Speaker 1: Ispet Archives has adult language and violence and is not
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Speaker 2: For listening, Chapter twenty one, Dark Deals.
Speaker 3: As the Welcome to Chicago's sign whizzed by his window,
Marcus felt a sense of relief. Despite the less than
ideal circumstances, there was something about returning to the city
that felt right to him. The past few months in
the countryside had been a monotonous drag, well save for
the times he and Emily exploded stuff with the Chaos
Magic or when they were attacked by the Shifter, so
only mostly a drag. He leaned against the rear passenger
side door, stretching his legs out, which earned him a
disapproving scowl from Detective Bullard in the rear view mirror.
That man was infuriatingly arrogant. In response, Marcus shot a
dirty look at the detective and then closed his eyes.
Sprawling across the back seat, his thoughts turned toward the detective,
where Marcus was the embodiment of misfortune. Bullard had to
be the luckiest son of a bitch there was. How
does one just randomly drive half way across the country
and simply stumble onto his targets? It was bullshit. That
man has likely never experienced real struggles, or there was
something else at play. Either way, you don't trust a
man like that. A jolt shook him as the car
hit a speed bump, his head slamming against the door.
Stupid road construction. The asshole detective probably did that on
purpose too. Marcus was sore enough. His body was already
a map of injuries. He didn't need more. Remembering the
wounds that riddled his body, Marcus adjusted his bound hands
to rest upon his bruised side. The fights with the
shifter had taken a toll. Although Emily's had healed his
broken ribs and the gashes in his left leg, his
body was still bruised and sore in over a dozen places.
He was so freaking uncomfortable, and the stupid zip ties
that Bullet had strapped on were biting into his wrists.
He opened his eyes just in time to catch Bullard
checking a text message on his phone. Of course, hypocritical
cop texting and driving. Could the detective be any more cliche?
Marcus was about to make a biting remarked for the
detective when Emily mumbled a curse from the front seat.
Speaker 4: Damn it, are you okay?
Speaker 5: I just started calling Amber again. No, luck, No, and
I'm getting really worried.
Speaker 6: I'm sure everything's fine.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't think so.
Speaker 6: And ask what you thought?
Speaker 4: Look, something is off.
Speaker 5: What did you see something?
Speaker 7: No, not a vision or anything. My gut just feels
like something is wrong.
Speaker 6: Knocking off being an asshole.
Speaker 4: That's rich coming from you.
Speaker 6: Seriously, there's no reason to believe.
Speaker 7: Something's wrong except my intuition.
Speaker 8: You shut up, Rick, Emily. Look, I'm sure it's nothing.
David said he'd check on Amber after a shift at
the station. I'm sure he stopped by and they're just shooting.
Speaker 6: The shit or something.
Speaker 5: Is that who's been messaging you?
Speaker 8: No, that's someone else. But I had to try reaching
Davis about fifteen minutes ago. It went to his voicemail.
It's fine, I'm sure he'll give me a call when
he's finished. He's good at checking in.
Speaker 5: Unless something bad happened to both of them too.
Speaker 6: Sure, I have a knack for seeing the glass half empty.
Speaker 5: Huh, if you only knew the half of it.
Speaker 6: Davis is one of the best. He's not gonna let
someone get the jump on it.
Speaker 5: I wish September and Hastings would answer their phones.
Speaker 8: What's with those two? Who are they in this grand scheme?
Speaker 7: They're elite supernatural people that are used to dealing with
dangerous organizations like the Countra or that shifter.
Speaker 6: I said, no more bullshit.
Speaker 4: It's not bullshit. You're just too stubborn to listen.
Speaker 6: You know what. I need some fresh air?
Speaker 9: What?
Speaker 5: No, why are we pulling out the road.
Speaker 6: No, it's fine.
Speaker 8: I'm just gonna run into this truck stop and hit
the head for some fresh air.
Speaker 5: We're only half an hour from Amber's apartment.
Speaker 10: Can't you wait?
Speaker 6: No, I'm not going to wait.
Speaker 8: You two are starting to really grind my nerves and
I need a minute apiece without your bullshit fantasy tales
and your conspiracy theories. I've listened to you both prat
a lot for hours and it's exhausting. Now stay in
the car. And remember we're back in Chicago. Now you
make a run for it, I'll have half the city
after you within ten minutes.
