Play@YSDC

Posted: **Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:17 am**

Continuing from this post in the Ritz IC Thread.

Raiko wrote:The Lobby - The Ritz Hotel

Timour cradles his Browning as he watches Maks heading back out of the lobby, a slightly bemused look on his face. Then he turns and accompanies Andrei and Caroline out of the Hotel, hoping that nobody notices what's hidden under the blankets.

When he catches up with the others he grins, "I thought Maksim would just stash this in the Bentley, but he is right as usual. If Gavigan knows where they've taken Gwen we will need the fire-power. Or if your plan goes wrong Andrei."

To Caroline he asks, "Do you remember which subway trains you took to reach the Penhew Foundation?"

Outside Grooge Street Station, Close to The Penhew Foundation - Bloomsbury, London
7:20pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

Caroline and the two Russians emerge from the tube station onto Tottenham Court Road. The fog is patchy now, and not as thick as the night before. There are quite a few pedestrians moving about, but the pavements are nowhere near as crowded as during the day, or the recently ended rush hour.

Grooge Street Station - Tottenham Court Road

The impressive Victorian building of the Penhew Foundation can be seen a hundred yards or so away from the station. Most of the lights have been switched off inside, but a few remain on. Unlike during the day, there is no doorman present outside the front entrance, the impressive iron fence is obviously still present.

The Penhew Foundation

Posted: **Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:40 am**

"This place looks more intimidating at night," Caroline mutters to no one in particular. "I think we should be looking for an alternate entrance to the main one. If I remember correctly, Johnny talked about a bricked-up room in the rear. That's likely where we want to end up at some point, but I don't think there's a direct entrance. I do sort of remember him saying there was a basement entrance to one side, though."

Posted: **Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:05 am**

Andrei nods, keeping a close eye on the windows where the lights are still on. Now that he's standing in front of the building, and there are people around, the idea of barging from room to room in a rage feels out of place. He reminds himself about the woman dead on the bed, and the threats to Elizabeth. If you stop whoever's doing this, and go to jail for it, that would be worth it.

"Maybe we should wait until a little later, when there are less people around. Timour, you look terrible with that roll of blankets. We can't saunter around here with that in your hands. Lets look around back, then maybe we can find a pub to wait in for a while."

Posted: **Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:27 am**

...after lagging behind for a few minutes with Timour, Andrei speeds up to walk next to Caroline. He is silent for a moment, then asks,

"Caroline. Do you think I'm crazy?"

Posted: **Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:39 pm**

Caroline, briefly taken aback at the absurd timing of the question, pauses for just a moment--hoping it wasn't a long enough moment to let Andrei think she was thinking about the answer, replies evenly and with a smile, "Well, Andrei, you know what they say--if you're sane enough to ask the question, you're not crazy."

In the best therapist voice she can summon up under the circumstances, she adds, "We've all been through a great deal lately."

Posted: **Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:51 am**

Andrei thinks for a moment as they continue towards the back of the building.

"You saw the Chimera, however, did you not? The glowing beast in the fog? What do you think that was, Caroline? Do you think it obeyed the laws of our world? I've certainly never heard of anything like that before, except in faerie-tale stories. How do you explain that to yourself?"

His speech is slow and thoughtful; genuinely curious and non-confrontational, although it does seem like he has a point to make.

Posted: **Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:38 am**

"We certainly have encountered some strange and horrible things," Caroline concedes, "but I'm not yet ready to abandon science and rationality yet. Perhaps there are sane explanations for the seemingly insane, only we don't know them yet."

Posted: **Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:06 pm**

"That's it, exactly! I mean, it's obvious that we've witnessed things that can't be explained by modern science. It's ridiculous to think that the Chimera was some... some combination of swamp gasses that was choking us. It's ridiculous.

We mustn't convince ourselves that... I mean..."

Andrei stops talking for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"What -is- sanity, anyways? I think we must accept that the world doesn't work how we thought it did. It would be insanity to pretend it's otherwise, would it not? To look the other way when we observe things that don't suit our concept of the world?

