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

Why wait with the next post, when I have it right here? And yes, you're both right of course. How shafted are they really? Take a look and see for your selves.

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12.
A cup of tea, a slice of bread and a small bowl with yoghurt later, she actually felt relatively fine and prepared enough to go to the office. They stopped at the coffee shop at the corner of the FBI headquarters and bought muffins and Jamaican coffee before heading up to their room. Cyrus was already there. He looked audaciously fresh and well-rested as he sat weighing on the chair with some papers in his lap and chewing away on a pen. He looked up when they came in with their hands full of goodies.

?Ah, there you are. I was just about to call you.?

?We got a little occupied.? Caesar said.

Cyrus turned his head and viewed the park at the opposite side of the street from the window.

?Lovely day today, isn?t it. You?d almost like to take the day off and just relax in the park, dozing off in the amazingly emerald green grass.?

Caesar stared unbelievingly at Cyrus a moment before he suddenly burst out laughing.

?Sorry, I had almost forgotten about that little deal we came up with tonight, but apparently you?re as green as the emerald grass out there.?

He put up the black bag on the table.

?Here, take a look. We found it in my closet this morning.?

Cyrus put away his papers and pen and got up from the chair, putting on a pair of latex gloves before opening it. Miriam busied herself with arranging the muffins and the coffee at the other table in the room, carefully placing her back at the bag and its contents. She could hear the dull clang when the knife was put down on the table and the very sound made her shiver. She took a sip of the coffee and felt the warm liquid heat up her stomach. After what seemed like an hour later Cyrus finally said:

?So they were our ritualistic murderers??

?That seems very likely, yes, but we need to get that paintbrush to the lab and see if the blood will match Professor Bruchheimer?s.?

There was a slightly pause.

?And I take it that you were the next in line, C??

?I can?t really see why they would have placed it in my closet otherwise.?

?Huh??

She could hear the drumming from Cyrus? fingers at the table and took another sip of the coffee.

?I wonder what they thought they would achieve with that. Split our cell, most probably, not that I think they were aware of us being a cell, mind you, but it could also be a sign of their preferences of murder victims.?

?Elderly, white males??

?With academic profession or background, yes. Interesting. Let?s put everything in e-bags and give them all to the lab. By the way, here?s some juicy news for you: neither of them have fingerprints.?

?What?? Miriam turned around. Cyrus gave her a wry smile.

?No fingerprints what so ever. According to the lab their fingertips are as blank as a mirror.?

?How can that be??

Cyrus shrugged.

?If they can manipulate their bodies, why wouldn?t they be able to manipulate their fingerprints? By the way, how are you? You look a little pale.?

?It?s okay.?

He studied her a little longer than she thought necessary and she felt that old, familiarly awkwardness again. She turned her back to him.

?We brought muffins and coffee if you?d like.?

?Thanks.?

He came around the table and grabbed a mug.

?Do you want to hear the other juicy part??

?I don?t know.? she said, still with her back towards him. ?Do I??

He gave up a short laugh.

?Probably not. I?ll give it to you anyway. Neither of them had genitals.?

Miriam swung around and stared at him.

?What do you mean, Cyrus?? Caesar asked demandingly.

Cyrus suddenly looked uncomfortable.

?The woman had apparently been burned with hot iron and there was nothing left.?

Miriam felt herself get cold and sweaty.

?That?s horrible!? she burst out.

?And the men??

?The other you h

 

Another good update, the story rolls along! I'm not entirely sure a spa day is going to go the way they want it to, however. I don't know if I can watch.

They both stared at Cyrus, eyebrows raised.

?I know,? he said, ?it?s nuts.?

Nope, no nuts. They didn't have genitals, right?

Nice job! Can't wait for the continuation!

 

Sorry for not reacting to this: I really thought I had

Anyway: wonderful post, as always! I mean, this is exposition, summarizing what the heroes know and do not know, and where to next. Those are notoriously difficult to make interesting and exciting, yet this succeeds, particularly with just getting the chemistry between the characters going, they really seem to have gelled to a team now! My personal favourites are that Ceaser seemed to have forgotten about the little emerald password - very human thing to do - and the way Miriam have to persuade the others about the potential that they're actually dealing with some sort of larger organization, rather than just three nut-jobs, which just kicks the tension, and stakes, to a whole new, chilly, level.

Great job! I want more!

 

Thank you, friends. I'm really happy that you're still with me. Bare with me now when I'm struggling with DRL. There will be more chapters added to the story, I just don't really know when. Time and energy are really on the low side right now, but hang in there. One day or another there'll be a new post.

 

So, here we go again. It goes slowly, I admit that, but as long as it actually goes, I'm happy. I have a couple of chapters ready to launch, so why wait?

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13.
?We need to start from the beginning again.? Caesar said when they all sat gathered around the table in the briefing room. ?We need to find what links these people to the Stevenson family. This means that we have lots to do right now.?

