Finally, in the still dark early morning hours before daybreak,
police cars begin to pull away. She feels the rush of air as the
crow takes flight hovering then settling over the skylight in the
roof of the boathouse. She closes her eyes’ watching through it’s as
police pack up equipment and tape off the inside. Finally, one,
lone figure is left, a woman. She carefully examines the area over
and over every area. She isn’t leaving anytime soon.

"Time is wasting, child." The bird admonishes.

"Yes, I know." Bianca answers as she lands silently next to the crow
atop the roof.

"You must."

"I know." Bianca answers quietly, knowingly.

She looks through the skylight making sure the woman is not too
close. Quickly, efficiently, she yanks open the nailed skylight,
slipping through and landing crouched on the floor in the shadows.

"What the *****?!" Anna swings toward her gun pulled, "Whoever you
are come out of there….hands where I can see them!"

Bianca stands, but doesn’t move other than that. She looks the woman
up and down slowly taking her in and matching her to a face of one of
those she left behind.

"Anna Devane," she mutters out loud in a voice still not her own
from severe lack of use, "Still chasing the bad guys."

"Look, Come out of their or…"

"You’ll what…shoot me…oh…wait, kill me?" she almost chuckles at the
thought.

"Not if I don’t have to…Do you want to die?!" Anna urges.

"Ah…no, tis true I did not want to die, but just the same here I am
breathing yet not living."

"What?!"

"Nothing. Here I come Chief Devane…Please don’t shoot." Bianca drops
her head, her hair falling into her face.

"Hands where I can see them!" she orders gun still drawn and
tracking Bianca.

"Of course, but I am unarmed." Bianca steps into the light, hands at
her sides palms out, head lowered, "Who are you?"

"No on of consequence I assure you…well, only to Tommy I suppose."
Bianca looks up smiling through the curtain of wet, stringy hair.

"Tommy Gains?" Anna asks.

"Gains? Was that his last name? I never knew."

"You need to go downtown with me." Anna moves in.

"I’m sorry. I can’t do that Anna. I have things I must attend to."
Bianca answers.

"Like Tommy?" Anna steps closer.

"Not quite, but similar…" Bianca muses.

"Do I know you? I feel I should."

"No…not me, but I know you." Bianca looks at her feet, "Pregnancy go
well?"

"How do you know me?!" Anna demands.

"A lovely, young cousin you had in Miss Stone…" Bianca grins,

"Maggie? Maggie’s dead." Anna says flatly.

"Beautiful…yes, truly beautiful she was." Bianca whispers.

"How?" Anna tries to look closer at the figure as something tickles
at the back of her mind.

"Tommy had friends…" Bianca lowers her hands letting the statement
dangle.

"Yeah, two running buddies…" Anna utters as she steps a little
closer yet.

"Yes, two." Bianca stands her ground, but watching Anna move, "Reed
and…"

"Jake…losers…wait until they get word at The Hole about this." Anna
realizing what she is saying looks at the figure startled, "I need to
take you downtown."

"I’m sorry Anna, but that won’t happen." Bianca steps away from
Anna’s advancing form.

"Stop. Who are you?! Why do know these things?!" Anna demands
waving her firearm.

"No one you know….and I must know these things." Bianca shakes her
head.

Outside the flashing lights from a squad car pulling up distract Anna
momentarily and when she looks back Bianca is gone. She leaped to
the railing and back out the skylight in the moment of Anna’s
misdirection. She walks the line of the roof and climbs into the
overhanging branch of a tree.

"The Hole." The bird echoes her thoughts.

"Yes, The Hole. I suppose that is appropriate enough." Bianca
smiles viciously.

"It will do." The bird concedes as it takes flight to find and lead
its charge to her next destination.

Bianca follows slowly as the bird flies swiftly toward the dark side
of Pine Valley. It flies high above the nice houses heading for the
part of town no one ever talks about. Bianca strides slowly yet
methodically along through the ebony shadows following the bird’s
landmarks. She tucks her hands into her pockets; her head bowed not
bothering to look up knowing only what lies before her.