XAVIER

We walked through the dark metal halls, a gust of cold air following us. Damien squinted up at the bright white lights.

The idiot decided to wait until the last minute to wake up again. And then he had the audacity to get coffee. And dad didn't stop him.

Spoiled brat.

I pushed through the metal door at the end of the hallway, Arielle and Phoenix tailing us. We stepped into the room which we spent most of the night in.

A large one-way window took up the left wall, revealing an interrogation room on the other side. Screens lined the adjacent wall, filled with medical files and measurements of the prisoner's current state. Two doctors watched the measurements, talking to each other in whispers as they recorded the effects of the torture.

In the interrogation room, the door leading to the prison cells opened and three guards dragged the Raven prisoner inside.

The bomber carried bandages and bruises from his previous three intervals of interrogation. He limped towards the table in the center of the room. Heavy sighs echoed through the speakers as he lowered himself into the metal chair, wincing.

So far, we didn't get much information from him. We only knew that the partners who helped him bomb my mother were dead. One was run over by a car and the others we killed in the alleyway attack. I already knew that but, apparently, the Crown Fortier deemed it useful information because he allowed the prisoner three hours of rest.

I suppose it was a good thing the Crown Fortier was a fool. Otherwise, we would've been continuously torturing him with no results.

A doctor ran into the interrogation room and connected numerous sensors around the prisoner's body. I watched as the screens blinked green, connecting to the equipment. The two doctors nodded to each other in confirmation.

Useless actions. The other could clearly see that they were connected if they moved their eyes merely an inch over.

They started questioning the man, testing their faulty polygraphs with simple questions they knew the answer to.

What is your name? How old are you? Where were you born? Did you bomb the Queens? Did you kill Kingston Queen?

The answers sent anger scorching through my chest. I ignored it.

The prisoner, William Johnson, 19, looked down at the table. His head hung in wariness. He was close to breaking. Adding more physical pain would make him clam up again, revive his belief that we were evil and must be stopped. But a few gentle strokes, veiled jabs to the mind, and he would crumble.

I watched, wondering if the interrogator was smart enough to figure it out. Otherwise, we would have another one to fire, which would be a shame as we were getting considerably low in the numbers of people truly loyal to us.

There was a moment of silence in which the interrogator said nothing, and I knew why. Through the screens, I could see the tilt of the prisoner's lower lip, a habit of his whenever he was about to speak. His chest was slightly puffed, holding his breath. He was tense, hesitating.

Tell him to speak.

Edsel shook his head. "Why aren't they starting? He needs to get his supplies and start. We don't have all day."

He reached for the intercom on his armchair when my father placed a hand on his arm.

"Wait," my father said.

Arielle turned to me from my right, her eyes furrowed. She was asking me why. I nodded towards Johnson.

Watch.

Arielle turned back to the front and sat back in her seat, uneasy.

Damien yawned. Idiot.

"You can speak your mind," the interrogator said. "We will listen."

Finally.

Johnson hesitated just a bit longer before speaking.

"I'll tell you what I know. But, I want to ensure my sister and my father stay alive. I don't want them to be hurt and thrown over the falls like you did with Chance Dayholt's parents."

The interrogator looked over his shoulder at the one-way mirror. My father looked to Edsel, nodding once. Edsel sighed before nodding back and pressing his intercom.

"While warnings were made to your father, which he did not heed, we will ensure their safety if you cooperate and provide valid information."

Johnson nodded.

The interrogator nodded to him. "Do you have information you would like to tell us?"

Johnson took a shaky breath and began.

"The Ravens, last I heard, were planning to take a prisoner. An Assassin prisoner."

Why?

"Why is that?"

"One of our Raven moles in an organization, I don't know which, thinks they will be found soon. So, they wanted to give a message to both the Assassins and the organization."

"What is the organization?"

"I'm not sure. I just know it's not an official government organization."

I narrowed my eyes. The numerous pieces of information drifting through my mind started to form into a puzzle, slowly connecting, snapping into place.

"How will the prisoner send a message to the Assassins as well?"

"Their target is supposed to be an Assassin. A former Alpha graduate from your prep Evandor."

"Give us a name."

"I don't remember exactly. I think it was something like Indigo Flour."

Damien spit out his coffee. I was disappointed to find it didn't fall in his own lap and landed nicely in his cup. Though, looking at him closely he seemed to be confused on whether to be shocked or start laughing at the way Johnson butchered her name.

Arielle gripped her armrest, nearly pressing her intercom on accident. Edsel sucked in a sharp breath.

"Indigo Fluor?" Edsel repeated over the intercom. Johnson nodded.

The interrogator furrowed his eyebrows, confused by Edsel's reaction. I willed Edsel to not speak further. Edsel seemed to recognize his mistake as he lifted his finger from the intercom button and cursed under his breath.

"Where did they take Indigo Fluor?" the interrogator asked.

Johnson shook his head. "I'm not sure. But if it's someone important, they most likely took her to the Concordian Headquarters."

Damien tilted his head, noticing it only a few seconds after I did.

"'The Concordian Headquarters'?" he whispered. "The Ravens have more bases in other nations?"

