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Airs and Heiresses
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Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

Jul-6-2015 11:19

New York, 1938
St. Regis Hotel
Rooftop Nightclub

"So there I was, staring down a barrel INCHES from death...and I told the man, 'darling REALLY, if you simply must shoot me do allow me to remove my earrings. They are Cartier, you know." Molly Maltese paused to take a sip of her Red Snapper, popping the olive neatly between her cherub lips before gnashing it to a pulp. "And the man was quite flummoxed, he said- I say, is that Riza Hawkeye?"

She rose, the group of rapt men in tuxedos and women in glittering dresses and furs murmuring their protests as she wended through their knees. But the apparition she was quite sure had been Riza Hawkeye had vanished in the crowd of New York socialites populating the exclusive terrace.

"Well, this place is a bit ritzy for Riza." she murmured, fairly certain her old acquaintance didn't make a habit of populating social-climbing fetes. And she reasoned, any time Riza had appeared before it was hardly ever for a pleasant cause. Well, maybe that was unfair. It just seemed she was more the swirl-of-furs-and-stiletto-daggers type than a frothy socializer like Molly herself.

Peering around, Molly saw nothing but the shadowed faces of revelers partially cloaked in the smoky haze. She had just been about to give up and go back to her companions when the most shocking hubbub began. Over on the north part of the terrace, she could distinctly hear the shouts of men and panicked screeching of females. Moving forward, she could just make out..

"Did you see... The Ambassador... who could have... murder! Someone has pushed the Ambassador off the building!" Molly picked up speed, expertly weaving through the crowd of panicked voices. Sirens already began to sound twenty stories below. Just as she grasped the ledge and looked over, an all too familiar voice sounded in her left ear.

"Oh hello there, old friend. Lovely breeze out today."

Before her stood Riza Hawkeye herself, looking utterly unruffled as several ladies fainted behind her.

Replies

Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Aug-16-2015 20:52

At the airport, it took a lot of talking and at least 40% of the bribe money, but they finally found a pilot with a plane who could get them towards Italy. Once in Italy, it took a bit of time to make their way towards Venice and from Venice, the detectives boarded the Orient Express.

"My word, this must be one of the most luxurious trains I've ever seen" Vulkie exclaimed, as they got seated in their carriage. The train departed from the train station and made it's way towards the city once known as Constantinople... Istanbul..

*** Istanbul Train Station ***

As the train arrived at the trainstation of Istanbul, Sirkeci Terminal, the detectives took their luggage and made their way towards another train, heading for Shanghai. The detectives looked around them and made sure they weren't being followed, because the words of the deceased Sphinx - goon still haunted their minds...

"Remember... trust no one, not even those closest to you." he had said. As the detectives got into the train and their luggage taken care off, they could relax; it would take a couple of days before they would finally reach the magical city of Shanghai...

Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Aug-16-2015 20:54

***Just a sidenote - 40% of the bribe money insinuates that the detectives have 1200 left of the money they got from Willie. ***

Riza Hawkeye
Riza Hawkeye
First Nomad

Aug-18-2015 19:10

Marc wandered through the train cars as night fell in the countryside of whichever European country they were currently passing through. He felt the glass bottle in his trenchcoat pocket tilt, and he caught it before it could spill. It was full of whiskey that he’d managed to buy just before boarding. Keeping it hidden from the conductor wasn't easy, but he’d managed. Barely. He hoped Riza was still awake, as he made his way to her compartment. He wasn't sure why he was going there; his legs just seemed to lead him there.

He found her door and knocked. There was no answer.

"Marc?" Riza appeared from behind him, a slightly surprised look on her face. "What are you doing here?"

He held up the bottle. "Figured you could use a drink."

"Let's get some air," she said, sliding open the door at the end of the train car. Immediately, a rush of cool air greeted them. The pair stepped outside and leaned against the railing, watching the countryside roll by. The moon cast everything in a soft glow.

"Ladies first," Marc said, offering Riza the bottle. She hesitated for a moment, then took a swig and handed it back to him.

