"Farlan, Farlan, Farlan," Izzy mutters. "Where've you gone off to now?"

    Levi had been acting strange. He was leaving in the middle of the night, but where was he going? Why couldn't he tell Farlan and Izzy about it? There was some mistrust there and she didn't appreciate it. Izzy would bet her life that Farlan didn't like it either. In the beginning, they were like the binding of a fresh, hardcover book with its pages stapled tight together and the glue holding strong. Now they were breaking apart, pages by page, and she was afraid because what was a book if all its pages were missing?

    She should go back. She should really go back. Levi had probably stepped into some shit on their shitty sidewalk and since Farlan follows Levi, he probably stepped into the same shit, the whole time thinking that they don't want the other to get involved. Oh, well, she supposes that Farlan didn't remember the fact that she follows him anywhere he goes, too. Looks like she's gotta go step in some shit on the sidewalk because what are friends for?

    Izzy turns around, looks at the innocent bystanders on the sidewalk and marvels at how simple some of their lives might be. But these kids probably had a nice home with a nice mommy and daddy to look after them. They were probably adored by their parents and not called a wicked changeling sent from hell. How pleasant their lives must be.

    That doesn't matter too much though, because now that she thinks about it, Izzy doesn't really want a nice household. If that had been the case, she'd never have met Farlan and Levi. Now that, that was a sad life.

    She should go back. She will go back.

    It starts off as quick steps then they pick up and lengthen into strides until she's fully running, running, running to the only people in the world who've ever taken the time to think she might be something more than a nuisance. Soon the world falls into a blur and she's only focused on what's immediately ahead. Izzy's replaying the image of Farlan running off; which way did he go? Left? Yeah, it had to've been left.

    ERRRRRRR

    It's the sound of tires screeching against concrete that wakes her up and makes the blur of images form into legitimate objects.

    "Isabel Magnolia!" Someone shouts out her name.

    Like a dummy, she stops and turns to the black van which is pulled crookedly beside the curb. It's where the voice had come from.

    "You lookin' for two dudes?" the man in the passenger seat shouts. "C'm'ere!"

    She must be stupid (She must be!) but something compels her to walk towards the van. It's against her better judgement but she must, it feels like. For a moment, as one foot is put in front of the other, she thinks that perhaps she's not herself that day. It does not feel like she's in control. Someone else is making the decisions here.

    "Yes?" She finally reaches the van. Its outside is sleek and smooth, not a bit of grime could be found on its surface. Out of the corner of her eyes she can see her own plain face staring back at her. Montone. A blank slate. Levi's taught her well.

    The van door opens.

    She sighs. "Not this shit again."

-=-=-=-=-=-

    Farlan and Levi followed Kenny through alleyways for several minutes before they finally stopped in front of a wooden, oak door that was only about five feet high and three feet wide, planted right into the side of a tall, brick building. On the outside, the sun has cast the area into shadows, the bricks looks old and worn, and the door's once-shiny finish has peeled away. The door's crooked on its hinges. The place feels old.

    Kenny stands there for a moment, his black trench coat swaying at his knees, just staring at the door and taking several shallow breaths. He looks like he's preparing for something but this seems not to be the case when he simply takes his hands and reaches for the door knob, turns it, and walks inside (unless of course opening the door was the event he was preparing for).

    "Home sweet home, aye, Levi?" Kenny asks.

    Levi gives a displeased grunt. Farlan looks at the interior in curiosity.

    The inside of Kenny's home (can this even be considered a home?) looks like it was pulled directly out of the 1950's. From where they stood, only the kitchen was visible. It had a checkered, black and white floor and some absolutely ghastly peach wallpaper that could've been found on Farlan's grandmother's walls. The cupboards were painted a pale teal, complementing the red granite countertops. The kitchen table was the only thing out of place. Despite it looking run-down and old like the rest of the place, it wasn't painted any bright colors and had no shiny chromium. It was plain oak.

