Topic: Stolen Goods

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-27 19:24 EST
Thanks to a silent partner. Warning: contains mature language, gun use, and violence against bad guys

PART ONE: Cat and Mouse

While picking up a few less than savory civilians off the street for petty theft, Chimera heard of a deal going down in a small warehouse a few blocks away. She thought she'd pop over and give a look around and see if whatever was being stored in the warehouse met proper standards. A tiny field mouse scurried its way inside a hole nearby one of the entrances. Inside, the mouse jumped up a few boxes here and there so she could have a look around.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Patrol always sucked.

Walking in circles all night long, looking at the same things over and over....He'd rather be at a strip club. Then at least it'd be fun to look at the same things all night. Hell, even a night stuck at home with only beer and dirty movies to keep him company would be better than this. He'd never impress the boss doing any of those things, though, so here he was, showing the boss how dependable he was. He hated being dependable.

"Those boxes still there, Joe" Can't have "em get up and walk off on us," he said sarcastically.

"Yeah Jimmy, they're still here. I got my eye on em," was the dry reply.

Joe didn't want to be here either, and was definitely not in a laughing mood, but that can happen to the guy that pulls the short straw. The pair continued walking around the warehouse, half-checking their surroundings as they went. Soon they reached a third goon, a smaller man, sorting and packing several crates. "Having fun, runt?" Joe asked, not at all concerned with his answer.

"Having a blast, ***hole," the smaller one shot back. "You know, if one of you would help me out, maybe I'd be done by now."

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-27 19:27 EST
Jimmy narrowed his eyes at him, saying "Not our problem, Steve. We're gonna be here all night. Why should we give a **** about you getting finished early?" He looked around. "Where's the other guy, anyway' What's his name again?"

Steve started with "Ri-" when Jimmy interrupted him. "No. New blood don't need names. We don't wanna get attached to him." Turnover was high in this business, either from getting pinched or getting dead. Steve rolled his eyes. "Fine. He went to smoke. Lazy bastard's been at it for 20 minutes. I'd go check but we're behind enough. Boss'll put holes in us both if we don't get this done on time." Jimmy sighed. Why couldn't they find guys who stayed on task on their own"

"Come on, Joe. We'd better go drag that piece of **** back over here."

Joe shook his head, and the pair headed outside. The new guy was nowhere to be found, the only sign he'd been there a still-burning cigarette on the ground. "Damn it, bastard probably ran off with a hooker," Joe said. The two looked around the alley a bit longer but gave up. This wasn't their problem either. They headed inside.

"Hey, Steve!" Jimmy yelled. "**** for brains is gone! It's your lucky night! Hope you wore your hurrying pants tonight!" Joe shook his head; Jimmy tried to be funny but he was such a moron sometimes. As they got closer to Steve's work area, he too was gone. Jimmy threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Son of a *****, Steve! Where the **** are you, you lazy ****." He paused, but there was no reply.

"Steve! When I find you I'm gonna kill you, you piece of ****!"

Still nothing.

"God damn, can you believe this ****, Joe" I didn't even have to be here tonight. I don't need-" He stopped as he turned around and Joe, too, had disappeared.

Anxiety crept into his voice as his hands trembled around the grip of his submachine gun. "Joe?" He crept slowly around, straining his eyes to see into the shadows. He didn't remember so many shadows being there before. He looked up, behind, all around him, nervously cradling his weapon. A glint caught his eye. His eyes locked on, submachine gun pointed as straight at it as his mounting fear could allow. "Joe?" he tried once more. When he got close, he could see it was....a cigarette lighter? He heard a faint click to his left, and spun toward it. Nothing. Then, just as suddenly, his vision went black.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-28 18:28 EST
Chimera watched and waited, trying to analyze as much as the situation as possible. It wasn't too hard to determine, with their disregard for their fellow employees and the weapons they carried, that they were probably a part of a group up to no good here. She attempted to move to where the men were, but as soon as she got to where she determined where they should be, they were gone. She quickly darted to see where the last of the four men should have been, but he too was missing. She needed a higher perspective to see what was going on. In an instant, the tiny field mouse became a small bat that fell from its high box, soaring up and into the air until she landed on a rafter, determine to see more of the dark warehouse below her.

A man fell from somewhere above the work area's hanging lamp. The light cast a beam from at least 9 feet up, bathing his form all the way, and yet he made no sound when he landed. His clothes were slightly loose but tucked in at the waist, boots and gloves. A number of pouches lined his belt, as well as a couple of small objects, likely tools of some kind. His head turned, taking in the entirety of his surroundings, at which point it became apparent that even his face was obscured completely. Apparently satisfied, he approached one of the tables and began inspecting its contents. He sliced a bag open with some unseen blade and appeared to smell it. He then made his way toward a nearby crate.

Chimera watched the man intently. It was clear he had some incredible training or some innate talent. He was not like the poor men he quickly took out. She would have to be a little more cautious of him. As he inspected the table, she glided down and landed softly on the floor behind some crates. She quickly morphed into her vigilante persona, clad in black leather, fit with a matching mask to hide the upper half of her face. She crouched out of his sight and proceeded to throw her voice to bounce off some of the walls, making it harder for him to identify her location nearby.

"That does not belong to you."

At the sound of the voice, he bounded backward and out of the light, then ran quickly around a corner and out of sight.

Chimera was not about to let him get the best of her, though she worried he may be able to do so. She walked out from behind the crates and into the light. She hoped to draw him out into the light. She knew there was only one way in and out. The windows were boarded up to prevent prying eyes. The garage doors were locked with heavy chains and locks. There was just the door, which was a short distance behind her. If he wanted to escape, he'd have to go through her. But while she could, she wanted to figure out exactly what was going on here and what part in it he played.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-28 18:34 EST
Chimera spoke at a normal volume, not wanting to bring any undue attention to them. "If you wanted to steal this?" She paused, realizing she didn't even know what was in the crates yet. She continued, "Then you should have brought more men than yourself to load it." A voice came from behind her, its pitch low to carry it across the room from whatever corner it came from. "I've gone to an awful lot of trouble here to simply rob this place, wouldn't you say?"

