The smoke-filled room was dimly lit. Old Jazz music from the 20th century murmured just above the bustle of the patrons in the club. A barkeeper was steadily going about his business with the drinks pouring nice and easy. The place was classy with its stained-glass lamps lights and wooden chairs. The pool tables were lively with groups off people going about. A whole world away from the neon lights and rainbows of colors in Watts City. Detective Walus Knight had decided to well set aside his normal gay colors of brilliant greens and blues. He leaned in his dark gray raincoat as he held a cigar between his fingers. Walus was lit up his holo-screen as he hovered between things.

Walus sat far in the back in a booth with by himself. The two other cigars sat finished in the ash tray as Walus sighed and he zoomed in the image. It flickered a bit as he scrolled through the images. They had to have something special about them. Kid hadn't gone through the trouble of hiding something away without a reason. Walus tapped his fingers as he on the wooden table. He took a puff over the cigar again. The detective went slowly thinking over the situation at hand. The next photo was of the forest. The notes from the other police officers gave the locations of each landscape shoot. There was nothing standing out yet about the different nature reserves.

Quietly, Walus was joined by two others. Walus dismissed the holo-screen and slowly peered up at his new company. Miss Caroline outfitted in her roughed-up lime dress hidden under a deep purple coat. Her hair disheveled and wild was hidden by her sooty scarf. Miss Caroline's expression was grave and somber. Walus turned to his side with the sour faced woman from the hospital. She sat at the edge in a black dress. Her pucker lips stern stood in a frown.

Walus pressed a button on the table and silently a waitress appeared and dropped off three drinks. The sour woman lifted her fingers and took the glass. She nodded and lifted just like that. Walus remained quiet as he opened his Palm Planner and transferred data over to his associates. He kept his eyes at the data transferred over bit by bit. Walus took up his whisk while he rested his cigar in the ash tray. He shook his head at Miss Caroline. She started to speak, "Walus! Walus is everything okay? Tell me about Edwin and Yankee!"

Walus closed his eyes as he took another gulp.

"Oh please! Please tell me that they are okay!" Miss Caroline's voice was starting to get frantic.

Walus whispered, "You can stop now. . . I know what you have been doing."

"Walus, whatever are you implying!? That strange woman came for me back at the bombing sight! They have been keeping me all day! They have been claiming to be part of the Federal Government!" Miss Caroline started to shake, "Please tell me about your brother and Yankee I am worried sick!"

"Don't make a show of yourself. I am no fool about what the game has been," Walus flinched as he removed his secondary arm from the sling. Walus moved his injured arm carefully as he fished out the small droid within it. He placed it on the table. Walus hissed, "Sara Windmere. Don't play with me."

"Walus! What do you mean!? It is me Caroline! I have worked for you and your brother for five years!" Miss Caroline placed her gloved hand on the table. The gloves were covered in ash and dirt. Walus grabbed her wrist quickly and refused to let go. Miss Caroline cried lowly, "Walus Knight! You have hand enough to drink! Let me go!"

"You really won't make this easy on me," Walus twisted her wrist and removed her glove. On Miss Caroline's wrist was a tattoo of a black dog on a star. Walus sighed as Miss Caroline took her wrist back and frowned. Walus gingerly offered, "I have known who you have been since we meet the whole five years ago. We need to be honest with each other, Sara."

Miss Caroline, or rather Sara, smiled slyly and took back her hand from Walus. She shrugged and rolled her hand, "Oh Walus. . ."

He shook her head as she coolly slipped her glove back on her hand.

Sara adjusted her clothing and peered at the droid and shrugged, "I must confess. I am sweet on Edwin. I was so happy that he came out unharmed from the bombing situation. I was going to stop him myself from opening the door. We could have saved Yankee. He was such a good partner. . . Some thug grabbed me from doing my job."

"You work with the Light Network, aren't you?" Walus picked up his cigar again.

"And you work for the Dark Shadows," Sara lifted up her glass with care, "Please tell me something new, Walus. We are both part of special interest groups, if you will."

"Sara, I have tolerated your presence in my detective work as it did nothing to harm my practice or my brother. Now you come along," Walus puffed it, "A double agent who does so many things on your own. People would almost forget what side you are on."

"You flatter me, really Walus," Sara giggled, "If not for your husband I would swear that you are making a pass at me."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I am very pleased with Louis," Walus got dinged and quickly read the note, "Edwin is nearly ready to be released. He will need a good story of were you have been."

"I will tell him most of the truth," Sara patted her hair into place, "I always love these Dark Shadow hangouts. They are so chic."

