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Midnight in Karachi
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Molly Maltese
Old Shoe
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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?
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Replies |
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe
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Jun-8-2016 16:09
"What can one say, Ed? You just drive us ladies wild." Molly continued as she bent over to examine Riza curiously.
"This is wildly out of character for our usually fearless and homicidially brave heroine however, and I am suspicious." So saying, Molly peered intently at Riza's neck, wrists and arms until she clucked in bemusement at a tiny drop of blood welling from a pin-size hole in Riza's upper arm.
"Some sort of drug, I expect." She put her face close to Riza's, noting the way her eyes moved frantically under her eyelids as one in a nightmare. "Hallucinations? How drab, unless one recalls that delish time atop old Frank's penthouse balcony when we were experimenting with the most curious little mushrooms. But I digress, perhaps you ought to fetch Dr. Hoo if he's made it through all the rumpus. He'll either be able to shed some light, or some complete nonsense."
As an afterthought, she tore off a length of black material from one of the bodies nearest them and bound Riza's wrists in front of her. "If she damages that handsome face of yours anymore, I'll be quite put out... not to mention the absolute murder I'd stoop to if she laid a nail upon mine."
Ed mopped at his face with a sleeve, swearing at the sting. He went off to see if Dr. Hoo was still around, gun at the ready. Molly perched daintily next to Riza, chuckling as Beau swung off her shoulder and onto Riza's chest, lifting her locks of hair and patting her face with his tiny hands.
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M. Lacrimosa
Thespian
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Jun-8-2016 16:39
Marc turned as the train whistle blew, to see Arielle being dragged back onto the train. Riza had been taken in the opposite direction. "Get Arielle!" A small voice screamed inside of his head. "Riza!" Another countered. Marc watched Zeo run towards the train as it slowly started to leave the station. Marc looked around. Edward and Molly had gone after Riza. Should he follow? Zeo was by himself. "Damnit!" Marc yelled as sprinted towards the train.
Zeo pulled himself onto the last car of the train and then helped Marc up. Marc slid another magazine into his pistol. Ten minutes in Karachi and he was already running low on ammunition.
"You go after Arielle," Marc said. "I'll make my way to the conductor and stop this behemoth."
Marc could see Zeo's temper flaring and he would hate to be the next person to encounter the rage of Zeo. Marc climbed the ladder to the top of the train as Joseph opened the door and stepped in.
Marc steadied himself as the train car slightly rocked. He took a step. Then another. He could see the smoke stack of the train but it seemed so far away. He ran the end of the car and jumped across to the other, losing his balance as landed. Marc stumbled and caught himself before he fell. As he stood himself up, he came face to face with one of the attackers from the station. He grabbed Marc, trying to throw him off of the train. Marc knew a fall like that would kill him.
He pushed back moving toward the middle of the train car, only for his jaw to connect with the attackers fist. Marc fell to his knees and his attacker kicked him knocking Marc on his back.
His attacker screamed and he leaped on to Marc with a knife in his hands. With no time to grab his own pistol, Marc grabbed the the man's hand that held the knife and tried to repel the attack. The attacker pushed as Marc pushed back. Marc lifted his leg and pushed the man off of him, sending the knife flying.
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M. Lacrimosa
Thespian
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Jun-8-2016 16:41
Marc stood up, pulling out his gun and fired as the enemy attacker leaped at him for another attack. He dropped like a rock. Marc moved forward jumping from car to car getting closer and closer to the engine of the train. He hoped Zeo was doing okay.
Marc made it to the last car before the engine. He opened the roof door and jumped inside as a gas sprayed into his face. It was odorless, tasteless, and colorless, but burned his eyes just slightly. Inside the car he came face to face with Arielle.
"Arielle!" Marc said. "ZEO!" He screamed turning around, hoping Joseph could hear Marc. "Zeo, I found Arielle!" He turned back around seeing Arielle, with a look of sheer panic on her face.
"Stay back!" She screamed. "Stay away from me!"
"Arielle, it's Marc, I'm here to help you!"
"No! I said stay back!" She threw a blade at him, slicing his shoulder open.
"Hey! What the hell's the matter with you?!" Marc said as he knocked a her arm down, preventing her from trying to hit him with another.
"I said stay back!" She pushed Marc away and pulled yet another blade, this time, she slit her own throat.
"NO!" Marc screamed as he rushed to grab her.
He held her limp body, watching the life fade from her eyes, knowing he had failed. The door to his car opened.
"Marc? What the hell's going on?" Zeo asked. Next to him stood Arielle.
Marc looked around. The car was empty and the cut, on his shoulder was gone. "It felt so real..." Marc said, his voice trailing off. "Come on" He said trying to change the subject. "Let's stop this train."