"Not if the cargo was especially valuable?" Chimera glanced over at the table to begin her own quick little inspection. She quickly saw the bag spilling open with its fine powder on the table. Recreational drugs or explosive materials. Either way, it wasn't good. Looking around the tale showed weapons and other highly suspect materials. It seemed this little group was getting a little bit of everything. She would definitely have her hands full with this loot, but the more pressing need was this strange man who seemed to be a living weapon on his own. She insulted him, "Not that you did much more than I could have done myself. You just swept up a bit of the mess for me, but ultimately, you've only added one more crook for me to bring in."

The voice sounded out once more. Despite Chimera having turned to inspect the table, the voice came from directly behind her again.

"Do you think I am such easy prey?"

Chimera looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of him, but to no avail. Maybe he could throw his voice similar to how she could throw her's. It didn't matter. "Prey'. Did he know of her" Had her reputation grown in the criminal underground" Did he know of her abilities" It seemed he could be baiting her just as much as she him. But this was personal now. "As easy as a game of cat and mouse." She stepped out from the light back into the shadows. She became a small house cat, black as night. She quietly began to dart around the crates to find him, trying to keep one eye on the door just in case.

The transformation did not seem to hinder the game much, and the voice drifted behind her once more. "Here, kitty, kitty....here is your mouse..." She turned around sharply, and saw one of the thug's unconscious body laying a few feet behind her, an area she had just run through. This stranger seemed to only be toying with her now and she didn't appreciate losing the edge. She rose to two feet and became her masked crusader persona once more. She peered around in the dark. She would be able to see well enough herself, with her cat eyes.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-28 18:37 EST
Aggravated, she spoke harshly, "So you show off your work to me as a cat brings its kill to its owner's doorstep." From behind her once more, a simple "Hm," almost with a hint of intrigue. "A clever way to put it. I would simply suggest that this man had more to do with the crimes here than I." Then, from another angle, "In fact, I would suggest that I've committed no more crime here tonight than you would have."

Well, that certainly struck a nerve. She glared around the room. If she wouldn't have been as upset as she was, she probably would have been able to see the truth in his statement, but it only served to make her suspect him more. "If you consider yourself on par with me, then come down and face me." Once more, the voice came from behind, saying simply, "As you wish." He stood straight, one arm tucked behind him and the other held in front, bent at the elbow and against his side.

She turned around, startled by the voice. Instinctually, she sent a quick, hard fist towards his face. His arm flew from his side with tremendous speed, pushing the blow aside. He made no move to counter. As he blocked her, she sent her other fist towards him. His other arm flew from behind him, deflecting the blow with practiced precision. Again, he made no move to counter, but only took one step back.

It was clear his skills were more than her own in hand to hand combat. She did not prefer to fight this way, instead using her abilities to make up for the skills she lacked. She was still good, but not on par with him. She knew quantity was not going to trump her lack of quality, but it was all she had to offer. She took another quick hard swing at him.

His head weaved but the blow still lightly caught his jaw. Whether that was by chance or by choice was not initially clear. It soon became clear, however, when he ducked slightly and his hands drove into Chimera's ribs and abdomen. Equal care was taken to avoid harm as well as improper contact, and even the shove did not have great force. She was pushed back, perhaps thrown slightly off balance, but certainly not enough to cause a fall. The only thing the maneuver produced was distance. As she was pushed back, this only angered her more. She used the distance between them. She leaped forward and threw her weight into a kick towards his chest.

Chimera's kick caught him squarely in the chest, and sent him flying from his feet. She had no time to relish her performance, though. As his shoulders touched the floor, he tucked into a roll and stopped in a low crouch with one hand extended ahead of him. He remained there and in that posture, still having yet to make a sound. She sighed angrily and crouched down, widening her stance for a defensive position should he try anything again.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-29 18:48 EST
He remained still. "It would seem we are at an impasse. Perhaps we might try discussing this situation?" he said calmly. She was still upset. Instead of recognizing his point that he too could be there on noble terms as she, she instead took his explanation as an accusation that she was up to no good as she assumed were his intentions. She said gruffly, "I only wish to know what you intended to do with these items once you stole them."

Were he not wearing a mask, one would plainly see an eyebrow rising. "I intended to take a phone from one of these fine gentlemen -" he gestured toward the one he'd left on the floor - "and dial 911 from it before leaving. That would bring the police and an ambulance. Fortunately an ambulance was not needed, but the police would find the items and information here quite interesting, no doubt."

Her eyes squinted in disbelief, clearly visible through the opening of her own mask. Chimera had seen too many bad guys cross each other, steal from each other, but this one had the audacity to act like a good guy. "Yes, it seems as though you were fairly lenient in your abuse of these men, when your skills show you could do much more. It merely looks like you were protecting your peers to bend appearances to your favor." He may have openly gestured towards the man, dropping his defensive guard a bit, but she instead was strongly focused on every move he made. She certainly still saw him as the enemy.

He sighed quietly at her stubbornness. "Even you must see the great efforts I've made to avoid harming anyone here tonight." Sure to strike a nerve, "Especially to avoid harming you. Do you think a common thug would take such a vicious kick as yours and simply shrug it off?"

Her eyes softened a bit, becoming thoughtful. It was probably true. The kick she delivered would have at least kept a normal man down for quite awhile, long enough for her to take full control of the situation. She had lost control of this situation and she had become resentful of that, allowing it to cloud her judgment. She had spent too much time watching evil that she had seemed to lose sight of the good in people. She had begun to speak, but her words were silenced by a voice.

"Yeah! We need help here!"

It had been too long since the men lying unconscious around the warehouse had checked in and the men sent to check on the situation were at least wise enough to call in for reinforcements.