Walus pushed the droid back to Sara, "Thanks for making sure they didn't mess with my desk. You know yours is ruined. Here's your tracker back."

"No problem, Walus. I wanted to be sure that we didn't lose you anywhere. I would hate a fellow agent to get lost," Sara dusted off her gloves, "Do you want the information I am supposed to pass off to you?"

"You know, if you cared about Edwin you would have placed him in this case. You would have left the case hidden and unanswered. So tell me why did you put Edwin on the case?"

"You should already know the answer, Walus," Sara rolled her eyes, "But if you must know. I did it because I know from working the case would do Edwin some good. He was clearly in need of in the field experience-"

"The truth Sara. I don't need some bull shit. Just tell me the truth!" Walus curled his fingers around the table.

"Well, if you must insist. I had orders to counter the ones from the Dark Shadows. They wanted Edwin on the case so I pushed it forward. There you have my God honest word," Sara shrugged as she looked over the faces in the bar. She laughed, "It is so good to know you have so many friends looking out of you."

"Why would the Light Network need this girl found?"

"Better question is why do the Dark Shadows need her lost?" Sara reached into her dress and pulled out her notepad, "I know the data will say one thing. The notes will say another. It is for the best we do what we can in these modern days. Oh, how I will miss Yankee."

"Is he really-"

"Of course not, we sent him out to the islands for retirement. The party is next Tuesday, if you wish to attend. He seemed perfectly content to review his new house waiting there," Sara leaned on the table. She sighed as she came closer to Walus, "Why do you think the girl need to be missing?"

"She knows something that shouldn't be kept in the public eye, but the Light Network thinks it needs to be exposed out there for everyone to see," Walus said slowly.

"Hmm, I would say that much. I really did enjoy my time with you and Edwin. It will be a shame it will when my assignment is over," Sara frowned.

"They aren't cutting you off now?"

"No, Walus, they will keep me until your current case is nice and done. I can guess one or the other side will want me gone. It is just a matter of time," Sara laughed.

"You will break up with Edwin," Walus declared.

"I will have, too. It would be heartbreaking I am sure. It is never easy to walk away from a loving relationship over the span of five years. But I have had it know that over the last several years that my mother has been ailing. It will be just too much to carry on when I know she is ill. I will have to break up with Edwin and go back to my mother," Sara placed her hand on her head and grinned. She sighed looked away from Walus, "No need to look at me like that. I may not be leaving on my own terms. But I have cared for Eddie. He has been such a good boyfriend."

"Sara, I warned him about you-"

"Yes, yes Walus. You warned him I would do him wrong, even if I was a great girlfriend. I thought we could be a nice family for a while. It was good then, wasn't Walus?"

"Just give me the information details. I will be excepting you leave him in the month," Walus said sternly.

"Of course," Sara took her glass and opened up her Palm Planner. She displayed a flyer for a children's play place.

Walus took it and saw the code instantly. It was child's play for an agent of the Dark Shadows. The detective shook his head as he leaned over onto the table. He somberly peered up at Sara, "You know it was wrong to do this to Edwin. He is all sorts of torn up about Yankee and you now missing."

Sara took out her compact and checked her appearance. She started to smooth out the blemishes of ash and bruising. She closed it halfway as she looked at Walus, "Oh please, don't go blaming me for everything. We have work to do if we want out city to run proper and fine. So don't go taking the high ground here."

Walus hit a series of button on the booth and it turned the whole booth to a private area. He took up his cigar and sipped his drink. There were times in the Dark Shadows the private mission rooms were handy. He had enough of the public eye even in the headquarters. Walus gingerly put his sling back one and looked back at Sara. He said, "Alright, I got the note. Now, why do you tell me what headquarters wants from us."

"Always so to the point, I guess that is why Louis loves you. By the way, when was the last time you checked on your sweet husband?"

"Louis was fine this morning. He will be just fine, if you even try and think of bugging him. Louis is bright enough to know where to lay low," Walus drummed his fingers.

"Whatever you say, Walus," She shrugged, "I will outline the details of what we can expect as the plan of the Dark Shadows. Keep you away from the case because they intend to have you off and away from the exchange they have going on between them and another party. But I setup your brother with the work as I knew it would get you on the case. So Edwin searches Breathless's Kid. We then come to the climax where you solve on your own: what the Dark Shadows are doing with their partner? Who will be the mastermind of the other party? And why the Light Network felt it important to interact with you? And why I have gone undercover in your office so long?"

"You are playing with me again," Walus tapped his cigar, "Sara this is very messed up. How can you be so cold? A girl is dead. Another missing. My brother is still being framed for it. There are officers missing."