He rose and went to the white board, fetched a black pen and started to scribble.

Emilia Stevenson
The disappearance of Robert and Stella Stevenson
The eels
Professor Bruchheimer
The false P. B.
The other us
Checking lab results asap

He looked at Cyrus and Miriam.

?This afternoon we?re going to do some different things. I?m going to check Emilia Stevenson?s body once more. Claire, you?ll have to take a look at the other Caesar and see if he resembles to that man in your memories from the museum. Cyrus, I need you to check on the eels again to see if they?re still alive. When you?ve done that I want you and Claire to watch the security cameras at the museum, beginning with Tuesday?s surveillance films. We also need to find out whom that false Professor Bruchheimer was and see if we can figure out if he?s a part of the probable fraction the other us might have belonged to. Another thing we need to check out is the FBI-files over Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson since you didn?t find anything in the regular files, Claire. I?ll do that during the afternoon. Yet another thing that I?ll look into is if there?s any knowledge in the DG-files about a possible fraction or organization that matches what we know so far about the behaviour of the other us. Hopefully we?ll get a clearer picture about this case by tomorrow.?

They both nodded their agreement.

?And speaking of tomorrow we need to go back to the Stevenson?s apartment to check for traces we might have missed the first time. Any questions??

They both shook their heads.

?Well, let?s start then.?

Caesar folded his notebook, took it under his arm and with a friendly nod towards the others he left the room with determined steps, heading for the morgue. Cyrus bounced up from the chair and started to clean up the left-over-muffins from the table. Miriam got up a little slower, looking at the door as it closed.

?So, how are you feeling?? Cyrus asked over the shoulder.

?Hm??

?I said, how are you feeling? Your ?I?m okay? back there didn?t sound very convincing to me. Not quite recovered from that sleeping fluid, are you??

?Oh? Well? I don?t know.? She frowned.

?No side-effects??

Miriam turned towards him, raising her eyebrows.

?What??

?I said, no side-effects??

?I did hear you. I just wondered what the hell you?re up to, Cy? Worried about me? That?s not like you.?

Cyrus stopped wrapping the muffins in plastic and glanced at her. Then he came back to the table and leaned casually on it.

?I could say that I?m just concerned about you, you know.?

?You could.?

?But??

She sighed wearily and sat down again.

?What?s wrong, Cy? Can you spit it out so we can get to work??

Cyrus drew his hand through his hair and sat himself down on the table, avoiding her gaze.

?You?re quite bothersome, Claire. Why not just tell me exactly how you?re feeling??

She felt the irritation rise to the surface.

?All right. I?m nauseous and have stomach pain and feel sweaty and dizzy. Satisfied??

He met her irritated stare with an open, concerned look in his eyes. She felt all her irritation melting away by this unexpected sight, and immediately being replaced by a worried pang instead.

?What??

He looked away.

?I don?t know. I?m not sure.?

?Not sure about what? You think there was something more in that sleeping fluid? Like what? You think that I?m sick in some way, or spreading something, or??

She abruptly stopped speaking, and felt her breaths harden, rasping her throat. The cold sinking in

 

Uh-oh...

Also, I love how you spin on the paranoia - Cy acting out of his normal arrogant way, actually caring? Maybe he's a doppelganger after all? Oh...it's actually much, much worse...nice...

Keep up the great work! I can't wait to see how this will end. Or...maybe I don't really want to know

 

Oh Danaan, you know we want to know what happens next. We just won't want to dream the dreams afterwards.

Great post! So easy to take for granted the things that are done to us are harmless; it's hard to consider someone actively trying to implant you with infection...or worse. *shudder* I definitely look forward to what happens next!

 

I seem to have found the inspiration again. In a way I'm not so sure it's a good thing, considering all the nightmares I suddenly have...

So, you want to know if the poor agents have eels in their stomachs? Well, go ahead and enjoy yourselves.

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14.
?Carl! What a pleasant surprise! I haven?t seen you since I stitched those claw marks in your leg together last summer.?

The wrinkles in the corners of Dr. Bernard?s eyes deepened when he smiled mischievously. For the second day in a row Miriam had the pleasure of seeing Cyrus blush, this time awkwardly at the memory of the mission he had failed. Dr. Bernard turned to Miriam. The salt and pepper in his hair had become more accentuated and his warm brown skin tone had gotten gray shadows of tiredness. She had known him briefly for eight years and had had numerous wounds treated by him, wounds that no one wanted to be written down in the official hospital records.

?How?s your shoulder, Miriam? Does it hurt??

?Only during winter time.?

He nodded.

?You?ll probably experience that during the rest of your life if you stay here. It?s too damp here. Move to Arizona. That?ll do it. Or you can come to me when it?s getting cold and I?ll give you something for the pain.?

He paused and gave them a thorough look.

?So, what brings you to me today? Apparently you can walk, so there?s nothing broken or wounded.?

Miriam glanced at Cyrus to let him do the talking.

