Battle Plan

Litany of Silence – Fragment II

I saw him.

I need that fact to be true. I saw him, not imagined him, not invented a story to make sense of the screams.

He didn’t enter the town like some beast. One moment there was my village, and the next it was gone. Everything was over in what felt like an instant.

He moved like he’d been here before. Not in this place, but in this kind of moment.

I was nearly to the village when I heard the commotion. I don't know if it was him or the ones he was fighting. Maybe it was both. But the whole village was in ruin, flames taking over what remained when I got there.

There were three of them that fought him from what I could tell. One was a Harbinger, that much I know.

Her head was displayed on a pike like a trophy of battle.

All I could hear was the sound of crying and someone choking on his own heartbeat as he bled out. I think it was one of my neighbors.

I didn’t see that things face. I have no clue if it was a man or woman. It could have been a spirit for all I know. I just think it had to be a man, for it is the only way to explain that brutality.

One of the guys remaining from the battle begged for his life. I heard it. “Please.”

The thing paused.

Then the begging man folded in half the wrong way. That thing in a suit of armor bent him backwards like a book, like it was no real challenge. That dying man was probably an Auspex as well, and a powerful one that didn't lose. What kind of beast could kill an Auspex like that with his bare hands...

I stayed behind the entrance, too afraid to move.

It didn’t say anything. Of course it didn’t.

But I remember the moment they turned to leave. He or she walked past me, not even giving me a glance, like destroying my village, my home, was just some side effect of what actually happened.

The world felt taller again. Like it had been holding its breath the whole time they battled.

I think I cried.

If you find this, please heed my warning...

I don’t care what side you’re on. If someone tells you they saw whatever that thing was, run away. Only death follows in its wake.

And if you happen to see that thing, pray for your life and hope it walks past you. But don’t expect it to matter, for that thing does not listen to whatever you have to say, only does what it wants.

Morning – Headquarters

The halls of the Continuity Department were quieter than expected. The scene that they walked into yesterday was a stark contrast to this cool, calm, and collected one in front of them now. Nyra really had a way of roping in the people and keeping it all running smoothly.

Nyra met them shortly after they arrived and led them to a smaller briefing room buried in the eastern wing. It wasn’t lavish like the one they saw yesterday, but it had a locked door and no windows. That seemed to matter the most given the current theory about a mole.

Nyra waited until the door sealed behind them with a soft mechanical click. She sat at the head of the table, arms folded, her usual animated energy coming back as she didn't need to be the leader of the department for a few minutes.

“There are two locations of interest,” she began. “One that you saw yesterday and one not.”

She gestured toward the center of the table where she’d placed two files filled with information about what they needed to know.

Gus reached forward and flipped open the first file, everyone gathering around to look at it.

“The first location is the alley you found me in in the Glassward District. The perpetrators might have left some clues or tracks about where they went, so I would like that to be checked out." She pointed to the other folder. " This one’s a little trickier as it concerns the internal records wing. Specifically, the surveillance room tied to the entire city. Since we know a bit about where to start, you can see if there was some tampering with the recordings around the time of the ambush or leading up to it. If someone in our own department helped orchestrate this, that’s where the best trail will be.”

Nyra tapped her finger on the second file. “This assignment’s better suited for Gus and Willow. Since I will be throwing you into the open, the mole might be one of the staff in that area and they will see that as a problem. However, since you two seem to be good fighters with strength and precision, they would probably think twice before engaging you."

Willow gave a small smirk. “So we’re bait.”

Nyra shrugged, unapologetic. “Sort of, but not really. You will be going over plenty of recordings and records, so you have a role in that regard. I just want them to steer clear of our investigation right now, otherwise we will be even worse off if someone gets injured, or worse, killed."

“If we’re lucky,” Nyra said. “They won’t expect two newcomers to be trusted with access to surveillance oversight. If they panic, you’ll see it. If they try something, you’ll handle it.”

Willow leaned against the table, arms crossed. “And if they try to run?”

“Then capture them. That will be a very strong lead and will help pinpoint where we need to target."

Gus let out a quiet breath, nodding. “Alright. We can do that.”

Nyra tapped the second folder once more. “Keep your eyes open for any odd gaps in footage, record edits, the works and such. If you notice something, start looking at who was in there or had access at the time. Only I can remove logs of who enters, so we can at least see one person at any given time. That doesn't mean that someone else could have let them in, however."

She turned to Joren and Bartholomew now. “As for you two, the alley’s probably left as it was since it's in a quiet residential area. There is likely to be some sort of clue, so be on the lookout."

Bartholomew adjusted a magnifying glass in front of his right eye with an overly dramatic flourish. “Clues are my specialty. I once found a secret turnip smuggling ring just by sniffing the cobblestones.”

Joren glanced at him, unsure whether to believe that or not.

Where the hell did he get a magnifying glass?

Nyra didn’t humor it. “Just keep your eyes open. Scrape marks, fabric threads, ash deposits, anything out of place. If the attackers fled on foot, there’s a chance we’ll catch some overlooked detail"

She stepped away from the table and crossed her arms. “Now, lets get you guys suited up. We can't have an investigation without a costume change!"

Bartholomew gasped theatrically. “Finally! Someone understands the importance of aesthetic.”

