Collateral

Chapter Nine - Arsen

They were making no progress in tracking the suspect. Mostly because half the team didn't have their hearts in it.

"A scapegoat," Damon announced at the midnight meeting. "Who knows where that guy is now, but I'm thinking he's dead. So we never find him, we never find answers, and this poor guy Tisdale, he gets the blame."

"We don't know that for sure," Daren said. "Frank could truly be guilty." 

"Turning your back on us after now?" 

"I'm as loyal as you are, Damon." 

"That's a joke! Ha, prove it. Stop buttering up the enemy, lest you become them."

"That's enough," Arsen interrupted. "If we start fighting amongst ourselves, then we have no hope. And Daren, as I said before, I'm not ruling out anything yet. But we're keeping our eyes on Magnus, alright?" 

The rest of the team muttered and nodded in agreement. 

"Good. And, by the way, if we ever find Frank Tisdale, we're interrogating him first. Don't let Magnus or any of his friends get near." 

Damon threw a dirty look at Daren. 

"Daren doesn't count, he's one of us," Arsen said. "So am I understood?" 

"Yeah," Damon muttered. 

Arsen felt like an impostor, playing the alpha when he was inferior.

It'll be alright, he convinced himself.

Arsen lounged casually on Reyna's couch. It'd been almost two weeks since he had stepped foot inside his home and he was sure that his father was furious.

He was just putting off the inevitable. And, honestly, he did miss Holly. And there wasn't any point in just avoiding the long lecture and yelling. 

It would just get worse the longer he waited.

Just another week, he decided. Arsen shot his father a quick text, letting him know that he wouldn't be coming home today. 

"Your dad's going to be pissed," Reyna said.

"He's going to be pissed anyway," Arsen replied. 

"What if I run out of food? You know, you eat a lot." 

"Reyna Laurier never runs out of food," he said lazily.

"True," Reyna sighed. "But seriously. You've got a little sister and your father's got a job." 

"And a babysitter. Seriously, Reyna, I need you to help me." 

"I'm not going to be much help." 

"Magnus has been here the longest," Arsen said reluctantly. "If you could just bring it up to him subtly--"

"So now you want Magnus' help?" 

"Of course I don't want it, but it seems like there's really no other choice--" 

"Focus on finding Frank Tisdale first, Arsen, please."

"Reyna."

Reyna hesitated. "I'll ask him if I get the chance," she sighed.

"Thank you. Or you can just have them perform the surgery thing again. You know, so it works this time." 

"Or, you know, you could die." 

"Didn't you say they'd kill me anyway?" 

"That's if they knew. But they don't. And let's face it, if Magnus found out that it didn't work, you'd be dead by the end of the day."

Before Arsen could reply, his phone started sounding an obnoxious ringtone, some earworm song. 

"Well, thank you for that," Reyna sighed, "I just got that sound out of my head and it's back in again."

But Arsen was alarmed, that wasn't what he had set for his ringtone. 

It was the one for evidence. 

"I've got to go," Arsen said, grabbing his phone and signature windbreaker. 

"Yeah, sure, buy some groceries while you're out," Reyna called as the door slammed shut. 

"What's going on," Arsen muttered into the phone. 

"We found him, Arsen," came Calix's voice, somewhat panicked. "Frank Tisdale. We found him."

A blond-haired, beaten man was tied to a chair. 

"Hell, guys," Arsen snapped, "torturing him isn't going to help." 

Damon put a hand to his heart. "Ouch. Nice to know how highly you think of me. He was like this when we found him, boss." 

"Don't call me that. Has he said anything?" 

"Not a word." It was Daren that answered this time. Then he smiled slightly, "Boss."

"Alright, everyone out. I want to speak to Frank in private." 

After they were alone, Arsen pulled up a chair and sat across from the battered man. 

"Did you kill Ilana Douglas?" There wasn't any answer, nor did Tisdale meet Arsen's eyes. "Fine. I didn't expect you to talk anyway. Just tell me this, then: is the name Magnus familiar to you?"

At this, Tisdale's head shot upwards. 

"Yes? Tell me about him, Frank. What do you know?"

Frank tilted his head at Arsen. "You're like Myra, aren't you? You're just normal. It didn't work. Magnus..." He burst into a coughing fit. "Magnus said there'd be more. He's gonna have a hell of a time dealing with you." 

"Oh, stop trying to be clever," Arsen snapped. "I just need to know what you know. Then I'll put the assassin behind bars. Justice will be served, the truth will be out." 

Tisdale cracked an eerie smile and continued in an ominous voice, "Reverse five, Yankee, golf, echo, Romeo, X-ray." Tisdale looked solemn. "It was me. I killed Ilana Douglas."

"No, that doesn't make any sense," Arsen muttered. "It was Magnus, it was."

"Did you hear me?" Tisdale roared, his hands slipping free from the bonds as he leaped forward, tackling Arsen. "I'm a murderer. Assassin. g*n for hire, whatever people call it."

His hands were wrapped around Arsen's throat, squeezing tightly.

Damon charged in, hearing the conflict. 

"Arsen!" He yelled, throwing the blond to the side with ease before helping Arsen up. "You alright?" 

"I'm good," Arsen muttered, rubbing his neck while Rylan gave him a strange look. He had to know already. "He admitted to it. And I'm not sure if I can get anything else out of him." 

"Keep it a secret, Arsen, and drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out!" Frank yelled, spit flying from his lips.

Calix marched over, his face neutral, and grabbed Frank, slamming his head into the wall. The blond slumped to the ground. "Should we tell Magnus now?" He asked. 

"Yes, we should," Daren answered and looked at Arsen for confirmation. 

"Take him to Magnus. But tag him first, I want to hear every word he says to Magnus." 

"Agreed. But afterward," Rylan said, "we're all having a talk about what just happened." His eyes met Arsen's with a suspicious gleam in them.