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The Chase
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Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Apr-2-2008 22:03

The hunt for evil never ends. When one is caught, another remains. Solidarity brings progress, steadily but surely. But there is always a price. The chase continues....

Replies

Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Apr-2-2008 22:41

Shanghai, China

Ping turned from the Telex machine and read the message slowly. His English wasn’t as good as his partner’s was. Finally, he nodded to himself, and turned to show the paper to Yu. He read through it, then nodded. They spoke to each other briefly, then separated. Yu headed for the southern end of the city. Ping turned north. He wasn’t sure who had the easier job.


lilangel
lilangel
Sleuth About Town

Apr-2-2008 22:45

Lilangel was in her office in the Dawg Pound Investigations when Barnabas rushed into her office. He never bothered knocking. Startled, she looked up, and asked, "What is it, Barnabas?"

He looked as if he saw a ghost. He had grown pale quickly, and he thrust a paper at Lilangel. She looked at it. He said, "It just was delivered by someone. It was from David Adams over in Wish."

Lilangel read the telegram and it said:

Brady shot, STOP.
Gunman unknown at this time, STOP.
Wish coming to help, STOP.
Brady at American Base Southeast of Shanghai, STOP.

END OF MESSAGE.


Pale now, Lilangel had Barnabas summon the other Directors in the agency and she told them of the news and showed them the telegram.

"Barnabas," Lilangel said, "We won't be taking any clients today." Lilangel dismissed Barnabas.

Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Apr-2-2008 22:47

(Several hours later)

Barnabas Gravel, the Clerk of Dawg Pound Investigations answered a knock at the main door of the agency. He found a native man, dressed plainly, smiling quietly at him. He shooed the man away briskly, “Sorry, Agency’s not taking clients today. Please come back tomorrow.”

The man reached out to bar Gravel shutting the door on him, “Pwease, I here to see your Diwector. I sent from Doctor Adams. Pwease, you let me in, pwease.”

Barney looked at the man askance, “You know David Adams? How?”

Ping smiled again at him, “I work for him. Pwease, I need to see lady named Lil. You take me to her, pwease?” he repeated.

Barney sighed, then held open the door for him, “Come in then.”

He led the stranger upstairs to Miss Lil’s office. Lil rose from her chair instantly. “Barney, you know we’re not dealing with cases today. Please show this man out.”

“Ma’am, he says he knows Mr. Adams.” Barney replied.

Ping nodded, “My name is Ping. Fang Ping. I work for Dr. Adams. You have friend, Brady, yes? Dr. Adams ask me to take you to him.”

Lil’s mouth opened and closed for a moment. “You work for David Adams?” Ping nodded. “You know where Brady is?” He nodded again. “Oh.” She thought for a second, then picked up her purse, “All right, take us to him, please.”

She called down the halls for Ctown, and then they went downstairs. Ping hailed a cab, and the four of them set of for the south end of Shanghai.

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Apr-3-2008 15:55

Camp Pershing, Shanghai
(Several hours later)

Dave ambled wearily down the walkway from the medical clinic to the base’s main headquarters building. He was so tired he could barely see straight. He’d started off his morning in Delhi, India, down to two possible hideouts for the latest villain he’d been after, Karl Dark. He’d had no time to narrow his choice down further, he’d simply gone with his gut. He’d been wrong. Oh well. He’d track down Dark another time. Four hours on a plane to China, and he’d landed here at Camp Pershing. He’d just spent close to five hours digging a slug out of Brady Quinn’s shoulder and upper chest. Quinn was now resting comfortably, but his day wasn’t over yet. He sighed as he pulled open the HQ’s door, and strolled down the hallway to the Base Commander’s office, poking his head in the open doorway.

He nodded at the base’s visitors, “Ah, I see you’ve had a chance to meet Major Dubois. Good. Major, I take you’ve met Mr. Quinn’s friends?”

The Major didn’t have a chance to reply before Lil had jumped up from her chair and started peppering Dave with questions, “David! Where’s Brady? Is he okay? What happened? Where is he? Why can’t we see him?”

