Cross' story (short serial story) Updated 28th Sep

[Witcher Wolf]

Cross’ story

10:33pm

Whisper City

2061

The sleek rain filled streets of the city were alive with the usual passage of people as they struggled backwards and forwards between work and play. A siren gave a cat-call wail in the smoke-fuelled darkness overhead.

The hammer-stroke of feet thundered on the sidewalk as a man ran full pelt past bystanders, throwing some of them to the ground as he fled from something behind him. He ducked into a nearby alley as people stood and stared.

Nothing came after him to push through the throngs of people he’d disturbed, at least nothing they could see. There was something on those dark streets that night stalking him, it passed beyond the ken of the others and slipped past like a ghostly wind.

Raymond Grey’s heart pounded from the exertion of his flight and he stumbled twice as he slipped across the rain swilled ground. His bloodshot eyes went to and fro as he looked for routes out of this sudden all-enclosing maze of back-streets and dangerous shadows.

Behind him the hunter almost sauntered in a swaggering lazy pursuit drifting on the ether like a cloud.

It can be said that life and death come down to two singular choices in a man’s life, for Raymond he had reached the binary point of this particular equation. Two directions to flee and both of them were as blind as the lady justice herself.

His clatter-bang footsteps brought him to a dead end and he turned in a panic to look behind him. It seemed every shadow that lurked at the edges of his sanity was somehow magnified a thousand-fold, they all looked as if they were reaching for him with hungry mouths and grasping claws.

His scream wailed against the background noise and went mostly unheard; a few stray animals caught the sound and continued the chorus until silenced by the crack of a pistol. There in the slick darkness of one of Whisper’s back alleys the life of Raymond Grey ended in a most traumatic way.

1:00am

Several hours later the rain continued to play a soft melody upon the overhangs and concrete floor. It was a melodious and tinkling sound that rose and fell with each tiny and heavy droplet of water.

Two figures stood looking down at Raymond’s corpse and they bore the insignia of the Whisper City Police Department. Their rain-cloaks firmly curled about their shoulders, the body illuminated by a searching flashlight.

“This is getting to be a habit.” The speaker was a middle aged man with one glowing red eye, an angry scar that ran from his right brow over and down to his right cheek hinted at some past accident.

“It’s about the eleventh one this week.” His companion was a swarthy man slightly shorter and he had a few days growth of stubble. “We’d best call it in and wait for SID to arrive.”

The first officer took his radio off his belt and pressed the transmit key. “Officer Williams – WCPD3057 reporting a 903 possible supernatural murder.”

As if it were a day to day occurrence the dispatch controller replied quickly. “Roger 3057, dispatch received loud and clear – remain on SOC and await deployment of SID officer.”

“Understood control, 3057 out.” Williams put his radio back on his belt and sighed. “I told you we should have gone for that coffee and doughnut on 5th Johns.”

Johns gave his partner a wan smile and shrugged. “It’s our job buddy, who else is going to be mad enough to walk this route at this time of night? Us, that’s who,” he gave the rain an angry look and walked to stand under one of the broader overhangs.

Williams frowned as water thrummed off his hood and he followed Johns putting his back to the wall.

“I wonder how long SID’ll be?” he asked looking for a cigarette in his pocket, empty, just his luck.

Johns saw the other officer fumble for a cigarette and offered him a stick of green gum. “I know it’s not what you’re used to, but it should help with the cravings.”

“Thanks.”

“I still think you should quit though.”

[Witcher Wolf]

Williams gave a bitter sigh and shrugged. “Look Johns, not as though I don’t appreciate you jumping on my back about smoking but it’s a choice I made. I can have my new lungs anytime. I’ve saved up for them and they’ve got built in filters and everything, never going to have to worry about the big C.”

“That’s got to cost a pretty packet man.”

“I have some spare euro-creds saved from for a rainy day.” Williams laughed a little and looked up as he chewed. “Can’t get much wetter than today eh?”

“Nope buddy sure can’t.”

A bright moon-like spotlight illuminated the dimness of their alley and slowly from out of the darkness the functional shape of a WCPD skycar lowered. It didn’t advertise its presence with a screaming siren or flashing lights, those were refreshingly switched off and the wail was silent.

Johns and Williams watched the vehicle come down a little way off in a larger side alley; they exchanged meaningful glances and waited for the arrival of the SID officers.

“Williams – Johns...” Agent Cross viewed both men with a suspicious stare for a moment; she was a tall gangly woman with short white hair and blue replacement eyes, a company logo of a black raven whirled in their depths, a young ambitious officer in the newly formed SID.

“Ma’am.” They answered in unison and awaited her next statement.

“You’re dismissed. I’ll take it from here, thank you for your report and have a good night gentlemen.” She shot them both an icy-blue look and put her hands behind her back.

Johns and Williams gave her a cursory nod and thankfully left the alley. They were away from the stench of death and away from the cold-eyed Cross.

The rain turned from a heavy downpour into a light pattering as the woman studied the body before her. She gave it a mechanical and methodical stare, her eyes set to view the world in a kaleidoscope of shifting colours as she ranged from thermal imaging to spectral analysis.

She didn’t really believe in the supernatural and had brown nosed her way into the position for one reason, to disprove the various cases as they came in. As far as agent Cross actually believed everything could be put down to mundane physical reasons, like her corpse for instance.

He’d been stabbed and shot repeatedly and if she could find the murder weapon, she could prove exactly that.

A single footstep sounded just behind her, she turned and in moments had a stranger covered with her standard issue WCPD .50 calibre gun.

From behind a soulless mirror of dark glass a pair of coal-black eyes looked down to a singular spot of red, right in the throat segment of his tie. Nicholas Winter remained at ease however even under the wavering crimson of Cross’ laser sight.

