The silence was driving Wolf mad, it had been weeks since he’d been on the trail of a new case. Months since he’d been paid. People were always grateful to have their lost items and loved ones returned, but they often forgot how to write a check afterwards.

“It’s not like the phone can ring anyway, Grendle,” Wolf said to the labrador at his feet, “we haven’t paid the phone bill in two months and the company shut it down two weeks ago. We have to rely on walk in clients…”

Wolf leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on his desk, knocking over a hula-girl statue, an empty vodka bottle, and sending a pink rubber ball rolling to the floor. He let his left hand trail to the side of his chair and stroked the fur on Grendle’s neck.

Grendle’s ears perked up as he looked towards the door and growled just before a loud knocking and the sound of footsteps running off quickly down the hall. Wolf stood up quickly and opened the door to his office. As he stepped out he tripped over something soft and heavy, “What the hell is in front of my - shit are you - ah… you’re dead - very dead…”

Wolf knelt by the body of the woman and took a closer look. She was in her thirties, thin as a wire, with shoulder length brunette hair. He features were soft with very few harsh angles.

“Her green eyes must have been beautiful before someone put a bullet through one of them,” he thought to himself, “who left you here? More importantly why?” he said under his breath.

Grendle poked his snout out through the door and began whimpering while nuzzling in close to Wolf, “Don’t worry boy,” Wolf said as he pushed back his black fedora and scratched behind his right ear, “We’ll figure it out. In the mean time, I’d better find a payphone and call George.”

George had gotten Wolf out of more scrapes than he could remember and Wolf had done the same for George. In a City like Heartbeat there were too few really good cops. George was the best of them, and for all his honor and commitment to serving the people, he had been busted down to a basement office, right behind the furnace. He was supposed to stay off the streets and file papers, but Wolf knew that when he needed him, George would be at his right hand.

As Wolf stood up to make his way down the hall and out to the payphone about a block down the street he heard something buzz and start playing Fig Leaf Rag, “Hmm, sounds like someone is calling our friend, Grendle, what d’ya think? Should we answer for her?” Wolf asked as he leaned in and started searching her pockets for the phone. It was in her left shirt pocket. Bright pink with plastic jewels glued to it.

“Hello,” he answered the phone and waited.

“Hello Wolf,” replied a voice masked with distortion gear, “As you can see we’ve left you a little present. Her name is Olivia Crast. The police will find that the bullet that went through her pretty little head is the same caliber as the one for your gun. The one you keep in your bottom desk drawer, but never use. I know by now you’ve made your way back into your office and you’re checking to see if your gun is there. I assure you, it is safely with us.”

Wolf felt the blood drain out of his face as he saw the empty space where the 9mm Baretta that was registered to him had been since the day he decided he wouldn’t shoot anyone ever again, “Look here you son of a bi-“

“NO, you look here, Wolf,” the robotic voice interrupted, “The police are going to find that body outside of your office, your gun stashed nearby, and a sizeable amount of money wired into your bank account. You’re screwed.”

“What do you want?” asked Wolf as he sat down in his old wooden chair.

“I want you to run Wolf. Run fast and don’t look back. We’ve already  called the police and they should be at your office in 10 minutes. Tomorrow, if you haven’t been caught, we’ll contact you again. You’ll find another cell phone stashed at the corner of Walnut and Vine. You’ll need it,” the voice on the other end of the phone replied and then hung up.

Wolf dropped the phone, “C’mon Grendle,” Wolf said as he shut the door to his office and walked quickly down the hall.

As Wolf approached the front door of the cheap apartment building that his office was a low rent room in he saw a cop car pull up and stop outside, “Ten minutes my ass,” he growled as he ducked back down the hallway to make it to the back door.

He darted out the door and into the grimy, crowded alley between his place and the local music bar, “Stay here Grendle,” he said and then slipped into the bar through the back door and glided into the crowd. As he walked through the place he dropped his tan trench coat to the floor and kicked it under a table. Then he picked up a blue wind breaker he spotted slung over the back of a bar stool. He slipped into the men’s room and stashed his fedora in the locker that served as a closet for supplies, pushing it far into the back and hoping it would be there when he got back.

As he stepped back out of the bathroom he looked around and saw a ball-cap and an umbrella near the the front door, “Well, I always did like a rainy day,” he mumbled as grabbed the cap and umbrella and headed out into the gently falling rain outside. He pulled the cap down tight over his eyes and kept the umbrella low as he walked briskly away, “Keep it steady, Wolf, don’t run, don’t walk too fast. Look like you’re just another guy leaving the bar,” he thought to himself as the distance between him and the flashing lights of the police car steadily grew.

After he’d left the police car, his office, and the dead body far enough behind he let out a low whistle and within a few seconds Grendle was walking at his side again, “Good dog,” he said as he patted the labrador on the head and kept walking.

“Okay, Wolf, who would have this much against you and the resources to pull off something this big?” he asked himself as he wound his way through the filth covered streets of Heartbeat, slipping in and out of alleys, shadows, and businesses easily as he avoided cop cars and the few working city security cameras. He made his way to an old overpass that he knew the cops avoided and staked out a corner of it for himself to rest for the night.

“I don’t think there’s anyone alive with that much of a grudge against me Grendle, but someone obviously worked this out in advance. Stole my piece from my office. Knew where I keep it. knew why I don’t use it anymore. Even knew I wouldn’t notice it was gone right away, It’s gotta be someone close,” he said to Grendle as the dog cocked his head and seemed to be listening intently, “Yeah you’re right boy, I don’t have enough close friends left for any of them to be suspects…”

Wolf settled down for the night, sleeping with his back to the wall and his belly to Grendle. He knew that if anyone tried anything the old Lab would tear the bastard apart. He felt as safe as he could knowing that all of the crooked cops in Heartbeat were looking for him, that someone who knew him well was trying to frame him, and that he’d be lucky to make it through the next day, “Sweet dreams, Pup.”

Wolf awoke to a steady tugging on his pant leg and the playful growl of Grendle, “Ugh… okay boy… I’m up. I’m up,” he said sitting up and scratching the big golden dog behind the ears, “We’ll dig up some breakfast for you and me and then make our way to Walnut and Vine. I can’t really trust the people who want to frame me, but on the other hand, that phone is the only lead I have right now.”

Wolf decided to roll around in the muck under the overpass for a bit. The police were less likely to pay close attention to a vagrant, and even less likely to look directly at him if they thought he was one. He paid an old man with face wrinkled like a crumpled love letter twenty dollars for a shopping cart and a can of beans that he split with Grendle. After he had completed his disguise and breakfast he started towards the drop location for the cell phone he’d need to start figuring out this case and hopefully clear his name.

“I’ll need to risk calling George soon,” he said to Grendle, “I’ll call that burner cell I give him a couple of months ago.”

It took about three times as long as it normally would have to walk to the corner of Walnut and Vine. There were a lot of cops in Heartbeat, even though they usually let crimes go unimpeded as long as they were able to make a little on the side for turning a blind eye. Wolf had however forced them to look at one too many things. He’d cut into their profit from all their crooked justice and they were out in force to find him.

Wolf wandered around the intersection for a few minutes looking closely while pretending to stumble around drunkenly. The paint on the crosswalk button was fresh, “Very fresh,” thought Wolf and he made his way over to it. He feigned stumbling into the telephone pole the crosswalk button was mounted to and noticed the front was on hinges. He quickly swung open the front to find a jet black smart phone inside.  Deft hands grabbed the phone, slipped it into his pocket and shut the door on the crosswalk box so quickly it would have seemed to any casual onlookers that there had merely stumbled and walked away again after catching himself on the telephone pole.

He made his way back to his shopping cart and Grendle, “C’mon boy, it’s time to go. We’ll find a nice alley to sleep in tonight. Maybe behind that Italian place on 5th avenue,” he said as he started walking away with the golden lab following close behind.

Wolf made the long trip to the alley behind Marcelli’s on 5th and Walnut. The cops were getting easier to evade since the police in Heartbeat weren’t best known for their diligence anyway, and it had been a couple of days since the A.P.B. on him had gone out. There were at least ten new murders since then all with bribes to be taken and evidence to be planted.

Giovonni Marcelli had been a friend of Wolf’s father back in the day. Back before Heartbeat had drawn the attention of various mob families, the Triad, and the Four Houses. Wolf figured he could get a decent meal and some space in the basement for the night if he pulled at old Giovonni’s heartstrings with reminders of fishing trips, camping, and other childhood adventures he’d had with his honorary uncle.

Wolf settled down between a dumpster and a brick wall and waited for the restaurant to close down. He had a few hours to pass so he decided he’d look through the phone. No stored numbers, no photos, no videos… it was a fresh phone completely devoid of any clue as to who purchased it and left it for him to find.

Wolf rummaged through a nearby trash can and pulled out some scraps to feed to Grendle, “Here you go boy. I’ll wait until later. Eat up,” he said patting the dog gently on the head as the Lab started gobbling down the scraps barely taking the time to chew, “Yeah I suppose it’s been a while since you got to eat, huh boy, don’t worry though. We’ll get through this and we’ll go home soon. .. I hope,” Wolf sighed.

The day wore on with the sky turning from bright blue to dark purple and then finally the golden smog and street light hue of night in Heartbeat. Wolf dozed in and out of consciousness while he waited for Giovanni to close up shop and bring out the day’s trash.

Wolf woke up to the sound of the old metal door opening with a sliding crunch across the dirt and debris of the alley and a jolly voice crackling with age, “What have we got here? Now don’ you worry, Ol’ Giovonni won’t call the cops on you. You just stay there and rest,” the wizened and wrinkled man in the stained apron said to the vagrant in the dingy blue windbreaker and ball cap. Giovonni noticed the Labrador next to the vagrant and blinked, “Grendle?” he asked and the dogs ears perked up as he barked in reply, “Wolf? Wolf, it’s you! Come, come inside now! Quick before someone sees.! he said as he helped Wolf to his feet and pulled him into the kitchen of the restaurant. The fragrance of garlic, onion, and pasta was heavy and brought back barrage of happy memories for Wolf.

After Giovonni had fed Wolf and Grendle he sat down across from Wolf at the table and looked deep and stern into his eyes, “They say, the police say you killed some girl-“

“I didn’t kill any-” Wolf tried to interrupt but was stopped by Giovonni shushing him.

“I know you didn’t kill no girl. The boy who threw back every single bass, trout, and perch could never put a bullet through the head of some beautiful young girl. What I want to know is who you pissed off, and what you did that has them setting you up like this,” said the old man.

“I wish I knew too, Gio, I really do,” sighed Wolf, “All I’ve got to go on right now is this cell phone they want me to have, the woman’s name, and nothin’ else.”

“Well, we worry about that tomorrow. Tonight you clean up in the shower upstairs, then you sleep in the basement. You stay there tomorrow during the day too. Tomorrow night I’ll bring you some clean clothes. Then you can get to work on this. Figure it out,” the old man smiled reassuringly and Wolf finally felt like he wasn’t all alone in this anymore.

“Thank you so much Gio. I knew I could count on you,” Wolf said as his muscled, having been tensed since he’d found the body outside his office, finally began to unwind a little.

“Bah, after all the help your father gave me in getting this place started? After all the times you kept the racketeers from taking all my profits or torching my place? Nah, I’m still the one that needs to be thanking you,” replied the wizened old man.

Giovonni said his goodbyes and hugged Wolf closely, “Now, you go get washed up, and there’s a cot in the basement. Rest. You have much to do tomorrow,” he said before heading out for the night and locking up the restaurant.

Wolf alone with only Grendle for company again felt safe for the moment and decided that a hot shower would do him good, “Ah, feels good to have roof over your head, doesn’t it boy?” he asked Grendle as he stripped down in the bathroom.

The hot water running across his body in muddy rivulets felt fantastic. He could feel the grime  of the underpass, the street, and the alley melting off of him. He felt his muscles become even more relaxed, “Tomorrow we figure this out, Grendle,” he said as he stepped out of the shower and started toweling himself dry.

As he was walking down the stairs into the basement he felt a vibration in his pocket and then Fig Leaf Rag began playing again. He pulled the phone he’d collected from the crosswalk box and pressed the green button, “Hello?”

“Hello, Wolf, you’ve done a great job evading the police the last two days. Bravo,” said the distorted voice on the other end of the line, “and it looks like you still have friends who believe in you. Old Man Marcelli ought to be more careful about who he associates with-“

“You leave him the fuck outta this,” Wolf spat into the phone.

“Oh now, watch your language, Wolf,” said the robotic voice calmly, “don’t worry about Giovonni. We have no use for him and don’t intend to do any harm to the old man at all.”

“What do you want from me,” asked Wolf.

“Right now I just want to congratulate you on your skill,” responded the voice on the other end of the line, “Stay out of jail just a bit longer and we’ll talk about our plans for you, Wolf.”

“Why don’t we talk now?” asked Wolf.

“Because that’s not how the game is played my dear. That’s not how it’s played at all,” the amusement in the voice came through the distortion loud and clear, “Now you keep this phone with you and keep it charged. We’ll contact you again soon. Oh, and don’t bother to try to work out the number we’re calling from. We’ve installed a virus on the phone that deletes all caller info immediately and will notify us if anyone tries to disable it,” Wolf could tell there was a smirk on the lips that said this to him, “Goodbye, Wolf, dream well.”

Wolf hung up the phone and put it back into his pocket. Tomorrow would be a long day. His adversary was obviously keeping an eye on him and knew he was in the restaurant. Wolf decided to use the restaurant phone to call Gio, just in case they had lied about leaving him alone.

“You all right Gio?” asked Wolf.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Why ya calling me at home?” countered Gio with his own question.

“Just got nervous is all Gio. Just nervous,” Wolf decided it was best not to worry Gio about the phone call.

“Ah, get some rest, Wolf, everything’s fine,” the old man reassured Wolf.

“You’re right, Gio. Good night,” said Wolf as he hung up the phone.

“All right Grendle, they know we’re here, but the obviously have no intent of killing me right now. So I might as well get some shut eye on that cot in the basement. C’mon,” Wolf smiled bitterly and headed down the stairs to try and force himself to sleep. He knew he’d need to get rest to be ready for what was in store for him the next day.

The cot in the basement of Gio’s restaurant was far more comfortable than the dirt under the overpass, or the pavement of the alley. Actually it was softer than the floor of his office, which was where Wolf normally slept. He found it difficult to keep a house and an apartment and even when he’d had both he was rarely at his apartment. Wolf had grown accustomed to living where he worked, but the smell of good Italian food and the softness of the mattress under his back made him long for home. For days when things were simpler.


The night passed slowly as Wolf drifted between dreams and nightmares. Eventually he heard the footsteps of the morning crew shuffling about above him. He’d hear Gio’s boisterous laugh break over the murmur of the crowd and then fade off into the distance.  Whenever he heard the door to the basement open he’d duck behind the old furnace with Grendle and wait for the worker to leave again.

Around lunch time Gio brought down a couple plates of spaghetti left them on the cot and quickly made his way back up the stairs, “You and Grendle eat up. Ya need your strength.”

Wolf put Grendle’s plate on the floor and the dog ate the pasta with abandon, “Well at least we get to eat well,” said Wolf as he began twirling the noodles on his fork.

The afternoon evening hours seemed to drag on slower with each minute, but Wolf knew that Gio closed up shop at ten and that it was only a matter of waiting before he could be on his way again.

“I’m ready to start tracking down these assholes,” he said said to Grendle as he lounged on the cot and stared at the grey pipes above him, “but I still haven’t got a clue as to where I should start. maybe I can get Gio to bring his laptop so I can look into who this Olivia Crast they murdered was. That’s about the closest thing to a start that I have…” Wolf mused.


The hours passed with Wolf drifting in and out of sleep while going over the events of the last few days. Eventually the sounds of the crowed died down and then only the footsteps of the cook, the dishwasher , and Gio could be heard. The clacking of chairs being flipped on top of the tables and the long scraping of a broom lazily dragged across the floor filled the basement. Eventually only a single set of footsteps could be heard upstairs and Wolf knew it wouldn’t be long before Gio came downstairs with a changes of clothes, maybe a razor to shave the few days of beard he’d been growing, and some dinner.

“Wolf, it’s okay now. You can come upstairs,” Wolf heard the old man’s voice call from the top of the basement stairs.

He made his way up out of the dim basement and into the brightly lit kitchen. Gio stood next to a large pizza piles with toppings and gestured for Wolf to sit down at a bar stool pulled close to the counter.

“You eat up. Make sure to share some with Grendle, eh,” said Gio, “Oh here’s some clothes for you to change into. They might be a little loose on you, but it’s what I had in my closet.”

“Thanks, Gio,” Wolf said as he sat down and lifted a slice of pizza, losing several toppings to nearby slices in the process, “I’m sure the clothes will be fine. It’ll be nice to get out of what I’ve been wearing for the past three days.”

“You’ve got yerself in deep this time, don’tcha, Wolf?” Giovonni asked.

“So deep I don’t even know which hole I’ve fallen into,” sighed the detective.

“Any clues at all?” asked Giovonni.

“Well I have the name of the woman they killed, Olivia Crast. If you could bring me a laptop, I might be able to figure out who she is. Why’d they kill her. Once I know why they killed her… well I’ll be able to work out how she’s connected to me… maybe…” said Wolf between mouthfuls of pizza. Giovonni only used high quality ingredients in his dishes, a fact that showed through with each bite, “This pizza is better than anything I’ve eaten in months, Gio.”

“You should stop by more often, Kiddo,” replied Giovonni with a light smile, “You know I’ll make sure yer well fed… And I’d like to see yer face a bit more often too.”

“I know, Gio, I just-” started Wolf.

“Don’t want to take advantage of the good will of an old friend?” interrupted Giovonni, “Bah! A few meals is worth seeing the closest thing I’ve got to a son. When this is all over, you promise me, you come in more often!”

Wolf felt the tension slip out of his body, “Okay, Gio, I promise. When this is all over I’ll make sure to stop in more often.”

“Good good!” laughed Giovonni, “Now, you wait here, clean up again, change, and I will go fetch my laptop,” Giovonni said as he put on his hat and coat and made his way out the front door. The chime from the bell seemed to cling to the lonely air of the empty restaurant as the sharp notes slowly faded away.

Wolf polished off four more slices of pizza and fed a few to Grendle before he went up to the shower in the old apartment above the restaurant. It had once been rented out to help support the business, but had long since fallen into disrepair as the business became more profitable. Gio kept it mostly functional for the occasional family guest, but didn’t invest a lot in making it livable.

After a shower and a shave Wolf rummaged through the bag of clothes that Gio had brought. He found a pair of black slacks, a Hawaiian print t-shirt that he wore over a black turtle neck, an old green trench coat, and another ball cap.

“I don’t look much like myself in this get up,” Wolf said to Grendle, “but since everyone is looking for me, that’s probably a good thing. What do you think, boy?” he asked.

Grendle answered by whimpering and cocking his head to one side.

“Yeah you’re right. When this is over, it’s back to the old wardrobe,” Wolf laughed and sat back down to wait for Gio to return. It’d been a while, but he’d probably need to time it right and slip away from his wife without telling her he was harboring a fugitive.

After a couple more hours Wolf heard the sound of a key turning the lock on the front door and the bell ringing as Gio stepped through carrying a laptop case slung over his right shoulder and a small black box in his left hand.

“I got you the laptop, Wolf, and something else you’ll be needing,” Said Giovonni lifting up the plastic black box by the handle and waving it towards Wolf.

“That looks like gun case Gio. You know I don’t use a gun anymore…” Wolf trailed off.

“Oh, I know, but this isn’t just a gun. Come look,” said Gio as he set the laptop and gun case on the counter and opened the black plastic box, “You see it’s a taser. It fires a couple pins and knocks the person out. I’ve only got three cartridges though.”

“Thanks Gio,” Wolf said lifting the taser up and feeling the weight in his hand, “I just might have a use for this.”

“Eh, it’s not a problem. Not a problem,” said Gio with a broad smile on  his face, “Now as for the laptop,” he said as he pulled it out of the case, “She’s a little older. I don’t know how much you’ll get done but…”

“Don’t worry about it Gio,” Wolf said as he turned on the laptop, “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Do you have WiFi here?”

“Of course I do. Ol’ Gio, he keeps up with the times. Now days WiFi is like water, everyone expects it for free everywhere they go,” replied Giovonni.

“Great,” said Wolf, “Thank you so much.”

“You’re more than welcome Wolf,” said Giovonni, “I have to be getting back now. The wife, she thinks I’m out getting milk.”

“You’re a good friend, Gio,” said Wolf as he gave the old man a hug goodbye.

After Gio had left again for the night Wolf began investigating Olivia Crast via various search engines. She was an up and coming regional manager for a major paper corporation, Vestafex Inc., and had disappeared two days before she showed up on Wolf’s doorstep. Wolf felt like he’d heard the name Vestafex before, but decided it must have been in passing or from some television or radio commercial.

“Maybe she found out something about Vestafex that the bosses didn’t want her to know. What’ya think boy?” Wolf asked the dog sleeping at his feet, “No, you’re right, I’d better keep looking for other connections. Let’s see who she was friends with on the major social networks…”

Olivia had five hundred and thirty seven friends on the major social network, Friendtomb, several of which were local judges, lawyers, and other salesman in Vestafex. She liked to play tennis, retro video games, and watch movies starring Bela Lugosi. Every Wednesday she spent three hours at the local gym, Fitness Pros, and worked on light weight lifting and yoga, “Hmm… I wonder if anyone at the gym saw anything odd on the day she disappeared. That would have been around the same time, if she made it to her classes that day,” Wolf mused out loud.

Wolf wrote down the address of the local branch of Vestafex, the gym, and the tennis court she liked to visit. He also took down her address from a website that cross references phone numbers (he’d found hers on Friendtomb) with home addresses.

“Tomorrow we have a trail to follow, boy, are you excited?” Wolf asked Grendle as he flipped the screen on the laptop closed for the night, “We’d better get some rest while we can. I have a feeling that things are about to get rough. Especially when we hear from our friends on the other end of the cell phone again. You know, even with all the distortion applied to her voice. Something tells me the one who’s been calling us is a woman… Well, c’mon boy, let’s turn in for the night,” Wolf said as he turned off the kitchen light, opened the door to the basement, and made his way down the stairs with Grendle following close behind.

Wolf stared up at the grey pipes as he drifted off to sleep, the dim light of a street lamp filtering in through the basement window kept the place gently lit and kept him drifting in and out of thoughts and dreams. He’d solved several cases in his sleep, his subconscious mind putting together the pieces while he slept and leaving him with the solution when he woke up the next morning, but he didn’t think it’d be that easy this time. There just wasn’t enough information to go on, “No I’m going to have to do a lot more running around, talking with people, and tracking down leads before I get through this one,” he mumbled as he drifted off again.

The sound of the morning crew prepping the kitchen woke Wolf up again, and he knew this would be the last time he’d wake up to any kind of safety for a while. After this day he’d need to run down suspects, clues, and any information he could get his hands on. The people running this show were good at hiding, but he was better at finding.

“We’ll track them down, Grendle, don’t you worry,” Wolf said to his dog, “and when we do we’ll make sure that they see justice for what they did to that girl.”


Another restless night with repeated staring at the grey pipes suspended over the cot passed. Wolf listened to the now familiar sounds of the morning crew coming in, prepping the food, and setting the chairs back down on the floor. After a couple hours the sound of the door chime became more frequent and the murmur of the clientele saturated the basement. Wolf was itching to get moving, but knew it was best to wait it out. Wolf continued his research of Olivia, Vestafex, and her most active friends on Friendtomb.

“What’ya think boy, you think this Arthur that’s posted to her wall every day is a suspect?” Wolf asked the dog lounging on the cot with him, “He’s either obsessed with Olivia or just has nothing else to do… No you’re right. The hit was too professional. He’s not a solid suspect, but I bet he knows a lot about her regular schedule.”

None of the crew wandered into the basement so Wolf figured that Giovonni had told them to stay out of the basement for the day. Eventually Giovonni brought down a couple plates of lasagna and then had to rush back upstairs to deal with the exceptionally large crowed.

Eventually the hours rolled by, helped in no small part by a few naps, and Wolf heard the final set of footsteps head out for the night and then the sound of Giovonni calling down the stairs, “Wolf, it’s all clear. C’mon up!”

“Hey Gio,” said Wolf, “I’ll have to head out early tomorrow, before the crew gets here. I’ll try to keep in touch, but I don’t know where this case is going to take me.”

“Meh, worry about that tomorrow,” said Gio with a wide grin, “Tonight eat, rest, and prepare.”

“Gio … they know I’m here. They know you’ve been helping me,” said Wolf, the concern heavy in his voice.

“Eh the police?” asked Giovonni.

“No… the people who framed me… I’m not sure what kind of danger in, though they assure me you’re in no danger at all,” said Wolf.

“you don’t have worry about Ol’ Gio,” said Giovonni patting a gun shaped outline under his left arm, “You may not carry a gun, but some of us know that Heartbeat is a hard place to survive without one,” the old man winked in a strangely reassuring way for someone carrying a gun.

“Gio these people are professionals. I’m not sure if you-” Wolf started but was silenced by a shush from the old man.

“Wolf, you think I’ve stayed alive in this town for this long without figuring out how to protect myself? You trust me. I’ll be fine. You keep yourself safe,” said the old man, “Now I have to get back to Ellie, before she wonders why I’m so late.”

The old man hugged Wolf goodbye and left for the night. Again the sounds of the city filtered in through the walls of the restaurant and through they were so full of human voices they felt lonely to Wolf.

The rays of the morning sun died the walls a pale yellow and woke Wolf long before the morning staff came in. He packed up the cell phone, the laptop, and a block of cheddar into a backpack that Giovonni had left him. After he was sure he’d prepared for the day he set out.

“C’mon, Grendle, time to make some people sweat out some answers to some questions,” Wolf said to the loyal Labrador that followed him out the door of the restaurant.

Wolf looked around as he stepped out and took mental note of the various vehicles that were parked outside of Giovonni’s restaurant. A blue sedan, a black van, three red sport’s cars. He’d have to keep an eye out for any vehicles that looked familiar. Any one of these could be the people who framed him and were watching him as he moved around the city.

Giovonni had left about three hundred dollars in the laptop case in an envelope addressed to Wolf. The old man was one of the best friends Wolf had ever made and his generosity and faith in Wolf was unshakably strong.

“Grendle, Gio is always watching out for us, isn’t he?” Wolf asked the dog following him, “but I don’t think we can risk going back to the restaurant, for his sake.”

Wolf wound his way through the darkest alleys, narrow passages that couldn’t even be called alleys, and even through a few businesses by entering through one side and exiting through the other. He hoped he’d increase his chances of ditching his tail, but he knew these people were professionals and that losing them was unlikely.

“This is our first stop, boy, stay,” Wolf said to Grendle as they stood in front of the Fitness Pro gym. Looking through the windows Wolf could see gleamingly clean and new exercise equipment. It was obvious that the people who came here did so as much to socialize and climb the ladder as they did to work out.

Wolf walked in through the rotating glass doors and made his way to the front desk, “Hey there, the name’s Micheal Scott, Good to meet you,” he said extending his hand to the young blond woman dressed in spandex behind the counter.

“Um, hi, I’m Tiffany. Can I help you today?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m with corporate,” Wolf lied, “I’ve been sent down to make sure your records are in good shape.”

“You… don’t look like you’re from corporate,” Tiffany said uneasily while looking up and down at Wolf’s loose fitting and mismatched clothes.

“Ah… yeah… my clothes,” Wolf looked down at his clothes and then back up into Tiffany’s eyes, “The airport lost my luggage and the friend who’s letting me stay with him isn’t exactly the best dresser, , , you understand right?”

“Oh yeah, when I visited my friend in Portland a couple years ago the airport totally lost my luggage and I like had to wear hipster clothes like all week,” Tiffany said in a shallow and ditsy tone.

“So you understand,” said Wolf, “What it’s like to not be able to present your best appearance but still have to take care of business.”

“Oh yeah, totally,” Tiffany replied, “but i didn’t hear anything about corporate sending anyone down…”

“It’s a surprise inspection,” Wolf assured her, “We didn’t want you to clean up your records just before we look at them. Corporate want a clear idea of how well you keep your records on a regular basis. Is it okay if I come around the counter and take a look?”

“Oh, you know we’re not really supposed to let anyone behind the counter,” she replied and Wolf frowned, “but, um, how about I let you into the back office? You can look at all of the records in there and have a little privacy to do your job.”

“Thanks Tiff,” Wolf smiled at the young woman, “that’d be swell.”

Tiffany led Wolf down a short hallway to a windowless office which she unlocked and waved towards the metal desk with a computer at it, “You can access all of our records from there. I’ve got to get back to the desk. Let me know how things go,” Tiffany smiled and closed the door on her way back to the front desk.


The password for the admin of Fitness Pros’ client database was “password” which made it exceedingly simple for Wolf to access all the information they had on Olivia Crast. The address they had for her was the same as he’d recovered form the website, but the card on file was made out to a Nicholas Randall, which meant yet another person for Wolf to track down and interrogate. Nick lived in one of the better parts of Heartbeat, one of the few gated communities within the city. Those who made enough money or came from old money could afford to lock out the rest of the citizens.

Tiffany would probably expect the audit of the records to take a couple hours so Wolf decided to hunker down and look up a few of the patrons of the gym that tended to come in at the same times as Olivia. They might be able to offer some valuable information.

After about an hour and a half Wolf decided to pack up and head back out. As he walked by the counter Tiffany waived him over, “Hey,” she said slipping him a piece of paper, “if you’re in town for a while you should call me.”

“Thanks, Tiff,” Wolf smiled as he tucked the slip of paper into his jacket pocket, “I’ll be sure to keep you in mind.”

“Bye, Hun,” Tiffany shouted after Wolf as he left the gym and made his way back over to the alley that Grendle had been waiting in, “C’mon boy, we’ve got plenty of places of visit today still.”

Wolf took close notes of the cars around the gym before continuing his winding path through the city. He needed to figure out a way to get into the gated community that Nicholas lived in. Without a decent story and some documentation it would be difficult and perhaps impossible.

“Maybe it’s time to pay Celia a visit. What d’ya think, boy?” Wolf asked Grendle, “Hmm yeah, you’re right, I’d better get some flowers first. She wasn’t too happy the last time we said goodbye,” Wolf said while winking down at Grendle.

Wolf made a trip through Central Park and picked a bouquet of daffodils, Cilia’s favorite flowers, and continued on his way towards her loft apartment.

“Hey, Gary, how’s the wife and kids?” Wolf asked the doorman, a stout balding man in his early forties with bright and happy green eyes.

