Not at home

[Hannah]

So this is why you sent me all those messages the other day.

Did somebody from the compound kill my mother?

[skeptic]

So this is why you sent me all those messages the other day.

Did somebody from the compound kill my mother?

I'm investigating several angles. Thinking about different possibilities.
I'm trying to find out if someone left the compound, found her, and did it.
Or a mercenary was hired. Bank assets aren't really something I have access to, however.
Or it's a coincidence.
Or somebody who wanted to kill her was aware of her past but not a part of the cult. Just wanted it to look like it.
Some other long shots.

[Grace]

It was as if she wanted to be made.

I doubt that very much. She is a professional, afterall.

My thoughts precisely, when she approached me at the hotel entrance.

I'll pass that along to her. I'm sure she'll be flattered.

[Grace]

So this is why you sent me all those messages the other day.

Yes, that is why things were so slow at the scene with my guide. I had to relay everything. Hopefully electronic intel will be quicker from here on in.

Did somebody from the compound kill my mother?

It is unknown at this time. We're exploring all avenues.

[skeptic]

It was as if she wanted to be made.

I doubt that very much. She is a professional, afterall.

Not to belabour the point, but being a professional doesn't necessitate your doubt.

[Grace]

That's a matter of opinion.

[skeptic]

Actually it's a matter of fact.
What she actually intended, however, is only known to her....

[GhostSpider]

I've arrived in D.C.

I'd offer to help with the investigation, but as i've said, I'm not much of an investigator. So, instead i'll take a stroll down to the Blight and see if I can scare up some trouble. Having read some of Nemesis earlier posts, I don't think that will be a problem.

[Grace]

You're quite right, GhostSpider.

There's plenty of trouble down that way for all, with Mr. Caliburn incognito. I'm too occupied with the investigation to deal with anything I'm not directly confronted with.

If I get involved in something I can't handle, I'll try to contact you.

[finder_fee]

I only just started reading this thread today.

I'm In D.C.

Meet with me, soonest.

Fi

[Grace]

You're one of those tech savvy types, right finder_fee?

I'm sure you can appreciate why someone in my position would prefer a 'virtual' meeting of some sort over something face to face. Don't take offense, but when it comes to someone who specializes in getting and disseminating information, I want a certain amount of distance.

You are quite welcome to join the cause, however. Any amount of help in whatever capicity is greatly appreciated. I've got one Techie on side now and he's handling electronic intel for now. He's good with computers but intelligence isn't his thing. Maybe you can help him with that? He goes by Technocrat here and I'm sure he'll be in touch with you soon. I'm also sure he's not as hesitant to meet face to face.

If you absolutely insist on a face to face meeting with me... maybe something can be arranged so long as certain safe guards are in place.

[finder_fee]

I don't care who it is that meets me, but I can probably find ron for you, and I can probably get a lot more info on what's going on around here than you have had on hand, given a few min to know what you might need that is.

Fi

[Grace]

Very well. I'll make sure that Technocrat meets with you.

[Holister]

Anyone hear from either Ron or Hannah yet? Any new information?

[Grace]

Hi there Benji.

Glad to see that you and yours have pulled through.

I haven't heard from Hannah in days. The leads on Mr. Caliburn here in DC have gone cold.

This isn't as bad as it sounds and I hope their silence continues for the time being. Because while I do not know where they are, leads on the danger they face don't have time to grow cold before new ones appear.

For the time being, it would appear that they are relatively safe. With luck, it will remain that way until we find a way to tag and bag our opponent.

I have every reason to suspect that this danger is the entity/imposter known on these boards as Not Ron.

For the time being, the second's identity eludes me. I have a theory but I'm not quite ready to release it as yet.

Sorry I don't have more to share at this time. I know how frustrating all of this can be.

[Holister]

Keep up the good work and watch your back.

[Eilonwy Solstice]

If we had heard from them, I’d think we’d keep it under wraps for a while.

[Grace]

If we had heard from them, I’d think we’d keep it under wraps for a while.

Yeah.

I would definitely recommend that.

[finder_fee]

Bank records can be hard to get, unless there is an active investigation...

Or unless you work for the IRS. They pretty much have access to money transactions from most major banks. Problem is you need to have a target for any search with them. either a bank account, or a name to go with a bank account. They could get a hit from the actual amount used, if it is an unusualy high number, but there is a LOT of money being tranfered around the U.S. of A. and that isn't a very accurate way of finding a target.

Fi

[finder_fee]

Oh, and I'm not realy a techie... Wait, I guess all things concidered I am, but I'm not what most of you would concider a techie.

Look, I'm serious, if you need info in the area, or you need to find someone or something, let me know. There is enough wierd things Showing up in my city that someone needs to start dealing with it before it gets looked at by someone with too many letters after his or her name. This is totaly not the place to be hiding out with guns post 9.11.

Fi

[Hannah]

Hello Everyone,

Sunday was a good day, best I’ve had in a long time.

It started off when I saw message from freerunner92 in my inbox. It was Peter. He was in Boston and was writing to tell me MJ had passed him word about my mother. Peter had lost his mother and a sister when he was a baby and his father had been murdered just over a year ago. He understood what I was going through better than most.

I had missed him; I miss a lot of folks. Just hearing from him made me feel a lot less alone.

