Department of Investigative Services

Ezra was running out of patience, even for Ryliee, and that was saying something. He was just about to bark at her when she finally stopped for a moment and turned her attention to him. "Jesus you are oblivious sometimes..." Although he was slightly irritated, he was interested in what she found.

"Me first, since mine is probably way less important. I found out that all these victims new each other, and all were acting strangely the day they died. Each one looked lost and disoriented." Spinning around slowly on the chair, he began to distract himself by touching all of Ryliee's expensive hardware.

"Not only that, but there was no murder weapon, and no suspect. All three bodies were alone at the time of death."

Ryliees eye twitched and she swatted at his hand as he spoke. "These are expensive machines! They are my babies. You break them, I will mangle you beyond recognition with my own two hands." She growled. But she listened to what he said before nodding knowingly.

"Figures they would be. I found traces of a sedative in the soot, along with two other compounds I can't place." She shoved two papers in his hands, full of scientific jargon. "They were definitely Metas, and they were drugged. What stumps me, and it takes a lot believe me, is this." She motioned to the microscope. "It looks like a chip of some sort, hot writing on it. I had four other pieces before the car blew up, but now I can't figure it out."

Ryliee sighed and ran her fingers through her hair again, irritation clearly evident in her posture. "This... This monster is human.. Hunting down and... And killing Metas and for what? Filthy fucking humans!" Ryliee grabbed the nearest beaker and chucked it at the wall. It shattered on impact, a light blue liquid running down the wall.

Ezra watched as the liquid ran down the wall. The glass from the shattered beaker glistened on the floor, catching light from the artificial bulbs overhead. The Meta thought back to what he'd read in Ryliee's file; her rap sheet was a mile long. He had never judged her from it though, believing that everyone faced different demons, and she was trying to be someone better than she was. That was one of the reasons he had personally requested her as a partner rather than the other candidates.

"That's where the evidence points, but we don't know that for sure yet," Ezra began, his tone soft and lacking force. "But even if it is, there will always be ignorant racist people in the world, Ryliee. We can't do much about that. But we can do something about this one. We'll catch him and he'll pay for what he's done." Ezra stood from his chair and took his eyes back to the machines. He knew almost nothing about them; he was not unintelligent by any means but his skills laid in other areas. His fingertips grazed the centrifuge, spinning the wheel around slowly before moving on to the next item, making sure he touched nothing important.

"You know I have no idea how any of this shit works, except for one thing: It tells you what you want to know. I really doubt that, with all this equipment and your amazing ability to use it, that this bastard's identity will stay a mystery. There is no way he'll evade us for long, because I have the smartest girl around on my team. We'll find him, we'll punish him, and in the end, we'll know we won."

Ryliee stared at the machines, her eyes clouding over for a brief moment. With a sigh, she walked over to the broken beaker, and began to pick up the pieces. As she did so, a smell drifted across her nose and she frowned, pausing. This was one of the beakers that had soot in it. The acid it was in was supposed to pull scents out of it from the last moments of death. She recognized sweat, and a type of make shampoo, but there was another smell. One she recognized. A mans cologne, and there was only one person she knew who wore it.

"Ezra," Ryliee said, her tone even but dark. "Give me your personal cell number. I have a feeling I'm going to need it." She finished picking up the shards of glass, and threw them away, pulling her gloves from her hands. If she was right, and she almost always was, then things were about to get complicated. Very, very complicated.

Ezra's nose also picked up on the smell of cologne, and though it was familiar to him, he could not place its origin. It was a musky smell, masculine with a hint of sweetness but very very bold. Something like that wasn't worn to go shopping at Target. It was something worn to let everyone know the wearer was present. When Ryliee asked for his number, it was certainly not a teasing gesture or something to prank him with. Her tone was dark and deep; she was very serious, and he only saw her act like that when she'd just made an important discovery.

Giving her his cell number was easy; Ezra did not hesitate. Whatever she found, it was important. "What do you need?" Ezra's question was more broad this time. Ryliee was hot on someone's trail, but her record sometimes made it difficult to acquire things officially. There were always other ways, but if they needed something from the government, Ezra was usually the front man.

