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There are points in life were wishing for death is the right call. Ending pain and suffering by most means is normal for most people. This is especially true when that horror is inflicted day in and day out. The mind starts to fray after a while. Under that type of pressure, the spirit fractures. It searches for other methods to escape. Those that find themselves in this spot usually try to cope with drugs, alcohol, or sex. For others, only death is the true release. They would gladly take their own life to be rid of their mortal coils. Combat veterans will tell you that having these thoughts take a toll on the body and mind. So many had perceived themselves lost. A failure. A mistake. Lives were lost each year to the mental traumas that can plague the mind. For some, death would have been a mercy.

Olivia Hanson wished she was either dead, or with her husband. Having been kidnapped right when she had gotten of work, she had endured torture she possibly couldn't imagine. She had been beaten relentlessly over the past several weeks. She had been sexually assaulted, gang raped, and humiliated more times she could count. The Humans who kept her prisoner had shown nothing but contempt and hatred for her. She didn't know why they targeted her exactly. Well, no. That isn't true. She knew who their leader was. She had seen his face before. The Amistad Butcher was well known for what he did to his victims. She had cried herself to sleep many nights knowing that she was held captive by a true monster. She missed her family. She wanted to be back in her husband's arms. She wanted to hold her two little children. She wanted to escape from this hell that she had found herself in.

She grunted in pain as the Human behind her jammed his cock into her. They never used lube at all. Always bone dry. She had to rly on her skills as a sex worker to keep herself from tearing all the time. Silent tears left her eyes as she tried to find a happy place. It used to work when she first was here, but now those memories and thoughts were hollow. She didn't think she would ever get home soon. She hoped and prayed that rescue would come. That the police would find her and save her. Those prayers went unanswered. The more time she was here, the more her spirit broke. Soon, there would be nothing more than an empty shell left behind. Death seemed like such a better option.

The sound of flesh slapping flesh was all that was heard in the room. The Human behind her did moan and huff as he violated her. She felt so disgusted and humiliated. She hoped that he would be quick, but that hope was dashed. He had been going at this for several minutes now. She tried not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her voice. She was strong and brave. She would stay centered for her family's sake. She focused on staying sane in these trying times. Her eyes remained closed to block out the rest of the room. Her silent sobs went unnoticed as the Human took her. All he cared about was using her like a toy. She would find some way to cope and survive this. She just hoped to live long enough to escape.

They were interrupted when the door opened. Another Human, this one much younger than the one behind her, rushed in. He seemed to be in a panic. His eyes were wide, and a small layer of sweat coated his brow. He never made eye contact with Olivia, instead focusing on the man behind her. She glared a little at both of them, biting into the gag she had. With this interruption, her rape would last longer. She gnashed her teeth into the gag and growled lowly. The newcomer ignored her and started speaking to the man behind her. He was a mousy man, easily swayed by those stronger than him. His demeanor showed that he didn't exactly want to be anywhere near this place but did so out of a sense of fear. He was not loyal for loyalties sake. He was loyal because he was forced to be. What a worm.

“Sir," the man stuttered out. “A message just came in for you." Her rape was paused as the man behind her snarled at the words. The fire in his voice betrayed a man that was easily irritated. The hard edge to his tone said that the other Human was walking on thin ice. Olivia had a slight hope that one of them would kill the other, but she knew it wasn't liable to happen.

“What is it? I thought I ordered that I wasn't to be disturbed." The grip on her hair tightened and she was forced up. The pain in her scalp forced a whine from her throat. She wished she didn't have the gag in her mouth. There was a deep, dark desire of feeling their blood and life drain from them.

“You did, sir," the man simpered before them. “However, you did stipulate that if it came from the boss that you should be notified." The pressure on her scalp lessened as she was let go. She collapsed on the bed, barely able to support her own body weight. The shuffle of movement behind her was heard before the man got off the bed. He walked over to wear a robe was draped over a chair. As he was belting it closed, he turned back to the other Human.

“Thank you for telling me, Duncan. I'll take a look at the message now."

“Of course, Mr. Tupolev." The now named Duncan nodded and stepped over to the side. There was a tense silence between the three. Tupolev moved over to a desk that was positioned to the right of the bed. From her position, she could see the door in front of her close as Duncan made his retreat. She could also see that vile Human if she adjusted her head slightly. She kept her glare as he pulled out his PADD and started reading whatever message he had received. The man sat in the chair with not a care in the world, acting like what he had been doing just minutes prior was nothing to worry about. Well, she knew it didn't to him.