For a while they stood in silence, both their minds swirling with thoughts but unsure of what to say to each other. The wind blew through Riza's hair, ruffling it.

"I like the feeling of being in love," she said softly, her head still turned towards the passing greenery.

Marc hesitated for a moment, unsure if that was meant for his ears or not, then asked, "What was his name?"

"...Roy. I ran into him during our last night in Cairo."

"Is he with Sphinx?"

"No," Riza said as she slapped him in the face. "Not everyone is with Sphinx."

"Relax," Marc said, rubbing his cheek. "I'm sorry, I was just asking."

"They've made you paranoid, that's what it is."

Marc awkwardly nursed the whiskey bottle in his hands as he looked in the opposite direction as Riza. "So what happened with him? Roy."

Riza Hawkeye
Riza Hawkeye
First Nomad

Aug-18-2015 19:10

It was a while before Riza spoke. "A long time ago, he left me when I needed him the most." She paused. "And I don't think I can forgive him for that. I don't want to forgive him."

Marc was momentarily left speechless. Riza Hawkeye was opening up to him? That Riza?

"Riza...I...I'm sorry that happened to you. No one should ever have to go through that. But saying sorry doesn't really cut it, does it?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "I just...I just missed him. I wanted to kill him, but I couldn't." She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed out the words. "I gave in, and I feel disgusted with myself. I feel weak."

Marc turned to look in the direction Riza was staring. The view was beautiful, but neither one was truly seeing it. "You know," Marc began, "In my weakest state, I was holding my best friend as his life faded and he died in my arms. I made a promise that I would kill the ones responsible. Two are dead and I feel no satisfaction."

"Maybe killing isn't the answer. Maybe what you've lost can't be fixed with more loss."

Marc gulped down what was left in the whisky bottle. "The anger inside me frightens even myself, and sometimes I have no idea what I'm capable of."

"A long time ago," Riza said, clutching the rail, "I let myself be angry at him. It didn't make him come back. All it did was burn a hole inside of my heart. And I lost part of myself."

Marc spoke into the night. "I'd hate to lose you as a friend. You're one of the few I have left."

Riza stared straight ahead, her red-rimmed eyes hidden by the darkness. She did not need to say anything.

Without thinking, Marc placed his hand over hers. Her hand was freezing, though whether it was from the night air or from clutching the rail so tightly he didn't know. "You will not lose me. If there's one promise I can make and keep, it's this. I'll always be here."

Riza Hawkeye
Riza Hawkeye
First Nomad

Aug-18-2015 19:10

"Thanks," Riza said. "That means a lot." She cast her eyes over at the horizon. A faint orange glow was creeping over the edges. "Do you think, someday, we'll be able to find ourselves again?"

"It'll take more time than we want it to. I wish every day the pain would stop. Making people cower in fear, making them feel the same pain I feel, it's sick, but it makes me feel...better. Is that wrong?"

"No," Riza replied. "I understand what you mean. Look at me. If I take charge, I look like I can handle myself. I convince people that I'm that sort of person to conceal the weakness inside."

Marc tossed the empty whiskey bottle off the side of the train. "I've done the same. I know what it's like to hide behind a smile. Inside, I have more damage than I care for anyone else to see. More than most people can understand. It seems now, you and I understand each other's pain."

Riza opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of a shrill shriek coming from inside the car. In an instant, her eyes turned to steel.

M. Lacrimosa
M. Lacrimosa
Thespian

Aug-18-2015 19:13

Marc and Riza ran to the sound of the shriek. "That shriek was too familiar," Marc said as they made their way down the train car. People were sticking their heads out of their compartments.

"Nothing to see here, people," Riza said as they passed.

Marc was nearly knocked over as a large man came crashing to the floor.

"Bastard!" Vulkie yelled.

The man got up and started to retreat back towards the door Marc and Riza had entered from. Vulkie rushed after him.

"Vulkie!" Marc yelled, "No!" He turned to Riza. "Get Molly and get outside, quickly!"

Riza started to object. "Do it," he said. He sprinted after Vulkie.

The distance between them was bigger than he had anticipated. He found them fighting next to a railing outside, two cars away. "Marc!" Vulkie yelled, "He's part of Sphinx!"

