Pendergast series 1. Chapter 1

Iris Denali never considered herself lucky. Most of the time she was able to shape her own way through life, assuring that everything that could go wrong was avoided. When unavoidable things appeared on her life's road, they tended to end...painfully. It was rare these days that she was called into the Federal Bureau of Investigation home office in New York City. As she climbed from her Toyota Corolla, she couldn't help but stare up at the non-descriptive building. Steeling her nerves, she mounted the stairs of 26 Federal Plaza.

The elevator met her at the lobby, taking her to the top office. Once there, the young secretary quietly contacted the man inside. She motioned Iris through the door with a gracious smile. Iris did not return the gesture, she was in no mood. The portly man behind the desk stood as she walked through the door, it closing with a loud band behind her. Special Agent in charge Jack Doughter shook her slim, pale hand. "It has been a long time Dr. Denali. You are looking well."

A lie. She knew the truth of her appearance. Her normally tanned skin was pale, almost cream like. Her black hair, while indeed straightened and brushed, would lack its normal bright luster. Once soulful, emerald green eyes that could pierce into anyone's soul and expose all their secrets were hollow. A year without contact to anyone in the world, save the young woman at the checkout counter of a nearby grocery store, would have this effect on anyone. Iris tried to smile, the feeling slightly painful and unfamiliar to the muscles. "Special Agent Doughter it has been too long. I was surprised when you contacted me."

Jack motioned for her to sit in one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs in his sparsely furnished office. "I'm afraid you will not be so happy once you understand the nature of this meeting." Iris knew what was coming. "I need you to come out of retirement."

Iris knew her eyes darkened for the man seemed to cower under her piercing gaze, the power briefly returning to her. "Jack we have been over this. I will refuse and you know that. You are only wasting your time."

Jack sighed, leaning back in his chair. The poor thing creaked dangerously under the man's massive weight. "You are so young to turn your back on such a promising career. You are only twenty-six after all."

"Twenty-eight Jack."

He laughed lightly. "See you look even younger." He sighed again, pulling a handkerchief from his suit pocket and dabbing his sweaty brow. "I was hoping you would hear me out. I think this one will interest you."

Iris stared at the folder that was slid to her side of the desk. After the events of January of the previous year Iris swore to never enter again into her field. However the doctor in her could not resist the challenge presented. She reached for the folder, skimming the papers it contained within its thick binding. "Special Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, I have never heard of this man."

Jack took a drink from his coffee. "Yes he likes to keep from the limelight. I can summarize the folder for you. After a recent leave of absence from the Bureau, Agent Pendergast returned to work. Only when he returned his behavior was quite different."

"Different how?"

"Well, Pendergast has always been quite eccentric. When he returned however, he seems to be even more uncooperative with...well...everything. Higher ups, as well as myself, are concerned that in the state of mind he is currently that he is unfit for duty. That is where you come in. You have been able to get the most uncooperative serial killers, murderers, rapists, and gang leaders to spill all their secrets to you."

Iris felt her patience slowly waning. She really was not a morning person. "What is it you expect from me?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably, he seemed nervous about something. Iris felt a twinge of apprehension. "We are requesting that you set up therapy sessions with Agent Pendergast. Help work through whatever it is that is causing this behavior. If you deem him fit for duty then he will return."

"And if not?"

"Early retirement. Basically his future with the Bureau rests with your decision."

"Has he already been notified of this, the psychiatric appointments and conditions of his future work?"

Jack shifted again. "Yes. He was most unpleasant in that regard."

Iris knew her choice, it would take an act of god to make her change her mind. Standing she replaced the folder on the agent's desk. "Jack, my answer is no."

Jack Doughter sighed clicking a pen nervously. "The accident a year ago?"

Iris narrowed her eyes at the man. "You will not speak of it."

Jack held his hands out in surrender. "Iris, we are not asking you to return to us on full duty. We...I just want you to help Agent Pendergast. He is one of the best agents I have had the pleasure to work with and is a dear friend. I can assure you, even in this state he has fallen into, he would never do what that animal Logan Briar did."

At the mention of his name Iris gave an involuntary shutter, memories forcing themselves forward. Pain and blood. "Jack." she said darkly, warningly.

"I'm sorry. I am begging you Iris. Please help me get my friend back. We need him desperately, no doubt you have seen the news reports."

Iris indeed knew what he was talking about immediately. "The Reaper of New York." The Reaper of New York, a name given to a recent serial killer. Bodies were found in theatrical positions throughout New York State. The body count since his first appearance six months prior to this day was quickly climbing into the triple digits. FBI and local police could not seem to find anything on the killer. She shuddered at the grotesque descriptions of torture, mutilation, harvesting, and murder given almost nightly on all news channels.

Jack broke her thoughts. "We believe Agent Pendergast may be our last hope. In the past he had a habit of asserting himself in intriguing cases, mostly involving serial killers. However all attempts to recruit his help has been met with hostility. We believe you may be able to help him onto the right path."

Iris sighed. "I will agree to only one meeting. Depending on how that goes, we can discuss more."

Jack smiled broadly, an audible sigh escaped his lips. "Wonderful. Although there is one more thing. I am losing agents and local police to this case daily. It is becoming too much for them. I am requesting that any help you are willing to offer is given as quickly as possible. I desperately need Pendergast to return to work."

"I will try my best."

"You seem to not understand. I intend to get him started immediately. I will be requiring that when he is on sight at the murders or while working on anything to do with the murders, you are present."

"He is a Special Agent. I am sure he does not require a babysitter."

Jack dabbed his sweaty brow. "I understand the hesitation, but you will be in capable hands. As part of your job will be to assess his ability to return to duty, I believe it will behoove you to observe his actions while in the field. You of course will have control over what he does. If you believe that he makes a call that is out of line you have the power to stop his behavior."

"Will I not just get in the way? I am not a field agent. My specialty is psychiatric care and..."

"Criminal profiling. You will help him find The Reaper."

Iris felt her anger begin to boil, through clenched teeth she said, "You said I would only need to deal with Pendergast in a therapy setting and now you are wanting me to help him catch this killer?" Jack pushed a single sheet of paper toward her. He said nothing as she read. "Blackmail now Jack."

"This is the reality of the situation. I need The Reaper behind bars, Pendergast can do that. He however needs someone to keep him in line and make sure that whatever fragile state his mind is in stays in tact. You will achieve that and in the mean time put that wonderful brain of yours to work helping him find this animal. Or if you refuse, I will have you in handcuffs and in Guantanamo Bay by tonight."

Iris felt the shackles around her wrists, she had no choice. "He is to be at my office by seven tonight. If he is late, I am not to be at fault."

Jack sat smugly back, triumph on his face. "I'm sorry it had to come to this. But with the one hundred and seventy victims we have been able to find, I'm afraid I was left little choice. I expect weekly updates."

**6:30 pm**

Iris sat in her home office. The room was kept dark the way she liked it. She found it more comforting. The white carpet and cream walls had shadows cast on them from the black, leather chairs that sat in front of the roaring fire. The western wall of the room filled wall to wall with books offered little consoling to her tortured mind. She had not been in a therapy session with anyone since _him._

She picked up Pendergast's file once again. Most of his past before the FBI and even past cases with the Bureau had be black lined. Confidential. The only thing she could gather was that he graduated top of his class, lost his wife tragically, had little family, lived alone, and none of his perps ever lived to see the courtroom. Interesting to say the least. Iris looked at her watch. One minute to the appointment time, looks like he wasn't coming. Iris crossed the room letting her finger run across the smooth wood of her desk in front of curtained windows, laptop resting on it. There was a knock at her door.

Iris opened the door onto a man she didn't expect. He was strikingly handsome though he resembled an undertaker. Even though he was older, Iris could plainly see that youth was still with this man. Very pale skin and platinum, almost white, hair graced his predominant cheekbones and thin face. His silver eyes stared into her dark emerald ones. He extended a hand to her and when he spoke, she noticed the honey accent of New Orleans. "Special Agent Pendergast."

Iris shook his hand very briefly, not enjoying the touch of a fellow human. She couldn't help but notice the feeling was mutual with this man. "I am Dr. Denali. Please come in."

Iris stepped aside to allow the tall man in. He was at least a good head taller than her, her own head only reaching his shoulder. He stalked into the room, quietly, with the grace of a cat he swooped into one of the leather chairs near the fire. Without a word Iris sat across from him and held out a glass of wine. Pendergast accepted the drink and sat back, unbuttoning his exquisite suit coat to expose the perfect white shirt underneath. She couldn't help but get a preternatural sense of unease from the man's cool gaze, a sense that he was superior. It caused her panic response to slowly become present within her mind, to which she tried to repress.

"I know it is not common for wine to be present at a session but I believe it helps to unwind both parties involved." Iris said, finally breaking the silence.

Pendergast left the wall of books that flanked the fire place and returned his eyes to her. The silver orbs danced in the firelight. They bore into her soul as he locked eyes with her. "I can appreciate a good glass of wine." He closed his eyes, taking a good smell of the wine before tasting it. His eyes opened, briefly showing delight before returning to nothing. "Chateau Petrus. You are trying to impress."

"Not at all. Just one of my favorites from my stores." Iris placed her glass on the small table beside her. "I wanted to start from the meeting that you had with Jack this morning."

He shifted in his chair. "That unpleasantness. I assume you would like to know how I reacted to the news of this meeting and subsequent arrangements of having to have a shadow over me as I work."

Iris nodded. "Yes. I would like to know your thoughts on the situation."

"While I cannot say I approve, there is little I can do. Jack believes I have suffered some trauma that requires a psychiatrist. While I can see the concern and agree to the meetings to appease him, I highly doubt that your involvement in the The Reaper case can be anything but...unpleasant."

At this Iris could not help but smirk. "At least we are on the same page. How about I ask you a few simple questions and we will see what happens?"

Pendergast swept his hand in front of him. "By all means." Iris couldn't help but notice the air of gentlemanly warmth coming from him, though an underlying danger was still there in his eyes.

Iris tucked her legs neatly under her seat. "Do you have any close family?"

Pendergast did not alter his gaze into her eyes, seeming to be at a war within himself. "That topic is, unfortunately, something we will not broach."

"How long ago did your wife pass?"

A flicker of darkness in his eyes, something Iris did not miss. She never missed anything once her eyes were locked with someone else. "Another locked topic."

Iris smirked at his defiance. "Alright, what happened during your leave of absence."

Pendergast crossed his legs. "I was on vacation."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"No." The simple answer caused another flicker of darkness, hostility.

Iris took a sip of her wine, he was proving to be just as Jack said. Uncooperative. "Agent Pendergast, in order for me to get to the root of your problem and help you, you will need to answer some questions."

Pendergast smirked. "How about a game? I will answer a question if you answer one."

Iris was familiar with this game. A patient would ask something personal in an attempt to connect on a more intimate level. "Alright, ladies first. Do you have any family around you?"

Pendergast crossed his long arms. "No. My only surviving family member, my brother, met with a tragic end a few years ago. I am the last Pendergast. I do have a butler name Proctor in my employ. Do you have any family?"

Iris smiled. "I am the same. My younger brother was murdered about four years ago. My father died ten years ago and I never knew my mother. How did you wife die?"

Pendergast's smirk disappeared. "Officially by a lion attack in Africa."

"Officially? Was there more to it?" Iris felt her hair stand on end. She could tell immediately when someone was lying and this man was not. He had yet to say a lie, although she suspected he was still holding information back.

Pendergast shook his finger. "I do believe it is my turn." Iris nodded. "Why did you retire one year ago? At your age you should be just beginning your career."

Iris closed her eyes. _'If I do not answer his question I may lose the only opportunity I have at keeping him talking.'_ She met his gaze again, curiosity in his silver eyes. "I was attacked by a patient. I also got my degree at age twenty, you will find that I was a child prodigy in many ways."

"So I saw, I did do my homework Doctor. I was very impressed at your education and success in the field you have chosen. Though I did notice there is not much about your past as well No mention of your family for instance." Pendergast sipped his wine.

"What happened with you wife?" Iris tried to ignore his statement.

Iris saw it. The darkness took his eyes. "I was led to believe for years she was mauled by a lion while on hunt. I recently found out that it was murder. While investigating this, during my vacation, I found my wife alive." Pendergast's jaw locked and he looked at the fire. "I was briefly reunited with her before she was gunned down by a man she knew. That man is dead now." His eyes met her again and the darkness was gone.

She didn't know what to say. This man was not lying and if indeed this is the trauma Jack thought he suffered, she was sure it would explain whatever changes in him. Unable to think of a retort she simply said, "I am sorry for your loss."

"Unnecessary. The wife I knew died in Africa. While I still loved my wife upon our reuniting, I cannot overlook the betrayal of the secret of her living." Pendergast sipped his wine again. "Why did you retire?"

Iris narrowed her eyes at him. "I told you already. I was attacked by a patient."

Pendergast smirked. "I told my story. You can tell me yours. Just sitting here with you I can tell that you are no normal woman. You have a strength in you that I have not seen before. I do not believe a simple attack from a psychotic person would be enough for you to give in."

Her breath caught in her throat. _'How can he read me like that? I have to tell him and he knows it. I will loose his trust.'_ Iris breathed deeply. "His name was Logan Briar."

"The Broadway Butcher."

"Yes the very same. I was treating him for delusional hallucinations. After three months of working with him, I let my guard down for a second. He killed the police outside of the office while I retrieved his medications. When I returned he surprised and overpowered me. For eight hours he assaulted me and etched designs into my flesh before more officers came looking for him. I was his...canvas. I stepped away from my practice for personal reasons." Iris looked at her watch, they were due to end the session in half an hour. Relief flooded her mind. She never expected this man to have such an effect on her. A simple therapy session for him was quickly turning on her.

Pendergast softened his gaze. Compassion, so he was still there in his mind. "I did not expect to hear that answer. Most of the information I found on you was minimal. Education and work, nothing more. Seems like someone does not want you to be known. Only one more reason Doughter should avoid having you on this serial killer case."

Iris felt her heart skip, she was the one who worked to hide her identity. "Unfortunately, we have no choice. I am to make sure that you are fit for duty by monitoring you in the field. I do not intend to get in your way nor do I intend to inhibit your actions. Once I have satisfied Jack and can safely confirm you for duty I will no longer be involved with your case."

Pendergast rose from the seat. He did strike an intimidating presence like this. Iris felt her panic began to rise as he towered over her, fearing he may come closer. She knew he had to have a weapon on him. He was an agent after all but foolishly she was unarmed. Nothing but the long sleeved, tight fitting dress that ended mid calf on her. When he stepped away and began to look over the spines of her bookcase, she sighed. He spoke softly, "I do intend to ensure your safety and I only ask that if I tell you to do something you follow my orders. Just know that if the order seems, unique, it is in your best interest to follow it." Pendergast removed a book and flipped it open. "A very rare copy. I shall like to read this."

"Take it, as a gift of good faith." A knock at the door. She watched as Pendergast soundlessly crossed her office and answered the door, stepping back. Iris stood to welcome the officer. "Detective Vincent D'Agosta I presume. You are early."

He shook hands with Pendergast, smiling ear to ear. "Sorry about that Dr. Denali. I was just getting off of my shift and didn't want to waste the time going home."

"My dear Vincent this is a surprise." Pendergast turned his gaze to Iris. "Care to explain?"

"I was told Detective D'Agosta here is a close friend of yours. He is also assigned to The Reaper case. We will be discussing the relationship between him and you tonight. Unfortunately Agent Pendergast, our hour is up and you are free to go."

Pendergast cast his gaze to the Italian officer before returning to Iris, displeasure evident. So he didn't like others discussing him. "Thank you for an interesting night and the manuscript. Until we meet again."

Iris watched as the man quietly left the office and shut the door behind him. She realized she had been holding her breath, waiting for anger at her having called in a friend. Vincent D'Agosta sat on the leather seat looking around the office. "I was surprised that I was called in for Pendergast. I didn't think he would be a therapist type."

"A requirement for work I'm afraid. I was hoping you may be able to shed some light on his personality changes I was informed of." Iris resumed her seat across from the officer.

Vincent smiled warmly. "Well for the last couple of months I have noticed a few changes. He normally is not quick to temper but lately he can be drawn to anger easily. He was always particular about his appearance. I mean you can see that he always wears similar suits to what he had on but, I went to his house one day and he was bare chested."

Iris furrowed her brows. "That is not uncommon among the male sex."

"It is for him. I have never seen him outside of those suits. He was even unshaven, something I have never seen. He is normally particular about himself. It might sound minor but I was quite shocked."

"Nothing is minor Detective. Is there anything else, a drug habit or drinking abuse?"

Vincent looked into the fire. "He just seems withdrawn. Unless he has to be around people he would rather be alone. I wouldn't worry too much though. I mean he was never a social person before but the few people he does communicate with he has been distancing himself from."

"Do you think this stems from his wife's recent murder?"

"He told you about that?" Iris nodded. "Yes I believe that is where all of this is coming from."

_'There it is. The behavior issues, personality changes, routine changes, and work habits. All I need to do is find out what is bothering him about her demise. Does he blame himself or is it the betrayal of her fake death before her real one?' _Iris thanked the officer for his time and walked him to the door. She changed into a deep emerald green silk with black lace overlay nightie in her bedroom before she climbed into her king bed. The house apartment was small but it was situated above her office. Her windows overlooking the gardens of Battery Park. She loved to stare out of the window beside her bed as she contemplated the challenges sure to greet her in the next few weeks. She fell asleep soon after. When she closed her eyes she could still see Pendergast's silver stare.


	2. Chapter 2

Agent Pendergast sat back in his plush chair, comfortable in the surrounding darkness of his library at 891 Riverside Drive. The small fire in the hearth across from him, the only source of light as the windows were covered in thick curtains, lit his bare chest and allowed him enough light to read the manuscript in his hands. Proctor had come and gone, attempting to offer his employer breakfast. Pendergast of course declined preferring nothing more than a small glass of brandy. He closed the book as a small vibration began in his pocket. Unknown caller.

Pendergast opened his phone and placed it to his ear. "What did you find?" he said, emotionless.

There was a dry chuckle, followed by a thin and raspy voice. "Chill out. I finally got what you were looking for."

Pendergast smiled to himself. "Mime, tell me everything."

"Well it took some doing but I was able to dig up her past, or at least a good part of it."

"Then you did not find what I was looking for."

"Not entirely."

Pendergast sighed in annoyance. "Quickly now, Mime."

A keyboard was clicked before he began. "Iris Denali, age twenty-eight. When she was born her mother fell ill. She would die four years later after the birth of Endrance Denali, Iris' little brother. When her mother died the father seemed to go crazy. He took his children to a desolate wasteland and raised them there. He apparently taught them all the survival techniques they would ever need, including how to kill another. Now I know what you are thinking: how is this known if the father kept them so far from civilization? Well, the grandparents reported the children missing and a massive manhunt started. Everyone thought that the children were in extreme danger, and they were. When the father caught wind of the police closing onto his compound, he killed Endrance. Iris was able to run away, but her father hunted her down. When he caught her, he stabbed her in the chest. Apparently she was able to pull the knife from her chest and slit her father's throat. The police were able to find them from her screaming. She spent six months in a hospital in seclusion while she healed. Iris would attack anyone that came near her. Her grandparents tragically were victims of her rage. The police didn't take her to prison, rather the law allowed her to undergo therapy to reacquaint her with the world.

She showed a massive intellect and quickly was able to get a diploma at the age of fourteen. Iris was allowed to use a trust fund her grandparents had sat up early to enroll in college. She pursued a career in psychiatry and the rest you should know, right?" Mime paused, he quickly added when Pendergast did not respond. "There is one more thing. There was a police report from the night of the attack with Logan Briar."

Pendergast stirred from his thoughts. "Anything of note?"

He could hear the computer genius shift uncomfortably. "She killed him. According to the report: Logan Briar killed the two police officers escorting him before surprising Iris. He was able to restrain her. Logan carved different symbols into her arms and back. I mean you should see the aftermath pictures. Flowers, swirls, and other abstract designs were scarred into her flesh. Well somehow, she didn't elaborate to the police, Iris was able to get out of her bonds. Even though in pain and losing blood rapidly, she was able to fight Logan off. Iris knocked him out using a statue in the office. She took the same knife that he was using to carve into her flesh and she..."

Mime had stopped. Pendergast felt his annoyance returning. "She what?"

"Well she decapitated him." Mime said in almost a whisper.

Pendergast furrowed his brows, placing the manuscript on the small table beside him. "That's impossible. The shear force needed to decapitate a human would far exceed what she would have been able to do in her condition."

Mime took in a sharp breath, "I'm looking at the crime scene photos. She did it."

_'Impressive. So she was trained by her father for survival and protection. She witnessed her brother's murder and in turn killed her father. Not exactly what I was expecting.' _Pendergast roused himself from his thoughts. "Who was the lead officers on her cases?"

Mime clicked on his keyboard. "Agent Jack Doughter of the FBI. Do you know him? He was responsible for both her cases."

Pendergast felt a jolt of electricity run through his veins. _'Jack? So there is a connection between her and that egotistical maniac. He tried to blackmail me into this, unaware that I already agreed to help Vincent with this Reaper. She must be working for him.'_ Pendergast said his good-bye and hung up the phone. He sat back in his chair letting his fingers tent in front of his chest. Iris must be trying to get information on him for Jack. It was no secret that Jack Doughter was a corrupt man. Three years ago, Pendergast had no choice but to kill Jack's brother for he was attempting to bomb the Trump Tower. Jack had never let that go and it seemed instability ran in his family.

While lost in his dark thoughts his phone vibrated again in his lap. The feeling jolting him back to reality. "My dear Vincent to what to I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"There has been another one." was the gruff greeting. Pendergast could hear the sirens in the background. "I'm on my way now. It is in an alley off Broadway."

Pendergast stood fluidly, heading to his bedroom on the second floor. "I will gather my **watcher** and be there within an hour."

Vincent cursed as traffic refused to move. "You might want to reconsider bringing the good doctor. Apparently this one is bad."

Pendergast chuckled darkly. "Unfortunately I do not have a choice."

Vincent laughed loudly. "Maybe a few of these scenes and she'll be begging that Doughter to stop following you. Or at least just push through your 'I'm sane enough for duty' paperwork."

Pendergast finished shrugging into his black suit coat. "We can only hope."

Within seconds Pendergast was down the stairs and out the door. He slipped into the driver's seat of his 1959 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith angling the car towards the doctor's office and home. He pulled the car to the curb infront of the quaint house. He knocked on the door and waited. Nothing could be heard moving inside. Pendergast raised his hand to the door lock, he fingers seeming to glide over it as the door sprang open. He silently moved through the office, up the stairs to the apartment, and into the young woman's bedroom.

As quietly as a cat he approached her bedside. Iris was sound asleep, the blankets pooled around her shoulders. Pendergast reached a hand out to her and gently touched her shoulder. With a scream Iris grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed, mounting him in one fluid movement. Surprise was evident on Pendergast's face as Iris pinned him to the soft mattress. She held his two wrists in one of her hands, the other hand wrapped around his throat. Her eyes were glassed over. Pendergast stretched his neck, allowing him a small reprieve enough to talk. "Miss Iris, it is Aloysius Pendergast."

Slowly he felt her body relax and life appeared in her dark emerald eyes. She sat back onto his hips, brushing his privates. A blush crept onto her face at the feeling of him under her. It was only then that Pendergast let his eyes roam over her form. She was in a night dress, emerald green with a lace pattern overlay, the tops of her breasts exposed from the push up bra built into the dress. He felt a heat enter his cheeks, there was no denying that she was an attractive woman but he could not let himself get too comfortable with her. Especially if she indeed turned out to be Jack's spy. Iris quickly rolled off him to his great relief. His body was beginning to betray him as he felt a sudden tightness in his pants. She grabbed the emerald silk robe from the bed, slipping it onto her body. Pendergast followed her movement and for a quick second caught a glimpse of her scarred back. She looked back at him after collecting herself. Anger was evident on her face as she growled, "What are doing here?"

Pendergast stood from the bed, after gaining control over his body once again, and straightened his suit. "Where did you learn that?"

Iris crossed her arms over her ample chest. "Learn what?"

"How to flip someone over and pin them?" Pendergast wanted to test her, see if she would open up to the truth.

Iris walked to her closet to retrieve an outfit for the day. "I took a self defense class. You never answered me. You broke into my house, why?"

Pendergast moved to the door, the half truth not missed to him. "There has been another victim. Get dressed and I will meet you in the kitchen."

While waiting for Iris to finish her morning routine, Pendergast located a teapot. He boiled water and soaked the green tea leaves. He heard a throat clear behind him and turned. Iris stood in the doorway dressed in a black slim, long sleeved dress. It ended at her knees and she was wearing a set of small professional heels. She blushed softly as his eyes took her in. Running a hand through her hair, straightening a few loose strands, she accepted the offered teacup. "I didn't know what to wear so I hope this is good enough."

Pendergast smiled softly, "You look fine though I fear you will quickly become too hot. It is May after all and we will be outside for quite a while."

Iris finished her tea. "I am used to it. No need to worry about me." Pendergast led the doctor out of her office and heard her breath catch in her throat. In amazement she said, "This can't be your car?"

Pendergast opened the passenger door for her to slide in. "Why yes it is."

After he resumed his place in the driver's seat and began to drive to the crime scene, did Iris speak again. "I've always wanted to ride in one of these. So is there anything I need to know about what we are headed into?"

Pendergast did not miss the sound of apprehension in her voice. "The Reaper has a tendency for the theatricals. He tends to select a pattern and stick with it until that theme is exhausted before selecting a new one."

"Yeah I heard about the children stories victims. I will have to say, I'm a fan of his creativity." Iris ran her hands over the smooth dashboard, taking in the richness of the vehicle.

Pendergast pulled up to the line of increasing emergency vehicles. He watched as Iris looked around, grasping the door handle. He reached out and held onto her arm, noticing the twitch of her face and slight attempt to withdrawal from his touch. "Miss Iris, you should be prepared for anything before you step from this vehicle."

Iris stared into his eyes and he felt the excitement radiating from her, apprehension gone completely. "I'm ready. Remember I have to keep an eye on you. Nothing you say will stop me from doing my job, I can't quit now."

Pendergast narrowed his eyes as he watched her exit the vehicle. The determination of her resolve lingered in his mind. _'There is something she is hiding, a reason she has no choice but to do what Jack has required of her.' _He pulled an ID badge from the glove compartment and handed it to her as he joined her outside the car. "This will show that you are a liaison for the Bureau. Never remove it so long as you are with me on a case.

Pendergast showed his badge to the officer at the blockade. They were ushered in and he spotted the Italian. Vincent looked ragged, tired. He grasped Pendergast's hand and sighed. "This one is rough. Maybe you can tell the new theme."

Pendergast led the small party to the victim. An audible gasp issued from the woman at his side. He glanced over to her. Iris had her eyes locked onto the victim, trembling slightly. Pendergast returned his silver eyes to the body in the alley. The woman was young, about the age of the doctor with him. She was sitting with her back to the wall, her legs drawn up to her sides to expose her nether regions. White flowers were stuffed into her womanly parts, sticking out as if in a vase. Burned brands covered the woman's legs. Her hands cupped her breasts and her head was thrown back as if in the throws of climax. A single word was carved into her chest and Pendergast whispered it softly, "Voluptatem."

Vincent stood beside the silent doctor as Pendergast stooped over the woman. "Do you know what it means?" he simply asked.

Pendergast produced a few vials and tweezers from hidden pockets of his jacket. He collected seemingly invisible evidence. "It is Latin for Lust. Anything on the identity of our female?"

Vincent withdrew a small notebook from his uniform. "Erica Green, age twenty-seven. She is known to the cops around here, a frequent flier in the local jail. A prostitute but not known for any other illegal activity. Green was reported missing about thirty days ago by her roommate."

Pendergast crouched down, inspecting the flowers in the woman's private area. "These were very carefully placed, lovingly almost." Pendergast slipped on a glove as he traced one of the brands on her inner thigh. "This is the symbol for a male."

"Yeah." Vincent shifted uncomfortably as he watched Pendergast in between the victim's legs. "So why the flowers?"

They both turned in surprised as a quiet voice sounded beside the officer. "White lilies represent innocent and purity. Namely the purity of the virgin mother. The male symbols must represent all of the lustful acts she has committed with Johns. His theme appears to be biblical."

Pendergast stared into Iris' eyes. After a few moments she took her gaze from the corpse and stared back at him. "The seven deadly sins."

Iris nodded. Vincent was writing down this new information. "So you are telling me he is planning six more of these gruesome scenes."

Iris continued to stare into Pendergast's silver eyes. "To start with. He will not stop until he is captured. The boldness of leaving his victims out like this shows me that he likes what he does. He likes showing off his...artwork." She looked away and approached the body. She knelt beside Pendergast, letting her eyes take in the victim.

"What are you thinking, Doctor Denali?" Pendergast asked, stepping away from the body.

He watched as she slipped her fingers over the woman's eyes, closing them for good. "He has a medical background. The Latin and general cleanliness of the wounds show that. I think he was trying to save this girl."

"Save her?" Pendergast questioned.

Iris nodded. "From sin. Fire purifies all and the lilies are to bring her back to innocence." Iris turned her gaze to the wall behind the corpse, leaning closer. "There is something on her back. Can we move her?"

Vincent motioned for the awaiting medical team to come. They laid her body down on a tarp and he felt himself choke back his breakfast. "Holy hell."

Green's back was partially missing. A portion of her lower back was flayed off. A simple sentenced carved into the flesh above. "And now she is free." Iris read. She stood and backed away, standing next to Pendergast. "It appears he removed something from her back."

Pendergast nodded. "It seems he likes to keep trophies."

"What kind of trophies?"

"He will remove the canine teeth and any tattoos from the victims body while they are still alive. He will then torture them. You would be correct in assuming he is of a medical background. It seems he can keep them alive while he conducts his, torturing. He kills his victims all the same though, no matter his methods while they are alive."

Iris looked over at the tall agent. "Which is?"

"He drains them of all blood. Harvesting it from the victims." Pendergast motioned for Iris to follow him, returning to his car.

"Drains them? What does he do with all that he takes?"

Pendergast slipped into the car with her. "We are not sure yet." Pendergast began to angle the car into traffic. He glanced at his watch and smiled. "Are you hungry my dear?"

Iris laughed softly. "You can eat after all that? I'm surprised."

Pendergast softly chucked as he pulled up at a small restaurant. The five star atmosphere would do nicely to unwind. "You will get used to it, trust me." Pendergast turned the car off while thinking _'Though I am sure you are not entirely uncomfortable with all that you have seen.'_

Pendergast quickly came to the passenger side, opening the door for Iris. She laughed softly. "Such a gentleman. I get the feeling you are only trying to butter me up. You aren't trying to persuade me to release you from my care already?"

Pendergast smirked as he led them inside and then sat at the table. "Not at all Miss Iris. I was simply raised in the deep south where manners are still in abundance."

They ate in silence. Pendergast watched his dining partner quietly, amused at how she seemed to radiate confidence yet stood out from the other upscale diners. While she had the look and appeal of an aristocrat, her eyes harbored an invitation to something more. Fierce and unwavering courage, something that the rich upper class seemed to lack. Something that she lacked upon their first meeting. He couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be coming back to life with the recent events of the day. After their lunch, Pendergast leaned against his vehicle, waiting for her to return from the restroom.

She stepped out into the dusky light. She smiled warmly at him. "You do realize this the first I have been in public like this in a year."

Pendergast smirked again, running a hand through his platinum blonde hair. "I am honored to have been the one to take you out. Now shall I take you home Dr. Denali?"

"Iris. Please call me Iris." She smiled at him and looked up to the dusky sky. A small and pleasant breeze blew through the air, causing her long ebony hair to dance with it. Pendergast caught the sent of honeysuckle and vanilla drift from the woman.

"Iris, then. Would you like me to take you home now?" he repeated his question, gesturing to his vehicle.

She smiled warmly at him. "Actually I was considering walking home since we aren't that far. The evening is young and it is about time I enjoy life again."

Pendergast bowed slightly and extended a slip of paper to her. "This is my private mobile phone. Do call me at anytime if you need something or if you have anything to add about the case."

Iris took the paper and slipped it into her shoulder bag. "Aw, I can't call you just to talk?"

Pendergast extended his hand. "A gentleman never ignores the call of a lady."

Iris hesitantly placed her hand in his, an act not lost on the special agent. He raised her hand to his lips, brushing the soft skin of the back of her hand against them before dropping her hand. They said their good byes and Pendergast left the young woman.

Iris smiled as she walked down the street, reflecting on this morning's unfortunate set of events. _'I can't believe I did not hear him enter my room. He surprised me and I just acted instinctively. I never intended to give him a cause to suspect my...abilities. The last thing I need is him finding out about...that.'_ She felt a heat rise in her cheeks. _'I was so close to him this morning. No doubt he is a handsome, older man but...'_ Iris stopped in her tracks as she was pulled from her thoughts.

The night was falling and the civilians around her where turning to the warm of the indoors. A small form in an alley to her right caught her attention. A child was frozen in place, looking down the dark alley. Iris turned to approach the boy, not wanting to leave a child alone in this city. "Hello, are you lost?"

The boy did nothing to acknowledge that he had heard her. Iris knelt beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder. He still did not look to her. Iris lifted her head and followed his eyes. Something was at the end of the alley working diligently on something underneath it. Iris felt her blood run cold at the familiar sounds of flesh tearing. The boy at her side gave a soft cry and the thing at the end of the alley turned to the pair. Iris would never get this image from her mind. A great demon rose from the corpse at its feet and turned its body completely to face her. He was dressed, head to toe, in what appeared to be a wolf skin. The Grey fur covered any semblance of the human underneath it, the fur only stopping when it reached the head. The head was covered from the nose up, the color of blood. The eyes were in shadow from the mask, hiding the orbs beneath it. There were great horns coming from the forehead as if the devil himself was standing before the woman and child. The mouth twisted grotesquely into a frown, the lips covered in the thick red of blood.

Iris grabbed the boy's hand and turned to run. She could hear the beast behind them closing in, his footfalls heavy on the pavement. Iris scooped the boy into her arms so she could run faster. She was unarmed, foolishly believing that she would be with Pendergast for the day. She never thought an innocent stroll home would turn into this, a mistake that would surely haunt her.


	3. Chapter 3

Iris turned on her heel, the small child in her arms securely and began to run. The loud, angry footfalls closing in on them. Suddenly she felt a searing pain erupt in her calf, her leg falling dead from under her. Iris fell to her stomach. The young boy scrambled to his feet from under her. "Run! Go find help now!" Iris screamed.

The demon jumped from Iris and fell on the frozen boy. With a quick strike to the child's temple, his fragile body went limp. Iris felt panic rise in her stomach before she pushed the feeling down, replacing it with calm, determination. She had to get a weapon, kill this beast. There was still a chance the boy was only knocked out. Iris rolled onto her side and looked at her leg. There was a small throwing knife lodged in the calf. Iris grasped the handle and tried to pull. The blade did not move; it was suck deep into the bone. Iris screamed as she pulled with everything she had, the blade coming out. The demon fell back on her. His weight was massive against her small frame. In surprise at his lithe movements she dropped the knife. The demon was close enough that she could smell the acrid odor of blood and something familiar, though the scent escaped her.

The demon was snarling, his lips pulled back to reveal steel canine teeth. Iris stared into his face, memorizing every detail. She tried to wrench the mask from his face but the demon grabbed her right arm. Iris was able to slip her left from his trying grasp, feeling the ground around her. Searching desperately for the knife that was dropped. The beast growled loudly as he slammed his knee into her elbow. Iris gritted her teeth, attempting to roll to the side to dislodge the monster. He smiled ruefully as he grasped her forearm with both hands. He used his knee as leverage and bent her arm, the bone audibly cracking before splitting through the skin. Iris screamed loudly. Cold steel touched her hands and she blindly thrust it into her attacker. "Fuck you!" she screamed, the knife sinking home into the man's hip. The demon howled, eerily. The sound a strange mixture of human suffering and the rage of a feral animal.

He bent down and bit into the tender flesh of her left shoulder. Iris screamed, the pain becoming too much. Her body was on fire; her sight was starting to fade. Before the darkness took her, Iris could make out flashing lights. The demon released her shoulder and bolted down the alley, disappearing.

Agent Pendergast sat once again in his darkened library. He was enjoying the solitude of the manuscript in his hands. The agent stirred at the feeling of his cell phone vibrating in his pants pocket. He looked at the number, scowling slightly. "My dear Vincent, you do realize it is almost two in the morning?"

Vincent sounded stressed, his voice coming and going as if he had been shouting. "Like you were asleep."

Pendergast sat straight at the sound of his friend's voice. "What happened Vincent?" He was already pulling his coat back on and grabbing his keys.

The answer came after a few long seconds. "There has been an attack. We may have a witness."

Pendergast smiled, '_Finally a break, sooner or later our killer was bound to slip up.'_ Pendergast loaded his Les Baer and placed it in the holster on the side of his chest. "Was he interrupted at a new crime scene?"

Vincent shifted the phone to another shoulder. "Pendergast, about the witness."

"I'm confident in your abilities to interrogate the witness alone. I need to go to the crime scene. In his haste of trying to capture his witness, important evidence may have been left."

Vincent sighed, then inhaled sharply. "It was Iris Denali." Pendergast froze, his hand hovering over the front door's knob.

His breath came out in a ragged hiss as he spoke, "She is dead?"

"No." When Pendergast didn't say anything Vincent continued, "She was hurt pretty badly and was found unconscious from the lack of blood. In fact she lost a lot of blood and is in surgery but she is alive. I'm at the hospital with her."

Pendergast felt his heart beating quickly. He let out the breath he did not realize he was holding, relief slowly flooding into his body. Closing his eyes, he breathed slowly to will his heart to return to normal. "When is she due out of surgery?"

"In about three hours, her arm was mangled badly."

Pendergast set his jaw tightly; his teeth clenching hard. "Where was the attack?"

"Off an alley near Battery Park. There was a body there and the crime scene boys are already there."

Pendergast hung up his phone. The Rolls Royce roared to life as his foot slammed on the gas, tires skidding on the loose gravel of the drive before finding purchase. The drive went by in a blur, the massive silver car weaving in and out of the weekend traffic. Pendergast threw the car into park and slid from the driver's seat. He didn't flash his badge to the cops, they were more intent on keeping the crowd at bay. Pendergast let his cool, silver eyes sweep over the men around him. He grabbed a man in a dark uniform taking pictures, roughly pulling him to his feet. "Your name?" he growled.

The man was taken aback, slightly shaken from the roughness and venom in the agent's voice. "Edward Ryder, lead SOC officer, sir." he added quickly.

Pendergast dragged him down the alley to the body. The people gathered around the corpse quickly dispersed at the agent's presence. He threw the man roughly to the side and let his eyes settle on the victim. "What do you know?"

Ryder stuttered, "Well...he...he..."

Pendergast threw him an annoyed stare. "Out with it! I'm in a hurry."

Ryder snapped to attention, his answer coming out as if in a military line up. "Yes, Sir! The victim's name is Donald Umber. He is the owner of the business that is beside this alley. The bartender there identified the body on sight, sir! He was found after a customer of the bar heard screaming coming from the alley. Police were called and we got here within ten minutes of the initial call."

Pendergast looked at the officer, absorbing his words. "Did anyone see the attacker?"

"No, Sir! We believe the victim, one Iris Denali, may be the only one that saw the attacker." Ryder all but saluted the man in front of him.