He turned his head quickly toward the door. How had he been so careless? The men pouring through the door clearly did not want to give him time to think it over. Two had already entered, and more were on the way. The two had already started to take aim. His hand quickly swept a pouch on his hip, then flicked toward the floor between the thugs and the two of them. There was a small cracking sound, then a cloud of smoke quickly erupted. By then, he had already moved around a corner, out of sight.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-29 18:53 EST
Chimera turned towards the men and saw the smoke instantly cover the distance between them. As she rushed towards where she had last seen the men, a thick blunt horn extended, covering most of her forehead, and armored shoulders reinforced with hard bone and rough hide bulked up her shoulders, making her a dangerous makeshift ram. She hit the two men in front, causing them to be knocked back into the two behind them. More kept pouring in.

Somehow, he dropped from the opposite direction of where he had moved. A particular thug didn't see it coming. As the thug's head slammed into the concrete floor, he pounced into another thug. The two of them were out of the overhead lamp's light in an instant, and only the strobing muzzle blasts of the thug's panicked firing let anyone see the knee sail cruelly into his groin, or the back of his head slamming against the wall. He was gone again before the thug hit the floor.

Their styles were complementary. He would confuse and misdirect, while she would take her problems head on. As her horn shrank back into her forehead, her arms became thicker, with more muscle mass on them. She began punching on the ones closest to her, even knocking weapons from a few and rendering one unconscious from one of her blows. The others tried to take aim on the man darting in and out of the shadows.

A thug had squared off toward Chimera's back. He was probably about as accurate as your average thug, but it was still best not left to chance. As he began to raise his weapon, he suddenly flew backwards into the darkness. His screams of panic sharply ended as his weapon clattered against the floor.

She turned around as she heard the screams behind her. She realized the danger that she would have been in if not for his quick thinking. She wouldn't have much time to react in gratitude as one thug cut one of her arms with his blade. She cried out and instantly swung her body around, smacking him hardly with her other arm, knocking him back slightly. A single sharp spine instantly extended from her heel as she kicked him in the lower abdomen, piercing him. He fell back to the floor in pain.

He had just perched on a shelf when he heard Chimera's cry of pain. He turned to face her and found that she was blocking the door. He could make out several more thugs outside the door. It was not clear how many enemies they faced, but it was not worth the risk of finding out. He swept a pouch on his belt again, and flicked his hand at the ground between Chimera's legs. The smoke billowed up and out quickly. He leapt from his perch and grabbed Chimera from behind.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-29 18:54 EST
When the smoke cleared, Chimera found herself outside, in a dark area between two warehouses across from the one they were fighting in. She could see the men still piling into the warehouse, but looking for the two that had disappeared. She felt someone still around her and, instinctually, she elbowed him harshly with her enforced arms.

He tensed his abdomen to absorb the blow as best he could, saying nothing and continuing to concentrate. He looked around quickly and saw a fire escape about 20 feet up. A moment later, they were on top of it. Blinking again so soon was not ideal, but he could rest later. He released Chimera and, looking at the group of thugs, began to speak quietly. "We must go. Someone must have known you or I would be here tonight. I fear what goes on here is larger than either of us had estimated."

Trying to get reoriented to her changing surroundings, she turned and listened to him when she was released. Still in justice mode, she said, "Oh, no. You have to answer some questions. I'm not just going to let you go just yet." Without a word, he back flipped off of the fire escape.

She lunged forward to grab him, but she was not quick enough. She peered over the edge of the solid walls of the small platform, but saw nothing. She began to look around, but she could not see him anywhere. He watched her futile search from behind a dumpster farther down the alley. The back flip served only to throw her search off and allow him more time to escape by blinking away in midair. She knew part of his secret now. Hopefully revealing it to her would not prove to be a mistake. He ran silently down the alley and disappeared into the night.

She jumped up onto the edge of the wall. She jumped and shrunk down into a small bat, gliding around in the night air, looking all over for the masked man. A few minutes search was enough to make her give up. She instead rushed back to her headquarters to review the new case information she had found, and begin a new file.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-31 18:55 EST
PART TWO: Meeting in the Middle

His ill-timed encounter with Chimera sent his most promising lead up in a cloud of smoke; the warehouse was clean within an hour, perhaps the cleanest it had ever been. Whatever files he'd hoped to find had most certainly been destroyed, and the variety of cargo had no doubt found its way to whatever destinations they had been intended for. What should have been a major blow to that organization was now nothing worse than a slight setback. There was no time to consider the possible consequences.

While the warehouse had been packed full of guns (among quite a few other things), what caught his eye most was the Dragunov rifle. Such a weapon required a great deal more precision than the average thug would possess; no, it was certainly for a hitman. Such a weapon would also prove troublesome to smuggle. Whoever went to the trouble of getting it to that warehouse almost certainly had a target in mind already.

It would take a certain caliber of gunsmith to properly sight this rifle in. There would only be a few such individuals in the city, and since his ear was so often to the streets, he knew of them all. Fortunately, only two did any dealings with this organization. Even better, one of them was in prison. He knew how strongly people were attached to their fingers, especially those who did that sort of work. The gunsmith was eager to give up the whereabouts of the man who'd come looking to get that rifle sighted in, and did so before it was necessary to become more persuasive. Rather than risk moving the rifle, the gunsmith had gone to it. The address now known to him, he soon found himself at a studio apartment in a rougher part of town. A window was already broken; hardly a promising sign of a secure safehouse with anything of note to be found. All the same, he blinked through and into the room. Perhaps he would get lucky. He began rifling through desks and drawers.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

While wining and dining with a few local aristocrats, Karen caught word that a very important business man had recently been receiving death threats. His wife grew concerned. Karen invited her to a private lunch in order to discuss a charity event she was considering, but Karen made sure to steer the conversation towards the topic of the woman's husband. Karen learned enough to set her on a path. Having a trustworthy friend help her hack into secure networks, she saw many dirty dealings the man was involved in and she set out to investigate which suspect was the most likely culprit.

A little digging led her to a man who owned a rival company. She thought it was a little suspicious that the man would be leasing a small studio in a bad part of town. She suspected it was a safe place for him to plot and act on his threats. In the silence of the night, Chimera found herself standing in front of the run down building. Prying out the rest of the glass of the already broken window on the side of the building gave her more than enough room to carefully climb inside.