Speaker 6: You're lucky.
Speaker 8: I'm the one that found you, whether you want to
believe it or not. So sit tight and behave yourselves.
I'll be right back, Emily.
Speaker 5: I don't trust him, Yeah, I can tell Marcus. I
know you don't like cops, book, could you? At least
he's trying not to provoke him.
Speaker 7: It's not just that he's a cop. There's something else.
There's something off about him.
Speaker 5: I mean, he's been relatively decent as far as cops go.
He's been nice. And you have to admit our story
is a pretty hard one to believe. I wouldn't believe it.
Speaker 7: I don't give a shit what he believes. He's gonna
lock me up regardless.
Speaker 5: To be fair, we are criminals, but he's been treating
us pretty nice.
Speaker 7: Yeah, and I think that's part of the problem. Why
the leniency, Like he knows something we don't if we
are criminals. Why aren't you in the back with me?
Why aren't your hands zip tied? And why did he
leave us unsupervised in the car to go take a piss.
Speaker 4: It doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 5: Do you want him to be meaner to us?
Speaker 4: No, of course not.
Speaker 7: But it is weird, right He hasn't radioed for backup,
and he says he's taking us to Amber and Sam's why.
Speaker 4: Would he do that?
Speaker 5: I don't know?
Speaker 4: I mean, how did he even find us? What are
the chances?
Speaker 5: I mean that could have been my is fat, you know,
chaos and all bringing cops to criminals or something. Maybe
all of this is my fat?
Speaker 7: Well, I mean, do you see any weird is fat lines.
Speaker 4: Coming out of him?
Speaker 5: No, not that I can see.
Speaker 7: Then maybe it's not your fat this time. And maybe
that's not Bullard.
Speaker 11: What do you mean?
Speaker 7: What if he's the shifter and maybe he's taking us
to wherever he's supposed to take us? What if Bullard
is already dead?
Speaker 3: Detective Bullard stepped around the corner of the shell station
to late night temperatures had plummeted into the single digits. However,
the chill in the air wasn't the cause of the
tremor in his hand. His gaze was fixed on his
cell phone. The screen lit up with a string of
text messages that stirred a whirlwind of fear and anger
inside him. This could not be happening. George dialed the number.
Speaker 12: TCO Cleaning Supplies. How may I direct.
Speaker 6: Your call this, Detective Buller.
Speaker 12: Good evening, Detective. I've been trying to reach you.
Speaker 8: I got your messages and we have something of yours.
Speaker 6: Bullshit. Oh, I know you're telling the truth.
Speaker 12: George. Please check your messages again. You have an image
awaiting your view.
Speaker 6: Jesus Christ, see you alive.
Speaker 12: Of course, there's barely a scratch on him.
Speaker 6: I see Davis. Where's Amber? I want to see her.
Speaker 12: Too, Detective. Let's not start making demands. We were getting
along so well, all right, what.
Speaker 6: Do you want?
Speaker 12: You know what we want?
Speaker 6: No, I don't. You wanted me to drop the investigation
of the murder in Wisconsin.
Speaker 12: And yet you did not.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I did not investigating that anymore.
Speaker 12: George.
Speaker 11: We thought you might betray us, but please betray you.
Speaker 12: You grabbed Emily's Wanson and Marcus Baker and didn't tell us.
We feel slighted.
Speaker 6: Why would I tell you? How do you know that we.
Speaker 12: Know everything about you?
Speaker 8: Did you torture Davis? He's the only person I told.
I swear to God, if you heard.
Speaker 12: Him, Mariano, Davis has been sleeping since we found him.
We would never hurt an officer of the law unless
we absolutely had to.
Speaker 6: Then you clone my phone. Look, I want to talk
to Davis. Wake him up. I want to know he's
all right.
Speaker 12: George, that's so speech. Your loyalty to someone that you
know absolutely nothing about is admirable.
Speaker 6: Davis is my friend and my partner put him on
the phone.
Speaker 12: Davis is much more than that. Well, at least his employer.
It's his real employer.
Speaker 6: I mean, what the hell are you talking about. Stop
speaking in riddles and tell me what you want.
Speaker 12: Finally we get down to business, Detective. We need you
to do a job for us, and then everything about
your life will go back to the way it was.