Winter was not unlike his name. His skin was as pale as the spotlight that had earlier illuminated the alley and stood to a striking height of six foot seven. He wore a long black duster and sported a wide-brimmed black hat.

“Ok. This is my crime scene mister – you just move on along and go sleep it off somewhere else black-hat.”

Nicholas gave an amused smile as she kept the gun trained on him. “Agent Cross…I had been told you were difficult, it’s good to see my sources were not wrong.”

Cross bristled from that comment and she snorted. “Show me some I.D. now or you’re under arrest!”

“Testy.” Winter put one hand into his coat pocket and left it there as the woman barked.

“Easy!”

“As you requested agent Cross, I.D. all present and correct…allow me to introduce myself…” The man gave a low chuckle and a mock bow. “Nicholas Winter C.I.A.”

Cross threw up her hands along with the gun, the red beam skittered off a nearby metal shelf and she rounded on Nicholas. “What the hell? What are the fucking Feds doing here?”
“In this case agent Cross…” As he brandished the I.D. wallet towards her, “the C.I.A. stands for something entirely different.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” She snarled and put the gun back on him. “This isn’t a joke, it’s a murder and you’re prime suspect black-hat!” The nerve of the guy trying to masquerade as something so damn lame!

“Down on the ground now!” There was a click as Cross flicked off her safety. “You have until I count to five.”

Nicholas gave a slim nod and put the wallet away as if he didn’t care at all. “I can see our relationship is going to be a rocky one agent Cross.”

“One!”

“There’s no need to trouble with the countdown – I’ll see myself out.”

“Two!”

“Three!”

“Four!”

Everything went bright for a few moments, the light from where Nicholas stood overloaded the woman’s hardwired optics and sent screaming signals of pain into her brain.

“Damn!” Two shots rang out and the wall behind her pock-marked as she discharged twice into the masonry. “Flash-bombs, the son of a bitch suckered me with a flash bomb.” It wouldn’t occur to the woman for some time that she never actually saw Nicholas Winter move.

She dialled into her sub-vocal transmitter and tagged HQ. “SID HQ this is agent Cross, WCPD 6665 – I need the details pulled on a Nicholas Winter…no I don’t have his SIN.”

There were a few long moments of silence before the database officer came back, her husky Irish accent bubbling through the internal earpiece.

“Sorry darling, we don’t have a Nicholas Winter on the DB. Are you sure you got a good reading on his I.D?”

Cross muttered off microphone and then sighed. “I scanned it with the opti-reader; he came up as Nicholas Winter. Diane, do you have any records on the C.I.A?”

There was a long pause. “Darlin, you know we can’t give out information on a classified government agency…”
“No!” Cross said with a note of irritation in her voice. “Not the C.I.A – Oh this is going to sound so stupid…but the Celestial Interventions Agency?”

Diane went quiet and her line cut off with a snap.

“Diane?”

“Agent Cross…” It was Chief Baxter and he sounded slightly peeved. “You didn’t happen to pull a piece on this agent did you?”

“Agent sir?” She sounded a little dumbfounded.

“Yes God damit!” Baxter screamed down her ear. “I said A-Gent!”

“I do not follow…” She paused. “Sir.” Another pause and she took a few calming breaths. “Winter is not a kook?”

“No Winter is not a kook or is he a fruit…loony or nutter!” Baxter gave another snort and then coughed a couple of times. “Jesus Cross, you picked a right night to be an asshole.”

“Pardon me Sir, but he’s the one that entered my crime scene unannounced and un-invited.” Cross bristled again and shot back with an acid edge to her voice. “With all due respect – what power does this guy have that has you ready to jump through hoops for him?”

The line was silent again for a while and the chief finally answered. “He’s not someone you play shitty with agent, you’re lucky I don’t yank you off the case.” His voice went up an octave again. “I want you to finish up there, and then haul your ass to my office ASAP!”

“Understood…” She cut the transmission and looked at the body. “What the hell is wrong with these people? Next thing I’m going to find out is that Nicholas Winter’s a ghost or something and I’ve been damned to hell.”

She called in a med-van and grumpily stalked back to her sky-car, the driver sat in complete silence reading a small black book. Cross rapped on the windscreen and he snapped out of his reverie, opening the door for her.

“WCPD HQ and step on it, Baxter wants to see me.” She said strapping herself in sullenly. “Looks like another routine murder, nothing for SID to bother with.”

As the sky car lifted into the air again with a blaze of light and a whisper of V-TOL engines Cross looked back to the alley with a narrowed gaze. Winter had caused her a shit-load of trouble and now she was about to get an ass-chewing from the Chief, this was just getting better and better – she idly wondered why the heck she’d taken this post in the first place, disproving the supernatural wasn’t worth being dry-humped for.

Meanwhile in the alley a pair of watchful eyes turned to the heavens and something scampered off into the darkness, the sound of chattered laughter broke through the rubbish and piled boxes for a moment.

[JenGe]

Aughhhh!!! More!! Where's more...how long do I have to wait...

Wolf I hate you...you can't leave me hanging like that!!!

[Witcher Wolf]

Not too long. I have a plan to update this one pretty early tomorrow

[Witcher Wolf]

Part 2:

When the police sky car alighted on the roof of the WCPD HQ Cross caught a glimpse of a wretched shadow being dragged across the rain-slicked rooftop towards one of the waiting doors. He looked no more than an eight year old kid who was crying and screaming all kinds of abuse at the two burly officers, he was off his face on some kind of drug.

The plexi-glass of the vehicle opened and hissed like a roused cobra against the night sky, small rivers of rain ran down the clear surface and dripped off onto the floor. Cross got out with a sigh and stretched lithely.

