aDetective, how can I help you today?a aI just had a meeting with our friendly financier. I need you to check into everything Brandt has at his disposal. Garrison threw him under the bus and I want to know why.a aMaybe heas just expendable.a aProbably. Either way he couldnat have run this entire operation on his own. He needs help. I want you to rip apart his company brick by f.u.c.king brick. And lock down all his a.s.sets. I donat want to know how, just make it happen.a aYou got it boss.a He hangs up on me before I can say anything more. Not like thereas anything more to add. Mr. Garrison bothered me greatly. He pushes b.u.t.tons in me I swore I would never allow. Maybe Tyleras right. Maybe I do want revenge instead of justice. Maybe I just need to invest in a Taser. That way I can make him squirm a bit. If my mother was here, shead smack me in the back of the head. I canat tumble down the rabbit hole.

The house is dark by the time I come home. I ignored everyone for a bit. I needed to just sit at the waterfront and clear my mind. Thereas so much noise in the frustration, it was hard to think straight. I try to be as quiet as possible, but the d.a.m.n door squeaks when the seasons shift the house comes to life. Not in a good way either. Everything has a sound depending on the season. The floor sounds creaky one season and like a groaning old man the next. It is beyond annoying. Closing the door behind me, I feel the wall for an open key hook. I lock the door but before I turn around, the light goes on illuminating the room and blinding me.

aYou could have told me youad be late.a Turning around, I see Frankie sitting at the kitchen table, an empty whiskey bottle in the center of it. I guess this is where one would explain they were in wicked trouble. I know I am.

aWhat is going on?a I open my mouth to speak but she raises her hand, abruptly cutting me off.

aI donat want to hear about the case giving you stress. Donat lie to me, please. I think Iave earned the right to ask for honesty.a She has and then some. Sitting across from her, I play with an empty shot gla.s.s on the table. Part of me wishes there was some liquor left. Iad take some just to feel it burn all the way down. To feel something other than this anger.

aI was at the cemetery today. Before you ask, no I didnat want to bring Chase. I needed to go alone. I still do that sometimes. Helps me.a She stays quiet, her eyes never leaving mine. Itas a bit overwhelming at times, her gaze. Itas full of support and love. She lets me know in one look what many people search for in a lifetime.

aIrving Garrison gave me a call today.a She sits upright, her muscles tensing. I see her mood shift, but her eyes still show no fear.

aHe wanted to meet me at the park.a aAnd of course you did,a she tries to hide the sarcasm but her voice betrays her.

aI know youare upset, but you know I had to. I needed to see his face.a aWhat did he want?a aA truce. He wanted me to get off his back for a bit. In exchange he gave me information about my case.a aHeas not going to testify in court, so you basically put yourself in harmas way for nothing.a aHe pointed me in the right direction. He also showed his cards in a way.a aThatas not the point, Jasmine and you know it.a aBrandt was behind the murder of Walter Miller. Miller killed Kaley.a aCan you prove it?a aBrandt uses the software for a side business. Consider him the handyman of the Dark Web. Itas a very lucrative side job.a aIt explains a lot, but not enough. He already has millions.a aNot necessarily. His money is hidden. Weare going to cut him off and see what happens. Maybe weall get lucky and he makes a mistake.a aHow?a she stops herself.

She knows Iave involved Logan before I can admit it. She leans back, obviously upset with me, trying to distance herself. I reach for her hand, but she slides it just out of reach.

aDoes the rest of the department know about this?a I donat answer, which in essence is one.

aIf anything happens to him, Hadley will never forgive you. Sheas just getting her life back on track. Sheas been working on a new film and Logan has been a huge part of that. If he gets hurtaa she doesnat finish.

aKaley deserves justice.a aThe man who killed her is dead. Justice was served in spades.a Her anger is rising and I donat know what direction this conversation is taking.

aAnd her little brother?a That stops her dead. She knows Iam right. We need to finish this case so we can all move on. I can move on to bigger fish.

aYou need to focus on this case and let the rest go. You have to or youall go crazy. I know you want to bring Garrison down, but you have to let someone else do it.a Before I can say anymore, Frankie leaves me alone to my thoughts. Sheall calm down in time. She always does. I have to figure this all out before I lose my mind. I need to be able to focus on one case at a time. That much is true, but I need to be involved in bringing that man down. I donat know how, but I have to be a part of it.

Chapter Nine.