?We need an x-ray each of our stomachs, Dr. Bernard. We might have something? some kind of living creatures there.?

He opened his bag and brought out a small glass jar with one of the dead eels in it, which they had picked up before they left the head quarter.

?This is a fully grown example of the species. We have reason to believe that if we?re carrying this kind, they?re still in the larvae state.?

Dr. Bernard held out his hand and reached for the jar. Nothing but a mild curiosity showed in his face while he studied it. Still with his gaze fixed at the eel he said:

?If you have anything like this in you, we?ll have it out before noon.?

He looked up.

?Who wants to start? The lady?

Miriam felt a pang of fear, but she managed to smile and nod.

?Sure. Why not? Carl??

?Go ahead.?

Dr. Bernard brought her into the small, gray examination room and waved at her to take a seat on the bunk. He himself took place in the swirling chair and turned on the computer.

?So, Miriam, an x-ray wouldn?t do any good. We need to do an ultra-sound instead.?

?Okay.?

He studied the screen and wrote something down.

?I take it that the species have some kind of teeth or other way to fasten themselves to the stomach. Otherwise they would enjoy the exotic sight of the drainage instead of your abdomen, if not now so at least after your next visit to the washroom.?

Miriam blushed.

?Umm? I?ve seen the results of them, and it wasn?t pretty. They hadn?t been flushed down in a toilet, that?s for sure. I can?t tell you more than that, I think, since it?s part of our investigation right now.?

?Mhm.?

Dr. Bernard swirled around and patted on the bunk.

?Take off that shirt of yours and lay down, please.?

She did as he asked while he occupied himself with preparing the ultrasound.

?All right. Have you had an ultrasound done before, Miriam??

She shook her head.

?No? Okay. It doesn?t hurt. You might feel a warm sensation from the sound waves, and the gel I?m using is cold at first touch, but other than that you won?t feel a thing.?

She drew her breath when the gel touched her skin.

?Yeah, cold indeed.?

Dr. Bernard nodded and put the probe on her tummy. He moved it calmly over her skin while he watched the screen, which was placed in such an angle that Miriam couldn?t get even one glimpse of what was going on. The humming from the machine was the only sound in the room. Time ticked on without anything happening. Since she cou

 

Inspiration! Yay!

He's got a good sense of humour, that doc.

Quite an interesting observation, too, that they don't like the ultra-sound - now we know their weakness!

And Mimi has an important choice to make!

Can't wait for the next post! This is so very exciting!

Edit: And that youtube vid you linked in your now edited first post really does some up life in Delta Green very well, doesn't it?

 

Yes, I have to admit that Dr. Bernard is one of my favourite characters. And the eels are most likely gone from the world soon, since Mimi has made her choice. Take a look and see for yourself.

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15.
It was two sore agents who one and a half hour later stepped into Cyrus? car and drove to the museum. Miriam decided that this episode was going to be one that she would force herself to forget as soon as possible. The relief she felt to have the eels removed safely from her stomach almost made her cry, but the memory of the procedure made her shiver, as if it was a cold November evening outside, not a stifling hot July afternoon. Cyrus sat silently behind her, still a little pale, but otherwise he didn?t seem to have gone through anything worse than a car wash. She gave him a sour look from the side, but he didn?t seem to notice.

At the museum Mr. Swanson greeted them with a little less enthusiasm than last time they had seen him. Miriam stood quiet and let Cyrus do the talking.

?Mr. Swanson,? he greeted the guard, a tad hoarsely, ?how are you doing??

?Huh.? the guard almost snorted, ?I didn?t think you?d remember my name, but then again, you policemen always have things like that written down, right.?

Cyrus looked a little embarrassed, but Miriam had a feeling that it wasn?t sincere.

?That?s right, but I do remember your name nevertheless. I?m good with names and faces.?

?Yeah, right. I guess that you?re especially good with female guard-names, eh??

This time a faint blush showed on Cyrus? cheeks and Miriam saw that he clenched his teeth behind the polite smile he flashed. It seemed like he had been more affected by the gastroscopy than she first thought.

?So what do you want?? the guard continued with badly hidden disrespect. ?Professor Bruchheimer ain?t in today and will never be, so you can do whatever you want with his room, I guess.?

Cyrus caught Mr. Swanson?s gaze and said with a serious tone:

?We?re actually here to look at the surveillance films from Monday and on.?

?The surveillance films???

Miriam could see how the security guard?s curiosity awakened.

?Yes, please. And a copy of an updated employee list included with photos, if you would be so kind.?

?Hmm?? He turned around, reaching for a key box.

?May I ask why?? he asked over his shoulder.

?You may, but unfortunately I can?t tell you more than that it has to do with Professor Bruchheimer?s death.?

Cyrus sounded apologetic, and the guard nodded when he came back to the desk with a key in his hand.

?You?ll have to wait here while I get them for you, but let me say this much to you; we all liked the old man and if you can get the bastard who killed him and get him fried, I?ll help you as much as I can.?

