End of Watch

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Judas Carmichael hated rain. He also hated the orc that stood in groups across the street from him. It didn't help that his partner belonged to the same social class as they did. It also didn't help that the orc group hated his partner. 
They were throwing up gang signs behind the other man's back, pretending to shoot at him and it wasn't the first or the last time they would do it. 
"Hey, Ruvik!" He barked, finally tired of standing in one place while the other man decided whether he wanted an orc burger or a bronto thigh. Both smelled like death. "Today, please! Geez, I swear four elves have died in the time it's taking you to decide on that garbage."

"You've been out for two days, don't start accusing me of nothing. I'm not the one with a blonde vistor." Judas snorted. "She even brought your stank ass cookies." He was doing everything he could to keep the subject off himself. 

"Not this again." Arneth groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I've told you my reasons. Your mother is not herself. You are safe at home. You must understand."

Ruvik tried to sit up once cookies were mentioned, then saw there was no more than an empty container. “You ate my cookies?” He walked ragher childishly.

“And why on earth would my mother want anything to do with me after walking out when I was four years old?!” Viola demanded. “You’re paranoid!”

"you didn't need them. I was the one awake and starving." Judas argued. 
"Gentlemen." The voice that silenced them came from across the room and could have frozen fire. "We need to have a chat."

"And you're grounded." Her father hissed, his face filled with rage. "You're never going outside again!"

“We are, about the damn cookie thief!” Ruvik muttered as he turned his head in the direction of the intruder.

It was clear that Viola was less than thrilled, simply because no outside meant no looking for the human cop who’s badge she had stolen. “Fine! Nothing out there anyway!” She huffed.

"Is that what happened in the bookstore?" The blue haired elf asked, folding his arms over his chest. "And in the elf district? A gun fight over a cookie theif?"

"Room. Now!" Her father roared, pointing in the opposite direction, just to prove a point. He was beside himself. His phone rang and he turned to answer it, not bothering to make sure his daughter obeyed him.

“Just protecting and serving.” Ruvik replied with all his usual respect. “You know, that thing that elves need us unwashed monkeys to do for them?”

Viola slammed her door shut, then childishly threw herself down on her bed. It was here in her sanctuary that she was finally able to loom at the badge she had taken, smiling as she recalled her stolen afternoon with her very first human.

"We were following up on a robbery. It spilled over into the elf district. We lost the suspects in the crowd." Judas said woodenly, narrowing his eyes at Ruvik. 
"You two are in the public eye more than you think. Especially you as an orc. This stunt didn't help." The elf man said darkly.

Arneth's fingers shook as he heard the voice on the other end of the line. "You cant come here. There are charms against you. I placed them myself. You can't have her. Do you hear me?"

“What were we supposed to do? Give the girl an ‘I’m sorry you were attacked in your own store’, then come right back to the station?” Ruvik asked thinly. 

Celia laughed quietly before she spoke again. “You honestly think you have her under control, don’t you?” She purred. “Attempts to confine a canary will only kill it in the end.”

"Yes." The elf said, his icy voice filled with hatred. "She has been told time and again to give those books to us. If she makes herself an enemy, there is little I can do for her."

"She's fine. We are fine. You are the one that will die if you don't change." Arneth warned. "You sold yourself for a dead cause and you will die with it. The dark lord will never return to power. He is lost and so are you!"

“So when intimidation doesn’t work, you sent the goons in?” Rucking growled, not able to hold his temper as well as Judas could around the elves.

Celia smiled, even if Arneth couldn’t see it. “Keep telling yourself that, if it helps you keeps the lights off at night.” She purred. “He breathes, very much so in fact. He is so very pleased with how well his prize has blossomed all these years you kept her from him.”

The elf raised an eyebrow a slight smile on his lips. "I am one of you. A Federal agent. I am here because there was a rumor that the bookshop sold a different kind of book... Bright books perhaps?" He had his arms folded in front of him, his brilliant eyes never leaving Ruvik.

"Damn you. What have you done?" Arneth was shaking now. He could feel his insides burning. He was going to have to double the guard. Perhaps even contact the police force. "Where is he? Where are you?" He finally managed.

“And books are suddenly illegal? Didn’t the humans try that once already?” Ruvik asked with a snort.

Celia laughed again, and Arneth would hear his doorbell chime rather loudly in the other wise strained silence. Lying in the doormat was a dead canary. No one else was in sight.

"magick books are illegal, yes." The elf said, his eyes half closed. "You don't know anything about that. Would you?" He asked, his tone colder than before. 

Arneth screamed into the darkness, hating the woman he'd lost and fearing the future he knew was coming.

“Magick books are useless, if you can’t use magick.” Ruvik snorted. “Instead of sitting here questioning us for doing our job, you get off your fancy ass and go do yours. Looks for the damn books yourself!”

Viola came running when she heard her Father’s screams. “Daddy, what happened?” She breathed, their argument forgotten with the thought that something had happened to the only family she had.

This time the elf smiled. "That's awfully big talk. For an orc who's barely holding on to a job no one wants him to have." He purred. Then he turned his eyes on Judas. "Perhaps you should spend more time teaching your partner to know his place. Before I send you both packing." 
"It's the meds, sir." Judas said quickly. "He's talking out of his head." 

