Page 52 of Sullied Saints

"There's been an incident." Dirk's voice is steady, though he still looks wan as he stands beside me, smiling down at the family. "You don't want to see it." Gesturing past them at the other exit, he then faces me. "Go meet the others, I can't…" he glances towards the doors, looking haunted.

I squeeze his arm. "You don't have to. No one’s expecting that. Stay here, stop anyone coming out." He manages a faint smile back, and as reluctant as I am to leave his side, I turn and step back out into the courtyard.

***

"It’s clear what she's asking for. We know Needler is her brother now. I say, hand him over. One last thing he can do for the city."

"So she can string him up? We can't do that to him after all the psychos he’s taken off the streets! We owe him!"

"Is she going to kill again if they keep Needler? How many will it take?"

"More reason to just release him!"

Those are just some of the sentiments that come through the TV before Tawill shuts off the screen. She looks tired. I don't know when she started looking tired, or when I stopped seeing her as untouchable. The precinct floor is all but empty, the call sent out to stay home today.

Only the ones on our case are in, Howie, Dean, Dirk and me. Every other body in the place is clad in black riot gear, waiting. They think there might be another raid. Since Conrad’s arrest, the people have been fitful, scattered, with nothing to bind them on one purpose. But still, it's not hard to imagine a group with ideas of handing Needler over themselves.

Tawill leans on the desk for a moment, as though bracing for the answer she knows must come from the question, "Are we any closer to finding her?"

None of us have the mindfulness to sugarcoat it. "No," Dean admits.

She sighs, her eyes closing for a moment. Dirk is sitting, the colour back to his cheeks since this morning, but hardly a word has come from him. Turning to him, Tawill says, "You need to go into witness protection."

That gets the sharp glint back in his eye. He straightens. "I won't."

Her brow darkens. "You brought this attention on yourself! Reminding her of your existence, that you got away…"

"And I wouldn't change it!" he snaps. "Are you going to put everyone in my building in witness protection, too?"

"This was clearly done for your benefit!"

"Then let’s use it! Fuckingsomehow, let’s get her for it."

Tawill's mouth twists. "You are no longer fit for this case."

Dirk just looks angrier, sitting forward again. "Take me off the case all you want. I'll still be a part of it."

"Officer Lancaster…"

"You guys need to see this." We all turn at the new, soft voice.

"Chloe! You're not meant to be in.”

She looks vaguely apologetic, wringing her fingers. "I know, but I saw the news, and I thought maybe the forum might have something about"—she glances at Dirk—"what happened. And it does."

Dirk and Tawill's impending explosion momentarily forgotten, we follow Chloe to the computer.

"What is it?" I ask, standing behind the desk chair as she sits down, facing the screen.

"Dates," she says, sounding, for a change, as weathered as the rest of us feel. "Today’s, and one two weeks from now."

"Fuck."

"She's upping her schedule," Dean concludes.

"Not just her schedule. Look."

We all do. There's not just one more date.

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