Pendergast waved his hand above his shoulder as a dismissal. The young officer scrambled away as quickly as he could. The agent let his eyes roam over the corpse. The body was massive, the stomach distended to be three times the size that it should have been even though the man was already a rather large individual. The second of the deadly sins themed victims. 'Gula' was was carved deeply onto the man's wide forehead. "Gluttony," Pendergast whispered to himself. He slipped on a pair of white gloves after retrieving them from a pocket of his coat. Withdrawing a slim penlight from another hidden pocket, he played the light over the bloated body.

Bits of flesh had been stripped from the body, flayed. Both hands were missing fingers. Only the thumb and pinky remaining on his left hand. Pendergast saw a glint of something in the man's partially opened mouth. Using his fingers he forcibly pried the dead man's mouth open. A fowl stench issued from the opening. Pendergast grasped the object from his throat and pulled. A finger with a gold ring still stuck on the fat appendage met his gaze. Pendergast settled his eyes on the man's distended belly. Withdrawing a small knife from his pants, he slit the buttons from the man's shirt. "And now he is satisfied." Pendergast read from the carving on the man's stomach. Thick stitches ran from the man's breast line to his pubic region. Pendergast tenderly reached out and prodded around the stitches. When he pressed against the distended stomach, a fowl odor issued and the skin gave a sickening pop as it exploded. Quickly Pendergast covered his face, his clothes baring the brunt of the onslaught of bloodily fluids, blood, and rotten food.

With a scowl, Pendergast did his best to wipe the foul chunks from his person. Removing a small pair of tweezers from a hidden pocket in his sleeve, he picked up a piece among the rotten food and blood. One of the missing pieces of the man's skin twinkled wet in the ray of his penlight. Pendergast smiled. "You fed him to himself. Forced him to eat his own fingers before draining him of the blood in his veins. You tried to show him the error of his ways; turning the gluttonous man against himself."

Vincent sat beside the young doctor, laying unconscious in her hospital bed. She had just returned from surgery and they were still waiting for her to awaken. Vincent checked his watch again, sighing loudly. A commotion from outside the room caught his attention and he opened the door looking out on a bewildering scene.

Pendergast, covered in bodily fluids and god knew what else was towering over one of the smaller nurses. "I am going to tell you for the last time, I am a Federal Agent. I am looking for the victim of the assault on Beach Street that was brought in here a few hours ago."

The poor nurse cowered under the harshness of the agent's tone. "Sir, please remain calm. I'm sorry but if you aren't a member of her family I'm afraid I can't let you into her room."

Vincent smiled and whistled down to them. The nurse stared at him wild-eyed and pleading. "Its okay miss. He is with me." Pendergast stalked down the hall, his suit coat billowing behind him. He slipped into the room, shutting the door tightly behind him. "Jesus Christ, what is that smell?"

Pendergast ignored Vincent's remark, staring at Iris' body. "How is she?"

Vincent resumed his place in his chair. "Fine. She should wake up anytime now. I'm more worried about you at this point. You are acting weird. Its not like you to rush in like a hurricane with someone you barely just met."

Pendergast swept his gaze to his friend, worry quickly disappearing for a more neutral gaze. "I apologize for my actions. I did not mean to startle you."

Vincent laughed. "No need for that. I thought she was with you earlier today. So what happened?"

Pendergast took up the other chair in the room, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees. "She was. After we had a late lunch she told me she wanted to walk home, to enjoy the warm air. I should have been more forceful in assuring her safety by taking her home. I regret this may be my fault."

"Nonsense, she made the choice to walk home. Besides she didn't know that a maniac was going to be in an alley."

Pendergast returned his gaze to the sleeping woman. "Still, I promised her that I would protect her while we are forced to work together and I failed in that regard."

"Idiot." A whispered word from the hospital bed.

Both men stood and met the emerald gaze of the patient. Vincent smiled, "You're awake. Wait who's an idiot?"

Iris tried to lift her broken arm, when it failed she used her non-broken one. "That sexy undertaker over there."

Pendergast felt a slight heat to his cheeks. Vincent laughed loudly. "It appears, my dear Vincent, that someone is still under the influence of strong narcotics."

"You're damn right." she smiled at Pendergast and closed her eyes. After a few quiet moments she opened her eyes again, they were clear and focused. "I hurt all over..." She looked at Pendergast and then back to Vincent. "Did your boys get him?"

Vincent shook his head. "No, he apparently ran away as soon as he saw the flashing lights."

"That's a shame." Iris suddenly bolted straight up. Her eyes were wild before she cried out in extreme pain at the movement of her limbs.

Pendergast quickly came forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. She screamed again at his touch. Curiously he pulled the hospital gown to the side and saw the bandage on her shoulder. He gently helped her to lay back down. "Rest, Miss Iris. You have suffered much."

Vincent stepped closer to her bedside, pulling out his notepad. "You have a broken right arm. A fracture in your left leg from what appears to be a stab wound, the doctor said you can put weight on it but you would need to try to take it easy. There also appeared to be a large animal bite on your left shoulder that I took a DNA sample from so hopefully we can get something. Do you remember what happened?"

Iris grasped Pendergast's hand, her eyes locking with his. "The boy? What happened to the boy?"

The agent narrowed his eyes. "Boy?"

"There was a child in the alley. I stopped to help him because I thought he was lost but that _thing_ was there." She looked over to Vincent, her eyes wild.

Vincent pulled out his notes from the scene. "There was no evidence of a child there. He must have taken the boy with him when he ran."

Iris breathed deep and hung her head. "Oh no."

Pendergast squeezed the hand that was still clutching his. Iris pulled her hand violently from his and wiped tears from her eyes. "Tell us what you remember."

Iris took a deep breath before going over the events of the time after she left Pendergast. "I don't remember the police showing up or being brought here."

Vincent wrote every word she said down. "Do you remember anything else about his appearance besides the demon mask and animal skin cape?"

Iris closed her eyes. Her left hand tightened on the blankets. "He was about as tall as Special Agent Pendergast. I couldn't see his eyes because of the mask, even when he was on top of me. Underneath the cloak was a tight black shirt and pants, with a holster holding a variety of knifes. Before his teeth bit into me I saw that they were metal, implants I think. He was probably about 250lbs, give or take, and his scent was unmistakeable."

Vincent stopped writing and looked at Pendergast. The agent returned his gaze briefly. "Six foot, five inches." His eyes returned to the young woman. "What did he smell like?"

She stared into the agent's silver eyes. "Sickeningly sweet, like a dessert that is overly sugared and covered in frosting. And there was a scar on his face."

Both men seemed to move closer to Iris. Vincent handed her his notepad and pen. "Can you sketch it for me?"

Iris looked at him and a sad smile graced her bruised and cut face. "Unfortunately my right arm is my dominant writing hand."

Pendergast took the notepad and pen. Carefully, he perched himself on the hospital bed next to Iris. The movement was quick and fluid, causing no shift on the mattress to cause disruption or discomfort for the woman. "Describe it to me and I will draw."

Iris leaned forward, her face almost touching the agent's arm so she could look over his shoulder. "Well his chin was round and he did have slightly puffy cheeks, like he didn't completely lose all his baby fat." Pendergast began to scribble the bottom portion of a face. Iris pointed to the right cheek. "The scar was here. It kind of looked like a circle with an 'X' going through it but it had an added line in the center of the 'X'." Iris watched him draw, but before the pen touched the paper to make the added line she said, "Wait not like that. I was horizontal over the 'X', not vertical. Yeah that's right."

Pendergast showed the drawing to Vincent. "That is certainly unmistakeable. I'm going to give this drawing to all the media outlets. Don't worry Iris, we will get this bastard."

After Vincent left did Pendergast return to his chair. Iris looked down at her injured arm. "Agent Pendergast, I'm sorry I called you an idiot and for the sexy comment."

Pendergast returned her medical chart to the front of the bed after reading over it. "There is no need to apologize Miss Iris. You were not yourself."

"I meant it you know."

"I'm flattered."

Iris giggled. "Not that, the other thing. You are an idiot. It wasn't your fault at all. I wanted to walk home and I was stupid enough to go down a dark alley after a kid."

"That is quite enough Miss Iris. The past cannot be changed so we need not dwell on it. According to your charts, you will be released tomorrow." Pendergast stood and bowed slightly. "I will be here in the morning to take you home."

Iris smiled then scrunched her face up. The rush of air from the door to her room opening brought with it a noxious odor. "Hey Agent Pendergast?"

He turned from the open door and looked back at her. "Please call me Pendergast or just Aloysius."

"Alright, Aloysius. What is that awful smell?"

"The sin of Gluttony my friend." Pendergast slipped from the door, leaving Iris alone. A nurse came in later to administer another round of pain killers and Iris quickly slipped into unconsciousness.

Iris awoke the next morning to her door latching shut. Pendergast stood at the foot of the bed, silently towering over the quiet room. When she stirred from her slumber and sat up, he raised a bag in his hand. "Good morning Miss Iris. I brought you breakfast."

Iris smiled and accepted the bag. Making due the best she could with her non-dominant hand, she took out the small box and opened it. A delectable looking omelet and sliced fruit assaulted her gaze and her stomach growled loudly. "Yummy, thank you so much." She took a few bites and her eyes lit up. "Where did you get this?"

"My kitchen." Pendergast sat next to the bed, crossing his legs and laying a file on his lap.

"You made this?" He nodded, and she continued. "I'm impressed. Is that the file on last night's victim?"

Pendergast nodded. "I figured you may have wanted to look at it." Iris extended her hand for the file. "You may want to wait until you have finished your meal."

Iris smiled, "Its alright. After the first victim I think I can handle anything." Pendergast extended his thin hand containing the file. With difficultly Iris balanced it on her knee and opened the manila folder. She skimmed down the pages. "So that is what you met by gluttony. I am honestly glad I wasn't there for the explosion, I am pretty sure I would have lost my stomach." Iris flipped through the pictures and then the pages of the report. She finished her omelet and Pendergast packed the dishes back into his bag. "The way the body was flayed and then fed to this Donald Umber, it makes me believe even more that we are dealing with a medical professional. The medical examiner says that the fingers where eaten by the victim before his death as well as his stomach cavity being filled with rotten foods and the skin that was apparently regurgitated by the victim...while he was still alive." Iris fell silent as she read on. "He is very skilled, possibly currently or in the past was a surgeon. He knows these victims. All the tortures and positioning of the body is...intimate."

Iris returned the file to the FBI agent and he nodded. "A very enlightening look into his profile, Miss Iris." Pendergast pulled out his vibrating phone and answered it. A dark look fell over his features, "I understand."

Iris looked at him, worry and apprehension spreading on her face. "Is there another victim? Did they find the boy?"

Pendergast shook his head. A nurse came in and had Iris sign discharge paperwork. She unhooked the various IV lines from Iris' arm and left. Pendergast continued when the woman left. "Jack Doughter would like to have a meeting with us as soon as we leave the hospital."

Iris hung her head and sighed. "I don't have any clothes to wear. They confiscated my dress from last night."

Pendergast pulled a small bag from behind his back and placed it beside her on the bed. "I took the liberty of going by your apartment and retrieving some clothes for you."

Iris smiled and opened the bag. A dark blush crept onto her cheeks as she pulled out a pair of black lace panties, "You went through my underwear drawer?"

Pendergast cleared his throat. "Regretfully, I assumed you would want some undergarments to wear."

"I hope you didn't dig to deep for these."

A very light blush appeared on the agent's pale face. "I assure you that I did not. Believe it or not I am not a typical male; I try to remain professional at all times. I will step outside and give you privacy to change."

As Pendergast was reaching for the door handle, Iris spoke quietly, "Um...Do you mind helping me? It is going to be kinda hard to dress with only one arm and having to balance on one leg."

His body straightened and he stood rigidly. "Would you not rather have a nurse help you?"

"I don't want to take them away from their work and besides I am pretty sure you have seen a good deal of naked women in your time. Not to say you are a...never mind. I trust you to be a gentleman. After all you did say that you were raised to be one, right?"

Pendergast sighed softly and flipped the lock on the door. "Alright, Miss Iris. If you request my assistance."

Iris sat on the side of the bed. She took the black panties from the bag again, and with Pendergast's help, managed to get them over the bandages on her leg, having found it impossible to behind her knee, and up onto her hips. She couldn't help but notice that he would avoid touching her skin and looking at her at all possible. He would simply follow any directions she gave him. Iris reached into the bag and pulled on a black skirt that would end halfway up her thighs. The material was loose and would allow her ample room to maneuver her injured leg. "Alright turn around please." Pendergast complied. "No peeking."

Pendergast chuckled softly. "I would never think about peeking unless it was requested, Miss Iris."

Iris blushed darkly at his statement. "Requested?"

Pendergast cleared his throat. "I misspoke, my apologizes."

Iris shook her head in amusement at his obvious discomfort. _'At least I'm not alone in this.'_ She pulled the matching black lace bra from the bag and pulled it onto her body after dropping the hospital gown. When she had the cups positioned on her breasts she said, "Can you clasp my bra please?" Pendergast slowly turned around, going around the bed to her back, and very gently clasped the back of the bra. Iris gasped softly as his fingers brushed a part of the scar on her back. Iris touched her shoulder and shifted uncomfortably.

Pendergast gently traced the designs on her back. He stopped when a soft sob escaped her lips. "I am sorry Miss Iris. I was entranced at the detail of the scarring and fear that I have overstepped a boundary."

Iris quickly grabbed the silver long sleeve shirt in the bag and tried desperately to pull it onto her torso. "Its okay, that is all in the past. I just hate for people to have to see the ugliness of it. The scars are surprisingly sensitive to the touch too."

Pendergast came around to the side of the bed she was sitting. His fingers very gently wrapped around her chin and brought her face up so her eyes were staring into his. "You are a beautiful woman Miss Iris. With or without the scars, that will never change. You should never let the opinions of others control your life."

Iris stared into the silver eyes of the federal agent. "Thank you Mr. Pendergast. I will keep that in mind." Iris pulled her face from his hand and the agent stepped back.

"Shall we go and meet Agent Doughter now?" Pendergast asked, motioning to the door.


	4. Chapter 4

The secretary ushered Agent Pendergast and Dr. Iris Denali into Agent Doughter's office as soon as they entered the building. Doughter hung up the phone he was speaking loudly into as soon as he caught sight of the duo. Taking a handkerchief from his suit pocket, he dabbed at the heavy sweat on his brow. "Take a seat," he growled.

Agent Pendergast and Iris sat in the wooden chairs across from Jack. Iris stared into the man's round face. _'He is not happy; of course he wouldn't be.'_ Iris sighed and pulled her skirt down and smoothed it. When she looked back up, Jack quickly drew his eyes away from her body. Stealing a glance to Agent Pendergast, she saw that he was openly glaring at the higher up.

Jack sighed and took a swig of his water before speaking. "What happened?" He pointed a fat finger at Pendergast. "You were responsible for her safety!"

Iris sat up in her chair and before the agent could respond she cleared her throat. "Jack this isn't his fault."

"Explain." Jack turned his heated eyes to her.

Iris tried to smile though from the look on Jack's face he was not going to be persuaded to being calmed. "Agent Pendergast and myself were on the scene of a murder earlier in the day. After things were wrapped up there we went to a cafe' for a late lunch or early dinner. Agent Pendergast offered to take me home but I declined. I told him I would rather walk since it was a nice night."

Jack held up a hand for her silence. "You declined? Agent Pendergast I gave you explicit instructions that Iris Denali is not to leave your sight so long as she is assigned to you."

Agent Pendergast folded one of his long legs over the other and rested his hands on his knee. "I can hardly force her into doing something after she has declined."

"Of course you can!"

Pendergast narrowed his eyes and when he spoke, the normal honeyed drawl was completely replaced with a dangerous, cold growl. "She is an adult and can make her own choices not a slave that you order around."

Jack chuckled softly. "Right." His eyes turned back to Iris. "I received notification of your accident the night it happened. I have been trying to get in contact with your phone ever since. Tell me you aren't that stupid to decline a ride home and be without a line of communication. I thought you were supposed to be a genius."

Iris clenched her teeth but before she could speak Pendergast stood. His tall frame towered menacingly over the fat agent. "You will disrespect a woman in front of me Jack."

"Where is my purse?" Iris whispered.

Both Pendergast and Doughter looked back at her sudden question. Pendergast was the first to speak. "The officer's at the scene of your attack said nothing about a purse being left behind."

Jack was flipping through a case file. "The evidence list doesn't list a purse. Are you even sure you had it with you that day?"

Iris held her left hand to her heart trying to stop its furious beating. Her breathing quickened as tears of panic threatened to spill from her eyes. Pendergast knelt in front of her and took her hand in his. He whispered softly, "What is it Dr. Denali?"

Iris looked into the silver eyes of the Agent. "I know I had my purse. Remember I put your mobile number in my bag after you gave it to me?"

Pendergast's eyes widened slowly before he stood abruptly. He continued to hold onto her hand and Iris was glad of the comforting touch for the first time in her life. "Jack we have bigger issues than who is at fault for her being left alone."

Doughter lifted his brow and shook his head. "What is it?"

Iris pulled her hand from Pendergast as her heart beat slowed down. The agent returned to his seat and watched her closely. "My wallet and cell phone were in that purse. If the Reaper took it then that means he will know where I live, my name, my social, and the pictures on my cell phone."

Jack nodded his head. "So he can potentially find you and kill you because you might be able to tell who he is."

Pendergast closed his eyes in thought. "We will need to move Dr. Denali into a witness protection program and pull her from the case."

Doughter slammed his hands on the desk. The sudden noise caused Iris to jump. "Absolutely not! Iris is still to watch your ass in the field. If you think I trust you after failing to protect her then you are sadly mistaken."

Iris scoffed. "Jack, there is nothing wrong with Agent Pendergast. A close member of his family died. You would have known that if you took the time to read my report. Whatever 'personality changes' you think he is going through is normal for the grieving process. I don't need to watch him like he is a child."

Doughter pointed his finger at her. "You will do as you are told. Do you forget you are supposed to be helping him nail this bastard?"

"He doesn't need me. I'm not a field agent or a detective! What help could I poss..."

"You are to help them profile and catch this mother fucker!" he screamed. Agent Pendergast went to move but Jack held out his hand to him. "Before you say anything, need I remind you of this desperate situation? We have nothing, zero, to go on. He doesn't leave any trace of himself behind other than what he wants us to find. We have no suspects. There are no connections between the people he has killed. There were no leads until the bitch sitting right there decides to waltz down an alley and run into the fucker! Now you will do as you are told to do Iris or what I discussed with you earlier will become your new reality!" Jack was standing as his anger continued to swell.

Iris was too in shock to say anything. Pendergast had jumped to his feet as Jack had finished his rant and was holding the fat hand by his throat. "I will tell you one last time to calm yourself. I understand tempers are high but that is no excuse to take your anger out on Miss Iris." Pendergast released the man and straightened his suit before returning to his seat.

Iris glanced at him before returning to Jack. Jack rubbed his neck and glared at Pendergast. "Do not let her fool you Agent. There is more to her than you will ever know." A silence filled the room as both Doughter and Pendergast let their anger calm itself. Iris stared down at her cast, deep in thought. After a good twenty minutes did Jack sigh heavily. "I apologize Iris for my outburst. Anger management was never my strong point as you know."

Iris nodded. "It is alright. I know that you must be under extreme pressure about catching the killer and with nothing to go on I can easily see how you must be on edge."

Silence resumed as Jack nodded. "Unfortunately I can not send you into witness protection."

Pendergast softly spoke, his voice like a dagger. "Why not?"

"Iris may be the only person in New York to be able to identify this psycho." Doughter clenched his jaw again then suddenly smiled. "So instead I will give you one more chance Agent Pendergast."

Pendergast's eyes narrowed warningly. "At what?"

Doughter leaned back in his chair as it groaned loudly. "You will ensure Iris' protection. She will move in under your roof so that her person is under constant surveillance. I will pose another agent at her house to make sure that if the killer does decide to seek her out, we may be able to catch this bastard. Iris will continue your therapy and assisting in the profile of the killer in the mean time."

Pendergast went rigid. "No," was all that slipped from his mouth.

Doughter's smile only widened. "You will have no choice. Agent Pendergast you are fully capable of protecting our good doctor, should you follow orders, until our killer is apprehended. I see no problem in this solution unless for some reason you think our killer has gotten a hold of your name and location?"

Pendergast was silent for a few seconds. "No."

"No what?"

"There is no way he would have gotten my name or location. The paper I gave Dr. Denali with my mobile phone number on it did not contain anything other than a number that goes to an untraceable phone. Unless she herself had my name written on anything in her belongings then there is nothing to worry about."

Both agents looked at Iris. She could feel her anger beginning to boil over and so far she was doing a good job at keeping herself from saying something she would regret. "There was nothing about Agent Pendergast in my purse." Iris took a deep breath before speaking again. "Can I speak to you in private Agent Doughter."

Doughter looked to Pendergast. "I expect you to have Iris moved into your home by later this evening. I will hear no more complaints on the matter or heads will roll. I also expect that you and Iris are back on this case and out there tracking down our killer before things get even more out of hand. This is your last chance to prove to me that you are a capable agent and not the piece of shit I think you are. Dismissed Special Agent Pendergast."

Pendergast stood and with one final glance at Doughter, stalked from the room. When the door slammed behind him, Doughter waved his hand inviting Iris to speak. "Jack I am not comfortable doing this."

"Staying with that man or being on this case? Either way you have no choice."

"Please Jack, you know I don't need protecting. I can handle myself if that thing comes after me."

Jack held his hand up for her silence. "Iris, my dear girl, I know you are capable of fending for yourself and I have never doubted that. The way I see it is that with your injuries you will need the extra help. Pendergast is not easy to get along with, as you can plainly see, but I am fairly certain he will not fail in protecting you again. Think of this as a vacation."

Iris was quiet for a few minutes. "You are right. With my broken arm I am more vulnerable. When I heal I will return home."

Jack shook his head. "You will stay with Pendergast until The Reaper is caught. While you are in his care I want you to look for anything in his house that I can use against him."

"Use against him? For what?"

"I want his slimy ass to rot in prison. You will stay with him; you will do whatever it takes to nail him with something illegal or I could use your other talents..."

Iris glared at Jack. "I will never do that."

Doughter laughed. "I won't ask you to kill him Iris. I just need something, drugs or maybe an illegal connection to New York's underbelly. Just make sure he is unaware of your actions or that will give me even more reason to have you locked up. Now get out of my sight."

Iris clenched her jaw and stood up. "You are already locking me away and he is my jailer."

"Do not think of it like that Iris. I will expect you to be on your best behavior." Doughter waved her away.

Iris quietly closed his office door and jumped slightly as Agent Pendergast was standing a few inches from her. His eyes narrowed and he spoke softly. "Proctor is waiting for us outside your house."

Iris followed him quietly back to the car. Once they were safely inside the small confines of the luxury vehicle did Iris look back at the agent. Pendergast was breathing harder than normal and his hands were gripping the steering wheel, the knuckles pure white. Iris looked down at the floorboard and spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry about all of this."

"It is not your fault." Pendergast pulled the car off the highway and onto a small deserted street. Iris looked around nervously. "Did he hurt you?"

She looked over at the agent in shock. "Jack? No, I don't think he would."

Pendergast stared out of the front windshield, his jaw set. "What did he mean?"

Iris looked at the agent in confusion. "About what?"

Pendergast sharply turned to Iris and grasped her shoulders. Iris screamed in surprise at the agent's sudden actions and hard grasp. "What did he mean when he said that what he spoke to you about would become a reality?"

Iris felt her heart beating faster as a familiar panic swelled within her. She tried to get further away from his strong hands but couldn't reach the door's handle with her left hand. "Please Agent Pendergast, you're hurting me!"

Pendergast's eyes widened slightly in shock at his actions and he immediately released her. Iris looked down at her lap, the tears quietly falling. "I am sorry Miss Iris. I could not control my anger, please forgive me."

Iris nodded softly and wiped her face. _'Damn, I need to get control of myself if I am going to come out of this alive.'_

Pendergast was silent for a few minutes. "What did he mean?" he asked softly this time.

Iris looked up at him and sighed. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

"Did he threaten you or blackmail you?"

Iris looked at the man, meeting his soft but penetrating gaze. _'Should I trust him? Can he even help?' _She closed her eyes tightly and the words just fell from her mouth. "What happened between you and Jack? Why does he hate you?"

It was Pendergast's turn to sigh softly. "A while back I was forced to kill his brother. He was trying to hide his brother's involvement in my case but when I refused to play along and had to kill him, Jack lost his mind. Out of respect I did not take Jack in for tampering but that has not stopped him from trying to get back at me ever since."

A long silence fell between them as a train rattled on a bridge overhead. Iris was quiet when she spoke, "He wants me to spy on you. He is hoping that I can pin something on you so you go to prison."

Pendergast gazed at Iris in mild shock. _'I thought so but why tell me?'_ He stretched a hand out hoping to turn her face to him so he could look into those deep emerald eyes but Iris recoiled from him. He balled his hand into a fist and withdrew it. "I see. I need your help, Dr. Denali."

Iris finally looked to him, her voice even and neutral. "With what?"

Pendergast sighed and gazed out of his driver's window. The expression in his eyes was far away. "I was once able to control my emotions and actions a lot better than I can today. I need your help in returning to that so I can once again become myself and the agent I was. It seems my wife's murder took more from me than I previously thought. I would welcome you into my home with open arms if you will help me with this." Iris said nothing, momentarily stunned. When she did not respond, he continued. "I do not know what Jack is trying to do to you but if there is anything I can do to help I want you to ask me. I will do everything in my power to protect you from that man as repentance for my actions against you just now. " Pendergast slipped the car back into drive and headed towards her house.

Iris was silent as she contemplated his words. The entire ride to her home was quiet and when they pulled up Iris caught sight of someone standing on the stoop of her front door. He was a well built man and hid his eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses. Leaning against her front door did nothing to hide the height and width of the man's shoulders. Iris thought he could easily be a football player but knew that if he sat foot on a field he may wind up killing someone. It was in fact easy to tell that this man was dangerous and, for a second, Iris felt her heart stop.

Pendergast stopped the car and got out without Iris noticing. When her door was opened did she finally tear her eyes from the Goliath at her door. Pendergast softly chuckled at her expression. "That is Proctor, there is no need to worry over him. He is...relativity harmless unless provoked."

"Is he your bodyguard or something?" Iris asked as Pendergast helped her from the vehicle and they approached the house.

Proctor and Pendergast shook hands when they approached. "Not at all. Proctor is my chauffeur and butler at times."

Iris melted her face into a neutral expression as the man slightly bowed to her but said nothing. She caught a quick glimpse of the butt of a gun when his jacket was shifted. She whispered to herself, "That I doubt." Pendergast had a small smile on his face as if he had heard her words.

The two men followed her into the house silently. Iris went immediately to her room and into her walk in closet. After slipping on the light Iris reached up to try to pull down the black suitcases that rested on a high shelf. She screamed softly as her injured leg gave out from her standing on her toes and fell to the side. Strong arms caught her and pulled her tightly to a warm chest. Iris looked up and into a pair of silver eyes. She never heard him follow her into the closet. Pendergast laughed gently as he helped her to her feet. "Please allow me to help you. The black ones right?"

_'How did I not hear him? I thought he stayed in the office with Proctor. He was so quiet; this might be an issue.' _Iris blushed darkly, thankful that Pendergast was busy pulling down the suitcases. She mastered her face before he turned around with the last case. "Do you mind going to guest room and getting the large, hard case that is on the floor in there? Oh and its heavy so watch out."

Pendergast nodded his head and disappeared. She heard the guest room door open. When he returned a few minutes later Iris was finishing up stuffing her bags with her clothes. She picked up the smallest of the bags and was filling it with her toiletries as he entered into her small bathroom. He looked around at the dark marble, then took the filled bag from her. They retreated into the bedroom, Proctor taking the large bags out of the room. Iris looked around one more time. "I think I have everything from in here. Except..." Iris trailed off as she tried to use her body, her back against the wood, to push a large, heavy dresser aside.

Pendergast came up to her and placed his hands on either side of her head, leaning down slightly so that he could use his legs as leverage, and pushed. After a few minutes the dresser moved enough to reveal a medium safe. Pendergast lingered infront of her, staring into her eyes. Iris said nothing as she returned his stare evenly. Her heart beat wildly as his head slowly came closer. He stopped only a few centimeters from her face, his light breath brushing against her lips. Iris felt a heat rise in her cheeks at his closeness. Her mind was screaming to get away but she was trapped in between his strong arms. Something cleared its throat to their left and Iris was never happier to see a brute of a man in her doorway. Pendergast slowly stood straight but never let his eyes leave her face. "You are dehydrated. When we leave here we will have to stop and get you some nourishment."

Pendergast sat on the edge of the bed and crossed his long legs. His arms were crossed over his chest. Proctor excused himself, leaving the room silently since there was nothing left for him to move. Iris was still frozen to her spot for a few more moments before turning her back to the agent. "How do you know?" she asked.

"Your eyes are slightly sunken in," was his simple remark.

Iris chuckled softly at her embarrassment at the sudden closeness and unneeded panic. The safe popped open after she input her code. Taking a small bag from the top drawer of her dresser she stuffed the money and various small electronics into her bag. _'I might need these.'_ she thought. She sealed the bag and carefully placed the strap over her shoulder so the bag rested on her back. Then her eyes fell to the black violin case on the top shelf of the safe. After a few moments she removed the instrument and sealed the door. Pendergast stood and pushed the dresser back into place.

His eyes fell to the case in her left hand. "Do you play?"

Iris smiled softly. "I used to all the time but I haven't for quite a while. It holds a lot of memories and since I might be away for a long time, I figured I would bring it."

Pendergast smiled and nodded. "Are you ready?" Iris nodded and followed the agent from her room. Once down in her office, her eyes met with a new face. A slim woman in a dark pants suit was sitting at her desk staring around the office. Proctor was in front of the door, his hands clasped behind his back. Pendergast extended a hand to the woman. "Ah, Agent Wilson if I remember correctly. You will find a guest bedroom upstairs and to the right. Her kitchen is fully stocked and I would hope that you know to take care of the belongings that are left here."

The agent smiled and nodded. "Of course sir. I will take great care of Dr. Denali's private home. Hopefully you will be able to end this case quickly."

Iris handed the woman a spare key and told her a few things about the home. Once that she was settled in did the small group leave. Proctor slid into the packed Rolls and drove away. Iris knitted her brows in confusion when he did not wait for them to get into the vehicle. "Are we not leaving with him?"

Pendergast shook his head and pointed to her drive. "There is no sense as he brought a spare car of mine. Your vehicle of course will need to remain here as it will look as if you are home." Pendergast opened the side door of the black Lexus RC. Iris slid gently into the new car, placing the violin case onto the back seat and her bag behind the driver's seat. Pendergast took the driver's seat and furrowed his brows at her bewildered expression. "Is there something the matter?"

Iris smirked, "I didn't realize the FBI paid so well."

Pendergast chuckled softly. "I inherited a small fortune from my family. This one is relatively new." He started the car, revving the engine, and pulling into traffic. "A new friend I met in Kansas told me that I needed to update my style. Apparently I am a little old school." He laughed softly, the car gaining speed on the highway.

Iris shook her head. "I like old school, it is predictable."

"You will find I am anything but predictable Dr. Denali."

"So I have noticed. Will Proctor be joining us for dinner?"

Pendergast pulled off the highway, coming to a stop at a light. "I'm afraid not. Proctor will return to the house and unload your belongings. He likes to keep to himself you'll learn."

Iris nodded while looking out the side window. They were passing by Beach Street. The sight of the alley caused Iris to involuntarily shutter. The motion was not lost to the ever observant agent. Iris tensed further when a soft hand was gently placed on her thigh. She breathed deeply and stared down at the pale hand. "I am quite alright Agent Pendergast. Just remembering his smell again and..."

His hand patted her leg gently before returning to the steering wheel. "Try not to think about it. I will find him and he will pay for the wrongs he has committed."

Iris tried to smile but failed as the memories of Logan Briar crept into her mind. Fifteen minutes later they pulled up to a small restaurant. Pendergast helped her from the vehicle and handed his keys to the valet at the curb. The eager young man jumped into his expensive car and slowly pulled away. They ate in silence. When they finally returned to the car Iris was determined to clear her thoughts. Pendergast started the car and drove on towards what Iris was sure his home. She sighed, taking in a deep breath. "He wants to send me to Guantanamo Bay."

Pendergast slammed on the brakes in surprise causing Iris to lurch forward suddenly. An angry honking came from behind the car. He quickly slipped off the road and onto a street familiar to Iris from her old nighttime, I have to clear my head, drives. Riverside Drive. Pendergast slipped the car into park before staring intently at Iris. She avoided his gaze choosing to stare directly ahead of the car. Pendergast tightened his grip on the steering wheel and gear shift. "Jack Doughter?"

Iris nodded. "I did some bad things when I was younger and Jack got me out of some trouble. He threatened that if I didn't help you with this case and then spy on you that he would send me there for life." Pendergast clenched his jaw tightly, his eyes narrowing into slits. "He knows that I have no choice but to help him if I want to keep my freedom. So..."

"Stop talking." Iris quickly shot her eyes to the agent. The anger was clearly evident on his face. His eyes were closed and he was barely breathing. Once his anger had abated did he return his emotionless silver eyes to her emerald ones. "So he is blackmailing you?"

Iris nodded again, her gaze becoming soft. "If he found out I am telling you this he would find a way to make me disappear but I feel like I can trust you. That maybe you can stop him."

Pendergast pulled the car slowly into a drive and under a porte-cochère. Iris swept her eyes over her surroundings as she stepped from the car. The front yard that surrounded them was overgrown and unkept. Her eyes fell to the beaux arts mansion that they pulled up to. The front of the building was mostly boared up and appeared to be abandoned, but the beauty of the building was not hidden by this. Iris was slightly taken aback at the size of the home. Pendergast led her up into the front door. The hall they walked in and rooms they passed were all darkened but Iris could still see the richness of the items and furniture within. Trully this was a gem of a home with an exterior to scare away would be theives.

Pendergast led her into a large library with a roaring fire. He motioned her into one of the large wing chairs in front of the fire as he took a seat on the couch in front of her. He unbuttoned his suit coat, revealing a crisp and perfect white shirt. Throwing one leg over the other he gazed at Iris. The silver eyes of the man caused Iris to feel a tingling in her stomach but she pushed the feeling aside. "I will not pry into anything if you refuse to tell me certain things but in order to help you I will need to know about what you would have done to be in danger of going to that prison."

Iris was quiet for a long while. Pendergast waited patiently but his eyes never left her. Iris locked her emerald eyes on him, challenging his own piercing stare. "When I was sixteen I ran into a bad group of people that seeked to use my brain against the government. I was made to hack into military bases and databanks in search of nuclear secrets. I helped them to start making a bomb that they wanted to use against the nation. They then took me to another man in California that used me for the selling of government assets to international countries. When I was with him I learned that the prior group was stopped and I believe they were all killed and the bomb was destroyed but I'm not sure about all of that. Anyway, on my seventeenth birthday they were tricked into meeting with a federal agent who took them down. Jack was that agent and he found me. He pulled me out of there by saying I was a prisoner when in reality I knew what I was doing. Ever since he has steered me into being a therapist for serial killers and such. When he wants something done that I am capable of he normally pulls this prison camp card and I comply." When Iris finished, Agent Pendergast remained silent staring into her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

The library was filled with an increasingly uncomfortable silence as Agent Pendergast and Iris sat in the darkened library. The fire was quickly dying in the hearth. Iris shifted in the plush wing chair, trying to throw her mind onto anything but the silent man in front of her. Her tears could not be restrained any longer. _'I told him what happened and now he is just going to help Jack or use me like Jack has. I am so stupid. Why didn't I just listen to what I was taught! Never trust anyone unless they are family. Never reveal your secrets to anyone that can potentially harm you. Never allow anyone to box you in. Never get in a situation you cannot get out of. Never trust outsiders!' _Iris leaned forward in the chair, her arms resting on her knees as she cried softly into her hands. _'Why did I feel the need to trust this man? What good has ever come of that in the past? I just wanted to...change. I don't want to be alone anymore in this.'_

Suddenly Iris felt a warm hand on her shoulder. After a few minutes the warm hand moved to her arm, pulling her to her feet. Iris tensed her whole body, preparing for the attack to come. With a broken arm and weakened leg she could hardly fight him off. But an attack never came. Instead warm and strong arms wrapped around her. Pendergast pulled her into a tight embrace, his body just as tense as her own. He rubbed her back softly for a few moments before pulling away and backing a few steps from her. Pendergast cleared his throat, his eyes showing an emotionless gaze. "There is no need to cry Miss Iris."

Iris couldn't stop the words falling from her mouth. "I am frightened."

"What are you frightened of? Jack?"

Iris shook her head. "You."

Shock was clear in Pendergast's eyes for a brief second before it disappeared. "Why are you frightened of me?"

Iris looked at the dying embers. "You could easily do what Jack has in the past now that you know about my history. I was so stupid to even say anything about it. Now I am even more weakened. I can hardly fight anything in my physical condition and now I have the potential for two agents to further control me."

Pendergast was silent as he listened to her soft voice. "It takes great strength to trust someone that you do not know. You are far from stupid Miss Iris, I could tell that the first night I met you."

"Strength? I just gave you everything that you will ever need to put me under your heel and grind me into the carpet. I trusted Jack Doughter foolishly once and you can see where that has gotten me. I have been attacked by now two serial killers hell bent on my death without being able to defend myself. When I trust in people it just blows up in my face."

Pendergast held out his hand calmly and Iris immediately quieted. "Miss Iris, I am not going to hurt you or hold anything that you have told me against you. I believe firmly that we all have done things we have regretted in the past and I am no different in that regard. Please calm yourself, I have a few questions for you. I only want to help you get away from this situation so that no one can hold it over your head again."

Iris took a few deep breaths, willing herself to return to the serene state of mind that she had mastered in her younger days. The past few years with Jack Doughter and Logan Briar's attack had taken its toll on her and Pendergast's intense stare brought that to the surface. When her eyes returned to the man in front of her they were darkened and cold, all emotion completely being mastered. Her voice came out even. "Ask your questions Special Agent Pendergast."

Pendergast nodded and returned to his seat, throwing one long leg over the other. His arms stretched out over the back of the sofa. "You said that Agent Doughter holds this over your head in order to control your actions. What does he make you do?"

Iris remained standing, her weight bearing on her uninjured leg. "He has in the past made me clear patients for release when they were still a danger to the public. I have also been responsible for the dismissal of countless agents and federal employees who have stood in the way of his ambitions. I have also been forced to do sexual favors for him, though I cannot say I am so proud of that."

Pendergast was stunned into silence for a few minutes trying to soak in her words. "Did you never try to stop him?"

Iris smiled darkly. "I did once and he did stop. It seemed the knife to his genitals got his attention. Though the next day he had me frisked before entering his office and my protection was taken from me. I tried to fight him hand to hand but he was ready with a fast acting paralyzing agent. He took what he wanted that day. From then on he would always be ready with that needle so to save myself the feeling of helplessness as well as the violation of the entire act, I would simply comply and get it over with."

Iris watched as Pendergast clenched his fists tightly. "Why were you left in your office alone with Logan Briar? Were the officers outside the door supposed to be present in the room?"

Iris narrowed her eyes. "That was Jack's doing. I had started to become uncooperative towards his actions and commands. He was hoping that Briar would finish the job and no one would be the wiser. Where do you think that animal got the sedative to stop me from fighting back. Jack underestimated my _will_ to live I suppose."

