~~ The Dark City ~~

[Lady Violet]

After closing the door behind her, Arden put the bag on the floor and started taking the items out. 2 white candles, 2 crystal candle holders, an incense burner and waterproof matches.

Arden laughed when she took those out. "Like we really need them to be waterproof". A chuckle came from the side and Arden grined in response. She got up and set the items on the small wooden table that was beside the bed.

"Would you like me to light the incense now, mother" she asked?

"Yes of course dear, and could you open the blinds just a wee bit?"

Arden did was she was asked, then sat on the bed, holding your mothers hand.

"How does the search at the library go?"

"I found out we need to get..." Arden started to respond, but the sound of footsteps and an opening door allerted her.

"Wait child" her mother said as Arden got up to leave. "Open the drawer". She did, and there, lying in soft purple satin was her mothers rune stones, her ritual knife and her crystal wand. "Take them for I fear you will need them soon."

Arden looked at her mother, tears at the corner of her eyes. "I love you" she said, hugging her.

"As I do you, now go". Arden picked up the items from the drawer, placed them in her pockets and quietly closed the door behind her.

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Chris almost fell completely off balance when the door was opened. He had been leaning against it searching for the noise he swore he heard, when the barrier swung back and he stumbled inside, noticing the armed man and immediately freezing. He looked about, noticing the woman with the hunter on her tail by the door. He was shocked to say the least. Of course by the looks of the man holding the fire arm, Chris considered himself a goner if he made a move toward his own pistol.

"Um.. Hi?" was all Chris could say so far, still wondering if this unlikely bunch were to be considered friends.

He continued to look about the room, hearing footsteps in the hallway up the stairs. He stood there silently waiting to see how the outcome of this major slip up on his part would unfold.


OOC:
On the thing about where the characters are from and how they relate to the story. Chris is a newcomer, though he's been in cities like this far more numerous times than he wished.

 

[Guest]

Sasha:
There was something very odd about this place: in one brief period she had now encountered more people than she had in the previous month. She was certain that it had something to do with Arden, there was something different about her, something that went beyond her strangely trusting demeanor: but Sasha could not yet put her finger on it was.

Swiftly closing the door behind the man who had just stumbled into the room, Sasha then turned her attention to the new arrival. He was clearly not of her people, and Jack had not fired, so it seemed that this man was not necessarily a threat. Hearing Arden on the stairs, she decided to wait quietly for what would unfold.

 

[crysede]

that was me up there

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Chris didn't know what to do. He didn't dare move in fear of being shot. He turned slightly and smiled to the lady that was behind him closing the door.


"Hello miss. Sorry to be of the intrusion but I noticed how everyone here feared the day so I was looking for a place to stay.. and it was by total accident that I found this door." He smiled politely, trying to explain the reason he had stumbled into this doorway.

He looked back to the man and smiled again, hoping to convince them that he was of no harm so perhaps they could let him go, or just not kill him. He still needed to figure out who that man was following the lady behind him, and what everyone was so afraid of.

"If it wouldn't be too much of a bother," Chris smiled again, "I'd just walk out the door and leave you to your business that I seem to have interrupted." He turned slowly, inching toward the door with both of them still in sight.

 

[Paendragon]

He saw her when the door opened, and slid back into the shadows of the building. He normally would have kept walking normally, but his instincts told him that that would have given him away.

There was no one else in sight, beside the man who had fallen through the door. He could imagine the other two were inside with the prey.

The sky was getting lighter by the minute, yet no one was on the street. Not even the normal early birds you might expect to see in a normal town... paperboys, newstrucks, etc. That in itself was odd.

"Odd," he whispered to himself. "This whole damned town is a little off."

The door shut just as quickly as it opened, swallowing the stranger and the prey. He needed to know what was going on inside, but how?

 

[faust]

What have we here?

Not speaking a word, Jack continued to appraise the new arrival. Might be a hunter... though he sure didn't act like one. A hunter would have surely gone into a kamikaze attack by now, risking his life rather than failing a Brotherhood mission. Everybody knew what happened to those who dared anger the Brotherhood. Still... better be sure. As the man backed toward the doorway, Jack leaped forward, grabbing the stranger's gun out of its holster. Both guns now fixed on the man, Jack finally spoke, "Allright, you'd better start talking. What the hell you doin' snooping around here for?"