And I'm afraid to say that, yes, to open oneself to these new possibilities might eventually seem insane to an outside observer. It's much like the fellow to discovered the world was round. Copernicus. Surely he was thought insane at the time? But look now - we all know the world is round! Are we not the modern Copernicus? Discovering new things - why - the world will never be the same to us again, Caroline, we must accept that. Wouldn't you say?"

Posted: **Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:27 pm**

Caroline is genuinely struck by the profundity of Andrei's ruminations. She takes a glance around to make sure the group isn't being observed before responding. She looks troubled, perhaps because this was so clear and cogent, coming from the sometimes-headstrong, always-mercurial Russian.

"Andrei, I've never been one to put too much stock in the supernatural, whether it's organized religion or superstition. My world has been what I can see and touch; my beliefs have been based on what I can prove or reasonably hypothesize about. So far most of what I've seen is a product of simple human evil--the work of disturbed minds, yes, but explainable as mania or or mass hysteria or fetish-worship or something we don't know yet." She pats him on the arm. "Maybe there's . . . something else. I don't know. It's almost too much to contemplate, and right now we need to stay focused on the task ahead of us at the foundation."

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2011 1:47 am**

The foundation is surrounded on three sides by roads, with a small tree-lined park against the other side (the left hand side). The six foot high iron railings appear to completely enclose the building; the only visible break is the small front gate which is currently closed, but not chained. From Johnny's description of the building there should also be a second, larger gated entrance into a loading area at the rear of the building.

All of the first and second floor windows (ground and first floor to these Brits) are large rectangular French-style casements about ten feet high. None of the windows have been left open. The windows that are still lit are all downstairs, which Caroline remembers is mostly taken up with offices. The first floor which contains the exhibition room appears to be totally in darkness. Edward Gavigan's office is located around the right hand side of the building, so his windows are not currently visible.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2011 1:55 am**

Turning her attention back to the matter at hand, Caroline whispers, "Should we try for the unlocked gate? It looks like no one is around to watch us. The windows look impossible, and if the gate 'round the back is locked, I'm not sure we could pick it. I know can't. Besides, it might look less suspicious if we just try to act like we're lost if we get caught.

"My big worry--well, one of them--is that Gavigan knows who I am, so if he happens to spot us, he'll know something is afoot. Maybe I shouldn't have come after all?"

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2011 5:37 am**

Andrei looks frustrated at Caroline's response to his thoughts. He replies to her change of topic impatiently.

"Lets just walk around the building first. Maybe the rear gate will be open, or we'll see something in the back. I do think we'd be better off waiting until the people leave the Foundation and the streets were a little quieter. Timour, keep up, please!

Caroline, you're not paying attention to what your eyes are showing you. It's not fair... I mean, I know you probably think I'm crazy. However... if this keeps on, and you continue to reject the things you're seeing, I'm only going to seem more crazy. But it will be you who is the crazy one. You cannot delude, I mean, you cannot delude yourself forever. Do you know that I shot a giant bat tonight? Johnny and Elizabeth saw it. Ask them. Ask them what they believe. I think you will find yourself in the minority quite soon, Caroline."

Before he can raise himself into a pitch again, he stops.

"I apologize. I do not mean to slight you. I only mean that I can see what direction we are taking, and I forsee that you will judge me in the future, and I want you to understand, so... I mean... I'm not crazy. That's all."

He gives a weak smile and pats Caroline on the shoulder.

"Do you know what is in any of those rooms?"

Posted: **Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:52 am**

"No, of course you're right," Caroline says. ". . . I mean about walking around, and waiting," she adds hurriedly, realizing the ambiguity of her first remark.

"I don't think you're crazy, Andrei. Maybe just a little tired, that's all. Who wouldn't be? Truly, though, you must hold yourself together, if only for Beth's sake. Try to put your mind to the work at hand. Stay as focused as you can. When we're back safe again, we can talk about this as long as you like."