He stared defiantly at Cyrus and Cyrus acknowledged him courteously.

?Thank you, Mr. Swanson. I really appreciate that. We will need as much help as you can give us.?

The guard seemed to relax and turned around to unlock the security door.

?I?ll be back.? he said over his shoulder and let the door slam shut behind him. Cyrus looked down at Miriam with a warning gaze.

?I know that he just sounded like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but, please, don?t giggle.?

She suppressed a smile and they waited for the guard in silence. It didn?t take long until he came back with six tapes under his arm and a binder.

?Right.? he said. ?Here are all the films from Monday morning until eight o?clock this morning, as well as the list.?

He gave Cyrus an apologetic look.

?I will need your ID, Sir, and your signature on this paper, please. It?s a loan form for security devices.?

?But of course.? Cyrus said obligingly and signed the form with his unusual beautiful signature before lending the guard his FBI-card.

?The loan is for seven days. After that we will need to sign a new form.? the guard told them while writing down the information on the loan form. He gave the card

 

Made it! Sorry it took me so long to get here.

Eeeeeeeyeeew, impregnated by death eels! Eeeyeeeew! Glad it's science fiction. Wait, it's science fiction, right?

The behavior of the characters is great, just the slightest bit mischievous. There's still something weird going on...well, besides the whole situation. I'm looking forward to reading the rest!

And well done on spelling Shwar...Schwer...uh...Arnold's name. The Terminator reference was awesome, I giggled.

 

Good ridance of those eels! Love the interaction between Cyrus and Claire. Also like to see that it's possible to rattle even Cyrus' cage - makes him more human

Let's see if those iced capps can get them going and finally crack this case! I know I could use one right about now

Keep them coming!!

 

Glad you're still with me, Jedi_Peregrine. I wasn't sure if I'd lost you somewhere on the way. And I liked the name you gave my creatures: "Death Eels". Thanks!

Yes, they're having an... interesting... relationship, don't they? Not quite... problemfree.

Here's the next update.

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16.
One iced cappuccino and two iced tea each had been devoured before something of interest finally occurred on the security tape. During some boring hours they had fast forwarded the tape from Monday morning to Tuesday morning and seen a lot of people coming and going, including Professor Bruchheimer. He came to work at 7.48 am on Monday and didn?t leave until 6.30 that evening. Mr. Swanson had been released by the night guard, Annette Meille, a cute blonde in her mid-twenties. She in turn had a very un-eventful night which she spent writing notes while looking through a couple of thick books; most likely university studies. She was released by Mr. Swanson at 7.12 on Tuesday morning and went from work yawning. Professor Bruchheimer never showed up that morning, which indicated that he had been murdered during that past night.

?I wonder who takes sick calls.? Miriam said and tapped a pen on the table. ?Not that I think that the sect or whatever they are, bothered to call him in sick, but you?? She stopped mid-sentenced when the employee door on the tape opened and the false Mr. Bruchheimer came in. Cyrus hastily stopped the tape, rewinded it and put it on normal speed. Both of them leaned forward intensely. The time on the tape showed 12.32.

?About half an hour before we arrived.? Cyrus mumbled.

The old man stepped forward to Mr. Swanson, seemed to talk to him a couple of minutes before taking a step back. They could see the blank face of the security guard as the inner door opened and let the false professor in. Cyrus and Miriam glanced at each other.

?That looked really odd.? Miriam said. ?Do you think?? She silenced.

?I don?t know.? Cyrus stopped the tape and rewinded it once more. ?Let?s see it again.?

They watched it under silence. The door opened, the old man in his worn corduroy jacket came in, went to the security cube, stood with his back towards the camera exactly two minutes before stepping back, showing Mr. Swanson?s totally blank face. Cyrus paused the tape just there. They watched his face intensely.

?He looks like he?s sleeping, don?t you think??

Cyrus nodded slowly.

?It?s hard to make any conclusions of course, but?? He hesitated.

?He?s been manipulated with. I?m almost one hundred percent certain. Cy, I don?t think that Mr. Swanson will have one bit of memory of this guy.?

?You might be right. Does it mean that the old man?s part of the sect? No,? he corrected himself, ?but he has been. That?s why he knows about their skills, that?s why he recognized the eels, and that?s why he?s at the museum before our other friends arrive. He?s trying to escape them.? He frowned. ?I don?t think he will succeed.?

?And he told us as much as he dared to in hope that we?d be able to catch them??

?Probably.?

?Do you think he?s infected too? He was so afraid of the eels.?

?With all right!? Cyrus cheeks turned pale. ?But I couldn?t tell. It?s possible.?

He looked thoughtfully at the back of the false professor on the screen.

?I don?t think it?s his area, though. He?s probably specialized in something else, hence the encrypted papers you saw.?

Miriam gave up a triumphant cheer.

?He must have gotten away with them! That means that the other us didn?t get what they wanted, why is why they brought me there! They thought we took them! They don?t know about this guy yet!?

