[The latest in a series of flawless collaborations, brought to you by Stein and Raja.]
Raja surveyed the footage with a scrutinous eye. It should have been difficult for the man to spot the young lady, considering he had no idea what she looked like, but as soon as he saw her--Raja knew. Perhaps it was his third eye, that psychic sense of his that granted him the upperhand in situations like this. Or, perhaps it was because this particular young lady was being man-handled by two large brutes, clad head-to-toe in black stealth gear, out on the school's lawns. It was most likely the latter.
As Raja smirked to himself, celebrating his success and whipping out his phone to record a copy of the footage, he noticed a fourth figure enter the frame. This was a shorter and daintier presence; irrefutably female. She was dressed in a similar fashion to her cohorts, albeit with a refined style and a certain chicness that the man beneath the burqa could not help but appreciate.
She approached Simone, and some sort of scuffle broke out between the two as the latter tried to break free. Within seconds, she had been neutralised and carted out of the frame. Raja moved his gaze to a neighbouring screen, showing a large, black van; into which the hostage was stashed before it sped off into the night. Raja noted down the registration.
"C'mon my friend," came a voice from behind him, startling Raja. His focus on the monitors, combined with Feral's intrinsic stealth, had caused him to be taken off guard. He swiftly followed Feral down the corridor, stopping only briefly in the doorway as he called back to the slumbering security guard.
"Don't forget, Brucie; oil the door!" Raja chimed as he slammed it behind him; the resulting noise easily loud enough to wake Bruce from his trance. He soon caught up with Feral, who asked whether he had found any evidence.
"I did indeed," Raja replied. "I happened to make acquaintance with a most charming individual, who kindly let me into the surveillance room." he said, his eyes flashing a mischievous glint. "It seems Ms. Yeoman was taken from the campus at around three forty-five. Two males and a female; there was some struggle on the lawn. Took off in a black van." he said, reciting his information to Feral as the pair hurried outside. "I'm no good with cars, so I can't tell you the make or model. Registration N78 B80."
"Good job," Makarios congratulated his Maverick apprentice. "I'd wager that your powers of....
persuasion are probably even better than IllAdvised's. And of course, it's always good to be able to make friends while on the job," he added with a touch of humor. As they made their way to the exit of the school, Maki stopped, Mindfuck's recount resting on his mind.
"Did you say two males and a female?" He asked Mindfuck, stopping suddenly. There it was again, that elusive female who couldn't have been part of the Bloodhounds, but yet...she had been smelled and seen at the scene of their mystery. "I know they were probably garbed, but is there anything you could pick out about the woman from what you saw? Anything at all?"
Makarios knew he was putting a little bit much on the new recruit, but he'd found something interesting and it was a lead that could help them break this mystery down.
Raja summoned the images he'd viewed moments ago back to the forefront of his mind in response to Feral's question. "You are correct in that they were garbed," Raja noted. "As is tradition in this business. However, I did seem to notice some blonde curls slipping from beneath her balaclava. The artificial tone of her hair and the way in which it is styled suggest a woman of class, no?" he said, presenting the footage on his phone to Feral. "It also seems that she lost a glove," he pointed out, highlighting the visibility of her caucasian hand following the scuffle.
"Great work!" Maki complimented. It hadn't taken much prompting on his part for Mindfuck to delve into the abstract thinking that this line of work took, and he seemed naturally adept at it. Though Makarios couldn't say he was too surprised. There was something spectacular about each of these recruits. As they neared the bike and donned their helmets once more, Maki addressed his comm link.
"Feral checking in. Mindfuck and I have found more on the kidnapping. We're dealing with a third party being directly involved in the heist, Ill and Angel. I've got the scent to follow, and we're going to be heading out now. Angel, we may need you on standby, if you can manage it." As he spoke, he revved up the engine, getting a final scent of the glove and the particular fragrance, mixed with sweat and the mystery woman's unique body odor.
"Mindfuck," Makarios spoke over the hum of the engine, easing it back onto the street. "What would you say our next step should be? We've got a location via my nose and we've got the assailants. But the woman adds another element to the mystery. With our trusty AI on deck and ready to go, what would you propose our inquiry be to get more intel on what we're dealing with?"
