RECAP:

• Two days of tense investigation, Dylan hacking the net, Michael and Eva flat-footing it, and Alex summoning up a particularly nasty Loa for intel. Everything seems to revolve around Charley, Neahr’s manager over at Carpe Noctem, so that is the primary focus of the investigations. Charley, and his house thugs, the Geun Brothers.

• Following some of the leads, the team speaks to Count Booker of Count’s Vamped, their current employer, about the Reginald and why he was the one who recommended that the Geuns (who had been Spike and Britt Park’s personal bodyguards until a few years ago. Seems it was Spike’s idea – ostensibly because Spike said he was too old for ‘babysitters’. It is obvious to all that the Parks (WC Vamps) have placed a couple of agents (the Geuns) into the company of Neahr and Carpe Noctem (South American RC Vamps), likely as spies and agents for the local WC family.

• On their way home from the meeting with the Count, Michael receives a call on his cell from Val VanVeen. She said she was calling to move up their lunch date, but she referred to him as ‘Mikey’, a nickname she had never, and likely would never, use. Also, there was something strained in her voice, and Michael worried that she was in trouble. The call was made from her office phone at the Police Station, so the group, in two cars, sped downtown to discover what stresses VanVeen was under to precipitate such a call.

• When they arrived, they found that VanVeen had not been there all day, in fact, she had not reported to work that day, and had not called in at all. When asked who’d been in VanVeen’s office, the department secretary told them that Detective Goleman from vice had stopped by a few minutes earlier to drop off some papers. But when Goleman was asked, he said he’d not been to Special Investigations that day. It was pretty clear that Goleman was clueless, and not lying, so the group went back down to VanVeen’s office to search for clues.

• Alex had a strange sensation when she touched the receiver of VanVeen’s phone, and hesitantly opened her sight. She saw the remnants, ghostly afterimages of evil on the phone, and dark glowing spots where the numbers to Michael’s phone had been pressed. She saw the lingering traces of a hulking presence, perhaps demonic, but certainly sinister. It was a disturbing sight, but then all such visions usually are.

• It was at that instant, while looking at Alex as her sight was open, that Dylan experienced a “flash forward.” He saw, in his disturbed vision, what Alex had seen, only from a clearer perspective. It was indeed one of the Geun Brothers, who had transformed himself into the likeness of Detective Goleman, and used VanVeen’s phone, perfectly mimicking her voice, to call Michael. The vision flashed to the Geun calling his brother, who was inside a dusty warehouse with a bound and gagged VanVeen. Another call was made, to the third Geun brother, who transformed into the likeness of Eva Dune and entered the Investigator’s office.

• The information was quickly relayed to everyone, save the real Eva Dune, who was waiting in the car outside the Police Station. It was then that Michael got a call from Eva, stating that some cop just slashed the tires on his car. The group bolted from the Station House, piled into Eva’s car, and sped off to a rescue. The problem was, they had only one car, and they had two potential victims: VanVeen at the warehouse (the location of which was still unknown, and the Office, where the secretary Jeanine was working. And of course, it was at that moment that Alex’s rattlesnake charm (set to rattle as a warning if anything hostile entered the Investigations Office) began buzzing.

• Michael’s call to Jeanine, warning her of the intruder came just a touch late. “Eva” was already in the office, and with the warning call, Geun knew that he had been made. Over the phone, the group heard Jeanine scream, and the line went dead. They reasoned that the Geuns had not killed VanVeen yet, so she was in less immediate danger than Jeanine, so Dune Investigations was where Eva’s car was headed.

Cliffhanger end of session.

I currently don’t have much time to write full recaps of the sessions. I will add important items under the SESSION NOTES section below.

Thanks for checking us out. Feel free to leave comments and/or questions. I’d be happy to explain things.

This is a very complicated plot, and things morph from week to week. For instance, the idea of placing VanVeen in danger as a distraction to break into Dune Investigations came off the top of my head. It really ramped up the tension, and left us with a fantastic cliffhanger.

RECAP:

• The RC Vampire Gaston Neahr calls the team for a meeting, where he assures them he was not responsible for the threats and attack on Count’s Vamp’d, nor for the phone bombs. Next, a simple favor for Uncle Bobby turns into a major clue when the Fuchsbau drug dealer is discovered to be selling drug tainted blood bags to the OPB gang bangers Night Train and Lil’ Mo (Gaston Neahr’s drug mule contacts with the OPB leader Hell-T). Although the Wesen in question got away, quite a bit of information was discovered (see SESSION NOTES below).
• Hell-T orders a hit on “Sleep Train” and “Bev Mo” for their unauthorized indiscretions, but Mo escapes, and is eventually rescued by the team, confessing his involvement and implicating the Geuns and Charlie (Neahr’s manager at Carpe Noctem) in the tainted blood incident as well as the attack on the rival club.

