"So the boy wants in," Meyer said, nodding towards Jonah.

"He isn't ready for this," Joe said.

"He's Ruth's grandson though," Lonny said. I glanced up from the files in front of me towards Jonah. He looked stressed and like he hadn't slept since Ruth's passing.

"Jonah," I said. "Do you actually want this?"

"It's my birth right," he said definitively.

"That's not what she asked," Roxy said.

"My Safta would want me to," he said.

"Your Safta was protecting you from this," I said.

"Mammele," my mother said. "You chose this."

"I did. I'm trying to make sure he is choosing this as well. Cause once you're in, you're in for good," I said, repeating the same words Joe had snapped at me the day after my eighteenth birthday when I joined the Hunt.

"At least she's learned something," Joe said jokingly.

"Yes, Matilda, I did choose this. I am fucking choosing this," Jonah snapped at me.

"Don't," I said.

Lonny started laughing at me, causing me to crack a smile.

"What's so funny?" Jonah asked.

"She doesn't like being called Matilda," he explained. "She keeps a count of how many days it's been since it happened."

"No I don't," I said in protest.

"Alright focus," Harriet said. "We know where the Pied Piper is living."

We began formulating a plan as to how to get into his house.

A few days later, I was sitting in the van with my parents, waiting for the all clear from Joe and Lonny that we could enter. When the signal came through we got out of the van and headed inside, my parents immediately heading straight for the room where there was a broadcasting station setup. I hung back with Jonah and Meyer, watching as Joe moved the amps around the Pied Piper.

Within a few minutes Joe had strategically placed the amps so when he blasted the bass, it would torture the man and inevitably burst his ear drums.

When the man refused to talk to Meyer, Joe blasted the bass in the song. The man began convulsing in an almost seizure like manner. His ears began to bleed and I forced myself not to cringe away from the scene.

My parents called for Meyer and Joe as I heard a faint German song playing in the background. Jonah and I stayed where we were to make sure that the man couldn't escape.

"Tilly," my mother said, drawing me into the next room.

"Stay here. Don't let him kill himself," I spoke quickly before joining the rest of the team.

The song being broadcasted was in German, so I grabbed a pen and quickly started writing down the English translations. There was commotion in the studio and I glanced up, continuing to scribble the words.

"Go check on Jonah."

Joe glared at me for thinking I could talk to him like that, but when Jonah yelled, he ran to the rescue.

When a gunshot rang out, my hand froze above the page, my translations having to take a back burner until I knew Jonah and Joe were okay.

"We have to get out of here," Joe said coming back to the studio.

"Take as much equipment as you can," Meyer said and my parents and I immediately began to disassemble the equipment so we could pack it in the van.

"Mattie," Joe snapped to gain my attention. I glanced up and saw him in the doorway with Jonah looking like a kicked puppy.

"You're on Jonah duty. Teach him to not fuck up."

"We'll talk in the car. Take this and don't lose it." I handed Jonah my notebook and he began attempting to read the scribbles.

"Tilly," my mom said. "Go to him mammele."

"Mamme, you two need me in here," I said.

"Go," Lonny said, squatting beside me. "I've got this."

"Jonah, can you carry a box?" I asked as I stood up.

"Yeah," he responded. I tapped a box that was full and he grabbed it. I grabbed another one and we carried them out to the van. Once they were stacked securely in the back, I spoke to Jonah.

"What the hell happened in there Jonah?" I asked. "I told you not to move or let him kill himself."

"He asked for a drink."

"And what was the first thing I told you?"

"Not to move," he said.

We leaned against the van together as Joe and Roxy walked out talking about what they'd found.

"And what did you do?" I asked, looking at the bruises he'd gained. None of them were too bad.

"I moved," he said.

"I know Joe yelled at you, but you could have been killed. Your mind is unmatched Jonah. We need you if we're ever going to find him."

"Him, who?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter," I said, knowing I couldn't tell him about the Wolf yet. "The point is that you need to be careful. You also need to start training with Joe so this doesn't happen again."

"He seems pissed at me," Jonah said as everyone else walked out of the house.

"He is. You cost us a valuable resource. The Pied Piper deserves a lot worse than a bullet to the head," I said. "Now we'll never know if he had more to tell us."

"I'm sorry Mattie," he said, grabbing my hand to draw my attention back to him.

"Apology accepted but actions, Jonah, not words," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked as I walked away.

"She'll believe you're sorry when you show her you are," Lonny said. The two headed off to get in a car with Meyer and Roxy. Joe, my parents, and I climbed into the van and my father pulled out of the driveway, following Meyer's car.

"Thank you," I said after a while of silence.

"Don't mention it," Joe said.

"I mean it Joe," I said softly. He nodded a little bit and closed his eyes in attempt to sleep.

When we reached Meyer's home again, Jonah was standing outside the door as if waiting for us.

"Mattie, can I ask something of you?" He asked as we started to unload the van and pack the equipment into my father's car.

"Yeah, what's up?" I said.

"I have to go say the Kaddish for my Safta, but I'm nervous about going alone," he said. "I know it's traditionally only said by family, but do you think you could go with me tonight?"

"I'll check with my mom," I said. I walked over to my parents who were now waiting on me and explained the situation.

"Mamme, I know it breaks tradition," I said.

"Go with him," she said. "After all, it wasn't Ruth's fault there's only Jonah left to say the Kaddish."

"Thank you," I said.

"It's getting late mammele, stay with Jonah tonight. We will see you tomorrow at Meyer's we'll bring you clothes," my father said. I looked towards Jonah as he paced anxiously.

"I will talk to him," I said, returning to where Jonah was waiting.

"You're coming?" He asked.

I nodded before speaking. "Is it cool if I crash at your place? The synagogue is reall-."

He cut me off. "Yeah you can crash with me."

I looked to my parents and nodded so they got into their car and left.

As we walked towards the synagogue, I started to shiver a bit.

"Here," Jonah said, shrugging out of his jacket as we walked.

"I can't take your jacket," I said, knowing full well that I should've brought my own.

"I know you don't want to go into the synagogue in just a tank top so put the jacket on," he said, holding it out to me. I agreed reluctantly as we reached the doors of the synagogue and headed inside.

As we were saying the prayer for Ruth, Jonah kept tripping over the words like he wasn't focused. When he ran out in the middle of the prayer, I followed him. He ran back to his house, heading straight to the bathroom and turning the water on.

"Jonah, what's going on?" I asked. He didn't answer, so I tried the door and he was scrubbing his hands. I silently grabbed some soap and started to clean his hands for him since he was panicking. Once his hands were clean and dry he started to calm down some.

"I can't get the ringing to stop," he said. "He said something before Joe killed him about how he made the Jews sing so he wouldn't hear the ringing anymore. It's from killing people Mattie."

"I know Jonah," I said. "It will get better. I will be there until it does."

"Thank you Mattie," he said. I nodded slowly and he led me to the kitchen where we got a snack and sat talking about anything to distract ourselves from the mindset of the Hunt.