“Oh, they’re doing fine Mr. Wolf. Bethany is getting all As in her classes, and Bobby is starring in his class rendition of Hamlet,” replied the doorman while opening the door for Wolf to walk into the apartment building, “It’s been a few months since I’ve seen you, sir. Have things been all right?”

“Oh you know, the same old business and same old pleasure,” Wolf said and winked at the doorman.

“Of course,” replied the doorman as Wolf walked past and headed towards the stairs with Grendle close by.

Grendle ran ahead and sat near the elevator, “No, Grendle, never the elevator. C’mon up the stairs. It’s only twelve flights.”

Wolf bounded up the stairs to the twelfth floor barely breaking a sweat and Grendle kept up most of the time stopping to rest at a few of the landings, “C’mon, boy, you’re getting out of shape!” Wolf shouted at the panting dog.

When he reached the twelfth floor Wolf stopped on the landing and smoothed out his clothes as best he could before stepping out into the hallway and making his was to Celia’s apartment.

Wolf rapped sharply on Celia’s door and waited what felt like forever for her to answer. He knew that Gary, the doorman, wouldn’t call the police, after all he’d seen enough of Celia’s clientele and was compensated for his discretion, but any number of other people in this neighborhood might have recognized him. He needed to see Celia, get the documents he’d need form her, and get moving again quickly.

The brown oak door swung open and a beautiful brunette in blue jumper opened the door, “Hell- oh,” her eyes hardened when she saw who it was.

“Celia, baby, it’s been forever. I brought you daffodils,” Wolf said grinning.

Celia responded with a left hook and a right uppercut. Wolf woke up a few minutes later feeling the rug burns on his back from being dragged into her apartment.

“You’ve still got a hell of a left,” Wolf said rubbing his jaw.

“You better have a good reason for showing up here, Wolf. I don’t have time or temperament for your bullshit today,” Celia snarled.


Celia forged documents for a living. She had started off as an art school student, even managing to get her Phd in Art history. After graduating she realized that there were no artistic jobs or University jobs that would pay off her debts. She started forging IDs, then passports, and so on until she was forging documents more than she was painting, sculpting, or anything else. On the upside she was able to pay off her debts and live comfortably, especially for someone in Heartbeat.

She was well known for her illegal activity, but the Four Families, the mobs, and the other shady characters (politicians) kept the police paid off and off her back.

“what do you want Wolf?” Celia asked, “Seriously after the way you bailed on me last time, I can’t imagine what you think will make me help you out now.”

“If I told you it’s a matter of life and death?” Wolf asked trying his best to look cute.

“Then I’d tell you to go die somewhere else,” replied Celia.

“C’mon, Celia, it wasn’t that bad-” Wolf started.

“I lost a major client, because you had a conscience,” Celia glared at Wolf as he started to stand back up.

“They were going to use those documents you made to smuggle in Cherry Five. You know that stuff burns people out and leaves them with no real will of their own. They were going to give it to immigrant women and use them as sex slaves,” Wolf said sternly.

“You know what Wolf, I…” Celia pursed her lips and paused, “I fucking hate it that you think you’re always right. I fucking hate it that you think you always know better… and I really fucking hate that it’s true,” Celia spat out the words as she stepped closer to Wolf.

“Now you’re just trying to flatter me,” Wolf said as he winked and then pulled Celia in close.

“You don’t have time for any of that,” Celia said while placing two fingers on Wolf’s lips and then pushing away from him.

“You’re right,” Wolf said, “So I take it you know that I’m on the lamb?”

“Of course I do,” she said, “Even if it weren’t in the papers a few days ago, I’m well connected enough that I’d have heard about it.”

Wolf smiled, “Celia, I need you to forge some documents saying that I’m an electrician contracted to work inside Ocelot Ridge Estates.”

“What for?” Celia asked and then reconsidered her question, “You know what, I don’t want to know.”

“So, you’ll do it?” Wolf asked.

“Yes, but,” Celia said, “you’re going to owe me for this one Wolf - cash and a favor.”

“Put it on my tab?” Wolf asked.

“Your tab  is long enough,” Celia smiled, “I’ll collect as soon as you’re out of this mess. Just one more thing… tell me you didn’t kill that girl.”

“Celia you know me,” Wolf started.

“I know, but I need to hear you say it,” she interrupted.

“I didn’t kill her. Someone left her body outside my office and called me to tell me that they were framing me,” Wolf’s steel blue eyes peered into her and her hazel eyes softened.

“Okay. I believe you,” she said, “You promise you’ll find these sons of bitches.”

“I promise, Celia,” Wolf replied.

After a couple hours Celia had made documents showing that Wolf was Jacob Stewart, a chief electrician with Central Power who had been contracted to check the wiring of several buildings in Ocelot Ridge Estates. She also contacted one of her associates and had the computer that held the list of expected visitors at the Estates modified to show that ‘Jacob’ would be expected the next day.

“Thanks, Celia,” Wolf said while flipping through the papers, “I owe you a big one.”

“Yeah, you do,” she said squinting at Wolf, “Now get out of my house before someone who pays for my work shows up.”

Wolf found himself rushed out her front door and Grendle pushed out shortly behind him, “And take your dog with you!” she said slamming the door behind them.

“Well, boy, that went better than I expected,” Wolf said while walking towards the stairway.

“Have a nice day, sir,” said the doorman as Wolf was leaving.

“Thanks, Gary, you too.” replied Wolf as he started walking towards the Vestafex offices. They were on the edge of downtown Heartbeat. Just far enough out of the rough neighborhoods to make the employees feel relatively safe, but close enough that security was a major concern.

Wolf noticed that a black van was present outside of Celia’s apartment. It looked similar to the one that had been outside of Gio’s restaurant, and the Fitness Pros gym, “I think I’ve spotted our tail, Grendle, try not to stare too hard, but that black van has been everywhere we’ve been,” Wolf said to his dog as he ducked into an alleyway.

“They’re probably tracking me via the cell phone, which means there’s anyplace from a 60 foot to one mile radius of room to work with. I can’t really ditch it, because I need to be able to answer when they call and draw out more information about who they are. That doesn’t mean we can’t work out a way to give the driver of that van a reason to back off though,” Wolf said to the dog walking alongside him. Talking had always helped him work out plans, figure out puzzles, and solve problems.

Wolf looked around in the alley and spotted a fire escape ladder. He used a broken aluminum broom handle and a wire coat hanger to hook onto the bottom rung and pull it down to him, “Stay here boy, I’m going to try and get a look at the guy following us.”

When Wolf had reached the roof he pulled a small monocular that he carried in his pocket out and looked through it towards the van. The windows were tinted, but he could still make out the general shape of the driver. About six feet tall, if his torso were of average proportions, with close cut hair and a pair of glasses, probably sun glasses. He smoke with his left hand and tipped the cigarettes out the window to knock of the collected ash, “All right, as long as you don’t have any friends in that van with you, I think I can take you out without too much trouble,” Wolf mumbled.

He made his way back down the fire escape and to Grendle, “C’mon boy, off to the Vestafex offices. Let’s take a look at where Miss Crast used to work.”

“What do you think, boy,” he said to Grendle, “maybe it’s time for a change of wardrobe.”

Wolf made his way to a thrift store and looked through the suits for sale. He picked a dark blue three piece, a white dress shirt, and some dress shoes. All in all it only cost him forty dollars.

After he had purchased and changed into his suit, Wolf continued his winding path through he city, the only real way to get around and avoid the cop cars. Around four in the afternoon he finally made it to the Vestafex main offices. He had Grendle stay in a nearby alley and then walked in through the gleaming glass doors.

“Hi there,” he said while smiling at the front desk clerk, “I have four thirty appointment with uh, Be-… hmm what was the name?” Wolf asked while pretending to search through his jacket pockets, “I know it’s up on the fifth floor… starts with  ‘B’ I think, big guy …” Wolf pulled out the cell phone he’d picked up earlier and pretend to start looking through it.

“Mr. Bellamy?” the front clerk asked trying to help.

“Ah, yes, Bellamy. Thank you so much,” Wolf said, “What’s his office number again?”

“Forty five,” the clerk responded, “but I’ll have to check our records before I can let you up. Hmm I see any four thirty appointments for Mr Bellamy…”

“He said he’d put me in the system. We scheduled this meeting over lunch…” Wolf replied with a frown.

“Ah, well… Mr. Bellamy has done that before. Tell you what, I’ll let you head on up. Tell him Michael did you a favor,” the clerk said.

“Thank you so much, Michael, I’ll be sure to let him know,” Wolf said while heading towards the stairs.

“Not going to take the elevator?” the clerk looked puzzled.

“Ah, well I spend a lot of time sitting on airplanes, hopping from one office to another, so I get my exercise in where I can,” Wolf lied.

“Good idea,” the clerk replied, “it’s obviously working for you.”

“Thanks, Mike,” Wolf smiled warmly over his shoulder and pushed through the stairway doors. The five flights was much easier than the twelve he’d had to go up to see Celia. There were security cameras on every at every landing, and fake cameras on every other landing. Wolf could tell they were mock cameras since they appeared to be the same model but lacked any power indicator lights or cables.

Wolf took a moment to focus himself while standing on the fifth floor landing. Olivia’s office was here, he hoped that they had not removed her belongings yet, but there was a good chance that cleaning crews, and office redistribution had already emptied her office, Sudden death was common enough in Heartbeat that most offices had procedures in place for ‘employee disappearance’ to keep thing running as smoothly as possible.

Wolf stepped out into the fifth floor hallway and started walking towards office sixty three. He smiled and nodded to the various office drones that walked past him. Most were so caught up in the daily routine that they didn’t really know who worked in the same building as him, so his unfamiliar face didn’t make them suspicious.

As Wolf approached office sixty three he concentrated on keeping his breathing even and his heart rate slow. He repeated to himself, “I am with office redistribution services, just taking an inventory of the office supplies Miss Crast was in possession of so that we can see to it that all items end up in proper and effective locations.”

He found that repeating his story internally tended to help him focus and maintain the ruse if anyone should stop him and ask him difficult questions. If he believed what he was saying, it was hard for someone else not to believe him as well.

Wolf reached for the door handle and turned it, “Lucky me, the door is unlocked,” he thought to himself as he opened the door and slipped in, closing the door quickly but gracefully quiet behind him.

He turned on the light and looked around the room, “Nice, they haven’t taken away the computer yet… well unless they’ve already moved someone else into this office,” Wolf said to himself as he sat down at the computer and powered it on. After a few seconds a login screen appeared. He knew he didn’t have time to crack the password so he pulled a USB keychain drive from his pocket, inserted it into the computer and rebooted into a specialty distribution of Linux his friend, Simon, created for forensic work.

The screen flashed blue and black and showed that the system was copying images, videos, e-mail logs, web caches, and anything else it could find on the local hard drive to the USB drive, Wolf knew it was working fast, but the seconds ticked by slowly and he felt the itch to get moving again soon. His eyes darted between the progress bar and the door and his sharped ears listed to footsteps walking by as he waited for any that might stop in front of the office. A few did, but they always started moving again after a bit of office chit chat.

“Operation complete,” flashed across the computer screen and then “Please remove drive and shut down computer,” and Wolf knew it was time leave. He pulled the USB drive from the computer. Held down the power button looked around the desk for anything else that might be a clue to Olivia’s death. He spotted a PDA (personal digital assistant) on her desk. An older model, but a sturdy one. He pocketed it and hoped that some insight into her schedule might help him crack the case. Then with a final glance around the room he slipped out and headed back towards the stairs.

A young woman ran into him at full speed while turning a corner and dropped all of her papers to the floor, “I’m sorry,” she said while trying to collect the documents and pushing her glasses back into place.

“Oh don’t worry about it,” said Wolf while kneeling down to help her pick up the papers, ” happened to everyone,” he said while rapping the pages he’d collected against the floor to straighten them out and then handing them to her.

“Thanks,” she said, “My name is Beth.”

“You have a better day from now on, okay Beth,” Wolf said while winking at her before standing back up and continuing to the stairs.

“Thanks… um… wait up,” she called after him.

Wolf stopped and turned around feeling like he’d been in this building too long, but he smiled anyway, “What’s up?”

“I … here’s my number, if you want to um… do lunch or something,” she said while scribbling her name and number on a piece of paper and handing it to him.

“Thanks, Beth, I’ll be sure to give you call soon,” Wolf said, “but I’m in a bit of a hurry. Big client…” he lied.

“Oh, okay,” she said smiling shyly.

“Catch you later,” He called back one last time before walking quickly to the stairway doors and heading back down to the front lobby.

Wolf swung by the front desk and chatted with Michael for a few minutes. There was nothing quite like making friends in the right places to get access to places when you needed it. Despite what most people thought you wanted to cultivate these kind of friendships in the lower rungs of a company. The front desk clerks, janitors, maintenance crews, and so forth all tended to have a lot of keys and very little training in resisting social engineering, the art of convincing people to do what you want them to via the use of key words and phrases.

“Have a good night, Michael,” Wolf said as he turned to head out.

“You too Mr Stewart,” said Michael, “Oh and I think you dropped this,” Michael said while holding out a small slip of paper.

“Wolf took the paper and looked at it. It had a phone number on it, obviously Michael’s, “Thank you, Mike, I would have hated to walk out of here with out this,” he said as he winked, flashed a charming smile, and quickly headed towards the door.

“C’mon, Grendle,” he said to the golden Labrador that had waited patiently in the alley next to the office building, “We should find someplace to hunker down for the night and go over what we’ve learned.”

Wolf made his way to one of the many seedy motels in Heartbeat and paid the front desk man, a large, greasy, balding man in his early fifties, for a room for the night, “Thanks Al,” Wolf said as he handed over the cash.

“Thanks yer self,” replied Al, glaring at Wolf with beady brown eyes, “Ya jus’ see to it ya don’ cause no trouble.”

“Oh no trouble from me sir,” Wolf said giving a Boy Scout salute, two fingers held together and pressed to the forehead at a forty five degree angle.

Al grunted in response and slid the keys to Wolf’s room through the small opening in the bullet proof glass between them, “No trouble,” he said one last time and turned back to the television he had been watching before Wolf walked in.

“C’mon, boy,” Wolf said to Grendle as he headed down the only hallway to his room, “We’ve got a big day tomorrow. We’re lucky we found a place that allows dogs.”

Wolf opened the door to his room and surveyed the musty interior, “Well she’s not the Riviera, but she’ll do,” he said to Grendle, “at least the lights work.”


Wolf plugged in the laptop to let it charge and used a USB cable he’d bought at a nearby electronics store to charge the cell phone he’d picked up from the crosswalk box, “Well, Grendle, at least our electronics will have a full charge.”

He pulled back the covers and after looking at the stained sheets decided to sleep on the floor. It would feel more like sleeping in the office and would be better for his back anyway.

As he drifted off to sleep, Wolf went over the events of the last few days in his head. Someone had been in his office and stolen his gun, murdered a woman with it, framed him, sent him on the run, he’d hidden in a basement, hacked a fitness center’s client database, infiltrated a corporate office and downloaded information, and stolen a daily planner that once belonged to the murder victim.  A rough week to say the least and it wasn’t even close to over.

When he woke up the next day he turned on the laptop that Gio had lent him and started looking through the information he’d copied from Olivia Crast’s office computer. He started with the e-mails and photos from the day of her murder and then went back from there. He also cross checked any names and times he could find in the calendar application of the PDA that he’d swiped.

“No WiFi here, Grendle,” Wolf said to his dog, “I guess Al isn’t a fan of the inherent,” Wolf chuckled, “Well, I’ll see about making my way to a coffee shop at some point today. I can start researching the names of people that Olivia had appointments with.”

The cell phone that had remained silent for the last couple of days started playing Fig Leaf Rag and Wolf started the audio recording application. He answered the phone and put it on speaker, “Hello, Wolf Industries, how may I direct your call?”

“How droll, you’ve managed to keep a sense of humor while being on the run and framed for murder,” replied the distorted voice, “Maybe you can be the cell block comedian.”

“Maybe,” replied Wolf, “What do you want?”

“To congratulate you,” replied the robotic voice, “there were several of us that thought you’d get caught much, much, sooner.”

“Thanks, well if that’s all I need to get back to tracking you down so I can kick your ass,” Wolf replied in a faux chipper tone.

“Language, Mr Wolf, language,” the voice chided, “There’s no reason to say things you might regret. I have interesting news for you. You’re friend at the police station, a Detective George Parlance, seems to have not given up on you. Despite the overwhelming evidence, and substantial bribes to other officers he insisted on looking closer into the murder and proving your innocence. He got very close, Mr Wolf, too close,” the voice grew cold with deadly intent.

“You leave him alone you murderous son of a bit-” Wolf started to say but was interrupted.

“What did I say about language!” the voice practically shouted, “Now you listen. We are more than happy to let the detective live a long and happy life, but for now he is going to be our guest. He’ll be well treated as long as you do as you’re told. Is that understood, Mr Wolf?

Wolf gritted his teeth and bit back the words that threatened to explode form his lips.

“I said, is that understood?” the voice asked again.

“Yes… yes I understand,” Wolf said through his growing fury, “but I want you to understand something. If any harm comes to George, any harm, a single drop of blood, anything - I will end you.”

“If you find me, Mr Wolf, I assure you that it will not be me that is ended,” replied the voice calmly, “For now, we will watch you scurry around for a bit longer. Stay out of the prison and we will have use for you soon. Get arrested… and well… it will be very hard on the detective,” the voice said and then hung up.

Wolf turned off the audio recording program and turned to face his dog, “They’ve got George, Grendle. They’ve turned this from a battle into a war and I’m going to destroy them before they destroy me and the people I care about.”

Wolf put the pants from the suit he’d purchased back on, along with the dress shirt, and one of the Hawaiian print shirts the Gio had given him. He looked and the mirror and felt that he could pass for an electrician, “Time to visit Ocelot Ridge Estates, Grendle. You’ll have to stay here today. I’ll make sure to pay Al for another night.”

Wolf settled up with Al for another night at the motel and started a long and winding path towards the gated community of Ocelot Ridge Estates. It took him about three hours to get there, even with a couple of trips on the local bus system since he had to do some back tracking in hopes of losing the van tailing him,” At least they won’t be able to make it into the Estates,” Wolf thought to himself.

“Hey there,” Wolf said to the overweight security guard at the front gate of Ocelot Ridge Estates, “I’m Jacob Stewart. I’m scheduled to go over the electrical systems of several of the houses here and make sure things are safe and up to code.”

“Hey,” replied the security guard, “You got some ID and papers to show me?”

“Yeah, here you go,” Said Wolf while handing him the small stack of forged work orders and an driver’s license that Celia had made for him.

“Looks in order, but it says yer not due in ‘til four,” the guard said while squinting at his computer monitor.

“Well, I had a couple of appointments cancel today, so I thought I’d get an early start here,” Wolf lied, “That’s not a problem is it?”

“Naw,” replied the security guard while hitting the button to unlock the gate, “Go on in.”

“Thanks man,” Wolf said as he walked through the gate and towards Nicholas Randall’s house.

Ocelot Ridge Estates was one of the higher class gated communities. Inside the gates were perfect little recreations of suburban bliss, with white picket fences, green lawns, and frilly curtains - all neatly contained in the middle of the dark and mean streets of Heartbeat city. As Wolf walked down the main stretch towards Pinehearst Avenue he thought about how so much of Heartbeat used to be like this when he was a kid. It was all brighter and gleamed with beauty and safety. It had once been called the city of the future, the city that would never fall to crime, but the crime bosses and lowlife hooligans had made it their home. They had shattered the hopes of all the generations before.

“Someday Heartbeat will be like this everywhere again,” Wolf thought to himself, “the only way that hope is defeated is when it’s given up. At least that’s what my dad always told me.”

He turned onto Pinehearst after a short while and eventually found Nicholas Randall’s place. It looked a lot like every other building in Ocelot Ridge Estates, but was about twice the size of any that Wolf had walked by so far.

Wolf walked up to the door and knocked. A young woman in a maid’s uniform answered the door, “Hello, may I help you?” she asked, looking Wolf up and down.

“Hi, I’m with Central Power and the Estate commission has asked me to survey the electrical systems of several buildings here in the Estates,” Wolf said while handing her the forged documents, “May I come in?”

The maid looked at the documents for a moment and said, “Um, sure I guess so… I hadn’t heard anything about any inspections though.”

“Well, I hadn’t really heard about them before yesterday,” Wolf said, “You know how the people in power are always in a rush and tend to forget that it’s a good idea to give us peons any kind of warning,” he said and winked at the maid.

“Yeah,” she said as he stepped inside the house, “Do you need anything from me or…”

“No that’s okay,” Wolf said, “You go ahead and take care of your business. I just need to run some voltage tests on some of the outlets and take a few readings for any kind of power leakage,” he said while patting the laptop case, hoping she’d assume his electrician tools were inside.

“Well, okay, “she said uncertainly, “Let me know when you’re done?”

“Will do, Miss,” Wolf said as he wandered further into the house, “Oh one more thing is there anyone else here?”

“No, I’m the only daytime staff. Why?” she asked.

“Well in one of the houses I was inspecting no one told the butler and the next thing I new I had a pistol pointed at my face,” Wolf lied.

“Oh my,” the maid looked shocked.

“Don’t worry, it all worked out,” Wolf winked at her.

The maid smiled and then told Wolf she needed to get back to dusting the sitting room. Wolf found himself standing in the main hallway and began looking through doors in search of any kind of home office.

After a few doors wolf found a posh home office. A stately chair sat behind a mahogany desk and a calendar filled with events sat next to the one of the latest models of computer in a stylish jet black,

“Well, Mr Randall, you do seem to know how to spend your money,” Wolf said under his breath as he slipped into the office and gently pushed the door to almost closed. If someone walked by and noticed he could pretend that it simply swung that way. It was more believable than if they noticed the door was completely closed.


Wolf popped in the same USB drive he’d used to pull information out of Olivia Crast’s office computer and popped it into Nicholas Randall’s computer. he powered the computer on and the familiar progress bar flickered onto the screen as it started copying videos, images, and other files to the drive.

Wolf looked around on the desk and in the office for anything else that might give a clue about what Nicholas’s relationship with Olivia had been. The office was incredibly clean and there wasn’t much left out, “A little anal retentive or just lots of cash spent on cleaning crews?” Wolf pondered.

He heard someone walking up the hall and figured it must be the maid so he turned off the monitor on the computer and ducked under the desk. He heard the door open and footsteps walk a little way into the room before turning around and heading back down the hall.

“She’s suspicious and trying to figure out where I am. Better wrap this up soon,” Wolf thought as he peered over the desk and, once he had made sure the coast was clear, powered the monitor back on and saw that the file copy was at eighty five percent.

“Just a few more minutes,” Wolf thought as he continued to look through the desk drawers as quickly as he could while keeping it quiet. He tried the bottom left drawer and noticed it was locked.

“Good thing I keep a set of lock picks in my back pocket,” Wolf said to himself as he deftly picked the drawer lock. The locks on drawers were notoriously easy to pick and could in fact be picked with a flat head screwdriver most of the time. This one was no exception.

“Mr Stewart? Jacob?” Wolf heard the made calling as she wandered around the house. He looked at the progress bar and saw that the file copy was at ninety eight percent.

Wolf looked into the drawer he’d just unlocked and saw several loose sheets of paper. He pulled out his digital camera and started taking photos as quickly as he could, “I don’t have time to really look these over right now,” he thought to himself, “but if he’s locking them up, there’s probably a reason.”

The minutes seemed to drag on, but Wolf eventually managed to get a quick snapshot of each of the documents. He then placed them back into the drawer and used the picks to lock it again.

“I’d better get going,” Wolf thought to himself as he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. He wiped it away as he listened for the maid’s footsteps and voice. She was getting louder and was headed back towards the office.

Just as her foot steps could be heard walking up to the office doorway again the screen flashed, “Complete,” and Wolf quickly unplugged the computer, pulled out the USB drive, and quickly tucked it into his pocket. He knelt near one of the power outlets in the room and waited for the maid to walk in.

“Mr Wolf,” she said sharply, “I’ve been looking all over the house for you.”

“Hm?” Wolf turned around and pretended to shove something back into his laptop case, “I’m sorry, Miss, I tend to zone out when I’m running the tests.”

Her face softened a little, “Well I guess that’s okay,” she said while glancing around the room. She was obviously looking for anything that might be missing, “Are you done with your tests? I need to get back to work.”

“Oh yes. I think I’ve got everything I need,” Wolf replied as he stood up and allowed the maid to show him to the front door.

“Thank you for your cooperation… Miss?” Wolf asked as he stepped outside and extended his hand for a handshake.

“Aloe, My name is Britney Aloe,” the maid replied.

“Thank you, Miss Aloe,” Wolf said with a smile.

“Thank you Mr Stewart,” she replied, shaking his hand, “Have a nice day.”

Wolf wondered about the documents he’d taken photos of and the computer files he’d have to sort through later as he made his way back up the sidewalk towards the front gate of Ocelot Ridge Estates.

“See ya around,” he said to the guard at the front gate.

“Have a good one, Mr Stewart,” replied the guard as he entered in a departure time into the guest database.

Wolf looked around surreptitiously as he exited the Estates and noticed that the black van was still keeping up with him, “There you are again,” he said under his breath, “I guess you’re definitely the tail at this point. I’ll come and say hello soon.”

Wolf continued making his winding way through Heartbeat City on his way back to Al’s Inn. Even though he knew he’d have a hard time losing the tail since he had to keep the cell phone on his body and turned on in case a call from the perpetrators came in, he still had to avoid the cops.

When he made it back to the motel Al head a package for him, “Some jackass dropped this off for ya,” Al said, “This ain’t no post office.”

“Thanks Al,” Wolf replied while taking the box from him.

“Thanks yer self,” the greasy man replied as he turned back to his television.

“What did the guy who dropped this off look like?” Wolf asked.

“Huh? I dunno,” Al said, “White, about six foot tall, nice clothes,” he replied absent mindedly, “Now would ya get lost?”

“Sure Al, thanks again,” Wolf replied as he headed for his room.

Grendle was happy to see him and ready to go out for a walk. Wolf took the dog out to the alley behind the motel and let him take care of business as he thought about the box, “Must have been the ones who framed me that left it. I’ll have to be careful opening it. I doubt it’s a bomb or poison. If these people wanted me dead… well, I’d be at the root end of some daisies right now,” he said to Grendle.

When he finally returned to his motel room Wolf opened the small box. Inside he found George’s badge, “This must be their way of telling me that they really do have George,” he said to the dog at his feet, “I’m always getting him into bullshit, aren’t I?” he asked rhetorically.

Wolf copied the information he’d pulled off of Nicholas Randall’s computer and the photos of the documents onto his laptop. Nick had been exchanging e-mails with Olivia on a regular basis, some of them setting up appointments to meet at restaurants, some risque, and some near the end seemed to be talking about whether or not she had found something he wanted her to find. He kept the exact nature of what she was supposed to be looking for vague, as if he suspected that someone might eventually go through his records.

The documents we copies of Vestafex order forms listing various office supplies, chemicals, and machinery the company had been purchasing over the course of the last eight months.

“What were you looking for, Mr Randall,” Wolf asked out loud as he poured over the documents, e-mails, and images he’;d collected.

Most of the items that Vestafex purchased looked pretty standard, though several of the chemicals were unfamiliar to Wolf. He took note of these and set the list aside to research later, “Maybe John will have some idea about what was so interesting about these chemicals,” Wolf said to himself taking special note of the chemicals that Nicholas had highlighted.

“None of this is making any sense so far,” Wolf said to Grendle. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes trying to breath deeply and clear his mind, “None of these people are connected to me at all. It’s as if someone wants me to piece together some shady deal at Vestafex, but why kill Olivia, why frame me? I’m starting to think that the people toying with us are just insane…”

Wolf decided to try to sort through some of it by lucid dreaming. He found that the waking dream state, a way of dreaming while being aware that you are dreaming, often provided unique insight into otherwise jumbled and confusing sets of clues.

“I am dreaming. I am dreaming. I am dreaming…” he repeated to himself as he drifted off to sleep. After a few minutes he found himself in a familiar room, with stark grey walls, no windows, a bed with simple white sheets, a bookcase full of books, and one door. He looked around for his cue that he was dreaming. He opened a book and saw it filled with the words, “Yes, you are dreaming,” and he knew that he had successfully entered the lucid dreaming state.

Wolf called up images of the documents he’d been looking over, photographs from the two computers, videos he’d watched, and e-mails he’d read. He let the images of these objects drift around him and watched as they slowly spun closer together, eventually taking on the general shape of a woman, then pulling tighter together, as the paper and ink faded away and were slowly replaced by the features of the woman who’s body had been left outside his office.

“Hello Olivia,” Wolf said while looking at the image of the victim in front of him, an image that represented all the things he’d learned so far brought together in a sort of dream avatar. Her left eye was still missing, though not bleeding, it was just an endless void that Wolf found hard to look at for more than a few short glimpses.

“What do you think, Olivia?” Wolf asked as he walked out of the door of the room with her at his side, “Any idea why someone killed you and left your corpse as a calling card for me to get involved?”

“I was obviously the target of some sort of corporate espionage,” the avatar replied, “Nick had been chatting me up for weeks and after gaining my trust had even managed to get me to steal order records and possibly more.”


Outside of the door a long path stretched out into an immeasurable distance. A gentle wind blew through Wolf’s hair and the scent of roses drifted by.

“Nice dream,” the Olivia avatar said.

“Thanks,” Wolf replied, “Corporate espionage, of course, but what secret was Nick after?”

“It had to do with chemicals,” Olivia replied, “Maybe it was drug smuggling or manufacturing.”

“Decent possibilities,” Wolf agreed, “but why get me involved?”

Olivia placed her hands on both sides of his face and forced him to look into her eyes. He felt a strong pull in the center of his torso and for a moment all became darkness. When his eyes slowly adjusted to his new surroundings he took a close look around.

“The alley behind Effigy?” Wolf wondered out loud. Effigy was the bar he used to frequent up until a month ago when he couldn’t afford to frequent any bars anymore.

“Yes, the alley behind Effigy,” Olivia said. She seemed to have come out of nowhere, but that was pretty common in the lucid dreams.

“What are we doing here?” he asked.

“Watch,” Olivia said waiving towards a couple of figures in the distance and started leading Wolf towards them.

“You better get the boss what he wants,” said the gruff voice of a man.

“I don’t think I can. I could lose my job. Go to jail,” the woman pleaded.

“You don’t get me what the boss needs and yer not gonna be able to worry about jobs or jail,” the man said as he leaned in closer and then punched the wall only an inch from her face.

The young woman screamed and a figure stumbled around the corner, “Hey there, whatcha doin’ to her?” the figure slurred drunkenly.

“You stay outta this rummy,” the man replied as the drunk staggered closer.

