"It's so frustrating!" Petra snapped, slamming her hand down on the wooden table, pushing back the pile of papers.

"Whoa!" Jesse gasped, grabbing the pile to stop it from sliding off the table.

"How the hell are we supposed to track this new enemy, or even find out anything about him with the amount of information we have?" Petra asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"We're all frustrated, Petra, calm down." Radar squeaked, nervously adjusting his glasses on his nose.

Petra gave him a swift glare. "Listen, I'd be happy to introduce this guy to my sword, any day of the week, but this researching nonsense isn't getting us anywhere." She snapped at Radar, making him hide behind one of the books.

"For once I actually agree." Jesse muttered, resting her forehead against the edge of the table. "We have no leads, whatsoever on this guy. Getting a hold of his isn't going to be easy."

"He's smart, he knows how to cover his tracks." Petra muttered, tapping her fingers against the table repeatedly.

"And he hasn't made a move since you returned." Radar said thoughtfully.

As he said this, Petra's head jerked up. "Wow wait, I just thought of something..." She said, furrowing her brows as she spoke. "Radar... could you please repeat the story of the first threat you received?" She asked.

"W-why?" Radar asked, looking at her in surprise.

"Just do it." Petra hissed, making Radar jump slightly.

"O-OK!" He said quickly, nervously adjusting his glasses. "I was in the Order hall when he grabbed me.."

"No." Petra cut him off, holding up her hand. "I want details. Start from the beginning. The very beginning."

Radar looked confused. Even Jesse was a little clueless as to what Petra was getting at.

"Um OK..." Radar said, frowning. "So I used to come to the order hall every day at 3 PM to dust down the trophies. The day I was threatened, I arrived here at exactly ten minutes past three. I remember being annoyed at myself for not arriving on time."

He scratched his head as he concentrated to remember every detail. "So... before I went inside I stood on the porch for approximately three minutes, looking out over Beacontown and just thinking through some things. Then, I decided to enter the hall to clean, before going to Beacontown's gates like I do every evening at four."

Radar was staring down at the table hard, as he concentrated. "I unlocked the door, and stepped inside. As always, I immediately closed it behind me, and locked it again, before walking into the Treasure Hall. I stopped for roughly half a minute, looking at a painting, before I had this odd feeling that someone was watching me. I didn't feel comfortable and decided I best skip the cleaning and come back the next day. But before I could take my keys out of my pocket he came up behind me and-"

"Wait." Petra interrupted. Her sudden voice made Radar jump slightly. "You're hundred percent sure you unlocked the door when you came in?"

Radar nodded, before adding "and locked it again once I was inside."

Petra looked over at Jesse. "This means, whoever threatened Radar was already inside the Order Hall. The door was locked, meaning he didn't pick the lock.. And there's no other signs of a break-in. Remember when he left Lukas a threat, Lukas said he found his cabin's door wide open?"

Jesse and Radar stared at Petra blankly.

"Don't you get it? Whoever threatened Radar must have had a key to the Order Hall!" Petra exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air

Jesse's eyes grew wide. "Petra, you're a genius!" She gasped.

"Jesse, who all had keys?" Radar asked quickly.

Jesse thought hard. "Just the order..." She finally said.

"You sure?" Petra asked.

Jesse nodded. "Yes, I never gave a key to anybody other than my close friends. Not even Radar had a key until he's been working for me for seven months."

Everyone grew quiet. "Does everybody still have their keys?" Petra finally asked.

"I got mine." Radar said quickly.

"Mine was in my bag, the one we accidentally dropped off the boat." Jesse explained. "Their rusting away on the ocean floor somewhere."

"I gave mine to Lukas before we left." Petra said.

"I know he still have both his sets." Radar said.

"That leaves Axel and Olivia." Jesse said thoughtfully.

"Do you think this threat came from Redstonia or Boomtown?" Radar asked.

"Could be possible.." Jesse said, exchanging a thoughtful glance with Petra.

"We definitely need to ask them when they get back." Petra said firmly. "This is our only solid lead so far, it's all we have to go on."

"That and the fact that the enemy has really cold hands." Radar quickly added, making both Jesse and Petra burst out laughing.

"What are we laughing about?" A voice asked from the doorway, making all off their heads turn.

It was Lukas, leaning against the door frame, with a grin across his face. Beside him, stood two familiar figures – a woman in a knee-length red and gold dress, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders. As well as a muscular built man, with a green pied jacket, and a mass of uncombed hair.

"Olivia! Axel!" Jesse and Petra called in unison.

They jumped up from the table, Petra completely tipping her chair over, before falling into a massive group hug with their old friends. Jesse didn't even care that Radar was in the room as well, she straight up allowed hot tears of joy to spill down her cheeks.

"I told you guys we would see each other again!" Olivia said, wiping her own eyes on her red sleeve.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry! Another promise broken!" Axel wailed, as he squeezed both Jesse and Petra in a bear hug.

"I missed you both so much." Jesse said, her last word choked out by a sob. Olivia pulled her close in a slightly gentler hug than Axel's, while he continued to squeeze the air out of a complaining Petra.

"Lukas get in here!" Axel cried, pulling all five of them into one big hug with his giant arms.

Finally, when he let them go, Jesse could feel her chest heaving.

"Gosh, Axel you're strong." Petra gasped, as she put her own hand on her chest, breathing heavily.

"Come on into the hall, you guys must be exhausted after the journey here." Jesse said, wiping her eyes, before gesturing for them to follow her.

"Ooh, are there any food?" Axel asked excitedly, as all of them filed into the next room.

Jesse didn't notice, that Petra stayed behind, looking around her with a slight frown on her face.

"I really hope we didn't call you away at a bad time." Jesse said apologetically as they sat down on the leather couches in the main hall.

"Nah, dude, Boomtown survived six years after Magnus's death without a leader, I'm sure it can survive a few more weeks!" Axel said, casually propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"Ellegaard is out of Redstonia for a few weeks, but I'm sure she won't mind me leaving." Olivia said. "I left my assistant in charge, she is quite trustworthy."

"Besides, we both jumped at a chance to see you and Petra again!" Axel said. "I mean you two vanished into thin air!"

"We did not." Jesse argued.

"How was your adventures? It must have been great for you to stay away for so long." Olivia asked.

"It was amazing!" Jesse said. "We-"

"Wait." Lukas suddenly said, frowning and looking around at the group. "Where is Petra?" He asked.

Everyone exchanged surprised glances, at the realization that the redhead wasn't with them. Jesse quickly stood up, walking back to the hall where they last saw her.

"Petra?" She asked as she pushed open the door.

Petra was there, anxiously searching around her for something. She didn't even seem to notice Jesse, as she duck to look below the tables, or behind the couches.

"Petra?" Jesse asked again, louder this time and more concerned.

Petra swung around, looking at Jesse with big eyes, her face pale with worry.

"He's gone." She whispered.

"Hold on now, Petra, who's gone?" Jesse asked, as the others came up behind her.

"Rascal! Rascal is gone!"

Things are starting to pick up now :D We're finally progressing towards the more action-filled chapters in this book! 

Starting with this tiny cliffhanger xD 

I hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter should hopefully come out next week :D