He kept reading the message with a slight interested expression. Whatever seemed to be on that PADD was important enough to actually get him to pay attention to something other than her. While she was grateful for the respite, she wasn't going to be fond of resuming. She got even more nervous when the interested expression turned a little sour, then outright angry. It almost looked as if Tupolev would smash his PADD into the wall or desk. Instead, he seemed to take a few deep breaths. He set the PADD down and seemed to contemplate something. Then, he stood. Olivia flinched when he turned his face to her.

The man's skin was a pasty white. Pink scars crossed his face. She guessed they were defensive wounds from those who fought back since they were too small to be blades. There was also the fact that they were in groups of four, just like her own nails. They were most likely from the previous victims he had raped before her. She wished she could get a few of her own licks in, maybe claw out his eyes. The ropes that bound her made such ideas impossible. His figure was slightly imposing, muscle and mass behind every movement he made. By the size of his hands and forearms, he could snap her neck easily if he wanted. She cowered before him as he turned to regard her.

“Well, bitch. Seems I have to cut our play time short." He moved to wear his clothes had been set and donned them. They were a simple ensemble of a t-shirt and cargo shorts. In fact, if she had met him on the streets, she probably would have overlooked him as another Human. That seemed to be the real danger. No one would know that the person sitting next to them is a convicted killer that shouldn't even be alive anymore. He was a true ghost, one that would make others disappear without any trace. She knew her time would be limited once he got his hands on her. “Duncan, go get my tools."

“Yes, sir." Duncan leaves the room and returns a short while later. He was holding a stick. No, that wasn't right. Olivia corrected her thought when she saw the end. It was a brand. The symbol on the end was one she had seen before. Back when Tupolev was rampaging through Amistad years ago. A canine skull with a knife stuck in it. That was how they identified his victims. She tried to get up to escape, to fight back. The bindings around her kept that from happening.

She was forced into a kneeling position by Duncan. Tupolev took the brand and turned it on. The end started to glow red, then orange, before becoming a bright yellow white. He turned to look at her with a sneer. Gripping her head, he pressed the brand to the center of her back. She couldn't hold back the scream that ripped from her throat. Fresh tears fell from her eyes. The pain was intense, and the smell of singed fur and flesh made her want to gag. She cried out for mercy, for them to stop. Tupolev gave her a nasty smile full of perverse pleasure at her pain. He backed off once the brand was fully emblazoned on her chest. She whimpered as the cooling mark throbbed. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be back with her family, to love on her children and husband. To be safe and secure in her own home. Her tears never stopped flowing even as she heard the sound of an old slug thrower being cocked.

She felt the bed shift as Duncan moved away. She only had a moments glance to see the weapon before she felt a searing heat in her forehead. The bullet traveled through her head and into the headboard. Her body went limp as all motor control fled her. She was still functioning, even if her brain was scrambled. She could still hear as Duncan and Tupolev talked over her body. She was dying, or close to it. She wouldn't make it out of this. The heart of her soul, her physical one rendered still after losing the brain, was breaking again. She silently cried out in loss and anger. She wished vengeance for her murderers, and comfort for her family. She was given release at the cost of leaving her family behind.

She was still conscious enough to hear, “Well, dammit it all. Our timetable's been moved up. Not only that, but with that six-one-six agent nearby, all my plans are foiled. He'd take us out long before we get the job done." Duncan nodded from his spot by the door. He started making a few notes in the PADD he had.

“Well, if the agent is such a problem, why not removed him from the equation? That would allow you the opportunity to keep on schedule." Tupolev seemed to consider that advice. After a few seconds of pondering, he agreed with that assessment.

“I would like to, but his skills are legendary. It'd be difficult, but it is a good idea, Duncan. Contact the rest of the gang. We'll need to readjust everything. Oh, and clean that up, will you?" he asked as he gestured general in Olivia's direction.

“Yes, sir." Duncan put his PADD away and started wrapping her up in the sheets. As he did so, time seemed to slow for Olivia. She felt her brain start to slow down. It was getting harder to think. The pain was immense and unrelenting. In those moments, she was able to at least see her family with her mind's eye.

Her husband, Mark, was a loveable goofball. He didn't care that she worked at a brothel. He loved her all the same. Their two children, Louis and Sarah, were their darling children. She saw in her mind's eye her home in Littlefield. The front door opened in front of her. She floated forward on unmoving feet inside their home. There in the living room was her family. They were laughing and smiling as they played together in the living room. They stopped their fun to look over at her. Olivia sobbed as a smile graced her spiritual face. She ran into their arms and hugged them tight. The world started to go white for her. A sharp ringing started in her ears. Then, Olivia Hanson, loving wife, and mother, knew no more.