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Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner
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Jun-11-2016 00:33
Joseph opened the door between the coaches and stepped into the next train compartment. The wooden seats of the third class coach were eerily empty, as the train clattered away to God knows where. Coming from the last car, there was only one direction to go. Joseph teetered his way across several coaches without meeting anyone. Wherever they were planning to take his daughter, they were doing so with the utmost discretion. A train was easy to trace though, so he was sure he would be able to locate Arielle one way or another.
The dining coach was empty as well, but he quickly spotted a black bag as dark as night itself. This could possibly be the bag that went around Arielle’s head. Joseph wanted to tear it into indistinguishable pieces, but at the same time was relieved that it was already removed. Why were they doing this? Who are these people? Are they the same group that’s keeping Anais imprisoned? A million different questions went through his head, but he must focus on the one thing that mattered the most. He must free Arielle.
As soon as he entered the second class coach, he sensed someone was in the hallway. Joseph ducked down behind the corner, and peeked out to see two shadowed figures guarding the door to one of the compartments. He decided to take them down quietly. Joseph screwed on the silencer and ensured his revolver was fully loaded. As the shadow closer to him turned away, Joseph sprinted out and shot him at the back of his head just above the neck. Before the second figure realized what happened, Joseph shot him right in the neck as well. Both bullets penetrated through the softer tissues in the fatal areas and didn’t make much noise. Joseph ran to hold them up before they could fall with a thump. He carefully laid them down. These lads were heavy.
Above the noise of the train, Joseph could make out muffled talking noises from the compartment. To his relieve, the people inside didn’t realize what was happening in the hallway. The element of surprise was crucial at this point as he was working alone. Joseph wondered how Mar
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Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner
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Jun-11-2016 00:33
Joseph opened the door between the coaches and stepped into the next train compartment. The wooden seats of the third class coach were eerily empty, as the train clattered away to God knows where. Coming from the last car, there was only one direction to go. Joseph teetered his way across several coaches without meeting anyone. Wherever they were planning to take his daughter, they were doing so with the utmost discretion. A train was easy to trace though, so he was sure he would be able to locate Arielle one way or another.
The dining coach was empty as well, but he quickly spotted a black bag as dark as night itself. This could possibly be the bag that went around Arielle’s head. Joseph wanted to tear it into indistinguishable pieces, but at the same time was relieved that it was already removed. Why were they doing this? Who are these people? Are they the same group that’s keeping Anais imprisoned? A million different questions went through his head, but he must focus on the one thing that mattered the most. He must free Arielle.
As soon as he entered the second class coach, he sensed someone was in the hallway. Joseph ducked down behind the corner, and peeked out to see two shadowed figures guarding the door to one of the compartments. He decided to take them down quietly. Joseph screwed on the silencer and ensured his revolver was fully loaded. As the shadow closer to him turned away, Joseph sprinted out and shot him at the back of his head just above the neck. Before the second figure realized what happened, Joseph shot him right in the neck as well. Both bullets penetrated through the softer tissues in the fatal areas and didn’t make much noise. Joseph ran to hold them up before they could fall with a thump. He carefully laid them down. These lads were heavy.
Above the noise of the train, Joseph could make out muffled talking noises from the compartment. To his relieve, the people inside didn’t realize what was happening in the hallway. The element of surprise was crucial at this point as he was working alone. Joseph wondered how Mar
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Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner
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Jun-11-2016 00:35
Joseph wondered how Marc was doing. Just then, he saw a figure fell from the roof of the train. He hoped that wasn’t Marc.
Joseph perked his ears as he made out Arielle’s voice. She was talking to the people in the compartment. The door was shut tight and he could hardly make out much through the gap between the door and the floor, just that there were quite a few people inside. He could not shoot through the door as that'd risk hurting Arielle. Joseph took a deep breath and slid the door wide open, with his revolver ready. As soon as he spotted where Arielle sat Joseph started firing, carefully avoiding his daughter. One fatal shot per target. Some figures inside responded quickly and returned fire. Joseph ducked out into hallway, only to put his arm back inside, targeting from his memory. Joseph looked in again and saw one last shadow standing. He shot him in the chest where the heart was. The room then become silent besides the noise of the train.
Joseph quickly grabbed Arielle and led her towards the engine room. “Quick, Marc is trying to stop the train.” He moved ahead dragging his daughter behind him. Just then, he heard Marc calling for him, something about Arielle being there. Joseph and Arielle looked at each other and quickened their pace.
Joseph opened the door to the small compartment where the coal was stored. Marc looked to him with the eyes of a dead man. "What the hell was going on?" Joseph asked. Arielle was next to him.
