Chapter 11: The Shadow in Our Caves

[Markus Dunstan]

Markus hadn't really had a permanent residence in quite a while, and he hadn't lived with anyone since spending time in a barracks as a soldier decades ago. The idea appealed to him in some ways, he supposed. It would be a place he could always go, seeing as when not stalking a target, Markus had little to do, and socializing was hardly an option.

The rent was no trouble for him, either. Having always been paid for his services, he'd accumulated a fairly well kept account. Someone like him didn't spend much, though. Markus had little to no material needs, seeing as he lived more or less for the sole purpose of carrying out the council's orders.

Markus nodded his head to Lena, giving her his consent.

[Alexei Nacharade]

"You're making me blush, Danny." Alexei said as he walked to the front of the plane and gave the coordinates to the pilot. He looked out a side window and squinted at the sun, taking out a pair of sun glasses and slipped them over his eyes.

"I had a pretty crazy time with a tattoo artist and a blonde journalist not long ago... And not the kind of crazy time one would want with two pretty women."

Alexei always got somewhat nervous in the cargo plane, but it was large enough as to not irritate his fear of enclosed spaces. He peered at the window and watched the ground roll by as it neared it's destination.

[John Duddy]

John Duddy had finally sat down in the field as he heard the big cargo plane roar over head. He looked up accusingly, “Could that be the same Manalist plane from yesterday?” He shook off that notion and went back to work. He was digging up leaflets to be dropped over Helsinki to fight this oppression and help his Communist brothers. As he dug deeper into the barren land he heard the clink of the shovel tap metal. John removed the tin box containing thousands of leaflets and 3 extra Labor Cards. “Damn!” he screamed “John the Baptist told me these cards would already have my information on them!” He though of John the Baptist and how ironic it was that the brethren also called him that, even communists have some religious fervor albeit very little.

With the package in hand and his dirk inside his coat Duddy worked his way through the trees and wilderness to his make shift camp. He had started on the plan to steal the plane days ago, but was stuck at a certain point, “What do I do after I make my drop?” Before he could contemplate this problem he checked all of his traps to make sure no one had found his camp area and then sat down by the fire with his moonshine scotch. After becoming drunk and having delusions of grandeur for his plan he fell asleep, bottle in hand, ready for the fight that was sure to come.

[Sy Lecy]

Her day had been a monotonous list of things one right after the other. Thoughts and orders and commands from her boss and inner thoughts that nagged at her.

~Awaiting orders. Awaiting orders. Take this to table seven Sy. Go to the back and refill the ketchup. Have lunch. Stare at what your boss gave you to eat and push it around on the plate watching it almost seeing it move on its own. Before the boss sees that you didn't eat put it down the disposal. Go back to waiting the tables. Refill the salt shakers. Take drinks to table 14 Sy. Awaiting orders. Awaiting orders.~

Finally she was off work and got to leave. She never did anything really but walked around. She didnt spend money because going places you get recognized. She never went out to eat because food was frightening. So mostly all she did was walk around the neighborhood she worked in because there she could be remembered. Anywhere else though could kill her. She stopped at a nearby stoop and sat down stretching out her legs wondering who would be next. She awaited the next call.

Or for something interesting to happen. Either way it would be amusing.

[John Duddy]

Duddy woke up violently as he realized it was almot 4 pm. He decided it was time to walk through town and grab something to eat. He came to his feet and started to walk through the former town of Espoo right outside of Helsinki. He was feeling grogy and hung over but need to refuel his body before he made his attempt at glory.

Suddenly, John flung himself to the side of the building as he entered town. "Shit" he scowled. The Manalist Police were patrolling nearby. "Stay calm and act normal" he thought as his mind raced. He walked away from the building and almost tripped over himself. As he turned the corner Duddy stopped dead in his tracks. He saw a girl sitting on a stoop, she looked as if she were just noticing people.

She was beautiful wiht her dark black hair and big brown eyes. John then made his move, "Excuse me miss, is there any where around here to grab a bite to eat?"

["Danny" Damascus]

The order was finalized and Danny signed off, completely the necessary cycle of paperwork.

"Well, purpose of the journey and all that, yeah? Good to know you got out of it in one piece, though." He walked out of the room and headed to another building beyond where all of the drugs would be packaged for Alexei's order. There was a warehouse after this one were the goods would be put into transport to get to the drop zone. "I'll be heading out to the drop in no time flat to wait for your plane to set down. Loading shouldn't take all that long."

[Sy Lecy]

Sy looked at the man and noticed that his build said he could defend himself. She took all of this in just incase she would need the information later. She pulled her bag close to her. It contained her claws and this made her feel more at ease. She felt she could offer the man a smile at least. She did so with little effort as if it came as naturally as breathing. She began to stand up and brush herself off.

"Yeah there is a small diner down the alley here. It's not very expensive and not very far. I work there so I can show you where it is if you would like. I actaully should be heading back there anyway."

[Mollie Marionette]

Mollie sat behind the piano, her eyes closed and her practiced fingers moving effortlessly over the smooth keys. A patient, slow song resounded from where she sat, and echoed through the empty halls of her apartment. Her feet moved over the pedals beneath her, lengthening notes here and there. After a while, the music started to slow, the beats growing gradually farther apart as her fingers faltered, as if unsure where to go. She tried to keep going, if she could just find that one note, she'd be able to finish it...but her pinky slipped, and then there was a crash as she slammed her hands down on the keys in an aggravated fashion.

