down there on the river

[Rip Winstead]

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Anton Zollner

and there's smoke down there on the river

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They weren’t really getting anywhere on any of their cases and Rip was feeling the pressure. Every lead they had gotten turned up nothing and they were scrambling to find a new one each day. There had to be some sign of where these rogues were, but it seemed like they were everywhere and nowhere all at once. The aged wizard ran a hand down his face as he poured over the mail. The Ministry had been receiving dozens of letters every week from members of the wizarding community. Most of it was hate mail or words of support and some useless tips, but every now and then there was a good tip or two buried in all that mess. They had nothing to work with, so he was sifting through the letters looking for one good tip. It was tedious and tiring work - Rip was pretty sure he’d already reached his caffeine limit for the day. [break][break]

He tossed the letter he was holding into the growing pile on his desk, letting out a heavy sigh. There had to be something here. Rip picked up another letter and read it, his brow furrowing. It was anonymous, but all they had to say was that someone was seen entering a house. He almost tossed it as well when something triggered in his mind. He read it again. There’s someone going into the Davies’ house. That was all it said, but something about that name rang a bell. Davies… Davies… Rip stood from his desk and walked over to the wanted board across from his cubicle. His bright blue eyes scanned the board until they landed on a recent mugshot of a boy. He couldn’t be more than twenty years old, he thought, staring at those dark and wicked eyes. Jackson Davies, wanted for escaping Ministry custody and the use of Unforgivables. Rip smiled to himself, wagging his finger at the mugshot before turning and quickly crossing to the cubicle. He patted the wall to get his partner’s attention. “Got a lead. C’mon,” he said, patting the wall again before briskly walking to the lift.[break][break]

Jackson was the kid who attacked that werewolf, Olivia Moretti. Or at least tried to. Rip had read up on him a bit after that and discovered his family had been massacred by werewolves while he was staying with a friend. He was the only survivor. No wonder he had such a vendetta against a werewolf. He held the lift open until Anton caught up to him. “I think I’ve found where the Davies kid is hiding,” he explained when they were both inside, Rip pressing the button for the Atrium. When they got outside of the Ministry, he put a hand on Anton’s shoulder and Apparated them both to the abandoned house. They landed together just outside the front door. Rip looked over the house. It certainly looked abandoned, but according to that tip there was someone entering it. “Let’s have a look around,” he said, unsheathing his wand. He lit the tip of his wand before pushing open the front door.

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[Anton Zollner]

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.

Anton did not like paperwork. He much preferred the days where he and Rip were actually out in the field. But it seemed like these days, they were at their desk more and more. Today, they were pouring through letters...stacks and stacks of letters.

It was crazy.

Most of them were either hate mail or weird letters that bordered on love letters for the ministry. Some were clearly attempts to troll the ministry. But occasionally, the pair would stumble upon something that just might make some sense.

And while Anton finished reading some hairbrained story of a vampire and werewolf shacking up in a cabin on Hogwarts' property...Rip stood up and crossed to their wanted board. Maybe the guy had something. Anton kicked back and took a breath before sipping at his coffee. And in no time, Rip was back, tapping on the wall and informing him he had something. Something about Davies. And that certainly peeked Anton's interest...for a few personal reasons as well as professional.

It didn't take the duo long to get to the old Davies house. Pulling his leather jacket a bit closer to him, Anton sighed softly. This kid had a burning hatred for wolves...and Anton wasn't entirely shy about his position in life. They approached the house together and as the pair lit their wands, Rip pushed the door open, Anton slipping in behind him.

And like that...they began to case the place.

