“Hey, boys, come over here and see this,” Sylvia beckoned as the two brothers walked over to the monitors.

Rahkaze scouted one of Sylvia’s old bad habits, “dammit, Sylvia, I told you time after time after time! You can’t watch TV here! These are for surveillance only!”

Sylvia pointed at one of the center screens, “your favorite girl is in the news again.”

As Rahkaze and the others focused on the center screen, it really wasn’t his favorite person. More like a thorn in the side of his. More like the open sore at the roof of your mouth where you can’t stop tonguing it.

It was a relatively young female in a business suit with long black hair and brown eyes.

Rahkaze pointed her out quickly, “Jocelyn Shane.”

Jocelyn Shane is a 32-year-old human Assistant District Attorney who works in close cooperation with many of the NYPD, including Andrea Mercy. Her brash and arrogant attitude has gained a lot of negativity and support from the NYPD. But it has polarized if not most, but all the civilians in the city.

Jocelyn Shane was leaving out of the courthouse as a swarm of reporters flagged her down, asking for a soundbite.

One male reporter ended up being the loudest, and getting the first question asked, “Counselor, in 72 hours, 37 men and women were killed. Coincidentally, some of them were with the syndicate--”

“The syndicate?” Jocelyn responded as she scoffed at the reporter. “The syndicate were all a bunch of losers who don’t deserve to breathe the same air as all of us. When you lay down with the devil, you’re going to get burned. As for this ‘character’ that everybody’s spewing about over the Internet. Is nothing more than a glorified vigilante.”

“So, what you say is true, Memento is on your list of supposed vigilantes to take down?” The reporter continued.

“Anybody who takes justice into their own hands is a criminal. I have no problem going after Revan Zayne again if she decides to put on the ‘costume’ again. And this so-called protégé knows any better, he will quit while he is ahead.”

“Yeah, that’s really original, counselor. Turn that shit off,” Rahkaze demanded as Sylvia followed suit.

“Let’s be honest. She truly knows how to draw an audience,” Sylvia said.

Rahkaze scoffed, “And they’ll be one less vote for her. By whom? We don’t even know for sure.”

“I swear. It really must be hell being her at times.” Sylvia added.

“She is saying all the right things. There are many people out there who still hate ‘demons’ and blame them for the chaos that is in our world today,” Mordechai pointed.

“Those people are ignorant,” Rahkaze counterpointed. “Anybody who instills fear and ignorance without any basis of the truth is fear mongers like Jocelyn.”

Suddenly, the telephone rings and Sylvia promptly answered the call, “good morning, and it’s a beautiful day at Zayne Enterprises. My name is Sylvia, and how may I assist you?”

“It’s me again, Andrea. Jocelyn was at the precinct just now. She told us that the district attorney will not support our findings and to kick over the case to homicide.”

“Something is definitely wrong then,” Mordechai pondered.

“I told you she’s playing for a seat in the Senate. Why wouldn’t she do it around this time of year?” Sylvia said.

“I still think she’s playing with fire. At any rate, I’m officially out of the loop too.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t find a way,” Mordechai teased. “I know a buddy from Yale in the ME’s office…”

“Maybe your dungeons and dragons buddy can give you the full autopsy report,” Andrea teased.

“World of Warcraft, and you should be grateful I know people like that. Later,” Mordechai fired back as he hangs up the phone. Sylvia types away and goes through her encrypted email account.

“So, you are going to Madrid after all. I’ll call our crew and set things up there in advance,” Sylvia said. “In the meantime, your boys try to make yourself comfortable.”

“Never stay comfortable. That’s what mother used to say,” Rahkaze reminisces.

“Yeah, she was a real hardliner. I’m glad she’s not here in New York.” Sylvia added. “By the way, how is she doing?”

“Having a ball. Now she wants to open a medical facility in London,” Mordechai chimed in as Sylvia laughed.

“Yeah, that seems quite right about her. I still find it such a blessing, being so well received by the public… And to think she was so afraid that her old enemies would come after her… I guess she had a way to bring that out in people. Making them better people, like Xerxes.”

Both brothers happily nodded in agreement.

It was a brilliant segue to remind Mordechai about what has happened in the past few days, “speaking of which, it is amusing you have made that assumption. In 72 hours, the eighth Oleander Syndicate sponsored bank was hit in this country, third in this city. And now the supposed assassination of the Killer Queen Shayna Hu,” Mordechai brainstormed. “The connection is very blatant… The counselor thinks she is smart, kicking it over to homicide and bury it, but a case like this will be immediately taken off the NYPD’s table and onto Interpol’s.”

