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Oct-28-2008 02:14


...

“He’s just gone!”

“What do you mean gone?”

“I mean gone, detective, disappeared without a trace.”

“Barry Grant? Gone?”

“…”

“And what do you expect out of me?”

“What should I expect out of you?”

Nov-6-2008 12:38

Dr. Adams’ eyes turned a shade icier, “Breit happens to be my wife, Mr. Garrett. She and the people at her agency spent more than a year looking for Mr. Grant. Anything you need to know about their investigation, you can ask me. You don’t need to bother Breit or Sahira.”

Clift gulped slightly at the icy anger in the man’s eyes, then summoned up his courage, “Very well, Doctor. Can you tell me where your investigation has led?”

Dave studied Clift again, then calmed somewhat. His voice was low, with an edge of pain to it, “How much do you know about a group called HYDRA, Mr. Garrett?”

Clift blinked, then admitted he didn’t know much about it.

Dave nodded, “HYDRA’s an ultraviolent faction of the Irish Republican Army, a terrorist group of unparalleled brutality. Mr. Grant was working for us trying to get information about HYDRA when he disappeared. His colleagues, both at his own agency and his former group, the Closers, were thoroughly vetted.”

“We know where Mr. Grant’s last whereabouts were,” Dave continued, “We’ve conducted extensive searches of the area, and interviews of the residents. We’ve found nothing.”

Clift leaned forward in his chair excitedly, “You know where Mr. Grant was last seen?”

Dave nodded.

“How d’you know this?” Clift demanded.

Adams leaned back in his chair, watching the younger man thoughtfully, “Because I was the one who sent him there.”

Clift gulped, “’Scuse me?”

Adams stared at him evenly, “You heard me. I was the one who sent him off on his last mission.”

“But!! But!! But why didn’t you tell me this?” Clift said angrily, “Do you have ANY idea how much time I’ve wasted?”

Nov-6-2008 12:43

Adams leaned forward over his desk, nailing Clift with his stare, “Did YOU stop to think you might be delving into territory that’s better left alone?” Dave looked away, studying a map on the wall for a moment. He continued quietly, “Grant’s mission was Classified. Top Secret. Need to know status.” He turned back to Clift, “And you didn’t need to know!” He rubbed his jaw wearily, “Now you’ve gone and lit up half the city’s underworld with your hunt about Grant.” He turned back to Clift, staring at him morosely, “Just what we didn’t need. Thank you so much.”

Adams sighed softly, seeing the determination in the other man’s eyes, “You wanna know where Grant was last seen? Simple. I sent him to Shangri-la. He hasn’t been seen alive since.”

Clift stared at the doctor, digesting what he’d just been told. Shangri-la. He’d heard about the place, but knew very little about it. He was told it was a strange, mysterious place, but why had Barry Grant been lost there? Was he still alive, or had he met up with foul play? He knew he had no choice but to go there and conduct an inquiry.

He rose slowly from his chair, grudgingly thanking the doctor for his time. He turned and left, lost in thought, contemplating all he’d been told.

Dave watched the young man leave, studying him thoughtfully. Several moments after he’d left, he nodded at the man who knocked quietly at his door, “Come.”

Adam Adami, one of his agents, peeked his head through, “Hey, Boss. You want us to stay on this guy?”

Nov-6-2008 12:44

Dave looked at him and nodded, “Twenty-four, seven, Adam. Don’t let the guy outta yer sight.” He saw Adam and Nicholas and several other agents head for the stairs, all ready to take turns surveilling Mr. Garrett. He reached for a bottle of bourbon and a glass he kept in a bottom drawer of his desk, pouring a not-so-small glass. He turned and stared out the office window at the city beyond. He wondered how long it would take Garrett before he continued his hunt for Grant. He’d seemed an earnest, yet somewhat unworldly young man. The guy was prob’ly dogged enough to keep looking ‘til he came up with a body. No telling whose it’d be....

Nov-7-2008 08:44


Clift was having a long overdue drink at the Tricky Mister Bar. The place was crowded with chatting locals, as always.

Cyrus Tibby, the Bartender, seemed to be having a rough day, and wasn't interested in chatting much. Clift was having his drink, quietly waiting for his good friend, Makensie Brewer.

