|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on May 29, 2015 5:44:02 GMT
"I was not referring to the killer." he explained patiently, continuing to idly tap his fingers in a rhythm, like a metronome. "But the individual or group that saved us the considerable expenditure of hiring him."
"You are not paid for guesswork. You are paid for results. There is a stranger in my sandbox and I do not intend to find out too late that he has buried razor blades."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on May 29, 2015 5:57:14 GMT
Janus Torbalan was quiet as he ran the scenarios through his head, before confessing, "I don't know. The Perfect Circle would just induce a heart attack or teleport him to the bottom of the sea. They wouldn't bother paying a small fortune to a gunman. It could be Agnetha Megalos, but I don't see her as that ambitious or self-destructive. It could be a private affair, but his men were common thugs, noone who should be able to hire Deathstar. The Russians had problems with Slade, but Totenkopf helped negotiate a truce. We would know if they had decided to cross us. The Japanese and Chinese have their own problems. Hannibal Barker is dirty, but he has NOVA. If he was going to bring down Slade, he'd do have his goons handle it." He paused before stating. "The only one who knows who hired Deathstar is Deathstar. Without him, sir, I have no leads."
He seemed mildly uneasy. It was impossible to detect beneath his training unless one had spent a very long time studying such men. "If you have... other leads, I'd suggest you look into them as well, sir."
|
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on May 29, 2015 6:09:56 GMT
"That will be all then, Janus." he waved him off, standing to look out his Clocktower upon the sprawling city below.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on May 29, 2015 6:11:16 GMT
He promptly turned around and left his employer to his own devices.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on Jun 1, 2015 1:22:53 GMT
Alexander had his chauffeur Eddie pick him up out front in the Bentley. The driver had been forced to sign numerous nondisclosure agreements regarding the habits of his employer. Though, that would be the least of his concerns if he ever broke Chronos' confidence.
"The House of White Lace, Edward." Alexander instructed, easing into the plush leather seats.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on Jun 8, 2015 6:08:34 GMT
///
The morning after his outing, Alexander provided Mr. Torbalan with the license plate number and description of the woman he had seen, asking for a full profile and a tail placed on her at all times.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 8, 2015 6:44:46 GMT
In the afternoon, he recieves copies of her birth certificate, social security number, driver's license, and military identification card. Lauren Marie Summers, a California native, currently serves as an active duty lieutenant in the Army. She is 25, a natural brunette, and has Top Secret clearance.
Torbalan watches the birds fly by as his boss inspects the goods. "She attended the Stanford School of Engineering under their ROTC program. She has 'Intel Officer' written all over her, but the file's untouchable. It's probably a piece of paper in Captain America's office."
|
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on Jun 12, 2015 21:13:26 GMT
"Do we have any assets in Fort Kirby?" his employer asked, mentally compartmentalizing the information. "Does she have any family? Friends? Spouse?"
|
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 12, 2015 21:24:45 GMT
"No assets per se, Trustwell still has those contracts, but it's peacetime and Fort Kirby's a low-priority site. I think we can get some eyes in there. There are no marriage certificates, no hospital records suggesting children, and her place is clean, but we've already installed monitoring devices. We'll watch and see who she spends time with, but she doesn't strike me as having a long term relationship. She had birth control pills in her room, but they had expired. My gut tells me she's just a courier, looking to make her way up the ladder, but my brain tells me she has some idea what she's into. I don't know how you found her, but she has no connections to Ambrosia beyond her job, and those details are buried. Fortunately, they know far less about us, so we have the advantage."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 13, 2015 0:13:05 GMT
"Well..." The other girl grinned at her new best friend. "He has his own secretary. One moment, I can get her on the phone."
She picked up a phone and dialed a number. "Hey, Samantha, this is Margaret downstairs. Miss Groeneveld is asking to see Mister Chronos. Yes, the yoga teacher." Margaret seemed to become more distressed through the phonecall. She desired so much to please her friend. "Well, can you make an appointment...? Please. Just slip it in. Say it was a mistake by Mister Price. Pretty please...? Thank you."