[Rip Winstead]

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Anton Zollner

and there's smoke down there on the river

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Anton must be feeling some sort of way with this particular case. He hadn’t made a peep the entire time and Rip was casting glances over at him, almost as if he were checking up on him which he was telling himself he wasn’t. He knew his bud was tough like he was, but they were looking for someone with a vendetta against werewolves. Part of him just wanted to know if he’d keep his cool if they found him. Either way, he didn’t dwell on it long before he pushed open the front door of the manor, listening to the eerie creaking that echoed in the empty house as it opened. With the tip of his wand lit up, Rip slowly stepped inside. God… his blue eyes looked over the deep gashes in the walls, the dried blood splattered everywhere. He willed himself not to picture what happened here and just kept slowly creeping through the house, checking every nook and cranny. There had to be some sign of Jackson here. There just had to be. Who else would come breaking into this house? And who’d ever guess that he’d come back to the place his family was slaughtered? Yeah, sounds like the perfect hiding place to Rip.[break][break]

The bottom floor was clear. He signaled to Anton that he was checking upstairs which meant he stayed down and played lookout. Rip held his wand out in front of him in his dueling stance as his feet slowly carried him up the steps. They creaked as he walked, which was unfortunate, but unavoidable. When he made it upstairs, he saw streaks of dried up blood centered on the floor. Someone was dragged here. He shut his eyes tight, pushing those thoughts from his head before he continued. Why they didn’t clean this place up or demolish it, he’d never know. Rip let out a shaky breath, checking out the rooms one by one before he ended up at the last room at the end. The door creaked open and he stepped inside.[break][break]

“Anton!” he called loudly. “Come here!” Rip stepped forward and knelt down, poking the disheveled sheets with his wand. Someone had been sleeping here. When Anton came in, he glanced over at him before pointing to the pillow with his wand. “Look, the indents,” he said, a little excited at this discovery. Finally a lead that led somewhere. “He’s been here recently.” Rip stood back up and looked around the room. The walls were covered in Quidditch posters - Ballycastle Bats - and Hufflepuff banners. A picture frame caught his eye and he moved to inspect it. It was the Jackson kid with another kid, burly and curly-haired with a huge smile. The picture moved as wizard photos did, the two looked at each other before the camera, laughing. Who was that? He wondered if Jackson still kept in touch with this wizard. “I think we should stake out the place,” he told him, tearing away from the photo to look at his partner.

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[Anton Zollner]

Did Anton take this case a little personally? Maybe. But not entirely. While yes...it was vile the things Jackson was trying to do...Anton understood a bit. Rogue werewolves had ripped the kid's whole world to shreds. In the same way they had ripped Anton to shreds...literally. He had the large ugly scar on his back and the monthly shifts as a reminder of it all.

But this kid needed to be brought in. With Vadellia Allman doing well in the reformation program, maybe there would be help for this kid too. But they needed to find him first.

So as they cased the house...finding nothing downstairs, Anton sighed, waiting to hear if Rip found anything in the upper level. And like clockwork.

Anton! Come here!

Anton wasted no time in scaling the stairs, worried his partner may have found something bad. But as he walked into a relatively empty room, his hackles calmed and he looked around. Rip pointed to the pillows and Anton bent down to breathe in through his nose. Being a werewolf ultimately wasn't great...but it came with one hell of a sense of smell. Once he had the scent, he stood up, nodding at Rip's suggestion to stake the place.

"We can set up camp a little way out...I'll smell him before he even gets close," he offered. Patting his partner on the back and shook his head. It was bittersweet being this close to busting a literal child. "Good work, bud," he offered, padding back out of the room with a heavy breath.

Now that he had Jackson's scent...he could smell the kid all over the house. It was...sad. What memories the boy must have had here...

[Rip Winstead]

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Anton Zollner

and there's smoke down there on the river

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“Good work, bud.”[break][break]

Rip offered him a small smile of thanks, choosing to linger a bit longer as he looked around the room. His gaze was pulled back to the photo on the dresser, watching the way Jackson’s smile just spread so easily across his face. His heart felt a bit heavy as he stood there looking at it. The death of his family was enough to turn this happy kid into such darkness. To use an Unforgivable in an attempt to murder another student… in the confines of the castle, no less… Rip sighed heavily before turning around and following Anton out of the house.[break][break]

