csyphrett

Secret Service 1938 18 Rafferty waited for Sir Laurence in front of a block of offices just off Fleet Street where the papers had started long ago. The knight walked along with cane tapping on the sidewalk as he came. “Come along,” said Fletcher. “We can talk while we walk.” “Both Brown and Hawley know who I am,” said Rafferty. “I asked Hawley to keep quiet, but Brown identified me in front of his goons.” “That’s something to worry about if Brown is captured,” said Fletcher. “We might have to pull your identity and ask for someone else to take your spot until we think of something.” “So I can stay on,” said Rafferty. “But not as an enforcer,” said Sir Laurence. “We might have to move you into a secondary role until we know where Hawley stands.” “I’m fine with that,” said Rafferty. “The costume has some holes in it. It should be fairly easy to sew back together.” “Really?,” said Sir Laurence. Rafferty hadn’t noticed in the middle of his rescue that bullets had cut through his coat without hitting him. The uniform underneath had suffered some rips as well. At least he could hand it over without worrying about who was going to wear it next. As a reserve, he probably wouldn’t see any action unless someone got mouthy about their lunch dish. Changing clothes and cleaning up was the least he could do before he talked to Sir Laurence about the situation. “I’ll put the word out through the network to keep an eye out for Brown,” said Fletcher. “What do you think he’ll do next?” “I don’t know,” said Rafferty. “Grabbing Hawley was an extreme step for most gangsters. Stirring up the peelers is bad for business.” “I think he will try to kill you again,” said Fletcher. “Kidnaping the Inspector shows that he thought you were behind everything before you confirmed it by going after him. I don’t think he can leave either one of you alive in case something happens.” “Well, Hawley is surrounded by bobbies from the Yard, and ambulance people by this time,” said Rafferty. “I only have to worry about myself.” “He’ll probably wait until you show up at your pub before he tries to do anything,” said Fletcher. “That’s the only place where I can be reliably found,” said Rafferty. “Some of his minions are probably watching it right now.” “Come with me,” said Fletcher. “Let’s hand the books over and see what can be made of them.” Fletcher led the way to a small building tucked away among others that looked the same. He opened the door and peeked before crossing the threshold. A rail kept visitors on side while the workers sat at desks in a open space beyond. A man with a visor and rolled up shirt sleeves ambled to the rail to talk to Fletcher where he waited. “Hello, Larry,” said the man in the visor. “What can I do for you?” “I need a decoder and accountant for a rush job, Dennison,” said Sir Laurence. “Do you have anyone available?” “Murtaugh is back from his vacation,” said Dennison. “He’s the best man I have working.” “All right,” said Sir Laurence. “I’ll pay double your usual if you can crack the code and fill out all the entries before the end of the week.” “Do you have the material with you?,” asked the manager. Fletcher gestured for Rafferty to hand over the accounting books. The ex-detective did with a questioning look on his face. “Don’t worry,” said Dennison. He tucked the books under his arm. “We’ll suss everything out and have it ready for reading in plain language on time.” “Thank you, Dennison,” said Sir Laurence. “I will be waiting your report with anticipation.” “Don’t worry, Larry,” said the manager. He made a waving gesture with one hand. “There’s no code built that we can’t crack.” “Come along, Rafferty,” said Sir Laurence. “Dennison’s operators are all first rate.” The two men stepped out on the street. Sir Laurence led the way, tapping the sidewalk with his cane. “Dennison’s operation is the core of message interception and translation,” said Sir Laurence. “We’re going to war against the Germans. His people and others are going to be here figuring out what the enemy is saying and helping us plan accordingly.” “Decoding the book is something they could do as a matter of course,” said Rafferty. “Dennison knows I am authorized to do whatever I have to do,” said Sir Laurence. “So he would have decoded the book regardless. Paying him and his man something extra on top of that will keep them from spilling anything secret they might find.” “Now that is out of the way, I’m going home and staring at the walls,” said Rafferty. “I think we should see if Brown is still waiting for you in case you still have his books,” said Sir Laurence. “There’s no way he could still think that,” said Rafferty. “I already told him that I passed them along.” “He won’t believe that because his people in the police department won’t be able to find the books,” said the knight. “He will still think you kept them for whatever reason.” “So you think he will come after me again,” said Rafferty. “How do we use this to our advantage?” “The first part of the plan is to let him see you,” said Sir Laurence. “So you will have to drop into your pub and have a drink. It should just be long enough for anyone looking for you to call in. If we have a bite, you stay until a group of them show up to take you away to wherever Brown is. Then we arrest him.” “That sounds so dangerous, I might have to think of something more dangerous just to say there are two things I won’t do,” said Rafferty. “Do it,” said Sir Laurence. “I will be waiting for any such group who want to take you away. You will be as safe from danger as I can make it.” “That doesn’t make me feel any safer,” said Rafferty. “Don’t worry,” said Sir Laurence. “I have been doing things like this most of my life.” “How do you want to do this?,” asked Rafferty. “I’ll need time to get things ready,” said Fletcher. “Go home and take a break. I’ll need you at the Unicorn in say about two hours.” “All right,” said Rafferty. “I just escaped from a bunch of people trying to kill me. I could do with a lot less of that.” “Nobody is promised tomorrow,” said Sir Laurence. “Two hours.” “I’ll be there,” said Rafferty. “I won’t like it, but I’ll be there.” Sir Laurence veered off. He put his hand out and a cab rolled to a stop. He gave Rafferty a wave of his hand before getting into the cab. The dark car whisked him away. Rafferty turned and started walking back the way they had come. He had to get his own car and drive home. He wondered if Brown would make another try of things. The man had lost most of his gang in the shootout earlier. Brown couldn’t afford to have his books floating around where anyone might look at them. He would want to get them back more than he wanted revenge on Rafferty. So he would make another play to get the books back, and then he would go somewhere overseas to run his business from afar. It made sense to Rafferty. You couldn’t be the king of the underworld if you didn’t know how much everyone owed you. Rafferty drove home while keeping an eye out for anyone who might be interested in his dark sedan. He probably should get something in another color to keep things separate. He smiled at the thought. He would be lucky to keep the sedan if he wasn’t Sir Laurence’s attack dog anymore. He would probably get a notice, and someone showing up to pick it up while he was deep in the medicine of dismalness. He parked the car out of sight and went up to his hiding place. He let himself in, glad to be safe and alone. He settled in his chair and looked around. He got up and placed another chair in front of the door. He sat back down. He closed his eyes and let the memory of everything that had happened wash over him. He envisioned his coat and uniform and realized he had been lucky to get out of the showdown with Brown. Did he want to mix it up like that again? Did he have a choice? His name was ruined. Any job other than publican would be met by aren’t you the crooked policeman. He needed to get something of his reputation back. If he helped take down Brown, he might be able to recover some of that. He wouldn’t be trusted as a policeman, but people would know he was a good guy. Rafferty felt himself drift away. He had been in more dangerous situations in the last few days than his whole time as a policeman up to that point. He hadn’t been shot at so much since the war. Maybe he should get out of the masked man business and tell Fletcher that he would be glad to do support from now on. That would keep the danger off of him. There were plenty of ways to check on things without getting shot. Rafferty opened his eyes. He checked his watch. His time was up. He had to meet the knight at the pub. He wondered what would happen if he stayed on. Should he stay on after this? His secret had been revealed before he had really started in the crimebusting business. The barrister representing Billy Bones would be able to spin his involvement as a criminal imposing his will on a weaker criminal. There was no way to fix that as far as he was concerned. Maybe Fletcher had some trick up his sleeve to silence the defense. Rafferty stood and moved the second chair out of the way. He took one last look around his new place. He smiled. He hadn’t had it long enough for it to be a new place. He left the apartment and headed down to pick up his car. Once he walked in the pub, he would know if he had a problem. Brown might have put a man in to find him before he picked up Hawley. That meant the mobster had planned to get rid of his unmasked side a long time before the shootout in the empty buildings. That meant long term planning to get rid of Rafferty. Taking the accounts books must have triggered that response. If he had known it was that easy, he would have broken in and taken the books when he was a policeman. He drove to a spot close to the pub. He left the car in an alley. It should be safe enough until he was done at the pub. He would have to give the car back after this. He shrugged. He couldn’t expect to keep it if he wasn’t going to be the masked man Fletcher needed. He straightened his coat and pulled his hat down. He still had time before things went in the crapper. He might as well use it.

