescinded that ban for the executions!"

"Does the Flying Squad have a plan to stop Lawson? We can't afford to wait for the state, not with the executions coming in two days!"

"We have a plan. Thanks to the diagram you gave us, we were able to position ourselves and the resistance fighters. Some of the best fighters Miss Capecchi has will hide under the guillotine's scaffold, while (Rank) (Name) and another resistance fighter take positions on the opposite corner. When the prisoners are lined up and Lawson steps out, the resistance will overpower the Justice Corps and take their guns while (Rank) (Name) puts the irons on Lawson and turn him over to the state when they arrive."

"So essentially, it will be an ambush."

"Precisely." Charlie said. "I better check on those long-distance lines regardless, just to make sure they're functioning properly."

"Fair enough. We need a contingency plan." Diego said. "Something to implement in case things go wrong, and things will go wrong."

"But if this works, we'll be able to take down Lawson without any bloodshed! We must have faith in our friends, both in the Flying Squad and the resistance!"

"I do have faith, Charlie, I just don't like taking chances. We don't know when exactly the state will arrive, or if there were any last minute changes to the plans. The worst case scenario is Lawson will start lopping off heads by the time the state arrives!"

"That is why we plan to take him now, before he can begin."

"I still don't like it. Lawson believes himself to be in the right and that he has the power to make things as he wishes, which is why he's doing what he's doing. He's ignoring the fact that state law outranks his ridiculous and dangerous ideals, and refuses to admit even to himself that he's wrong. His usual strategy for when he does know he's wrong but can do nothing about is to retreat. Charlie, when he found out about Archie Rochester being Mister Alastor and that his family manipulated the court to prevent charges of facilitation to murder to be brought forward and sent him abroad, what did Lawson do?"

"He expressed outrage at Archie getting away with his crimes and stormed off the airship," Charlie said. "Not long after, when the World Exhibition began, he expressed interest in taking Judge Takakura's spot as judge."

"And when he got into the fight with Malcolm Rochester?" Diego asked.

"He backed down as soon as Maddie and (Name) confronted them both, though I wonder if it was due to (Name)'s strongly worded suggestion that they stop the fight or else."

"Or else…"

"Well, (Name) told Malcolm to shut his trap and that both men should remember they're gentlemen of influence. They then proceeded to tell them to apolize to each other and walk away before they, and I quote, "bash both your heads in!". Lawson did such, but not before saying that he wasn't going to sink to the level of common criminals and that he didn't start the fight. Malcolm called him smug and cowardly for that."

"Smug and cowardly…it fits him. When something doesn't go in his favor, he retreats, and if we don't get him now he'll make a run for it. I'm not going to wait for him to regroup and go after those responsible for stopping him, because he can't let go and he's more than inclined to retaliate against those who wrong him, real or otherwise. We need a way to make sure he's caught and can't harm anyone again. Any suggestions?"

"Well…if what you say is true, and given your instinct for people it must be, then our best course of action would be to find a way to track his every movement." Charlie said. "But even if I could build a tracking device, we would still need to plant the receiver onto Lawson himself."

"I can do that for you." Diego said. "I've been getting closer to him, it should be a simple matter to plant something on him."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to risk yourself any further—"

"I'm sure. Leave Lawson to me. I can pick a pocket without anyone being the wiser, planting something inside is no challenge."

"Very well…if you're sure…I'll find a way to let you know when it's done." Diego nodded and Charlie left after seeing the line was functioning as it should. Diego planted the cylinder back into the recording box and business went on as usual. The next two days were spent playing his role and Charlie coming by the telegraph office to check the lines, and reports on the "project" came in through these maintenance checks; they also met at Concordian Tower, like they planned earlier, though with patrols increasing Diego decided that Charlie should go there in the event Lawson learned the Flying Squad wasn't as devout of their allegiance to him as he believed. At the last check, the tracking device was ready, all Charlie had to do now was to bring the receiver to Diego, who would be ready to plant it on Lawson at the first opportunity. The morning of the execution came, and there was no sign of Charlie. Diego walked into the town square only to see the place full of Justice Corps patrolling and investigating; the guillotine stood there with blood on its stock.

"What happened here?" Diego asked.

"Lebold!" A voice called out. Diego turned and saw Officer Smythe heading towards him. "Where were you early this morning?"

"In my room at the tenement, sleeping. Alone."

"And the last time you saw Inspector Jaubert?"

"The Justice Day celebrations two days ago; the last I spoke with him was after I delivered that telegram from the state." Diego said. "Did the executions start already?"

"You haven't heard then," Smythe said. "As you came straight here, eager to see the executions. Inspector Jaubert was murdered this morning, we believe it is the work of the resistance!"

"Good God!"

"God had nothing to do with this! Mayor Lawson says God does not exist; if He did there wouldn't be any crime and no one would lose someone they loved to murder! Naturally, because of the murder, the executions have been postponed until we find the killer, and rest assured when we do, they'll be the first to lose their heads!"

"As it should be! Justice shall prevail!" Diego took his leave right then and there, and headed to Concordian Tower. As he had hoped, Charlie was there. Diego looked around and didn't see any Justice Corps around.

