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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Story [Delta Green/Call of Cthulhu] Summer in the City (Horror Genre)

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by Darth_Bliss, Jan 19, 2009.

  1. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm getting more and more leery about Ceasar. Why all the strangeness? I mean, more creepy strangeness than normal. I mean, not that any DG agent is normal, but...oh, heck, you know what I mean!

    Anyway...[face_worried]

    Another great scene, just love how the tension builds between the charactes!=D=
     
  2. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Oh wow... This last scene has been difficult to write for some reason. Anyway, here it is, and Danaan, you might get your answer on why Caesar is behaving as he is just now... ;)

    ********************************************************************************************

    22.
    ?You can?t fool me, Claire.? Cyrus whispered to her as they walked down the stairs. ?I know something else happened. Is it me or C or both of us you don?t want to tell??

    Miriam stared at the stairs, didn?t know what to say.

    ?Hey, Claire, I?m talking to you.?

    She glanced his way.

    ?So I noticed.?

    ?And??

    She made an irritated gesture with her hand, as to shove him away.

    ?Yeah, something else happened, but I don?t want to talk about it.?

    ?You don?t want to talk about it? Seriously?? He made an astounded pause, before continuing with something that resembled irritation in his voice: ?You can?t reason like that. It might be important.?

    She didn?t answer and she could hear him draw his breath as to calm himself down before continuing:

    ?I remember you saying not too long ago: ?You can?t make such a decision on your own?.?

    She glared at him over her shoulder. He glared back.

    ?That was a different kind of situation.?

    ?Oh, really? In what way??

    She stopped angrily at the step and turned to face him. He looked seriously back.

    ?Someone was in there with me, someone who hid so cleverly that I couldn?t find him, but he was there. I don?t know what he saw. I don?t even know if it was a ?he? or a ?she?. It might even have been an ?it?!?

    Cyrus stared baffled back at her.

    ?An it??

    When she started to walk down the stairs again he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

    ?Wait. What do you mean by ?an it???

    She drew a breath and started to speak so quietly so he had to lean in towards her to hear.

    ?Something came up behind me when I first looked at the icon. It wasn?t there when I turned around and I looked through the whole apartment without finding anything. When I left something... someone... stepped in front of the door inside the apartment and blocked the light.?

    Cyrus frowned.

    ?Did you go in again??

    Miriam felt her cheeks get hot and avoided his gaze.

    ?Don?t worry, Claire. It was probably a good thing that you didn?t. Maybe we can go there together afterwards. At least we can see if we can find something, some trace or something.?

    The heat disappeared slowly from her face and she managed to look at him again.

    ?Thanks for believing me, Cy.?

    He shrugged with a tired grin.

    ?What?s not to believe? Besides, we?re in it together, right??

    *

    It was another ghastly scene. There was no blood, no hideous murders, just the frightening expressions of unbearable pain in their dead faces. Miriam felt tears silently trickling down her cheeks. With some of his old kindness Caesar lent her his newly washed checkered handkerchief. Cyrus watched the scene with a total expressionless face, arms folded. Caesar sighed.

    ?Not much we can do for them now. Let?s get them to the morgue and I?ll check on them later.?

    He brought out his cell phone and dialled a number.

    ?Brian? We have a code yellow at 172 Brisbane Road, level 9.? He silenced for a moment. ?No, I?ll deal with it when I get back.? He hung up. ?Alright, team, let?s get started. Cyrus, you work your usual magic on the neighbours. Claire, you check the apartment. I?ll do a quick look-up on the bodies and start filing the report.?

    They both nodded. Cyrus brought out his notebook and a pen and vanished through the door. Caesar put on his gloves and knelt beside the female, all professional looking and unreachable. Miriam turned her back towards him, wiped away her tears and blew her nose, before taking out her camera and a pair of latex gloves of her own. The apartment was almost as abandoned as the other apartment. It seemed as if Robert and Stella Stevenson barely had managed to get their bed and kitchen utensils to their new place before dying. It took her just twenty minutes to go through the whole apartmen
     
  3. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008

    23.
    ?I just can?t believe Henry!? Miriam said to her sister that very evening. They were sitting on the balcony surrounded by the greenery and the fragrance from the potted flowers. The plates were empty and with only the glasses filled with deep red, sweet wine left to sip on.

    ?I mean, for how long have we been together? It?s almost four years now ? and he?s jealous??

    ?Well,? Beth said with her dark, soothing voice, ?he?s never had a reason before.?

    ?As if he has that now!?

    ?Apparently he thinks so.?

    Miriam scoffed and Beth smiled at her, with just a hint of teasing showing.

    ?So tell me about this Carl.?

    ?Well... I don?t know what to tell...? Miriam hesitated. ?He?s younger than me. Redhead. Closed up like an ice cube. Can?t tell what?s going on inside. Hot headed. In a way. I think.?

    Beth laughed.

    ?He doesn?t really sound like your type, does he now??

    Miriam shook her head and took another sip of the wine.

    ?The first year I loathed him, couldn?t stand the sight of him, but now...?

    ?Aha! I knew there was a ?but?!?

    ?Beth!? Miriam protested. ?It?s not like that at all. We start to become good friends, and... and I?m so very happy about it. You can?t even imagine how it is... Sometimes... sometimes this job is so very lonely...?

    Beth got serious.

    ?I?m sorry, hon. I?m just teasing you. I know it?s a hard job you have.? She paused and stroked Miriam?s cheek gently. ?A week at the cabin will work wonders for you two. Then you?ll get the rekindle that you need and Henry will stop these silly thoughts of ?being too old for you?. Good God, men!?