Ryliee put his number in her phone, and shoved it in one of her hidden skirt pockets. Usually she'd leave her phone out not caring if anyone saw it, but she was careful to keep it hidden this time. Sitting in her chair again, she pulled herself back to the chip, examining it once more, before taking it off the slide, hiding it in a drawer by her desk.

"What I need is that bumbling British prick. I need to confirm something, and he's the only one that can. Make up an excuse to get him here, lie if you have to. I'll let you know what I've got once he's been and gone, but if I'm right I won't have to tell you." She was trying to subtly hint at something, but she couldn't say it outright. There were cameras everywhere and Bloom was a government official. He could hack them if he needed to. She didn't want him to know she was on to him.

Ezra may not have been as smart as Ryliee, but working with the girl gave him a good idea of the kind of person she was, and when she was trying to say something without saying something. "I'm sure I can get him here. When will be the question." Ezra's keen hearing picked up on the tiny tonal differences in Ryliee's voice, which put him on guard. He could block out sound if he needed to, but his powers were not strong enough to disrupt sight.

Reaching into his pocket, the Meta dialed the number for the 'bumbling British prick' as Ryliee had called him and waited for an answer. Ring after ring but no one ever connected. With a growl of frustration, Ezra hung up his phone and called another number, but only got an answering machine.

"Hmm... that's odd. Must be busy or at lunch. We may have to go see him."

Ryliee raised an eyebrow. "Then we'll go see him." She pulled out her work phone and dialed Blooms security guards number. "Oh yes, hello. Ryliee from D.I.S." She paused, listening. Her tone had changed from grave to apologetic. "Yes, put him on? No? Ah, busy. But I need to express my deepest apologies to him, no it must be in person- oh? Wonderful, thanks." She hung up, sighing.

"I know where he's at. Now to go apologize." She smirked darkly. "He was eager to accept that, I imagine he won't be so inclined, after our meeting, to ever see me again."

Ezra stood and went back to the office to grab his things, then walked with Ryliee down the stairs to their new old vehicle. He was thankful that an extra set of keys always hung from a hook behind a book in the records room so he could unlock his office if he needed to. Hopping into the vehicle, Ezra started it up then waited for Ryliee to get situated before putting the car in gear, though he did not move immediately.

"So... who are we going to see? I'm confused."

"Dickless British boy." Ryliee replied as if it were obvious. "I called his security detail. I guess he's so full of himself that he didn't answer your call, but he answered mine under the pretense of an apology. It's amazing what pride can do." She gave him the address of a high end restaurant downtown, then sat silently staring out the window. There was one thing she was absolutely certain of. Bloom was involved somehow, she just had to figure it out, before he caught on to her.

"There? Huh... I love that place. Their pasta and their fish are really good. Decent steaks too. Does this mean we're going on a date?" Ezra winked at his companion, despite the fact that her back was turned to him. It didn't matter, he was trying to keep the tone to prevent despair from setting in completely. Whatever was on her mind, Ezra was concerned. Unable to contain himself any longer, Ezra rolled down his window and chucked his work phone into the grassy median, then motioned for Ryliee to do the same with hers, hoping she still had her personal phone on her.

"Spill it," he mimed silently.

Ryliee chucked her phone out the window and looked at him. "If this is a date, then either you or I are desperate. Or undercover," she mused, then sighed. "It's him. Bloom. The cologne, the attack right after we saw him. You saw his face when I told him I was solving the case. It's Bloom. I know it. I don't know how, but I know it. Ezra.." Ryliee looked at him, her dark eyes wide. "I know how to prove it, but you can't let on that you know. And.. You have to promise me something." By her tone it was obvious she was plotting something dangerous. "If I call you.. Pick up the phone. But say nothing."

"... what are you planning, Ryliee?" Normally he would just roll with whatever she asked, trusting her to know what she was doing. While he still trusted her, he didn't like it when she took unnecessary risks. He wasn't able to continue the date joke after that. His mind was alight with possibilities that all ended in horrible tragedy. Echoes of his past bounced around his brain. "If it's Bloom, you're going to have something absolutely solid. Nothing else will work. What are you going to do?"

