Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
View
Sun 15th Sep 2024 02:21

84. Working long hours

by Lady Leticia Scarlet-Bloesembhel Voetdhel-Montaneus

Scarlet stood before the large chalkboard in her office, the names of witnesses and leads sprawled across it. With a piece of chalk, she briskly crossed out two names. “Alright,” she began, her voice calm but laced with tension, “Jenkins and Matthias have confirmed. Their families are secured, so they’ll comply.” She turned toward Ciel, her ever-reliable assistant. “Ciel, submit the care packages. We need to relocate their families for their own safety. That was their demand if they were to testify. Make sure they have startup funds, too.”
 
Ciel gave a quick nod, scribbling down notes. “On it.”
 
Scarlet shifted her attention to Mr. Porter, who was standing with a sending stone in his hand. “Where are we on the other two?” she asked, already fearing the answer. Mr. Porter set the stone down, his face darkening with frustration. “No update yet. My operators say they’re still missing.”
 
Mrs. Karmela frowned as she flipped through a stack of papers, her left eye twitching in discomfort. “Then it’s as we feared. The Windemere's likely got to them.” She slumped in her seat.
 
Before Scarlet could react Mr Porter was comforting her and she could hear him whisper, "You did all you could. We weren't fast enough to move them." Mrs Karmela nodded, looking glum.
 
Scarlet clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to curse aloud. Instead, she drained the last of her coffee, the bitterness matching her mood. With bleary eyes, she glanced at the gown hanging behind her dress. “Yep. Knew it. I won’t be making it to the ball,” she muttered to herself before turning back to her team. “Do we have any leads?”
 
A member of her crew hesitated, then raised his hand. “We’ve heard rumors of some... indiscretions. Possible disappearances. They might be tied to the Windemere's.”
 
“Good,” Scarlet replied with a sharp nod. “Follow up on that. We need every shred of evidence we can get.”
 
Ciel, still buried in her paperwork, spoke up without looking. “Cardinal’s official list is almost ready. We’re just waiting on a few confirmations.”
 
“Why all the extra work?” another team member asked, her brow furrowed.
 
Scarlet sighed, leaning against the desk. “Because it’ll be useful. I don’t know what Cardinal’s planning, but I don’t trust the Windemere head one bit. The more I dig into their family, the worse it gets. Even if we don’t get everything, I’m going to make sure Cardinal get's my full support and he’s hampered every step of the way. It is my hope that she'll be able to take that horrid family down.”
 
As Scarlet finished speaking, the room buzzed with activity. Several sending stones flared to life, filling the space with a flurry of missives. Scarlet barely had a moment to process before the steady hum of her team shifted into a full-blown storm of coordination. Messages were delivered, orders were given, and her crew sprang into action—each person managing their role with the practiced efficiency of a well-oiled machine. While the nobility waltzed through the ball, oblivious to the undercurrent of danger, Scarlet and her team were hard at work, pulling threads that could hopefully help unravel the Windemere family’s web.
 
The world outside spun on as usual, but within these walls, the stakes were painfully clear.
 
During a rare lull, Scarlet wandered over to her desk, her gaze falling on the finely tailored dress hanging nearby. Sighing softly, she ran a hand over the fabric before whispering, "I'm sorry, Auntie. I know you wanted me to wear it, but I don't think I'll have the time. There’s more important work right now." She closed the dust cover over the dress, sealing it from sight. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten in hours. She quickly grabbed a small meal, chewing absentmindedly as she observed the controlled chaos around her.
 
The meeting table was buried under an avalanche of papers, notes, and case files. People moved in and out, updating the chalkboard with new leads, while fresh reports were pinned to the cork wall. Scarlet weaved through a small group in a heated discussion about procedural details. "Hold on," she interjected, her voice firm but steady. "Remember, everything needs to be done by the book. We can’t risk having any of this evidence thrown out in court. Adrianna you take point. This is closest to your specialty." The trio nodded and moved to disperse as soon as they were given their updated files.
 