---

On the other side of the mountains, Travis was inside SI doing some data review. He had been going over every ounce of data they recorded trying to determine the cause of the accident on Orion. They were fortunate that they turned on SI long before the warp core was started. That gave quite a few tidbits that they didn't know about the core that would be implemented in their procedures. There was also the fact that they could see where the fault occurred. There were several hours of data and video to comb through, and Travis had the task of doing both on his own. He didn't mind that too much. In fact, it was actually kind of fun.

Travis had been going at the data review when there was a knock on the door. Then, someone punched in the code to unlock it. Travis' head snapped up and saw who was coming in Valardiz stepped in. The Skunktaur was now in female phase, but still wore the vest with all its pockets. Travis smiled as he looked up at his coworker and friend. They had been working so well together that Travis was easily filling in the gaps that the others had. It felt really nice to have a team around him again. This time would be easier since there was less risk comparably. Travis waved at hym in greeting.

“Hey, Ardy," Travis greeted warmly. “What's up?"

“We were just about to head out for lunch. Do you want to join us?"

“Lunch? What time is it?" Travis checked the analog watch he wore and noticed the time. “Nine-forty-five? Oh, jeez! Nearly forgot about lunch!" He turned back to Ardy and motioned to the workstation he was at. “Let me just pack all this up, shut it down, grab my hat, and I'll meet you out front?"

“Sounds good. We'll see you then." Ardiz left the room and closed the door behind hym. Travis immediately scrambled to lock up their drives, shut down the workstation, and secure the safes. It took him about three minutes to get done with all the paperwork before hurrying over to his cubicle. He made sure he had all his personal effects and his hat before heading to the front of their shop. There, he grabbed his PADD that he had left in the front office safes. Now he was ready to join the others.

Stepping out of the building had the bright sun of Chakastra beaming down on them. Serenity, Kris, and Ardiz stood together just a few steps away. He hurried over and greeted his Companion with a hug. Shi hugged back with a nuzzle to the side of his face. Once they separated, Travis nodded to the other two. The first question he asked was where they were heading.

Kirs was the first to answer with, “We were planning on hitting one-eleven's cafeteria today."

“Oh, that sounds good," Travis said. “I'm curious on what their special is today."

The group walked the several hundred yards down SI Row to building 111. This building was considered the headquarters of all of SI. Their boss was a full bird captain in the Federation, and hir office was located in this building. The one unique part of 111 was the cafeteria inside. It was one of the larger ones Travis had seen. It easily could house several hundred people. Travis noticed that while there were plenty of people here, there was no real lunch rush going on. They made their way towards the line and started debating on what they were going to order. Travis decided that he wanted to go with the weekly deal. Every Fourthday, the salads were three credits off. He eyed the cranberry-apple chicken salad as the choice for the day. The others all ordered what they wanted and found a place to sit. Travis of course sat next to Serenity, cuddling in close. Shi had been extra affectionate and a little clingy ever since the incident last week. Not that Travis would ever mind. It felt nice to know that shi cared for him so much.

They sat at a booth that allowed for taurs and bi-peds. They sat together and talked about different things. Travis learned that Kris had been talking to his first and second wife about having another child, and he had just found out that his second wife was pregnant last night. That got congratulations from the group. The conversation drifted to family and how their relationships with blood relatives went. Travis stiffened up when it came to his turn on the subject. They already knew some of what he went through but told him he didn't have to talk about it. He nodded but decided to explain anyway. He steeled his nerves for the oncoming mental rollercoaster.

“Well, you all know that I don't have a good relationship with my father, and my mother died when I was a kid. I don't have any other blood relations that I'm cordial with." Serenity's arms around him gave him strength and comfort to keep going. “I never did tell you all what the difference of opinion was, did I?" The others shook their head. Serenity drew him closer and started whispering in his ear.

“You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," shi assured him. “We understand."

Travis sighed before responding, “No, I have to get this out. I need to tell you all." He took a breath and let it out slowly. He looked at the other two and said softly, “My father is a bigot." The words left a heavy air around them. They knew that this was serious. Travis was putting a lot of faith into them. They were not going to abuse that faith. “He hates non-humans with a passion. He tried to indoctrinate me into his line of thinking. I didn't want to, so he resorted to beating me to comply. All that did was force me to resent him." Serenity meowed sadly at the thought of hir love being beaten. By his father, no less. Shi held him close and offered hir support. Shi was very proud of him for being so open with them. It took a great deal of courage to face these demons and let them out. In hir heart of hearts, shi vowed to stand by him and support him. He needed someone to be with him through the suffering.