Cyrus smiled at her enthusiasm.

?Not to discourage you, Claire, but it depends on what questions they asked you and you don?t remember, do you??

?Damn! You?re right.? She felt disappointed. Cyrus looked at the still image on the screen again.

?But I do think that your con

 

Next chapter...

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17.
The tape showed 2.05 when Cyrus entered the museum the second time, spoke to Mr. Swanson and got in.

?I missed him with nine minutes! Can you believe that?? Cyrus burst out. ?Nine minutes!?

?Wait! Stop the tape, Cy!?

The door had opened again and three persons came in. Cyrus groaned as he put the film on normal speed.

?This must have been my lucky day. Totally awesome.?

Neither the two men nor the woman looked at the security camera, but Miriam recognized them anyway; the chubby brown-haired man, the older man who now lied silently in the morgue, and a woman with a black veil covering her face. They all stood as close to the window in the security cube as they could get, blocking the sight of Mr. Swanson. It only took a minute before the inner door opened and the three of them went through. The security guard lay with his head resting on his arms, seemingly asleep.

?Someone else had a rough day too.? Miriam said. ?It must have been his luck that no one of the staff actually seems to have caught him sleeping. That would?ve ended his career just like that.?

?Yeah??

The minutes went by. Finally the inner door opened again and Cyrus came running out, throwing a glance at the sleeping Mr. Swanson, before running out of the exit door. Not even a minute later the chubby man followed him out. Cyrus sighed deeply beside her and threw a hand through his hair.

?I don?t remember this. He probably got me right outside. Damn.?

?Well, at least we know more or less what happened.?

?That we do.?

He seemed to be saying something else, but closed his mouth tightly and fast forwarded the tape again. Mr. Swanson came back to life at 2.31 and apparently did not notice the veiled woman and the older man when they exited one hour later. Miriam shook her head.

?I don?t like this one bit. I mean, how many times have they had the opportunity questioning us without us knowing? The times we do know about, are they the only ones?? she said. Cyrus shrugged. ?The other two must have questioned you during those hours when we investigated Professor Bruchheimer?s house. I wonder what they got from you.?

He just grimaced and Miriam turned silent.

The tape and the minutes rolled on. Closing hour at the museum came and went together with the staff, and at 7pm Mr. Swanson was once again released by Annette Meille. Suddenly the door behind them opened and Caesar came in, smiling at them, with a tray of three hot steaming coffees in his hand.

?Hi there. Any progress? Anyone up for some caffeine??

Miriam giggled wearily and Cyrus frowned. Caesar raised an eyebrow.

?What??

?Well, take a seat, C, and look for yourself. It shouldn?t be more than a couple of tape hours before Claire comes in with the false me, and while we wait we can brief each other. What do you say??

Caesar sat down beside Miriam with a heavy sigh and handed over the cups to them. Then he looked inquiring at them. Miriam breathed in the lovely smell and took a small sip of the hot, black coffee.

?So, C, we?ve seen a lot of interesting things here? Hand over the notes, Claire, and let him take a look. Roughly speaking it seems as? but this is of course just my hypothesis?? He paused a second and Caesar nodded.

?They?re usually right, though. Go on.?

?Yeah? I believe that the false professor is a defector from the sect since he seems to share their knowledge. We saw him carrying a big bag out from the museum, and we take it that he gathered some papers and maybe books that the other us wanted to get their hands on. That?s probably how we managed to get their attention: they saw me at the museum, most likely when I got out of Professor Bruchheimer?s office, but that I don?t remember. What we do know is that they followed me out from the museum. What happened out there I can only guess, but I have no doubts that I got caught and got my memories erased. Well? that?s the short story.?

?Well do

 

These guys sure know how to mess with a person's sanity, don't they? Just what are they up to? This story is starting to remind me of Fringe a bit, and that is a very good thing. To make the association complete, though, you need a friendly, brilliant but mad scientist. Think you can work one of those in there?

?Who knows what makes sense in this sect?? Cyrus remarked. ?They might even refer to Mrs. Clause, as far as I?m concerned, or maybe the Tooth Fairy.?

LOL. I love that line. Wonderful touch to a great story, keep it going!

 

You picked out the same line I woulda! Personally, I really, really hope it's Mrs Clause, but in the world of H.P. Lovecraft, I doubt we'll be that lucky. Maybe it would be better if C Cell never found out who, or what, the Mother is. Ignorance is bliss, particularly in Delta Green...

 

I know, I know, I know... Almost two and a half months and no new post... And nothing today either... But, there is light in the tunnel. The story is still going. I just need a brake from my crazy life right now. When that happens and I actually get a chance to breath, there will be more posts coming. Don't worry. I haven't abandoned you.

 

All right. Here we go again... So sorry for the unforgivable long delay. Hope you're still with me anyway.

