By the time we got back to Grande, it was past midnight. Zach went straight to the office and picked up the handset to dial. If nothing else, Zach will leave a message on the other party's answering machine...... You know who Zach is calling.

"Alice made me a supper. James held the plate...... Meat, standing at the door of the office.

"Oh, did you say thank you?" Zach's phone rang, and while the waiting tone was on, it should soon turn into a message prompt.

James stepped into the office, holding the meat in one hand, "Alice rarely cooks food now, why did she make me supper?"

"Because people like you and want to be nice to you. Zach curled the corners of his mouth at James, the extremely symmetrical ones on both sides, and then withdrew his expression, waiting for the message in the earpiece without emotion.

James frowned, sat down across from his desk, and looked at Zach, "Who are you calling?" ”

"Anthony. Zach replied, and at the same time, a message prompt appeared, 'You're connected, speak.' Zach spoke, "It's me." Two things, there is a secret passage made of silver in the city hall, and Gina replaces the vote in the election. Call me back......" Zach glanced at the time, "in ten minutes, or I'll knock on your door in ten minutes." ”

Zach put down the phone and looked at James. James was in a frozen state, and was looked at by Zach for a long time before swallowing the food in his mouth, "What did you just say??"

Zach wasn't going to repeat, "You've got ten minutes." ”

"Ugh. James nostalgically pushed away his supper, "Is that what Murphy explored in that world?" James's mind turned fast enough.

"Sort of. "No one knows what will happen to this yet, so I'll discuss it with Anthony first, you detective, okay." ”

James frowned and thought for a moment, "No comment. ”

You can understand James, as a police detective, he just learned that there is a secret facility in the city hall, and the results of the mayoral election have been destroyed, if the former James should have exploded. Now James's 'no opinion' really needs psychological construction.

Zach nodded, "So how are you doing today?" "Strictly speaking, it was yesterday.

James shook his head, a quick change of mood, "After separating from you at Joe's bar, I'm waiting at the police station for Vega's progress." Wes's personnel reviews of the club in the West End and Lydia. "It sounds like James was spending his time bored at the police station.

Zach waited for a moment, but James seemed to have finished speaking. So he shook his head, "No, it was late when Louise and I went out, and you haven't come back yet." You must have done something, not just waiting. ”

The corners of James's mouth twitched, "Kate contacted me." ”

Zach raised his eyebrows, thought about it for a moment, and didn't put on a gossip expression, but used a stern face that took it seriously, "Is she safe?"

"She's safe now, for now. "James glanced at Zach, and quickly withdrew his gaze, not knowing where to focus," she said, saying she had been kidnapped, detained somewhere, and then suddenly released today. ”

"Kidnapping. Zach maintained a grim face, not sure that James would glance at him and collapse, "Who?"

"Kate said to release her ......" James shook his head and regrouped his words, "the car that left her on the side of the road, no license plates, but a military vehicle." Sure enough, James glanced at Zack's face and quickly withdrew, "So she contacted me." ”

"Did you say anything to her?"

"I told her the truth. James's gaze was fixed on his fingers wrestling between his legs, "Eighty percent of my father's men kidnapped her, and then after my threat, my father released her again. ”

Zach froze his expression. Eighty percent? "And how did she respond?"

"She was afraid of creatures that could change her memory, change her form, fly, create things out of thin air. "Well, isn't it alien," she wasn't afraid of people. James watched his fingers wrestle inexplicably, "she's a journalist. That's her response. ”

"Okay. "So she, your girlfriend, will continue to investigate in the middle what your father did with his military privileges to save you." Bad things. ”

James will respond. Zach leaned forward slightly, looking beyond his desk to see the battle taking place between James' hands...... It seems that it is impossible to distinguish the winner from the loser.

Zach retracted his gaze, "You know-" Zach retracted his grim expression and turned into comfort, "You should feel at ease if Kate insists on investigating your father in the Midlands." At the very least, her safety has been thoroughly ensured. ”

"Why. James was still watching his body fight.

"Because your original request has been fulfilled, if Kate continues to chase the military, she will meet with Oz Kozil, at least the mind reader who is still ostensibly carrying out the orders of the Demon Feast. After all, the goal is the same. And your father won't continue to ......" Zach tried to whitewash the words, but didn't, "persecute Kate, then the only threat to Kate in the middle is the alien race." And then with Oz, the alien race is no longer a threat. ”

The effect of this comfort is significant-

James fingers, stopped fighting, peacefully parted. But don't be mistaken, the victory or defeat has not yet been decided, and it is only a matter of time before this battle happens again, and now it is just a truce and rectification.

James looked at Zach and was quiet for a moment, "I think I finally understand your 'trick'." ”

"What trick?" Zach raised an eyebrow.

"You just never stop, do you? When the road ahead is blocked, you turn a corner and keep going. So no matter what, to you, it's always ......" the corner of James' eyes twitched, "'Smooth'." ”

Zach tilted his head, "You could say that as long as I'm facing forward, I'm 'moving forward'. ”

It's over, and James is starting to be spiritual, and Zach is talking about these obscure things here.

James took a deep breath and glanced at the phone. In a few minutes, if the phone doesn't ring, Zach should be on his way out. So, "Why don't you just go to Anthony's house and look for him." "Whether it's a secret passage for aliens in the city hall or a sabotage of the vote, it's not a trivial matter. Call notification, too polite.

"I don't want to run into situations that I don't want to run into. Zach shrugged his shoulders, not resisting James's change of subject, "Like, Aethra is at Anthony's." ”

"Hmph. James snorted, "You're the guy involved in Anthony and Ethra's marriage, would you mind that?"

