I looked around my office at the awards I had been given. I
kept my medals at home, but any other kind of awards I put in my office. Not
that I wanted to, but it looked odd that I didn’t have anything. But what was I
really supposed to hang up in my office? I couldn’t put a picture of Rachel up
or I felt guilty. I couldn’t put a picture of Cassie up because I didn’t want
to let people think we were together. As for Tobias, there was no picture of
him I had except for official photo shoots. And any picture of Marco would attract
his fans that were also co-workers of mine.
A co-worker had tried to give me a picture of a Bald Eagle
and a Red-Tailed Hawk harassing each other, as a joke, and I threw it away
quickly. I didn’t speak to that person for a few weeks and he must have
realized why since he said sorry when we started talking again.
As I drifted into my mind I was brought back to the present
by a knock on the door. I looked around my office quickly and made sure I was
presentable.
“Come in.” I said and was greeted by the presence of a tall
man. “Ryan Hardy?”
“Yes.” Ryan answered and I could tell that he was used to
speaking with a mouth but it was still a foreign thing for him.
He continued to stand as I looked at him. He was tall and
skinny. Not too skinny to be unhealthy. Well…unless you counted his face. His
face was…it looked like an Andalite’s head was put on a human body and given a
mouth. Plus the stalk eyes were removed.
“You’re Jake Berenson. The leader of the Animorphs.” Ryan
said and I realized I had been looking at him for awhile.
I had been looking him over to see the specifics of how he
had chosen to look for the rest of his life. I hadn’t meant to drift off too much
and worry him.
“Former leader of the Animorphs.” I said and walked over to
him with my head outstretched. “I’m an FBI Agent now. Same as you.”
“Same as me.” He replied as he shook my hand. I could swear
there was a bit of regret in his voice. Or maybe he just hadn’t learnt all the
fine details of human speech.
After a whiff of his breath reached my nostrils, I realized
that his unsteady speech wasn’t because of the foreignness of a mouth, but by
drinking. I didn’t know if he had drank a lot or not due to me not knowing how
long he had been a nothlit.
“So how long have you been a nothlit?” I asked after
thinking of the correct choice of words for around a minute.
“Does it matter?” Ryan replied and his body tensed.
“I don’t mind if you drink, but I mind if it makes us lose
Esplin 9466.”
Realization came to him as he nodded.
“I haven’t drank more than I usually do.” Ryan answered.
I started to make sure I had everything I needed for the
crime scene. This included making sure my gun was fully loaded. I didn’t want
to be unprepared even though the chances of us getting attacked at the crime
scene were less than likely.
“Where are we headed?” Ryan asked.
“To Esplin’s most recent crime scene.” I replied. “Done by
one or more of his followers.”
“There’ll be fighting then.”
“No. I doubt the killer, or killers, will be sticking around
for us.”
“But you checked your gun.”
“I said I doubt the killers will be there. Not that they
won’t be.”
“Maybe you’re just on edge because the Abomination is back
on your planet. Maybe you’ll make a mistake that will let him win.”
“Maybe you need to shut it until this is over. I might accidentally shoot you in rage.”
“I don’t believe every rumor I hear, I doubt you’ll make
good on that promise.”
“Just shut it.” I replied and he followed me to my car.
Once we both sat in and buckled up, I started to head
towards the crime scene. Unfortunately, Ryan decided this was a good time to
start a conversation.
“Do you know anything about Esplin’s host?” Ryan asked.
“I know the host’s name is Joe Carroll and he used to be an
English Professor. Was like he worshiped Edgar Allan Poe.”
“Did he write anything?”
“Yeah, crappy stuff. Read up that he was so delusional that
he thought people were actually following him like a god. Probably how Esplin
got to him.”
“What do you think of this Crayak he’s worshiping?”
“Nothing I’d like to think about now.”
Then things were silent as Ryan realized he had said
something wrong. I had to give him credit for one thing: He was good at
understanding humans.
But that also meant he must’ve been here for awhile.
Probably after the war ended. A year among humans could make it so he could
understand my species even while slightly intoxicated.
As the silence went on I thought about how Esplin could’ve
come to Earth. How could it be that Esplin found someone delusional enough to
think that being the host of the former Visser One was a good idea.
But what if things had just fallen into place on their own.
What if Crayak didn’t give two shits about Esplin?
That’s what I had to believe if I was to capture Esplin.
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