The huge cat, Galahad, was draped over the back of Detective Pedro's sleep chair like a drunk over a bar at last call. Since he'd spent several hours the night before attacking boxes, fighting with ribbon, and murdering discarded wrapping paper, she left him where he was so he could sleep it off.

Detective Pedro set down her bag and went directly to the AutoChef for coffee. "The person we are after is The Revenge."

"You've already identified the culprit?"

"Oh, yeah, I know who I'm after. Detective Cinders and I went to West Mercer to check the house Miss Mckade stayed in, and we found some interesting things."

Detective Inspector Max Schneider, her new partner since Detective Cinders was asked to deal with another case, said as he took the mug she brought him, watched her through the steam. "The name's quite sketchy. Must be that whoever this Revenge is, they are after one thing."

"Revenge." They said simultaneously.

"Why do I feel like I have heard something like this before?"

That's because three and a half years ago we had a similar case and it was all over the media. Also, when we searched the townhouse which belongs to Ansela Mckade's friend, Alejandra Mendoza, we found a brown envelope with several pictures of the Mckade's doing things. And-" She broke off when he laid a hand on her arm.

"Show me instead."

Detective Pedro unzipped her bag and withdrew the brown envelope sealed in a white plastic bag. She dropped it on the table and sipped her coffee while D.I Schneider snapped on white gloves before retrieving the envelope from the white plastic bag. He upturned it and pictures spilled onto the table along with a paper.

D.I Schneider spread the pictures on the table in rows and then paused to study each of them. Detective Pedro studied the pictures too, not seeing anything new in them, but the way he was perusing them made her think that she missed something.

"The Revenge sent this to Ansela Mckade while she was in West Mercer?" D.I Schneider asked after reading the note.

"I believe so."

He nodded. "Aside from Ansela Mckade getting kidnapped, is anyone else in this picture missing?"

She nodded. "Meredith Sheldon, a widow in her early fifties, Ansela's neighbour in West Mercer was found dead in the alley way of the house across from her the same night her house went up in flames."

He shot her a surprised look. "Any reason why her house went up in flames and she was dead in the alley?"

"The report stated that her dog, Brown Eyes, went into the house before her. The door was wired with explosives already, and it was just fortunate that the dog went in first."

D.I Schneider tapped his chin thoughtfully. "So we can say The Revenge stuck around to see if he got his target and when he found out that he didn't he came back to finish the job." He pointed at the grisly picture of Meredith's butchered body.

"Yes. Everyone was concerned about on the burning house so they weren't aware she wasn't with them until it was too late." She pointed at another picture. "That's Jovon Phim, a Latin Multimillionaire. Age, thirty two. He's the heir to the family fortune and also happens to be Ansela Mckade's lover."

"Why hasn't he been brought in for questioning?"

"He travels a lot. We were told that he went to Texas for a friend's wedding, and would be back by the weekend."

"Okay." D.I Schneider's eyes skimmed the pictures again. "Any news on Jane Doe?"

"Ah, yes." She pulled out another file and handed it over to him. "Her name is Bridget Tyson. She has a police record. Twenty-two at time of arrest. A real prodigy, our Bridget. She considers herself a scientist, a visionary. Her mission is to explore and record the human mind, tolerance to extreme duress-pain, fear, starvation, dehydration, sensory deprivation. She could talk a good game, too. " She sipped her coffee. " She'd sit there in interview, her pretty face all lit with enth-usiasm, and explain that once we knew the mind breaking point, we'd be able to enhance it, to strengthen it. Cops are under a great deal
of stress, often finding ourselves in life-and-death situations where the mind is easily distracted by fear or outside stimuli. The results of her work could be applied to members
of the police and security forces, the military, even in business situations. "

"I didn't realize she was yours."

"Yeah, she was mine."She shrugged her shoulders. "I was a little more low profile in those days. "

He might have smiled at that, knowing it was partially her conn-ection to him that had changed that status. But he remembered too much of the Tyson case too and the humor.

"I was under the impression that she was safely locked away. "

"Not safely enough. She slipped out. I didn't recognize her in the hospital CCTV because of the new hair style and makeover. The tech team was able to trace the van plate number and it turns out that it was rented by a Bridget Tyson. She probably didn't use an alias because she wants us to know she's the one. She likes us to know she's hard at work. Because we found a body today with the name 'Revenge' carved into his chest. The autopsy will have to verify, but the victim was tortured pre-mortem. I'd guess Bridget found herself a new hole to work in and had the man there at least a day before killing
him. Death by strangulation occurred on or around midnight. It's the judge that tried her for her last crime." She murmured.