Pendergast raised one of his eyebrows. "I read the police report and was surprised that you were able to do the damage you did in the condition you were in."

"How did you get the report?"

"I have my sources. It was extremely well hidden though and I would be honored to meet the person responsible for that. They are talented indeed."

"I did my best."

"Yet another thing you were taught by your father?"

Iris felt her heart stop momentarily though she did not allow the shock to spread to her features. "My father taught me a lot of things but..."

"You are under my roof and my protection now. I would think that you would stop telling me half truths since I am willing to help you reach your freedom from Doughter. I know about your history on your father's compound, at least what was detailed in the police report. I know of your grandparents and brother. I even know a little about the training you received though I am surprised you were taught hacking and computer skills." Pendergast stood, towering over the smaller woman. Iris held her ground and did not alter her stare or demeanor. "I realize you are capable of protecting yourself but while you are injured and under my watch I will ask that you remain docile and cooperative. Put your faith and trust in me to take care of Doughter so that he can never bother you again. Also I will take down our Reaper and I do not want you to put yourself in that animal's path again. Vengeance will get you nothing but more pain and torment."

Iris crossed her arms over her chest. "I will do my best to respect your wishes."

He motioned to the door of the library and Iris followed him through the halls. Pendergast climbed the stairs beside her, one hand barely touching the small of her back in case she should loose balance. "I wish that you will be comfortable here and expect that you will make yourself at home. Proctor will call you when dinner is prepared and we eat in the dining room across from the library together. While you are here I will ask that you stay in the house at all times unless escorted by myself or Proctor."

"The backyard?"

"Even there. At no time do I want you to leave the confines of this house without someone." Pendergast led her down a dark hall on the second landing. "Some of the doors you will find are locked and I will kindly ask that they are left alone. Of course you may explore any of the opened doors just please be wary of touching things that you may not know what they are. There are some dangerous items in some of the rooms but I do believe most of those items are in locked cases. One more thing, stay out of basement. It is far too dangerous down there." They walked further down the hall and Pendergast stopped before a door. "This will be your room. Feel free to ask for anything to be changed if you feel that the room is not comfortable enough. My own room is at the end of the hall, only four doors away if you should need me and cannot find me elsewhere."

"And Proctor?"

Pendergast reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a small cell phone. "My personal number and Proctor's are located in this phone. Should you need him, please call him. Proctor has a room on the ground floor but requests that you do not seek his room out. Call him and he will come to your room or where ever you should need his assistance."

The door to her room was opened and the agent motioned her inside. The luggage that she had packed at her house was neatly placed in the center of the room. Iris was thankful as her eyes caught sight of the large black locked box placed against the wall, beside an dresser. She opened a door to the right of the room revealing a large, empty walk in closet. The door beside the closet led to a large bathroom decorated in pure white walls and counter tops. Iris returned to the room and let her eyes sweep over the decorations. The bed and furniture were all a dark cherry oak. The wood floor was covered partially with an expensive looking Persian rug with small details of emerald and royal blue swirls. The bed had a fluffy looking feather spread in a dark red tint.

Pendergast stood in the doorway and when Iris returned her gaze to him, he pointed to the drawn curtains on the farthest wall. "That is a balcony that overlooks the back grounds."

"Am I allowed to spend time on the balcony?"

Pendergast inclined his head slightly. "Yes Miss Iris. Your balcony is well hidden by a beautiful Dawn Redwood. It should provide enough protection from prying eyes." Pendergast bowed slightly and gripped the handle of the door. "I bid you good night Miss Iris. If you need anything do not hesitate to call upon me at any time."

The next morning Aloysius was seated at the dining table casually reading the morning paper. Iris still had not woken yet and he was not going to disturb her. It was Sunday after all, the time for rest. His mind kept going over the events of the prior night. While the woman's history did not bother him in the least, he himself had done some more than questionable things, it was his own actions that bothered him the most. He had initiated a hug, something that has never happened before. The Pendergast family was never one for a display of emotions or comforting actions like that. So why did he feel that it was the right thing for him to do.

A soft vibration on his lap broke his thoughts. Pendergast flipped open the phone and spoke quietly. "It is quite early my dear Vincent. I was certain you would have this day off."

The officer on the other end of the line sounded even more tired than he had previously. The Reaper case was taking its toll on the poor man. "We have another victim."

"Where shall I go Vincent?" Iris at that time walked into the dining room. Proctor brought out a small plate of fruit and waffles for her. She ate in silence while watching Pendergast.

"Its a small church up in Auburn. Do you know where that is?"

Pendergast tapped a finger onto his chin. Iris had finished her meal rather quickly and had remained seated. Pendergast couldn't help but notice the white silk, sleeveless shirt that she wore. Her cleavage was predominate and as Pendergast's eyes swept over her form, he had to take a calming breath. This woman was becoming a distraction from what he needed to focus on. The sooner he could return to his prior state of mind, the better. When Vincent D'Agosta called his name loudly Pendergast was pulled from his head. "Auburn? I can be there in roughly four hours."

"Take your time we are still gathering some information from the locals. Oh and I will text you the address. Is Iris coming with you or did they put her into protection."

Pendergast stood and motioned for Iris to follow him. "She will be coming. We will see you soon Vincent." Pendergast led them back upstairs and stopped before her bedroom door. "We have another victim up north. You should grab anything you may need for the long drive." He started to walk away but stopped. "Bring a change of clothes, we may need to stay overnight."

Pendergast stepped into his own dark room. Pulling a small duffel bag from his closet he pack a variety of lab equipment and personal items. He also grabbed a new suit from his selection, carefully sealing it into a hanging bag.

Iris was waiting for him by the front door. He chuckled softly in surprise. She gave him a questioning look. "Is something amusing Agent Pendergast?"

"Aloysius, please. We will be together for a while so we can forgo formalities Miss Iris."

"Just Iris. So what was so funny?"

Pendergast opened the front door and held it out for her to step through. A small backpack was thrown over her shoulder. When he turned around to lock the door, trying to hold both his suit and bag, Iris reached out and took the hanger of the suit from him. He looked back at her and flashed a smile. "I was amused at the fact that even injured you were able to get packed and down to the door faster than me."

Iris chuckled softly, leading the way to the porte-cochère. Pendergast opened the trunk to the Wraith, dropping his bag into it. Taking Iris' pack from her shoulders and slipping it in as well. He then moved to the back seat and hung his suit on the small hook. Iris had already opened the door and slid into the passenger side. Pendergast slid into the driver's seat and within a few minutes they were out onto the highway. "Do you not listen to music?" Iris asked, the silence in the car having finally been broken.

Pendergast negotiated his way into the fast lane, one arm resting casually on the center console. "I am not one for music. Today's selections are dreadful to say the least. If you would like to listen to the radio however I can tolerate it."

Iris chuckled softly before it slowly developed into a full out laugh. "I pegged you for a classical and opera man."

Pendergast made a disgusted face which only caused the woman to laugh harder. "I severely detest opera."

"That's a shame. I have always wanted to go a show on Broadway I just never got around to it." The two lapsed into a silence that stretched for the next two hours. Iris shifted uncomfortably in her seat, Pendergast glancing over to her. "Um...can we stop at a gas station?"

"Are you alright?"

Iris rolled her eyes. "I have to pee."

It was Pendergast's turn to chuckle softly. "There is a rest stop coming up."

Iris quickly ran, as fast as her injured leg would allow, to the bathroom inside the rest stop. She leaned against the door breathing deeply. "Damn, that pain killer I was given is making me nauseous." Iris spent a good fifteen minutes in the bathroom, splashing water on her face and trying hard not to throw up. Unfortunately her stomach won over and she knelt next to the toilet, seeing her breakfast for a second time. Iris filled her hands with water from the sink and rinsed her mouth out. She flipped the light off and opened the door, screaming loudly as her eyes met the tall agent.

He smiled softly as she backed into the dark bathroom. "Don't do that!"

"I apologize Iris. I filled the car and waited for you to return. When you didn't I grew concerned. The attendant informed me that you were in the restroom." He handed her a small shopping bag. "Ginger ale and crackers for your nausea."

Iris looked at the bag, following him back to the car. "Thank you Aloysius. That was sweet of you."

Pendergast inclined his head gently, helping her back into the car. Once they were back on the road did he speak again. "You should use half of a pill next time you are in pain. If the nausea continues I will ask your doctor for a lighter formula."

Iris nodded and the silence resumed. With one hour left in their journey Iris got a mischievous grin. Munching on a cracker she pulled out one of the two ginger ales and handed it to the agent. "Would you like a drink Aloysius?"

He glanced over at her, taking the bottle. Iris was surprised as he used his knee to steer the car while he drank deeply from the bottle. He placed it into the cup holder, holding the top of it as his arm resumed its place on the center console. "Thank you Miss Iris."

"Oh you were doing so well calling me Iris. Please stop calling me Miss, it makes me uncomfortable."

"May I ask why?"

She laughed softly. "Well I was taught manners too and to respect my elders. You are older than me so you shouldn't have to call me 'Miss.' If anything I should be calling you Mister Pendergast."

The agent laughed softly. "You are forgetting I was brought up in the deep south. I apologize for making you uncomfortable and I will try harder to acknowledge your wishes Iris."

Iris lay her head back against the headrest and sighed. "That's better now let's talk."

"What would you like to talk about?"

"I noticed that like me you try to avoid physical contact. While I do it because of my history with Briar and Jack, I was curious about you. Why don't you like touching other people?"

Pendergast eased onto an entrance to a new highway and slowed down as traffic began to pile up. "Growing up my family never was too good at physical displays of affection. I suppose that has followed me through adulthood."

Iris nodded. "But you did try to comfort me on more than one occasion. Holding my hand a few times and then the hug from last night. Why did you do those things?"

"Are we in a session Doctor?"

"We might as well considering the traffic."

Pendergast nodded and took a drink. He rested his hands in his lap since the car was at a complete stop. Iris had to stifle a laugh as the woman in the car next to them was trying to push her breasts up more to get his attention. "I suppose it was just to try to calm you. I wanted to let you know that I was there for you and I figured that would have been better than any words I could have said."

Iris leaned into Pendergast, noticing his body tensing. "Don't look now but the woman next to us is desperately trying to get your attention." Iris leaned back in her seat, eagerly ready to see what would happen.

Pendergast glanced over at the car next to him. The woman motioned for him to lower his window and he complied. She leaned out of her vehicle's passenger window the female behind the wheel rolling her eyes. "Hey cutie! You wouldn't happen to be single would you? I know a great hotel just up the road we could go to and have us some good adult fun."

Iris cleared her throat softly, trying her hardest to not laugh. Pendergast's face had paled slightly. "Madam I hate to be the barer of bad news but I am spoken for." Pendergast reached down and took Iris' hand in his, entwining their fingers. Iris tensed at the touch of his cold hand. He raised her hand up and smiled at the woman. "I'm afraid she doesn't like to share."

"That's too bad. A fox like you shouldn't be tied down. Well oh well." The woman rolled her window up, the blush on her face dark.

Iris pulled her hand away from Pendergast as soon as his window was closed. "I apologize Iris. You seemed to have set me up with that uncomfortable ordeal. I was perfectly fine ignoring her."

Iris glared darkly at the man as he laughed. "Do you blame yourself for you wife's death?"

Pendergast immediately silenced himself, turning his eyes back to the road infront of him. "I did at one point. I suppose you are trying to find out the root of my state of mind." Iris nodded. "The shock of my wife's betrayal, then reuniting with her alive, and then her untimely demise soon after just took a great toll on my heart. I have never felt emotions like I have been lately and fear that I do not know how to deal with them, but that is why you are here."

Iris nodded again, nibbling on a cracker. She sensed that he was still with holding something from her. Pendergast reached over and took one cracker from her lap, careful not to touch her leg. Traffic began to move again. "I believe that the only thing we really need to do to help you is to help you reach a peace with the emotions that you are feeling. Have you ever considered meditating?"

Pendergast smiled as he sipped his drink. "It is funny you mention that. I practice an old and not so well known technique called Chongg Ran."

"That is very advanced. Are you capable of making a memory palace?"

Pendergast's smile widened. "I am. I have had to use my palace in many of my cases in the past."

"Well I'm impressed. We will have to revisit this topic when we go home."

Pendergast chuckled softly. "You are already at home at my place? You called it home."

Iris closed her eyes as they pulled into a parking lot at a small church. The place was crawling with police cars and media vans. Pendergast checked his side arm placing it back into the holster under his suit coat. "You really think you are going to need that with all the police around?"

Pendergast glanced into her eyes and nodded. "Your safety is my responsibility and I like to be prepared for everything. Besides we still don't know who our perpetrator is and it could be anyone."

Vincent D'Agosta ushered them into the quiet church, all the officers being forced back outside to allow the federal agent the chance to take in the scene. "We found out a good deal about the victim from the community. The victim is the head priest of the church here named John Warren, a sixty three year old black male. He was last seen the last Sunday after the services. The church community was trying to enter the building this morning only to find out that the door was locked. They called the police since this has never happened before. The caller was heard saying that they haven't heard from him since the prior services and they were worried he may have had a heart attack. The police had to use a battering ram to break down the rear door of the church. When they made their way through the church they found that the front door was barricaded and chained shut. The scene inside is gruesome and it looks like another Reaper killing."

Pendergast nodded and slipped on a pair of gloves as they followed the detective into the building. The victim was found on the alter, kneeling as it he was in prayer. He was naked except for a pair of black pants and the white collar that was sown into his skin with thick black twine. A black hood was pulled over the man's head, hiding his features. It was large enough to hide the man's front as well, the only thing visible was his back. "Did Warren have any history with the police or any enemies?" Pendergast asked as he approached the altar, Iris followed him.

Vincent hung back next to the pews. "The entire town loved the man. A local officer informed me though that he was being investigated secretly for embezzling church funds but nothing was set in stone yet."

Pendergast glanced over at Iris. "Please step back for now Iris and just observe." Iris did as she was told, taking in the scene before her. John Warren's back had been carved into, the image of Jesus upon the cross scored into his dark flesh. On the chest of the crucified savior was a carved word and Pendergast called it out softly. "Avaritia. Greed it appears."

He reached out and with slim fingers grabbed the hood. In a swift motion he pulled the hood from the man's head and chest and Iris gasped. "Holy shit."

Pendergast looked over his shoulder, amusement in his eyes. "Iris we are in a church."

Iris ignored his jest as her eyes swept over the man's face and front. There was a melted silver crown burned into the man's head, clearly having been applied while still in a liquid form as it seemed to be fused with the tender flesh. The hands of the man were clasped together as if he was in prayer, the fingertips resting against his forehead. The hands themselves were sown together. His eyes were open but there were no eyeballs, instead two silver eggs had been placed inside the empty sockets. Iris let her eyes fall to the gaping hole in the man's stomach. All of the internal organs had been removed and in the empty void money, jewels, coins, and silver were pouring out and onto the floor before him. Pendergast was kneeling infront of the man pulling random pieces of evidence from the body and storing it in test tubes that in turn disappeared into the suit.

He turned his attention to a small chest in front of the victim as Iris read the inscription carved into the man's chest. "Money could not save him." Iris moved and knelt beside Pendergast as he opened the chest. Inside were the removed organs in air sealed bags. "Is that a video tape at the bottom?"

Pendergast pulled the black tape from the bag and stared at it hard. "I wonder what is on it?" he whispered as he slipped it into a bag and then into his suit.

Vincent shook his head softly. "I expect that I will be getting that tape back after you review it yes?"

Pendergast nodded and joined his friend. As they talked in hushed tones Iris circled the body slowly. Suddenly she looked up at the alter that the man was kneeling infront of. Her eyes widened as she saw a small, sealed envelope pasted onto the wall. It was hidden from view, obstructed by the cross. Iris almost had missed it if she wasn't kneeling beside the corpse. "Aloysius?" she called but the man had moved further away from her and back out to the church's front. Quickly Iris went to the cross and pulled the letter from its hiding place, gasping as she read her name on the top.

Pendergast had returned and was walking quickly up the center of the pews. Iris stuffed the envelope into the pocket of her pants and turned to him after she had mastered the emotion on her face. "Are you ready Iris? There is a small hotel not far from here that we can rest at for the night before heading home. It is a little late to make the four hour drive back and I know you must exhausted."

Iris nodded and followed him from the church. They pulled from the parking lot but not back onto the road. Pendergast looked over to her. "Are you hungry Iris?"

Iris held her hand in her pocket, the letter secure in her grasp. "Yes actually I am."

"Do you care for sushi?"

Iris nodded and Pendergast drove them to the hotel that was in town. There was a small Japanese bar next door that they headed into. Iris smiled as Pendergast ordered a variety of sushi rolls and green tea. They ate in relative silence Iris asking small questions about his thoughts on the case so far only Pendergast shot down her questions stating that he did not make early presumptions. They enjoyed the meal in silence after that. Pendergast led her back to the hotel after gathering their belongings from his car. The room was small with two beds that sat side by side. Pendergast stepped into the bathroom and showered. As soon as the door was closed behind him Iris slipped the letter from her pocket and into the backpack. She wouldn't chance opening it and reading it while Pendergast was awake.

When he was done with his shower he reentered the room in a pair of long pajama pants and white t-shirt. Iris was already in her night clothes and in bed, pretending to be asleep. She heard him whisper good night before climbing into his own bed. She waited to hear his steady quiet breathing before sitting up quietly and looking over at him. His back was turned to her and the blankets were pulled up to his shoulders. Iris crept to her bag and pulled the letter from it.


	6. Chapter 6

Iris quietly closed the bathroom door behind her. She flipped on the light and sat on the edge of the bathtub, taking the letter from the envelope. With a last glance at the bathroom door, she unfolded the letter and began reading.

_Iris Denali,_

_I wanted to formally introduce myself to you. "The Reaper" a mock title given to me by the media does nothing to state my true intentions. You see I am no Reaper, no angel of death. I am more of a God. You and your little friends in the police force or even that federal agent will never be able to touch me. That I can promise you. I do need to commend you for the stunt you pulled in the alley. I was not expecting you to fight back so fiercely against me. But this is where my kind words will cease. That child's blood is on your hands as much as it is on mine. I will hunt you down and when I get my hands on you, you will wish that you had died in that alley. If that agent gets in my way I will destroy him too. You can make this easier on everyone and simply give in. Walk away from the agent and I will grab you. I might even take mercy and give you a quick death. You would look stunning next to **her**._

_I placed this letter at my last performance knowing that you would find it. Remember Iris, I will kill whoever gets in my way. I will make you pay for the child and for foolishly fighting back against my will. I will make sure you beg me for release before I finally kill you. Your blood will be the sweetest I have ever had the pleasure to drink. I will be keeping a close eye on you my dear and the moment that agent is away from you, I will strike. I suggest you prepare yourself. You will be mine Iris!_

Iris dropped the letter as her fingers went slack. A small tremor ran down her spine as the fierce words of the letter rang in her head. Someone was out there just waiting for the chance to take her. The only thing standing in his way was Agent Pendergast. That meant that when that knife sunk into the Reaper's hip, he was severely injured. When she fought against him in that alley, he had been exceedingly strong. Strong enough, she believed, to take down Pendergast easily. The agent was slim and, while she suspected he did know some hand to hand, he wouldn't be strong enough to fight off that enormous man. Iris sighed and replaced the letter in the envelope. There was only one choice left for her. She would need to wait out the rest of her recovery time and then try to flip the hunt on the Reaper. Turn the tables on him and make the hunter the prey.

Iris slipped from the bathtub and turned the light off in the bathroom. She opened the door and walked out into the room but froze when she looked over to her roommate's empty bed. A soft voice issued from behind her, "Do you want to tell about what you were reading in the bathroom?"

Iris slowly turned around and met the silver eyes of the agent. They were full of suspicion as he leaned against the wall beside the bathroom door. Iris slowly brought the letter behind her back, holding it tightly in her hand. "I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about Aloysius."

He sighed deeply and closed the distance between them. With one hand he gently pulled her to him by the waist, wrapping his other arm around the small of her back. The letter was ripped from her hand and the agent stalked away, going to the window and using the moonlight to read it. Iris glared darkly at the agent. When he was done reading he gently folded it back and placed it into his pocket. "You will not leave my side. I will not allow him the opportunity to snatch you."

"I am not a child you can order around." Iris snapped flatly.

Pendergast looked over at her, his back straightening to his full height. "Do you remember what I asked of you the first night we met? I asked you to follow my orders even if they seem out of place. This is only for your protection. The words from this letter are plain, he will torture you and kill you the first chance he gets."

Iris closed her eyes and turned away from him. "It doesn't look like I have much choice, for now."

Pendergast closed the curtains on the window. "I am sorry that you feel you are trapped with me. Just remember it is for your own good."

A month passed in blissful silence. Agent Pendergast was called away on personal matters in Colorado. Proctor was left to watch over Iris and she was glad of his solitary nature. Proctor would take meals with her, reading a newspaper or playing on a tablet. They rarely ever spoke unless Iris needed something from a store that Proctor would take her to get. On the seventeenth of June, Proctor drove to the doctor's office with Iris. He quietly took a seat in the waiting area while she was escorted to the office.

The doctor smiled as they began removing her cast. "Your arm looks amazing Dr. Denali. I do advise that you exercise it regularly to build the muscles back up."

"Thank you Dr. Gold. It feels good to have my arm free again. You wouldn't believe how itchy that thing got." Iris laughed softly. She signed the paperwork for the nurse and returned to the waiting area. When Proctor saw her appear he stood quickly. "Do you mind taking me to the garden center before we go home?"

Proctor followed her back to the Lexus. "A garden center?" he spoke quietly.

Iris looked over to him incredulously as his spoken voice caught her off guard. "Wow you do speak." Proctor shook his head as he climbed into the car. If Pendergast ever looked like he wouldn't fit in the small vehicle, this man looked like an elephant trying to pack into a clown car. "Yes, I wanted to get a sapling that I could take care of. Do you think Agent Pendergast would mind?"

Proctor said nothing as he pulled the car into a parking spot. He stepped from the car and when Iris joined him, she caught sight of his loaded gun as he straightened and buttoned his suit coat. They walked side by side in the summer heat. Iris could not help but wonder how Proctor and Pendergast never seemed to be too hot in their black suits. People watched them as they walked, curious as to why this man seemed to be her bodyguard. Iris browsed the selection of plants as Proctor stood at the end of the rows to give her space. She smiled as she found the perfect one, a Japanese Maple Bloodgood with dark red almost purple leaves.

She looked down the row towards the large man and motioned for him to come closer. "Would you mind carrying this?"

Proctor silently picked up the small tree. She skipped over and grabbed a small bag of smooth white rocks and a bag of bright red mulch. After they paid for the items Proctor gently placed everything into the car. He sat in the driver's seat and eased the car from the lot and towards the Riverside mansion. The sun was beginning to go down when they pulled under the porte-cochère. Proctor took the items she purchased into the back grounds and then disappeared into the house. Iris smiled as he disappeared, thankful to be left alone to her own devices. She had been thinking about this moment for a long time. In order for her to do what was necessary, hunting down the Reaper, she would need to return to the state of mind she had when she was younger.

Iris walked around the back grounds before selecting a nice sunny location near the center of the grounds. It took Iris only a few moments to dig a hole deep enough for her tree to sit in. Once the hole was filled in, she spread the mulch in a small pile around the base. Then she took the small white rocks and spread them in a circle around the mulch. Iris took the remains of her mulch and rocks and placed them in a small shed that Proctor had pointed out to be the gardener's shed. Iris returned to the house, quickly making her way up the stairs and to her room. For the last month she had religiously been running up and down the large staircase to build the muscles back up in her injured leg. Slowly it has become stronger, able to withstand her taking the stairs three at a time.

Iris opened the large lock box beside her dresser and removed a small oriental box from it. Returning to the garden she sat the small box next to her. Assuming the lotus position she opened the box and removed the small prayer gong and incense holder. She selected her favorite from the variety of incense and placed it in the holder.

A small noise behind her, a stick being broken under foot, caused her to turn around. Agent Pendergast stood a few steps away, looking at the tree infront of her. "Did you plant this?"

"Proctor did not think you would mind." she said simply.

Pendergast inclined his head next to her and she patted the ground. He lowered himself slowly, bringing his long legs up to his chest and resting his hands on the ground behind him. "It is a beautiful specimen. Why did you want to plant it?"

Iris looked at the fire red leaves as the last rays of the day shown through them. "It helps me meditate to be in nature. Plus being able to take care of this tree will help my mind to relax and its an excuse to get out of the house."

Pendergast smiled and crossed his legs to mimic her. "So you will meditate out here?"

"That is the plan. Would you care to join me?"

Pendergast smiled warmly and nodded. "I would very much like to."

"I assume I do not need to go over how to meditate since you seem to be familiar."

Pendergast shook his head and closed his eyes. His hands clasped together and rested gently in his lap. Iris leaned forward and lit the tip of the incense. She waved the stick around the two of them, letting the scented smoke flow around them before returning it back to the holder so it could burn. She then struck the prayer gong and settled herself in a similar position to the man beside her.

They sat there for hours, neither one making a sound. An owl hooted overhead and crickets began their nightly song. Pendergast slowly opened his eyes and glanced to the still woman beside him. Her face was completely at peace and the moonlight glinted on her skin. He smiled softly to himself but wiped it away as she opened her eyes and looked over. The stars shone in those emerald orbs and Pendergast had a brief feeling of elation as he saw a calm in them that had never been there before.

Pendergast stretched his legs out before him and looked up to the stars. Iris glanced up at them too, enjoying the rare clear summer night. "It is a beautiful night isn't it?" she asked.

Pendergast nodded his head. "A rare night that you can see the stars from the city lights."

A silence fell over them as they both watched the stars. "How was your trip to Colorado? Did you do any skiing?"

Pendergast laughed softly. "I am not built for the winter or cold climes. I much prefer the warmth and muggy air of the south. Other than that it was a worthwhile vacation."

"You did not have anything to do with those fires that were burning down those rich homes up there would you?"

"Guilty as charged. An acquaintance of mine was trying to finish an assignment for her college studies when the arsonist started burning the homes. I assisted her the best I could and discovered an astounding mystery. Would you like to hear?"

Iris looked over at him briefly before returning her gaze to the stars. She couldn't look at him for long, the stars were being reflected in his silver eyes and the sight took the breath from her chest. "I would, if you found it interesting I'm sure it will blow me away."

"Back in the golden days of the mining camp located in Roaring Fork there was a group of miners that turned cannibal. Towns people believed that the murders were the work of a grizzly bear but it in fact it was the miners themselves. The arsonist had nothing to do with those murders however. His motives were far more common place."

Iris smiled and started laughing softly. "I wish I could have gone with you. It sounds like you had an interesting time."

"How was your time here? Proctor said that your cast was removed."

"Yeah, I'm all better." Iris sighed deeply. "It was quiet around here. Proctor kept to himself and me to myself. Nothing really interesting happened. There has been no Reaper killings either."

Pendergast nodded, closing his eyes as a warm breeze blew. Iris leaned back on her hands, kicking her legs straight infront of her. Her right hand brushed the cold hand of Pendergast and she gasped, trying to sit up, only to fall backwards on her back. Pendergast laughed softly and leaned over her, his hands on either side of her head. "Are you alright Iris?"

Iris looked up into those silver eyes and blushed darkly. "Just clumsy I guess."

He smirked. Iris remained rigid underneath him. "You touched my hand and freaked out about it? Did you think I would hurt you for the physical contact?"

Iris shook her head slowly. "I just did not want to impose on your personal space. I know that you like your personal space and like me physical contact is not preferred."

Pendergast's smile only increased. "Most of the time you would be correct. I do not recoil at the small, comforting touch of a friend, it is the larger shows of affection that I tend to be surprised at. Hugs take some getting used to."

Iris could feel her body slowly beginning to relax under him. Her blush was still present on her cheeks as his torso was hovering over her. "We seem to have something in common though I am slowly getting used to the small touches as well. It is hard for me, mentally, to trust someone enough to touch me."

"Close your eyes. I will not harm you." Iris looked up at him blankly, her body tensing up again. At the questioning look in her emerald eyes, he smiled warmly. "I want you to be able to trust me." Iris breathed deeply and slowly closed her eyes. A few tense minutes went by as she felt him coming closer to her face. His warm breath brushed against her cheek. "I will never harm you Iris. You can put your trust in me." Very softly his lips brushed against her cheek and then she felt the wind of the night blowing over her.

When she opened her eyes, Pendergast was gone. She sat up and looked around in confusion. Her mind was racing as the feeling of his soft lips on her cheek lingered. Slowly she lit another incense stick, waving the smoke over herself, before settling into another meditation session. The serene quiet of the night enveloped her senses as her heart slowly calmed itself.

Pendergast stood in the shadow of the back door as he watched her light her incense and begin another meditation session. His own heart was beating fast as his actions ran over and over in his mind. He did not quite understand what possessed him to want to be that close to the young woman. Slowly he turned and disappeared into the dark house. He crossed into his room on the second floor, pushing the door closed behind him. A large file laid on his bed and he took it in his hands, flipping through the countless pages of paperwork.

The Reaper case file was slowly becoming monstrous. The past month had no victims from the Reaper and that worried the agent. The Reaper would have a victim nightly if not every other night over the past six months. He was hoping this wasn't a prelude to something much bigger. He sat on the edge of his plush bed, trying to concentrate on the words infront of him. The scent of lilac and cherry blossoms drifted into his nose and the words began to blur. All he could think about was that scent and the source of it. The meditation session he shared with Iris brought a momentary calm to him and for the first time in a long time his mind had been clear.

Angrily he slammed the case file onto his nightstand and stood up. He went to the Persian rug in the center of the room and laid down on it. He closed his eyes and slowly tried to separate himself from the world around him. He willed his heart to slow and his breathing to become softer. Complex math equations appeared in his mind and he focused on solving them. Slowly the world around him disappeared and he drifted into the darkness. From the darkness a soft light emerged and his memory palace appeared. Pendergast drifted through the many rooms, settling on a darkened room on the second story. He halted before the door, hesitating to open it.

The door below his hand started to fade and he had to take a calming breath to bring it back. Slowly he opened the door and stepped inside. Sitting on the edge of the red bed was a familiar face. Diogenes smiled darkly at his brother. "Frater, you finally decided to grace me with your presence?"

Pendergast darkened his gaze as his younger brother smirked at him. "Why are you in this room?"

Diogenes chuckled softly. He laid back on the bed taking in a deep breath. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Answer the question."

"Now, now Frater. I am only here to help you settle your mind."

Pendergast crossed the room, kneeling next to the large lock box next to his guest's dresser. His finger's seemed to glide over the lock but a tutting sound from over his shoulder caused him to stop. "What is it?"

"I don't think you want to open that brother." Diogenes stood over his older brother. His different colored eyes roaming over the lid of the box.

"Why would I not?"

"Why would you? Do you not trust her? Did you not just try your hardest to stop yourself from kissing her soft lips to prove that she could trust you and now you want to find out what she is hiding in that box?"

Pendergast dropped his hands to his sides and stood beside his brother. "So I should just leave things like they are? She is becoming a distraction."

Diogenes laughed and sat on the top of the box. "Developing intimate feelings for someone tends to be a great distraction. I figured that you of all people would know that."

Pendergast smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "I am not developing feelings, as you put it, with Iris."

"Keep lying to yourself brother." Diogenes smiled darkly, a low rumble issuing from his lips. "Will you let her die like you did Helen?"

Iris climbed the last stair to the landing, finally feeling a quiet calm inside of her soul. Her mind was clear for the first time since the attack in her office one year ago. She knew what she had to do and more importantly knew what she wanted in life. She wanted to finally live. To go out and enjoy life, to love, to know the feeling of being loved, and most importantly the feeling of being free. Pendergast would take care of Jack and she was certain that she could trust him with that. The Reaper was another animal. Both Pendergast and herself had nothing to go on and with the addition of the threatening letter, Iris was certain that the Reaper was becoming more dangerous.

The past month was eerily quiet as far as the serial killer was concerned. The young boy's body had yet to show up anywhere as well which was a heavy weight on Iris' mind. After the meditation she was able to see the case a little clearer. The little boy marked the killer's first child victim. The month hiatus that so far was the longest between any of his victims would either prove one of two things: one was that the killer was in mourning or transition into what he should do next, that he was confused about his future after the child died. Two was that he was so shaken at the child's murder that he has given up and gone into a deep hiding. The latter didn't ring right with Iris however. Why would he return to his last victim only to leave a letter for her to find.

Iris pulled herself from her thoughts as a soft light came into view from the door at the end of the hall. Since she had moved into the Riverside Drive mansion, Pendergast's door had never been left open. Even if he was in his room the door was always closed. Iris quietly crept up to the door as her curiosity was peaked. She peered into the crack left by the open door and tried to quiet her breathing.

Pendergast was laying still on his floor. With his pale skin Iris could have passed him off for a corpse. She stood and watched him silently, curious as to what he could possibly be doing. The older man was just laying there not moving, not twitching, not breathing. Iris locked her eyes with the man's chest, trying to see if it rose for a breath. It never did. She slowly pushed the door of the room open, crossing the floor silently, and kneeling beside his still form. She placed a hand on his stomach, trying to feel if his diaphragm was moving at all. After a few minutes, she felt her own heart beating furiously. There was no movement.

Now thoughts of the agent having a heart attack crossed her mind. She wondered should she shout out to Proctor. Quickly she opened the black suit jacket and unbuttoned the white shirt. Maybe he wasn't dead, maybe he was just sleeping! Iris threw open the crisp shirt, the countless scars on the man's chest softly illuminated by the light on the nightstand. She placed two fingers on the man's slim neck searching for a pulse. At the same time she leaned her head down, her ear pushing onto his chest. She held her breath as she silently listened for a heartbeat. Tears of relief slipped from her eyes as a slow heartbeat sounded.

Iris sat up, placing a hand above his mouth and nose. A few tense seconds went by before she felt the warm air escaping his lips. He was breathing only very softly. Grasping his shoulders tightly, Iris shook him. "Agent Pendergast! Please wake up." She threw her head over her shoulder when the agent didn't respond. "Proctor! Proctor please help!"

She could here thundering footsteps echoing from down the stairs. She returned to the agent on the floor. He was alive, though his breath was shallow and his heartbeat was slow. He had to have had a heart attack or maybe he passed out but either way he needed medical attention. The Reaper's form came to her mind but she pushed the thought away. He couldn't have attacked the agent. Panic taking over her calm mind, she pulled his torso up so that his body leaned against hers. A few of her tears fell onto the agent's serene face as she tried to shake him again. Nothing seemed to stir the agent from his condition. Iris slapped him across his face. "Wake up damn you!"

The door to the room slammed open, Proctor running into the room with his gun drawn. "What is it?"

"He won't wake up! I found him like this!"

Proctor came over and knelt beside the two of them. He went to place a hand on the agent's neck when Pendergast's eyes popped open and a hand shot out to catch Proctor's wrist. Iris yelped in surprise before wrapping her arms tightly around Pendergast's shoulders. The agent was forced to release Proctor to stop himself from falling backwards. Iris cried softly into his neck. Proctor looked to the agent, questioning in his gaze. Pendergast gently shook his head to signal that everything was fine and the man left the room, closing the door behind him.

Pendergast gently rubbed Iris' back, her body tense under his touch. She held onto him tighter, whispering through her tears. "I thought you were gone but you were breathing still. I thought the Reaper had gotten to you."

Pendergast sighed softly. He pushed himself up more with Iris still attached to his shoulders. He leaned his back against the foot board of the bed and pulled Iris into his lap. She didn't fight against him nor did her body tense further. He was surprised at his own comfort at the intimate contact between them. He softly nuzzled her hair and closed his eyes. "No, Iris. I am perfectly fine."

Iris brought her head back and stared at him incredulously. "But you were barely breathing and your heart was so slow."

He smiled at her. Gently he wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "I was meditating. I was using my memory palace to settle a few personal struggles. I am sorry I scared you."

Iris laughed, embarrassed at the conclusions she had jumped to. One of her hands traced down his chest. The cold skin underneath her fingers tensed and the agent's body shuttered softly. "I'm sorry." For the first time noticing her place in the agent's arms her eye's widened. She quickly jumped up and stood over the smiling man. "I've never seen someone use that type of technique before. It seemed like you were dead," she said quickly to hide her embarrassment.

Pendergast stood up, slowly buttoning his shirt again. "It takes great concentration to summon my memory palace. I basically close myself from the world around me. Again I apologize for startling you, it was not my intent."

Iris smiled before she turned around. "I was just worried that something happened to you. I would blame myself if The Reaper hurt you to get to me."

"That would be my job." A silence overcame the two and Iris slowly made her way to the door. Pendergast crossed the room and held the door open as she crossed the threshold. "Iris?"

"Hm?"

"If you could do anything tomorrow, what would you want to do?"

"What do you mean?"

Pendergast smiled and slipped his suit coat off. "You must be getting tired of being inside this house all day long. If there is no Reaper victim tomorrow to call us away, would you like to spend the day out with me?"

Iris blushed and turned away from him in thought. "Well, I would love to go to the beach. It is summer still."

Pendergast furrowed his brows. "I am afraid I am not the beach sort."

Iris laughed softly. "Me either really but I think I'm ready not to be scared anymore of what people think of me. Well I can think of something else. Did you know what tomorrow is?"

"The eighteenth of June."

"My birthday."

Pendergast smiled softly. "Then the beach it is. I will see you in the library at noon. Good night Iris."

"Good night Aloysius." She started to walk away before stopping and turning to meet the agent's silver eyes. "Aloysius X. L. Pendergast."

At her firm voice his eyes widened in slight surprise and playfulness. "Iris Denali."

She held a finger to his chest, poking him hard. "If you ever scare me like that again and you aren't dying, I will kill you myself."

Pendergast smiled and rubbed his chest where she poked him. "Understood, I will warn you next time."

Iris turned her head but quickly turned back. She kissed the tall man softly on the lips before running to her room and slamming the door behind her. She leaned against the door, her heart pounding as she gently touched her lips with her fingertips.


	7. Chapter 7

A soft knock sounded on Iris' door early the next morning. Slowly Iris rolled out of bed and slipped on her emerald robe. She rubbed her tired eyes as she opened the door. Agent Pendergast stood in the doorway dressed in his immaculate black suit. He held out a small black box towards Iris and smiled softly.

"Good morning Iris. This is for you," he said softly.

Iris opened the door wider and allowed the agent to step inside. He glided over to her bed and after pulling the blankets up, perched himself on the edge. Iris went to her bathroom so that she could make herself feel a little more human. After brushing her hair and teeth, she splashed some cold water on her face. With a smile she returned to the room and sat beside the agent.

"What time is it?" she asked as he placed the box onto her lap.

Pendergast stretched his arm out to allow his sleeve to ride up and reveal his watch. "It is a little after noon," he state as he smoothed his sleeve back.

Her eyes went wide with surprise. "I am so sorry! I was supposed to meet you in the library by now. I feel awful."

Shaking his head gently, he patted the top of the black box. "I had some errands to take care of and just came back. Besides it is your day today so we will move on your time. Now, first thing is first."

Iris looked down at the black box and popped it open. "Aloysius I can't accept this!" Breathlessly she lifted the thin white gold anklet from the box. There was a small charm hanging on the chain in the shape of Phoenix.

"You do not like it?" Pendergast asked, playful hurt dancing in his pale eyes.

Iris shook her head. "I absolutely love it. But why get me something like this?"

Pendergast gently took the chain from her. "I was under the impression that you get a friend a gift for their birthday." Pendergast slipped from the bed and knelt on the floor before her. "May I?"