Chimera

Date: 2013-05-31 19:00 EST
At the sound of the breaking glass, he moved into the restroom and pulled the door behind him, leaving a small crack to peer through.

Chimera continued inside, trying to analyze her surroundings and see if anyone was still there. This was definitely not a home of the man she suspected. He would never live in these conditions. Open food containers of rotten food. Piles of trash over what she hoped were covering long forgotten waste cans. Broken furniture, rushed under the weight of supplies and equipment, no doubt illegal and or stolen. But the man was still leasing this place. She began to wonder if he hired someone to act on his vengeance, and this was his gift to the hit man. She began to root through supplies and information around the main room, trying to keep an eye out if the hit man may still be there.

Chimera" Again? He couldn't just sit in the bathroom until she was satisfied - what if she found what he needed" Perhaps a more direct approach was needed. He allowed her a moment to get into her search, hoping it would distract her. When her back was turned, he silently opened the door and entered the room, careful to stay out of reach. "We really must stop meeting like this."

Hearing a voice, she turned around quickly and assumed a defensive position. When she realized it was him, her defenses dropped and she sighed in exasperation. She still didn't trust him, but he had saved her from a rough situation before. "So do you follow crime or does crime follow you? Or do you just follow me to torment me?"

"I'm sure the true answer is not that difficult to believe by now," he said flatly from behind the mask. He briefly considered his options before deciding to go on faith. "Someone wants someone dead. Whoever the target is, they must be quite important to justify bringing a Dragunov into town."

She paused a moment to consider what he had said, and what he didn't say. "You do not know the target?" He answered, "No. The Dragunov was all I had to go on. It's a specific kind of weapon that leads one to specific kinds of people." He may have been going on faith, but he wasn't about to lay all his secrets and tricks on the table. "And those people led me here."

Those people" They led him to the hitman. He had been following the trail from the ground up, while she had been working backwards. She almost choked on the words she hated to say, "It seems as though we may be able to trade notes in this case."

"So it would seem.?

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-03 20:39 EST
He resumed searching the room. The hitman was likely a very cautious person who would be extra careful to cover his tracks. Since the gunsmith had been summoned here to work on the rifle, the handler was obviously not quite as careful. He found several phone chargers but no phones. He struck gold, however, upon opening a drawer in the nightstand. Inside was a laptop. Saying nothing out of habit, he turned it on and was greeted by a small prompt for a password.

She stared at him blankly a moment. She watched him search and followed him around the room. She revealed, "I had heard a wealthy businessman had been receiving death threats. They have been escalating in frequency and minor actions taken against him. His family grows concerned. I found out that he had his hands in a deal with another business man and I believe that man has decided to act against him for the deal falling through and leaving his business and assets on the line. That man has been leasing this building." She paused when she watched him pull out the laptop and turn it on. She quickly moved next to him so she could see the screen.

Continuing his task-oriented approach, he set the laptop down. "Best not to try that password without some idea of what it might be. Getting it wrong too many times could lock out the system, or erase the drive." He continued to search through the nightstand; a shot in the dark, sure, but as good a place to start hunting for a password as any. The odds of finding the password written on a sticky note anywhere at all were slim but he had to try.

Chimera spoke up, "I have a contact that may be able to help us get access to the information, if you will allow me to take it with me." He asked plainly without looking as he continued searching, "And where will we be going?"

Chimera stared at him again, "You assume I'm going to let you meet my contact?"

"You assume I'm going to let you leave with what is likely to be my only lead?" he countered, still without looking her way and still searching for anything of use.

She sighed and then said bluntly, "I thought we were sharing. My contact would easily be able to crack any codes necessary to retrieve the information, but they prefer to be left out of my extracurricular activities as much as possible to maintain innocence." She was stretching the truth a little. She didn't know for sure if her friend would be able to get the information, though if she couldn't, not many else could. She also was not so much protecting her friend's request to privacy, as she was making sure to never subject her to the dangers she faced.

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-03 20:42 EST
"Surely you can see that going on faith to share our notes here is different than going on faith that you will share the information on that laptop after leaving here with it, and without incentive to hold to the deal." This time, he stood and faced her, one arm held behind his back and the other hand held just below his chin pensively. "I have pursued this organization for quite some time," he said, cutting right to the chase. "Nobody else with our morals knows them as well as I. Your friend might help you learn what that laptop contains, but I doubt either of you would know what details were truly important."

She nodded. "That is true. You would easily be able to identify what the information would be referencing in the organization. I would have no idea what the information would mean, which is why I would have no purpose in going through the work of getting the information without bringing it back to you for your assessment." She paused for a moment and then added, "The point is, you need me to get the information out and I need you to figure out what the information means. We have to work together."

"I am glad you see this as well." He paused a moment. "How will I know when your friend's work is complete" I am not an easy person to reach."

Chimera bit the corner of her lip, a nervous habit of Karen's when she was faced with a dilemma in her business deals. She did not know. "Tell me how I might be able to reach you, then. Would we be able to meet somewhere at a time that would be convenient to you?" She didn't know if this fellow masked crusader also had a day job.

Chimera biting her lip was definitely unexpected. A woman reputed to battle criminals by the dozen week after week, and she was nervous now of all times" He took a pen and tore a small piece from a piece of paper on the desk. He quickly jotted down a phone number, and handed the paper to her. "Here," he said quietly. "I have not used this phone yet, and I will be sure not to. Call when you have new information. If I do not pick up right away, call again. I may be....busy." Hardly an elegant method, but not everything he did had to be mysterious or ostentatious. It did, however, have to be affordable.

She quickly took the piece of paper and placed it into one of her pockets. She then picked up the laptop. She proceeded to go back to the window to make her exit. As she carefully climbed though, she managed to look up at him once last time before escaping into the night. She would make sure that her friend not only retrieved as much information as she could from the laptop, but also provide them with a better way to communicate in the future.

He watched her leave. He was taking a big risk, but that's what this line of work was all about, in the end. He could do no more here. After blinking through the window to a nearby rooftop, he crouched and pondered his next move. Without warning, he ran forward and leapt to the next building, and the next, and the next...

