After an agonizingly long ten minutes, ten minutes that I did not have, the pain lessened. It was then that I noticed something. Off to the side of my vision was a greyed out map.
Of the entire United States of America.
Jesus fucking Christ! I thought and rubbed my face. “Ugh.” I groaned and pushed the angry agent off of me. I had forgotten that the goddess-given Map gave me the entire country I was in and not just the local area. It was the Search spell that did that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I thought and didn't even question why it had worked. I had it and that's all I cared about at the moment. When I looked at the fake nurse, I saw that her neck was at an odd angle and she wasn't breathing. Dammit.
I stored her body and looked at the angry agent. He was still unconscious, so I slowly stood up. Despite the pain, my mind was clear and I pat the pendant I wore. I was a little surprised I had gained the Map at all, actually. When I concentrated on it, it zoomed into the state and then into the city. It wouldn't go any closer, because I didn't have the Search spell to give me the proper details.
I really need to try and enchant some rings with it. I thought and used Detect again for people. No one was on the next floor and I sighed. I had missed an opportunity to take out even more members of this strange cooperative operation, so I hoped that the paperwork I had taken from the office would give me the information I needed. I darted back up to the floor where I had left the others and the three of them were still in the room. I relaxed and went back down the stairs to the landing.
I stuffed gauze into the angry agent's mouth and taped it shut, in case he woke up, then I picked him up and went down another flight of stairs. I opened the door and carried him inside. I used detect again and found the gold I had been looking for. My eight rings were inside a lab, as were my construction clothes. Unfortunately, they were in various states of deconstruction.
Apparently, you could do a lot to destroy a ring in two days. All eight of them were in pieces, partially melted, and completely ruined. I went inside and looked at the scattered papers that remained and they were only about the composition and metallurgy.
I examined the ring pieces closely and they hadn't uncovered the enchantment engravings that I had hidden under the different gold. I gathered it up, crushed it together, and stored it. I stored my old clothing and would have to discard them later, the same with all of the papers and things that were left behind. I went down the hallway to the security station, turned off everything, and broke open the small safe there to get the coins and my cell phone. There were also papers and things inside, so I stored those, too.
I left the building and it seemed to be a deserted street. The parking lot was empty, except for half a dozen vehicles. I put the agent down and checked the locker contents. I found four sets of keys. After a quick check, I found the cars belonged to Stacy, the fake detective, the agent I had killed, and Brenda. That meant one of the other two cars belonged to the fake nurse and the last might be the tech guy's or the angry agent's.
I stored them all, except for the second agent's and tossed the angry agent into the trunk. As an afterthought, I used a pair of handcuffs on his ankles and then another pair to hook them and the one on his wrists together, essentially hog-tying him. I closed the trunk and drove the car away from the building. I had been tempted to set it on fire, then realized Stacy and the others might not get out.
I'll call it in when I get everything set up. I thought and smiled.
I stopped at a clothing store and bought new clothes, several pairs of underwear included, and left. I then stopped at a laundry business and ran the agent's clothing through a quick wash and dry to remove my own DNA from the fabric. After storing them and equipping my new clothes, my first stop on my mission was the fake detective's place.
I wasn't sure where her husband was and it didn't matter. I parked discretely on the next street and switched my rings out to what I would need. Move silently, Open spells, and Detect for security cameras and electronic sensors that I stored.
I easily entered her house and set everything up. I even pumped the dead agent's chest a few times to get blood to spurt out the bullet hole in his chest. I quickly wrote the 'love letter', discarded on the floor and in sight, then I discard the agent's suit as if he was really going to have sex on the bed. I left his keys on the nightstand and his shoes by the front door where others were positioned, as if he had been there for a while.
Stupid me had forgotten to buy shoes. I left the house and put the sensors and cameras back, even though it didn't restore the connections, and went back to the agent's car wearing my new clothes and just socks. I used the open spell on the trunk and was surprised that the agent was looking at me.
“Good morning, sunshine.” I said and pressed the artery on the side of his neck. He mumbled and struggled a little, then he was asleep again. I realized then that I had no way to bring him with me like he was. I popped his shoes off and checked them with my feet. They were loose and they were better than nothing. I slipped them on and stored the handcuffs and his suit coat, lifted him out of the trunk and shut it.