"Where are the Concordian Headquarters?" the interrogator asked.

"I have no idea. They never told me. I only worked out of Indianapolis and they made my apartment the Indianapolis base. I don't even know how they would pick a location to set up in."

Phoenix, who sat quiet and unmoving until that point, tilted her head.

"How did they communicate with you?"

"They left notes in my apartment with the Raven symbol. There was never any address."

"Did they ever sign it?"

Johnson hesitated. "There was once when the note was signed 'the Raven Lieutenant', but there wasn't an actual name. The Raven Lieutenant is supposed to be second in line to the Raven Ruler, but no one knows who he is either. There's rumors it's a man, but I don't know if that's true."

"What do you know about the Raven Ruler?"

"Nothing. I never even heard of the Ruler, only during initiation."

"And how were you initiated?"

Johnson hesitated again. "Someone that I knew was a Raven. He told me and convinced me to join. I agreed and one Raven tattooed me while he and another Raven made me swear against the Crowns and to follow the Raven Ruler. That's it. I was in."

I didn't have to guess who recruited young William Johnson. There was only one very possible answer.

His uncle. Was a part of a street gang. Went missing after the gang ransacked his house, supposedly due to a conflict. Gang later discovered to have been part of the Ravens.

His uncle most likely asked the gang to ransack his house to give him a cover and fly below the radar for all Raven tasks.

"So, you never spoke with the Raven Ruler?"

"No."

"And you don't know where the Raven headquarters are?"

"No."

The interrogator nodded and closed the files on the table. Looking at Johnson's expression, I knew he knew nothing else. The interrogator knew it too.

The Crowns nodded to each other and Edsel pressed the intercom.

"We will keep up our end of the deal. Your father and sister will be left to live. However, you must face trial for the act of terrorism which placed many in danger and the murder of the Kingston Queen. You will be held in captivity until your trial. Any further comments?"

Johnson shook his head. The interrogator nodded to the guards and they opened the door, letting a doctor remove his sensors before they dragged Johnson out. The interrogator left through a different door, rushing to his next shift break.

The doctors in the observation room powered down the screens made their reports, and walked out of the room. We remained silent.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Arielle said, "They have Indigo Fluor?"

I frowned. If Indigo was truly kidnapped, the Rebels should've gone after her by now.

I let Indigo so she would lead us straight to the rebel organization that had been building itself for the past ten years. I needed her to stay within their ranks for a while, truly earn their trust before I paid her a visit and flipped the switch, made her question her loyalty.

But if Indigo had truly been kidnapped and the Rebels hadn't gone after her, it meant I underestimated their hatred. Or, the plan went awry and the Ravens kidnapped someone else.

I must be the second one. I knew better than to underestimate people's emotions.

"Who?" Phoenix asked.

"Just an Alpha," Edsel grumbled. He was still mad that Arielle gave permission for Phoenix to be in the observation room and insisted that she stay.

"He mentioned a Concordian base specifically instead of just calling it the headquarters," Damien said. "What other nations do they have bases in?"

"That's not our main issue," Edsel said. "We have to focus on the ones within our nation first. We can't deal with other nations if we're weak."

"Sound logic," my father said, "but if the Ravens take over another nation first, they will be able to launch an assault both within our ranks and externally, utilizing all of that nation's resources. And we have to consider the possibility that other governments may be actively funding the Ravens."

There was a long silence.

Finally, Arielle spoke. "We have to do the best with what we have. First, we attack the Ravens in Concorde and get Indigo Fluor back before she talks. In the meantime, you Kingston's are smart enough to piece together where else the Ravens might be hiding. Start with nations that could be funding them and get us a list. Father and I can deal with them. Any questions?"

She looked to Edsel who didn't speak. He just stared back at her. He didn't speak. He didn't object. Arielle looked surprised, her breath held, eyes slightly wary.

"So where is the Concordian base?" Damien asked me after a moment.

I ran through the list of cities and towns.

New York City - too monitored.

Indianapolis - too obvious.

Los Demonios - no sign of Raven activity besides the diablo and his copiers.

Orleans - too close to the Cárcel del Muro and would interfere with the Rebels too much.

Ch...

"Chicago," Phoenix said. "It has to be Chicago."

The mysterious benefactor for the Willis Tower. The Ravens.

I clenched my jaw. How did she come to that conclusion before me?

"Chicago?" Arielle asked. "Why Chicago?"

"The Willis Tower benefactor," I answered before Phoenix. Phoenix glared at me, struggling to keep her tongue in check with the Crowns, especially Edsel, present and the ruse still up.

"I've spent plenty of time in Chicago. The Ravens are all over Chicago, so much so that their symbol spray painted into a building became normal. The mysterious benefactor who prevented the Willis Tower from breaking down and falling on top of the city is practically worshipped. If a Raven simply told a possible recruit that the Raven Ruler was the benefactor, they would pledge their loyalty to the Ravens, no questions asked."

"But how do we even know that the benefactor is the Raven Ruler? We don't even know if the benefactor exists," Edsel asked.