Iris blushed softly and she crossed her legs, propping her right leg up for him. His cold fingers brushed her soft skin as he clasped the anklet on. He looked up at her as she watched the sunlight play on the white gold Phoenix. "Thank you Aloysius. I never received jewelry from anyone before." Pendergast smiled broadly and resumed his seat next to her on the edge of the bed. Iris played with her ankle, turning the chain into the light more. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course Iris. You never need to ask permission, I was assuming we were beyond that."

"Why a Phoenix?"

Pendergast crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knees. "The legend of the Phoenix is that when the bird dies another rises from the ashes, born anew. You were once a scared little girl who did all she could to survive in her father's insanity. You died the day they found you and rose again from the ashes of your old life to become a vibrant and intelligent young woman. Once again you were knocked down by Logan Briar's cruelty and over the last few weeks that you have been under my care I have seen you rise and overcome the darkness that possessed you after that attack. The Phoenix, I am hoping, will become a symbol for you to remember that no matter how hard and painful situations can be in life there will always be a better and brighter future if you rise above it."

A stream of tears slipped from Iris' eyes as she listened to the older man talk. The entire time he spoke, he gazed at the small bird on her ankle. When he was finished his eyes rose and locked onto hers. Iris smiled wide and threw her arms around him tightly. The agent's body tensed as she pulled him closer to her. "That was the sweetest thing I ever heard." Iris gently kissed Pendergast's cheek and finally released him. "Thank you Aloysius. It means so much to me, I will never take it off."

Pendergast regained his composure and stood, his back to Iris. He could feel his face heat up and it took him a few moments to calm himself down. "Should we go to the beach now or would you like some lunch first?"

A low rumble issued from her stomach and she laughed. "I think lunch would be a good start. What did you have in mind?"

Pendergast pressed a finger to his chin. "What would you like?"

"No fair! I asked you." The agent narrowed his eyes playfully. Iris liked this side of him. The first night they met he was cold and distant. Slowly he seemed to be coming out of his shell, showing more and more of his personality. She knew that she was also coming out of her old ways. The old Iris was cold and would never be this playful towards anyone but somehow this man was dragging that out of her. Iris jumped from her bed and gently pushed him toward the door. "I demand you cook for me. If you can make me lunch as good as that omelet was, I may never leave this house."

Pendergast chuckled darkly, bowing to her as he exited her room. "Thirty minutes. After we eat we will head to the beach my dear."

Iris blushed at the name he called her. She softly closed her door. Looking down at her ankle, she smiled. "I could get used to this."

Pendergast stirred his wok again, tossing it into the air. He heard the kitchen doors opening and looked over to see Iris walking into the room. She wore a simple black, halter bikini that had slim strings that criss-crossed down her stomach before connecting to the bottom of the swim suit and her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. She had on a small sheer, black skirt that was tied on her hip with a delicate bow. A sheer black jacket completed her beach ensemble. Pendergast found himself staring at her and heard Iris chuckle softly when he quickly looked away. She came up beside him, inhaling deeply.

"That smells wonderful! What are you making?" she asked, watching as he tossed the wok again.

"It is a vegetable Mei Fun," he stated simply.

Iris leaned on the counter beside him. "What does it have in it?"

Pendergast smiled as he seasoned the noodle dish. "Well it has the mei fun noodles, egg, carrot, cabbage leaves, ham, onions, salt, soy sauce, and peanut oil."

Iris raised her eyebrow. "How did you know I love Chinese food?"

Pendergast chuckled softly as he plated their lunch. "I admit that I saw a variety of different take out menus in your kitchen. I figured it was a safe bet that you ordered often."

Iris smiled and took the plates from him. Pendergast drew two glasses from a cabinet, filling them with a sweet amber liquid. He sat down beside Iris at the dining table, placing one of the glasses infront of her. "Sweet tea?"

Pendergast nodded. "I am southern remember?" He watched, amusement on his face as she took a small bite. Her eyes lit up as she chewed. "Do you like it?"

Iris playfully bumped her shoulder into him. "I think you a permanent house guest Mr. Pendergast."

Pendergast turned his attention to his own plate as her words danced in his mind. As they quietly died away his brother's voice rung loud. "You are developing feelings for her brother. Will you let her die like you did Helen?"

Pendergast closed his eyes, willing the voice to die in his head. He finished his meal in silence, sunken into his own thoughts. His wife's face kept flashing through his mind. She would have wanted him to move on in his life, to find something that would make him happy again. But is this young woman sitting next to him what he wanted? Iris was a lot younger than himself, being in his early forties, but so far she had embraced his actions and ways. She seemed to trust him and he wanted nothing more than to see her freed of the shackles caused by her past and Jack Doughter. But two thoughts kept going through his mind: would she ever trust him enough to tell him all of her dark secrets and would she feel the same about him if she knew all of his own?

A gentle hand on his arm drew Pendergast from his mind. "Are you okay Aloysius?"

He smiled and nodded gently. "Yes Iris. I was just lost in thought I suppose." He took their empty plates and deposited them in the kitchen. Iris was standing by a window, gazing out at the sunny day when he returned. "Are you ready to go to the beach?"

Iris looked to him confused. "I am but are you planning to go in your suit."

Pendergast inclined his head to the front door as they walked down the hall side by side. "I have everything I need in my bag by the door. Did you bring a change of clothes for dinner tonight?"

Iris nodded and shouldered a small satchel. "I brought all I need as well."

Pendergast held the car door open for the woman to slide in. He quickly slid himself into the driver's seat of the Rolls, angling the car away from the house and towards Manhattan Beach. Once they arrived and Pendergast parked, he led the way to a more secluded section of the beach. He watched as people stared at the two of them as they walked. They all seemed surprised at his choice in beach wear and Pendergast had to inwardly chuckle. A small curtained cabana appeared on the horizon. Earlier in the day he had secured the small haven for himself and Iris, intending to use the privacy it provided to shelter them from onlookers.

Iris gasped as he led her into the small hut. "You arranged this? I'm impressed, you do know how to treat a girl."

"I would rather limit the openness of our outing. We don't want to attract the wrong attention and people tend to like to stare." Pendergast inclined his head to a changing area that was enclosed in the corner. "I am going to change. Please make yourself comfortable."

Pendergast disappeared behind the changing curtain and slipped out of his suit. He folded the pants and shirt neatly, placing them in a small cubby hole. He hung the suit coat up beside them with his tie. When he returned to the main portion of the cabana he found himself staring at his guest once again. Iris had forgone the sheer skirt and jacket. She leaned against the front of the cabana, the sun shining on her pale skin. Pendergast let his eyes play over the numerous scars on her back. The intricate designs swirled and dotted the soft skin. He gently reached forward and allowed his fingers to trace over a rose etched into her lower back and Iris shuttered underneath his touch. She didn't say a word as he gently played his finger over the thorny stem, tracing it as it became a whip and ended in a swirl with a lotus in the center. Iris turned around when he let his finger drop and her eyes were downcast.

Gently cupping her chin in his hand he brought her face up, staring deeply into her sad emerald eyes. "What are thinking about?"

Iris looked to the side, out towards the rolling ocean. "You must think I am," she paused, closing her eyes as tears threatened, "hideous with all those markings."

Pendergast tightened his grip on her chin to bring her attention back to him. "I told you before that you are a beautiful woman and now that I fully get to look at your back, my first impression has not changed. You are beautiful and you will always be."

Iris let a tear slide down her cheek and Pendergast used his thumb to gently wipe it away. "Thank you for saying that Aloysius."

He nodded and backed away from her. He moved to the railing of the cabana. He could feel Iris' eyes roaming over his chest, taking in his own scars from countless gunshots, stabbings, and other less pleasant memories, and he looked back to her. "Is everything all right?"

Iris quickly looked back to the ocean. "You have so many scars too." He felt warm fingers gently tracing a large scar on his shoulder. "Can I ask what this is?"

Pendergast looked down at his shoulder. A deep sigh left his chest as a memory crossed his mind. "It was from a lion attack. I was following my wife into the bush as we were lion hunting. A lion jumped out and attack me. She was dragged off and killed."

Iris reached out and clasped his left hand tightly as he gripped the railing. "You said that she didn't die in the lion attack though." A few moments of silence descend on them as Pendergast tried to calm his rising anger. "You don't have to talk about it if you choose to."

Pendergast shook his head slowly. Unconsciously he had flipped his hand over and interlaced his slim fingers in hers. "My wife faked her death by using her medically handicapped twin sister. Though Helen lost her hand in the attack, she was not critically injured. For years I lived thinking that she was mauled to death but I was looking at her gun and discovered that it had blanks in it. I started searching for the truth and her brother revealed that she was still alive. He tried to kill me when I found out and paid a high price for that." Pendergast breathed deeply and resumed after a few minutes. "I found my wife not long after that but she was shot by a man that she had once worked for. I also found out that she gave birth to twin boys in secret on an island controlled by men who conducted experiments on twins."

"Experiments?" Iris asked, laying her head gently on his shoulder.

Pendergast wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to his body, and replaced his right hand in hers. He breathed in her cherry blossom scent before he began again. "They would try to make the ultimate soldier by taking all the good genes, such as strength, stamina, intelligence, and combine in one twin. The other would get the left overs. They did it to our children as well."

"So you have kids?"

A soft sigh came from him and Iris snuggled closer to his body. "Two twin boys. Tristram is a smart young man, learning more and more about life everyday. He is away in an all boys school to acquaint himself with the world. You see he was kept basically as a slave because of his undesirable genes. Alban is the more dangerous one. He is genetically engineered to be more intelligent, stronger, and faster than anyone else, even myself. The last I saw of him he was severely injured and I'm not sure if he is alive or dead."

Iris smiled as she broke away from his embrace. "Tristram sounds wonderful. I would love to meet him one day if I can." A heavy silence consumed them. "Let's go play in the water."

Pendergast didn't have time to react as Iris bolted from the shady hut. The ocean water splashed around her slim legs as she ran straight into the surf. Pendergast slowly followed her, squinting his eyes as they slowly adjusted to the bright sunlight. He watched as she dove under the water, surfacing a few feet further out. He could still smell her on him from their embrace. An embrace that he secretly never wanted to end. Though he suspected she only allowed him to embrace her to comfort him, he was happy for the closeness of it. Silently he slipped into the water, diving under it. Iris had turned her back on the shore, casually swimming into deeper water. Pendergast allowed himself to sink into the deep water, his chest gently bumping on the sandy bottom.

He could feel the small disturbance in the current above him, signaling a swimmer was over top of him. Rolling himself so his back was to the sand, he raised his arms and grasped the hips of the swimmer. A violent struggle ensued as the swimmer was pulled under the water. Pendergast held tight for a few minutes, wrapping his legs around the swimmer's and holding onto the slim body tightly. The swimmer relaxed for a few moments before swiftly reaching down and pinching the soft skin of his hip. A slim thumb dug into the hip bone, pulling sharply. Pendergast grimaced under the water and was forced to relinquish his grip around her legs. Quickly the swimmer used their foot and jammed it backwards and up into the soft organs between his legs. The air went out of Pendergast's lungs and his grip slackened around the swimmer's body.

Iris broke the water's surface, breathing heavily. Pendergast followed her a few seconds later, treading water beside her. Iris looked over at him and splashed water into his face. "What the hell was that? Were you trying to kill me?"

Pendergast smiled and rubbed his groin beneath the water. "You ran away so suddenly that I could easily have been The Reaper. I just wanted to test your self defense techniques." He laughed as she pushed more water into his face. "I do believe I got the brunt of your anger already."

Iris gave him a playful glare. "Thanks, I haven't been able to fight in a long time. I feared I was getting rusty when I had to fight off the Reaper." She floated on her back in lazy circles around him as he continued to tread water. "Maybe I should get you to train with me sometime."

"I would be honored. It would be a comfort to know that you can defend yourself instead of just being told you can."

Slowly they made their way back to the cabana. The sun was just starting to sink on the horizon. Pendergast quickly wiped the water from his body and shook the towel ruffly in his fine, light blonde hair. After he changed back into his black pants and white shirt he returned to the main room, tying his black tie. Iris went to the changing room and returned a few minutes later wearing a deep purple dress that stopped just above her knee in a flowing skirt. The sheer jacket that she had earlier was slipped onto her shoulders and she finished packing her swimsuit and towel into her bag. Pendergast took her bag for her as they walked back to the Rolls.

"So where are going for dinner?" she asked when they slid into the silver car.

Pendergast looked over to her and shook his head. "The remainder of the night is a secret."

They ate dinner at a small upscale restaurant located on the very top of a New York skyscraper. They made small talk about the day. Iris had thoroughly enjoyed herself and thanked him profusely for giving her a wonderful birthday. Pendergast smiled through the dinner, drinking slightly more than he would normally. He knew he would need it for what was to come. When they returned to the valet and were waiting for the Rolls, he slipped a hand into his suit and withdrew his wallet. Iris watched as he passed a small envelope to her. She looked at him in confusion but he just stared down at her expressionless.

"What is this?" Iris opened the envelope and slipped out the two tickets inside. "Oh my goodness, I thought you detested opera?"

Pendergast watched as his car approached. He waited until they were both safely inside before speaking. "Proctor told about your torture attempts that you used while I was gone."

Iris blushed darkly and held her face in her hands in embarrassment. "He told you about all of that?"

"Yes and I was amused. He said that you would play Phantom of the Opera whenever he escorted you anywhere. Apparently you were trying to make him talk?"

Iris laughed at his playfully stern tone. "In fact I was. The man never says anything so I figured if I annoyed him enough he would be forced to talk to me. Little did I know that he excels at tuning things out. I swear you had to have found that man in a Russian prison camp the way nothing seems to bother him."

"Proctor is a good man." Pendergast fell silent as they approached the theater.

A young man stepped up to them as they entered and took the tickets from Iris' hands. "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Pendergast. We have you private box all set up. If you will follow me."

Iris nudged Pendergast in the ribs. "Mrs. Pendergast? Did I miss something?"

Pendergast gave her a simple shrug and offered his arm to her. Iris gently took it, slightly tense as he led her after the young man. They took their seats and Pendergast made sure to order a bottle of wine. He sipped a glass as Iris looked down at the slowly filling auditorium. A dreamy smile was plastered on her face as she gently hummed what he assumed was part of the show they were about to see. The show started and Pendergast had to try hard not to have a scowl on his face. Instead he let his eyelids droop as he listened to the music, trying to tune out the singers. Towards the end of the show, the phantom had professed his love to the young Christine and had told them to flee the underbelly of the theater. Iris reached and clasped his hand as the phantom disappeared behind a smokescreen, leaving only his mask behind.

Pendergast glanced over at her. One slim hand was hovering over her mouth as he eyes drunk in the stage below them. He flipped his hand over and interlaced their fingers. As the curtain dropped Iris finally looked over at him. Pendergast pulled Iris to her feet but did not release his hold on her hand. The young woman looked down at their hands, seemingly lost in thought. Pendergast stepped closer to her, closing the small distance between the two of them.

Iris could feel her heart beating furiously as the agent's pale face slowly came closer to her own. She could feel his warm breath blowing softly against her lips. Iris placed a hand on Pendergast's chest, trying to make her body respond and push him away but her heart was winning over. Just as their lips were about to touch, a soft vibration could be felt coming from the agent's suit coat. Pendergast growled softly as he reached in and pulled his phone out. Iris tore herself from the agent, collapsing back into her seat and trying desperately to catch her breath. Being so close to Pendergast had caused a war to rage in her body with her heart telling her to try but her brain telling her to stop. Acting on the feelings of her hormones and heart would only serve to distract her from her true purpose. Pendergast whispered into his phone and after a few minutes ended his call and replaced the device into his pocket.

"We have to go," he stated, all emotion having been drained from his voice.

"Is something wrong?"

Iris had to jog to keep up with the agent's long legs. As they slid into the car and pulled away from the theater, a heavy silence surrounded them. A sense of foreboding came across them. Pendergast pulled his car up to a police line surrounding central park. Iris pulled her seat belt off but stopped when Pendergast laid a strong hand on her arm. "Stay with the car."

She never got the chance to ask why. A police officer was dragged over to the car and Pendergast motioned to her. The officer nodded his head before casually leaning against the expensive car's hood. Pendergast had already stalked away when Iris climbed from the vehicle. Stepping up beside the officer she was able to notice that even the ebony skin of the young man was ashen and pale.

Iris gently tapped his shoulder. "What happened," she glanced at the man's name tag, "Officer Barlow?"

The young man looked over at her. "Sorry ma'am. I can't tell you about it, Agent Pendergast's orders."

Iris scoffed and looked towards the park. A circle of officers surrounded a large tree. Some of the men had begun to walk away as a tent was being erected around the base of the tree. Whatever had happened, they were trying to shield it from the public's view. There could be only one explanation: A new Reaper victim. Iris could see the platinum blonde hair of the Special Agent as he knelt beside something laying on the ground. She waited patiently beside the officer remembering her promise to Pendergast that she would follow his orders so long as she was under his protection. Whatever his reasoning for not including her in this victim had to be worthwhile.

Two officers were approaching the line of parked emergency vehicles. Both of their faces were dark and brooding as they strolled past Iris and Barlow. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, straining to hear what they were saying over the roar of the media circus forming behind the line of cars. "Its a shame that this victim is so young." one of the officers stated.

The female beside him nodded and sniffled. "Yeah poor kid, probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Iris snapped her eyes open as the female's voice resounded in her head. They were talking about a child. The Reaper did not target children. There was only one child that had been a casualty of the Reaper's madness, that little boy. Before Barlow could stop her Iris was bounding down the small slope towards the growing barrier around the scene. Agent Pendergast had his back to her and Iris was quiet enough not to alert him. The other officers it seemed were too busy trying to keep a small crowd that was already inside the park from coming any closer. Iris halted behind the agent and let the scene below her soak into her mind. The little boy that she had tried to save all those weeks ago was lying as if asleep among a bed of white lilies. His hands were clasped over his chest. The tree above him was carved into, "His blood is on your hands." Iris felt the chill go down her spine knowing that those words were meant for her. Iris let her eyes fall to the child again as Agent Pendergast gently moved the boy's head. It was disfigured on one side as if it had been repeatedly bashed in by something large and heavy. There were now visible bruises around the boy's neck in the shape of a large hand print. Agent Pendergast moved down and lifted the boy's pants legs and around one of his legs was the unmistakable bruise of a tight chain.

Iris felt tears running down her face and before she could stop it, a small whimper escaped her lips. Agent Pendergast jolted to his feet, discarding his gloves, as he quickly crossed over to her. Grasping her arm firmly he began to lead her away from the small victim. Iris could not tear her eyes from the boy as she allowed herself to be dragged further away. The agent was softly whispering to her though Iris could not understand a word coming from his mouth. He had stopped walking and stood infront of her to effectively block her line of sight with the body. Shock was overcoming her senses as she stood numb, rooted to her spot. Pendergast sighed and pulled her to his warm body, holding her tightly against his chest. A soft pressure was on her back moving in slow circles but Iris barely registered it as his hand. She laid her head to the side, looking out onto the crowd of onlookers. One man was staring back at her. A large, muscular tanned man with the haircut of a military member. Her eyes locked with his face and her blood ran cold. She started seeing red.

The mark on the man's face was undeniable. An X with a horizontal line inside of a circle and now that she could see him clearly through the flood lights that the police had set up around the dark park, it was clear what that symbol was. Anarchy. The Reaper himself said he had no rhyme or reason to his killings and victims, just that he did as he wanted. With savage strength that Iris forgot she possessed, she pushed the tall agent backwards. As he stumbled at the sudden physical violence she was able to slip a hand into his suit coat and yank his handgun from the chest holster. The crowd around her target screamed and ran to either side, trying to get away from her line of fire. The man took a step back and Iris fired. A miss as the unfamiliar weight of the gun threw her targeting off balance. The gun kicked savagely as the bullet ripped from it. The Reaper took his chance and turned, running back into the crowd. Iris fired two more shots at his retreating form before a strong arm snaked around her waist and the gun was ripped from her grasp. Agent Pendergast screamed into her ear to stop but Iris was now seeing clearly and her target was getting away. With a savage thrust she bashed her elbow into the pale face of the man holding her.

Agent Pendergast was once again knocked off balance, surprised at the strength she was showing. Iris took her chance and broke from the agent's grasp. She bolted after The Reaper, jumping over a few people that had been thrown down into her path. The Reaper was turning a corner to dive into a store, trying to lose her amongst the late night shoppers. Iris kept on his heels and barreled after him. She had to dive into a clothes rack as the man managed to pull a small pistol from his pocket and fired in her direction. Unfortunately she was not quick enough and a bullet grazed her shoulder. The shots ceased and Iris sprung back onto her feet.

She could hear the Reaper cursing as he ran down an isle adjacent to her own. She pushed her back against the wall and used her legs to push a section of the isle down. It crashed down on the other side but when Iris rounded the corner searching for a dazed body underneath the rubble, there was nothing. Suddenly a hard strike hit her in the side of her face and knocked her to the ground. Iris shook her head to clear her vision as The Reaper disappeared out of the back door. She scrambled to her feet and into the back alley. A heavy rain began to fall as she pushed herself to close the distance between her and her prey.

The man pulled his gun over his shoulder and fired in her direction but the wild running caused his aim to severely lack. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off of the brick to either side of the alley. As the distance between them closed Iris pushed herself from the ground, tackling The Reaper. The man was caught off balance and tried to roll himself around. Iris threw punches at the man's temples trying to knock him unconscious before he managed to use his size against her. But before she could succeed he was able to backhand her off of him. He rolled onto of Iris, closing his hands around her throat. Iris scratched at his face, trying to dislodge him from her body but her strength and adrenaline were quickly failing. The same sickly sweet smell issued from the man's mouth as he breathed hard over top of her.

Iris could feel her strength failing and her head was becoming light with the lack of oxygen. Her arms fell to her side as the last of her strength began to ebb. A single gunshot echoed through the rain and a clasp of thunder sounded overhead to drown it out. The Reaper immediately released his hold on Iris' neck and sprung to his feet, running away from the new attacker. Iris rolled to her side as she coughed and choked to suck down the warm summer air. Strong arms pulled her to a sitting position and she leaned against a hard, warm chest.

She tried to push the person away, coughing out. "Go...after him. Reaper."

The man would not let her go as she fought against him. "Calm yourself Iris. Vincent is going after him."

Iris looked up at into the face of Pendergast. Tears flowed down her eyes as realization dawned on her. His silver eyes were full of pain and she knew she was the cause of it. She betrayed his trust and put herself in the Reaper's path, putting herself and Pendergast into danger. Not only that but she had hurt him in her desperate attempt to kill her prey. Iris reached up and gingerly cupped his pale cheek. The agent's nose was bloodied but it appeared he had pulled his head back enough to miss the full brunt of her attack. She whispered up at him, "I'm so sorry Aloysius. I just wanted to get..." Iris was cut off as Pendergast dipped his head down and locked his soft lips onto hers.


	8. Chapter 8

Iris felt as a strong hand snake its way into her hair, firmly holding her head in place. The kiss deepened and for the first time since she was a child, she felt safe. Pendergast held her close to him as their lips melded together but it ended only too soon as footsteps were heard approaching them. They broke away, both turning to face the newcomer. Iris looked up into Pendergast's eyes, surprised at the intensity of his gaze. Both a savage need to protect the woman in his arms and a dangerous warning for anyone who dared to approach them were present in those silver orbs. The figure stopped a few feet short of them, breathing hard. Pendergast wrapped his arms around her waist and stood, pulling her up with him. Iris gingerly rested her feet on the ground as her legs still felt like water. Pendergast kept one arm around her waist, allowing her to lean against his slim frame for support. For the second time in the same day, Iris was surprised at the strong muscles in his slender chest.

Vincent D'Agosta stood straight up as he caught his breath. "I followed him down the alley but lost him in the crowd. What the hell were you thinking Doctor?"

Iris held her throat as she spoke, the bruised flesh hiding the pain underneath from her assailant's strong grasp. "That was The Reaper. I saw him watching Pendergast and..."

"Stop Iris," Pendergast whispered softly, "Your vocal cords may have been damaged. Rest for now and we can talk after you go to the hospital." Pendergast glared down into her emerald eyes as she started to protest. "You are in no condition to refuse Miss Denali. I will force you if I must."

Vincent started heading back down the alley, laughing softly. "I'll call ahead to the hospital. Someone from the crime scene team will be there to collect any physical evidence from Dr. Denali."

Pendergast remained staring at Iris, not acknowledging his friend's statements. Iris pushed away from Pendergast stumbling as she did. Using the brick wall behind her to help her stand, she returned his look. "I am not going to the hospital," she croaked. "There may still be a chance to hunt him down."

As Iris started limping down the alley, Pendergast followed always one step behind her. "The rain will have washed any trace of his movements away. Besides you will not be the one to hunt him."

Iris stopped and looked back at the agent darkly; warning him to try and stop her. "He murdered that child! I am not just going to step aside and let him get away with that."

"He will not be getting away with anything. You are in no condition to hunt him and even if you were I will never allow you to put yourself in danger like that again." He paused and pulled her to him gently. With one hand he held her head to his chest; she could hear his heart beating wildly through his drenched suit. Iris could feel his shoulder's shaking slightly but she doubted it was from the warm rain. "Iris, you were able to do something that not many have done before. You surprised me. I didn't expect the raw strength you possessed in pushing me away nor the speed it took for you to take my weapon. When I held you to stop your actions I was further surprised at the sheer ferocity you exhibited in your resolve to get that man. Nothing would have been able to stop you unless I physically hurt you and that was something I was not prepared to do." He paused to lift her face up. The look in his eyes took her breath away; the sheer compassion and resolve in his gaze bore into her heart and she knew that what he spoke was not only true but a promise for the future. "I thought I lost you when I came into this alley and saw you limp beneath him. That is something I could not tolerate again, the feeling that came over me when I thought you were dead. That is why I will not hesitate next time in restraining you."

Iris nodded her head in understanding. "I am sorry Aloysius. I should have listened and stayed with the car but I couldn't after I heard that it was a child. My anger just took over and I had to find out if it was that boy. Then when I saw that man in the crowd, I knew it was The Reaper."

Pendergast shushed her softly. "What has been done is done and there is nothing we can do to go back. No doubt our Reaper has gone to ground but that won't be forever. We must do what we can to find him before he strikes back." He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Do you understand that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe even if it means hurting you myself to stop you?"

Iris nodded, feeling her strength slowly returning. She stepped back from Pendergast. He kept his hand on her hip for support in case she should stagger but Iris held her ground. "I would not expect any less. I can be a little hard headed I know." Iris reached down and took both of his hands in hers, holding them tightly. "I need you to promise me something."

Pendergast nodded his head gently. "What did you have in mind?"

"Promise me you will not blame yourself if I get myself into trouble and get hurt."

He smiled slightly, nodding his head once. "And you promise me that you will not act on your own again without consulting with me first." Grasping her chin in his fingers firmly Pendergast forced her to look into his eyes. "I know that you were taught how to track and hunt a man down but I need to know I can trust you not to sneak off on your own in this."

Iris closed her eyes knowing that what he was asking of her was impossible. The Reaper was so close. She would make him pay for hurting all of those people and threatening her. Pride would not allow her to stop the hunt now. Besides, the longer that maniac was allowed to roam free the bigger the chance that he would make good on his promise to hurt those that protected her. Iris opened her eyes and gave Pendergast a nod of approval. If it put his mind at ease, then she would act the part. Her heart ached at the thought of betraying this man's trust but she knew it was the only hope she had of protecting him in the end, even if it meant that he would grow to hate her for it. If she could lull the Reaper out and into thinking that she was alone then she could take him down without involving the agent. Pendergast nodded his head after the minutes of silence ticked by. Still holding her chin firmly, he leaned down and softly kissed her lips.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds and when Pendergast pulled his head back Iris could tell even he was surprised by his sudden desire for intimate contact. "I apologize Iris."

"For what?"

"I fear that I am losing sight of what needs to be accomplished. It would be unwise for me to continue acting on my personal emotions when I need to be focusing on catching our killer. I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused." He back away from her, his face becoming stoic once again. "It appears I still have much work to do on controlling myself."

Pendergast swept his arm for her to follow him. As they walked back to the Rolls, Iris could feel a deep confusion in her heart. She could feel an urge in her heart to get closer to the agent but at the same time the thought of trusting him completely, with all of her past, was frightening. Pendergast seemed to be in the same boat. A part of Iris wanted to trust Pendergast, the other part wanted to hold him at arms length. It was clear that he was hiding many of his own dark secrets and time would tell if he would expose them to her.

Pendergast helped her ease into the Rolls. She felt awful for sitting in the vehicle while covered in rain water and god only knew what else from the alley, but Pendergast never said a word about it. They arrived at the hospital a short while later and were immediately ushered into a private room. An officer came and scraped under Iris' nails and demanded to take the dress she was wearing. There were a few blood droplets on it that came from the Reaper after all. Iris blushed as she stripped the dress off, depositing it into an offered bag. Iris was left in only a pair of matching crimson lace undergarments. When the officer left the door opened a second later. The tall agent stepped in, closing the door behind him. He froze, his hand still on the handle, when he took in what she was wearing.

Iris blushed darkly. "The woman stole my dress."

Pendergast finally turned to the side, averting his gaze from her. "I just wanted to inform you that the doctor has cleared you to leave."

Iris nodded and stood. "So there is nothing wrong with my throat?"

"It seems like just severe bruising. The doctor said that if you are feeling discomfort while eating to gargle with hot salt water or a numbing spray would work as well." Pendergast slipped out of his suit coat, handing it out to the side for Iris to take. The white shirt underneath was smoothed over his torso; the agent's gun was once again in the holster on his chest. "Here, this should cover you until we get home."

Iris took the now dry coat and slipped into it. Since Pendergast was much taller than she was the coat ended halfway down her thighs. The sleeves were a little longer than she would have liked but it at least was warm. She ducked her head down and into the coat, breathing deeply the scent of his cologne. Pendergast watched her with an amused look on his face. Iris glared at him. "See something you like?"

Pendergast took a deep breath and approached her, stopping only an arm's length away. "I would be lying if I said no. Any male would be weak in the presence of such a beautiful woman." He opened the door to the room. "Shall we head back?"

Iris breathed deeply, terrified of what she was about to do. "When we get back I want to talk to you," she stated, the words flowing quickly from her mouth.

Pendergast inclined his head in acknowledgment. Once in the close confines of the Rolls, Iris had time to think. She knew what she had to do to but it would cause the agent a lot of pain. In order for her to successfully protect him while at the same time hunt the Reaper, she would need to use her mind and manipulate him. As Pendergast eased the vehicle into the late night traffic, Iris began to form a plan. The agent was at a fragile point in his recovery from his late wife's traumatic passing, that she could use his confusing emotions against him. She closed her eyes, trying to find the calm mind that she would need for this difficult task ahead of her. Compared to hunting the Reaper, this was not something she was looking forward to. Her heart ached at the thought of betraying not only Pendergast's trust but his own heart. In the end she hoped that he would understand her situation and forgive her.

It took close to an hour to escape from the heavy late night traffic of the city. When they returned to the safe confines of the mansion, Iris motioned silently for the agent to follow her. Once she was standing infront of the agent's bedroom door did she stop. He came up beside her and opened the door, pressing a soft hand on the small of her back to usher her inside. Iris crossed his room, standing beside his bed. Keeping her back to the agent, she could hear him close his door and move to his dresser. A soft metallic clink sounded and when Iris turned to look at him, the weapon and holster he carried had been removed.

Pendergast joined Iris beside his bed but rather than stand he choose to perch on the soft mattress. Iris waited patiently as the agent removed his shoes and socks; she had long ago lost her own flats near the mansion's front door. When he was done he sat up straight, locking his eyes onto hers. "What would you like to discuss Iris?" he asked softly.

Iris stood infront of the agent. He had his knees apart with his feet flat on the floor and his hands resting on his thighs; regarding her calmly. She closed her eyes to steel her heart so that it would not stop her from doing what she knew was her only option. After all she had fought the Reaper twice now and the agent sitting infront of her was no match for him. "I am just so confused Aloysius," she whispered, her voice cracking as if she was distressed.

As she suspected, Pendergast leaned forward to bring his body slightly closer to her. "What are you confused about, Iris?"

Iris let her eyes drop to the floor and her shoulders slumped. "I just...I thought that...this is embarrassing." Iris had to try not to smile as she knew what her words would cause. The thought of her embarrassment in talking to Pendergast would make him even more receptive to what she would have to say.

Pendergast gave her a small smile. "There is no need to be embarrassed. Just say what is on your mind Iris."

Iris took an audibly deep breath and locked her eyes on his. "I was just starting to feel these strong feelings for you that I have never felt before and I was hoping that you were," she paused to let the thought linger in his mind. "I'm sorry, I guess I was just putting hope where it was not wanted." She turned her body to the side, prepared to walk away from him. "I apologize. Forget I said anything, I must be more tired then I thought. I'll just go to bed."

Men were so predictable, even the strange ones like this agent beside her. Just as she knew he would, Pendergast reached out and firmly grasped her wrist. Iris froze still with her body angled to the door. "I fear I am the cause for your conflicted emotions Iris. I should apologize." With a swift and gentle motion, Pendergast pulled Iris back to him. She faced the agent, looking down into his silver eyes. "I have feelings for you Iris, I am not afraid to admit that. But, I am hesitant to act upon those emotions due to many different factors." Pendergast gently reached up and stroked her cheek in comfort. "One is that I am much older than you."

Taking this golden opportunity offered her, she quickly whispered, "Age is just a number."

Pendergast inclined his head gently. Two strong hands dropped to her hips and pulled her closer to their owner. Iris allowed herself to be drawn to stand between his legs. "Yes it is just a number, but a great difference none the less." Iris slowly let her hands trail down the front of Pendergast's shirt, stopping at a point just before his abdominal muscles before she drew her fingers back up, stopping at the knot of his black tie. "Second is that I have never been very good at emotional connections. I fear that you would be disappointed."

Iris smiled sadly, pulling the knot of his tie lose and slipping the expensive fabric from around his neck. Since Pendergast made no move to stop her Iris was all the more certain that the manipulations were so far successful. "Another easy thing to overcome. We would not know what would happen unless it was given the chance."

Again Pendergast smiled and pulled her even closer to him, their bodies now touching. Iris slowly slipped her fingers down to the buttons of his shirt, undoing the top few to expose his neck more. Bringing up one of her knees and resting it beside Pendergast's sitting figure, she was pleased when his hand unconsciously roamed to her thigh. Iris could feel his body straightening underneath her as she played her fingertips gently over his exposed skin. When he talked his voice was lower and full of desire. "Lastly, I can't risk being distracted when your safety is on the line." Silence descended as Iris leaned forward and let her lips brush against the soft skin of the agent's neck. His pulse and breathing were rapidly increasing much to Iris' delight. "Iris," he started firmly, holding her thigh tighter and drawing her body closer to him. "We must stop this. Neither of us are ready for the complications our coupling would draw. It will take all of our focus to stop..."

"I am more than ready to begin living again Aloysius," she interjected. It was a little more firm than she intended her voice to be but Pendergast seemed to respond well to it. Iris nipped at his neck causing him to draw in a sharp breath.

Suddenly Aloysius pushed her back so that he could look into her eyes. The suit coat she wore had opened slightly and she monitored her breathing, making sure that her breasts rose and fell rapidly as if in excitement. Pendergast's hand trailed down and opened the few buttons holding the coat on. Iris did not stop him nor hinder the coat's fall to the ground. Pendergast pulled her back to him, his nose trailing along her collarbone. "I have not had the pleasure of a woman's company for sometime now." Iris hungrily pulled more of his shirt buttons free. A soft moan sounded from her lips as his teeth nipped at her tender neck. The small amount of pain inflicted from the bruise surrounding her neck only intensified the pleasure of his hot breath and tongue as he showered soft kisses up her neck to her ear. The shirt finally opened and Iris let her hands trail down his chest, the strong muscles taut under her touch.

"Aloysius," she moaned softly as he nipped up her jawline.

With a low growl he responded, "To hell with hesitation." Iris felt herself lifted bodily from the floor and slammed down roughly onto the soft mattress. She gasped in surprise as Pendergast straddled her waist, pulling his shirt from his shoulders. The scars on his chest were illuminated from the moonlight filtering in from his open windows. Iris let her fingers trace them and his body shuttered gently. He grabbed her hands and pulled them over her head effectively trapping her movements since her legs were between his. For a split second Iris was worried that he had seen through her manipulation and her body tensed. Pendergast smirked and laughed darkly. "Are you sure this is what you want? Once this is unleashed I cannot promise what will happen after."

Iris was confused at his words and it took her a few minutes to realize his meaning: once he showered her with his emotions and bared his heart to her, he would not be able to promise the unbiased protection that was required for the Reaper's fury. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt her heart stopping. All of her manipulations were being called into question by her heart. Would she really be able to live with herself knowing that the actions she takes from here on out would be for the soul purpose of trying to throw Pendergast off of her trail? She knew that without his trust, he would watch her more closely and she would not have the opportunities she would require to hunt her prey. As she looked into those silver eyes she realized what her mistake was: she wanted this to happen too much. "Aloysius, I," she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her resolve returning, "I want you and everything that may come with it."

Without missing a beat Pendergast pressed his lips to hers, gently at first but steadily becoming more intense. A soft tongue darted out and Iris welcomed it with her own. As they both fought for control Pendergast released her hands and pulled her bra off. Iris admitted surprise at the deftness of his hands as he cupped her breasts and pressed his thumbs against the hardened nipples. Her hands reached out, grasping the belt of his pants tightly as she started to pull it free. Pendergast's own hands shoot out to stop her. He laughed softly, the sound drifting into her ear as he nipped at the lobe. "Now, now Iris. I plan to take my time with you." Iris growled out as she felt both her wrists come together and were placed above her head. Very softly trailing the finger's of his free hand down her stomach to the warmth between her legs. Two fingers gently rubbed the moistened fabric of her panties and Iris arched her back, pushing her hips up into him. Iris smirked as she felt his excited cock brush into her groin. Pendergast shifted, bringing her legs up onto his shoulders and lifting her butt from the soft bed.

He released his hold on her wrists so he could better support her thighs on his shoulders. Iris' slim fingers ran through his soft hair, pulling it tightly as his tongue darted out to lick the wet lace. A vibration came from the nightstand, cutting the silence between her soft moans. Pendergast growled softly, choosing to ignore the phone calling to him. Ones of his hands left her hip, running up the side of her body and claiming a soft breast in his grip. Another vibration came from the nightstand and Iris looked down at Pendergast. "Maybe you should get that."

Pendergast glared up at her but released her thighs. She fell with a soft thump onto the bed. When he placed the phone to his ear his voice came out dangerously low. "What is it?"

Iris sat up next to Pendergast, gently rubbing his back in a soothing motion. A familiar voice sounded on the other end of the phone, loud enough for her to hear. "Am I bothering you?" Jack Doughter said.

"Tell me what you want Doughter," Pendergast growled.

"I need your ass in my office now! Did you think I wouldn't find out about the little mishap from tonight?" Jack screamed. Iris could almost see a vein popping out of the fat agent's neck.

"I am unavailable tonight. We can discuss an appointment for tomorrow."

Pendergast had to hold the phone away from his ear as an eruption of static sounded. "You will get your albino ass in here immediately or I will have your badge! Bring that whore with you!"

The phone line went dead and was promptly thrown across the room. Iris could feel his shoulder's tensing under her hands. "Calm down Aloysius. He's not worth getting upset over."

