Archive for January, 2009
Tuesday Update….Part 1 of Episode 4
I realize it’s been a while since i started a new episode so i am happy to have the next piece ready. In an effort to grow and develop, i am experimenting with a slightly different story format. Instead of having a very clearly defined puzzle section to each story at the end, this next episode will introduce the mystery early on and progress alongside the rest of the character stuff.
This way i hope to be able to make the mysteries more complex, with more clues and whatnot. The episodes will probably end up being somewhat longer than before as well. Hopefully this will lead to more content per post. I also realized i had gone some time without any Greek Mythology references so in future outlines i am putting more effort to working them in. Hope you enjoy it, and as always let me know what you think.
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Cerberus Bay Episode 4
Detective Tarman stood motionless, face stern as stone, hands clasped behind his back in a regimental posture. “All right men this is it. You are moments away from witnessing first hand the wildest and most savage animals in all of Cerberus Bay. Don’t let them get to you, don’t let them rattle you, don’t let them see your morbid fascination. There is a reason we keep them behind bars. Given half a chance some of them would literally tear you apart and eat you for breakfast, but don’t worry. I’ll be right there every step of the way, and in the end it is my hope that you will leave with a great deal of valuable information. Now, are you ready?”
The detective looked down into the wide eyed stares of ten year old Eric and twelve year old Jacob. Both boys wore broad smiles of anticipation and nodded eagerly at their father’s inquiry. The detective couldn’t maintain his rigid act any longer and broke out into a grin at their enthusiasm, “Then let’s get to it. There are plenty of things to see and I want to have time to show you everything.”
Leading the way, Detective Tarman and his sons strolled beneath a high arching sign that read, “Cerberus Bay Zoo.”
“I am serious about staying together.” Added the detective as they entered the crowd, “And don’t get to close to the monkey cages.”
Hades hung up the phone and circled an address in his phone book. He wasn’t sure if he should be smiling or frowning. His stomach decided all the emotional indecision needed a bit of nausea and Hades groaned in discomfort as he stood from his over stuffed chair and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.
Holding his glass aloft, Hades toasted his refrigerator
“To success.”
When finished, he returned to his chair and stared at the phone once more. This time he wouldn’t need the phone book’s assistance. His eyes shifted from the phone to his ankle bracelet. It wasn’t worth the risk. With no more delay, Hades dialed the Cerberus Bay Police Department. It rang several times before a voice answered, but it wasn’t the one he was expecting.
“Officer Kat Price speaking.”
Hades paused, suddenly feeling like he was standing in a mine field,
“Is Detective Tarman available?”
“The Inspector is out of his office today, I can take a message if you would like.”
Hades wondered if he should just hang up and try again later, but a part of him was determined, “I suppose I can do that, this is Hades, tell him I…”
“Who?” the voice on the other end of the phone rose several octaves.
“I said this is Hades, just tell…”
Before he could finish his sentence there was a click and the phone went dead leaving Hades gazing perplexed into the receiver.
Inside the detective’s office Kat dropped the phone and stared at it like it had suddenly turned into a ticking bomb. Mouth ajar, she sat frozen, the look in her eyes trying to decide which color wire to cut. Dillon passed by and noticed his sister’s expression.
“Is everything all right? You look a little rattled.”
“He was on the phone.” She said in a whisper as if Hades could still hear her.
With all the miscreants running around Cerberus Bay, threats and taunts from criminals were not uncommon, and Dillon matched his sister’s serious posture,
“Who was it? Who was on the phone?”
“Hades.”
Dillon’s tone went flat, “Hades…”
Kat nodded, eyes still on the phone.
Dillon took a deep breath, “What did he want?”
“To speak with Inspector Tarman.”
“Obviously, why else would he call the Inspector’s phone?”
His comment earned him a look of disdain, “Actually I don’t know what he wanted.”
Now Dillon looked confused, “Why not?”
Kat squirmed in her seat, “I guess I hung up before he could say much of anything beyond his name.”
“Won’t it be difficult to take messages for the inspector if you hang up before anyone gets a chance to speak?”
“I don’t hang up on everyone.” Snapped Kat, “I just didn’t know what to say.”
“You talk, listen, and respond, how hard is that?”
“I don’t know. The inspector talks to him, I’m not supposed to talk to him, am I?.” she said.
Dillon could only stare, “You are if he calls the Inspector’s phone and you answer it.”