“Better get this over with.” She said to no one in particular and stalked towards the rooftop lift. A few moments later and the hammering rain began to fade as the square floor took her down into the building below.

She mentally prepared herself to run ‘the gauntlet’ as the twin doors of the lift opened and let in bright sharp light. A dozen faces turned her direction and it seemed for a moment that she was walking ‘death row’ towards the Chief’s office.

“Hey Cross?” One of the many nameless desk-jockeys called out to her. “Chief Baxter looks pissed, what’d you do…run over his dog?”

“Screw you.” She hissed and kept on walking.

“I thought you didn’t swing our way?”

“You’re the reason.” She shot back and put on her best poker face. It hardened the moment she saw a curl of grey smoke twirling up from a slim white hand in Baxter’s office.

The rest of the office exploded into a vibrant roar of laughter as the nameless one was put in his place for now; he became the subject of jibes…jeers and jokes about his manhood. Cross took some tiny satisfaction in that.

Her fingers bunched up into a fist and she knocked hard on Baxter’s door. There were a few moments of silence and the Chief’s irritated tones filtered out.

“Get your ass in here Cross!”

“Chief Baxter.” It was that voice again, Nicholas Winter’s suave and almost seductive tones floated on the breeze.

Agent Cross stepped in as ordered and shut the door behind her with a soft ‘click’ she gave Winter a narrow-eyed nod.

Nicholas raised his hand one more with his cigarette and gestured to one of the chairs, overruling Baxter and causing the other man to smoulder a little.

“Please Agent Cross. I believe that we got off on the wrong foot, take a seat and we’ll get this over with – without embarrassment or further shouting from Baxter here.” Winter was in control and she could sense it, the man exuded some kind of power – she noted the expression on her Chief’s face and it was one of compliance.

“Agent Winter…” Baxter broke in and then wished he hadn’t. “I would just like to remind you; this is supposed to be my station and jurisdiction…”

“Noted…” Nick chuckled a little and dappled his cigarette over an ashtray. “But you head up the Supernatural Investigation Division of the police because we decided you were the best for the job. So, now I need you to sit back while I brief agent Cross here.”

Baxter did a good impression of a drowning goldfish but held his tongue, he looked at Cross and his eyes gave her the impression there would be hell to pay later.
“Mr. Winter?” Cross couldn’t help herself and spoke up as she lowered down into one of the straight-backed chairs. “Just who do you think you are? You can’t speak to my Chief like that…”

“And here I thought I was actually trying to make sure he didn’t roast you over the coals for upsetting an agent of the C.I.A.” Nicholas gave the woman another winsome smile and tapped his cigarette on the edge of the ashtray again. “You have a history of being beyond sceptical.”

“Until proven otherwise…” She noted dryly and fixed her cold eyes on the seated Nicholas Winter. “Nice trick in the alley with the flash-bomb by the way…must have been powerful stuff to beat my optic-shielding.”

Baxter looked back and forth between them both and was vaguely touched by Cross’ defence and then amused by their verbal sparring.

“But you still have not answered my question?” She snorted. “Who do you think you are?” Each word was spoken with a subtle emphasis and she kept his gaze locked as much as she could, under those dark glasses of his.

“Nicholas Winter.” He replied with a sly chuckle taking another cigarette out of his pocket and lit it with an ornate Zippo lighter made from silver. “One of the very few people that are actually looking out for your best interests…while Baxter here wanted you reassigned.”

She shot an acid glare at the Chief and then turned to look at Winter again suspiciously. “Why my best interests…what’s your pitch?”

Nicholas stood up and drew the blinds back on the Chief’s window; he had a dominating view of Whisper’s skyline from where he was. The tall buildings of the city arrayed in regimental fashion lit up like Christmas tree lights all over.

“You have spent your whole life disproving the supernatural, agent Cross.” He began and walked to stand behind her. “That kind of thing gets our attention. You were sheltered from the truth out there for a long time, so sheltered that when you’re confronted with it you have to try and explain it with a mundane scientific reason.”

“No one has yet proven to me that bug eyed monsters exist and as for demons. I think anyone that believes in the existence of god or the devil needs to be psych-evaluated.” Cross gave Nicholas a mirror of one of his smiles, but it was more a smirk than anything else.

[Witcher Wolf]

Nicholas Winter took a long drag of his cigarette and let the smoke roll from his nose before he thumbed it out in the ashtray. “Yet you joined the SID and worked your way up to a SID agent…why?”

“Best way to disprove something is to show the cracks in the system. Every case we’ve investigated so far has a mundane explanation.” Her eyes were set hard and she adopted a defensive posture under the dark-shade scrutiny of Winter’s hidden eyes.

“So far…” There was an edge to Nick’s voice that she didn’t quite like as he turned his back on her. “I want you to work with me agent Cross…there’s a case that I need the help of a true sceptic on, you saw part of it tonight. What might appear like a normal murder to you…is far from it…but I need your presence to confirm certain things.”

She felt suddenly like a mouse being toyed with by a large and overly hungry cat, usually she was self-confident brutal and cold but as Nick spoke her defiance evaporated. Cross frowned inwardly and kicked herself for a moment, trying to break out of this daze.

“Ok.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that but there it was in auditory black and white, right before Chief Baxter – she just agreed to be Winter’s patsy. Another mental kick and Cross felt a little better.

“I’ll take it from here Chief.” Nicholas gave Baxter a winning smile and tucked his hands behind his back before bringing them back again. “Agent Cross has been reassigned to the C.I.A for now, thank you very much for your help and cooperation.”

Samantha Cross blinked just the once as her artificial eyes registered a slight flicker around the tall man, she closed them and opened them to run diagnostics – the systems checked out fine.

“When do we start?” She questioned and went to walk towards the door, ignoring the fuming Baxter behind her.