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18.
The morning sun had already heated up the pavement. Miriam saw the shimmering heat dance around the car. Her car. She smiled affectionately and petted the steering wheel. The AC cooled the air inside and she felt comfortably refreshed. It was when she got home from the spa yesterday evening that she heard the message from the workshop, that the car finally was ready for pick up, and she went there as soon as they opened this morning. She felt so happy that she could sing ? which she had also done all the way from the workshop. Now the soft music of ?Peer Gynt? wrapped itself around her like a blanket. She gave up a satisfied sigh while leaning back in the car seat with her eyes closed, just relaxing. Clean clothes, a clean, well-scented and relaxed body, her own car, an AC that tempered the summer heat, beautiful music... What more could she ask for?

?A vacation?? a low inner voice asked her and she frowned.

?Yeah, thanks.? she muttered and glanced involuntarily up at the grey worn-out apartment complex where the Stevenson family had lived until about a week ago. She closed her eyes demonstratively and let the music carry her away from duty a little while longer and let her thoughts wander.

Yesterday evening she had finally called her sister and they had had a long, nice talk. Bethany said that she was more than happy to take over Luce and that she was coming over this very evening. It felt sad. Miriam had gotten more attached to the little bird and his happy chirping during the past days than she had expected, but she couldn?t think of any better place for him. Ten-year-old Marcus loved animals and had already decided that he wanted to become a veterinarian like his mom when he grew up.

?You?re asking at the totally perfect moment.? Beth said with a laugh. ?Ted has finally given in for Marcus? nagging and promised him a pet. Don?t you worry one bit, li?l sis, we?ll take care of him.?

After that they had talked about everything else: men in general, Ted and Henry in particular, children, love, sex, the vacation trip to their old summer house in Massachusetts in late August, mom?s and dad?s upcoming 50-year-anniversary next April, Ted?s work as a practitioner, Bethany?s as a veterinarian, memories of the golden retriever Petronilla and the cats Dreams and Stars.

?And speaking of Dreams and Stars,? Bethany finally said, ?it?s totally time for bed. I?ll see you tomorrow and I?m bringing you the biggest carrot cake I can find with so much glacing that you?ll drown in it, in exchange for Luce. Lovely name, by the way. You?ve always been good with those.?

Miriam opened her eyes and glanced at the digitalized car clock. It showed 08.46. Caesar and Cyrus should arrive any minute. They had decided to go with the schedule as planned, in spite of the new information from the day before. Even though no one had said it out loud, Miriam had a strong feeling that none of them really knew what to do with it. The puzzle was certainly clearer, but there were still lots of pieces missing. They needed some kind of a break-through soon if the trail shouldn?t grow cold. No wonder that this sect managed to stay secret. Everyone who was unlucky enough to run into it ended up either dead or with their memories erased.

Caesar?s car pulled up behind her and he met her eyes in the back mirror with a broad grin.

?You?ve got your car back! Good for you!? he greeted her when he opened the passenger door and got in. ?And ?Peer Gynt?. Good choice.? he continued approvingly. The tone was remarkably brisker than it had been the past days, and he had more colour in his face. The spa session had apparently been good for both of them.

?You?re feeling better.? she smiled and touched his hand.

?Well, I got a full night?s sleep. That makes wonders to an old man like me.?

Miriam snorted and he laughed at her, gave her

 

Aaargh!! What a cliff-hanger! And you don't do cliff-hangers very often, but when you do them, dang, are they effective!

Wonderful post all around: you have a great, immersive start that really gets me into the moment - who can't identify with those feelings of dreamy yumminess in the everyday life that Mimi just wants to hang onto before being dragged back into...her particular working life?

And then some quite intense and deeply loaded character development and expanded relationships.

Topped off with the mounting suspense at the end.

This is just great stuff! Do keep it coming, please!

 

Aaaawww... Thanks, Danaan!!! That was so sweet of you. Don't worry, you don't need to wait too long for the resolution of the cliff-hanger.

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19.
A muffled scream was all she managed to produce as furious blows landed on her face in a rapid stream. Her eye got a well-placed smash from a fist and the flashing pain made it water. A high-pitched scream of rage came from her attacker as Miriam felt her body get rid of the weight as the assailant was removed from her. She could hear Cyrus grunting and continuous high-pitched screams along with the sounds of a fight. Groaningly she sat up and tried to look at the scene around her, but her eye was still blind and watery. Caesar?s big hand touched her face gently. It hurt and she twitched with a grimace.

?That was a surprise.? His voice was coloured by some kind of amusement which he apparently tried to hide. Miriam made an attempt to look at him. Amusement? She shook her head lightly. When had he ever been amused in a hostile situation? She must have gotten the wrong signals. Irritated she wiped her eye and tried to open it again. This time she could discern Cyrus as he struggled with holding someone tight in his grasp.

?I?m fine.? she said with an annoyed tone. ?Why are you here? Go help Cyrus. I don?t need you right now.?

?Well... I think that he can handle a small child on his own, but who knows, you might both need a course in babysitting.?