Secret Service 1938 17 “We have to go up the ladder,” said Rafferty. “The faster we move out of this trap the better I’ll like it.” “All right,” said Hawley. “What do we do after that?” “There are windows and other doors,” said Rafferty. “The chances of being able to escape increase if we can move before they do.” “All right,” said the inspector. He went to the ladder and climbed up to the door. He checked before pulling himself into upper room. He walked down to watch the rest of the second floor for enemies. Rafferty waited until his colleague had moved away from the top of the ladder before climbing up. He shut the door, but didn’t know any way to lock it from their side. He moved down to join Hawley. “There’s another door at the end of this hall, and two entrances downstairs,” whispered Rafferty. “Let’s work our way down to the end and see how big a blockade Brown has thrown up,” said Hawley. Rafferty led the way. He knew how to open the doors, and he had a pistol. He could buy time with the weapon while they looked for other ways out. They were in a bind if Brown’s men invaded from both sides of the row and trapped them in the middle. That would be the end of their escape attempt. Rafferty wondered if he would be shot before being dumped in the Thames, or just tied to an anchor and thrown in. He decided that being shot was the more likely outcome of things considering what was going on. They crossed to the next area. Rafferty paused to listen. No one seemed to have twigged to them moving out of the second building. Maybe they could get out of there with their skins intact. He opened the next door. He paused before crossing. He thought he heard a ratchet of a bolt. He ducked back. Bullets sprayed the door as it swung shut. Rafferty pointed Hawley downstairs. This is what they thought would happen. They were going to be surrounded and cut down. The men pulled open the door. They knew Rafferty had been hit in the first volley. Rafferty ducked back in the first empty room. He waited for the door to open. Hawley stood at the front door on the ground floor, waiting for men to burst in from the outside. There wasn’t much the inspector could do with his bare hands. Mobsters charged into the upper hall. Rafferty emptied the pistol as low as he dared. Men went down. He charged forward and kicked one of the rifles downstairs while he seized pistols for himself. The rifle barked downstairs. Apparently Hawley had seen targets that needed to be shot. Rafferty scooted a loaded rifle down the steps as he went to the windows in the upper hall. He looked out on the back. Men stood at the door, trying to get in through the back door. It looked like he would have to kill them to discourage their invasion. He didn’t like that, but he couldn’t let them kill Hawley, and then himself. They had to be forced off the back door before they could take the inspector by surprise. Rafferty opened the window and fired down on the crowd at the door with one of his stolen pistols. Men went down with cries. Some shot back at him, but he had the advantage of cover and surprise. That was enough to force them back. “I think we should go,” said Hawley. He opened the back door and emptied his rifle at the fleeing mobsters. “If we can get to a car, we can escape and get help.” “Coming,” said Rafferty. He fired a couple more shots to give the enemy reason to keep their heads down. He hurried down the staircase and out in the street behind the inspector. He picked up some more pistols as he went. “You have a car?,” asked Hawley. He had a pistol in hand to replace the empty rifle. “We’ll never make it while fighting in the street,” said Rafferty. “We’re going to have to steal one to get out of this.” “All right,” said Hawley. “There’s one right there.” “Cover the area,” said Rafferty. He handed him one of his pistols and opened the driver door. He reached under the dashboard and hooked the ignition wires up. The car started a second later. “Let’s go.” The two men rolled from the trap. Bullets punched holes in the car, but it wasn’t enough to stop Rafferty from hitting the gas. He drove out of sight, heading for his own car. “Nice mask,” said Hawley. “My employer likes it,” said Rafferty. “This is going to get awkward if he knows you know what’s going on. So I need you to keep quiet.” “What is going on?,” said Hawley. “I have been asked to function as an extralegal agent by someone in the ministry,” said Rafferty. “The organization is giving me support, but I have to act on my own and do the best I can, as well as keep my mouth shut. Mick Brown was the first target because the thing is so new, they didn’t have anyone better for me to go after.” “Brown is also a threat to any cargo heading from London to the Channel,” said Hawley. “They might have picked you because Brown is in the way of government control and we are at war.” “Maybe,” said Rafferty. “There’s my car. Brown’s books are in it. I’m handing them over and hoping that will lead to some arrests. The question is what will Brown do now that you are on the loose and know he did something wrong?” “I’ll have to call up the Yard and get every man I can down there to find him,” said Hawley. “He’s likely to run now that he has been exposed. We’ll have to drag every street in the West End for him.” “You’re the only witness,” said Rafferty. “He’s more likely to go after you so he can kill you before you can testify.” “Do what you can to get your ministry to help out,” said Hawley. “Maybe both of our organizations can find him if he burrows in.” “We’ll switch cars, and then I’ll drop you off at the Yard,” said Rafferty. “If the ministry moves, it will be behind the scenes. I get the feeling I’m the only one who is tasked with chasing down lawbreakers. I’ll talk to the governor, and we’ll see where we can help out.” “All right,” said Hawley. “After this is over, we’re going to talk about this mask thing. I don’t think it’s good for you.” “It keeps me from doing stupid things,” said Rafferty. “No, it doesn’t,” said Hawley. “It justifies doing stupid things in the name of the Queen.” “Just like the Army,” said Rafferty. He pulled his stolen car around to the other side of the black car granted him by Fletcher. “Let’s get out of here before more villains with guns arrive.” “I couldn’t agree more,” said Hawley. They switched cars and Rafferty drove away with eyes looking for Brown and his cabal. Men struggled on the street as he passed. He didn’t see the mastermind among them. He turned and headed away from the river. He had to get Hawley to the Yard so they could commence a clean up, and then he had to meet Fletcher somewhere and hand over the books. “Stop over by the call box,” said Hawley. “I can call the office from there.” “Use the car as a shield,” said Rafferty. “We don’t know where Brown is and he might be looking for us.” “Keep an eye out yourself,” said the inspector. “You’ll be sitting still and he hates you a lot more than he hates me.” “I know,” said the masked man. He pulled in next to the curb and watched the street. One call should mobilize the Sweeney. Regular patrols would be directed down to the battlefield after that. Hawley opened his door and left it open. He pulled the emergency phone from the call box to him. He called the Yard. It took a few minutes to explain what was going on, but he finally got a superintendent to authorize a full push. Anyone not taken by Brown and still alive was going to the hospital for treatment. Evidence would be gathered from what had been left behind. It would be Hawley in court saying that Brown had taken him and tied him to a chair as bait. Brown would swear it was the latest in a smear campaign against him by the police. Rafferty would refuse to testify if called. He could not reveal his vigilante actions in court, nor could he give credence that he and the masked man were one in the same. He needed an alibi to show the court it was impossible for him to be on the scene as Hawley and Brown claimed. He thought Fletcher would help him with that to avoid exposure of his new program. “All right,” said Hawley. “They’re on their way.” “I have to get away from here,” said Rafferty. “Don’t say a word about this to anyone.” “Brown probably broadcasted your identity far and wide,” said Hawley. “I doubt you will be effective after this. Thanks for saving my life.” “That’s something I will take up with the governor,” said Rafferty. “It sounds like a radio car is on the way. As soon as I know something, I will call you.” “Take care, Jimmy,” said Hawley. “Maybe we’ll be lucky and Brown will have pulled the trigger on himself over the losses we inflicted.” “He’ll want to kill us first,” said Rafferty. “I’ll leave you to your business, Inspector.” Rafferty drove off. He had to set up a meeting with Fletcher, and hand over the books. Then he needed a nap, and a regrouping. He had been lucky to find Brown and Hawley. He couldn’t count on that for a second encounter. He had to think where would Brown go after this, and how would he act. How much did killing Rafferty and Hawley weigh against a successful escape out of the city? Would he try again? How many of his gang knew that Rafferty and the masked man were the same man? How many would try to use that to get back at him in some way? Fletcher would probably pull him out of the field and fire him. He was supposed to keep the secret. Half the underworld knew what was going on at this point. If he got fired, at least he had pulled down Bones for his killing of Corklin first. That had to count for something. He smiled under his mask. It only counted because Bones followed orders from overseas and needed to be taken out of play. No one really cared about what had happened to him, or Corklin. Tearing up Brown’s organization meant nothing if the man got away and rebuilt. Searching for him could be done after the chaos had settled down. Time would give him something if he let order cloak the streets again. As long as the police flooded the streets, Brown would keep his head down and hide in some property that no one should know about. When the police presence faded, he would move to getting back in business, or fleeing the country. Killing Rafferty might be high on the list of things to do before he fled the country. The masked man pulled to the curb when he saw a phone box. He had to call in and let Fletcher know what was going on. The man’s contacts might be able to find Brown before the police did. And he needed to know that Rafferty’s dual identity might be up for grabs when the mob answered questions for the Yard’s detectives and constables.