"What happened, Charlie?" Diego asked. "I just heard that Jaubert was killed."

"(Name) and Madeline were going to take positions when they found Jaubert in the guillotine. He was lying right on top of the stock, and according to Dick his death occured when the blade landed on top of him." Charlie said. "He was too dense and muscular for the blade to chop him in half, so we were at least spared that grisly sight."

"So someone threw him into the guillotine and the blade fell on him, one way or another. Was there anything else?"

"Yes, it looked like Jaubert fought with his killer, so he didn't go down easy. But this is terrible! This ruins our plans, Lawson is furious to learn his right-hand man was killed!"

"And this is why we formed a contingency plan. Speaking of the contingency, do you have the receiver?"

"I have it." Charlie reached into his pocket and brought out a small object. "The tracking device itself is in my lab." Charlie handed the receiver to Diego. It looked like a button, except it was big enough to encompass Diego's palm. It was still small enough that he could slip it onto Lawson without anyone being the wiser, but it was going to be tricky. With this latest murder, and on the morning of the executions, Lawson would be more on his guard than ever. No doubt the resistance would be at sixes and sevens with this turn of events.

"This will work." Diego said. "How are the others?"

"They are well, considering, though I am concerned about Maddie." Charlie said. "She's about to give birth any day now! (Name) is watching her, but I know they have been tense since Adelia Baldwin; they got Bernadine Rochester to safety, but it took some time and doing to get away from where they were without the Justice Corps being the wiser."

"And they didn't say where they hid Miss Rochester."

"No, they didn't."

"Not surprising, the less who know where she is the less likely they'll find her. (Name) knows what they're doing, Charlie. I have faith in them, if nothing else."

"We both do. Good luck, mon ami, and be careful." Diego nodded to Charlie and left Concordian Tower. He continued his routine as Eddie Lebold, and when he was done in the telegraph office, Diego headed to Oak Park Cathedral, now unlocked. He wasn't surprised to see it empty; he was surprised to see (Name) at the front pew holding a compact mirror.

"The church is empty, Diego. No one's here but us." (Name) said as they put the mirror in their pocket. "I made sure I wasn't followed."

"And watched out for any other visitors, of course." Diego said. "How's the investigation coming along?"

"It reminds me of Archie Rochester. It's not a matter of who killed Jaubert, but who didn't kill him. Worse, Smythe almost found out Lady Highmore's involved with the resistance. He barged into her home, and she knocked him out with a frying pan before he could find the war room in the cellar."

"Oh dear…that can't bode well for her."

"It almost didn't, but she managed to spin a tale about being an old, helpless woman living in troubled times and mistook Smythe for an intruder, so she defended herself. Maddie and I made a big show of giving her a stern talking to, and I confiscated the frying pan for good measure."

"Lady Highmore's a clever lady, and she is anything but helpless. She also has a loyal staff who haven't ratted her out."

"We can be grateful for that. Isaac and I found one too many pieces of evidence pointing to the resistance having killed Jaubert."

"Isaac? I heard you were working this case with Madeline. Is she all right?"

"They're both all right." (Name) said, grinning. "As of a few hours ago…we have a godson!"

"A godson—she's given birth…and it's a boy!" Diego said. "Does Charlie know?"

"I phoned him as soon as Maddie went into labor at Prospect Gardens. He'll take them back to the airship once Maddie's rested a bit. As to the investigation, I don't know what I'm going to do if it turns out to be one of the resistance members who killed Jaubert. I can't…I can't arrest someone for trying to survive this regime, not again!"

"What happened to Adelia Baldwin wasn't your fault. You're a good police officer, (Name), but you're not omnipotent and your talents don't include mind reading or seeing the future. You couldn't have known that Umbright would sentence her to prison and all but throw her child into the streets."

"That bi—creature would have thrown baby Paris into the Crimson River if she had her way. I don't want that for baby George. I know Maddie and Charlie married before he was born, but he was baking in the oven for three months before that. I wouldn't put it past Umbright to condemn him for his pre-marital conception!"

"Maybe so, but—wait. Did you say the baby's name was George?"

"That's what they named him, George Dupont, and don't you dare call him Georgie, Diego!"

"You don't need to worry about that, (Name). In fact, at this point I can't even call Blanton "Georgie" anymore, it's ruined for me now!" (Name) laughed at that.

"You should've heard some of the other names they were considering, or at least what Charlie was considering." (Name) said. "There were some doozies in there! But back to more serious topics—have you heard anything from the state?"

"No, not since they said they were coming." Diego said. "So far, there's no sign of them, but there is something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"Yesterday, I discovered the Justice Corps is watching family members of the Flying Squad, or at least those still living in Concordia."

"That would be Viola's parents, Evie's brother and Maddie's mother. You're concerned Lawson will go after them, or try to use them as leverage against us."

"The thought has crossed my mind."

"They won't leave, or at least Viola's parents won't. She told me they're staying at their apothecary shop trying to help as best as they could. I'll see what I can do about getting them to Prospect Gardens for safety."

