1

Daniel groaned, and his eyes felt heavy. It took some effort to open them, but he managed to. The first thing that caught his eye was the blinding light above him. He looked to his left, and there were some officers who talked in hushed whispers and looked at him. To his right were Erica and Royce. They just looked at him. Royce breathed a sigh of relief. Erica looked like a weight was off her mind. The room had green walls and white-panelled flooring. There were men and women in green and blue. To Daniel, this looked like a hospital. Not only was he right, but he was hooked up to the familiar beats of a heart rate monitor. It was annoying, but necessary.

Erica smiled and said, 'Thank God. For a second, we thought you were dead.'

It takes more than a fall to kill me.' Daniel spoke with a grunt behind every syllable.

Royce laughed. 'That was no fall. You were risen, and you dropped from the heavens. From where we were, it looked like you were past the clouds.'

'Well, the rain did stop for a bit while we were up there.' Daniel joked while trying to sit up. His body was sore, but not in true pain. For him, it felt like a tough exercise session; his muscles felt tight and stretched, and at this point, they had started to heal. It was noticeable that the bruises that covered his face had started to fade away. He wore a white hospital gown and realised that underneath it he was naked. 'Who the fuck took off my clothes?'

Erica pointed at a nurse, who looked at Daniel from her station, and she looked like she wanted to wave at him. The look of disdain he gave put that notion to bed.

'You can,' Royce paused and looked at the two doctors who were talking amongst themselves. 'Is it possible for us to chat in private for a moment?'

One of the doctors nodded and said, 'He'll need a check, just to see if there is any lasting damage to his.

'I'm fine.' Daniel muttered, and he looked at both doctors with seriousness. 'I'm fine. It takes more than that to get me into permanent sleep.'

'Mr. Bridgewater, you fell from over two thousand feet. I think we need to do some checks.'

'I'm fine. I'm not paralysed; I'm not winded. I'm going to be able to stand up in around five minutes. I'm not delirious. I'm fine. I need to go, please.' Daniel asserted as he sat more upward but still kept his eyes on them.

The doctors did not question that and left the room swiftly.

Erica did not look impressed. 'That was nice.' She said with so much sarcasm laced through those three words. 'They were just doing their job.'

'And I appreciate that, but I don't need them pricking and prodding me. I'm fine. In fact, as I'm talking and moving, I'm feeling better. Plus, I said, please." Daniel grimaced as he sat up with more ease than before.

'You see, that's the thing, Agent Bridgewater. That's what we need to talk about. I saw you survive a fall that would have killed, and I can say this confidently, a hundred percent of people on planet earth. I mean, I would hope that anyone falling from that height would be gone before their matter hit the ground, but here you are, chatting, not paralysed or injured in any way.' Royce said as he moved closer to Daniel.

'Is there a point to this monologue, Royce?' Daniel asked with a sigh.

'When you both landed, you left a huge fucking crater on Roger Craig's land.'

'Tell him it wasn't intentional.' Daniel joked, and Erica laughed a little.

'What kind of man leaves a fucking crater when he lands and not only that but lives also to tell the fucking tale and has a real fucking attitude about it, like this is nothing? Royce demanded to know, as he was right near Daniel's face.

'You seem mad, Royce?' Daniel sat up slowly and was fully upright.

'Seem? No, I'm just confused, and basically, I need to know who the fuck I'm dealing with. I've seen shit already that makes me want to go to a bar and drink my fucking brain away because it just can't comprehend what it's just seen.' Royce paused and calmed down. 'What are you?'

Daniel swung both his legs off the bed and pulled the wires of the monitor off his right arm. 'I'm just like you, Royce, just special. That's it.' He looked around as he stood up. 'Where the fuck are my clothes?'

2

Royce was outside the room, talking to the two doctors. He told Daniel and Erica that he would try to get him an early release and it looked like he was succeeding. Daniel pulled up his jeans and grabbed his T-shirt and his top. Erica entered the room with two cups of coffee.

'Look at you,' Erica smiled as she handed him his cup, 'like you are as good as new.'

'I'm a quick healer. I'm lucky. It's a blessing and a curse.' Daniel took a sip, but almost spat it out as it was hot across his lips. 'Damn.'

'Not that invincible.' Erica sat down on a chair nearby and blew into her coffee, but she took a sip.

'Well, heat has its inevitable charm. It wins arguments.' He blew into his cup, and this time it worked.

'Daniel.' Erica sat forward with a look of real seriousness. 'I, um, thank you for saving me. You might not have had an inkling about dying, but I,' She paused as she tried to think of something apt to say, maybe something that was not so emotional or trite, which was how she felt now, but the words eluded her: 'I just want to thank you. There's nothing like thinking you're going to die to make a woman feel fucking nervous, and there's no reason to be nervous.'