    The room's decor wasn't the most conspicuous thing, however. Everywhere from the bright red countertops to the rotting, wooden table sat stacks and stacks of ... newspapers? He squints at them and confirms that yes, those were indeed stacks of newspapers. If he looked closely enough, he could see that in red pen, certain words were underlined and some headlines were circled. From this far away with so little inspection, he couldn't tell if they were haphazard remarks or if they'd been made with a deliberate reason in mind. Red pen trailed through all the newspapers, tracking words and phrases as if it were a detective.

    Kenny leads them through the room, Farlan looking with a seemingly childish interest and glint in his eye while Levi restrains himself from rubbing the dust from the tables and making a particularly messy pile of newspapers straight. They reach another door and this time it's the standard size instead of a hobbit hole. It's shiny and one can only assume it's made of a strong metal. Farlan notices there's a padlock on the handle. He finds it disturbing, as if Kenny were keeping some animal locked within.

    Kenny catches him staring. He grins a wicked grin. "Like it? This door is pure steel and the padlock is one of the strongest you can find," he chuckles. The grin falls a bit. "Had to have it installed when someone got a little too close to escaping."

    Farlan turns to Levi. He's grimacing and his eyes are unfocused, as if trying to stare into an invisible world he wasn't meant to see, and two fists are balled at his side but not in anger—in restraint. He wonders what Kenny had meant by "escaping" and a malicious feeling starts to churn in his gut. Levi is less surprised, simply upset by the mentioning.

The air starts to feel heavier.

"Anyways!" Kenny calls cheerfully. "Right this way, boys! Also, Farlan we've got to talk because Levi never says anything about his friends and I like to check up on my pride and joy from time to time. You understand, don't you?"

Pride and joy ... "Are you Levi's father?"

Kenny throws his head back and laughs. "Haha! Definitely not,"—suddenly serious. "Just a concerned 'family' member."

"He won't tell me our relation either, Farlan, so don't be put out," Levi grunted.

He glanced at him, incredulous, just barely holding in a gasp. Levi trusted this man even though he doesn't even know how they're related? A bit of a stretch considering Levi's character, he thinks.

Kenny is the first one to head down the stairs of the cellar. He grabs something off the wall—a flashlight with a yellow case—and uses it to guide him down the steep stairs. Farlan waited for Levi to approve and head down first before he follows closely behind. The walls were smooth cement and the lone shadow of Kenny bounces along with his feet, the three's footsteps echoing through the silence. It was creepy already but a low groan coming from the bottom of the steps sends a clear shiver down Farlan's spine. Levi's only reaction is to stiffen up. What was Kenny hiding down there?

The groan sounded as if it came from a man—a hurt, desperate, and broken man—without much strength. Farlan swallowed, practically gulping, and glanced at Levi's family member. Just what the hell was this man capable of?

When Kenny's foot touched the basement floor, he veered off quickly to the left and the groans turned into quieted whimpers. Farlan notices how uncharacteristically stiff Levi is, movements performed as if they were instinct-first responses instead of thought out acts—perfunctory in the most robotic manner. The air felt subtly malicious as the two friends turned to their lefts to see a man shirtless, gagged, and tied to a pole. Blood ran down the side of the man's face from a head wound that looked extremely recent. How long ... how long had he been tied there?

On the outside, Farlan did his best to copy Levi and to have no reaction, but he couldn't stop the horrified lump forming in his throat. He tried to placate himself by thinking of all the other times he'd seen men and women in worse shape. They were all out in the open, though, and fair game. They weren't trapped like an animal in a four-sided cement cage. To do so felt very ... cruel on another level.

Well, whaddya know? He has a conscious after all.

Farlan focused on the dust swimming in the sunlight that shone through a small window.

The next words coming out of Levi and Kenny's mouths were coming fast and full of information he ought to pay attention to; he was having some trouble.

"When did you get him?" Levi asked, like the man was some new pet.

"Three days ago. He came up to me while I was walking along the street and handed it to me like it was nothing. I doubt he's the real deal, probably just a little worker bee who got the short end of the stick."