With a light chuckle he left her and took a couple of quick steps towards Cyrus and her attacker. Dumbstruck she sat still on the floor, blinking away water from her runny eye. Finally she was able to see relatively clear. Cyrus stood panting, holding on to a scrawny little girl, maybe six years old, in a tight grasp. Her long dark brown hair hanged greasy and lanky before her face and covered her eyes. Caesar kneeled in front of her, hands resting on his kneecaps.

?Hi there. You took us quite by surprise, didn?t you??

The girl didn?t move or make a sound, just continued to look down at the floor. Caesar tried again.

?So what are you doing here all by yourself? Where are your mom and dad??

Still not a word.

?You know,? Caesar said in a friendly tone, ?we can help you.?

Slowly the girl raised her head and looked at him, her eyes as black holes in her face, too old for a child.

?No one can help us.? Small trickles of tears started to run silently over her cheeks. Cyrus caught Caesar?s eye.

?Can you take Claire to the car, C. She needs something to drink.?

Caesar got up immediately with an expression of mutual understanding and reached out for her. She took his hand and got up on her feet. Cyrus and the girl didn?t move.

?I just need my...? she mumbled and reached into the closet for her gun, trying to hide it from the girl to avoid any more upsetting scenes, but the girl didn?t seem to notice. She just stared blankly out in empty space, totally void of all feelings.

*

Miriam got a look at her face in the back mirror of the car and saw pleased that it wasn?t bad. The only damage was the light pain in her eye and a couple of small bruises on her left cheek.

?When Cyrus gets here with the girl,? Caesar said, ?I?ll take them to HQ, but you need to stay here and search that closet room. The quick look I got of it didn?t give much, but you never know. There might be finger prints, other secret storage places, or something. Maybe a whole binder with detailed information about a certain secret sect... Who knows??

She managed to laugh at him.

?I wish. Don?t set your hopes too high, though. I?d be surprised if they were a part of it.? Then she frowned. ?So who?s this girl? Another unregistered child of the Stevenson?s??

A tired sigh heaved Caesar?s chest.

?That would be my guess, but she could be just a relative, or maybe a play mate who turned up at the wrong place at the wrong time.? He silenced a moment before he continued. ?If she?s an unregistered child we might have

 

Well, phew, it was just a kid...I hope

Great post! What I really liked is the interplay between the characters, with everyone being on edge: Claire even making a most inappropriate joke about the poor kid who's just gone through so much trauma. And, of course, what's up with Ceasar? Is he reall Ceaser, or just getting old? Nah, this is Delta Green, I just can't hope for such a mundane answer, even though that suggestion also would be pretty dang significant in terms of its implications...

Can't wait to read more!

 

I finally made it, and whew it's about time, eh?

Great updates! The action continues to move along at a good clip, with new revelations and of course even more questions. Where did all the Stevensons' kids come from? Who are the people who are chasing them? Inquiring minds want to know! Can't wait for the next post!

 

Gaaah!!! This is what happens when inspiration hits you: writing 'til four o'clock in the morning!!! Crazy! Anyway, there will be some leads in the upcoming post. Thank you both for still being here with me and enjoying the story.

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20.
The silence in the empty apartment hit her as soon as she entered again. A shiver ran down her spine and she hurried to lock the front door behind her. Just to be on the safe side, she thought, just to be on the safe side. Almost without thinking she patted her gun in its holster before hesitantly heading towards the secret room, peeping into every other room she passed on the way. She was still alone. Her breaths became less shallow as she relaxed her shoulders and turned her focus totally at the secret room. It was really cleverly built. Mr. Stevenson must be an extremely skilled carpenter. Miriam had a hard time believing that anyone without her eye for form, space and details would have found it.

There was a light switch on the inside of the left wall, she found, and she turned it on. A faint light bulb lit up the dark wooden walls and the smoothly polished floor. The room was very small, just an empty space between the two bedrooms. She doubted that the whole Stevenson family would be able to do anything else than standing tightly packed together in there.

Still with her feet on the outside of the room she let her trained eyes scrutinize the walls. Cyrus had said that there should be a note with the new address in here, but since it wasn?t visible she had to presume that there was another hidden space somewhere. So far she couldn?t see anything. It was of course a little bit suspicious that the floor was wooden, when no other floor in the apartment was. On the other hand she had no idea about how to build anything, so as far as she knew the floor might have to be there to support the walls. She looked up. The inner ceiling was wooden as well. She knelt down, opened her toolbox and brought forward a flashlight. Still on her knees she let the light sweep over the edge where the walls and the floor met. There was no joint which could reveal another secret space. She poked around a little in her box until her fingers found the well-known shape of the container with fingerprint-dust and the belonging brush. Then she leaned in and started to methodically dust the joint all around the room. No fingerprints showed up. She tilted back on her heels with her hands thoughtfully wrapped around her knees and took another meticulous look around the walls. There were no irregularities at all, nothing that gave away any concealed area, not even where the wooden panels met. It was even hard to discern the space between the panels...