    They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

    *

    Later in the evening the stars had begun to shine and a mild breeze played with Miriam?s hair as she sat alone on the balcony, drinking the last glass of wine, and listening to the soft music from the stereo. ?Morcheeba?. She had stopped by at the store and bought the CD after she and Cyrus left the Stevenson?s old apartment. It had been ?empty as a shoe box?; according to Cyrus, but at least they got the door locked, which felt good. It hadn?t felt comfortable going home, knowing that the door to a crime scene stood unlocked, but she had to admit to herself that she would never have had the courage to go back there alone. Her gaze drifted away to where Luce?s cage used to be and she gave up an almost inaudible sigh. Hurriedly she emptied her glass and heaved herself up from the chair, just a little bit tipsy. She locked the balcony door and the three different security locks before going into the kitchen. While she washed the dishes she leaned her forehead towards the cupboard and hummed to the music, just letting her thoughts drift.

    Half an hour later she laid in her bed, dressed in that silky, rosy nightie that Henry liked so much and her old, worn Teddy loosely in her arms. Surrounded by gentle light and soft music she drifted off to sleep.

    A heavy thump woke her up. Before she even knew that she was awake she sat up in her bed, wide eyed, breathing tightly, with her old teddy in a cramped grasp. Nothing seemed to move in the softly lit apartment. With pounding heart and painfully shallow breaths, she tried to force limbs that had turned to hot water to move. She couldn?t even hear the music play over the heavy beating in her ears. With jerky moves she managed to let go of the teddy and shove the duvet aside, getting her legs off the bed. Still with her gaze fixed at the doorway she groped for her second gun under the mattress. The cold metal against her fingertips started to calm her down, but when she grabbed it with trembling hands and raised it, she could see it wobble. Even though the naked wooden floor under her feet was chilly and the air condition cooled the night air so much that goose bumps appeared on her arms, big drops of sweat trickled down her forehead and wet her armpits when she forced herself towards the doorway. There was nothing to be heard over the soft music, nothing that disturbed the calm, yet she knew that something was wrong. She felt it deep
     
  4. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    24.
    The forty-five minutes that passed before Henry called on her cell was probably the longest minutes she'd ever experienced in her own home. Her things in the living room had stopped rummaging around after eight and a half minutes, but she hadn?t dared poking her nose out there. She sat on her bed with her gun and her teddy cramped in her arms and the duvet tightly wrapped around her body, almost covering her face. She felt like the worst coward in the world, but she couldn?t release her body, couldn?t order it to go out there, not on her own. It was her home, for crying out loud! She was supposed to be safe here! Nothing bad was supposed to happen here! As the tears ached in her throat she knew now that she had fooled herself when she repeatedly told herself over the years that she was prepared for anything that could come for her in her home.

    ?Liar. Damn fricking liar.? she muttered every half minute or so.

    When her cell finally rang the gun?s handle was wet from her sweat when she released her hand to grab the phone.

    ?I?m right outside, Mimi, but the door is locked.?

    ?Damn! Damn, damn, damn! Not just a fricking coward, but a stupid fricking coward as well! I?m coming.?

    She hung up before he could respond. At least the phone call made her body parts feel like they actually were parts of her again and she could move. She dried her sweaty hands on the duvet, put down the teddy on the messy bed and grabbed the gun again, moving carefully towards the door. Nothing seemed to stir outside, but then again, it was hard for her to judge since her heart beat like a hammer in her chest, made the blood boil and rage in her ears to the extent that she felt almost deaf. She took a calming breath and turned the key, opened the door and poked out. Everything lay in a mess on the floor, but it was a non-moving mess. In spite of that Miriam decided to wait with the deep breath of relief. Instead she sneaked pass the mess on the floor with a suspicious glance at it and at her FBI-bag while moving rapidly towards the front door. A quick look through the security watch showed her Henry outside. A heavy sigh of relief made her calm down and finally started to clear the anxious fog that had replaced her capacity for thinking. With still shaking hands she unlocked the five different security locks. Suddenly she went completely still. The feeling of someone watching her had returned, stronger than before. The hair on her arms stood up and the soles of her feet hurt. Slowly she began to turn around. During an instant of a second she heard a sharp metallic sound, a muffled vibration in the air, and then the fleshy thud when one of her scalpels went right through her left hand and fastened it to the door. Miriam shrieked in pain. Blood gushed down her hand and arm and the only thought that seemed to occupy her was: ?I can?t let the blood smear the nighty, I just can?t, I just can?t, it?s Henry?s fav, I just can?t let it smear it!? The door pushed opened and she screamed again as the throbbing pain gave way for flashing pain.

    Henry charged in with his gun raised, taking in the scene in just a moment, and rushed by her, looking for the perpetrator. Two minutes later he came back, gun tucked away and a towel in his hand.

    ?It?s clear.? he said.

    ?It?s not clear.? she breathed painfully through her teeth. ?You just can?t see it.?

    Henry gave her a worried look, but didn?t say anything more, just came with the towel for her bleeding hand, examined how it stuck to the door with the scalpel.

    ?We need to free your hand, Mimi.?

    ?Yeah? Good idea. Really good idea. Appreciate it. Can you do it now, please, for everything good in the world!?

    ?I don?t want to injure anything, a muscle or suchlike. I need to be...?

    ?Just... take... it... out!?

    ?All right! All right!?

