Thread: Empire - City of Lost Cause (Black_Out and meomeo)

Henry Shattenkirk strolled into the office just a few minutes after Vallie had made herself comfortable in the lobby on one of two uncomfortable metal framed chairs with meager hard plastic back support. His worn black leather briefcase swung about faintly in the grasp of his left hand while his right hand balanced a cardboard cup of coffee with a thin plastic cap. Morning Sue. He greeted the receptionist with a modest smile as the glass entry door swung shut behind him. Is my eight o'clock... He didn't bother finishing the question as his eyes caught sight of Vallie sitting off to the side. Oh, good morning, Miss Olsen, right this way. He gave her a brief nod as he looked her over before he turned and stepped towards the wooden paneled door of his office and set his briefcase down on the floor in front of the door. With a turn of the aluminum knob he swung the door open to his tiny little cozy office space and stooped down to gather back up his briefcase. Have a seat in front of my desk Miss Olsen. His head did a quick dip towards the open doorway, and after she had entered he followed her in and closed the door behind them. Thanks for being able to make it on such short notice. He gave her brief smile as he walked past her on the way to his work station. It was kept nice and tidy, free of any unnecessary clutter. A small stack of papers sat on one corner with a neon pink rock with a broad smile painted on it that served as a paper weight. Pens and pencils jutted out from a simple plastic cup that had smaller open compartments where thumbtacks and paper clips sat in their separate bins waiting to be used. The copper frame of a family portrait was nestled next to it, showing off a picture of him, his redheaded wife and their young freckle faced ginger haired daughter. Most prominent of all though was the computer monitor which was turned away from Vallie's line of sight. Shortly after the coffee cup had been settled down on the desk, Henry followed and lowered himself into his grey swiveling office chair. The wheels of it rolled slightly as he scooted over just a tad to look past the decent sized obstruction of the monitor as he quietly regarded Vallie for a moment. O h fuck, this is not good, she doesn't even look like she has the slightest clue why she's here. He pushed the passing thought aside as he let his fingertips curl around the warm edges of the cardboard vessel containing his coffee. There's been an incident, or rather a slew of them. He watched her closely as his fingers rotated the cup about in a slow circle. We need you in Empire City, immediately. He thought about pausing to let her reply, but quickly thought better of it . Two of the members of our team have gone missing, the Crimson Marauder, and Curb Appeal. As for the rest, well they are in the hospital under intensive care. Your the only one we have left, Vallie, so we need you to go there and investigate, per our contractual agreement. Arrangements for your travel have been made, you'll be on the next train out of DC. I'll send a file along with you with all the pertinent information we have and my personal cell phone number. We booked you a room at one of the Super Eight's in the Market District and opened up an expense account for you to make use of Alright, let her digest. He found himself thinking as he pulled the cup of coffee up from the desk and took a short sip. Thin brows shifted as the warm caffeinated beverage was placed back down upon the smooth top of his desk. If you have any questions, now is the time for them. I know, it's all rather sudden, so take your time, your train doesn't leave until ten am. He glanced away from her as he reached down and plopped the briefcase on top of the desk and snapped it open. You do have your things, with you, right, like your hammer? His eyes were busy looking into the opened leather case as he drew out a tan folder stuffed with papers. If not, no big deal, we can ship them to your room via next day air, or something. Finally his gaze worked back over to her as his hand pushed the folder across the table towards her. Everything you need is in there, your ticket, reservation, your debit card and all the notes on what we know so far. Henry Shattenkirk exhaled a deep breath as he leaned his weight back into his chair and placed his hands behind his head. He did his best to try to look casual about all of this, to not let that wrinkle of worry crossing above his brows startle the woman as he waited to hear what she had to say. Last edited Oct 28, 2018