I lay on my back in bed, admiring my new bookmark-knife. Though I hadn't thought much about it at the shop, it truly was quite beautiful. I mean, it wasn't anything special, it wasn't shiny, and the blade wasn't sharp enough to pop a balloon let alone cut anything, but it was unique and it was mine. That was good enough for me to be content with my prize. 

The door opened and Cliff walked in. I put the grip back over the blade and slipped it into my book to avoid looking like I had been playing with a sharp object. Cliff knew I had been, but he didn't comment on it.

He sat down at his desk and started to work on something. The way he hunched over the desk in a secretive way told me whatever he was doing must have been important and I was curious despite myself. Placing my book on the nightstand, I crept up behind Cliff quietly. Peeking over his shoulder, I could see a hand-written letter written with a right slant.

"What's that?" I asked.

Cliff jumped at the sound of my voice, clearly not having heard me approach, and crumpled the note quickly. He shoved the letter into one of the drawers in his desk where I wouldn't be able to see it. "Nothing," he said hurriedly.

I frowned in suspicion. "That sure doesn't look like nothing," I retorted.

He laughed nervously, contemplating the consequences of telling me the truth. "Well..." he glanced at the drawer. "It's not nothing, but it is private."

Obviously, I thought with an inward eye roll. I decided not to push the topic since he seemed unwilling to tell whether I begged him or not. Whatever it was wasn't for me to know.

We heard a knock on the front door and Cliff took advantage of the excuse to make a clean exit. I followed him silently, half tempted to read the letter while Cliff wasn't in the room, but too afraid of getting caught.

When I entered the living room, Cliff was holding the door for Aaron to walk in. I sat down and stared at Cliff over the back of the couch as he greeted the guest. Cliff noticed and averted his eyes. Whatever he was hiding was definitely not nothing, and I was beginning to think it was more than simple a personal letter.

Aaron waved to me. "Hey, Zane," he said. "I hope you don't mind if I steal your boyfriend for most of the night. He'll be coming with me on a job."

There was an awkward cough and I glanced over Aaron's shoulder to see Cliff had turned bright red. I glowered at him. "He's not my boyfriend," I said.

"If you say so," Aaron said. "Even so, Cliff agreed to help me with a job tonight, so he won't be home until late."

I just shrugged and turned the TV on. After discussing some details of their trip, Cliff left the room to go get ready and I made small talk with Aaron about cooking until Cliff returned. He had a backpack slung over one  shoulder and had changed into a dark t-shirt and jeans. I didn't hide my discomfort at seeing him in dressed that way, and he looked a bit shameful. 

Aaron said he would go start the car, so Cliff told him he'd be there in a minute. Once Aaron had gone, Cliff turned to me. "Will you be alright by yourself?" he asked. "I know it is last minute, but Aaron really needed the help."

"Just go," I said, trying to be casual. "I'm not ten, I'm sure I can find something to do with myself for a few hours."

Cliff told me to cook whatever I wanted for dinner, and then left the house. I listened to the door shut behind me before I sighed dramatically and slid along the back of the couch to lay on my side and stare out a window. I was going to be so bored.

*******

Sam and James had gone straight back to the office to work on the image. A few hours later they had a crisp, sharp picture of their missing kid walking side-by-side with their number one suspect. They both found it odd how casual the two of them looked, but neither voiced their opinions to the other. There were a number of reasons for Zane to be out with Dine and while some of them were reasons for concern, others could simply be as easy as manipulation. They wouldn't assume the worst until the worst came. 

"Should I get her on the phone?" James asked, printing the new photo.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

James typed in the number for their boss and a phone icon popped up on the computer screen. A few seconds later the face of an older woman appeared. She looked anxious. "Yes? What have you got?" she demanded.

Sam and James leaned close to the screen. "We found Zane, ma'am. The target is with Clifford Dine," Sam explained as James uploaded the picture they had taken.

The woman seemed surprised. "I thought you investigated his house more than once and found nothing," she said. 

"We did," Sam said. "But we were on the street, asking around town if anyone had seen Zane, and we saw Dine and Zane walking together."

The image must have popped up on her screen because her expression turned to shock. She started typing something on her end, frowning deeply. "Have you confronted the suspect?" she asked.

The agents shook their heads. "No, ma'am. We would need a warrant to enter the house without probable cause," Sam explained.

She nodded. "You'll have your warrant by tonight. Go as soon as you get it," the lady said. She shook her head dismally. "I can't imagine what that poor boy is going through."

The call ended and Sam and James looked at each other. The fact that Zane had been walking beside Dine without any apparent oppression was still in the subconscious of both of their minds, though neither of the agents expressed this to the other. Their job had been to find Zane and they had done just that. When that warrant came in, they were going to arrest Dine and get Zane home. Any suspicions that persisted could be addressed in court when the proper time arose.

