Marcus stirred from his position where he was handcuffed around the tree. Devin eased off of the car and stood before him, aiming the gun at his chest.

It took a while before Marcus realized what was going on. He groaned from the pain that would be pulsating through his head.

"You better start talking," Devin threatened when Marcus finally focused on him. He pulled against the cuffs but they wouldn't budge.

"You must have lost your fucking minds!" Marcus yanked at the cuffs even harder. "You fucking idiots! Let me go!"

"We will when you tell us where Dahlia is," I spoke up from my position against his black Honda.

"I don't know," he lied. Devin punched him but not enough to knock him out. 

"Try again!" He was wasting our time.

When Marcus didn't respond I got closer. Maybe the aggression wouldn't work but my pleading will.

"We know you set us up. We know you were the one who called both her and Devin out on that corner. We know you set up the deal so we'd get the phone from those guys so whoever took Dahlia would call us."
When he didn't respond, I continued.
" What we don't know is why. Please if there's any feeling for Dahlia left in you tell us where she is, anything, please," I begged of him.

He remained quiet.

"This is bullshit!" Devin grabbed his collar and pulled arm backwards, ready to punch him again. He stopped himself when Marcus finally began to speak.

"The men that took Dahlia, they forced me to do it."

"What do you mean force?" I asked, though we already had a good idea as to what he meant. I wanted to see if he would tell the truth.

"They came to the house, held a knife to my mother's neck and told me that if I didn't do it. Or if I helped you, they'd kill my mother."

"So you fuckin let them take her?!" Devin voice was searing with anger. Though his voice remained low, it radiated off him like heat from a blazing bond fire.

"I didn't want to, but what else was I supposed to do?" Marcus almost seemed remorseful.

"You are the police! What do you mean what else were you supposed to do?!" I shouted. There's so much he could have done with the power of the badge. But the line between wrong and right was blurred with all the corruption. 

"Look, man, I thought I could keep her safe, I didn't know they'd make you rob Fitz or anything. I didn't find out until last night."

"So you knew what they had planned? Do you know who took her?" I stepped forward to be in line with Devin. 

He didn't respond.

"Answer his fucking question!" Devin said aiming the gun to his head this time.

The gun didn't scare him much. Devin realized this so he kicked him in his leg hard enough for him to yelp in pain.

"I don't know him. Never seen him till he came to my house. His face was all burned and shit. He was going to cut off her finger when you dumb fucks didn't deliver on time. I kept her alive you know past the time."

"What do you want a fucking cookie?" Devin added sarcastically.

"Do you know where she is?" I was getting a little glimpse of hope. If he felt bad enough, or if Devin kicked him enough, he could just take us to her.

"These are dangerous," he claimed.

"Yea so is everyone else in the fucking city." Devin was right about that. If you threw a rock down the street, you'd hit someone that had commit some sort of crime.

"They're different, it seems like there's something personal between him and you,"

"We don't know who he is," I added quietly, remembering the name he called himself. But, something that Marcus said struck me. The man who had Dahlia, his face was burned. And our father died in a car blaze. This person called himself by our father's name. But Bick was dead. The more I put things together, the more confused I got. But, Barry and Margaret, could they have? No, that doesn't make any sense.  

"You're gonna take me to her," Devin demanded.

"No, he'll kill you, me, my mother-"

"I'll kill your mother myself if you don't." Devin's words shocked me. He menacingly stepped closer to Marcus and threatened the life of an old lady.

"I'll cut her up piece by piece, and make you watch, while her blood drips from my fingertips."

He stooped down to Marcus' eye level. His words were vile, and what scared me the most was that I believed there was a part of him that would do that. I was usually good at calling his bluff. But maybe being so close to finding Dahlia was driving him over the edge.