'It happens when you get that close to death. You're more thankful, so words become simultaneously more and less important.'

'Happens to you often?'

'Too often, Daniel replied as he took a sip again.

'Part of the job?' Erica asked.

'It is the job.' Daniel asserted. 'If you're not in pain or knowingly in a dance with pain, you're not doing it properly or you're behind a desk.'

'How long have you been doing this? Let me guess too long, right?'

'She's a clairvoyant. Well predicted.'

'It was written across your face.' Erica joshed with confidence.

'Good,' Daniel smiled, because you're going to need that. Part of this job is knowing what a person says and how they look when saying it. Sometimes they coalesce, and most times they don't. You know, words say one thing, but their faces say another. It's imperative that reading anyone becomes an essential skill. Some must work at it, and others are just born with it.'

'Were you born with it?' Erica asked before drinking from her cup.

'I used to think so, but I think I had to work on it. I still am.'

The door opened, and Royce entered. 'Alright, you're free to go. They are confused that you are so mobile and, well, not dead, but I talked them into releasing you.'

'I would have left anyway, but anything without violence and the use of what looks like a golden tongue that you have is a good thing to me.' Daniel grabbed his jacket.

Royce looked confused. 'That felt like a compliment. Right?'

Daniel shrugged as he walked past Royce and out of the room. Erica got up and grabbed her jacket.

'That was a compliment, right?' Royce asked as Erica walked past him.

'I want to say yes, but then I think I would be lying, and fuck it, I don't want to do it after just meeting you, detective. So, I'll say maybe... Erica walked out.

'He said I had a golden tongue. I'm taking that as a compliment. Fuck it.' Royce buoyed with self-confidence and walked out of the room.

3

Royce drove Daniel and Erica in a two-thousand and ten navy blue Ford Camaro. This was a sleek car. It looked like it just rolled off the lot. Clean, polished, and looked too expensive for some detective working in northeastern Pennsylvania to own. That thought occurred in Daniel's mind. Maybe that was his ignorance; maybe he was right, and Daniel thought it would be good to find out.

'Nice car.' Daniel pointed out as he looked around.

'Ain't it?' Royce responded with pride.

Daniel was seated in the back. He looked at the various stores that they drove past. Hardware stores, liquor stores, and gun stores Daniel smiled. He was in small-town America, alright. 'You saved up for this car?'

'No. I mean, I was planning to, but my wife got it for me for my birthday last year.' Royce beamed.

'That's sweet.' Erica commented.

'She is the breadwinner?' Daniel asked with actual curiosity. He noticed that Erica bowed and shook her head as he asked that.

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'Yeah. That an issue for you, Bridgewater?' Royce said with an obvious reaction.

'I'm not starting on you, Royce; just an innocent question.'

'Yeah, well, have some thought before you ask. Cops here are like cops everywhere; they're paid a good wage, but that's not the job. It's more than money. I'm lucky she has a good job that pays, which she worked hard for. I'm proud.' Royce said it with a tone that felt like it was a conversation ender. It worked a treat, as Daniel nodded and laughed to himself. He was no longer compelled to mess around with Royce.

He looked at the streets. The sky started to get darker, and people were still out even in the rain. They looked content. They moved about in their own way, blissfully ignorant about who was out there and what they could do.

Let me ask you a question, Bridgewater, since you're full of them.' Royce paused. 'How come you don't sound like a normal Brit?'

'And what does a normal Brit sound like?' Daniel asked, already knowing what the response was going to be.

'Like, you know? Like in those Guy Ritchie films, like "Core blimey, mate, I told you to blow the bleeding doors off." You know what I mean?' It was a horrible attempt by an American to sound like Russell Brand, but he sounded like he was from the southern part of his country and that he had just come out of surgery, high off the medication that was given to him.

Sadly, Daniel knew exactly what he meant. He's heard it all before. 'Well, I'm from North-West London, and for some reason, Guy Ritchie and the film industry have never done a film about it. See, here in this state and every state in this country and every country, different regions have different dialects, you know? So, where I'm from, there's this wonderful confluence of accents. Someone had a child, and they sound like me. Who knew? I mean, do people from here sound the same as people from Philadelphia?'

'No, Royce answered with a begrudging tone.

'There you go.' Daniel replied with his own "Let's end this conversation right now" tone.

Then there was silence.

Erica noticed that the vibe in the car just felt awkward. She nudged Royce. 'Lucky, you asked that because I was two seconds from asking him this when I first met him.'