"Isn't it obvious? The Assassins never found any proof of either entity's existence, which makes no sense since there's clearly someone keeping the Willis Tower intact and there must be a Raven Ruler or a group of people if the entire Raven organization is dedicated to them. The Ravens have been receiving money for years. It's entirely possible they used it to renovate the Willis Tower for their needs."

"The Willis Tower is the Raven base?" Arielle wondered.

"That's ridiculous," Edsel declared. "The Assassins inspected the Willis Tower top to bottom only a few years ago. All they found were ruins, with some minor renovations. The investigation was conducted at random with only the highest officials knowing of its operation. The Ravens wouldn't have been able to clear out either. There's no way there's an entire Raven base hiding in there."

Phoenix shrugged. "Then it could be somewhere else in Chicago."

I watched as my brother gazed up at the ceiling, deep in thought, the coffee cup nearly slipping from his loose fingers. I took the cup from him, taking a sip, before placing it down. Damien was too focused to care.

"No," he said, looking back at all of us. "No, the Raven base could still be in the Willis Tower."

Every face turned to him. I took another sip of his coffee.

"How?" Arielle asked.

Damien stood, powering the screens on and frantically logging into his cloud base.

"I looked at the layout of the Willis Tower back when they were investigating the benefactor rumors," Damien explained. "There were signs of a renovation, things that fixed the building. But some of the renovations were strange.Way too thick walls and floors in some places, a complete removal of stairwells, doors built over, entire floors disappearing. There was something off that I never placed my finger on."

He clicked a file and pulled up the recent blueprints.

"But now I know why. They're hiding in plain sight."

"What?"

"They're operating within the walls and floors," he said. "The extra thick walls and ceilings weren't extra layers, they were brand new ceilings and walls built to accommodate the rooms hidden within walls."

"But the sensors said there was only extra cement and drywall," Edsel said. "They never picked up any hidden rooms."

"It wouldn't have been hard to tamper with the machinery. All they would need is a few seconds alone with them and they would've reported false information. I used to do it for fun when I was younger."

"And," Phoenix added, "Chicago has a lot of great thieves. It would've been easy."

Arielle raised an eyebrow at Phoenix and she rolled her eyes. She whispered, "No, the greatest thief in Chicago, and Concorde, did not participate in that particular task.

"We still don't know for sure whether or not it's truly inhabited by the Ravens," Edsel argued.

"It has to be," Phoenix said. "There's no way it isn't. I've lived in Chicago. I know it."

"Then why did you never report the Ravens base before?"

Phoenix shrugged. "I never had any reason to wonder where the Ravens were based or why they had such a strong presence in Chicago."

"So, we'll investigate the Willis Tower today," Arielle said. "As soon as we get any kind of confirmation that the Ravens are indeed inside the Willis Tower, we attack. Destroy the base and capture Indigo Fluor."

"We can't send our operatives," Edsel said. "While I trust our highest officials to not believe anything she says, rumors still spread like wildfire. A drunken mistake by any one of our operatives, and we'll have a major problem on our hands."

Phoenix tilted her head. "What does Indigo Fluor know?"

I narrowed my eyes. Edsel glared at Arielle who shrugged nonchalantly. "Regular Alpha secrets. Doesn't matter. The Ravens thought she was important. We need to take that away. We attack the Raven base, kill two birds with one stone."

"And what if she's not in the Raven base?" Phoenix asked. "The prisoner could've been lying."

"He wasn't lying," I said.

"He could be wrong," she said. "He didn't know for sure what was going on."

The thought occurred to me, but I knew it was pointless to voice it. Even if she wasn't there, we would still need to attack the Willis Tower base and then find her. The tasks would hardly change.

"Then we find her," Arielle said. "But we have to assume she's going to be at the Willis Tower and plan accordingly. My father was right. We can't send our operatives."

"Then who?"

There were looks exchanged around the group. Their answer was clear.

Us.

"Well, we should get going," Damien said, stealing his coffee. A wide grin spread across his face. "Let's invade Chicago."

Hey guys!

I know. It's been over a month. I have no excuse as to why that is. I mean, the last time I published was when I was on vacation on my birthday. Like, if I could publish then, I should definitely have been able to publish this past month, but it is what it is. I'm sorry.

I guess, in part, I just needed some time off to really rejuvenate myself and get back in touch with both the story and the characters.

School has started back up again, which means more work, but also more consistency because I'm more motivated to adhere to my schedule plus I write as a way to procrastinate on schoolwork cause that's definitely healthy.

Anyways, here's to a hopefully more consistent schedule!

Also, I'm trying to get the Creative Writers YouTube channel up and running and will most likely be pushing out all content on YouTube instead of the website going forward. The website will still exist along with the current posts, but it'll just kinda sit there until I can map out a clear structure and plan for it. If I do update it,  I will let you all know!

Also, if I don't post the first Creative Writers video by Thursday evening, feel free to spam me. I need the extra motivation to actually finish editing the video lmao

PS: You might be getting some bonus chapters and exciting news from "School of the Crown Assassins" soon...

See ya guys!
Sreenija Paruchuri