Baxter was indeed fuming but he kept it in check, he had a spare bottle of Jack Daniels in his drawer. “Ok. Go…” He snorted and began to open the drawer the moment he saw Winter’s back, he needed a drink.

The dark angel that was Nicholas Winter stepped out of the man’s office and turned to look at agent Cross. “Samantha.” He said conversationally. “You don’t mind if I call you that, it seems so much more informal than agent Cross.”

“Whatever.” She snorted and then took a long look around the suddenly silent office. “Samantha or Sam’s ok I suppose.”

“You can call me Nicholas or Nick.” He offered and gestured again to the lift. “My car’s parked on the roof – then it’s a short jaunt to apartment block six and door three b.”

She gave a sigh of resignation and nodded. “What’s there, the bogey man?”

“I hope not.” Winter said as the lift opened and he stepped within. “I really hate that guy.”

Cross followed and shook her head it was turning out to be the weirdest night she’d experienced in a long time; well…there was the incident before she became an officer with the psychotropic drugs and alcohol – she pushed that thought far from her mind.

The lift deposited them into a covered section of the roof where a sleek black sky car waited on a docking platform. The smooth lines of the vehicle were aesthetically pleasing and Cross noted begrudgingly that Winter had some taste.

He opened the door to his car and let her in, shutting it again and moving to enter the pilot’s side. “You should find this a smooth ride Sam; it’s been optimised for comfort.” He chuckled a little and slid into his seat, adjusting the control yoke and starting the vehicle.

The sky car purred to life and then lifted off with a jet of steam from its V-TOL engines. Cross took a quick look around and forced herself to relax while the vehicle moved into a safe flight path from the HQ.

It became a rain-streaked blurred shadow against the skyline as Nick piloted his car towards the civilian sector of the city. Beneath them the rest of Whisper went on about their business: people leaving night clubs and heading to all-night bars. Gang wars and drug related shoot-outs, only this time it wasn’t just over the drugs, the price of a human soul was pretty high on the list of ‘good’ things.

“So how long have you been with the…” She forced herself to say it. “Celestial Intervention Agency?”

“Long enough to learn that the rules have changed and nothing’s the same…” He muttered in reply and turned the sky car sharply out of the path of an oncoming medical air vehicle, the driver waved the universal two-fingered greeting before roaring off on his way.

“Asshole!” Cross yelled out towards the driver, neither set of people heard the others insult but it made Sam feel much better inside.

“Quite.”

[Witcher Wolf]

“You still didn’t properly answer my question Nick.” Cross smiled a little, the way Winter had of being evasive she actually found quite refreshing – she was used to the Yes men that she worked alongside.

“It’s hard to put into years. I don’t measure time the way you do, we don’t measure time at all to be honest.” He began to lower the sky car towards the residential block area where the buildings were all flat-grey and looked the same. “Progress…no soul…” He sighed.

Cross frowned a little but didn’t push the question again; there was something in Nick’s tone that kind of warned her off. She looked instead to the flat-packed clone-like buildings and nodded in agreement.

“I have a disc with pictures from the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on it. The buildings back then had far more style, they looked really cool.” Sam became oddly wistful for a moment.

Nicholas noted this sudden change and turned to look at a side alley right across from apartment block six. He turned the sky car towards the alley and nosed it down into a landing space; he shut down the various systems and then smiled.

“I would like to see that disc sometime.”

“You would?” She broke out of her daydream where she’d been riding a horse through the streets of Renaissance Paris and flicked a kiss-curl of hair out of her eyes. “If we have time Nick…and I remember.”

He accepted that with another smile and opened his door. The rain danced on the brim of his hat the moment he got out. “We should have called this city, Torrential or something.” He gave a short laugh and moved around to the passenger side, opened it and fished out an umbrella for Samantha.

“You don’t act like anyone I have met before Nicholas.” She said as she stepped onto the slick pavement. “There’s something really odd about you.”

“Good.” He grinned under his hat and held the umbrella for a moment while he depressed the button on his key-ring, the car locked with a soft ‘click’ and a low beep sounded in the dark.

“So what’s actually in there?” She pointed to the darkened building and then spotted a couple of SID officers standing guard at the door. “Another body?”

“To be honest Samantha the call only came in on my private channel about the same time I left you in the alley, but you struck me as a determined driven woman…which is something I will need before this night’s out.”

“That sounds ominous.” She began to walk over towards the two officers at the door slowly, adopting her usual hunter’s stalk and relaxing back into familiar territory.

Nicholas Winter followed her with a swish of his long coat stepping to the side and then slightly in front of the woman; he turned his head and gave her a sidelong glance. “I was told it’s bad, when my contact tells me it’s bad then it is much worse.”

They both reached the door at the same time and earned a curious look from the two female officers before Nick flashed his I.D. and Samantha followed suit.

“I see.” She replied to Winter’s earlier statement and shook her head. “I have a feeling this is going to be a real mess.”

The two officers let them in without a word and the hall beyond was plunged into darkness. Sam’s optical enhanced eyes quickly switched to night-vision and she scanned the area, a set of stairs wound up to the second and third floor.

A neon light flickered on and off for a moment before it burst into sparkles of broken glass. Sam turned sharply to look at it and muttered. “Great, dodgy electrics…that’s going to make this even more fun.”

Winter lit a cigarette and drew in a breath, he could see perfectly as though it were daylight – he could also see in ways beyond Cross. He caught the lines of force that flowed freely about the corridor in mischievous pattern-like fingers.

Cross began to make her way up the stairs towards the third floor and apartment three b. She was followed by Nick who made very little sound apart from a soft ‘thud’ of his shoes upon the barely carpeted steps.