'It'? When Kenny had first met them back in that alleyway, hadn't he mentioned something about letters?

Levi gave a grunt of agreement. "Has he said anything useful?"

"Not really. Actually, I'm hoping that's what you can help me with."

Levi's jaw stiffened. "Ah."

When would be the right time to speak up and ask questions? Farlan was getting quite confused at this point. Kenny noticed before he could even muster the courage.

"Boy, has Levi told you anything?"

He shook his head no.

"Haha, typical. Tryna play the hero, I bet. Not healthy ..." Kenny seemed to get lost in his thoughts for a moment before continuing: "Well, I guess I'll hafta—"

"Someone's been stalking us, Farlan," Levi interjected. "Whoever it is, they've been writing it down and putting their findings in bullshit fancy red letters and giving them to ... me."

"Have they threatened anything yet?" he asked, internally congratulating himself on having a level voice.

"All they've said is that we better not cross 'em, but haven't specified anything we're supposed to do. It won't be long before they ask for ransoms. We're in constant danger the longer they're on the loose."

He nodded. "I see. ... And you knew about this for how long?"

" ... A little longer than a month."

"Really? And how come you never told me or Izzy?" He couldn't stop a little bit of venom seeping into his words. He hoped they scraped across Levi's ears like nails on a chalkboard.

Frustratingly, it seemed to have no impact. "I didn't want you guys to worry. I had people taking care of it."

"You mean him?" Farlan shouted while motioning at Kenny, tempted to add on 'this psycho!' but refraining.

"Yeah, actually." Levi's eyes narrowed.

"You can't keep shit like that from us, Levi! We had a right to know."

Levi opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a loud clap resounded through the room. Kenny glared at the both of them. "Will you both be quiet? We have answers right in front of us and you think it's a good time to work out your problems? Please turn off your mouths during takeoff, and thank you for choosing shut-the-fuck-up airlines!"

Then he promptly stomped up to the man and ripped the gag out.

"Last time before we kill you. Who gave you the letters?"

Kill him?!

The man breathed heavily and the three of them listened intently as it soon became the only sound in the room.

Shakily, he said, "I don't know anything."

"Wrong answer!" Kenny punched him in the gut. "Try again."

"I-I don't—"

Another punch. "I said: wrong. answer."

Farlan watched as the man struggled for a breath. Something about Kenny had changed. All along, he'd known the man had some intense strength underneath his sarcastic facade, but seeing it in action made him seem ruthless on a different, scarier level. Teeth bared and face almost completely red in anger, he did not look like a man you wanted to piss off.

Farlan's mind raced in the face of the man's pain. What if the person they'd got wasn't lying? What if he really didn't know anything?

"Wait—"

Kenny grabbed the man's straggly, blond hair and forced him to look him in the eye. Their prisoner whined before Kenny said, "For the benefit of our company, I'd appreciate it if you told them what you've been telling me for the last three days!"

Slowly and breathily, he explained himself:

"I was walking to work. My hands were in my pockets and there was nothing in them except a gum wrapper. I passed by you on the sidewalk and—and—and—it becomes blurry. I ended up here with a gag in my mouth. I don't know about any red letters. I wasn't—I couldn't—"

"Kenny?" Levi asked, talking for the first time in minutes.

"What?" the man grunted.

"Do you keep all of your letters?"

"Obviously." He rolled his eyes. "They're all opened except the one I got a few days ago. Haven't bothered looking yet; it's probably the same creepy stuff as always."

"It'd still do us good to look," Levi chastised. 

"Well have it then!" Kenny reached into his inner coat pocket and took out a red envelope with an ornate wax seal displaying the letter S. He practically threw it at Levi, leaving the other to hastily snatch it out of the air.

Levi unceremoniously ripped it open and pulled out what looked to be fine stationery. As if it'd come out of a storybook, the first letter at the top was beautifully drawn. At least their stalker had class.

Farlan was about to ask what it said before he noticed Levi tensing but in a very unsettling, strange way.

"What's—?"

"Dammit," Levi hissed.