What job we want you to bring us September and Hastings.
Speaker 6: I don't have September and Hastings.
Speaker 12: No, but you have the next best thing, Emily Swanson.
Speaker 6: Well what do you want with Emily? She can't help you.
Speaker 12: I think she can have her contact September and Hastings.
Have her tell them to meet her at Amber Lang's
apartment complex. Bring Emily and Marcus to my agents there.
Once they are delivered. You can take Davis number.
Speaker 6: And go, and if I don't, my agents will.
Speaker 12: Kill your man and hunt all of you. There will
be no place safe for you or your loved ones.
But let's not dwell on the negatives. Your smart mind, George,
you will make the right decision.
Speaker 6: How do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain?
Speaker 12: You don't. This is bullshy, Detective. Do we have a deal?
Speaker 3: Hastings tipped the bag, sending the last few peanuts cascading
into his mouth. He understood and appreciated why flights no
longer served peanuts on planes. Too many humans were allergic,
but it simply felt wrong not to eat peanuts while flying.
As the plane's wheels touched ground, a familiar symphony of
seat belts unfastening filled the cabin. Hastings pulled his cell
prone from his pocket and began to power it on.
The man to his right pulled a heavy duffel bag
from the floor and roughly elbowed Hastings in his bicep.
His phone slipped from his grasp, bouncing twice before disappearing
under the seat ahead. He'd have to wait a moment
to retrieve it. The last minute change in his flight.
Itinerary had landed him in this middle seat, a good
nine rows in front of September. The flight from Boston
to Chicago was short, yet remarkably uncomfortable. No Wi Fi,
no books to read, and no September for company. At
least he brought peanuts. The man responsible for the elbowing
didn't bother with an apology or even a simple backward glance.
It was late, the plane was chilly, and the general
mood was one of travel wearied irritability. Hastings could understand
the overall level of exhaustion of the people in the
cabin around him, but did the man have to be
so rude. Finally free to leave his seat, Hastings stepped
out behind the duffelbag guy and let the window seat
lady escape the row. He then ducked back into his
seating area and reached for his cell phone. The device
had finished powering on. He punched in this security code
to unlock the phone, and then opened his message thread,
only to feel his stomach drop at the sight of
the latest text. He read it again, still processing, when
suddenly a hand clamped down on his right shoulder startled.
He spun quickly to find September standing next to him.
The guide motioned for Hastings to enter the aisle so
they could depart the plane.
Speaker 11: Are you okay? I didn't mean to frighten you.
Speaker 13: I am okay now that I realized it as you.
We need to get our luggage, rent a car, and
get out of the airport as quickly as possible.
Speaker 11: Why what's happened?
Speaker 13: Emily messaged me.
Speaker 11: What did she say?
Speaker 13: Her message said that Amber needs our help.
Speaker 11: Did she say why?
Speaker 14: Not?
Speaker 13: Specifically? She did say the word contra damn. She included
Amber's address.
Speaker 11: Did she escape custody? Or is Bullard taking Emily to Ambers?
Speaker 13: The message did not indicate whether Billard was committed to
assisting Emily or not.
Speaker 11: The Contra really starting to get on my nerves. They
seem to be getting bolder or more desperate. Why though,
Why make such big plays? The attack on the Archives
was unheard of, and now they're attacking civilians in their homes.
Something about the organization has changed.
Speaker 13: Maybe we can collect one of their agents and ask
them some questions. Maybe September is something on your mind.
Speaker 11: Yeah, I'm thinking this has to be a trap. The
Contra do not advertise their plans to the world, and
this is a setup to capture us.
Speaker 13: That is a reasonable assumption.
Speaker 11: And we do not have any weapons or equipment.
Speaker 13: We have the laptop. I strongly suggest we attempt to
acquire guns or tools. I do not think we can
compete with fully equipped contra agents while we are unarmed.
Speaker 11: We are going to have to make do with what
we have, and that does not seem prudent. Hastings. I
don't like it, but we don't have time for anything else.
Emily is in danger and we need to figure out why.
Speaker 13: Okay, September, if you think it is the best option,
I am on board.
Speaker 11: Thank you, Hastings. Now, why don't you grab our luggage
and I'll see if the rental car booths are still open.