    He frowned as he watched the scalpel?s angle and depth, and then with a rapid move and heavy force he managed to drag it out. Miriam screamed again as the pain flashed sharply when her hand got released and fell down without her being able to stop it. Henry grabbed the towel and wr
     
  5. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    [face_worried] [face_worried] [face_worried]

    That was...absolutely...chilling! The things that move...the icon...the...thing, unseen...came with her. This can't end well. It just can't...can it? [face_praying] [face_praying] [face_praying]

    Awesome work! Keep it coming! =D= =D= =D= =D=
     
  6. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Of course it can't end well - it's Delta Green!!! [face_devil] Anyway, there's still some chapters left before we get to the end, even if we with this post can start to see it. Enjoy the reading.

    ********************************************************************************************

    25.
    The early afternoon sun shone through the vanilla coloured, bland curtains and made the briefing room bath in soft, calming light. Miriam?s hand throbbed through the Tylenol 3 she had taken a couple of hours ago and she had a difficult time keeping it still. For the time she was alone in the room. Henry had gone to pick up her FBI-bag, the icon and the other evidence she found at the Stevenson?s apartment, and Cyrus hadn?t showed up yet. She and Henry had used the hospitality of Dr. Bernard and slept in his patient slash guest room during the few hours that followed the small surgery. That way they managed to get two more hours of sleep than they would have gotten had they gone home to Henry?s, since she flatly refused to enter her own apartment again, at least until that cursed icon was removed. She didn?t know if Henry believed her or not, and it didn?t matter. She just wanted the atrocious thing out of there. After that she could start worrying about people believing her or not. Nervously she picked on the bandaged hand and grimaced when a slightly stronger flash of pain hit her.

    When the door opened a couple of minutes later Henry and Cyrus stepped in together, Henry with a tray steaming, hot coffee. Miriam felt the first genuine smile this day appear on her face.

    ?Aw, look! Coffee! You?re definitely my hero today, Caesar!?

    He smiled back at her.

    ?I thought you needed one, and a large one at that.?

    Cyrus threw his bag on the table and sat down on the chair beside her.

    ?Caesar told me what happened.? he said with genuine concern. ?How do you feel??

    ?Have been better, there?s no doubt about it, but it?s no big deal. It?s not my head or my eyes or my legs. I can function.?

    ?Good. I?m happy.?

    ?I put the icon in our evidence room downstairs.? Henry broke in. ?Hopefully you?ll get some peace tonight.?

    ?Yeah,? Cyrus said, ?it?s annoying if things start to move around down there, but it won?t disturb anyone.?

    ?We?re going to send it to Alphonse as soon as I get an address. I?m quite sure he and his team will find it intriguing.? Caesar added.

    Miriam felt so happy so she could sing; they believed her! Spontaneously she threw her arm around Cyrus and gave him a big hug before getting up and giving Henry another. They laughed at her, Cyrus with suddenly red cheeks, but both of them friendly.

    ?So, team,? Caesar said in a brisk, professional voice, ?let?s get to business?.

    They all settled down around the table. The gentle light smoothened their faces, made them all look younger and less tired than they were.

    ?I got word from Alphonse this morning. He didn?t know anything about the icon, but he had other information. The post card and the writings on its back both refer to a certain orphanage called ?Families Without Frontiers?.?

    ?That?s what it said, didn?t it?? Miriam asked eagerly. ??No one cares about the families without frontiers??. She turned towards Cyrus. ?And the children were adopted, right, Cy??

    A dark shadow had appeared over Cyrus? face.

    ?What?? she asked, suddenly a little concerned. ?Did I say something??

    He shook his head.

    ?No, I just got the full story ? at least I think it?s the full story ? out of Paulina this morning before we went to Bernard, and it?s bad. Oh, but she?s free of eels, though. Good for her, poor little thing.?

    ?What do you mean ?bad?? Worse than ?Annie???

    He gave up a humourless chuckle.

    ?Annie would consider herself lucky to just have to deal with an alcoholic housekeeper. Where these children come from there?s no hope of a sun tomorrow.?

    ?Spit it out, Cyrus.? Caesar said impatiently.

    ?Yeah... Emilia and Paulina?s families knew each other. The parents got killed in front of the children?s eyes and the two girls and Paulin
     
  7. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    26.
    The bustling, energetic atmosphere at the Wicomico Airport struck Miriam as soothing, and so much of every-day-life that she felt that nothing strange could ever happen there. She even found herself smiling. When she and the two men closed in at the exit after picking up their few baggages, she went towards the car rental place and called out over her shoulder:

    ?I?ll drive today.?

    Ten minutes later she had the keys to a Ford Fiesta in a vapid blue colour and was hauling their baggage into the boot with her healthy hand. When she sat down in the front seat it dawned her just how much she really wanted to feel the freedom of the road and the power of the engine in her hand. Cyrus met her gaze in the mirror and winked at her with a smile. She smiled back and realized that just a couple of weeks ago, the fact that he could read her as a book would have ruined her whole day completely, but now she just felt safe and cared for.

    When she got out from the airport area Caesar opened the window and let the mild, sea scented breeze into the car. It was strange, she reflected, that even though they were out on a really serious op it totally felt like a vacation. ?And I wouldn?t even mind a vacation with just us three...? she thought for herself, glancing at Cyrus in the backseat, wind blowing in his red hair, looking out at the scenery with a peaceful expression in his face, and at Caesar beside her, giving her his old loving smile which made her feel warm in her whole body and soul. She let out a happy sigh and gave herself up to the wind, the green countryside, the warm sun, and the silent, but content friendship between the three of them.

    The motel she chose had a porch with a white rocking chair and a tiny yard with green grass and a birch. It had to be a good sign, she decided. Cyrus booked the rooms, being end of summer and tourist season she got a room at the ground floor, while Cyrus and Caesar had rooms at opposite ends at the second, and highest, floor. Her room had a view over a small park with a pond at the other side of the road and she took that as a second good sign.