Makensie had promised Clift a meet up for a drink or two upon his return to New York. Though she opted out of getting involved, Mak's actual interest in the Barry Grant case never ceased. She passionately and frequently sent Clift telegrams and letters asking about his well-being and the progress he achieved in the case.

Well... today Clift had a lot to share with the beautiful Ms. Brewer upon her arrival. His 'encounter' with Dr. David Adams, though answered all his questions, left him with many new ones.

Clift was at a loss.

He was making really good progress on the case, yet he was now lost. The information given to him by Dr. Adams had both enlightened and confused him. Many of his assumptions about the women in Barry's life turned out to be incorrect, and now it seemed there would be very little hope of Clift finding any trace of the people Barry loved the most, let alone Barry Grant himself.

Clift's face suddenly lit up: with her usual cheerful disposition and aura of positivity, Makensie Brewer entered the Tricky Mister.

Nov-7-2008 10:22

Makensie walked in, very frustrated already for her start of the day, but was glad for the break, before she really made the townspeople hate her.

Spotting Clift, she smiled, and waved, walking toward him to sit at the bar. Plopping a seat down beside him, she shrugged off her coat, ordered a Beer, and a shot of whiskey, and said, "Well, hello, Clift, we finally meet up to actually talk face to face" Clift smiles, and says, "Yes, I am very happy to finally be able to sit and chat" As Cyrus, put her beer, and shot in front of her, he says, "Well, my kind of woman. Beer AND shot" She chuckles, and says, "Normally, I dont drink whiskey but after the morning I've had, I need it" She took her shot, put it aside, and placed her beer in front of her.

"So, she said, looking at Clift, "How are things? I heard that things are getting a bit more serious for you, huh?" He nods, and continues to fill her in on everything up to date.

She cringed, and says, "Shangri-La, he was last seen? Not good. Very eerie, dangerous place" Clift nods, saying, "So, I hear. I just have so many questions now. It's making my head hurt just thinking about it"

She pats his arm, and says, "I know what you mean" He takes a sip of his drink, and says, "So, hows the treasure hunt going? Lets talk of something lighter" She chuckles, and says, "I wouldn't call that a light subject, seeing as how bad of luck I'm having. The townie I WANT doesnt want to give in to me. I must be losing my touch" She grins, and winks at him, as she takes a drink of her beer.

He laughs, and says, "You? Never. You still sticking around in NY?" She said, "Thankfully, I can go back to London today, after I leave here. No hurries though....I wont have any better luck there, than I had here" She shrugged, and chuckled.

Clift kind of brushes her arm, and says, "Keep your positive self. Them townies have to give in sometime, if you bug them enough." She nods, saying, "True, true" *more*

Nov-7-2008 10:32

Cyrus walks up, and says, "Mak, you starting another tab or what?" She says, "Are you kidding me? The last time I did that, it cost me a fortune. Someone really rang my tab up" He grins, saying, "Yeah, and her name is Makensie" She says, "No tab today. I will be just having this beer I have, then I have to scoot" Cyrus says, "Ok" She looks at Clift, then at Cyrus, and says, "Hey! On second though, get me another beer, and what my good friend here is drinking...it's on me"

Clift says, "You dont have to buy. A gentleman is supposed to buy for the lady" She waves her hand at him, and says, "Nonsense! I'm the one who suggested we have a drink here so, I will buy this time" She put some money up on the bar, and sat back, to enjoy the rest of her beer, before the second one came.

It was nice talking to her newest friend, Clift Garrett. As they talked, and laughed over their own little adventures, they could feel their days worries fading away.

( Hours later )

Makensie was laughing so hard, and having a good time, when she noticed the time. "Oh my goodness, I have to get going! I have to get back to London, and get to work or my boss will kick my butt", she says, getting up, grabbing her coat. Clift stood up with her, and says, "I should be going myself. Here, let me help you with your coat" She smiled, and thanked him, as he grabbed her coat, and held it open for her.

She gives him a friendly hug, and says, "It was so very nice having this talk with you. I needed that! Please keep in touch with me. Doesnt have to be just about your investigation, either" She smiles at him, and he says, "Thank you for the drinks, and for a nice, pleasant chat. WE definitely will be doing it again sometime" She nods, and says, "Definitely"

They both walk out into the rain, as Clift went one direction, and Makensie took off running in the other direction, calling for a cab.