Speaker 3: Denali let the stolen vehicle IDOL while parking the car
pool lot. They had attempted twice to eliminate Emily Swanson,
and both attempts had proven to be unfruitful. Denali didn't
mind the fact that Emily was still alive. If they
were being honest with themselves, the killing portion of being
an assassin was always the least fulfilling. It was about
the hunt. They lived for the hunt, but there were
rules to the hunt. There were rules to taking on
a job. Every shifter had rules a codex that they
lived by, and Donali's codex told them it was time
to contact their employer and provide an update. The man
back of the campsite had a cell phone in his pocket.
Do Nali had relieved that man of his device before
locking him and his companion in the woman's restroom. Despite
the man's foolhardy attempts to be a hero, Donali had
left the pair alive, if not a little bruised silly human.
Upon reflection, it would be better to leave that part
out of their report. The employer did not need to
know about the couple. It would take time before some
one found them, and honestly, who would believe the story
that a werewolf attacked them and locked them in a
bathroom before stealing their cell phone, money, and car. If
there's one thing that could always be counted on, it
was humanity's ability to reason away any interaction with the hidden.
With that in mind, Donali pressed the sign button at
an issue the.
Speaker 14: Call Hello, it's me ah Denali. I did not recognize
the number.
Speaker 15: I needed to find a new cell phone. My last
phone was destroyed after a motel fell on it.
Speaker 14: What news do you have for me?
Speaker 15: I have made two unsuccessful attempts. I am currently in
pursuit to make my third.
Speaker 14: Two attempts and you have not completed the task. That
is not like you.
Speaker 15: I am calling because I want to remind you of
our deal.
Speaker 14: How could I forget? When this job is finished, you
will receive your payment, just like every other.
Speaker 15: Job, unless I fail this third attempt. If I do
not succeed three times in a row, the contract is canceled.
Speaker 14: So do not fail.
Speaker 15: Fate has yet to decide that outcome.
Speaker 14: Fate can be swayed with persistence, skill and strategy. With
that in mind, I have some information that can assist
you with this task.
Speaker 15: What information?
Speaker 14: Davis, the detective I have planted at the PD, has
not checked in. He last reported that he was looking
into a lead. He believed it could have been connected
to the contra. We have been tracking his cell phone.
It went dark and I have not heard from him since.
Speaker 15: And you believe this is connected to the anomaly.
Speaker 14: Yes, Davis's last known whereabouts is the apartment of the
Anomali's companion Amber Laye. I see, I'm texting the address
to your new cell phone number. I want you to
go to the location, find Davis if you can, and
pick up Emily's trail from.
Speaker 15: There as you wish.
Speaker 14: And Denali use as much force as you deem necessary.
Save Davis, bring me Emily Swanson. If you cannot bring her, kill.
Speaker 15: Her that see Wills.
Speaker 3: Agent Natalie White propped her rifle against the arm of
the easy chair while her partner, agent Victor Brown, laid
sprawled out across the couch. The repetitive sound of his
side arms safety being flicked on and off filled the
room click click, click click. It was a testament to
his talent for irritation. Natalie resolved not to give him
grief about the noise He did save her, as a
short while back, the entry of Detective Davis into the
apartment had been ill timed. With that stroke of misfortune,
Davis would have had the upper hand on Natalie had
Victor not been there to incapacitate the detective. Her gaze
shifted from Victor to the middle aged cop that was
now bound and unconscious in the kitchen, Slumped in a
wooden chair, Natalie found herself intrigued by the man, and
while she would never question Contra leadership about the detective's values,
the fact that they had marked a very heavy no
kill order in regards to Davis was interesting. Natalie preferred
to avoid killing people, as there were plenty of inhuman
monsters that required such extreme measures, and as far as
she could tell, Davis was completely human. Yet his significance
was a puzzle. Who was he really, who did he
work for? And why were the contrasts so afraid of
his boss? Click click, click click. Natalie wondered if Victor
was plagued by the same question. Probably not. If he
was mulling it over, he would be droning on about
the possibilities, creating far fetched scenarios about Davis. Now, Victor's
head was all about the mission. Davis was a hurdle.
Amber was the bait, Emily the prime target. Secretly, Natalie
hoped Davis would awaken so she could interrogate him, but
she knew it was safer with him unconscious. He was
a variable, an unknown risk. She didn't know how, but
she knew he was better for him to remain asleep
through the evening if possible. Click click click click, Natalie
unconsciously checked the safety of her own firearm.