Mary Stonewall created the giant known as The Promethean in her lab while searching for the universal flame. She encourages him to learn about doing good with the nuclear powers he possesses. CES

The archer known as the Calamus pins normals down so the other three feathers can do their parts of the job without interference. CES

I think it would be less contentious if both sides picked a guy by default. As it is now, the president picks someone, and he is vetted by the senate Jud Comm. The party of the pres backs the candidate, while the opposition doesn't. I feel if the committee was made up of bureaucrats the contentions would be how to fill that up with my party leaning people to get the justice they want. CES

The october draft will be starting. I have to come up with the rules and post them up for you. I am thinking maybe a monster hunt since I just finished two anthologies with stories set in MHI territory. I should have been on the ball with the reminders before this CES

Secret Service 1938 16 Rafferty decided not to try the door on the end. He already knew some of Brown’s men had taken up a spot there. He needed to get inside one of the buildings in the middle and try to figure out how they connected internally. If he could find Hawley, and get the man away, then the inspector would be able to testify to the kidnaping. Of course, Brown would say he was somewhere else and pay enough people to prove it in court. He had to do something to prevent that. He didn’t know what he could do unless it was to kill the man and then flee before the inspector could arrest him. He considered if Fletcher knew people who could give him another identity somewhere else. Other parts of the country might need a masked man to look into things after this was over. A man of his experience should have no trouble setting himself up somewhere in a new job, with a new name, and a new history. Rafferty ran up the short steps to a door that didn’t look that dangerous. He tried the knob before he used the keys on it. He used the keys to unlock it and push it open. He slipped inside and listened. He heard voices and footsteps overhead. He looked around and saw a set of steps heading to a second floor. He went up the stairs, frowning at the creaking he was doing trying to be sneaky. At least no one noticed him from the way the voices carried on. He realized they were looking for him in the street. He supposed he had ducked inside before they saw him. He checked the Webley. He was ready to shoot as soon as he had a target. He needed to find one. He advanced on the voices, pistol leveled ahead of him. He found a room to his right where two men watched the street. He didn’t have to shoot them if he could get within touching distance. He brought the butt of the Webley down on the back of the right hand man’s head. The man’s hat absorbed some of the blow, but he went down in a daze. Another blow to the head put him down for the count. The other man turned when his comrade went down. A gloved hand slammed him against the window. Then a boot caught him in the chest. He went through the window and out on the street. Rafferty turned toward the door. He went to stand beside it and waited. Three more men crowded through the door. They received gun shots to the legs. They went down as the cloud of smoke spread in the air. Rafferty dropped his revolver in his coat pocket. He searched his victims and took their weapons. He waited for a few minutes before venturing out of the room. He didn’t want to walk into an ambush after being so successful. Rafferty made his way down to the last room in the hall. He scanned it from the door. He thought that maybe there should be a secret door, but he didn’t have an idea how to open it. Did he go out the door, and move down to the next front in line? Did he wait? Someone must have heard the gunfire. Brown would want it checked out. Would they surround the building from the street? They didn’t have to come in after him if they didn’t care about the building. It would be just as easy to burn the place down and wait for him to try to escape. He had done enough of that in the Great War. He walked into the room. He examined the wall. He walked over and began searching for a release with his hands. He heard a click. The wall snapped out a few millimeters. He grabbed the edge with his hand and pulled it open, using the thing as a makeshift shield. Bullets dug into the wood and plaster he hid behind. He ducked down as splinters flew through the air. He pulled one of the stolen pistols from his coat. He opened fire. A cry of pain rewarded him. How many more gunmen still roamed the place? He had lost count. He hoped that he had shot most of them. He needed to advance. Once he cut through the mobsters in front of him, he could find Hawley and get the hostage out of the way. Then he and Mick Brown could have a little talk about things. He doubted he could go back to using James Rafferty as a cover since Brown had just told everyone he was the man in the mask. He needed some kind of next step to protect his life. Before that, he had to rescue Hawley and put a bullet in Brown. When that was done, he could think about constructing a new life outside the mask. He doubted Hawley would like a vigilante sponsored by the government to circumvent the laws. Rafferty pushed through the door. He saw one man writhing on the floor. He didn’t see any others. Could that one man be the only one left? How many more men were in the complex? What would Brown do now? Those two questions seemed more important than anything else. He could still kill Hawley. No one would say he was there. Rafferty wouldn’t be able to prove anything since he was there as his masked alter ego. Only Fletcher would believe Rafferty’s account. No one else would, even with the number of men