I propped his arm over my shoulders and held him, as if he was drunk and I was supporting his weight. I started walking, partially dragging his feet on the ground, since he was taller than me.
“Boy, you really drank too much, huh?” I asked when we were passing someone walking the other way.
The guy didn't even look at us and I almost laughed, because I was about to say that my friend's mouth was taped up to stop him from throwing up. That was not information the passing guy needed. At all.
I walked on until I saw an opportunity. A gas station. I walked over to the pay phones and dialed the taxi number on the sticker on the telephone.
Ten minutes later, I was relaxing in the back of a taxi and enjoying a ride across the city. I had him drop us off at an address that was down the street from one of the buildings that had been for sale when I was looking to buy one. It was still empty and I smiled at it. It would be perfect to store my captive for a little while.
I waited until there was a lull in the foot traffic nearby and used the Open spell to get inside. There was no power, which meant the owner was trying to save as much money as possible, if they couldn't even keep the lights on. I wasn't sure how that would make the building sell, either. People needed light to see.
I'm glad that I didn't buy this building. I thought and brought the agent up the stairs to the third floor. I picked a room at random and opened it, went inside, and saw that it was pretty run down, just like it had been when I had seen it the first time. I brought the guy into the bedroom and thought that leaving him on the bed would be good enough, then sighed. He could probably figure out a way to get someone's attention.
I looked around and there were no rooms that didn't have a window... except for one. The bathroom. I chuckled and hog-tied him again with handcuffs and brought him in and set him into the tub, face down. I wasn't sure when he ate last, so I turned his head and put an open bag of potato chips in front of his face. I didn't want to leave him without water either, so I tried the tap.
*Crunk* *Rattle* *Rattle* *Crunk*
Dammit, no running water. I thought as the air pressure in the empty pipes shook and made lots of noise. I looked around for a pot or bowl or something. I found one in the old kitchen and used a Water ring to wash it off and fill it. I put it in the tub next to the potato chips and hoped that he didn't spill it. “I'll be back tomorrow to check on you and give you some actual food. I've got to go and take care of a couple other things.”
I pat his back and closed the bathroom door, cast the same Sealing spell and Concealing spell that I had put on the fake wall in my apartment. All traces that a door was there slowly disappeared. Of course, I wondered if it was the same on the other side, and laughed. I imagined the look on the agent's face when he woke up and saw that he was in a bathroom with no doors or windows.
I marked the room's door with a scratch and closed it, locked it, and left. I needed to get home and do a bit of enchanting work before going to the bank to cause a little bit of trouble. That made me smile, because I was actually going to cause a lot of trouble.
*
“Where's my daughter?” Diane asked, almost frantically.
“In the same place she was a minute ago when you asked.” The detective said and held in his sigh as he filled in paperwork. He really hated the annoying criminals that just wouldn't shut up about their lot in life and how they didn't meant to do what they did. He was also a little disgusted by that, too.
They all had these sob stories about why they had to turn to crime and they just didn't get it that everyone had a sob story. Everyone. It was just that most people moved past that and lived normal lives, letting their problems and situations give them strength, not excuses to commit crimes.
“Don't take her from me. I'm a good mother.” Diane said, tears in her eyes.
“Everyone says that, lady.” The detective said and kept writing.
“Please, I... I'll do anything to keep her safe.” Diane said. “Anything.”
“Where was that attitude when you and your husband were committing all those crimes?” The detective asked, his annoyance overriding his patience.
“I didn't...”
“Documents, security footage, and witness testimony places you at the bank and handing the money right over to him.” The detective said. “You. Not some doppleganger or someone dressed like you. It was you. You took all that money and handed it over.” He shook his head. “I've seen some pieces of work in my day, and you are right up there with the dumbest ones I've ever met.”
“Wh-what?” Diane asked, shocked.
“You had access to two million dollars. One million was even in a high interest and no movement account. You could have lived on the interest alone for the rest of your life and still had the million in the bank.”
Diane stared at him and didn't know what to say.
“Yeah, dumb as a brick.” The detective said. “Your daughter would be better off having someone who cares about her future looking after her.”
“No... no, I... I'm her mother.” Diane managed to say.
“It's too bad you haven't been acting like a proper one.” The detective said and lifted a piece of paper. “The building manager evicted you for committing crimes on the premises and for breaking the lease. He said your stuff will be put into a storage locker in the basement and you can pick it up at your convenience.”