I have always felt that sleep, like food, was overrated. Itas a simple concept really. You eat only what you need to live and you can sleep when you die. Frankie tells me I need to change my perspective about it all and just enjoy the little things. Seriously, Iam not a foodie. I hate cooking and if it can come in shake form with all those vitamins I need, Iam good.

As I stare at the perfectly white painted ceiling, I can tell you honestly it is all a control issue. My job is one huge ball of stress and nerves. No matter how much I want to do a good job or help someone, I know eventually Iam going to fail. I have several cold cases in my drawers. Answering machine messages asking for me to open them back up. Tears and screaming children looking for their family member. Those are the worst calls. The kids donat know any better. The parents put them up to it, but f.u.c.k if it doesnat eat you up inside.

h.e.l.l, just walking around the city, people spit on you, call you names and taunt you. Iam not in uniform, but itas like they have x-ray vision and can see my badge in my a.s.s pocket. Iam one of the good ones, but it doesnat matter. Iam evil because I carry a badge. Iam an equal opportunity victim. Iam gay and will rot in h.e.l.l. I have a kid Iam raising in a sinful situation, again rotting in h.e.l.l. I have a badge, Iam a murderer, bad cop supporter, whatever. Once again, rotting in h.e.l.l. On a case by case basis, I have a condo in h.e.l.l.

The only thing I can control is my body and mind. I focus, sometimes obsess over things too much, preventing myself from getting a good nightas rest. I have to get these cases done, help those people out. Itas part of my DNA. If I fail, I wonat eat or sleep until I do get it right. Frankie will cook, make me meals for work and whatever else she can to help. I just get so involved in what Iam doing, I forget to eat or sleep.

Just like now. Except I know my body is not far away from cracking. I might end up in my condo sooner than Iad like, but I donat control that. Lord knows I wish I did. I wish He gave me that talent. Then again, according to many people, He doesnat listen to me anymore. So my head asks the question, why has humanity forsaken me and my family when I have not left them? Maybe like me, they want some control in this world and I refuse to relinquish it.

The light of my cell phone illuminates the room and breaks me from my daze. Grabbing the phone, I see Loganas name on the caller ID. I canat count on a lot in this world. Mainly I trust humanity will always find a way to be a b.i.t.c.h and my team never works their fingers to the bone.

aSteele,a I whisper hoping not to wake Frankie.

aWe locked down all of Mr. Brandtas financials. Based on what you told me, I decided to put a tracker on anything D.B.M. in the dark web. I was hoping for something to pop up, maybe an order or something. Anything connecting it to Harry Brandt.a aAnd?a aSeveral encoded messages were posted on various boards ensuring that if an order had been placed, it will be filled. Thereas more, but I think itas best to not discuss over an unsecured line.a aBut you could tell me all of that with no problem?a aIt pertains to more sensitive materials. Hadley also told me using physical graphs or charts would a.s.sist in making things a bit more clear for you.a Leave it to Hadley to explain my inability to program my DVR. She laughed at me once when I tried to fix the time on the d.a.m.n thing. Then I realized the clocks moved forward and it automatically changed. It was like Christmas for me not to have to fix it.

aIall be there as soon as I can.a I expertly slip out of bed without waking Frankie. Itas something us insomniacs are very good at due to loads of experience. Of course, getting dressed in the dark without kicking said furniture, that is something I have yet to master. Exhibit A would be my now stubbed toe and my hopping around trying to get the h.e.l.l out of the room alive.

Leaning against the wall in the hallway, I see a flash of light coming from Chaseas room. Heas got to be playing video games again. Iam all for playing all hours, but heas been doing it a lot lately. I knock on his door, but heas got his stereo headset on. I sit on his bed, causing it to dip and him to jump a foot in the air. I point towards the television and shake my head. He turns to the screen in time to see his character get shot and die. He takes his headset off and gives me the puppy dog eyes.