shot. They would put that down to a rival gang, or the ex-detective. And none of it pointed to Brown. The only thing in his favor was he still had the accounting books. Brown needed them back. If the contents were decoded, a lot of people other than Brown would be headed to court. That would put Brown’s head on the chopping block better than any other thing Rafferty could do. Rafferty kicked the shot man in the head so he could hear other sounds better. If he had time, he would call an ambulance down to haul the mobster away. First, he had to work his way back to Hawley and get him free, if he were still alive. He worked his way forward, eyes on the doors ahead. He didn’t want to get shot because he missed someone hiding in a room. Rafferty heard something click behind him. He looked over his shoulder as he took cover in the next room off the hall. The door to the other building had closed after he had entered the building he was in. The clicking he heard came from someone working the lock on the door. It swung open. Men crowded in the entrance. Rafferty pulled one of the other stolen pistols from his coat. He hoped that would be enough to deal with the crowd he saw. Bullets flew down the hall as the men spotted him bounding for cover. He waited for the shooting to pause. He doubted the gangsters had learned fire discipline. He expected them to run out ammunition at the same time. He hunkered down and waited. Splinters of wood and plaster peeled from the wall above him. He hoped they didn’t adjust for the fact that he might have ducked down from standing at his full height at the edge of the door. The shooting stopped as the gangsters ran out of ammunition, or paused because they didn’t want to waste ammunition on a target that might be dead. Nervous hands reloaded as they waited for something to happen. Rafferty fell across the threshold of the door, arms extended. He shot until he ran out of bullets in the automatics he had stolen. Cries of pain rewarded him as the men were caught in the stream of lead and fell to the floor. The masked man discarded the empty weapons and pushed himself up. He ran down to the end of the hall. He had one more loaded weapon. He had spare magazines for it. Once he crossed the other side of the next secret door, it would be him and whomever Brown had left as guards. He worked the secret switch on the hidden door and opened it. He took a moment to glance around. No one blocked him. Rafferty worked his way down to the next door. He opened that and found himself above where he had escaped earlier. Hawley sat tied to his chair with a gag in his mouth. He didn’t see Brown, or a guard. Where had the mobster gone? Why had he left Hawley tied to his chair? He didn’t see any way down from where he stood. He looked around again. A ladder ran up the wall to the door. All he had to do was slide down that to the floor. He felt that the situation was a trap of some kind. What did he do? The prudent thing would be to go back and go out one of the side doors to the street, and circle around to the door to the room on the ground floor. The ladder had to be the trap. How did he get around it? He gauged the height of the door from the floor. He expected that someone would come in shooting if he remained on the ladder for any length of time. So he had to get down and get to cover before the trap sprang shut. He dropped down to the floor and rolled to one side. That saved his knees so they wouldn’t be hurt by a direct drop. The roll carried him away from the ladder. He heard the door open as he pulled the last stolen pistol from his coat. The door opened on the other side of the room. He leveled the pistol and fired before the new arrival could fire his own automatic. The last thing he wanted at this stage was to get Hawley killed after everything he had been through. Rafferty pulled himself to his feet. He dumped out the magazine of his pistol and reloaded as he ran to the door. He kicked Hawley’s chair over as he passed. He didn’t need the inspector to catch a stray bullet when things were this close to being resolved. If he could take the fight out in the street, he might be able to drive Brown and the rest of his gang off. That would cause Brown to flee the city, if not the country. That would make the gangster someone else’s problem. He paused at the door. He didn’t want to be caught in the same trap as the one he had turned around. Don’t run out if you can’t see where your enemy is. He peeked out. Brown’s men had Browning rifles in hand. He slammed the door shut. He needed help to get out of this. He ran to where Hawley lay tied to his chair. The inspector had some blood and bruising on his face. It looked like all the flying lead had missed him. Rafferty cut the gag away with a pocket knife. He kept an eye on the door as he sawed at the rope holding the inspector in its grasp. “Rafferty?,” asked the inspector. “What the blazes?” “It’s my new job,” said Rafferty. “Can you move on your own?” “I think so,” said Hawley. “I have to get the blood going.” “All right,” said Rafferty. He went to the front door. “Each of these buildings are connected together with secret doors. Brown has some men outside with military rifles. We have three exits from this room; this door, the door on the other side of the room, and the secret door I used to get in here.” “And Brown is guarding that door,” said Hawley. He went to the other door in the back of the place. He cracked it open. “We have some men out here too.” “I do not fancy charging out there,” said Rafferty. “Will they come in through the secret door?” “They would almost have to if they want to take advantage of having us bottled up in here,” said Hawley. “We have to do something to create a distraction and give us a chance to escape.” “I’m thinking,” said Rafferty. //187788