Pendergast turned, throwing her down on the bed and crawling between her legs once again. A cold hand was placed on her cheek and he bent down kissing her softly. "Jack Doughter will regret calling me tonight; I will make him regret using that negative slang against you."

A hour and a half later they pulled up to the federal building. Iris pulled her jacket closer around her and glanced over at the agent beside her. Thoughts crossed her mind that maybe she pushed him too far into instability. The agent's immaculate black suit was missing. He only wore the black pants and white shirt which itself was only half buttoned up his chest. The gun holster was present around his torso with the weapon hanging in it menacingly. The entire drive had been uneasily silent and Iris was sure their speed topped what was legal. When he jumped from the car, she had to run to keep up with him. Once in the elevator did he finally speak again. "I want you go in and listen to what he has to say. If he tries anything with you, scream. I don't care if he raises his voice; if it frightens you or he goes to move too close to you just yell and I will be there. No doubt he will want to talk to us separately."

Iris kept silent as a deep set panic crossed her mind. All of her advances on Pendergast to manipulate him into wanting her were slowly imploding. She pushed his fragile mind too far and now she knew he was slowly losing control of his own emotions. After losing someone so close to him for the second time she knew that he was weak, even he had said such. His control over his anger was slipping and Iris feared that Doughter would not realize the danger he would place himself in with this agent. D'Agosta had also warned her of the anger that he had kept pent up. Now with the interruption from Jack, Iris feared that he had been pushed over the edge.

Iris reached out and flipped the kill switch of the elevator, staring at the red button. Pendergast narrowed his eyes at her but did not say a word. After taking a deep breath she looked over at him, tears threatening her eyes. "You need to calm down. I did this to you." Pendergast remained silent as he crossed his arms. "I tried to manipulate you into a more fragile state so that I could take advantage of your lowered defenses. I am sorry Aloysius but I can't let you go into Jack's office with false anger that I know you would not have if I hadn't..."

She stopped as Pendergast held a finger out. "I think you underestimate me Dr. Denali. Are you quite sure it was you who were manipulating me and not the other way around?"


	9. Chapter 9

Aloysius Pendergast crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the elevator, regarding the woman in front of him indifferently. The statement he had made echoed inside of Iris' mind over and over again. Each time her anger grew more and more. "What do you mean?"

Pendergast sighed and moved to flip the kill switch on the elevator. After a few seconds the box began to rise again. "Iris, you are a smart woman I'm sure you will figure it out." The doors slid open as they reached the floor and Pendergast stepped out. When he noticed she did not move to follow him, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "I could not let you take control of the situation; it would have made things very difficult. I had no choice in what I did and I do not regret anything. Naturally I had to find a way to control your actions to ensure your safety while you were attached to this case while also making sure that your findings on my character swung in the direction I required. Luckily for me, you were predictable." Pendergast's head turned back, facing away from Iris. "Try not to let it bother you, Iris."

He began to step towards the closed door of the office. The secretary had long ago gone home for the night as Doughter worked late. Iris was thankful for the privacy provided by the woman's absence. When she spoke next, her voice came out as a whisper. "Did I really mean nothing to you? Did you lie to me all this time? Was all of this just to control me?"

Pendergast sighed in annoyance. "Iris I cannot afford to be drawn into any semblance of what you would call a relationship, least of all with such a young, naive girl. Controlling you was not my intention neither was having to deceive you all this time but I had to develop a way to earn enough of your trust to be able to predict your actions. After the letter the Reaper left for you slipped past me, I knew I had to find a way to hold you closer. It pains me to have to lead you on the way I did." After a few minutes of silence he spoke again, softer this time. "I did not lie to you, Iris, not once. It did not serve me to lie to you; you would have been able to see through those lies. From base instinct my body wanted you, unfortunately that is not something I can control being a human male. As far as my promise to help you be free of Jack Doughter that still stands; as does my word that I will protect you so long as you remain under my care."

Iris felt her heart hardening in her chest. She could not believe that she did not see this before. What had caused her to be so blind? Had the attack one year ago caused her more damage that she had previously thought? Had being alone for so long caused her to become gullible, predictable, so starved for attention that she had clinched onto the small amount of tenderness the agent showered her with? Iris raised her eyes slowly, locking them onto the tall agent's body. "You have underestimated me Agent Pendergast."

He scoffed softly. "The bad thing is, I do not think I have. I did earlier tonight, when you fought against me to chase the Reaper, but I have not now. Now that I know what you are capable of." He breathed deeply and held his head high. "I will talk to Jack first so that you can gather yourself together. Remember: make sure that he suspects nothing has happened between us."

As the door closed behind the tall agent, Iris tensed her jaw. Her heart and mind had finally become one again, united on a common thought: she would never again place herself that close to someone like she did with Special Agent Pendergast. As she closed her eyes and let the emotions drain from her body and soul, all of the years of training she had learned from her father washed back into her mind like a great wave. She inhaled deeply and let the time she spent with Pendergast come to the forefront of her mind. With the realization that he had been manipulating her the entire time she could see it clearly. Pendergast, from the first night they worked together, had subtly been pushing her in the direction that he wanted her to go. Pendergast had let himself into her house and allowed her to overpower him in her bedroom to test her training, to gauge her strength. When she was hospitalized after the Reaper attack in the alley the agent had purposely given attention to the scars on her back to force her to recall the horror of that night. Once the horror had flashed into her mind he showed her kindness, calling her beautiful, so that she would feel a stronger bond to him. So that she would begin to trust him. During the drive to Auburn he had again made her feel special when he exhibited concern after she became nauseous.

Then during that same night instead of getting two rooms he purposely got a shared one. He must have suspected she had that letter or known all along that she did. Either way Pendergast tested her that night, trying to gauge how well his manipulations were working. When Iris tried to hide the letter from him she had failed and he knew that he would have to work harder. The month he had spent away was a second test. Pendergast tried to show her that he trusted her enough to leave her alone. His goal was to break down her defenses, to try and make her too comfortable in his home. When he returned he took the golden opportunity that she just handed to him. They had meditated in blissful silence together, but that was just part of his plan. The closeness they shared had made her comfortable in his presence and she did exactly what he wanted. She lowered her walls and he was even able to overtake her, to get close enough to her to prove to himself just how weak he could make her.

Iris knew that scene she had caused when she found him in a deathlike trance only solidified in the agent's mind that she was under his control. She had shed tears for him, tried desperately to save him, and played right into his hands. Then to make matters worse the very next day, as the previous nights emotions still ran high inside her body, Pendergast took her out for one of the best days she had ever experienced. He showed her a completely new side himself, posing as if he was fragile and in need of comfort as he told her about his wife. She was able to see a venerable side of the agent that he wanted her to see. Then Pendergast took her to something that he had already said he detested to further secure the idea in her mind that he wanted to do things for her that he himself would never in a million years do alone.

The one thing Agent Pendergast did not plan on was the appearance of the child's body the same night. The reason he forced her to stay behind at the car, instead of accompanying him was because he knew as soon as she saw the child's corpse all of his work from the day's activities would be for nothing. He knew that Iris would react poorly. That as soon as she reverted back into her own mind, all of his work in manipulating her emotions would be for nothing. This was further drawn out when she saw the Reaper. She had foolishly lashed out, showing Pendergast her true strength and speed and, most damaging, her rage. Anger was what made her powerful, made her deadly. Pendergast knew that after the Reaper got away that he had lost his power over Iris. That she would do everything she could to go behind his back and hunt the animal down. So he did the only thing he could possibly do: he let her believe that she had power over himself.

He allowed his base desires to bubble up, hoping that it would bring her back to him, but as they began their physical contacts Pendergast knew that no matter what he did Iris was lost to him. The only trump card he had was what Doughter himself was holding over her head. Her past. That was why it was important that he mentioned it before he walked into that office. Whether or not Pendergast would make good on his promise of freeing her from Doughter was beyond the point. Iris knew that he was just trying to manipulate her into trusting him again but that was impossible. Her anger was the only thing left in her heart. For Pendergast, for Doughter, for the Reaper; all she had for them was her anger. With a final look at the door to Doughter's office, she turned on her heel and reentered the elevator. "Let's just see how predictable I am, Special Agent Pendergast." she whispered as the elevator descended.

Agent Pendergast stood infront of the desk of Jack Doughter with his hands clasped behind his back. The round agent looked worse for wear as he rubbed the bags under his eyes. Pendergast regarded the man with disgust, suspecting how this meeting would go. Pendergast knew he would end Jack's little leverage over Iris tonight. It was at least one thing that would be off of his mind. Dealing with Iris' anger over his actions towards her would be another matter. It was something he was not looking forward to, but however uncomfortable it would be, he would need to make amends with Iris. At least if he ever hoped for the two of them to be able to work together civilly.

Doughter took a deep breath as he stared into Pendergast's pale eyes. "This is the second time that Iris has gotten into a physical altercation with The Reaper. How is it that in your incompetence you let her get that close to a serial killer again?"

Pendergast narrowed his eyes at the condescending tone used by the agent. "Iris surprised me, overpowering me to take my gun and shooting at the Reaper. She gave chase when he ran and I pursued. When I finally caught up to the two of them I shot at the Reaper, hitting him in the shoulder. He fled and NYPD lost his trail in the heavy rain."

Doughter was silent for a few seconds before he responded. "How could you let a woman overpower you? All that training the government gave you and you couldn't stop a little girl?"

Pendergast chuckled darkly and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Come now Jack, we both know how she was able to overpower me. I underestimated the training her father gave her."

The agent's face paled. "You know about her past? That bitch told you!" He laughed softly. "Let me guess she gave you the I'm so sad sob story and you ate it up!"

"Watch yourself Jack. I will not tolerate you calling Dr. Denali names in my presence."

"You fucked her didn't you?" Jack Doughter stood, resting his fists on the edge of his desk. "Was she good for you? Don't you see what she is trying to do to you? She uses her body to manipulate you into doing whatever she wants. She is nothing but a whore."

Pendergast felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. His anger was slowly bubbling up. "Iris is not a whore and what I have done with her is between the two of us. You will never talk to her in such a way again or..."

"Or what?" Jack cut him off, stepping around the desk. "Or you'll make me regret it? We both now that little whore outside is not worth all the fuss. She might be a good fuck but that's about all she is good for. All her training has been broken from her and you should be grateful to me for that. Watch I'll prove just how easy it is to control her. You might learn something." Pendergast had to step back away from the large agent as Doughter came around the desk. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and snap the fatter man's neck. Doughter disappeared from the office and a few minutes later returned in an angry huff. "I thought I told you to bring her with you!" Jack screamed.

Pendergast roughly pushed past his fellow agent and let his eyes sweep the dark outer office. A cold chill ran down his spine as the gravity of the situation dawned on him. In her anger Iris had fled and now she was out there, alone with the Reaper chasing after her. "I underestimated you again Iris. Your resolve is astounding."

Doughter slammed a meaty hand into the slim agent's shoulder. Pendergast glared over to him, a warning look in his eyes. "Where the hell is Iris, Agent Pendergast?"

Pendergast rubbed the bridge of his nose, willing his breathing to calm itself. "Do not fret, Jack. I am sure she has not gotten far."

"What the hell did you do?" Doughter grabbed the agent's shoulder and roughly spun him around. Pendergast remained silent as the large man began to raise his voice. "You better hope you can find that little whore before she does something stupid."

With a quick, fluid move Pendergast ripped his shoulder out of Doughter's grip. A savage kick was delivered to the man's knee, buckling it underneath him and causing Doughter to crash to the floor. As the large man screamed from the pain of his knees slamming into the hard floor Pendergast reached forward and yanked Doughter's head back by a fist full of hair. Jack struggled to breath as his neck was hyper-extended, forced to look up into his attacker's face. Jack's hands flew up and grasped Pendergast's arm, trying desperately to dislodged the agent's firm grip on his head. Pendergast looked straight into Jack's eyes as he pulled his Les Baer' and pointed the barrel directly to the man's forehead. Jack immediately went rigid. "I warned you about using that term in my presence."

Doughter's forehead broke out into a cold sweat as Pendergast racked a round into the gun's chamber. "What are you going to do Pendergast? Kill me for that little whore?"

Pendergast raised the gun and delivered a savage blow to the side of Jack's head, sending him down to the floor again. He straddled the man's torso returning the gun to the man's forehead. Pendergast sat on the man's chest as he spoke. "You are really not in a position to continue to challenge me. So let us have little talk, Jack." Pendergast used the barrel of the gun to push Jack's head so that he was facing the agent above him. "I am only going to tell you this once: you will never again use the leverage you have on Iris to force her into doing something that goes against her will. If you fail to heed my warning I will show you no mercy in having you locked away for life for your assistance in your brother's first escape from prison."

As Pendergast stood above Jack a low laugh issued from the large man. "You don't have the balls. She came willingly back to me every time I called and she will again. Maybe next time I will have her hunt your albino ass down."

Pendergast squeezed the trigger and with a loud bang the bullet slammed into the floor just inches away from Doughter's head. Small pieces of the wood floor sprung up and scratched the side of his face. Jack paled as his hands flew up to check for any injuries to his face, finding only the small bleeding cuts. Pendergast narrowed his eyes and replaced his gun. "Just a small taste of the fear that Iris has had over the years. Next time I won't be so forgiving of your unsavory conduct."

Pendergast wasted no time and flew to the elevator. He needed to find Iris and fast if he was going to make things right. The parking lot was still bathed in the darkness of the late night but the small amount of moonlight peeking out from behind the clouds allowed him enough light to see. Someone was kneeling next to the passenger side of his Rolls, attempting to pick the lock. As silent as a cat, Pendergast crept up on the kneeling woman. A pair of handcuffs were slipped out of his suit pocket as the distance between him and the woman shortened. The ebony hair was flipped over Iris' shoulder in impatience as she worked on the lock. It seemed Pendergast wasn't the only one who underestimated their opponent.

Iris glared at the lock as her tools worked again. It had been too long since she had to pop the lock on a car, let alone a rare model such as this. A soft crunching noise, like that of a well placed footfall on the loose gravel of the parking lot, caught her attention and she froze. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt a dark presence just behind her. Iris turned her body, slamming her elbow into the man behind her with as much force as she could muster. A cold hand caught her strike and twisted her arm behind her back. The cold bite of steel wrapped itself around her wrist. Handcuffs, she knew now who was behind her. She had wasted too much time. "Special Agent Pendergast, It seems I underestimated your own abilities. A mistake I won't make again."

Pendergast said nothing as Iris felt him reach into his pants pocket. The grip on her arm tightened painfully as she tried to pull away from him. The agent pulled her closer to his body, eliminating any leverage she would have gained from her legs. Seconds later the Rolls unlocked with a beep. Iris knew his end game: he was taking her back to the Riverside Drive mansion. As Iris struggled against Pendergast, he shifted them to the side and opened the car door. Iris slammed the heel of her shoe, thankful that she choose to wear the four inch heels, into the agent's foot. Pendergast grimaced and pushed her roughly into the side of the car. Her free hand braced against the metal. She could feel the agent's free hand sliding to grasp her other wrist. That was something she could not allow.

Using all of her weight she pushed off of the side of the vehicle, slamming her back into the slim agent. The grip on her free wrist was released as the agent stumbled backward. Very carefully Iris twisted herself away from the agent releasing her other arm from his hold. The handcuffs dangled from her wrist as she broke out into a run, heading towards the familiar Thomas Paine Park. Pendergast was hot on her trail as she crossed the parking lot. She looked over her shoulder just as the agent leapt into the air. A small scream of surprise escaped her lips as they crashed into the pavement together. Iris groaned as she felt her knees and chin scratch against the rough ground. Pendergast quickly took hold of both of her wrists and slamming the second cuff home.

Iris growled as the agent lifted himself up enough to roll her over. He leaned back on her legs to keep her from struggling. "Calm yourself, Iris." he whispered softly.

She pulled at her restraints, trying to loosen them but it was in vain. "Don't you dare call me that. You have no right restraining me like this."

Pendergast smoothed the front of his suit down and dusted it off. "Dr. Denali, I am still charged with your protection and plan to see it through to the end."

Iris stopped struggling, staring up into the emotionless silver eyes. "Why?"

For the briefest of moments, guilt passed the agent's intense gaze. "I promised you that I would protect you until the Reaper is caught."

Iris laughed. "Promised? That wasn't just another of your manipulating lies?"

"We both have done things that we regret to manipulate the other, but as I said I never lied. I will protect you so long as you follow any orders I give you."

Anger flared in Iris' heart and a heat rose to her cheeks. "I will never follow you again. If you take me back to your home I will do everything in my power to get away."

Pendergast sighed and lifted himself from her body. With strong arms he pulled Iris up. He wrapped an arm around her lower back to steer her towards the car. Iris struggled briefly against him but quieted as Pendergast settled her into the front seat. Iris sat quietly as Pendergast buckled her into the car then closed the door. Tears of frustration slipped from Iris' eyes as the agent climbed into the driver's seat. He started the car to let the cold air push through the vents, cooling off the occupants. After a few moments he turned and looked at her. One of his slim hands brushed her tears away and Iris tensed. "I believe I owe you an apology for my actions."

Iris scoffed and looked away from him, out the passenger window. "Save your breath Agent Pendergast. There is nothing you can say or do to make me want to stay. I will find the Reaper without your help."

An exasperated sigh left the man's lips. "Iris, you cannot handle this on your own. We need to come to an agreement that will benefit us both without endangering your safety."

Iris rolled her head to the side to lock her emerald eyes onto Pendergast's form. He was staring out of the front windshield like a statue. "What makes you think that I will even acknowledge your agreement? I entered into an agreement with Jack once too and look at where that has gotten me."

"Jack Doughter will not bother you again if he wants to live." Pendergast spat out, contempt filling his honeyed tone.

Iris furrowed her brows in confusion at the agent's tone. He wasn't trying to manipulate her, he was being sincere. "You threatened Jack?" With a soft nod of his head Iris felt a breath catch in her throat. "Trying to win me back over to your side?"

It took a few minutes for the agent to respond. "No, I realize my mistake now. I should have treated you like an adult instead of a fragile child. I do not plan on trying to manipulate or deceive you again, that would no longer serve any purpose. Your help would still be greatly appreciated on this case; as would your continued cooperation."

Iris took a few minutes to think but as she was about to respond, a soft ring issued from the agent's pocket. He pulled out his phone and in hushed tones talked to the man on the other end. He hung up with a sigh and flipped the car into drive, heading out in to the night. "Was there another victim?" Iris heard herself ask before she could stop.

Pendergast gently shook his head. "Vincent has a report on the case that he claims is exponentially shocking. Our presence is requested at the precinct."

Iris fell quiet as she thought about her current situation. Unfortunately she needed access to her belongings still at the Riverside Mansion. Also, the reports from the police precinct would greatly help her in the hunt for her prey. As must as she did not want to be under Pendergast's roof anymore, she would have to put up with him. At least until she could retrieve her belongings and get a good copy of the entire case file. As they pulled into the parking garage of the precinct Iris cleared her throat. "You can take the handcuffs off. I will cooperate with you under two conditions."

Pendergast opened her door when he came around the car, helping her from it. They locked eyes and Pendergast inclined his head to the side. "And what would those be?"

"One is you give me my privacy and never enter my room again unless you suspect I am in danger or I am asleep and your knocking does not awaken me." The agent nodded in his response and she continued. "Two is that you allow me to leave the mansion alone whenever I require it."

Pendergast frowned and narrowed his eyes. "That I cannot do. Your safety would be greatly diminished if you were to go outside my home without an escort."

Iris knew that he would not agree to the second condition. So quickly changing gears she added, "Fine then I need you to give me space so that I can do my work without you breathing down my neck."

Pendergast nodded his head and twirled his finger in the air. Iris spun on her heel. She felt his cold fingers grasp her wrists as the cuffs were removed. When he was done Iris turned back to him and flashed a cold smile. He reached into the front pocket of his suit, pulling out a white handkerchief. "Your chin is bleeding," he said simply. Pendergast led the way into the building and to the elevator. Once inside he spoke again. "You have exceedingly strong legs Iris. I do believe you broke three of my toes."

Iris laughed softly. "Well you shouldn't play with a woman's emotions. Especially a woman like me."

"I've never met quite a woman like you," he whispered softly.

Iris crossed her arms over her chest, regarding the man beside her with amusement. "And I've never met quite a man like you, Aloysius Pendergast."


	10. Chapter 10

Vincent D'Agosta was sitting behind a pile of chaotic paperwork on top of what Iris assumed was once a desk. A cup of coffee was being nursed in the officer's hands but when Pendergast and Iris entered he drained the liquid in one swoop. Iris lifted a box of evidence bags, placing them on the ground beside Vincent's desk, before taking the now clear seat. Pendergast had moved to a cork board dominating an entire wall of the office. On it where the crime scene photos and biographies of the victims. In the center of the board was a map of the entire state of New York. Little multicolored strings trailed from certain locations on the map to their corresponding victim photos. Iris recognized that the strings were linking the victims to their crime scene and a second string to where the victim lived. None of the strings however were linked together.

"What happened to your face, Dr. Denali?" Vincent asked as he stood from his chair.

Iris flashed him a small smile. Agent Pendergast had turned around at Vincent's question, his eyes now locked onto Iris. "Just a scrape, D'Agosta. I misjudged the distance between the stairs when we were leaving the house tonight and made a fool of myself." Iris saw Vincent's eyes trail to her scraped knees. She pushed a blush into her cheeks. "Agent Pendergast's floor is unforgiving for those of us who are not coordinated."

Vincent laughed loudly. Iris glanced over to Pendergast who gave her a simple nod before turning back to the board. Vincent came around the desk, a bright white string in his hands. He motioned for Iris to join him and Pendergast infront of the board. Pendergast shifted to the left slightly so that she could stand beside him. Vincent motioned to a larger picture of the sketch Pendergast had made at the hospital of the Reaper's bottom face. Someone had added to it, the top of the face now reflecting the demon's mask that Iris had seen. The image caused her to shutter softly. A memory of that attack brought terror into her heart again even though she tried to hide it. She tried to will the memory away and go back to a quite, serene state of mind but the longer she stared into the shadowed eyes of that mask, her terror built. Iris slipped her hand down and entwined her fingers in the cold grip of Agent Pendergast. He didn't pull his hand back nor did his face change its stony expression. Iris knew that she would regret this contact with him later but the agent's reassuring grasp on her hand helped to calm the fear in her heart.

Pendergast was the first one to break the silence. "Just as I thought, there is no connection between any of the victims."

Vincent nodded but a bright smile graced his lips. "Until now."

Iris remained silent as Vincent connected the white string from the photo of the small boy directly to the Reaper himself. Confusion clouded her thoughts but when the realization dawned on her, her grip tightened in Pendergast's hand. The agent looked down to her as he tightened his own grip on her. Iris remained silent and focused on the bright cord. Pendergast looked back to Vincent. "There is a connection between the boy and Reaper?"

Vincent nodded but didn't speak as Iris reached out and stroked the string. "It was his son."

Pendergast's eyes narrowed at the Reaper's picture. "That is what we are thinking. The DNA test on the boy didn't bring up anything to help us with finding his identity. But what we did find was a familial match between the child and the Reaper."

"Has anyone reported the child missing?" Pendergast asked quietly.

Iris pulled herself away from them, sitting back in her chair by the desk. She didn't want to look at the picture of the child anymore or the Reaper. That white line was just torturing her mind. Why would the Reaper kill his own son if he could have just tried to hide the truth from him? She felt unwanted tears stinging her eyes as she looked over to the tall agent.

Vincent had pulled his notepad from his pocket. "I have officers trying to track down any missing child reports but nothing has come up so far. Though it is save to assume the Reaper himself will not be filing a report for the child."

"The mother will or any other close family to the boy." Pendergast fell silent as he looked over to Iris. His gaze soften for a few seconds before he looked away. "What can you tell me about the evidence collected from Iris from the different attacks?"

"Hold on, I have it here somewhere." Vincent crossed back to his desk and began trying to tame the chaotic papers.

Pendergast cleared the second chair infront of the desk, gracefully seating himself and flinging one long leg over the other. He reached over and gingerly touched Iris' arm then withdrew his hand when her gaze focused on him. "Are you alright, Iris?"

The events of the last few hours came back to her when he spoke her name. She regarded him coolly before responding. "Fine Agent Pendergast. I am just trying to sort my thoughts on this case. Part of me is not sold on the child being the son of the Reaper."

Vincent cursed as a pile of papers cascaded to the ground. "Well there is no denying the DNA analysis of the blood found on your dress and the child's saliva. There is some familial bond between the two."

Pendergast brought his fingers up to his chin and closed his eyes in thought. "That does not explain his anger over the child's involvement and death in his plans. He openly blames Dr. Denali for the death of the boy but he could have prevented it himself."

Iris breathed deeply as she watched Vincent sort through the papers. "I do not believe that he recognized who the child was when he first attacked him. What did the medical examiner find as the cause of death?"

Pendergast leaned forward and took a manila folder from the top of a stack. Vincent shot him a glare at finding it in a matter of seconds. The agent flipped the folder opened and began to read from it. "The cause of death was severe trauma to the head from a very powerful strike to the temple. That hit apparently was enough to dislodge the brain from the spine and crush the skull itself. The brain swelled until the head could no longer contain it."

"How could someone kill a child?" Vincent growled. He returned to sorting his papers, viciously throwing the papers around.

Iris let her eyes drift close. Her mind was slowly digesting the new information. "The Reaper did not know that the child was related to him until after he took him from that alley." Her voice was soft when she spoke.

Pendergast closed the folder and placed it back on the desk. "If the child was his then he would have recognized him sooner."

"Or at least been more hesitant in killing him."

"Hesitant?" the agent questioned.

Iris nodded her head, regarding him with her emerald eyes. "If he was indeed the father than killing a child roughly the same age and sex as his own son would cause a parental emotion of love and a need to protect the boy to rise in him. He would have been more gentle and instead of hitting him hard enough to kill, the Reaper would have only knocked him out. The child could have easily been persuaded into thinking that what he saw in that alley wasn't as bad as it truly was."

Vincent scoffed. "You're giving that maniac too much credit Doctor."

Iris shrugged her shoulders. "Even a maniac has emotions, Vincent D'Agosta. Besides we all are a little crazy inside," Iris let her eyes drift over to Pendergast, "some hide it better that others."

Pendergast chuckled softly. When Vincent gave him a questioning look he simply waved his hand in dismissal. "Doctor if you think he is crazy, you better be lucky you never had the pleasure of meeting his brother."

"Brother?" Iris thought back to her time exploring the mansion. She had come across a small room once that contained many pictures of the Pendergast family. Two in particular had caught her attention: one was of a much younger silver eyed agent and the other was a man about two years younger than Aloysius with fire red hair and peculiar eyes. One of them was hazel, the other a milky white as if he was blind. She had been curious about the intense look in the boy's eyes. In the same room she found a hidden photo album. One of the pictures contained Aloysius and this boy, only the boy's eyes were both hazel. The look in this young man's eyes were so different than the portrait on the wall. Something had happened to him that had caused the young man to mature significantly between the pictures. This photo had to have been taken many years before the portrait had been painted. The two boys were about seven years old and both full of joviality, smiling like maniacs infront of a plantation's gate, but when she looked into the different colored eyes of the young man in the portrait it seemed life had lost its grandeur to him. "You must be talking about Diogenes Pendergast?"

The look of shock that crossed Pendergast's face could have jolted a dead man back to life. He stared at her not even bothering to hide the emotions that crossed his gaze. Iris returned his stare and started to judge the emotions that he was feeling. Distress, shock, and just a hint of sadness could be found in that intense stare before the agent mastered himself and hid it. Vincent D'Agosta was not so skillful at hiding his own shock. "You got Pendergast to tell you about Diogenes? Doctor, you are a miracle worker."

Iris chuckled softly behind her hand. "I am no miracle worker, D'Agosta. While Agent Pendergast was tied up in that Colorado case, I explored his mansion. I just happened to come across family albums filled with pictures of him and his brother when they were younger." She smiled at the agent in triumph as his eyes narrowed dangerously. She knew that he was not all too happy that she had dug into his past. Even Pendergast knew the value of information in the hands of someone who knew what they could do with it.

D'Agosta shook his head. "Believe me Doc, you did not want to meet that Pendergast. He was a fountain of crazy." The officer exclaimed in sudden joy as a paper was pulled from the bottom of the stack. "Finally!"

Iris flashed Pendergast one last smile before she turned her emerald eyes onto D'Agosta. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yeah, this is the report on the evidence we took from you after your first run in with the Reaper. I haven't looked at these since the second run in with the killer." Vincent sat back in his chair, throwing his legs up on the edge of his desk. It was surprising he even found a clear enough edge to prop himself up. "It seems they didn't get much from under your nails except dirt, nothing that could give them any to test for DNA."

Pendergast spoke up, curiosity in his voice. "I'm more interested in the bite on Iris' shoulder."

Iris looked down at her shoulder. The wound had long ago closed but the puncture markings were now a dark red scar. The doctors told her that it would lighten over the years but it would never fade. Just like the scars on her back, they would be a constant reminder of her failure to protect herself. That would never happen again. "Where they able to get any saliva from it?"

Vincent flipped through a few pages in the report, stopping at one. He pulled the page from the folder and held it up. The look on his face twisted into pure confusion. "What the fuck?" He handed it to Pendergast. "See if you can figure this out."

The agent took the page delicately in his slender fingers and read over it. A smile graced his pale lips as he handed the page to Iris. "It seems you may be on to something, Doctor Denali."

Iris looked down at the report. The top showed the results for the blood found in the bite on her shoulder. There was no surprise in those results. The blood matched her own DNA sample she provided to the officer that collected the evidence from her. The second page of the report showed an unknown DNA sample extracted from her wound. This must have been the saliva from the Reaper's bite. "I do not think I am seeing what is so surprising."

"Oh shit, Doc I'm sorry. You haven't had the chance to go through the case file." D'Agosta pulled out another lab report and passed it over to her. "That is the child's DNA profile and the blood sample of the Reaper we pulled from the dress you had on the night of the second attack."

"Thank you." Iris looked over the second page. There was a small summary at the bottom from the lab technician that showed the similarities in the two samples. The Reaper's blood was a familial match to the boys, meaning he was the father. The sample had too many coincidences for the Reaper to be anything other than a parent. Something struck Iris as odd. The sample from the bite wound should match the blood from the Reaper's gunshot wound but it didn't. "They aren't the same person."

Vincent smiled and poured himself another cup of coffee from the pot on a small table behind his desk. "Which means we have two Reapers."

Pendergast waved a hand in dismissal at his words. "Or we were mistaken and the man from the park was innocent and not involved in this case."

Iris stared down at the papers disbelievingly. "That is impossible," she said defensively. "He had the anarchy scar on his cheek. The same scar from the alley! There was no way..."

As she trailed off both men stared at her. Vincent was the first to speak. "You don't think that you might have made a mistake."

Pendergast narrowed his eyes as he looked over at her. She could feel frustration bubbling up with in her. "Iris it is normal to make mistakes."

"I didn't make a mistake!" Iris shot up from the chair she was sitting in. "He had the same scar on his face, but..." She had to take a few calming breaths but nothing was helping to calm her nerves. "I need some air."

Aloysius Pendergast watched as Iris retreated from the office. He looked back at Vincent who was stunned into silence. Quietly Pendergast stood and started going to the office door. "Wait, don't you think we should give her some space? She seemed really distraught."

Pendergast looked back at his friend. "It is my duty to ensure her safety, Vincent. I cannot let her go off alone."

"I know but," the officer sighed, the exhaustion of the past few months drawing on him. This case had really taken a lot out of the man. "Iris has to be blaming herself for the child's death. I mean she was there and tried her hardest to protect him but in the end it wasn't enough. Then she gets the one chance to catch the guy and he gets away."

"You saw the evidence My Dear Vincent. That man she chased was not the same man that attacked her and killed the child in that alley." Pendergast said. The tone in his voice was level and emotionless.

Vincent rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. You don't think that she just figured that out and now realizes that she potentially could have killed an innocent man? Iris is probably freaking out." Vincent regarded the agent with suspicion. "Did something happen between you two?"

Pendergast chuckled. "Whatever do you mean Vincent?"

"I'm not an idiot Pendergast. You and her have been tense ever since you walked into my office. When I asked her about her injuries, I didn't miss the look you gave her. Did you hurt her?" 

Pendergast looked back at the door. "I don't have time for this Vincent."

Vincent came around his desk and placed a firm hand on the door, keeping it closed. "Don't lose sight of yourself again Pendergast, like you did after Helen's death. I would hate to find you using again."

A soft laugh issued from his chest. "I assure you that I have grown stronger from that experience and I do not intend to be that weak again." He placed a cool hand on his friend's shoulder. "You do not know the whole story between me and Iris Denali."

"I would if you opened up." When the agent didn't respond, Vincent continued. "All this tension and hostility towards Doctor Denali is uncalled for. She is just doing her job and trying to help us the best she can. Try to give her a break Pendergast. I don't know what is going on between you two, and honestly I'm not sure that I want to, but try to make things right. It is better to work together civilly than as enemies."

"What are you suggesting Vincent?"

"Try to see things from her perspective. You might learn something."

"I will make an attempt." Vincent released the door and Pendergast shook his hand firmly. "Call me if anything comes up Vincent."

"Oh before you go." Pendergast stopped mid stride and looked back. "The officer that is handling the missing persons report has not been checking in regularly. I've tried to light a fire under his ass but he seems hell bent on moving as slowly as possible."

"Why not give the task to someone more motivated?"

Vincent sighed and slumped his shoulders. "That's just it, there is no one else. I've had fifty officers quit the case on me. Officer Alberio is the about the only person left that isn't currently assigned to something else. I heard that he was lazy but I didn't think it was this extreme."

Pendergast nodded. "So what would you like me to do about this?"

Vincent threw his hands up. "See if you can get the ball rolling. Unleash the hounds on the man for all I care, just get him working!"

Pendergast laughed for the first time in amusement. "I do enjoy your euphemisms, Vincent. I will see what I can do about our sloth."

With a swift step the agent moved back out into the parking garage. The rest of the precinct had been locked down for the night and he was sure that Iris was seeking to be alone. One of the only places available to her would have been the parking garage or the small outside area the police used for dining. The parking garage was deserted and no one was standing near his Rolls. He hastened his pace towards the small, gated dining area. A lone figure was seated on one of the benches, looking up into the night sky. Pendergast stopped in his tracks to take in the scene infront of him. Iris looked venerable as her eyes were locked onto the cloudy sky. The lab reports were still clutched in her tight grip. As the moon peaked out from behind a cloud, tear tracks stained her cheeks. Pendergast knew that he should stay back and leave her be but something was pulling him to her. He had only half lied to her in the elevator at the federal building. He didn't want a relationship that would potentially end like his marriage, in pain and sorrow. But he did want to be close to Iris.

No amount of denying his heart had helped his cause. Aloysius wanted to protect Iris, wanted to be near to her. Diogenes had been right. Something was connecting him to this woman and he tried his best to push her away from him. Foolishly he thought that if he exposed his plans to manipulate her into submission that she would give him a reason to crush his feelings for her but that backfired. His heart had instead filled with regret and guilt at the pain and betrayal he had watched blossom in Iris' eyes. Helen had never had this effect on him before. True he loved his wife for the similarities they shared but there was something in this young girl that compelled him to be next to her. Compelled him to protect her with a savagery only found in the heart of a lover.

But the truth was that Pendergast knew he could never expect her to feel the same way towards him. He had seen to that himself just a few hours ago. Iris was lost to him. While he wished to try and follow his heart, to make things right, he knew that to find the Reaper and stop him things would have to remain the way they were. To show Iris affection would be to endanger her further. If the Reaper choose to follow on his promise and attack the things she loved than he would be putting himself in the Reaper's path. While the aspect of the Reaper pursuing him did not bother Pendergast, he knew that if given the choice between saving herself or a loved one, Iris would give herself over to the Reaper in an instant. Instead he would have to put himself further from her and remain only her protector. To only watch over her and wait for the Reaper to make his move. Pendergast knew that it would be hard but he would have to do this, for Iris.

Pendergast cleared his throat as he took a seat next to Iris. His quick, precise movements in seating himself had not caught her attention. Pendergast knew how perceptive Iris could be, the fight in the parking lot earlier had shown him that. Even with being as silent as he knew how Iris still heard him and attacked. But now she didn't even know he was within inches of her. Iris jumped at the sound and looked over at him. The extremely sad look in her eyes pulled at the strings of Pendergast's heart but he knew that it would be a mistake to act on those emotions. Iris would not appreciate any advances on her person, especially after their falling out not hours before. "You should not be out here alone Iris," he chided softly.

Iris sighed and looked back at the papers in her hand. "I was so angry at the child's death that I didn't stop and really take everything in. I can't believe I missed it."

Pendergast felt confusion enter his mind. "What did you miss?"

"The scar on his face."

"I saw the same thing you did Iris. That was the same scar that you saw in the alley and described to me at the hospital."

Iris shook her head gently. "It looked the same from afar at first, but if you really studied it, it was different."

When she fell silent Pendergast gently prodded further. "Different how?"

"It was fresh." Iris placed a hand on the new scar on her shoulder. "It was a deep rosy red like he just sustained the injury within a few weeks. The Reaper I fought in the alley had the same scar but it was faded and flesh colored."

Pendergast nodded in understanding. "Do you think that the man in the park scarred his own face?"

"Why would he do that? To imitate the killer?"

Pendergast inclined his head to the side. "It is not unheard of for a serial killer to have admirers."

Iris shook her head again and Pendergast fell silent. "I don't think that is it. If he was just an admirer then why would he run when I looked at him."

"You were pointing a very large weapon his way Iris. I would run if that was the case."

Much to his delight, Iris laughed softly. "He started running before I got the gun from you, Aloysius."

When she said his name, Pendergast smiled. Iris was slowly coming back to the calm, playful woman he had first met. He hesitantly laid a cool hand on her leg. Iris tensed but did nothing to push him away. "I want to apologize for everything that was said at the federal building. It was not the right place or time for what we discussed."

Iris placed her hand on top of his. "You don't need to say anything. You were right; we both were trying to manipulate each other and we both failed. The adult thing to do would be to put it all behind us and move on. As much as I hate to admit it, I need your help in hunting the Reaper."

Pendergast flashed a small smile at her. "I will do everything in my power to help you Iris. So long as what you are trying to accomplish does not endanger your life. I will not help you hunt the Reaper if it means you are going to go out on you own without me. I am still..."

"In charge of protecting me." Iris gave him an exhausted smile. "I know what your job is Aloysius Pendergast."

"I want to protect you Iris. Not just because it is my job but because it is what my heart is telling me to do."

Iris looked over at him in surprise. Pendergast himself was shocked at his lack of control over his own words. They just slipped out before he could stop himself. Iris sighed and stood, her back to him. "It would be unwise for us to pursue this, whatever this is, any further Agent Pendergast. Our interactions with each other must remain professional if we hope to close this case sometime soon. I am afraid I must insist on this."

Pendergast stood and gave her a nod of understanding when she looked back at him. "I understand and will acknowledge your request for professionalism."

Iris smiled and reached into her pocket, withdrawing a small flash drive. She tossed it back at him and he caught it deftly. He gave her a look of confusion. "My report on your behavior. In light of recent events, I believe you are perfectly capable of performing your job as assigned. I will be the first to admit that your manipulations of myself were unexpected and took me by complete surprise. A man suffering from insanity could not have pulled off such an elaborate scheme."

Pendergast chuckled darkly as he put the drive into his own pocket. "You are wrong Iris. I am as you said in Vincent's office."

