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Midnight in Karachi
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Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

May-29-2016 18:31

Karachi, 1938
Marketplace


"Darling, whats taking so long? Don't give me another mournful look as though I've saddled you with too many packages." Molly said, tossing a look through her lashes at Edward Carlyle. The handsome ex-agent-- well, on suspension anyway-- was gamely juggling several parcels from the stalls nearby.

"You can't be too cross, half of them are for you." She fluttered her lashes and earned a hesitant smile from Ed. Turning back around, she tossed an aside to her newest companion who sat cheerfully on her shoulder and ran his fingers through her hair.

She called the tiny monkey Beauregard, or Beau for short and had fallen quite in love with him during her sojourn in Delhi. Ed had been somewhat nonplussed at encountering the tiny simian upon his arrival in Delhi at Molly's command.

However, she liked to think that Beau had quite won him over and been nearly instrumental in cheering him up. Well, as much as he could be cheered up. Perhaps all of the loss and sadness had quite been burned out of Molly at various intervals, but she simply couldn't relate to his terrible moping and so fell to cracking jokes in an effort to cheer him. One thing she had sussed out for certain is that Ed was more devoted to their ragtag band than he might usually let on, and seeing this case through was nearly the only thing holding him together at this point.

She turned a corner with Ed close behind, and the pearly white walls of their hotel stretched before them. Checking her gold watch, she chucked Beau on the chin and turned to Ed once more.

"Come, we'll put the packages in my room and then take the motor car to the train station. If my calculations are correct, they'll be on the overnight train coming in today."

"Sounds like a plan." Ed said, letting his gaze linger on Molly's smile a moment longer than usual. Maybe he had a thing for debutantes with monkeys on their shoulder, or maybe he was just glad for the companionship. Who could say?


Replies

Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

May-29-2016 18:37

----
Train Station
Evening


Ed and Molly had made good time to the train station and found a bench to sit upon as they waited. They sat companionably together, laughing at Beau's antics as he curiously played with Ed's cufflinks and Molly's rings before chittering his excitement at them.

"He is a funny little character, isn't he?" Molly asked, her green eyes meeting Ed's with a smile. Ed didn't reply- for a moment the pair just stared at one another with thoughts they couldn't rightly put into words. Presently, Molly dipped her head and focused upon Beau with renewed attention. The situation with Ed was sticky, she thought to herself. Some days she thought he quite liked her, but then he would get terribly awkward and formal. She couldn't put her finger on exactly how she felt about him either. Generally she had come to realize that the male species was nothing but trouble, and personally viewed her own interest in Ed as a bit of a betrayal.

"Tricky, tricky..." she murmured to herself, and Ed leaned close.

"What was that?" he asked, and Molly flushed before fixing her eyes in the distance.

"Oh nothing, just a bit of silliness. Do you hear that? I think the train is coming in!"

The two were nearly the only ones left on the platform due to the darkening hour, and so they both stood and moved to the platform edge as the sleek train began to roll to a stop towards them. They were confident their friends would be able to find them immediately upon disembarking.

"I wonder how the journey went." Molly mused as she absently fed Beau a cracker from her bag. "Knowing the luck of this group, at least three people have been stabbed or at the very least, thrown off the train."

Ed gave a chuckle, and both fixed their eyes expectantly upon the train doors.

Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

This reply has been deleted by a Moderator

M. Lacrimosa
M. Lacrimosa
Thespian

May-31-2016 16:45

Fatigued weighed in on Marc like a ton of bricks. In the last few days he had been shot at, watched someone burn alive in a medieval torture device called the Brazen Bull, and tragically watched an ally sacrifice himself to save everyone's life. Marc, Joseph, Riza, Molly, Vulkie, Edward...all of them had uncovered the secret organization of Sphinx and their dark secret of trying to create a "perfect" world of Eunuchs.

Marc replayed the events of the last several days. After Vulkie said she would go hunt down the remaining members of Sphinx, everyone else went straight for the train station. Molly stayed to wait for Edward, and they would catch up soon. Marc thought everyone would get a head start on tracking down Anais Nin, but there was a lay over and they had to switch trains at a station in an unfamiliar area.

That gave Marc a chance to clean up, fix his broken derringer pistol that Jack had broken in Delhi, and acquire a few new "toys" for his arsenal including a kukuri knife that he barely knew how to use. Perhaps Riza could teach him a thing or two with it, he thought to himself. It took two more days for the new train to come get them and go overnight straight to Karachi.