“How low long you think Interpol will pick this up?” Rahkaze wondered.

“I’m guessing tomorrow,” Mordechai predicted. “Finding Shayna will not be a challenge. In fact, I plan on giving her a visit tonight.”

“Oh? Can I come along and be your little sidekick?” Sylvia flirted.

“No.” Mordechai flatly denied.

“Oh, why not? It’s not like I won’t do anything stupid,” Sylvia pouted.

“You are needed here as my oracle… right here,” Mordechai emphasized. “Besides, The Killer Queen always has something up her sleeve. She recently built a log cabin in Oswego County, armed with security guards. Somewhat of a traditional Japanese house, if you will.”

“In the middle of nowhere? Okay, then I’m definitely not going,” Sylvia wavered.

“Exactly. I’m going to deploy the camera drones, taking architectural scans in the area. Taking her down won’t be easy since I will be on her home turf.” Mordechai explained. “also, I want to keep an eye on the Valentina sisters – especially Vienna. Despite the repeated death threats… and a leaked sex tape from her older sister… The greatest show on Earth is still going on Lyon next year,” he relented.

“Chucky is going to be there?! Okay, then I’m definitely not going,” Sylvia wavered.

“The Apex Predators’ ongoing working relationship with Interpol is still going strong, so I wouldn’t worry too much. That alliance itself would be plenty to neutralize any kind of potential threat. But knowing the Oleander Syndicate, they will interject themselves when something can become a potential disturbance. Eichner will use the Nether Elite to ‘hunt down’ the un-sub instead using the new Shadow Support Unit would be foolish. Neutralizing the Nether Elite won’t be easy since Junichi is back in the field and Silvestri becoming stronger…” Mordechai predicted.

“Calling it early, huh, Morrie?” Rahkaze asked.

Mordechai nodded, “there will be casualties. Let’s prepare ourselves and try to keep it at a minimum when that time comes. Until then, let’s keep our eye on social media, Reddit posts, YouTube, celebrity blogs… Let’s try to decode what only Valentina is planning but the un-sub as well.”

“Consider it done, Mordechai,” Sylvia agreed as she began to follow the order. “Oh, and by the way, Rahkaze, I heard you won’t be the only one at the ceremony in Madrid. I heard Chloe will be there as well.”

This delights Rahkaze, “Chloe Serpentine?! Wow, it’s been so many years we have seen face-to-face!”

“I know. I was only 14 when I last saw her,” Mordechai added as Rahkaze nodded in agreement.

However, this revelation was a sad one and was necessary as it brought back painful memories for Rahkaze, “yes, Mordechai. On that exact same day, we all changed things together and went our separate ways to pick up the pieces. It has been that long, I mean, we all still talk to her over the phone. But she has been on a personal mission of her own, starting over. She lost so much. I’m surprised she pulled herself together and became very successful over at Interpol.”

“It was many times I asked to come to hang out in New York for a day, but she was always busy….” Mordechai reminisced.

“She’s always been the workaholic type, so even if I have to gas her to knock her out just to bring her here, little brother,” Rahkaze happily teased.

“Then he’ll be on trial for kidnapping an international government official,” Mordechai analyzed.

“Mordechai?” Sylvia chuckled.

“Well, yes. Flaking out on us every single year when we have our little get-togethers. Just this once, I want her sitting across from me and tell me to shut up about… whatever it is I’m talking about,” Rahkaze explained.

“Brother, she does that now over the phone,” Mordechai pointed out.

“And yet, I still keep on talking. So, she must say it to me in person,” Rahkaze smiles as Mordechai shakes his head.

“I’m going to recalibrate my compound bow. I’m already getting a headache,” Mordechai gives up as he walks away in disgust.

“You know you love me, Mordechai! I can feel it in your soul,” Rahkaze passionately teases. Then he turns his attention to Sylvia, who is working on intercepting the camera feeds in the city. “What about you, Sylvia, do you love me?”

“Of course, I love you, Rahkaze. You pay me on time,” Sylvia commented.

However, her snide comments did rub Rahkaze the wrong way, “you know, you can be a real bitch at times, Sylvia…”

“And that’s why you hired me,” Sylvia fired back. Knowing he cannot win this fight, the defeated Rahkaze retreated to the locker room with his head down.