Willow looked pleased about a wardrobe change as well, though for different reasons than Bart, probably.

Afternoon – Surveillance Room

Willow adjusted the collar of her department-issued uniform as she walked beside Gus through the corridor. The fabric was stiffer than she liked, and really wasn't her style. It felt like it was constricting. Gus on the other hand looked great in his new uniform. It really accentuated his muscles, making the big loveable idiot a scary looking new staff member to anyone who saw him. It was like a brick wall put on a shirt and said they were a new recruit.

Outside of a few people who saw them yesterday, most of the staff didn't recognize the two, so they passed as surveillance staff quite well.

“Kind of strange,” Gus murmured, glancing at a frosted glass panel etched with the Continuity seal as they walked. “We’re dressed like staff, but no one actually trained us on what to say if someone asks who we are.”

Willow gave a big smile. “Then don’t say much. Just let me handle the talking, I know how to get away with this kind of stuff.”

They passed through the checkpoint with ease. Willow flashed her clearance badge and offered a casual wave to the bored attendant behind the glass. No one asked questions, which kind of concerned them since they prided themselves on integrity and monitoring threats. Perhaps Nyra hooked them up with the real deal stuff so it wasn't something anyone would question.

Once inside, the surveillance room stretched out before them in a quiet semicircle of low hums and glowing monitors. Screens lined the far wall, showing real-time feeds from the city’s streets, government buildings, and other public areas. One person was monitoring the displays, but since not much happened to be looking for, they were lazing around on their chair.

"Oh you must be the new people taking over for me today!" The man said, swiveling in his chair once he heard the door open.

Willow smiled politely, keeping her tone smooth. “That’s us. Sorry we’re a little late, had a clearance hiccup.”

The man, whose badge read Len, gave a shrug. “No worries. It’s been dead quiet today. Frankly, you’re doing me a favor because I was supposed to work a double.” He stood with a stretch, arms overhead, revealing a orange undershirt.

As he moved to grab a coat slung over the back of his chair, Gus wandered toward the file zone, starting to snoop around for wherever the working logs were at, that way he could see who was working during the times around when Nyra was attacked.

Len didn’t seem to notice. “You know,” he continued, “you’d think working in Continuity would pay more, what with all the data handling and protocol stress. But nah. Still barely clears what the basic hunter patrols make.”

Willow tilted her head. “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” Len said, halfway through a yawn. “If you want real money, you gotta go full hunter. Retrieval agents make, like, quintuple what we do. Risky as hell, but if you’ve got the nerves and a decent artifact at your side, you’ll retire in five years with enough money to set your whole family up for life.”

Willow leaned casually against the desk, a frown starting to form to play the part better. “And here I thought staring at cameras all day was the dream.”

“Don’t get me wrong, this gig has its perks. You don't have to risk your life with absolute monsters or get stabbed by crazy cultists, but if you want the prestige and power that comes with being a hunter, or hell, even a fat paycheck, this job isn't even comparable."

Willow gave a small laugh, even though her mind was elsewhere. “I wasn't aware they had such high standing. What kind of prestige do they get?"

Len shrugged, finishing his protein bar that was sitting on the keyboard. “They’re practically celebrities. They get private housing, artifact stipends, first-class transit, even special court exemptions if they screw up bad enough. Kids know their names, merchants give discounts, and if you’re high enough ranked, you get direct audiences with some real bigshots. Some even get offered nobility titles in allied territories if they do good enough.”

He leaned back with a tired grin. “Dangerous as hell, but the world treats you like a hero for life. I don't know anyone who wouldn't sign up for that chance to change their life forever. Makes you wonder how far some people will go to hold onto it."

While they talked, Gus quietly picked up a tablet off a table nearby and searched around until he found a file marked Operator Entry Logs. He scrolled through a few folders until he found one labeled with the correct week, then set it aside for later.

Len left not long after that, making some small talk with the new recruit Willow as a sort of experienced old-timer imparting wisdom. Willow went through the old recordings of when Nyra was ambushed, but as they suspected, it was blacked out on several cameras at the same time.

Gus tapped the tablet again, flipping back to the operator entry logs as he brought it to Willow. His brow furrowed.

“Here,” he said, keeping his voice low. “This is the guy who was logged in during the timeframe of Nyra’s ambush. He clocked out right two hours after the footage blacks out."

Willow leaned in. “This guy looks like he could be a lead, lets flag that. Lets check the camera for this room to see if it was the same guy."

“That’s weird,” she muttered as she looked through the camera logs and the screens currently running. “The internal camera for the surveillance room is listed as inactive on the present recording screens. It was disabled six days ago according to this old log.” Willow’s expression darkened, voice slowing down. “Right before the ambush.”

Gus crossed his arms. “So someone blacked out the screens and another person cut existing cameras. That makes one a surveillance staff and one a technician staff..."

Willow tapped the screen one last time, then leaned back with a soft sigh. “Let’s keep digging. The more we find now, the easier it’ll be to connect the threads when we regroup.”

Gus gave a quiet nod, already flipping through another set of entry records.

The hum of machines filled the room again.

Behind them, just past the window of the door they came in through, a shadow shifted slightly. A figure stood there, motionless, watching them work.