Marc grabbed at the man, who ducked and kicked Marc's legs out from underneath him, causing Marc to crash to the ground.

Vulkie grabbed the man but he fought back, knocking her backwards so she tumbled over the railing. She grabbed onto the rail to catch herself from falling.

Marc grabbed her hand to try to pull her up. Her palms were moist with sweat and he could feel her slipping from his grasp. "I got you," Marc said. The ground seemed to be moving by at hundreds of miles an hour, an exaggerated measurement from the actual speed they were traveling. Fear overcame Vulkie's face as Marc tried to pull her back over the railing. He was cut short as he was suddenly tackled through the door.

Vulkie was gone. Knocked off the train, she tumbled into the grass. Marc felt sick to his stomach as the man stepped over him. Vulkie...

He looked at the man, who wore a patch over his eye. "Remember me?" Hassan asked.

"You son of a bitch!" Marc yelled. "I'll kill you!" He felt a set of hands grab him and pull him backwards.

"Easy, big boy," Molly said, as Riza pinned Hassan to the wall with her knife.

Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Aug-18-2015 20:49

*** Before Vulkie fell off the train ***

As Vulkie sat in her compartment, she was smoking a cigarette and looking out of the window. It was dark and she couldn't sleep. The dream still haunted her memory. Her father had shot her after she had stolen her mother's jewelry... but there was a good reason for it.

As she thought about what happened after she fell into the sea, a knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. "Enter" Vulkie said, and someone entered the compartment. "Ticket please" a man's voice asked and he closed the compartment door. As Vulkie was still looking out of the window, she quickly turned towards her purse on the nearby table and began to dig for her ticket. Just as she was about to hand it, she could hear the cocking of a gun.

"Surprised to see me?" the man asked, and sat down next to her. As Vulkie looked towards his face, slowly, surprise overtook it. It was Hassan. He was still alive, but wearing an eyepatch.

"You.. you.. but.. how.. but.." Vulkie said, having lost all words. "You.." she began, but was interrupted by Hassan, who replied: "Are supposed to be dead? Yes, I almost was... but your friends showed me some mercy. After they were done with me, they left me for what I was... that was their first, and final mistake, if it's up to me. Yes, I eventually recovered from their torture and was patched up. To keep the believe of me being dead, we found someone else who was suitable and had him treated the same way, plus a coupe de grace - a bullet to the head, so you would think I was dead for sure."

"But... how did you find us?" Vulkie asked. Hassan laughed quietly and replied: "Do you think we would let you all get away from us? We have connections, everywhere. The pilot you bribed? One of us. He immediately informed us where you were going and it didn't take us too much time to figure out where you were heading next. I bet those idiots told it immediately once you had confronted them at the drop-off."

*cont in next post*

Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Aug-18-2015 20:58

"Yes, but one of those idiots suicided. At least he had the guts to continue with what he started." Vulkie replied, with a grin on her face.

"Shame... they might've been idiots, but they were doing a good job with collecting the money. It wasn't until you all interfered in our business and that of Jack's, that it all blew up in our faces. I'm afraid..." Hassan said, while reaching in his pocket, "that we need to tidy it all up now. Jack's not gonna be happy, but it has to be done.." he added.

As Hassan got his hand out of his pocket, he revealed a small bottle. It had the word CYANIDE written on it.

"Either you get a bullet, or a capsule of cyanide. Your choice..." Hassan said, while presenting the bottle to Vulkie.

As she took the bottle, she observed it and unscrewed the top. She took out the capsule and looked at it. Ordinary as any other medicine, one would say; except, this one had a deadly ending once taken.

"The capsule.." Vulkie said, as she bowed her head. Hassan laughed. "Excellent; that means that I have some more bullets left for your friends.." he said.

As she put the pill in her mouth, Hassan kept on watching. However, he didn't expect that Vulkie was not to bite it down or swallow it. Instead, she spew it out, right in his face and made a move for the gun. Hassan and Vulkie got into a struggle, and she knocked Hassan right in the face, making him fall down on the floor of the compartment. Vulkie held the gun at him and took aim. "Too bad Hassan, your luck just ran out" Vulkie said. "Not quite" he replied, instantly drewing a knife and cutting her leg. She let out a shriek and dropped the gun to the floor.

