"Detective," Larson said. "This is Liam Franklin, aka Detective K."

Carlson's eyes widened. "Not the Detective K!"

Larson nodded. "The same."

"You're telling me the best solo detective in the state is just a kid?"

Larson nodded. "Ever wondered what the K stands for?"

Carlson blinked.

"You know I can hear you," Liam said, examining the body. It was true. Liam was by far the best detective in the state, even maybe in the top ten list for the best in the country. "He got run over."

"Well we figured that out," Carlson said, crossing his arms. He didn't like getting lectured by a kid.

"Looks like it was pretty heavy, more than your average truck. Anyone catch the license plate?"

Carson shook his head. "No one was at the scene of the crime. No witnesses. Well, we are kind of in the middle of nowhere."

Liam stood up and followed the tracks. "He went east. Looked like he was going pretty fast." Something caught his eye. He picked it up. "What was this guy after?"

"Drugs," Carlson said.

Liam held up the bullet. "Does this look like drugs to you? This bullet is specially made. Looks like it could do maximum damage the way it's shaped. Big, but not too heavy. I'm guessing this wasn't the only one either. He may have been trafficking drugs, but I have a feeling it's much bigger than that." He stuck the bullet in his pocket. "I'll study it later."

"You'll study it?" Carlson asked. "You know, I think my people would be much better suited..."

"No, it's fine," Liam said. "I've got this."

Carlson glared at the kid. Man, he was getting on his nerves!

They continued to follow the tracks. They found the car tracks stopped for a little bit outside an old house. They had lost the trail a few times, but they always got back on track. Liam walked up to the house without a second thought. He was used to all this. He tried the door, but it was locked. He looked for an open window, but couldn't find one.

"Hey Carlson," Liam said. "Do you think you can open one of those windows for me? I promise I'll open the door for you."

"What if you get hurt?" Carlson asked.

"Don't worry," Liam said. "I won't."

They broke a window and made sure all the glass was out before Liam crawled through. He didn't even hit the frame. He'd always been small, but this was the only time he enjoyed it. He went in feet first through and landed safely. He took out his flashlight and shined it around the room.

The first thing the light fell on was the blood. Liam forgot all about the policemen outside and went to investigate. He was used to working alone anyway.

He found the source of the blood. There were two people, a man and a woman, holding hands. They had both been stabbed with a hunting knife three times. They were married based on their rings. Mid-thirties. Liam followed the blood trail. They had been dragged for ten feet, leaving a long streak of red across the floor. He saw several pictures of the two together with a boy about his age in their arms for most of them. He guessed this was their house and there son was here somewhere.

He searched the whole floor, finding signs of a break in everywhere. Blood, bullets, mud on the ground. They were very sloppy about the whole thing really.

As he made his way upstairs, Liam heard sobbing. Curious, he opened the door of one of the rooms. The boy he saw in the pictures was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. He had got the gag off his mouth, but his wrists and ankles were still secure. Liam stepped in to help him, not saying a word. The boy continued to sob. When the ropes were untied, Liam helped the boy up. He collapsed into Liam from exhaustion and grief. Liam tried to think of some soothing words to help the boy, but he wasn't too good at this thing. It was just better if he kept his mouth closed.

Liam guided the boy downstairs. The boy was shaking now. "T-t-t-they're d-d-d-dead!" The boy bursted out into sobs again. "H-he killed them! H-h-he made m-m-me watch!"

Liam covered the boy's eyes so he wouldn't see his dead parents. He unlocked the door and led the boy out.

"What took you so long Det-" Carlson stopped, seeing the quivering boy in Liam's arms.

"He was the only survivor," Liam said. "Parents both dead, stabbed three times with a hunting knife." Someone took the boy from him. He was a sobbing mess and could barely stand on his own. "The boy was kidnapped in his room. Tied to a chair with nylon ropes."

"Why would he leave the boy alive?" Carlson asked.

"Maybe he doesn't like killing children," Liam said. "That would give us an advantage. When we locate our perpetrator, I can attack and he will either shoot me or kidnap me, hopefully the latter. When he does-"

"Wait a minute," Carlson said, cutting off Liam. "You're not the one in charge here. I am. And I am not going to let you risk your neck like that."