“I'm sorry, my friend," Kris said sympathetically. Travis nodded in acceptance of that sympathy and tried to continue with his story. He felt the pangs of shame that he had grown accustomed to, but it didn't have the same bite. He was overcoming his demons. He could feel it every time he talked about his past. It was getting easier to bring up those memories and tell people what he went through.

“My father was a downright bastard. I'm glad to be rid of him. May he rot in the darkest pits of hell." Hearing such disdain from hir Companion brought a troubled and sad feeling to Serenity's chest. It clenched painfully in agony and despair at the vile cloud that started to form. Thinking fast, shi wrapped him tighter and brought him close. Hir purr vibrated his chest, knocking the dark cloud aside. He slowly came back around and leaned into hir embrace. “Sorry, Ren. That was unbecoming of me."

“Don't apologize," shi quickly responded. “I can understand why you hate him so much. I just don't want you to be lost on that path. You are here, away from him. Focus on that." He nodded at hir advise and started to relax further. He nuzzled under hir chin and sighed happily.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?" Shi held him tighter. Hir purr ramped hip and a happy trill sounded. Shi nuzzled into his hair and gave his head a few affectionate licks.

“You exist. That's all you need to do."

The conversation moved on to happier topics. Mostly gossip of occurrences happening locally. Travis was feeling a lot better after having let another part of his past out in the open. Serenity had been his stalwart rock and comfort. He trusted hir with his life and soul. He wished there was some way to repay hir for all shi had done for him. He thought about taking hir on another date soon. Then he had a brilliant idea. How about a family dinner with just Sequoia and Baiyoshay joining them? That would be a very nice date. He wanted to learn more about all of them and be a tighter family. The hope of being loved was too good to let go. He would make that a reality for himself and Serenity.

The conversation was interrupted by a beeping coming from Travis. He pulled out his PADD and took a look at the notification. The code it had made Travis' heart drop. That algorithm he had set loose on the security cameras around Amistad had found something of Olivia. He checked the timestamp and found that the video was only minutes old. He needed to view the video, so he had to excuse himself. He sheepishly asked to be pardoned and that he had to take this. He stepped away to the hall outside the cafeteria and played the video. What he saw made his heart stop cold in his chest.

Olivia Hanson was a vixen Morph. She was stunningly beautiful, which lent well to her job as an escort. Now, however, her beauty was mangled and tarnished. Travis watched in muted horror as the vixen was dragged from off camera into frame by two men. They were wearing clothes that made it hard to get distinguishing features, but they were definitely Humans. They brought the dead body of Olivia to a dumpster and chucked her inside. They didn't even give her the common courtesy of a burial. Bastards. Travis ground his teeth in rage. Now that they found Olivia, he had to let Baiyoshay know. With a few taps on his PADD, he was connecting to the Skunktaur's desk phone. It rang a few times with no answer. Travis was getting worried.

“Come on, Baiyo. Pick up, please." He kept repeating his plea till someone did answer the phone. It was a female voice, and definitely not Baiyoshay. The purring quality indicated a feline of some sort. Travis didn't care, though. He needed to speak to Baiyoshay right now.

“Detective Baiyoshay's desk, this is Detective Dohan, how may I help you? "

“Detective Dohan, my name is Travis Archer. I need to speak to Detective Baiyoshay. It's important."

“D_etective Baiyoshay just stepped out to take lunch. May I take a message?_ "

“No, this can't wait. Just tell him it's from me. I need to speak to hym right now. Hy'll know why." With that, Angelica left to find Baiyoshay. Travis tapped his foot impatiently as he waited. He only had to wait about a minute before the pitter patter of rushing feet was heart over the speakers. A breathless Baiyoshay picked up the phone of hys desk.

“Travis? What's up, love?"

“Baiyo," Travis started. His breath hitched for a bit, but he pressed on. “I found Olivia." There was a noise as the receiver was dropped. Baiyoshay muttered a few choice curses before the rustling of paper was heard.

The next words out of Baiyoshay's muzzle were, “ Where?!"

“Bayside. Corner of Seventh and Golden Drive. Behind the movie theater in a dumpster." There was some scribbling on the other end of the line. Travis could hear muttering as Baiyoshay wrote down what he said. A few seconds passed before Baiyoshay spoke again.

“Thanks, love. I appreciate your help. "

“Baiyo, just so you know. It doesn't look good." There was silence on the other end of the line. Travis felt his heart break just a bit. He knew that Olivia had a family. Knowing that hy had failed to save her probably was crushing Baiyoshay pretty badly. Travis wanted to say something to support hym as a friend and lover. No words would come out, though. There was nothing he could say to change what had happened. They would have to live with the consequences.