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-04 20:32 EST
PART THREE: Give and Take

Chimera was making a good effort here. They had agreed that she would take the laptop and have her tech friend analyze it and then share the information with him so he could review it and decipher the information so they could use it. She called him with the disposable phone number he had given her and they decided on a meeting place. She approached the alley from the darkness of the buildings. She was carrying a folder with all of the information printed out and a small communication device that would allow them to get in touch with each other in the future. Despite her friend's suggestion to put a tracker in the communication device, Chimera decided not to. She still didn't quite trust the man, but he had never done anything that proved to have a malicious intent, even though she had been watching for some slip up.

From his perch on a fire escape, he watched Chimera approach. He'd prepared this spot to be dark enough to keep prying eyes from seeing them, but he had a feeling she'd be able to see him. He dropped from his perch, landing ten feet in front of her - she'd certainly see him, but he'd be far enough off to avoid appearing threatening. He tucked to absorb the fall, and when he stood his arms were at his sides. "Good evening."

She was becoming accustomed to his theatrics for entrances and exits. She stopped as he landed in front of her. She happily noted his casual posture and she felt no need to take a defensive one herself. "Good evening?" She realized she didn't even know his name, street name or otherwise. She thought she'd make the effort to now. "Please, call me Chimera. I've been given the name on the street and it's one I'm proud to have."

He'd heard the name himself, being so often among some of the people who used it. "Yes, it would seem that you are a thorn in the sides of many. I've heard more than a few men whisper your name, as well as some who spoke it more....enthusiastically." He had no such street name to offer her; he went to extraordinary lengths to be little more than a last moment of anxiety or fear. He felt he'd extended enough pleasantries for now. What he'd offered was already two sentences more than anyone else had received to date. "What have you uncovered?"

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-04 20:35 EST
Maybe she would have to come up with a name for him, since he wasn't as generous with his own. She handed him the folder. "My friend was able to recover what little was on the laptop. We couldn't understand it, though. It's not exactly in code, so it couldn't be deciphered."

He skimmed through the notes. Having spent so much time infiltrating this organization, he knew of most of the important names....Some were unfamiliar but it was probably safe to assume they played minor roles, if any at all....There was the gunsmith, of course....There. Joe Nichols. That was the shooter. He held up that paper. "Here he is. Joe Nichols. They call him Nickels. According to him, it's because he can hit a nickel at a hundred yards....according to others, it's because he charges extra for every minor detail. If anyone in this list is our guy, it's him." She was just happy he knew what was said. "So do you know where we can find this guy?"

"I believe so. He rented an apartment on the east side of town." He didn't feel it was necessary to reveal just how he knew that. "I haven't been inside yet myself, but I don't imagine he'd have the Dragunov stashed elsewhere given the risk of moving it around town." Chimera nodded. "Can you take me there?" She realized after she said it, that she should have probably been more specific in how she worded her question.

He simply said, "Follow me." He leapt up toward the fire escape he began on. Immediately upon pulling himself up the rail, he leapt toward a ledge up higher on the other building. Catching the ledge, he threw himself to the drainpipe and quickly began to scale it. Just short of the top. He let go with one hand and turned away from the pipe, leaping toward the rooftop of the first building. He caught the edge and quickly pulled himself onto the roof.

He then stopped for a moment, realizing it was possible that Chimera could not get up there quite as quickly. But she was already above him. She had jumped up onto the fire escape and quickly turned into a small bat, diving down to gain lift. Soon she was with him, and waiting for his next move. She squeaked softly to let him know she was ready.

He turned to face the little squeak. "Ah." He then reversed and set off, half again as fast as any sprinter. He jumped silently from roof to roof, extending his leaps with a blink where needed. After fifteen minutes of travel, he abruptly stopped at the edge of a building and crouched at the edge. She wouldn't admit it, but it was taxing to keep up. She stopped behind him and landed into her human form. She walked up next to him and crouched beside him. She waited silently.

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-05 20:37 EST
He kept his focus on the apartment complex ahead of him, yet still seemed to sense Chimera's approach. "This is the building. Second floor..." He paused for a moment. "Fourth from the left, I believe. I can check it alone first if you wish, in case I am incorrect." She stared where he directed. She knew he could check it out more quickly. She spoke softly, "Sure." She added without thinking, "Be careful."

He appreciated the unexpected concern, but gave no indication of that. Instead, he sprang forward into the air, moving halfway across the street before blinking the other half and arriving on the roof above the apartment. He looked over the edge for any sort of tripwire or motion sensors before dropping down. Careful to avoid stepping on the welcome mat, he drew lockpicking tools from a pouch on his belt. After a short time, he turned the door handle and gently opened the door, looking through the gap from the top hinge around to the bottom hinge. He didn't make it beyond the top corner before spotting a simple trigger wire attached by a loop to the door. He gently unhooked the loop, careful to keep from pulling it in any direction.

After opening the door enough to stick his head in, he saw a shotgun tied to a chair, its barrel pointed directly at the door. A simple trap; perhaps this hitman came and went often enough to make a more complicated defense impractical. Seeing no other traps, and seeing no need to keep holding the wire, he set it down, emptied the shotgun, then waved for Chimera to approach before he resumed searching for other traps. She watched for a signal and saw it. She jumped down along a fire escape and moved quickly inside the door. She closed the door softly behind her and turned to him.

He held a finger against his mask to signal Chimera not to speak, before motioning toward the two doors in the room. He moved toward the one on the right, carefully cracking the door open. On seeing a bathroom sink, he decided it was highly unlikely there would be any traps in here and opened the door fully. The lights were out, but he wanted to be sure it was empty nonetheless. Satisfied, he gently closed the door and turned toward Chimera, motioning toward the other door which likely led to a bedroom.

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-05 20:39 EST
She would take the lead into the bedroom. She typically worked alone, and she felt the need to show that she could handle herself around him. She didn't want to appear weak and defenseless like most guys she encountered assumed her to be. She opened the door quietly, watching for traps, knowing that the hitman was fond of them when she noticed the shotgun when she came in. She slowly walked inside and saw that they were alone. She waved him in behind her.