They set up camp in the small patch of woods just to the right of the house, the house still visible from the treeline. Rip summoned a couple chairs and some beers, handing one to Anton before sitting down and cracking his open. He sipped on his drink while his gaze remained fixed on the house. The Jackson kid had to be coming back sometime soon. He was still a wanted man and couldn’t risk being gone for too long. While he was happy that they were finally closing in on him, he felt a bit sad at the circumstances. Kid was only nineteen years old. [break][break]

As he staked out the house, his mind was pulled away from his case as a pair of bright green eyes consumed him. Juniper was… something else. He’d never had a woman talk to him like that, and part of him liked it. She had a brilliant mind, but she was tough, too. It wasn’t everyday that you met a woman like that. No matter how much he liked her, it didn’t change the fact she was entirely too young for him and that she was involved in his case. Rip didn’t like to mix work with pleasure. It was better for both of them if he just stayed away.

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[Anton Zollner]

Stumbling out of the house, Anton took a deep breath. Somewhere in the depths of the house, he had smelt the faint scent of at least one of the wolves that had attacked him. And that set an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. That pack had been here. They had devoured this kid's family.

Had Rip not gotten to him that day...the same fate would have befallen him. It was an uneasy thought.

But Anton had a job to do. So he shook it off and fell into step with Rip as they made their way to the woods near the house and set up camp. It didn't take them long...what with this not being their first rodeo. And once they settled in, Rip offered Anton a beer. And as much as he wanted it, he waved it off. He wanted to keep his nose sharp and alert.

The pair sat in a comfortable silence for a bit...but Anton eventually sighed and looked over at Rip.

"Quiet is one thing...but this is a bit much...what's on your mind?" he asked, watching his friend for a moment before turning his eyes back in the direction of the house.

[Rip Winstead]

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Anton Zollner

and there's smoke down there on the river

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Normally he didn’t drink on the job, but staking out a place was the exception. He didn’t know how long they’d be sitting there, so he didn’t mind having a beer while they watched and waited. Anton declined the beer he offered him and Rip just shrugged, setting it on the ground beside his chair to drink after he finished this one. Two was his limit for any stakeout, but outside of work he’s been known to knock a few back at the bar with his friends, mainly Anton. The two of them seemed to do everything together. The wizard didn’t think he’d ever had a friend like his partner. The two of them were kind of trauma bonded after he found him sliced up by a werewolf. Anton swears that Rip saved his life, and Rip doesn’t deny it, but the image of his blood soaked friend still burns in his mind. It was a hard recovery for Anton and Rip stayed by his side at St. Mungo’s until he healed up. The Healers had told him if he hadn't been there to take him in when he did, he might not have made it. Just another thought to torture him.[break][break]

The two sat in easy silence while they watched the house, Anton’s nose probably on alert. Rip was doing his best to banish Juniper from his mind, but the witch just kept on reappearing. His jaw set in frustration, mostly at himself. Why was it so hard for him to stop thinking about her? The only other person who had taken up so much space in his head had been Jenn and the thought of that left his heart feeling heavy. The anniversary of her death was coming up soon and Rip knew he’d spend it at the bar drowning himself in firewhisky. He didn’t even get to go to her funeral, forced to leave the US before the date was set. He tried hard to forget what happened, but he woke up some nights covered in sweat, the image of life leaving a pair of eyes while his hands were wrapped around their neck branded in his mind. How could he ever forget the feeling of ending someone’s life? It wasn’t something he ever wanted to experience again, but the rage he had felt in the aftermath of Jenn’s death had been too much to take and someone needed to pay.[break][break]

“What’s on your mind?”[break][break]

Rip hadn’t realized he’d been glaring in the direction of the house, his body tense and jaw clenched. He relaxed his stance and raised his beer to his lips, taking a long sip before turning his head to look at his partner. He couldn’t tell anyone about what happened in America, but he certainly couldn’t bring himself to talk about his old girlfriend. He didn’t know if he should talk about Juniper, either. Rip already couldn’t sort out his own feelings regarding her and, while he was sure Anton would be supportive, he didn’t think a relationship with her was appropriate given their investigation. A low sigh fell out of him as he looked back at the house and he decided to go with the safer option. “The guy we’re after,” he said, his voice a little rough. “Jackson. He’s just a kid.” So had he been when he set on his own quest for vengeance. He supposed he could understand his motivation. But, unlike Rip, Jackson had a vendetta against all werewolves rather than just the ones that killed his family. He didn’t understand how he could think that a student, who had done no harm to the world, was deserving of death. “It’s just sad, I guess,” he said after a beat, bringing his drink to his lips again.