"I'll do as I please," Liam said with a glare. He turned to follow the smuggler, but Carlson grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around. "I won't let a child go alone."

"If you go with me, he won't hesitate to kill you. I'll take care of this myself."

"You're a twelve year old!" Carlson said. "I can't let you-"

"I've been in plenty of these predicaments before. If our perp ties me up the same as he did the kid I found, I know a way to get out of it easily."

Carlson sighed, letting his hand fall from his shoulder. "At least let me give you this." He took an almost microscopic communicator out of his ear. "Take this and contact us if you get in trouble."

"I don't need-"

"Just in case," Carlson insisted.

After thinking about it, Liam took the communicator. He nodded in thanks and put it in his ear. He turned without a word and followed the trail to the perp.

~
Liam followed the car tracks to an abandon warehouse. The roof was half caved in and the paint was almost half gone. Liam tried to look like an innocent little kid and entered the building.

He heard talking in low whispers, but when the door creaked as it opened wider, they suddenly stopped. Liam heard someone cock a gun and heavy footsteps.

A tall and muscular man came around the corner with a AK47 in his hands. "What are you doing here?" He growled.

"I lost my parents," Liam said in a quiet, scared voice. "When I heard voices, I thought I could ask for help."

"Get on your knees," the man growled. Liam followed the orders. Someone else closed the door behind him and put a sack over his head. Ropes were tied, securing his hands behind his back, and he was forced to his feet.

"Walk," the other man grumble, pushing him forwards.

Liam kept up the little kid act and whimpered. "W-w-what are you gonna do to me? I-I-I just-" Someone smacked him, hard, on the head. Liam cried and bit his lip. "P-please don't hurt me," he whispered.

The man hit him again, harder this time. Liam stuck to sniffling and the occasional tear.

He thought that these guys would just take him to a room and leave him there. That would have given him the chance to escape. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Liam was forced into a chair and was tied with more ropes. One holding his arms in place, one tying his legs to the chair, and two keeping his feet secure. They obviously didn't want him to get out if this. The sack was taken off his head and Liam was facing the two men. The other one was slightly shorter with a long scar running down the side of his face.

"Feeling comfortable, Detective K?"

Liam blinked. "Detective K? You mean that really smart Detective that no one knows the true identity of? No. Why would you think someone like me would be a detective?"

"Because we've got a man on the inside."

It didn't take long for Liam to put the pieces together. "Larson," I stated. You've gotta be kidding me! How did I not see it...

"You are a smart boy, aren't you," the man said with a smirk. "Let's see if you can piece together the whole story."

"Well, you obviously wanted me for something. You knew I would eventually come on an official case, so you put one of your men in there. Considering Larson has only been on the police force for three weeks, that's most likely when you put your plan into action. Larson knew about me from the case files, and that was when he told you who I was. You killed those two innocent people and mentally scarred their son so you would get me alone. This was why you set up the whole thing, wasn't it? To unmask the great Detective K."

The man gave Liam a sarcastic slow clap. "You are as smart as they say. Couldn't have said it better myself."

"Now what are you going to do with me?" Liam asked. "Are you gonna kill me? Blackmail me? Send me out of the country? I really don't have time for all this. I've gotta be in bed by nine or I'm grounded."

"You think you're funny?" The man growled.

"Slightly," Liam said with a shrug.

"Connor, let's take the kid with us. Load him up in the truck."

Connor nodded and grabbed the chair Liam was tied to, dragging the boy behind him. "Let me go!" Liam screamed.

"Connor, gag him," the man said simply. Connor set Liam down and stuck a piece of duct tape over his mouth. When he was sure he couldn't call for help, he dragged the boy again.

There was a bunch of static coming through Liam's communicator. "Liam...you....okay...We....find....you...you...hurt?...answer....soon....possible...over."

"Boss, I heard something coming from the kid."