“I think the lady wants,” the drunk belched mid-sentence, “wants you to leave her alone.

“Fuck you,” the brute replied and reeled back his fist for a swing.

The drunk dodged the first swing, knocked the legs of the brute out from under him, and followed up with a hard uppercut leaving the brute groaning on the ground.

“Um,” the woman said, “Um thank you.”

“No problem miss,” Wolf said, “Now you better get on home before he gets back up.”

“Before… before I go…” she stammered, “What’s your name?”

“Wolf, Burgundy Wolf,” the drunk stammered as he walked with the woman towards the end of the alley, “An’ you?”

“Olivia,” the woman said.

Wolf turned to the avatar of Olivia, “I helped you out a month ago… while I was black out drunk…”

“Yes,” the one eyed girl said, “and the brute on the ground isn’t knocked out. He heard your name.”

The dream faded away and he slowly lost hold of the lucidity as he drifted through the rest of the night. The grey dawn filtered in through the window of the motel room and Wolf slowly woke to the real world again trying to hold onto the dreams from the night before.

“Pulled into all of this because I got stupid drunk and helped some random girl in an alley,” Wolf said to himself, “Sounds a bit like my life.”

Wolf washed up, dressed, and peered out the motel window again. The black van was still staying close, but the driver was missing this time, “Taking a nap, my stalker friend?”

Wolf packed up the items he’d need to investigate a bit more that day. He’d need to make a trip to Effigy and ask the bartender and waitresses there if they remembered anything about the night he’d been in a fight in the alley.

Wolf wandered into the back alley with Grendle as he let the dog take care of it’s morning business he looked around for anything that might be useful.  He spotted scraps of wood and a pail of nails. He used a loose brick to drive the nails through the pieces of wood so that the points would face up when the pieces of wood were set down. He then bent the nails at a slight angle, “Yeah, I think these might just do the trick,” he said to himself.

After he had lead Grendle back into the motel he made his way out again and used his monocular to look into the window of the van. From this angle he could see that the driver had tilted the seat back and was apparently still sleeping. Wolf crept up to the van and placed each piece of wood with the nails facing up right in front of each of the tires. After he’d finished he sneaked back to the motel room and waited for the driver to wake up.

After a couple hours he saw the driver sit up and rub his eyes, he turned on a radio and poured something, probably coffee, from a thermos into a cup and looked towards the motel.


Wolf continued letting his eyes slowly scan up and down the street, acting as if he were still looking for any sign of being followed. He hoped that this would keep his tail from realizing that he’d been made.

Wolf gave it an extra couple of hours before he headed out for the day, this time taking Grendle with him. He might need to move to a different motel tonight, though the police seemed to steer away from this place.

“C’mon boy, time to visit an old haunt,” he said to his dog as he started his winding path towards Effigy.

After about a quarter of a mile he heard the distinct sound of four tires blowing out all at once, “Well, boy, I think we’ll have a couple hours of not being followed,” Wolf said to Grendle as he kept walking.

He had to dodge about seven police cars and ditch a foot patrol officer who thought he looked suspicious on his way to Effigy, but overall it was a decently safe and uneventful trip.

Effigy seemed to have faded at the edges, a broken building with fogged windows and bricks slowly turning into dust. A rusty drainpipe hung from the gutters that had been clogged for more years than anyone could tell.

“Well, she looks about as ugly as ever,” Wolf said, “Stay here, Grendle,” he told his dog as he went inside the old bar.

“Hey, Joe, what’s the special tonight,” Wolf asked the young bartender in an orange and blue flannel shirt behind the counter.

“Everything’s special,” replied the bartender, “It’s just all at the normal prices.”

“Is that so?” asked Wolf.

“Well,” replied Joe, “for you I’ll double the price, but sell it for half off.”

“Thanks,” wolf said through a smirk, “I’d like a shot of Jack and a pint of whatever beer you have that’s dark and rich.”

“Comin’ right up,” the bartender said as he pulled out a dirty shot glass and a pint mug that was not much cleaner. He poured the shot of jack and then pulled on the beer tap to fill the pint glass, tilting it to let some of the head spill of the side and get as much beer as he could into the glass. He slid the shot towards Wolf and slammed the pint glass down, spilling just a little bit of the beer, “There ya go, that’ll be six fifty.”

“Prices gone up a little?” Wolf asked.

“Yeah well, there’s been more ‘insurance’ to pay lately,” the bartender said.

“Need more protection lately?” Wolf asked.

“You know how this city works, Wolf,” the bartender said while wiping down the bar, “There’s at least five guys to pay for protection at any given time.”

“But you’ve been given a reason to pay a bit extra, haven’t you?” Wolf pressed and took his shot of Jack.

“It’s your fault, you know?” the bartender said, “Your lucky I let you back in here. Beating up one of the Famlies’ enforcers right outside my place…” the bartender looked at Wolf with hard eyes, “Or don’t you remember? You don’t do you?”

“Actually, since last night I remember a little of it,” Wolf said and then took a drink of his beer, “Maybe you can help me fill in the gaps.”

“Maybe I could use a little help making my insurance payments,” the bartender replied.

“You help me out and as soon as I’ve taken care of business I’ll make sure your rates go down,” Wolf replied.

“How do I know that you’re telling the truth?” asked the bartender.

“Joe,” Wolf said with a stern jaw and sharp eyes, “I’m giving you my word. When was the last time I broke my word?”

The bartender looked at Wolf for a few seconds, a myriad of emotions and thoughts played across his face and then he said, “You don’t break your word. Okay, I’ll tell you what happened. At least what I know of it.”

“You were here drinking from about three in the afternoon until sometime around nine when I told you that you had to go. After a… heated discussion you decided that it was best to head out. About five minutes after I sent you out the door I heard some shouting and something heavy hit the ground. A few minutes later you walked back in with a pretty uptown girl and asked me to call her a cab. After she was in the cab you stumbled on home, or at least that’s where I think you went. Who knows with you? The next day this big guy comes in and tells me that ‘insurance’ rates have gone up, because I sell to ‘undesirable’ elements. He tells me that if I don’t want my place burned down, that maybe I should tell him the name of that drunk asshole who got in a fight over a girl the night before…”

“You told him my name. Didn’t you, Joe?” Wolf asked while biting back his anger.

“I didn’t have a choice, Wolf, this guy was serious,” the bartender pleaded, “And i got a wife and kids to support. Without this place we’ll all be on the street starving…”

Wolf felt his heart soften, “No, you’re right, you didn’t have a choice. I brought these people down on myself. If you hadn’t told him, you would have lost your bar and they still would have found me.”

“I’m sorry, Wolf,” the bartender said, “You’ve always been a good customer… a good friend… a good man…”

“Did the tell you to call them if I showed up?” Wolf asked.

“Yeah, but I won’t don’t worry,” the bartender replied.

“No. You call them, right after I leave here you call them,” Wolf said, “They’re tracking me and they’ll know I was here. If you don’t call you’ll be putting yourself in danger.”

“Are you sure?” the bartender asked uncertainly.

Wolf nodded in reply and then finished his beer in one long pull. “You call them right after I head out.”

“Okay Wolf… ” the bartender said, “If you think it’s for the best.

“It is, Joe,” Wolf said as he headed back towards the door, “Now you keep yourself safe and your family healthy.”

“Thanks Wolf,” the bartender’s voice followed him out into the street.

“C’mon, Grendle, we still have a bit to take care of today,” Wolf said as he started walking through he streets and alleys of Heartbeat with his dog again.

“Okay, so we know it’s someone connected with the Four Families,” Wolf said to himself and his dog as he walked, “That only narrows it down to a few hundred people,” he said chuckling, “but at least we know it’s not the mobs or the politicians…”

Wolf made his way back to the rougher side of town and swung by Al’s Inn on his way, “Our friend in the black van is still there,” Wolf said to Grendle, “He’s called a friend in to bring him tires and help him change them,” Wolf laughed as he ducked back into the alley to keep from being spotted and tucked his monocular back into his pocket.

Wolf continued his path into the rough side of town, but decided that maybe he’d do well to stop in at one of the less shady motels, “If we stay at a nicer place we might be able to take a look at some of the subsidiaries of Vestafex.”

Wolf found a cheap motel that offered free WiFi and after making sure that not too many cop cars drove by this area he went inside, “Hi there, are pets okay here?” he asked the thin woman behind the counter.

She pushed her horn rim glasses up her razor thin nose and looked at him, “It’s an extra ten dollars a night for pets, so it’ll be thirty dollars for the night,” she replied.

“Sounds good,” Wolf said

“There’s a twenty dollar deposit too,” she said looking at his worn shoes, “You got fifty dollars?”

“Sure,” Wolf said while pulling out his wallet and handing her fifty dollars from it.

“Just need to see an ID and have you sign this,” she said handing him a clip board full of signatures.

Wolf handed her the fake driver’s license that Celia had made for him and signed the sheet of paper, “We all set?” he asked handing the slip board back to her and taking back the license.

“Everything looks in order,” she said as she handed him a key from a rack behind her, “You’re in room 21. It’s just down the hall.”

“Thank you, Miss?” Wolf prodded her for her name.

“Mrs McDotty,” the woman replied, putting and emphasis on the Mrs.

“Thank you, Mrs McDotty,” Wolf said flashing a charming smile before heading down the hall to his room.

“Have a nice night, Mr Stewart,” the sharp nosed clerk called after him.

Wolf had to jiggle the key in the lock so much that for a moment he thought he had the wrong room, but the key had the right number so he kept trying. After a minute the lock turned and he went into the room. He set down his belongings, took the laptop out of the bag, and started to research Vestafex and any of the names of people he knew worked with the Four Families.

“What do you think, Grendle,” Wolf asked the dog sleeping on the bed, “I haven’t really been able to find any direct connections between the Four Families and Vestafex… Nicholas Randall is connected… why else would he be getting Olivia to steal records for him? Maybe they have something on him and were blackmailing him into seducing Olivia? Maybe they were just offering him a cut of the take… You know it seems like they would have called me by now to talk about the prank I played on their man driving the van that’s been following us…”

Wolf woke Grendle up and pushed him off the bed long enough to roll back the covers and checked the sheets, “Well, this place is a lot cleaner than Al’s Inn, and that’s got to count as something going right” Wold said as he climbed onto the bed and pulled the stiff covers up, “I think I can actually stand to sleep on this bed.”

The steady sound of traffic never really let up in Heartbeat. Jobs, of the legitimate and dastardly, ran at all hours. The steady hum of street lights and the whoosh of cars, the rattle of gunfire in the distance, all of these things had slowly become a lullaby that Wolf would find hard to sleep without.

His dreams spun around the Four Families, Olivia, Celia, Nick Randall, the bartender at Effigy, and a thousand other tiny clues and people he’d encountered over the past week. He awoke with a start a few times, but felt the pull of sleep drag him back into the restful dark.


Wolf woke with the first rays of light streaming in through  the windows, right into his eyes, “Ugh, mornings hurt,” he said to himself as he rolled out of the bed and started his morning routine.

He peered out the window and spotted the black van with four brand new tires. The driver looked right at Wolf and extended a middle finger in greeting. He knew he’d been made, and knew Wolf was looking at him, but that didn’t seem to sway him from keeping an eye on him, “Good morning to you too,” Wolf said and then closed the blinds.

Wolf knew things would get heavy soon and he needed to find a way to throw them off the trail of the cell phone, but keep in contact with them.

“Maybe I can get a hold of Simon today, he’s usually got some way to handle things like this, but I don’t know if it’s fair to drag him into this…” Wolf said to Grendle and himself.

Wolf paced back and forth in the motel room for about an hour before settling down in front of the laptop again to go over the photographs of documents, e-mails, web search caches, and so forth that he’d collected form the Nick and Olvia’s offices.

“It’s starting to come together, Grendle,” Wolf said to the labrador lounging on the bed, “Nick had some sort of pressure form the Four Famlies to collect some information from Vestafex by charming Olvia. He must have been taking too long, or the Famlies were just hedging their bets, because they also sent some muscle to threaten her into giving up some secret. The real question is what do these chemicals that Vestafex was ordering over the past few months have to do with each other? What could Vestafex use them for and why are the Four Families interested?”

Grendle whimpered in sympathy for Wolf’s frustration and Wolf wandered over to the bed and scratched him behind the ears, “It’s okay, boy, we’ll figure it out… I hope,” Wolf said with a wry smile.

Wolf packed up the laptop, put the cell phone in his jacket pocket, and everything else in his backpack. He made his way back to the front desk and handed his key card back to a younger woman now occupying the front desk.

“It was a great stay,” he said smiling.

“Have a nice day and come back soon,” the woman replied without any emotion as if she were reading a script… badly.

Wolf figured he’d need help from his friends in the Corvair mob, “Ol’ Sal owes me a favor or two,” he said to Grendle as they made the winding trip through the city.

Wolf knew that Sal Corvair liked to keep the appearance of legitimate business, so he kept to an office most of the time on most days. He’d be able to catch him at Corvair Industries, the lead gambling consortium in Heartbeat. The casinos let him launder dirty and forged money with little way for the federal agencies to track it. The Corvair mob didn’t deal in drugs, Sal had lost his mother to heroin and wouldn’t allow anyone in his agency to deal. He also had a tendency to help take down dealer rings when it suited him or had the potential for profit.

“Hi,” Wolf said to the receptionist outside of Sal Corvair’s office, “I’m here to see Sal.”

“Mr Corvair ain’t seein’ nobody right now,” the receptionist replied in a nasal voice and fluffed her curly red locks for emphasis before going back to filing her nails and acting like Wolf hadn’t even entered the waiting room.

“Mr Corvair will want to see me,” Wolf tried to assure her, “We’re old friends and I have important business to discuss with him.”

The receptionist looked back up from her manicure, “I said,” she paused for emphasis, “Mr Corsair ain’t seein’ no one.”

“I see,” Wolf said, “And do you think that Mr Corsair will be pleased to hear that you’ve turned away the Wolf?”

“Look I just told ya…” the receptionist started in her gratingly nasal voice, “Wait… uh… did you say Wolf?”

“I did,” Wolf replied.

She looked unsettled, then nervous, then a little terrified, “I’m… I’m so sorry Mr Wolf! I didn’t know you was you,” she said tripping over her words, “You have a seat right there and I’ll let Mr Corvair know you’re here. Right away!” She said as she stood up from the table, dropping her nail file on the floor, and nearly ran through the office door into Sal Corvair’s office.

After about a minute the receptionist stumbled back out into the waiting room having trouble moving fast in her high heels, “Mr Corvair will see you know, Mr Wolf,” she said loudly enough to be heard in the office and then softly as Wolf was walking past her, “I take it you ain’t got no hard feelings for earlier.”

“None at all,” Wolf whispered and winked, “How could I get angry with such a beauty?”

“Oh,” she blushed, “thank you Mr Wolf,” she said and then closed the door to Sal’s office behind him as he entered.

“Hello Sal,” Wolf said jovially while taking the seat across from the dark haired man in his late fifties behind the mahogany desk.

“Wolf,” the man said and nodded, “I hear you’re wanted for murder these days.”

“I’m wanted for a lot of things,” Wolf said, “but I can’t claim the murder as mine. Someone left her as a calling card outside my office. Someone from the Four Families.”

“And you want some sort of help from me?” Sal asked, “Why should I, a legitimate business man, get involved in the business of a suspected murderer? Especially when it might mean going against the Four Families. Favors like that can ruin an agency.”

“You know why, Sal,” Wolf said sternly.

The dark haired business man straightened his tie and looked to the left for a moment, “I know, Wolf, you saved my daughter. I have my family and you’re to thank for it,” he turned his eyes back to Wolf, “This is, however, the last favor I want to hear you asking for… at least for a while. Understood?”

“Absolutely,” Wolf said with a wink.

“And don’t try to pull any charm on me, boy,” the aged mobster said, “I’ve seen more charm in my days than you can conjure up in your whole damned life.”

“Of course, Sal, of course,” Wolf replied.

“Now, what is it you want from me and my agency?” he asked Wolf.

“I need a couple of things,” Wolf said, “First I need to know if anyone in your agency can help me figure out what these chemicals could be used for together,” he said as he pushed a piece of paper with the chemicals that Nicholas Randall had highlighted on the Vestafex Order forms towards Sal, “Second, I need someone in your agency to be ready to take a call from me, not say anything, and record everything that comes across. Do those things sound like something you can set up for me?”

Sal looked over the list of chemicals as he listened and then looked up at Wolf, “Someone has been buying these chemicals?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Wolf replied.

“I don’t need anyone to tell me what they’re for, Wolf,” Sal said with a grave look, “This is the list of ingredients for Cherry Five. I know because I had to break up a Cherry Five ring that was operating in my territory about eight months ago,” he said as the anger flickered across his face, “I’ve changed my mind. This favor is free.”

“Thanks Sal,” Wolf started.

“No thanks needed,” Sal replied, “You know I don’t like the dealers in my city.”

“I know,” Wolf said, “and the guy on the other end of the line? You can assign someone and give me a number?”

“Sure, Wolf,” the old mobster replied, “That’s easy enough. I’ll put four guys on it in shifts. I’ll have it set up before you leave,” he said and called Jeannie, the receptionist into his office.

“You get a private line set up for Mr Wolf to call and you put four of my best men on it in shifts. I want the phone to be able to record the calls that come in. When you’ve got them collected, you send them in to me and I’ll let them know the details. You got that, Jeannie?” Sal said to the receptionist.

“Loud and clear, Mr Corvair,” she replied and turned to leave the office, “I’ll get right on it.”

“Now, Wolf,” Sal said, “You can see things are being taken care of. So if you’ll just step back out in the waiting room I’d appreciate it. I have other business to attend to, and would prefer privacy to do so,” he said while flashing a cold shark’s smile.

“Of course, Sal,” Wolf replied while standing up and heading back out of the office, “I appreciate the favor you’re doing me. I’ll be out here if you need me for anything or when you have the number I’ll need to call.”

The old mobster nodded courteously as Wolf closed the office doors behind him, “All in good time, Wolf,” he said.

A couple of hours passed as Wolf sat in the waiting room of Sal Corvair’s office. Jeannie was more than willing to make idle conversation, fetch coffee, and even bring him lunch. It would appear that his reputation, or at least his importance to eh boss, was well known through out the agency.

He took the time to take in the details of the waiting room. In his attempt to appear to be a legitimate business man Sal had gone a little overboard. There was the feeling of an attempt to impress in every inch of the waiting room. Oil paintings of dubious aesthetic value, the latest issues of several business magazines, statuary that would only look in place in a movie about a high class office, and a myriad of other mild over expenditures. A real business man would not have wasted quite so much profit on dressing up a simple waiting room.


After a few hours Sal came out of his office, “Wolf, I’ve got that number set up for you,” he said while passing Wolf a slip of paper, “and I’ve also set up a safe house for you to work from. The number and address are on that paper.”

“Thanks, Sal,” Wolf said while looking over the piece of paper, “I really appreciate this.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sal said, “Now you head back down to the lobby and see the man I’ve got there waiting to give you a lift to the safe house or anywhere else you need to go.”

After a short goodbye to Sal and to his receptionist Wolf made his way back down to the front lobby of the office building where he was greeted by a young man in a suit, though the suit did nothing to hide the roughness of his demeanor.

“Hiya,” the young man said while tipping his hat, “The name is Kevin. You Wolf?”

“That’s me,” Wolf said and extended his hand to shake with Kevin.

“The boss tells me I gotta drive ya where ever you want,” the young man said, “To the house first?”

“I think that’s a good idea, Kevin, lead the way to the car,” Wolf replied.

Kevin lead Wolf out the front door of the offices to a burgundy Sedan with tinted windows and opened the back door, “Sir,” he said as he waited for Wolf to get into the car.

“Just a sec, need to collect my friend,” Wolf said and then whistled for Grendle. The dog came bounding up and the leaped into the back seat. Wolf climbed in after the labrador and Kevin closed the door behind him before making his way to the other side and taking his place behind the wheel.

“To the house then, sir?” the young man asked, “Anyplace else you need to stop along the way?”

“Straight to the house should be fine, thank you,” Wolf replied as he looked around the back seat of the Sedan. There were a couple of built in power inverters to allow plugging in household electronics, like laptops, cell phone chargers, and so forth. There was also a very tiny mini-fridge that was stocked with a few bottles of Rocket Cola, a locally made and distributed soda in Heartbeat city.

The drive was short, it seemed that Sal had set up the safe house not too far from his office. It was most likely his personal safe house in the event that he was at the office when he needed to run to someplace secure as fast as possible.

The house was small and unassuming. One wouldn’t think that there was much inside of it. A pale blue exterior of vinyl siding with black out curtains, and a red picket fence. When Kevin came to the gate for the driveway he pressed a button on the dash of the Sedan to have it automatically open and it closed again after they had passed through. The exterior door used a normal tumbler and key lock, but there was an interior that used an electronic combination lock which Kevin deftly entered and then told to Wolf so he’d be able to come and go as he needed.

“The boss, he likes to make sure of his privacy and protection,” Kevin said as they entered the house and Wolf saw a bank of monitors in the living room which showed a complete three hundred and sixty degree view of the outside of the house.

“I guess he does,” Wolf replied after he gave a low whistle.

“I’ll be here ‘til midnight,” Kevin said, “and then Jack will take over until morning as security and driver.”

“Sounds good,” Wolf replied, “where should I put my stuff?”

“Right this way,” the young man answered as he lead Wolf down a hallway to a bedroom with a desk, a canopy bed, and few other pieces of solid looking wooden furniture.

“I’ll be out in the living room keeping an eye on the  monitors,” Kevin said to Wolf as he headed back up the hallway and left Wolf alone with Grendle in the bedroom.

Wolf set up his laptop, plugged in the cell phone, and started looking over his collection of clues again.

“Okay, Grendle, it looks like Vestafex was purchasing the materials needed to make Cherry five over the course of several months in order to obfuscate the activity,” he said to his dog, “Nicholas and the heavy muscle were both assigned by the Four Families to get Olivia to collect the information that showed what they were doing. It obviously wasn’t to stop Vestafex from making Cherry Five. My guess is that they intended to collect the evidence and then use it to force Vestafex to cut them in for a significant portion of the profit from the drug sales. I can’t believe that the entire Vestafex corporation was involved in this, which means that I need to track down whoever was initiating these orders.”

Wolf began taking a closer look at the order receipts looking for department numbers, offices, and names that might be connected, “I think I might need to break into the Vestafex employee database so I can get a clearer look at how all these people are connected,” he said to Grendle as he looked through the files.


Wolf ran his fingers over the numbers on the cell phone he was carrying in the order of the phone number that Sal had set up for him. He didn’t want to dial it, since they had told him they’d be able to track his activity on the phone, but he did want to be able to dial the number with his eyes closed. Once he was confident that he’d committed the number to muscle memory he practiced for another two hours.

Wolf eventually wandered out to the living room to check on Kevin and the monitors, “This black van,” Wolf said to Kevin while pointing at one of the monitors, “has been following me since day one.”

“You want me to do something about it?” Kevin asked.

“No,” Wolf replied, “In fact I want you and whoever relieves you to leave them alone. Give them room to follow me. Can you do that?”

“Not a problem, Wolf,” Kevin said cheerily, “The boss says that you’re the boss as long as you need us.”

“Good to know,” Wolf said with a smile and gave Kevin a pat on the shoulder, “It’s good to have someone so diligent watching my back.”

“That’s why the boss has me look after important people,” Kevin said, “but to be truthful it’s usually young women he has me watching after. If you catch my drift.”

“I catch it,” Wolf said with a wink, “Well I should get back to work. I trust you’ll let me know if anything happens out there,” he said waving at the monitors.

Wolf looked over the clues for a few more hours and continued to practice the number he’d had Sal set up before he went to sleep for the night. In this house he was protected from the street lights, the headlights of passing cars, and neon signs because of the blackout curtains. He thought about lifting one of the curtains to let in some since it was oddly difficult to sleep without what he’d grown accustomed to, but thought better of it.

“Naw you’re right, boy,” he said to Grendle, “Opening the windows would let our friend in the van know exactly which room I’m in. I probably shouldn’t give him any more information about my location than I have to.”

The night passed slowly for Wolf as he woke to the complete darkness and spent a moment wondering why he couldn’t see. After all, in Heartbeat city complete darkness was rare anyplace other than the hearts of villains.

At about three in the morning Wolf heard the sounds of the combination being entered into front door lock and then a quick discussion between Kevin and the guy replacing him. He climbed out of bed and down the hall long enough to take a look at the person who’d be guarding him for the night.

“Hello, Mr Wolf,” the man in his mid forties with muscles budging through his suit said, “I’ll be keeping an eye on the monitors and driving you anyplace you need for the next twelve hours. The name is Jack.”

Wolf took the hand that was offered to him and gave it a solid shake, “Good to meet you, Jack. You look like you’ll be able to handle just about anything.”

“Sure as shit,” Jack said.

“Well then,” Wolf said, “Kevin, thank you for sticking through this with me and Jack welcome aboard. I’m going to try and get some more shut eye.”

“G’night, Mr Wolf,” Jack and Kevin said almost in unison as Wolf headed back down the hallway.

Wolf found a stock of bourbon in a cabinet in the bedroom and after a couple shots found sleep much easier to grasp.

Wolf slept in since there were no rays of sun to wake him and since it had been days since he’d felt any kind of safe and secure. He stretched and looked around the bedroom, “Well, boy, this might be one of the last peaceful nights we have for a while. We’re either about to end a battle or start a war.” he said to the labrador at his feet.

Wolf wandered down the hall to take a look at the monitors and check with Jack about anything that may or may not have happened during the night.

“Naw sir, nothing happened all night,” Jack replied, “Well that guy in the van did get our and take a piss around seven in the morning.”

“He did?” Wolf said, “Were you able to see his face in the video feed?”

“A little bit, for a minute,” Jack replied.

“Do you record these feeds,” Wolf asked and waved towards the monitors.

“We do, on and off site,” Jack replied, “They’re all backed up to cloud space.”

“Can you bring up the view of this guy’s face?” Wolf asked.

“Sure, it’ll take a bit to scan through the video,” Jack replied, “You got about an hour?”

“An hour will be fine,” Wolf said with a smile, “Thanks Jack.”

It took closer to two hours, but that didn’t bother Wolf. He spent the time practicing dialing the number and looking over the clues.

“I just need to arrange a meeting with them. Get them to show me that George is okay and then goad them into admitting that they’re involved in the murder and the Cherry Five production at Vestafex,” Wolf said to Grendle.

“Here he is,” Jack said pulling up the section of the video file that showed the driver of the van getting out. Wolf could see his face pretty clearly, and the resolution on the cameras was high enough that some magnification didn’t look pixilated.

“I know this guy,” Wolf said quietly. It was the hired muscle that had been putting the pressure on Olivia the night he got drunkenly involved in this mess by defending a woman in an alley.

“Who is he?” Jack asked.

“Just someone that I’ve sparred with,” Wolf replied and patted Jack on the shoulder, “No worries.”

“What’d Sal tell you about my situation?” Wolf asked Jack.

“Mr Corvair didn’t tell me anymore than to keep an eye on you and drive you where you needed to go,” Jack replied, “He don’t need to tell me anymore than that and neither do you.”

“Yes,” Wolf said, “I do. Look, the Four Families or at least some part of them is pulling strings and pushing me through this city. That man in the van works for them. I’m asking you now, do you still want to be here and drive me around?”

Jack was quiet for a minute, “Mr Corvair said to keep an eye on you. I don’t care if it’s the Four Famlies or Satan, I’m keeping an eye on you,” he replied with a stern look on his face.

“Okay then,” Wolf said with a nod, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Jack said, “No problem at all, Sir.”

Sal was a man brimming with charisma and Wolf wasn’t surprised that Jack was so devoted to his duty. Then men in Sal’s organization were as close to samurai as a mob could have. They felt honored to work for Sal Corvair and felt that obeying orders was part of preserving that honor. To his men, Sal was royalty, not much less than a god king. For once Wolf was happy about that slavish devotion.

Wolf used the house phone, which was sent through several switch boards to obfuscate it’s location, to call both the police and local newspapers. He told them to expect to receive a recording that would crack open several cases. He had them give him a couple of e-mail addresses that he could send the recordings to and then hung up before the police could trace the call. He didn’t have to worry about that much though, the cops in Heartbeat rarely cared enough to trace any calls, and he didn’t bother to tell them he was a suspect in a murder case.

He spent the day looking over the clues, thinking things through, and taking Grendle out the front door when the dog needed to take care of business.

“I don’t think you should go out there with that guy in the van out there, Sir,” Jack warned Wolf the first time he went outside.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wolf assured him, “They don’t want me dead yet. If they did, well, I wouldn’t be here. I’d have been dead days ago.”

“If you say so, Sir,” Jack said with a look of disbelief on his face.

“I do,” Wolf said as he winked and walked outside with his dog for a few minutes. He even decided to wave at the van the fourth time he was out. He figured he might as well, since the muscle head in the car knew by now that he’d been made, but just didn’t care.

“Ya know, Grendle,” Wolf said to his dog, “the more I think about it the more I’m convinced this is a small operation run by someone connected to the Four Families and not run by the Families themselves. If it were, well there be more than one guy in a van keeping an eye on me. They’d at least have someone else switching off with that guy in shifts.”

As night approached Wolf returned to his room and stared at the cell phone he’d been given by the people who’d murdered Olivia. Wolf did the only thing he really had left to do. He waited for the cell phone to ring so he could talk to the assholes that had killed Olivia so brutally, framed him, kidnapped George, and basically put his entire life even further into the shitter than he’d already managed to do himself.

“Come on, you sons of bitches, I’m waiting for you,” Wolf said to the air around him, “I’m going to burn you to the ground. I am a fire in the wind, the wind is turning towards you, and you are nothing more than a wall of reeds.”


The waiting was always the worst part of this kind of work. Wolf had spent hours in the past sitting in cold cars, on hot roofs, and smelly alleyways through out his career.

At least at the safe house the wait was somewhat comfortable, he only hoped that George was doing okay wherever they had him held captive. He took out George’s badge and looked at it, “I’m coming to find you, man, you just hold in there.”

“Mr Wolf,” Kevin said, “The black van has driven away. It’s been gone for about twenty three minutes.”

“That’s interesting,” Wolf said getting up from the desk he’d been sitting at, “Let’s take a look at those monitors.”

Wolf looked at the monitors and had Kevin bring up the video recording of just before the van drove away, “Hm,” Wolf said, “Looks like he got a phone call just a minute before he drove off.”

“Looks that way,” said the young man.

“Jack go home for the day?” Wolf asked.

“A couple of hours ago, Mr Wolf,” Kevin replied.