So the fog is filling up the channel. Okay. Got that. CES

Why is the ice running east-west? CES

They're taking a week off to let the FBI talk to some people. Flake and Murkowski are like we'll vote no if we don't get this. A bunch of democrats are already saying the guy is a perjurer and they are declared no. Also some of the news people pointed out that Kav's calendar lines up with Ford's testimony more than his. CES

Heidi Bond has said Kav knew about Kozinki's harassment of female clerks but did nothing. CES

https://www.google.com/search?q=kavanaugh+news&oq=kavanaugh+&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j69i60j0j69i60l2j0.7483j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Kavanaugh has said he wasnt there, but he has also said he didn't know that his boss was committing sexual harassment and getting impeached a much shorter time ago. The senator from Hawaii is why are you committing perjury.That's on top of these other complaints that have come out. Grassley knew a week ago before Ford even said anything that Kavanaugh had waved his penis in another woman's face, and Judge's girlfriend coming out and saying that Judge had told her about these rapes they used to do and Kavanaugh was involved in it. There is not going to be an FBI investigation into this because these are not federal crimes. The FBI is not going to do crap, because it isn't its job to do anything. What's going to happen is Grassley is going to try to get enough votes to push this out of committee and hope that the Republicans all stand up for this guy even though Collins and Murkowski and all the democrats are like no already.