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[Anton Zollner]

"What's on your mind?"

Anton watched his friend through dark eyes. As Rip hesitated, Anton had a gut feeling that whatever the man was about to tell him wasn't going to be the truth...not all of it anyway. But they were grown men and entitled to their privacy so Anton didn't mind too much. If it was something Rip wanted to talk about, he'd do it when he was ready. But until then?

Anton just nodded, accepting the line about Jackson Davies. It was indeed sad. But...you couldn't go around blaming all werewolves for the crimes of a few and ignoring the law to seek your own justice. You just couldn't. So while Anton felt for the kid...his sense of pride and justice was outweighing that. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly clamped it shut as he felt a tickle under his nose. He sat up straighter and turned his gaze to the house.

"I got a scent," he muttered under his breath, sharp eyes trained on the house.

Gods, Jackson wasn't going to be pleased when a werewolf showed up to arrest him...

Karma was kind of ironic like that though...

[Jackson Davies]

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Anton Zollner

I will survive another month under gray skies

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Jack didn’t often leave the house he grew up in. He was still a wanted man and too many knew his face. Thankfully, he had brewed enough Polyjuice Potion before leaving the Delano’s to last him a while. Sprinkling in a single strand of long, blonde hair, Jackson swirled the potion around before pinching his nose and tossing it back. His body tingled strangely as the potion started to take effect, his body thinning, his hair growing and turning lighter by the second, and he knew if he were to look in the mirror his face would be contorting into the pretty face of Chelsea Delano. He had a collection of Delano's hairs for this exact purpose. It was easy to grab them from the bathroom. Once he had completely transformed, Jack Apparated to Diagon Alley. He needed some potion supplies and food, he was running dangerously low. [break][break]

Once he had purchased everything he needed - the Ministry must have missed his stash of Galleons under his bed - Jackson stopped at the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. He had a limited amount of time to be out and about, but he was tired and he was lonely. Just being around other people was something he had taken for granted. The boy was sociable before everything had happened and he supposed that part of him never changed. And if some randoms thought a Delano was frequenting the Cauldron so much the better. Jack ordered a firewhisky and sat at the bar, drinking it slowly. A few wizards came up to him and tried to buy him another drink and he let a few of them do so, chatting with them while he filled his stomach with a fiery drink. He learned a lot there about the state of the Wizarding World. There were attacks happening all over the country, werewolves tearing apart more families. A fire lit up inside him, the hate he felt for their kind just sizzling under his skin. It just solidified to him that he was doing the right thing. They deserved to be eradicated.[break][break]

“You okay?” One wizard asked him, pointing to his hair. “Your hair…” Panic rose up in his throat, Jack looking quickly in the mirror behind the bar. Oh no, his time was up. He threw a few Galleons on the counter and thanked the guy for the drinks and ran off. He stumbled his way into a dark alley just as the potion wore off. That was a close one… Quickly, he Apparated back to the woods near his old home.[break][break]

After looking around and determining that no one was around, Jackson made his way to the house, his hood pulled up to hide his face. Making it to the door, he reached out to turn the knob and let himself in, but paused when he noticed the door was just barely open. Jack froze in his place, anticipation thrumming through his veins. Someone had been here. He whipped out his wand and held it out, looking around wildly for the threat.

ulla

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[Rip Winstead]

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Anton Zollner

and there's smoke down there on the river

[attr="class","itsover"]