Margaret grinned at Elize. "Tonight at six. Hey, uhm... would you like to... hit a club sometime?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on Jun 13, 2015 1:30:31 GMT
"No assets per se, Trustwell still has those contracts, but it's peacetime and Fort Kirby's a low-priority site. I think we can get some eyes in there. There are no marriage certificates, no hospital records suggesting children, and her place is clean, but we've already installed monitoring devices. We'll watch and see who she spends time with, but she doesn't strike me as having a long term relationship. She had birth control pills in her room, but they had expired. My gut tells me she's just a courier, looking to make her way up the ladder, but my brain tells me she has some idea what she's into. I don't know how you found her, but she has no connections to Ambrosia beyond her job, and those details are buried. Fortunately, they know far less about us, so we have the advantage." "We each have our talents, Mr. Torbalan." Alexander replied enigmatically, in reference to the professional spook's incredulity that he had found the woman. "You see what you can dig up on your end and I will do the same on mine. If the military is becoming involved in our affairs, that will change the playing field drastically." |
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 13, 2015 1:54:29 GMT
"Sir, to be fair, I think we saw this coming. The federal government has its hands tied by politicians and civil rights activists, but we always knew they were as likely to leave Starcrown alone as they were to make assault rifles legal to be sold in Wal-Mart. But to hire contract killers to murder U.S. citizens is... extreme. Slade was a thug, not a terrorist."
***
Samantha smiled at Elize, pretending she was supposed to be there, and hit a button that lit up a light in Alexander's office signalling his next appointment had arrived. "Mister Chronos will be with you in a moment, I'm sure."
|
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on Jun 13, 2015 2:14:01 GMT
"Sir, to be fair, I think we saw this coming. The federal government has its hands tied by politicians and civil rights activists, but we always knew they were as likely to leave Starcrown alone as they were to make assault rifles legal to be sold in Wal-Mart. But to hire contract killers to murder U.S. citizens is... extreme. Slade was a thug, not a terrorist." "Well we have the advantage of the initiative, Janus." he nodded, wondering what game they were playing on capital hill. "Let us not waste it." "Send her in." Chronos said, over his secretary's intercom, puzzled by the entry on his calendar and the explanation for it. Erwin was far too detail-oriented to make mistakes, especially with his schedule. It did not fit, a wrinkle, an incongruity he would not tolerate in his perfectly functioning clock. Alexander looked up from his desk as the young woman was sent in, the door hissing shut and electronic locks clicking into place behind her. It required the press of a button under his desk to unlock. The room was also sound proofed, only fitting for a man that valued his privacy. "Miss Groeneveld." he said in greeting, seated imperiously behind his desk. "We have not yet had the pleasure of an introduction but my time is short and valuable. How can I help you?" |
|
|
|
Post by The Astronomer on Jun 13, 2015 2:34:09 GMT
Elize Groeneveld SOU: 26
Alexander Chronos VI INT: 16
Chronos feels his paranoia and frustration being dimmed. There was something spunky about her, something he found appealing. She was attractive certainly, and a certain boldness he found appealing. Perhaps she was worth his time after all...
(Will be rerolling this again after a certain number of posts.)
|
|
|
|
Post by Alexander Chronos VI on Jun 13, 2015 2:58:14 GMT
The billionaire relaxed his demeanor noticeably, a feeling he was unaccustomed to, especially around strangers. It did not make her proposal any more appealing. Ironically, despite the origin of its owner, Chronos Consolidated took a firm and largely negative stance against the Starborn as vestiges left over by unwanted conquerors. Privately, of course, Mr. Chronos held much different beliefs, which necessitated the Totenkopf persona.
"Miss Groeneveld, the Chronos Foundation has a director to evaluate such proposals, who I pay a considerable salary so my desk is not flooded with such requests." he replied, tapping his fingers on his desk rhythmically in pace with the antique grandfather clock that stood in the corner of his office. "However, given this is my last meeting for the day," he added, the pheromones doing their work. "I will make a rare exception."
"My first concern with your proposal is the public backlash we would face for aiding a portion of the populace largely feared, with good reason I might add, by the general public. The second, is that most Starborn lag legal citizenship and therefore administering public aid to them would be problematic. My last concern is that many of these poor downtrodden souls you champion are known criminals and funding crime is not traditionally a wise practice for a philanthropic establishment."
He flipped idly through the proposal, speed-reading its contents
|
|