"Mind that. Zach didn't hide it either, "I received Lesembra blood for Aethra. If I'm going to meet with Ethella, I'd rather do it privately, without Anthony there. ”

James's face darkened, "You said that Athera would never be on the side of the feast. "Remember, Zach said that it was the Devil's Feast's plan to ruin Ethra's political career - using the Liszt family to support Ethera's election on the surface, but actually secretly using the Republican illegal labor business to win over the Devil's Feast and not want Barton to continue to keep the family to wipe it out. After being realized by Zach, it was ended by the West End family uniting Smith. So James had mixed feelings when he said this, and we can't ignore that Miley Liszt still lives in James's house, "What does it mean that she wants to be a member of the Devil's Feast like this?" ”

"Pursue longer-term goals. Zach could only give Aethera this assessment, "For example, now, Aethera will become Barton's new Lesenbra - the Lesenbra who maintains a relationship with Barton Mayor Anthony." This means that Ethra's influence can be carried over to you, because Anthony is your template. So this is the stage of activity for at least ten years. Zach shrugged his shoulders, "More than ten years is too long for a human woman, if you count Ethra's political activity before you appeared, her career cycle has come to an end, but for Ethella Lesembra, this is just the beginning." Do you understand, she didn't join the Demon Banquet, she was using the Demon Banquet, the only powerful alien force in the Federation now, to start her own eternal career, all for herself. I'm not going to say that she's going to be a cancer in the Demon Feast, but she's definitely the one who does everything she can to absorb the nutrients of the Demon Feast. ”

Such an explanation can only make James more gloomy. However, it is also a fact that cannot be resisted. Ethra's character, that's it. Oh, speaking of which, suggest that Aethra become Lesenbra's guy, or Zach~ Everyone is a restless guy.

James was quiet for a moment, and resumed his supper. In the office waiting for the call, there was only the sound of chewing.

After ten minutes of tail stuck, Zach was already up and ready to change into clothes that were easy to move around, when the phone rang.

Pick it up.

"I made the secret room. Anthony's voice, "I'm the mayor, and my city government has a banning effect on ordinary human citizens, but not on some citizens. I have no problem building a place for such citizens, maintaining the absolute authority of the municipality among all the citizens of Barton. ”

Zach held the earpiece, only for the sake of listening.

"Vote. There was a pause on the other side of the receiver, "Blake has already told me the results of the first day's vote at the behest of his family, and the rate of voting for me to be re-elected mayor is only twenty percent. There was another pause, "Now I know why." "I didn't thank Zack, hey, forget it, he's always had this attitude towards Zack, sort of absolute equality," I should have asked how you knew Gina was doing this kind of thing. ”

Zach can speak, "The soul swelling that happened in the morning, Walter. Zach didn't talk about the beginning and end, but used the most concise synopsis.

"Hold the call. Anthony gave the order without responding to Zach's explanation. Zach heard Anthony talking to someone else—

"I see, burn the ballot box, seal the passageway, Gina...... "Brief hesitation," locked up. ”

So, that's why Anthony dragged on to the limit of ten minutes before he called back. The mayor has already made real moves as quickly as possible.

"Don't worry about the results of the vote. Anthony returned to Zack's earpiece, "Today's voter count is one-half of the total number of voters in previous years, normal data, but this year's voter is expected to be twice as many as in the past, the results of the single-day vote will not be announced, and will only be kept secret in the final sum, and in the next two days of voting, there will not be a single citizen's voting intention to be affected, so in the end, it will still be my re-election." ”

"You're the mayor, and if you say that, then I'll believe you. Zach said this very sincerely, after all, it was rare for Anthony to say it in such detail, if it wasn't for reassuring his vampire friends, Anthony would have no reason to say so much.

"I'll get the answer from Gina on my side. There was another pause, and then, "monitoring, scheduling of the location of the poll audit, and the timing of the change of voting." She really did a thorough job. This shows that if it weren't for Zack's notice, Anthony wouldn't have known what was going on, and still didn't want to thank Zach, but, "If I can't get an answer from her." ”

Zach simply picked up, "I'll continue to trouble Walter." ”

"Yes. "Thank you, it's impossible to come up.

However, Anthony did not hang up the phone either. There was silence in the earpiece for a moment, and James was almost finished with his supper.

"You voted today, but you didn't vote either. Anthony opened his mouth to break the silence of the unhung phone.

Zach smiled, "yes, it's a pity, Zachary Grande's identity can only be used this time." In context, it is natural to say that a legal citizen can only vote once. But, inexplicably, it seems that there is something else in this......

"At least you received a proof of vote. Anthony smiled over there, "Hehe, a testament to the meaning of the citizens of Barton." Do you like that badge, I designed it myself, for the citizens of Barton? ”

Anthony, personally, for the citizens of Barton, designed the badge.

We can figure it out with our fingernails that Anthony, the mayor, wouldn't ask the other Barton citizens if they liked the badge, would they.

Zach opened his mouth, and for a moment, the words came to his lips, but he didn't say it, "Not bad." "Is this a lie? No, Zach just responded selectively to the second half of Anthony's sentence.

"Hmph. With a non-obvious smile, he hummed, "Hung up." ”

"Good night. Zach put down the phone.

"Are you talking about that badge at the end?" forgive James, for all his efforts to 'eavesdrop', but human hearing, we know.

Zach glanced at James, "Yes." Zach got up and prepared to leave the office.

"Exactly, I want one, you ask Anthony to get us a few more. ”

Zach glanced at James, moved his mouth, and said indeed, "Yes, what else do you want, let's hear it, I'll go to the mayor to ask for it." ”

The corners of James's mouth twitched, and he stopped talking.