"And that would be the judge who tried her case." D.I Schneider said. "But what does that have to do with the Mckade's?"

"Yeah." Absently, she put her mug down, reached into her bag for a copy of the sealed note she,d already sent to the lab. "She left a note with the names of everyone in these pictures too. Part of her work this time around would be, at my guess, letting her intended victims stew about what she has in store for them. They're being contacted and protected. She'll have a tough time getting to any of them."

"What about Jovon Phim?" D.I Schneider spoke with studied calm after a glance at the list. How are we supposed to protect him if we don't know where he is? "

"We left instructions with the West Mercer authorities to call us when they know he's back. They have people watching his house."

"If I know one thing about Bridget Tyson, it's that she would come after the detectives handling this case too." She turned. However controlled his voice was, she heard
the anger under it. "Maybe, but not as much as I want her."

"You caught her before."

D.I Schneider continued. "Whatever was done after-the tests, the trial, the sentence-was all a result of your work. You'll matter most."

"Let's leave those conclusions to the profiler." Though she agreed with them. "I'm going to contact the Mckade's as soon as I look through the case files again. You can access those for me while I start my prelim report. I'll give you the
codes for my office unit and the Tyson files. Ansela Mckade isn't safe with that maniac. Especially when she's pregnant."

Now he lifted a brow, smiled smugly. "Please. I can't work if you insult me."

"Sorry." She picked up her coffee again. "I don't know why I pretend you need codes to access any damn thing."

"Neither do I." He sat down to retrieve the data she wanted, moving smoothly through the task. It was pitifully simple for him, and his mind was left free to consider.

To decide. She,d said he wasn't connected to this, and that she expected him to back away when Detective Cinders was on duty again. But she was wrong. Her name on the list meant he was more involved than he'd ever been before. And no power on earth, not even that of the woman he loved, would cause him to back away.

Close by, Eve worked on the auxiliary unit, recording the stark facts into the report. She wanted the autopsy results, the crime scene team and sweeper data. But she had little hope that she would get anything from the spotty staff before it was too late.

Struggling not to let her irritation with resurface, she answered her beeping link. "Pedro."

" Detective, Officer Miller here."

"What is it, Miller?"

"Sir, my partner and I were assigned to contact and guard Lukas Russell. We arrived at his hotel esidence shortly after seven-thirty. There was no response to our knock."

"This is a priority situation, Miller. You're authorized to enter the premises."

" Yes, sir. Understood. We did so. The subject is not in residence. My partner questioned the receptionist. The subject left early yesterday morning to visit his parents in Seattle. He never arrived. The airport said no one by the name Lukas Russell purchase a plane ticket to any country."

Detective Pedro's stomach tightened. Too late, she thought. Already too late. "What was his method of transport, Miller?"

"He had his own car."

"Keep me posted, Miller." She broke transmission,looked over, and met D.I Schneider's eyes. "Revenge's got him. I'd like to think he ran into some road hazard or went put with friends before heading on to his family, but she's got him. I need the link codes for the other names on the list."

"You'll have them. One minute."

She didn't need the code for one of the names. With her heart beating painfully, she put the call through to the Mckade's home.

A small boy answered with a gin and a giggle. "Hello, This is Grand mom's house. Who are you?"

For a moment Detective Pedro just blinked, wondering how she'd
gotten the wrong code. Then she heard the familiar voice in the background, and saw Cassie come on screen with a smile on her face and strain in her eyes.

"Detective Pedro,Good morning. Would you hold for a moment,
please? I'd like to take this upstairs. No, Bellamy," she said to the boy who tugged on her sleeve. "Run play with your new toys. I'll be back. Just a moment, Detective."

She went off-screen for few seconds, then returned with her husband, who had the same tired look. "You can speak now."

"We finally found the name of the person who has Miss Mckade. Her name's Bridget Tyson, and while I don't want to scare you by telling you this, I have to say it. Bridget is a criminal that escaped from prison two years ago. Also, someone calling themselves The Revenge is out to get your family."

Cassie and Kaden exchanged a look. Then turned to the screen with a surprised expression.

"We don't know a Bridget Tyson." Kaden answered. "And we don't have any enemies... At least, I didn't think we have one."

Detective Pedro nodded. "Now you know. I sent some officers to your house for protection, they should be there any time soon. Please, do me a favour and don't go anywhere without the officers. This criminal is dangerous and would not hesitate to harm anyone she comes in contact with."