Her words settled other arguments, and the teams continued with renewed focus. They worked tirelessly, pushing well past evening into the early hours of the morning. The second shift had arrived, taking over seamlessly from the exhausted first team.
 
Finally, Scarlet allowed herself a brief moment of respite. “I’ll just catch a quick nap,” she muttered, sinking into her office chair. Her cot was already occupied by Mr. Porter, snoring softly, while Mrs. Karmela dozed in a meeting room chair. Ciel left for home, wanting to check on her chicks and husband.
 
Scarlet rested her head on her desk, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. "Just a short nap," she promised herself, her mind still racing with unfinished tasks. "There’s so much left to do..."
 
Before she knew it, sleep claimed her, but even in her dreams, the weight of her mission lingered, pulling at her thoughts.

Continue reading...

  1. 01. Settling in
  2. 02. Fist Fight at a fancy Ball
  3. 03. It's a Lion not a 'Cat'
  4. 04. Patron's tea and dance
  5. 05. The escort job
  6. 06. Update: Today's purchase list
  7. 07. Escort for Bella and the Loot King
  8. 08. Sirens and a chase in town
  9. 09. Got abducted again
  10. 10. Jams and Jellies
  11. 11. New Dog
  12. 12. Guards in the Trees
  13. 13. Temple Visit
  14. 14. New Pup & Outing
  15. 15. Training exercises
  16. 16. Fighting over an idol
  17. 17. Jobs galore
  18. 18. New stationary
  19. 19. A small visit
  20. 20. Slaps and shows
  21. 21. Today's meal
  22. 22. Homesick
  23. 23. Lanterns in the sky
  24. 24. Baby in the park
  25. 25. The Heist
  26. 26. Update: Guild
  27. 27. Mines and Traps
  28. 28. New clothes
  29. 29. I made Journeyer!
  30. 30. Investment shopping
  31. 31. The Pit (fights)
  32. 32. Ghosts of the past
  33. 33. Unexpected ending in a Play
  34. 34. Today's meal
    https://www.worldanvil.com/hero/journal/1aa083c5-ae1f-4624-a724-197a3f8704e3/view
  35. 35. Spies and secrets
  36. 36. Wanted: Three Hand Gang (WED)
  37. 37. Well it's official
  38. 38. Hags and stones
  39. 39. Death and visitations
  40. 40. the shell game
  41. 41. Anger and plots
  42. 42. The jobs so far
  43. 43. (Doodles)
  44. 44. Meetings and Partings
  45. 45. Double checking
  46. 46. An office Scene
    8/01/2023
  47. 47. An(other) office Scene
  48. 48. Paperwork
  49. 49. Behind the curve
  50. 50. Notes and notation
  51. 51. Cake and notes
  52. 52. Paperwork on the high seas
  53. 53. Pics and notes
  54. 54. A small talk
  55. 55. Small notes
  56. 56. The Dressmaker
  57. 57. (food)
  58. 58. Notes
  59. 59. Putting the clues together
  60. 60. Notes
  61. 61. Tea cakes (& slights)
  62. 62. Updates
  63. 63. Board Meetings during battles
  64. 64. Updates
  65. 65. Field command
  66. 66. I am okay
  67. 67. Mountains of paperwork
  68. 68. Needed Vacation
  69. 70. A note
  70. 71. An update
  71. 72. Dissapointment
  72. 73. Notes
  73. 74. Journal entry
  74. 75. Ledgers
  75. 76. Food
  76. 77. An update
  77. 78. A thought
  78. 79. Basking in Dusk's light
  79. 80. A note
  80. 81. A letter home
  81. 82. A dream/a journal entry
  82. 83. An update
  83. 84. Working long hours
  84. 85. A dream, a memory
  85. 86. A meeting
  86. 87. The ride home

Find your way!

Resources

WHO WE ARE

LEGAL

Get the news

Listen to our Podcast

Our Allies

Dungeon Fog
Gold Ennie 2019 for Best Digital Aid
by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:41, Nov 15 2024