The Game is Afoot (Highpoint)

Being the last of the group to exit the hotel, he expertly slid into the shadows.

‘Posing as one of that suits guard dogs was easier then I thought it would be’ Umbra thought to himself.

Not to hide rather he became the shadow and used it’s inky tendrils to slip from one to another and so in just a few heart beats was far enough away to avoid any type of detection.

Unmerging upward from the blackness on the alley floor he thumbed a throat mike and spoke, “Umbra-Control.”

“Control” was the response in his head.

“Target set. Gunslinger onboard.”

“Roger that, copy Gunslinger onboard.”

“Roger.”

“Phase two. Target: Highpoint”

“Roger that, copy target: Highpoint.”

“Roger.”

“Umbra out.”

“Control out”

Taking right at twenty seconds to signal completion of his current mission and acquire his next Umbra melted back into the shadows. Next stop penthouse, Minute Man Hotel Grande.


* * * * * *


Joaquin Cavanaugh was the man. Men world round wanted to be like him, women wanted to be with him. If he didn’t own it, it was either not worth owning or he had at one point but had subsequently grown tired of it. Entire nations beseeched him for support both moral and monetary. Men throughout history have been described as ‘having so-and-so’s ear’ Joaquin bypassed ears and owned officials mind, body and soul. Where his money came from was unknown and not questioned publicly, for very long. What was known was that he knew--anytime, anywhere regardless the question—he knew.

At the moment he was indulging his vainer impulses, entertaining a trio of women in his penthouse.

“Here you are ladies.” He said as Joaquin handed each of the ladies a glass containing their favorite beverages. He then addressed each one by one.

“Mary Anne Jenkins, Moroccan wine made from the freshest dates. You are an international super-model, nea uber-model. Little know is the fact that….you have been in an incestuous relationship with your father…and his three brothers for the last twelve years.”

Mary Anne blanched white and dropped her glass.

“Jennifer Primatti-Wythe, Irish ale. You my dear are married to the reigning King of the United English Republics, leader of the European Union. What if word ever leaked that your husband was a flaming pedophile, who has on occasion extinguished the children he’s been with in the throughs of passion…and that you have on occasion joined in.”

Jennifer dropped into a nearby chair maintaining her grasp on her glass but instead spilling it onto her person.

“Hataomi Ichiro, Japanese saki. United Nations President and ambassador to the ‘land of the rising son’. Your sexual proclivity has garnered but a passing mention in the press, however your true mission to infect every male ambassador of the United Nations with the HIV virus that you yourself carry has gotten no press.”

Hataomi slapped Joaquin, her hand striking his unyielding flesh.

“Very well my dear that will be twenty million, you other two ten million each. You will receive an e-mail detailing where to send the money to maintain my silence…for the time being. None of you are worthy of anymore of my attention. Leave.”

The three women all considered their options, both current and future. To a person all three accepted the current defeat and shuffled out into the hall wondering when the e-mail would be sent.

As soon as the door had touched it’s jam upon closing, Joaquin crouched and flipped a small metallic disk he had palmed from his pocket moments before, into the shadows at the far end of his front room. A human shaped figure detached itself from the shadows and fell to its knees in the open.

“My dear Umbra…what were you thinking.” Joaquin droned as he approached the figure and helped Umbra back to his feet, the disk affixed to what would pass for a forehead were the figure human.

“Watchman.”

“Yes, yes. They want something from me” he replied pouring himself a martini.

“Auxiliary.” Umbra replied trying to maintain his coherence despite the vibrations emanating from the disk.

“Very well” he said extending his hand and snapping his fingers.

Simultaneously Umbra placed a small IC into the outstretched hand of Joaquin and the small disk fell to the floor.

Joaquin eyed the chip momentarily then pressed it into place in the port in his upper palate. Momentarily his eyes rolled back into his head and then with a grin and a bluish LED glint in his eyes he said, “Umbra call me a taxi, I fell like a trip tonight.”