    She put her small bag in the closet and went into the dark green bathroom. With the dim light in there she almost felt like being in a cave or under water. She peed, undressed and took a long, soothing shower, still with the ?I?m-on-vacation? feeling. The alarm clock showed 3.13 when she came out. That was alright, she decided. It was not like they were going to start working until tomorrow anyway.

    Half an hour later Miriam stepped into Caesar?s room. Cyrus lay casually sprawled out with his lanky body over the bed, arms folded over the big pillow he had brought to the foot of the bed. Caesar sat at the only tiny table in the room, absentmindedly looking through his notebook. They both looked up at her, Cyrus with a friendly grin, Caesar with a professional nod. She put herself down on the floor under the window, toes playing in the square of basking light from the sun on the beige carpet. Caesar folded his notebook with a clasping little sound.

    ?Everyone?s ready? Good. I spoke with the Child Protective Services. They?re open until five. We can just make it if we go now.?

    The drive to the Maryland State Child Protective Services was short, but beautiful with the sun shining abundantly through the trees flanking the road, almost building a tunnel of green leaves.

    ?Green and blue, that?s what this city is all about?, Miriam thought, and then: ?I could live here?, picturing herself as a retired 70 something grandma, surrounded by children and grandchildren, working in her garden and making home-made preserves. Then she scoffed at the thought. ?More likely I?ll end up at one of the locked, padded cells at the psychiatric ward?. Still, it lingered in her mind, that picture of her as a happily retired woman, enjoying life without fear and nightmares.

    She turned left into the parking lot outside the child services? white building and parked opposite the entrance.

    ?Alright, team. Cyrus?s going to be the talker here. Claire
     
  8. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    She cried for a couple of minutes before she managed to compose herself. When she looked up her tired eyes seemed to shine with relief. She watched Cyrus, trustfully as a well-cared child.

    ?What?s going on?? she asked. ?Why can?t I remember??

    ?We?re not really sure,? he answered her with his warm voice, ?but they seem to use some sort of narcoleptic substance that influence the brain?s memory centra.?

    He gave her a steady look and she seemed to accept the half-lie as the truth.

    ?Kerry,? he continued, ?how did you realize about your memory loss??

    She sighed, a deep, shaky sigh, and threw a hand through her dull hair.

    ?I had nightmares,? she started, looking out of the window, ?about children who desperately wanted me to help them, but I... I just walked away, left them to suffer...?

    She sighed again.

    ?I thought it was the stress. I mean, we cannot help all the children out there. We try, but sometimes... most times... it?s impossible. We just have to... try and live with it... one way or the other...?

    Miriam wondered if she was aware of the deep bitterness in her voice. If she was she didn?t seem to care that they noticed it.

    ?I mean, I?m not the only one stressed out here. Stress... does take its toll.?

    ?Like Mary O?Shannigan?? Cyrus asked to Miriam?s surprise, seemingly out of the blue.

    Kerry nodded.

    ?Yes, she jumped from a bridge six weeks ago. She?d been under a lot of stress lately and she said that she started to see the psychologist. Apparently it didn?t help. I liked Mary.?

    Her eyes filled with tears again. Absentmindedly she wiped them off with her hand.

    ?I had felt depressed quite some time when Mary died and her death didn?t really help that, so I started to re-read my diary to try some self-evaluation. That?s when I discovered all of these cases I apparently have handled, like three different children from ?The Families Without Frontiers?. I looked through older case files to find them, but there were nothing, not a single line about them.? After a short silence she added quietly: ?I thought I was going crazy.?

    She looked up at Cyrus again.

    ?I?ve been thinking about going to the psychologist, but I haven?t dared to. I?ve been too afraid that I actually am crazy and I...would never bear being locked in. I?d rather commit suicide. No one here would care about it anyway.?

    ?Why?? Cyrus asked. ?Are suicides that common??

    ?I don?t know what you mean by ?common?, but, yes, at least once per year as long as I?ve been working here, which is four years now. And then it was Maisie. She just disappeared. Just walked out of her family and never came back. That was about two years ago.?

    ?What did the police say about that??

    ?The police?? Kerry scoffed. ?Umm... sorry...?

    Two red spots appeared clearly on her sallow cheeks. Cyrus just smiled warmly and waved the remark away. She looked down at the desk for a moment, before shaking her head a bit.

    ?Yes, the police... They didn?t seem to care too much. They thought that she might have taken a hike to the big city. She had talked about it with a friend apparently. I never heard her say anything about New York, but then again, we weren?t very close.?

    ?So four suicides at as many years? And one disappearance?? Cyrus said thoughtfully. ?Were they all depressed before??

    ?Yes, very much so.?

    ?And did they all go in therapy??

    ?Yes, we all get the offer to meet a psychologist to get our stress levels down. There?s one connected to the office that we go to. Not everyone goes, but I know a few who does. They certainly had.?

    ?But you haven?t.?

    ?No, not yet. I was thinking about it, but now, thanks to you...? her eyes filled with tears again as she smiled towards him, ?I don?t think I have to.?

    Cyrus smiled warmly back. Then he leaned in towards her.

    ?Just a suggestion, Kerry, don?t mention anything of what we?ve been talking about. The people from ?The Families Without Frontiers? are dangerous and we don?t know what they?re up to.?

    The smile disappeared from Kerry?s face and she looked frig
     
  9. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    [face_worried] Oh...This is just so mega-creepy. Kerry is wonderfully portrayed, poor creature. Just thinking about being in that kind of situation - no wonder she was going crazy! [face_worried] [face_worried]

    Now, I just hope that nobody working for them spots them entering or leaving....[face_worried] [face_worried]
     
  10. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Hiya! I'm back! At least for now. Sorry that it took me so long, but Christmas season tend to do that to me. :-( Anyway, here's a shortie for ya!

