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I let Katja in and tell her that the Bossman called and suggested that we get down to the ship for some pictures and quotes.
"I am inclined to run with the first hint of conspiracy that we here. First, I think Hugh wants that sort of thing. Second, I have found that there usually is some kind of conspiracy."
"I think Walter had some contraband and switched it to another ship. The folks who picked it up probably killed the crew and thought Walter would be there at the time. Walter is probably looking over his shoulder for hitmen."
"Do we know when the crew was last seen alive?"
Don't get too paranoid on me Eastman, you'll send me into a paranoid frenzy, and none of us want that. I'm assuming the last time the crew was seen was when their boat left. But, you know what they about assuming...when you assume you make an ASS out of...um...yourself. Right? Right.
We got to get on that boat. We need the pictures and we need the story. And I think that the story is on that boat.
Katja, were you ever a cat burgler or a catwoman or anything related to cats and criminal activity? Cause that would help us right now.
6:40 p.m.
As the day begins to wind down, so too the activity on the dock. Gone are all of the police cars, save one. Gone are almost all of the new's Reporters. There is yellow police tape on the ramp leading up to the ship. Some distance away, a lone light turns on in the only other ship in the port.
As the three companions approach the dock area, it is apparent that soon all will be deserted... or nearly so...
"Dudes," says Katja, sotto voce, "I don't mind admitting that I don't know what the France I'm doing here. This all got weird, real quick. I mean, I have a mandate from El Jefe to get shots from inside the boat - but - I don't know, man! I mean, what makes 12 people disappear all at once? If this is like some drug deal gone bad, or smuggling or whatever- wouldn't going on board the-boat-in-question makes us likely targets, too?
"What do y'all think?"
"If we let the cop know that we are here he will probably shoo us away. We might be able to get some pictures of the ship from the dock, though. It is probably considered public space."
"I think that a good shot would be of the single patrol car and the ship. We could spin it that the real story is elsewhere or there would be more than one cop guarding the scene."
"If we want the real story we are going to have to get on the Boucing Skipper."
The docks are pretty big and mostly empty. The police car is not really that close to the ship and the lighting is not great right near the Bouncing Skipper. In fact the lamps nearest the Bouncing Skipper are conspicuosly dark, so that the ship's ramp and the ship's deck are all currently dark. If the policeman was not paying very close attention, it would conceivably be possible to board the ship without being seen.
Approaching the ship from the ocean might also be done unseen if one had a small boat.
"Okay, tell you what - Eastman, Katja, you make your way up into the ship. I'll be right our here on the dock near the gangplank, if you run into any trouble whistle, just like this *whistles like a bluejay*
"If the cops get suspicious I'll just tell them I'm catching a quick smoke and then I'll be on my way, I'll ask them about copping, er, policing, whatever I'll just keep them talking. IF, if it comes down to that.
"Hopefully I'll just get to peacefully smoke my cigarette while you two get some good pictures.
"Either of you got a problem with that?"
"Okay, tell you what - Eastman, Katja, you make your way up into the ship. I'll be right our here on the dock near the gangplank, if you run into any trouble whistle, just like this *whistles like a bluejay*
"If the cops get suspicious I'll just tell them I'm catching a quick smoke and then I'll be on my way, I'll ask them about copping, er, policing, whatever I'll just keep them talking. IF, if it comes down to that.
"Hopefully I'll just get to peacefully smoke my cigarette while you two get some good pictures.
"Either of you got a problem with that?"
"No...that sounds good to me.
"Kenny, if - gods forbid - we DO get caught by the police, I could pretend I'm the bereaved common-law wife of one of the missing crew guys. You're my bud, along for moral support. ~Just if worst comes to worst, you know?"
"Kenny, if - gods forbid - we DO get caught by the police, I could pretend I'm the bereaved common-law wife of one of the missing crew guys. You're my bud, along for moral support. ~Just if worst comes to worst, you know?"
"Worst comes to worst would be me in jail. With my fighting ability I will wind up as somebody's common-law wife."
"Oh well, let's go?"
[/ooc]Do we know the names of any of the missing sailors?[/ooc]
As the trio talked, the sky grew darker and trying to look not particularly guilty of anything, Kenny and Katja sidle over to the gangplank and then hurry up it. Whatever the cop is doing, he is not paying attention to them.
The Bouncing Skipper is a single crane cargo ship, about 324 feet long. It is mostly dark atop the deck but there is some ambient light by which to navigate.
The cabins and the helm are at the rear of the ship, a three story structure, with seperate levels reached via outside stairs.
Katja - resisting the urge to hold Kenny's hand in the midst of incipient creepiness - peers all around.