Kenny jerked to face them, letting the man's hair go with his head falling against his collarbone abruptly.

"What's it say?" he spat.

Levi only replied with: "This isn't the guy."

Kenny stood up, quietly muttering, "Goddammit, boy," before snatching the letter from him. "The little—GAH." He seemed frustrated and flustered—he was losing his temper—but he seemed to notice where he was and who he was with before quieting himself down and swallowing any fury he held. His hands absently roamed his face, scratching at his beard.

"What should we do with him?"

"Like I said before, I opt to kill him."

"Have you researched any of his family members? Has he been officially reported missing yet? You don't want the authorities on your ass."

"Haven't seen anything on the news so I'm going to assume that if he was really important to anybody, they would've said something by now."

"How come you kept him this long anyways? You know the dangers of ..."

And they kept talking. Talking like Farlan wasn't even there ... What was he? A shadow they hadn't noticed? The presence they knew was there but they couldn't quite place their finger on it?

"Excuse me?" he suddenly cut in, interrupting whatever Kenny was going to retort with. "Can I see the letters?"

"Since you asked so politely, no," Kenny laughed.

Levi almost rolled his eyes. "Yes, but you can't see mine now; they're hidden and not in this ... house." His tone not-so-subtly implied: if you can even call this a house.

"Fine, I can show you mine but we'll have some trouble finding it in here."

"It wouldn't be hard if you actually cleaned," Levi muttered, arms crossed.

"Y'know what, kid? We can go looking for it and you can clean up my house all you want. Haha, come on! Y'know you want to!"

Levi grumbled something neither of them could make out, but Farlan knew that yes, in fact, Levi would absolutely love to take some pledge and windex to every surface in the place. It was a completely normal exchange right after talking about killing a man. It certainly was an odd sight to see Kenny chuckling beside a slumped, hairy figure tied to a pole.

"I'll take that as a yes," Kenny concluded, clapping a firm hand on Levi's shoulder. "You can start by reading this, boy." He turned to Farlan and tossed the letter at him.

Silently, he read: As if I'd let myself be caught so easily.

Now he understood the grim face of Levi, who couldn't tear his eyes away from their prisoner. The man looked so pitiful now, even more so than he'd first appeared if that were even possible. But there was more than simple pity and sadness on Levi's face—there was regret. He didn't do anything really wrong, though. This was Kenny's doing and Farlan hoped Levi knew that. Unless ... he'd arranged for someone to be captured with Kenny behind their backs. At this point, nothing seemed too crazy. It was a possibility. So, yes, feel regret for now, because you may well deserve it.

Tortured someone who didn't deserve it. Almost made him sick.

"Alright, kiddies," Kenny sighed. "Get outta here while I take care o' him."

"How exactly are you going to do that?" Farlan boldly asked.

Kenny gave him a look. "I'll make it quick and easy if it makes you feel any better." He reached for a pistol sitting on a nearby storage box.

"He's a real liability. There's no other way," Levi solemnly agreed.

"Wait—"

"I'll allow you some last words." Kenny already had the gun pointed at his head.

"You don't have to do that!"

"Farlan," Levi begins. Why does he sound so chastising? He's beginning to understand that Levi really ... really doesn't think much of them. Children who need protection? That aren't old enough to handle the truth? Please, he'll show him. They have to get this false idea out of his head.

Farlan glares at Levi but sees something sad in his eyes, something almost apologetic. It's as if he's saying, 'Just let him do it. It'll be over soon and we can forget.' How many times has Levi just sat by and watched as someone's life is taken away without a second thought? And he thinks Levi gets it now, too. Farlan's upset, almost disgusted, with him. It's written across his face and he hopes it's as clear as day. The air becomes stormy.

"If the man is innocent," he began slowly, "then we should let him live. Doesn't that seem fair?"

Levi gave him a look that gave off the impression that he was the adult talking down to a child. "Not everything can be fair. In case you haven't noticed, that's not how life works."

"But this is different because you have a choice, now. This is not fate at work. You can change this."