Marcus knew where she was. One way or another, he was going to take us to her.

~~~~

We drove on the dirt road through the trees. At the end of the forest was a clearing covered in lush grass. Across from us was a broken-down structure.  Marcus noted that there were usually two black vans outside of the building, but there weren't any now. Devin slowed Marcus' vehicle to a halt on the asphalted parking lot, and we got out.

He opened the back door for Marcus who was still handcuffed. I scanned the vast green landscape of wild tall grass that swayed in the gentle breeze. There was no one in sight.

I wondered if he was leading us into a trap. I wasn't sure we could trust him but he was the best lead we had. Devin had his stolen firearm aimed at Marcus' head, as he led us to the building. I walked behind them, watching for any suspicious movement. That was my job, to watch my brother's back.

The heavy steel doors were ajar with a shiny heavy-duty chain hanging from its handle. Devin pulled at the door and it creaked open, scraping against the pavement. If anyone was inside, they'd know we're here.
Devin shoved Marcus in first. Then he stepped in himself, while I followed. I pulled at the door to close it and the same scraping and creaking echoed through the hollow building.

The inside was darkened by blocked up windows, that only allowed streaks of light to enter. As we advanced into the giant space, my steps were dampened by tiny puddles of water. That explained the mildewy odour in the air. The walls were covered with colourful graffiti, some giving inspirational quotes while others worshipped the devil. Thick metal pipes were scattered about, and in the far corner, I saw a lonesome metal chair. I imagined my sister being tied to that chair, being tortured.

"Where is everyone?" Devin asked Marcus, forcing him against the wall.

Marcus wasn't troubled by the gun being aimed at his forehead. 

"I don't know" he replied through gritted teeth, "I left them here last night."

"I don't fucking believe you,"

"They didn't tell me anything ok! This is where she was taken to, she was locked up downstairs!" He pointed toward some metal stairs. 

"If you uncuff me, I'll show you"

"No way!" Devin shoved him in the direction to the stairs. We followed Marcus down a dark narrow hallway close to the back of the warehouse.

"These people, they watch everything you do," Marcus started saying.

"They even watched when you guys robbed Fitz. I'm probably already dead."

"How do you know?" He seemed to know a lot about what was happening when he claimed to know nothing. 

Marcus shook his head. "Some of the guards, they talk"

"And you still don't know who is running the show or why they took our sister?"

Devin asked seemingly a little bit calmer but he never lowered the gun.

We went down the metal stairs and I noticed the walls were freshly painted, contrary to the run-down decor upstairs.

We turned a corner and walked all the way to the end where there was a metal door on the right.

"This is where she was," Marcus said standing before the door.

There were several bolts and locks on the door but it was left open; which was a little too perfect of a situation, if you asked me.

"We probably shouldn't go in" Marcus hesitated. Devin shoved the door open and pushed Marcus in. 

I hesitated, expecting to hear a gun go off, or a bomb of some sort but nothing happened. The structure was still standing. Devin went in next. The first thing I saw was the chair, it was blood-stained, with ropes around the legs. It was where she shot that awful video. 

Then the coppery smell of blood filled my nostrils. As I stepped in deeper, I noticed a pool of blood seeping from behind the door. Before I could think it, Marcus eased my mind.

"It's not her. That was actually the guy she killed while trying to escape."

Devin let out a low stiff chuckle. He must have been proud to know that Dahlia was fighting to get out.

"Good" was all he said.

"So if she's not here, where is she?" Devin put Marcus up against the wall again. 

"I don't know."

"So what you did your part and you're no longer involved?"

"I don't know." Marcus said simply.

"What the fuck do you know?" 

"I know that this guy and woman have a personal vendetta against you, The Vickers. I don't know why. But he wants to punish you."

"For what? What's the end goal?" I was more confused now.

"Death? Maybe? For all of you?"

Devin lifted the gun again. 

"Maybe I should just kill you. Put a bullet right between those eyes."

Marcus sighed, unbothered by his threat. Maybe, he felt that Devin was bluffing. If he was, I couldn't tell. Not at this point, not when we were getting closer. 

I hoped Devin wouldn't actually kill Marcus, he'd never killed anyone before, and I wouldn't want him to. Killing, murder, is a dark path that you could never come back from.

"Or maybe I can help." 

"We don't need you anymore. You're the reason we are in this mess!"

"Yes, but I can get you out." He put up a finger as if he was making a point. 

"How?" I was intrigued. "You don't know where she is, or anything about the man who is behind this"

Marcus looked at me and then at Devin who never moved the gun.

"I can help you kill Juno."