“Ah,” Wolf said absently while he stroked his chin and pondered why the driver of the van that had been following him all this time would suddenly be called away.

“:Let me know if any new vehicle shows up and stays there for longer than a couple of hours. Okay?” Wolf said.

“Sure thing, Mr Wolf,” the young man assured him.

“Good. I’ll be back there in the bedroom, looking over the evidence,” Wolf told the young man as he headed back down the hallway, “Let me know if anything else odd happens.”


Wolf thought about the first time he’d met George Parlance. He was still a uniformed beat cop back then. Keeping an on the streets he grew up on. Even then he was an honest cop. He didn’t accept bribes and he put down protection rackets, Quite frankly it was a wonder he hadn’t been killed within the first month. If he hadn’t been involved in the case that lead Wolf to Sal Corvair’s daughter, he probably would have been offed long ago. He suffered a lot for his honor and honesty, but Sal made sure that anyone connected to him left George alive and well. He told his people the occasional interference form one cop was worth the life of his daughter. It wasn’t always a popular decision. George didn’t really know he had Sal protection and it was probably better that way.

Wolf let his memories carry him off into reverie only to be snapped out of it a few moments later by Jack knocking on his door.

“Sir,” Jack said, “Kevin has gone on home for the night.”

“He needs the rest,” Wolf replied, “Anything you need from me?”

“Well, sir,” Jack said while lifting up a duffel bag, “The boss asked me to bring you some fresh clothes.”

“Thank you,” Wolf said while taking the duffel and dumping the contents onto his bed like  the long term bachelor he was, “I was starting to merge with my clothes.”

“Yes sir. No problem sir,” Jack said, “I’ll be out in the living room, keeping an eye on the monitors.”

Wolf was happy that Sal had included a trench coat, though this one was beige, some slacks, and several shirts. He was glad to get out of the ill fitting clothes he’d borrowed from Gio. Quite frankly they were starting to smell like the several days of stressful sweat they’d been drenched in.

After a quick shower and a lengthy shave, Sal had been sure to have shaving cream and razors packed into the bag, Wolf wondered out to the living room to take a look at the monitors and have a quick chat with Jack.


“Any sign of the black van?” Wolf asked Jack.

“None so far, Mr Wolf,” Jack responded without looking away from the monitors, “but this red sedan has been there for a while. I think it might belong to one of the neighbors though. No sign of anyone just sitting in it.”

“That’s good,” Wolf said, “Thanks.”

Wolf wondered how long the contact form the Four Families would wait to contact him. They seemed to enjoy taking their time. He’d need to figure out exactly who it was that had been calling him, who killed that girl, then he’d be able to track them down and get George back. Hopefully he’d be able to clear his name while he was at it.

As Wolf wandered back into the bedroom he heard the distinct notes of Fig Leaf Rag playing on the phone.

“Hello,” Wolf said as he answered the phone.

“Hello, Mr Wolf,” the disguised voice on the other end of the line said, “We’re very impressed at you’re connections. We didn’t know you had Sal Corvair on your side.”

“Sal is an old friend,” Wolf replied through gritted teeth, “What do you want?”

“Just to let you know that Detective Parlance has been a delightful guest,” the voice said.

“He’d better still be okay,” Wolf replied sharply.

“He is. I assure you,” the voice said.

“Look,” Wolf said, “I know that you work for the Four Families. I’ve also pieced together what you wanted with Vestafex and Olivia.”

“I see,” the voice said, “that’s impressive. Tell me, what did we want?”

“You wanted a cut of their production of Cherry Five,” Wolf said.

‘Nice,” the voice replied, “You’ve managed to figure that out while hiding form the police. I told the Families that you’d be useful.”

“I’ve figured that out,” Wolf said, “And I’ll figure out who and where you are too.”

“I believe you just might do that, Mr Wolf,” the voice replied, “I look forward to your visit.”

“You’re hubris is the end of you,” Wolf said coldly.

“Ciao, Wolf,” the voice said, “Sleep well while you can.”

Wolf resisted the urge to throw the phone at the wall and instead set it down on the wooden desk.

“C’mon, Grendle,” Wolf said to his dog, “I think it’s time you went for a short walk in the back yard.”

Wolf worked over the conversation he’d had with his tormentor while he let Grendle wander the back yard of the safe house. Whoever was running him through this mess seemed to be enjoying it almost as if it were a game. His bet was that it was one of the more well to do agents of the Four Families. Someone looking to prove that he or she could make a significant profit for the Families and possibly someone who wanted to show that they could control someone like Wolf.

“You want to make me your dog?” Wolf asked, “Wolves will bite the hands that try to train them.”

Wolf looked around at the rooftops, windows, and doorways while he was outside. He noticed several windows with bent blinds, which could be harboring someone keeping an eye on him.

“I know you’re still watching me,” Wolf whispered to himself, “so I don’t know why you’re bothering to hide it.”

After about an hour outside Wolf went back into the house and checked with Jack again, “Anything new?”

“Naw, Mr Wolf,” Jack said while casting a quick glance at Wolf before looking back at the monitors, “You need anything?”

“Actually Jack,” Wolf said, “I might need a lift in the near future.”

“You got it,” Jack replied, “Just let me know.”




After a few hours Jack walked back to Wolf’s room and knocked, “Mr Wolf?”

“Come on in,” Wolf said as he continued to look over the evidence.

“The black van has returned,’ Jack said as he walked into the room.

“That’s fantastic,” Wolf replied and walked out to the living room to take a look at the van.

“Okay,” Wolf said to Jack, “What I want you to do is keep an eye on this guy. Let me know when he sets his seat back to catch some shut eye. Okay?”

“You got it, Mr Wolf,” Jack replied.

“Fantastic,” Wolf said as a smile pulled at the corner of his lips, “I’m going to have a little surprise ready for him.”

After about 12 hours Jack came back to Wolf’s room again, “Sir, he’s just put the seat back.”

“Good,” Wolf replied, “Keep an eye on me from the living room. When you see the van drive away I need you to be ready to follow. Can you do that?”

“Yes sir,” Jack said, “but wouldn’t it be safer for you if I came out there with you?”

“I need you in here. I don’t want to startle him before I’m in the van,” Wolf said.

“Okay,” Jack said uncertainly, “If you say so, sir.”

“I do,” Wolf said, “Now get ready.”

Wolf quietly left through the front door and walked a short distance down the street before crossing to the side the van was on and then heading back. He kept his footsteps careful as he approached the va, then hunkered low as he walked past the back windows. He placed his hand on the handle prepared himself.

He quickly flung the door in, slid into the passenger seat, and slammed the door shut again. The large man in the driver seat sat up quickly with a look of complete shock on his face.

“What? Who?” the man started with anger rising in his voice, “You!”

“Yeah me,” Wolf said evenly, “Now I suggest you calm down quickly,” he added as he pressed the gun shaped taser against the pocket of his trench coat. he hoped the burly man would assume it was a real gun.

His broad face looked down at the shape of a gun ion Wolf’s pocket and then his beady eyes looked back up at Wolf, “I know the Wolf don’t use no gun.” he said.

“Are you sure about that?” Wolf asked, “You’ve put me in a serious corner. Are you willing to bet that I’m bluffing?”

The burly man rubbed his chin and looked into Wolf’s eyes, “Naw, I ain’t willing to chance it. You’ve got a wild look in your eyes.”

“Good,” Wolf replied with a smile, “It’s good to know we understand each other.”

“What do you want?” the man asked with a voice full of more gravel than a country road.

“I think it’s time I met your employer,” Wolf said, “What do you think about that?”

“I think my employer is likely to have me skinned,” the burly man said.

“I could skin you right now,” Wolf said while waving the taser in his pocket a little to emphasize his words, “Or, if you take me to your boss, I’m willing to give you a chance to run afterwards. What do you think of that?”

“I think it’s about the only chance I’ve got at this point,” the man replied with heavy irritation.

“Well then,” Wolf said with a smile, “Let’s go for a drive.”

“Sure,” the man said and then, after adjusting his seat, started the van, “My employer will kill you.”

“That’s my problem,” Wolf replied, “You just drive me to him.”

The big man smiled a little, “Oh yes. Right away, sir,” he said with a hint of sarcasm and amusement in his voice.

The van took a twisting path but the burgundy sedan followed behind. Close enough that Wolf knew Jack was following, but far enough back that he would have been missed by most people. Jack had obviously been in the game for a while.

After about forty five minutes that van pulled up to a towering office building. Most of the windows were blacked out and the front door had an obviously armed man as the doorman.

“This is the place,” the driver said, “So I guess this is where we part.”

“I think you and I are going in to that building together,” Wolf replied, as he waved the taser in his pocket towards the door, “You climb out, and I’ll be out right after you.”

The driver opened the door and climbed out and Wolf followed him by climbing over the driver’s seat. He grabbed the large man’s arm and lead him towards the door. The doorman looked at Wolf and the driver and started to reach for his gun.

“Leave it, Johnny,” the driver said to the doorman, “I’m just taking him in to see the boss.”

The doorman looked puzzled for a minute, but then slowly took his hand away form his gun, “If you say so.”

“I do,” the burly man said, “Now open the door and let us in.”

Johnny looked back and forth from Wolf and the burly man for a few seconds and then opened the door.

After they entered the lobby the big man spoke to Wolf again, “I thought you said you were going to give me a chance to run.”

“I will, but first I want to make sure I get to your boss,” Wolf replied, “Now, into the elevator.”

“Okay,” the big man replied, “the boss is on the top floor.”

“Is my friend there too?” Wolf asked.

“The cop? Yeah he’s there,” the big man said.

“When we get to the top I’ll leave the elevator and you can go wherever you need to.”

The big man nodded and pressed the button for the penthouse followed by a combination. The trip up seemed to stretch on for hours, but really only took a couple minutes. At the top the doors opened to a large room full of opulent shows of riches.

Wolf put his foot across the threshold to keep the door from closing and then turned to face the big man. He saw a right hook heading straight for his face but ducked quickly. He pulled the taser out of his coat pocket and pressed it against the man’s body.

The man fell to the floor of the elevator like a dead doll and Wolf looked down on him, “Sorry about that, but I can’t let you stop me. I will let you get back to the ground floor though,” he said as he pushed the button for the first floor and stepped out of the elevator.

The main room was full of statuary, vases, and other overtly expensive knick knacks. The person who had set Wolf up, killed that woman, and kidnapped George was no stranger to spending money and living in opulence. Wolf crept through the room quietly, listening for any sound of movement. If he were lucky he’d still have the drop on this guy, but Wolf knew that luck was a fickle mistress.

Wolf could hear the sounds of someone rocking the legs of a chair down the hall. The sound reminded him of the times he’d been tied to chairs and tried to wriggle free. Occasionally it worked. Usually it just resulted in nasty rope burns.

“George, hold tight, I’m on my way,” he thought as he walked down the hall. Wolf changed the cartridge on the taser while he was walking. He cursed the seemingly loud click it made as he removed the old one and attached the new one. There were slight gunpowder burns on his hand from firing the other cartridge so close to the burly man. This taser was meant to be used form a distance, not as a close range weapon. He learned the difference the hard way.

Wolf came to the door where he heard the clacking of chair legs lifting and falling back to the floor. He turned the knob then fell low while throwing open the door. Inside he saw George tied to a chair with a silk scarf tied as a gag over his mouth.

Wolf looked up and down the hall before going into the room, “Don’t worry, George,” Wolf whispered as he started untying the rope, “I’ll get you out of here.”


The ropes were tied well, but Wolf had his pocket knife out in a few seconds. As he sliced through the ropes he started with the scarf tied as a gag so he could talk to George.

“Don’t speak too loud,” Wolf said, “I don’t know if the guy is here or out. Do you?”

“There’s been some big thug keeping track of me, he left a while ago, but I don’t think he’s the one in charge,” George whispered.

George was about six and a half feet of bulk. At first glance people generally thought he was pudgy, but anyone that had ever been in a fight with him knew he was mostly muscle under his clothes. He moved with the grace of a dancer which was often difficult to believe even when you were seeing it. Had he been a bit larger he might have made a good sumo wrestler or if he had been thinner he would have been a great dancer.

Wolf continued to slice through he ropes as George talked, “The thug got the drop on me as I was investigating your case. Looks like he works for the Four Families.”

“Figured that out already,” Wolf said.

“Hmph,” George responded, “Doesn’t really matter if the suspect figures it out. Why’d you run?”

“It was made clear that I wouldn’t have much of a chance to make my case if I were caught,” Wolf said, “they called me on her cell phone when I found her body.”

“You should have come to me,” George said as he stood up, stretching from the days of being tied a chair with only a few trips to the bathroom in between.

“You sound wounded,” Wolf said, “Are you hurt that I didn’t include you in my dangerous and potentially deadly adventure?”

“You can die anytime you want,” George said in a surly tone, “Just not in my city.”

“Glad to know that,” Wolf said with a big smile, “Now let’s get out of here.”

“No need to wait for me,” George said as he stepped out into the hallway with Wolf following close behind.

They made their way back to the elevator and pressed the button to bring it back to the top floor.

“Wolf continued to look up and down the halls and around the large main room for any sign of movement, “Maybe we’ll get lucky and make it out of here without any trouble.”

“Why’d you have to say that?” George asked, “Are you trying to curse us?”

The elevator stopped at the tenth floor and seemed to be stuck.

“You know what George,” Wolf said, “I think you’re right. Down the stairs?”

“Stairs,” George replied evenly.

The started down the stairway and were thankful that the trip was downhill.

“Wolf,” George said between panting breaths.

“Yeah George,” Wolf replied.

“I think your rescue of me is going to kill me,” George said.

“If you’re lucky,” Wolf joked.

“I’ll make sure to roll down the stairs straight at you,” George threatened jovially.

“I’ll have time to dodge,” Wolf replied, “I’m plenty far ahead of you.”

Wolf and George continued to pass insults and jokes back and forth most of the way down the stairs. They were more like brothers than anyone else Wolf had ever been friends with or at least how Wolf imagined brothers were.


When they finally reached the bottom floor they stood near the door and caught their breath for a few minutes. There was really no way of knowing what was waiting for them on the other side of that thin aluminum door.

“What do you think George,” Wolf said, “Our last big stand?”

“Naw,” replied George, “I’ve got a date next Friday. We’ll just have to survive this one.”

George was always good for a laugh, especially in the rough situations. Wolf could count the number of people he knew that managed to keep a sense of humor in tough situations on one finger.

“Let’s kick some ass,” Wolf said to his old friend as he flung open the door.

George and Wolf stepped out into a completely empty lobby except for Jack who was leaning nonchalantly against a wall, “You ready to go Mr Wolf?” he asked.

“Um,” Wolf looked around the lobby, “Where’s the doorman and the big thug?”

“Tied up and in a closet,” Jack answered.

“Your friend is good,” George said as he headed towards the door.

“I know,” Wolf replied, “I have this horrible feeling this is all a little too easy…”

“Don’t say that,” George said, “Wolf, I love easy. Easy is great for dinner, tax forms, and women. Don’t wreck it.”

As they stepped out into the street and started running towards the car Wolf heard the distinct sound of a rifle firing and saw Jack’s head perforate as he fell to the ground.

“Damn it,” Wolf shouted, “Run George!”

“I am running!” George shouted back.

“Faster and lower,” Wolf shouted back to him.

They made it into the burgundy sedan and Wolf found the keys in the ignition. He sped off towards the safe house with tires squealing and leaving smoke in the air behind them.

“Shit,” Wolf cursed, “Shit shit shit.”

“Eyup,” George said, “that’s pretty much what you get me neck deep into every time… every damn time… Did you know that guy long?”

“I only knew Jack a couple days,” Wolf said quietly, “He was a good man. From what I could tell.”

“Too bad,” George replied, “Where are we headed?”

“There’s a safe house that  friend is letting me stay in,” Wolf said as he took a corner sharply.

“You’d better slow down, Wolf,” George said sternly, “Killing us in a car wreck won’t help matters.”

Wolf slowed down, after all he didn’t need to be pulled over by the Heartbeat police while trying to stay low, and he was far out of any rifle range.

“Who’s your friend?” George asked.

“You won’t like knowing,” Wolf told him.

“I won’t like not knowing either,” George shot back.

Wolf bit his lip for a moment and then said, “Sal Corvair.”

“Damn it Wolf,” George said angrily, “Making friends with top mobsters is not a good way to keep your nose clean.”

“In this city,” Wolf said, “Any friend you can get is pretty much a good friend.”


Wolf pulled into the driveway fast and the tires screamed as they left marks on the pavement.

“Come on, George,” Wolf said as he walked swiftly to the front door and punched in the key code, “Once we’re inside we’ll be safe… for a while anyway.”

“This is a safe house?” George asked, “With a picket fence?”

“Those points on the fence are an important part of the defense system,” Wolf joked as they went inside.

George looked over the monitors and let a low whistle echo through the house, “You weren’t kidding about the security of this place.”

“It’s only on the outside that problems show up,” Wolf replied, “Look, I’ve got to make a call to Sal about Jack. Can you keep an eye on the monitors while I do that?”

“Sure, sure,” George said, “Hey you have anything to eat or drink in this place. They weren’t exactly regular with meals.”

“There’s plenty in the kitchen,” Wolf told him, “help yourself.”

“Thanks,” George replied as Wolf headed back to the bedroom to make a call to Sal.

“Sal,” Wolf said after he finally got through the receptionist, “We’ve got a problem. Jack took a bullet.”

“I see,” Sal replied, “Are you at the house?”

“We are now,” Wolf said, “but we were outside an office building when it happened.”

“I expected some casualties,’ Sal said, “We are facing off against the Four Families after all. Frankly I’m surprised you made it back to the safe house.”

“Me too,” Wolf agreed, “I think they let me make it back here. I think you should get out of your office and someplace less available to the public. Someplace where it’ll be harder for someone to walk in with a gun.”

“Of course,” Sal assured Wolf, “and I’ll contact you when I get settled and safe.”

“Good,” Wolf agreed, “Catch you later.”

Wolf hung up the phone and went back out to the living room to talk with George. He hoped that they hadn’t done too much to him and from the looks of it he was pretty well treated. The Four Families tended to be more than cordial to their kidnappees, it made it easier to collect ransom when people knew they’d get their loved ones back in one piece if they just paid up.

“You okay George?” Wolf asked, “How long ago did they get a hold of you?”

“I’m fine,” George said as he took a bite out of a large sandwich he’d just made, “Nothing a meal and some booze won’t take care of. Mostly my ego is bruised. Can’t believe that thug got the drop on me.”

“It happens to everyone,” Wolf said as comfortingly as he could, “Especially after you have put on a few years like we have.”

“I don’t know about you, old man,” George said through smile, “but I’m as hearty as any young buck.”

“Oh, of course,” Wolf said sarcastically.

“You know it,” George said with a light punch to Wolf’s shoulder that made him waiver a little.

Wolf sighed, it was a relief to have his old friend at his side, but he wished he’d been able to keep him out of this, “I’m sorry, George…”

“Sorry for what?” George asked, “Unless you’re the one that had me kidnapped, tied up, and wasting away to nothing,” he said as he slapped his ample belly, “You got nothing to be sorry about. The piece of shit that killed that girl, framed you, held me hostage, and killed Jack… that one will be  sorry as soon as we find him.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen this George,” Wolf said, “I thought he left when you were banished to the basement office.”

“I know I’ve been down and worn out for a while, Wolf,” George said, “but when I heard that there was a case involving you… one that might end with you in prison… I knew you didn’t kill that girl. I had to do something. It’s like old times.”

“Old times,” Wolf said softly, “Yeah, just like old times. I drag you into a situation that endangers your life and can only go badly for you.”

“Fuck that,” George said emphatically, “Fuck that absolute noise. You don’t drag me into anything. I choose to stand with you. That’s how friends work.”

Wolf smiled, “It’s good to have you around, George.”

“Bah,” George said, “Now let’s figure things out. First I think I should make a call to headquarters and let them know I’m alive and that it was definitely not you that held me hostage.”

“Good plan,” Wolf said, “There’s a phone in the bedroom in the back. I’ll keep an eye on the monitors while you call.”

Wolf stared at the monitors that kept a running view of every angle outside of the safe house, “Why haven’t you sent someone after me?” he asked the air.

“Wolf,” George said after he walked back out into the living room, “They say if I bring you in, they’ll work out the details at headquarters.”

“What do you think about that?” Wolf asked without taking his eyes off the monitors.

“I think they’re full of shit and on the take,” George replied in a matter of fact tone.

“You’re probably right,” Wolf said.

“No probably about it,” George said firmly, “There’s no way I’m taking you back to the precinct right now. I need more evidence that you’re not the killer and the only way I’m going to get that evidence is to stick through this with you, find the guy who did it, and get a confession.”

“Good,” Wolf replied, “because we’ve got company outside and I need all the backup I can get.”

George squinted at the monitor where Wolf was pointing, “That black van is the same one that pulled up next to me and chloroformed me. I have a bone to pick with the thug driving it.”

“You’ll get to pick and break and many bones as you like in a few minutes,” Wolf said, “He’s walking up to the door now.”

“Any guns in this place?” George asked.

“Inside the coffee table,” Wolf told him as he walked towards the front door.

George lifted up the top of the coffee table and took stock of what was inside he chose a Baretta, checked the clip and braces himself for when the door opened. The knock was muffled through the two layers of door, but firm none the less.

Wolf opened the door quickly and the thug found himself facing the business end of a gun barrel. He followed the barrel up and looked George in the eyes, “Hey man,” he said calmly, “No hard feelings, right?”

George smiled wickedly and then quickly pistol whipped the thug, “Sure, no hard feelings,” he said as the thug fell to the ground. He and Wolf pulled the thug inside and tied him to a chair before he could regain consciousness again.

About half an hour later the thug came back to the conscious world, “Ugh, I guess there are hard feelings. Mostly in my head.”

“I’ve got a few more for you,” George said.

“Let him be for now,” Wolf told George.

“What are you here for?” George asked the thug.

“I’m here to deliver a message,” the thug answered.

“From who?” Wolf asked.

“The boss,” the thug replied.

“Who is the boss?” George asked, “And for that matter who are you?”

“The boss likes privacy,” the thug replied, “As for me. You can call me Adam.”

“Okay, Adam,” Wolf said as he leaned closer, “What’s this message that you want to give?”

“You’re both dead,” Adam said evenly.

Wolf looked at George and then back to Adam, “We seem pretty alive right now.”

“Not for long,” Adam said sternly, “First the boss is going to kill you, then the boss is going to kill me.”

“Then why are you still working for him?” George asked, “Why deliver his message?”

“I have a family,” Adam said quietly, “I’ve been told that they’ll be okay if I deliver the message…”

“I see,” said Wolf, “Why won’t you tell us who the boss is?”

“My family would be dead if I did,” he said.

“So they intend to torture us before we die,” Wolf said, “After all there’d be no way to know what you told us if they killed me and George quickly.”

“You’re not wrong,” Adam told them.

Wolf looked at Adam closely and for all the muscle and hard edges he saw the fear for family and friends. The face of a trapped child, “George, I need to talk to you in private for a minute.”

“What do you think?” George asked Wolf, “I don’t think this guy is worth much as leverage with whoever his boss is.”

“No leverage at all,” Wolf agreed, “Though he might be a key witness later.”

“I don’t think we can really handle a permanent prisoner,” George said, “but his wallet has his license, name, and address. I can find him later.”

“So you think we should let him go?” Wolf asked.

“I don’t think there’s much else to do with him at this point,” George said through gritted teeth, “though I’d like to kick his ass.”

“Okay, as long as we’re agreed,” Wolf said as they walked back down the hall to the living room.

“Adam,” Wolf said as he came back into the living room,” George here is going to keep your license and he will find you after all of this is over.”

“Sure,” Adam said with a light laugh.

“Oh, I will find you,” George replied, “And I will bring you in to testify against your former boss. If I’m feeling generous I might cut you a deal and get you into witness protection.”

“SO you’re letting me go?” Adam asked in a suspicious tone.

“We’re letting you wander so you can stay alive,” George replied, “So you’ll still be around when we need you.”

“I’m not much safer out there,” Adam replied, “but I least I can keep moving and keep my distance form you two. You’re about to have hell fall down on top of you.”

“Let us worry about hell,” Wolf said as he started to untie the rope binding Adam to the chair, “You worry about staying alive and in the city.”

Adam stood up after the rope dropped away, “It doesn’t really matter. The boss is part of the Four Families. You’re dead, he’s dead, Ill be dead soon enough…”

“Just try, to stay alive,” George said, “I want to be able to punch your teeth in while you’re still alive. I just don’t have time for it right now.”

Adam looked into George’s eyes and then laughed loudly for a minute, “You know what, you’re one cocky son of a bitch… but somehow I think you two just might survive.”

“That’s because we will,” Wolf said with a light smile.

“I think you’d better leave through the back door,” Wolf told Adam, “I’m sure your boss will have someone watching the front son enough. You might want to wait until night when you can sneak out a little easier too.”

“I think I better leave now,” Adam said, “and I think you better find someplace else to be before three.”

“Why,” George asked.

“Just trust me,” Adam replied, “You don’t want to be here at three.”

“Thanks,” George side while giving Adam a sideways look, “I appreciate the tip.”

“All part of the message…” Adam said, “Well, I don’t think I was supposed to tell you that part, but what the hell at this point.”


Adam left so quickly is was almost hard to believe he’d ever been at the safe house. He was terrified and heading as far from the area as he could get.

“Well, George,” Wolf said, “Looks like we’ve got until three to figure a way out of all of this.”

“We’ve done better with less time,” George replied, “I’m not worried at all.”

“The sweat on your forehead says otherwise,” Wolf retorted.

“The sweat on my forehead is from the jalepenos in the sandwich I just ate,” George lied.

“Sure,” Wolf said, “Sure, George. So we’ve got no backup form the local cops, the Four Families are about to rain hell down on us, and we haven’t got time to run anywhere. What do you think we should do?”

Load up the guns and kill as many of the bastards as we can before they kill us,” George said with a deep sigh.

“I think we can come up with a better plan than dying gloriously,” Wolf told his old friend, “I just need some time to think.”

“Okay,” George replied, “You think. I’m going to start checking and loading the guns from the coffee table.”

Wolf retreated to the bedroom and went over the evidence on the laptop again. He looked up the number for the office building and called pretending to be an inspector with the police.

“Hi,” he said to the woman on the other end of the phone, “I’m with Heartbeat PD and I’m following up a lead on a major case. Could you tell me who the top floor of your office space on fifty third street?”

“Oh that’d be,” the woman paused as she looked something up on her computer,”S. Marner. It’s rented by an S. Marner.”

“Thank you,” Wolf said cordially, “Have a nice day now okay.”

“You too officer,” the woman replied before they both hung up.

Wolf tried to track down any S. Marners online, but found no real leads. There were a lot of Marners in the world, quite a few in Heartbeat city, and no few with first names that started with S.

“Well, Marner,” Wolf said to the air, “at least I’ve got your name.”

Wolf noticed the Grendle was begging to go outside. He wasn’t sure if he could risk taking the dog out though. Eventually he settled on letting the dog out while staying inside the building. He knelt down before the dog went outside and told him, “Grendle, go to Celia. Celia!” and then watched as the dog took off down the streets. Training the dog to go to certain buildings on command had taken a great deal of time, but was worth it when things got hairy.

“Send Grendle off to Celia?” George asked as Wolf came back into the living room, “You keep some shady company, Wolf.”

“I know, George,” Wolf agreed jokingly, “especially that cop that seems to get demoted and thrown into the basement office… oh wait, that’s you,” he said with a wink.

“Funny, Wolf,” George replied with a bit of anger in his voice, “You know at least half of those demotions are because of you and the shit you drag me into.”

“I know, George,” Wolf said, “I’m glad you’re always ready to be in the thick of it with me.”

“You better be,” George said as he took a swig of coffee and released another gun clip to make sure there was ammo present.

As the clock moved closer to three Wolf felt the buzz of a battle to come and hated the idea of waiting it out in this house.

“George,” Wolf said, “I bet our friend is back in his office. He seems like the cocky kind of a bastard that wouldn’t leave his castle just because we knew where it was.”

“You’re probably right,” George agreed.

“What do you think about bringing this fight to Marner?” Wolf asked his old friend.

George placed the gun he was checking down on the table with a loud thud, “I think it’s no crazier than staying here and waiting to die.”

“He might expect us to be paralyzed with fear and to stay put,” Wolf said as he thought things through, “I don’t think he’ll expect us to show up on his doorstep.”

“You know,” George said, “I’d rather go in kicking ass, than go out shooting.”

“I think we stand a better chance if we take separate paths to the office building,” Wolf said, “that way they’ll have to divide resources to find us. Can you muster enough decent cops to raid the office with us?”

“A lot of them seem to be on the take with this thing,” George replied, “but I think I can find a few,” he said as he started back towards the bedroom to use the phone.


George spent about thirty minutes on the phone making calls to the personal phone numbers of officers he figured he could trust. There weren’t many, but he needed to leave detailed messages on a few voice mail systems, and argue with a few others.

“Ready George?” Wolf asked after George had put down the phone again.

“As ready as I can be,” he replied, “Carver is going to leave a vehicle for me about a block down.”

“Good,” Wolf replied, “I’ll take the Sedan.”

George left through the back door and Wolf through the front.

The drive back to the office had his skin buzzing. Wolf was ready to take the asshole who’d been framing him for murder and hurting his friends down. It was time. He could feel the storm brewing in his guts.

“This is the end of this,” Wolf said to the air as he drove, “Tonight I bring you down and end this or I fall trying. After all, in an unreasonable situation and unreasonable action is reasonable.”

The office building crawled up from the horizon as he drove towards it, practically a dark cloud billowing up from the street with it’s black tinted windows.

As Wolf pulled up next to the building he looked around for George and after a few minutes spotted his bulky form behind the wheel of an old Festiva. Wolf wondered how he had been able to crush himself into that tiny car.

Wolf pulled up in front of the little blue Festiva and reached out his hand to wave quickly back at George. After he saw George nod at him through the rear view mirror the both got out of their cars and started towards the building.

George had put on his long blue tench coat and Wolf could see the outline of several weapons underneath it, “You sure you need all the gear?” Wolf asked his friend.

“I don’t need it,” George sniffed, “but I sure as hell feel a lot better with it.”

“Try not to kill anyone until we have to?” Wolf asked.

“No promises,” George replied seriously.

There was no doorman this time, he was either still unconscious from when Jack knocked him out earlier or the boss had him running like Adam. Jacks body had been removed from the street and the blood had been washed away. The smell of bleach clung to the air and puddles of water were still visible on the pavement.

George started for the elevator as soon as they got in but Wolf took hold of his shoulder, “Not the elevator George.”