“Thanks for letting me know, love. I got to go. I'll talk to you later. "

“Baiyoshay, I'm—" He never finished as the line went dead. He cursed silently. Fresh pain hit his heart. He hated being the bearer of bad news. It always ended with someone getting hurt. He growled low in his throat. Things were going a little south. He hoped for better times. Murphy, however, had other plans.

---

Detectives Baiyoshay and Angelica stepped out of the Police PTV in the parking lot of the Moonrise Movie Theater in Bayside. There were several other cop cars and emergency vehicles surrounding the area. Several onlookers watched and gossiped among themselves about why a bunch of police suddenly swarmed the area. There was a whole mess of police tape cording off the area behind the theater. Several forensic specialists were busy taking multitudes of photographs and measurements. Overseeing the whole operation was Detective Chief Nine-Lives. The grizzled 'Kat looked on with a sour expression. Hir tail thrashed and hir hackles were slightly raised. Shi felt the desire to claw something, or someone rise with in hir. They had failed in their duty to the public. It wasn't the first time this happened, but it still hurt all the same.

Nine-Lives heard the sound of feet padding up from behind hir. A glance over hir shoulder found the two best detectives in the crime scene investigator unit walking hir way. Shi turned and gave them a solemn nod. Baiyoshay and Angelica also nodded in greeting and stopped in front of their boss.

With a sigh, Nine-Lives said, “Detective Baiyoshay. It seems your informant was right on the money. It's definitely Olivia Hanson." Baiyoshay and Angelica both sighed in response. Baiyoshay's unseeing gaze drifted to look in the general direction of where the body lies. Baiyoshay could see the coroner and other detectives taking photographs of Oliva and the surrounding area via hys ability. Useful, but it also gave hym details that hy wished hy didn't have to see. The yawning hole in Olivia's head made hym want to puke hys guts out. Hy held strong, though.

“Yeah, I can see it from here." Baiyoshay commented. “They did a number on her."

“From my initial observation, you'd be correct. The coroner will give us a better understanding. Once they are finished up, you can do your thing and find out who did this. Oh, here he comes know. Danny! Over here." Baiyoshay could see in hys mind's eye the old Great Dane Morph walking over to them. Daniel Sullivan, or Danny as he likes to be called, stepped over with a heavy look in his eyes. Whatever he found had spooked him bad.

“Chief Nine-Lives, detectives. I've finished my initial autopsy." Danny paused as he tried to gather his thoughts. It was a few seconds when he started with his report. Reading off his PADD, the others could tell that it was taking a lot of willpower and inner strength to maintain his bearing. “She has been physically and sexually assaulted many times. Whoever did this to her had a vendetta against her for some reason. Multiple bone fractures that had been quickly healed, several contusions, lacerations, and other injuries consistent with assault. Cause of death is a single gunshot wound execution style to the head."

“Sounds like a classic case of rape and murder," Nine-Lives commented. Baiyoshay and Angelica were also on board with that, but something in Danny's eyes said something different. Baiyoshay could see the micro reactions in the old Dane's body. The slight tensing of the jaw muscle. The increased blood pressure. The slight twitch in his hands. There was something more.

“That's not everything, is there?" hy asked. Danny flinched but quickly recovered. He brought up the PADD he had taken notes on and turned it around to show a picture of the burn wound on Olivia's chest. Baiyoshay couldn't exactly see it, but a quick touch of the PADD allowed hys abilities to pull the image up in hys brain.

“There was a mark burned into her back. It's consistent with the mark of the Amistad Butcher."

“Impossible!" Nine-Lives spat out. “The Butcher is long dead. Has been for years."

Baiyoshay responded softly with, “Presumed dead." Everyone turned to face hym as hys eyes looked on in the thousand-yard stare of blindness. Hy was studying the symbol in hys head, dread and fear starting to form in hys heart. “He is presumed dead. We have no confirmation he actually died."

“Um, can somebody please explain? Who's the Butcher?" That brought the others short. Baiyoshay looked over to Angelica in confusion. Realization suddenly hit when hy remembered when exactly she had been hired. This was all way before her time.

“Oh, that's right. You weren't here when the Butcher was active." Baiyoshay sat on hys haunches as he recalled those memories. It was a dark time for Amistad and the peacekeepers. So many had lost loved ones to the Butcher. If he was back, then chaos would soon follow. “About four years ago, a man by the name of Isaac Tupolev started a rampage across Amistad. Men, women, herms, young, old. Didn't matter. He would take them, hold them for weeks torturing them before placing a mark on their bodies and killing them. I was part of the team that put him away. The judge sentenced him to exile on one of the prisoner colonies at the edge of known space." Baiyoshay paused at the next bit of history. There were so many inaccuracies about the reports on what happened after. Nine-Lives recounted what the media had said and what most people knew.