Hassan immediately got up and held Vulkie's arms together, but she headbutted him and they swirled around the room. Just then, the conductor came in and saw what was happening. "What is going on here?!" he almost shouted, while Vulkie pushed Hassan into the conductor. Hassan fell on the floor again.

"Bastard!" Vulkie shouted.

Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Aug-18-2015 21:15

Hassan immediately got up, ran past Marc and Riza and got out of the door leading to the next train compartment coach. Vulkie immediately began to chase after Hassan, while Marc and Riza kept on watching after her, surprise written all over their faces.

After running through two train compartment coaches, she finally cornered Hassan outside, fighting him. Marc joined them "Marc!" Vulkie yelled, "He's a part of Sphinx!" she added immediately afterwards, hoping to trigger Marc into a fury.

So it did. Marc grabbed at Hassan, who ducked and kicked Marc's legs out from underneath him, causing Marc to crash to the ground.

Then, it was Vulkie's turn. She grabbed Hassan but he fought back, knocking her backwards so she tumbled over the railing. Vulkie grabbed onto the rail to catch herself from falling.

As Marc tried to grab her hand, she realised her palms were sweaty, which caused her to slip away from Marc's grasp. Realizing what was about to happen, Vulkie's faced spelled fear all over it. She knew she was going to fall off the train.

Just then, Marc was tackled and that's when Vulkie lost sight of both of them... She fell off the train and rolled down into the grass, rolling and rolling, which seemed an eternity, until it finally stopped and she praised herself lucky that nothing too sharp was lying in her way down.

As she got up, she heard the train's whistle and looked at it disappearing. "Well then" she said to herself, "I guess we're going to Shanghai on foot. First order of business... what's the damage?" she added.

As she looked down, she could see that her skirt had tears in it, probably caused by some tree branches that were lying in the grass. Her legs were covered in dirt, caused by the muddy hill she had rolled from. As she looked at her hands and arms, they were also dirty. However, as she touched her head, she could feel some blood pouring from it. "Damn, must've hit a rock on the way down. Gotta bandage that immediately!" she said to herself...


Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Aug-18-2015 21:26

As she tore a long piece of her blue skirt, she began to swear to herself. So that rat Hassan had still survived. She should've expected it... but then again, it wasn't like Marc or Riza to leave a job unfinished. As she tied the long piece of her skirt around her head, it almost looked like she was wearing an Indian Turban.

"Right... Now that that's sorted, we best get a move-along.. it's a long way to Shanghai I presume.." Vulkie said to herself and she began to walk...

*** 5 hours later ***

As Vulkie kept on walking down the narrow, muddy road, she noticed that it slowly turned into morning. As she took a small pause and looked at her surroundings,she exclaimed out loud: "It all looks the same! Rice fields, everywhere!!" As she walked a bit further down the road, she began to realize that she didn't have any water nor food with her. She was all on her own, there wasn't a human probably to be found in miles and she still didn't have any idea where she was and on top of that, she was tired from all the walking.

Luckily, a great old tree stump was nearby, on which she could sit and rest for a bit. "I'm never going to make it.. I'm never going to make it.." she murmered, over and over...

"Don't give up" a voice in the back of her head said. "Your friends are still in danger! They need you, now at the most perilous of times!" the voice added.

"I know" she murmered, "but I can't go on! I'm dead tired.. ".

Then, all of a sudden, she looked into the further distance. She could see a wagon driven by a man, with two oxes in front of it, approaching her. "Just my luck!" she said and she waved down the wagon. The wagon came down to a stop.

"Hello, good sir. I need some assistance. I'm on my way to Shanghai.." Vulkie began, but she realised that she was talking to deaf man's ears. The Chinese rice farmer couldn't understand her at all.

"Shanghai.." Vulkie said.." go.. to ... Shanghai" she said after it. The man still looked curious at her...

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