It wasn’t like Rip didn’t want to tell Anton about any of it - he was his best friend, of course he did. But how could he tell the man whose life depended on him that he was barred from his country for committing murder? How could he bring himself to talk about his late love? And how on earth could he talk about Juniper, whose mere presence was enough to drive him crazy? It was a lot for one person to carry, he knew that. Anton had enough on his plate without sorting through Rip’s baggage. Maybe one day he’d be able to confide in him about all this, but today was not that day.[break][break]

His partner was quiet, likely contemplating the Jackson kid’s motives, and Rip just sipped on his beer in the silence that followed. He grew more frustrated by the second as his thoughts were filled with not the case, but those damn green eyes. It was affecting his work and that was something he swore he’d never do. He’d never let his personal life bleed into his job. Anton didn’t count - they were together all the time and they were partners first and foremost. But Juniper… it wasn't the case he was thinking about when he thought of her. [break][break]

“I got a scent.”[break][break]

Rip tensed, anticipation flooding through him as he set aside his beer. They both stood and Rip banished the chairs and beers, leaving no trace that they had been here. His eyes were fixed on the house and they caught the figure walking out of the woods and up to the house. Rip drew his wand, glancing over at Anton and nodding. They’d wait until he was inside to approach. If they didn’t, the kid might run. His blue gaze flicked back over to where Jackson was standing just outside the door. He reached for the handle, but stopped mid-motion. “Dammit,” he whispered, suddenly remembering he had neglected to shut the door all the way. And as Jackson whipped out a wand - where did he get that? - he looked back at Anton in defeat. They’d better go get him.[break][break]

He held his wand out in front of him as they made their way toward him, his other hand held up in the air as they slowly walked to him. “Jackson,” he called out when he saw them. “We just want to talk.” The kid looked at them wildly, his own wand pointed directly at them. Rip bristled at the threat, but he kept up his appearance of peace. “Put your wand away, let’s go inside.” He noticed the way Jackson gripped his wand, his feet shifting and Rip knew there was no peace to be had. As Jackson flung a curse at them, Rip put up a shield charm, the curse deflecting off of it. Before Jackson had time to react, Rip flicked his wand at him, “Expelliarmus!” The kid’s wand flew from his hand and Rip launched another spell at him. “Incarcerous!” Ropes spun out of his wand and wrapped themselves tightly around Jackson’s body, the kid falling on the ground and fighting against his bonds. [break][break]

By the time they were standing above him, the Jackson kid was out of breath. Rip nudged him with his boot, looking over at Anton. “Wanna do the honors?”

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[Anton Zollner]

Anton wasn't sure about this situation. He knew what he needed to do. He knew why it needed to be done. He agreed with what needed to be done. Regardless of what had happened to Jackson in the past...he was being as awful as the very rogues who had torn his family apart. That couldn't be left on the streets. But Anton held out hope that maybe this kid would find it in him to repent...to want to apply for the reformation program.

But he wasn't so sure.

As he and Rip made their way toward the kid, Anton kept his want at the ready...unsure what Jackson would try to do. But deep down, he had known what would happen. The kid threw a curse toward Rip and as Rip not only blocked it, but also disarmed him, Anton shot a nimble hand out to snatch the wand from the air as it whirled toward him.

They approached and Rip offered the honors to Anton...but the werewolf shook his head no.

"I know what he thinks of my kind...no sense in adding insult to injury," he offered, motioning toward the kid as if to tell Rip to go ahead. Anton was not a cruel man...quite the opposite. If justice could be served while allowing everyone involved to keep their dignity...he was all for it.

So instead, he studied the wand, his brow furrowing.

"Doesn't this match the description of that lost wand that Atwell reported?" he asked curiously. He vaguely remembered the report...Allman had made off with Atwell's girlfriend's wand...and this matched the description almost to a T. Anton looked toward Jackson again, worry evident in his eyes. He had seen plenty of what had come out of Vadellia's head. He knew she had done some wild and depraved things. But just how far had she twisted Jackson's mind.