"Promise me." Ryliee said firmly. "I'm going to catch him in the act. I'm going to bait him. I'm going to force his hand. If it's him, like I know it is, he will come after me. When I call you, answer immediately, say nothing, and come to my apartment. I won't be there, he will have taken me." Her voice was shaking, she was afraid. If one thing went wrong with her plan she was dead. "I have cameras everywhere. The monitor is in the fake painting behind my bed. The passcode is my... Prison I.D. You have to do exactly as I say. Exactly. Now promise me. I need you to trust me, have my back. We're almost there, Ezra. You need to promise me now."

Ryliee was really started to scare her partner. Ezra looked at her confused and stubborn. He didn't want to agree to her terms. He wanted to go with her and take down Bloom together, if she was right, though he had no doubt in his mind that she wasn't. Ryliee was always right. Ezra sighed, knowing that there was no way he could talk her out of it. "Of course I have your back. I'll always have your back. Ryliee..." There was so much he wanted to say but Ezra could not find the words. He tore his eyes away from her and put them back on the road, gritting his teeth to steel his resolve.

"I promise. But you better come back, you hear me? I won't forgive you if you don't..."

"I'll come back." Ryliee promised, though she wasn't one hundred percent certain that she would. She was silent for the rest of the ride to the restaurant, her thoughts jumping. Putting herself in danger, at the hands of a human no less, terrified her, but she had to do it. She had to. She wasn't going to stand by and let him kill Metas.

There was no chatter for the duration of the trip. No radio. Just the sound of the road and the cars that traveled on it. Ezra pulled off the road next to the curb about a block from the restaurant. Ezra said nothing, but watched Ryliee closely. In his mind he screamed at her to not risk this, to stay in the car and help him come up with another plan. But deep down he knew that she was only doing what she thought would work best. Ryliee was a logical thinker, most of the time. If this was the chosen path, she did so knowing the risks.

'I trust you...'

Ryliee got out of the car, and took a deep, calming breath. She straightened, the look in her eyes hardening. She walked the block to the restaurant, and found Blooms table. Putting her best apologetic smile on, she approached him.

"Sorry to interrupt," she began. "I believe you and I got off wrong today, Agent. I have to apologize for something I said earlier. When you were standing in front of our car I said that you being in my way impeded my investigation, and I was wrong. It didn't." She paused, her smile twisting. "Did you hear what happened after? Nearly every piece of evidence was destroyed in a fire, but luckily I managed to save one crucial piece." Pausing again, she leaned towards him and inhaled deeply through her nose. "You wear a strong cologne, Agent. I'd recognize it anywhere." She let her words linger in the air, the message apparent.

'Come and get it you swine.'

Bloom, flanked on both sides by two other agents, wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin, then replaced the item in his lap. His eyes were wider than normal as he tried to work out a reply. "I don't know what you are insinuating, freak, but if you are suggesting that I had anything to do with the murders, I'm afraid you're just another bitch barking up the wrong tree."

****

Immediately Ezra was on the move. Once Ryliee was inside, he was off and on his way to her apartment. While he had been by her place, he had never been inside, even before she was brought on. It was bound to be a learning experience for him, except that his mind was far from ease.

Ezra could not help but worry. He did not know Bloom to be anything over than greedy, crooked, and corrupt. Going to confront him was beyond crazy, but he trusted Ryliee. By the time he pulled up to her home, he was clenching his phone at all times to insure that he did not miss her call.

Ryliee laughed, her eyes narrowing. "No, no. I'm just saying I like your scent. Besides, you're not nearly smart enough to do what I've discovered the murderers, plural, are doing. You'd need a brain in your skull for that, fortunately for you, you lack that aspect. Though, the hatred for my kind and your temper certainly fit the bill for a psychopath."

Ryliee turned her back to Bloom, showing that she wasn't afraid of him, even though she was honestly terrified. "Anyway, I've got a chip in the lab I'm decoding so I should get back to that. No doubt it's got tons of secret information leading directly to who I'm looking for."

The look on Bloom's face was solid except for one brief moment when the tiniest doubt slipped through a crack. What if she really did have something? What if she had evidence that could link back to him? He had covered his tracks well, but there was always a possibility of error.

