Noah and Scratch finished their meal and paid the bill. The two walked over to the Brooklyn Bridge. Part of the bridge was closed off for the investigation, but the officers on the case were all S/D members. They checked that both Scratch and Noah were who they said they were with the watches they carried as I.D. The two were let through and saw a cat and a squirrel already there. The squirrel greeted the wolf and fox. “Hello Noah” Bradley nodded towards the wolf. “Bradley, I haven’t dragged you away from anything important have I?” Noah smiled again making both Bradley and Scratch shiver. That smile had primal quality that struck some sort of chord in the duo’s minds, and loins. “Nothing much. Just some of the same cloak and dagger, and who is this?” Bradley said referring to Scratch. Scratch gave a salute “Scratch sir, I’m the enforcer assigned to assist you.” The fox noted that there was a cat near the fence that blocked the walkway from the river. The cat looked up and in his hands were a plumb line of great length and some notes. “Deon, Noah’s here and he brought an enforcer named Scratch” Bradley said. The cat stood up and walked over to the group. “Ah yes I’ve heard good things about him” the cat said about the fox. Scratch straightened his posture at this. “So Deon what were you doing?” Noah asked. Deon was an infiltrator, a person who could get into anywhere. However people didn’t realize how much math was needed to actually ensure the best chance of success. Deon swung the plumb line around “Calculating the chances of that runaway actually surviving his jump.” “And your conclusions?” Noah asked. “If we take into account the runaway’s weight, the river’s water level and velocity, and the air resistance here there’s a twelve percent chance that he survived.” Deon said. “Well might we’ve better check the morgues then” Bradley said “Unharmed” Deon continued speaking. At everyone’s confused look at the cat infiltrator, he went on to explain. “Listen when I have to gain access to a target I have to calculate the path that has the least amount of chance of being seriously hurt. There’s no point in getting into the target you’re in no condition to execute the mission.” “Then Deon what’s the chances of Ben surviving a jump from this bridge?” Noah asked. “Actually the odds of surviving a jump from the bridge that day are actually seventy-seven percent.” Deon said. “That is to say judging from the information that was given it’s a sure thing that this Ben is really alive if not exactly in good condition.” “Then it would be better for us to search for any instances of medical emergencies in the area.” Noah said “Especially in New Jersey.” The squirrel, wolf and cat looked at the wolf oddly. “What? The runaway is likely to be desperate, and what’s more desperate than getting medical attention in New Jersey?” The three other agents nodded at this, Bradley went to check the medical records in the area, and Deon went to perform some more calculations. Noah went to interview the police with Scratch. They needed to hurry, every hour meant another clue could be washed away or forgotten. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steven had passed the time by observing other exhibits of art at the Metropolitan. Eventually however the number of people that were crowding the “Mysteries of Art” exhibit eventually thinned. Then Steven could go inside with little trouble or shoving. There were many interesting and inexplicable pieces of art on display. However what was the art piece that was the reason for Steven’s visit was lying under glass on a small dais. It was a book, and its name was the Voynich Manuscript. It was an unusual document of vibrant and detailed illustrations that seemed to refer to various celestial bodies, plant life, biology all with an incomprehensible script and language. The best code breakers had attempted and failed to divine any meaning from this text or what language it belonged too. There were fold out diagrams colored in mind boggling hues. Some thought it was an elaborate hoax to the historical academic world. Still the truth was much stranger than the fiction that arose around it. The white wolf observed the security in the room; it was a basic room with two entry ways. Three windows that were locked overlooked a drop of two stories with several trees below. Steven kept track of the cameras in the room and made a mental note to find the particular spot this room overlooked. The wolf went closer to the dais and spotted several sensors near the text. Also part of the room’s décor included several potted plants. He kept all these details in his head as he moved on through the exhibit. Then Steven left the museum and walked around back into Central Park. He tried his best to keep out of the range of most of the cameras and noted their positions. The wolf found the area that was outside the room where the Voynich Manuscript was. He made some notes on the distance between plants and the window’s height. Also any cameras that pointed in that direction were also noted. After Steven made some mental calculations in his head, he left the area. Steven needed to make some preparations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Noah, Deon and Scratch were seated around a table and there were various notes between them. “Now from my calculations while the currents were strong at that particular day, they should not have been strong enough to sweep Ben if he survived into the ocean.” Deon had scribbled a diagram of currents and water flow onto a map of the surrounding area of the east river. “Also from the amount of strength that Ben likely had and his track record from before there is a sixty percent chance that he was able to reach New Jersey.” At that moment Bradley burst into the room the three were in. “Bad news