“That’s an awful lot of steps to the penthouse,” George replied.

“That’s an awful lot of floors to plummet to your death in,” Wolf replied, “or failing that, it’s an awful small box to be in when someone decides to play fish in a barrel.”

George sighed, “Okay Wolf,” he said, “Up the stairs.”

George called up to Wolf after the first five flights, “Hey,” he said, “I’ve been thinking. Didn’t you take the elevator up and down when you came to get me?”

“I was in a rush and acting stupid,” Wolf replied.

“Well,” George said, “Maybe I feel a bit like being in a rush and stupid.”

“You’re already,” Wolf smiled, “One of those things.”

“Funny, Wolf,” George snapped back, “if the shit you drag me into doesn’t kill me then the toxicity of your bad jokes fucking will.”

“You kiss your mom with that mouth?” Wolf joked.

“Yeah,” George replied, “but I like kissing your Mom’s way more.”

They kept the pace up and, despite his complaints, George was in excellent shape. They made it to the top floor in about twenty five minutes.

“I bet you fifty bucks the door is locked,’ George said.

“Don’t worry,” Wolf replied, “I’ve got my lock picks with me.”

“And you wonder why people think you’re a shady person,” George replied.



The lock on the penthouse was an expensive one, but was pretty simple. It was always kind of funny to think about all the money that was wasted on simple locks with a big brand attached.

“I’ll have this open in a couple minutes,” Wolf said to George as he worked on the lock, “If not a few seconds.”

“Try to keep all that clicking down,” George replied, “You want them to be standing outside the door when we open it?”

“I don’t really think that’ll be a problem,” Wolf said to his old friend.

“Why not?” George asked.

“Well,” Wolf paused as he chewed on the thought and wrestled with the lock, “At most this guy has three thugs from what I can figure out.”

“How’s that?” George asked.

“Well,” Wolf said, “There was the doorman who seems to be out of the picture, Adam who has been sent on the run (he might be the same one that knocked you out) and the guy who has been following me in a van.”

“Hmm…” George thought it over, “I don’t know if that means he only has a few guys.”

“He would have switched out the guy following me if he had more,” Wolf replied matter of factly.

“Good point,” George said, “but doesn’t he work with the Four Families? Won’t he have their backing?”

“I think he’s doing something under the radar of the higher ups,” Wolf said as he continued to work on the lock, “otherwise this would all of more of the Four Families backing feel to it.”

“You know,” George said, “That all sounds reasonable… but it misses one key component.”

“What’s that?” Wolf asked.

“We’re never that lucky,” George said as he ran his fingers over the hilt of the gun at his side.

“That,” Wolf paused, “Is a very astute point,” he said as the lock finally gave way and the door opened.

The looked through the open door into the large main room of the penthouse. Before them stretched several chairs, a couch, beautiful curtains, and one lone person in the middle of the room.

“Well,” George said tentatively, “Maybe we’re lucky this time.”

“It looks that way,” Wolf said as he stepped out into the main room followed shortly by George’s hulking form.

“Hello,” Wolf said to the silhouette before him. It was hard to see much in the way of details since the person was lit from behind by the afternoon sun, “We’re just dropping by for a visit.”

“Stay where you are and put your hands up,” George said as he pointed his pistol at the silhouette.

“Hello gentleman,” a distinctly female voice called back to them, “Welcome to my home,” she said as she raised her hands above her head.
 
As they walked closer her features become clearer. She was about five foot and six inches tall, slender, with a grey blazer and pants on. He long, silky, black, tresses were wrapped up into a tight bun with a pair of steel chopsticks pushed through.

“It seems you were able to track me down,” she said, “bravo Mr Wolf.”

“I had you pretty much tracked down days ago,” George said to her.

“Yes,” she replied with a wicked smile, “but Wolf didn’t get caught by my men.”

“Look here you bitch-” George started but was cut off by a stern glance form Wolf.

Wolf had his hands buried deep in his trench pockets, “So you’re the one that had me framed for that murder,” he said to her.

“Framed is such a harsh word,” she replied, “and I prefer to call it organized decease rather than murder.”

“I see,” he said, “So you had one of you men steal my gun and organize the decease of Olivia Crast. By why?”

“She was going to go to the cops about the pressure I’d been putting on her for the information from Vestafex,” she said, “As for why I decided to have you framed. Don’t you recognize me?”

Wolf looked hard at the woman in front of him for what seemed like hours, “You look familiar… but I’m not sure.”

“You’re the reason my dad is dead,” she said as she glared at him.

“What?” Wolf asked in shock.

“My father,” she said coldly, “Alexander McDaniels. You remember him don’t you?”

Wolf thought back over his cases and then it reached him. She had the same cheek bones, the same brow, the same hazel eyes as her father, “The guy who used to work for Antonio Tobin?”

“He didn’t just work for Antonio Tobin, he was Tobin’s right hand man!” she spat out, “He was Tobin’s most trusted man!”

“He sold Cherry Five to pimps so that their women would be more complacent,” Wolf said sternly, “he was a piece of trash. He got away though. I never did manage to get him to the police. I was hijacked by Tobin’s men.”

“Oh,” She said coldly, “He didn’t get away. Tobin had him and his family brought in. He had me and my mother watch as they executed him. And it’s all your fault! My father was a great man! What are the lives of a few common whores when weighed against someone like my father?” she said in nearly a frantic shout.

“Next to someone like your father,” Wolf said, “The life of dung beetle is precious. That however doesn’t excuse what Tobin did to you and your mother. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Especially a child.”

“Mother didn’t survive it,” she said, “she took some pills and vodka and went chasing after my father a few months later.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, but your father was hurting a lot of people,” Wolf said.

“Fuck those whores!” she replied sharply, “Fuck you! You’re life is over now. I’ve got the cops ready to arrest you. I’ve got the information I needed from Vestafex. I win.”

“Planning to get a cut on the profit from Cherry Five sales through the Vestafex corporation?” Wolf asked.

“Ha,” she said, “I wasn’t going after Cherry Five. I have people ready to build an entirely new drug. It kills the brain quickly from the outside in. Leaving a person able to eat, sleep, shit, and follow orders, but doing away with all that pesky sense of self or self importance. The perfect drug for setting up a bunch of subservient people.”

“You were planning to use it for human trafficking?” Wolf asked.

“You’re so small minded, Wolf,” she replied, “I plan to use it by adding it to the city water supply. By this time tomorrow most of Heartbeat will be little more than servant zombies.”

“That’s worse than mass murder,” George said with a shiver.

“It’s a good thing we’re here to stop you,” Wolf said.

“You really think you have the drop on me?” the woman asked.

“It looks that way,” Wolf replied

She pointed her finger to behind them, “Better look again,” she said with a smile.

Wolf and George turned around to see about six large guys with semi-automatic guns pointed at them.

“Wolf,” George said, “I knew we weren’t that lucky.”

“Well,” Wolf said, “At least people know about her plan.”

“What’s that,” The woman asked.

“Wolf slowly took his hands out of his pockets and lifted them in the air showing the cell phone that they’d had him recover from the cross walk box with an active call, “Our conversation has been sent to a group of my friends. They’re about to send copies to the cops and the newspapers.”

“Fucking hell,” the woman shouted while grabbing the cell phone and throwing it to the ground where it shattered, “It doesn’t fucking matter, Wolf, I’ve already got people in place to release the chemicals. No one can stop me now.”

“I assume you’re going to have us shot now,” Wolf said to the woman.

She walked around to face him and smiled a sharp and wicked smile, “No, I want you to see the world that’s about to be born. Then I’ll feed the drug to you too. It’ll be nice to have you as a mindless servant for the rest of your life. Bring them,” she said to her men as she went to the elevator.

Wolf and George had their hands zip tied behind their backs and they were pushed into the elevator roughly. The woman looked over to them as the elevator descended and said, “I just realized. I haven’t properly introduced myself. My name is Melissa.”

Wolf grimaced at her, “Nice to know the name of the woman who’s going to kill my personality. Haven’t had this much fun since the case with the Brazilian. You remember that, George?”

“Hmm?” George looked puzzled for a minute and then seemed to recognize what Wolf was talking about, “Oh, the Brazilian. Yeah I remember that.”

The woman looked back and forth between them, “That’s enough reminiscing.”

When the elevator finally reached the lobby floor Wolf dropped to the ground and spun one leg out while George jumped into the air. The sweeping leg knocked down three of the guys and the woman who fell into the others. As the door opened George and Wolf bolted through with Wolf pressing several floor buttons with his shoulders just before he stepped through. Before the goons could right themselves the elevator doors closed and it took off for the nearest floor. 

Wolf and George bolted out the front door rand towards the car. They ducked down on the side of the car furthest form the office building. There Wolf dug his pocket knife out of his back pocket unfolded it and used to to cut the zip strip binding his hands.

He stood up and opened the back door of the car, “C’mon, George, get in,” he said to his friend.

“What about my hands?” George asked as he looked at the open door and Wolf.

“No time,” Wolf said as he pushed his friend into the car and slammed the door shut.

A moment later he was in the driver’s seat and starting the engine, “I’ll cut you loose as soon as we have some distance between us and them,” he called back to George.

“Thanks,” George replied sarcastically, “You know, whenever you get around to it.”

Wolf pulled into an alley about three blocks away form the office and cut George lose form the zip tie on his wrists.

“Okay,” George said, “Well we got out of that one, but how are we going to stop her from putting the drug into the city water supply? How are we even going to figure out where she’s dumping it in?”

Wolf worked it over in his head for a while, “She’d have to add it to the main tanks at the water reclamation and distribution center. Anyplace else wouldn’t reach enough of the City.”

“Okay,” George said, “Get me to a phone and I’ll call it in.”

“We can’t go back to the safe house,” Wolf said, “She’ll have people waiting there for us.”

“Maybe we can get to your office or my apartment,” George said while thinking out loud.

“Maybe,” Wolf said, “but I think I’d rather be heading towards the water reclamation center while looking for a phone.”

“Once I’ve called it in it shouldn’t matter if we make it there or not,” George argued.

“You trust the Heartbeat PD to respond to anything quickly?” Wolf asked.

“Good point,” George agreed, “Finding a phone on the way it is,” he said as he climbed back into the passenger seat of the sedan.

Wolf started driving towards the center of Heartbeat city where the water reclamation plant supplied water to the entire city. He spotted a pay phone on the way. George quickly called in the case to Heartbeat PD and then got back into the car, “Let’s move,” he said to Wolf and they took off towards the water reclamation center again.

The trip seemed to take forever despite the fact that they were driving well over the speed limit. Wolf could feel the seconds tick away each one drawing them closer to the moment when most of the citizens of Heartbeat city would be left completely devoid of will.

“Which part of the plant do you think they’ll be in?” George asked Wolf as they sped through the city streets.

“It’ll have to be near the holding tanks for the already purified water,” Wolf said.

“Any idea where those are in the plant?” George asked.

“Not really,” Wolf replied, “but I figure you can show this,” Wolf pulled George’s badge out of his shirt pocket, “to someone at the front door and demand they show us.”

“How long have you had my badge?” George asked as he snatched it away from Wolf.

“Since Melissa mailed it to me,” he replied, “Kind of forgot I had it in the mean time.”

“Bring it up sooner next time,” George said and then thought better of it, “On second thought let’s just agree not to have a next time where i get kidnapped and have my badge mailed to you.”

“Agreed,” Wolf said with a smile as he pulled up to the entrance of the water reclamation and distribution center.

George flashed his badge at the front gate guard, “Detective George Parlance with Heartbeat PD. We need in now.”

“I,” the guard started, ” I, uh… Do you have a warrant?” he asked perplexed.

“There’s someone in there about to unleash a serious toxin into the water supply,” Wolf said tot the guard, “Do you want to be the reason that most of Heartbeat gets poisoned?”

“I , uh,” the guard looked confused and frightened, “No, I mean.” he pushed the button to open the gate, “Go in!”

“Get in the car,” George said, “We need you to direct us to the storage tanks for the already purified water.”

The guard climbed into the back seat of the car quickly, “Sure, just head straight back from here,” he said.

They sped to the back of the plant along the slightly curving driveway towards a large building that housed the tanks of water that supplied the whole city.

“What’s your name?” Wolf asked the young guard riding in the back seat of the sedan. He didn’t look a day over twenty.

“Brian,” he replied, “My name is Brian. Is it true? What you guys said, about a toxin being put into the water here?” he asked.

“Dead true,” George replied looking back at the young man, “You heard of the Four Families?”

“Everyone has,” Brian replied, “Is this being done by them?”

“Someone who works with them, anyway,” Wolf replied, “So you understand how dangerous the situation we’re heading into is. We’ve got Heartbeat PD backup on the way, but it might come down to us.”

“I,” Brian started, “I’m with you,” he said but the fear was evident in his voice.

“We’ll need you to keep an eye on the outside of the building,” George said to the youth, “I assume you have a way to make an outside call if you see someone leave.”

“Yeah, I carry a company cell phone with the police on speed dial,” Brian replied.

“Good,” George said evenly, “You see anyone that isn’t us leave that place you get someplace safe and call the police. Let them know to hurry their asses up.”

“I can do that,” Brian replied just as they pulled up outside the building holding the purified water tanks.

“This the place?” Wolf asked.

“Yeah,” Brian replied, “This is it.”

“Where would be the best place to add something to the water?” George asked.

“Probably the testing port at the top of the tank,” Brian replied quickly.

“Thanks,” Wolf and George said as they stepped out of the car and headed towards the front door of the building.

“Think we’ll walk out of this alive?” George asked.

“Experience tells me that we will,” Wolf said, “After all nothing has killed us so far.”

“I think that just means we’re do to die,” George said.

“Probably,” Wolf said, “But I never trust probabilities.”

“No?” George asked as he pushed the door open and stepped inside looking around.

“Naw,” Wolf said, “You know where that stuff comes from? A bunch of mathematicians? Never met one I liked.”

“Oh,” George said with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice, “I feel much more at ease now.”

“Good,” Wolf replied as they headed towards the steel steps leading up to a platform above the water tanks.

They tried to walk up the steel steps quietly but each footsteps seems to echo off of every wall in the building.

“Not much for a sneak attack around here,” George whispered.

“What?” Wolf asked sarcastically, “There’s no way anyone is going to know we’re on our way.”

George sighed loudly, “Well at least when they shoot us we can die knowing they’ll go deaf from the echoes of the shots.”

“Good,” Wolf said, “I’m glad to know you’re keeping a positive attitude.”

“Oh you know me,” George snipped back, “I’m a regular Mr Sunshine in any situation. Even one that’s likely to leave me dead. In fact especially in a situation that’s likely to leave me dead.”

“Fantastic,” Wolf said as they made their way up the last flight of steps to the platform above the tanks, “As long as you’re keeping a stiff upper lip.”

“Heh,” George replied, “If we survive, I’m going to find a pretty girl to marry and stick to my office in the basement. The number of people who try to kill me in the basement of police headquarters is surprisingly low.”

“I believe you about the basement,” Wolf said with a wicked smirk, “but how do you plan to get a pretty girl with a face like that?”

“At least I don’t have your face,” George joked back.


About twenty yards from the steps Wolf and George could see a group of men holding several bags above the water reservoir. They sprinted towards the men, George drawing his gun, and Wolf readying his fists.

“Put the bags down,” George shouted as he pointed his pistol at the men with the bags.

The men ducked behind a couple metal barrels and shouted back to them, “You can’t stop us,” as they opened fire.

George and Wolf took refuge behind another set of barrels and hunkered down low.

“How long before the backup arrives?” Wolf asked George.

“In Heartbeat,” George replied before firing a shot around the barrels, “Probably an hour at least.”

“That soon huh,” Wolf said as he looked around at the things available to him behind the barrel. A couple of steel lids, some bolt cutters, and a fire extinguisher.

The men kept firing to keep Wolf and George pinned down as one of them headed for the bags. George chased him back to behind the barrels with a couple of shots form his pistol, one of which caught the man in the leg.

“You’ll pay for that,” one of them shouted back as more bullets whizzed towards George and Wolf.

“Wolf,” George said, “I’ve got some bad news. I’m on my third gun here and we’ll almost certainly run out of ammo before they do.”

“That’s lovely,” Wolf replied, “Just fucking lovely.”

“Yeah,” George said as he took a couple more pot shots to drive the men back behind their barrels again, “Any last ditch effort amazing plans?”

“Fire out a few rounds while I take a better look at the lay out,” Wolf told George.

As George fired off a few round Wolf stuck his fedora above the barrels while he looked around the side. They were only about fifteen feet away from the bags now, and if they weren’t too heavy then Wolf might be able to grab them and they might be able to make a run. On the other hand there were only five guys. If they could cause a distraction or obfuscate the floor they might be able to take the guys out before they new what was happening. The feeling of his hat flying off his fingertips and a bullet cutting close to his hand brought Wolf back to reality and back to the safe side of metal barrels.

“Hmm,” Wolf said as he looked at the fire extinguisher, “If I roll that out towards the bags of chemicals do you think you can shoot it? It should release enough material to blind them for a few seconds. Then we can rush them.

“That’s your plan?” George said as he fired another round off, “Blow up a fire extinguisher and charge head long at the gun wielding thugs?”

“Pretty much,” Wolf said, “Yeah.”

“You know,” George said, “It’s hair brained, dangerous, unlikely to work, and probably our best bet.”

“Eyup,” Wolf agreed, “All set?”

“As ready as I can be,” George replied as he took a couple deep breaths to steady his nerves against the rain of bullets still heading their way, “I pin them down with cover fire, you roll out the fire extinguisher, I shoot it, we charge. All set.”


As Wolf rolled the fire extinguisher out onto the metal walkway the sound of the metal mesh the walkway was made of and the extinguisher echoed off the walls. As it rolled close to the group of thugs they stared at it for a moment in confusion before George fired a bullet into it and the material inside burst out into their open eyes.

Wolf charged forward and punched the first guy with the momentum of his charge sending him sprawling back unconscious into two of his friends. Wolf heard a couple of guns hit the metal walkway as George barreled up into the fray. He lifted up two of the guys and swung the hard into the wall knocking the wind and the sense out of them. He let their unconscious bodies fall to the ground and then backhanded the last one, causing him to drop his gun as he hit the floor.

When the thugs managed to clear the fire extinguisher goop out of their eyes they were met with the sight of George pointing two pistols at them ready to fire.

“Heartbeat Police, freeze,” George said.

“You boys want to tell us what you were about to dump into the city water reservoir?” Wolf asked the men.

“We weren’t gonna dump nothin,” one of them responded.

“So those bags of chemicals over there, those are nothing?” George asked.

“Yeah,” the obvious leader replied, “They ain’t nothin.”

Wolf walked over to one of the bags and cut it open with his pocket knife. He pulled a little out on the blade of the knife and walked back towards the men, “So you don’t mind if I make you fine gentlemen eat this nothing, right?” He said as he moved it towards the mouth of the leader.

“Get that shit the fuck away from me!” the man shouted.

“Oh, I thought it was nothing,” Wolf said sarcastically, “You afraid of nothing?”

“Fuck you,” the man replied having regained some of his courage as the blade full of chemicals was moved away from him again, “You cops aren’t gonna feed me or my men anything potentially dangerous, even if it is nothing.”

“Well,” Wolf replied, “first off, I’m not a cop. Second,” he paused, “Hey George you see me making these guys take any potentially dangerous substance?”

“Naw, Wolf,” George replied with a wicked smile, “I see nothing.”

The leader chewed on his fear for a minute, “Fine,” he said, “it’s a chemical the boss told us to put in the water. She said it’d make Heartbeat city the perfect place. Full of easy money and mindless servants every block.”

“Good,” Wolf said, “I see you understand your position now. Where is your boss? Where is Melissa McDaniels?”

“She’s got a warehouse on Fourth Avenue,” the leader replied, “You might have stopped us from putting this batch in, but she’s got batches all over the city. She’ll make this happen  one way or another. Heartbeat will be our city.”

“Heartbeat belongs to decent people,” Wolf said, “You bunch of crooks and killers are nothing but squatters. The mobs, the Four Families, all of you will be pushed out.”

“Fucking optimists,” the leader of the group replied, “Fuck you. You’ve lost and you don’t even know it yet.”

“What’s the address of that warehouse?” Wolf asked coldly, “And you’d better tell me fast, or I’m going to lose my patience and feed you so full of this shit you were trying to poison the city with that you won’t be able to breath unless someone tells you.”

The leader rattled off the address and even gave detailed directions on how to get there. Wolf found some rope while George kept them under the guns and they tied the thugs up before heading back out to the car.

“Everything okay?” Brian asked.

“It’s safe for now,” Wolf replied, “There are six guys tied up in there. These are their guns,” he said as he handed them over to Brian, “There are also several bags of chemicals that need to be marked as evidence when the rest of the cops get here. Can you keep an eye on the thugs until they get here? And can you make another call the Heartbeat PD to let them know to meet us at this address on Fourth Street?” he asked as he passed a slip of paper to the security guard.

“Sure thing,” Brian replied as George and Wolf climbed into the Sedan and drove off fast enough to leave tire marks in the pavement and smoke in the air.

“Think she’ll still be at the warehouse?” George asked as they raced down the streets.

“I think she’s full of herself,” Wolf replied, “and that her self confidence will keep her from escaping.”

“She’ll be waiting there for us,” George replied, “Might even figure we’ll find her and show up.”

“We can count on that,” Wolf replied, “This whole time she’s been leading me to her. She has wanted me to be a witness to this since the beginning. To punish me.”

“You’re a real ladies man,” George quipped.

“Oh yeah,” Wolf said, “At least she’s not as crazy as my last girlfriend.

“The one who actually ended up in an asylum?” George asked.

“We prefer to call it a mental hospital,” Wolf said.

George laughed loudly, “At least with you the journey to my eventual certain death has comic relief.”

“Glad I can amuse,” Wolf replied as he made a sharp right onto Fourth Avenue.

“Don’t kill us before she does,” George said as he righted himself in the seat, “It’d be poor manners.”

“There’s the place,” Wolf said as he pointed towards a large warehouse with red loading dock doors.

“Do we sneak in?” George asked.

“Sure,” Wolf said as he hit the accelerator hard and drove straight towards one of the loading doors, “We sneak in.”

“Shit,” George said as he buckled his seat belt quickly and held the handle above the door.

The sound of tearing metal and scrapped concrete filled the air as the car tore through the docking doors and was quickly followed but the sound of tires skidding to a stop just inches away from a stack of wooden crates.

“Very stealthy, “George said sarcastically.

“Well,” Wolf replied, “I felt like making an entrance.”

Melissa was staring at the scene with a look of shocked horror.

Wolf stepped out of the car, “Hi honey, I’m home,” he said loudly while striding towards Melissa.

“You’re… you’re fucking insane,” she said.

George found the passenger door was jammed shut and had to crawl out the driver’s side after Wolf, “Lady,” he said, “You have no idea how completely bat shit nuts this son of a bitch is.”

“It’s true,” Wolf said, “On the plus side, I’ve never tried to enslave an entire city. So I think I have a little bit more in the sanity department than some people in this room.”

 ”Stop him,” She said to the two men at her side who started to reach for their guns.

George was quicker and pointed his pistol at them, “Don’t even think of drawing those,” he said sternly, “Take them out of the holsters, put them on the ground, and kick them this way. Nice and slow.”

The men looked at each other and silently agreed that it would be best to do as George told them. A few seconds later two pistols were on the floor in front of Wolf and George.

“It doesn’t matter,” Melissa replied, “by now there  water supply for the whole city is completely saturated with my new drug. Everyone in Heartbeat is destined to be completely servile.”

“You mean the bags of chemicals those six guys were supposed to dump into the main clean water reservoir?” George asked with a smile, “I don’t think that’s a problem anymore. Seeing as their tied up at the moment.”

Her eyes narrowed, “You think this is over? Just because you stopped the men at the reservoir? This isn’t over. I’ve got the chemical stashed all over the city. People waiting to follow up where others fail.”

“We’ll post police outside of the city reservoir from now on,” George replied, “No one is getting in there with random chemicals ever again. This is over.”

“Not even close to over,” she spat back venomously, “Kyle!” she shouted as the lights suddenly went out.

“Stay where you are!” George shouted as he tried to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Wolf felt someone brush against him and swung full force. When they could see again it was clear that Melissa, one of the thugs, and whoever Kyle was had managed to escape.

“Shit!” George swore.

Wolf slapped the face of the unconscious thug in an attempt to get him to wake up again, “Hey, buddy, wake the fuck up. We need to know where your boss has run off to.”

After a couple minutes the man’s eyes slowly opened, “Fuck, she ditched me,” he said angrily.

:She sure did,” Wolf replied.

Doesn’t matter,” the man said, “I’m still not gonna tell you nothin.”

“I see,” Wolf said, “That’s okay. I just want you to think about something before you really make the decision to not talk. I’m the Burgundy Wolf. You’ve heard of me, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, “Anyone who’s in my line of work has heard the stories about you.”

“You’ve heard what I do to people who I need information form when I’m desperate?” Wolf asked the man as his eyes grew cold and dangerous.

“Yeah but no one would really-” the man started.

“They’re true,” Wolf said coldly as he looked into the man’s eyes with his hard steel blue eyes.

The man started sweating like he’d just woke up from a nightmare, “I uh… okay, okay. She’s probably headed for the helicopter. It’s sort of plan B for distributing the drug and getting away.”

“You’re going to tell me where this helicopter is,” Wolf said.

“Yeah, it’s over on Bellevue,” the man said, on top of that condemned office building. No one ever goes up there, so it’s a good place to hide a private helicopter.”

“Thanks,” Wolf said, “One more thing. You got a car? Ours seems to have broken down.”

“Here you go,” the man said as he dug the keys out of his pocket, “It’s the blue BMW just outside.”

“Thanks,” Wolf said as he looked around for some rope and then tied the man up, “We’ll let the attorney know how cooperative you were. We won’t mention that I had to threaten you to get that cooperation. Sound fair?”

“Yes sir,” the man replied, sounds perfectly fair.”

George and Wolf made it out to the blue BMW outside, unlocked the doors and got in. It had beautiful black leather, real leather, seats.

“Nice,” George said as they took off towards the condemned office on Bellevue, “Wolf, what do you do to people when you need information?”

“Hmm?” Wolf said, “Oh that, actually I’ve never tortured anyone. I just make sure there are plenty of rumors about me doing horrible things to people when I need information. Then I just have let them believe I’m a sadistic asshole. It works way more often than you’d think.”

“Nice bluff,” George said, “Even I thought that maybe you’d been hiding a life of torture from me.”

“The only torture in my life is being friends with you,” Wolf replied.

“You’re right,” George said, “being your friend is completely cruel and unusual.”

They pulled up to the condemned office building and looked up at the thirty story building.

“Don’t tell me,” George said, “More steps.”

“This place doesn’t even look like it has power for the elevators anymore, even if we could be sure that the elevators were working,” Wolf replied.

“Think we can make it up there before she takes off?” George asked as they ran inside and started up the flights of steps.

“Oh, yeah,” Wolf said, “I’m sure we’ve got plenty of time. Evil maniacs often go through the pre-flight checklist two or three times before taking off.”

“So run faster,” George called to Wolf as he charged past him up the steps.

“First one to the top gets to punch Kyle in the face,” Wolf called up after him before he increased his pace and sped past his old friend.

As they rounded the corner for the twenty ninth floor they heard the sound of the helicopters engine and the roaring wind from the blades above them.

“Well,” Wolf shouted back to his friend, “the good news is that we know they’re still up there.”

“Yeah,” George shouted back, “and just about to take off!”

They rushed through the roof top door and charged towards the helicopter. It started to lift off from the roof just as Wolf made it to there and he managed to get halfway into the cockpit as George took a couple of wild shots towards the pilot. As the roof fell away from his feet and they gained altitude Wolf tried to scramble into the helicopter the rest of the way.

“Why won’t you fucking die?” Melissa shouted at him as she tried to pull his hands free and toss him out.

“I don’t have time to die,” Wolf shouted back as pulled himself into the cab of the helicopter.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said as she pulled out a snub nosed pistol, “I’ll just shoot you and be done with it.”

“Whoa,” the pilot shouted as he glanced back, “Don’t fire that thing in here, we’ll all go down in flames!”

“I don’t fucking care,” Melissa shouted back, “He’s not going to ruin this. He ruined my father. He won’t be the end of my plans!”

The pilot started to descend towards a roof top, “I’m bringing us down.”

“Like hell you are,” she said as she spun the gun towards him, “You keep this thing flying or I’ll put a bullet in you instead.”

“Okay,’ he replied, “just calm down-“

“Fuck you,” she said, “I said keep the helicopter up.

The pilot pulled the helicopter back up, “Okay,” he said, “We’re flying steady now. Just put the gun away.”

“Miss,” Wolf said.

“What?” She asked as she spun back to face him.

Wolf took the opportunity to send a hard right uppercut at her while grabbing her wrist with his left and and applying pressure to make her drop the gun, “Sorry about that,” he said to her unconscious body, “I don’t usually hit ladies, but then again you’re not much of a lady. You, are you Kyle?” he asked the pilot.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he replied.

“Kyle,” Wolf said, “Take us back to the office building we just left.”

“I don’t-” Kyle started.

“You don’t want to make me lose my temper,” Wolf said evenly as he sat in the copilot seat, “Now. Take. Us. Back.”

“Yes sir,” Kyle said as he turned the helicopter around.

A few minutes later the helicopter made a rough touch down on top of the condemned office building where George was still standing.

“C’mon,” Wolf said to the pilot, “Pick her up and get out of the helicopter.”

Kyle picked up Melissa’s unconscious body and climbed out of the helicopter in front of Wolf.

“I thought you’d be a meat pancake by now,” George said to Wolf.

“You’re not that lucky,” Wolf replied with a wink.

“Heh,” George laughed, “you’re right about that.”

Melissa’s eyes fluttered open and she looked around startled and confused for a moment before she realized where she was, “No!” she shouted, “You can’t win! I had everything planned out. You’re supposed to be rotting in prison while I take over the city!”

She pushed away from Kyle and looked back and forth between Wolf and George, “And you,” she said to George, “You’re a nothing cop that got lucky. You stumbled into my plans. How can a used up cop and a private detective that can’t even make enough to rent an apartment manage to do so much damage to my plans?”

“maybe you’re not as good as you think you are,” George said with a shrug, “Or maybe we’re better than you think.”

She wavered a little, still a little unbalanced from the blow to her head, “No, no, it doesn’t matter if you bring me in. I have people. I can set it al off from inside prison walls.”


“We’ll see about that,” George said as he kept the gun pointed at Melissa and Kyle.

They heard some footsteps climbing the stairs behind them and Wolf looked back as George kept his eye on the two criminals.

“The boys in blue,” Wolf said with a smile.