Speaker 6: It was locked, just.
Speaker 3: As it had been the last three times she had
checked Victor's incessant safety toggling was subconsciously prompting her to
double check her own. He really was annoying. Yet for
all his quirks, she couldn't have asked for a better partner.
He was clever and brave. She had seen him face
down a shifter without hesitation. They had extinguished a dream
wraith and burned out a shadow reaver, and they had
hunted down several chroniclers and guides. His fearlessness was matched
only by his capacity to annoy, a balance Natalie was
willing to accept. Her phone vibrated with an incoming call.
There was only one person that should be.
Speaker 1: This is White.
Speaker 9: Finally, good evening contract to White.
Speaker 12: This is the operator.
Speaker 10: Good evening operator.
Speaker 12: Do you have a status update?
Speaker 10: Not much has changed since our last conversation. The prize
has not yet arrived, the prospect and her subordinate have
not made an appearance, negotiations have not yet begun, and
Goldilacks is still out like a light.
Speaker 14: Ah.
Speaker 9: Hell yeah he is. I made him a cocktail that
was just right.
Speaker 12: The prize may not arrive.
Speaker 10: What why not?
Speaker 12: The prospect may have contacted the prize and informed her
of the business meeting.
Speaker 9: Well shit, well what's wrong?
Speaker 10: Operator? How would you like us to proceed? Is the
deal still on?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 12: The deal should be a go. Our friend George is
bringing the prospect and her subordinate to you. I've informed
George about Goldilocks. He's going to trade the princess for
the prospect.
Speaker 10: How do we know they're not bringing other players to
the meeting.
Speaker 12: We don't know that for certain. I have deployed additional
contractors to your location to provide support. They will worry
about George and any additional colleagues he may have. Your
task is to collect the prospect.
Speaker 10: After we have the prospect, should we take her to
another location to facilitate the negotiations with September and Hastings.
Speaker 12: I will leave that to your discretion.
Speaker 10: And if there are no additional friends that join, do
we simply trade Goldilocks for the prospect and let George
and Goldilocks leave.
Speaker 12: If you have both the prospect and he supportinate, then yes,
make the trade.
Speaker 10: I understand. Is there anything else?
Speaker 14: No?
Speaker 12: Please contact me once the trade is complete. Next check
and call will be four hours from now, got it? Goodbye,
contractor White and good luck.
Speaker 9: What did the operators say?
Speaker 10: Davis gets to live and Amber probably isn't coming. It
sounds like Emily tipped her off.
Speaker 9: How the fuck did she do that?
Speaker 10: Didn't say. But the operator made a deal with Detective Bullard.
He's going to trade Emily and Marcus for Davis.
Speaker 9: Or he's going to bring half the Chicago PD down
on us.
Speaker 10: The operator is deploying some additional agents to this location
just in case that happens. They're already on their way.
Speaker 9: Are you talking about a full on gunfight in the
middle of the city.
Speaker 10: If it comes to that, What the fuck? I don't know.
Speaker 9: Look, I'm all for getting bloody, but this is a
little flashy for us. I don't like this.
Speaker 10: Shit doesn't matter what we like or don't like. We
have our orders.
Speaker 9: Well, I just hope Bullard makes a right call. I'd
hate for shit to go sideways, Victor.
Speaker 10: I'm beginning to think it already has.
Speaker 3: Emily Swanson is voiced by tsha Zan. Marcus Baker is
voiced by Nico rodrie Vegas. Detective Bullard is voiced by
Tony Kinney Contra operator is voiced by Helen Edgar. September
is voiced by Richard Collins. Hastings is voiced by Adam Culbertson.
Unknown character is voiced by d Chauvin Denali, the Shifter
is voiced by Stitch Mayo. Agent Natalie White is voiced
by Sarah Callahan. Agent Victor Brown is voiced by t
Alexander Saxton and narrated by Michael Cole.
Speaker 6: East Fat Archives is.
Speaker 3: A Creative Typo entertainment production. Find out more about our
show at www dot creative typo dot com.
Speaker 7: A very special thank you to our executive producers from Patreon,
Nick Mead and Patrick t Arsenal