Cassie took a deep shaky breath. "Any news on Annie?"

"No. Hopefully, we'll find her soon."

"I'm scared now." She admitted as she burrowed into her husband's side with a sniff. "Please find her before she gets hurt."

"We're trying our possible best." Detective Pedro said. "By the way, do you know where Mr. Russell might be?"

"No. We haven't seen him today."

"Let me know if he gets in contact with you." She waited for their answers before disconnecting the call. She turned to face D.I Schneider, who was packing the pictures away. "I had my suspicion about that guy, and if he's not found within twenty-four hours, dead or alive, then he would be listed as a suspect."

He nodded. "Yes. What we have to do now is piece this pictures together and try to see if we can find any reason why Bridget Tyson is after the Mckade's."

"Let's do that."

* * *

When she reached the dark interior of the garage, she saw that the big doors were closed. She headed for the side door and, setting the box, which contained her baby's things, down, she stepped through.

Holding the door with her foot, she hefted the box out and set it on the ground. Before she could turn around, someone grabbed her from behind. He slammed her into the brick wall that bracketed the short alley connecting the two parallel roads that ran in front and back of the baby store.

Shooting stars exploded in her head and something wet and sticky slid down her face. She was whirled around and a fist hit her, a crushing blow to her cheek, followed quickly by a clip to her chin.

"Do you think I would let you keep that baby?"

"W-why a-are you do-doing this to me, Jo-jo-Jovon?"

"I would rather see you dead with that baby than alive." He delivered another clip to her chin.

Semiconscious, she dropped heavily to the ground. With dimming vision she saw Jovon standing over her with a wicked gleam in his eyes. She saw him lift his shoes. Then somewhere to the side she heard someone call her name.

Annie watched in growing horror as Jovon's face began to melt away to twist into something dark and vicious. A scream burst out of her lips.

"Hey! Wake up."

Anbie jerked upright and pressed a hand to her stomach as her skin went clammy. "I ne-ne-neeed to-"
Unable to fight it, she made the rolled off the bed and landed on the cold cemented floor, caught a glimpse of the nurse leaning on the door frame, grinning at her.

On a half-sob, she tried to crawl forward, but a swift kick to her shoulder hurled her back into the iron frame of the bed. She screamed as her back smarted from the impact against the frame.

She risked the half-second it took to push away from the floor, then fell to her knees in front her assailant. She vomited sick, slimy
spittle and barely managed a breath before she vomited again.

Tears streamed out of her
eyes as she fell on her side, curling into a ball, her face smudged on the side with her vomit. Half blind, she reached out, with her good hand, to the feet that was in front of her.

"P-ple-ease." She rasped as a shudder racked her frame. Her throat felt dry and parched. Her insides felt so hot that she feared someone had lit a match in her belly.

The owner of the feet bent until they were eye level and Annie saw that it was one of the men from before. His lips was pulled back into a sickening smile, as of he was enjoying her misery.

"Can't hear you, baby." He sneered. "Beg. Beg like the slut you are."

"P- Ah!" Her words ended on a scream when he suddenly grabbed her hair and pulled it while he straightened up.

Annie pushed herself into a sitting position, as fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her bad arm was missing it's caste, which put the bent bone on display. The sight of it made her retched dryly, until the man rugged at her hair painfully again.

"P-please." She cried. "Do-do-do-don't hu-hurt me."

He got in her face. "Too late." He slammed his right fist into her face the same time he let her hair go.

Annie crumpled onto the floor in a heap, not being able to control her tears or the way her body shook on the cold floor. The right side of her face joined the flame of pain that was already kindling in her body. Her mouth was in too much pain for her to beg, so when a swift kick was delivered to her bad arm, she could only cry silently.

"Enough,Jim." The nurse pushed away from the door frame and came to stand above Annie's shuddering body. "I will take over from here."

"Shit!" Jim cursed. "I was having fun, Bridget."

Bridget glared at him. "She's carrying a precious cargo, aren't you, darling?"

At the mention of her baby, Annie curled her good arm protectively around her belly to shield it from the onslaught that was surely coming.

"I apologize in advance." Bridget said as she squatted in front of her. "But I need to send a message to mummy dearest so you have to be a good girl and scream for me, okay?"

Before Annie could hold her breath in anticipation of the pain, her bad arm was grabbed and snapped back. The sickening sound of bones snapping into place resounded in the room.

Annie screamed.