She sighed, and looked down at the keys for a moment, thinking about starting over and trying again, but then she glanced at the clock mounted over her mantle, and realized she needed to get to her store.

She looked back down at the piano once more, before carefully closing the cover over it. She grabbed her purse and walked across the foyer, her heels making a tapping sound on the hardwood floor, she opened the door and stepped outside.

Mollie thought about hailing a cab, and then decided she'd rather walk. She pulled her phone out of her purse, and made a few calls on her way to work, she was about a block away from her toy store when she finally hung up and slipped her phone back into her purse.

[Taniel and Taline Qassim]

"Why I can't stay at our music store and sleep?" Taline ask her younger brother as they walk to the nearest convenience store.

"Sleep is bad, even though you have a disorder and besides, you need to drink some soda." Taniel answer.

"Soda?"

"Yea. I thought if I brought some soda for you, you might stay awake a bit longer."

"Alright, but if we are going to get some soda, get the Bella Cola."

"But I want to get the Countess Cola, Taline."

"We could get both."

"Okay. Give me your money."

"But Taniel...."

"Its YOUR idea to get both." Taniel says to her.

"Fine." Taline mutter as she took out her wallet and give him some money. Soon enough, they enter the convenience store, Taniel grab some Countess Cola and Bella Cola and brought it to the cashier. Once they brought it sodas, they quickly head back to their music store.

[John Duddy]

John started following the women towards the diner. She was walking slightly in front of him, which gave him a perfect chance to sneak a peek at her behind. Swaying back and forth, he hadnt been with a women for 5 months and his urges were starting to get the better than him. He shook of that notion and started to wonder if the girl could be a Manalist trap. "Was this hot young women a plant looking for dissidents?" he thought to himself. "I hope shes not, but her far aways eyes dont give her motives away."

His plan was still not complete, but his basic premises was to use the forged labor card stating he was a plane mechanic. He had been driving cars since he was a kid, a plane shouldnt be any different. Get in the base steal the plane and let the thousdands of leaflets go above the city of Helsinki, perfect! He would be praised for pulling off this big operations. Duddy knew that John the Baptist was told not to pl;an any more operations for a while and stay low, duye to the fact that the Manalist Forces raided a Red Camp near Sipoo. John thought that his leader wouldnt disrupt the party with this operation about to take place,but who knows.

All Duddy was focussed on right now was that cute ass walking in front of him. "Excuse me miss, what is your name?" ...

[Sy Lecy]

He had come up behind her. SHe wondered if it was because he was going to try to overtake her. She continued to walk but kept her senses sharp. It seemed he was just being a man however and was taking in the sights so to speak. She spun around suddenly smiling to him.

"You can call me Sy...Sy Lecy and you are? I work in this diner down the street called Envy. Its a bar/diner so it can get kinda roungh in there sometimes so you might have to be on guard. The boss usually keeps the creeps off of me when it gets bad in there so I don't have much to worry about when I am onshift. You'll keep them off since I am not working though right?"

She pouts thinking this the perfect opportunity to snap hoping maybe to keep him interested long enough to find out what his story is. And everyone has a story. She knows full well she can take care of herself but acting the hapless little girl might prove useful in learning more about whoever this man is and two things are important to Sy thats her missions and being entertained.

[Lena Eva Aysel]

Lena turned back to the man at the desk, filling out the paper work for the two-room one. She'd be glad to be out of that fancy rich room. It was nice, but it made her feel disarmed.

She handed him her labor card, deciding to pay for the first month's rent herself. It'd probably be easier to just alternate between paying it. After a few moments, everything was done.

Turning around, she handed him the second key to the room. "Let's just alternate between paying since all of my money is on my labor card. It says the room number on the key."

[John Duddy]

John was awestruck by her smile, "You have a beautiful smile Sy." "My name is John by the way, John Ferrara. I am a aero-mechanioc at the Manalist base ." Duddy knew he could lie straight to her face, he had the labor card to verify the information and decided to start with his lie now and be ready for his mission. "So Sy, your a waitress, thats cool. Tough job dealing with nasty customers all day." Sy was staring right into his eyes, he felt the urge to grab her and kiss her right now, but had to focus on two things, the food he needed and the mission.

[Sy Lecy]

Something did not feel right with his story but that made this all the more amusing. Better to go along with this and feel it out. The outcome would amuse her for sure she was certain. And until she had a mission from the organization this passed the time while she was off.

"Thanks John. I never thought too much of the smile myself. Waitressing you see all kinds and believe me its not for everyone. Besides it can be kinda lonely since most of the customers are the only people I see and they are not the type you wanna see outside of work." She smiles again turning back seeing the sign for Envy right ahead. She leads him through the black door.

"Here we are. So being a mechanic you must know a lot about fixing motors and things like that huh? Maybe you could fix my coffee maker sometime. You probably want to be alone for your meal." She pouts yet again not wanting to be left out of the story just yet.

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"I have a couple of jobs. I work for Crest Mining as a Janitor. I also work at an orphanage as a tutor...and then in the evenings I work as a gardener for a Theology professor here in Helsinki. I do keep busy. I hardly have time off. What about you?" I ask Kizu. We sit down in one of my favorite little cafes and are seated toward the back. The cafe is quiet since most people can't afford to eat out.

I order a tea and feel heavy with worry. I rub my face and look out the window at the people walking by. Everyone looks tired. People work so hard.