Still, no Officer Robert. Fortunately, a different but still familiar voice came, just as the
sun began to peek over the cliff's edge. Dora! it called.
Dora, where are you? Dora's eyes lit up when she heard the voice. It's Miss Garner! She
came to save us! Aiden had no time to think before Dora was running out from behind
the cliff. She waved excitedly to the approaching shadow.
She was coming out of a patch of forest only a few dozen feet away from where the two
had been hiding. Miss Garner, we're over here! Dora cried. Aiden looked intently and
found that the shadow indeed belonged to Anthony K's secretary, Miss Garner.
Dora! Miss Garner ran through the woods and straight to Dora. Dora, I'm so glad you're
okay. Don't be afraid.
I've come to bring you home. Miss Garner breathed a long sigh of relief and held out her
hand toward Dora. Dora's face trembled.
Miss, Miss, Miss Garner, she said through shaking breaths. After a night of life and death
encounters, she couldn't help but cry. Just as Dora was about to throw herself into Miss
Garner's arms, Aiden instinctually held her back.
Aiden? Dora looked up at him quizzically. Aiden, what are you doing? Let go of her, Miss
Garner said, similarly confused at the cause of his actions. Aiden studied Miss Garner's
face.
True, she usually looked a bit standoffish, but her eyes were even colder now than
normal. For some reason, he could sense that the expressionless face behind her red-
rimmed glasses was hiding something. Triggering basic lie detection ability.
Triggering basic mind reading ability. Miss Garner sensed his distrust. Shame mixed with
panic in her mind, her heart running a million beats a second.
Aiden, what are you doing? Dora is safe now. Come on, give her to me. The longer Aiden
stared, the more and more nervous she got.
He raised his eyebrows. Miss Garner, you seem to be a little anxious, he said. Nonsense.
I was just worried about Dora. I need to get her home quickly. Her father is scared half to
death.
She was lying. Aiden knew it. Miss Garner, why are you really here? He challenged.
Her face turned white as a sheet. There's no way he can know, she thought. Cat got your
tongue? Aiden's voice got louder and firmer.
Answer me! Aiden, I don't know what you're talking about. Please, just let Dora come home with me. Sure, Aiden said, suddenly quiet.
He put down Dora, once again beginning to shake with fear, and stared the woman
down. Like a judge, he asked coldly. But before I do, you have to explain to me how you
managed to find us so quickly before anyone else.
Miss Garner's eyes narrowed. I've been searching for you all night, she chastised. How
did you search the mountain all night in a nice suit and skirt, and not get a single tear,
cut, or bruise? And, he leaned forward, neither one breaking eye contact for a second,
why is there something hidden in your waist? Aiden smiled wryly.
Let me guess, a 9.9mm pistol? A 92.9mm automatic? Miss Garner subconsciously
touched her waist. She looked up, the mask of concern fading from her face completely,
and Dora finally seemed to understand as well, looking at Miss Garner in pain. Miss
Garner, you too? Miss Garner couldn't look at Dora, sighing miserably.
Dora, I'm so sorry. She whipped out the pistol hidden in her waistband and aimed it
directly at Aiden's face.
Aiden, no! Dora cried. What a night this was turning out to be. Aiden and Miss Garner
stared each other down, the secretary's teeth gritted and stance firm.
With their emotional guise now fully lifted, she looks especially dour, maybe even sad. I
respected you, Aiden. I've dealt with a lot of people like you in my life, and yet I never
expected… She trailed off for a moment.
I saw what you did. How on earth did you kill them all? She had been waiting at the base
of the mountain for news on Aiden and Dora's whereabouts, worried, had finally chosen
to go up and look for them herself. But it wasn't long before she came across the
carnage Aiden had left in his wake, the bodies of Trevor and his crew.
Even with everything she knew, she had still underestimated Aiden. That young teen,
with his own two hands, had killed them all. She suddenly understood how much of a
threat he really was.
Aiden, meanwhile, could see that behind the fire in her eyes, Miss Garner's mind was
spinning. It was as if she was slowly descending into madness. Miss Garner, put down
the gun.
Please. You know what I can do now. You are not my enemy.
He held his palms out toward her, hoping to calm her. Even if you kill me, there's a whole
battalion of police officers stationed at the foot of the mountain, looking for me and
Dora. Just surrender now, and it will all be… Stop! Miss Garner screamed, shaking her
head.
Sirens sounded from the bottom of the mountain. Her eyes were wild, and the hand
wielding the gun was visibly shaking. Don't you understand? I can't surrender.
This is all your fault. Our mission failed because of you, she moaned, looking pleadingly
to the sky. I'll kill you.
But as she said this, she realized was staring down the barrel of another pistol, similar to
hers. As she was breaking down, Aiden had whipped out a weapon of his own, and he
now held it pointed squarely and surely at her. She hesitated for only a second, but a
second was all Aiden needed.
The next thing she knew, Miss Garner was grasping her right hand, bleeding and in
searing pain. The gun that had been situated in it was now a few feet away. Aiden was
already aiming at the secretary again, this time at the heart.