“But the inspector isn’t here.”
“That’s why you take a message.” said Dillon throwing up his arms in exasperation. Kat’s face scrunched up and she turned back to the phone, “Well if he had anything important to say I’m sure he would have called back by now.”
As the last word left her lips the phone on the desk rang again. Both pairs of eyes locked onto the appliance loudly demanding their attention. Another ring blared and still no one moved.
“Well?” said Dillon, “Are you going to answer it or not?”
Kat remained paralyzed as the third ring sounded, “You answer it.” With a heavy sigh and some eye rolling, Dillon reached across the desk and snatched the receiver.
“Cerberus Bay Police department this is Officer Dillon Price.”
Hades raised an eyebrow, “Are the two of you taking turns?”
There was a tight chuckle on the other end, “No, my counterpart merely stepped away and asked me to fill in briefly.”
Hades knew what that meant and suddenly wished he had a camera in the police department, “Right, and what chance do I have of leaving a message with you?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“Just tell the detective I’ll be paying a visit to one of the local banks and to please refrain from calling in the national guard.” His message delivered, Hades hung up before Dillon could respond. All set to go, he speed dialed a taxi service and went to sit on his porch.
Dillon held the phone to his ear several moments after hearing the click on the other end.
“Right, I’ll be sure to tell her.”
Kat’s eyes swelled to the size of golf balls, “Tell her what?”
Dillon casually set down the phone and scribbled Hades actual message on a scrap of paper, “He said not to be surprised if your things start to turn up missing.”
A rush of blood filled her cheeks that would have given Rudolph’s nose a run for its money, “He did not. Did he?”
Dillon shrugged, “I guess you’ll never know. Maybe next time you volunteer to take messages for the inspector you actually will.”
Kat prepared to unleash fury upon her brother when he held up his finger like a librarian and the words halted in her mouth. Flipping open his phone, he punched a few numbers.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I have a message to pass along, remember?”
The crowds at the zoo predictably ebbed and flowed among the popular exhibits and the detective tried to map out a path that would catch them at the best times for his kids to see. At the time of their last visit the boys had been in diapers, and seeing their fresh enthusiasm was even more enjoyable for Detective Tarman than seeing the actual animals. So far the reptile house was the unanimous favorite, but the detective had saved what he considered to be the best exhibit for last.
“Where are we going next?” asked Eric, hopping with every word like the simple syllables were literally exploding from his toes all the way out his mouth.
The detective smiled, “To see the lions.”
“Lions!” chorused both boys and each was immediately transported to a magical safari in their minds.
Tarman’s smile intensified and his voice became mysterious, “But this exhibit isn’t showing any old lions, one of them is different.”
“Different?” the boys continued to speak in unison.
“Mmm, the central attraction is a lion so enormous, and so fierce it reminds people of the beasts of myth, and that’s why the zoo gave it a special name, ‘The Nemean Lion’
“The Nemean Lion…”
Tarman chuckled at the sound of his sons, it was like being followed by a personal echo.
The display was around the next bend, and the detective’s own blood began to pump faster. He loved going to see the Nemean Lion and was looking forward to sharing the experience with Eric and Jacob. A typically large crowd was assembled around the elevated fence making it impossible to see into the exhibit. He wasn’t surprised. Rarely was there a time when you could immediately catch a clear glimpse of the hulking lion. The three of them picked up the pace and merged with the back end of the crowd, slowly worming their way forward to the fence. The throng of people was buzzing, and Detective Tarman frowned. The awe of silence was what he had expected, but instead he was met by the chattering of a hundred unintelligible side conversations. He tried to filter them out, but the onslaught began to provide him with little bits of information. Something wasn’t right with the Nemean Lion. The detective pushed harder, eager to see into the display, but when he and his sons finally arrived at the overlook, they found the area below empty. The fabricated environment was vibrant as ever, except there were no lions. Turning to an equally disappointed bystander, the detective asked,
“Where are the lions?”
The man shrugged, “No idea, rumor is someone stole the Nemean Lion.”
“What?” exclaimed the detective.
Before he could fire another question, his phone rang. Angrily flipping it open he said,
“Yea what is it? What? Which branch? Never mind it doesn’t matter. Because he is wearing a tracking device. Don’t worry about him, right now I need you and Kat down at the Nemean Lion exhibit at the zoo. I’ll go pick up Hades.”
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