He watched her as she entered the other room. He would have preferred to go first. After all, it was the gentlemanly thing to be blown up by an unseen trap rather than allow her that incident, but she must be able to take care of herself to have become so reviled by criminals. He watched slightly longer than he had intended. He wondered how much of her was natural, with her being a shapeshifter. His eyes narrowed sharply beneath his mask and he focused once more on the task at hand. At her wave, he entered the bedroom.

"It would seem we did not have the fortune of running into our hitman tonight. I apologize." He said as he looked around. "Perhaps we might be fortunate enough to find the Dragunov, at least." He turned away from Chimera, crouched down and looked under the bed. It was as good a spot to start as any. She was happy to see him crouch down, facing away from her. It showed he must trust her some. She began to search as well, trying to find anything of importance.

He found nothing of importance under the bed, but he didn't expect it would be that easy. He looked in the closet next, but found nothing significant there either. He almost paid the dresser little mind. Such a rifle certainly couldn't fit in there. He tugged the drawers anyway, to be sure they were real and not just a large front panel that resembled them. He then noticed a faint scuff mark on the floor, right in front of the dresser. He took hold of the dresser and began to pull. She looked as he began to move the piece and assisted him by moving the other side.

He looked briefly at her as she began to help. Were he not wearing a mask, it might have been seen as an expression of thanks. He quickly looked back at the dresser, careful to make as little noise moving it as possible. The last thing they needed was a nosy neighbor calling the police over a noise complaint or fear of a break-in. The dresser was soon out of the way, and it was clear that part of the wall had been recently repainted. He took a small blade from his belt, and gently tapped it into the drywall near the edge of the newer paint.

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-07 01:02 EST
Chimera observed the same outline of paint and extended a pointed two inch claw from her pointer finger. She carried her own weapons. She proceeded to cut on the corner nearest to her. He glanced toward her. He hadn't said anything about what he was doing out of habit. He worked alone, and never needed to explain his actions. It was encouraging that she needed no explanations and had come to the same conclusion as he - that something was hidden in this wall, and hidden in such a way that it probably only needed to be accessed once....

With both of them cutting, the once-removed portion of drywall quickly found itself removed a second time. He pried the piece out with his blade, setting it down and sliding it aside against the wall. There it was, enveloped in a simple plastic covering. "The Dragunov."

She believed him. She had no idea about guns or their names. She never had the need for them. She smiled, "Good. You found it. I found something else." She stood up and returned to where she had been searching. She picked up a small invitation card. She held it out for him and explained, "He has an invitation to an important business luncheon tomorrow. His target is supposed to be signing a business contract during the event. I imagine the man who hired him wanted him killed before he signs that paper tomorrow." She knew all the intimate details of the business merger and the back door dealings. That was her world. She hoped he would trust her insider knowledge without question, like she trusted his.

He stood, facing her. "Curious that he has an invitation already. Someone must have wanted him to be prepared to finish this in other ways if necessary." He put his hand on his chin. "Is there an address on the invitation?" He turned his head toward the rifle. "We may only be costing him the easy method by getting the rifle. I think it would be wise if we infiltrated this event to prevent his using another method."

Chimera didn't even need to look at the card because Karen Reilly had received one as well. "It's going to be held at the convention center down the street. The address is on the back. I think you are right. We should both be there, in case. I have my own method of getting in. Will you be able to infiltrate the event?"

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-07 01:03 EST
"I anticipate no problems. I will be there," he replied. He wouldn't be dressed like this, of course, but he could blend in during the day just as well as at night.

She realized she was still carrying the communication device she intended to give him. She pulled it from her belt and offered it to him. "We can use this to stay in contact at the event. Keep an eye out for Mr. Pearson. He is the target."

He took the small device in his hand. He hadn't seen anything quite like it before, but he surmised that it rested inside the ear and would probably not be visible. Chimera was obviously well funded. His own method for getting in touch earlier was almost prehistoric by comparison, and a more ordinary person might have been embarrassed by that fact. "Thank you," he said, putting it into a pouch on his belt. He turned to the rifle again. "I believe we've done all we can here. I can take care of this," he said, picking it up.

She nodded. She lingered a moment, wondering if she should help, but she was still trying to give off a tough guy image, so she inhaled deeply and left him. She quietly exited the room, opened and closed the front door behind her, and headed out into the night. It was going to be yet another one of the many events she blew off, but now she needed to head home and pick out an outfit for the luncheon tomorrow.

As she left, he put the portion of the wall back in place and pushed the dresser back in front of it. It would be obvious once the dresser was moved, but the hitman might not do that until just before he left and perhaps that would cost him valuable time to prepare for other methods. He reloaded the shotgun and reset the trap as he shut the door. He looked around. Chimera was long gone, and nobody else was around. He jumped onto the roof and disappeared into the night, rifle in hand. He would spend the next half hour disassembling the rifle and dropping its parts into various sections of the river before making his next move. It was time to look up who would be catering this luncheon...

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-15 00:26 EST
PART FOUR: Multiple Attempts

He'd seen the nameless thug wiggling out from under Mr. Pearson's car. Mr. Pearson's security left a lot to be desired. Ordinarily he'd take the thug out before going after the bomb, but he didn't want to tip off the hitman too soon.

Once the thug was gone, he blinked underneath the car.

The bomb was somewhat crude, but he hadn't left Nickels much time to rethink his plan. It was wired into the ignition for its detonation. Simple to attach, simple to detonate, simple to remove " the detonator would only go off when powered, so there was no worry over cutting the wrong wire. A quick snip and the bomb was useless. It appeared to be attached with double sided tape " Nickels and his henchman must have been in a hurry indeed. He rocked the bomb loose and blinked away with it.

With a splash, the bomb sank into the river and out of sight.

He took off the coat he'd been wearing to keep his clothes clean. He'd taken a uniform from the catering company the night before and didn't want to get it dirty rummaging around underneath a car. He quickly made his way to the luncheon and through a service door.