"Look Walus, I came here for good will and because I care about Edwin. If I didn't I would have let someone else take the mission," Sara pulled her purple coat closer, "I am not a heartless agent. I just need to get things done in a certain fashion. I care about Edwin. But we need other detectives on the case. Not just your brother."

Walus stood quiet for a while as he watched the last of the data upload onto the Dark Shadow network. He answered, "You make the Dark Shadows sound wicked. . ."

"The Light Network is no better. We just play along with our roles. I am your faithful assistant. You a good brother and world class detective. We build up such images of grandeur," Sara shrugged, "We all have roles to play in the long game. It is just up to us in how we will handle it all. I have decided to be a good girlfriend and then off to be a good daughter. You most likely will finish this case and then be a hero once again. You will return to your husband and all will be a bed of roses."

"You are getting away from the point of the subject, Sara. We are dealing with real lives! We have people in danger! There is something going on here beyond just small parts. You have seen the evidence and the all the setups. The organizations have something bigger that Miss Kid Marshal discovered. Something that will very well setup the order to things."

"So what will you do about it?"

Walus slammed his fist on the table, "Stop answering me with question upon questions. We need a plan to get my brother out of jail-"

"Walus, I can help," Sara pulled out a set of four opera tickets. She smiled coyly, "I am sure by now you must know where she is. I assume also you would like to catch her kidnappers. I can help you with will all of that."

"Sara. . ." Walus paused as he thought over the images of the different reserves. All of them were being backed by Top Idol. Walus thought about the missing boyfriend, Teddy. He had seen that person before somewhere else. The short little man had been in the videos for the mayoral race. He had been at the side of the every hard to reach, Mrs. Rivera Marshal. Walus pulled up the images again he had seen from R.J. and pointed to it.

Sara smirked as he pushed forward the latest update about the Rivera campaign. She laughed as pointed, "You know that boy doesn't look at all broken up about his dead girlfriend. I see the mayoral candidate Rivera is doing well for her daughter missing."

Walus pointed in disbelief, "She is running on a platform for more green spaces and protecting the environment . . ."

"And Kid's little friend Olivia?" Sara waited with glee.

"Olivia is part of a rival group working against Soledad to bring him down."

"And who do you think is backing Rivera Soledad's little trip into politics? What about Breathless and her little part here?"

Walus peered again at the tickets and saw who it was starring. He realized his message must have gotten through to her at the Glass Slipper. Walus shook his head as he remembered all the different photos of the starlet around. He had seen one of Rivera Soledad and Mr. Parallax together shaking hands. Walus put out his cigar and lingered on the unanswered questions. He muttered, "Why did they do that to Olivia's body?"

"Misleading the thought to the real problem. I am sure you noticed that her arm had a serve burn on it. It was nothing like the Black Dalia then. . . Plus the over turned everything in your office and broke into Edwin's apartment. What was his last pet project?" Sara smiled so politely.

"You can't mean the replacement chips? Those just back-up your old data. Nothing very serious about it. I know it is not exactly legal. . ." Walus paused.

"The report had a lot of details didn't it? We both know that the Light Network and the Dark Shadows want order to stay in Watts City. We don't need big crimes to happen here every day. We just want everything to stay nice and neat. No increase in the intellect of our bots like one tinker Edwin has started. Nothing that would cause the lost of the city. But a nice balance between man and nature," Sara took her cup and fiddled with it. She looked up at Walus, "They need to keep the minds of the public dull and happy. We have our pop ideas and our cheery little neon lights. Walus, you and I both know that we deal in grays. There is a level of crime they allow in our city. Just like they allow for economic haves and have nots. It suits public just fine. And now, what they could just as subtly control us by our chips? What if not just from a bit of adds and things they do the last step forward?"

Walus dropped his jaw, "You can't mean they are trying for a code Brave?"

"We have been reaching for it. But, Walus, they didn't want to harm the freedom of the mind. I am sure we will have a whole villain's monologue about their intents once we go. How about we go get Edwin now? I believe he should be ready to leave the hospital. He will be so happy to see me," Sara pressed the button again and the booth changed back to the bar area.

Walus frowned, "So what will be do to stop them?"

"I guess that is why we needed Edwin, huh?" Sara got up and brushed the wrinkles from her coat. She turned back to Walus, "I believe we have a date at an opera house. Come on Walus. I need to finish submitting my witness report to the police and get back to my darling."

Walus got up quickly from his spot from the booth and made a fist. He could not believe everything that was happening to the whole city. If the plans to carry on a code Brave went forward there would be worse things to deal with than a murder case and a missing girl. Walus hurried on there won't be much time to stop them before the whole case went further sideways.