"Whatever you think you know, you're wrong. That cologne is very popular. It doesn't mean I was there. You have no proof, so unless you have something important to say..." already Bloom's backup were on the scene, locking the door after shooing away the few people there that were actual patrons.

"Oops, guess you didn't move fast enough. You'll be having dessert with me, it looks like."

Ryliee clicked her tongue in disapproval, shaking her head. She placed her hands on her hips, hitting a speed dial button in her phone connecting her directly to Ezra's personal number. "There's only one man stupid enough to broadcast his hatred for people like me who wears that cologne. You underestimate my intelligence, pig." She scoffed, though if he were to look closely, he could see she began to tremble. This was where things got complicated.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't intend on staying for any type of meal, much less dessert." She paused, scowling. "I've got all the evidence I need. I will catch the scum sucking bottom feeder who did this. Mark my words."

Ryliee clicked her tongue in disapproval, shaking her head. She placed her hands on her hips, hitting a speed dial button in her phone connecting her directly to Ezra's personal number. "There's only one man stupid enough to broadcast his hatred for people like me who wears that cologne. You underestimate my intelligence, pig." She scoffed, though if he were to look closely, he could see she began to tremble. This was where things got complicated.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't intend on staying for any type of meal, much less dessert." She paused, scowling. "I've got all the evidence I need. I will catch the scum sucking bottom feeder who did this. Mark my words."

Before the Meta could move away, she was grabbed and pushed down into the seat opposite Bloom. "I insist." He said, his eyes locked on her. Since there was no one remaining inside the restaurant that didn't already know what was going on, he let his ignorant facade fall. "You think you're clever, don't you, little freak?" Bloom wiped his mouth once more, leveling his gaze with hers.

"I don't need to be clever. Especially not in comparison to you. I know what you did-"

"Ah, but do you?" A sick smile spread across his face. "Do you know how I did what you insinuate I did?"

Ryliee narrowed her eyes, forcing her building fear to the back of her mind. "I don't need to." If Ezra had picked up the phone, he could hear what was being said, and Bloom was none the wiser.

"But you're a psychopath. You need to know how it was done. I'll show you." Bloom nodded his head, and Ryliee felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck. "Not here, though."

Ryliees vision began to blur, her body going numb. "Not a psychopath," she slurred, trying to remain upright. "A high functioning sociopath. Don't talk like you know anything about me. You'll lower my IQ."

Bloom stood and walked around to her side of the table, and grabbed her chin. "I know everything about you. A dear friend of mine unsealed your file. I know it all."

"Prick." Ryliee hissed, falling sideways out of her chair onto the floor. Her consciousness was fading fast, but she still had her phone. Lowering her tone to barely above a whisper, she spoke to Ezra. "Tongue ring... Has a gps... Ezra... Find me.." Finally, she fell into the abyss of unconsciousness; moments later Blooms men loaded her into an unmarked SUV behind the restaurant.

Ezra listened carefully, having put himself on mute to prevent an accidental sound from alerting those around her. The idea was worth the effort, for the thud of her falling body made him gasp audibly. After watching the footage from the cameras Ryliee had set up, there was no possible doubt that Bloom was corrupt. What he didn't know was the identity of the 'friend' he had that unsealed her file. Whomever was responsible for that would pay as well.

He may not have been the most tech-savvy person in the bureau, but he did know how to send an email. The footage he saved to a disk, but emailed to his personal email account just in case. Then he was on his phone.

"Steve, it's Ezra. I need a location on Ryliee and I need it yesterday." His voice was urgent but no panicked.

"What? Ryliee? Isn't she with you? She's always with you."

"Well she isn't now, so tell me where she is."

There was a brief delay in the conversation as Steve, an analyst and handler for the bureau pulled up her information and began tracking. "Looks like she's moving, coming up on Cross and Lake."

"Send the signal to my phone," he said before hanging up. Out the door without a thought, Ezra jumped into the driver's seat and spun the tires. He was going to get Ryliee back, there was no doubt about that. And he would kill any fucker who stood in his way.