 

[Paendragon]

Choices

He heard the engine before he saw the car. He reached inside his jacket a pulled out a pack of cigarettes, placed one in his mouth, and lit it. he didn't actually smoke, but kept them handy for use for just this scenario. He leaned casually against the wall. Just a man out for a smoke.

The black HumVee rolled slowly up the center of the street, and stopped by the curb less than 20 feet away. He glanced at the vehicle, and took a long drag from the cigarette, before turning his gaze toward the park. Both the driver's side and passenger side door of the car opened slowly, and out of the corner of his eye he saw two muscular men get out. The passenger had a semi-automatic rifle, and the driver had what looked to be a semi-automatic handgun in a hip holster.

John reached to take the cigarette out of his mouth with his left hand, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "What the hell is this?" he thought to himself. These are like no Police he had ever seen before. With his right hand he reached up and scratched his stomach, waiting for a clue as to what he should do next.

"Excuse me sir?" it was the driver. John looked up in time to see the passenger raise his rifle. he reacted, his reflexes honed by Marine Special Forces. He dropped to his knees and slipped the 9mm out of it's shoulder holster and fired through his jacket and under his arm just as the man pulled the trigger. The passenger got only on shot off, the sound echoing down the street like a whip-crack, before John's bullet took him in the throat. He fell backward, his hands gripping his wasted neck trying in vain to hold the blood in. John knew it was a lucky shot, but he'd take it. The driver had already begun pulling the gun, but John was already aiming his second shot. He squeezed off two more in quick succession, one taking the driver in the chest, the other in the head.

John jumped to his feet and ran toward the house. He knew it was his only chance. These men must be who the group had been running from. It was a gamble, but his only option. He weaved left and right, changing direction as often as possible.

Just as he got to the ring of trees surrounding the house, he felt a sharp pain bite into his shoulder, spinning him around. His back slammed into one of the trees, and his eyes looked for the gunmen, but he was nowhere in sight. He rolled, and slid to the other side of the tree, facing the house, and probed at the shoulder. Luckily, it was only a flesh wound, getting the muscle and not the bone. He was just ten feet from the house. Now, how to get inside?

 

[crysede]

Sasha:
The sound of gunfire was unmistakable, she heard the retort of at least three different weapons and they were not far away. It was well beyond the sort of fire power she expected on her tail: more likely to have something to do with the brotherhood Jack had spoken of, she reasoned.

"Friends of yours perhaps?" She asked Jack, "Though I wonder what they're shooting at," she continued, thoughtfully, "it is not in a hunter's interests to give their presence away unnecessarily."

Hearing someone running toward the house, she looked at Jack questioningly, "You will have to release him if we are to open the door again."

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Chris frowned. All this stuff was happening much quicker than he had anticipated. He looked to the man with both firearms and shrugged. "I'm only a wanderer. No harm to you or anyone else inside this house," he turned and pointed to the lady, "She has a hunter on her tail and I'm positive those guns out there were meant for you," he finished with this as he pointed to Jack.

"Now, if I could have my pistol back, I could be of some help." Chris smiled warily. He hopefully outstretched his arm to Jack, "Please sir. I need the gun to help out."

He looked anxiously at the door, wondering if friend or foe would come through this time and perhaps cause some damage to one of them.

 

[Lady Violet]

Arden looked over the railing and saw another man lying on the floor, Jack pointing guns to his head and Sasha standing nearby. "He's got in under control" she said. She turned around and faced the closed door. Taking a key from her pocket, she stepped forward and unlocked the door.

Arden stared at its contents. Numerous weaponry on every shelf. She grabbed a duffle bag on the floor and began to fill it, remembering extra bullets. Once full, she zipped it up and pushed the bag to the top of the stairs. Thats when she heard the gun fire and the surprised look of her now companions.

"Quick" she shouted "Jack, come get this bag".

Jack tossed a gun to Sasha, saying "Keep an eye on him". Arden quickly ran down the stairs, turning her body slitghly as not to hit Jack on his way up. She spun around the end of the banister, her hair whipping through the air and slid into the kitchen. She removed the contents of her pockets and put them in her bag, along with several other items. She ran back to the others, the stranger on the floor now standing, yet still under careful watch of both Sasha and Jack.

"What do we do now" asked Sasha, looking from Jack to Arden, then back to Jack.