At length they both reached the corridor and as usual apartment three b was right at the end of the long, dark hallway. Cross began to move slowly down it looking back every now and then to see if her backup was still there.

Nicholas Winter followed as usual and kept his attention firmly fixed on the metallic door that lead to the apartment, around it the lines of force were swirling in a sickening changing pattern of spirals and lashing flickers.

As Samantha neared the door Nick’s hand fell on her shoulder and she stopped with a snort. “What?”

“I wouldn’t touch that door if I were you.” He said quietly and stepped back a pace. “It’s been tampered with.”

“What do you mean tampered with, trapped…a bomb?”
“Kind of...”

“You can’t have a kind of bomb…” She snorted again and went to touch the handle with gloved fingers.

“Sam!” Nicholas shouted and pulled her back just as a lashing miasma of blackness whirled out from the door itself and left six inch long gashes across the corridor.

They both landed in a heap on the floor and Cross quickly rolled off her fallen comrade. “Jesus…you Ok Nick…what the hell was that?”

“The trap I warned you about.” Nicholas stood up and dusted himself off; he picked up his hat and put it back on his head. “Black magic…the worst kind…”

“Oh here we go with the magic stuff.” She laughed and shook her head. “If this is a set up Winter you and I are going to have serious words.”

“Look at the wall Sam.” He hissed and pointed at the cuts all along it. “That’s not a set up, that’s real…do you think I’d go to such lengths…lengths that could have killed us both?”

She fixed Nick with a cold-glare for a moment then looked back at the wall; she moved over to examine it and ran a finger down the gash. “Deep.” Cross concluded with a soft sigh.

“It would have cut us in half…if not more…pieces.” Winter eyed the door and adjusted his hat. “I’m going to have to take that door off its hinges…stand back!”

Something about her comrade’s command made her take a few steps backwards as he ordered and she watched all of this, using her optical enhancements, flicking through her available vision modes. When she hit spectral mode she had to look again, in the doors metal was a leering demonic visage that mocked her.

“Nick?”

Nicholas Winter had seen it and he adjusted his posture calling to mind the first few incantations of an old magic. It was a banishment charm that could affect minor demons such as the shadow creature that had been bound into the door.

Samantha Cross couldn’t look away.

As Winter stood silently she saw the lines of force whip out from the man’s body and lock onto the door, like tentacles. She quickly ran a diagnostic on her eyes and it came back with a clean bill of electronic health.

A harsh ripping sound came from the door and it suddenly splintered inwards with an almighty crash and bang. It was then that Samantha Cross beheld for the first time something that she couldn’t explain, she could explain Nick’s so-called magic with the use of mono-filament cyber-weapons but this was beyond her.

There was no apartment three b and in its place was a landscape that boggled the mind and tore at sanity like shredded paper. It was an impossible scene of blood red skies and tall ashen mountains, from the very floor lava boiled upwards in geysers of over a hundred feet high – a wave of blast-furnace like heat slammed into the corridor.

“What the hell?”

“Precisely…” Replied Winter and he stood looking at the image beyond the door for a long time. “Samantha Cross…you’re about to take a journey where very few people voluntarily go.”

“That’s real?” She questioned.

“Only one way to find out…” He stepped through the portal and vanished from her sight for a moment only to reappear giving a cheery kind of wave from the other side.

“Best foot forward Sam.” She said and followed suit – it felt like her insides had been through one-heck of a rollercoaster ride and when she stood next to Winter she could feel the heat and the comforting dark of the corridor had gone, there was no way back.

“This is either a very elaborate hologram or I really have gone to Hell.” She whispered and looked around, picking up a small rock only to drop it again with a yell – blisters formed on her fingers as she tore off her smouldering gloves.

“Hot?”

“What do you think?”

“Holograms don’t hurt do they?” Nicholas Winter smiled a little and began to walk off across the plains of black glassy obsidian.

“No they don’t…” She had to agree and blew on her fingers, searching in one of her pouches for a cool-ease spray…after a few hisses she felt the relief flood her. “That’s better.”

After a few hundred feet of following Nicholas the ground before them burst upwards into a skyrocket of rapidly-cooling lava to form a pillar of some kind. Nicholas Winter stopped suddenly and frowned, pulling something from under his long coat.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Everything…”

A deep bellowing laugh echoed across the impossible plains and a huge bulk lumbered into view. Cross noted the odd shape and blood-red skin with sharp features, horns and all the trappings of a bad movie effect – except part of her knew that this wasn’t an effect and the danger was real enough.

“When we get out of this…remind me to kill you Ok?” She smiled coolly at Nicholas and then turned to face the oncoming creature.

“If…” Nick reassured and levelled a pair of gleaming rune-inscribed pistols towards the thing, he really didn’t want to fight and quietly hoped that it was a doorman or some creature sent to give them a greeting.

[JenGe]

Kewl!!!

Man, if I had extra time I would start a fansite for you & Whisper City!!!

[Witcher Wolf]

You could probably do the best fansite/site for me and my insane works, we should talk

What with the novel and a lot of short stories.

I am seriously deeply honoured by that

[skippythegator]

Wolf, you're really good.

A question though - the intro to Whisper City, the one you posted in Mara's vampire movie thread - that sounds quite similar to a collectible card game that came out a few years ago, Heresy: Kingdom Come. Except that instead of vampires, they used angels and demons. Did you ever happen to play that game?

[Witcher Wolf]

I, said:

Wolf, you're really good.

A question though - the intro to Whisper City, the one you posted in Mara's vampire movie thread - that sounds quite similar to a collectible card game that came out a few years ago, Heresy: Kingdom Come. Except that instead of vampires, they used angels and demons. Did you ever happen to play that game?

Negative. I am known for one of two things, the second being that I loathe, despise and refuse outright to play any CCGs especially MTG.

