I was not usually an advocate for violence, but right now I had a very strong urge to just

Which would never do. Where would I get that funky helmet thingy-thingy anyway?

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Dead end, that was where I was. A complete dead end. I had been so sure Kaylan was Storeroom Stalker, and now that that theory was utterly thrown out of the window I was back to square one and zero suspects. My brother's clues had led me to Kaylan's house, so if Kaylan was not involved then it must be his parents. But both of them checked out clean. And now I had utterly no idea what to do.

I exhaled again, drawn out and heavy. 

Now what?

As if in response, my handphone rang. I looked at the caller ID.

Fiance. Naturally, he'd insisted I put him down as that.

I picked up, putting on my best imitation of a cheery voice. "Darling, hey! Listen, I'm not really in the mood to deal with your psychopathic character at the moment, so I'm just going to hang up on you and wait until you've either died or disappeared for good, m'kay?"

A pause.

Then a low, soft chuckle. When Jasper spoke, it was with airy pleasantness.

"Oh I can think of something that will make you be very in the mood. Why don't you come down to the car park, sweetheart, and I'll bring you somewhere that you will absolutely love to go? And put on your Sunday best, will you?" he added. "There's someone you will be positively excited to meet."

The line went dead. I closed my eyes, willing myself to breathe even, before burying my face in my hands on the table top.

How long must this go on?

*

Jasper was actually wearing a suit. I looked down at myself, at my "It's All About ME!" T-shirt and blue denim jeans, then back up at him.

He gestured dismissively. "Oh it doesn't matter. I forgot to tell you that the person you'll be meeting with can't see."

Can't see?

All the way along the ride, Jasper was smiling non-stop. So many alarm bells were pinging off in my head that it felt like the inside of a fire station during a crisis.

Something is very not right.

"Ah! Here we are!" he exclaimed.

Here turned out to be an old warehouse, isolated and forbidding, and as I stepped out from the vehicle the niggling doubts in me turned to outright alarm. Old warehouses never bode anything well in the realms of fiction - unless of course they were the places where the good guys had a secret stash of bad-ass weapons. But there weren't any good guys here now, were there?

As our footsteps echoed all around the place, Jasper begin speaking. And the second he opened his mouth the alarm bells went up to a whole new level of frenzy, because not only was he addressing me politely, he also sounded as if he had just stepped out from an episode of Downton Abbey's.

"You see Hayley, I can't help but notice that recently you've been having problems with continuing your search. Lack of further leads, distracted by school work and so on . . . that's why I decided, that as your loving fiance, I should probably help you out! But I know you feel very strongly about being excluded - gender equality I always say - which is why I brought you along today. To help us . . . interview our newest informant."

Informant? We were walking up metal stairs now, my rubber-soled shoes making no noise while the heels of his Oxfords made a steady clanging sound.

"Who's the informant?" I questioned, curious.

We had reached a door, and Jasper smiled.

Wide.

"He is," he said, and he swung the door open.

I couldn't help it, it was an instinctive reflex; I stumbled, one step backwards.

So this is what Luke felt like when he found out Darth Vader was his father. 

And Jasper was still smiling as he entered the room and placed a hand on the shoulder of the "informant", who was bounded on a chair and blindfolded. 

"I see you know our new friend!" Jasper smiled. Leaning down a little, he whispered in the prisoner's ears, who flinched at the closeness.

"Say hello . . . Mr Hood."

Jasper straightened. "You've been going too soft on this family. So I thought I would help you do a little . . ." He paused, eyes narrowing as he searched for the right word. " . . . persuading."

There was an ugly scraping sound against the cement floor as Kaylan struggled against his bonds. "Who are you? What do you want? Where are my parents?"

This is not happening. This is not happening.

"Oh don't worry little boy, they're fine. I'm not so sure about you though." One of Jasper's lackeys entered then, with a rectangular piece of cotton in his hands. Neat little slots were sewn into the cloth, forming five rows of five, and in each slot was the kind of instrument you found on surgery tables.

"What do you want?" Kaylan demanded. Despite everything I had to admit his nerve; there was absolutely no fear in his voice, only anger.

"Oh, just a few things. An arm perhaps - or maybe one or two choice fingernails." Jasper's voice was light as he hovered his fingers over the surgical instruments. "It's quite up to your parents really - the faster they speak, the lesser you have to give."

I watched my fiance walked close to the boy whom I had kissed, a scalpel twirling between his fingers.

"Though I must say that I will be quite enjoying this." He ran the tip of the instrument lightly across Kaylan's cheek and Kaylan stiffened.

