I walked over to Sally's waiting car and rapped on the window. Gershwin opened the door and gave me an expectant look.

"So, how did it go?" He asked. It was jarring to see him looking out at me through the Katzen's yellow eyes. But it really was him, I could tell from the way he tilted his head as he asked the question. Had Gershwin prime intentionally programmed his body language into the Katzen? Or was it the sort of thing where it was all or nothing?

Gershwin Prime had said that I was different than the original Kerner, that he was the lens through which I saw the world. But he had also said that Kerner wasn't my whole world. Was I an amalgamation of the two beings? Where did Kerner start and I end?

Almost like my hand was moving of its own accord I pulled out my tags and looked at them, really looked at them. They didn't say Kerner Braverhund.

"We really have to figure out a better naming convention." I said as I got into the car. "We can't all just be Kerner or Gershwin Braverhund. It's going to get confusing."

"Then who should we be?" Gershwin asked. "And do we keep the family name or the first name? Would I be Gershwin Yesenia? Yesenia Braverhund? No..." He shook his head. "I'm just Gershwin. But you can be whoever you want to be."

There it was again, the unmistakable cadence of speech. That undying support. I patted him on the shoulder affectionately. "When all of this is over, we should grab a beer and talk."

Gershwin smiled. "I'd like that very much." He purred.

Our wholesome family moment was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Sally cursed and picked it up. "It's Ruhern." She whispered. "He wants to be put on speaker phone. This is a burner, so I've got no idea how he has the number."

I nodded slowly. I didn't think for a minute that Sally would double cross Gershwin. It was probably meant to be a display of power on Ruhern's part. He wanted us to know that he was watching.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

That was consistent with what I had heard about him. He was that perfect mix of viciousness and cunning with enough narcissism thrown in to make things interesting. Rumor had it Ruhern preferred to carry out his own killings rather than farm them out to nameless underlings. So calling us directly was very on brand.

"Hello beautiful." I said in Möhin. "Are we still on for our date later?"

Ruhern laughed and replied back in perfect Döbian. "Ja, if you're done playing dress up with the police I would like to see you sooner rather than later. I've got a city to run, you know?"

My hairs on the ruff of my neck started to rise. That voice... something about that voice was familiar. I looked to Gershwin, he nodded. He could hear it too.

Ruhern continued. "Sally, I owe you an apology. I've taken that car we stole from you and put it somewhere that you can recover it without much trouble, that is if you can find it before the tide comes in." He paused. "I don't imagine that it would be much fun trying to get salt water out of an engine. Hurry up and drop your friends off so I can tell you where it is."

"How nice of you." Sally replied. She checked something on her phone. "I see you put it in Adam's beach."

"Maybe." Ruhern laughed. "Or maybe that's just where I put the tracker. Either way I promise that if your friends behave they won't be harmed. I just want Sacher."

We all shared a moment of uncertainty, we had intended to do a reverse ambush but apparently that plan had gone right out the window. Sally looked at the tracker on her phone. I could see that she wanted her car back and the prospect of having it destroyed by the rising tide was weighing on her.

What did it really matter anyway? I had planned on going out with a bang, Sally didn't have to be a part of that. "We'll be right along." I said. "But if I don't like what you have to say I'm going to kill you."

"Fair enough." Ruhern replied before he hung up on us.

I looked at Gershwin. "Call me crazy, but Ruhern talks exactly like Sacher. You didn't make any copies of him, did you?"

Recognition flashed in Gershwin's eyes. "You're right... but no. I would never bring another one of him into the world. This is something else." He looked at Sally. "I honestly would prefer if you didn't go with us to meet Ruhern and this only makes me more certain that I want you nowhere near him. Drop us off a few blocks away from Yakob and Ivan's shop, we'll walk the rest of the way."

I nodded in agreement. Deep in the marrow of my bones I knew that Ruhern was planning something unspeakably nasty and I didn't know if I was ready for it. I certainly didn't want to be responsible if Sally got hurt.

"I guess that just leaves you and me." Gershwin mused. "Are you ready to see what fate has planned for us?" He squeezed my hand affectionately.

"Yeah." I said, squeezing it back. "I'm ready."