“He was transferred to the Eff-Ess-Ess Purgatory for transport. The ship never made it to the colony. The Federation did a search, but never found her. The ship was declared lost with all hands. The Butcher should have died with her destruction."

“Unless" Baiyoshay interjected, “the ship was never destroyed. What if she had been only lost? Or worse: captured." The thought brought fear into the hearts of everyone. If the Butcher was back, then even more bodies were bound to show up. They had to ascertain who was doing this. If it was Tupolev, then they would need to act fast. If it was someone posing as him, then they were looking at a whole new heap of trouble.

Nine-Lives growled out from deep in hir chest, “I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe he is back. He just can't."

“He may not be back," Danny tried to assuage. “We may be dealing with a copy-cat."

“A really good copy-cat, then," Baiyoshay amended. “If that is all, Danny, I'd like to do my thing."

“Oh, right, of course," Danny responded sheepishly. He nervously scratched the back of his head and motioned to the crime scene. “The area is all yours. I'll do my full autopsy when she arrives at the morgue. Good luck, detectives."

Nine-Lives said, “Thank you, Danny. We'll take it from here." Danny nodded and walked to his vehicle. Nine-Lives turned to Baiyoshay and said, “Alright, time for you to do your séance. I'll make sure the area is cleared."

“Thanks, chief. Angelica, be a dear and help me get the equipment, please?"

“Of course, shir."

The next few minutes were taken up by moving stuff from their PTV to the crime scene. Several antennas were stationed in a circle while a dish antenna was stationed next to a portable work station. All these items were designed and developed to help Baiyoshay augment hys abilities. They used the mental power to recreate what hy sees in hys head to a digital form seen at the workstation. That is also recorded as a 3D video that they could use to review later. The total memory required for even one recording was immense, but with the super dense memory crystals manufactured for this purpose, they have yet to run into any problems. The whole setup was expensive, but well worth the cost.

Baiyoshay adjusted hys neck and back as hy got hymself ready for the dive. Hys top stretched a bit with the movements. Being in female phase was a little awkward, especially the first couple of days after hys heat. Angelica was adjusting one of the three antennas surrounding hym. The dumpster that Olivia had been unceremoniously dumped in rested just a few feet away. The portable workstation was up, running, and ready to record. Angelica finished the last adjustment before coming over to Baiyoshay. She confirmed that the amplifier field was online and centered around hym. Once satisfied that everything was in position, she made her way over to the control monitor. Nine-Lives stood slightly behind Angelica, wanting to observe what they were doing. Shi had never seen Baiyoshay do a séance in person before. It would be a learning experience. Angelica made a few taps of the keyboard, and they were ready to begin.

“Alright, recorders are recording, I've got good response from the amplifiers, system is green. I'm all set over here. Ready on you, Detective." With a deep breath, Baiyoshay nodded. Hys hands came up and were outstretched to hys sides. Hys milky white eyes turned slightly pink. Hys breathing slowed as hys heart started to pump harder. With some slight mental exertion, hy delved into hys ability. Before Angelica and Nine-Lives appeared shadows. Past shadows. They saw the ghosts of the original team as they walked around the crime scene. Ethereal shapes of multiple colors coalesced to Danny's shape as his ghost looked on sadly at Olivia's body. He started to move backwards, indicating Baiyoshay was reversing time. Other shapes took the form of the rest of the investigators. They too walked backward until only Olivia was left. Then two figures appeared.

The two beings, though, were not the same as before. Even Olivia, as dead as she was, was different from these two. The ghost from of Olivia was cold, dark, and muted. These figures, though, were completely black and amorphous. Anyone who saw them could tell that they were average size for most bi-pedal species. When Baiyoshay focused a little harder, they saw that the forms displaced the air much like Humans would. They just couldn't get an accurate read on the face or body structure. There was something they were wearing or doing that limited all essence of their minds from imparting on any particles. Nine-Lives stepped next to Angelica and motioned to the forms.

“Is that what Detective Baiyoshay was talking about?"

Angelica nodded and explained, “Hys ability works by reading the mental and emotional signals of living beings. If those signals don't interact with the physical world, then we may not be able to see any details that would give them away. How can they do this? Well, that's anyone's guess." She continued to work on the console, observing everything going on. She had been monitoring more than just the recordings. She was also checking Baiyoshay's health. Hys abilities put major mental strain on hys brain if he pushed too hard. It was a preventative measure just in case. Angelica also had a few medical supplied for the eventuality.