    ******************************************************************************************

    27.
    The drive to Kerry?s house had been silent and tense, everyone in their own thoughts. When they stepped out of the car at the three-story New England style building, Cyrus and Kerry started to walk towards the entrance, but Caesar lingered behind, grabbing Miriam?s arm. Surprised she turned towards him.

    ?You go up with them. I?ll make a couple of phone calls and stay on the lookout. See if you can find out anything in her apartment, if she?s been bugged or such.?

    Miriam stared at him.

    ?Bugged? We never checked her office.?

    Two red spots appeared on Caesar?s cheeks and he looked away with a frown.

    ?I know. Stupid mistake. Just like a beginner.?

    ?Then they might know everything!?

    He looked back at her at that faint trace of panic in her voice.

    ?Not everything, Mimi, not everything.?

    ?But enough to be well-prepared for us!?

    He sighed.

    ?Yes. We got careless. We might have underestimated them.?

    ?But...?

    ?Claire.? Caesar?s voice was firm. ?There might not be a lot of time.?

    She nodded.

    ?Yes. I?m sorry.?

    She grabbed her CSI bag and hurried after the other two who were still waiting for her at the entrance. Cyrus gave her an inquisitorial look when she came, but she avoided his gaze, didn?t want to say anything before Kerry. It was enough to have been careless once. She wouldn?t make that mistake twice.

    Kerry led them up to the highest level and took the keys out of her left pocket. Before she could use it Miriam held up her hand.

    ?I?m going to look around your apartment a bit, if you don?t mind, Kerry.?

    The young woman nodded.

    ?To do so I need to have totally quiet around me. Please do not talk when we enter so I can work as efficient as possible.?

    Kerry stared at her.

    ?Umm... Sure...?

    She put the key in the look with a questioning look at Miriam who nodded approvingly. When the door opened and they entered Miriam caught the amused smile on Cyrus? face.

    The first thing that struck her was the smell of garbage, dirty dishes and stationary, dull air. It was hard not to grimace. The evening sun shone hard and mercilessly into the filthy apartment. Used clothes lay everywhere, half covering empty pizza and hamburger cartons and open cans of soft drink. Flies buzzed lazily around them. The TV was on, showing one or another of the gazillions of soap operas that drenched the American TV-selection. Miriam gave up an inward sigh. How was she going to find anything important here? Kerry made a gesture of turning the TV off, but Miriam waved her away from the control. She could see how the other woman stared at her as if she was crazy, but she just gave her an irritated frown and then ignored her. The table lamps were clean. No bugs there. She was going to need a chair to look into the ceiling lamp, so she concentrated on the stationary phone first. Not a minute later the phone showed her what she was looking for. Miriam frowned at it and reassembled the phone. There was no need to look for anything else. If there was one, there were probably more around, both here and at Kerry?s office. She put down the phone and went through the small apartment, looking for something that might catch her eye, but there was nothing in particular. To be able to do a thorough investigation of the place, Miriam would need at least three days to dig through all the dirt. There was no time for that. Cyrus stood at the door with the diary in gloved hands, just putting it into an evidence bag and Kerry stood lifeless beside him. Miriam ushered both of them out and didn?t even wait until the younger woman had locked the door. She was out with Caesar way ahead of the other two.

    ?Yes??

    ?Yes.?

    ?Cursed!?

    He looked behind her.

    ?Kerry. I got a hold of the witness protection group. We are going to meet up with a unit in thirty minutes.
     
  11. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    Duh! *facepalm*

    What a mistake to make! And in this case, that can really get costly! Ceasar is losing his touch, eh? If it really is Ceasar! [face_worried]

    Great post! Way to build even more tension! I can't take it anymore!

    Waitaminute, yes I can! Gimme more! Now![face_dancing] [face_dancing]
     
  12. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Here's another shortie. It doesn't have a number cuz it's actually the end of the last chapter. Oops... [face_blush]

    ******************************************************************************************


    They ate their dinner sitting in the car. The false feeling of being on vacation was definitely gone by now and they gobbled down their burgers and fries under a grim silence. Finally Caesar looked up from his food and gave them that unemotional and professional stare that they hadn?t seen since the beginning of the case.

    ?All right, team. I made a huge mistake and because of that our chances to succeed are... minimal... I take full responsibility and I?m sorry that I?ve put us in more danger than was necessary.?

    Cyrus glared back at him.

    ?Hey, C! You do know that we?re three in this team, right? That means three brains ? or no-brains in this case.?

    ?True, ? Caesar admitted, ?but the responsibility is still mine. As the head of the cell and after being a DG-agent for twenty-three years, I should know better.?

    ?Caesar...? Miriam begun, but he held up his hand to stop her.

    ?Let me finish.? he said and then turned silent.

    Miriam moved restlessly on the seat. Then he spoke again, looking them firmly in the eyes.

    ?When you were up in Kerry?s apartment I contacted Alphonse. However this will end it will be my last mission.?

    ?What?? Miriam gasped, not believing her ears. Cyrus sat silent, watching Caesar intently.

    ?I?m losing my grip. It?s been obvious for some time now and you know it. I?ve seen it in your eyes. I need to step down before I put us or anyone else in more danger.?

    ?No!? Miriam almost yelled. ?You can?t be serious! You don?t mean it!?

    ?Claire.? His voice was sympathetic, but firm, leaving no space for questioning. ?Cyrus, you will take over as the head for the rest of this op. I will assist you, of course, and give advice if you ask for them, but the decision making is yours. We will get help too. L-cell will join up with us tomorrow. Together we should be able to even out the odds.?

