D E L P H I N I U M

I stumbled back, over the side of the roof and plummeted down the two floor drop.

I crashed through a balcony and slammed into a dumpster, rolling to the ground. Pain flashed through my ribs and arms. I bit back a groan as I rolled to my knees.

On the roof above, my assailant leaned over, raising a gun, ready to fire. Without a second though, I launched one of my knives through the air. It lodged in his throat and he fell forward, landing in the alley in a bloody heap. I pushed down the pain and got to my feet, yanking my knife out of the dead man's neck and ran back inside the large warehouse.

The familiar sounds of fighting filled my ears. To my left, flames erupted from Finn's hands, scorching gang members. Arlo stood not far from him, his trademark maniacal grin plastered to his face as he shot Needles down. A small smile found its way to my lips.

On my right a group of Needles were being attacked by an invisible target. They ran around, shooting blindly as guns were yanked out of their hands and bashed against their heads. A few were electrocuted and fell to the ground. Deciding that Jaxon had control of the situation, I moved into the main opening of the warehouse.

The two former Imperium assassins, Neve and Benny, fought on opposite ends of the opening, cutting through Needles with ease. Arrows flew through the air from above, implanting themselves in the chests of stragglers.

Riley and Kane fought back to back near a door way where gang members surged towards them, guns and knives raised. Kane shot them down while throwing various heavy objects. Others were tripped by vines and choked to death. A few more were sliced down by Riley's newly found sword. She had gotten better at it in the past couple weeks.

Finding an empty staircase, I bolted up to the second floor, determined to find the last member of our team.

According to the plan he made, Jake was supposed to be taking care of members on the second floor while I took care of the ones on the roof. Sure enough, a trail of bodies and icicles filled the second landing. But there were no more sounds of fighting. The second floor was dead silent.

I knew Jake could take care of himself, but worry still found a way to creep through my heart. I silently stepped between the bodies listening for more sounds. He was supposed to meet us back downstairs after he finished clearing the second floor. Of course, there could've been another part of his plan that he didn't tell us, but I had assumed he wouldn't have a hidden agenda because he had already taken back the Club and killed Hundsen. 

I shook my head at my own stupidity. Jake Evans always has an ulterior motive.

Passing the dead Needles, I crept into an empty hall. There was only one man slouching next to a door, his head bleeding. Light spilled from the cracks in the door and peppered across the hall. I stepped closer, pressing my hand against the doorknob. The freezing metal told me I was in the right place.

The door swung open to reveal what looked like an office. Jake stood on the other side, his dark hair drooping over his face as he looked down, cold green eyes skimming a few papers. The single lamp in the corner cast dark shadows across his face that defined his cheek bones. 

Immediately, I felt the worry building up dissipate. I calmly walked over and sat on the desk across from Jake. He didn't bother to look up, continuing to read the files.

"The others taking care of the men downstairs," I told him, absentmindedly.

"And the men on the roof?"

"Dead."

He gave a stiff nod which was more of a response than I expected. I sat in silence, peeking at the files, trying to figure out what he was doing in the office. I knew he knew I was trying to figure him out, but he made no moves to cover up any of the files. So I continued to read.

A few days ago, the ONNT had gotten an anonymous tip that the Needles had plans to attack New York in the open and then march on the ONNT facility. It was an outrageous accusation considering that the Needles barely had any power left since Jake's been slowly regaining what Hundsen lost and then some, but Hunt still wanted us to check it out. After some espionage on my part, we found that they had been dealing a new form of drug with unknown buyers. The drug had been making people go crazy and experience some strange side-effects these past few weeks. So, after Finn discussed with Hunt, they decided that fighting the Needles and taking in their drug head would be required.

Jake then took the reigns and drew up a plan based on what he knew of the Needles, which was everything. But he obviously had other plans, most likely related to gang work. It made me wonder if he had indirectly influenced Finn or Hunt's decisions.

Finally, Jake seemed to have found what he was looking for because he packed all the files back up into the desk, probably trying to make it look as if he never accessed the information. He walked away and I hopped off the desk, following him out the door.

We were climbing back downstairs when I asked, "What happened to the Needles' lieutenant? Wasn't he supposed to be on the second floor?"

"He is," is all Jake offered in reply.

I followed him again, silently, pretending not to be annoyed by his lack of answers. Just when I thought he was letting us, or at least me, in on his plans more often, he retracts. He distances himself again. My thoughts wondered back to the night he had come back from fighting Hundsen's men, bloody and injured. I remembered the way I had bandaged him, the things I had told him. I remembered the way he ran. He had been distancing himself after that, although slowly getting closer again, little by little. I could only hope he had actually considered what I told him and that he took it truthfully, and that maybe, just maybe, he was trying.

The sound of two bodies crashing to ground and various screams shook me out of my thoughts. We ran back into the main room to find Gigi getting off the floor, splintered wood from broken railings above scattered around her. Another man stood only a few feet away. She must've tackled him from above and fallen over the side.

Vines seeped through cracks in the building and wrapped around his ankles and wrists. He struggled against them. Ice wrapped around his hands and feet to keep him still. Numerous weapons were raised, all pointed towards the one man in the center.

"Dim the lights," Jake told me. I turned off all of the lights in the room except for the one above the man. Jake walked forward, just on the edge of the light's beam.

"You know who I am," Jake started.

"Jake Evans," the man spat. "You won't get what you want. Not from me."

I stepped forward and pressed a dagger against his neck. "I think we will."

The man gave a short laugh and said, "I live for the Needles and I will die for them too."

The man moved his mouth slightly and clenched his jaw. The realization struck and stuffed my fingers in his mouth, trying to remove the tablet. But by then it was too late. The poison had done its work and white foam seeped out of his mouth.

His body crumpled to the ground, dead.