Investigator Kearmer Adoazze - Leaving Master Falldwell Naaf’s Office

I leave Master Naaf’s office and walk down the stairs toward my teams group of desks where they should be reviewing our latest case. I had asked them to get started researching Michael Hayes and but with what little information and misinformation around. As I walk some Guards walk through the main security doors.

I walk over to my team, Milrich Co is watching me walk up toward them and alerting the others that I have arrived. “So, what is this Michael like?”

Milrich is an Elf who has always been fervent about justice, sometimes to his detriment as he can sometimes believe that someone is indeed the culprit and so stalls the investigation. But being said, if he is right then he will find them out. No matter what convoluted way they did the deed.

“I’m not sure, he’s quite sure of himself but also cautious. I wouldn’t be surprised if he detected the tension between me and Taal. Speaking off?”

“He went back in the Interrogation room right after you left.” says Lourhurst Imi, a young but intelligent Trax, she is dressed in casual clothing, short sleeve blue shirt and long pants, hair tied in a long braid down her back. Lourhurst, or as we just call her Imi joined my team a few years ago and has become our best analyst in the Guard.

She’s able to track down the minutest of details in the records room here in Headquarters or any other record store. Also able to fight as best as any other Guard member.

I look over toward the Interrogation room Michael is stuck in, Capitan Lincastle is watching by himself but is not entering, only viewing Taal’s interrogation of Michael’s world through the holo-projector. He should have someone else watching but from what Master Naaf tells me, I think he might object.

“Milrich, I know you might object but for now I want you to investigate this if Michael is actually innocent.”

“Innocent? He’s in our interrogation room!” He whispers, at least he knows to keep his voice down.

“We have had it wrong before, just trust me. He’s an OutWolder and Institute has done all sorts of stuff to capture OoutWolders. There is a chance, just a chance that he’s innocent.”

“Milrich I want you to check out the body that Lincastle says is connected, go look at the scene, murder weapon, all that. Try and see if there is any kinks in the story. Ini I want you to check out the files, is this Alaline Feaph a real person just a name, anything strange you can think to check and link to Institute then find it.”

“In saying that, he is a murder suspect and an OutWolder so they can be definitely unpredictable. Anything we have so far?”

Milrich shakes his head, “I was just about to ask Lincastle the details about the murder, location, body number, method. Just got here while you we’re in Naaf’s office.”

“Just that Michael did enter the city at the dates we thought, I have asked to see his and his party members Society jobs. See what they have been up to and if they could have been in the area at the time. Just waiting on the paperwork to be copied over.”

Ini points over to a small stack of blank papers covered in a faint grid of opal colour, transmission papers. Short range, documents and papers can be sent to a specific address or person. Guard and Society have a agreement as sometimes in a crisis we need to work together on a more official level than what we are working at now.

“I am also getting some messages from the news and tabloids, they want more information about Michael.”

“Leave it to public relations, they can deal with it. Lets just hope Master Naaf has persuaded the Institute to delay publishing anything. Ini, i'll join you in the records room in a moment.”

Capitan Lincastle - Watching Taal’s interrogation of Michael Hayes

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I watch Taal’s rant, going off at the OutWolder, what a waste of time. He’s never going to answer any of your questions any more Taal. And knowing Master Naaf he is also watching, as I watch over the holo-projector I hear Taal say,

“I will let you calm down a little. I will be back.”

He exists the room and the security door closes behind him as he turns towards me. “I need a moment, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

I don’t reply and only grunt a response, this entire setup is a massive pain in my ass, that lie detection crystal might as well be an ornament, not lighting up at anything he says. There is no way he should be able to get around it!

I turn away from the holo-projector and walk toward the stairs to the second floor, my office is on the opposite side of Master Naaf’s office. As I walk in the security door closes behind me and locks shut, holo-projections appear over my desk showing me the Interrogation room. I sit and lean back in my chair.

My office is spartan, aside from my empty desk there is nothing personalised here. Except, in one of the bottom desk draws I keep a small bottle of high proof alcohol and a single shot glass hidden under some old papers.

I pour myself a shot of the clear and shoot it down before putting it and the bottle away. That damable Sir from the Institute, I made one mistake and I ended up in his control. Normally it was small things like being told to patrol in one section of the city instead of another but today, no, today was very different.

I have to work with that old man Taal, who was weeks away from retirement when he suddenly gets wind of an OutWolder and then I am being asked… all sorts of things.

I am corrupt, a horrid scumbag who made one bad mistake and had it held over my head for years. And now this sucker is going to pay for it. I stare at the interrogation room video, for what feels like an eternity trying to keep my mind clear of thoughts before a crystal on my desk suddenly glows.

Groaning I lean forward and fill it with mana, the voiceless communication buzzes for a short time before connecting. A secure channel and there is only one person I know who would contact me like this.

“Capitan Lincastle.” the disembodied voice commands.

“Sir, how are you?”

“Master Carson and Naaf have been communicating a lot recently, I fear that our arrangement may be in jeopardy of failing and you know how I feel about that.”

“Sir, this was moving too fast, we needed to get all our setup done before detaining the OutWolder, right now we have a flimsy case at best. If Taal did not move so fast then we would have…”

“I do not need you to tell me how to organise my personnel, Capitan.”

“Y, yes sir.”

“I am calling as I have heard something, there was an incident earlier today in the far western quarter of the city, involving one of the OutWolders duplicates. I want you to ensure that no patrols are sent toward the western quarter.”

I know better than to ask questions, but what could a single duplicate do, and why is it even there? “Yes sir, I will make the necessary changes.”

“See that you do” I am about to cut the connection before Sir also adds, “And Lincastle, if this OutWolder is not captured and eventually detained by the Institute then… things will be set into motion.”

I stay quiet, in silent rage before replying in a steady voice, “Oh course sir.”

I cut the connection as I sit up straight, I bring my arm up and smash it on the metal desk, leaving a massive dent in it. That bastard! He has no need for me after he gets an OutWolder here, he can get promoted and transferred from this small posting into the major leagues.

After all, if the cost of failure is one Guard Capitan then thats worth it. But what will happen with my son? Learning that his father is some corrupt Guardsman, maybe even losing the house.

I lean back in my chair a little, dammit. I wish I could undo this, I wish I was never there on that day! As I sit there an alarm rings out. I look up at the holo-projection of the Interrogation room and I see the OutWolder shaking on the floor.

I get off my chair and sprint toward the interrogation room, jumping off the second floor railing and onto the main floor without issue, bouncing up I run the few metres toward the room as Adoazze, Dr Roselin and a few other guards run into the room with myself just behind them. Dr Roselin normally has command in medical situations and as she walks forward toward Michael she does so.

“Take the Suppression Jacket off of him, he’s having OutWolder Shakes!”

As we pull them off I see the pain that this Michael is going through, silently I apologise for what I have to do to him, I have to deliver him to Sir, I have to make sure he gets detained.

As Dr Roselin uses some medical device to make him well again, all I am thinking is; What am I going to do?