“No! Damon said...”
“Damon?” The detective said and ruffled through his papers. “Ah. Damon Smith. The guy the FBI took in for questioning for tax evasion and money laundering... through you.” He chuckled. “You sure have some great friends, lady.”
Diane opened her mouth to say that she did, then remembered that she hadn't seen or even talked to them in months. She sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned back in the chair. Her handcuffed hands behind her back ached and she didn't care. Her life was falling apart and she couldn't do anything about it. She sat there for nearly half an hour until the detective was done with whatever he was doing.
“All right. Come on.” The detective said and picked up a thick folder. “Let's get your official interview over with and I can go grab a bite to eat.”
He led Diane into the small interrogation room and sat her down, then sat down himself. He pulled out a digital recorder and said the case number, her name, his name, and the date and time. He looked at her with absolutely no expectation on his face.
“All right. Tell me all about what happened.” The detective said.
“I don't know what happened.” Diane said. Her tears had stopped a while ago.
The detective sighed. “Look lady, I've got six other cases on the go and this one is pretty much open and shut for me. I'm just going through the motions to make sure everything is nice and legal for the district attorney to throw the book at you officially.”
“You can't! I didn't do anything wrong!” Diane exclaimed.
The detective spread a bunch of papers and photos across the desk. “That's you. You again. Your signatures there and there and there. All you, lady. Your husband wouldn't have had anything, or even knew you had anything, unless you told him and then helped him get his hands on it all.”
“I... didn't know... what he was going to do with it.” Diane said.
“No?” The detective asked and spread more sheets and photos out. “Someone had a nice and varied criminal background before separating from her husband.”
Diane looked at the evidence and sighed.
“If it makes this any easier on you, you can rat the son of a bitch out and cop a plea. You make sure he pays and the DA will go easier on you.” The detective said.
Diane looked at his face. “My daughter?”
“I can't make any promises.” The detective said and she started to duck her head. “But...”
“But what?” Diane snapped her head up to stare at him.
“I can tell you that... as of right now... your daughter is not with child protection services.”
Diane let out a shaky and relieved sigh.
“So, talk. Tell me everything.” The detective said.
She did.
After an agonizingly long ten minutes, ten minutes that I did not have, the pain lessened. It was then that I noticed something. Off to the side of my vision was a greyed out map.
Of the entire United States of America.
Jesus fucking Christ! I thought and rubbed my face. “Ugh.” I groaned and pushed the angry agent off of me. I had forgotten that the goddess-given Map gave me the entire country I was in and not just the local area. It was the Search spell that did that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I thought and didn't even question why it had worked. I had it and that's all I cared about at the moment. When I looked at the fake nurse, I saw that her neck was at an odd angle and she wasn't breathing. Dammit.
I stored her body and looked at the angry agent. He was still unconscious, so I slowly stood up. Despite the pain, my mind was clear and I pat the pendant I wore. I was a little surprised I had gained the Map at all, actually. When I concentrated on it, it zoomed into the state and then into the city. It wouldn't go any closer, because I didn't have the Search spell to give me the proper details.
I really need to try and enchant some rings with it. I thought and used Detect again for people. No one was on the next floor and I sighed. I had missed an opportunity to take out even more members of this strange cooperative operation, so I hoped that the paperwork I had taken from the office would give me the information I needed. I darted back up to the floor where I had left the others and the three of them were still in the room. I relaxed and went back down the stairs to the landing.
I stuffed gauze into the angry agent's mouth and taped it shut, in case he woke up, then I picked him up and went down another flight of stairs. I opened the door and carried him inside. I used detect again and found the gold I had been looking for. My eight rings were inside a lab, as were my construction clothes. Unfortunately, they were in various states of deconstruction.
Apparently, you could do a lot to destroy a ring in two days. All eight of them were in pieces, partially melted, and completely ruined. I went inside and looked at the scattered papers that remained and they were only about the composition and metallurgy.
I examined the ring pieces closely and they hadn't uncovered the enchantment engravings that I had hidden under the different gold. I gathered it up, crushed it together, and stored it. I stored my old clothing and would have to discard them later, the same with all of the papers and things that were left behind. I went down the hallway to the security station, turned off everything, and broke open the small safe there to get the coins and my cell phone. There were also papers and things inside, so I stored those, too.
