Kyle:

  I walked to the Portland police station. Before I hadn't realized how long the walk from the tower to the station was, maybe that's because I was chasing Jess... or maybe because when she's around stuff like that just doesn't matter to me. I told Jessica I could deliver the note by myself. It was odd that she didn't object.

  I walked into the station and looked around seeing several desks. I looked over at the wanted board. A new picture of Thomas up making me shake my head. I walked over to the board and spoke quietly, but as if the picture could hear me, "Don't know what the big deal about you is. I guess this is the end of the line for us, too bad we never met ya know? Wish you the best kid." Looking around, seeing that no one was watching, I quickly took my folded note and pushed it into the tack holding up the picture. I then turned for the door.

  (***)

  I got off the elevator into the clock part of our tower. I looked around the wooden room not seeing Jessica as I got off. I half expected her to jump up out of nowhere as she often did, but nothing happened... Yeah, that figure, but I had hoped otherwise. I looked at the door to the landing outside the clock and moved over to it knowing exactly where she was.

  I found her holding the railing and looking out over the city of Portland. She looked like she was praying, even pleading with God about something. Jessica was a Christian and had been for some time before I even met her. I didn't understand how it worked, but when she was in trouble that she didn't know how to get out of, I would often find her like this. I sensed the prayer had finished and walked over to her.

  She noticed me but quickly looked away. I walked over to her slowly, speaking my mind, but trying to be gentle. "C'mon Jess... we didn't even know him."

  "So that means we should just give up?" she asked.

  "Jessica we did everything we could."

  "Did we? Did you check the time on the scanner? When the boy flew out we were already on the case. If we had been faster maybe we could have saved him."

  "It's not our job Jess. Why do you want to find this one boy so bad? What do we even know about him?"

  "What do we know?" she asked. "He went to school, he had a mother that would do anything for him, he's got half a city if not more looking for him. Sure doesn't sound like just anyone does he?" She didn't look at me. I wished she would look at me. I knew she wasn't blaming me, but it felt like looking at me would make her feel worse and I had no idea why.

  "He's a child of their city, that's why he means so much to them. Why does he mean so much to you?"

  "I- I don't know Kyle, he just does. The idea of finding him makes me feel like I can do anything you know? No one else can, and even if they can no one else can do it as fast or as well."

  I smiled, maybe there was a way to put her mind at ease. "Oh come, come now. I'm sure there's someone else out there that could do it better." Okay so maybe there was a better way to say it.

  "No, there can't be."

  "Why not, why does it matter?" I asked.

  "I don't know Kyle. It was just a passing fancy. I just wanted to do it on a whim. I saw a picture and I decided I wanted to take the job," she replied.

  I paused, having to think. Things were starting to click. I knew why she wouldn't look at me. "Jess... this isn't a job... you're not just talking about Thomas, are you? I... when you applied to protect me, I was a passing fancy wasn't I? You just randomly became interested."

  "Don't tell me you didn't already figure that out." She gave a small snicker. "Kinda how I operate." She shook her head. "This was a passing fancy too. But that didn't mean anything, did it? In fact, that meant I was going to fail. It was something so simple too, all I had to do was find one boy. I failed... and you know now, all I have to do is protect one boy." She finally looked back at me.

  I quickly pulled a picture out of my pocket. "Look, see?" I asked. "His name is Justin. He went missing from someplace called 102nd Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma... strange name for a city really but what do you want eh? He's been gone for a week. See I found his picture on a white carton with some kind of milk in it... the store manager wasn't happy when I cut it out, but really, doubt he'll even remember my face for what that's worth. C'mon, let's go find him."

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  "No," Jessica said, starting to look back towards the clock.

  "Oh c'mon now. Don't tell me he's not cute or anything."

  "He's adorable but why? We'll just fail this one too. And I'll just put you in danger again and I'll... I'll... Just no."

  Jessica started to walk back towards the door, I quickly grabbed her shoulder as she went by, "Jess listen to me. I know you. You're not going to fail me. I know that."

  She pushed away my hand. "How? How do you know that? I'm your only hope so you have to. But I was Tommy's only hope wasn't I? And now I'm having to give up before the game is even over. So what does that mean for you? I didn't receive any training for detective work, just like I didn't receive any for work as a bodyguard. I just showed up, showed your dad the twin lightning blade technique, and said I thought you were cute. I don't know why he accepted me. What could he possibly see in a girl who's only forty years older than his son? That's nothing on our world, and ya know what? It doesn't mean anything here either."