Secret Service 1938 15 Rafferty drove around after his daring escape. He had to change out of the costume, meet Fletcher, and then think of some other way to hurt Brown. If he knew who did Brown’s books, he could go to that person and see what he had to say. He had Brown’s books, but he couldn’t use them for evidence, and he couldn’t let Brown use them to connect him to his new vigilante friend. Brown had probably thought about all the connections. He probably already thought that Rafferty and the vigilante were one in the same. How was he going to prove it? He needed some way to convince Brown they were separate people. The only way he could think was to have someone from Fletcher’s organization wear the costume while he was establishing an alibi somewhere else. He liked the idea, if he could make it work, it might throw Brown off his trail. Brown didn’t know about Fletcher, or his organization. That might be enough to make things work. On the other hand, it could get the other guy killed for pretending to be him in a dangerous situation. Did he want to throw someone else’s life away to dispel suspicions from the guy he was trying to put in jail? He decided he would save that for a last resort. It was better to set some kind of booby trap and let Brown think he was in action while he was doing something public like sitting in his pub. He liked that, but a lot depended on the trap being blown sky high when the timer went off. He needed to work on that idea. He couldn’t expect Fletcher and his support to cover for him against police suspicion. And it didn’t matter what kind of cover he had to people like Brown. They already knew how to create their own alibis. He paused when he saw a public phone booth. He needed to hand the books off to Fletcher and then he needed to think of some other way to harass Brown. Maybe he should burn another casino down. He also needed to check in with Hawley and see if there was anything going on with Bones. There had to be a way to turn him against his employers. He pulled to the curb. He got out and called the operator to let him know that he had Brown’s books. He needed someone to crack the code so that Brown’s customers could be exposed. Once the normal police got involved, there was no telling where things would go. It might be enough to force Brown overseas if the pressure boiled high enough. Some of his customers would not be happy they had been exposed to the public eye. Maybe one of them would like to take Brown out before he was arrested. As soon as Rafferty had set up a drop with Fletcher’s people, he called the Yard. Hawley had left on business. The desk sergeant said it was something about an old case that had come up. Rafferty hung the phone up and went back to his car. He sat behind the wheel and thought. It wasn’t like Hawley to go on his own on an investigation. The Inspector preferred to have witnesses to what happened when he was out and about. So what was going on with Hawley? And how did he find out? He decided to call Fletcher’s people again. Maybe they could spread a net out to find Hawley. Then he could put his paranoia down to just being paranoia. He went back to the phone booth and called the Operator. He asked for any help in finding Hawley and keeping an eye on him. He would check in an hour to see if they had been able to do anything. He didn’t know how widespread a net Fletcher’s people could throw out, but he knew he couldn’t wait on them to produce results. He had to do something. Where would Brown take Hawley if Brown had taken Hawley? Smuggling was Brown’s main source of income from what they could find. He controlled docks along the Thames for that. Would he take Hawley there? It seemed reasonable to Rafferty. Once Brown was done with Hawley, a ride down the river could be arranged. How did he find the right dock or warehouse that Hawley should be at if Brown had taken him? The fact that might be a little bit paranoid for no real reason danced in his head. He decided to make sure, and when he was wrong, he would go about his business of being a masked nemesis. If Brown thought he was the new masked man on the scene, then using his friend to get the books back was a logical next step. They probably had his pub staked out to keep an eye on him so they could call with the ransom demand. Of course, when Brown got his books back, Rafferty expected a bullet for him and Hawley to settle things. Hurting Brown was a good way to make others think he wasn’t as tough as he used to be. It also pushed him into having to make an example of you when he knew who you were. Rafferty drove through the docklands slowly. He didn’t have the addresses of what Brown owned. He was looking for a familiar face to point him in the right direction. Once he had that, he could ask more pointed questions of the next man in line. And if Brown hadn’t done anything to Hawley, it still added on the pressure of pushing the mobster out of position. It was hard to ship guns and cigarettes from a burning pile of brick. Rafferty saw a familiar face standing in a doorway to a cigarette shop. He was busy lighting up, and not watching the sparse traffic. He seemed alone at the moment. The ex-detective drove along the block and pulled into a lot reserved for shopping. He pulled on his mask and got out of the car. It was time to ask some questions. There was a certain liberty about taking the law into your own hands. He wondered if that was how Guy Fawkes felt when he wanted to blow up Parliament. Rafferty walked along until he saw the glow of the cigarette in the dark. He pulled the Webley and held it by his leg as he committed himself to the approach. He couldn’t let the man give the alarm, or pull a weapon. Once the other mobsters were alerted, who knew what they would do to Hawley. “Make a sound and it will be the last thing you do,” warned Rafferty. “I’m just standing here on the corner,” said the mobster. “I’m not doing anything.” “Where’s your boss?,” asked Rafferty. “I have no idea,” said the gunman. “I assume that he is conducting business.” “Then what are you doing down here, Simpson?,” asked Rafferty. “Minding my own business,” said Simpson. “I guess that’s what I’m doing