"That would be best. I don't know about anyone else."

"I think the others have family outside of Concordia, if they have family still living."

"Which is the case for me—my family has been dead and buried in Barcelona for years, but if they lived I don't see Lawson traveling across the Atlantic to hunt them down."

"So far, Lawson doesn't appear to have any ambitions beyond Concordia, so there's no worry about his regime spreading outside the city." (Name) said. "Speaking of Lawson, have you seen him lately?"

"No. He's more on guard than ever, even canceling any speeches he had scheduled according to the New Truth." Diego said. "With Jaubert gone, my source of gossip on the Corps has dried up—Smythe's just as fanatical, but more skeptical than his superior and not as susceptible to flattery and praise for Lawson."

"I got that notion when we talked to him. Damn reports keep singing his praises, vouch for justice…it's getting annoying."

"Very." Diego looked at his pocket watch. "I have to go, I'm due for archival work at the courthouse. Stay safe."

"I could say the same for you." Diego nodded and left. He went to the courthouse and kept his ears open for any word on the state or what was happening with the investigation. On the bright side, he did discover where Lawson and his cronies were keeping the dissients held for execution. They were in a dungeon underneath the town square called "The Grotto", designed by an ancestor of Lady Highmore's and Diego stared at the list of people imprisoned, a list of those slated for execution and the charges against them.

"Katherine Woolf for spreading dissent, Rockley Rochester for his family's treason against Concordia even though he had no part of it, quite a few priests for withholding information in criminal investigations, also known as not breaking the seal of the confessional…" Diego said, then saw the name of his old fence. "Ahh, old chum, you're on this list as well? Your discretion comes at a high price indeed." Shaking his head, Diego decided to risk calling the airship to tell the Flying Squad where the dissients are kept. He just picked up the phone when he heard Umbright's screeching voice on the other end.

"...a complete outrage! It goes against everything you strived to achieve for Concordia!" Umbright shouted. Diego covered the mouthpiece with his hand as he listened in on the conversation. It was Lawson himself who answered her.

"It's well known that the orphanage you speak of was once Rochester property." Lawson said. "Currently, the Rochesters—supposedly—have had nothing to do with it since the property was deeded to the church."

"And that property has been misused to house criminal spawn and mistakes!"

"Dora, we've talked about this. These orphaned children are housed and fed, and I for one find it a great deal better than having them wander the streets."

"But that does not make them any more desirable than their existence warrants! Mayor Lawson, with all due respect, those creatures—"

"Can be trained and schooled to be functional citizens. I told you I planned to do such for every orphan in Concordia, and if del Lobo hadn't destroyed the DNA Machine, we could have spread that plan to ALL children and guarantee their loyalty to the city! We won't have another family grow so selfish they develop delusions of entitlement and attempt another coup."

"We can still implement your plan for all the brats in the city, sir!"

"No, not without any way to trace their bloodlines. I plan to arrange matches instead of leaving such things to chance, and I won't risk unknowingly creating a match that results in incest." Diego blinked in surprise. It sounded like Lawson wanted to abolish families and marriage, or at least put the administration in charge of them, something which would push the people to their breaking points if they hadn't reached them already. The city could only take so much oppression before everyone, not just a handful of brave people, revolted; Diego was surprised they didn't reach it when the Justice Corps started arresting priests for not violating the seal of the confessional. Or maybe some did and were arrested for interfering with the Justice Corps.

"That is understood, sir, but what about Saint Gerolamo Eminali's Children's Home?" Umbright asked. "You can't mean for it to keep going on!"

"Of course not, you know the church doesn't have the best interests of Concordia. That they withhold information on crimes committed has proved that." Lawson said. "Shut it down as soon as you find a new location to house the children residing there."

"Oh, I have the perfect place for those creatures. It will be done at once, Mayor Lawson."

"Excellent. I knew I could count on you, Dora. Now—what is it, Smythe?! Can't you see I'm in the middle of a—silence, man! Dora, I'll have to call you back, Officer Smythe has a report to make; something about the Flying Squad." Diego felt his blood run cold when he heard that, and waited for Umbright to start screeching about them before he hung up the phone. God willing, neither of them heard the click under that harpy's ranting and he was not in the mood to hear her disparage Maddie for sleeping with Charlie before they married. Diego left the courthouse in a hurry and walked to the telegraph office, now locked but as an inspector of the telegraph office, Diego had a key. He let himself in and went straight to a telephone booth, not caring about the cylinder in the recording box this time. He dialed the airship and spoke as soon as he heard Charlie's voice.

"Get everyone off the airship, NOW!" Diego said, not bothering to disguise his voice. "Lawson's onto the Flying Squad and is sending the Justice Corps after you!"

"Meet us at Prospect Gardens." Charlie answered before Diego hung up. Diego then rushed out of the telegraph office, heading to Concordian Tower where he hid his old items, which he had the day he was sacked. He dressed in his old clothes, removed the disguise and slid into the utility hatch leading to the sewers. As he made his way to Prospect Gardens from underneath the city, Diego prayed his warning to the others had reached them in time.