The Other Detective - Book 3 (Riverdale Season 3)

Fear the Reaper - Part 1

"Aminity! Aminity!" Jughead and FP yelled as they rushed back inside the house.

"Dad," Jughead called, walking into the dining room where a Serpent pool table sat, a letter sitting in the middle.

"What is that?" FP asked as his son picked it up and opened it. "'I invite you to play a round of Gryphons and Gargoyles. The outcome of which will determine Princess Aminity's fate.'" He sighed and slammed the latter back onto the table.

"Hey, why is the door wide open?" Gladys asked as she walked inside, closing the door. "What's wrong? Where's Aminity?"

"She was taken," FP let out without looking at her.

"By the Gargoyle King and his loyal servant, Kurtz," Jughead turned, holding the letter up to her.

She took it and read it. "We have to find that son of a bitch," Gladys got out.

"Find him?" FP asked. "He's outside in the back of my cruiser."

***

"Where the hell is my daughter?" Gladys screamed as she punched Kurtz in the face again as he sat, tied up in the living room. "Tell me or I will kill you right here, right now."

"Where are you keeping her, Kurtz?" FP yelled.

"With an associate," he only smiled. "Being very well taken care of." Gladys let out a growl as she backed up.

"He's not gonna tell us," Jughead spoke up from where he stood on the other side of his mother.

"Accept the invite to play," Kurtz told them. "Let's see if you can bring Aminity home." He started laughing as the Jones' walked into the kitchen.

"He's crazy," FP started. "How can we believe anything he has to say?"

"I've played this game enough to know that guys like Kurtz are completely devoted to the Gargoyle King and his rules," Jughead told his parents. "If we play and we win, we can get Aminity back. I'm sure of it." The adults glanced at each other before nodding and going back to Kurtz. "We'll agree to your terms. We'll play."

Kurtz smirked. "Of course you will." They untied him and he set up the board as the Jones' sat on the couch and Kurtz sat across from them, the only light coming from the fire and a few lit candles. "First, your avatars. Mr. Jones, you will be Deadeye, like in high school. Jughead, you will remain the Hellcaster. And Mrs. Jones, you'll be the alchemist, I think. Deadeye," he handed him the dice, "you're up first." FP let out a sigh, glancing at his family before rolling.

***

"You've reached your first challenge," Kurtz said as they sat in the living room and played. "This one's easy. It's called Cards on the Table. Inside two of these pouches is a white marble. Inside the third is a black one. If you choose the black one, you must reveal your secret," Kurtz laid them out. "Simple enough?"

"Call it what you want. We've been playing Secret and Sins since high school," FP told him.

"Alchemist," Kurtz continued, "why don't you begin?" Gladys grabbed the pouch in the center, pouring the black marble into her hand. "Be honest. The King already knows your darkest truths."

"I don't have any secrets," she said after a minute.

"Mom," Jughead snapped, "Aminity's life is on the line. If you don't say something, I will."

"What's he talking about?" FP asked.

She paused. "I'm the new Fizzle Rocks dealer in Riverdale and Kurtz used to work for me before he lost his damn mind."

"What?" Gladys sighed. "And you knew about this? You didn't tell me, boy?"

"Don't blame him. Or Aminity either."

"Aminity knew too?" he yelled.

"I told them not to say anything because I wanted to keep you out of it. I did it to protect you, to protect the family."

"How's that working for Aminity?" he yelled at her. "Huh? You're the reason that this psycho kidnapped our daughter! You brought this into our lives!"

"Dad-"

"I've heard enough. I've heard enough! We need to finish this damn game and get Aminity back home safe and sound, but there will be a reckoning," he pointed at his wife.

"Dad, Mom isn't the only reason that Aminity got pulled into this," Jughead admitted with a sigh.

"What?"

"When Moose's dad took Moose, Kevin, and Aminity, Kurtz got to her first. He carved the sacrifice symbol into her shoulder. This started before Mom came into town."

"Then why now? Why... Why is this happening?"

"Isn't it clear, Deadeye?" Kurtz spoke up. "The princess was chosen to be a sacrifice if needed. A preemptive measure. Now, the time has come for her mark to be cashed in."

***

"Finally, you've reached your next quest. Steal some treasure from the realm," he handed the card over to Jughead.

"What treasure?" Gladys asked.

"He wants us to commit a robbery."

"You've gotta be kidding. I'm the sheriff."

"Mm-mmm. Not tonight. Tonight, you are the Deadeye. And your target, the Tavern."

Jughead sighed. "So if everything is a parallel for Riverdale, then the Tavern is... Pop's."

"Consider it Aminity's ransom. And the money you obtain is gonna get me out of town."

"You're not going anywhere. The only way this ends, Kurtz, is with you in the ground."

"If I die, so does Aminity," he told FP. "But if I leave with the money, then she lives and her mark of sacrifice is lifted and we all win."

***

"I can't believe we're doing this," FP sighed as they sat in his truck outside of Pop's.

"We're in and out in thirty seconds," Gladys said calmly as Jughead fidgeted between them. "Let me do the talking. Kinda reminds you of the old days, huh?"

"You guys have done this before?" Jughead demanded.

"We're not getting into this," FP said as he looked at Gladys. He pulled out his gun and made sure it didn't work. They put their snake masks on and walked inside. "Everybody on the ground, right now!"

"Get down!" Jughead yelled after his father as they all pointed their unloaded guns around Pop's, everyone diving onto the ground. Gladys grabbed the money for the cash register, all three heading back outside when a shotgun suddenly went off, Pop hitting FP in the shoulder.

"Pop, Pop, don't!" Jughead told him as Pop aimed again and he pulled off his mask. "This isn't what you think!"

"Go! Go! Go!" FP yelled as Gladys tried to pull Jughead out of the diner.

"We gotta go!"

"Dad!"

"Save Aminity!" FP yelled as Gladys and Jughead ran out the door, getting in the car and pulling back to their house, storming through the front door.

"And then there were two," Kurtz said from where he still sat at the board. Jughead silenced him with a rough punch to the face, landing him unconscious,

"The cops are probably already on their way over here," Gladys told her son. "We gotta move him somewhere."

"Yeah. Oh, I got a place."

Thanks for being so understanding of the delay for this chapter! I am much more happy with it now than I was last week. Hope you enjoyed!