    Silence fell in the car. Miriam was close to tears. Caesar scrutinized Cyrus.

    ?Any objections to your new role, Cyrus??

    ?No, sir.?

    ?Good.?

    He sighed and leaned back in the car seat, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

    ?Um... Hmm...? Cyrus cleared his throat. ?All right... My suggestion is that we go back to the motel and check our rooms thoroughly. If we find them bugged, then we need to check out and find ourselves someplace else to spend the night. If not, then I think that we just need the evening and night off. We can?t make any plans until L-cell turns up tomorrow anyway.?

    Caesar nodded.

    ?Sounds good. We?re supposed to meet them at the down town library at ten, at the mystery section.?

    Cyrus smirked.

    ?Suitable enough, I guess.?

    ?Claire??

    She just shrugged, looking down on her hands, lying limp in her lap.

    ?Whatever.?

    ?All right, let?s go then.? Caesar said and started the car.

    ***

    The rooms weren?t bugged and according to the receptionist no one had been asking for them or entered their rooms. That seemed to make both Caesar and Cyrus in a lot better mood, but Miriam felt that if she didn?t get to be alone soon, she would start bawling in front of the men. She just mumbled something to them that would only be translated as ?Good night? in the most generous terms, locked the door behind her, and crept down into bed, crying her eyes out. She felt so betrayed and lost. Caesar had always been there, her kind, safe hero. He could not have done this to her! Who would she lean on after this? Cyrus? In the midst of all her tears a giggle broke through and then she cried and giggled by turns for a while before she fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion.
     
  13. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    So, it looks like it's the real Ceasar after all. That's a relief :)

    Poor Mimi, I just loved her giggling about Cyrus "being her new rock" [face_laugh] [face_laugh] [face_laugh]

    Keep'em coming! We're getting close to a climax here, and I want to know what happens!! I think....[face_worried]
     
  14. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Yes, Miriam leaning on Cyrus' shoulder might be an unexpected sight... *s* Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

    ********************************************************************************************

    28.
    Dawn broke with a heavy rain hammering on the window. Miriam woke up slowly, feeling almost dazed, after a night of nearly torpid sleep. In the back of her head a dull pain tried to work itself through. She looked at the alarm clock. Almost six. No use in getting back to sleep. In spite of that thought she turned on her side and buried herself under the thick duvet.

    The alarm clock sounded one hour later. Her headache had blossomed during that time, drenching the dull pain from her damaged hand, and every movement made her grimace in pain. She dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom where she dug out her Tylenol 3s and swallowed one with the cold water from the bathroom tap. The shower was hot and made muscles she didn?t even know being tense relax. Today she just wanted to snuggle up under a blanket with a cup hot tea. Instead she put on the only pair of jeans she had brought with her, old, comfortable and almost velvety in texture, a soft black linen shirt and her likewise black trench coat, before heading to the European café across the street for some hearty breakfast, still with damp, tousled hair under the new umbrella she just bought at the reception desk.

    Cyrus and Caesar were already there, waiting for her. As they enjoyed fresh pressed orange juice, sweet, ripe peaches, large sandwiches with cheese, ham and vegetables, thick, smooth Greek yogurt with locally produced honey, and hot, black coffee they watched the rain coming down like there was no end to it.

    ?It feels almost surreal,? Cyrus said after a while, ?after this whole summer without even a drop of rain and suddenly you can?t even see the opposite pavement because of it.?

    Caesar smiled.

    ?I bet that the sun is shining back home, though.?

    ?Probably. I don?t know if this rain is to our advantage or disadvantage, though. I mean, no one will notice us driving to the library, that?s for sure, but we?ll never be able to blend in once there, especially if we?re going to be the only ones around.?

    ?Hm, I think you?re right.? Caesar frowned thoughtfully.

    ?If someone?s trying to track us, they?ll definitely see who we?re meeting with too.? Miriam added. ?What do you say, Cy? Shall we split up? I can go meeting the O?s.? She looked down at her jeans. ?I?m probably the one of us who?d blend in the best.?

    Disapproval was clearly shown all over Caesar?s face, but Cyrus didn?t seem to notice. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the table?s edge.

    ?I don?t know.? he said after a second. ?It?s probably not safe, and safe is what we absolutely want to be now. I have a distinct feeling that we?re closing in on something big, and that we might be in more danger than before. On the other hand I don?t like the idea of the sect knowing that we?re getting reinforcements.?

    ?They might already know.? Caesar said, still frowning.

    ?What do you mean?? Miriam asked with a worried tang in her voice.

    ?Just that they always seem to be a step before us. Who knows, they might have been bugging our phones or our clothes.?

    Miriam shook her head.

    ?I don?t think so. The bug I found yesterday was crude. Kerry could?ve found it herself had she just been looking for it. I don?t think they know what they?re doing when it comes to that kind of technology.?

    Cyrus checked his watch.

    ?We need to decide now what we?re up to, if we?re indeed up to something. We?ll meet the others in twenty minutes.?

    ?Just let me off a block from the library.? Miriam said hastily. ?That way you?ll be able to see if someone?s following me. I?ll give you a call as soon as I?ve entered the place, and then I can probably get a ride with the O?s to... say... what about the parking lot at the mall, where we were yesterday??

    Cyrus nodded.