Arden reached behind Jack and got the black coats and gave one to Jack. Putting on her own she said "Sasha, if you check in that closet, you'll find another one". Sasha nodded her head.

"What about me" the newcomer asked. Jack raised his gun a little higher. "Ok ok" he said.

"Sorry" Arden replied. To Jack she said "I know how we can distroy the evil in this town, but I need to gather a few things first. I know what I need is in the botatical shop, about 3 miles...."

"Wait a minute" Jack interupted "You don't expect us to run around outside with the Brotherhood on my tail?"

Arden smiled, her cheeks a glowing red in contrast to the rest of her face. "We don't need to outside" she said. And with that, she bodly walked to the side of the staircase and opened a hidden compartment. "There, you see" she told them. "A tunnel, all the way into center town."

Jack grinned "Why you wicked little thing".

"We better hurry" said Sasha. "I heard someone close to the house not long ago".

"Alright" said Jack. "Arden you go first, then you" he motioned his gun towards the man, "then Sasha, and I'll follow."



OOC: THIS IS GREAT!!!! I'm absofuckinglutly amazed at everyone! I hope you dont mind that i wrote a little for your characters. Faust, I'll let you decide what kind of weapons are in the bag. I do have an idea on how i want this to go, but feel free to add any pazzaz!! *Hugs and kisses for everyone*

 

[Guest]

The hunters arrive

Chaos was breaking out all around the house. Everybody had heard the gunshots outside, their heads turning collectively to face the sounds. Glancing out the window, his eyes fixed on the gunman charging the house... In the confucion, he douted anyone had seen him fire. His silenced revolver jercked in his hand, sending a bullet screaming into the street... The man, hit in the shoulder, fell down and out of sight. Jack hoped he had killed him, though it probably wasn't a mortal wound.

Tossing the newcomer's gun to Sasha, he quickly rummaged through the bag. "Wow, you planning a major war or something?" he shouted to Arden. He finally pulled out an assault shotgun (10-shell capacity and plenty of stopping power), two fully loaded handguns, a small hunting knife, and bullets for his own revolver. He tossed the bag back to Arden. "If we're going out, you better arm yourself too."

Jack turned toward the newcomer, still undecided about what to do. He considered shooting him right here and now, but decided against it. In a gunbattle, they might need his skills... "Fine Sasha, give him his gun back. And arm yourself while you're at it." Turning toward the man: "I'm gonna trust you for now, but don't be getting no ideas. I'll stay right behind you, where I can always blow your fucking brains out your nose. Allright, Arden you go first, then you, then Sasha and I'll follow. Let's move it!"

 

[faust]

Er, that's me.

 

[Paendragon]

More choices

John had been studying the house when he saw the bullet hole through the window. He was almost positive the shot had come from behind, but with all the twisting and turning he had been doing, who could be sure?

If it had come from inside than he would be jumping into a deathtrap. But if not... well, either way, he was dead if he stayed out here. Better the unknown inside than a sure death outside. He had made up his mind. He would enter.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Mideon

OOC: apologies...I've started rather late in the thread, so I backtracked a little here. This starts while it is still dark, then ends up outside the house, near where John (Paendragon's character) is. Sorry for any confusion.

Earlier:
Someone had been here, but I doubted it was him. I looked around the room, thinking, reading isn't quite what hunters were known for. No, not reading.
The girl probably. The infared goggles showed that someone had been moving the books, leaving glowing fingerprints on a few volumes on Botony and some herbal ecology books.
No, it wasn't him. But there were extra footprints on the floor, in the doorway, fading now, but extra. I'd first noticed the girl a while back, but had let her slide. She wasn't my concern, and if she spent so much time in libraries, she was probably harmless.
Jack, on the other hand...not so harmless. And he was my concern. Oh, yes. Mr. Quincy had left quite an impression on me from his file folders. He might actually prove a challenge, unless he lost a few steps, which often happened when they left the Brotherhood.
But the man had murdered my teacher, my mentor Zade. Gutted the man and left him to bleed to death. Cold-blooded and harsh. The man had to die.
I exited the building then, moving quietly into the night, trying to track the footprints made visible by the infared. Outside, however, the heat dissipated at a faster rate, and once I reached the park, the prints had faded almost beyond noticability, even with the goggles. I took them off and tucked them into my pack, then made my way through the park and scanned the ground for any tracks, broken sticks or beaten down grass.
Here, and there. A few tracks leading toward a grey brick building nearby. Could have been them, but might not have been. Two sets of tracks again, as I saw two left feet close together.
I decided to follow, just in case I had found my man. If not, I could always backtrack to the library again.
That was just before sunrise.
Now, I stood just a block from the house, watching as the man as he fell, then found his way beneath the tree.
I would wait to see what this man would do, especially considering I wasn't aware of the gunmen's location, although the way his body had turned at first, it seemed plausable that he was inside the house. Wait...and see.