too,” said Rafferty. “Which of these is he in?” “Find out on your own, copper,” said Simpson. “You wish I was a copper,” said Rafferty. “Start walking. No one is going to notice another piece of trash in the river.” Simpson jumped at the masked man with hands outstretched. He got the butt of the gun next to his ear and went down. He didn’t feel the next blow to the back of his head. Rafferty shook his head. Something was going on. How did he deal with it? He dragged Simpson back into the doorway and tied him down with his tie. That was the best he could do for the moment. He searched the man and found a set of keys. Which doors did these fit into? What did he want to do now? There were a lot of doors on this side of the street. He checked the one Simpson was in first. One key opened it right up. He slipped inside. He decided that after his search, he could call Fletcher and see if the organization could send people down to search everything for him. That would keep his two identities separate. He liked that as an excuse for tossing the whole district and seeing what would turn up. A lot of Brown’s rivals and colleagues would not like that to happen. Rafferty searched the building. He didn’t find anything. He thought something would be there. Did Simpson have a car? That was a question that needed to be answered. He looked at the keys on the ring. One of them went to a car. If he could find that car, he could use that to hold Simpson until his search was over. He headed back out on the street and walked down the block. He found a parked car in an alley between Simpson’s lookout and the next building in line. He opened the trunk and noted the blood on the edge of the door. Did Brown own the next building too? Rafferty tried the keys and one of them opened the front door. He stepped inside and looked around. Guards leveled pistols at him. He raised his hands. “Is that you in the mask, Rafferty?,” asked Brown. “I want my books back.” “I already handed them off, Brown,” said Rafferty. “Some codebreaker is going over them to see where your money is going.” “I doubt that,” said Brown. “I think you’re in this on your own.” “Maybe,” said Rafferty. “But how do you think I caught on to Bones so fast. The people that recruited already knew where he was. All I had to do was pick him up. They had him working for the Jerries.” “So some secret branch of the government asked you to come after me?,” said Brown. “That’s rich. What’s your next lie?” “It doesn’t matter what you do to me, or Hawley,” said Rafferty. “These people will just pick another man to wear the mask and send him after you. They’ll say something like the initial bloke didn’t work out, but this one will. And then you’ll have another commando nipping at your heels. Only he’ll be helped by the accounting books I stole and handed over.” “So there’s no point in keeping you two around,” said Brown. He stepped out of the shadows in the back. “We’ll just have to take you for ride on the river.” “Just shoot me now,” said Rafferty. “I would like that a lot better.” “Don’t tempt me,” said Brown. “We had that whole frame with Corklin and you still broke it somehow. It got you kicked, but not in prison like I wanted. Then here you are, burning down my property, costing me time, shooting up my employees, making me look bad in front of my professional rivals. What I really want is to hang your head over my door in my office. Since I can’t have that, I will be glad to sink you in the river. If another masked man comes along, I’ll plant him right next to you.” “Do you really think so, Mick,” said Rafferty. “The next bloke might not want to put you in jail.” Who knew where Fletcher would get his next vigilante? Any Army type might want to sit back and just shoot the target instead of proving he did it. Rafferty thought maybe that was what he should have done himself. Petty harassment only got you so far. Now how did he get out of this mess? If he escaped on his own, Hawley could still be killed. If he didn’t, no one would know what would happen. Fletcher might guess but that didn’t mean a lot. He had to do something before it was too late. As long as he was moving, Brown might keep Hawley alive. If he stopped, they were as good as dead. Rafferty threw himself backwards. He fell in the doorway, and rolled out of the building to the sidewalk. He took a step to the rib on his way. He pulled the Webley and waited. Brown’s men rushed to the door. He fired at them, hoping to make them think twice about coming out of the building. He rolled into the gutter and crawled away from his shooting spot. Bullets chewed up the sidewalk around him as he worked his way down the street. Rafferty fired the rest of the bullets in his pistol as he pulled himself to his feet and ran for the corner. He had to get some place where he could defend himself and hold them off until someone showed up to investigate the noise. He took a moment to reload as he watched the front of the building. Would they come out after him? Would they wait for him to try and rescue Hawley? Was Hawley alive? He didn’t see any of the gunmen. What would he do? He imagined he would go out some other way to avoid being shot. How many other doors were there in that building? Rafferty retreated down to the next corner. They weren’t coming out the door he did. Where would they come out? He heard a window open above. He fired at it before he thought. It could have been some washer woman. A gangster fell out of the window. He realized the buildings on this row were connected. He should have known that. Cargo went in one door and out another on the other end of the block to avoid anybody watching them. He went over and grabbed the pistol that had dropped with the mobster and any spare ammunition. He kept an eye on the windows in case someone else decided to attack. He went to the next corner. How did he turn this around to his benefit? He should have stayed in the Army. That would make this so much easier. He decided to see if the ring of keys he had fit one of the back doors on the block. He needed to get in before they cleared out. Hawley might have already taken a bullet to the head to keep him quiet as a potential witness.