I currently don’t have time to write full recaps of the sessions. We tried recording the sessions for a while, but it didn’t make much sense to sit through a whole session of recording to glean just a few notes. So for now, I am simply putting the important items under the SESSION NOTES section below.

Thanks for checking us out. Feel free to leave comments and/or questions. I’d be happy to explain things.

This is a very complicated plot, and things morph from week to week. For instance, the whole ‘Blood Bags’ topic was something I came up with off the top of my head as a way to compel Michael for a fate chip for his MY UNCLE IS A GRIMM aspect. Thus the Wesen that Michael had to check out, and of course I tied it into the current plot line. It really helps knowing all the players and their motives.

• RECAP TBA

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

• RECAP TBA

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

• RECAP TBA

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

• RECAP TBA

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

• RECAP TBA

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

• RECAP TBA

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.

*Fee is still busy cramming for exams, and attempts to contact her for assistance in researching ghouls go straight to voicemail.

• Michael calls his Federal contacts in order to discover information, and learns that Holy Water is effective against their kind. He and Dylan go shopping, and buy a super-soaker water gun, and a few packages of balloons to use as holy water grenades.
• Alex joins Michael and Dylan once her shift at Annie Mae’s ends, and they fill her in on their plans to sneak into the ghoul’s lair and save the life of its next victim. Slim enters the cafe and insists the three accompany him to Sactown Blues. He needs to show them something, he says.
• Once at the record store, Slim presents the group with a five-gallon water-cooler style container. It is full of holy water, he tells them.
• Michael walks the three blocks up K Street from Sactown Blues to The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, where he prays for success in this perplexing mission, and gives confession. While he is at it, he asks Father O’Malley to bless his rosary (and the clip of ammo for his service pistol).

[The story in this section is sketchy in the storyteller’s memory. If the folks who were involved can remember what happened here, please send me an email clarifying what transpired so I can add it to the log. My notes involve meeting Lucy, the happy-go-lucky party girl waitress at Anne Mae’s, but I don’t remember the context of the meeting. Additionally, I have notes for Ricky, who is Michael’s cousin, who was somehow responsible for Michael gaining a Mental Consequence PANIC FOR FAMILY. Again, I do not remember the particulars of this event.]

Armed with a holy water-filled super soaker (a sizable hunting knife duct-taped to the barrel) and a half-dozen holy water balloons, the three headed down K Street toward the Downtown Plaza Mall. In their planning, they had consulted a map of downtown, as well as information on the online Undercity tours map. They now lurked a half-block away from the boarded-up old Woolworth Department Store, watching it for the ghoul, or any others who might have been his accomplices, if he had any.

The building had been home to a dozen sundry businesses since Woolworth’s closed its doors, and the windows were boarded up and painted black. The adjacent buildings were likewise closed, a stark indication of the depression that had hit downtown in the last two decades. It was the plan, if they could manage it, to burgle into the abandoned store and head down into what used to be the basement. From there they would wait for the ghoul to bring home his ‘dinner’ where they would step in, rescue the victim and kill the ghoul. Saving the unknown victim would seal Michael’s pact with the Changeling, Truckler. Michael’s wish would be granted, and Teague and any other ‘sweat-walkers’ victims would be ‘set free’. At least, that was the plan…

Not too long after the team set up cursory surveillance of the Woolworth building entrance, a black limousine pulled up at the curb adjacent to the building, on 3rd Street. Stepping around the corner and into the target building were three men. A tall, gaunt fellow with a sallow complexion in a wrinkled pinstripe suit, and another smaller man whose face was concealed by a dark hoodie escorted the third person roughly by the arms. This third man, their prisoner, was none other than a very harried and beaten-looking Trunkler, the Changeling who’d sent them here in the first place. It was Trunkler that they had to rescue, he was the man whose murder they were tasked to prevent.

Following the Faerie bearing thugs into the pitch black and very cluttered store interior, the three heroes discovered, to their horror, that the tall one in the suit was in fact a zombie, and the thing stood in the outer area of what at one time was a convenience store. It moved swiftly and fell on Michael, who shot it several times, which only seemed to infuriate the low-witted thing. The three living folks teamed up on the undead, and eventually took it down after a hard fight.