Iris gave him a puzzling look but smiled as she caught on. "You do hide it well Aloysius Pendergast, but at least you know how to control yourself. Send that report to your superiors and you will be cleared for full duty."

"Thank..." Pendergast trailed off as the huffing of a third party broke the air. Looking over his shoulder he could see Vincent running towards them. The officer had paled significantly in the short amount of time they had been apart. When the officer stopped infront of him Pendergast held out a steadying hand on the man's shoulder. Iris gave him a concerned look as she watched Vincent catch his breath. "What is the problem Vincent?"

"You aren't going to believe what the lab boys just faxed over to me!" Vincent said between breaths.

Iris stepped up beside them and helped Pendergast ease the officer onto the bench. "What did they say Vincent?" she asked softly.

"I asked the boys to take a second look at the saliva sample from the bite wound, thinking that maybe it was contaminated because of your blood. You won't believe what they found when they looked closer at it."

Iris sighed and looked at the papers. Pendergast knelt next to his friend to fix his gaze into the man's eyes. "Tell me Vincent."

"There were trace amounts of the Gluttony victim's blood in the saliva." Vincent said, pride filling his voice.

A soft gasp issued from behind him. Pendergast felt a cold chill run down his spine. "The Reaper is consuming the blood he collects from his victims."

"Yeah, exactly. The DNA sample from the saliva still matched the unknown that was on the reports but do you realize what this means? The fucking Reaper is a fucking vampire!" Vincent was getting excited and Pendergast could feel the tinge of a headache starting.

"He started killing nightly and every victim had been drained of blood. Unless he has a freezer to store all of this blood he must be consuming it at an alarming rate." He closed his eyes in thought. "No, he has to be consuming all ten pints of blood he harvests from each victim daily. That is the reason he has to go out and kill so often."

"To keep his supply fresh?"

"Yes. Which would mean that the month and a half that he has so far been inactive could be the precursor for something much worse."

"Like what? A mass murder?"

Pendergast shook his head. "I am not sure."

"He is in mourning." A soft voice said from behind them. 

Pendergast stood up and looked at Iris. "Why would he be in mourning, Iris?"

Vincent scoffed. "No offense Doc, but this maniac is probably incapable of mourning. With all of his victims it is a wonder if he had any feelings at all."

Iris shook her head softly. The lab reports slipped from her fingers. "If the DNA from the saliva still matches the report then the Reaper from the alley and the man that I attacked in the park are related. Which means that..."

"That the child he killed was related to the original Reaper in some way and now he is mourning the death of that boy." Pendergast finished for her. Iris gave him a solemn nod and Vincent stared in confusion.

"And it also means that when he decides to return to his killings, he will be enraged and even more deadly." Iris stated, the cold child of her voice making Pendergast's hair stand on end.


	11. Chapter 11

The next few days passed in relative silence. Agent Pendergast had locked himself inside of his private bedroom and Iris kept herself busy in a small growing garden in the back grounds. With a little man power from Proctor, Iris was able to clear some brush away from around her newly planted tree. She then formed new flower beds and was actively working on filling them. The quiet solitude of the last few days aided in her endeavors. Iris wiped her muddy hands on the small white apron tied around her yellow sundress. The oversized white hat on her head was removed so she could wipe away the thin sheen of sweat from her forehead. The sound of someone clearing their throat behind her caused her to look over her shoulder. Iris had felt a presence approach her a few moments ago but chose to ignore it as they did not seem to be in a hurry to disturb her work. Silver eyes regarded her calmly before sweeping over the multitude of colors now drifting in the cool summer breeze.

"I see you have been busy." Agent Pendergast remarked with a slight smirk.

Iris placed all of her tools into a wheelbarrow beside her before standing. "And I see you have finally decided to return to the world of the living. I was beginning to become concerned."

The smirk on the pale agent's face grew. "Concerned?"

Iris untied her apron and laid it on top of the wheelbarrow along with her hat. "That you had given up on finding the Reaper. A few more days of you being locked away and I would have had to take matters into my own hands."

Pendergast gave a soft chuckle before commenting, the honeyed draw of his voice was lower. "I do not give up that easily, I'm afraid."

"Good to hear." Pendergast pulled his hands that were clasped behind his back around to expose an ice cold bottle of water. He passed it to Iris who thanked him for it. After drinking half of the crisp liquid she looked back at the agent. Even though Iris was sure he had left his room to eat the agent appeared thinner and gaunt in his classic black suit. He was beginning to look like death himself.

"Is something on your mind, Dr. Denali?" Pendergast asked, noticing her gaze passing over his slight frame.

She shook her head in dismissal. "I was just in wonder is all." The agent cocked an eyebrow and Iris shrugged. "It just amazed me that you have such strength in you though you do not look like you could take down a small child. You hide your true strength well Agent Pendergast."

With a quick motion Pendergast turned on his heel. Iris smirked at the quick glimpse of a blush she saw on the agent's cheeks. It seemed that no matter the level of control he had over his mind and body, Iris was still able to stir something from him. The agent motioned for her to follow him and she complied. He led them into the house and through to the foyer. "I have located information on the missing officer that is in charge of finding out the identity of the child victim."

Iris furrowed her eyebrows. "I was unaware the officer was missing."

Pendergast opened the front door and Iris was ushered through and into the parked Rolls. "Vincent has been unable to contact the officer after he requested a few days vacation for his wife's illness. Vincent granted it to him since the Reaper case seems to be at a stand still but the vacation ended two days ago and the officer has yet to return."

"So how did you find this information on him?" Iris asked watching the streets blur past the passenger window as the agent drove forward.

"His wife. Vincent tried to contact the officer but the wife picked up the phone. She refused to talk to anyone over the phone so Vincent contacted me to look into it."

"Why not look into his own subordinates?"

"Vincent is tied up in a press conference today. New York is getting antsy with a serial killer going dark and still no leads for police to go on." Pendergast fell silent as he turned into Times Square.

Iris furrowed her brows and looked over to Pendergast. "Why would she refuse to talk to a police officer, especially her husband's boss, over the phone?"

Pendergast met her gaze and smiled. "It seems she would like to have a lawyer present as she has filed for a divorce from her husband. If he did indeed disappear, and foul play is suspected, then she would be the first suspect."

"So she is just covering her ass?"

A small grimace appeared on the pale face followed by a frown. "That language does not suit you, Iris."

She laughed softly and dismissed his statement. The tensions between the two of them had not lessened since the night in the parking lot of the FBI building, Iris just learned to begin to ignore the small statements from Pendergast. Pendergast seemed bent on giving her more distance and Iris was appreciative of that. The first night back from the police headquarters was the last time Iris had taken a meal with Pendergast. The next day the agent locked himself in his room. Iris explored the house further that day but when it became obvious that the agent was not intending to come out of his quarters, she reduced her movements to her own room. Plans began to develop in her mind over the few days of solitude. She used the gardening as an excuse to get to know the grounds surrounding the Riverside Mansion. Pendergast's reemergence this morning had put a small crimp in her plans but it was nothing that Iris was sure she could work around.

Iris cleared her throat. "Agent Pendergast?"

A soft chuckle issued from the man beside her. "Your tone is so formal. I feel as if I am about to be interrogated."

Iris cut her eyes to his still form. They had pulled into a small parking lot behind a Manhattan highrise apartment building. When the car was shut off did the agent return her level gaze. "I was only going to request access to the case file for the Reaper's case."

Pendergast closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again, no emotion evident in those pale eyes. "That, I am afraid, I will have to contemplate. Since you are not law enforcement or a member of the FBI, I am not quite sure that you will have the clearance needed for some of the sensitive information within the case file."

Iris could feel heat rising into her cheeks. Anger was slowing threatening to boil over but Iris did her best to push it back. Yelling at the agent would do nothing to further her goals. After taking a calming breath she ventured to press the issue a little further. "I am afraid I fail to see the problem. Doughter hired me to be a consultant on the case, to try and profile the Reaper. How can I be expected to help to the best of my abilities if I am denied the chance to read over everything that has happened in the case?"

Pendergast said nothing as he slipped from the car. Iris ground her teeth in frustration but followed suit, joining the tall agent infront of the car. When they were standing shoulder to shoulder Pendergast leaned down and whispered. "Maybe because I haven't decided if I can trust you not to act alone. As one of my last lines of ensuring your protection by limiting the information you can obtain on your own I am inclined to deny this request. With the entire case file at your fingertips I would hate to think if you should discover something overlooked and instead of coming to me you decide to act on impulse."

Iris shot him a chilling glare but the agent merely smiled and motioned to the apartment building. She knew that what he said was true and in fact exactly what she was hoping for. It would seem the only way she was going to get the file from Pendergast would be if she earned his trust again, but there was no time for that. There had to be another way to access that file! They climbed into an empty elevator and Pendergast pressed the button for the floor they would be visiting. Halfway up the building the elevator jerked to a stop and Iris was thrown into the tall agent's shoulder. Pendergast had barely moved at all with the jolt and helped Iris regain her balance beside him. The small panel below the buttons for the floors was opened swiftly by pale hands and Pendergast retracted a hard line phone. He spoke in hushed tones to the person on the other end, no doubt the building's security guard. The phone was placed back into the holster and Pendergast leaned against the wall. Iris laughed softly. "Let me guess, we're stuck?"

Pendergast closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "The guard informed me that the elevator has a tendency to become stuck in the summer months. Maintenance is working to get it moving again however we could be here for a little while."

"Why in the hell wouldn't they put an out of order sign or something on the doors then?"

One of those pale eyes opened and fixed themselves onto Iris' face. "Again that language does not suit you." The eye closed again and he settled himself against the wall. "The guard believes that one of the youths that live in the building may have removed the sign as a prank." Iris sighed and began to pace the small confines of the elevator. "Just relax we may be here for a few hours." Iris stopped pacing and watched as Pendergast pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and dialed a number. After a few minutes of hushed conversation the phone disappeared back into his suit jacket. "I have informed the wife of the police officer of our predicament."

Iris cocked one of her eyebrows and shook her head. "And what did she have to say?"

"She laughed but said she would wait patiently for our arrival."

Two hours passed as the temperature in the small elevator rose higher and higher. The highrise obviously didn't waste energy and money in air conditioning the common areas, hallways and elevators and stairwells, of their building. Silently, Iris promised herself that she would never find herself in a shithole apartment building like this again and she would never again take the easy route by choosing an elevator. The sundress she wore was beginning to stick to her moistened skin. Beads of sweat rolled down her face and her hair was plastered to her head and neck. Iris leaned her head back against the warm metal and sighed loudly. Her eyes darted to Agent Pendergast who was still propped against the wall of the elevator. The heat and close confines of the metal box barely seemed to affect the agent. Iris closely watched his chest rising and falling slowly, giving the impression that he had fallen asleep.

Incredulous, Iris crept closer to the agent and held her hand infront of his slightly open mouth. Warm air blew against her hand. She shook her head softly. "He's asleep?" Her eyes raised to meet his and she jumped back in surprise to see that his eyes had opened. Pendergast was indeed awake but was able to give her the impression that he was sleeping. He was so still and calm.

He smiled softly. "Is everything okay, Dr. Denali?"

Iris began to fan herself with her hand again as she leaned against the metal. "How can you stand this heat?"

Pendergast raised one elegant eyebrow quizzically. "As stated before I am from the South."

"What part of the South?"

Pendergast smirked. "Are you interested in me genuinely or is this another session?"

Iris cut her eyes to him. The unrequited rage and annoyance clear in her emerald gaze. "Why are you such a jerk? Seriously I was just trying to get my mind off of the heat and you come back with a statement like that? Some gentleman."

Pendergast seemed shocked and shuffled his pose until he was standing straight. He bowed slightly towards Iris before reaching out and grabbing her hands in his. "My apologies Iris. It was out of line of me to use that tone with you." Iris closed her eyes and pulled her hands from his. After a few minutes of tense silence Pendergast spoke again, "Louisiana."

"What?" Iris said softly while looking back at the pale agent. He was still standing straight up like a soldier as his eyes regarded her with a soft gaze.

"I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana," he repeated. "I am unaware if you have ever been down to the Southern half of the United States but it can get quite warm and muggy there for the majority of the year. This heat is nothing compared to the summer months spent in my home there."

The agent flashed her a perfect smile and she could feel her anger disappearing. The conversation was just what she needed to get her mind off of the heat and gain a small measure of trust with the agent. She could see it in his eyes, the need to make up for his harsh treatment of her. He would continue to answer her questions to try to gain her friendship again. "So you aren't hot in that suit of yours?"

Pendergast looked down at his clothing, as if he had forgotten what he was wearing, and a soft laugh issued from deep within his throat. "I would be lying if I said that I was not but it is nothing that I cannot handle. If you would prefer," Pendergast paused and removed the black suit coat, hanging it on the railing of the wall. The perfect white shirt underneath gleamed in the bright light of the elevator, the tie still perfectly flat against his chest. Iris eyed the large handgun in the holster at the agent's side. Pendergast caught her gaze and immediately his eyes conveyed suspicion.

Iris flashed him a smile and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. Her legs stretched out infront of her. Pendergast relaxed slightly now that she was not in a position to attack him. She scooted over to the left so that the agent could join her on the floor, not that she thought he would. Though to her surprise the tall, slim agent gracefully sat next to her. His long legs stretched out infront of him and his hands rested in his lap. Iris looked over at him. The serene calm had returned to his eyes and Iris was glad. His demeanor was helping to calm her own irritation at their current situation. "So..."

"Where were you born?" the agent asked softly.

"Didn't you find that out when you did your homework on my past?" she asked mockingly.

Pendergast smirked and looked over at her. "I would rather have a conversation with you. Hearing the answers come from the person themselves holds a rather larger meaning than reading them from reports or documents online. Would you not agree?"

"Of course. Documents are unbiased and impartial. They cannot lie. A person however can and if you know the information or answer to the question you posed on the person you can see if they are lying easier."

"Not all of us have the unique talent of being able to read a person so well using only their eyes and facial expressions, Dr. Denali."

Iris laughed softly. Patients and coworkers of Iris often referred to her as a walking lie detector. A simple glance into the person's eyes would tell her all she needed to know of their emotion, memory recall, and, most importantly, if they were lying to her. "Do you think that I will lie to you Agent Pendergast?"

The agent smiled. "I believe you have a tendency, not to lie exactly, but to hold back the larger portion of the truth so that in reality you are not lying but you are also not telling the complete truth."

"You are paying attention then," Iris laughed softly again before taking in a deep breath and staring at the tiles on the ceiling. "I was born in a small town in Northern New York. Right on the border of Canada and the United States actually. Constable, New York. Ever heard of it?"

Pendergast closed his eyes and two fingers tapped his chin. "I cannot say I have. Though if I have the correct geography in mind there is a small town and a great deal of timberland and forests."

"Yep, there is pretty much nothing out there. July is typically the hottest month but even then the temperature barely gets above eighty Fahrenheit. I have never been overly fond of heat. Partially due to the fact that I have never really been exposed to the extremes of heat before."

"Not even when..." Pendergast trailed off. When Iris looked over at him she could tell that he had stopped himself from asking a question he believed would make her uncomfortable or would otherwise shut her off to him.

She smiled small at him in reassurance before replying. "I won't bite your head off or crawl into a weeping ball of sludge if you ask a question Aloysius. Not even a question like that."

Pendergast looked back at her when his name sounded from her lips. The simplicity of her tone when she spoke his name in itself spoke volumes. It signaled that she was once again opening up the avenue of friendship and the chance for the two of them to work civilly to end this case for good. Though neither Pendergast nor Iris were the type to seek out or cherish friendship the chance to end the hostility between the two of them was welcoming. It meant that trust could begin to be rebuilt between the two headstrong personalities. Pendergast returned her smile warmly. "Where did your father take you and your brother? Why could no one find you for years?"

"It wasn't in the report?" Iris asked curiously. She had never tried to read the reports herself, only tried to destroy all evidence of them online.

Pendergast shook his head. "Just the basics of what happened not the specifics of where, why, or how."

Iris breathed deeply. "It all happened so quickly the night we disappeared. My father packed everything and grabbed my baby brother. I followed, clutching to his hunting jacket as he ushered me into the car. We drove for hours until the sun was peaking over the tree tops. When we finally stopped he hid the car in an old duck blind while I fed Endrance. When the car was hidden he took us in the woods. We walked for days until we finally came to a valley with a small hand built cabin. My father had spent every winter here hunting and rebuilt that cabin from ruins."

"If he spent every year in that cabin, how was that not one of the first places the New York authorities looked?" Pendergast asked softly.

"My father never told anyone where he hunted so that he was never disturbed. No one found us for so long because they were looking in the wrong place. They were looking in the States," Iris paused and looked down at her hands, "not Canada."

"He took you into the Canadian wilderness?"

"Yes. He taught us how to survive in the wild but of course it doesn't get hot up there. So heat like this, " she motioned to the elevator, "makes me irritable and uncomfortable."

Pendergast nodded in understanding. "I can understand that feeling."

Iris looked confusedly over to the agent. "How so?"

"I detest the cold and snow."

"But you live in New York?"

"Never said I didn't deal with it, just that I do not prefer it." Pendergast laughed softly. "How did they find you?"

Iris furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. "I don't know if I'm quite ready to completely relive what happened. I mean I..."

Pendergast silenced her tormented words by placing a cool, pale hand on her lap. "It is quite all right Iris. You do not need to say a thing."

Iris looked up at him in appreciation. The memory of her brother's death at the hands of the same person they depended on and loved was too much for her heart to handle. She had tried for years to overcome the intense emotion that would boil up at that memory but just like the night with Logan Briar, it was unstoppable and irreversible. Pendergast opened his mouth to say something but just then the elevator jolted back to life. Iris looked up at the ceiling, listening to the gears protest as the box was lifted further up the building. Pendergast stood and out stretched his hands to help Iris up, who gratefully accepted his help. The agent shrugged back into his suit coat, buttoning it up, and smoothing the fabric over his slender frame. Iris did her best to push back her sweat soaked hair but only felt herself become more flustered. She felt gross and desperately wanted to get back to the Riverside Mansion for a shower.

The elevator doors finally rattled open and Iris all but ran from the small metal box. A soft chuckle issued from Agent Pendergast as he followed her. "Excited?"

"Just glad to be out of that box," she said, looking at the agent.

"You do not like small spaces?"

"I don't like being held down or trapped in small spaces, yes. I do not do very well with being confined."

"A fact I have grown to learn." Pendergast whispered.

Iris followed the tall man down the small hallway to the last door on the left. A quick knock from the agent was met with a tall, tanned woman with blonde hair. Pendergast flashed out his badge and the woman stood aside. Iris immediately smiled at the air conditioned space they walked into. The woman led them into a dining room where a man in a three piece, navy blue suit sat at the table. A stack of papers was infront of him, an open suitcase in the chair next to him. When Pendergast stalked into the room the dark skinned man stood and grasped the agent's proffered hand. "Mr. Aster I assume?" Agent Pendergast asked.

The man nodded. "Yes I am Mrs. Lauren Alberio's attorney."

Pendergast nodded. "I am Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast assigned to the Reaper case. This is my liaison for the case, Doctor Iris Denali."

"Liaison? What is your specialty Doctor?" The lawyer, Mr. Aster, asked as he shook Iris' hand.

"I have a doctorate in psychiatry and I specialize in criminal profiling." Iris said in a soft, calming voice. The woman now seated at the table across from her was irritated. The anger radiated off of her in waves and Iris had to try anything to calm her down if Pendergast expected to get any information from this woman.

Agent Pendergast sat beside Iris. Mr. Aster poured them both a glass of ice cold tea from a pitcher sitting in the center of the table. "We heard of your unfortunate situation with the building's elevator. That must have been horrible," the man laughed softly.

Iris smiled warmly and drank from her glass. "It was certainly out of the ordinary. Does the elevator get stuck often?"

Mrs. Alberio scoffed and threw her hair over her shoulder. "Nothing ever works right in this shit storm of an apartment building. Just be glad that the air conditioning was fixed yesterday after being out, mind you, for the majority of the summer."

Agent Pendergast was about to make a remark when Iris gently placed a hand on his leg to silence him. He instead sipped the tea. A slightly sour face crossed his features for a split second, Iris did not miss the look. She frowned softly in concern towards the blonde across from her. "Why ever did you and your husband remain in this building? There has to be some law against the landlord refusing to fix or not fixing something in a timely manner."

Mr. Aster nodded his head in agreement but remained silent as Mrs. Alberio scoffed again and wrung a cloth napkin in her hands. "Greg refused to move from this hellhole. He was too lazy to keep after the piece of shit landlord to get things done and too lazy to pack everything up so I dealt with this place for past ten years."

"You're a saint, Mrs. Alberio." Iris remarked softly.

"Lauren please. So you two must be here about Greg's disappearance. Hopefully I can help you find the bastard so he can sign this paperwork and I can be free." She dabbed at her cheeks, before taking a swig of her tea. She was trying to show strength in her words and appearance but Iris could see in her eyes fear and uncertainty.

Iris removed her hand from Pendergast's leg to signal he could begin his questions. "Your husband's boss, Lieutenant D'Agosta, asked me to come here because he was due to come back to work two days ago. Were you aware of this fact?"

Lauren Alberio looked to her lawyer who simply nodded his head. "Yes I was. He told me he took a few days off to unwind from the heaviness of this serial killer case. Three days then he would go back to work."

Iris replaced her hand on Pendergast's leg. "Mrs. Alberio, your husband claimed that you were sick and he needed to take care of you. That was the premises of his vacation being excepted in the midst of this case." Iris used as soft a tone as she could. Dealing with this in the wrong way would result in the woman infront of them going on the defensive. Iris and Pendergast needed her to remain on their side of the playing field.

"Is that what he told you?" she asked incredulously. "I haven't been sick since the last snowfall. He told me that D'Agosta encouraged him to take time off. That lying bastard."

Iris gave her a small smile. "Well then I am relieved that you are not ill." She removed her hand from Pendergast's leg. "Can you tell us what your husband did with his time off?"

Lauren took in a deep breath. "Drank beer and watched television. He went out to that strip bar that he likes. The normal really."

"Did nothing stand out over the three days?" Agent Pendergast inquired.

"Out of the norm? Not really." A small silence fell over the group. Agent Pendergast shifted slightly but Iris quickly placed her hand on his leg. She was watching the blonde closely. The woman was deep in her thoughts, if Pendergast disrupted those thoughts they may miss something important. She just needed time. Pendergast looked at Iris and their eyes met. The stern but calm expression on Iris' face conveyed the need for him to be patient and trust her. "You know come to think of it. This could be nothing but the first night he \came back from the bar angry. Greg is a lot of things but he rarely gets angry, its a waste of energy for him. He didn't tell me much of what happened so I assumed it was some stripper that did a bad job or something but the next day a man came to the apartment looking for Greg."

"Did you answer the door?" Iris asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Yeah I did."

"What did the man want with your husband?"

"When Greg came to the door and saw the man he pushed him back into the hallway and slammed the door behind them. I grabbed a glass and tried to listen at the door but I only picked up bits and pieces. Something about a child and he was doing his best. They will never find out about something and then something about a payment." She paused and looked over at her lawyer. "That is when I contacted Mr. Aster. Whatever he was talking about did not sound legal and I wanted no part of it. He advised me to file for divorce. I took a day to think about it but when I woke up the next morning Greg was gone."

"What happened after the man left and before you woke up to find your husband was missing?" Pendergast asked. Iris cut her eyes over to him but he remained fixated on the blonde infront of them. Iris' hand was still resting on his leg to ask for silence but he still asked a question. Thankfully it was just the question Iris was thinking of and not something to cause the woman to go on the defensive.

"Nothing really. He didn't really talk to me so I went grocery shopping so I could make him his favorite dinner. I attempted to ask about the man but he said it was just work related and I didn't want to know. I let it drop after that. When I went to bed, Greg was watching television but about an hour later he got a phone call. He came in our room, kissed me, and I heard the front close behind him."

"Did he leave any clue as to where he might have gone?" Iris asked softly.

"Like a note?" Iris nodded her head.

Mr. Aster reached into his suit case and brought out a picture in a frame. "This was the only thing left on the kitchen counter."

Pendergast took the picture frame from the attorney and Iris looked over his shoulder. A happy couple standing infront of a church smiled back at them. "This is your wedding photo, Mrs. Alberio?" the agent inquired.

A soft nod from the blonde. "It was sitting on the kitchen counter when normally it is on the dresser in our bedroom."

Iris looked down at the photo again. Nothing abnormal stood out from the photo. "Would you mind if we took this with us?" Agent Pendergast asked.

The woman shook her head. "Go ahead. I won't be needing it anymore." She sighed softly. "Please, don't get me wrong. I love Greg with all my heart but there are just a lot of things that I can no longer stand behind him with. If he had something to do with that child's death or if he knows something about it and is being paid to keep it from authorities, I can't stay with him."

Iris reached over and took the blonde's hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "We understand your discomfort with your husband's activities. We just need a few more things from you."

Pendergast nodded. "You have had no contact from your husband since he left the house that night, correct?"

Lauren Alberio nodded. "Nothing."

Iris laid her hand on Pendergast's leg and to her surprise the agent rested his fingers on the back of her hand, signaling he was done. "What did the man that was at the door look like?" she asked.

Mrs. Alberio closed her eyes trying to draw the man back into her brain. "He was tall and heavy set. Not as heavy as Greg but more like a football player, you know muscly. He had dark brown hair and tanned skin, like he works outside often. Dark eyes and gravelly voice." She paused and opened her eyes, leveling her gaze with Iris. Iris saw the apprehension in the blonde's blue eyes. "I will never forget the scar on his face. It was an anarchy scar that looked like someone carved it into his face. It was ghastly."

Pendergast stood and shook her hand and Mr. Aster's, no emotion evident in his expression. Iris could feel her own heart beating quickly but tried to convey calm on her own features. "We will be in contact Mrs. Alberio. If anything changes, you remember something we may need to know, or you come into contact with Officer Alberio, please contact me directly." The agent slipped the attorney his contact card before shaking his hand.

Iris extended her hand to shake Mrs. Alberio's but was surprised when the blonde pulled her into a tight hug. "There is a file behind the mirror in the hallway take it with you but don't let Mr. Aster see it," the woman whispered. "Thank you for being such a comfort Dr. Denali. I may need to make an appointment with you."

"Anytime you need me, you can reach me through Agent Pendergast." Iris followed behind Mr. Aster and Pendergast. When she passed the mirror she reached behind it and pulled out the folder. It was a sealed mailing envelope and Iris quickly folded it in her arms. When Mr. Aster turned around to wish her good-bye she stepped to the side, closer to Agent Pendergast. She casually pushed the folded envelope into his hands. When the agent felt the object pushed into his hands, he slipped the envelope under his suit coat, tucking it into a hidden pocket inside of his coat. Iris shook Aster's hand with both of hers and followed the agent into the hallway. They both silently agreed that the stairs sounded lovely as they made their way down the building and back into awaiting Rolls in contemplative silence.


	12. Chapter 12

Iris watched as Pendergast slipped the mailing envelope open and began to read over the documents inside. The more pages he flipped through the darker the look on his face became until finally he reached the final page and his face went blank. Once the papers were back in their proper order, Agent Pendergast passed them to Iris. He sat back quietly, staring out the windshield in contemplative silence. Iris looked over the papers. The first few pages were bank statements showing multiple large deposits into Greg Alberio's account. Suspiciously the wife's name was no where to be found in the account's information. So the husband had a separate account. Iris focused on the deposits themselves but all of them were made on different dates, dating back to the prior year, and they were all made in cash. There was nothing to trace on the deposits themselves.

The next page consisted of a handwritten letter from the family's lawyer, the same man they had just met sitting beside Lauren Alberio. Mr. Aster had written a thank you note to Greg Alberio for getting rid of a "pest" and that the ten grand would be deposited tomorrow morning. Iris furrowed her eyebrows again. What did the officer do for the lawyer that he got such a large amount of money for? The answer was found on the next page. A printed email revealed that the lawyer had been having a extramarital affair and the side woman was pregnant. The woman was now threatening to expose this affair to his wife. Mr. Aster begged the officer to find a way to get the woman to leave town or disappear. Iris flipped the page and a copy of a newspaper article met her eyes. A young prostitute had been found in a back alley dead from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. The police officer that investigated the murder had called it a mugging gone bad. That officer was none other than Greg Alberio.

The page was placed with the other discarded ones and a picture now came into view. It showed an officer sitting in his car on a corner and a man trying to hide his face. The interesting thing was the exchange that seemed to be taking place with their hands. The man was handing the officer a picture and gun. Iris flipped the picture over and a handwritten note was on the back. It was in a woman's handwriting. "Apartment parking lot at noon." Iris took a second look at the officer in the picture and recognized him from the wedding photo they saw. Greg Alberio had gotten this gun and picture from this mystery man but for what reason? The next page was another newspaper clipping. It was all about another grizzly execution style killing of a well known drug dealer. The officer in charge of this investigation was again Greg Alberio.

Multiple more counts of extortion and murders followed in the next few pages. Another involved the lawyer, Aster, and many more involved countless other officers and government officials. But they all had one thing in common, Officer Greg Alberio. The final page had a post it note on it in the same female handwriting that Iris now assumed belonged to Lauren Alberio. "I found this behind the wedding photo. This was not the man I loved. I hope it helps." Iris peeled off the post it note and began reading the page. It was a copy of a birth certificate for one "Brendan Green." The father's name was missing from the birth certificate but the mother was very familiar.

Iris turned to Pendergast and let the page slip from her fingers. "Erica Green? The same woman from the Lust murder?"

Pendergast turned to her, his silver eyes gleaming with excitement. "The very same. Officer Alberio knew who that boy was and someone was trying to get him to sit on the evidence. Now the question is, who would want to stop us from finding out the boy's identity?"

Iris furrowed her brows. When the realization hit her, her hands flew up and covered her mouth. "D'Agosta told us that the boy victim was related to the Reaper. The mother was the first of the seven sins victims. The Reaper killed the mother but why would he kill his innocent son?"

"I do not know nor do I want to speculate but we have a lead. Finally something to go on." Pendergast slipped the Rolls into drive and pulled out into the fading light of the early evening.

Iris paid little attention to the passing scenery as her mind raced to fill in all the blanks. She began to mutter to herself softly, "When I ran across that boy in the alley he looked lost and filthy, like he hadn't been bathed in days. One would think that with the mother's murder the prior day that the child would have gone to the father but the certificate did not have his name on it and now we know the father is the Reaper. Maybe Erica Green, the mother, and the Reaper, the father, did not see eye to eye and Erica had sole custody of the boy." Iris fell silent for a few minutes, replaying the meeting with the boy and then the finding of the boy's body. "The Reaper did not know it was his son? How can a man not recognize their own child? No, this is something else. That man I chased that day in the park was the boy's father." At the time that she saw the Reaper, watching them from behind the police tape, Iris had saw red but now that she recalled that night, something else stood out. "The look of shock on his face. The betrayal."

"What was that Iris?" Agent Pendergast asked softly. Iris looked up and finally realized that they had long since parked on the side of a dark street. The agent was casually leaning back in his seat, listening to her quiet thoughts.

"The man I chased at the park. The way he looked at the child, Brendan, it was with loss and betrayal. I don't think that man was the Reaper. I think we may be right and that we have two different killers. The one that attacked me and killed that child; and the one that I chased in the park. I think they know each other too."

"Which would mean if we find one of them, the other cannot be far behind." Agent Pendergast closed his eyes. "Is there anything else you can think of?"

Iris stared down at Pendergast's hands calmly resting in his lap. She reached out and gingerly pulled one of his hands closer to her and idly began tracing the lines of his palm, the motion helping her think. "The Reaper in the alley that killed that boy had no idea that the child was related to him. The father had no custody of the child which leads me to think that the original Reaper is related to the father but they have a strained relationship in which they do not speak or see anything of what the other has been up to. The scars were the same but the father I chased had a fresher scar. Why would two related people that hate each other have the same scar?" Pendergast remained quiet and sat perfectly still as Iris began tracing the blue veins in his wrist. "That's it!" Iris declared.

Pendergast raised one of his perfect silver blonde eyebrows. "Inspiration?"

Iris clasped his hand in excitement. "The Reaper that committed all of those killings and harvesting is the only serial killer. The father, the man from the park, is only related to him but has done nothing wrong. He knows who the Reaper is yes but he doesn't have a part in this. I'm sure of it. The amount of emotion I saw go through that man's eyes when I chased him did not reflect the coldness that one would expect from a skilled killer." Iris smiled broadly. "Do you follow me?"

Pendergast tilted his head to one side but his face remained expressionless. "There is something I am not seeing I am afraid."

"The connection starts with Erica Green's murder. If the mother of your child took him from you and you could not see him whenever you wanted to, wouldn't you be angry?" Iris did not miss the slight flinch in Pendergast's eyes. "If the father of the child killed Erica Green there would not have been such care in trying to 'save her' like I originally thought. That leads me to believe that the Reaper, the original one, killed Erica Green and all of the other victims. I think that he did know who she was. I mean to a degree it seems he knew all of his victims in one way or another."

Pendergast nodded softly. "That would explain how he can pass judgment on their sins. Someone who chooses their victims at random would not have known what they were doing behind closed doors. Take the priest for example, only someone who knew what he was doing with the church funds would have been able to stage the greed murder. Another prime example would be the current disappearance of Officer Alberio. If the documents in that envelope are to be believed, and I believe that they are legitimate, then it seems our missing officer is a corrupt man. The Reaper's appearance at the apartment leads me to think that our next victim is Greg Alberio."

"Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. They are the only remaining sins that the Reaper has yet to act out. Correct?"

Pendergast nodded his head. "Lust was Erica Green, a prostitute. Donald Umber, the restaurant owner, was Gluttony. The embezzling priest, John Warren, was Greed. After that we found the child, Brendan Green and the killings have since seemed to stop."

Iris stared into the silver eyes of the agent. "Which do you think Alberio will wind up as?"

A knock on the driver's window behind Pendergast caused Iris to inhale sharply and duck down in her seat. With no weapon on her, she instead choose to let the agent protect her for once. Pendergast immediately turned to the window and in a fluid motion withdrew his gun aiming it at the person beyond. A deep sigh issued from his lips as he holstered his gun. He flipped the car off. Iris felt a cold hand on her cheek and she looked up at Pendergast. "Vincent is home now. Let us continue this discussion with him." He flashed her a soft smile before removing his hand. "Are you alright?"

Iris nodded, laughing softly. "Just startled is all. With the heavy conversation and the sudden interruption, I would be lying if I did not say I panicked."

Pendergast nodded and exited the vehicle. Iris collected the papers, putting them back into the envelope, before following him. Vincent was laughing at the agent when Iris stepped up beside them. "Come on, Laura is going to be late tonight and I order pizza on the way home after I got your text. Let's go have a beer and talk about this new lead."

Iris quietly followed the two men into the building and then into the elevator. Pendergast gave her a knowing and amused smile when their eyes met once in the elevator. Vincent noticed the look that passed between them. Pendergast filled him in on their unfortunate experience in an elevator earlier in the day causing Vincent to laugh heartily. Luckily they arrived on the correct floor without any issues and the officer led them into a quaint, yet small apartment.

"I know Pendergast doesn't like beer but would you like one Doctor?" Vincent asked.

Iris let her eyes flash over the living room of the apartment. The decor had a constant utilitarian theme throughout the rooms she could see into, quite fitting for the police officer couple. She was aware of Vincent's fiancee was also a member of the New York Police Department. She flashed the man a smile and nodded her head. "A cold beer would be most welcome after the day we had." Pendergast had settled himself on the couch in the living room and was looking over a thick file that was sitting on the coffee table. Iris gingerly sat next to him, leaving a respectable distance between their bodies. With a slight motion to the file in his hands, she asked, "Is that the Reaper file?"

Pendergast nodded gently and closed the file, putting the papers back into a large accordion folder. "Rather large and becoming slowly bigger."

Vincent had returned wearing a pair of comfortable looking sweatpants and black NYPD shirt. He handed Iris a chilled, opened bottle. He settled down into an armchair across from the agent and sighed contently. A knock on the door sounded just a second after Vincent became comfortable, followed by an agitated groan from the same man. "Just when I sit down! I swear delivery people time this shit."

Pendergast stood in a quick, cat like motion and stalked to the door. "Do not worry my dear Vincent." The tall agent opened the door and Iris caught sight of the startled teenager beyond. The small boy had to crane his neck to look up at the tall agent. He opened his mouth to speak but the overwhelmingly imposing facade of the agent apparently had shocked him into silence.

Iris laughed softly and walked up beside Pendergast. The teenager darted his eyes to her and she plainly saw the nervousness inside the brown depths. "Do not worry, he's harmless."

The teenager sighed softly. He slipped a receipt from the top of the insulated pizza holder and handed it out to the agent. Pendergast glanced down at it for the briefest of seconds before pulling his wallet out and handing his credit card to the boy. Expertly the boy balanced the pizzas on his arm as he pulled his phone out. After pressing a few buttons he swiped the credit card through a small square that was attached to the phone before handing the device to Pendergast. "Please sign sir."

Pendergast added in the tip before swiping his finger eloquently across the screen, signing his initials. Iris took the pizza boxes from the teen before bidding him a good night and safe trip. Pendergast remained silent as he watched the boy hurriedly walk back down the hall. After he secured the door, he joined Iris in the small apartment's kitchen. "Can I help you with anything, Iris?"

Iris shot him a playful glare and laughed softly. "I am just curious, do you intentionally try to scare the crap out of everyone you meet?"

The agent's lips twitched at the corners as he fought a smile. "I have no idea what are referring to. I simply was waiting for the young man to state his business."

Iris scoffed. "Like the uniform and pizza holder did not speak enough to his intentions?"

"One can never be too careful. Just because someone is dressed like a surgeon, would you willing get surgery from them without first checking their credentials? The man could be simply trying to have his way with you or something more sinister the second you drop your guard." Pendergast pulled plates from a nearby cabinet and retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. Iris placed pizza on all the plates. Once they returned to the living room, Iris handed Vincent a plate. "Thank you. What do I owe you Pendergast?"

The agent smiled softly and with a dismissive gesture of his hand, resumed his seat. "It was my pleasure Vincent. I am sure you worked hard today."

"Like you don't?" Vincent munched on his pizza. "So what was this about a new lead? Do we finally have something to nail this bastard or bastards."

Iris smiled. "Maybe, but it could also bring bad news to you as well." She leaned forward and handed the envelope over to Vincent. The officer took it and slipped the papers out. As he read, Iris ate her pizza. Pendergast stared at his slice for a few moments as if contemplating how exactly to go about consuming it. Gingerly he picked it up before slowly biting into it. Iris laughed softly as he carefully placed it back onto the plate before wiping his fingers and mouth on a napkin.

Pendergast turned his attention to her and narrowed his eyes. "Do you find something amusing Iris?"

Iris cursed at herself as a soft blush burned onto her cheeks. The agent was intentionally using her name more often throughout the day, in what she could only assume, was an attempt to persuade her to return to their once friendlier relationship. While Iris appreciated his effort as it was easier to work with someone, and it made it easier to anticipate his actions, it made her slightly uncomfortable. After the encounter in the agent's bedroom, she was hesitant to place herself too close to him again. Iris pulled herself from her rampant thoughts and returned her focus to the slim agent. "You act like you are unaware of what a pizza is and more importantly how to eat it?"

"Don't you know that the only thing Pendergast does well is refinement. Pizza is a staple for us commoners, not something you would find on a five star menu." Vincent muttered as he continued to read.

