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I was so late. Nikois going to be completely furious when I get there. If it was 7:10 he would be more forgiving, but it is already 7:30. He will kill me if not worse.

I pulled in the office's parking lot, trying and failing to get my nerves to settle. I would just tell him, I thought, I will tell him what happen then beg and plead for his forgiveness.

No sooner had the passenger door open and Nikoslid in. My heart stated to race, I can face people with weapons charging at me with the attempt to kill just fine, but the second that Niko seems generally mad I panic.

He said nothing when he put on the seat belt, he had set some folder on the dash board. That was probably the photos I asked him for, but I didn't reach for them. I just pulled out of the parking lot and went into rush hour traffic.

The car was completely silent for about 10 minutes, those 10 minutes were terrible. I would have preferred Niko screaming and yelling then this torture. My fur was standing strait, why was Niko being so quiet. Yell, curse, tease, something just stop this torture.

"Hey," Niko spoke, "we need to go to the store for dinner okay."

"Yes sir" was my response.

"Head towards Kroger on Ducan okay."

"Yes sir, but why towards Ducan, while Walmart is closer"?

He just placed his hand on the back of my neck, lean close, and said, "So you have enough time to tell me why you were late picking me up." This was going to be a long drive.

Twenty minutes and one explanation later, we arrived at Kroger.

"So you decided to go to the hospital why again?"

"I really have no clue ether," I said, "I felt like I should go there and see Angela." that was basically my defense. "Besides, I did get to talk to Kate one of the people I needed to talk to anyway, so that was a win right?" he just slammed the passenger car door.

I was chasing after him. "Niko I am so sorry I was late."

"Isaac that is not the point," his voice got lower, "there should be no reason you would be there, period. You are looking for a missing person not solving an assault."

"I understand, but--"

"It is obvious you don't," we walked to where the baskets were, "you cannot just decide to wonder off while doing a case."

"I was not 'wondering off' I was working. Look, if Xanderdisappeared after that vandalize incident and if the same people who vandalized also are the ones behind the assaults, there might be a connection."

"But that is just hearsay, even then Xander been gone for two months, Angela's assault happened two weeks ago, how could he do that" Niko turned to me, "and if he is responsible, why disappear for two months then attack?"

That logic made more sense, a person would leave town after they commit a crime not before. Still, something was off. "I never said he was responsible, I just said there was a connection."

"Tomato, tomato," (sorry, Nikowas pronouncing the same word two different ways here I don't know how to make it obvious.), "speaking of which, should we get any?"

"What do you plan to make?"

"Ziti."

"That sounds good, but let get some canned sauce instead of making it." Niko handled most of the cooking, I wasn't bad but, "wait don't change the subject."

"Isaac, you barley know the kid, why are you defending him?"

"Look I just believe that these events are connected, I know it sounds impossible, but I generally believe it."

"Your right it does sound impossible," Niko examines some cheese from one of the selves, "but, if you have some reason to believe I would like to see it."

That is what I was missing, proof. Any of the possible scenarios could be true, but with no proof, they are just ideas a crazy paranoid husky would think up. There must be something that can rule at least somethings out.

The phone in my pocket ringed. The number on the screen was not one I knew, but I picked up answered, "Hello."

"Is this the PI I talked to?" the voice was male, so I guess he decided to call.

"Yeah, sorry about earlier Vul."

"It's not a problem, but coach Zanier was pissed when he woke up." That gorillas name is Zanier, the name sounded familiar, still nothing come to mind. "What did you do to get coach mad like that?"

"Honestly, I can't remember what I did to get a person that mad." To think about getting pounded from a gorilla would not trigger some 'life flashed before my eyes' moment, it would have helped. "Anyway, thanks for calling I need to ask about Xander."

"Sure, ask away."

Personally, I prefer face to face conversations, but take what you get, "What was your relationship with Xander"?

"We weren't dating, we are just friends." The surprised Vul responded.

"I never said 'dating' I said 'relationship' two different things," most of the time, "okay do you remember Xander acting weird before disappearing?"

"He seemed normal to me."