    ?All right, seems like a sound enough plan, hasty, but sound. Let?s go.? He swallowed the rest of his
     
  15. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    Great to see C-Cell getting reinforcements! Though the O's seem less than friendly. And why does the name Ann Wheeler ring a bell? [face_worried]
     
  16. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Yes, it'll be interesting following the two cells' integration... [face_mischief]

    ********************************************************************************************

    29.
    After a short ride in awkward silence the Chevrolet parked beside C-cell?s rented car at the almost empty mall parking lot. Miriam got out as quickly as she possibly could and sought silent refuge with Caesar and Cyrus who just stepped out of their car. Cyrus gave her a glance before turning towards the other agents, apparently looking them over. Olwen and Omega calmly returned his gaze, but Oona crossed her arms over her chest.

    ?Agent Cyrus.? he said and turned towards Olwen. She nodded with a friendly smile.

    ?I?m agent Olwen. This is my team; agent Omega and agent Oona. We?re pleased to be able to help you out with this op. Claire wanted to wait until we were all gathered before she filled us in with the details.?

    ?As if she knew any.? Oona muttered under her breath. Olwen turned on her heal, staring angrily at the black haired agent, lips sternly set, but before she could say anything Cyrus stepped in.

    ?Excuse me?? he said, overly polite. ?Did you just imply that my agent does not know her job??

    ?She doesn?t seem to have lot of routine, that?s all.?

    ??That?s all???

    Miriam felt her anger fume.

    ?I?ve been an agent for six years and don?t you dare talk about me as if I?m not here!?

    ?Oona, it?s actually none of your business.? Olwen said.

    ?Yes, it is.? Oona answered. ?If she?s lacking routine she can get us all killed.?

    Cyrus looked coldly at the other agent.

    ?Agent Claire does not lack routine, and your superior is right, agent Oona, it is none of your business. You, on the other hand, can be dangerous if you are going to question everything we do. I and my cell are in charge for this op. You will act on my orders or not act at all. At this point you still have the opportunity to back out if that does not suit you. Is that clear, agent Oona??

    Silence fell as all of them were watching Oona. Rain came pouring down outside the parking lot, hiding them from the outside world.

    ?It is, agent Cyrus.? she said at last, then turned and looked at Miriam with cold eyes. ?If it matters to you, I?m sorry that I questioned your competence.?

    Miriam, still angry, just shrugged. Then she saw Cyrus raised eyebrows.

    ?Apology accepted.? she muttered.

    Olwen let out her breath.

    ?All right, matter settled.? she said. ?Let?s get this op rolling. Please, Cyrus, fill us in on the details. The only thing we know so far is that we?re dealing with some kind of sect that uses unorthodox methods to deal with people.?

    ?I will let agent Caesar do the filling for you. He?s the academic amongst us.? Cyrus said with a smile.

    ?Yes.? Caesar said and brought forward his notebook, turned some pages and cleared his throat. ?This is believed to be a sect that seems to have an origin during the 1920?s. It was scattered and thought destroyed, but evidence give to hand that it survived, even if we?re at this point not one hundred percent sure that is the same sect today as back then. It seems to have a religious ground, evidence speaks of ?The Great Mother?, for example, and one of their customs seems to be to either remove or burn their genitals. For some reason the one place we have found that seems to be a base is the orphanage ?Families without Frontiers? which is located outside Delaware. They seem to brain wash the children at the orphanage into sect members. The children that refuse to worship ?The Great Mother? disappear. We also know that the members of the sect have unusual skills, at least all that we have encountered. They can use mind-control to make people forget about their whereabouts, as well as taking the appearance of another human being. They don?t hesitate of killing people. The two different modus operandi that we have encountered are ritualistic murder and planting carnivorous eels in the victims? stomachs.?

    He looked up at the three stone-faced agents of the O-cell.

    ?Any questions??

    Once
     
  17. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    Another great post! =D=

    I loved the chemistry and friction between these two cells, established so clearly in such a short space! Great work! Really looking forward to how this will end. Well, that is...I mean..I have a bad feeling about this! [face_worried]
     
  18. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    Of course you have a bad feeling about this. It's Delta Green. [face_devil]

    ********************************************************************************************

    30.
    They had picked up all the surveillance gear and extra weapons at the local police station, bought heavy rain clothes, boots, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents and a kerosene stove at a survival store and groceries at the Super Fresh, checked out from the motel, and driven all the way out to the rural and mostly uninhabited area where the orphanage was located, the whole time covered by the pouring rain. Miriam had started to bless the downfall, since it would be almost impossible for anyone to follow them without being discovered, judging from the complete lack of other cars on the road. On the other hand it felt almost spooky sitting in one of two lonely cars on an empty road while the rain hammered in wrath on the roof. It was almost as if the rest of humanity had died.

    The smooth hills were shining brilliantly green around them, penetrating the rain with their colour. They drove past the insignificant sign that pointed towards the entrance to the orphanage. From her seat in the back, Miriam could see the whitewashed houses behind split-railed fences. At some distance behind the main house an enclosed pasture with white-and-brown spotted cattle grazed. It looked idyllic. From the outside it was impossible to imagine such cruelties as those Paulina had told Cyrus about.

    A couple of exits later Cyrus drove into one of them and parked to the side, letting O-cell?s car catch up.

    ?All right,? he said when they all gathered around him, ?let?s try to find a couple of good spots for surveillance and one good one for camp. I guess that we have at least the rest of the day hidden, so to say, thanks to the rain. Let?s make as good use of it as possible. I think that if we split up we might have a better chance of finding our places. My suggestion is that Olwen and Caesar go together, Omega and Claire, and Oona and I make pairs.?

    When no one objected Cyrus reached into his bag and brought forward six walkie-talkies and three maps companioned by compasses that he handed out to everyone.

    ?Where are we going to hide the cars?? Olwen asked.