OOC: I added in the thing about the man being murdered by Jack Quincy as a ploy. Unless you want to follow this up, I figured it would be a good motivation for him to pursue Jack, a lie of course, told by the Brotherhood.

 

[crysede]

Sasha:
Sasha handed the new arrival his weapon back with a guarded smile: she would have liked to have spoken with him about what he knew of her hunter, but that would have to wait.

She grabbed her leather jacket and headed to the bag to find a weapon for herself, smiling fondly she fished out a Colt .45, a true classic: hers had been lost over a year ago, it was comforting to feel the weapon's familiar weight in her hands again. Tucking the pistol in her belt, she forced her mind back to the task at hand, completing her arsenal with a 9mm Baretta and a 762 hunting rifle, adding as much extra ammo as would fit in her pockets. Satisfied with her selections, she hurried after Arden down the tunnel.

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Chris smiled and nodded politely as he placed the 9mm back in his shoulder holster. He stood next to the door, obviously the cocky one as he waited for everyone to prepare for their battle. After Arden had started in to the tunnel, he followed, his keen eyesight searching for anything that might be wrong or out of place.

"Are you sure this is a positively safe tunnel?" Chris asked to the strange woman in front of him, "It looks like anyone could find it and discover your sanctuary if they felt fit to do so."

He turned back and checked to make sure the other's were following him. He didn't want to leave a beautiful woman and an obvious rival to his own skills back with the gunmen outside.

"Hurry," he instructed the two, "the gunshots were far too close for any sort of comfort to be taken, even in this dingy tunnel." He continued to follow Arden, just now remembering he forgot to ask an interesting question, "Where is it that we are going?"

 

[Paendragon]

John stood, sliding his back up the tree. It was now or never, but he'd be damed if he was going in the front. If, by chance, that bullet did come from inside the house, he wasn't going to give them an easy second shot.

Crouching low, he pushed off the tree and ran fast and low toward the back of the house. He turned the corner, and was surprised to find a door on the side of the house. He pressed his back against the wall to the side of a window. He held the silenced 9mm low, and bobbed his head forward and back so as not to give anyone inside a chance to hit him, then dropped and rolled unde the window. There was no one in the room. He crawled on his knees toward the side door, and slid a small black case from his jacket. He pulled out a few small tools from the case, and proceded to pick the lock and the deadbolt, on the door. He heard the telltale clicks, and replaced the tools.

Staying low, he turned the knob, and cracked the door, thankful that there was no creak from the hinges. His gun leading the way, he crept slowly into the room, and closed and locked the door behind him.

The room was well lit from the window. It looked to be a kitchen. To his right was a stairway, to his left, was a hallway leading to the front of the house. He heard a creaking coming from upstairs, so he turned toward the stairs. He hated being forced to act before he was ready. A thousand things could go wrong. The stairs could creak under his weight, or someone could be waiting at the top of the stairs with a shotgun, or they could come up behind him. Or worse of all, all three could happen at once, leaving him in the crossfire.

He took the first step, then the second. No noises so far, and no one waiting upstairs. He continued to the top, taking his time, shifting his weight slowly to each foot as he ascended. He reached the top. There was a light coming from the last door in the hallway.

He walked down the hallway, being carefull to keep to one side. Most people walked down the center of their hallway, and that's where all the loose boards tended to be. He got to the last doorway, and stopped, listening for some clue as to who, or how many people were inside. The smell of incense was strong.

"I've been waiting for you Mr. Farland," a soft feminine voice called from inside of the room. "Please, enter."

John was shocked. He dropped to the ground, landing with his gun extended halfway inside the room. There was only one person inside. An older woman, with black hair streaked with white. The woman laughed.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind when I said enter, but I suppose it will do. Now please rise, your getting blood on my carpet."