I avoid them like the plague mainly because where I am the CCG groups are as bad as the jihad between Vampires and Werewolves from Underworld.

They claim Roleplayers are freaks and this hasn't really earned them a good rep.

I originally started work on Whisper City back when I was 16...it appeared very briefly a few years ago as an online site and was going to be a mod for Max Payne.

That fell through because the people involved wanted to take creative control away from me.

[skippythegator]

oh...I didn't expect that; over here there's a good deal of overlap between the two groups. Gamers here usually take to M:tG quickly, the premise being that it takes time and effort to set up a decent campaign while a card game can be set up and finished relatively quickly.

The Heresy card game was set in a post-apocalyptic future where the digital, spiritual and physical worlds collided. Some human guy had somehow opened the gates to Heaven and Hell, pulling just about all the angels and demons into a cyberpunk-futuristic Earth and trapping them here, with no contact with (and no way back to) their home planes.
In some ways the game was a horrible mess, but it did have some interesting ideas behind it.

Anyway, good thing you kept creative control I'd like to see what happens next...

[Witcher Wolf]

In my take on the matter: Heaven and Hell were not so much pulled into our earth as they chose to investigate and set up shop, especially Hell.

The Logrus Stone broke the natural and protective barriers between our world and theirs, which means there has been a massive influx of both angelic and demonic beings into the 2061 version of Whisper City.

The Internet was replaced by the mage net since with the breaking of the barriers magic became a common place thing for most people.

But you'll find out more about the mage net as time goes on.

[TheMacroprosopus]

Now I'm jumping up and down. More!! More more more!!! This rocks. It reminds me of Of Gods and Men, but even darker. This is wicked!

[Witcher Wolf]

Yep OGaM was the catalyst and original design module for the current incarnation of Whisper City.

[MisterAnderson]

I'm running out of new words with which to praise you Wolfesnstein!

Fantastic stuff as always, bloke.

[Witcher Wolf]

*takes a bow* I am rather pleased with this new incarnation, so much better than the world presented in Memories IMHO.

I'm curious as to what you think of A damn cold night tho?

[Libby]

Finally got round to this one. ;D

Whisper City seems a very real place now and somehow the co-existence the of supernatural and the natural (whatever you term that as) world is really believable.

I like Sam Cross...her cynicism is quite refreshing and the journey from that to understanding of the true nature of her world is fun.

Have to say I love her eyes...'specially the 'spectral' vison mode...very nice touch.

And having Nicholas Winter in there is like meeting up with an old friend...

Any chance of Red turning up?

[Witcher Wolf]

Thanks Libby

Yes. Red will make a surprise return

[Beefie]

and...... yes...... finally read it.

I read part 1 and was into immediately wanting more. Then I realised you'd posted part 2 as well... yipee... what more could I ask for (apart from the rest of the story ).

Must say, really enjoyed that Wolf. It usually takes me a little to get into some writings but that, that was instant. I was in the story after the first paragraph.

I agree with Libby, I like Sam Cross too. I prefer stronger female characters, not your typical female types that some movies promote, has to scream at everything and be all pathetic and girlie.

I like differences in characters and the story around them and yours has a uniqueness that will go along way.

Keep at it Wolf, looking forward to reading (and eventually buying) the rest in the series.

[Witcher Wolf]

Cross Story and the whole of Whisper City could be a book in of itself, of course I'm still concentrating on Wyrden Book One at the moment, see updated thread.

[Witcher Wolf]

Cross' story: continues

“Dude…” The red-skinned demon cackled softly. “You don’t need those things with me Nicky my boy; you haven’t forgotten me have you?”

Nicholas studied the demon for a while and slowly lowered both of his pistols, putting them back under the long coat. “You have me at a disadvantage…don’t think I have met many demons of your size and impressive mass.”

Cross looked between Nicholas and the demon as if she were watching a tennis match; she put her hands on her hips and said. “Excuse me; do you two know each other?”

“Evidently, yes.” Nick replied and studied the demon again. “Rokash?”

“Got it in one Nicky boy.” The demon grinned revealing sharp pointed fangs and flickering fires in his maw. “I got a promotion!”

“It looks like it.” Nicholas let out a long whistle and smiled slightly. “I never thought I would be happy to see a demon, so how…why…details…details…details?”

“My new boss took a liking to my work and gave me a new skin.”

Samantha continued to stand almost unbelieving of the conversation that transpired before her; she shook her head a little and ran her spectral vision mode over the creature, as he wasn’t expecting…he went off the scale.

“Shit.”

“What?” Nick turned around and saw the glint in Cross’ eyes, he chuckled a little. “Ah you just gave Rok here the once over with your vision?”

“I did.” She grumbled. “This is all real isn’t it?”

“Afraid so.” Rokash chuckled and swept his wings back and forth for effect.

“Shit.” She repeated and ran her hand through her hair. “You spend your life disproving everything that could be supernatural, you even join a special investigations division to get closer to the so-called paranormal so you can de-bunk it. What happens?” Cross frowned at them both. “You show up and turn my life upside down!”

“He likes to do that.” Rokash said and licked a tooth in contemplation. “I met him when I was a lousy minion, now look at me!” He roared for effect.

“You have halitosis!” Cross snorted and levelled her gaze onto the angel in the long coat.

“You’re just jealous you’re not as buff as I am.” Rokash continued to show off until he wrapped his wings around him and pouted. “She’s picking on me unca Nicky.”

“Unca what-e?” Nicholas turned to regard the pouting demon and raised a slender black brow, he tapped his foot. “That’s just wrong and you know it.”

“Yeah I do!” Rokash guffawed. “But it’s funny seeing your face looking like you’ve sucked a lemon.”

