In the sheriff's office, everyone appeared to be waiting for Erick. The moment he stepped inside, the sheriff looked at him and said, "Agent Erick! Thank you for coming. What did I miss?", "Not much, but now that you're here, we're good to go!" the sheriff replied.
Erick glanced at Guion and Annika, then asked, "And you, are you good?" Guion remained silent, but Annika shot him a dirty glare. "Before we start, I'd like to introduce you to another member," the sheriff announced. "What? I thought we agreed to keep this top secret," Erick said, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I apologize for breaking our agreement, but what happened this morning scared me," the sheriff explained. "What happened this morning?" Guion asked, puzzled. "You didn't watch the news?" the sheriff responded. "Oh! You mean that giant feather on top of the state capitol?" Guion exclaimed. "Yeah! That's definitely a monster," he added. "But what could that possibly mean?" Annika inquired. "It was a declaration of war," Erick replied. "However, the government refuses to recognize their existence.
They claim it's just a tale told to children to keep them from talking to strangers.", "If things go wrong, we'll need the entire sheriff's department to create a situation that will force the government to take action," the sheriff stated. "So you told everyone then?" Erick asked. "Like I said, I apologize," the sheriff replied.
At that moment, John entered the office, intending to speak to the sheriff but was interrupted. The sheriff was conveniently just about to call him. "Just the man I was looking for," he said, placing a hand on John's shoulder and leading him to stand before Erick. "Agent Erick, meet Johnathan Jaloux.", "Good to know you, John," Erick said, shaking his hand. "You too!" John replied. "John here will be joining us on this quest," the sheriff added. "Huh! It rhymes," Erick remarked.
"Not only that. In three weeks, John has discovered countless hidden bodies, all victims of unnatural deaths. It's almost as though he's drawn to the scenes of the crime," the sheriff elaborated. "I believe that even if they're at the bottom of the sea, he'll be able to find them." Erick stared at John, smiling. "I look forward to witnessing that in person.", "Thank you," John replied. "Oh! Yes, you wanted to say something when you got here," the sheriff prompted John. "Yes! I wanted to inform you that all the preparations have been made; we are ready to go," John responded.
The sheriff shook his head. "We'll go through the plan before you leave." Before he could elaborate, Annika interjected, desperately craving coffee. "Guion, could you make me some coffee? It helps me relax," she said, breaking everyone's focus and causing confusion until she explained herself.
"I know I'm supposed to be brave, but this is the first mission that scares the crap out of me." Guion looked at her and said, "Of course, right away." He left the room. "We don't have time for this, Lieutenant," the sheriff insisted. "Nah! We do," Erick interrupted him. "From all the reports you gave me, the killings occur between eleven and twelve. It's only nine," he pointed out.
Not long after, Guion returned with coffee in a ceramic jar and five cups on a platter, serving everyone, including himself. The sheriff explained the plan, holding a cup of coffee like everyone else as they sipped while they spoke. "Alright, the mission is simple, you go, you find that monster, take a clear picture of it, and bring it back here so we can all see what the military is so afraid of," he said. When there was nothing more to discuss, the sheriff gave the order. "Alright, dismissed!" he declared.
Annika and Guion were not in their uniforms, so they exited first to go change, followed closely by John. Erick stayed behind to have a word with the sheriff in private. "Something else we need to discuss, perhaps?" the sheriff inquired. "What more can you tell me about this John fellow? Focus on the negatives," Erick requested.
The sheriff gave him a curious look. "I don't know how that will help, but he's had a grudge against Guion for a while now. He believes Guion stole his position and is too immature to be a lieutenant.
Six years ago, when Annika signed up, she had eyes for Guion, and it's clear he loves her too, but John insists on standing in the way.", "Why did you ask, anyway?" the sheriff probed. "Gatta know your enemy," Erick replied. "But John is your ally," the sheriff countered. "And your ally," Erick shot back. "Nobody says that," the sheriff said. "Is it?!" Erick retorted before leaving the office.
When he stepped outside the station, he found everyone waiting at the door. "You took your time," Annika remarked. "Sorry!" he replied. "Oh! I didn't expect that," Annika said, smiling in surprise. "Damn right! You didn't; I'm totally unpredictable," he replied, and Annika smirked as they walked toward the cars. John offered to escort Annika, despite knowing she was clearly headed for the Mustang. "Wanna ride with me, Annika?" he asked. "Thanks, but I'm going with the monster," she replied.
In that moment, it became clear to Erick that John was indeed jealous of Guion. Yet, he continued to provoke him extensively, suspecting John of being the killer based on the comments the sheriff had made about him. Erick wanted to confirm his hypothesis by pushing John until he cracked. He believed that the more jealous John became, the faster his true nature would reveal itself.
Erick knew without a doubt that it was John, during his secret investigations into the murders, witnesses testified that the victims were killed out of jealousy. It was just a hunch, but Erick's instincts were always accurate. Just as he was about to get into his car, Erick stopped John by placing a hand on his shoulder. Looking him in the eye, he said, "If you want girls, get yourself a nice car." He shook his head and walked to his luxurious Mustang, driving away. Guion followed immediately, while John remained paralyzed with anger.
Eventually, he too got into his car and followed them. They travelled in a straight line, tailing each other. After a while, they switched positions, with John in front and Guion last. He led them to a deserted area Where most buildings were still under construction. There was little electricity, making the place very dark, and it was already ten o'clock at night