I mean it, Ava. I know that this isn't you. Tell us what's wrong.
We can help you. Miss Garner was looking at Dora, her face full of pity and pain. Aiden
could tell she didn't want to hurt Dora.
She didn't want to do this at all. Miss Garner closed her eyes again, and she shook her
head in pain. It's no use.
You don't understand the horrors of Black Scorpion. Aiden's eyes widened. He didn't
expect to hear that name from Miss Garner, of all people.
The last time he had heard of Black Scorpion, it was from the mouth of Ross Doblar,
speaking to the Wolf Brigade. Doblar's wife, Holly, had been kidnapped by Black Scorpion
five years ago. Were the people after Dora now also from Black Scorpion? At the very
least, this so-called human trafficking group must be affiliated with Black Scorpion.
There was high probability, in fact, that it all was a front for Black Scorpion in itself. But
why Dora? Aiden's mind raced. At this time, however, Miss Garner was moving toward
the edge of the cliff.
What are you doing? Aiden demanded, pistol still pointed at her chest. As her heels
teetered on the edge of the cliff, Miss Garner once again looked sadly at Dora. She said
again, this time barely above an audible whisper.
Dora, I'm so sorry. And she threw herself off the side of the cliff. No! Aiden was shocked.
He leaped toward the cliff edge to grab her before she could fall, but he didn't make it in
time. He could only watch as she fell farther and farther, until she looked to be nothing
more than a tiny black dot. Soon, the black dot disappeared in the rolling river beneath
them.
At noon that day, Aiden was sitting in an empty interrogation room at the Bayside Police
Station, with a cup of hot coffee steaming in front of him. Much to his dismay, the
weapons and equipment he had picked up in the field had been confiscated by Officer
Robert. In his words, they were evidence in an active investigation, and had to stay at
the station.
What's more, Robert and his fellow officers had been questioning him for hours on end.
Although the officers were cordial, just the fact that he was in a police station to begin
with left Aiden feeling unsettled. And now the door opened once again.
Director Harris strode in, his face uber serious. He was followed close behind by a
handful of similarly serious-looking agents with FBI jackets. Well, well, well, Mr. Dale.
You've caused quite a mess this time, haven't you? He said. He leaned forward across
from Aiden, his palms flat on the interrogation table. He let a small smile creep along his
face.
I guess it's time to get you out of here. Aiden tried not to look outwardly surprised by
Harris' sudden change of tone. That mess you left up there on that mountain? The
investigating officers found evidence on their bodies that proved their ties to the Black
Scorpion.
The spy from Regan that we found had similar items on his person, which means that he
was Black Scorpion too. They really are targeting Chesterton for whatever reason. So I
came all the way here from Springfield.
As Director Harris went on, Aiden looked down at the table silently, waiting for a moment
to speak. Finally, he asked quietly. Any word on Miss Garner? Our people are still
searching the river, but there's no trace of her.
Aiden sighed, worried, conflicted. They couldn't even find a body? It was a sight to see, a
real rogues gallery all gathered in the hot, dry second floor lobby of the Midnight Snack
Corner. Harris, FBI National Security Director, experienced officer and detective, former
Wolf Brigade member, leaning casually against one wall, his hand resting on the phone
hooked to his belt as if it could ring at any moment.
Next to him was Officer Robert, the local chief of police and a Bayside District folk hero.
Crime went sharply down when he was known to be in the field. Criminals knew they
wouldn't have a chance.
Anthony Kay, president of Kay Group, among the most influential businessmen in the
world. He was sitting at a table by himself, face hidden in his hand. In the corner, Ross
Doblar, former Wolf Brigade captain, leaned against the wall watching the others like a
plodding animal, like he was choosing which of them he intended to devour first.
And, unpredictably, the focus of all their attention was Midnight Snack Corner shop
manager Aiden Dale. As unlikely a concept as it might seem from an outsider's point of
view, all the powerful men in the room that only one person there could produce a major
earthquake with the single stomp of his foot, and it wasn't any of them. Aiden's mother
had no clue how close her son had come to death just hours before.
She brought in a few cups of coffee and asked Aiden to pass them to their guests. As he
brought Kay his cup, Aiden took the opportunity to ask after his daughter, Mr. Kay, how
is Dora holding up? Physically fine, but emotionally, she's exhausted. She's asleep now.
Kay bowed his head solemnly and looked Aiden in the eye. Aiden, you saved Dora again.
This time, if it wasn't for you, I can't even think of what might have befallen her.
I still just don't understand. Aiden confined in him. Ms. Garner saved my life once before.
I trusted her. Why would she try to kill Dora? She messed with my villa's defense and
security mechanisms. She tried to block off the routes of the teams on the mountain, but
she didn't hurt anyone or steal anything.
She must really have only been after Dora, Kay mused. It's so strange. Why Dora? Aiden
didn't know either, and it was not knowing that was killing him.
His eyes flashed. Sounds like we need to get to the bottom of this whole Black Scorpion
business then.