Newspapers are saying that Kavanuagh's friend participated in attacking drunk girls with a group of boys. Grassley is like we need to get this serial rapist on the bench and some of his fellow republicans and democrats are like slow your roll, Chuck. CES

Pretending to be a human crime fighter, the vampire Janos Skorzeny has joined the Torches as the Masquerade, hero of the night CES

Loaded Teller's Tale at Fictionpress.comCES

I know. My team had two murderers on it before they were arrested. CES

I think I have one more pick, Soc. I am optioning Asmodeus the Dream Demon as an antagonist CE

New Team: In a world of darkness, a bright light has to be shined on evil. These six heroes have banded together to push back the shadow. Who are the Torches of Liberty. (The basis of the team are White Wolf/Onyx Path game books for WOD/COD) CES

Bosco Germaine was dead. Ten years old, and stuck in a well until he starved to death dead. Bosco wandered around for a bit, before he discovered he had a talent as a dead boy. Bosco could enter an effigy of any kind and make it move. He decided that he could be Bosco the Friendly Doll Possessor and help people out when he could. In this modern era of mass produced toys, Bosco has been seen as Ken, or Gi Guy, more than Raggedy Andy. CES

Undine Barr is the world's greatest escape artist. Finding that it was harder for her to compete among the male magicians and escape artists even with her patented underwater chain milk can glass case straightjacket shark cage sharks escape. She turned to a life of crime as the Keymaster. CES

On the other hand, if he can prove that the League got together to blacklist him then the league should not be doing that. I think somebody said he was the third best quarterback in stats out of everybody playing. It's either about his conduct, or his playing ability. The league said it wasn't about his conduct, but it was about his playing ability. In my opinion they should have just come out and said they didn't want him protesting policemen shooting unarmed civilians and stuck to their guns. CES

I would like to option night warrior kit for my kids. CES

I think I am two picks behind. I am optioning Springer from Night Warriors and Van Pelt from Jumanji. One is a helpful adult the other is an antagonist. CES