John could only stare. He rose to his feet, keeping the gun trained on the woman.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"A friend, John. Right now, the most important friend you have."

 

[Lady Violet]

Arden

Arden led the way down the tunnel. It was to curvy, and she had gone this way before so she knew what general direction she was heading.

"Where is it that we are going?"

Arden looked over her shoulder breafly, continueing the pace she was walking. "To the botanical shop. This tunnel leads right into the center of the city, to the town hall. I've done it before, many times." She could sense his apprehension about traveling underground. Perhaps he was clausterphobic.

The group travelled through the tunnel for what seemed like hours. There was a light that seemed to eminate from Arden, giving enough to see by but not revealing enough ahead of the tunnel to see how far they still had to go, the darkness swallowing them up again behind them.

All of a sudden Arden stoped, causing Sasha to bump into her. "Sorry" she said. "No worries" replied Arden, as she held up her hand for silence. "We're almost there."

She continued another few steps, and stoped again, this time in front of a ladder. "I'll go up first" she told the other. "I'll make sure its clear, then call down to you." Arden climbed up, taking the light with her. For a brief moment the tunnel was pitch black, then they could see a lamp being lowered into the tunnel. "Come on up" she called out. "Coast is clear".

 

[Paendragon]

"I said, who are you?" John repeated, stepping into the room.

"You don't need your gun here, Mr. Farland. You can put it away."

"I prefer to keep it where it is, if it's all the same to you. Now answer my damned question."

The woman sighed. "No. I don't think I will."

John was flabbergasted. He barked a laugh. "Lady, are you insane? Do you have any idea what I could do to you?"

"Oh, I know quite well what you're capable of Mr. Farland." She shook her head. "They made you into qute an effective killer didn't they? First, the military... training you to kill, to hunt. Than using you to do their dirty work. They didn't count on your conscience though, did they?"

"That's enough..."

"Did you ever find out her name? The woman you murdered?"

"I said that's enough!!" John was screaming now. His hands were shaking slightly. How could she know? It was all classified. It had happened two years ago. She was supposed to be a terrorist, but in reality it was a message to a foreign Minister. He was getting a bit high on himself, so they had him kill his niece. He didn't know... had no way of knowing.

"No, she whispered. "You didn't know."

John leveled the gun at the woman's head. He knew he hadn't spoken aloud, how had she known? "Lady, you start explaining yourself, or you'll be the second woman I come to regret."

"Of course. But first, could you pour me some more tea please?" She pointed to the dresser, and held out her cup.

""Fine," John thought. "I'll humor you you old witch."

She giggled.

John frowned. He reached out for the tea pot, and held it out to her. She didn't move her hand. Annoyed, he stepped closer. It was then that he saw her eyes. He had taken them for a light gray, but they were actually a milky white. They had no pupils.

"You're blind," he whispered.

"Yes," she answered. "So are you."

 

[faust]

The light at the end of the tunnel...

The companions advanced through the tunnels for what seemed like hours. For the entire trek, Jack never once let the man out of his sight. He still didn't trust him... Jack sniffed at the air, smelling the unmistakeable reek of human shit. Once, this tunnel must have served as a sewer access tube. Of course, those days were long gone. The sewer system hadn't worked for as long as he could remember. Nowadays, most people simply walked outside to relieve themselves.

Finally, the tunell reached a small ladder. Jack watched in nervous silence as Arden climbed up and out of sight, half-expecting her body to come tumbling back down in a shower of blood... But no, she was back a few seconds later, beckoning them to follow with a lit lantern. Jack looked around to make sure they weren't being followed, then turned to his companions. "Allright, quickly now. Sasha, you go in next. Then you - hey, you have a name? I'll follow right behind this bozo."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Mideon