aNot gonna work this time. I told you last time not to play this late.a aWell, actually you reminded me not to let Frankie know I play this late.a aChase, donat make me be the bad guy and take the system out of your room. Itas bad enough I get s.h.i.t from all the other parents at your school telling me how it should be in the living room. Not to mention the aChase is too young to be online. You should have parental controls on it.a Bulls.h.i.t. Youare not giving me many options here.a aAunt Jazz, half the kids from school allow parents to pa.s.sword protect the system. They all know the codes or how to hack them. Weare not dumb.a aYeah well I didnat need to know that,a I slightly smile, abut it does make me feel a bit better.a aEveryone sneaks games at night. Who do you think Iam playing right now?a aSome random stranger who wants you to join some great new movement for independence in a third world country?a aFunny, but no. My friends from school. We all sneak on at the same time.a aOkay, thatas great and I appreciate you not hanging out with some creepy guys from other countries, but enough. You have two choices, I tell your Aunt Frankie and she throws a fit. She might sell or destroy your system that cost me a h.e.l.l of a lot of money. Or you can stop playing when itas bedtime. Choose wisely.a aCome on itas not like Iamaa aDonat care.a aBut maybeaa aNot an option.a aFine.a He turns off the system. aIam not happy about this.a aIall talk to Frankie about allowing more game time on the weekends, okay?a He huffs and puts his headset away.

He lays back in bed, arms folded, pouting. His bottom lip stuck out ever so slightly beyond the top one. He definitely picked this up from Frankie. I donat pout, I just give in to Frankie because if sheas happy I will get what I want eventually anyway.

aGoodnight, pouty face.a I close the door and hear him huff one more time. I wait a few minutes until I hear his breathing even out. He must have been tired to pa.s.s out that quickly. I wonder how many days these kids have been playing late into the evening. I guess now the question is do I let the other parents know or do I keep my mouth shut? Or I tell Frankie, let her know I handled it and have her deal with it? Iall take option number two. Anything to get me out of parental confrontations. Canat stand those.

A morning without coffee is a morning that should not exist. Iam sure Iave said this plenty of times before, but d.a.m.n I need a hot beverage to wake me up. Not to mention I am entering the domain of the intelligent technology people, I need to be awake. Sadly, no decent coffee shop is open at this hour. Iam desperate, not dumb. Hereas praying that the tech guys appreciate good coffee or they explain things on a Sesame Street level. I doubt my brain could handle more of the techno-babble.

aDetective, right on time!a Logan whirls past me and uses his b.u.t.t to open the doors. Itas then that I notice heas holding two steaming mugs of coffee. As I pa.s.s him by, he hands me one. Iam a coffee sn.o.b, so one must sniff said coffee and make sure it isnat a watery mess.

aI a.s.sure you, Hadley let me know your specific roast. It also happens to be my favorite so itas nice to share a very smooth but seriously strong cup of coffee with a colleague.a It smells like heaven. I must look like a kid on Christmas morning because I feel the smile stretching from ear to ear.

aYou brew good coffee down here?a aThe perks of having the newest tech gear. We demand proper coffee to ensure a happy work environment. Trust me sitting here and staring at binary code is just not very entertaining. Donat get me started on following social media accounts, cell phone pings and c.r.a.p like that. Itas fun to disprove alibis but sometimes we just want to play games on these new computers. Could you imagine a game on that ma.s.sive screen out there? We can even break it up into smaller ones so we all could play at the same time.a He looks at me and I know heas been talking, but he lost me at bi-something or other code. Iam just figuring out how I can make a trip down here every day to get a proper cup of heaven.

aI lost you didnat I?a aCoffee, simple pleasure. You want to talk other stuff, hit Chase up. He understands it. I make him program this new smartphone thing. Itas not very smart when I continuously lock myself out of it. He says he made it easier to open with a pin, but I promise you Iall forget that eventually.a aTheyare not really difficult. Maybe we can set you up with a better methodaa he stops talking. It might have to do with my blank expression staring at him. While I appreciate the a.s.sistance, and itas nice heas trying to be kind to me, seriously do not try to teach me technology. Just quit while youare ahead.

aGotcha, no tech cla.s.ses. Maybe Chase and I can play some games though.a aIam sure head love that. Now, beyond this amazing coffee, please tell me why I am here at this unG.o.dly hour.a aRight,a he places his coffee down and flips open his laptop computer. After he types away for a few seconds, the white wall behind him becomes his desktop screen. I have to admit thatas a bit cooler than just showing me his small a.s.s screen. It makes it a lot easier for my contact laden eyes to see. He sits next to me and taps away on his screen. A few markers appear in a cl.u.s.ter on the screen. They could mean anything, but they seem to be around one specific area.