Dave swept off his surgical cap and rubbed his forehead tiredly. “Miss Lil, Brady’s doing fine for now. He’s in stable condition. He’s still unconscious. We just got through surgery with him. Barring complications, he’ll be up and around in a couple of days.”

Ctown studied him closely, “When can we see him?”

“He’ll sleep through the night. You should be able to visit with him in the morning.” Dave replied.

Lil turned for the door. “I want to see him now.”

Dave barred her way, “I’m sorry, Lil. He’s in no shape to deal with anyone visiting him right now. He wouldn’t even know you’re there. Best wait ‘til tomorrow.”

The Major spoke up, “The General’s right, Ma’am. He’s the one who operated on him.”

Lil looked at the Major, “General? I thought he was a Captain?” She tu

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Apr-3-2008 15:57

She turned back to Dave, “So which are you? And you’re a doctor too?”

Dave rubbed his forehead tiredly, “My full rank is Brigadier General, Lil. But people react very differently to a General than they do to a Captain, so that’s the rank that I use in regular life. I’m also a board-certified emergency surgeon. I got my training at Walter Reed Army Hospital, and then in the foxholes of World War I France and Belgium. I’m not the best doctor in the world, but I’ve been doing it for close to twenty years now.”

Ctown nodded, “That’s good enough for me.”

Lil’s eyes narrowed, “I’m not sure I believe you.”

Dave glared at Lil for a moment, then turned to Dubois, “Your phone have a speaker on it?” The Major nodded. “Good,” he replied, “Turn it on,” then waited a moment for the operator to come on the line, “Operator? Put me through to the States, please, DC 21102.”

“Uh, isn’t that…”

“Yes, it is. ‘S there a problem?”

“No, no problem, sir. It’ll take a few minutes to get through though.”

“That’s fine. Ring me back when the call goes through, please.”

Dave turned to the Major, “While we’re waiting for that, what’s the latest on finding out what happened just before the shooting?”

The Major sat at his desk, scanning a notepad, “I had two MPs go through Mr. Quinn’s hotel room while you were in surgery. It appears the last thing Quinn was doing was looking for a Jin Jiang, here in Shanghai. They didn’t find much else.”

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Apr-3-2008 15:58

“Anybody been over to Wish’s field office yet?” Dave asked.

“Not as yet, Sir,” Dubois replied.

“Okay, please send some of your people over there to have a look around. It’s over by the Ritz Hotel and Bar.” Dave turned to the doorway, poking his head out, “Ping? C’mon in, please.” He waved the smaller man into the office, “I hope you’ve met everyone?”

Ping smiled and nodded at those present. “Yes, I bring from office. Hallo again.”

Dave smiled at him, “Thank you for doing that. I need a favor, please. We’re looking for a man named Jin Jiang. I’m ‘fraid I don’t have anything else I can tell you bout him, except he may be connected with the shooting today. Would you have yours and Yu’s people start looking for him, please? Thank you. And Ping? Step out of the shadows if you have to.”

Ping smiled again, “Of course, Doctor. We happy to help. I start now.” With that, he turned, smiled again at the group, and left.


David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Apr-3-2008 15:59

Lil spoke up at that, “I thought he worked for you?”

Dave chuckled softly at that, “That what he told you? Hardly. He’s Tiandihui. He’s nowhere near as naïve or as harmless as he looks.”

“Tian-what?” Ctown asked.

“Tiandihui. They’re also known as the Hongmen. They’re the first and strongest Triad. Ping’s colleague, Yu, is currently on guard duty with Brady over at the hospital. He’s also Triads. Both are very dangerous men to cross.”

Just then, the phone rang. The Major hit the speaker button, and a grainy voice came on the line, “White House Operator. How may I direct your call?”

As people gasped, Dave called out, “General David Adams here, Amethyst Project, War Department. Put me through to Troubadour, public channels, please.”

“Right away, sir.”

