Alan Tuftwood fidgets, sat as his desk, replaying the chaotic day's events over and over again in his head. Last night's break-in at the very lab he was in now, stopping police from using their curiosity on his lab which would lead to them finding things they shouldn't and having to sit in the chair in that news room trying to project authority and determination, when in reality, he had little compared to what was portrayed. He taps his jacket with three fingers, a nervous tick he's come to appreciate as a comforter. The only predictable thing in a world of anomalies. Even having his information broker and bribing every police chief to ever 'grace' the town, did not cover everything, everyone in the small town he currently resided in alone. Where is he? More rightly, it, Tuftwood thought to himself. He checked his watch for the third time since an hour ago. He was supposed to be here an hour ago. Suddenly, the doors in front of him open and his employee walks through. Tuftwood's hands twitch nervously as the man stops. Cloaked, hooded and unreadable, this new employee of his unnerved Tuftwood like none others before him. Tuftwood starts pacing on each side of the room. Projecting the few reserves of confidence left in his voice and fueled by anger, Tuftwood starts his attack; "Why did you call this meeting? It has meant that I have had to argue with the police all day about investigating this place! And none of that would have happened if you had done your job like you were supposed to and keep the criminals out of the way for me! They were in line! Then this new one shows up and gives me this crap that you should be dealing with!" Tuftwood shouts at his cloaked employee.

  "All the criminals are in line, except for one, Tuftwood.".

  Tuftwood tilts his head, too curious about the identity of the criminal potentially being revealed to register that his employee used his last name instead of the usual addressing words of 'my employer'. "Who?".

  "Me." the cloaked man replies simply.

  "I don't understand.".

  "I did not expect you to.".

  Tuftwood frowns. Something feels off to him. "You set the fires on my buildings. Didn't you?" He asks the cloaked man slowly.

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  The figure nods but does not elaborate.

  Tuftwood looks shocked as he exclaims "But why?! I could and have given you status and information.".

  "What I want, isn't coming fast enough.". The figure takes a step closer.

  "You stole from this lab then yesterday night, then?" Tuftwood guesses.

  "Yes.". The figure takes another step closer. "This is our last meeting, Tuftwood.". A knife lowers itself from the figure's pouch into his hand.

  "Guards!" Tuftwood yells. But no one comes through the doors to help him. Any colour left in Tuftwood's face drains at the implications. "Why have you not just killed me quickly then?".

  "Because, I would like the location of your chief information broker. In return, I will delete the compromising files from your account after I quickly take care of you." the figure replies with a an air of repeating a checklist.

  "I..accept. But why...why would you set the buildings on fire? It risked your exposure to both the police and me.".

  "It was necessary to distract the police from my next target, here, lose you income, and provoke questions about the motive, leading to questions about whether you are corrupt or not. This left me free to activate my plans without interference and suspicion.".

  Tuftwood pales. "And because you encouraged me to cut CCTV surveillance of the labs for the duration of our meetings in the name of keeping my involvement secret, no one will ever know you were here.".

  The cloaked figure slowly dips his hooded head in agreement. Tuftwood kneels. "The information broker lives in a group of reinforced trailers seven miles south of here near a forest. He has armed guards. He will know what you search for.". Then, the knife comes down and Tuftwood falls to the ground, growing even paler than before. As promised, the figure deletes Tuftwood's compromising files from his account in the lab, and leaves. Outside, the night sky slowly brightens as the sun rises ever further up in the horizon.

  "Now, I no longer have to look like the naive, bored college graduate to myself." The figure declares in a mutter.

  Hugarius puts his clean white plastic mask back on, his hood, cape and the rest of the standing out starkly against the rising yellow horizon around him. As the sun rises further, he says "Deathsno is alive. Dawn has risen. My dawn.".

  Continued in the next story in this two-book series.

  After 'Dawn of Deathsno', what new series would you like to see? Main story or side series?