aWhat are those?a aAfter you told me to attack everything to do with Mr. Brandt, I began tracing his phone and what towers it pings off of. Iave also had the team searching through the encoded emails and figuring out who the buyers were, when meetings were made, times of deliveries etc. The red markers are where a cell phone pinged off a tower at the location of delivery. It is always in the same spot and always a minute or two before the meeting time. The blue markers are where the traffic and other cams picked up the car that appears to be a.s.sociated with the cell phone.a aThey all seem to center around the park.a aYes, it seems like that is the center of the operations. Itas perfect.a aHow is that perfect? Itas in a public arena, people can scream, call the police, report suspicious activity. That is far from perfect.a aNo one reports anything. Unless itas an Amber Alert, people will ignore anything and everything that doesnat directly relate to them. Theyare too busy looking at their own cell phones, texting someone or updating some status somewhere. The point is, hiding in plain sight.a aThatas not normal.a aNot for your average criminal, no. However, this is a technology based criminal. They know statistics better than most.a aIf they were so smart, why would they have their cell phones on to be easily traced?a aThatas the concerning part. Weave been able to identify some of the buyers. Their cell phone pings the nearest tower and stays there for the same time as prior transactions. The difference is during these transactions there is no other cell phone. If you watch the pings, they are consistent, they are parallel for over five minutes. Then they break apart.a aI donat see Mr. Brandt making that mistake. He seems to be sure of himself. Not to mention a person dealing with the underbelly of society with a multi-million dollar tech company would not make a newbie mistake like that.a aThat was my thought, so we ran the phones. The main one came from a burner phone, but we have actual contact information for the rest of them.a aWhat were the deliveries?a aDrugs, guns, illegal information, women, organs and sometimes babies. It costs less to buy an organ or a child than it does to do it legally.a aLike Mr. Morris.a aWe tracked his phone as well. His meet was at the piers.a aSurgery in a cargo container?a aYouad be surprised whatas available in those things. That isnat the best part though.a aHit me with it already.a aIrving Garrison owns the storage area.a aIam going to go have a conversation with Mr. Morris. You keep digging in on Garrison. He wants me to back off. That means kick it into high gear. Watch your back. I donat want to explain to Hadley that you were hurt.a aIf there is one thing my investigations have shown me, Mr. Garrison is not one to get his hands dirty.a aHeas a starfish, he can cut off his limbs as needed, but they always grow back.a aOf all the things you could come up with you chose a starfish?a aIam going to go have another conversation with Mr. Morris. You donat hate on my bad a.n.a.logies. Chase loves them.a aYes, well heas also a child living under your roof, soaa aFunny. Call me if anything pops. Andaa aKeep tabs on the mastermind via the DL.a Confusion must have slowly etched its way across my face because Logan looks like he is fighting a fit of giggles.

aDonat worry about it boss, just go.a He waves me off and I just go. At a certain point, one must accept age is a problem. Younger we could easily pick up a device or newest gadget and we could figure out how to use it. As we get older, busier and stuck in our ways - new things fall into the awhat the f.u.c.ka category. Like why the h.e.l.l do I need a watch that extends my phone? I donat need a status symbol. I donat follow the ma.s.ses. I donat want to talk to my wrist, that is what a d.a.m.n earpiece is for. Most importantly, I wouldnat know how the h.e.l.l to turn it on. Iam only in my thirties, but this c.r.a.p makes me feel old as dirt.

I hate fate. I hate karma. h.e.l.l, I hate death even though I obsess about it. Everything has a control outside of my hands, my mind or my ability to change it. Why give me a mind to think and sort out a problem if you rip away things I need to solve something? Itas like dangling a lifesaving surgery in front of a patientas face. You know they need it, but insurance refuses to pay for it.

Watching the nurses rushing in and out of Morrisas room, I feel that slap of death across my face. Like a force of ma.s.s destruction, he always gets his victim. You can push it off, hide from him, maybe even cheat him once or twice. I know for a fact that he will find you. You can only run so far on this plane. He can outlast you. Thatas why death is fascinating. He has a plan that only he understands. It has no rhyme or reason.