Trying to steer the conversation in a less philosophical or psychotic direction, Caroline summarizes what she knows about the location of the offices, the exhibit space, and Gavigan's office. "Gavigan's office would seem to be a logical place to look, assuming it's unoccupied at the time, of course. And then there's the room in the basement with the bricked-up windows. The exhibit hall seems to be not worth much attention. Most anything that had to do with the Carlyle Expedition either never was there, as Gavigan said, or has been moved out on purpose of late."

Spoiler:

Posted: **Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:42 pm**

Andrei lets out an exasperated snort.

"But I -AM- focussed! That's what I'm trying to tell you!"

Then he listens as Caroline describes the building.

"We need to get into that room with the bricked-up windows. If there's going to be proof of Gavigan's guilt, that's where we'll find it."

Andrei thrusts his hands deep into the pockets of his overcoat and lets his eyes wander over the rest of the neighbourhood, scanning for a warm-looking pub that has a view of the Penhew Foundation.

Posted: **Fri Nov 25, 2011 2:53 am**

Andrei looks around, but unfortunately the closest pub or cafe that he can see is too far back down Tottenham Court Road to offer a decent view of the building.

Strolling around the building the investigators see that the lights switched off in what Caroline thinks is Edward Gavigan's office. An adjacent office has lights on still, but the person inside appears to be a cleaning lady. They also spot the bricked up celler windows that Johnny noted, in the right-rear corner of the building, quite close to Gavigan's ground floor office.

The loading area at the rear of the building - a hive of illicit activity when Johnny scouted - is deserted this evening, neither trucks, nor workers are present. There are two doors here, a sliding/folding metal cargo entrance and a wooden door for people. There is also what appears to be a wooden hatch over a coal chute. The gates into the cargo area have been chained shut, but they look easy enough to climb over, and unlike the railings the gates do no have decorative spikes on top.

A little further around the building (at the rear-left) is a small set of stairs leading down to a cellar door, this is also within the railings and accessed most easily from the loading area.

There is a small park at this side of the building with a few trees and some wooden benches surrounding a deserted bandstand. The park is quite empty, but an elderly couple are walking their dogs along a path through the middle of it, and a young woman is sitting alone on one of the benches. She is crying.

Posted: **Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:54 pm**

Andrei stops and frowns at the woman crying.

"Maybe you should go talk to her."

He pulls up his collar against the cold and fumbles in his pocket for a cigarette.

In Russian he mumbles, "Timour. Give me a light."

Posted: **Mon Nov 28, 2011 12:27 am**

Nodding assent, Caroline looks around first to see who might be observing, and then she heads over to the young woman, not sure whether this is the sort of thing they should be bothering with at this point but nonetheless motivated to help.

Posted: **Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:14 pm**

Caroline looks around, but doesn't notice anyone who would be able to observe her, other than the old couple walking their dog.

The crying lady notices Caroline approaching, she looks embarrassed and tries to wipe away her tears with pocket handkerchief, but her make-up is so badly smudged that it is obvious that she has been crying for some time. The lady is slim, with blond hair cut just above her shoulders, she looks to be in her mid-twenties.

Posted: **Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:41 pm**

"Hello, dear," Caroline says soothingly, sitting down. "My name is Caroline. Is there ... is there something I can do to help?"

Posted: **Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:18 pm**

Andrei stands a dozen feet away with Timour, smoking a cigarette and talking to him in Russian in a low voice. He casts the occasional glance at Caroline, and constantly eyes the neighborhood and passers-by to see if anyone is paying them special attention.

"I guess we can stand around here for a while until the streets clear. We sure stand out with that carpet, though, Timour..

So how do you think we should get in? I think we can smash in through the back pretty easily. Either through the coal chute or the shipping entrance."

Posted: **Wed Nov 30, 2011 2:03 pm**

Caroline wrote:"Hello, dear, my name is Caroline. Is there ... is there something I can do to help?"