*******

I laid with my legs over the back of the couch, head hanging off the other end as I attempted to read upside-down. It was harder than it sounded, but somehow still too simple to occupy my time. I was bored out of my skull and just wanted Cliff to get back.

It was almost two in the morning, but I was too anxious to go to sleep. I wasn't worried about Cliff, he could take care of himself I was sure, but I had gotten so used to falling asleep to the sound of his breathing that I couldn't sleep well when he wasn't around. especially not after Rowen.

So, I was waiting. Sleeping would have made time pass faster, but as that wasn't an option, I resigned myself to what little entertainment I could find for myself. Unfortunately, reading upside-down wasn't working anymore.

Finally giving up on pulling an all-nighter, I groaned and sat up. Swinging my legs around to stand and walk into the bedroom. I plopped onto the bed with a bounce. I wasn't dependent on him, I told myself. I could sleep on my own. I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep. Trying to force myself into the dream world was hard, but I found the less I thought about myself being awake, the easier it was to imagine blissful nothingness.

I had almost succeeded in falling completely asleep when I heard the front door and my eyes popped right back open. I hurried back into the living room to see Cliff walking in, clearly exhausted from his evening endeavors and ready to drop into bed himself.

"Everything go okay?" I asked, hand still on the bedroom door.

Cliff looked up and the weary crease in his brow melted away almost instantly. "Yeah," he said. "Why did you stay up so late? I said you didn't have to wait for me."

I shrugged, reluctant to admit his absence had been my source of insomnia. "I couldn't sleep," I said simply.

His chuckle was fond. "I see," he said. "Well, I'm exhausted, so go wait in the bedroom for me. I'll be there in a minute after I grab some water."

I turned to reenter the bedroom, but just as I put my hand on the door knob, there was a knock, one that sent the a sickening thud throughout the house. We looked at each other uneasily. Who could that be at this time of night? In a quiet voice, Cliff told me to go into the bedroom, shut the door, and not come out until he came for me. Then he walked over to answer the visitor.

A feeling of dread crawled up my spine, but I didn't know why. I just knew something was off. However, I wasn't about to argue, so I opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. I was just shutting the door when there was a crash from outside. Though I shouldn't have, I pulled the door back open quickly to see Cliff being tackled to the floor; they had knocked over the hall table in their scuffle.

I was still staring, horrified and unsure what to do, when someone else entered through the front door behind them. He spotted me right away and began to move closer.

"Zane," he said, calling me by name. Wary of him, I stepped away and he paused. "Don't worry, we're with the FBI, and we're here to help."

My eyes shifted to the other man, conflicted. "The FBI?"

While I was distracted, the man who had spoken got close enough to wrap an arm around my shoulders and pull me towards the front door. I couldn't peel my eyes away from Cliff and the man he was fighting as we passed them, moving out onto the front porch. When they were out of my line of sight, a sort of panic rose in my chest. What would happen to Cliff?

"Please," I said as the man took me to a car and told me get in. "What's going on? I don't understand."

The  man showed me his badge. "I'm agent James, and I promise you there is nothing to be scared of anymore," he promised. "I have to go help my partner. Stay here, do not get out of the car."

He shut the door before I could speak, and I watched him go back inside the house, hand on a concealed gun. Part of me itched to go after him to stop him from hurting Cliff and convince him that Cliff wouldn't hurt them. But I knew that that wasn't true, Cliff would hurt them if it meant defending himself; he was a killer first and foremost. So, I sat and waited until all three men finally emerged from the house.

Cliff had his hands cuffed behind his back. He was glaring at the men over his shoulder, still fighting to get at them. Agent James and the other man stood on either side of him, a hand on each arm to keep him still. Their grips were not gentle.

When I saw them, I couldn't wait anymore. I shoved the car door open and ran towards them. However, before I got there, they saw me and agent James grabbed my arms. He pulled me away from Cliff. "That's not a good idea," he warned. "Come on. Let's go back to the car."

I pulled at his grasp, trying to get past him. "Please, just let me say something to him," I pleaded. "I just need to say one thing."

The two agents glanced at each other. After the first nodded, James released me and I ran to Cliff. I gripped his shirt, unsure of what it was I really wanted to say. But Cliff seemed to know. With his hands still cuffed, he gave me the best form of a hug that he could and I melted into him like liquid. I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him that I hoped he'd be alright, but his voice in my ear stopped me.

"Tell them it was me," he said quietly.

I looked up at him, preparing to object, but his expression was more serious than I had ever seem it before.

"Whatever happens, don't mention Rowen or Aaron," he said. "Just say it was me."

He didn't get to tell me anything more before we were forcibly pulled apart. As the distance between us grew, I felt the tears come to my eyes. I didn't understand it, not the agents, not Cliff's request, not my confused feelings. I just knew that watching Cliff be taken from me hurt more than anything I had yet to experience in my life. Cliff was taken to one car, I to another, and the doors were shut.

*******

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