Royce laughed. Erica laughed. Daniel even pulled out a smile. The air cleared.

'Alright, now that's out of the way. This guy is our suspect. He's like you.' Royce asked Daniel.

'Us.' Daniel corrected Royce as he pointed at Erica. 'You don't work for our agency and be well like you.'

Royce looked at Erica. 'What can you do?'

Erica sighed. 'Not sure. I've leapt high once and been able to catch a brick with ease once, but nothing has stuck. So, I'm waiting to find out what my true power is.' Erica looked out. 'And I have been waiting.'

'It usually happens at a time of heightened emotion.' Daniel speculated as he looked at a newspaper stand.

'I'm surprised it didn't kick in when you were thrown into the air.' Royce pondered as he took a left turn.

'Me too.' Erica acknowledged, her underlying annoyance behind her voice.

'It will come. It usually comes when you least expect it. It'll come.' Daniel noticed the annoyance and gave Erica warmth that surprised even him.

Erica looked back and just smiled at Daniel. It was a short, awkward, but meaningful smile. Daniel knew it was, and he knew that no more words needed to be said between them. Royce noticed that look too. He shook his head and smiled.

'So, what is he?' Royce asked as he took a sharp right turn this time. A Pontiac almost hit his car as he made that turn. Royce almost punched the centre of his steering wheel, and the beeping sound dragged aggressively through the air. "Learn how to drive you nuts?" The other driver beeped back. Royce beeped back. 'I AM A FUCKING COP, YOU IDIOT!' The Pontiac drove down the road with no care. That aggravated Royce even more. 'They give any fucking person a licence these days.' He calmed. 'Our suspect.'

'From all accounts, he looks and really fucking feels like a telekinetic.' Daniel said.

'Moves shit with his mind.' Royce added.

'Bingo. A real powerful one.'

Erica asked. Have you ever faced a Telekinetic before?'

Daniel kept his eyes on the moving world outside. 'Yeah.'

'How do you get them?' Erica asked as she looked around.

'A lot of luck, and I used that man's hubris, that oh-so-brittle hubris, against him. He needed to be distracted by himself, and he was, and it gave me enough time to put him down... for good.' Daniel verified his words with regret.

'Couldn't you bring him in alive?' Royce asked.

They didn't give me the choice.' Daniel answered. There was no way both of us were coming out of that alive. He made it perfectly clear, and I understood the situation.' He paused. 'You always bring them in alive, Royce?'

Royce stayed silent. That was his answer.

'Exactly.' Daniel confirmed he knew he won that one. 'We were taught the same Royce. If it was a choice between you and them, living or dying,. You pick you every time. The most common human trait is self-preservation.' Daniel sensed the awkward tension he had just bestowed on the pair. 'I'll tell you something, I have never faced a Telekinetic with that much power.'

'The thing I don't get is why was he waiting around?' Erica asked.

'To keep the bodies in the ceiling, Royce said.

'Not just that. I believe he was waiting for someone. To see if they showed up. To see their reaction to what they did.' Daniel commented.

'Now we just have to find out who it is and why.' Royce pondered for a moment. 'Here we are.' He pulled into a spot in front of the Preston City police station.

They got out of the car. Daniel expected a small, almost drive-through-sized police station, but that was his own ignorance. In front of them was a modern building with big glass windows and doors, surrounded by brick walls, and not one, but two floors. It was the size of at least three stores put together. At the entrance, PRESTON CITY POLICE STATION was illuminated in blue.

Royce noticed that Daniel had scanned the station. 'Not bad, right? '

Daniel just nodded; he thought a verbal acknowledgement would give Royce what he wanted, and Daniel did not want to give him that.

They walked in.

4

Once Royce, Daniel, and Erica walked in, all the chatter and banter ceased almost in an instant. The main floor looked like every other police station. The walls were painted white, with desks partitioned for officers in and around the middle of the floor and separate office rooms for detectives and the other higher brass that were around the sides and went into other hallways, hidden from view. Tables with whiteboards nearby. On those whiteboards were arrest figures and percentages were dotted around each division, and of course, a large map of the city adorned the centre wall of the office.

Russo and Sampson stop their conversation completely. Both looked flustered at Daniel. Everyone looked in shock at Daniel and Erica. Russo could not hold what was in his mind at that moment.

'You're alive?' Russo asked, shocked as he stood up, that being that upright would make this whole thing feel more real.

'Sorry to disappoint. You took bets?' Daniel jested as he walked through and walked directly up to Russo. 'You lose?'

'We didn't take any bets. I don't know what kind of police force you think we're running here, but we don't take too kindly to being accused of doing sh*t like that.' Russo aggressively stepped forward. 'I think you should apologise for such an accusation.'