Raja was thankful that Feral's eyes were on the road ahead, as he doubted that the look of curiosity he bore would have been easy to mask from the Maverick in control of the motorcycle. The complements, the consulting, the questions... The way clues were mysteriously and conveniently falling into place. This had to be some kind of test; a hoax investigation to ensure that Raja was qualified... Surely, life as a Maverick couldn't be this theatrical and exciting. Raja's prior dabblings in vigilantism had been one thing, but his burgeoning career as Mindfuck looked to be something else entirely. In the back of his mind, he realised that he wasn't entirely opposed to the idea.
"Well," he exclaimed, following some thought. "I'm not sure what your AI is capable of, but it would be convenient to track down the van, considering that if our suspects have any sense they'll have changed the plates; possibly even the vehicle." he noted. "We can't be sure that the female you've a scent on is still with Ms Yeoman, and our priority should be retrieving her and ensuring her safety." Raja reasoned, hoping not to offend the Maverick, whom he was growing quite fond of. The two bounced off each other rather well, which surprised the lone ranger.
"Aside from that, it might be worth finding out if Ms Yeoman or her family had any bad blood that might provoke an act like this. Though, once we come face-to-face with our suspects, I'm sure I'll be able to get them talking," he said, chuckling. "It's quite the skill of mine."
Feral nodded his head in agreement. He'd never taken himself as much of a teacher, but the case was presenting itself as a learning experience nonetheless. "I'm almost certain that they've switched cars, due to the cop chase Angel is heading up on Overtown, but it'd be worth it to look into regardless. Glitch?"
The AI's response was swift as she set about sifting through electronic records. "And don't worry, one of these days we'll show you just how much our favorite AI can handle," Feral told his passenger. "I particularly like your second avenue. If it isn't bad blood oriented, it's at least to send a message to the Yeoman family."
Once again, as Makarios hit the streets of his city, he manuvered the bike in ways most humans could only dream of. Cutting corners at the last second, narrowly snaking through traffic. And all with an apparent ease. He found himself slowing often to pick the scent back up. He noted them nearing a much wealthier part of town, and his suspicions began to narrow while still remaining vague and as shadowy as Mindfuck's first appearance.
Finally, a thought hit him. "Glitch, Mindfuck is right. See if there have been any stories or releases on Councilman Yeoman, particularly in a negative light. Exclude all things that have to do with the general public and focus on situations that involve high-profile individuals."
"Of course, Maki. One moment please," Came Glitch's response. They were nearing their destination, Maki could feel it.
As Raja listened to the mutterings within Feral's helm, something struck him: the AI had just referred to him as
Maki. Was that Feral's real name; what he called himself away from this bizarro world of foolish heroics? It was unlike any name Raja had heard before... Which was rather fitting, considering Feral was unlike anyone he'd ever met.
Yes... Raja mused to himself.
His name is Maki.
***
They began to near the illustrious Hotel Andromeda, notable as one of the oldest and most lavish hotels in the city. Standing at 20 stories, the Hotel garnered the attention of the most wealthy and prestigous. So, it was no surprise that the scent seemed stronger as Feral and Mindfuck came up to the hotel. Banking right at the last moment, Makarios found a side alley to stow their vehicle and plan out their attack, waiting for Gltich's response. The AI chimed in only a moment later.
"It took a little digging, Feral, but I was able to find something." Gltich opened the channel to include Mindfuck's helmet as well. "There was a deleted police report I was able to recover involving the councilman and a sexual solicitation charge."
"I can't even feign surprise," Makarios stated, earning a chuckle from Mindfuck.
"Here's the interesting part, though. The charge involved a minor. The report doesn't give her name, but it does include a mention of unregistered immigrant. Which could probably indicate--"
"A sex slave from a foreign country," Raja interjected, figuring out where the AI was going.
"Correct."
"Don't hold out on me, Glitch, I know you've got more," Makarios prompted, as he slid off the bike and held a hand out to help Mindfuck.
"Of course. Further searching has shown a few charges lodged against Yeoman during his campaign. All of them referring to 'alternative' sources of revenue to fund his campaign. All of these charges were dropped mere days after they were filed." Glitch said.
"It would seem that councillor Yeoman is less-than-innocent in this operation," observed Raja, as Maki helped him to dismount the motorcycle.
"Which means this heist of his daughter was almost certainly inspired by revenge. It reeks of it....almost literally." said Maki, turning up his nose at the thought.
Raja nodded in agreement as the three of them collectively put together the pieces of the puzzle. "Then we should move quickly," he suggested to Feral and Glitch. His tone was grave and serious. "Those with an axe to grind are prone to make rash decisions."