Iam known as a hard-a.s.s detective you canat deny. I get to the bottom of a case and I never give in. It doesnat matter if itas a cold case or not, I will get answers. As the alarms continue to blare in the hospital room, I feel just like him. I embody him. I have no rhyme or reason to how I do what I do. I just feel it, that need to solve something. I feel the need to protect the victims, their families.

aDetective? We did everything we could. He couldnat fight off the infection.a aWhat infection?a aMr. Morris had a cold.a aDeath by sniffles? Forgive me doc, but you are going to have to give me a bit more than that.a The two uniformed officers try to stifle a laugh at the doctoras expense. One stern look from me and they stop. Like I said, my reputation precedes me.

aThe original surgical procedure was not as sterile as it should be. Couple that with organ rejection, we had him on a serious round of antibiotics and steroids. Simply put his immune system was shot. Thatas why he was transferred to the ICU.a aYou mind telling me everything you know?a aI have other patients that need attending to. Everything you need to know is in my report. Iam sure the coroner you have will be able to explain it more in detail.a The doctor brushes past me as another alarm rings out above me. Death is working overtime today. Grabbing my phone I dial the only person who obsesses over death more than me.

aJasmine, darling, I swear I didnat finish all Girl Scout Cookies! If Chase told you that, heas lying.a aOkay, first our defective organ recipient Jake Morris is dead. Secondly, you finished my Thin Mints? That is not cool. Finally, you are putting the blame on a child, thatas sad.a aRight,a Victor clears his throat, aIall send my people to pick up the poor bloke. Iall also get more cookies as soon as I get the chance.a aIall be following your men back to the lab. Maybe you can enlighten me how a simple cold kills someone.a aOf course.a aAnd Victor, living with me does not mean eating my secret anti-health food stash. Understand? You eat it, you replace it. Simple rule.a aGot it. Iall see you when you arrive.a Disconnecting the call, I look around the ward. A nurse with a mask on her face slowly cleans up the body. Something they shouldnat be doing.

aExcuse me!a The nurse stops on a dime, but doesnat look at me.

aI need you to stop what youare doing. The coroneras office is coming to pick up the body.a She nods, looks up briefly and exits the room. I swear Iave seen her before, the eyes are familiar, but I canat place her. The officers walk into the room and just stand there.

aAnything you need from us, detective?a aYeah, one of you get me the security footage for this entire ward for today. Something doesnat feel right.a One of the officers ducks out of the room. He was turning a shade of green, so Iam sure itas more self preservation that desire to complete the task. The other officer just stands there, calm and almost at attention.

aTell me what happened.a aNurse came in to check on him. She spoke to him a bit, touched him and walked out. Guy was smiling at her. A little while later, the machines started screaming. Doctor came in and yelled some code out. They shocked him a bunch of times and he died.a aOkay get the crime scene unit over here. I want everything bagged, tagged, dusted. If it isnat nailed to the floor I want it at the lab.a aAnd if it is nailed to the floor?a aDetach it.a The officer walks out of the room a bit irritated, but seriously what kind of dumb question is that. I swear we need to raise the criteria for the academy. Either theyare getting dumber, taking selfies with a dead body, or theyare acting like hot s.h.i.t with a badge. They make the rest of us look bad.

Two men from Victoras lab walk in to pack up the body for transport. After verifying who they were from their identification, I simply move out of the way and watch them wrap him up. It is very graceful, the way they remove the body bag and place Morris into it. Almost a peaceful transition. Unlike the nurses and doctors, who somewhat mutilate the body to try and keep it alive, these people are gentle. Hopefully when I die, they will be this careful with my corpse. Unless I die some gruesome way. Then Victor will just curse me to my condo in h.e.l.l as he tries to rea.s.semble me. Sadly, that thought makes me laugh a bit.

Considering the heavy nature of death, one would not necessarily expect to find a human being enjoying their job. Theyave never met Victor the lovely coroner. Hearing the latest Taylor Swift song on the speakers is one thing. Watching Victor sing, dance and shimmy his way around the body is another. If any authority figure was down here, theyad crucify him. I know better. He works best when heas relaxed, not thinking but doing. Our instincts make us better at our jobs. The suits upstairs always forget what itas like to be where we are.

aI know youare not into men so stop staring at my a.s.s and get in here!a Victor always had a way of knowing where I am. Except when heas drunk, then he doesnat even know where he is. Entering the morgue, I pick up the remote and kill the music. Nothing against Ms. Swift, but I need to hear the report.

aYou turned off my music?a aMy ears are old and it was too loud.a He lifts his face mask and shows me his full pouty lip. Did that ever work on his soon-to-be ex? I guess my lack of a response made a point. He shakes his head causing the shield to fall in front of his face.

