Progress was as slow as he'd expected, especially since they'd picked up their fourth victim. After their shower, they'd driven to the scene. It was a miserable, grey day. Cold and damp, but not raining. Reed shrugged his jacket higher as they walked across the old docking bay for the Jericho, which now sat in a rusting heap on the bottom of the canal. There was no point in raising it. The area was abandoned, and it had been a floating pile of derelict rust anyway. It was now an educational diving spot for those curious about android history. A new topic that was being developed for future study. Their victim had been left lying carelessly on the cement, red staining the ground beneath his body.

"What do you think?" Reed asked as he crouched beside the body. A middle-aged human male. Pretty rugged looking, but not unattractive. He was casually dressed, though the material had been stained with blood. He also looked pretty battered, with dark welts clearly visible on his skin. It could have been from fists, or maybe something harder, like a bat. Could be both...started as a fistfight, moved on to something worse...His long hair had come loose from its tail, a matted patch of crusted red signalling the possibly fatal strike on his skull.

"Randy McDowell. Aged forty-three. Unemployed since twenty-thirty-seven, and a known member of the AAL," Nines reported from his initial scan as he joined him. He certainly fits our victim pool...Reed waited as Nines made a more thorough scan, silvery eyes unblinking as he eyed the stained clothes and various injuries. "I can see no fingerprints or trace DNA from the assailant. It's possible it was android related...The bruising here was most certainly a fist. See the knuckle pattern?" Nines continued as he held his own fist just above the reddened mark on McDowell's stubbled cheek. As Reed squinted and leaned closer, he could vaguely make out the pattern Nines was pointing at. "The fatal blow was to his cranium, but whether deliberate or accidental, it's hard to say." Nines moved his hand to indicate the bloodied patch on McDowell's skull where his hair had clumped.

"Any idea what caused it?" He wasn't sure Nines would be able to guess from this angle. The injury was mostly hidden, and they couldn't move him until forensics had done their thing. Nines did his best to oblige anyway, leaning close to the ground and scanning what he could see of the impact site.

"I can say with certainty that it was a blunt object...My guess without a full scan would be a baseball bat or some form of metal piping...It was relatively thin. No more than three to four inches wide." He was clinical in his response, watching Reed huff as he'd looked around. Those warehouses were full of possible murder weapons, and they were conveniently close to the water. If I were the killer, I'd have picked up a random bit of scrap from around here, pummelled the guy, and tossed the evidence into the old wreck...There was no way Fowler would let them search the wreck for a weapon. Not unless they knew exactly what they were looking for. It would be a waste of time to dive in and pull out any old bit of scrap that was down there. It would disturb the heritage site, too. There's a whole phcking ship down there! It would be like finding a needle in a phcking haystack!

"Alright, we'll let forensics finish up here and look at their findings later. We're not likely to get anything else right now. Our best bet will be to retrace his steps for the past week, like the others. It can't be a coincidence that all four were AAL members." Reed got to his feet and was soon joined by Nines as he nodded his agreement. It did seem unlikely for four members of the same group to be found dead under suspicious circumstances. The deaths were all different. Different ages, different places, different causes, but that didn't mean they weren't connected. Each case had a distinct lack of physical evidence, which suggested android involvement, and their victims had all been extremely vocal and active members of the AAL.

Back at the precinct, Reed made a few calls about their latest victim. He managed to speak to a few family members and scheduled them to come in for interviews. He also got a few details for known friends and made a call to the AAL directly to see what they knew. Talking to the AAL was uncomfortable. It was hard to believe now that he'd ever been part of that group. Luckily, the call was short and not with anyone he knew. They had no idea what McDowell had been up to recently, and there hadn't been any AAL activities during that week.

His family wasn't exactly what Reed expected, either. His mother was a normal old lady, who didn't seem hostile towards androids. She was a little nervous around Nines, but he could hardly fault her for that. He was designed to look intimidating. She still answered politely and was more than willing to speak directly to Nines if he voiced a question. McDowell's ex-wife was another one. At least we can guess why he was in so deep with the AAL...It was obvious when the woman turned up on the arm of a handsome android.

