Chapter Sixteen

Roy and Ed made it to work at around the same time the next day. Ed, on the other hand, decided to go home early at around six thirty, leaving Roy in the office all by himself. He was bored, and he didn't feel like signing anything, and he was overly tired from worrying about Ed's stalker problem. He leaned his head into the palm of one hand and started to absentmindedly doodle on a blank notepad, drawing stars and stick people and farm animals, just anything he could think of. He was in the middle of drawing a sailboat when the phone rang. Tiredly, he picked it up. "Mustang." He formally announced.

"Been a while, Roy, hasn't it?" Roy recognized that voice immediately, and his eyes widened and he straightened himself up, instantly alert. He didn't know what to say. He didn't need to say anything. "I can see you right now in your office. I can even see what you're drawing instead of completing your assigned paperwork."

"Why are you watching me?" Roy demanded, but he was really grateful the attention was off of Ed, at least for the moment.

"I just wanted to know where you were and what you were up to. I should kill you right now."

Roy's hand that wasn't holding the phone up lowered to his waist, his fingers wrapping around his pistol. "I'd like to see you try."

"Move your hand from your gun, then."

"Tell me what you want."

"Well…" the man on the other line paused like he actually had to think about it. "It's been a while since I last saw Ed. I know he's at home right now, too, all by himself. I might have a little surprise set up for him and I might not."

"What have you done!?" Roy demanded. He stood up, his grip on the phone tightening. He thought of running out the door but knew this guy was somewhere, watching, and he didn't want to make any stupid, preventable mistakes.

There was laughter over the other line. "Don't worry, Ed's safe for now. Last I checked, he was reviewing a case file. He got a call from one of his friends and said that he was gonna finish that up and then get in the shower, but the way they were talking made me think he'd be on the phone for at least another half hour."

"You've got his phone lines tapped?"

"Since day one." Roy released a breath, silent again, trying to think of another way to get a hold of the teen without letting the man know he was trying to warn him. "It's game over now, Roy. You lose. Tonight will be the night I take him as my own."