I left the building and it seemed to be a deserted street. The parking lot was empty, except for half a dozen vehicles. I put the agent down and checked the locker contents. I found four sets of keys. After a quick check, I found the cars belonged to Stacy, the fake detective, the agent I had killed, and Brenda. That meant one of the other two cars belonged to the fake nurse and the last might be the tech guy's or the angry agent's.
I stored them all, except for the second agent's and tossed the angry agent into the trunk. As an afterthought, I used a pair of handcuffs on his ankles and then another pair to hook them and the one on his wrists together, essentially hog-tying him. I closed the trunk and drove the car away from the building. I had been tempted to set it on fire, then realized Stacy and the others might not get out.
I'll call it in when I get everything set up. I thought and smiled.
I stopped at a clothing store and bought new clothes, several pairs of underwear included, and left. I then stopped at a laundry business and ran the agent's clothing through a quick wash and dry to remove my own DNA from the fabric. After storing them and equipping my new clothes, my first stop on my mission was the fake detective's place.
I wasn't sure where her husband was and it didn't matter. I parked discretely on the next street and switched my rings out to what I would need. Move silently, Open spells, and Detect for security cameras and electronic sensors that I stored.
I easily entered her house and set everything up. I even pumped the dead agent's chest a few times to get blood to spurt out the bullet hole in his chest. I quickly wrote the 'love letter', discarded on the floor and in sight, then I discard the agent's suit as if he was really going to have sex on the bed. I left his keys on the nightstand and his shoes by the front door where others were positioned, as if he had been there for a while.
Stupid me had forgotten to buy shoes. I left the house and put the sensors and cameras back, even though it didn't restore the connections, and went back to the agent's car wearing my new clothes and just socks. I used the open spell on the trunk and was surprised that the agent was looking at me.
“Good morning, sunshine.” I said and pressed the artery on the side of his neck. He mumbled and struggled a little, then he was asleep again. I realized then that I had no way to bring him with me like he was. I popped his shoes off and checked them with my feet. They were loose and they were better than nothing. I slipped them on and stored the handcuffs and his suit coat, lifted him out of the trunk and shut it.
I propped his arm over my shoulders and held him, as if he was drunk and I was supporting his weight. I started walking, partially dragging his feet on the ground, since he was taller than me.
“Boy, you really drank too much, huh?” I asked when we were passing someone walking the other way.
The guy didn't even look at us and I almost laughed, because I was about to say that my friend's mouth was taped up to stop him from throwing up. That was not information the passing guy needed. At all.
I walked on until I saw an opportunity. A gas station. I walked over to the pay phones and dialed the taxi number on the sticker on the telephone.
Ten minutes later, I was relaxing in the back of a taxi and enjoying a ride across the city. I had him drop us off at an address that was down the street from one of the buildings that had been for sale when I was looking to buy one. It was still empty and I smiled at it. It would be perfect to store my captive for a little while.
I waited until there was a lull in the foot traffic nearby and used the Open spell to get inside. There was no power, which meant the owner was trying to save as much money as possible, if they couldn't even keep the lights on. I wasn't sure how that would make the building sell, either. People needed light to see.
I'm glad that I didn't buy this building. I thought and brought the agent up the stairs to the third floor. I picked a room at random and opened it, went inside, and saw that it was pretty run down, just like it had been when I had seen it the first time. I brought the guy into the bedroom and thought that leaving him on the bed would be good enough, then sighed. He could probably figure out a way to get someone's attention.
I looked around and there were no rooms that didn't have a window... except for one. The bathroom. I chuckled and hog-tied him again with handcuffs and brought him in and set him into the tub, face down. I wasn't sure when he ate last, so I turned his head and put an open bag of potato chips in front of his face. I didn't want to leave him without water either, so I tried the tap.
*Crunk* *Rattle* *Rattle* *Crunk*
Dammit, no running water. I thought as the air pressure in the empty pipes shook and made lots of noise. I looked around for a pot or bowl or something. I found one in the old kitchen and used a Water ring to wash it off and fill it. I put it in the tub next to the potato chips and hoped that he didn't spill it. “I'll be back tomorrow to check on you and give you some actual food. I've got to go and take care of a couple other things.”