The McDowells' story was the same as so many others. They'd met young, worked hard, bought a house, bought an android, and then McDowell had lost his job. He'd worked in construction before that, but with the release of the larger TR400 androids, the human workforce had become obsolete. He'd been a labourer with no transferable skills, so he hadn't been able to find another job. Mrs McDowell had been luckier. She worked in Stratford Tower as a weather reporter. A friendly human face that people wanted to see every day. Her husband's depression had led to resentment. They'd fought more and more, and eventually she'd kicked him out. Once he was gone, she'd come to rely on their household android. After the revolution, they'd ended up dating. A few months ago, she'd filed for divorce and had been waiting for her husband to sign the papers when he disappeared. She hadn't seen him directly for five months, since he'd last turned up threatening to bust up her android partner and calling her every name under the sun. She wasn't glad he was dead, but she couldn't say she was surprised.

Thanks to his mother and a couple of his friends, Reed managed to piece together some of McDowell's final movements. From there, it was simply a matter of ordering any CCTV footage that may be of use. That's what they spent the next week or so focusing on. As usual, Reed refused to be left out of the loop. He knew Connor and Nines were better at picking out details, but no way did he want to let them do all the work while he just sat and did nothing.

HR had received and responded to Connor's message about Reed's chair within the day, so he sat at his desk in his new chair and stared at the endless hours of footage. It was hard and slow. The chair was stiff and unfamiliar. He was constantly squirming to get comfortable. He couldn't adjust it properly. It was always just a little too high, or a little too short, or at the wrong angle, or it didn't tilt back far enough. In the end, Nines pulled him up with a sigh so that he could sit down and readjust it himself. Reed had no idea how he did it, but the chair was at least useable after that.

He spent nine days in that chair. They still had the occasional callout for other cases, but the footage was their main priority. Hank was doing his best to hold down the fort on their other cases, typing reports, interviewing witnesses and directing other officers to help with searching the scenes. Reed closed his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. They stung with fatigue. He'd been leaning way closer to the monitor than he should, trying to pick out every little detail. The problem was that, as a human, he couldn't recall every little detail he'd seen over the past god knows how many hours. He'd kept an eye out for Fifty-Seven and VB in the footage, but with their mass-produced models he could never be sure it was really them even if he did spot them here and there.

He was currently watching a video of one of their bikers in an old, rundown bar. It was an AAL hotspot, so no androids were allowed. It may be illegal discrimination to block android entry, but it was honestly one of those smaller infractions that the police didn't bother with and androids knew better than to kick up a fuss about. Why would they want entry to a dingy place like that anyway? It was more run down than Jimmy's Bar, and without even half the friendly atmosphere. Their guy was sitting at the grubby bar watching a baseball game, just drinking a pint of beer. Reed sighed. He was pretty sure this video would go nowhere.

"Sergeant Reed, it's lunchtime." Nines stood meaningfully and turned off his own terminal. Reed sighed again as he sat back and rubbed his face, a little sad as his chair didn't tilt back the way it used to. It was too stiff, unused to being bent like that yet. He was so tired he didn't think he'd be able to make it down the street. "You need a break." Nines took it upon himself to turn off Reed's terminal, smiling wryly at the small whine that fled his lips as he remained leaning back in his chair, covering his face. Reed was even more surprised when he looked up to find Connor had joined them. They need a break, too. They're just using lunch as an excuse.

"Alright, Terminator. Let's go." Reed groaned as he pushed himself to his feet and stretched like a cat, arching his spine and reaching up over his head. He did, to his surprised, actually feel a little less tired once he was on his feet. He led the way, squinting as they stepped out into the bright sunlight. It was still cold, but spring was on the horizon again. Phck, in a couple months it'll be Nines' one-year anniversary...He couldn't believe he'd almost been working with Nines for a whole year. Time had passed so quickly. We've been busy as phck..."Did you two have any luck?" he asked as they entered one of the healthy eating cafes and grabbed a booth. It was the first one he and Nines had visited. It had become one of their regular lunch spots.

"Although I have noticed numerous instances of VB800s and AC700s in the recordings, there's nothing that points towards them being directly involved, or even confirms that they're the same androids we interviewed." Connor's voice was laced with frustration, and Nines nodded his stiff agreement. Reed had expected as much. If they'd found something, they would have mentioned it right away. Connor was clearly frustrated as he flipped through the menu with loud, restless flicks. He ordered a strawberry milkshake and some sort of thirium soup with a side of fries. Sugar and grease? Yeah, Connor's pissed. He was somewhat amused that Connor was so easy to read from his choice of meal.

"Alright...I'll look through the forensics reports again and see if there's anything we missed." Reed was just as frustrated, but there wasn't much more he could do. He pushed the menu across to Nines tiredly, too stressed to focus on the words. Nines accepted it with a small smile and scanned him before picking out a suitable option. A chicken and pasta salad with a banana milkshake. He ordered himself a similar pasta and a side of fries, suspecting that he would share them with Reed. His hunch was correct. Reed nabbed one the moment they'd been placed on the table.

