Detective Hardcastle’s Residence:
Chris stretches as she slowly wakes up. The alarm on her prepaid cellphone had gone off, even though today was a no-school day. She stares up at the ceiling and slowly recalls everything that happened yesterday at work.

Most robberies she has heard about, the robber only wanted the money in the cash register and anything else they took off the shelves.
However, the guy that robbed the store she worked at, tried to kill her. She shivers just from thinking about it. If that wasn’t bad enough,

Detective Hardcastle had seen the bruises on her body where her stepbrother and his friends had abused her.

Hardcastle had asked her to tell him everything that happened that day. He also had taken pictures of her body as evidence with her
permission. After she had soaked for a while, he helped her make the bed in the room she was currently in.

Chris gets out of bed and slips on her slippers and robe. She heads to the bathroom first to take care of her morning business. Afterward, she heads towards the kitchen and notices Detective Hardcastle was cooking breakfast.

The smell of hickory-smoked bacon was drifting in the air. She noticed a mixing bowl full of batter was sitting on the counter next to the stove. There was also a bowl of cinnamon caramel apple slices sitting in a clear bowl and a clear bowl of freshly cut strawberries.

Hardcastle notices Chris as she walks into the kitchen. He had just gotten done mixing the batter for his famous pancakes.

“Morning, Chris. I hope you slept well last night?” He had checked on Chris, before turning in himself.

“I was in dreamland last night. What are you about to make?” Chris was curious what the batter was for.

“My famous pancakes. How many would you like?”

“If it's no problem, how about six?” Chris loved pancakes. She used to make them all the time with her father before he died.

“Six it is then.” Hardcastle ladles six pancakes onto the hot buttered griddle on the stove.

While the pancakes sizzled, he takes the cookie tray of bacon out of the oven and set it on a hot plate. He scoops the bacon off the cookie tray and lays them on a plate.

“Do you like apples or strawberries on your pancakes?” Hardcastle turns to look at Chris.

“Apples pleases.” Chris had pulled a stool out and sat down at the counter to watch Hardcastle cook.

“Apples, it is then.” Hardcastle scoops up some caramel apple slices and through them on the griddle to reheat.

He flips the pancakes into the air and catches them. He used to do that trick all the time for his little girl when he made breakfast for her. When the pancakes were ready, he scoops them up and lays them on a plate. He then tops them off with the caramel apple slices. He adds a couple of strips of bacon to the plate.

“Here you go, Chris.” He hands the plate to her. Along with some silverware as well.

Chris accepts the plate “thank you.”

Chris cuts into the stack of pancakes and takes a bite. It tasted so good as she ate it.

“Your daughter must have been one of the luckiest girls around.” As she stuffs another bite into her mouth.

“She was more of an omelet person.” A smile appears on Hardcastle’s weathered face.

“Well, I love pancakes, and these are the best I have ever had.” Chris picks up a strip of bacon and folds it into the pieces of pancake.

“So, tell me, Chris. Why do your stepbrother and mother hate you so much?” Hardcastle was curious about that.

“My brother that’s easy. He’s a spoiled brat. His mother always doted on him when he was growing up. As for me, I think it's because I remind her so much of my father. I have a lot of his looks and traits. When he died, she inherited the house along with whatever money there was in the bank account. The problem is, she doesn’t have access to the account my mother left me.”

“Your birth, mother?” Hardcastle stacks some pancakes on his plate.

“Yes sir. I can’t access it until I turn twenty-one years of age. My mother’s side of the family is filthy rich. My birth mother inherited a lot of money from her father and gave half of it to my father. She set up a college fund for me and a trust fund as well. When she died of cancer, whatever money she had left in her account, I inherited.”

“What was your mother’s maiden name?”

“Moroun, I think. Mary Ann Moroun. My grandfather was very strict with her, but he loved all his grandkids.”

“What happens to you, if you should up and die or disappear?” Hardcastle was starting to see why Chris was treated the way she was.

“I don’t know. I would guess it would go to my stepmother or any children I may have at the time.” Chris has never been informed by the family lawyer about what happens to the money, should something happen to her.

“Does your stepbrother get any of the money?” Hardcastle takes a bite of his pancakes.

“Nope! He only gets whatever his mother gives him. Which is normally the child support she gets from his father.” Chris knew her stepmother still got child support for her brother.

Her stepmother didn’t get alimony anymore because she got married. Since her father never adopted her stepbrother as his child, his mother still got child support.

“Interesting.”

Somewhere on The Mississippi River:
Jordan Kling slowly wakes up and finds himself naked and hanging from a crane over a body of water. It was nighttime and there was no moon out.

“Well, it's about time you woke up.” Keith looks at Jordan Kling as he hung over the Mississippi River.

“Who the fuck are you and why I’m naked and hanging here?” The last thing Jordan remembered, was walking to his car and after that nothing.

“Well, to answer your question, Mr. Kling. You went after a certain person’s family and tried to kidnap her daughters.”

“So, you’re working for that bitch, Nora Midnight?” Jordan looks at the well-built muscular, tall guy with dirty blonde hair.

The rope that was holding Jordan loosens and he drops some towards the water. His feet were inches away from the surface.

“I would be careful with what you say, or I might loosen my grip.” An evil smile appears on Keith’s face.

“I’ll double whatever she is paying you.” Jordan didn’t know who this man was, but he didn’t want to die.

“That’s a tempting offer, but unfortunately, it goes against my code. Also, you don’t have enough money to pay me off for what you attempted.” Keith loosens his grip and lets Jordan drop into the river.

After a few minutes, Keith pulls Jordan out of the river. He lets him hang about two feet above the surface.

“Now, you’re going to tell me everything you know and why you tried to kill Mrs. Midnight and one of her students. If I don’t like what you say, I’ll let you drop into the river, until your dead.”

“What makes you think I’ll tell you anything?” Jordan didn’t think the man before him was serious.

“Because you value your life and I’m betting you won’t disappoint me.” Keith lets go of the rope one more time.

Keith watches as Jordan squirms around in the water. He looks at his watch and after a few minutes, he hauls him up out of the water.

“Start talking or you’re going for another dip.” Keith makes sure he has the recorder on. This way he can give the information to Mrs. Midnight and let her decide what to do with it.

Warehouse:
The Ionita brothers wake up and find themselves stripped naked. Lucas finds himself bound to a wooden sawhorse, sitting on top of the angle of it. His hands were bound behind his back and the metal angle was cutting into his ass and scrotum. Standing across from him was his brother Owen, and he had a noose around his neck standing on two wooden crates.

“Hello, boys. I hope you are enjoying your accommodations.” Ted looks at both men.

“You made a mistake going after my cousin, Nika. You also broke the rules when you tried to murder her. So, I’m going to make you pay for trying to kill her. Since you like to inflict pain on women. I have arranged for you to experience what it is like for you to experience the pain.
First, Mr. Lucas. You are going to be slowly shocked to death. The electrical current is going to be administered to a device hooked up to that metal plate you’re sitting on. The device is hooked up to a timer. The timer is set for five minutes intervals. So, every five minutes, an electrical charge is going to travel into your body. Each time, the charge will get more intense. It will raise in power level until you are dead. As for your brother here.” Ted turns to face Owen.

“You are going to experience the same thing. Except, you are going to try and keep yourself from falling off the crates. If you fall off, well you die. Simple as that. So, let the fun begin.” Ted presses a remote to start everything.