'Nope.' Daniel continued with his jest with a smile. 'I'll just say next time, include me in the bet. I'm not a betting man, but I'm good for it.'

'We wouldn't BET ON THAT!' Russo's voice rose to a full-blown yell, and he moved really close to Daniel.

'Move closer, and you'll be heading to a hospital. So, take heed of my fucking words, Officer Russo.' Daniel leaned in closer to Russo and almost said with a whisper, 'I don't threaten twice.'

Russo gritted his teeth and shook with burning, brimming rage. Daniel just stood there. Calm. Barely blinking. Eyes focused on Russo. The tension just filled the room, which, apart from some ringing telephones, was in total silence. The next words came from Sampson as he grabbed Russo's arm. 'Let's go, Don. Come on.'

Russo ignored him and kept his eyes on Daniel.

'Fuck's sake Donnie Russo, let's go before I hear the fucking word suspension in your future and mine. Come on.' Sampson said as he dragged Russo along, and Russo moved and reacted this time. He was led away, but he kept his eyes on Daniel.

Erica was next to Daniel the whole time. She looked up at him and questioned, 'Every place you go, do you just go there to antagonise people? Because I'm just really curious.'

'Not every place. Not the supermarket, or as you yanks call it, grocery store.'

'Jesus, I know what a supermarket is.' Erica responded with a clearly annoyed tone, and she walked on.

Royce now walked up to Daniel. 'You're just making friends everywhere, aren't you?'

'I'm an acquired taste.'

'Ain't that the truth? Come on.' Royce walked past. Daniel followed.

They went into Royce's office. To Daniel, this looked familiar. The room was half a mess and half an organised haven. Files upon files A pinboard with at least sixty pictures, CCTV images, and various other papers, pinned and connected with different coloured strings. At that moment, Daniel never felt more of a connection to another law enforcement officer than he did right then.

Daniel sat down comfortably and sighed a nice, deep sigh, like it was a home away from home.

'You're barely here?' Erica queried as she looked around and then moved some files off the chair she was about to sit on. She placed them on the floor.

'Right,' Royce answered with some clear embarrassment—he almost went red—'you should see my house, well, my room for my stuff. Horrible.'

'I kind of like it.' Daniel smiled. 'Feels like home.'

'Your home, Erica responded quickly. Her annoyed tone was clear to all.

Daniel smiled at her annoyance.

Royce walked to his room and saw more files dotted around the floor, some of which were stacked and leaning against the walls. He sat down in front of them at his desk.

'How do you find anything here?' Erica asked the question with annoyed yet curious curiosity.

Royce looked for his mouse but had some difficulty with the various and copious amounts of paper on his desk. He found it after forty seconds, but it was the most awkward forty seconds in recent times for Royce and Erica. Daniel just smiled at himself. 'I, Miss Chandler, have a system, and it may not look like it, but my system works.'

'I believe, hope, pray, and remember is not the best system.' Erica objected as she looked around.

'Yet it is a system, nonetheless. It's mine, and it works, ok?' Royce gave a firm response with real intention. Erica understood that he meant that too. Who was she to spite his method of doing his job? She let go of her uncomfortableness as soon as she thought that.

'The bodies fell. Have any been identified yet?' Daniel asked.

'Not yet; still waiting from the coroners. We should get something any minute now.' Royce answered, and as he replied, there was a knock on the door. 'Yeah?'

'I got an ID on one of the vics.' A female voice came from the door.

'Come in,' said Royce.

Victoria Del Piero walked in. She was short and brunette, with her hair tied back and her apron still on. She walked in with purpose and urgency.

Royce looked shocked. 'Del Piero, you found a bomb in your bodies, you never came up here. What's up?'

'Firstly, the bomb in the body is a great idea, that I'm going to use in a future script I'm going to write and eh secondly... One of the dead. It's Lambert, Taylor Lambert.' Del Piero rattled off all her words with such exuberance that the last few words almost sounded insincere. She even realised and mouthed, 'Sorry.'

Royce sat back and muttered 'Fuck' with such an exhausted resignation that Daniel just watched him.

It all made sense to him.

'Lambert?' Royce asked, as he hoped it was not true, but swiftly realised Del Piero just nodded at him that it was true. 'No fucking way this can be kept under the fucking rug now. Fuck.'

'You two were close?' Erica asked.

'Not close, not recently; we were once. Long ago.' Royce answered with staggered breaks between each word. To Daniel, this indicated pure shock.

'It was you.' Daniel realised this, and everyone's eyes darted towards him. 'It was you the guy was looking for. He was waiting for you, Royce. He was waiting for you.'