My current guardian had a surprise for me. I’m sure dad wouldn’t approve, but my guardian thought it would be good for me to get out. Apparently, she volunteers in a local shelter on Fridays and Sundays and wanted me to come along.

The shelter was an old record store. It was a four-story brick building with a big neon sign that looked like spinning records. The sign wasn’t lit up anymore, except when one of the street people snuck into the electrical room and lit it up for fun. The neighbourhood reminded me a bit of the Blight, except where the Blight was full of darkness and anger, this place was just sad and hopeless.

The lower level was a cross between a rec room and a soup kitchen. The folks in the shelter ate their dinner surrounded by posters of Jimi, Neil, Janis and Ringo. My guardian helped cook and clean up the kitchen. She asked me if I’d like to come along to serve dinner and mop up the tables. Feeling coped up after about 2 weeks seeing nothing but safe houses, I leapt at the chance.

My dad has always liked the street people. He lived as one of them for a while. I don’t know if that’s how he came into contact with the woman taking care of me, but that all happened long ago.

I have to admit, I can see why my dad likes these people. Everyone of them is a different sort of character. There are recovering substance abusers, people who talk to spirits, street preachers, runaways, people who lost their homes in the recent market collapse – and that’s just the first table.

I spent the night dishing up bowls and wiping down tables. Towards the end of the night, I found myself among a group of people listening to Edgar telling his war stories.

Edgar was one of the older folks, but they all listened to him. He was talking about how cold it was back during the war. He talked about a kid in his squad’s foot freezing to the ground over night and when the kid stood up in the morning, he left his foot behind.

“Was this at Chosin?” I asked.

The old fellow gave a start. “Now where would a young lady like you hear about Chosin? They don’t teach that war in schools these days.”

“My fa . . . grandfather. He was there. I remember him telling that story about a guy in his platoon.”

The old man smiled. “Your grandfather was in the Marines?”

“Yep, he went ashore at Inchon, fought through Seoul and had to get medivaced out of ‘Frozen Chosin’ after a Chinese mortar shell landed close enough to put a bunch of metal in his back.”

Edgar nodded. “Then I fought beside him a long ways. I had to walk out of Chosin myself. What was his name, child?”

“James Grant.”

He started laughing. “Thumper Grant?” He coughed a bit and wheezed between chuckles. “That was your grandfather?”

“Well we never called him Thumper . . . why did you?”

“Your grandfather was a very religious man . . . a bible thumper.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Nothing wrong with that, I know I spent a lot of time praying when the Gooks were blowing their bugles. But, most of us worked on our own relationship with the Almighty rather than trying to convince others that we were on a mission from God.”

“He is a very religious fellow.”

“He’s still alive?” The surprise was obvious. “I haven’t seen him at a unit reunion in a couple decades. I thought he’d just passed on like so many of the others.”

Edgar and I spent a long time talking, exchanging stories about my grandfather. It was different, hearing about what he was like from someone who didn’t know the whole business with the compound, my father and my mother. Back during the war, my grandfather had been a man liked and respected by his comrades. He’d fought bravely and risked his life for his buddies a dozen times over.

My guardian came over and tapped me on the shoulder and told me it was almost time to go. I looked around and realized I’d spent hours chatting with Edgar, he and I were the only ones left sitting at the tables. All the other cleaning had been done and we were ready to close up for the night. “I’m sorry I got carried away and lost track of time. I meant to keep working.”

Edgar chipped in. “Don’t worry about it girl, I’m sure they are just as glad to have someone to entertain me by listening to my stories without falling asleep.”

My guardian smiled. “Don’t worry about it Hannah, I’ll just work you twice as hard when we come back on Friday. I’ll go start warming up the car, you say your goodnights.”

“Thanks.”

Edgar reached into the pocket of his tattered jacket. “Before you go, I have something for you.” He grabbed my hand and pressed something small and round into it. “A woman in Seoul gave this to me, said it was a good luck charm. She was right; I cheated death easily a hundred times during the war. I’d like to know it went to someone who remembers what we went through.”

“I can’t accept this, it’s too important to you.”

He smiled again. “At my age, you ain’t worried about cheating death anymore. But the chance to put a smile on the face of a pretty girl, that’s something a fellow can’t pass up.”

I didn’t think I was all that pretty, but he got his smile and I got the charm. At first, I thought it was a silver dollar, but when I looked at it closely, I saw that it was carved to resemble a carriage wheel.

“Thank you, and good night.”

It was a tricky drive back to the safe house, with the snow and all, but I felt better than I had in two weeks.

Hannah

PS: Thanks again to everyone who has been helping out.

[Scotty]

eeap war is hell hannah. changes evrybody one way or nother.

imma writin tho cos imma bit conserned about your guardians idea of OPSEC. as in thay seem ta have none.

[Grace]

Hannah,

The next time you're at that soup kitchen, say hi to Sam for me.

[Kolya]

I'm with Scotty on this one. That's all I'm saying in public at the moment.

[Grace]

As bad as you think it is, it is worse.

[Kolya]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Grace]

I'm fine with that.

[Kolya]

That's the spirit we need now.

[Grace]

I don't have any more time for this. My hand has been forced.

You should all hear back from me later this evening.

Or not at all.

[Clarity]

_____So, does that mean your grandfather was a good guy, Hannah?
_____P.S. That was very nice of Edgar to give you that.