“Quite.” Nicholas gave the demon a stern look before he began to laugh a little, all traces of his earlier worry evaporated on cue with a huge burst of hellfire from the ground. “So…why are you here?”

“I was sent to grab you both, boss wants a word.”

“I haven’t seen him in a while.” Nick nodded to the demon and looked to Cross. “So Sam, what do you think, want to go meet the Devil?”

“The…Dev…il?” She said incredulously. “You have to be kidding me right?”

“You’re standing on one of the lower planes of hell miss and you’re talking about it being a joke?” Rokash giggled a little, it was a horrible sound like a thousand demented children all laughing at once.

“Oh what the…heck, why not?” Cross blurted out and threw up her arms for a moment. “I mean you’re right. Here I am talking to an angel and a demon, why the heck shouldn’t there be a devil too?”

“There’s a god.” Rokash guffawed again.

“Who retired and became a hitman.” Nick added as an aside and grinned at the look he got from Cross. “I’m sure I said that.”

“Whatever…” Cross said with a hint of irritation in her dulcet tones.

“Anyways... Boss wants to see you sunshine.” Rokash turned and lumbered on with a swing of his massive tail, heading across the plains towards the inner landscape.

Nicholas looked to the fire in the sky then back towards the slow-moving demon, with a grin to Cross he followed and began to whistle softly.

She fell into step behind him and shook her head once more; she couldn’t really fathom any of this. One moment hard-boiled cynic and the next she’d been dropped in at the deep end, her water-wings being melted in a sea of contradiction and lava spewing fact.

A giant monolith rose from the ground appearing to get taller and taller as Nicholas walked towards it. The structure was made from flat black obsidian and pierced the fire-blown sky causing a break in the whirling flames.

He couldn’t see any windows or obvious means of entry but the demon was heading towards the base of the structure, he followed suit swinging his coat a little and continuing to whistle.

Rokash banged on the base of the tower and a doorway opened in a blaze of red-gold light. It seared forth from within and lit up the dark plains with a shimmer. The demon turned his head and winked at both of them
“Come on in boys and girls, you’re expected.” He grunted and stepped into the rectangle of light.

Cross watched Nicholas step into the monolith and ran her critical eye over it, the spectral energy readings weren’t just off the scale they redefined it. She stepped in and followed Nick, only her footsteps were a little more hesitant.

Inside they both saw a circular room inscribed with various patterns and symbols, Nick recognised them as protections and wards to keep out the denizens of this realm, he found that oddly curious that the Devil would need to keep demons from his door.

Rokash just grinned and led both of them down corridor after corridor, up several flights of stairs explaining with a soft snort when Cross questioned about elevators.

“Elevators baby? This is hell! Not some amusement park.”

The demon guardian paused before a pair of slick looking double doors on the upper level of the monolith. He shoved a large clawed hand onto both of them and pushed, they opened with a slow and steady rumble.

“Got to keep up appearances!” Rokash laughed again and flashed Cross a toothy wicked smile.

As the doors opened both of them saw the interior of a fairly well decorated office, complete with a semi-circular black desk. A large leather chair was turned facing a multitude of high-definition view-screens, Nick counted over two-hundred monitors.

“Mr. Winter can enter.” A dark velvet voice intoned from behind the chair and a single pale hand rose in the half-light of the office’s only lamp.

“Right.” Rokash grinned and punted Nicholas with a friendly wing-slap towards the office door and looked to Cross. “Ya heard the boss; you got to stay with me.”

Cross snorted and folded her arms, she’d come all this way and was about to meet the Devil and she’d been snubbed, great…just great!

As Nicholas Winter crossed the threshold he was dimly aware that he’d also crossed another dimensional barrier, intersecting between this office and hell. He filed that away for future reference.

“The dashing Nicholas Winter!” The velvet voice intoned and the chair swung around in a lazy motion as the great doors shut by themselves. “Red ‘Scarlet’ Lacy…”

She was a dark haired temptress clad in the colours of blood, a sheer silk dress that left nothing and everything to the imagination capturing every line, curve and shape of the woman as if she were a statue made from ruby.
“The original…Sin?” Nick intoned and tipped his hat in the woman’s direction.

She let a soft bubbling laugh escape her lips and crossed one leg over the other revealing a daring flash of milk-white skin. “I don’t know about the original, this is a new job for me but one I think I am suited for. The new devil in a red dress, you might say.”

“You look as though you’re enjoying yourself.” Nick chuckled and adopted a semi-relaxed posture.

“One does her best Mr. Winter, who’s the stiff?” Red looked past him to the double doors and flicked a long-fingernail causing a spark.

“Samantha Cross.” He replied and shook his head. “She’s a sceptic who’s undergoing a real eye opener at the moment.”

Red’s laughter bubbled again and she drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. “Some people have no idea and it’s a real shame.”

“So what do you want Red?”

“Ah…” She pouted. “Ever to the point Nick.”

“That’s me.”

“I have a proposition for you.”

[TheMacroprosopus]

Good thing Libby didn't specify any further than "Red". Even though I had read that you had the devil being portrayed as woman, I was still surprised. Damn I'm getting into this.

And... "it was a horrible sound like a thousand demented children all laughing at once."

...It scares me how I can picture that. And it reminds me of Mr. Beefy (Little Nicky) when he's dreaming. "La la la la la laaa...". Fucking creepy.

This is wicked!

[Libby]

Oh yes! Go Red! ;D I was going to say she's gone up in the world, but I suppose I mean down...

Looking forward to more delicious dialogue.

[Beefie]

Read this earlier but didn't get the chance to post a reply.

WOW.

I am really enjoying this, can't wait for more ;D

As I said earlier, prefer the stronger female roles and Red... well, what could be more of a stronger character than hers.

