Ember's Eve

The Anderson

Ryan's Place

Park Field

Daunthill

Ryan's place was nothing special. The living room contained standard leather chairs and a flatscreen hung on the wall. Framed pictures of great athletes hung on the wall. Kenneth and Dimitri would rather be at the duplex. The sound of the ceiling fan combined with Jacob's voice was the only sound left to be heard in the room. Dimitri close attention as the south African explained himself. The teenager hoped he would find a lie somewhere in the man's narration. But hope was all he continued to do.

The boy turned to steal a look at the detective who sat a few centimetres away. Kenneth had pulled his shades and was ever focused on the storyteller. Across the room, Ryan and the Lady no good relaxed on opposite ends of a three-seater couch. Ryan stared at his smartphone while the lady flicked dirt out of her short fingernails on one hand. On her other hand, a nice pair of shades dangled.

The little boy who sat in between the two focused on Jacob's back as he drained the contents of a small juice box through a straw. "So I go to the address and behold Gabriel Nkibo, and these three behind me were there to welcome me" Jacob pointed to the folks chilling behind him ''They let me in on the gist, and in exchange for my help they're going to hand me Takiboshi."

"Amazing story Jay" Kenneth clapped "So where is Takiboshi?"

"Look man it's complicated," said, Jacob

"Oh really, because it seems like you've been helping these assholes for quite some time. If Takiboshi was in Daunthill you should've found him. But no, it's complicated."

"Hey, I'm not the only one who took a deal because the offer had the magic name in it." Jacob defended himself.

"Oh Mr. Durelli, don't try to shift the blame here. I came here because I thought the operation had been compromised and you guys were in trouble." Kenneth folded his arms "But it turns out you've been working with the enemy and heck you even gave out my address and now they've got Nina."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"How else do you think these rebels you're working with got my phone number?'' asked Kenneth "And now they have Nina"

Nkibo walked into the room coughing softly with a bottle of water in his hand. Everyone turned their attention to him for a few seconds. "Pardon," he threw the spotlight off himself. Kenneth turned back to Jacob to resume the conversation. "You a little appreciation for saving your ass back there would be a nice detective" the lady no good cut in "But of course your pompous ass prefers to call us rebel and enemy."

"Aw lady, are you hurt?" Kenneth asked, "Do you need me to remind you that your schemes with my friend here are what got me into that situation in the first place."

"Okay let's take a step back," she said "Jacob didn't give me your phone number or address. I was a fangirl and I've been keeping tabs on you since I was like five. Since you started busting cartels and heists in Little Rock, Arkansas."

"You want an autograph?"

"Stay on course detective" the lady shook the shades on her hands "The point is, my resources for monitoring you have become more effective since I was five. So I didn't need any personal information about you from Jacob and I don't have Nina."

"So, do you have any proof for what you just said?" asked Kenneth "Am I just supposed to believe you? I don't even know your real name"

"My name is Diane Oander" she turned to Dimitri "The name should ring a bell for our friend here"