Baiyoshay's abilities showed that the two men had come from a vehicle that had been parked right beside the dumpster. The fact that the vehicle was parked so close was a very good thing. If they could get enough information from the PTV, they might be able to track where it came from. Then they could capture the supposed Butcher before he strikes again. Angelica tried to get more details of the PTV in the recording, but Baiyoshay's powers were not focused on it.

“Detective, PTV to your right and behind. Focus on it, please?"

“Got it," Baiyoshay responded with gritted teeth. The image of the PTV became clear on the work station. Angelica confirmed that the details were recorded with full clarity. Even the chips and dents in the undercarriage were visible. They could even see the leftover garbage they had left inside. Angelica was pleased with the images.

“That's good, detective. Thank you." Baiyoshay nods and returns hys attention to Olivia. Hy keeps trying to break through whatever is blocking hym from seeing who was carrying Olivia. There was just something that they were doing that kept all their mental and emotional signatures from manifesting. Angelica tried to help as best she could, but even she was having difficulties getting through whatever was blocking them. However, it seemed that there was one flaw that Baiyoshay was able to exploit.

“I think I got something," Baiyoshay said as hy studied the dumpster with Olivia inside. Angelica saw what Baiyoshay was talking about. There was something buried in Olivia, but it was deep and degraded. It was like something may have been imparted on her body at the time of her death. They couldn't get the signal to come through, though. They would have to dig deeper. “Something is most definitely inside Mrs. Hanson. I'm going to try to pull it out."

“Detective, are you sure about that?" Baiyoshay nodded insistently. They were going to find her killers. They were going to make sure Tupolev wasn't running around. Baiyoshay was willing to take a little pain if it meant putting a monster away. Hy had done it before, and hy would do it again.

“I'm diving in deeper. Miss Dohan, you ready?"

Angelica sighed before saying, “Ready. I hope you know what you're doing."

“So do I. Here we go." Baiyoshay focused on that one signal hy could see. It was buried under so much junk. It was like dumpster diving in several feet of trash looking for one broken part you hardly have a description for. Hys pink eyes started to turn more and more red as blood pooled in them. Hys vitals started spiking in mental stress and blood pressure.

“Detective, slow down. Don't overexert yourself." Baiyoshay did not heed Angelica's words. Hy kept going deeper, looking for that specific signal. Hy had to bring it to the forefront. If they could just get some information, some clue as to what happened, it would be worth it in the end. Hy could do this. Hy had to do this. It was hys job, hys purpose. Hy would find Olivia's murderer and put them away if it was the last thing hy did.

“I got this. I know I can do this. I almost have it." As hy dived deeper and deeper into the quagmire surrounding Olivia, he finally found the tail end of that signal. It was audio based and embedded in Olivia's brain as the last thing she heard. Hy started to pull on that small thread and encountered major resistance. Hy took a metaphorical two-handed grip on it and gave a pull. It still wouldn't budge.

“Detective, stop! You're approaching the red line! Please, back off before you hurt yourself!"

“I can't! This might be our only chance to get any information on her killers! I'm going to make it happen!"

Nine-Lives finally took over and said, “Detective, stand down! It's not worth killing yourself over!" Baiyoshay paused at that. Hy knew that Nine-Lives was right. It technically wasn't worth dying for. Hy leave behind so many that loved hym. Yet, hy couldn't stop. There was more at stake than just hys life. The lives of so many others may be dependent on what Baiyoshay finds.

“We need this information! I'm going in!" With grim determination, Baiyoshay got a better hold on the signal. Two mental hands gripped the tail end. Hy took a deep breath, readied hymself, and pulled. Then the pain started.

The headache to end all headaches started to form in Baiyoshay's head. Hy could describe it as having an epic migraine centered right between the eyes. Hys eyes turned fully red as blood started to leak out. Hys tears of blood stained hys face and fell onto his bosom. His green shirt was stained red, probably ruined as well. Hys teeth grinded against themselves as he fought against the force stopping hym. The air around hym was supercharged as hys powers started to run away from him. The images faded away as the wind picked up around them. A whirlwind formed and started picking up loose debris. Angelica and Nine-Lives were pelted with small stones and leaves as the wind buffeted them. Angelica knew what was happening and started to panic.

“Detective, enough! You'll kill yourself!" Baiyoshay wouldn't listen. Hy was too focused in getting what they needed. The tears of blood flowed harder. If this kept up, hys brain would literally fry itself. She had to stop him. There was only one way to get through to hym. “Baiyoshay, knock it off! You're red lining!" Baiyoshay still did not listen. Hys vitals were going deep into dangerous territory. Angelica was considering using the failsafe they had developed just for this situation. In case Baiyoshay went too far, there was a stun phaser charged and position for easy reach. Angelica was contemplating using it to get Baiyoshay to stop. Her hand moved for the phaser but was stopped by Baiyoshay's call.