"Viola...we..." Arneth's voice cracked. "Go back to your room. You can't be out here. You'll catch a death of cold."

Ruvik muttered something in orcish, then grunted in agreement to Judas’ statement. “Pretty tired... want cookies...”

Viola was scowling all over again. This was hoe things always were; she was treated like she was still four years old. The young elf stomped back to her bedroom, shouting that if her father was so worried about her being outside, why didn’t he just send her to a human prison.

"If you do happen to see anything of the nature we spoke..." The blue haired elf paused and handed his business card to Judas. "Give me a call immediately." That said he left the room. 
"Immediately." Judas said with a snobbish accent. "Did that guy rub you the wrong way or what? God, I hate elves!"

Arneth didn't sleep that night or the next. He placed his observation room, obessesing over every shadow. They were all coming to take his daughter and sacrifice her to the dark lord.

Ruvik chuckled quietly at the comment. “Yeah, sure you do.” He mused.

Celia had known exactly how to get to Arneth. She knew her ex husband well enough to know he hated not being in control. A few theatrics, and she had him exactly how she wanted him.

"So that bookstore...were there magick books or not?" Judas asked. He reached under his chair and pulled out another box of cookies and opened them. He bit into one and chewed thoughtfully. 

Arneth had Violet locked in her room and extra guards posted outside her doors and windows. He was taking no chances. He'd even taken to patrolling himself with his wand. He hadn't taken out his wand in at least century since magick had been banned.

Ruvik was staring at his partner with a comically open mouth. “They were there the whole time?!” He demanded, nothing seemingly as important as his free, possibly home baked, cookies.

Three times Viola had tried to sneak out, and was caught each time. The usually sweet girl had even resorted to temper tantrums and screaming that was against her elven rights.

"There are jamie dodgers." Judas said with a mouthful. "You wouldn't like these." He added, stuffing in another. "And you still didn't answer my question." 

Arneth had always had such wonderful dreams for his daughter. But because his wife had fallen in love with another man he'd had to put all that aside. 
He'd allowed her to take everything from him, all because of the promise of a return of a dark lord that the world no longer believed in.

“But... those have jam in, I love jam!” Ruvik practically wailed. “Come on, just one!”

It had been two days now, and still Viola was confined to her room, still under the impression that it was because she had spent a day outside without a bodyguard.

"let him have those. They're an old batch." Molly said with a smile as she entered the room, setting a warm box in his lap. "Glad to see you're awake, Ruvik. I was getting worried."

"He has to die. You must remember this." The voice on the other line hissed at Celia. "Get the wand and stop stalling."

Judas was instantly forgotten. Perhaps it was the meds, but the orc was suddenly grinning like a lovesick puppy at the blonde who had just greeted him.

“I-I know...” Celia stammered. “I’m sorry... I don’t want to fail you, but... Viola. It will be harder to control her if she knows I killed her father.”

Molly returned the smile, wondering why her stomach did that strange flip. "I wasn't sure which kind you liked so I just made a little of everything." She said softly. 

"Then don't tell her. You have ways of making it look like an accident, don't you?" That cold voice came across the line, freezing everything it passed along the way.

“Too bad fat boy there ate most of them himself.” Ruvik snorted, nodding his head his partner’s direction. “I think he just likes to takes things from me... he’s always stealing all the women too, so watch yourself.” He added with a playful wink.

Celia closed her eyes and nodded, knowing her lord would know what she was doing. “I promised you my daughter, and you have my word that she will be yours.” She assured him. “I won’t allow Arneth to keep her from you any longer.”

"Too bad his skin is the wrong color." Molly teased. She reached out, daring to brush her fingers over his head. "I'm glad you're alive. It was really touch and go for awhile there." 

"Be sure that you don't. I am tired of waiting." The icy voice whispered, the line going dead.

“Actually, come to think of it... it’s just elves he can’t keep his hands off.” Ruvik teased, though his eyes closed somewhat at the tender way Molly touched him. It wasn’t out of sick curiosity, she simply seemed worried.

Celia closed her eyes again and exhaled heavily. She knew it needed to be done. The power to Arneth’s house suddenly died, sending his men into a blind scramble to find the problem. This meant Viola was left somewhat vulnerable. Under the cover of darkness, the dark haired elf found her way into her daughter’s bedroom. She knew the dark lord wanted the wand more than the girl, but right then the girl was the easier of the two to liberate from her ex husband.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Judas muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. 
"Well...I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. I know a few cookies isn't enough but..." Molly began to back out, feeling as if she were leaving a part of herself behind. 

The minute the lights went out, Arneth knew what was happening. He dropped everything and ran to his daughter's room, his insides on fire.

“Wait!” Ruvik shouted, sounding somewhat desperate, quite the opposite of what he had been going for. “You got me here, you saved my life too, right? And Judas. The dimwit thinks I can’t smell his blood, but I know it must’ve been you who got him help with his wound.”

Inside the room Arneth would find furniture overturned, and a bloodied police badge on the ground. No sign of his daughter, or the woman who had just taken her after all his years of keeping her safe.