Katja notices, though the light is dim, that there is a glistening patch of water, near the other side of the deck, and a set of barely visible wet prints leading towards the cabins. It looks suspiciously like someone recently climbed aboard the ship from the water side and then made their way towards the rear of the ship.
Meanwhile, Harvey, standing on the docks as he is, sees a couple of men exiting down the gangplank of the other ship. It is some distance away but that boat is under working lamplights.
Quietly:
"Yeah, let's follow the tracks. ~Hey, you know, I just thought of something. I brought my camera, and I got this here knife [shows Kenny the Bowie knife worn at waist] but I didn't bring anything uh- less escalating, violence-wise. Are you packing anything? Remind me to get a tazer when all this is through. A tazer would be perfect on a night like this."
Quietly:
"Yeah, let's follow the tracks. ~Hey, you know, I just thought of something. I brought my camera, and I got this here knife [shows Kenny the Bowie knife worn at waist] but I didn't bring anything uh- less escalating, violence-wise. Are you packing anything? Remind me to get a tazer when all this is through. A tazer would be perfect on a night like this."
"I am not carrying anything. I assume that I am as useless with weapons as I am with my fists. So if there is trouble I plan to hide behind you. "
"On that note, let's go see what that sound was."
The wet tracks lead up to the second story. There is a faint smell of fish in the air, or perhaps it is the smell of seaweed, drifting off the ocean. The door at the second story is labeled with a bronze plate that reads, “Crew Quarters,” and it is partially opened. No lights are on beyond the door. It is a dark and yawning mouth. Another crash sounds from within.
The wet tracks lead up to the second story. There is a faint smell of fish in the air, or perhaps it is the smell of seaweed, drifting off the ocean.
"Let's take a peek inside. But be better to run for it. You get your camera ready and I will pop my head inside as quietly as possible."
There is a sudden cessation of noise from within the hallway as Kenny pushes the door open. This is no doubt due to the loud squeak made by the hinges of the door, badly in need of an oil. Even with the door open, the presumed hallway beyond appears pitch black.
Pulling out his cell phone, given to him by Hugh Roger's, Kenny pushes the up button and turns on the small light attached. There is a hallway beyond the open door, with two doors on either side of the hallway.
There appears to be red stains on the walls of the hallway and a slightly coppery smell. All is silent beyond.
Pulling out his cell phone, given to him by Hugh Roger's, Kenny pushes the up button and turns on the small light attached. There is a hallway beyond the open door, with two doors on either side of the hallway.
There appears to be red stains on the walls of the hallway and a slightly coppery smell. All is silent beyond.
To Katja: "Let's take the door on the right side. I read that people who walk through mazes do that because the same path is on the right on the way back.
(By the way, most so-called corn-mazes and such in kiddy playgrounds are used to collect data for various groups in the intelligence community. I can show you several articles I wrote about this.)
"Dude, if I at some point grab your hand as we're sneaking along, it means I'm scared, okay, NOT that we're going steady. I'm just giving you forewarning. 'Cuz I might well be grabbing your hand, at some point in the not too distant future.
"Hold up a sec, let me get a shot of these red stains. Three guesses as to what THEY are, and the first two guesses don't count."
Katja readies her flash, takes the best shot she can of the red stains.
Turns back to Kenny. "All right, Maze man. Lead us right, har har."
"Turns back to Kenny. "All right, Maze man. Lead us right, har har."
I approach the door on the right and open it. If nothing kills me immediately I will proceed into the room WITHOUT closing to door. If there are any windows I will NOT flip and light switches. If the room has no windows I will look for a light switch.
There is a window in the room beyond and Kenny does not flip the light switch. The bronze name plate on the door reads "Captain's Quarters," and the room beyond is (or was) indeed someone's living quarters, though in great disarray.
Even the small light makes it clear there are blood stains on the torn bed sheets. A lamp lies smashed on the floor. The drawers have all been pulled out of both desk and dresser. As the light pans around the room, the only thing not obviously out of place is the framed woodprint above the bed. As Kenny's small light glides over it, both Kenny and Katja have a moment of deja vu.
Kenny moves closer to examine the woodprint better. As he has the light, Katja follows.
The print, a depiction of some aquatic entity, is the same as the picture on the front of Grip's little pamphlet.
As they take this in, a door bangs open and there is the sudden sound of movement outside in the hall.
Kenny swings his light around, just in time to catch the back end of a shadowy form fleeing past the open door. The door to outside bangs and then a few seconds later there is a splash.
Whomever was in one of the other rooms has run out of the cabins and has leapt into the ocean below.
The smell of rotting fish wafts into the room.