?That must be why the light is so dim!? she exclaimed thrilled to herself. ?I need better light!?

She got up on her feet and speedily went into the bathroom where four adorned light bulbs decoratively were placed over the mirror. After checking that they were bright enough for her purpose she brought one with her and replaced the faint light bulb. Suddenly the secret room bathed in light. Miriam blinked a couple of times to get used to it. This time when she investigated the walls she found a place far down to the left on the back wall that looked just slightly different than the other walls with a panel that had an almost undetectable joint. She took her dust and brush again and dusted the area. Large fingerprints appeared and she gave up a triumphant laugh. Still smiling she put on latex gloves, captured the fingerprints and placed them securely in her box. She brought forward her camera and took some pictures. Lightly she touched the dark wood where the fingerprints still showed. It didn?t feel differently from other panels. Cautiously she tried to push the panel inwards. Without a sound it opened and the hidden space came into light.

Miriam?s heart pounded so hard with excitement that she couldn?t hear anything else. A broad grin played over

 

OMG! That was, hands down, one of the creepiest scenes so far! Where's the "I can't watch" smiley?

I have this not very good feeling that someone...or something heard her speaking those words out loud. NEVER do things like that!

And...she left the door unlocked....

 

Wiiii! *happy dance* I'm glad that you liked it, Danaan. And... you have no idea how bad it is...

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21.
Warm light shone through between the door and the threshold when Miriam rang the bell, and when Cyrus opened the door with a smile, soft music met her as well and made her feel double welcome. Some of the stress just melted away and she smiled in return as she walked into the tiny hall.

?I like the music.? she said. ?So soft. What is it??

?Morcheeba. ?Who can you trust??? A mischievous glint showed in his eyes as he winked at her and took her bag. Miriam raised her eyebrows.

?Fitting.? was all she said and he chuckled.

Caesar rose from the sofa when she walked into the living room. He took the few short steps towards her and embraced her fondly. Miriam stiffened slightly. He had never showed her any warm feelings in front of Cyrus before and she felt terribly awkward. He held her tightly a little longer than necessary and she could feel herself blush when he finally let her go.

?Tea? Coffee?? Cyrus asked from the kitchen.

?Tequila.? she answered half-jokingly. Caesar stared at her and there were a couple of quiet moments. ?Just kidding.? she muttered. ?What kind of tea do you have??

She went out to him in the kitchen where Cyrus just put out about a dozen different tin jars. She opened one of them, a metallic blue with golden stars all over, and sniffed at the contents.

?Loose tea.? she remarked. ?Why Cy, I didn?t know you were such a gourmet.?

He just gave her a friendly shrug.

?There?s a lot people don?t know about me. That one?s chocolate and champagne. Very rich flavour.?

?You recommend it??

?Absolutely.?

?Okay.?

He filled a tea holder and waved her out of the kitchen. She went back to the living room and sat down beside Caesar who immediately took her hand and squeezed it. She couldn?t help giving him a surprised look, but he just smiled back at her, still with her hand in a tight grip. Miriam drew a mental sigh of relief when Cyrus a few minutes later came in with her steaming tea and she could loosen her hand from Caesar?s and grab the mug. Steamed milk topped it and she drew in the rich smell with a content sigh. A small sip made her smile at Cyrus.

?Lovely. Exactly what I needed right now. ?

?Good.? After a short pause he continued: ?Then maybe you could tell us why you looked as if you?d seen a ghost when you came.?

Miriam stiffened and the tension was back in her shoulders. She gave up a nervous laugh.

?No, no, no. You first. Where?s the girl??

?A social worker picked her up.? Caesar opened his mouth for the first time since she arrived. ?Cyrus is going to take her to Dr. Bernard tomorrow.?

?Okay? Nothing else? Nothing new??

Cyrus shook his head.

?Not really. She was too afraid and upset today to give us anything else. I?m picking her up at eight in the morning. Hopefully she?s feeling better then.?

?Okay??

There was nothing more to add and the two men looked urgently at her. Miriam squirmed a little.

?Well??

?Did you find anything??

She nodded unwillingly, but didn?t really meet their gaze.

?You were right, Caesar. There was another hidden area in there.?

She looked for her bag on the floor. Cyrus got up immediately and brought it in from the hall.

?Thanks, Cy.?

She opened it and took out one of the evidence bags.

?Here?s the address.?

Caesar took it from her.

?Hm. North side of the city. Probably around Belvedere.?

?That?s one rugged area.? Cyrus remarked. Caesar nodded.

?We need to go there all three of us, just in case. How long time do you think it will take with the girl??

?An hour maybe. Probably not more than that.? He rotated his own tea mug between his hands and looked into it as if he could find some answers in the leafs. His hair fell down in his face and the soft light made his it shine like copper. ?You don?t think we need to go today then, C??

?Today?? He checked his w