Jasper looked at me with unfeeling eyes as he continued in a soft murmur.

"And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mount. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up, that was where the Lord gave him the 10 Commandments . . . and one of the 10 Commandments was thou shalt not covet your neighbour's wife."

Shiitake mushrooms.

Jasper smiled from across the room, and this time that smile was nowhere near friendly. "Didn't think I'd know, sweetheart?  Didn't think I'd know that this boy here" - and he tapped Kaylan's cheek - "has been giving you the hot and cold treatment? Or that the both of you shared a passionate, loving kiss while I was within a five-mile radius?"

The last two words were a vehement snarl.

And all this time, Kaylan was listening. With suspended disbelief in his voice he managed to get out, "Apple pie?"

It was a vicious backhand that Jasper gave him, and the sound echoed all around the room. I held in my horrified shock, though a strangled gasp did slip out. With deadly calm Jasper held the scalpel at Kaylan's throat.

"Do not, give my fiancee nicknames." It was terrifying how calm he both looked and sounded.

This is a mess - this is - how - 

Jasper snapped his fingers and all around me men begin to pull on surgical masks and latex gloves. One man threw me a set and I deftly caught it.

"Put it on, sweetheart," Jasper purred, already having on a mask of his own. "And by the way, you owe Lord Henson a new Ming vase."

Lord Henson? Is that what Thomas is called these days? I guess this meant that Jasper hadn't figured out that secret. At least I could breathe a little easier.

Numbly, I pulled on the gloves and the mask. Think Hayley, think! What can you do? And the answer was - nothing. I couldn't do anything. Trying to save Kaylan would only worsen both his and my situation. And though it sounded like a coward's excuse, it was true. It was true and I was powerless in the face of that truth.

Jasper snapped his fingers. That was when I noticed the HD television, situated directly opposite Kaylan. It flickered on and in the screen came the faces of two people, also bounded but without blindfolds. A man and a woman.

Mr and Mrs Hood.

I'd seen Mr Hood before, but not the wife. Her hair was a beautiful auburn pulled up into a bun, a few strands already coming loose from the worry and anxiety. It was a live feed, and when she saw Kaylan she burst into tears.

"Kaylan! Kay!"

"Mum!"

Turning to her husband Mrs Hood practically yelled. "Honey - do something!" 

"Kaylan has nothing to do with this! Let him go!" he blustered, all rage. But I could see the undercurrent of sick worry in his eyes. "You sick bastards! You leave my son alone, you hear me?"

Jasper walked up to Kaylan, who was blinded and struggling in vain. There was a small square in the left upright corner of the television screen, which showed the video feed from our side. I watched as Jasper made an ostentatious movement with the scalpel.

"I ask you only once, Mr Hood. Are you working for Black and Tan?"

Silence.

The second I looked at Mr Hood I knew. The conflicting emotions were there for all to see, and if I knew then Jasper most definitely knew. 

Don't do it don't do it don't do - 

"What? B - Black and Tan? The beer? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Well that was a horrible lie.

Jasper sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that. Very well then. It seems as if you need help to jog your memory. Perhaps your son might do the honors."

"No!" It was a heartbreaking shriek that came out from Mrs Hood's throat, and I swallowed. This was Jasper's turf. This was what he did, all the time, to make a living.

"Honey! Tell him the truth!"

"It is the truth, woman!"

Jasper was humming. "Let me see. Where shall I start? Perhaps . . . the ear?"

Carefully, tenderly, Jasper placed the sharp edge of the blade against Kaylan's right ear. He became unnaturally still. Onscreen, Mrs Hood was still pleading and begging, tears overflowing down both cheeks.

The room was tense.

Silent.

Waiting.

And then Jasper shook his head and removed the scalpel. I let out a breath I didn't even know I'd been holding.

Thank the gods - 

I froze.

My fiance walked over. With a serpent's smile he took my hand and lightly pressed the scalpel into it.

From behind me he whispered, soft and gentle.

"Your turn, sweetheart."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I have a confession to make. 

*takes deep breath, gulps, swallows - *

IWASTHISCLOSETOABANDONINGTHESTORYANDICAN'TBELIEVEIACTUALLYTHOUGHTOFTHATOHMYGOODNESSIAMSOSORRY - 

But I'm not. I found my kick back :) So you can breathe for another day people! Wooohooooo~~~~~~

Whew. That was a real close call >.<

Anyhoo! This chapter is dedicated to captainawesome19 for being true to your name :) Hoped you like it!