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Pandora's Children - Part 23

"What about the rest of you?" I asked.

They shook their heads.

"Take them out to the "Why not?" I asked.

"Dana told her you were coming," Aurora said, her behavior more #effervescent than before. "Hope was incensed and killed them all for letting you get that close. She sent everyone away hours ago. They're probably all over the country by now."

"Shit."

***

"We'd better call the captain," I said. "Have the CSIs go through this place with fine tooth comb. Collect everything."

You don't really think that's going to be a #panacea, do you? What do you expect to find? Hope probably stripped this place before we had the warrant."

***

"I'm not giving up. We'll find them," I said and then slapped my forehead. "Get Aurora back here. Now!"

"What?" Jaci asked.

"I'm going to have a #sapid talk with her. She knows more than she's letting on."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me. She's very important."

***

Aurora was dragged back in, surly now. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your masterful misdirection...Hope."

Her expression changed for a microsecond, but I caught it. Jaci gasped.

"I'm going to take pleasure when I #inure your jail sentence."

***

"How did you know?" She asked.

"You thought you were smarter than us, and you had to stay to give everyone else time to escape. You also knew too much for someone who hadn't become a full member yet."

"Victory is such sweet #ambrosia," Jaci said. "You're under arrest."

***

Hope smiled thinly. "You'll never find them. You'll never catch them. You'll never find the #penetralia they each chose. I win."

"You're going to get the needle for this. And I will track down every last one of your killer cult members and put them behind bars. We win."

***

Two days later, the house had been processed, everyone was in jail or dead, and I was sitting at my #carrel in the bullpen.

"The FBI is going to take over because they'll probably cross state lines," the captain told me. "You solved a lot of cases. You should be proud."

***

"I am, but I'm exhausted. I've seen so much the last few days. I just need time to unwind."

"Take some leave, you have enough built up. Go home. Don't think about the job."

"I think I will, thanks."

Outside, a #zephyr ruffled my hair. I headed home for a long break.

END

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