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“Funny, very funny,” James quipped as he followed the man’s shadow.

“I was serious James. If ever there was one. I am him.”

James blinked. From what he knew... that could be true.

“Ok, here it is,” Bane spoke again.

James could see from a street light’s sparse illumination what he pointed at. An actual hatch with an old rusted lock on it. “Damn, how could they not know this was here? Some criminal could get inside the fucking courthouse with a weapon if they wanted revenge or to steal something.”

Bane snorted. “That is exactly what we will be doing.”

“Not exactly...Hey, what are you doing?” he asked as he saw the glint from Bane’s gun.

“Step back, kid.”

James did so. He cannot mean to—

PING!

He did. Bane shot the lock off with a silenced gun. He bent down and raised the rusty door up with a loud creaking of metal against metal. Then he slipped down into a pit of darkness.

James shook his head. Spiders and all kinds of shit are probably down that hole and how can he see without a flashlight?

Just then, a small light beam came up out of the hole. “Dammit, Captain Branken, how could you be ex-military and be so damned slow?” Bane asked from the depths.

James rolled his eyes. “It’s called being cautious, Mr. Boogeyman.” He climbed down a bit and grabbed his light from his belt then shone it downward. He didn’t want any surprises at the bottom.

Bane stood there looking up at him. “I swear I’m partnered with a damned girl,” he muttered.

“Oh, shut up.” James grunted as he tried to shut the heavy lid... then he finally got it. “I’m smart and cautious as I like my skin just the way it is, not marked up, thank you very much.”

“Well okay, pretty boy. It’s all clear, so you can hitch up your skirt and come on down now.”

James had to laugh as he climbed slowly down. “Who knew that the boogeyman had a sense of humor?”

“It’s fading fast though...” Bane growled at him from below.

Chapter Three

“Damn, that seems like eons ago,” Jame spoke up while breaking the silence in the car.

Bane nodded. “Two and a half years, two weeks and 3 days.”

James snapped his head up and stared at him. “You have counted the time since you met me, even the days?”

“Don’t get all sentimental on me. I have an internal clock, remember?”

Jame nodded and let out a long breath. “Oh yeah, the machine cogs where your inner organs are supposed to be.” He snickered.

“Good thing I have more patience now and do not want to kill you anymore,” Bane told him.

James gasped and placed his hand on his chest. “I am honored that you thought so much of me that you have wanted to off me.”

Bane rolled his eyes.

James sighed. “So when Shay told us that story about his twin it reminded me that I have a twin too. In fact, Tucker texted me that he’s gonna get married soon. He invited me to the wedding.”

“So? What’s the issue?”