Ears ringing, he staggers sideways.A large figure drops to the pavement in front of him.It’s like something out of a video game—over six feet tall, bulky with black body armor and a helmet to hide their face.Ted doesn’t need to see the dark figure’s expression to know it’s over for him.He’s been caught.There’s horror but also relief.No more dreading what’s to come.
As the hunter reaches out a gloved hand, Ted gives up his shaky grasp on consciousness and slumps to the ground at the hunter’s feet.
Inara
On-screen,Rex stalks toward Ted.In his body armor, he’s both a futuristic soldier and a figure from a myth.An ancient warrior emerging from the mist.
“Wow,” Mina says.“Men will literally dress up in a bulletproof suit and run around being a vigilante instead of going to therapy.”
Ah, Mina, I missed you.
I’m back at Roy Manor, standing in front of the large array of screens in Rex’s lair.After the ball, Rex asked me to return to the safety of the manor, and I was so shaken that I agreed.
I watch the action unfold from the screens, my heart racing like I’m standing in the alley with him.I smell the sharp, acrid funk of the gas.I’ve been Ted in this moment.I should be afraid for him, but for some reason, I’m not.I made Rex promise not to hurt him, and I guess I trust that he won’t.
I should be appalled that Rex is out there, exercising his own form of vigilante justice to hunt down the mysterious Ted.But I’m not.And what does that say about me?I’ve lived my life by the law.Ted is a witness, and there are protocols.But here I am, rooting for Rex to trap Ted in any way he can.
“Can I get one of those suits?”Mina’s disembodied voice echoes through the cave.
I don’t know what possessed me to ask Rex if I could loop her in on this mission, but he agreed.
He probably hated seeing me so frightened and would’ve promised me the moon if he thought it would help.I needed someone familiar.I guess Mina is more of a friend than I thought.
Mina doesn’t know I’m standing in a hi-tech lab in a cave attached to the Roy family mansion, but she can see the feed.“Are those gauntlets?”She sounds fascinated.
Reflected in multiple angles, Rex looms larger than life while Ted lies prone on the asphalt.Rex has gassed me before, so I know it won’t hurt Ted.But my stomach twists at crossing this line.
I wanted to approach Ted and interview him the traditional way.But I was in no state to do that, no matter how much I wanted to, and Rex didn’t offer me a choice.He was going to bring him in tonight.He sent Ivan to approach Ted at his apartment with money to bribe him.But when Ted ran, Rex chose to do things his way.
I wanted him to loop me in, but now I’m torn.I’m afraid for Rex, for what comes next.I’m afraid I’ve allowed things to go too far.
“Mission accomplished.Ending transmission.”As one, all the screens go dark.
“No, wait,” I say.“Mina, what’s happening?”
“We lost the feed,” Mina says.
“Mr.Roy ended the transmission,” Hamish says quietly.I jump, not realizing he was standing so close.
“Can you get it back?”
He hesitates, and I get the sense he’s wondering whether to lie to me.“I think it’s better if we allow Rex to go dark.”
“He doesn’t want me to see what’s next.”I clench my fists hard enough to drive my nails into my palms.“He can’t hurt him.He gave me his word.”
“He won’t injure him.Those weren’t real grenades.Merely smoke bombs.Shock and awe go a long way to breaking a person.”
Oh gods.Am I really allowing this?
“This is the best way,” Hamish says.“He’ll be ready to talk.We have less red tape than the police.They wouldn’t have a reason to hold him.”
“Hold him?”
“He’ll be questioned,” Hamish says.“We’ll get to the bottom of why the Bondage Killer is using him as a delivery boy.”
My stomach lurches with that sick feeling that overcame me when Ted first approached me.
“He’s right, Inara, this is the best way to go,” Mina says.“I’ve already looked into this guy.He’s a sleazeball.Been in trouble before for trying to pick up underage girls.”