I waited and watched, seeing the man reach the door, then pick both locks and disappear inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him.
I almost expected to hear shots fired. Perhaps, though, I wasn't hearing them for the same reason i hadn't heard the fire one though. Silencers. Was always a possibility. Not the Brotherhood's way as such, but always possible. And these people surely weren't with the Brotherhood.
When a minute or so went by and I heard no commotion, I decided to venture in myself, to check the scene for my self to be certain things were every bit as harmless as they seemed. No sense in not being thorough.
I crept over to the door, moving slowly, standing upright and staying near the wall of the house. Ducking down might have made me less visible, but standing as such and moving slowly would make me much less noticable, should anyone look out.
I reached the door a minute or so later, then peered into the house. I could see nothing, but I could hear the distant sound of voices. A woman, saying something about blood and a carpet. The male voice that responded was more clear, sounding both confused and slightly pained, as the man who had just entered might sound, I decided.
"Who are you?"
I leaned my ear toward the opening and listened, knowing that if they weren't aware of my presence, they would be moving at least a little, walking around or whispering, leaving either the sounds of their voices or the almost inaudible sound of feet brushing against carpeting. Both seemed less than likely, given the fact that the man was apparently alive and hadn't closed the door, and none had moved to close it behind him.
Contented, I slowly pushed the door open, just far enough to enter, then pushed it until it was almost exactly how I had come upon it.
I looked around. No sign of anyone immediate. People had been here, but not twithin the last few seconds, so far as I could tell. Just the same, I pulled the nine millimeter from the holster on my belt, and flipped off the safety. I crept into the living room, examining the scenery there. Food had been dispensed on a serving tray, sandwiches, cookies and chocolates, a cookie and a few sandwiches eaten off of, and three cups of tea sitting there as well, on the small table in the center of the room. I leaned down, sniffing the air, and catching the scent I was looking for.
Alcohol. A weakness of my current prey. Perhaps i was on the right trail afterall.
"I said that's enough!"
The man's voice, screaming this time.
My head turned to the stairs in reflex. Silence again. I looked around, wondering if anyone had poked their head in to investigate the noise. No one had.
I moved quickly to the stairs, holding the pistol out in front of me, waiting for anything that might happen.
"I'll humor you you old witch," he said now, his voice much more even than it had been.
Standing there, near the stairs, I caught an odd smell, like...sewers? SOmething similar? It was far too faint to tell for sure.
I looked around, searching for a source, but finding none.
The basement, I thought. Porobably just something emanating from the basement. The floor boards here must be thin or not well constructed.
That gave me another idea. I crept into the kitchen, searching for a door leading downstairs.

 

[Lord Kenshin]

He smirked as he climbed the ladder, glancing back to the man who took it upon himself to call him a bozo. "My name is Chris, you can call me that," he smiled as he said this, thinking how easy it would be to just turn around and kick the guy's teeth out, then pull out his 9mm and end his miserable existence.

He shrugged it off, knowing that the man named Jack wasn't his real enemy, and he might need him later. He continued to climb the stairs, minding his own business and not looking up to examine the ass that was inches above his head.

Chris smiled again, stepping off the ladder and into the botany room, looking about and squinting his eyes to the new light.

 

[Lady Violet]

OOC: kenshin, we are in the city hall

IC: Arden put the oil lamp on a nearby table once everyone was out of the tunnel and closed it up with a heavy board, placing an area rug on top of that.

"Take a little rest" she said. "I have to check something out. Jack, come with me please."

"I should stay here" he replied, cocking his head towards Chris.

"He's harmless. I need you with me". Arden disapeared behind a door.

Jack looked towards Chris, then at Sasha. "Keep an eye on him" he told her, and followed Arden into the next room.

Arden lit another lamp, creating shadow walk on the walls. She dared not open the curtains and blinds in case someone was watcing the building. "There are documents here I don't understand" she said. "I was hoping you'd be able to help me." She puled out a folder filled with paper and passed it over to Jack. "I think it has something to do with what happened. Some of it is in code, and I've tried to decifer it, but I'm not really good at that. My mother could have...." her voice failed her as she choked a sob. Arden knew, if they didn't stop what was happening, then they were all doomed.

 

[faust]

Jack followed Arden through the bowls of city hall. He really shouldn't have left Sasha alone with Chris... He wasn't harmless at all. Oh well, even if she did get killed, he never really got to know her anyway...

Upon reaching some kind of records room, Arden handed him a folder of papers. He quickly leafed through it. "Hmmm, this is some of the shittiest record-keeping I've seen. Most of it is in code, yes. The problem is, there's all kinds of diiferent reports in here." He pulled out one of the sheets. "Take this for exapmle. Simple pre-modern police code. It reads: 'To: Mayor's Office. From: Morals Commitee. Re: Recent investigations uncover possible illegal activities at Laughin' Rick's Nightclub, namely instances of alleged underage prostitution. Please advise.' You know, it'd be a lot easier if you told me what exactly it is that we're looking for..."