*Rapturous applause*

[Witcher Wolf]

*chuckles* I told you Red would be back but not as you knew her, it just amused me to put Scarlet in the role of the Devil.

In Whisper City Satan retired and decided to open a nightclub, leaving a giant gap in the order of things - Red being an opportunist was able to step in - how she did this, well, you may or may not find out - gal's got to have some secrets.

[Sasha]

I can't wait to read the rest of the story Cleric Wolf! It is OUTSTANDING!

Had me hanging on the edge of my seat

I love how you put the spiritual realm and black magic into the mix. I love reading about things other than the "norm". I can tell I'm going to really love reading the rest of the story.
Truely awesome.

[Witcher Wolf]

Thanks again for the comments all, it's nice to know you're enjoying the ride.

It gets wilder from here on in

Also Sasha, you might want to check out the Wyrden thread in the Nethers.

[Witcher Wolf]

It's back!

Those six words on their own had a thousand and one different meanings, when spoken by Red in her sultry bedroom voice they took on a thousand and two. Nicholas Winter quirked an eyebrow and found himself a seat, one of her more comfortable chairs off to one side.

“You have my attention?”

“Trouble’s brewing in my world and theirs,” she hooked a thumb towards the door where Cross remained outside. “Something’s got loose Nick, something pretty bad and I’m not happy about it.”

Her face told him all he needed to know and he tapped one foot on the floor for a moment, shuffling the other. “I have to admit I don’t like the sound of that, any more leads?”

“You know your legends, especially the Greek myths?”

“Some of them, what’re you driving at?”

“Someone wants to resurrect the Titans,” Red’s face grew darker and she paced the length of the office, paused to look out of the window and laughed. “Most of my life I went walking on by without even a thought for the weird and wonderful, now I’m CEO of Hell and I haven’t got a bloody clue to be honest – how’d it come to this?”

“I can answer that with one word Red, suitable,” Nick chuckled a little and remained seated, his feet still tapping thoughtfully. “You fit the bill, a sinful life leads you to this point and the Powers that Be decided to point the Lottery Finger of love in your direction – congratulations Red – it’s you.”

Her nose wrinkled and she gave a huffy snort. “Wonderful,” the woman gave him one of her trademark pouts and then muttered. “Anyway, back to business. We can’t handle the investigation on our own – there’s no one here that wants to save their world even though the realms are tied together, the chaotic nature of Hell means they just don’t care.”

“I can understand that, no much has changed in that respect – but I can sense it wasn’t for want of trying,” Nick said sympathetically and drew out cigarette to examine it. “You think it’s one of yours that is trying to bring about the resurrection of the Titans?”

“There are some pretty lunatic bozos in Hell but we’re pretty certain that if it’s not one of ours directly, it’s indirect influence – you know no one even cares about the non-intervention rules any longer, not since the two worlds freely mixed,” Red looked out of her window again across at the bloody sky and plumes of smoke and fire. “I need the help of Heaven on this one, you’re the CIA’s best agent and it seems that woman with you is the best bet for a representative from their world.”

“Well, no one wants those things unleashed again – if the Gods of Olympus weren’t asleep – I’d be tempted to pay a social call,” Nick made a hmm sound at the back of his throat and stood up. “Of course…that’s assuming that one of those Gods isn’t behind the whole thing?” He stroked his chin in thought.

“You might be on to something there Mr. Winter,” Red smiled a little and gave him a wink. “See I told you, you /are/ the best.”

“We’ll see,” Winter replied candidly and turned to leave the office. “I’ll drop by Olympus and see if anyone’s home. Don’t leave town Red – I may need your help if this goes pear-shaped.”

She laughed softly and gave him a tiny wave. “Like I could leave this place, this is my job remember Mister CIA agent.”

“I remember.”

“Be careful Nick. I don’t like this one bit.”

“Careful is my middle name,” he shot back, took his hat and adjusted its angle before pushing the double-doors open and encountering a moody looking Cross.

“How’d the tête-à-tête go with miss ‘legs to yaya’,” the other woman said acidly as her new partner appeared from out of the office.

“Red’s an old friend,” Nick heard himself say and thrust his hands into his long coat. “Saddle up sweetheart we’ve got a lot of ground to cover and if you thought this place was nuts, you’ve seen nothing yet.”

“You didn’t answer my question Nick?” She tried a different approach and it earned her a wan smile.

“The result of our conversation could spell doom for your world and ours, any more questions?”

“Yes, just one?”

“What is it?”

“Are you fraggin serious?”

“I wish I wasn’t,” he said and pushed the elevator button with a finger. “I’ll brief you on the way, but first we have to make a tiny detour.”

“Ok, back up a second Mister, can the cryptic bullshit,” Cross snorted and stood across the elevator door. “We’re not moving till I get a straight answer!”

“Trust me; you’re not going to like it.”

“Let me be the judge of that,” she tried to cajole but the stubborn Winter refused to say anything else for now.

“I’m sorry Sam, I can’t tell you, not here – too many eyes and ears,” he gestured to the very walls which were covered in small beady eyes.

“Shit!” she stepped out of the way and he pushed her into the lift with him. “This place freaks me out.”

“You should try living here or better still working here, have some heart for Red, she’s got the lovely job of keeping a lid on all the psychos in this place,” Nick hit the down button and the elevator rocketed downwards in a slew of fire.

Samantha shoved her back to the wall and took a few deep breaths. “Ok, you win for now, but the first time we’re out of this place you’re going to tell me everything.”

“Deal,” he said candidly.

There's more to come, but that should keep ye going for now.

[JenGe]

I don't have time to read this right now since I'm heading out the door for Universal Studio's (again.) Anway, I should have sometime tomorrow...can't wait!!!! Maybe late tonight!!