Time to get to work.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-15 00:27 EST
Karen was promptly getting ready for an important luncheon. The Reilly Industries mogul did not usually attend events like this, but this time she would make an exception. A local, esteemed business owner, Mr. Pearson, would be signing an important contract for a business merger at its conclusion. He had a hit out against him to prevent this and she was going to prevent his would be assassin.

When she had to go to high profile event, Karen would often call on her friend, Valerie Demuer. Valerie served as her fashion expert in situations like this. She stayed on top of current high profile and up and coming designers. She tracked fashion trends like others would track stocks. Not just another fashion wannabe, Valerie was good. Karen wouldn't know, though. She was just happy if most of the colors matched.

Karen arrived at the luncheon early, which was typical for her professional conduct. Also as usual, she received countless compliments about her attire. Valerie dressed Karen in a knee length, long sleeved, baby blue dress. Karen begged to wear shoes she could run in, though Valerie could never understand why. Given the constraints, she picked out a perfect pair of white patent pumps with ankle straps. Most of the comments were about Karen's jewelry. Around her neck was a deep blue sapphire and diamond pendant. She also wore a radiant white diamond bracelet that shown against the long sleeves of her dress.

Making the rounds, Karen made it a point to meet every person she came across. If she already knew them, she would make it seem as though she was just keeping up her business relationships with a simple greeting. Those she did not already know, she stayed and chatted with a bit longer, asking about their career and family, seemingly making small talk. After each conversation, she would endorse her own business, as if her intentions were self-promotion and not analyzing everyone in the crowd. She always made sure to keep one eye on Mr. Pearson. Whenever he would shift around the room, she would soon follow.

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-16 22:21 EST
When nobody was looking, he poked himself in the ear. There was probably a better way to do it, but gear this fancy was far beyond what he was accustomed to. "Radio check," he subvocalized. He hoped it worked. Waiting for a reply, he made his way around the back areas to see if he recognized anyone.

He wasn't really sure how it worked, and apparently neither was Chimera. Her explanation was stiff and stilted, as though someone who did know tried to explain it to her but she got lost in the engineering speak. He certainly didn't fault her for it; he imagined they both were satisfied when their equipment worked properly and tended to leave it at that. Having seen her in action, it was clear that her talents were in other areas, and by now it was clear that she was extremely well funded and no doubt had people who knew these technical details for her.

Karen was in the middle of her meet and greet with a few old associates when she heard her new partner in her ear. She smiled and politely excused herself from the conversation. She walked over to a window and placed her cell phone earpiece over her ear. She responded back quietly, "Yes, I'm here and keeping an eye on things in the dining room." Most who would look over at her would simply assume she was talking on her phone, casually looking out the window. In reality, she was scanning outside as well, trying to see if a gunman was waiting in a neighboring building, or to see if her partner was keeping an eye off in the shadows like he seemed to prefer.

He stopped outside the kitchen. "I'm in back. Entering the kitchen. Checking the food." He was keeping it brief. He didn't want to face a wall for too long, nor did he want anyone to wonder why he was mouthing words seemingly to himself. "Know what he's having?"

Karen thought back a moment. She tried to remember what Pearson had when she met him at another event. He didn't eat anything, just sipped on a few drinks. She had lunch with his wife to learn more about the death threats he had received. She remembered something important. Pearson had several cases of gout and was on a strict diet to prevent it from reoccurring. Karen remembered the menu, chicken cacciatore or alfredo pasta with shrimp. She said quickly, "The chicken."

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-16 22:24 EST
"Understood." He meandered around the kitchen, sneaking small pieces of chicken from various plates and eating them. He couldn't remember the last time he got to eat on the job. He allowed some time between each, not only to avoid suspicion but also to give any kind of poison time to work.

He paused against the wall for a moment, wondering what Chimera was up to. She wasn't here as Chimera, of course. She hadn't said what she looked like or what she'd be wearing, and he hadn't asked. She lacked knowledge of the same about him, so at least it was fair. Still, while he was confident she could handle herself, it would have been nice to know who to look for in case Nickels did try something spectacular out of desperation. He doubted that would be the case, but he liked....

He suddenly felt his heart begin to slow. He grabbed the dish he'd just sampled and began carrying it to the trash. A sharp pain in his chest almost made him drop the dish. He decided to drop it anyway. Someone would clean it up, and hopefully nobody on staff was the kind who would eat from the floor. "Damn. I'm sorry," he said. "I'll go find a mop." He made his way out of the kitchen and to a restroom as his vision tinged yellow and started to blur. It was clear by now that someone had seasoned that particular dish with digitalis. He locked himself in a stall to let the effects pass; he knew he wouldn't die, but it would visibly weaken him and he didn't want the attention. "Poisoned chicken," he mouthed for Chimera's benefit. "Taken care of."

Karen had continued with her casual conversations here and there as she followed Mr. Pearson's journey around the large dining hall. She made her way to the long table reserved for the contract committee. She nonchalantly walked around it as if admiring the silverware and glassware. She found the name placeholder for Pearson and examined his seat and area of the table closely. She stooped down to look under the seat and table. She noticed a small device under the chair. She quickly studied it, and disconnected the trigger on the seat from the explosive under the chair. She held onto the trigger loosely in her hand, while placing the explosive in her purse with the other.

She stood up and startled an associate friend who was stealing some bread off the table. Mrs. Marcs said, "Oh, Ms. Reilly, what are you doing back there?" She smiled and said, "Oh, I lost an earring." Mrs. Marcs replied, "But Ms. Reilly, you weren't wearing any earrings." Karen smiled as her eyes widened. "Oh, well, thank goodness. I'm so glad you were here, Mrs. Marcs."

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-19 14:35 EST
Karen continued on her way around the room innocently as she heard her partner signal to her about the poisoned chicken. She replied, "I'm' handling" a bit of an explosive problem myself." She walked carefully, as not to run into anyone with the trigger for the explosive in her hand.

"Be careful." He was careful himself to not let on the discomfort he was currently in. The worst had passed, though. He shook his head a few times to try to shake some of the blur off a little faster. "Going to the floor now, to see if I recognize anyone." The privacy of the restroom offered room for a few more words than before. He exited the restroom and headed out to the main room.