"Well don't just stand there. Check him!" The taller man said. Connor obeyed and soon found the communicator along with plenty of other little things that Liam always kept in his pocket, a bobby pin, a pocket knife, his wallet and his box of matches. "This is from the police," Connor said, showing his boss the comm. "He was gonna rat us out." Connor crushed the communicator with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Let's just get going," the boss said. "Those police may have been tracking him with that comm." Connor nodded and dragged me the rest of the way out of the warehouse.

There was the truck outside and Liam guessed it was the one who's tracks he had followed here. Beside it was a police car. Liam felt a spark of hope that someone was here to rescue him, but that dream was soon dampened when he realized there was no one in the car.

Connor untied him from the chair, but before Liam could make a run for it, the accomplice handcuffed his hands behind his back and tied his feet together so he couldn't run. Liam was then forced into the back of the police car as the two men changed into police uniforms. They were hiding in plain sight.

Liam tried to find the bobby pin he always kept in his back pocket, until he remembered that Connor had taken it when he searched him. He cursed his bad luck and tried to get his arms in front of him. Of course, that was easier said than done. One, he was in the back of a moving vehicle. Two, his legs were tied together, making them hard to maneuver. And three, there were two guys who wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet through his brain. The only easy thing about trying to escape was that his captors hadn't thought about strapping him to my seat.

Unfortunately, Connor saw what he was trying to do. The held a gun to Liam's head. "Listen, kid," he said. "We'll get an award for you, dead or alive. We wouldn't want to kill you, but if we have to, we'll live with missing a couple bucks. How, sit up all nice like, alright?"

He did so, my hands still behind my back.

"Now, you get three warnings in this car. That was your first one. Try to escape again, and you won't like the results, ya hear me?" Liam didn't respond. "Hear me!" The boy swallowed and nodded. Connor smirked. "Good."

The ride lasted at least half an hour, and every minute filled Liam with dread. Connor had said something about a payment for him, dead or alive. The thought made his head spin at a million miles an hour. Who was looking for him? He obviously knew what we was doing. He had planned out everything to the last detail. And what would that person what him for? Ransom? His brains? Rape? He tried not to think about the last one. He'd done way too many of those cases in his short life and he'd rather not think about it.

(Okay, I just really need to switch to 1st person pov right now, because 3rd person is driving me crazy!)
Liam's POV:

The car stopped in front of a prison. I guessed they were still trying to play the part. My legs were untied, but the handcuffs were kept on and Connor kept a firm grip on my shoulder. They took me around the prison. I tried to escape a few times, but Connor's grip was too tight. We entered the prison through a side door and I was taken to an interrogation room. I saw a few guards knocked out along the way and it sent a shiver of fear down my back, but I tried to cover it

I was sat down in a chair and my feet were shackled to it. Connor and his boss left me alone for a few minutes. I tried to escape, but it was no use.

The door opened and an unfamiliar person walked into the room. He was tall with bright red hair and a cigarette in his mouth. He sat in the chair opposite to me. Just by looking at him I could tell he was the brains of this operation and he was the one paying those guys to kidnap me. The very sight of him made my blood boil. I struggled once again against the restraints.

The man blew smoke in my face. "You're not going to get out that easily, kid," he said in a deepish voice. He yanked the duct tape off my mouth. I bit my tongue to stop myself from yelping in pain. "You don't look like much," the man continued. No wonder no one suspects you of being a criminal investigator."

"Who are you?" I asked, though I thought I already knew the answer from a police report I had studied.

"The name's Ivan York, but you will call me sir," the man said, confirming my predictions. This guy was a liar, cheat, thief, and murderer. But he didn't only kill his victims. No, he tortured them to death. He'd prolong their lives just as long as his victim is begging for mercy.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"What did you say."

I sighed. "What do you want, sir?" I said, stretching the letters out.

"Why would I tell you?" Ivan asked.

I shrugged. "Aren't you beginning to reveal your plan to someone? I mean, I probably won't get out of this and, well, it will feel good to get off your chest, right?"

"I'm not some dumb criminal, kid. I know never to show my cards until the last minute."

I nodded. "Can you at least tell me what you need me for?"

"Bait," Ivan said simply.

I nodded. "Got it. I'm assuming you'll use my identity for blackmail reasons, then? If one thing goes wrong, you'll spill and tell that the police has been using a child to do their investigations. This will shut down the police forces wherever I had worked in the past."