aYouare no fun.a aChase doesnat like me in multiplayer mode either. Sucks to be the both of you.a aI thought you were following the van?a aI wanted to make sure to pick up the records. Didnat trust them to be sent over with the body or by email.a I drop the file on a different metal slab and take a look over Morris. The one thing I havenat gotten used to is how some people look after death. Some look peaceful, like my mom. Itas as if the inner beauty was released after the stress and darkness left the body. Morris, he looks like he went nine rounds with a heavyweight champion and lost. Granted some of the damage is fresh from the attempt to save his life. His scale-like reddish skin, the swelling of his stomach and face, nothing pretty here. His family will probably have a closed casket.

aHas the lab been given the bed sheets and anything else they need to process?a aYep, theyare doing it as we speak.a aGood, Iall have to go over their findings and compare them with my own.a aGuy was in liver failure. Doc said the surgery site wasnat sanitary so he was on antibiotics. Morris managed to get some kind of infection and with the weakened immune system, died as a result.a aWell, yes, that would have killed the man eventually.a aWhat do you mean eventually?a aJust what I said. Eventually the man would have died from his infection. The scarring around the liver was immense. I swear I found rust particles from dirty tools embedded in the scar tissue. I donat know if they would have been able to perform a proper transplant with this hack job. That doesnat appear to be what killed him.a aExcuse me?a aHis heart shows signs of cardiac arrest.a aOkay, so due to the infection he suffered ma.s.sive cardiac arrest.a Victor grabs the report and flips through the pages faster than do with the morning paper. Finally stopping, he folds the page back and points for a line of chicken scratches with numbers. I just look at him begging for an explanation.

aHis echo and EKG were fine four days ago. Yes, he had an infection. Yes, he would have died in a week maybe less. He shouldnat have died today.a aSo what killed him?a aBased on the lack of evidence, I would lean towards air embolism.a aThatas hard as h.e.l.l to do.a aPossibly, but considering he had an IV, anyone could turn it off, use the port to inject a ma.s.sive amount of air into the blood stream. Considering his state of demise, I doubt he knew what was happening to him at the time.a aThe nurse at the scene was the last to see him alive. How much air are we talking about?a aDepends, based on timing and severity anywhere from 10cc to 20cc.a aEnglish?a aOne or two full 10ml syringes worth. Whoever did this wanted him to die within minutes of the dose.a Thereas a new player in this old game. I knew those eyes looked familiar but Iam wracking my brain with no results. Iave got to see what the lab has. Maybe thereas some video or trace evidence that can shed light on the subject. Otherwise, no DA will arrest Harry Brandt for crimes when the defense can argue reasonable doubt. I know our leads are solid, but in a world of reality television and instantaneous result episodics - Iam screwed.

Chapter Ten.

I was having a good dream for once. I know it was a dream because the New York Mets won the World Series and I wasnat dead yet. I like a dream like that. Mindless, calm and just plain fun. Friends all laughing around the television as the crisp fall winds chill the air. My ragtag family enjoying one of the many things that connects us. Our devotion to lovable losers, but thatas another story for another day.

Gla.s.s breaking forces me to bolt upright in bed. Frankie continues to sleep soundly next to me. Sliding out of bed, I grab my handgun on the nightstand. Normally I lock it up, but I must have forgotten last night. I walk down the hallway, gun raised. Pushing Chaseas door open, the boy is sound asleep. I hear more noises from the bas.e.m.e.nt.

Taking one step at a time, I walk down the two flights of stairs in silence. m.u.f.fled cries for help reach my ears and Iam instantly frozen. Hadley. The temperature of the room plummets and my breathing quickens. Closing my eyes I try to focus my energy. Whatever is going on, Hadley needs my help and I have to move forward.

Opening my eyes, the walls of my bas.e.m.e.nt have become the peeling ones of my nightmares. I knew it was too good to be true. This is like 2006 when Carlos Beltran didnat swing on a three and two pitch. One foot in front of the other, closer to the loud screams echoing through the hallway.

aWho doesnat swing on three and two? I mean, youare supposed to protect the plate. You get paid millions of dollars to protect the f.u.c.king plate.a aHe thought it was a ball,a Henry says to me calmly.

aGreat, youare here too? Why canat my nightmares be about simple things? Like drowning or a plane crash? Why do I have to have friends in danger, freak outs and a family member being my conscious? And I donat care what he says, if he swung and missed Iad be more proud than caught looking. That was a weak play. Just like Glavine giving up seven runs in an inning and telling me itas just a game. He didnat pay over a hundred bucks to see his a.s.s fall down at work. I would have been fired if I f.u.c.ked up that much!a aTell me how you really feel.a Lowering my gun, I run my left hand through my hair. These dreams are taking their toll and I donat know how much more I can handle. My right hand shakes holding my weapon. It feels foreign to me. I almost feel afraid of it, if that makes any kind of sense.