The other foe, the one in the hoodie, had vanished, taking Trunkler with him. But the heroes pulled out their flashlights and soon found stairs leading to a lower section of the old Woolworth’s. It was at this time that Dylan’s freak talent caused him to go into seizures, and he spouted eerie, prophetic nonsense about a burning woman, saying Smoker? I didn’t even know her! He then collapsed into a coma-like state, but Alex determined that he was breathing well enough and had a steady heartbeat. A clattering from below drew their attention, and Michael and Alex decided they had no choice but to go downstairs together, and save Trunkler. They decided to leave Dylan there, with the intent of collecting him once the Changeling was rescued.

Alex grabbed up the super soaker, and they went down to the basement level f the store. A quick search revealed that the back end of this cluttered and web coated room held a flimsy locked door. After a quick kick, the door gave way to a narrow corridor with rickety stairs leading down into impenetrable darkness. Having no choice but to pursue, Michael and Alex prepared themselves for the worst, and eased down the wooden steps… and emerged into a most unusual place.

Later that night, after consulting each other’s experiences of what had happened, they discovered that they both experienced a distinctly different scene, there at the midway point of the stairway, once they emerged from the darkness. To Alex, the stairs had plunged into a swamp, a somewhat familiar looking environment in a bayou. Michael, on the other hand, stepped down into a dark and dismal graveyard. They were aware of each other’s presence, and at the time did not realize that they were experiencing different visions of the place. Michael soon spotted an open crypt, solid mossy stone steps leading down. He urged Alex to follow. She did, stepping down into what she saw as the bole of a great tree. They both entered another section of nightmarish darkness where they could see nothing, and when their flashlights flickered back on, they were in the ghoul’s feeding chamber. This was the same place that Michael and Dylan had tracked the ghoul, the same place where Brian Turvey had been killed and eaten.

Across the room, in a pit of bones, was the ghoul, standing over an unconscious Trunkler. He had pulled off his jacket, and to their shock, he had the face of a human. His eyes reflected strangely in the light, and he had tattoos covering his chest and neck. The ghoul sneered at the intruders and quicker than humanly possible, was on them, transformed into a horrid bestial creature with spines, fangs and talons. The first blast of holy water sprayed wide and Alex cursed her lack of skill with firearms.

“It is not a firearm,” Michael called out, “It is a toy. Just aim and squirt!”

His bullets seemingly ineffective, Michael shouted taunts at the ghoul, drawing it away from Alex and distracting it. Alex squeezed her eyes tight, and drew a bead on the monster, just as it took a wide raking sweep at Michael’s head. Luckily Michael ducked, only losing the front panel of his suit jacket. Alex’s aim proved true this time, and a torrential gout of holy water caught the ghoul directly in his face. The thing screamed and cursed, then faster than either of the mortals could react, it fled into the sewers, howling in agony.

Alex and Michael helped Trunkler upstairs and collected Dylan, who was conscious now, and mobile, but still unaware of his surrounding. Whatever had happened to him, whatever experiments had been carried out on Dylan, they’d left him seriously messed up.

Both men came to their senses before they’d walked the six blocks to Annie Mae’s, and Trunkler thanked Michael for saving his life. He admitted that he had no idea it would be himself that was the one in need of saving, and assured that the bargain had been fulfilled, and that he was certain Teague and any others would be “right as rain, given a wee bit of time.” Trunkler nodded to Michael. It was a full nod, which came close to being somewhat like a bow. He smiled with sparkling eyes, gave the team his regards, and walked east up K Street, disappearing into the shadows. Shadows that were too dark for the city street, just after dusk.

Inside Annie Mae’s, Michael pulled out a slim, bloodstained and tattered wallet.

“This was in the ghoul’s hoodie pocket,” he explained. He opened the billfold, and inside the little pockets were several IDs, and a few credit cards, all belonging to Brian Turvey and a few other presumed victims. There was one ID, however, that Alex and Michael recognized. It was the ghoul’s California Driver’s License. A friggin’ driver’s license. The name on the slim plastic stated its owner was one Kurt Calles, 750 22nd Street Apartment 12, Sacramento, CA. It was not a fake, Michael confirmed.

In the days that followed, it was confirmed that Alvin Teague not only recovered from his tragic mental state, but had been exonerated of all crimes charged against him. Somehow his military connections had pulled some strings. Or was it in actuality Trunkler’s wish that made it all “right as rain!?” Investigation into Calles revealed a lengthy rap sheet, mostly assault. He had a current warrant out on him, for assault and attempted kidnapping. He was provided bail by a man named Lawrence DuMain. DuMain, it turned out, was a fictitious name, and Calles skipped bail.