Marc looked around frantically, as if he was seeing his surroundings for the first time. "It felt so real..." Marc said, his voice trailing off. "Come on" He said trying to change the subject. "Let's stop this train."
Joseph wanted to find out what went on but they suppose that can wait. The two men hurried to the engine room. They knocked the operators out cold. "Now how do you stop this monster?" Marc thought out aloud. Joseph pointed at the large lever at the front and the two pulled the it down together. The train tires screeched loudly but Joseph felt something was wrong. Where was Arielle?
T
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Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner
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Jun-11-2016 00:38
Tracing his steps Joseph returned to the boiler room but it was empty. He opened the door to the next compartment and almost fell onto the tracks! The rest of the train cars were separated from the train engine and have stopped dead on the track. The engine cars were also slowing down but there was quite a distance between the two sections.
In the distance a truck approached the passenger coaches and a young female climbed down from the train to greet it. It was Arielle.
"Hey!" Joseph yelled. Arielle turned her head towards the engine train in the distance with an nondescript look. She proceeded to getting on the truck and spoke to the driver, seemingly with authority. Joseph jumped down from the slowly moving train, rolled onto the track, yelling for Arielle all the way. The truck simply drove away.
Joseph ran after the truck until there was nothing left in him. The vehicle disappeared into the hills. Joseph dropped onto the ground and stared into the strange Karachian sky.
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Vulkie3
Haynes
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Jun-11-2016 05:18
*Shanghai*
It had taken a few favors and some serious money. But Vulkie finally had a fresh lead, as to the remaining members of the Sphinx Group. She knew there was still a lot of work to be done as to that topic, but with one step at a time, she would get there. She wouldn't rest until the very last person of this illustrious group was taking a dirt nap, preferably six feet under the ground.
Standing in the dark alley opposite the opium den, she took her Colt 1911 out and checked the magazine. It was fully loaded; smirking, she placed the magazine back into her gun and cocked it.
She had been observing the den the whole day; people came by and left at a regular interval, but at this time of the day, not many people were there. But her target was. She had seen him enter the opium den, casting his eyes warily about, as if he were expecting an ambush.
"Little does he know, that I have a surprise planned for him," Vulkie mused. She had already made the preparations for what was about to happen.
The plan was to burst into the den, shoot a few rounds into the ceiling and demand to know where Chin Lao was. From her contacts, she had heard he was a loyal Sphinx member, who had served a long time under Jack. Jack was the second-in-command and, after the detectives had killed the Sphinx Leader, the leader of the Sphinx group. His reign was short, as the detectives made sure to end it right there and then.
But it was far from over. Lao could possibly help her further with finding other remaining members of the group.
Taking out her pocketwatch, she checked the time; it was 11.30 pm.
"Time to do this," Vulkie murmered, before walking over towards the entrance. When she entered the den, she was stopped by a guard, who shouted something in Shanghainese.
Pulling out her gun, she pistol whipped the guard, who dropped down to the ground...
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Vulkie3
Haynes
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Jun-11-2016 05:31
"WHERE'S LAO!" she yelled, looking around for him. Just then, she saw something from the corner of her eye. Lao had gotten up and made a run for the back entrance. Vulkie immediately chased him into the alley behind the den, tackling him down to the ground.
"Chin Lao, I presume," she smugly said, hoisting him up to his feet. "Don't try anything funny. See this gun here? If I wanted to, I could shoot you down. But you have some information for me, that could be useful to me," Vulkie said. Lao immediately began to talk gibberish, but she knew he could understand her.
"Don't try to pull that chop suey crap on me Lao. I ain't got time for that, and neither do you. Now, be a good boy..." she said, before putting her gun away. She then grabbed a cloth from her purse, which was soaked in chloroform. Grabbing Lao with one arm around his neck, she placed the cloth on his face. Lao struggled for a few moments; it was futile, as the drug could knock a person out within mere seconds...
Just then, a car pulled up at the exit of the alley. Vulkie disposed of the cloth in a nearby garbage bin. A man came out of the car and started running towards her
"Worked out alright, did it not?" he queried, while helping her drag Lao towards the car.
"Yes," she muttered, "but this is just the beginning."
Dropping Lao in the back of the car, Vulkie and the man got into the car and started to drive towards a safehouse nearby...
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Vulkie3
Haynes
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Jun-11-2016 05:40
(Pardon me. In post 2, there should've been another sentence or two. I'll post that here)
As she entered the next room, she could see the customers lying on small beds, heavily sedated by the opium. While the smell of opium and incense filled her nostrils, she raised her gun into the air and fired a round into the ceiling.
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