The train's whistle blew loudly. "Finally," Marc said to himself. He unholstered his .45 and racked a bullet into the chamber, grabbed his bag of new clothes and gear, and stepped out of his compartment to make his way off the train. Marc stepped off the train followed by Riza, then Zeo, coming face to face with Molly Maltese and none other than Edward Carlyle.

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

May-31-2016 19:25

*In the middle of nowhere*

Joseph Zeo lit his first cigarette ever since he vowed to stay clean from all narcotics. He inhaled deeply, in hopes of washing off part of the coiled anxiety. It did not help much. The white smoke danced like a ghost in the twilight of the muggy Pakitani air, or were they still in India? Joseph wasn’t quite sure. Lately, Joseph wasn’t sure of much except for one thing.

Anais, Anais, Anais.

The miniature version of her walked passed his line of sight beyond the cloud of fog coming out of his lungs. No, Arielle didn’t look like Anais physically. Arielle had her mother’s green eyes and his own dark hair, but Anais raised her niece, and had somehow imprinted part of her soul onto that little angel. No, Arielle was no angel either. At least, she was no longer the innocent child he once knew. He wasn’t sure what she was anymore. What happened to the two of them?

Anais, Anais, Anais.

The whistle blew in the distance, announcing the arrival of the train. “What took them so long? It’s been two days!” Marc muttered as he sheathed his recently acquired Nepalese knife, the curved blade glinted dangerously before it returned to its nap in its leather sheath. Joseph knew the blade would taste blood soon enough. He felt the determination from its owner. They were all determined. Whatever danger Anais had gotten herself into, they will get her out… that fool of a woman!

As if reading his mine, Philippe elbowed Joseph as the group scurried onto the train. Philippe was thoroughly team Elle. He protected the girl like his baby sister. Still, any men, young or old, even a cousin, should never be fully trusted around his daughter. Joseph had his eyes on him.

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

May-31-2016 19:26

“Are you going to sit down or will you just stand here like a zombie?” Riza’s tone was icy. Why did all women seem to hate him? Joseph resigned to a seat by the window. Arielle and Philippe intentionally took the other compartment, pulling Marc and Doctor Hoo inside to ensure there was no room for her father.

Joseph sighed. He pulled out another stick of cigarette. The unknown Indian brand burned at his pharynx but it would have to do before he can find some Chesterfield in Karachi. Riza looked at him with incomprehensible eyes.

“Where do you think Heimlich went?” Riza said, replacing swallowed words with small talks.

Joseph shrugged. If Arielle told everyone the truth, it could possibly have something to do with Valerie. The old man simply took off upon being pressed to answer the whereabouts of his own daughter. Some father they both turned out to be.

The constant rattle of the train slowly hypnotized the weathered detective. For the first time in history, Joseph Zeo considered settling down, only if he can find Anais…


The loud whistle woke him from his dreamless slumber. “Come on, sleepyhead!” Riza called from the door out of their compartment. Joseph quickly followed the group into the dark Karachi night.

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Jun-4-2016 10:05

The dark Karachi night...

Joseph stretched his old bones and tried to rub sleep off his eyes, but he still seemed to be viewing the world through a dark veil. He looked to the horizon, and the whiteness that usually accompanies a predawn was missing. Perhaps something was wrong with his pocket watch.

Arielle looked happy enough to see Molly again -- perhaps too happy. That woman would corrupt his daughter to the bone, Joseph swore. Joseph gave Molly a cold stare. Molly swiftly returned the same.

“Marc, I think you mentioned we are supposed to reach Karachi in the morning... Are we early?” His question had strung a chord in everyone. Uneasiness that began to brew seeped deeper.

Marc tore his eyes from Ed and held up his watch. “Mine reads 10 minutes past seven. How about yours?”

Joseph frowned. Something was definitely wrong. He looked around and could sense the same uneasiness from almost all passengers on the platform.

Almost all.

Between the hustle and bustle Joseph could pick out a few oddities, with nondescript passerby who should have no business being at the train station. Joseph could not pinpoint how he knew about it, but he did.

Already Joseph could see Riza’s blades flashing between her coat and her fingers. Ed and Marc slowly moved their hands onto their weapons of choice. While everyone was getting ready for what was to come, Doctor Hoo suddenly tripped over his own luggage and food he snatched from the train was flying everywhere.

That simple distraction was all ‘they’ needed to begin the attack.

Riza Hawkeye
Riza Hawkeye
First Nomad

Jun-6-2016 17:39

The last wisps of steam from the train whispered through the tepid morning air as the detectives readied themselves for a fight. As the grains of rice from Dr. Hoo's plate took flight, the darkness itself seemed to converge on the group's position.