"I mean specifically, did he say or do anything that suggested he would leave town?"

"No, I don't think so." I am getting nowhere here. "Oh wait, I remember something."

"What," could this help me?

"He made plans to leave town over spring break." That does not help at all.

"So what is the point?" I should at least ask.

"He said he was going to meet someone and ask me to come along with him." That might actually help me.

"Okay, who did he say he was going to meet?"

"He never said who it was or where they live, just that he couldn't tell his mother about this trip and he just wanted me to come with him."

"Why did he not want his mother to know?"

"He said that his mother would get upset if she knew, but didn't tell me why." Could these people be the reason Xander disappeared, if so who are they?

I notice that Niko seemed to disappear, or just ditch me. "Hey Vul, do you mind if we talk face to face tomorrow?"

"Sure, how does around 10 sound?"

"Don't you have school?"

"I am leaving town for a bit with my family so I can miss school."

"Great, do you live close to Xander?"

"Few houses down, got it?"

"Yep see you then." I needed to find Niko, I headed towards the checkout line, and he would be there or appear there at some point, so it is worth a shot. Niko looked like he got all the items checked out of the self-check lane.

"Hey Niko, I finished the call." He just handed me the bags, he stilled seem upset.

"Keys" he said holding his hand out. I handed him the car keys as we left the store. He quickened his pace towards the car and climbed into the drivers' seat and adjusted it. I placed the groceries in the back seat before sitting in the front seat.

We pulled out of the groceries parking lot and headed home. "The call was from Vul, Xander's friend, he had some info that can help us."

Niko just groaned as I said it.

"Is something the matter?"

"You're doing it again," Niko responded, "we just talked about it in the store, you just wonder wherever when something comes up."

"I told you I don't wonder off."

"You do, you believe Xander's disappearance may have a connection to the assaults, but so far your only proof is a message that may not even directed at him." Message? Right, I asked Niko to find photos of the vandalized school for me. The folder was still on the dash board.

I grabbed it and looked at the contents, but it was too dark to see.

"Dammit Isaac, pay attention while I talk!" Nikoyelled that out, he rarely yells. I was immediately depressed by that. I may get a rise getting a person frustrated, but when a friend get generally mad at me, my brain just seems to shut down immediately.

"Sorry," I wasn't joking or being sarcastic this time. I just shut down, nothing but sad, depressing, and self-loathing thoughts were in my head. Nikowas quiet too, I didn't know why though. He should just continue to yell at me, I deserve it. I just stared into space till we got back to our apartment.

I didn't say anything walking to the door holding all the groceries. Niko had the keys so he went ahead. The apartment was not large, but Nikoand I lived comfortable, have been since I joined the police force. I just placed the groceries down on the table then sulked into my room. I planted myself in the bed, not even bothering to turn on any lights and just lie in the dark.

My energy was just gone. I was able to deal with everything till now, but when Nikoyelled at me, I just stopped. I had these episodes before I know how to deal with them. Focus on something else, focus on one of your games, I told myself.

I looked at my PS3 and remember details on the games inside it. It was a strategy game me and Niko got hooked on. We play as factions based on world cultures, I play mainly as the western factions and Niko played the eastern ones. We had fun outwitting each other, even if we know what the other was planning. It was so fun.

I slowly felt myself feeling better. I felt I could actually do something now, I can't solve a case if I mop for long. I needed to look at those photos of the graffiti...witch I left in the car. I will have to get past Niko, I hope we don't fight again. Just get outside, go to the car, and get the photos.

I opened the door to see Niko...holding the file with the photos. "I went back to the car and saw you left these."

"Oh, thanks Niko" I took the photos from him and just looked down. Part of me expected him to yell at me again.

"I am sorry" I did not see that coming.

"No, it is mostly my fault, I guess I do wonder off at times."

"Look, let's stop this sap fest or we would do this for hours."

"I agree," my stomach growled, "anyway how the ziti coming?"

"About to put it in the oven, I say 15 - 20 minutes."

"Good, enough time to look over the photos, thanks again Niko." I closed the door and headed to my desk, turning on the lamp on finally illuminating this dark depressing room.