"I may join you...Perhaps there is something in the forensic results that could be compared to the CCTV footage..." Nines got no arguments from him. Investigations were always frustrating when they ground to a halt like this. It was even worse when they thought they had their guys. So far, they'd seen no crossover with their victims in the last week. They'd lived in different parts of the city. Only two of their victims had shared the same social circle outside of AAL meetings, and none of them had taken part in any larger AAL events recently. Different bars. Different shops. One had been a student. One had done legal work. Two had dealt drugs, and only one of them had a history of domestic violence. The fact that these guys lived so far apart could mean the killer was different each time, too...Maybe VB and Fifty-Seven really weren't involved in all this...But he was so sure they were. Especially when he recalled the glint in VB's eyes.

They managed to leave the topic of work for a while. The renovation of Hank's attic was pretty much finished, so Connor would soon decorate his new room. They'd also be decorating Niles' room. The plan was for Connor to handle his new room while Hank and Niles painted the room downstairs. Hank had done his fair share of painting and decorating in the past, and Niles was eager to try. He was already practicing, taking a dry brush and stroking up and down the wall in smooth strokes. It was good practice, and it also kept him busy for a while, so he wasn't rushing around the small house a mile a minute with Sumo lolloping on his heels. The old dog was like a puppy with Niles around. They'd become especially close since the incident in the park.

That day, an unknown individual wearing black had attached a magnetising device to Connor's back. It had immediately forced him into stasis. The only thing he'd been able to do before deactivation was send out a ping to Nines. Once his body hit the ground, Sumo attacked. They knew the assailant was an android because Sumo had bitten him badly enough to paint his jaws blue. As soon as Niles had screamed, Robin had returned from his car. The unknown android had fled so quickly that neither of them got a good look. Robin didn't know what to do about Connor, but he managed to get Niles to type in Hank's number so they could get help. Sumo had stood over Connor's inactive form, growling and snarling, until Hank and Nines had arrived. He'd only let them or Niles get close. They'd taken a serial number for the android from the thirium around Sumo's jowls, but it was an unknown android, not listed in any database. Their best guess was that it was a custom job or a refit for a decommissioned android. They were still unsure whether the android had attacked intending to take Connor or if it had simply been a distraction to lure Nines away from Reed.

Once Hank and Nines arrived, it had been a simple matter for Nines to scan and safely remove the device. It had looked a lot like a hockey puck, small and simple with no clear switches. Prolonged exposure risked permanent shutdown or data corruption, but Nines had removed it safely before that could happen. The device was currently being studied by Elijah and Markus. It seemed quite similar to the immobilising field the Hickory Killer used before. Upon removal, Connor had twitched and lurched to life, automatically reinitialising. He'd been relieved to find himself safely in Nines' arms with Sumo's head anxiously resting on his chest. Niles had thrown himself down the moment Connor had sat up and Hank had hovered worriedly as Nines had guided him to his feet and insisted on an interface.

While Nines and Connor had returned to the office after trying to contact Reed, Hank had taken Sumo and Niles home. From what Hank said, Sumo had remained at Niles side for the rest of the afternoon. He'd followed him everywhere, even sitting by the bath while Niles bathed. He'd been clingy with Connor, too. Once he'd arrived home, Sumo had padded after him all over the house. Connor had stroked and appeased him, and Sumo had eventually settled down. Despite calming down, he still hovered more than he had before. If Niles and Connor were in separate rooms, Sumo would wander between them, panting happily as he checked they were both still there.

"He'll probably settle down in a few weeks. It must have been pretty traumatic for him, too," Reed said as he ate. Connor nodded his agreement. He wasn't sure what level of understanding Sumo had of his inner workings, but with his superior hearing, he would have heard his systems completely stall. He'd likely seemed dead to the old dog, so it was no surprise he was anxious now he was back on his feet. "I know you didn't see his face, but I'd bet anything it was the same android that keeps turning up...I can't see the Hickory Killer having more than one." Nines also hummed his agreement. That made sense. He'd likely already taken Colin by that point, so the attack on Connor was probably a distraction.

Silence fell as they returned to their own thoughts about the current case. Reed was pensive as he ate, wondering what he was missing. They had four bodies, most likely connected at this point. All of them had suffered a beating, even if that wasn't the final cause of death. They were all likely android related due to the lack of forensic evidence, and they'd all been AAL members. So if we look at the AHL, what do we know? They're an anti-human group. The members all resent humans for one thing or another, and some of them have violent tendencies...Are they all in on the killing? Probably not. Not all AAL members actually go out and kill androids, even if they know about it and search up pictures online...