aEventually you have to face what youave done and accept it. Or you can fall down the rabbit hole and never come out.a aIave faced it and dealt with it.a aYou feel responsible for Hadley. For her being hurt and for avoiding her. Itas part of your DNA, Jazz. You wouldnat be you if you didnat care that much.a Raising my gun, I ignore my shaking hands and my brother as I trudge down the hallway. The door is slightly ajar, but I can see Hadley on the floor, beaten and bruised. I push the door open with my left foot, my eyes falling on Keith Garrison and Officer James in full uniform.

aLook who finally decided to join us.a Garrison taunts me, his hands dripping with blood.

aYou want to take a few shots? Weall hold her down for you.a James says to me, calmly. I never lower my weapon.

aYou were supposed to protect her.a I stare at James, anger rolling off me in waves.

aI did. I offered her a good life, a pampered one. She was all aIam independenta c.r.a.p, so I did what I was paid to do. Trust me if she came with me, this b.i.t.c.h would be barefoot and pregnant on a beach somewhere.a Hadley cowers on the floor, blood trickling out of her mouth. Her injuries seem so much worse than the night James and Garrison kidnapped us.

aShe would have killed you while you slept,a I reply calmly to him. Hadley is one h.e.l.l of a strong woman, she would never allow him the pleasure of touching her.

aHe would have had help, detective.a Garrison leans against the wall, smiling. The anger in me wants to shoot him in the face. Then theread be no smile on his face ever, but that isnat rational. Neither is fighting with your nightmares.

James lifts Hadley off the floor and pushes her up against the wall. She squirms beneath him, whimpering incoherent words.

aLet her go,a I aim my pistol at James.

aDetective, how are you going to handle both of us?a Garrison continues to be smug. My rational is fading and desire to kill him rising.

Hadley screams and before my brain can catch up I pull the trigger.

It clicks. I drop the clip and find it empty.

Anger boils over and I spin the gun in my hand, handle first. I swing at James and hit him in the head. The cracking of bone echoes around the room. His lifeless body falls to the floor. Hadley slips down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest. Henry walks to her, kneels and wraps an arm around her. My eyes look through my eyebrows at Garrison. Good must defeat evil.

He charges at me, but my instincts take over. I slip to the side and trip him. He falls face first and I slam my knee into his back. Thereas nothing in this room to tie his hands, and thereas no way anyone is meant to leave this unscathed. Grabbing the sides of his head, I look at my brother. He just stares at me. With a quick movement, his neck snaps like a celery stick.

Falling to the floor, looking at my b.l.o.o.d.y hands I realize Iave killed them both. In reality I didnat, but I had to do it again. The bodies slowly deteriorate into piles of dust on the floor. The light flickers above and I look at my brother.

aDonat go down the rabbit hole, Jazz. For your friends, Frankie and most importantly Chase. Donat let them change you.a aI killed a man. How do you come back from that kind of darkness?a aA true savior is one who has dark and light inside of them with the ability to keep them in balance. Be that person, Jazz.a My head is heavy, my breathing labored, my body weak. I hit the floor before I know whatas happened. The coldness of the tile, seeps into my skin causing my teeth to chatter. Rolling my head to the side, Henry and Hadley are gone. Iam alone in this dark, dank room. Just like life, youare born alone and ultimately die alone. Itas the middle where you have the most warmth, if you can hold on to it. My eyes close.

The cell phone on the nightstand screams at me to answer it. Opening my eyes to the familiar white painted ceiling of my bedroom, I grab my phone.

aSteele.a aDetective, itas Logan, thought you might want to come down here. Weave scoured through hours of footage and Morrisas computer. Found some minor things.a aIall be down there soon.a I disconnect the call and look to my right to see Frankie still sound asleep. Looking back to the ceiling, I take a deep breath. I feela rested and that scares me. I killed two men in a nightmare and I slept well. That canat be normal.