I opened the folder preparing to look at the photos.

To be honest, I was expecting something significant. All the photos showed was graffiti, but what throw me off was what they say. They were completely random. Mostly vandals keep the graffiti on some topic, like hate or political statements, but the graffiti here jump all over the place. One said 'Give me bitches or give me death' while another said 'Love and Peace'. Another thing came up, the locations. There was a map of the school with numbers on it. This must be where each message was found. Like the graffiti they too were all over the place. Even if multiple people did this, they would be some consistency in what is written. It made completely no sense. Nothing about this makes no sense. What was the point, they just wanted to trash the school. The only one that may be serious is the death threat I heard from Ms. Young, 'all fagots will be dead before graduation.' It was located in a classroom. But that still is not making sense, if the person was making a statement the cafeteria or gym might have been a better place to put it. But why in that room?

There was a knock. "The ziti is done." It was probably a good time for a break. Niko must have seen the photos as well, so I should get his opinion.

Niko has already seated the table, with the ziti sitting in the middle of it. It looked so good, I was practically drooling. "Paws wash." I growled, I wanted food, but Niko is alpha here so what he says, goes. After washing up, I sat down and started devouring the ziti.

"So good" I said with a full mouth.

"Don't speak with your mouth full."

I swallowed what was in my mouth, "sorry."

"So your thoughts?"

"The ziti or photos?"

"Photos."

I stop stuffing my face to give a response, "I clueless, it just seemed random to me."

"Me too," Niko put down his silverware, "not only does it seem random, but also overkill, right?"

"Yep, it seems too serious for some senior prank, but seems to odd for threat." I can almost hear my gears breaking down. Why would a group of people do this? If it was planned so they won't get caught, they are doing a good job.

For some reason, a strange thought popped into my head. Niko notice immediately, "thought of something?"

"Remember that saying 'you can't see the forest through the trees'?"

"Yeah."

"What if we think the opposite?"

"You can't see the trees because of the forest?"

"Close, but I am thinking about going along with separate theory then one big plan." I could tell I lost Niko. "Okay, let's think like how a peace rally turns into a riot. While a majority do the intended purpose, some use it as an excuse to do other things."

"So vandalizing the school was a cover?"

"Yes, I least I think so. Most of the stuff seemed generic or an attempt to be funny, so why does the death threat seem out of place?"

"It is more serious."

"There is that, but also the location. It was located in a classroom."

"And that's odd?"

"Yeah, wouldn't you put a threat out in the open? Why put it in some corner?"

Nikoseemed to go into his thoughts, "Let's go back to that theory earlier, about the hidden rioters. Did the rioter placed it there so the others won't see it?" That is possible. Still, why in that room? I feel like I am missing something important.

Missing? Maybe that was it. "What if vandalizing is not the only thing that happen?"

"Like what?"

"Theft.

"Of what?"

"Something."

Niko just glared, "what something?"

"If the person or people vandalized the school, the school would not notice anything missing."

"Okay, but why steal it?"

"I don't know!" I slammed the table. "Sorry, I got worked up."

"Look, let's just stop this discussion, the ziti is getting cold." I agreed and continued eating. "Oh, Isaac, who called you earlier?"

"Oh, that was Vul." I told Niko about the conversation with Vul.

"So, Xander knew was planning to see a person over spring break and not tell his mother?"

"Pretty much, got any clue who?"

"No, none of the posts I saw stand out to me, they might have contacted each other by email or phone." That would make sense. If Xander wanted to keep it a secret, using email or phones would make sense.

"Hey Niko, could you unlock a laptop?"

"What?"

"While I was in Xander's room, I notice his laptop was still there. It might be possible to find some info about who this person was in contact with, or even what might of happen."

Niko went silent, "Alright. You might destroy it if I left it up to you."

"Thanks Niko, I promise to make it up to you."

Nikojust smiled and stood, "since you offer," he walked to me and put a hand on my shoulder, "put away the leftovers and clean the table, I heading to bed. Goodnight." He then skipped away before I can complain.

Tricky rat.