Amber enjoys the warm sea breeze while relaxing on the beach below the Barimen Estate.   She signs the letter she has written to Julian, both to thank him for guiding Wendell, and to tell him of her decision to return his portrait back to the museum from where it went missing many years ago. Possessing no more substance than brittle wood and worn canvas, Julian had somehow stood between her, Brand, and death. It is the least she can do for his trouble.   Amber corks the bottle containing her letter and casts it into the sea.   This place … Continue reading Chapter 7.25 – Vigil

Being a widow to the Logrus Estate’s sole heir would normally command a terrifying air of fear, power, and control.   But not this time. There are many sims in the Baltic Sea crime syndicate who have intimidated, threatened, bribed, sweet-talked, and even attempted to kill Amber Barimen; to dissuade her from divesting the Logrus fortune from its interests. But she survived Brand. And there is nothing any of them can do to approach the scope of what he had done to her. With their base of power, and now their money, gone, the organization dissolves into chaos and infighting. Amber takes some satisfaction in knowing that by … Continue reading Chapter 7.24 – Life

Had there been any doubts the stakes were high, and this was for real, they have been soberly dispelled by evidence of two dispatched thugs across the room.   This is not simply a matter of some fictional sleuth awaiting the outcome of her fate at the hands of an omnipotent author. It is survival; kill or be killed. When bullets started flying, Ricky was prepared, focused, accurate, and deadly. And it was over before Wendell even knew what had happened. Ricky grabs Wendell by the shirt collar in anger and warns him again to focus. Had those thugs been good shots, he’d already … Continue reading Chapter 7.23 – Iniquity

Ricky knew he should have come here alone.   Wendell’s unnerving limp has slowed down their pace, and aggravated Ricky to the point of wanting to go ahead by himself. Wendell apologizes profusely and does his best to keep the pace with a skip/hop/jog motion. Unfortunately, it not only looks ridiculous, but is attracting attention from the locals. The most frustrating bit about this whole thing, is that he actually needs Wendell. He knows Amber better than anybody, her parents included.   Having reached his limit, Ricky decides that something has to change. They sit down together to eat at a nondescript deli. Pointing to … Continue reading Chapter 7.22 – Petition