Rabid *HF* Chapter 3
By Gene
Gene flinched, but kept his gaze on Grover. "Not my favorite place. What's the job?"
"There's been some seemingly random shootings, slayings and kidnappings throughout that area. Seemingly random to the police there, but I think there may be something more to it. Possibly one or more maniacs operating in that area." He pushed a file folder across the desk to Gene. "There's all the information you'll need to start. Maps with locations of attacks and incidents marked. Names and vital stats of all known victims. Dates, times and police reports. I'd like you to start immediately."
Gene nodded, flipping through the documents in the folder. "Not surprising at all that DC police wouldn't piece these things together. They're under-equipped, they have the IQs of sheep, and they're under the thumb of Congress. Remarkably stupid as a police force. When do you want results?"
Grover tilted his head and waived his hand. "No particular time. This is an extended mission, not a search and destroy. It will take research, legwork and hands-on investigation. As a journalist, you're familiar with that. Let's get some theories this week, keep me briefed as you go. You'll need to spend a lot of your time down there, but it's close enough you can be up here weekends and such as needed."
"Fair enough. I'll still be able to see Alice and Malachi, then, and maybe check in on the class. Gomurr can teach them while I'm gone, and we'll work on curriculum and student progress via e-mail and videophone."
"Sounds good. You can leave any notes for the class with me. STay in contact with Alice for any necessary equipment, information, or tactical support you may need. And remember that the ring is only to be used in the case of direst emergencies. It's too unpredictable and carries far too much firepower to be used without discretion."
Gene smiled, then laughed a bit.
"What's so funny?"
"WEll, you could say the same thing about me. Or Mufasa, even. Or Diablo. We're the pull pin on the world's grenade. Diablo is more of a pull pin on a nuke, I guess. But there we are, the comparison's made."
Grover smiled. "I guess that's true. We're the pull pin. But we're professionals, and we don't want to put the club, private citizens, or the world at unncecessary risk, all right? Now head out. Check in when you've established a base in DC."
"Okay."
Gene stood and left the office, closing the door behind him. Alice waited for him at her desk in the outer area. She watched him as he approached her desk. She looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.
"You're still limping. ARe you ever going to get that looked at?"
"It'll be a few weeks for the cartilage to heal. I'll be fine. It's just sore."
"The doctor here is quite good you know. He can heal you up, give you a prescription, fit you with a brace. Even some arthroscopic surgery. Then the pain would be over."
"I've had surgery on my knees before. Torn both of them up. The surgery hurt worse than the fucking injury. I'M FINE."
Alice saw his nostrils flare and his eyes grow hard. A side she hadn't seen directed toward her before. She met his gaze, then turned away.
"You're not fine, but hey, it's your body. You suffer with it. Don't come looking to me for painkillers at night when it hurts to walk or stand or even sit in a chair. And don't try that intimidation crap with me again. It doesn't work, and it pisses me off."
"I'm sorry. I just don't want to deal with the same surgery again, and I don't like to argue about it." He put his hand on her back and rubbed. "I'm getting sent to DC on a long mission. I'll be up on weekends, maybe a night or two a week. You guys want to come down to visit? I'll need to set up shop down there. I can pick a bigger place so there's room for 3."
"That might be good. Maybe we can set aside a day to show MAlachi around the Capitol."
"I'd like that. He would, too. Fucking DC. Only way I want to be down there again is as a tourist. Living there is a nightmare."
"I know. Maybe it will be better with us visiting you down there. Let me know when we could come down without endangering ourselves or you or the mission."
"I will. Wish it was every day."
***
Four weeks later
"Gene, it's been four weeks. THings are getting worse instead of better. DC killings have tapered off, but now there are similar killings in Wilmington, Philadelphia, Newark, BAltimore, Richmond and NEw York City. It's like an epidemic. You have to have found something by now."
"Sorry, Grover. There isn't much to go on. The cops are still stupid as hell, no matter what city you're in. But there is a pattern. The only thing I can't decide is if we're dealing with one guy, a network of guys, or a team. The attacks and events occur in distant locations in each city. Maybe one on the north side, the west side, center of the city, the suburbs. They're spread out, and the MO isn't always the same. But they happen in a short period of time. THen there's nothing, and you get a similar thing starting up in another city. With the lack of similarity between attacks, it doesn't come up on cop radar for having a pattern, and there's effectively no communication or cooperation between cities, so no one's really picking up on it. We may be the only ones thinking something is going on. Everyone else just thinks it's your daily news - drivebys, accidents, urban violence, whatever."
Grover looked at the photos and maps and dates in the file on his desk and shook his head.
"No way is this coincidence. Someone is targeting people, and they're clever enough to be getting away with it. For now. You've got two weeks. Find me suspects, give me more specifics, find me a pattern. Do your job."
Gene grabbed the file and left. Grover shouted behind him, "Alice! I have a meeting! I'm unavailable!"
"All right, sir," Alice replied.
Grover's door closed and he stood from his desk. He touched a hidden button on his rear wall and a hidden door opened. He walked through and it closed behind him. He walked down a short hallway, put his hand on the wall, and another door opened. He went through and closed it, then sat in one of two chairs in a small, well lit, entirely white room. A moment later, another door opened and Queen Nebula stepped through. She closed the door and sat at the remaining chair.
"You wanted to see me, NEbula?" Grover asked.
"It's not good," Nebula said abrubtly.
Grover furrowed his brow and touched her arm. "I can't remember the last time you were ever this upset. WHat's wrong?"
Nebula regained her composure. "I sent my pawn, Toby, on a reconnaissance mission a week ago. She reported from the field for two days and has since been silent. Her GPS tracer was found in the Patuxent River this morning. Her White Court pager and phone were smashed and sent in a Federal Express package to an office front I maintain in Manhattan. We have not yet been able to trace the sender, though we found the sending location - Lover, Pennsylvania. I fear the worst." She looked at him gravely. "I also have my suspicions."
Grover nodded. "Let's put a team together."
End part 3
Gene
Original and Longest-Running Editor
White Bastard/King's Pawn--HellFire Club
Knight of the Long-Necked Bottle
Forbidden by Law to Eat Onion Rings
Selectively Sterile
Wielder of Unbridled Contempt for Humanity