“I have it! Record before I lose it!" Angelica reacted instantly. The recording she had was saved in their memory crystals. It took a little time to make sure the recording made it through. She noticed that there was some major corruption that would have to be cleaned off before they could get anything useful. She would deal with that later. Since she confirmed she had received what Baiyoshay found, she called out for Baiyoshay to stop.

“I have it! Let her go!" As sudden as the whirlwind started, it stopped. The winds died down and stopped picking up the rocks and leaves. Hys vitals started coming back into normal levels, but there was something slightly off in hys brain patterns. That was confirmed when hy yelled out a little. Angelica watched in horror as Baiyoshay grab hys head in what she assumed pain. When hy spoke, though, her heart fell through her feet and into the ground.

“Hurts. My brain hurts. I…" Hy paused as something seemed to occur to hym. Something that hy had only experienced a handful of times. “I can't see. I can't see!" The panic in Baiyoshay's voice spurred Angelica to action. She rushed to hys side and gripped hys head. Hys eyes were still red from the blood, but they were slowly draining. The dried blood around hys eyes were slightly off putting. Angelica was more worried about hys mental health than being freaked out about hys appearance.

“Baiyoshay, calm down. I've got you. Now, let me take a look at you." Baiyoshay whimpered as Angelica inspected hys eyes. Both thumbs were used to rub the caked blood away and peel back the lids. She gazed into them and tried to confirm their status. They were fine, just needed to be cleaned out of any leftover blood later. That just required a good shower and some time. “Your eyes are going to be okay. You're okay. Just relax. I have you."

“Angelica, please, don't leave me. I can't see. My Talent is gone. I can't…" She shushes hym gently. A comforting hand goes to hys back and slowly rubs hym

“I've got you. I'll be your guide. Come on. I'll get you some pain meds." Angelica guides Baiyoshay back to the control station. She had Baiyoshay sit on hys haunches before she rummaged through their medical kit. Two pills of Ibuprofen were produced and handed over with a bottle of water. Baiyoshay downed the medicine and water. Hy sighed as the headache slowly started to recede.

“Detectives," Nine-Lives said with a slight growl. “What was that?" Angelica looked sharply to Baiyoshay who merely looked down in shame. They both knew what just happened. She was going to have some major words with Baiyoshay after this.

“I'm sorry, shir," Baiyoshay said softly. “We had to get that audio message. It was the last thing she heard. It could hold valuable information."

“I understand that, Detective," Nine-Lives spat back. “But that doesn't mean you can just throw your life away trying to get it. What if you had died, or permanently damaged your Talent?" Baiyoshay curled further into hymself. Hy knew hy deserved the chastisement. Hy had been reckless with hys ability only once before. That was nearly a disaster. Hy didn't need a repeat of that. “Now, I'm not going to put anything in your record. You've got the job done. But you're taking leave for the rest of the day. Regain your strength and come back in when you are recovered. I expect an initial report on that recording by the end this week." They both nodded. Nine-Lives turned and walked back to hir own PTV. As shi left, Angelica turned and unleashed her wrath on Baiyoshay.

“What were you thinking?! That was highly irresponsible of you!"

Hy flinched from the words and responded, “I did what I thought had to be done. We may have our evidence to—"

“It wouldn't have been worth your life! I'm supposed to watch over you, but I can't do that if you're taking such huge risks!" Hy couldn't see the look of hurt and pain she had. She had been his partner for almost two years. She may maintain a professional relationship with the Skunktaur, but she had grown to like hym as a person and friend. She didn't want to lose hym.

“I'm sorry, Angelica." She blew out a breath before enveloping hym in a firm hug. Hy returned the embrace and sighed. They held each other like that for a few minutes before they separated. She patted hys cheek before moving away.

“I'll get the equipment packed up. You go ahead and head home. You've got your cane?" Baiyoshay nodded and pulled out the folding cane hy kept on hym just for this reason. Hy normally didn't need it, but with hys ability tapped out, hy needed the guide. “Good. You go ahead and head home. I'll start looking over the recording when I get back. Get some rest, Baiyoshay. I'll see you when you get back." Hy nodded and extended hys cane. The cane tapped on the ground as hy moved back to the main street. Hy was lucky hys memory wasn't affected, because that would have been a lot harder to make it home. With a sigh, Angelica turned to the equipment and started packing up. As she did, the coroners came and started moving Olivia's body. By the end of the hour, Angelica would be reviewing the recordings, Baiyoshay would be back in hys apartment, and Olivia Hanson would be on the autopsy table. What a day.