There was a high chance that the AHL had similar messaging boards to the AAL, though those would likely be private and off the grid, shared via an interface or some form of private communication network. Nines and Connor could probably gain access to that...Hell, they may already know about it. Just because there were boards, didn't mean there was proof of illegal activity though. There may be information on their victims, but that wouldn't necessarily lead them to the murderer. We might be able to use it though...give them a new target...

"I might have an idea...Let's get back." He was almost certain that Nines would be against his plan. They both seemed curious, but he insisted they wait until they were back in the office. Even once they were in the bullpen, he didn't enlighten them straight away. He grabbed his notebook and led the way to one of the interrogation rooms. Connor and Nines were both curious as he shut and locked the door, unwilling to be interrupted.

"You mentioned a plan?" Connor prompted as Reed paced thoughtfully.

"It might be a longshot...and you might not like it." He looked across at Nines as he began. "We already know they have a record of my activities with the AAL, right? And we know VB doesn't like me. I say we use that...We could pull in a couple of the PC200s on staff, make an undercover mission of it. I rough them up a little, harass them in the workplace, and they join the AHL messaging boards to complain about it. They could put it out there that I'm not the reformed cop I pretend to be. I bully my co-workers and don't take android cases seriously. That shit may be enough to make them take action, right?" Nines was somewhat doubtful. VB and Fifty-Seven weren't stupid. They'd likely know it was a ruse. Reed wasn't wrong that they needed bait, but what they needed was bait that was already out there. Looking through the AHL messaging boards, there were a few active AAL members who would already make attractive targets. Many were likely already on their watch list.

"The idea of bait has merit; however, I don't believe our targets would be tricked so easily." Connor had to agree. The timing of these reports of Reed's anti-android tendencies would likely be too coincidental for VB and Fifty-Seven to take seriously. They'd know it was a trap. That didn't mean that the feelings of animosity towards Reed couldn't be utilised. What if Reed was seen associating with an active AAL member? What if they met up alone? If Reed was already an attractive target, then they could kill two birds with one stone. They could kill both Reed and the AAL member and frame the scene to look like an arrest gone wrong. It could be extremely risky though...

"There are high risks involved in such a scenario," Nines interjected as Connor made his suggestion. "The AHL could either kill both humans at the scene as quickly as possible in order to make the scene believable, or they could move them to a secondary location. In the first case, they'd both be killed before we could act. In the second, we would need a way of tracking their movements." He was unimpressed with either option. Both scenarios would mean putting Reed at significant risk. He couldn't run up an accurate success rate without further details or preconstructions, and that irked him. Connor fell silent as he thought through their options. There were a few limited precautions they could take, but they would be relying heavily on the AHL members choosing to take their time.

"The tracking is easy! We just talk to Eli and have him make something. Androids have trackers, right? He can just alter one and implant it in me somewhere." Nines had no doubt he was correct. Elijah could definitely alter an android tracker in order to implant it inside a human. However, he'd need to ensure that the androids in the AHL wouldn't be able to pick up the signal. Their sensors are far less advanced than the RK series and it's unlikely they'd expect an advanced tracker to be implanted beneath the skin. Especially not if we were to attach an external tracker to his watch or clothing for them to find.

"Alright, but how would we go about setting up a secret meeting?" Connor knew it was a long shot that the AHL would automatically know about such a meeting. They'd need to contact one of the AAL members, but somehow make sure that the AHL knew about it. They'd also need to make the meeting place appealing. It had to be somewhere quiet enough that the androids thought they could get away with the murder or kidnapping. It would be nice to make kidnapping the more appealing option...

"There's a good chance I know one or two of the people on their shit list. If we can find a name that crosses over with my old AAL activities, then I could probably plan a meetup. I could make it sound like we have something on the AHL. Some sort of evidence we're looking for, and we need their help to set up a sting. We'd be meeting in secret, hoping to make a plan, when in reality we're luring the AHL into taking action. They'll want to know what we have on them, so they're more likely to kidnap and take us somewhere to find out what we know. They take us, you guys follow, you send in SWAT, and we arrest them." Reed was eager, though the plan seemed a little simplistic to Nines. Would the AHL really go for it? With no forensic evidence left behind at the scenes, it seemed unlikely they would fall for such a ruse. What they needed was a genuine hook. Some form of real evidence. We should examine the forensic results again...