Over the next few mintues, they were transferred from secretary to secretary, to department heads, to administrators, to chiefs, working their way slowly up the White House chain-of-command. Finally, they reached the Chief of Staff.

“Chief of Staff here.”

Chuck. Nice to see you. Dave Adams here. Need to speak with Troubadour if you don’t mind,” Dave said.

“Fraid he’s not up yet. He’s normally not in the Office ‘til nine, and it’s only 7:30 here,” the Chief replied.

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Apr-3-2008 16:00

“Ah, okay. Is Empress around?” Dave asked.

“Yep, she just got in a minute ago. I’ll put you through.”

There was a click on the line, then everyone recognized the slightly nasal tone of the First Lady, “Good morning, this is Eleanor.”

“Good morning, Ma’am. Dave Adams here. I hope you and the President are well today?”

“Dave! How nice to hear from you! Yes, we’re both fine. How are you doing?”

“Doing just fine, Ma’am. I’ve got a bit of a problem at the moment, though, and I’m hoping you can help me out. I’ve got a few people here who are a little suspicious of my bonafides. Perhaps you might reassure them?”

“Oh David,” the First Lady chided, “Did you lose your Captain’s bars again?”
Dave laughed at that, “Yes, Ma’am, you could put it that way.” He turned to the group, “Anyone have any questions for the First Lady?”

Everyone shook their heads, too speechless to say anything.

“Is there anything I can help with, Dave?” the First Lady asked.

“No Ma’am, they seem to have had all their confusion cleared up. I do thank you though. Sorry to intrude.”

“No problem at all. Please feel free to call anytime. How’s Breit and your little one doing?”

“They’re both doing great. Sarah’s growing great guns. We can hardly keep up with her.” he replied.

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Apr-3-2008 16:01

“That’s wonderful!” she cooed, “Well, I’m sorry to cut this short, but I need to go take the President his breakfast. He does hate cold eggs in the morning.”

“That’s fine, Ma’am. Thank you for your help, and please give my best to the President. Thanks again!”

“You’re most welcome, Dave,” she replied, “It’s nice meeting your company there. Take care now.” And with that, she was gone.

There was dead silence for several moments. Then Lil’s mouth opened and closed a couple times before she got out, “Wa, wa, was that who I think it was?”

Dave looked at her, laughter in his eyes, “Dunno. Who d’you think it was?”

Ctown pointed at the phone, “That was Eleanor Roosevelt.” He looked up at Dave, THE Eleanor Roosevelt!”

Dave grinned, “Yep, I guess it was who you thought it was then. Any questions?”

Barnabas was too dumbfounded still to answer. The Major just grinned. He’d already seen a taste of Dave’s influence. He knew better than to question the man.

“Okay, good.” Dave glanced at the clock on the Major’s office wall. “I need to go check on Mr. Quinn again.” He turned to the Major, “You have a car of some sort that we can give these folks a ride back to their office in?”

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Apr-3-2008 16:02

Dubois nodded, “Of course. I’ll put a car and driver on standby for them whenever they want it.”

“Good, that’s very nice of you.” Dave thanked him. He turned to Lil, Ctown, and Barnabas. “You folks have a list of all your staff and people who might want to come visit Brady while he’s here recovering at the base? We’ll need a list of names to give the Major and his staff to clear them.”

Lil thought for a moment, “Oh. Barney should be able to write one up for you. Barney?”

The clerk nodded, “Yes Ma’am.” The Major handed him a notepad and pen, and he compiled a list of DPI’s staff and detectives, then handed it back to him.

“You already have Wish’s people covered, yes?” Dave asked the Major. Dubois nodded. “Good,” Dave replied, “They should start flying in sometime tomorrow. You’ll also be getting Department people in later on tonight. We need to know as quickly as possible what happened and if this is tied to previous situations.”

The Major nodded. He’d been briefed some time ago on the General’s concerns.

“Okay, folks, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be off. You need anything, just call the base. You’ll get put through to the Major or myself.” Dave gave a final smile to everyone, then headed back to the hospital to watch over Brady for the night.

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