Pendergast chuckled, "I am perfectly fine with the commoner's cuisine, my dear Vincent. Miss Swanson has a tendency to ask me to bars and their menus are simply," he paused as he searched for the right word, "questionable. As far as this pizza is concerned, I was actually comparing the American version we are having to the Italian pizza I prefer. Also, I loathe dirtying my hands when eating."

"No one said you couldn't grab a fork and knife. You do know your way around my apartment." Vincent replaced the papers in the envelope and slid it on top of the Reaper's case file. He rose from his seat and moved into the kitchen to retrieve a second helping.

Iris knitted her brows together and turned back to the agent. "Who is Miss Swanson? Is she your significant other?"

Pendergast nearly choked on his water but quickly composed himself before locking his gaze on Iris. "Certainly not. She is much too young for me. I believe Vincent would refer to me as a 'cradle robber' should that be the case. Miss Corrie Swanson was a young lady I met on one of my cases in Kansas a few years ago. She assisted me with the investigation and became a close friend. Since she displayed such a bright mind, I have financed her college education. She now resides in New York as she completes her education." Pendergast smiled warmly as he seemed to recall memories of this young woman. "Periodically we meet to discuss her classes over lunch. If you would like to accompany me the next time we schedule a meeting I am sure Miss Swanson would be eager to meet you. She seemed to be quite interested in your knowledge of criminal profiling and your unique talents at reading someone."

Iris blushed at the compliment but confusion flowed over her. "She knows who I am?"

Pendergast nodded in a matter-of-fact way, munching more on his dinner. "Of course. We spoke in detail about you when I was out of town a few weeks ago. She was quite surprised that I had a female staying at my house. I do believe she said, and I quote, 'It is about time you got back into the game.'" Pendergast shrugged, "Though I have no idea what you living with me has to do with my return to investigations with the Bureau."

Vincent laughed loudly as he settled back into his armchair. Iris could feel the mock horror on her own face and tried her best to master herself before either of the men noticed it. "Man, you really need to get out more often. Corrie was saying that it was good that you have a girlfriend not that you returned to work. Geez, for being such a smart guy the simplest of things confuse you."

Pendergast stared at the officer with one eyebrow raised. His mouth opened and then closed. A small sound of a clearing throat came from the man before he finally spoke. "Well I believe I need to have a conversation with Miss Swanson. I would hate to give her the wrong impression. My apologizes Iris, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable."

Iris tried hard to keep her face expressionless. "Can we just get down to business please?"

Vincent nodded his head, his face falling to a grim frown. "The information in that envelope is extremely incriminating. Just counting the names alone, there was at least twenty officers and ten government officials that need to be investigated for a number of different felonies. I had no idea Greg Alberio was capable of doing half of what is written in those pages. I mean we all found it weird that he closed those murder cases so quickly when it was obvious that someone was targeting specific people and executing them. Also considering how slowly the guy normally worked it was a wonder indeed. I guess know we know how he closed them so quickly."

Pendergast sat back and crossed his long legs, resting his hands on his knee. "This will create a media storm. The last thing this city needs is to know just how corrupt the people they are supposed to trust are in the wake of a serial killer."

Vincent took a great swig of his fresh beer, nearly finishing the drink off. "No fucking kidding." He tapped the file with his finger. "What was that last thing about? The note said that the birth certificate was found behind a wedding photo. Is there something I am missing." Pendergast quickly filled in the officer about the revelations that Iris came to in the car. The wedding photo was removed from the agent's suit jacket and passed to the officer. After Vincent studied it he placed it on top of the case file. When he was done the officer had visibly paled. "I hate to say that this is a good thing, but at least we know who the next victim will be. Greg wasn't the perfect cop but he wasn't a bad guy. Well, fuck, with all this new stuff I guess he was a bad guy."

Iris perked up slightly. "Regardless of what our impressions are with the additional information it remains just that, extra. We need to focus on the lead we have and leave the rest of the information with another team to work with." Agreeable nods from the two men reenforced her views and Iris continued, "Greg Alberio is the next victim as Aloysis said. We also know that one of the two scarred men showed up at the apartment. If Lauren, the wife, is to be believed then it sounds like the man at the door was the father of the young boy."

Vincent look intrigued. "How do you know it wasn't the Reaper? They both have the same scar."

"The man that attacked me in the alley was not tanned skin, but was rather pale. Lauren Alberio described a tanned man which leads me to the father I chased from the park."

"So why do we think that the father was trying to get Alberio to cover up the child's identity?" Vincent inquired.

Pendergast remained silent as he watched their exchange. Iris waved her hand towards the envelope. "I believe that the father was trying to stall the investigation so that he could deal with his son's murderer personally. The betrayed look in his eyes," Iris paused as she shifted in her seat. "There is no way a man like that would just sit back and wait for the authorities to take care of the killer. Luckily for him the officer that was placed in charge of identifying the child is well known for being slow and lazy."

Vincent nodded. "I honestly don't blame the father. If someone killed my child in cold blood, not only that but was related to the child, I would go fucking crazy." A respectful silence filled the room for the fallen innocent. Vincent was the first to speak after the short pause. "Well we have a lead at least but there is still a problem."

Iris furrowed her brows. "A problem?"

Pendergast finally spoke up, his honeyed drawl low and dark. "Erica Green had no remaining family and any friends to the woman have yet to come forward to help with the investigation out of fear of the Reaper. Social services went to retrieve the child after Green was identified but the child apparently was not at the apartment and we are still unsure why the boy was wondering the streets that night."

"What about her home? Were their no neighbors willing to talk?" Iris asked

A shake of the head, before Pendergast closed his eyes and his face resumed its stoic look. "None that could shed any light on the woman's dealings. It seems that Green was not very social with the people of her apartment building. The landlord was of no help either."

Vincent growled out, "So while we know now who the child is we have nothing to really go on unless we can find out more about Erica Green." He shrugged, "but at least it is something to start with instead of running after nothing."

Another silence stretched between the small team. After a few minutes a phone began ringing and Vincent went into the depths of the apartment to retrieve it. Pendergast kept his eyes closed, remaining still. Iris wondered once again if he had fallen asleep or was merely meditating to try to think better. Vincent returned shortly with a long sigh. "Is something the matter my dear Vincent?" Pendergast asked as his eyes popped open.

The officer popped open his third beer and went to drink but thought better of it. He handed the new drink to Iris and she gratefully accepted the beverage. The slightly pumpkin aftertaste of the ale was comforting. "Laura said that a friend of ours is in the hospital. Apparently a taxi tried to pick a fight with him. I told her I would go down to the hospital and sit with him until his wife was able to get away from work and grab their kids. Guess I'll leave her a note on the counter about the pizza."

Pendergast nodded in understanding, a look of sympathy crossing his features. "All the best to your friend."

Iris nodded in agreement but froze as her eyes fell to the photograph on top of the Reaper case file. "Why the wedding photo?"

Both men turned to her, intense confusion and curiosity in their eyes. Pendergast was the first to speak. "What did you say Iris?"

Iris did not hear him as she stared at the picture of the happy couple infront of the church in their wedding attire. Suddenly Iris jumped to her feet in excitement. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed.

Pendergast rose an elegant brow at her outburst and Vincent's face exposed the surprise he felt. "Again that language does not suit you Doctor Denali." Pendergast chastised.

"Fuck my language, I know where Greg Alberio went the day he disappeared." She grabbed the photo in the frame and pushed it into the agent's slender fingers.

Her smile fell when he gave her an inquiring look. Vincent looked over the agent's shoulder, standing on his toes in order to look at the picture. "The Alberios' wedding photo. What about it Iris?"

Exasperated, Iris sighed in annoyance. "Officer D'Agosta, you said that you were going to leave your fiancee a note about dinner. Greg Alberio left a note as well but in his own way."

Vincent nodded then shook his head. "No I'm not following."

"Aloysius?" Iris asked, hopeful that someone else saw what she plainly did. She couldn't be crazy right?

The agent glanced back at the photograph deep in thought. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "He left the photo to tell her where he went."

"Exactly, well sort of." Iris almost jumped up and hugged the tall agent in her excitement. "Officer Alberio did not want to tell his wife outright where he was going because he did not want her to follow him. But he knew that she would call the police, or at least his boss would contact her about him missing work, so he left a clue."

Vincent, still confused, took the picture from the agent's hands and gave it a good look. "Why would he not want his wife to look for him?"

Pendergast took back the photo and began taking the backing off of the frame. Once the picture was by itself he removed his phone from his pocket and took a picture of it. After a few clicks and typing on his phone he replace the device in his pocket. His eyes met Iris' and he motioned for her to speak. Iris looked at Vincent and smiled. "Lauren Alberio said that she overheard him speaking to the father of the boy talking about a payment. I believe that they set up a meeting at this church for the payment to trade hands but something may have gone wrong."

Pendergast nodded. "The Reaper must have known of this meeting or followed one of them. If Officer Alberio was his next victim it would be safe to assume that he was watching the officer. Seeing the meeting being set up in this church must have been the perfect opportunity he needed to take his next victim."

Vincent smiled. "Sounds like a good fucking break."

Pendergast nodded. "Iris and I will follow up on this lead while you visit your friend in the hospital."

"Like fuck I'm staying out of this!" Vincent said hotly.

Pendergast shook his head as he straightened his suit coat and motioned for Iris to follow him. "No, you gave your word to take care of your injured friend. You can meet up with us if we find anything at the church."

They wasted no time in waiting for an argument from the officer. Iris could feel the excitement boiling in her veins. "So do you know where this church is located?"

Pendergast said nothing until they were safely in the confines of his vehicle. "I have a man working on finding the location as we speak. I am simply waiting on his call." A few minutes passed before the soft vibrations sounded from the agent's pocket. Pendergast retrieved the phone and smiled ruefully. The look sent a chill down Iris' spine; she had seen that look before in her father's eyes. Those eyes that resembled a predator on the prowl for their next meal; a hunter stalking their victim. The silver orbs gleamed in excitement as the phone was replaced into his pocket. "We are in luck."

The Rolls pulled out from the curb, the wheels squealing slightly on the loose asphalt. Although the traffic was heavy for the time of night it was, Pendergast easily negotiated his way through the streets. Iris felt her heart jump into her throat more than once at the closeness their vehicle came to the other pedestrians and taxis. As they rounded a corner, heading down towards a less populated part of the city, a young man dressed completely in dark clothing darted out into the street. The brakes squealed loudly as Pendergast slammed his foot down on the pedal. Iris yelped out as she lurched forward, her hands flying out to grab something to hold onto. A steel bar collided with her chest.

Time seemed to stand still as they watched the young man recover from the sudden shock of a car almost hitting him. He quickly scurried off, eager to be away from the street and pulling the hood of his jacket further over his face. Iris breathed in and out in deep breaths before her brain finally kicked back on. She released the handle above the window that she had be clutching tightly, the knuckles pale white from the strength in her fingers. The other hand had clamped itself down on Pendergast's leg, her nails digging into the fabric of his pants. Quickly she released him, uttering a quiet apology. Pendergast finally seemed to rouse himself from his daze as well. His eyes danced down his arm, following the trajectory of his own limb.

As Iris followed his gaze down the limb as well she found the source of most of her current pain. The steel bar that she felt she collided into as the car jolted to a quick stop turned out to be the living attachment of the agent beside her. At the last second Pendergast had thrown his arm out to stop Iris from slamming into the windshield or dashboard of the Rolls. Both of their eyes settled on the end of his arm and Iris felt heat returning to her cheeks. Her blush only deepened when Pendergast hastily removed his hand that had unfortunately cupped her breast when his arm restrained her. For the briefest of moments their eyes met but both of them quickly diverted away from each other.

Pendergast cleared his throat, breaking the deafening silence. "Are you alright?"

Iris stole a quick glance at the agent but he was staring intently out of the windshield as he started down the street at a much more cautious pace. Tentatively Iris felt her chest, wincing slightly at the light bruising that the force of hitting the agent's arm caused. The blush on her cheeks slowly disappeared, but before Iris spoke she swallowed to try to clear the lump in her throat. "Thank you, Agent Pendergast but I am fine. Just a small bruise but I would've been hit with worse had you not intervened."

The agent spared a sideways glance to his passenger but quickly focused back onto the road. "I apologize for..."

Iris laughed, cutting off his statement. "For what? Keeping me from hitting my head?" She scoffed and waved a hand in dismissal. "That is ridiculous. Look, I would rather you have felt me up then bash my head into the dash, or worse get glass in my forehead. No harm, no fowl. That was not the first time you had your hands on me anyway." Iris narrowed her eyes playfully. Almost immediately the tension between the two of them seemed to disappear. Another small laugh escaped her lips as Pendergast still refused to look her way. "Well, I didn't think a man your age would be embarrassed so easily by the female body."

Pendergast finally glanced over to her. "Embarrassed? I would hardly think so." He flashed Iris a wicked grin before returning his gaze to the road and pulling deeper into a more abandoned section of the city.

Iris shook her head, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the grin on his lips. She vaguely had the notion that the agent had grabbed her on purpose but dismissed it quickly. Of course it was an accident. Pendergast was raised to be a gentleman after all. Besides a few stolen kisses from the man, he had never full out grabbed her intimately until she had initiated that contact in his bedroom. Iris looked forward, pushing the memory from her mind, as a dark building loomed in the distance. A portion of the church roof had long ago collapsed. The facade of the church was now a perfect reflection of the dark brooding and abandonment felt by most of the population of this poor and desolate area it was settled in. Iris mused that the church must at one point in its history been beautiful, but years of neglect twisted it into the dream location for nightmares. Like most beautiful things in big cities, once the entertainment district was built up the church became a second thought. Now surrounded by slums, the building stood as a quiet reminder of what is forgotten when people choose new things over rebuilding and restructuring the old.

When she spoke, her voice came out in a whisper. "Wow, at least we have a good chance that no one has disturbed the scene since Alberio came here to meet the child's father."

"Yes, this area was abandoned a long time ago. The surrounding housing development has, over the years, been cleared out." Pendergast checked his weapon after flipping the ignition to his car off. "I believe the New York City Council plans to flatten this part of the city in favor of a new amusement park."

"What a shame. This church is beautiful. They should rebuild it and open it for worship. I'm sure there is so much history in a building like this; so many people with happy memories here that they would be sad to see it disappear."

Pendergast exited the vehicle and Iris followed. Once outside, the wind blew softly against her skin. A strange sound echoed in her ears as she joined the agent infront of the car. Questioningly she looked to the pale agent and felt her heart skip a beat at the intense expression on his face. "It would appear that someone is still inside," he whispered softly. Iris looked back at the building as another scream echoed from its depths.


	13. Chapter 13

Pendergast knelt before the locked door to the church, Iris behind him. Small lock picking tools were produced from hidden pockets in his coat sleeves and he began to deftly pick the lock. Iris watched closely as the agent worked. His fingers seemed to dance over the rusted lock and within seconds the door was opened. Pendergast replaced the tools into his coat and stood, grasping the handle of the door tightly. He grunted softly in exertion as he tried to use his weight and pull the heavy, old wooden door open. After a few seconds he stopped and motioned Iris to come closer. "Grab a hold of the handle there and help me pull." Iris came to the agent's side and grasped the handle, her hands in between his own. "On the count of three. One, two, three," Pendergast counted down. On three both Iris and Pendergast pulled back with everything they had. The door groaned out in protest but gave way after a second savage tug by the duo.

When the door was pulled further out one of the top hinges broke free causing the door to fall towards the two. Iris lost her balance, falling to the ground, in an attempt to back away from the wood, should it decide to fall further towards them. Pendergast however was unaffected by the door's sudden shift. Iris felt a strong arm wrap around her torso and pull her back to her feet. "Thank you," she muttered quietly to the agent.

Another scream, louder this time as the door was opened and they were closer to the building, echoed from the depths of the crumbling church. Pendergast slipped his hand into his suit, withdrawing his side arm. He checked that the gun was loaded before motioning Iris to follow behind him. Pendergast slipped into the darkness of the church quietly and Iris followed. Once inside the foyer of the church, Agent Pendergast swept the small room in all the corners, looking for any would-be attackers. When no one was present he moved to the closed doors across from the entry way. He crouched to the left of one of the ornate wooden doors and signaled quietly for Iris to join him. Iris crouched behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. The darkness of the church was more complete here, the only light coming from the partially opened front door. A small sign above the doors beside them was illuminated by the light filtering in and Iris could read it. The sign marked that the chapel was straight ahead. Another scream reverberated from behind the chapel doors.

Pendergast twisted his torso to look at Iris. He inclined his head to the chapel doors before moving closer to her. His voice came out in a quiet whisper that Iris had to strain to hear. "Stay here until I clear the room and make sure that there is no danger." He slipped his free hand into another pocket inside his suit, producing a small flashlight. Another scream issued from behind the closed doors. This time Iris could tell that whoever was inside was becoming weaker as the scream seemed to fizzle out into a strained gasp. "If you hear my gun fire I need you to return to the Rolls and leave this area immediately. There is a police radio in a small compartment beside the center console. Call Vincent once you are safely away from the scene and tell him what has happened. Do you understand?"

Iris shook her head in defiance. "I am not going to leave you here alone. What if The Reaper is in there?"

"That is precisely why you would need to get away from this area. If The Reaper is still present in this building and he sees you, he will do anything in his power to kill you I'm sure. You are already in enough danger by being here. I should have left you with Vincent." Pendergast turned back to the door ready to charge into the room beyond but Iris placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Well I'm here now, so let me help you." Iris moved a little closer to the agent. "I promise that if it gets too dangerous I will flee but at least let me try to be of some use to you," she pleaded.

Pendergast seemed to contemplate her words. After a few seconds of tense silence he placed the flashlight onto the ground. With his now free hand he reached around to the back of his pants and produced a small black handgun. "Do you know how to use this?" Iris looked at the small gun recognizing it as the standard issue FBI Glock 22. Gingerly she took the gun from the agent, racked a round into the chamber and pushed the safety off. Pendergast nodded in approval. "There are fifteen rounds and here is a second clip just in case," the agent slipped a full clip from inside his suit, handing it to Iris who pushed it into the pocket of the sundress she was still wearing. "Use it only if you absolutely have to otherwise stay behind me and let me take care of whatever may be inside those doors."

Iris nodded in understanding. Guns where never her forte. Her father of course had taught her to shoot a variety of handguns but he mainly focused on longer range rifles. She could be mean with a sniper rifle but when it came to handguns and smaller rifles, she was a terrible shot. However she assumed that the agent at her side was the opposite case and would be fluent in the use of a handgun. She would have to rely on Pendergast's knowledge of the weapon if The Reaper was indeed inside. But despite her shortcomings with the weapon given her Iris was not about to abandon this man. This could be a good chance to take down this killer and she wasn't going to let a little danger get in her way. Silently she made a mental note that it might be time for her to start carrying her own weapon of choice with her as The Reaper was becoming active again, especially after the note left for her at the Greed murder stating his intentions to harm her.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Pendergast took the small flashlight back into his hand. He motioned for Iris to move to the right side of the door they were crouched infront of. Quickly and as quietly as she could, thankful she choose to wear flat shoes today, she moved to the indicated position. Pendergast counted down on his fingers from three. On one he very gently pushed the door open and swung inside. The quick movements of the agent reminded Iris of a cat on the prowl. She followed him inside, quickly following his lead and ducking behind a pew. Pendergast indicated that she should hold her position and that he would sweep the rest of the large chapel. Another strained scream sounded from somewhere infront of them, towards what would have once been the alter. Iris thought that once again the setting for the Seven Deadly Sins theme of The Reaper's latest victims couldn't be any better planned considering the biblical implications of the theme itself.

Pendergast turned and disappeared in the dark corners of the church. A few seconds ticked by before a small beam of light switched on in the far corner, sweeping the area around that part of the chapel before being switched off. Pendergast was using the darkness to move around the perimeter of the chapel. Whenever he passed an open passage the flashlight would kick on and he would duck down into the open door frame, only to return when his sweep was complete. Long silent minutes ticked by tensely as Iris waited behind the pew. Her curiosity was begging her to look towards the alter were the steady wheezing and moaning of the victim in pain was coming from but she dared not. Not until Pendergast gave her the signal that all was clear. The flashlight beam bounced up behind her and Iris turned, gun at the ready, towards the light. Agent Pendergast's pale face came into view, illuminated beyond the beam of light and Iris gave a sigh of relief, lowering her gun.

The agent stood to his full height, still motioning for her to remain behind the pew. His eyes swept quickly over the scene with the intensity of a predator before he nodded to himself, holstering his gun. "All is clear," he spoke at his normal honeyed tone. Iris stood, handing the gun back to him as he held his palm out for it. The agent stowed the second weapon and his flashlight. Iris was about to turn towards the alter when Pendergast reached out to pull her chin back towards him. "I need to prepare you for what you are about to see."

Iris scoffed in irritation as another pained moan filled the room. "Aloysius the man is still alive! We have to help him and we have wasted too much time already."

Ignoring the protests of the Special Agent, Iris ran down the center of the dilapidated pews and towards the center of the alter. The ceiling of the chapel had collapsed sometime before, large stones piled upon the pews to the right of the room. The clouds had parted and the moonlight was bathing the alter in brilliant white light. Iris stopped dead in her tracks. Upon the alter sat a large metal chair which seemed to be bolted to the floor itself. A man, naked save for a pair of bloodied boxers, sat upon the chair as if it was a throne. A single steel bar held the man's head to the high back of the metal chair, matching cuffs of steel trapping his arms and legs as well. Officer Greg Alberio was fading in and out of consciousness as Iris crept closer.

Once she was standing infront of the man did she notice what was causing him so much pain. Large spikes about two inches in length and a half inch in diameter where protruding from every flat surface of this torture throne. Where ever the skin of the victim touched the metal a spike had buried itself deep into the flesh. Iris was frozen in place before Alberio as she took in the whole scene infront of her. The man's chest was relatively intact save for the words carved into his flesh, the only indication that The Reaper was involved in this heinous torture.

"Acedia," Iris whispered.

"Sloth, it would appear." Pendergast spoke softly from beside her. Iris did not even realize that he had mounted the alter and was beside her.

"What does that carving mean below it?" she asked, then recited, "He failed to act."

Pendergast moved to the side of the chair, kneeling beside it to take in the spikes pushing up into the victims body. "Sloth has been defined as not only physical and spiritual laziness but also as the failure to do things one should do." The agent tried to lift Alberio's palm from the arm of the chair only to have the man scream out in pain.

"What can we do? Is there anyway to get him out of this?"

"These spikes are digging up into his flesh where ever he meets the chair though it seems that all of the vital organs have been spared." Pendergast brought out his small flashlight and flicked it on, looking at the spikes around the officer's back. "They are tapered off towards one end."

"Meaning?" she asked. Iris ripped off a small cloth from her dress and began wiping the sweat from Alberio's brow. She didn't know what else she could do as she waited for Pendergast to finish his inspection.

"The spikes are acting like corks in a bottle of wine. While they are imbedded into his skin, seeing as his weight is pushing himself down on them they are stopping him from losing any significant amount of blood. I fear that if I try to merely pull him from the chair he would bleed out in a matter of minutes, not long enough for the time it would take to make it to the hospital." Pendergast stood back up. "It would seem the officer has fallen in shock and removing him from the spikes would only further to push him towards death."

Iris bit her lower lip. "What can we do? Call the fire department?"

Pendergast nodded slowly. "The chances of survival would be slim if we removed him now. But if we can somehow remove the chair itself from its pedestal and transport him to the hospital still attached, he may live. Or," the agent tailed off as he held his chin in one pale, slim hand.

Iris scoffed impatiently. "Or what? We're running out of time if you want to save this man."

"Calm yourself Iris. I will need your help on this." Pendergast extended his hand with the flashlight in it and Iris took it from him. "Down the hall to the left I came across a maintenance room. See if you can find something that we can use to dislodge these spikes from the chair. They seem to be only held on by a thin piece of metal so we will need something that will cut that." Iris nodded, flipping the flashlight on. "I will return to the Rolls to call for backup and an ambulance. Be careful Iris."

Iris nodded and spun on her heel flying down a row of pews and through the indicated hallway. The beam of the flashlight bounced down the hallway as she continued down it. The first few rooms she passed were abandoned classrooms followed by two bathrooms. Iris stopped at the very next, plain wooden door. "Maintenance!" she exclaimed, pushing the door open. She played the thin beam of light over the dusty shelves. Small mice scattered in fright at the sudden intrusion of the light but Iris paid them no heed. "Come on there has to be something here!" she moaned out. The tools clattered to the ground as she tossed out the useless ones. Sighing she turned around to the opposite shelf and froze in place.

On the middle shelf sat a pair of brand new compound-action snips. Iris furrowed her brows in suspicion as the tool was placed with care on the newly cleaned shelf. No dust covered this shelf or the tool itself. The building was abandoned so everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and Iris could attest to that seeing as her hands were almost blackened from digging through the shelves on the other side of the small room. But this shelf was cleared of any detritus. Not only that but a small pure white piece of paper folded over once was placed on the shelf behind the tool. Iris shone the beam onto the paper illuminating a small script handwritten name. "Special Agent" was written onto the front of the paper.

Hesitantly Iris picked up the small note and opened it, revealing very familiar hand writing. Once she read it over Iris shook her head. She refolded the note, grabbed the pair of snips, and bolted back down the hall towards the chapel. Agent Pendergast was just returning to the chapel as well and they met back before the officer still moaning softly in the chair. "Iris, did you find anything useful?"

She hesitated for a brief second before handing the note she found in the maintenance closet over. "I found this beside a pair of snips and it looks like it was left intentionally for us to find. It was addressed to you."

Pendergast took the note from her and began to read it out loud. "Special Agent, by now you have no doubt found my latest work of art. Officer Alberio was becoming a hindrance, working with **him** to try and take me down. Therefor he must be punished for his actions. I have witnessed the way he lazes about, neglecting his wife and career. He spits on all that he promised to do when he took the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor, helping a criminal to hunt me down. Like a meager thorn in the paw of society could ever hope to take down a God such as me. Regardless, you are probably curious as to why I have left you this implement in which to aid the Sloth in becoming free of his punishment. I merely wanted to extend an olive branch to you. I gave you the tool to Alberio's salvation and in return I simply ask for your trust. Forgo any thoughts of freeing the man and I promise you that this will end well. Failing to follow this simple instruction will only lead to putting our mutual friend in danger. Ultimately the choice is yours Special Agent but do remember I will be watching and I look forward to having Iris soon."

Pendergast crumpled the note in his hand. Iris handed him the snips she found. "We have to release him from that chair," she stated flatly.

Pendergast shook his head. "The Reaper is threatening your life if we remove him."

Iris couldn't believe what she was hearing. "The Reaper isn't here to act out on his threats. We have to help him and if you refuse to, then I'll do it on my own."

VvVvVvVvVvVv

Pendergast closed his eyes, shaking his head softly. He held out his free hand to ask for silence as his mind tried to wrap around the problem at hand. While he knew that there was no one else in the church at this time save himself, Iris, and Alberio; the threat written in between the lines of The Reaper's note stood firm. That animal was somehow watching them, waiting to see what choice he would make. But how could he be watching them? Besides that Iris was specifically mentioned in the note and above all else he had vowed to protect her. Would helping the officer really put Iris in danger?

Again Pendergast shook his head. "We will wait for backup. I cannot put you in further danger if there is even a chance that The Reaper could be watching us."

"Would you listen to yourself?" Iris tore the note from the agent's grasp and began to rip it into tiny shreds. "He is just trying to get under your skin. He wants you to let this man suffer when there is something you can do about it. This entire time he has been punishing who he believes fit the bill of his current theme. Not once in the past few murders did any of the victims not fit the sin they carried but that doesn't mean they didn't deserve a chance to live. This is the first time that he has left the victim alive and has given the hope of being saved. Besides if you don't help Alberio then won't you be just like him. Won't you be Sloth as well by failing to act when you have the means to and should?"

"And if he is watching and you are further put into danger?"

"What danger?" Iris reached out and held onto Pendergast's arm. "There is nothing he can do to further put me in danger. He can make all the threats he wants but it still won't change anything. I will still be under your protection and he will still be plotting on how to get me without involving you. Its a bluff."

A small sigh escaped his lips as Pendergast glanced back over to the man spiked to the chair. "What would you have me do?"

Iris closed her eyes and bowed her head. A few tense seconds passed before she locked her eyes onto his. A fire erupted behind those emerald eyes causing a chill of excitement to run down his spine. Pendergast had never seen such resolve and blind faith in someone before. "I would have you do what is right and save this man's life. If The Reaper is somehow watching us then so be it. It doesn't matter if he tries to make a move on me tonight or tomorrow or the day after. I trust that you will protect me the best that you can."

Pendergast nodded and clinched the snips in his hand tightly. "Try to keep him awake. When I cut the metal spikes free of the chair it might cause him pain as the spikes will shift. Just try to keep him conscious and he may live."

"Right, you can count on me." Iris moved to stand in front of the chair, leaning over and placing her cool hand on the officer's forehead. "Officer Alberio?" she asked, trying to rouse the man from his semiconscious state.

Pendergast swiftly moved to the man's right and knelt down. He started from the bottom of the man's right leg, wedging the snips in between the chair and spike. Once the small, thin metal holding the spike in place was centered between the blades of the snips he pressed the handles together. The metal gave and the spike was freed from the chair. Pendergast inspected the spike to see if he should continue. Much to his delight the spike remained imbedded in the officer's ankle, not jarring loose or pulling free of the wound. The larger base of the spike was still pushed firmly in the ankle, effectively cutting the blood flow from the wound to a minimum. Pendergast tried to work quickly, careful to check each wound in turn as he cut the spikes free.

"He's not coming around," Iris said, worry filling her voice. "How long until the paramedics get here?"

Pendergast did not look up as he continued his work. "There was a multiple vehicle accident on one of the interstates requiring the attention of most local law enforcement and first responders. The dispatcher had to call in an ambulance and small squad of officers that can secure the scene from a neighboring precinct. It could take a good hour for them to get here." He paused to look up and tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Just do your best to wake him up. As long as the blood loss is kept to a minimum we should be fine."

"Why didn't I become medical doctor or something useful with my life?" Iris groaned.

A soft chuckled issued from his lips as he snipped the last spike found below Alberio's right knee. "I believe that your profession can be very useful Iris."

"Just cut him free will you." Iris gave him a playful scowl but Pendergast could see the anxiousness and worry still written on her face.

The agent returned to the man's leg. As he traveled further up the leg Pendergast was finding it increasingly hard to maneuver the tool under the spike to accurately cut the adjoining metal. "Iris I am going to need you to hold his leg up so that I can get to the spike underneath."

Iris knelt beside him. "But won't that pull the spikes from the wounds and cause him to bleed?"

"Not if you only start lifting it as I cut and not try to before I can dislodge them from the chair. Go slowly and we will have to work together. Are you ready?"

Iris nodded and gingerly gripped Alberio's leg from behind the knee. Since the knee never touched any flat surface of the chair the area was free of spikes allowing Iris the perfect spot to hold him. "Just tell me when to start lifting it."

Pendergast ducked his head down to be eye level with what he could see beneath the officer's thigh. The flashlight was clinched between his teeth as he slowly started to snip the spikes closest to the knee, working his way towards the back of the chair. "Lift it about two inches." Iris pulled the leg up but unfortunately it was too fast and one of the spikes was pulled loose from the man's flesh.

Blood began to steadily pour from the open wound. Iris gasped softly as a trickle of blood began to flow off the edge of the chair. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

Pendergast narrowed his eyes at the wound now freely flowing with blood. "Just hold his leg still. I will finish releasing his leg from the chair before we can address the wound."

Iris nodded, gripping the leg tighter. Small droplets of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead as she held the heavy appendage suspended in midair. Pendergast worked as quickly as he could, still careful to not jar loose any more of the spikes. "Alright that is the last one. Keep his leg still I'm going to stop the bleeding."

"How?" Iris asked softly.

Pendergast sat back on his haunches and produced the blood covered spike in his fingers. "I am going to have to push this back in and hope that it stems the blood flow like it was before it came out." Iris visibly paled as she continued to stare at the gleaming metal.

"That's barbaric."

"There is no other way if we hope to get him out alive. I could try to tie a tourniquet but the officer would lose the leg completely. He is losing too much blood for either of us to try and find some manner of a first aid kit or to wait until help arrives. If we were to simply use a clean rag from our clothes and hold pressure to the wound then one of us would not be able to help the other in freeing him." Pendergast took hold of his flashlight in one hand and moved back to his previous position. He reached out with the spike lining it up perfectly with the hole it had once been in. "Besides if anything, this sudden reemergence of the spike may just be enough to jar him back to consciousness. In which case we can then begin to treat him for any symptoms of shock he may be experiencing from the pain."

Once the tip of the spike was lined up with the entrance to the wound Pendergast balanced the end of the metal onto the palm of his hand. With a quick upward thrust the spike rejoined the gaping wound, sealing it off once again. The small piece of cut metal that still clung to the base of the spike dug painfully in the agent's hand but he ignored the pain. Instead he kept his hand flush against the officer's thigh, holding the spike in place and applying pressure in the hopes that the blood would cease its flow and become a trickle again.

The moaning from the officer ceased the second the spike was implanted and instead a loud, animalistic scream issued from the man. Officer Alberio's eyes snapped open at the sharp, sudden pain. The orbs were unfocused and cloudy as if the man were still unconscious but Pendergast knew it was only from the amount of pain the man was currently experiencing. At the sudden movements of the victim, Iris gave a startled cry, nearly dropping the leg but she quickly recovered and kept the appendage where it was. Pendergast waited until the blood stopped oozing from the wound before removing his hand. Thankfully the spike remained secure and he was able to remove his hand.

"You can gently release his limb." Pendergast stood next to Iris, gazing down at the man in the chair.

Alberio seemed to slowly be coming back to reality as his eyes began to become clearer. His head rolled from side to side, trying to loosen the bar holding his head from lifting off the back of the chair. Finally his eyes locked onto the agent but no recognition appeared there. "Who the fuck are you?" he questioned, voice coming out in strained gasps as the pain continued to rack his body. Alberio's eyes left the agent and swept over Iris. "Are you Iris?"

Suspicion caused Agent Pendergast to instinctively reach out for Iris and pulled her to stand slightly behind his tall frame. Iris allowed herself to be moved, too in shock that Alberio was coherently speaking to them. The adrenaline pumping in this man alone must have been astounding. Iris clutched to Pendergast's arm as she stood beside but still slightly behind him. "How do you know my name?"

Alberio blinked rapidly. His eyes roamed back over the agent finally settling on the tool still clutched in his hand and the blood covering his arms. "You can't do that!"

Pendergast narrowed his eyes. "Officer Alberio you are being held captive by the man known as 'The Reaper.' My name is..."

"Aloysius Pendergast and she is Iris Denali," Alberio finished for the agent.

"How do you know who we are?" Pendergast asked.

Alberio laughed softly. "That fucking animal wouldn't shut up about you."

Iris squeezed Pendergast's arm. "The Reaper? What did he say? Did you get the chance to see what he looked like?"

Alberio focused his attention back on the woman at the agent's side. "No I didn't see what he looked like, just that fucking mask they kept showing on the news. I'm sure that since you found me here you know about the meeting I had with Crowley."

"Crowley?" Pendergast questioned. The name was not familiar to him and until this point he had not seen the name anywhere within the case file.

Alberio smiled. "That's the only name the kid gave me when he approached me about that child. He said he would take care of The Reaper for me and would pay me handsomely to keep quiet about who the child was until he was done with the murderer. Then I could take all the credit for taking the killer down and be a hero. I was an idiot and my corruption has done me in but I see the light now."

Pendergast motioned to the tool in his hand. "There is still a chance to redeem yourself. Hold on until we can free you from that chair and then you can help track down this Crowley. He knows who our killer is and may be our only chance at finding him."

Iris piped up behind the agent. "Besides you wife is really worried about you."

"Lauren?" A dreamy look passed over the officer's face before a cold and impassiveness once again filled his eyes. "Tell my wife I love her with all my heart. You cannot release from this Pendergast."

"And why not?" Pendergast asked.

"When I arrived here to meet Crowley, I was surprised by The Reaper and before I could pull my service pistol a needle plunged into my neck. I woke up a few hours later sitting in this chair. The Reaper explained to me that a man from the FBI name Aloysius Pendergast would be coming with a woman named Iris Denali. He said there were only two ways that this was going to end: Either you two would try to free me, and Iris as well as myself would wind up dead, or you would choose to put faith in his word and would do nothing in which case I would be free to leave." Alberio tried to pull against the bonds around his head once again. "He said that the tool he was leaving for you in the maintenance room was not the only way to free me however, and he told me to tell you the second way should I survive long enough for your arrival."

Pendergast narrowed his eyes as he spoke softly, the honeyed drawl to his normal voice gone, "What did he tell you to say?"

Alberio smiled. "Under the seat of the throne is a small panel. If you input the doctor's name into it, my bonds will be released, however he hopes you can live with the outcome. He said that tonight it all ends if you cannot learn to place trust in the hands of a God."

Pendergast closed his eyes and became very still, soaking in the words of The Reaper. The man was becoming increasingly delusional to equate himself to a would-be God. To place any shred of trust in a delusional man such as this murderer would be a dangerous gamble indeed especially since not only the life of Officer Greg Alberio was in danger but Iris Denali as well. If he released this man then Iris' life was being threatened. But would there really but a different outcome if he did nothing?

Iris squeezed his arm again, drawing him from his dark thoughts. Pendergast looked down to the side, meeting her emerald eyes. Tears had formed around the rims of her eyes as she looked up at him. "We have to help him. I trust in you to keep me safe and only you. I do not trust the word of The Reaper."

Pendergast gazed long into those emerald pools looking for anyway to deny this simple request. Could he really protect her from this maniac while saving this victim's life who was still a criminal in his own right? With a slight nod of his head Pendergast moved to the open side of the chair and crouched down. The beam of his flashlight shown on the underside of the seat, revealing a small panel and keypad. After a slight hesitation his fingers played over the keys spelling out "IRIS." The panel switched to a dull green hue and a soft mechanical clicking could be heard from the chair. Pendergast sat back on his haunches once again and watched as the arm, leg, and head restraints were slowly being retracted.

"Fool," came from a dark, foreboding voice, echoing throughout the ruined church.

Iris spun around on her heel as hidden lights began to shine from high up at the back of the chapel. Pendergast quickly withdrew his Les Baer, moving infront of Iris and Alberio, and fired three shots up into the only room in the church he had forgotten to sweep in his haste to returned to Iris' side, the projection room where someone would shine the lyrics to hymns sung by the parishioners on the wall.

"That's him!" Alberio shouted. "That's The Reaper."

"Aloysius." Iris called out to him.

Pendergast maintained his sight on the projection booth looking for any signs that The Reaper was still alive. A cruel laugh issued from the direction of the room. "You should have put your faith in me. But I see now that I have to teach you a lesson as well." The glare from the lights made it impossible for the agent to see anything into the projection booth. Two well placed shots took care of that problem. A shower of sparks flew from the now ruined lights. Only two bullets remained in his gun but Pendergast knew he only needed one to end this nightmare.

"Aloysius!" Iris cried from behind him, panic evident in her voice.

Pendergast turned around to find Officer Alberio standing behind Iris, clasping her tightly to his chest, a knife at her throat. The spikes from the chair had been released after the code had been input into the panel. The small metal strip he had been cutting earlier had released the spikes leaving them inside of the officer's body but still effectively releasing him from the torture throne. The agent raised his gun taking careful aim of the man holding Iris. The officer ducked his head more behind Iris' so that his shot was no longer clear.