No matter how many times I walk into this room, I feel like Iam in another world. Sure, Iave probably said that once or twice before, but the feeling never fades. I see Logan over by the mini kitchen area. Tech geeks seem to get everything I sadly want. He leans back and smiles at me holding up a mug. I simply nod in response. The man is quickly gaining points for being an all around nice person. Even though I want to be the protective good friend and grill him, I canat bring myself to do it. Heas honestly one of the good ones, and he can help me level up in my games.

aOne dark roast with milk no sugar.a Logan hands me a mug and leads me to his office.

aThanks, coffee is always appreciated.a aHopefully what we find will also be helpful.a aWould be nice. Iam a bit tired of running all over h.e.l.l and back trying to get ahead of this.a aUnderstandable.a He stops at a colleagueas desk and hands the woman a small USB flash drive. She clicks it into her computer. I feel like technology specialistas hands fly faster than a bug does when you try to kill it.

aThe main thing to note, Morrisas computer really didnat have a lot of information on it. He spent a lot of time on the Dark Web, searching for anyone to save his life. He had emails from several doctors insisting he was on the list, but due to his past indiscretions he was less likely to get the next available liver. He offered money to anyone who would give him a piece that was compatible.a aWell, the docs said the liver can regenerate itself, so you can have a living donor. Morris only had a part of it, right?a aYes, which would beg the question, where are the rest of his organs?a aCan we find that out?a aIf we had access to the main selleras computer, possibly. After that though, what do you do with the information? Do you arrest the people for black market dealings? Put them in prison for trying to live?a aI donat know, but weall cross that bridge when we come to it. I was more concerned about those s.h.i.tty surgeries and possible rejection patients that have no idea whatas wrong with them. Maybe they couldnat afford real health care after buying this thing.a aYou get me Harry Brandtas computer, I can probably find out the recipients.a I take a sip of the glorious coffee and I let Loganas words sink in. He specifically asked for Harry Brandtas computer.

aHow do you know he was the mastermind?a aLots of speculation and Mr. Morris was not very good at making his transfers look inconspicuous. Most people will funnel the money through a different bank account or use cash, maybe even an anonymous wire transfer. You never use your personal accounts.a aMorris paid Brandt through his personal account leaving a trace.a aA rather stupid move. He openly admits in an email that he sent the money to the company account by mistake. The response was a swift threat and orders on how to wipe the information from his personal computer.a aObviously he didnat.a aNo, he did but you canat delete transactions or remove them totally. Brandt knew this, thatas why there is an open source code for money transfers in his program. If you happen to use your personal account you run it through the program. It keeps everything anonymous and untraceable.a aSo he was overly excited, didnat think and paid in advance.a aAnd paid the price. Morris purchased an organ that was his blood type and was written as being from a young woman. The listing, the description of the victim, none of it matches Walter Miller.a aBrandt switched the liver donations as punishment.a aIt wouldnat be the first time. That would also explain why Mrs. Morris informed me her husbandas office had been broken into and ransacked. They wanted this laptop.a aShe never mentioned it to us.a aA lot of people talk to us because we look less copish. They know we work for the same team.a aEither way, Brandt had to know we would track the financials.a aYes, but they look like normal transfers without the purchase information and emails. Any defense attorney would rip me a new one on the stand.a Logan looks down at the woman sitting patiently at her computer. He nods at her and she clicks a few things on her computer. The main screen on the wall shows the hospital footage.

aWe got lucky with the footage. Can you zoom in on the IV port?a The clip zooms in and it is a bit grainy but you can make out the details. The clip plays as the nurse pulls a syringe out of her pocket, pulls on the plunger and then injects it directly into the port. She repeats the action a second time.

aVictor was right. Morris was murdered.a aIt gets better. Zoom out and fast forward to after Morrisas death.a I watch myself and the officers mill about the room. The nurse leaving the room. She pulls out a cell phone and types on it before putting it back in her pocket.

aWho did she message?a aWe traced it to a burner cell, but that isnat the good part.a I drink the coffee expecting him to continue, but he doesnat.

aWhatas the good part?a aWe have facial recognition software and we decided to run the nurseas face through the database.a aHow would that help, her face is partially obscured?a aYes, but the features of her face are the same. Her sunken eyes, high forehead, p.r.o.nounced jawline and high cheek bones. Bones and science never lie. We got a match.a The screen pops to life and I stare at the image of Kiernan Jones on the ma.s.sive screen. Her eyes popping out of the screen and I remember those eyes. She was an obnoxious twit behind the counter, perfect cover from the police.

aIt gets better, the cell phone pings I told you about before? They were hers. I donat know how she is involved, but she is a part of this.a aIf you find anything else let me know.a ***