“Put the gun down and put your hands where I can see them,” one of them said as he drew his gun and pointed it at George.

“I’m Detective George Parlance,” George replied, “I’m going to reach into my coat and get my badge. I’m going to move very slowly,” he said to the officer as he retrieved his badge and then threw it back to him.

“I’m sorry detective,” the cop apologized, “it’s hard to tell who’s who with the plain clothes sometimes.”

“It happens,” George replied, “Now why don’t you fellas do something useful and get these two cuffed. They’re under arrest for attempting to poison the population of the city and fleeing the scene of the crime.”

“Yes sir,” the lead cop said as he gestured for two others to take Melissa and Kyle into custody, “Is everything under control? Is there anything else we need to look out for?”

“She says she has the chemical stashed around the city and people in place to see the plan through even if she’s caught,” George said, “We need to get her into an interrogation room and find out where this shit is as soon a possible.”

“Yes sir,” the cop replied, “Get them back to the precinct,” he called to the two officers that had just handcuffed the criminals. He handed George back his badge and apologized one more time.

“Wolf,” George said to his friend, “How the hell are we going to find all the shit she has stashed before someone creates an incident?”

“I’m thinking it’ll take a combination of luck, balls, and insanity,” Wolf said as he followed the officers down the stairs.

“Good thing I’m with you,” George replied, “You’re the luckiest mad man I’ve ever met.”

“Is this Wolf?” the lead officer asked as George and Wolf made it to the bottom floor of the office.

“Yes,” George said.

“We’ve got some new evidence in his case,” the officer said, “but we’ll still need him to come down to the station to answer some questions.”

“I’ll bring him in,” George replied coldly.

“I understand that he’s a friend of yours sir, but-” the office started.

“I said, I’ll bring him in,” George said sternly.

“Yes sir,” the officer said as he realized there was no way for him to win that argument.

“I’ll also need your gun and your cuffs,” George said to the young officer.

“Sir?” the cop asked in confusion.

“They took mine,” George said, “and I still have business to take care of before I make it back to the station.”

“Sir, I don’t… uh” the officer looked conflicted.

“Are you going back to the station?” George asked.

“Yes sir,” the officer admitted.

“Do you usually fire your gun and cuff people at the station?” George asked.

“No sir,” the cop replied.

“Then which of us do you think needs to have a gun and cuffs right now?” George asked sternly.

“You sir,” the young police man replied.

“Then hand them over,” George told the young man.

“Yes sir,” he replied as he handed over his gun and hand cuffs.

“Thank you,” George told him, “I’ll make sure I mention your stellar cooperation in my report. What was your name again?”

“Harris,” the young cop relied, “Alexander Harris, sir.”

“Well Harris,” George said, “Thank you.”

George and Wolf went back to the car they’d taken from one of the thugs at the water reclamation and distribution center and got in.

“Where to?” George asked Wolf.

“I think it’s time to take care of some Family business,” Wolf replied, “If you feel like you can get this bucket to the Adrian Arturo office complex. I know of one of the higher level people in the Four Families conducts his business.”

“You think someone in the Four Families is going to help us?” George asked.

“I think the people further up the chain didn’t know that Melissa was planning to lobotomize the better portion of Heartbeat. There’s not a lot of profit to be made in a city full of people that can’t manage themselves. The Four Families relies heavily on people watching out for their own interests. A populace that can barely function is almost as useless as a dead population. They want to rule the city, not destroy it.”

“I hope you’re right,” George said as he started the engine and took off towards the glimmering towers of glass and metal known as the Adrian Arturo Office Complex.

“I don’t like the idea of trying to bargain with the devil,” George said to Wolf as they drove through the city.

“Sometimes the devil is the only one willing to make a deal,” Wolf replied, “God is surprisingly stingy about bartering.”

George laughed loudly, “Yeah, God is kind of a hard bargainer.”

They rolled up to the Adrian Arturo buildings and Wolf guided George to the right one.

“Who are we going to see?” George asked as they climbed out of the car.

“His name is Arthur Lee,” Wolf replied, “He’s in charge of most of the accounting and money laundering the Four Families are involved in.”

“And you think we can trust someone in charge of laundering money?” George asked his old friend.

“I think we can trust him to look after his interests,” Wolf said, “and he is interested in keeping the economy of Heartbeat City active. If no one has a will of their own they won’t be buying things, taking loans, gambling and so on. If all of that stops, then he’s is shit out of luck.”

“Good point,” George said as they walked into the office building.

They walked up to the receptionist and Wolf said, “We’re here to see Mr Lee.”

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked.

“No, we’re here on family business,” Wolf replied.

“I see,” the receptionist said, “and who should I say is here.

James Wolf and Detective George Parlance,” George said.

“Wolf?” the receptionist asked nervously.

“Yes, Wolf,” Wolf replied.

“I’ll let him know,” she said as she stood up and headed for the office door, “Please have a seat.”

Wolf and George remained standing as they waited for the receptionist to return.

“Ten bucks says the receptionist comes back with a gun,” George said to Wolf.

“Twenty says she comes back with two big guys with guns and has us escorted in to see Lee,” Wolf replied.

After about ten minutes the receptionist returned with a large brutish looking man following close behind, “This is Mr Porter. He’ll show you into the office,” the receptionist said as she brushed back a stray lock of red hair form her face, “I’ll have to ask you to leave any weapons here.”

“Like hell,” George cursed, “I’m a Detective with Heartbeat PD, I’m leaving my gun with some office secretary.”

“You’ll need to leave your gun or Mr Porter will have to show you out,” she responded calmly.

“Give her the gun, George,” Wolf said, “We don’t have time to argue.”

“Fuck,” George said as he pulled the gun out from his belt, “Fine, but there better not be bullet one missing from it when I get back.”

“We’ll make sure to take perfect care of it, Mr Parlance,” the receptionist replied as she put the gun in her desk drawer, “Do you have anything to leave here, Mr Wolf?”

“I don’t carry guns,” Wolf replied.

“:Then you won’t mind if Mr Porter checks?” she asked.

“Of course not,” Wolf replied as the large man started frisking him for weapons. He pulled out Wolf’s pocket knife, lock picks, USB key, and several other items that could be used as weapons. The receptionist collected these is a small metal basket and added them to the drawer with George’s gun.

“Gentlemen,” she said as she waved towards the door, “Please follow Mr Porter. He’ll see you in.”

“Thanks,” Wolf said as they followed Porter into the office.

As they walked into the office Wolf noticed the opulence of the teak wood desk, the thick oriental carpet, the antique chairs, and the various objet du art. Behind the desk sat a wizened old man in a well tailored suit with a overpowering and practiced smile.

“Please,” Lee said, “Have a seat. I understand you have business to discuss with me. I’ve heard that you have had a busy week.”

“You could say that,” Wolf replied as he and George sat down opposite of Lee.

“Now,” Lee said, “What is this urgent family business you need to discuss?”

“We’d like to discuss the drug that Melissa McDaniels planned to release into the water supply, and then attempted to release via helicopter, and claims she will still be able to have released by co-conspirators from within prison,” George replied.

“I’m not familiar with Miss McDaniels,” Lee said with a stone cold calm face and voice, “Could you tell me what the drug was designed to do?”

“It would have left the better portion of the city without any sense of personal will,” Wolf replied, “Essentially leaving them living zombies. Since it would be in the water supply or the air it would effect many people. Most likely including you.”

“I see,” Mr Lee said, “and you think that I might be able to help you find these comrades of hers? What would make you think I’d have any idea about where criminals hide?”

“Mr Lee,” Wolf replied, “We don’t really have time to play games. I know you’re part of the Four Families, George here will be more than willing to ignore that and list you as a anonymous witness, but we need you to use your connections in the family to help us find these men and the drug they intend to release. You do understand how bad something like this will be for everyone, including you and the Family, don’t you?”

Lee was silent for a moment, “Mr Porter, please bring me the secured line, I have some phone calls I need to place.”

“Yes sir,” the large man replied as he lumbered out of the office.

“If you two gentlemen will step back out into the lobby,” Mr Lee said as he waved towards the door, “I’ll see if I can pull some strings. I do have favors that I can call in, but I must impress, I have nothing to do with the Four Families. Is that understood?”

George started to say something but Wolf stopped him, “Of course Mr Lee, we understand completely and appreciate you bringing your considerable resources and connections to our aid in this investigation.” He said as he and George stood up to leave the office, “We’ll be out in the lobby until we hear from you.”

While they sat waiting in the lobby George and Wolf were handed back their belongings by the shapely blond receptionist, “I think you’ll find everything in order,” she said as she passed the basket back to them.

George checked the clip of the gun and then returned it to his belt. Wolf hid the lock picks, pocket knife, and the rest of his belongings in their proper places on his body.

“Is that a collection of handcuff keys?” George asked as he looked over at the stuff Wolf was stashing.

“Yeah,” Wolf said, “You never know when you’ll need to get out of a pair of handcuffs.”

“I feel like I should be more concerned about that than I am,” George said as he shrugged, “Ah well. What do you think is taking so long?”

“He probably has to pass messages through several layers of the Family in order to track down who was working for Melissa,” Wolf replied, “Keeping each other roughly in the dark is part of how the organization stays afloat. Plausible deniability.”

“Hmm” George replied, “Makes sense. Should have thought of that myself.”

“You would have,” Wolf replied, “It’s just that as an honest man you’re not in the habit of thinking dishonestly.”

“And you are?” he asked Wolf.

“I have to walk in a lot of darkness,” Wolf replied, “I do my best to keep myself free of becoming like the monsters around me, but when you spend so much time in the shadows… you start to wonder if you are a shadow.”

“You’re no shadow,” George said comfortingly.

“Thanks, George,” Wolf said with a small wince.

After about an hour the door to Lee’s office finally opened again and Porter walked out carrying a manila folder, “Mr Lee says that these are the people you’re after. These are the places they’ll be tonight, their home address, their home and cell phone numbers, and people that they have business with on a regular basis.”

Wolf stood up and took the folder form Porter’s meaty hand, “Thanks Porter. Tell Mr Lee that we’re grateful for his help.”

“Certainly, sir,” Porter said as he turned to go back into Lee’s office.

As they left the office building Wolf continued to leaf through the set of names and addresses.

“How can we be sure that’s all of them?” George asked, “After all, Lee is a top leader in a criminal organization.”

“We can’t be sure,” Wolf replied, “but it’s the best we have.”

“Sounds pretty much like I expected,” George replied.

“It looks like they’re planning to release a batch from a sky rise near the schools, about twenty minutes from now,” Wolf said as he stopped at a particular page that Lee had marked with a sticky note.

“Shit, C’mon get in the car, we can get there in five minutes,” George said as he looked at the address and climbed into the driver’s seat of the car.

George and Wolf sped through the streets of Heartbeat city, running red lights and swerving through traffic in a desperate move to make it to the office building next to the school. It was Carver Academies. A public school that had the elementary, middle school, and high school buildings all close together in a cluster. If the drug were released at the right time with the right wind current every child in that school would inhale it. There was no time to drive cautiously.

“Shit George,” Wolf shouted, “If we die on the way there, we can’t stop them from releasing the drug.”

“If we don’t haul ass,” George said back to him, “It won’t matter that we’re alive, because we’ll be too late.”

“Good point,” Wolf agreed, “Put that pedal down!”

The roared into the parking garage next to the office building and plowed through the guard gate shouting, “We’ll explain later. Call the cops!” as they went through and sped to the top floor. As they reached the last floor of the parking garage they leaped out of the car, ran into the building, through the sliding doors, and starting bolting up the steps to the rooftop exit.

As the ran through the door they saw five men standing around a few bags. As soon as the men saw them they drew their guns and pointed them at George and Wolf, George had already drawn his before going through the door and shouted to them, “Heartbeat PD, put your guns down and step away from the bags!”

“Fuck you pig!” one of the men shouted as he started firing his gun, driving Wolf and George back through the door.

“Shit, Wolf,” George shouted over the gunfire, “We’re out numbered, out gunned, and out of fire extinguishers. Any bright ideas?”

Wolf looked around and his eyes came to rest on a fire hose that ran the length of the wall in the hallway leading to the roof, “If I can hit them with a high pressure spray from the fire hose without sending the bags over the roof we might be able to knock them down and then you’ll be able to hold them at gun point.”

“Sounds like a plan,” George said, “I don’t think you’ll be able to hold onto the hose though. It’ll lift you off the ground. You’d better leave that to me,” he said as he made his way to the hose and unhooked it from the wall, “You turn it on and I’ll give them hell.”

“Sounds good, “Wolf said as he took hold of the wheel that would turn on the water and George took his place to the left of the open door, “On three. One. Two. Three!”

The wheel turned, the water came jetting out, and George spun into the open doorway aiming it at the thugs. Two of them went over the guard rail and fell twenty flights to the pavement below. The others hit the ground and lost their guns in the torrent of water. The bags moved a little, but it was evident that they were water proof and heavy. Once they hit the guard rail they stopped. Wolf shut the water off after a moment and they walked out towards the three soaked and confused criminals.

George drew his gun and pointed it at the thugs, “Keep your hands where I can see them, boys, you’re under arrest for endangering the public safety.”

“Fuck,” one of the thugs said, “It don’t matter if you caught us, there are others.”

“We know,” Wolf said, “We’ve got a list. As soon as we get you back to the station we’ll have every cop in the city rounding up your crew.”

Wolf spent the half hour they were waiting for the rest of the officers to arrive on the scene looking over the list of places that attacks would be launched. It looked like most were scheduled for the night or for the next day. The cops would have plenty of time to organize and round up the assholes involved in this mess.


“I’d have thought the cops would get here sooner with two bodies at the bottom of the building,” Wolf said to George.

“Well,” George replied, “You have any idea how many jumper suicides we have in this city every day?”

“Too many,” Wolf agreed.

“Wolf/” George asked his friend.

“Yeah George,” Wolf said as he continued to look over the list of names.

“I have this feeling that this all went a little too easily,” George said.

“You know,” Wolf said with a worried look in his blue eyes, “I know exactly what you mean.”

“You guys,” George said to the thugs sitting on the roof with them.

“What?” the leader asked.

“Do you know what this stuff that you were gonna pour over the school does to people?” George asked.

“Not really,” the leader admitted, “Do you?”

“It turns people into living zombies,” George said coldly.

As they were talking several officers finally made they’re way up the steps waiving guns and barking orders.

George showed them his badge, “Detective George Parlance. Take these men into custody. They’re connected to the Melissa McDaniels case.”

“Yes sir,” one of the officers replied.

“You there,” George said pointing to a tall young officer with brown hair and pale green eyes, “I need you to call in this list of names, locations, and times,” he said as he snatched the list away form Wolf, “These are places the group plans to launch attacks from.”

“Right away sir,” the officer responded before getting on his walkie talkie and calling in the locations and times.

“George,” Wolf said to his friend, “I think you and I better talk to Melissa. I have a feeling we’re missing a big part of the puzzle here.”

“You’re right,” George agreed as he started down the stairs with Wolf following close behind, “We’ll get her to crack.”

They sped off to Heartbeat Police Department head quarters in the car they’d taken from the thugs back at Melissa’s warehouse.

“Any idea what part we’re missing?” George asked.

“I think she has to have some partner working with her,” Wolf said, “It seems like a lot of organization for someone as clearly unstable as her.”

“That’s a good point, Wolf,” George agreed, “The question is, how do we get her to sell out her partner?”

“I have an idea or two,” Wolf said slyly.

“You gonna let me know what those ideas are?” George asked.

“All in due time,” Wolf said with a wink.

They pulled up to Heartbeat City Police Department Headquarters and parked just outside the main entrance. The crumbling bricks, graffitied sign, broken and patched windows, and general dilapidation made it clear that not a lot of tax money made it to the police force. It was really no wonder that so many cops were on the take, they wouldn’t be able to afford their rent, food, or families if they just lived on the meager wages the force paid them.

The front door hung by one bent hinge and it was a wonder that the door swung open at all, “I thought they were going to fix that,” Wolf said to George.

“That?” George said waving at the door, “We did fix it, then some nut-case asshole drove a motorcycle in through the door. At least it was easy to make an arrest.”

“Heh,” Wolf laughed a little, “That would be a lot funnier if I wasn’t sure it was probably true… and if the fate of the city didn’t rest on us being able get a crazy woman to sell out her accomplice.”

“It’s still funny,” George said, “I can’t help it if you can’t handle a little stress.”


As they walked into the Headquarters for Heartbeat PD wolf took in the view. Several men that Wolf knew worked for the Four Families on a regular basis had already been bright in which meant the usually lackluster cops of Heartbeat had actually managed to do something right.

“Where’s Miss McDaniels?” George asked the old sargent at the front desk.

“She’s back in solitary. Almost took off a rookie’s ear on the way in,” the old grizzled man said, “She’s been ranting about putting an end to Heartbeat since we brought her in.”

“Thanks Paul,” George said as he lead Wolf back to the Solitary confinement units.

“Think she’ll talk?” George asked again.

“I’m pretty sure,” Wolf replied as they approached the cell.

The door to the solitary confinement cell opened with a slow creak. George walked in first followed quickly by Wolf. On a dingy old bed with sheets that hadn’t been changed in a decade sat Melissa McDaniels. She had regained her calm since being brought to the cell and turned to them, “Wolf, George, good to see you two.”

“Not at all the same sentiment here, lady,” George said as looked down at the mastermind behind the plot to poison the entire city, “We have some questions for you. We’d like you to come with us to a more comfortable room.”

“You can ask any questions you like,” she replied with a saccharine voice so sweet the words nearly put Wolf into a sugar coma.

George clapped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrists and lead her out of the room towards the interrogation chamber, “Hope you don’t mind the jewelry,” he said.

When they’d all sat down in the large white room with a mirror on one side George leaned across the table towards the maniac, “We know you have a partner,” he said to her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied calmly.

“So,” Wolf said, “You don’t know anything about an older man who’s been working with you from the start on this thing? He knows you and he’s ready to sell you out to make his time easier.”

Her eyes narrowed, “That son of a bitch,” she spat out, “Moors, I swear to God, I will get you for this shit.”

“Alan Moors?” George asked, “As in Moors Industries, Moors?”

“You didn’t know,” she said.

“And the cupi doll goes to the smart girl in the front row!” Wolf joked.

“Fuck you,” she said coldly, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Why?” Wolf asked, “I’d just want to know why you felt that you needed to kill the will of the whole city.”

“They don’t deserve free will,” she said, “they ruin the city. I offer them the bliss of being free of decisions. Free of thinking for themselves. It’s what they really want anyway.”

“You think you’re doing the city a favor with this poison? Taking away everything that they are and just leaving husks?”

“At least they’ll be useful husks,” she replied coldly, “You should understand. There won’t really be anymore crime after this,” she said to George, “As an officer of the law you must be able to appreciate the peace that it would bring.”

“Lady,” George said to her, “The only thing I appreciate about you is the way you look behind bars.”

“C’mon,” Wolf said to George, “I think it’s time we paid Mr Moors a visit.”

George poked his head back out of the room into the hall, “Hey Stiger, put this bird back in her cage. I’ve got some business to discuss with her partner.”

“Yes sir,” the young officer replied and took Melissa back to her cell as Wolf and George headed back out. George stopped by the front desk for a minute on the way out. He had the sargent requisition a car, a pair of cuffs, and a second clip for his gun.

“Okay,” George said as they climbed into the police car, “We’re going to talk to one of the largest business owners in Heartbeat with little more than the word of a mad woman and a bag of hunches.”

“Pretty much,” Wolf replied.

“Well,” George said, “As long as we’re on the same page with this shit.”

Heartbeat was buzzing with the movement of cop cars and flashing lights. The officers were arresting everyone they could on the list, and staking out the places that were empty but scheduled. It wouldn’t be long before the immediate danger was wrapped up. However, as long as Moors was free the long term danger wouldn’t be over.

“I can’t really force them to let me into the office without a warrant,” George said to Wolf.

“That’s okay,” Wolf replied, “You think you can be loud and distracting for a minute?”

“Sure as hell,” George replied as they puled up outside of the office building.

George burst in through the front doors and Wolf slipped in behind him, “Hey there,” George shouted at the security guard at the front desk, “I’m here to talk to Moors.”

The guard looked at him sharply, “Mr Moors doesn’t see anyone without an appointment.”

“I’m Detective George Parlance with Heartbeat PD,” George said with a thump of his fist on the desk for emphasis, “He’ll see me if he knows what’s good for him. He’s under investigation in connection with a woman who tried to poison the city.”

“I don’t care if you’re the Pope,” the guard said sternly, “No one sees Mr Moors without an appointment. Unless you have some sort of warrant I’ll need you to leave the building now.”

Wolf slipped by the front desk as the guard was busy speaking with George and into the stair well. He started climbing the flights of stairs towards the top floor. An old school business man like Moors would have an office at the top.

When he’d made it to the twenty third floor he took a moment to compose himself before stepping into the plush office hallway. He spotted a mail cart that had been left unattended and decided to push it along to keep people from wondering why he was there. If they saw the cart and the shabby clothes they’d just assume he was someone on the low end of the corporate totem pole and leave him alone.

“Excuse me,” he said as he held a stack of papers towards to a sharply dressed business man as he walked by, “I’m new and supposed to deliver these to Mr Moors.”

He’s the last office on the left,” the man replied without stopping his gate as he continued down the hall.

“Thanks,” Wolf called after him.

Wolf let the cart sit there and continued to the last office on the left. He kicked the door in, walked up to the desk with a man in his early fifties behind it, sat down with a solid thud and said, “Mr Moors, right?”

“Yes,” the older man replied, “And to whom to I have the pleasure of speaking?”

“I’m Wolf,” he said, “And you’d best keep your hands up on top of the desk and away form that panic button.”

“Ah,” the older gentleman said as he placed his hands together on top of the desk, “I see you’re a rather sharp young man.”

“Sharper than a needle,” Wolf replied, “and so much more.”

“Heh,” the older man laughed lightly, “What is it that brings you to my office, Mr Wolf?”

“I understand that you’ve had dealings with a Miss McDaniels,” Wolf said as he leaned in closer.

“Never heard of the woman,” Moors replied.

“Really?” Wolf asked, “Because she is very familiar with you.”

“It sounds like someone is telling you a tall tale,” Moors replied without breaking a sweat.

“I’m not a cop,” Wolf said, “I’m just a private dick that got pulled into some bad business.”

“I see,” replied Moors.

“If you’re involved,” Wolf said, “I want you to know that I’ll find out.”

“If I were ever involved with that woman,” Moors replied coldly, “Neither you nor Heartbeat’s fine police officers would ever find any proof.”

“You killed Olivia, you’ll let your partner go to jail. You’re one cold son of a bitch,” Wolf said.

“Olivia?” the older man asked, “Would that be Miss Crast. I’m sorry to hear that. She was a friend of the family,” he replied with a sly smile.

“I’m going to figure out how you’re connected and destroy you,” Wolf said, “You’ll pay for what you did to that woman, to me, and tried to do to Heartbeat.”

“Ah Wilkins,” Moors said as he looked past Wolf to a large security officer who looked more like a back alley thug, “If you could show Mr Wolf here the way back out of the building that would be splendid. He and I are done.”

“We’re not done, Moors,” Wolf said as the large guard lifted him out of the seat and half dragged him out of the office.

“We are,” Moors said coldly, “Have a nice day, Mr Wolf.”

Wolf felt the pavement hit his hands and knees hard as he just barely kept his face from following close behind. The pain was not eased by his bruised ego.

“So,” George said as he leaned against the cop car, “I see that you’re conversation with Moors went well.”

“Oh yeah,” Wolf replied as he stood up and dusted off his pants, “just fucking peachy.”

“Sometimes,” George said, “You’ve got to take the battles that you win and leave the war for another day.”

“I know George,” Wolf said sadly.

“Think he’ll take action against you?” George asked.

“Naw,” Wolf said, “He thinks I’m so far beneath him that I’m not even a buzzing fly. That hubris will catch up with him.”

“Let’s get back to the station,” George said as he climbed into the car, “We can get the case against you dropped before there’s any need for a trial. We already know who the real killers are and have the recording of the confession thanks to you.”

“Moors could still manufacture more of that poison and do this all over again,” Wolf said.

“He knows we’re watching now,” George said, “He doesn’t seem like the type to take a risk like this twice.”

“You’re probably right,” Wolf said.

“Of course I am,” George said as they started to drive back to Heartbeat PD headquarters.

“It feels odd to not be on the run anymore,” Wolf said to his friend, “Now it’s back to waiting for a client and trying to figure out new ways to cook ramen noodles.”

“You can come have dinner at my place,” George said.

“Really?” Wolf said, “Thanks man.”

“You have to bring your own ramen though,” George said with a smile, “I can’t afford ramen for both of us.”

Wolf burst out in loud and uncontrollable laughter for about ten minutes before finally wiping the tears from his eyes and catching his breath again, “Thanks, George, I needed that.”

“No problem man,” George said with a wink, “but seriously bring your own ramen.”

The drive back to the station seemed to stretch on for hours though it really only took about fifteen minutes. The combination of being blocked from taking down Moors with the relief of finally being free of the charges against him had Wolf drifting off to sleep just as they pulled back up to the Headquarters.


“C’mon Wolf,” George said as he nudged Wolf awake, “We’ve got to go fill out some paperwork.”

“Hmm,” Wolf said as he woke up and climbed out of the car, “Paperwork, now I remember why i never became a cop.”

“You never became a cop because you have problems with authority,” George said, “I remember back when we went to school together. There was that teacher that always called you on your shit.”

“Steineger?” Wolf asked.

“Yeah, I think that was his name,” George agreed, “the shop teacher. You took apart the principals car and then put it back together in his classroom.”

“Well I had to get the auto shop club to help,” Wolf admitted.

“Steineger had to spend the entire summer taking it apart and putting back together in the Principals garage, since he couldn’t prove you did it.”

“It worked out for him in the long run,” Wolf said, “He and the principal ended up married two years later.”

“You do seem to have a shit ton of luck,” George said, “Must make up for you not really being a good detective.”

“Hey man,” Wolf said quickly with a wink, “Lucky is good.”

The paperwork at the station took about three hours, but at the end Wolf was allowed to go back to his office for the night. He told George goodbye and decided to swing by Celia’s to pick up Grendle before making his way back to the office.

“Hey,” Celia said as she answered the door, “You here for Grendle?”

“Yeah,” Wolf replied, “You going to ask me about how everything turned out.”

“You don’t look like you’re about to fall over dead,” she said, “and you’re here to get your dog, so I assume you’ve worked everything out.”

“Grendle,” Celia called back into her apartment, “You want to take off with this loser?”

Grendle perked up for a moment looked at Wolf and then laid back down.

“Hey buddy,” Wolf said to his dog, “Is that any way to treat your best friend?”

“Well it looks like the mutt wants to stay,” Celia said.

“I think he’s just being difficult,” Wolf said as he walked into her apartment.

“I was talking about you,” Celia said as she closed the door behind them.

“Sounds like you want me to stay,” Wolf said as he moved closer to her and swept her up into his arms.

“I don’t know,” she said, “I think I’d have a better idea of whether or not I want you to stay after you get cleaned up a bit.”

“You want to take a shower with me?” Wolf asked.

“You take a shower,” Celia replied as she pushed him away, “I’ll wait out here.”

“Okay,” Wolf agreed as he headed back towards the bathroom to get cleaned up.

The shower had two heads pointing in opposite directions Celia had told Wolf that it was because the liked the cross stream of hot water, that it left her feeling cleaner, but he couldn’t help think that two shower heads made it easier for two people to shower at the same time.

The hot water took away a lot of the stress and all of the grime of the last couple of days as Wolf let it do its work, “It’s been too long since I could relax,” Wolf thought to himself as he lathered the soap on and watched the grey suds eventually run white and twirl down the drain.

“I wonder why Celia is suddenly so ready to keep me around,” Wolf thought to himself as he climbed out of the shower and toweled off, “Considering the fist to the face I got when I showed up just a few days ago I’d expect her to send me and Grendle off as soon as I showed up.”

Wolf noticed that Celia had set out some of the clothes he’d left behind when they parted ways. They were still clean, pressed, and ready to be worn. He dressed quickly, shaved his face with a razor he found in the medicine cabinet, and wandered back out to the living room.

“Hey, Celia,” Wolf called out, “Where are you?”

“Right here,” She said from the hallway to his right as she pulled the trigger on a taser and the two metal leads stuck into Wolf sending current rushing painfully through his body. As Wolf lay on the floor dazed, Celia knelt down with a syringe full of something and injected him with it. The corners of his world frayed, grew dark, and he lost consciousness.

“Don’t worry,” he could hear her voice as if it were growing distant.


As the drug slowly wore off Wolf strained to take note of his surroundings while keeping his eyes closed. He knew from experience that people often let information slip if they thought that their prisoner was still unconscious. He could tell that the chair he was tied to was made of wood, the air smell musty with the scent of heavy machine oils. It was most likely that he was in an old factory that had been closed down. TO his left he could hear someone shifting back and forth impatiently in an old office chair that creaked with each shift and ground dust beneath wheels as it rolled slightly.

“How long is that shit going to keep him passed out?” he heard Celia ask someone who must have also been in the room.

“It varies,” a familiar and controlled voice replied, “Some are knocked out for an hour or two, some stay out for a day.”

“You said he’d be fine,” Celia said to the man.

“He will be,” Wolf could tell that the voice was definitely Moors by this point, “He might just take a little while to wake up. You really don’t have to wait here.”

“I’d rather keep my eye on you,” she said sternly.

“I assure you-” Moors started.

“You can assure me all you like,” Celia interrupted, “I agreed to bring him here so you could talk to him, I want to make sure that’s all you do.”

“As you like,” Moors replied as he stood up, “I’ll return in an hour. I have business to attend to. Mr Avery will be able to get you anything you need in the mean time.”

“Thanks,” Celia answered nervously, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

After Mr Moors long strides echoed into the distance Wolf listened closely to the world around him. Anything he could figure out before letting them know he was conscious was a potential point of leverage. There was a source of slow dripping water or oil a few feet to his left, a breeze of random strength from  behind him and to the right (probably a window or door leading outside), he eventually heard the heavy footsteps of what he assumed was Mr Avery from about the same location as the source of the breeze. If the thug was standing near it, chances were that was a door and a way to freedom. The rope tied around his wrists was about an inch thick. Luckily for Wolf most people seemed to not understand that larger rope left larger gaps. There was a good chances he’d be able to wriggle free of the knots if no one were watching him for a few minutes. Celia’s breathing was uneven, probably a combination of nerves and fear.

“You gonna be okay for a minute?” Wolf heard a deep voice ask Celia after about an hour.

“Yeah,” Celia replied, “Why?”