Mr. Pearson ended his conversation with a small group of men and headed towards a small hallway on one side of the room towards the kitchen. Karen knew he would never associate himself with the help. The only other thing down that hallway' was the bathrooms. She tried not to panic with the trigger still in her hand as she said softly, "He is moving to the bathroom. He is moving to the bathroom." She still followed him, though she knew she wouldn't be able to go the whole way.

The urgency in both her voice and her repetition was immediately apparent, as well as unexpected from her. "I'm going," he replied as he made his way to the public restrooms. He entered not long after Mr. Pearson, and saw no others present. He heard Mr. Pearson attending to his business in one of the stalls, so he was obviously still alive. He began mouthing to Chimera. "He's here, alone. I'll stay in here until he's-" He cut himself off when he felt a tremendous wave of nausea. Whoever put the digitalis in that chicken dish must have used a lot. Now was perhaps the worst time for this to happen.

He quickly poked his ear; he hoped he turned the device off correctly but didn't have time to think about it as he ran into another stall and began to vomit vigorously. After a short time, he heard a voice. "Whoa, there, old top! You gonna make it in there?" It seemed to be over, and he replied. "Yes....yes, I'm fine. Just something I ate.? He wiped his mouth with some tissue, flushed, and went to the sink. It then occurred to him as to whether or not the little device in his ear was waterproof. He tore a small piece of paper towel off and put it on his fingertip before poking the device, then washed his hands quite thoroughly to maximize his time in there. He coughed unexpectedly.

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-19 14:40 EST
While they were in the men's bathroom, Karen used the opportunity to go to the women's. She figured this would be her only chance to get rid of the explosive and trigger. She flushed the explosive first. Thankfully, it was small enough to go down easily. It was clear that it was only enough to focus on one person. She heard her partner say that he had Pearson in his sight, but he was cut off. She gave him a moment to continue as she flushed the trigger. His side was still silent, save for a cough.

Karen said hurriedly, "Are you there?"

"I'm here. I'm fine."

Hopefully she would not ask why he mentioned he was fine. Mr. Pearson was taking his time in there. He dried his hands and opened a small closet in the corner. He put on some gloves before grabbing a spray bottle of solvent and some disposable cleaning towels. "May be a little while." The restroom door opened behind him, and he looked over his shoulder to see who it was. He calmly turned back to the cleaning supplies.

"Nickels. Should I take him out?"

She quickly responded, "No. Tell me when he exits the bathroom."

The last thing she wanted to do was allow him to kill Nickels. She believed in being as passive as possible; being better than the criminals they tried to bring in. She wanted to handle this part her way. She quickly flushed once more for good measure and walked out to wait in the hallway. She lounged against the wall casually as if waiting in line at the women's bathroom.

He'd hoped Chimera would say no. Taking Nickels out now, dead or alive, would be extremely difficult to do quietly and without Pearson seeing any of it, and he surmised Chimera's decision was at least partly based on that fact. "Right." He began cleaning the sinks, sure to keep Nickels in sight through the mirrors. Nickels was at a urinal, perhaps taking care of business before taking care of business, but he also kept looking over his shoulder. He seemed more agitated each time. Poor guy. Pearson finally concluded his stay, and washed his hands. He knelt down to clean the underside of the sink so he could get a message out to Chimera: "Pearson leaving." Once Pearson was out, Nickels zipped and followed. He didn't wash his hands. How crude.

"Nickels."

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-20 11:37 EST
Karen saw Pearson exit, but she waited in position. As Nickels emerged from the bathroom, she knocked against him and sweetly apologized. He scoffed at her angrily, but it was enough to give Pearson even more of a head start on him. She hesitated slightly, waiting for just the right time to sell her plan. She then followed Nickels, running in her heels, silently thanking Valerie for the ankle strapped pumps. He was heading towards the middle of the room now, where Pearson stopped to talk to a new group. Karen stopped dead in her tracks when she came into the room and yelled in distress.

"Help! Help! That man stole my jewelry!"

She pointed at Nickels. A few security guards who had been monitoring the event turned to look at him, as did everyone else in the room. Nickels instantly started to flee, knowing he would never be able to carry out his mission now, but the guards were on him too quickly. They held him as Karen approached.

One of the guards said sternly, "Is this the guy, ma'am?"

She said, acting completely distraught, "Yes! He stole my sapphire necklace right off of my neck!"

The guard began to search him and pulled out the sapphire necklace Karen had planted on him when she bumped against him in the hallway. He handed it to her and said, "Here you are ma'am, and what do we have here?"

The guard then pulled out a switchblade that was undoubtedly reserved for Pearson. The guard continued to Nickels, "Looks like you're coming with us." The guards escorted Nickels out to wait for the police after Karen was told to come back to the security station after the event to make a statement.

Chimera

Date: 2013-06-20 11:43 EST
The murmurs from the crowd eventually died down and the event continued.

Karen took a breath and said softly in her cell phone ear piece, "They have Nickels arrested for a minor crime now, but with him in custody, I'll be able to supply the police with all of our evidence against him."

"Good." He decided to use the commotion as a good opportunity to slip away into the back. He briefly considered trying to spot the woman at the center of the commotion since it was almost certainly Chimera who had caused it, but he knew the value of secrets and respected her enough to leave them in her hands. "Well done."

She tried to make it brief since Pearson and the others were about to do the signing. "Thank you for your help on this one. Keep the communication device and call me sometime." She winced when she realized how she worded that. She tried to correct herself, "You know" if you think we could work on another case together in the future." She sat down at her table and buried her face in her hands for a moment to collect herself.

A curious bit of a stumble from someone who seemed to always be collected and in control. "Of course. Call on me if you need me in the future. It's certain now that we share the same goals,? was his reply as he slipped out the back door.

Karen sat back and enjoyed her lunch, smiling as the contract was signed. No one would know how much effort went into that signing, save two. She would go and give her statement after lunch. Later that night, she would make sure the police were delivered all of the incriminating evidence against Nickels, including his own laptop with information.

Stealing jewelry would be the least of the charges against him.

Chimera would see to that.