I pat his back and closed the bathroom door, cast the same Sealing spell and Concealing spell that I had put on the fake wall in my apartment. All traces that a door was there slowly disappeared. Of course, I wondered if it was the same on the other side, and laughed. I imagined the look on the agent's face when he woke up and saw that he was in a bathroom with no doors or windows.
I marked the room's door with a scratch and closed it, locked it, and left. I needed to get home and do a bit of enchanting work before going to the bank to cause a little bit of trouble. That made me smile, because I was actually going to cause a lot of trouble.
*
“Where's my daughter?” Diane asked, almost frantically.
“In the same place she was a minute ago when you asked.” The detective said and held in his sigh as he filled in paperwork. He really hated the annoying criminals that just wouldn't shut up about their lot in life and how they didn't meant to do what they did. He was also a little disgusted by that, too.
They all had these sob stories about why they had to turn to crime and they just didn't get it that everyone had a sob story. Everyone. It was just that most people moved past that and lived normal lives, letting their problems and situations give them strength, not excuses to commit crimes.
“Don't take her from me. I'm a good mother.” Diane said, tears in her eyes.
“Everyone says that, lady.” The detective said and kept writing.
“Please, I... I'll do anything to keep her safe.” Diane said. “Anything.”
“Where was that attitude when you and your husband were committing all those crimes?” The detective asked, his annoyance overriding his patience.
“I didn't...”
“Documents, security footage, and witness testimony places you at the bank and handing the money right over to him.” The detective said. “You. Not some doppleganger or someone dressed like you. It was you. You took all that money and handed it over.” He shook his head. “I've seen some pieces of work in my day, and you are right up there with the dumbest ones I've ever met.”
“Wh-what?” Diane asked, shocked.
“You had access to two million dollars. One million was even in a high interest and no movement account. You could have lived on the interest alone for the rest of your life and still had the million in the bank.”
Diane stared at him and didn't know what to say.
“Yeah, dumb as a brick.” The detective said. “Your daughter would be better off having someone who cares about her future looking after her.”
“No... no, I... I'm her mother.” Diane managed to say.
“It's too bad you haven't been acting like a proper one.” The detective said and lifted a piece of paper. “The building manager evicted you for committing crimes on the premises and for breaking the lease. He said your stuff will be put into a storage locker in the basement and you can pick it up at your convenience.”
“No! Damon said...”
“Damon?” The detective said and ruffled through his papers. “Ah. Damon Smith. The guy the FBI took in for questioning for tax evasion and money laundering... through you.” He chuckled. “You sure have some great friends, lady.”
Diane opened her mouth to say that she did, then remembered that she hadn't seen or even talked to them in months. She sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned back in the chair. Her handcuffed hands behind her back ached and she didn't care. Her life was falling apart and she couldn't do anything about it. She sat there for nearly half an hour until the detective was done with whatever he was doing.
“All right. Come on.” The detective said and picked up a thick folder. “Let's get your official interview over with and I can go grab a bite to eat.”
He led Diane into the small interrogation room and sat her down, then sat down himself. He pulled out a digital recorder and said the case number, her name, his name, and the date and time. He looked at her with absolutely no expectation on his face.
“All right. Tell me all about what happened.” The detective said.
“I don't know what happened.” Diane said. Her tears had stopped a while ago.
The detective sighed. “Look lady, I've got six other cases on the go and this one is pretty much open and shut for me. I'm just going through the motions to make sure everything is nice and legal for the district attorney to throw the book at you officially.”
“You can't! I didn't do anything wrong!” Diane exclaimed.
The detective spread a bunch of papers and photos across the desk. “That's you. You again. Your signatures there and there and there. All you, lady. Your husband wouldn't have had anything, or even knew you had anything, unless you told him and then helped him get his hands on it all.”
“I... didn't know... what he was going to do with it.” Diane said.
“No?” The detective asked and spread more sheets and photos out. “Someone had a nice and varied criminal background before separating from her husband.”
Diane looked at the evidence and sighed.
“If it makes this any easier on you, you can rat the son of a bitch out and cop a plea. You make sure he pays and the DA will go easier on you.” The detective said.
Diane looked at his face. “My daughter?”
“I can't make any promises.” The detective said and she started to duck her head. “But...”
“But what?” Diane snapped her head up to stare at him.
“I can tell you that... as of right now... your daughter is not with child protection services.”
Diane let out a shaky and relieved sigh.
“So, talk. Tell me everything.” The detective said.
She did.