  "I know you won't fail me, Jess." I closed my eyes. "And remember I fought to get dad to accept you. I know what my father saw in you when he accepted you because I saw it too. Passing fancy or not, you showed up at his door asking about that job again and again, even after he said "no" some twenty times. You fought and embarrassed the house guards when you found a traitor and blew up half the mansion while doing it. You were willing to do anything to get the job, anything to protect me, and we both could see that. Neither he nor I understood why, and I don't think you yourself know to this day... God, Himself only knows why but there's one thing I do know. You don't give up."

  "I don't know if you were paying attention but I just did."

  "No, you didn't." I bit my lip, what was I about to do? I didn't know why we even started this but... "Cause, I didn't." Jessica looked back at me. "There's gotta be something... something we're not seeing. C'mon, we've gotten this far... I know- I know what to do!" Jessica seemed to pause even her breathing. "It's so simple... the societies." She raised an eyebrow at me. "Look we don't have to go this alone. I'm sure someone has connections to the airport. Before we left for earth, the house guard Joshua told me about a society called the Banshees that sees itself as the protectors of humanity."

  Jessica chuckled. "Sure, I could tell you more than that about them, had a few of them as friends when I was here last. But do you have any idea how to contact them these days?"

  "Allen probably does." I passed by her this time. "C'mon, let's get inside and get some sleep until he comes in tomorrow. If all we want to do is ask for help I'm sure Allen will be just fine giving it to us, I'll give him a ring on the payphone at the base level."

  Jessica smiled at me. "Hold up," Jessica said quickly.

  "What?"

  "Nothing just..." she grabbed me around the neck and quickly drove a knuckle into my head. "You are the best kid in the world. I knew there was a reason I kept you around!"

  "That's my Jess!" I shouted, struggling to speak as she moved to tickling. "Making no sense and having fun at my expense." I gave in to the urge to start a heavy belly laugh.

  (***)

  Allen met us on the base floor of the clock tower the next morning. "So you'll help us right?" asked Jessica.

  "Why would I be here if not?" Allen asked.

  "Not sure, you could have been commanded here by a pink dragon. That happens all the time."

  "No, it doesn't," I said quickly, coming up behind her. I didn't even hear half of what she said but I knew it was nonsense.

  "How do you know, how many pink dragons have you seen?"

  "Jess..." I shook my head. "The car is outside right?" I asked Allen. "You have a contact in mind?"

  Allen nodded. "John. I arranged things with his family last night. He's a young banshee, eleven. We'll just have you guys meet him at the bus stop. You pass on some information to him and his father promises to share it with the banshee council in this area. You guys are keeping in mind that there are no guarantees here, right?"

  "Well we could just ask the wolves to help if this fails," I noted. Allen led us to his car.

  "No you can't," he said as he unlocked Jessica's door. I opened the door and she quickly unlocked my door in the back seat. "The werewolves as a race do not interfere in issues like this. We're not crime fighters and we're not heroes. For the most part, we believe in doing the right thing, but we manage the societies' secrets and I think that's job enough. We're the ones who figure out how to keep everything under wraps. Most wolves will laugh in your face if you ask them for help locating a random kid."

  "But you're helping us," Jessica pointed out, quickly locking my door as I reached for it. I folded my arms and looked at her.

  "Not sure I should be, but the thing is I want to. I think it's great what you two are trying to do." Jessica reached back and unlocked my door again. "Tell you the truth, it's an insurance policy."

  "Really?" I asked, reaching for the door handle as Jessica quickly locked my door again. I gritted my teeth at her.

  Allen walked around the car and got in the driver's side. "Yeah really, figure if little Jaden ever goes missing I can call on the 'Tracers'."

  "The who?" I asked, Jessica, unlocking my door again. I watched her, her eyes turning over to Allen as I quickly reached for the door. Just before I was able to turn the latch she was somehow able to lock the door again. "Are you trying to say something?" I snapped at her.

  "No, if I wanted to say something I would." She unlocked my door again.

  On one level, this was fun. On another, I had to play the straight man, partially because I was, partially because it was fun, and also- I wanted to get in the dang car! "Yet still I sense I should be getting in the other side."

  "Yeah... probably a good idea."

  I shook my head, walking around the car. Allen unlocked the back door on his side. "Who are the 'Tracers'?" I asked.

  "Well, you of course. Jessica told me yesterday that she came up with that name for you guys... think you were there too. Didn't you listen?"

  "Think about this girl," I said, pointing at Jessica through the window. "Would you listen to everything she says after twenty years?"

  "Got me there," he said. I reached for my door handle as Allen quickly locked my door. I raised my hands in exasperation. "Sorry, couldn't resist," he said, unlocking my door again. But he quickly locked it again as I reached for it.

  "We do have someplace to be by 7," I commented. Allen unlocked my door.

  "It's a forty-five-minute drive and we've got an hour to get there," said Allen, quickly locking my door again.