Nov-7-2008 11:09

Meanwhile somewhere in the dark recesses of Shanghai lays a barely recognizable human. His humanity is covered with once elegant but now shabby clothes, many layers of grime, and 18 months of unshaven facial hair. He is with other barely recognizable and long forgotten humans in a place most do not go. Only those who have committed their lives to the service of others know where to find those who cannot help themselves. They go there once in awhile to remove the dead.

He lies there drifting in and out of consciousness not remembering who he is, who he was, or how he got to where he is now. He only knows what he yearns for. Clutching his now empty bottle he deliriously mutters one name repeatedly.

"Becky..."

Nov-9-2008 04:44


**New York, Obelisk Headquarters, 1452 hrs (local)**

Osberta Rudisill, the Agency Clerk at Obelisk Inc., walked into Clift’s Office in the basement of the Converted Bank at the Agency’s Headquarters with a pile of papers. As always, she seemed crossed with Clift. “Mr. Garrett here are a few telegrams and some reports that arrived from our London Field Office �" Emergency Response Unit...”

Clift was a bit too busy to notice her growing frown as she put the pile on his desk. “Thank you Mrs. Rudisill.”

Osberta stopped at the door and turned to Clift. “Mr. Garrett, your Barry Grant investigation is starting to strain the Agency’s resources.”

Clift raised his head. “Oh?”

“I have more important and interesting work I could be doing, which would be more lucrative to Obelisk. I suggest you ensure the Barry Grant case brings in as much money as your effort and absence from Obelisk is worth. I should speak to Mr. Von Victor if I feel my own efforts are being wasted!”

Osberta left without giving Clift the chance to respond. Clift sighed nervously: there was some truth to her complaint. He was hoping that his extensive work on the Barry Grant case was not affecting the Agency as a whole, but he did seem to be straining resources... Perhaps a call to Betty was due for a report and request for payment of some expenses.

Clift put these administrative thoughts aside and started reading the reports and telegrams from London.

Nov-9-2008 04:57


**New York, Obelisk Headquarters, 1917 hrs (local)**

Clift had spent some hours going through different pieces of information: The recently arrived reports and telegrams from London, his notes from meeting with Dr. David Adams and the information he gathered from Shanghai and The Closers.

“Well, Dr. Adam's information is immaculately correct.” Apparently, the information Clift gathered showed that Ms. Andrea X is indeed semi-retired as a detective, and living on a small estate in Surrey, England. His sources have informed him that she is not receiving any visitors with the exception of her fellow Agency members of the Hitchhikers.

Miss Violet Parr, similarly, seems to have retired and could not be located in London by anyone.

Mrs. Franks, however, was serving her fifteen-year sentence in Aylesbury women’s prison in Buckinghamshire, England. Apparently she was indeed arrested in China shortly after Barry disappeared and extradited to England. Her charges were endless but included larceny, theft, fraud, assault, slander, libel and forgery charges. Two of the assault counts were against an Officer of the Realm.

Her health reports were not that great either. Apparently life in prison did not suit her well and she was having immense difficulties adjusting.

Clift needed to speak to one of these three links to Barry Grant since he got all the information he could get from Dr. Adams who assured him that Breitkat Pfeiffer and Sahira Quadir had no further information on the case.

Miss X would be difficult to get in contact with as Yoyofoshow previously warned. Miss Parr seems to have disappeared from London and Clift had no contacts in Delhi whatsoever.

It seemed that a visit to Rebecca Franks, no matter how unpleasant, was inevitable.

Nov-9-2008 15:27

Entering the dingy basement office, Jesse found Clift sitting at his desk and staring off into space with a slightly frustrated expression on his face. "Mr. Garrett, we should talk a bit."

"Oh! I mean yes. Sir. Yes Sir." Clift cleared his throat and glanced nervously about the floor of the tiny room before reestablishing eye contact with the Obelisk director standing in his doorway. "What is it, Mr. Hunter?"

"Mrs. Rudisill has, in her sideways manner of speakin', expressed some concerns about your performance here at the agency. I've looked over your reports and... I'm going to ask you to clean out your desk, Mr. Garrett."