everyone, no medical personnel in the New York or New Jersey area has had any patients that fitted Ben’s description.” “Not even the back alley doctors?” Noah asked raising his eyebrow. “Give me some credit Noah, I’ve even made sure they weren’t lying.” Bradley licked his lips, if there was one thing that was fun about his job; it was the ‘special’ interrogations that he performed. “Then given that this Ben has vanished off the radar, even when it’s likely he needs medical attention and the sheer number of members in the area, I have to conclude that Ben is now involved with another group.” Noah said. “Noah, what makes you believe that?” Scratch asked his tone doubtful of this idea. The black wolf began to write on the map. “First even if someone survives a fall from that height that person will be heavily injured. Second no available medical practitioner legitimate, back alley or one of our members has supplied Ben with any medical assistance. Third since no body has shown up as well, we can assume that someone has gotten to Ben before we did. Now the only question is who? Is it the DOD, that resistance group that has started up, or maybe…?” Noah paused. “What?” Scratch said. “No, nothing that I’m cleared to tell you right now” Noah said “We’ll focus on DOD for now, since Ben was assisting them. There’s another enforcer division on that resistance, Bradley get us information on DOD members, Deon get started on infiltrating their headquarters. Scratch you go and requisition as many enforcers as you can. As for me I’ll need to make a call.” Each member went off to perform his specific task. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Steven wandered around New York for a simple reason. If his plan was going to work, the wolf needed a certain thing. Money, for there was some things that just couldn’t be scavenged from the street. However in a big city like New York where prices skyrocketed in this modern era, earning money required a job, leaving traces and taking time. However dollar bills were made, not of paper as many people thought but a blend of cotton and other materials. Steven could detect objects that had the same composition as paper money. However it was useless for coins for they were made of metal. Still Steven was surprised at the scope of cash people dropped, forgot, or plain stupidly stashed away. It was enough for Steven to go out and buy the things that he needed, seeds from certain plants, bottled water, fertilizer, different types of glass vials and bottles, a mortar and pestle, and to the wolf’s great delight in the advancement of photography, an instant camera. Instant cameras still hadn’t completely died out in the rise of digital cameras. There was something nostalgic about being able to take a picture and instantly have it in your hand that prevented this type of camera from dying out. To Steven however it was a refreshing new novelty of the time. He stashed the objects away in Central Park, and he was confident that nobody, except a lumberjack could take them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Noah was in his hotel room and he was calling on his cell phone, a particular special number that connected to an encrypted line. The black wolf waited as the dial tone sounded and then there was a click and a voice appeared on the cell. “Yes?” “We may have a problem” Noah said to the voice. On the other side of that line was Julius Taylor, the head boss of S/D. “How so?” “Deon calculated, it’s a near given that Ben would be alive. Not only that we’ve checked the medical records in the area and he hasn’t visited any medical practitioners.” “So what are you trying to say?” Julius said. “It’s likely that he might have joined with another person, we’ll be investigating DOD, are we cleared to do so?” Noah said. “If you believe that would lead you to Ben then by all means do so, just don’t interfere with our efforts in neutralizing DOD.” Julius said as moans were being overheard by Noah in the background. “Very well then” Noah said but there was a pause that made Julius ask if Noah was thinking about Steven. “It’s not just that” Noah admitted “have you closed the investigation on ‘them’?” Julius changed his tone “Why in the world are you asking about that? It isn’t related to your mission right now” “I do have to keep these things in mind, you do agree the possibility is not impossible” Noah said. “True but until you have some evidence the point is moot.” Julius said. “How is the candidate for the sixth wingman coming along?” Noah said. “His chances have improved with his son Jeff’s work…” Julius said. “But he has gone missing of late has he not?” Noah said “It was for that reason he couldn’t be reassigned to me.” “He’s been overworking of late; it has been difficult even for me to get in touch with him. I still need to thank him for retrieving my son and his husband.” Julius said. “So going to thank him ‘personally’?” Noah smirked “Jealous?” Julius said he could feel the wolf on the other side of the phone sticking his tongue out in amusement. “Better give him the ride of his life then if you’re really that grateful” Noah said “Just like the time I ploughed into both you and your husband.” Julius answered with as much dignity as he could “Ha I’ll ride him so rough you’ll be seething with envy.” “I doubt it, good night Julius, I’ll call you if we find anything else.” Noah turned off the cell and collapsed back into the bed of his hotel room. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night had fallen on New York and Steven was safely away deep within Central Park. He needed a few more days to determine the guard patrols of the Metropolitan. It was going to be a wait. Steven hugged himself and tried to get some sleep. He needed to be at his best, the white wolf didn’t need to worry about the rain.