Ivan smiled. "Smart boy."

"Then," I continued. "You'll most likely go on a crime spree and the entire state with by in havoc until backup comes, and that's when you'll make your run, bringing me as a hostage and using me for ransom or something. It's just the logical thing."

Ivan smirked. "You remind me of myself when I was a boy."

"Haven't heard that one before," I muttered sarcastically under my breath.

"What was that?" Ivan growled, probably hearing what I said already. I clamped my mouth shut.

"You know what," Ivan said. "If you keep mouthing off like that, I'll have to mess up that face of yours."

"Not the first time," I said, trying not to show my fear.

"Oh really?" Ivan asked. "I think I should let Mic and Connor rough you up." He raised his hand and I flinched as he moved it down, but he didn't hit me. "You're just a scared little boy under that mask you wear."

I swallowed. I was telling the truth. I had been hit before. By my step dad. It was the reason I started helping the police, to get out of the house. My mom eventually threw him out, but I found out I liked working with the police. But that man had scarred me, and I'll admit that to anyone. Now whenever someone tries to hit me, even playfully, I flinch.

Ivan stood up and left me in the middle of the room. Mic and Connor came in after a few minutes. I closed my eyes and hung my head. I didn't want any of this to happen. I should have let the police come with me. Carlson could have helped and prevented all this, but I had gotten too cocky to see the real picture.

"Okay, kid," Mic said. "Let's get you ready for the camera." He cracked his knuckles and gave the first blow.

~

"We have the kid," I heard someone said in my semi conscious state. "All police back down or we will tell everyone who Detective K really is." Someone lifted me up. "And the kid won't look half as pretty as he does now."

I half opened my eyes and saw a laptop. On the laptop was a bunch of policemen. We were video chatting and I was the bait. They roughed me up to guilt trip the police. "No..." I said quietly. "Leave...me."

Someone hit me and caused me to moan in pain. My eyes shut again and I fell into blackness.

~

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a prison cell and my hands handcuffed in front of me. I felt a little better, but it still hurt to move. I noticed a flashing light and I realized it was a camera. I groaned and turned to face the wall. All I wanted to do was sleep. There was a tray of food on the ground, but I decided to go on a hunger strike. It was something to show rebellion.

My cell door opened, but I didn't turn to see who it was. I was grabbed roughly by the hair and dragged out of my cell. When we got to the interrogation room, Carlson was sitting there. I was forced into a chair on the other side of him and Ivan sat down next to me. Carlson looked pained to see me in the condition I was in and what he was about to do. "How much?" He asked quietly.

"One million," Ivan said. "And throw in another two thousand for the boy's identity to stay a secret."

Carlson swallowed and wrote the numbers down in his checkbook. He signed it and gave it to Ivan with shaking hands.

Ivan took it greedily and grabbed me by the hair. "Take him," he said, shoving me into Carlson. "And don't you dare follow us. Wait ten minutes before leaving this room, you hear me?" And with that, he Mic and Connor left.

I started sobbing. "I...I'm s-s-sorry for...e-everything!" I sobbed. "T this is a-a-all my fault!"

"Shh," Carlson said. "It was my fault for letting you go alone. Now come on, let's take you home."

I stood up shakily, but I could do it. I was scared out of my wits. I might be a crime investigator, but I'm still just a kid who went through hell then and there. I cried softly as Carlson picked me up.

"You're mom's been worried sick about you," Carlson said softly. "We're gonna take you to the hospital to check everything out. Your mom will be there. I'm sure you'll be out in no time."

I wasn't sure why Ivan messed me up so much at first, but it was because I had met someone showed me I wasn't an amazing Detective. I was just a weak little kid who had never been through anything as horrible as that. Carlson put me in the passenger seat of his car and bucked me. I could'be done it myself, but my hands were shaking.

The car ride was silent and fast. Carlson turned on his lights and siren to get all the other cars out of the way. We got to the hospital fast and I was soon taken care of, my mom at my side and content.

That was the day I stopped working for the police. I decided, now was the time to just be a normal kid and after a while, that's exactly what I became.