In a cold and threatening voice Pendergast merely said, "Release her now Alberio or I will kill you."

Alberio smiled ruefully. "He said that I can be saved if I take her out, that he can make all my problems disappear. I could start anew somewhere else under a different name. He could give me a new face and no one would be the wiser. All that is standing between me and freedom is this little bitch right here." Alberio dug his nose into Iris' hair, inhaling sharply. Iris took in a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. "Say your last words to your little girlfriend."

"Iris, look at me." Pendergast waited calmly, never taking his eyes from the man holding her, as Iris slowly brought her eyes to him. They were full of fear and Pendergast knew that memories of Logan Briar had begun to resurface as the knife bit into the tender flesh of her neck drawing out a small line of blood.

"Aloysius," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Pendergast smiled softly, reassuringly. "There is nothing to apologize for. Just know that I am sorry for ruining your very pretty sundress."

"What?" Iris asked questioningly, confusion clear and unmasked on her face.

Alberio, confused as well, made his final fatal flaw. His head did not move when Iris had cocked hers to the side as she asked her small question. The small movement was enough however for Pendergast to take his shot. His finger tightened on the trigger ever so slightly as his body relaxed to absorb the recoil of his gun. The bullet hit the officer square in the center of the forehead, exploding the man's head like an over ripe melon. Iris remained frozen to her spot as the blood cascaded onto her face and body, coating her dress in a coat of blood and brain matter. The body of the officer fell hard to the ground behind her.

"I see now. Very well done Agent Pendergast." The Reaper called from the projection booth. "I will be seeing you very soon."

Once again Pendergast tore his eyes from the frozen Iris and swept the projection booth. A door swung open high up in the room and Pendergast fired the second the door was covered by a shadow. Another movement from under the booth caught his attention. The gleam of metal flashed from a spark coming from one of the broken lights and Pendergast caught sight of a wickedly sharp scythe being released from its hold. In a split second Pendergast spun on his heel and dove for Iris as the sound of the blade slicing through the air began to sound. Pain erupted from his back and the world faded to black.


	14. Chapter 14

Days passed and Pendergast remained in a medically induced coma. Doctor's had come and gone and not a one of them could tell anyone present when the agent would be strong enough to awaken. Ever since the day in that church where the Reaper finally made his move and weakened the strong agent, Iris has stayed by his side. Day and night she would sit in a wing chair brought up from the library for her by Proctor. Rubbing her swollen and tired eyes, Iris leaned back into the plush cushions and pulled a blanket up to cover her shoulders. She drew her knees up onto the chair, leaning her head forward. She closed her eyes only intending to sleep for a few hours. Ever since he was brought back to his room in the Riverside mansion Iris has vowed to watch over him, eating and sleeping only briefly, scared that he would need something as soon as he awoke but would be too weak to call out for help. The only time she would ever leave his side was the brief moments she would use the adjoining toilet. Whenever it was time for her to shower, Proctor would come and sit with his master. Iris would take the shortest of showers she could get away with before resuming her silent, but ever watchful, presence over the FBI agent.

As her eyes became heavier she couldn't help but remember the hours leading up to Pendergast being brought back to his home. Tears she didn't know she could still produce slipped from her emerald eyes as the memories once again played out in her mind's eye, as they always did every time she would sleep for those few moments a day.

_The blade of scythe rushed down to the alter, slicing anything in its path. Iris was frozen as a scream issued from her mouth, a scream she didn't even remember hearing. Everything seemed to go in slow motion: Pendergast turning on his heel, running towards the alter as the blade swung closer towards the frozen woman, and finally the impact Iris felt as the slender body of the agent crashed into her, effectively knocking her from the path of the deadly blade. Iris closed her eyes upon the impact and breathed out the breath she was holding as her body collapsed onto the dusty ground. Slowly she opened her eyes, giving off a soft chuckle of unbelief as for her luck that the agent was able to push her out of danger. Still smiling, Iris looked towards the alter and that's when the world stopped making sense to her brain. _

_Pendergast was lying, as still as could be on the steps of the alter exactly where she was moments ago. Only he was not as fortunate as she was in missing the sharpened steel. In pushing her from harm's way he took the slice meant for her. Iris reached out towards the man in the same agonizingly slow motion that the world seemed to curse her with. The back of the once crisp black suit was flayed open, as well as the shirt beneath. Even the leather strap of the gun holster was sliced clean in half. But what made Iris' heart stop was the once ivory skin beneath everything was now a bloody and red opening. _

"_Aloysius!" she screamed as she scrambled to his side the fastest her legs could move. They felt like lead weights as her eyes remained locked to the wound on the man's back. The scythe itself had caught in the back wall of the chapel, lodging itself in the brickwork. Iris could care less if the horrid thing swung back and took her head off with it. Kneeling next to Pendergast's side, the tears flowing freely as the wound came more into focus, Iris screamed out for help. Very gingerly she pressed a large shred of her sundress to the wound, trying to stem the ever present, heavy flow of blood. "Please, stay with me," she pleaded as the agent grunted in pain. She pressed harder, the blood never ceasing. _

"_Iris," Pendergast whispered, his hand closest to her twitching as he tried to reach her. _

_She gasped in surprise as he slowly drifted back into consciousness. The sliver eyes opened just slightly, enough for her to see the pain in those beautiful pools. "No don't speak. You have to save your strength." She paused hearing the sirens coming tortuously closer, but not fast enough. "I can hear the sirens. They'll be here soon and you'll be fine. They'll take you to the hospital and the doctor's will fix everything. You'll be back on your feet before your know it." She tried her best to sound hopeful as the blood continued to flow between her fingers. _

_Pendergast closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. Strength was draining from him quickly and Iris feared it would not be long before his heart gave up the fight. "Iris, I have to tell you something," he whispered, straining to keep himself awake._

"_Don't you dare say goodbye. I still need you! Vincent still needs you too. We can't catch the Reaper without your help." He smiled small and even that seemed to be a struggle for such a strong man. Iris inhaled deeply, hearing the yelling coming from outside the church. "We're in here!" she yelled. Returning her attention to the man in front of her and doubling her efforts to stop the blood that he was still pumping from the open wound. _

"_Iris, I..."_

"_Stop it. Just stop it." Iris had to close her eyes and bow her head as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "I was wrong. I was wrong to hate you after that night at the federal building. What you did, I know it was only to protect me and I know your feelings were genuine towards me. I'm sorry I let my selfishness and pigheadedness get in the way of what needed to be done. I'm sorry for all the plotting to finish this on my own and I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you had such a valid argument tonight. This is all my fault. If I would have listened to you like I promised I would, none of this would have happened." She paused, looking into the small sliver of silver poking from beneath his eyelids. "I forgive you for everything and I hope you can forgive me."_

_Pendergast close his eyes and sighed. Very slowly he responded, the paramedics and police crashing into the room as he began to speak. Iris had to lean closer to him to hear his soft words, "There is nothing to forgive. My heart belongs..." _

_The agent's words trailed off as his mind slipped into unconsciousness. Iris shook him and called his name out, trying to get him to wake up. The agent's lips had paled significantly as the blood loss became too much and his body began to shut down. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her forcefully from the still body. Iris fought against the owner, screaming that he needed her. The officer holding onto her merely shushed her protests, whispering that everything would be okay and there was nothing she could further do. Recognizing the low tone of Vincent D'Agosta, Iris twisted her body clinging to his uniform shirt with dear life. Vincent called out orders to the surrounding police and paramedics as the scene was slowly secured. Iris turned her head to the side as the paramedics called out Pendergast's weak vital signs and began to treat his wound to the best of their abilities. Vincent pulled her further to the side as another medic brought the stretcher closer and the team began to place the limp agent on it before running outside to the awaiting medic._

_Vincent calmingly rubbed soothing circles onto Iris' back and breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on Iris, there is nothing we can do here. Why don't we head back to the mansion and wait for word."_

_Iris firmly shook her head and looked up into the officer's face. "I want to be with him. What if he wakes up and needs one of us? Someone should be there for him."_

_Sadly the officer nodded his head, fighting back his own tears as he knew his friend would be fighting for his life and there was a chance that he would never wake up. "Alright, but under one condition. We head back to the mansion first so you can get cleaned up and then I'll take you to the hospital."_

_Iris reluctantly agreed but all the same knew it was for the best. When the medics and Pendergast arrived at the hospital he would immediately be ushered into the trauma unit where the doctors could begin to fix the damage done to his back. It would be hours before they would take him to the ICU for monitoring. Vincent escorted the exhausted woman back to the agent's Rolls, keeping one arm around her waist for support the entire trip. Iris slowly pulled herself into the passengers seat and let Vincent buckle her in, not wanting to get blood on any surface of the immaculate vehicle. Vincent closed the door before calling over an officer on standby. Iris watched as the two exchanged small talk before nodding and separating. _

_Vincent climbed into the driver's seat, laughing softly as his legs couldn't even touch the pedals. "I feel like a little kid sitting in my daddy's car again." Iris just stared numbly as the officer laughed again. Quickly adjusting the seat and mirrors for his height he started the engine and pulled away. Two patrol cars followed along behind as he maneuvered his way back into the city. "They are going to follow us back to the mansion so that my patrol car can come with me. When we get there they will depart however." Vincent gave a small smile towards Iris._

_She was appreciative of the officer's attempt at small talk but the pain and worry the man tried to hide in his awkward laughs and jokes did nothing to stave the storm of guilt inside her heart. The ride seemed to flash by as before she knew it they were rounding the corner onto Riverside and pulling into the walled in front lawn of the mansion. One patrol car followed the Rolls into the drive and the officer shook hands with D'Agosta before parting. Iris looked towards the open front door, seeing Proctor waiting with a slightly confused look on his face. He strode down the short walk and opened the passenger door for Iris. Iris waited as D'Agosta hurried over and unbuckled her, holding his hand out to help her from the car. Iris ignored his hand and slowly made her way into the home. Behind her Vincent softly filled in Proctor on the situation and the two disappeared into the library, no doubt going towards the liquor cabinet inside. _

_Iris made her way slowly up the stairs, careful not to touch the railing or walls as she went. Once in the private bathroom she called hers, Iris started the stream of hot water from the shower head. As she got undressed, throwing her bloodied and tattered sundress into the rubbish bin, Iris finally looked at her reflection in the mirror. The woman who stared back at her was a stranger. The black hair was matted and caked with dust while her eyes held a haunted and far off look as if she had just got done in war. Iris brought a hand up to brush a few strands of loose hair away from her ghostly pale face but stopped as the red blood reflected in the bright light. She looked down at the blood that coated her hands and felt a wave of nausea and lightheadedness wash over her. Quickly she jumped into the shower fearing if she stared at the blood on her hands, his blood on her hands, the pain and guilt would become too much for her to bare. She closed her eyes as the scalding water rushed down her back, opening them only briefly to watch as the water on the bottom of the tub turned black and red as the dust and blood was washed away. _

_Iris took a long shower careful to scour every surface of her body so as to not miss any blood that might have splashed onto her. After drying herself and wrapping in a towel Iris retreated from the bathroom to the walk in closet adjoining the room. She looked through her many clothes and reached out for a black dress but quickly withdrew her hand. She wasn't in mourning, he was going to be fine so black wasn't necessary. Instead she reached over and snagged a navy blue dress with three quarter sleeves that would hug her frame. Quickly she changed and picked new flats from her closet, the old ones were coated in blood and thrown away with her dress. Iris slowly made her way down to the library and cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the two men seated inside. "I am ready to leave," she simply stated. _

_Vincent smiled warmly to her, sadness still in his eyes, though he made no move to stand and leave. Iris did take note of the black t-shirt he had changed into, no doubt borrowed from the man sitting beside him. His bloodied uniform shirt folded and placed into a plastic bag on the side table. "Proctor made you something to eat. You should have it before we leave."_

_Iris narrowed her eyes and glared at the two men. Her voice came out low and dangerous, daring either one to challenge her, "I don't want food. I want to see Aloysius."_

_Proctor stood and came towards her. The tall, broad frame of the man no longer scared her as she stood her ground in front of him. He nodded his head in understanding to her words but ushered her to the fire he built all the same. "Please madam. Eat something, however small, and then you will depart for the hospital. I called only moments ago and Mr. Pendergast is still in surgery." He paused handing her a small glass with amber liquid on ice. Easing her into a chair and placing the tray on her lap before continuing. "It is what he would want and expect you to do for him."_

_Vincent excused himself, mumbling about needing to go to the restroom. Iris glared hard at Proctor before sighing in defeat. She sipped at the alcohol in her glass slowly. The burning sensation from the liquid calmed her nerves and slowly she nibbled at the toast points on the plate. She sighed and stared into the fire. "I'm sorry for everything."_

_Proctor looked towards her, his expression ever calm and unworried. "What is there to apologize for?"_

_Iris closed her eyes fighting back the tears, she would not cry in front of this man. She didn't want to be viewed as any weaker than she already felt. "It was my fault. I didn't listen and..."_

_A quiet chuckle stopped her words. Proctor bemusedly shook his head, then replied, "Aloysius Pendergast is always in charge of whatever situation he is in. I've known him for years and have witnessed first hand the outcomes of his choices. Never once has that man been persuaded into doing something he didn't want to do. You didn't cause this. Pendergast did what he knew needed to be done." Proctor stopped and sighed as he looked at her doubtful expression. "You think that whatever you said to him caused him to change his mind, but it didn't. He already had the options lined up and choose the first logical step, you merely gave him notice to look at the others he already had considered in his brilliant mind. Trust me when I tell you, that you didn't force him to do anything and his actions were the result of his own choices to follow that secondary path." _

_Iris breathed a sigh of slight relief but felt no change in her heart. He was wrong and she just knew it. "I see your point, but I feel I must argue it with you." Vincent stepped back into the room and Iris placed the empty tray on to the side table. "I've eaten can we go now?"_

_The two of them said goodbye to Proctor, the man choosing to stay behind for now but stating he would be coming shortly behind them when the time was right. Iris felt her heart beating faster the closer they came to the hospital. D'Agosta drove carefully through the traffic and pulled into the emergency vehicle spaces behind the emergency room doors. He waved his badge at a guard stationed outside the ER doors and the man nodded, swiping his badge on the magnetic lock pad beside him. Tortuously the doors opened slowly to the ER floor and Iris followed the officer inside. Her eyes wildly scanned the many beds around them stopping on one of the incoming trauma units. The bed was missing from the center and no one stood in the room but the pools of blood and remnants of opened and used medical equipment littered the floor. What caught her eye though was the torn, tattered remains of a once beautifully tailored suit coat, shirt, pants, and tie thrown haphazardly on a discarded medical cart in the room. Iris felt tears escape her eyes at the sight of his suit but quickly looked back towards D'Agosta and the nurse he was speaking too. _

_Quickly the officer came back towards her and gave her a small smirk. "We're in luck, the nurse just said that Pendergast is still in surgery but they are expecting some word from the surgeon soon." Iris let her eyes wander away from the man in front of her and they drifted back towards the fabric in the trauma unit. Vincent followed her gaze and sighed, placing a hand on her upper arm and pulling her away from the bloodied room. "Come on, the waiting room isn't far. We'll stay together and wait for word."_

_Iris allowed herself to be steered through the many sterile halls, not even remotely aware of her surroundings or the many endearing, sorrowful looks she was receiving. People moved out of the officer's way as he led her into the empty waiting room. Vincent sat her down and mumbled something to her along the lines of finding coffee then left her alone. After a few minutes Iris finally looked around the small, quiet room. There was a television on the wall tuned into the local news. The story they were currently playing caught her eye. "The police presence has not subsided here at the Mother of Mercy Church in this abandoned section of Queens. Authorities state another victim of the serial killer 'The Reaper' is inside though no further information was given. However I have learned recently that there will be a press conference in a few minutes from the director of the New York FBI regarding the agent that was injured in the attempt to rescue the victim." The woman paused as the news anchor asked her if she had any information on the agent's injuries. "All that the authorities will tell us is that the agent was a seasoned veteran and has been taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries."_

_Iris found the remote and switched off the station quickly. "Yeah I never did like the way those reports sound so uncaring about the poor people they live off of." Iris jumped at the sudden, unfamiliar voice in the room. A large man in a white coat stood in front of the door, his hands clasped behind his back and a smile on his face. Slowly he extended his hand out for Iris to shake and she stared at him cautiously. "My name is Anton Crowley. I am the surgeon here and you must bethe family of Mr. Pendergast?" _

_Iris felt her hairs raise on the back of her neck. 'It couldn't be,' she thought to herself. Crowley was the name mentioned by Greg Alberio. The name of the son of the Reaper himself. Iris closely looked over the man's features. He was the same height and weight as the Reaper but his face was off. While pale like the killer his face was lacking the trademark scar that she had seen and had haunted her nightmares; the skin was unblemished and smooth. It must have just been a coincidence. Iris took his hand, noticing the firmness of his handshake. "I am no family, but I am a close colleague. My name is Iris Denali."_

_Anton Crowley motioned for her to sit and gracefully sat beside her. Leaning in towards her, he began to speak in quiet, soothing tones, "Mr. Pendergast was gravely wounded by that maniac as I am sure you already know. The damage done to his spine and spinal muscles were extensive."_

_Iris held a hand to her mouth and stifled a sob. "He is still alive?"_

_Crowley smiled and nodded. "It was touch and go for a long time and I will not lie to you, I was certain we lost him at one point but that is one tough man. I can tell you sincerely care for him so allow me to be frank with you. He is going to be very fragile for the next few months. I have asked for the doctors and attending physicians to keep him asleep for now." He raised a hand to stop her from interrupting him. "I know you really want to talk to him but with the damage to his spine I'm afraid if we allow him, even the slightest bit of consciousness that he may injure himself further. I ordered some tests on his spinal cord and reflexes, to make sure that he still has feeling throughout his body."_

"_You think the blade hit his spinal cord?"_

_Crowley licked his lips before continuing, choosing his words carefully. "It grazed it but I don't think it caused any lasting damage, at least I hope. The worst case scenario is that Agent Pendergast is paralyzed from the waist down. However with adequate care and extremely careful handling of his person, he should be expected to recover." Crowley smiled and reached out to take her hands in his. Iris allowed him to hold her hands. "He lost a lot of blood but thankfully he's a common blood type and we were able to replenish what he lost. However his body is extremely weak. I tell you this because I don't want you to be shocked at his appearance. He is extremely pale and, because of the coma, he is as still as a corpse. We had to place a feeding tube since he will be unable to wake for regular meals, a tube is in place down his throat to assist his breathing, and of course his IV lines and blood lines are covering his arms." _

_Iris nodded her head in understanding. Crowley reached over and pulled a tissue from a nearby box, offering it too her. She dabbed at her eyes. "When can I see him?"_

"_Whenever you like. The nurses just settled him into the ICU and I've already spoken to the officer that escorted you here." Crowley helped her to her feet and bowed slightly before taking his leave. _

_Iris mastered her emotions before leaving the waiting room and following Vincent to the ICU. Once there he stopped to talk to a nurse and pointed Iris to the room they were looking for. Iris went in on her own, taking a deep breath before opening the door. Pendergast lay still, his chest rising slowly from the forced air from the tube. Iris had to lean against the door to support her shocked state. He looked so weak. His normal alabaster skin was almost paper like in appearance and his normally immaculate and tamed, silver-blonde hair was matted and dirty. Iris sank into the seat next to the bed, holding onto his hand gently, afraid she would break it. The soft, steady beeping of his heart monitor teased her mind as the guilt of the situation burned into her._

_Hours passed in silence, D'Agosta long since passed out on the opposite side of the agent's bed in a extra chair the nurse brought. Suddenly a commotion from outside woke the officer and jarred Iris from the trance-like state she was stuck in. D'Agosta opened the door and the two of them walked out into a group of people, two familiar. Proctor and Dr. Crowley stood side by side, watching as another doctor in scrubs and another man in a three piece suit with a briefcase argued. "I'm sorry sir but the patient just left surgery. To move him now would be to tempt fate on his life. You could easily reopen his wound and cause him to bleed out en-route to his home."_

"_I understand the chances of causing him more pain. I am a his private physician and can assure you that should Aloysius Pendergast be conscious right now he would tell you himself, that he would rather be inside his own home!" the suited man screamed._

_Proctor cleared his throat and tilted his head towards Iris and D'Agosta. "What's going on?" Vincent questioned._

_Proctor spoke first, his voice silencing the two doctor's war. "Mr. Pendergast stated in his wishes to me that should he be hospitalized due to this case, he should be stabilized and then turned over to his private physician to be cared for in his own home. We are merely debating his wishes and the validity of moving him promptly."_

_Iris smiled at Proctor as the man smiled back. She was thankful that they wanted to take him home. Pendergast looked so out of place in this sterile environment. He was certain to be more comfortable in his own bed, but would they let him go in his fragile condition? Dr. Crowley, with his ever present calming smile, cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "I understand your concern Dr. White, but with the patient's own close family telling your his wishes and even his private physician, whom I could only assume is the best of us all, willing to monitor the patient in his home, I see no cause to hold him here. I would be willing to travel to his home if required to make sure that his wound remains closed. I would even be willing to stay on call should the good doctor need my assistance in any way."_

_Doctor White, whom Iris recognized now as the head physician at the hospital growled softly. "If the patient were to hemorrhage on the way to his home we would be looked at for responsibility and liable for his death."_

"_Though to ignore his wishes would result in a lawsuit. And looking at the people around me and the man himself I'm willing to bet his lawyer is ironclad and a monster in the courtroom." Crowley paused and smiled broadly. "We really don't need another scandal around here, do we Vick?"_

_A short while later, after papers were signed to turn over control of the patient to the private doctor, Iris learned his name was Dr. Reginald Wyatt, they were starting to pack supplies from the hospital purchased for Pendergast's care. Soon after a private ambulance crew came to pack up the patient himself and move him to his home. Dr. Wyatt settled him into his bed with the help of Dr. Crowley. _

Iris woke slowly and her eyes met the still asleep profile of the federal agent next to her. They put him in the bed and this is were he stayed. Twice a week a physical therapist would come and massage his limbs they were told; a nurse would come in a few times a day to help change his clothes, feed him, and bathe him. Wyatt and the nurse, Sasha, stayed in the mansion on the first floor to keep a close eye on his patient but even the doctor said that it was a slim chance he would wake up within the next week. Iris sighed and looked towards a painting on the wall. The Reaper has to pay for this. It was simple: he hurt a man she held close in her heart, even after all he's done she could not deny that she felt something for the man. He would need to pay for this. Iris smiled as a plan began to form in her mind. One that would end the Reaper's life.


	15. Chapter 15

Iris lowered the book that she had been reading aloud when the bedroom door was pushed open. Three days had passed and everyday she would read until the late evening for the sleeping man she watched. Proctor bowed slightly when he walked in. After placing a small, covered dinning tray on the nightstand beside her chair, he wished her a good night and retreated. But this was nothing unusual for the two of them. The doctor had already paid his patient the usual early evening visit in which wounds were cleaned and lines changed. During this time Iris would retreat to her room to shower before returning when Doctor Wyatt was done. After that she would take up reading again before Proctor brought her dinner and said his good night. Slowly Iris pulled the top from the tray and smiled at the smell that arose from the steaming bowl. Taking the soup back to her chair with her, Iris ate while she took in the surroundings to the room.

The room was much similar to her own, being primarily made with darkened woods and colors of fabric for the rug. The walls were covered in a much richer, Victorian style wall-papering. Even the ceiling was hand molded with a circular pattern that stopped at the base of a large fan in the center. After finishing her soup, Iris stood and began to inspect the objects in the room closer. Like her own, there were three doors. One of course led to the disused balcony, though the curtains were tightly drawn to hide the glass doors beyond. The second Iris opened to discover the agent's private bath. Handsomely decorated entirely in black tiles, counter tops, and walls, she stepped inside and looked through the cabinet under the sink and then in turn the small linen closet by the enormous bath. Neither held anything out of place, though she did take a minute to smell the variety of aftershaves and cologne sitting in the hidden cabinet behind the mirror. Iris smiled at the familiar smell of Pendergast's favorite, a tear slipping from her cheek at remembering the last time she had smelled it. When he was still awake and standing before her. Iris brought one of the aftershaves back to the nightstand. She would leave it there and ask the nurse to use some the next time the woman shaved him. Maybe the smell would help bring him around.

Closing the bathroom door, she moved to the next and final door. This, she knew before opening, would lead to the walk in closet. Flicking the light on before stepping in, Iris was surprised at what she found. The closet was full of different men's clothing but not one of the tailored suits worn frequently by the agent was to be found. Iris casually looked through the clothes, taking note of what was above and below the many racks. To the outsider, it would appear as if she was merely curious as to what the man kept in his closet. Though her intentions were far from simply rifling through the agent's wardrobe. With an irritated sigh she turned the light off and closed the closet door. A soft knock at the door caused her heart to jump into her throat. No one would come visit her after Proctor delivered her evening meal. He would just pick the dirtied dishes up in the morning after bringing her breakfast. Iris glanced at her watch, seeing the time was still around half passed seven in the evening. Very slowly she made her way to the door before opening it cautiously.

Doctor Anton Crowley stood beyond the door, his ever present smile still on his face. Proctor bowed behind him before retreating back down the hall in silence. Iris returned the man's smile and stood to the side to allow him entry to Pendergast's room. Choosing to leave the door opened she followed the man towards the bedside. Crowley gracefully sat in the chair beside the agent. Iris was once again surprised at the man's ease of movements for a man his size as she took a seat on the edge of the agent's bed. "Good evening Miss Denali. I hope you do not find it rude that I dropped by without warning or invitation." Crowley said, an edge of calm and joy to his voice.

Iris found it slightly unnerving that the man sitting before her always found a reason to maintain his calm and happy demeanor. She suspected that after years of working for one of the nation's busiest trauma centers as their top surgeon, he found ways to ignore life's worst moments. Iris smiled and once again took in the man's features. He was, like the sleeping agent, an older man though still handsome in his years. Crowley was slightly older than Pendergast himself though he hid his age well. His name still brought a small tingle to her skin as he unfortunately shared a common name with the only suspect in the Reaper case. However the man before her could not be the tanned son the police were currently looking for. This man was much older than described by the late Officer Alberio's wife, though Iris had to admit that there was some resemblance to the true serial killer she met seemingly so long ago in that dark alley. His skin tone was similar and the build of his body was almost identical, however, the cheek of this man was still as flawless as the last time she had seen him. He ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair as she looked over his face. Chuckling softly to herself, she finally replied, "You are always welcomed here Doctor Crowley. Without you I fear that Agent Pendergast would no longer be with us."

"Nonsense," he said, dismissing her praise. Iris blushed as he raised one of his thick eyebrows towards her, having caught her still studying his features. "Is something the matter, Miss Iris?"

She shook her head softly with a smile, "Not at all. You would find it silly of me Doctor."

"No, go on. I promise I will not laugh."

Quickly she changed the subject, "Did you come here to check on Aloysius?"

Crowley looked over to the sleeping man, watching him for a few moments. Iris turned as well, getting lost in the serene, peaceful look on the pale man's face. The color had started to return to his cheeks and Iris often found herself brushing her hand against the warm skin, silently wishing he would open his eyes and turn towards her. The man in the chair pulled her from her thoughts shortly after by continuing, "I actually came to check up on you Miss."

"Just Iris, please Doctor."

"Anton. How are you coping with all this?" he asked while gesturing towards the sleeping man.

Iris sighed and pulled her feet up onto the bed, holding her knees to her chest. "Things have been difficult. I often find myself in this room most hours of the day. I like to read to him during the day and his quiet breathing puts me to sleep now that they have removed the breathing tube."

Anton nodded his head. "I found myself quite shocked at the speed with which he seems to be healing. It is not often that someone in his situation is able to be taken off of assisted breathing. This is surely a great sign."

Iris nodded and flashed him a brilliant smile. "Yes, I believe it is. I thought about starting to play music for him for a few hours every night."

"I'm sure he would love to hear you play," he responded.

"Do you think he would even hear me?" she asked with a slight blush in her cheeks.

Anton smiled wider, leaning his body towards her. "I'm almost certain of it. So what do you do in the FBI if you don't mind me asking?"

Iris shook her head before laughing softly, "I don't work for the FBI directly. I'm a psychiatrist and criminal profiler that is contracted by the FBI to assist with serial killer cases."

"So you are working with Mr. Pendergast on this Reaper thing?" he asked, his voice dropping a little lower.

"Yes, I am doing anything I can to help put an end to these horrific killings." Iris pondered for a moment before hesitantly asking, "You don't happen to have any family that lives in the city do you?"

Anton looked slightly surprised at the sudden question but smiled none the less. "Only my wife and brother that I know of."

"That you know of?" she questioned, curious at his choice of words.

"Yes, my brother hasn't spoken to me in many years. Come to think of it we really haven't spoken since I retired from the Marine Corps and my son was turning ten." Anton sat back in contemplation. "Is there a reason you are curious about my family Doctor Denali?"

Iris felt heat rise to her cheeks as she softly laughed to herself. "Well, please don't get angry. But your last name is not a common surname and it just so happens that one of our suspects is a younger man with the name of Crowley. I apologize."

"No need to apologize for doing your job." Anton brought a hand to his chin, stroking the clean skin. "The Crowley you are looking for, do you have any description of him?"

"You mean you don't watch the news?" she asked vaguely surprised.

The man laughed loudly, "No I detest those corrupt ingrates."

"I see. Well the young man we are looking for is in his mid to late twenties, tanned skin, dark hair, with a muscular build and scar on his right cheek."

Anton's look darkened as his eyes locked onto Iris. "Is this the Reaper you described?"

Iris shook her head, "No, the Reaper is a slightly larger man with pale skin like your own and the same scarring. We believe him to be twenty to thirty years older than the young man we are currently searching for."

The look did not disappear from his face, if anything the darkness intensified. "The man you described sounds quite unmistakable though I can't say I know of anyone who matches what you have described. I can tell you that I certainly have no scar on my face. My brother and son though I couldn't say. I haven't see my son since he was about fifteen when I finished medical school and like I said I haven't seen my twin since my retirement."

Iris nodded, making a mental note for later. "So you were in the service?"

"Yes ma'am. Twenty long years fighting for old Uncle Sam. I joined the Marines right out of high school and retired shortly before my fortieth birthday. I finished out my degree in medical school shortly after that and have worked in that same hospital for going on eight years now." he said proudly.

Iris smiled, "What did you do in the Marines? If you don't mind me asking?"

Anton smiled, pride filling his face as he spoke. "I was with the Force Recon though I always wanted to be a field surgeon. No one told me before I signed up that the Marines don't have a medical branch but use the Navy." At this Iris laughed. "So when I was back in the states I worked slowly on acquiring my medical degree and well the rest is history."

Iris yawned softly behind her hand. "Oh excuse me!"

"Not at all," he stated before looking at his watch. "We've been chatting for over and hour. I guess I should hit the road. The wife just can't live without me you know." Slowly the older man stood, wincing and holding his left hip tightly. "These old bones, I swear."

Iris stood and moved towards him. "Are you alright Anton?" she asked in concern.

"I took some shrapnel in the hip back in the war. Sometimes my old bones get tight and it takes me a minute to get going again when I stand. No need to worry about me dear." Anton smiled brightly again and walked towards the exit.

Iris walked him to the door. "Please come any time Anton."

The man surprisingly pulled her into a tight hug, one that caused the woman to stiffen considerably, before releasing her. "I'll be sure to check up on you again. Please if you ever need anything do not hesitate to call me."

Iris watched as the large man retreated down the hall before closing the bedroom door once again. It was quite the pleasant surprise visit from the cheerful man but something still did not sit right with her. It was the warning look in his dark eyes after she described the suspects that concerned her. Maybe she would have to look into Anton Crowley's estranged family. Shaking her head Iris resumed her search around the agent's bedroom. The dresser drawers proved useless, only filled with the agent's house clothes and undergarments. The only thing she had yet to check was the bureau against the far wall of his bed. Iris slowly opened the doors and immediately smiled. Here were the immaculately tailored black suits that he wore every day. Hurriedly she pushed the suits to the side and there was the very thing she was looking for behind the row of identical polished dress shoes. A large, formidable looking safe.

Crouching down before the safe, Iris cautiously inspected it. This was not going to be easy to crack nor did she have the tools necessary for the job. Cursing under her breath Iris replaced the suits and closed the door. The large case file was sure to be in that safe, as well as the agent's side arms and other valuables. She was not concerned with the guns or money, just the file that could help her begin the hunt for her prey. Returning to the side of the bed she collapsed in the wing chair with a huff, crossing her arms. "You couldn't make this easy for me could you Pendergast?" she asked the sleeping man. Iris would have to formulate a new plan if she wanted to get that file. She had hopes that it would have been left out but of course he had secured it before leaving. Proctor was likely to know the combination having placed the agent's Les Baer inside, but the man was not going to open if for anyone save the sleeping man it belonged to. She could always go to Doughter but after Pendergast had threatened him, Iris was not going to give the man any reason to think about her or get close to her again, at least not without Pendergast or Proctor present. Suddenly Iris smiled widely, there was a third way to get what she needed. Smiling she pulled the folded blanket from the back of the chair, wrapping herself in it. Kicking her legs up onto the side of the bed, she whispered good night to the agent before falling asleep with the thought that in five days, she would have that file in her hands.

Four days came and went, the only thing of interest happening in New York being the disappearance of one super model only two months before her scheduled debut on the catwalk at the next fashion gala. No new Reaper kills meant only one thing in Iris' mind: he knew the agent was down and out and now was waiting for the chance to strike. At least that was what Iris was hoping. This of course could work to her advantage as her plan began to take shape in her mind. Over the course of the last four days her routine had not changed, mostly. Iris would read to Pendergast until dinner like usual however after she was done eating Iris would retire to her room. She would pull out the hardened instrument case from under the bed, opening it up and stopping momentarily to admire the one of a kind black violin hidden inside. Handcrafted by her father from African Blackwood and made specifically for her to play, Iris loved the instrument. It was one of the only things connected to her father that brought her joy and reminded her of the good times, playing for her mother and then her brother for hours. Every night Iris would pull this violin out after dinner and play different songs and melodies that came pouring from her heart. For two to three hours she would play in her room, the door closed but the music loud enough to waft down into the agent's open door at the end of the hall. She didn't want to play directly in his room for fear of waking him prematurely or bothering his healing rest in any way.

After she was done playing, she would sleep in her own bed. Proctor noticed the change but did not question her. He seemed just happy that she was no longer staring like a zombie at the agent at all hours of the day, but instead seemed to be coming back to life. This night however, was different. Over the last four nights Iris would play for the mansion but little did the other inhabitants realize that she was recording every note she played. During the third day, she opened the mysterious black case, brought from her own home, and retrieved high definition speakers and equipment from the case. Iris worked quietly to set up the speakers around her room so that when the violin music was played back it would give off the same tone and echo as if she were playing live. After assuring the speakers and recording were flawlessly playing, Iris crept into the halls. Stationing herself in the entrance hall behind the stairs, she waited. One hour into the music the doctor and nurse could be seen retiring to their rooms, never to come out until morning. Towards the end of the second hour, Proctor exited the library heading towards a back hall and what could only be his room. Iris waited that fourth night at the bottom of the stairs until the wee hours of the morning but Proctor never resurfaced from the back hall until the sun was rising.

Smiling Iris slept in late that fifth morning and began her day as usual. However when the doctor came to give his patient attention towards the late afternoon, Iris left to her private quarters. She changed into a skin tight black pants and long sleeved shirt, pulling her long black hair up into a high pony tail. She resumed her usual spot beside Pendergast's bed with a blanket around her body, shortly before Proctor brought her evening meal. She ate lightly of the salmon and warm slaw that was served. Like clockwork she returned to her room for the evening and began the three hour rendition of her violin music. Only this time did Iris dawn a long tan trench coat with the collar turned up to hide her face and a small black hat. Before she was ready to leave, Iris tucked small lock picking tools into her coats pockets. The tools were taken from the agent's bedroom, Iris having found them on the man's dresser top the night of her search. Finally she turned to the balcony doors and quietly slipped out of them, careful to shut the door just as quietly behind her.

Carefully Iris pulled herself up onto a particularly large branch of the Dawn Redwood that grew over the balcony. Very carefully she climbed down the tree and jumped to the ground with a soft sound. She stopped, frozen to her spot as she looked towards the mansion, looking for any sign that Proctor had heard or noticed her movements. Satisfied that he was still inside the library at this time, Iris made her way to the rear of the mansion's garden. Here she found the brick wall and taking a small knife from her pocket she slowly started to poke at the loose mortar around the bricks. Soon she had removed a small pile, creating a make shift ladder in the brick wall. Iris carefully climbed the short wall and hoisted herself over the top. To her luck, the abandoned building behind the mansion had installed a chain link fence along the back of the brickwork and Iris was able to climb down it quite easily. Finally she jumped to the ground and started briskly walking towards the street beyond. Still being early evening, only eight o'clock, Iris was able to hail an idling taxi that had just dropped off its last passenger.

Iris directed the man towards the more populated city and paid him when they arrived at a small dealership. Iris walked inside and only a few minutes later walked out with the papers to a new, fast motorcycle. Not many people, not even Doughter, new she carried her motorcycle license. Having paid in full for the fast bike, Iris slid onto the seat and placed the new helmet on her head before kicking it to life. Easily moving through the city traffic, she parked the bike in a dark alley beside the building she was looking for. It was now close to nine o'clock and she knew that she was going to be cutting this closely. By now she was aware of the schedule of Vincent D'Agosta and his wife Laura Hayward from the many conversations with Vincent ever since the attack on Pendergast. Vincent would not be getting off duty for another hour but his wife should be making her way home from the precinct now. Judging by the traffic and train schedule she would not arrive for twenty minutes.

Iris quickly replaced her hat on her head before heading towards the door to the building. She waited a few minutes until a young teen bounced out of the door before catching it and slipping inside. Quietly, careful not to look up towards any of the hall's cameras she made her way up the stairs and to the apartment she was looking for. Even if the cameras could see what she was wearing it would not tell the police much. Her tan coat hid her feminine features and the hat hid her hair. Even her shoes were non descriptive and black. When she reached the door, she quickly brought out the lock picking tools and worked on the door lock. It took a few minutes for her to work the lock, as she needed to practice her skill more. Soon she walked into the apartment and luck was with her again. The case file she needed was still carelessly thrown onto the coffee table. Vincent must have seen no reason to keep it a secret with his law enforcement wife. Quickly Iris gathered all the loose papers and put them back into the folder before putting the large file into a small bag underneath her coat.

She froze as the sound of a key turning in the door's lock sounded. Quickly she rushed to the window, throwing it open and crawling onto the fire escape. She could hear the shocked exclamations of a woman behind her followed by the order to stop being issued. The train from the precinct to her home must have been early as Laura Hayward followed Iris out onto the fire escape. Iris flew down the ladders as the police woman followed behind her. Iris jumped the last ladder to the ground and quickly pulled her helmet on before taking off on squealing tires. It was a good thing she had parked her bike so close to the exit as Laura Hayward had just made it to the ground and fired a single shot uselessly into the wall beside her. Iris quickly drove down the streets until she made it back to the abandoned apartment building behind Riverside. She laughed in relief as no sirens could be heard. Quickly she hid the bike behind the old dumpsters, covering it with dead branches and debris. Iris climbed the wall and then the tree, careful to hide her movements and noise. Silently she slipped back into her room, turning off the now silent sound machine, before collapsing onto her bed with a laugh. She pulled the bag and hugged it tightly. She had done it! The Reaper case file was finally hers.


End file.