The all-too-familiar prickle at the back of her neck triggered her muscle memory. With a flick of the wrist, Riza Hawkeye flung two knives into the moving shadows. They collapsed, only to be replaced by others. Behind her, Riza could hear the sound of gunfire and the increasingly panicked tittering of Molly's new pet. The air was full of menace, but she knew the others were capable in their own rights.

"Can't even get off a train without being attacked," Riza muttered under her breath as she swerved to dodge a particularly sharp looking sword. The men attacking them were covered head to toe in black garb, with only slits for their eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Marc firing rapidly, while Dr. Hoo was huddled in a ball on the ground. The others swirled in her sight as she spun to avoid another attacker.

Riza turned just in time to see Joseph aim and fire a shot right at her. No, not at her, she realized as a body slumped behind her. But the sudden shock froze her for a second. Just enough time for something dark to come flying through the air and envelop her. Clothing rustled around her and she could hear Ed yelling something nearby. A female voice screamed. She had to get to them.

But...why was it so hard to breathe? Riza tried to inhale but it felt like all the oxygen had been taken out of the air. She arced her arm in a wide slash as spots appeared before her eyes. The darkness was rushing in on her. "What's ha..." Riza's dagger dropped to the ground with a sharp clink as she clasped both hands to her throat. The next second, her body hit the ground hard.

Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

Jun-7-2016 10:50

It all happened at once, and Molly was quite at a loss as to who-what-when-where-why. In her experience with this particular group however, menacing individuals in the shadows wearing head-to-toe black tended to be of a villainous nature. She pulled her pistol out of her handbag and took aim at the nearest of the shadows.

They surged all around, and as one fell two more seemed to pop up in their place. Dr. Hoo was useless, curling into a ball on the ground but the others formed a loose circle to ward off the attackers who seemed hell-bent on surrounding them.

Beau chittered in panic and clung most unbecomingly to Molly's hair as she shot down attacker after attacker with deadly aim, pausing only here and there to reload her weapon. Distractedly, she raised a hand to wave him to silence, and thats when her eyes fell on Riza who had ventured from their group in the melee. Riza had turned her eyes to Joseph, giving a split second for an attacker to hurl a dark cloth over her. Molly saw the black fabric slide over Riza's white stunned face and screamed in shock.

"Get Riza!" Ed yelled, surging forward. It was too late however. In a swirl of black cloth and moving shadows she was gone even as Joseph, Molly and Ed tried to fight to the spot where she had been.

"What in the world?" Molly fired off another shot. "Why did they take her, when they are...so...clearly...trying...to...murder...us!" She was panting with the effort of dodging and reloading in time to keep up.

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Jun-8-2016 05:51

The shadows attacked relentlessly like a pack of wolves with razor sharp teeth, their blades hunger for the taste of blood. Joseph struggled to the spot where Riza was taken, and spotted her stilettos protruding from some dark cloths, quickly vanishing around the bend out of the train station.

Three cloaks block his path as Joseph tried to give chase. He finished them off quickly, a single shot into each chest. More shadows emerged but were taken down by Ed and Molly who were running behind him. They must not loose sight of Riza.

As the three approached the exit, Joseph felt a strange tingle at the back of his mind. For no reason at all he looked back, only to see his daughter yanked her legs for the last time before going all limp as the bag around her head choked away her consciousness. His head felt hollow in an instant, as if all matters were suck away by a dark void.
"Jozie!" Joseph cried out Arielle's childhood name.

Oblivious of his partners, Joseph headed straight for Arielle. He noticed Philippe was also hot on her trail, but blood was dripping down his back. The young man was seriously injured. Figures emerged to take Joseph down, ten folds more than those trying to stop them from chasing Riza. Joseph cared less. His gun was thirsty. Nobody should touch his little girl.

Reloading a fresh magazine, Joseph fired a full round in an instant, each bullet meeting its target in the head. No, that was not fast enough, he was still inching forward as Arielle was being carried into -- a train! That was impossible! Where were they taking her?

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Jun-8-2016 05:51

A long blade bared it's teeth at his neck as Joseph ducked to avoid it's sharp bite. In one swift motion he retrieved his backup pistol tied to his ankle, quickly cocked and fired it. The weirder of the blade fell over and Joseph stepped over him as he rushed towards the train, but there were just too many of them. Firing two weapons at the same time, Joseph tried to clear a path forward. He wished dearly for a third arm to just fire one more weapon.

The train whistle blew.

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