The officer in the long black coat leaned against the door of the car with a casual air.

“No problem at all, sir,” he said. “We just wanted to check on you to make sure you were all right. Anything going on?”

Caspar, Clara, and I exchanged furtive glances, then shook our heads. I didn’t want to be taken in by the police, after all. Delta Green might find me me.

Of course, Clara was taking me to Delta Green, most likely. Damned if I did, damned if I didn’t… but who did I trust more? A stranger, or the woman I had helped to kidnap?

Probably the police officer, actually.

“They’ve kidnapped me,” I blurted out. “I’m being held against my will—”

Caspar raised a hand to silence me, then slowly lowered it. He knew that it was too late.

The police officer’s eyes widened.

“Sir,” he said in a low voice, “I’m afraid you’re going to have to follow me. You too, miss. Step out of the car, and keep your hands where I can see them.”

Caspar and Clara slowly moved to obey.

“Make a wall so we can run!” I heard Clara hiss to Caspar.

“But it’s the police—” he answered in a low voice. “You don’t just blast the police with magic and run—”

“No talking,” the officer said harshly. Then he opened the back door of the car and offered a hand to me.

“Are you hurt, miss?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, I’m— I’m okay—”

He helped me out of the car, then walked over to Caspar and Clara and took out a pair of handcuffs.

“I don’t think this is legal—” Caspar started. “She’s lying— you have no evidence—”

“I have reasonable suspicion,” the officer said, clapping the handcuffs onto first Caspar, and then Clara. “But once we get to the station, you can call your lawyer.”

Clara turned and glowered at me— but could she really blame me? I didn’t want to be taken to Delta Green. They’d vivisect me as soon as look at me.

The officer forced them into the back seat of the car, then smiled apologetically at me.

“I think you’ll have to sit with them in the back,” he said. “There’s no room up front, what with me and my partner. But if they try anything, you yell, and we’ll stop the car.”

I nodded.

“I don’t think they’ll try anything,” I said.

“Good.” He helped me into the back seat, beside Clara, and then got in.

His partner was wearing a similar black coat, but unlike the officer who had helped me, he had a dark hat pulled low over his face. I couldn’t make out any details of his face or figure— I couldn’t even tell if he was a he.

Caspar leaned over to glare at me. I smirked back.

“You said you wouldn’t turn us in!” he hissed. “What are they going to do when they find out what you are?”

“No talking,” the officer said from the front seat. He started the car, pulling back onto the road.

It was a quiet ride after that.

The police station was a small building on the edge of an equally small town. This wasn’t Arkham itself— it was Rowley, a town to the northwest of Innsmouth.

The officer parked the car, then he and his partner got out and helped both me and Clara and Caspar out of the car. They led us up to the station, where we were all made to sit in a deserted waiting room.

“Stay right here,” the police officer said. “Don’t try to run.” Then he and his partner disappeared down the hallway.

Clara immediately bolted upright and ran for the door.

“She’s running—” I shouted— but it turned out that my cry was unnecessary.

The door was locked.

Clara stumbled backwards, her eyes wide and fearful.

“What the hell—” she said. “What kind of police station locks the front door?”

“What kind of police officers wear long, dark coats?” Caspar muttered darkly.

“Don’t they all?” I asked.

Caspar gave me a look.

“No,” he said pointedly.

I frowned. “Then why are these ones—”

The lights flickered, then went out.

“Clara?” Caspar said.

“Yes, Caspar?”

“I hate to say it, but I don’t think that those were actually policemen.”

Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Augustine Stuart, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.