Dylan recovered from his seizure, but when he spoke of what he’d seen, the visions he’d had about a woman burning to death, nobody believed him. As usual. In the following days, Dylan was hired as day manager at a nearby AM/PM. He knew he would be, it came to him in yet another vision. He stepped into the store during a visit by the district manager. Some ill intentioned youths had been shoplifting, and Dylan (knowing they had been after seeing it in one of his freaky flashes) caught them in the act, brining the matter to the attention of the district manager. As it was, the former day manager had just given notice, having found a job elsewhere. Dylan stated he was looking for a job, and the district manager hired him on the spot, congratulating him on his heroism in apprehending the thieves and for his sharp eyes.

Fee turned in her mid-term and got a B+, which is good for her, despite the trouble her snarky mouth gets her into with her professors.

• Alex had to work at the diner. Fee was cramming for exams. Michael had just returned from a weekend conference in Las Vegas.
• With the girls busy, Dylan calls Michael for assistance in surveilling Carpe Noctem, eager to use the equipment he and Alex placed the previous day.
• Dylan and Michael canvas the street, setting up a listening station in an abandoned house across the from Carpe Noctem, in an attempt to discover clues about both the ‘Sweat Walker’s’ disease, as well as the nefarious activities taking place inside the dark and sinister-seeming club.
• As if on cue, just before opening time at 11am, the old man, Trunkler, ambles up to the club and takes a seat on the concrete outside, pulling open and reading the latest copy of the Sacramento Weekly Star.
• With Dylan covering him, Michael surreptitiously approaches the club, and to his surprise, the old man looks up at him as he passes, smiles and invites him to “sit and chat awhile.”

The two men sat for a space and discussed a few different issues, including the ‘sweat walkers.’ Micheal learned that indeed, each of those so-called victims, had broken their word to the old man, who disclosed that he is a changeling, a faerie of the Winter Court. Trunkler makes deals with those in need, and he has an unusual ‘sight’ which enables him to offer those who exchange goods or services for one “Wish.” The old man’s fae heritage is that of a Portune, house faeries who grant wishes when caught. The ‘sweat walkers’ are folks who made an exchange with Trunkler, but who failed to live up to their end of the bargain. It was not Trunkler himself who cursed them, but simply the nature of breaking a pact with the fae. 101 days after the promise, each of the ‘victims’ succumbed to the dreaded affliction, losing their minds – and in their madness, they attempted to reverse the wish they were granted. Trunkler did not know all the specifics, for he was not in control of that particular part of the bargain.

Michael asked the old faerie if there were a reverse to the curse, so that no further victims and was given a thoughtful reply…

“I am sure we, you and I, could come to an arrangement to make it so.” He looked at Michael with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

Michael took a long look at the old changeling, closed his eyes and asked, “What would be required of me? What exchange would lift the curse on Alvin Teague and any others who broke their agreement with you?”

The old man squeezed his eyes shut, and Michael saw the eyes roving back and forth under the old wrinkled eyelids. The motion at first was aggressive, but then calmed suddenly, as if they fixed on some spot in space, eyes still closed.

When he opened his eyes again, they were moist and red, as if he’d been crying.

Trunkler slowly fixed those eyes on Michaels and said, “This night, you must prevent a murder. It is in a place you know, a dark and foreboding place, a place of bones.”

“Who is the victim? Who is the murderer?” Michael asked.

“I cannot say, for that information was not given me.” A large tear broke free, and ran down the runnels of the old man’s wrinkled face.

Michael thought about what the changeling was asking of him. “Must I do this alone, or can I bring backup?,” he asked.

“Your side of the deal,” replied the old man, “is to prevent the murder. What tools you use, or assistance you require, is not for me to say. The deed need be done, plain and simple.”

He extended his worn and wrinkled hand to Michael, red-rimmed eyes making plain that the pact was in need of sealing. “Stop the murder, in exchange for any currently suffering for breaking a pact with myself.”

A brief silence followed. Michael did not take long. He’d be stopping a murder, if nothing else. That alone would be reason enough to make this deal. If he failed, Teague and who knows how many others would still be under the effect of the fae curse. He would simply not fail!

Michael surmised that the dark place, the place of bones, was the lair of the monster that had murdered and eaten Brian Turvey. Turvey had been eaten by a ghoul. Michael had never battled a ghoul, but stopping it would save many lives, not just tonight’s victim. He could use his friends, and perhaps he could even get some assistance from the Bureau.

Michael gripped Turnkler’s hand and shook it with purpose. The old man smiled, relief spreading across his wrinkled features, his bushy brows lifted.

“Deal,” he said and nodded, and Michael felt a palpable energy enter him through the handshake.

There was no going back now.