“I need to get some dinner and coffee. You want anything?” the man asked.

“No,” Celia responded, “nothing.”

“Okay,” the man said, “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

Wolf heard a heavy metal door scrape across the floor and then swing shut again as the man left.

“Wolf,” Celia said after a few minutes, “Wolf are you awake and just pretending to be passed out? You used to do this when we were dating.”

Wolf continued to play possum while Celia talked to him. She’d drugged him and brought him here, but from the sound of it she was being pressured by Moors and his people and still trying to make sure he was safe. He wanted to trust her, but the position she’d put him in made it difficult.

“You gonna be okay for a minute?” Wolf heard a deep voice ask Celia after about an hour.

“Yeah,” Celia replied, “Why?”

“I need to get some dinner and coffee. You want anything?” the man asked.

“No,” Celia responded, “nothing.”

“Okay,” the man said, “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

Wolf heard a heavy metal door scrape across the floor and then swing shut again as the man left.

“Wolf,” Celia said after a few minutes, “Wolf are you awake and just pretending to be passed out? You used to do this when we were dating.”

Wolf continued to play possum while Celia talked to him. She’d drugged him and brought him here, but from the sound of it she was being pressured by Moors and his people and still trying to make sure he was safe. He wanted to trust her, but the position she’d put him in made it difficult.

As the drug slowly wore off Wolf strained to take note of his surroundings while keeping his eyes closed. He knew from experience that people often let information slip if they thought that their prisoner was still unconscious. He could tell that the chair he was tied to was made of wood, the air smell musty with the scent of heavy machine oils. It was most likely that he was in an old factory that had been closed down. To his left he could hear someone shifting back and forth impatiently in an old office chair that creaked with each shift and ground dust beneath wheels as it rolled slightly.

“How long is that shit going to keep him passed out?” he heard Celia ask someone who must have also been in the room.

“It varies,” a familiar and controlled voice replied, “Some are knocked out for an hour or two, some stay out for a day.”

“You said he’d be fine,” Celia said to the man.

“He will be,” Wolf could tell that the voice was definitely Moors by this point, “He might just take a little while to wake up. You really don’t have to wait here.”

“I’d rather keep my eye on you,” she said sternly.

“I assure you-” Moors started.

“You can assure me all you like,” Celia interrupted, “I agreed to bring him here so you could talk to him, I want to make sure that’s all you do.”

“As you like,” Moors replied as he stood up, “I’ll return in an hour. I have business to attend to. Mr Avery will be able to get you anything you need in the mean time.”

“Thanks,” Celia answered nervously, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

After Mr Moors long strides echoed into the distance Wolf listened closely to the world around him. Anything he could figure out before letting them know he was conscious was a potential point of leverage. There was a source of slow dripping water or oil a few feet to his left, a breeze of random strength from  behind him and to the right (probably a window or door leading outside), he eventually heard the heavy footsteps of what he assumed was Mr Avery from about the same location as the source of the breeze. If the thug was standing near it, chances were that was a door and a way to freedom. The rope tied around his wrists was about an inch thick. Luckily for Wolf most people seemed to not understand that larger rope left larger gaps. There was a good chances he’d be able to wriggle free of the knots if no one were watching him for a few minutes. Celia’s breathing was uneven, probably a combination of nerves and fear.

“C’mon Wolf,” George said as he nudged Wolf awake, “We’ve got to go fill out some paperwork.”

“Hmm,” Wolf said as he woke up and climbed out of the car, “Paperwork, now I remember why i never became a cop.”

“You never became a cop because you have problems with authority,” George said, “I remember back when we went to school together. There was that teacher that always called you on your shit.”

“Steineger?” Wolf asked.

“Yeah, I think that was his name,” George agreed, “the shop teacher. You took apart the principals car and then put it back together in his classroom.”

“Well I had to get the auto shop club to help,” Wolf admitted.

“Steineger had to spend the entire summer taking it apart and putting back together in the Principals garage, since he couldn’t prove you did it.”

“It worked out for him in the long run,” Wolf said, “He and the principal ended up married two years later.”

“You do seem to have a shit ton of luck,” George said, “Must make up for you not really being a good detective.”

“Hey man,” Wolf said quickly with a wink, “Lucky is good.”

The paperwork at the station took about three hours, but at the end Wolf was allowed to go back to his office for the night. He told George goodbye and decided to swing by Celia’s to pick up Grendle before making his way back to the office.

“Hey,” Celia said as she answered the door, “You here for Grendle?”

“Yeah,” Wolf replied, “You going to ask me about how everything turned out.”

“You don’t look like you’re about to fall over dead,” she said, “and you’re here to get your dog, so I assume you’ve worked everything out.”

“Grendle,” Celia called back into her apartment, “You want to take off with this loser?”

Grendle perked up for a moment looked at Wolf and then laid back down.

“Hey buddy,” Wolf said to his dog, “Is that any way to treat your best friend?”

“Well it looks like the mutt wants to stay,” Celia said.

“I think he’s just being difficult,” Wolf said as he walked into her apartment.

“I was talking about you,” Celia said as she closed the door behind them.

“Sounds like you want me to stay,” Wolf said as he moved closer to her and swept her up into his arms.

“I don’t know,” she said, “I think I’d have a better idea of whether or not I want you to stay after you get cleaned up a bit.”

“You want to take a shower with me?” Wolf asked.

“You take a shower,” Celia replied as she pushed him away, “I’ll wait out here.”

“Okay,” Wolf agreed as he headed back towards the bathroom to get cleaned up.

The shower had two heads pointing in opposite directions Celia had told Wolf that it was because the liked the cross stream of hot water, that it left her feeling cleaner, but he couldn’t help think that two shower heads made it easier for two people to shower at the same time.

The hot water took away a lot of the stress and all of the grime of the last couple of days as Wolf let it do its work, “It’s been too long since I could relax,” Wolf thought to himself as he lathered the soap on and watched the grey suds eventually run white and twirl down the drain.

“I wonder why Celia is suddenly so ready to keep me around,” Wolf thought to himself as he climbed out of the shower and toweled off, “Considering the fist to the face I got when I showed up just a few days ago I’d expect her to send me and Grendle off as soon as I showed up.”

Wolf noticed that Celia had set out some of the clothes he’d left behind when they parted ways. They were still clean, pressed, and ready to be worn. He dressed quickly, shaved his face with a razor he found in the medicine cabinet, and wandered back out to the living room.

“Hey, Celia,” Wolf called out, “Where are you?”

“Right here,” She said from the hallway to his right as she pulled the trigger on a taser and the two metal leads stuck into Wolf sending current rushing painfully through his body. As Wolf lay on the floor dazed, Celia knelt down with a syringe full of something and injected him with it. The corners of his world frayed, grew dark, and he lost consciousness.

“Don’t worry,” he could hear her voice as if it were growing distant.

As they walked into the Headquarters for Heartbeat PD wolf took in the view. Several men that Wolf knew worked for the Four Families on a regular basis had already been bright in which meant the usually lackluster cops of Heartbeat had actually managed to do something right.

“Where’s Miss McDaniels?” George asked the old sargent at the front desk.

“She’s back in solitary. Almost took off a rookie’s ear on the way in,” the old grizzled man said, “She’s been ranting about putting an end to Heartbeat since we brought her in.”

“Thanks Paul,” George said as he lead Wolf back to the Solitary confinement units.

“Think she’ll talk?” George asked again.

“I’m pretty sure,” Wolf replied as they approached the cell.

The door to the solitary confinement cell opened with a slow creak. George walked in first followed quickly by Wolf. On a dingy old bed with sheets that hadn’t been changed in a decade sat Melissa McDaniels. She had regained her calm since being brought to the cell and turned to them, “Wolf, George, good to see you two.”

“Not at all the same sentiment here, lady,” George said as looked down at the mastermind behind the plot to poison the entire city, “We have some questions for you. We’d like you to come with us to a more comfortable room.”

“You can ask any questions you like,” she replied with a saccharine voice so sweet the words nearly put Wolf into a sugar coma.

George clapped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrists and lead her out of the room towards the interrogation chamber, “Hope you don’t mind the jewelry,” he said.

When they’d all sat down in the large white room with a mirror on one side George leaned across the table towards the maniac, “We know you have a partner,” he said to her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied calmly.

“So,” Wolf said, “You don’t know anything about an older man who’s been working with you from the start on this thing? He knows you and he’s ready to sell you out to make his time easier.”

Her eyes narrowed, “That son of a bitch,” she spat out, “Moors, I swear to God, I will get you for this shit.”

“Alan Moors?” George asked, “As in Moors Industries, Moors?”

“You didn’t know,” she said.

“And the cupi doll goes to the smart girl in the front row!” Wolf joked.

“Fuck you,” she said coldly, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Why?” Wolf asked, “I’d just want to know why you felt that you needed to kill the will of the whole city.”

“They don’t deserve free will,” she said, “they ruin the city. I offer them the bliss of being free of decisions. Free of thinking for themselves. It’s what they really want anyway.”

“You think you’re doing the city a favor with this poison? Taking away everything that they are and just leaving husks?”

“At least they’ll be useful husks,” she replied coldly, “You should understand. There won’t really be anymore crime after this,” she said to George, “As an officer of the law you must be able to appreciate the peace that it would bring.”

“Lady,” George said to her, “The only thing I appreciate about you is the way you look behind bars.”

“C’mon,” Wolf said to George, “I think it’s time we paid Mr Moors a visit.”

George poked his head back out of the room into the hall, “Hey Stiger, put this bird back in her cage. I’ve got some business to discuss with her partner.”

“Yes sir,” the young officer replied and took Melissa back to her cell as Wolf and George headed back out. George stopped by the front desk for a minute on the way out. He had the sargent requisition a car, a pair of cuffs, and a second clip for his gun.

“Okay,” George said as they climbed into the police car, “We’re going to talk to one of the largest business owners in Heartbeat with little more than the word of a mad woman and a bag of hunches.”

“Pretty much,” Wolf replied.

“Well,” George said, “As long as we’re on the same page with this shit.”

Heartbeat was buzzing with the movement of cop cars and flashing lights. The officers were arresting everyone they could on the list, and staking out the places that were empty but scheduled. It wouldn’t be long before the immediate danger was wrapped up. However, as long as Moors was free the long term danger wouldn’t be over.

“I can’t really force them to let me into the office without a warrant,” George said to Wolf.

“That’s okay,” Wolf replied, “You think you can be loud and distracting for a minute?”

“Sure as hell,” George replied as they puled up outside of the office building.

George burst in through the front doors and Wolf slipped in behind him, “Hey there,” George shouted at the security guard at the front desk, “I’m here to talk to Moors.”

The guard looked at him sharply, “Mr Moors doesn’t see anyone without an appointment.”

“I’m Detective George Parlance with Heartbeat PD,” George said with a thump of his fist on the desk for emphasis, “He’ll see me if he knows what’s good for him. He’s under investigation in connection with a woman who tried to poison the city.”

“I don’t care if you’re the Pope,” the guard said sternly, “No one sees Mr Moors without an appointment. Unless you have some sort of warrant I’ll need you to leave the building now.”

Wolf slipped by the front desk as the guard was busy speaking with George and into the stair well. He started climbing the flights of stairs towards the top floor. An old school business man like Moors would have an office at the top.

When he’d made it to the twenty third floor he took a moment to compose himself before stepping into the plush office hallway. He spotted a mail cart that had been left unattended and decided to push it along to keep people from wondering why he was there. If they saw the cart and the shabby clothes they’d just assume he was someone on the low end of the corporate totem pole and leave him alone.

“Excuse me,” he said as he held a stack of papers towards to a sharply dressed business man as he walked by, “I’m new and supposed to deliver these to Mr Moors.”

He’s the last office on the left,” the man replied without stopping his gate as he continued down the hall.

“Thanks,” Wolf called after him.

Wolf let the cart sit there and continued to the last office on the left. He kicked the door in, walked up to the desk with a man in his early fifties behind it, sat down with a solid thud and said, “Mr Moors, right?”

“Yes,” the older man replied, “And to whom to I have the pleasure of speaking?”

“I’m Wolf,” he said, “And you’d best keep your hands up on top of the desk and away form that panic button.”

“Ah,” the older gentleman said as he placed his hands together on top of the desk, “I see you’re a rather sharp young man.”

“Sharper than a needle,” Wolf replied, “and so much more.”

“Heh,” the older man laughed lightly, “What is it that brings you to my office, Mr Wolf?”

“I understand that you’ve had dealings with a Miss McDaniels,” Wolf said as he leaned in closer.

“Never heard of the woman,” Moors replied.

“Really?” Wolf asked, “Because she is very familiar with you.”

“It sounds like someone is telling you a tall tale,” Moors replied without breaking a sweat.

“I’m not a cop,” Wolf said, “I’m just a private dick that got pulled into some bad business.”

“I see,” replied Moors.

“If you’re involved,” Wolf said, “I want you to know that I’ll find out.”

“If I were ever involved with that woman,” Moors replied coldly, “Neither you nor Heartbeat’s fine police officers would ever find any proof.”

“You killed Olivia, you’ll let your partner go to jail. You’re one cold son of a bitch,” Wolf said.

“Olivia?” the older man asked, “Would that be Miss Crast. I’m sorry to hear that. She was a friend of the family,” he replied with a sly smile.

“I’m going to figure out how you’re connected and destroy you,” Wolf said, “You’ll pay for what you did to that woman, to me, and tried to do to Heartbeat.”

“Ah Wilkins,” Moors said as he looked past Wolf to a large security officer who looked more like a back alley thug, “If you could show Mr Wolf here the way back out of the building that would be splendid. He and I are done.”

“We’re not done, Moors,” Wolf said as the large guard lifted him out of the seat and half dragged him out of the office.

“We are,” Moors said coldly, “Have a nice day, Mr Wolf.”

Wolf felt the pavement hit his hands and knees hard as he just barely kept his face from following close behind. The pain was not eased by his bruised ego.

“So,” George said as he leaned against the cop car, “I see that you’re conversation with Moors went well.”

“Oh yeah,” Wolf replied as he stood up and dusted off his pants, “just fucking peachy.”

“Sometimes,” George said, “You’ve got to take the battles that you win and leave the war for another day.”

“I know George,” Wolf said sadly.

“Think he’ll take action against you?” George asked.

“Naw,” Wolf said, “He thinks I’m so far beneath him that I’m not even a buzzing fly. That hubris will catch up with him.”

“Let’s get back to the station,” George said as he climbed into the car, “We can get the case against you dropped before there’s any need for a trial. We already know who the real killers are and have the recording of the confession thanks to you.”

“Moors could still manufacture more of that poison and do this all over again,” Wolf said.

“He knows we’re watching now,” George said, “He doesn’t seem like the type to take a risk like this twice.”

“You’re probably right,” Wolf said.

“Of course I am,” George said as they started to drive back to Heartbeat PD headquarters.

“It feels odd to not be on the run anymore,” Wolf said to his friend, “Now it’s back to waiting for a client and trying to figure out new ways to cook ramen noodles.”

“You can come have dinner at my place,” George said.

“Really?” Wolf said, “Thanks man.”

“You have to bring your own ramen though,” George said with a smile, “I can’t afford ramen for both of us.”

Wolf burst out in loud and uncontrollable laughter for about ten minutes before finally wiping the tears from his eyes and catching his breath again, “Thanks, George, I needed that.”

“No problem man,” George said with a wink, “but seriously bring your own ramen.”

The drive back to the station seemed to stretch on for hours though it really only took about fifteen minutes. The combination of being blocked from taking down Moors with the relief of finally being free of the charges against him had Wolf drifting off to sleep just as they pulled back up to the Headquarters.

“I’d have thought the cops would get here sooner with two bodies at the bottom of the building,” Wolf said to George.

“Well,” George replied, “You have any idea how many jumper suicides we have in this city every day?”

“Too many,” Wolf agreed.

“Wolf/” George asked his friend.

“Yeah George,” Wolf said as he continued to look over the list of names.

“I have this feeling that this all went a little too easily,” George said.

“You know,” Wolf said with a worried look in his blue eyes, “I know exactly what you mean.”

“You guys,” George said to the thugs sitting on the roof with them.

“What?” the leader asked.

“Do you know what this stuff that you were gonna pour over the school does to people?” George asked.

“Not really,” the leader admitted, “Do you?”

“It turns people into living zombies,” George said coldly.

As they were talking several officers finally made they’re way up the steps waiving guns and barking orders.

George showed them his badge, “Detective George Parlance. Take these men into custody. They’re connected to the Melissa McDaniels case.”

“Yes sir,” one of the officers replied.

“You there,” George said pointing to a tall young officer with brown hair and pale green eyes, “I need you to call in this list of names, locations, and times,” he said as he snatched the list away form Wolf, “These are places the group plans to launch attacks from.”

“Right away sir,” the officer responded before getting on his walkie talkie and calling in the locations and times.

“George,” Wolf said to his friend, “I think you and I better talk to Melissa. I have a feeling we’re missing a big part of the puzzle here.”

“You’re right,” George agreed as he started down the stairs with Wolf following close behind, “We’ll get her to crack.”

They sped off to Heartbeat Police Department head quarters in the car they’d taken from the thugs back at Melissa’s warehouse.

“Any idea what part we’re missing?” George asked.

“I think she has to have some partner working with her,” Wolf said, “It seems like a lot of organization for someone as clearly unstable as her.”

“That’s a good point, Wolf,” George agreed, “The question is, how do we get her to sell out her partner?”

“I have an idea or two,” Wolf said slyly.

“You gonna let me know what those ideas are?” George asked.

“All in due time,” Wolf said with a wink.

They pulled up to Heartbeat City Police Department Headquarters and parked just outside the main entrance. The crumbling bricks, graffitied sign, broken and patched windows, and general dilapidation made it clear that not a lot of tax money made it to the police force. It was really no wonder that so many cops were on the take, they wouldn’t be able to afford their rent, food, or families if they just lived on the meager wages the force paid them.

The front door hung by one bent hinge and it was a wonder that the door swung open at all, “I thought they were going to fix that,” Wolf said to George.

“That?” George said waving at the door, “We did fix it, then some nut-case asshole drove a motorcycle in through the door. At least it was easy to make an arrest.”

“Heh,” Wolf laughed a little, “That would be a lot funnier if I wasn’t sure it was probably true… and if the fate of the city didn’t rest on us being able get a crazy woman to sell out her accomplice.”

“It’s still funny,” George said, “I can’t help it if you can’t handle a little stress.”

“We’ll see about that,” George said as he kept the gun pointed at Melissa and Kyle.

They heard some footsteps climbing the stairs behind them and Wolf looked back as George kept his eye on the two criminals.

“The boys in blue,” Wolf said with a smile.

“Put the gun down and put your hands where I can see them,” one of them said as he drew his gun and pointed it at George.

“I’m Detective George Parlance,” George replied, “I’m going to reach into my coat and get my badge. I’m going to move very slowly,” he said to the officer as he retrieved his badge and then threw it back to him.

“I’m sorry detective,” the cop apologized, “it’s hard to tell who’s who with the plain clothes sometimes.”

“It happens,” George replied, “Now why don’t you fellas do something useful and get these two cuffed. They’re under arrest for attempting to poison the population of the city and fleeing the scene of the crime.”

“Yes sir,” the lead cop said as he gestured for two others to take Melissa and Kyle into custody, “Is everything under control? Is there anything else we need to look out for?”

“She says she has the chemical stashed around the city and people in place to see the plan through even if she’s caught,” George said, “We need to get her into an interrogation room and find out where this shit is as soon a possible.”

“Yes sir,” the cop replied, “Get them back to the precinct,” he called to the two officers that had just handcuffed the criminals. He handed George back his badge and apologized one more time.

“Wolf,” George said to his friend, “How the hell are we going to find all the shit she has stashed before someone creates an incident?”

“I’m thinking it’ll take a combination of luck, balls, and insanity,” Wolf said as he followed the officers down the stairs.

“Good thing I’m with you,” George replied, “You’re the luckiest mad man I’ve ever met.”

“Is this Wolf?” the lead officer asked as George and Wolf made it to the bottom floor of the office.

“Yes,” George said.

“We’ve got some new evidence in his case,” the officer said, “but we’ll still need him to come down to the station to answer some questions.”

“I’ll bring him in,” George replied coldly.

“I understand that he’s a friend of yours sir, but-” the office started.

“I said, I’ll bring him in,” George said sternly.

“Yes sir,” the officer said as he realized there was no way for him to win that argument.

“I’ll also need your gun and your cuffs,” George said to the young officer.

“Sir?” the cop asked in confusion.

“They took mine,” George said, “and I still have business to take care of before I make it back to the station.”

“Sir, I don’t… uh” the officer looked conflicted.

“Are you going back to the station?” George asked.

“Yes sir,” the officer admitted.

“Do you usually fire your gun and cuff people at the station?” George asked.

“No sir,” the cop replied.

“Then which of us do you think needs to have a gun and cuffs right now?” George asked sternly.

“You sir,” the young police man replied.

“Then hand them over,” George told the young man.

“Yes sir,” he replied as he handed over his gun and hand cuffs.

“Thank you,” George told him, “I’ll make sure I mention your stellar cooperation in my report. What was your name again?”

“Harris,” the young cop relied, “Alexander Harris, sir.”

“Well Harris,” George said, “Thank you.”

George and Wolf went back to the car they’d taken from one of the thugs at the water reclamation and distribution center and got in.

“Where to?” George asked Wolf.

“I think it’s time to take care of some Family business,” Wolf replied, “If you feel like you can get this bucket to the Adrian Arturo office complex. I know of one of the higher level people in the Four Families conducts his business.”

“You think someone in the Four Families is going to help us?” George asked.

“I think the people further up the chain didn’t know that Melissa was planning to lobotomize the better portion of Heartbeat. There’s not a lot of profit to be made in a city full of people that can’t manage themselves. The Four Families relies heavily on people watching out for their own interests. A populace that can barely function is almost as useless as a dead population. They want to rule the city, not destroy it.”

“I hope you’re right,” George said as he started the engine and took off towards the glimmering towers of glass and metal known as the Adrian Arturo Office Complex.

“I don’t like the idea of trying to bargain with the devil,” George said to Wolf as they drove through the city.

“Sometimes the devil is the only one willing to make a deal,” Wolf replied, “God is surprisingly stingy about bartering.”

George laughed loudly, “Yeah, God is kind of a hard bargainer.”

They rolled up to the Adrian Arturo buildings and Wolf guided George to the right one.

“Who are we going to see?” George asked as they climbed out of the car.

“His name is Arthur Lee,” Wolf replied, “He’s in charge of most of the accounting and money laundering the Four Families are involved in.”

“And you think we can trust someone in charge of laundering money?” George asked his old friend.

“I think we can trust him to look after his interests,” Wolf said, “and he is interested in keeping the economy of Heartbeat City active. If no one has a will of their own they won’t be buying things, taking loans, gambling and so on. If all of that stops, then he’s is shit out of luck.”

“Good point,” George said as they walked into the office building.

They walked up to the receptionist and Wolf said, “We’re here to see Mr Lee.”

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked.

“No, we’re here on family business,” Wolf replied.

“I see,” the receptionist said, “and who should I say is here.

James Wolf and Detective George Parlance,” George said.

“Wolf?” the receptionist asked nervously.

“Yes, Wolf,” Wolf replied.

“I’ll let him know,” she said as she stood up and headed for the office door, “Please have a seat.”

Wolf and George remained standing as they waited for the receptionist to return.

“Ten bucks says the receptionist comes back with a gun,” George said to Wolf.

“Twenty says she comes back with two big guys with guns and has us escorted in to see Lee,” Wolf replied.

After about ten minutes the receptionist returned with a large brutish looking man following close behind, “This is Mr Porter. He’ll show you into the office,” the receptionist said as she brushed back a stray lock of red hair form her face, “I’ll have to ask you to leave any weapons here.”

“Like hell,” George cursed, “I’m a Detective with Heartbeat PD, I’m leaving my gun with some office secretary.”

“You’ll need to leave your gun or Mr Porter will have to show you out,” she responded calmly.

“Give her the gun, George,” Wolf said, “We don’t have time to argue.”

“Fuck,” George said as he pulled the gun out from his belt, “Fine, but there better not be bullet one missing from it when I get back.”

“We’ll make sure to take perfect care of it, Mr Parlance,” the receptionist replied as she put the gun in her desk drawer, “Do you have anything to leave here, Mr Wolf?”

“I don’t carry guns,” Wolf replied.

“:Then you won’t mind if Mr Porter checks?” she asked.

“Of course not,” Wolf replied as the large man started frisking him for weapons. He pulled out Wolf’s pocket knife, lock picks, USB key, and several other items that could be used as weapons. The receptionist collected these is a small metal basket and added them to the drawer with George’s gun.

“Gentlemen,” she said as she waved towards the door, “Please follow Mr Porter. He’ll see you in.”

“Thanks,” Wolf said as they followed Porter into the office.

As they walked into the office Wolf noticed the opulence of the teak wood desk, the thick oriental carpet, the antique chairs, and the various objet du art. Behind the desk sat a wizened old man in a well tailored suit with a overpowering and practiced smile.

“Please,” Lee said, “Have a seat. I understand you have business to discuss with me. I’ve heard that you have had a busy week.”

“You could say that,” Wolf replied as he and George sat down opposite of Lee.

“Now,” Lee said, “What is this urgent family business you need to discuss?”

“We’d like to discuss the drug that Melissa McDaniels planned to release into the water supply, and then attempted to release via helicopter, and claims she will still be able to have released by co-conspirators from within prison,” George replied.

“I’m not familiar with Miss McDaniels,” Lee said with a stone cold calm face and voice, “Could you tell me what the drug was designed to do?”

“It would have left the better portion of the city without any sense of personal will,” Wolf replied, “Essentially leaving them living zombies. Since it would be in the water supply or the air it would effect many people. Most likely including you.”

“I see,” Mr Lee said, “and you think that I might be able to help you find these comrades of hers? What would make you think I’d have any idea about where criminals hide?”

“Mr Lee,” Wolf replied, “We don’t really have time to play games. I know you’re part of the Four Families, George here will be more than willing to ignore that and list you as a anonymous witness, but we need you to use your connections in the family to help us find these men and the drug they intend to release. You do understand how bad something like this will be for everyone, including you and the Family, don’t you?”

Lee was silent for a moment, “Mr Porter, please bring me the secured line, I have some phone calls I need to place.”

“Yes sir,” the large man replied as he lumbered out of the office.

“If you two gentlemen will step back out into the lobby,” Mr Lee said as he waved towards the door, “I’ll see if I can pull some strings. I do have favors that I can call in, but I must impress, I have nothing to do with the Four Families. Is that understood?”

George started to say something but Wolf stopped him, “Of course Mr Lee, we understand completely and appreciate you bringing your considerable resources and connections to our aid in this investigation.” He said as he and George stood up to leave the office, “We’ll be out in the lobby until we hear from you.”

While they sat waiting in the lobby George and Wolf were handed back their belongings by the shapely blond receptionist, “I think you’ll find everything in order,” she said as she passed the basket back to them.

George checked the clip of the gun and then returned it to his belt. Wolf hid the lock picks, pocket knife, and the rest of his belongings in their proper places on his body.

“Is that a collection of handcuff keys?” George asked as he looked over at the stuff Wolf was stashing.

“Yeah,” Wolf said, “You never know when you’ll need to get out of a pair of handcuffs.”

“I feel like I should be more concerned about that than I am,” George said as he shrugged, “Ah well. What do you think is taking so long?”

“He probably has to pass messages through several layers of the Family in order to track down who was working for Melissa,” Wolf replied, “Keeping each other roughly in the dark is part of how the organization stays afloat. Plausible deniability.”

“Hmm” George replied, “Makes sense. Should have thought of that myself.”

“You would have,” Wolf replied, “It’s just that as an honest man you’re not in the habit of thinking dishonestly.”

“And you are?” he asked Wolf.

“I have to walk in a lot of darkness,” Wolf replied, “I do my best to keep myself free of becoming like the monsters around me, but when you spend so much time in the shadows… you start to wonder if you are a shadow.”

“You’re no shadow,” George said comfortingly.

“Thanks, George,” Wolf said with a small wince.

After about an hour the door to Lee’s office finally opened again and Porter walked out carrying a manila folder, “Mr Lee says that these are the people you’re after. These are the places they’ll be tonight, their home address, their home and cell phone numbers, and people that they have business with on a regular basis.”

Wolf stood up and took the folder form Porter’s meaty hand, “Thanks Porter. Tell Mr Lee that we’re grateful for his help.”

“Certainly, sir,” Porter said as he turned to go back into Lee’s office.

As they left the office building Wolf continued to leaf through the set of names and addresses.

“How can we be sure that’s all of them?” George asked, “After all, Lee is a top leader in a criminal organization.”

“We can’t be sure,” Wolf replied, “but it’s the best we have.”

“Sounds pretty much like I expected,” George replied.

“It looks like they’re planning to release a batch from a sky rise near the schools, about twenty minutes from now,” Wolf said as he stopped at a particular page that Lee had marked with a sticky note.

“Shit, C’mon get in the car, we can get there in five minutes,” George said as he looked at the address and climbed into the driver’s seat of the car.

George and Wolf sped through the streets of Heartbeat city, running red lights and swerving through traffic in a desperate move to make it to the office building next to the school. It was Carver Academies. A public school that had the elementary, middle school, and high school buildings all close together in a cluster. If the drug were released at the right time with the right wind current every child in that school would inhale it. There was no time to drive cautiously.

“Shit George,” Wolf shouted, “If we die on the way there, we can’t stop them from releasing the drug.”

“If we don’t haul ass,” George said back to him, “It won’t matter that we’re alive, because we’ll be too late.”

“Good point,” Wolf agreed, “Put that pedal down!”

The roared into the parking garage next to the office building and plowed through the guard gate shouting, “We’ll explain later. Call the cops!” as they went through and sped to the top floor. As they reached the last floor of the parking garage they leaped out of the car, ran into the building, through the sliding doors, and starting bolting up the steps to the rooftop exit.

As the ran through the door they saw five men standing around a few bags. As soon as the men saw them they drew their guns and pointed them at George and Wolf, George had already drawn his before going through the door and shouted to them, “Heartbeat PD, put your guns down and step away from the bags!”

“Fuck you pig!” one of the men shouted as he started firing his gun, driving Wolf and George back through the door.

“Shit, Wolf,” George shouted over the gunfire, “We’re out numbered, out gunned, and out of fire extinguishers. Any bright ideas?”

Wolf looked around and his eyes came to rest on a fire hose that ran the length of the wall in the hallway leading to the roof, “If I can hit them with a high pressure spray from the fire hose without sending the bags over the roof we might be able to knock them down and then you’ll be able to hold them at gun point.”

