The Heart Collector (Under Editing)

Chapter Two: Resolve (Edited 2/26/22)

Fare woke with a start. She fell asleep at her desk again, but the puddle of drool that formed on her sleeve was not what stirred her. It was the commotion that came from the apartment above her. Out the corner of her eye, she noticed more lights flashing outside. When she went to the window, more Truthfalls arrived in their vehicles, and they were parked next to the first one. Fare glanced at the clock; 6:50. She knit her brows in confusion. It had been several hours since the first one arrived, so why were more now coming?

Her attention snapped towards the direction of her dining table. A large thump shook her hanging light fixture and another one that followed caused dust to fall from the ceiling. When it started to become more intense, Fare began to slowly make her way back towards the bedroom. As more dust fell, she realized it was not dust, but insulation. Before she could react further, the plaster cracked with a thunderous pop and two figures crashed down onto her table. As the dust cleared two intruders were trying to overcome one another. The one that was losing the struggle was in ratty clothes that were too large for his slender frame. His eyes wore the expression of surprise, but underneath it looked like he may be on something. His pupils were dilated and the dark circles under his eyes rivaled the darkness of a black hole. His body shook, but she could not tell if that was from fear or shock. When the man was flipped over onto his stomach, the one that pinned him was in grey body armor. His confident movements and the emblem on his sleeve of two swords crossing over a raven, indicated that he was a member of the Truthfalls. By the grey of his uniform, he held the rank of a captain. The Truthfall bound the other man's hands with what appeared to be rune enforced handcuffs if the markings were anything to go by on the metal.

"Milo Curse," the Truthfall grabbed the handcuff's chain and brought him to his feet, "You are under arrest for suspicion of breaking the Fae Council's second order. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in the court of Fae law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one than one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights that I have read to you?"

"The second order! I killed nobody!" Milo screeched and tried to wriggle free, but the runes glowed blue and sent a small shock that brought him to his knees.

The Truthfall brought him back to his feet and asked again, "Do you understand these rights that I have read to you?"

Milo hung his head in defeat, "Yes."

He maneuvered them towards the front door and opened it. Two Truthfall Lieutenants in red body armor were on the other side. The Truthfall handed Milo over to his comrades then turned towards Fare. He unzipped his jacket and reached inside to produce a laminated business card.

"Here. Call the number at the bottom my office will take care of the damages to your ceiling and any other furniture that may have been destroyed. I'm sorry for inconvenience that all of this may have caused."

Fare accepted the card and crossed her arms over her chest, " Inconvenience? That's what you call crashing through the ceiling to the apartment below. I say that it could almost be considered reckless endangerment."

The Truthfall blinked a few times; unsure how to react to Fare's comment. Fare kept a stone face, but she knew that she needed to be careful. She had done a decent job at keeping her investigation under the Truthfalls' gaze thus far, but this interaction could put her under the microscope. If not, then her snarky attitude might.

He let out a hiss of air then a full-blown laugh.

Fare uncrossed her arms in surprise, "What's so funny?"

He coughed to clear his throat and to regain his composure, "I'm sorry. I'm not use to civilian Fae talking to me like that. I guess that being able to still be surprised after five years being on the force is a good thing. Now if you excuse me, I need to get back to the Thirteenth Division to continue what was already a long shift."

He nodded a goodbye and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

Fare held up the card, "Novus Snow. Captain of the Thirteenth Division. If he became a captain in only five years, that's quite impressive. I may want to limit my interaction with him. Although, the Thirteenth Division oversees Kila's case. This may be the perfect opportunity to gain some more information."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Fare stood in front of the bathroom mirror. She was fully dressed in her black leather jacket and boots on her feet. She had been ready to go for over an hour, but for some reason she had a tough time walking out her door. Fare, who was never known to hesitate, began to second guess what she was about to do. Sure, she had been in a Truthfall Precinct before, but she had only been arrested. She never walked in on her own volition to potentially steal evidence. Fare had stolen before, but this time felt different. It was not information about her forgotten past. She would be walking into a lion's den, and she was not sure she wanted to know what she will find there.

Fare ran a hand through her hair. This inner turmoil was all new to her, she was having a challenging time getting a handle on all the emotions that raged inside her. Though underneath the bubbling storm, Kila's voice echoed softly from the depths of her mind.

"What's wrong, Fare?"

Fare closed her eyes and rested her hands on both sides of the sink, "What's wrong? Are you serious? You're dead and I'm about to steal from the Truthfalls in broad daylight."

"You've stolen from them before."

"From an archive, not an actual precinct. This is different in so many ways. This isn't about me."

"Isn't it though? Come on Fare. We both know that this is about you as much as it is about me. These emotions seem new to you because you've always kept them bottled up. Now that the cork is gone you aren't sure how to react. It's understandable, but only you can decide what you want."

Fare opened her eyes and stared into them. Even though Kila was no longer there, she was somehow still giving advice. Fare straightened herself and zipped her coat. It was now or never.