Then again...Lia was thriving in the reform program. So maybe there would be hope for Jackson there after all.

[Rip Winstead]

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Anton Zollner

and there's smoke down there on the river

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Rip nodded solemnly at Anton’s explanation, his gaze still fixed on the kid’s face as he struggled needlessly against the ropes. Jackson seemed to put two and two together and he spat at Anton and called him a disgusting mutt. “Enough!” he said in a commanding voice, giving Jackson’s bound legs a kick. The kid stared at him furiously, but didn’t make a single peep afterward. He bent down and grabbed Jackson by the ropes and pulled him up to a standing position. He held the kid up, his hand firmly grasping the ropes in case he tried to make a run for it, which would be impossible, but this kid clearly wasn’t the brightest bulb in the bunch. “Bet you didn’t think this was how today was gonna go.”[break][break]

Anton’s voice pulled his attention away from their prisoner, Rip’s blue eyes falling to rest on the wand he held in his hand. His brows furrowed as he leaned over to take a closer look. It was a sleek, black wand with the image of a cat carved into the handle, two small emeralds embedded for eyes. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Looks just like what he described.” He looked back at Jackson whose dark eyes were nearly black with hatred. A scowl found its way on his features as Rip stared back at him. They knew that Lia Allman had taken Atwell’s girlfriend’s wand after a duel and they knew that she was responsible for freeing Jackson and his corruption. They saw it clear as day in her memories. “Allman gave you this wand, didn’t she?” That much was obvious, but he wanted to see how willing Jackson was to give her up. His lips were pressed into a tight line and after a few moments of silence, Rip sighed heavily. “He’s not gonna talk. Better get him to Azkaban.”[break][break]

Rip Apparated the three of them to the prison and they landed inside with a loud CRACK. The Dementors, sensing fresh meat, started to descend on them. “Expecto Patronum!” A silver phoenix erupted from his wand and chased the Dementors away, circling over them to keep them at bay. “Here you go, kid,” he said gruffly before tossing him into a cell. Rip cast the countercurse and the ropes disappeared, leaving the scrawny young wizard free… well, sort of. He wasted no time in getting himself and Anton out of there, landing just outside the Leaky Cauldron. “How about a drink?” he asked with a smile before sending his Patronus with a message for the boss. They could fill out paperwork later.

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[Anton Zollner]

Anton didn't even blink as Jackson spat in his direction and shouted. There was no point in him to care. He wasn't filthy...nor a mutt. It was just the kid's inability to reflect and deal with his own trauma. And as tragic as that was...it wasn't Anton's issue.

But right now, he was focused on the wand. It definitely was the same wand...and he was sure that Atwell's girl would want it back. Even if only for sentimental reasons. But despite Rip's efforts, Davies didn't seem willing to sell Lia out. Not that he needed to. Lia was doing well in her program. It was truly mind-blowing to watch the years of damage and brainwashing being undone before their very eyes. Lia Allman would honestly tell them anything they wanted to know. But he wasn't looking forward to seeing the reunion between Lia and Jackson...he knew it was coming and he knew it was going to be an emotional time that plenty at the ministry would want to put on full display for people to gawk at.

Moving in close enough to apparate with Rip and the kid, Anton made sure not to touch Jackson. As much as Jackson didn't want him touching him...Anton wasn't much interested in touching such a bigot. As Rip pulled his wand to cast his patronus, Anton did the same, watching as the giant mastiff that bolted from the end of his wand ran alongside the phoenix...up into the sky to keep the dementors at bay. They made their way through the prison and Anton stopped to turn in the required papers and documents while Rip took Jackson to a cell, shoving him in.

Then once they had finished, they were quite suddenly at the Leaky Cauldron...Anton stumbling slightly at the sudden apparition. "I hate it when you sneak attack me like that," he teased, nodding when Rip recommended some drinks. He held open the door for his friend and followed him in, the pair of them grabbing a couple bar stools and Anton ordering up a stout beer.

"Days like this never get easier," he muttered, his German accent thick through his exhaustion.