    ?I guess that ?hide them? might be an overstatement in this landscape, but hopefully we?ll be able to find a couple more hidden spots at any of these desolated farm roads, maybe in a hollow or, even better, if we can find a grove of trees.?

    ?So just let them stand here for now, then??

    Cyrus watched the cars and the landscape with a frown.

    ?You and I can drive our car some hundreds of yards or so further down the road.? Oona suggested. ?It might not be as conspicuous then.?

    ?Good thinking. Let?s do that.?

    He nodded towards the others as he and Oona turned and got into O-cell?s car, Oona at the driver?s seat. Olwen faced the rest of them.

    ?Omega and Claire, if you go in a east-southeast direction, Caesar and I take the east-northeast direction. Let?s keep in touch every thirty minutes.?

    They all grabbed their backpacks and started walking. The wet grass reached up to Miriam?s knees and the resistance soon made her pant for breath. Omega gave her a friendly smile.

    ?Not used to being out of the city, are you??

    Miriam smiled back.

    ?Not really. I mean, yes, I?m out at a lake once every year, but I guess sitting at the lake shore with a drink at sunset doesn?t really count.?

    Omega laughed.

    ?It depends on what you?re counting, love.?

    Miriam laughed too.

    ?So what about you?? she asked with a bit of curiosity. ?What?s your background? I take it that you?re not one to sit behind a desk the whole day.?

    ?That?s correct.? Omega said with her warm smile. ?Both Oona and I are ex-rangers, but I?ve been with DG for two years now. In a way it?s not very different. You?re still out in the field and you?re still shooting the enemies. It?s just what you?re considering ?the enemies? that has changed.?

    ?Huh... Yeah, I guess...? Miriam frowned. ?Well, I?m from the FBI, original
     
  19. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    The big breath before the final leap, eh?

    Well, I'm glad they at least had one good meal together. Let's hope it's not their final....[face_worried]
     
  20. Darth_Bliss

    Darth_Bliss Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2008
    You can say that again, Danaan. The final leap will soon be here. There are just a couple of chapters left of the novel, actually...

    There's only one thing I want to say, though, before you start read this. In this post there's a lot of graphic violence. If you (or anyone else who might be reading this) are very sensitive I wouldn't recommend reading this post.

    ********************************************************************************************

    31.
    When Miriam had been released the next morning after an uneventful watch, it had stopped raining and the dawn promised sunshine. It was still damp in the air and the grass wore dresses of glistening dewdrops. She walked with a smile on her face at the serene beauty. When she got to the camp she put water to boil on the kerosene stove for tea and helped herself to some sandwiches and fruitsations. She sat alone on one of the hills and watched the landscape bath in the rising sun while she drank her tea and ate her breakfast. Birds chirped everywhere and she felt just plain happy.

    The day proceeded slowly. She had time to actually rest for what felt as the first time since this case had begun. She read her book, took a long afternoon nap in the basking sunshine, ate some dinner, and when it was her turn to take the evening shift she felt refreshed. No one had seen any strange things that day, just children taking care of the farm. They looked well-fed enough, Oona said when Miriam released her, with no sign of abuse.

    ?No adults?? Miriam asked.

    Oona shook her head.

    ?None whatsoever. It?s weird, now when I think about it. Ah well, maybe they?re like Dracula, just popping out, showing their ugly faces only when it?s dark.?

    Miriam laughed with her and then Oona waved and went back to the camp.

    She had been watching the empty farm for approximately two boring hours and she was desperately trying to stay awake while yawning so her eyes watered, when the children, about twenty of them, suddenly came running out from the farmhouse, screaming and laughing. Miriam grimaced. She had never been particularly fond of children in groups. They were playing some kind of game, she assumed, some intricate form of tag from what it looked like. She let her eyes wander away for a minute. When she looked back at the farm again she realized that this form of tag involved not pats on a shoulder, but punches wherever they managed to reach. It seemed to be especially popular to hit someone in the face. When a little boy got a fist right on his nose so hard that it started to bleed and he began to cry, all the other children whooped and laughed and applauded. Then they physically kicked him out of the game. He disappeared into the house, still crying and bleeding. Miriam moved uncomfortably on the grass. The game went on with more punches leading to bloodshed until there were only three older children, probably teenagers, left. They put their arms around each other and sang something that even from this distance had the sound of a victory song. Then they too disappeared into the house and everything went quiet.

    At midnight Cyrus released her. She told him about the game and he frowned.

    ?And no adult around during the whole day? Not that I?m actually very surprised after what Paulina told me, but it?s one thing to hear it and a totally different one to see things that indicates she was right.?

    He sighed wearily and threw a hand through his hair.

    ?Last night was uneventful, just that old lady spending some hours at the barn. If this one follows the same pattern it would at least indicate that they?re all asleep during night time.?

    ?That would be good, give us some advantage.?

    ?Yeah. After tomorrow night we should have a good enough understanding of their procedures to be able to plan our next step.?

    Miriam couldn?t stop herself from a long yawning and Cyrus laughed at her.

    ?Look at you. Well rested enough to swim across the Atlantic and then climb Kilimanjaro.?

    ?Right...?

    ?Hm, if you didn?t notice it yourself, you?ll probably need some
     
  21. Danaan

    Danaan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2008
    =D= =D= =D=

    Also [face_sick] [face_sick] [face_sick]

    This could go very, very badly for everybody, but with 2 ex-rangers and surprise on their side, they just MIGHT have a chance! [face_praying]

    Also, I really, really hope those bastages at the orphange get what's *****ing coming to them! :mad: [face_skull] Go Delta-Green!![face_flag]

    Can't wait for more!