“Sounds like a plan,” George said, “I don’t think you’ll be able to hold onto the hose though. It’ll lift you off the ground. You’d better leave that to me,” he said as he made his way to the hose and unhooked it from the wall, “You turn it on and I’ll give them hell.”

“Sounds good, “Wolf said as he took hold of the wheel that would turn on the water and George took his place to the left of the open door, “On three. One. Two. Three!”

The wheel turned, the water came jetting out, and George spun into the open doorway aiming it at the thugs. Two of them went over the guard rail and fell twenty flights to the pavement below. The others hit the ground and lost their guns in the torrent of water. The bags moved a little, but it was evident that they were water proof and heavy. Once they hit the guard rail they stopped. Wolf shut the water off after a moment and they walked out towards the three soaked and confused criminals.

George drew his gun and pointed it at the thugs, “Keep your hands where I can see them, boys, you’re under arrest for endangering the public safety.”

“Fuck,” one of the thugs said, “It don’t matter if you caught us, there are others.”

“We know,” Wolf said, “We’ve got a list. As soon as we get you back to the station we’ll have every cop in the city rounding up your crew.”

Wolf spent the half hour they were waiting for the rest of the officers to arrive on the scene looking over the list of places that attacks would be launched. It looked like most were scheduled for the night or for the next day. The cops would have plenty of time to organize and round up the assholes involved in this mess.

As Wolf rolled the fire extinguisher out onto the metal walkway the sound of the metal mesh the walkway was made of and the extinguisher echoed off the walls. As it rolled close to the group of thugs they stared at it for a moment in confusion before George fired a bullet into it and the material inside burst out into their open eyes.

Wolf charged forward and punched the first guy with the momentum of his charge sending him sprawling back unconscious into two of his friends. Wolf heard a couple of guns hit the metal walkway as George barreled up into the fray. He lifted up two of the guys and swung the hard into the wall knocking the wind and the sense out of them. He let their unconscious bodies fall to the ground and then backhanded the last one, causing him to drop his gun as he hit the floor.

When the thugs managed to clear the fire extinguisher goop out of their eyes they were met with the sight of George pointing two pistols at them ready to fire.

“Heartbeat Police, freeze,” George said.

“You boys want to tell us what you were about to dump into the city water reservoir?” Wolf asked the men.

“We weren’t gonna dump nothin,” one of them responded.

“So those bags of chemicals over there, those are nothing?” George asked.

“Yeah,” the obvious leader replied, “They ain’t nothin.”

Wolf walked over to one of the bags and cut it open with his pocket knife. He pulled a little out on the blade of the knife and walked back towards the men, “So you don’t mind if I make you fine gentlemen eat this nothing, right?” He said as he moved it towards the mouth of the leader.

“Get that shit the fuck away from me!” the man shouted.

“Oh, I thought it was nothing,” Wolf said sarcastically, “You afraid of nothing?”

“Fuck you,” the man replied having regained some of his courage as the blade full of chemicals was moved away from him again, “You cops aren’t gonna feed me or my men anything potentially dangerous, even if it is nothing.”

“Well,” Wolf replied, “first off, I’m not a cop. Second,” he paused, “Hey George you see me making these guys take any potentially dangerous substance?”

“Naw, Wolf,” George replied with a wicked smile, “I see nothing.”

The leader chewed on his fear for a minute, “Fine,” he said, “it’s a chemical the boss told us to put in the water. She said it’d make Heartbeat city the perfect place. Full of easy money and mindless servants every block.”

“Good,” Wolf said, “I see you understand your position now. Where is your boss? Where is Melissa McDaniels?”

“She’s got a warehouse on Fourth Avenue,” the leader replied, “You might have stopped us from putting this batch in, but she’s got batches all over the city. She’ll make this happen  one way or another. Heartbeat will be our city.”

“Heartbeat belongs to decent people,” Wolf said, “You bunch of crooks and killers are nothing but squatters. The mobs, the Four Families, all of you will be pushed out.”

“Fucking optimists,” the leader of the group replied, “Fuck you. You’ve lost and you don’t even know it yet.”

“What’s the address of that warehouse?” Wolf asked coldly, “And you’d better tell me fast, or I’m going to lose my patience and feed you so full of this shit you were trying to poison the city with that you won’t be able to breath unless someone tells you.”

The leader rattled off the address and even gave detailed directions on how to get there. Wolf found some rope while George kept them under the guns and they tied the thugs up before heading back out to the car.

“Everything okay?” Brian asked.

“It’s safe for now,” Wolf replied, “There are six guys tied up in there. These are their guns,” he said as he handed them over to Brian, “There are also several bags of chemicals that need to be marked as evidence when the rest of the cops get here. Can you keep an eye on the thugs until they get here? And can you make another call the Heartbeat PD to let them know to meet us at this address on Fourth Street?” he asked as he passed a slip of paper to the security guard.

“Sure thing,” Brian replied as George and Wolf climbed into the Sedan and drove off fast enough to leave tire marks in the pavement and smoke in the air.

“Think she’ll still be at the warehouse?” George asked as they raced down the streets.

“I think she’s full of herself,” Wolf replied, “and that her self confidence will keep her from escaping.”

“She’ll be waiting there for us,” George replied, “Might even figure we’ll find her and show up.”

“We can count on that,” Wolf replied, “This whole time she’s been leading me to her. She has wanted me to be a witness to this since the beginning. To punish me.”

“You’re a real ladies man,” George quipped.

“Oh yeah,” Wolf said, “At least she’s not as crazy as my last girlfriend.

“The one who actually ended up in an asylum?” George asked.

“We prefer to call it a mental hospital,” Wolf said.

George laughed loudly, “At least with you the journey to my eventual certain death has comic relief.”

“Glad I can amuse,” Wolf replied as he made a sharp right onto Fourth Avenue.

“Don’t kill us before she does,” George said as he righted himself in the seat, “It’d be poor manners.”

“There’s the place,” Wolf said as he pointed towards a large warehouse with red loading dock doors.

“Do we sneak in?” George asked.

“Sure,” Wolf said as he hit the accelerator hard and drove straight towards one of the loading doors, “We sneak in.”

“Shit,” George said as he buckled his seat belt quickly and held the handle above the door.

The sound of tearing metal and scrapped concrete filled the air as the car tore through the docking doors and was quickly followed but the sound of tires skidding to a stop just inches away from a stack of wooden crates.

“Very stealthy, “George said sarcastically.

“Well,” Wolf replied, “I felt like making an entrance.”

Melissa was staring at the scene with a look of shocked horror.

Wolf stepped out of the car, “Hi honey, I’m home,” he said loudly while striding towards Melissa.

“You’re… you’re fucking insane,” she said.

George found the passenger door was jammed shut and had to crawl out the driver’s side after Wolf, “Lady,” he said, “You have no idea how completely bat shit nuts this son of a bitch is.”

“It’s true,” Wolf said, “On the plus side, I’ve never tried to enslave an entire city. So I think I have a little bit more in the sanity department than some people in this room.”

 ”Stop him,” She said to the two men at her side who started to reach for their guns.

George was quicker and pointed his pistol at them, “Don’t even think of drawing those,” he said sternly, “Take them out of the holsters, put them on the ground, and kick them this way. Nice and slow.”

The men looked at each other and silently agreed that it would be best to do as George told them. A few seconds later two pistols were on the floor in front of Wolf and George.

“It doesn’t matter,” Melissa replied, “by now there  water supply for the whole city is completely saturated with my new drug. Everyone in Heartbeat is destined to be completely servile.”

“You mean the bags of chemicals those six guys were supposed to dump into the main clean water reservoir?” George asked with a smile, “I don’t think that’s a problem anymore. Seeing as their tied up at the moment.”

Her eyes narrowed, “You think this is over? Just because you stopped the men at the reservoir? This isn’t over. I’ve got the chemical stashed all over the city. People waiting to follow up where others fail.”

“We’ll post police outside of the city reservoir from now on,” George replied, “No one is getting in there with random chemicals ever again. This is over.”

“Not even close to over,” she spat back venomously, “Kyle!” she shouted as the lights suddenly went out.

“Stay where you are!” George shouted as he tried to get his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Wolf felt someone brush against him and swung full force. When they could see again it was clear that Melissa, one of the thugs, and whoever Kyle was had managed to escape.

“Shit!” George swore.

Wolf slapped the face of the unconscious thug in an attempt to get him to wake up again, “Hey, buddy, wake the fuck up. We need to know where your boss has run off to.”

After a couple minutes the man’s eyes slowly opened, “Fuck, she ditched me,” he said angrily.

:She sure did,” Wolf replied.

Doesn’t matter,” the man said, “I’m still not gonna tell you nothin.”

“I see,” Wolf said, “That’s okay. I just want you to think about something before you really make the decision to not talk. I’m the Burgundy Wolf. You’ve heard of me, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, “Anyone who’s in my line of work has heard the stories about you.”

“You’ve heard what I do to people who I need information form when I’m desperate?” Wolf asked the man as his eyes grew cold and dangerous.

“Yeah but no one would really-” the man started.

“They’re true,” Wolf said coldly as he looked into the man’s eyes with his hard steel blue eyes.

The man started sweating like he’d just woke up from a nightmare, “I uh… okay, okay. She’s probably headed for the helicopter. It’s sort of plan B for distributing the drug and getting away.”

“You’re going to tell me where this helicopter is,” Wolf said.

“Yeah, it’s over on Bellevue,” the man said, on top of that condemned office building. No one ever goes up there, so it’s a good place to hide a private helicopter.”

“Thanks,” Wolf said, “One more thing. You got a car? Ours seems to have broken down.”

“Here you go,” the man said as he dug the keys out of his pocket, “It’s the blue BMW just outside.”

“Thanks,” Wolf said as he looked around for some rope and then tied the man up, “We’ll let the attorney know how cooperative you were. We won’t mention that I had to threaten you to get that cooperation. Sound fair?”

“Yes sir,” the man replied, sounds perfectly fair.”

George and Wolf made it out to the blue BMW outside, unlocked the doors and got in. It had beautiful black leather, real leather, seats.

“Nice,” George said as they took off towards the condemned office on Bellevue, “Wolf, what do you do to people when you need information?”

“Hmm?” Wolf said, “Oh that, actually I’ve never tortured anyone. I just make sure there are plenty of rumors about me doing horrible things to people when I need information. Then I just have let them believe I’m a sadistic asshole. It works way more often than you’d think.”

“Nice bluff,” George said, “Even I thought that maybe you’d been hiding a life of torture from me.”

“The only torture in my life is being friends with you,” Wolf replied.

“You’re right,” George said, “being your friend is completely cruel and unusual.”

They pulled up to the condemned office building and looked up at the thirty story building.

“Don’t tell me,” George said, “More steps.”

“This place doesn’t even look like it has power for the elevators anymore, even if we could be sure that the elevators were working,” Wolf replied.

“Think we can make it up there before she takes off?” George asked as they ran inside and started up the flights of steps.

“Oh, yeah,” Wolf said, “I’m sure we’ve got plenty of time. Evil maniacs often go through the pre-flight checklist two or three times before taking off.”

“So run faster,” George called to Wolf as he charged past him up the steps.

“First one to the top gets to punch Kyle in the face,” Wolf called up after him before he increased his pace and sped past his old friend.

As they rounded the corner for the twenty ninth floor they heard the sound of the helicopters engine and the roaring wind from the blades above them.

“Well,” Wolf shouted back to his friend, “the good news is that we know they’re still up there.”

“Yeah,” George shouted back, “and just about to take off!”

They rushed through the roof top door and charged towards the helicopter. It started to lift off from the roof just as Wolf made it to there and he managed to get halfway into the cockpit as George took a couple of wild shots towards the pilot. As the roof fell away from his feet and they gained altitude Wolf tried to scramble into the helicopter the rest of the way.

“Why won’t you fucking die?” Melissa shouted at him as she tried to pull his hands free and toss him out.

“I don’t have time to die,” Wolf shouted back as pulled himself into the cab of the helicopter.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said as she pulled out a snub nosed pistol, “I’ll just shoot you and be done with it.”

“Whoa,” the pilot shouted as he glanced back, “Don’t fire that thing in here, we’ll all go down in flames!”

“I don’t fucking care,” Melissa shouted back, “He’s not going to ruin this. He ruined my father. He won’t be the end of my plans!”

The pilot started to descend towards a roof top, “I’m bringing us down.”

“Like hell you are,” she said as she spun the gun towards him, “You keep this thing flying or I’ll put a bullet in you instead.”

“Okay,’ he replied, “just calm down-“

“Fuck you,” she said, “I said keep the helicopter up.

The pilot pulled the helicopter back up, “Okay,” he said, “We’re flying steady now. Just put the gun away.”

“Miss,” Wolf said.

“What?” She asked as she spun back to face him.

Wolf took the opportunity to send a hard right uppercut at her while grabbing her wrist with his left and and applying pressure to make her drop the gun, “Sorry about that,” he said to her unconscious body, “I don’t usually hit ladies, but then again you’re not much of a lady. You, are you Kyle?” he asked the pilot.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he replied.

“Kyle,” Wolf said, “Take us back to the office building we just left.”

“I don’t-” Kyle started.

“You don’t want to make me lose my temper,” Wolf said evenly as he sat in the copilot seat, “Now. Take. Us. Back.”

“Yes sir,” Kyle said as he turned the helicopter around.

A few minutes later the helicopter made a rough touch down on top of the condemned office building where George was still standing.

“C’mon,” Wolf said to the pilot, “Pick her up and get out of the helicopter.”

Kyle picked up Melissa’s unconscious body and climbed out of the helicopter in front of Wolf.

“I thought you’d be a meat pancake by now,” George said to Wolf.

“You’re not that lucky,” Wolf replied with a wink.

“Heh,” George laughed, “you’re right about that.”

Melissa’s eyes fluttered open and she looked around startled and confused for a moment before she realized where she was, “No!” she shouted, “You can’t win! I had everything planned out. You’re supposed to be rotting in prison while I take over the city!”

She pushed away from Kyle and looked back and forth between Wolf and George, “And you,” she said to George, “You’re a nothing cop that got lucky. You stumbled into my plans. How can a used up cop and a private detective that can’t even make enough to rent an apartment manage to do so much damage to my plans?”

“maybe you’re not as good as you think you are,” George said with a shrug, “Or maybe we’re better than you think.”

She wavered a little, still a little unbalanced from the blow to her head, “No, no, it doesn’t matter if you bring me in. I have people. I can set it al off from inside prison walls.”

About twenty yards from the steps Wolf and George could see a group of men holding several bags above the water reservoir. They sprinted towards the men, George drawing his gun, and Wolf readying his fists.

“Put the bags down,” George shouted as he pointed his pistol at the men with the bags.

The men ducked behind a couple metal barrels and shouted back to them, “You can’t stop us,” as they opened fire.

George and Wolf took refuge behind another set of barrels and hunkered down low.

“How long before the backup arrives?” Wolf asked George.

“In Heartbeat,” George replied before firing a shot around the barrels, “Probably an hour at least.”

“That soon huh,” Wolf said as he looked around at the things available to him behind the barrel. A couple of steel lids, some bolt cutters, and a fire extinguisher.

The men kept firing to keep Wolf and George pinned down as one of them headed for the bags. George chased him back to behind the barrels with a couple of shots form his pistol, one of which caught the man in the leg.

“You’ll pay for that,” one of them shouted back as more bullets whizzed towards George and Wolf.

“Wolf,” George said, “I’ve got some bad news. I’m on my third gun here and we’ll almost certainly run out of ammo before they do.”

“That’s lovely,” Wolf replied, “Just fucking lovely.”

“Yeah,” George said as he took a couple more pot shots to drive the men back behind their barrels again, “Any last ditch effort amazing plans?”

“Fire out a few rounds while I take a better look at the lay out,” Wolf told George.

As George fired off a few round Wolf stuck his fedora above the barrels while he looked around the side. They were only about fifteen feet away from the bags now, and if they weren’t too heavy then Wolf might be able to grab them and they might be able to make a run. On the other hand there were only five guys. If they could cause a distraction or obfuscate the floor they might be able to take the guys out before they new what was happening. The feeling of his hat flying off his fingertips and a bullet cutting close to his hand brought Wolf back to reality and back to the safe side of metal barrels.

“Hmm,” Wolf said as he looked at the fire extinguisher, “If I roll that out towards the bags of chemicals do you think you can shoot it? It should release enough material to blind them for a few seconds. Then we can rush them.

“That’s your plan?” George said as he fired another round off, “Blow up a fire extinguisher and charge head long at the gun wielding thugs?”

“Pretty much,” Wolf said, “Yeah.”

“You know,” George said, “It’s hair brained, dangerous, unlikely to work, and probably our best bet.”

“Eyup,” Wolf agreed, “All set?”

“As ready as I can be,” George replied as he took a couple deep breaths to steady his nerves against the rain of bullets still heading their way, “I pin them down with cover fire, you roll out the fire extinguisher, I shoot it, we charge. All set.”

The lock on the penthouse was an expensive one, but was pretty simple. It was always kind of funny to think about all the money that was wasted on simple locks with a big brand attached.

“I’ll have this open in a couple minutes,” Wolf said to George as he worked on the lock, “If not a few seconds.”

“Try to keep all that clicking down,” George replied, “You want them to be standing outside the door when we open it?”

“I don’t really think that’ll be a problem,” Wolf said to his old friend.

“Why not?” George asked.

“Well,” Wolf paused as he chewed on the thought and wrestled with the lock, “At most this guy has three thugs from what I can figure out.”

“How’s that?” George asked.

“Well,” Wolf said, “There was the doorman who seems to be out of the picture, Adam who has been sent on the run (he might be the same one that knocked you out) and the guy who has been following me in a van.”

“Hmm…” George thought it over, “I don’t know if that means he only has a few guys.”

“He would have switched out the guy following me if he had more,” Wolf replied matter of factly.

“Good point,” George said, “but doesn’t he work with the Four Families? Won’t he have their backing?”

“I think he’s doing something under the radar of the higher ups,” Wolf said as he continued to work on the lock, “otherwise this would all of more of the Four Families backing feel to it.”

“You know,” George said, “That all sounds reasonable… but it misses one key component.”

“What’s that?” Wolf asked.

“We’re never that lucky,” George said as he ran his fingers over the hilt of the gun at his side.

“That,” Wolf paused, “Is a very astute point,” he said as the lock finally gave way and the door opened.

The looked through the open door into the large main room of the penthouse. Before them stretched several chairs, a couch, beautiful curtains, and one lone person in the middle of the room.

“Well,” George said tentatively, “Maybe we’re lucky this time.”

“It looks that way,” Wolf said as he stepped out into the main room followed shortly by George’s hulking form.

“Hello,” Wolf said to the silhouette before him. It was hard to see much in the way of details since the person was lit from behind by the afternoon sun, “We’re just dropping by for a visit.”

“Stay where you are and put your hands up,” George said as he pointed his pistol at the silhouette.

“Hello gentleman,” a distinctly female voice called back to them, “Welcome to my home,” she said as she raised her hands above her head.
 
As they walked closer her features become clearer. She was about five foot and six inches tall, slender, with a grey blazer and pants on. He long, silky, black, tresses were wrapped up into a tight bun with a pair of steel chopsticks pushed through.

“It seems you were able to track me down,” she said, “bravo Mr Wolf.”

“I had you pretty much tracked down days ago,” George said to her.

“Yes,” she replied with a wicked smile, “but Wolf didn’t get caught by my men.”

“Look here you bitch-” George started but was cut off by a stern glance form Wolf.

Wolf had his hands buried deep in his trench pockets, “So you’re the one that had me framed for that murder,” he said to her.

“Framed is such a harsh word,” she replied, “and I prefer to call it organized decease rather than murder.”

“I see,” he said, “So you had one of you men steal my gun and organize the decease of Olivia Crast. By why?”

“She was going to go to the cops about the pressure I’d been putting on her for the information from Vestafex,” she said, “As for why I decided to have you framed. Don’t you recognize me?”

Wolf looked hard at the woman in front of him for what seemed like hours, “You look familiar… but I’m not sure.”

“You’re the reason my dad is dead,” she said as she glared at him.

“What?” Wolf asked in shock.

“My father,” she said coldly, “Alexander McDaniels. You remember him don’t you?”

Wolf thought back over his cases and then it reached him. She had the same cheek bones, the same brow, the same hazel eyes as her father, “The guy who used to work for Antonio Tobin?”

“He didn’t just work for Antonio Tobin, he was Tobin’s right hand man!” she spat out, “He was Tobin’s most trusted man!”

“He sold Cherry Five to pimps so that their women would be more complacent,” Wolf said sternly, “he was a piece of trash. He got away though. I never did manage to get him to the police. I was hijacked by Tobin’s men.”

“Oh,” She said coldly, “He didn’t get away. Tobin had him and his family brought in. He had me and my mother watch as they executed him. And it’s all your fault! My father was a great man! What are the lives of a few common whores when weighed against someone like my father?” she said in nearly a frantic shout.

“Next to someone like your father,” Wolf said, “The life of dung beetle is precious. That however doesn’t excuse what Tobin did to you and your mother. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Especially a child.”

“Mother didn’t survive it,” she said, “she took some pills and vodka and went chasing after my father a few months later.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, but your father was hurting a lot of people,” Wolf said.

“Fuck those whores!” she replied sharply, “Fuck you! You’re life is over now. I’ve got the cops ready to arrest you. I’ve got the information I needed from Vestafex. I win.”

“Planning to get a cut on the profit from Cherry Five sales through the Vestafex corporation?” Wolf asked.

“Ha,” she said, “I wasn’t going after Cherry Five. I have people ready to build an entirely new drug. It kills the brain quickly from the outside in. Leaving a person able to eat, sleep, shit, and follow orders, but doing away with all that pesky sense of self or self importance. The perfect drug for setting up a bunch of subservient people.”

“You were planning to use it for human trafficking?” Wolf asked.

“You’re so small minded, Wolf,” she replied, “I plan to use it by adding it to the city water supply. By this time tomorrow most of Heartbeat will be little more than servant zombies.”

“That’s worse than mass murder,” George said with a shiver.

“It’s a good thing we’re here to stop you,” Wolf said.

“You really think you have the drop on me?” the woman asked.

“It looks that way,” Wolf replied

She pointed her finger to behind them, “Better look again,” she said with a smile.

Wolf and George turned around to see about six large guys with semi-automatic guns pointed at them.

“Wolf,” George said, “I knew we weren’t that lucky.”

“Well,” Wolf said, “At least people know about her plan.”

“What’s that,” The woman asked.

“Wolf slowly took his hands out of his pockets and lifted them in the air showing the cell phone that they’d had him recover from the cross walk box with an active call, “Our conversation has been sent to a group of my friends. They’re about to send copies to the cops and the newspapers.”

“Fucking hell,” the woman shouted while grabbing the cell phone and throwing it to the ground where it shattered, “It doesn’t fucking matter, Wolf, I’ve already got people in place to release the chemicals. No one can stop me now.”

“I assume you’re going to have us shot now,” Wolf said to the woman.

She walked around to face him and smiled a sharp and wicked smile, “No, I want you to see the world that’s about to be born. Then I’ll feed the drug to you too. It’ll be nice to have you as a mindless servant for the rest of your life. Bring them,” she said to her men as she went to the elevator.

Wolf and George had their hands zip tied behind their backs and they were pushed into the elevator roughly. The woman looked over to them as the elevator descended and said, “I just realized. I haven’t properly introduced myself. My name is Melissa.”

Wolf grimaced at her, “Nice to know the name of the woman who’s going to kill my personality. Haven’t had this much fun since the case with the Brazilian. You remember that, George?”

“Hmm?” George looked puzzled for a minute and then seemed to recognize what Wolf was talking about, “Oh, the Brazilian. Yeah I remember that.”

The woman looked back and forth between them, “That’s enough reminiscing.”

When the elevator finally reached the lobby floor Wolf dropped to the ground and spun one leg out while George jumped into the air. The sweeping leg knocked down three of the guys and the woman who fell into the others. As the door opened George and Wolf bolted through with Wolf pressing several floor buttons with his shoulders just before he stepped through. Before the goons could right themselves the elevator doors closed and it took off for the nearest floor. 

Wolf and George bolted out the front door rand towards the car. They ducked down on the side of the car furthest form the office building. There Wolf dug his pocket knife out of his back pocket unfolded it and used to to cut the zip strip binding his hands.

He stood up and opened the back door of the car, “C’mon, George, get in,” he said to his friend.

“What about my hands?” George asked as he looked at the open door and Wolf.

“No time,” Wolf said as he pushed his friend into the car and slammed the door shut.

A moment later he was in the driver’s seat and starting the engine, “I’ll cut you loose as soon as we have some distance between us and them,” he called back to George.

“Thanks,” George replied sarcastically, “You know, whenever you get around to it.”

Wolf pulled into an alley about three blocks away form the office and cut George lose form the zip tie on his wrists.

“Okay,” George said, “Well we got out of that one, but how are we going to stop her from putting the drug into the city water supply? How are we even going to figure out where she’s dumping it in?”

Wolf worked it over in his head for a while, “She’d have to add it to the main tanks at the water reclamation and distribution center. Anyplace else wouldn’t reach enough of the City.”

“Okay,” George said, “Get me to a phone and I’ll call it in.”

“We can’t go back to the safe house,” Wolf said, “She’ll have people waiting there for us.”

“Maybe we can get to your office or my apartment,” George said while thinking out loud.

“Maybe,” Wolf said, “but I think I’d rather be heading towards the water reclamation center while looking for a phone.”

“Once I’ve called it in it shouldn’t matter if we make it there or not,” George argued.

“You trust the Heartbeat PD to respond to anything quickly?” Wolf asked.

“Good point,” George agreed, “Finding a phone on the way it is,” he said as he climbed back into the passenger seat of the sedan.

Wolf started driving towards the center of Heartbeat city where the water reclamation plant supplied water to the entire city. He spotted a pay phone on the way. George quickly called in the case to Heartbeat PD and then got back into the car, “Let’s move,” he said to Wolf and they took off towards the water reclamation center again.

The trip seemed to take forever despite the fact that they were driving well over the speed limit. Wolf could feel the seconds tick away each one drawing them closer to the moment when most of the citizens of Heartbeat city would be left completely devoid of will.

“Which part of the plant do you think they’ll be in?” George asked Wolf as they sped through the city streets.

“It’ll have to be near the holding tanks for the already purified water,” Wolf said.

“Any idea where those are in the plant?” George asked.

“Not really,” Wolf replied, “but I figure you can show this,” Wolf pulled George’s badge out of his shirt pocket, “to someone at the front door and demand they show us.”

“How long have you had my badge?” George asked as he snatched it away from Wolf.

“Since Melissa mailed it to me,” he replied, “Kind of forgot I had it in the mean time.”

“Bring it up sooner next time,” George said and then thought better of it, “On second thought let’s just agree not to have a next time where i get kidnapped and have my badge mailed to you.”

“Agreed,” Wolf said with a smile as he pulled up to the entrance of the water reclamation and distribution center.

George flashed his badge at the front gate guard, “Detective George Parlance with Heartbeat PD. We need in now.”

“I,” the guard started, ” I, uh… Do you have a warrant?” he asked perplexed.

“There’s someone in there about to unleash a serious toxin into the water supply,” Wolf said tot the guard, “Do you want to be the reason that most of Heartbeat gets poisoned?”

“I , uh,” the guard looked confused and frightened, “No, I mean.” he pushed the button to open the gate, “Go in!”

“Get in the car,” George said, “We need you to direct us to the storage tanks for the already purified water.”

The guard climbed into the back seat of the car quickly, “Sure, just head straight back from here,” he said.

They sped to the back of the plant along the slightly curving driveway towards a large building that housed the tanks of water that supplied the whole city.

“What’s your name?” Wolf asked the young guard riding in the back seat of the sedan. He didn’t look a day over twenty.

“Brian,” he replied, “My name is Brian. Is it true? What you guys said, about a toxin being put into the water here?” he asked.

“Dead true,” George replied looking back at the young man, “You heard of the Four Families?”

“Everyone has,” Brian replied, “Is this being done by them?”

“Someone who works with them, anyway,” Wolf replied, “So you understand how dangerous the situation we’re heading into is. We’ve got Heartbeat PD backup on the way, but it might come down to us.”

“I,” Brian started, “I’m with you,” he said but the fear was evident in his voice.

“We’ll need you to keep an eye on the outside of the building,” George said to the youth, “I assume you have a way to make an outside call if you see someone leave.”

“Yeah, I carry a company cell phone with the police on speed dial,” Brian replied.

“Good,” George said evenly, “You see anyone that isn’t us leave that place you get someplace safe and call the police. Let them know to hurry their asses up.”

“I can do that,” Brian replied just as they pulled up outside the building holding the purified water tanks.

“This the place?” Wolf asked.

“Yeah,” Brian replied, “This is it.”

“Where would be the best place to add something to the water?” George asked.

“Probably the testing port at the top of the tank,” Brian replied quickly.

“Thanks,” Wolf and George said as they stepped out of the car and headed towards the front door of the building.

“Think we’ll walk out of this alive?” George asked.

“Experience tells me that we will,” Wolf said, “After all nothing has killed us so far.”

“I think that just means we’re do to die,” George said.

“Probably,” Wolf said, “But I never trust probabilities.”

“No?” George asked as he pushed the door open and stepped inside looking around.

“Naw,” Wolf said, “You know where that stuff comes from? A bunch of mathematicians? Never met one I liked.”

“Oh,” George said with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice, “I feel much more at ease now.”

“Good,” Wolf replied as they headed towards the steel steps leading up to a platform above the water tanks.

They tried to walk up the steel steps quietly but each footsteps seems to echo off of every wall in the building.

“Not much for a sneak attack around here,” George whispered.

“What?” Wolf asked sarcastically, “There’s no way anyone is going to know we’re on our way.”

George sighed loudly, “Well at least when they shoot us we can die knowing they’ll go deaf from the echoes of the shots.”

“Good,” Wolf said, “I’m glad to know you’re keeping a positive attitude.”

“Oh you know me,” George snipped back, “I’m a regular Mr Sunshine in any situation. Even one that’s likely to leave me dead. In fact especially in a situation that’s likely to leave me dead.”

“Fantastic,” Wolf said as they made their way up the last flight of steps to the platform above the tanks, “As long as you’re keeping a stiff upper lip.”

“Heh,” George replied, “If we survive, I’m going to find a pretty girl to marry and stick to my office in the basement. The number of people who try to kill me in the basement of police headquarters is surprisingly low.”

“I believe you about the basement,” Wolf said with a wicked smirk, “but how do you plan to get a pretty girl with a face like that?”

“At least I don’t have your face,” George joked back.