Kenny interrupts with a hearty chuckle. "Wow, Farlan, nice explanation! But we still have to kill him. He's a liability."

"But—"

Kenny shoots and Farlan screams. All that's left is a limp body, brain matter, and a stream of blood.

-=-=-=-=-=-

He's never killed anyone before. Wouldn't dream of it. He's taken baseball bats to backs, knees, and stomachs, but he's never pointed a loaded gun at another human being. What right? he would ask himself. What right did people have to play God and decide who lives and who dies?

The sight was horrendous. It wasn't even that loud. Kenny had a silencer. Instead of an explosion screeching in their ears, it was Farlan's shout of surprise. Happened so fast ...

He held his head in his hands and rubbed at his eyes with the palms, hoping the gore he just saw would leave his head. He'd witnessed someone's last moments. Heard someone's last words. What were they again? Oh, a reason he should've been spared. He was innocent. He ... was innocent.

They were outside now. Back in an alleyway of a ... pizza restaurant, he believes. Kenny explained to them how the owners were involved with the mafia, smuggling heroin from Sicily in cans of tomato sauce. FBI hadn't been on their asses for a few years, he said. They were reliable folk who kept their mouths shut and made a big profit off it.

The encounter left Farlan wondering just how deep he'd fallen in, meeting this man. Perhaps there was a really good reason he was kept separate.

He continued to sit on a metal trash can, willing the last bits of food he had within him to stay down.

A few feet away, Levi and his family member spoke in furtive whispers out of earshot of their third companion. They seemed to be arguing, but about what Farlan couldn't tell. A part of him hoped Levi was chastising Kenny for his actions, but for some reason he highly doubted it.

"C'mon, Farlan, let's go!" Levi abruptly shouted, racing over to him and swiftly grabbing his arm to pull him along towards the end of the alley.

"Let go." Farlan ripped his arm away from Levi's grip. His friend was momentarily surprised at Farlan's tone, but he walked on as if nothing had happened when he continued to keep with him despite Levi, himself, seeming mildly disturbed. It may not have shown on his face but it presented itself in the stiffness of his gait and the slight furrow of his brows.

"Levi, get back here!" Kenny shouted from behind them.

It only took a second for Kenny to catch up to them and knock Levi to the ground, face pressed against cold, wet cement. Farlan wasn't really in shock, just didn't want to do anything. If Kenny started a full-out assault, maybe he'd be inspired to provide some aid, but right now, he was only pinning Levi down with his hands behind his back, like pro-wrestlers except this wasn't fake.

Levi didn't struggle against Kenny's weight. He lay limp not in defeat, but in wait, a fire of rebellion burning behind his eyes and bones just waiting to get at another victim. This was nothing for him. He just had to wait. That's all. The real problem was how dirty his clothes had gotten from even touching the city's ground. Disgusting.

"I said no!" Levi shouted.

"You have no choice in the matter. I'm your only family and you're mine. Why can't we spend a day together?"

"This is the worst fucking time!"

Farlan interrupted, "We've actually got a job tonight so do whatever you want, just not today."

Kenny turned to look at him as he flashed a mischievous grin. "Oh? A job? You didn't mention anything about that to me, Levi. Who's the employer?"

"Confidential information," he bit back.

Kenny bent Levi's arm up his back farther, eliciting some winces but not a noise.

"Wrong answer."

"It doesn't matter what the answer is because you're not coming with us!"

"I will!"

"You won't!"

"Yes I fucking will."

"No you really fucking won't."

"Um, is that truck gonna run us over?"

Kenny and Levi looked up to where Farlan was faced: "What?"

A black van was hurling down the alley at a remarkable speed considering the amount of space. There was probably going to be dents and dings all up and down the sides of what would've been a smooth exterior. A bit of a shame if one liked to keep their cars nice. It came to a screeching halt just before running their boss and his family member over.

Farlan's blood ran cold.

In the passenger seat, there was Izzy, bound with a gun pointed at her head. She rolled down the window, a speaker in her ear.

"Sorry, but yes he will."