"No one can help it seems, not even the police!" she begins to cry again, "My fiancé has disappeared and no one will help. Mr Gavigan gave me the day off to get myself together, but it's no use, I just don't know what to do! I came back to ask Mr Gavigan for advice, but now he's gone to his country house. He's not been here all afternoon. And he would have been able to help, he's friends with the Home Secretary, so he can make the police look for Paul!"

"Oh dear! Caroline you must think I'm quite ridiculous, you wouldn't know what I'm going on about. Thank you anyway, it's so rare to find a caring soul in London, my name is Helen.

Andrei wrote:"I guess we can stand around here for a while until the streets clear. We sure stand out with that carpet, though, Timour..

So how do you think we should get in? I think we can smash in through the back pretty easily. Either through the coal chute or the shipping entrance."

Timour looks at his suit, "I'd prefer to leave the coal chute for another day. But I think we could bust open one of the other doors. What about that basement door? We should look in Gavigan's office as well though if we can."

"This carpet will save our lives if Tewfik al-Sayed is here"

Posted: **Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:09 pm**

"Helen, where was your finance last seen? Did he work at the foundation with you? And, please, don't worry about telling me anything that seems ridiculous." She puts her arm around Helen's shoulder. "Believe me, I've seen and heard some strange things in my time."

Posted: **Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:09 pm**

Andrei ignores Timour's comment about al-Sayed, preferring to maintain a mask of neutrality rather than exposing his ignorance.

He does a double-take when he sees Caroline sitting next to the woman with her arm around her shoulder.

"American woman are over-friendly, I sometimes find." He thinks longingly about Elizabeth - an American woman who is not over-friendly. He fondly considers her modesty, her reserved charm and distinctly high-bred mannerisms, and the pleasing contrast of her more unrefined qualities. He wonders if she is not too good for him; whether he is undeserving.

Pushing the thought out of his head, he flicks his cigarette to the ground, stubs it out with his toe, and sighs with impatience.

"Timour. The barrel is showing. Here. Let me arrange that carpet better. There. Damn it, I feel so exposed standing around like this. What the hell is Caroline talking about?"

Posted: **Sat Dec 03, 2011 1:34 pm**

Decrepit wrote:"Helen, where was your finance last seen? Did he work at the foundation with you? And, please, don't worry about telling me anything that seems ridiculous." She puts her arm around Helen's shoulder. "Believe me, I've seen and heard some strange things in my time."

"Yes we both work at the Penhew Foundation, I'm a librarian in the archives, Paul is an archaeologist. Yesterday he just didn't turn up at work and he's not at his flat either."

"Oh, do you know Mr Gavigan?"

Andrei wrote:"American woman are over-friendly, I sometimes find."

"I miss Anastashia, when this is all over I will find her. I thought that the Motherland was too dangerous, but now it seems that London and New York are no more safe."

Andrei wrote: "Timour. The barrel is showing. Here. Let me arrange that carpet better. There. Damn it, I feel so exposed standing around like this. What the hell is Caroline talking about?"

"We should be planning our next move while they talk. What have you learned from the books Andrei?"

Timour stares intently at Andrei, "If Tewfik al-Sayed is in there he will attack us with sorcery! It sound ridiculous I know, but I saw it with my own eyes! And the fog chimera and now this bat thing that you talk about."

"Do you know how to stop him? And what of Gavigan, is he a sorcerer too?"

"After we defeated the fog chimera, you said that you chased the sorcerer who conjured it! Was it Tewfik or was it Gavigan? Tewfik is much shorter than Gavigan."

Posted: **Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:07 pm**

Spoiler:

Caroline tries to take in everything Helen has said. Looking intently at the woman, Caroline says, "Helen, listen to me. This is very important. I'm here with friends--" She nods toward where she left the other two. "--and I think we might be able to help, maybe not find Paul right away, but find some information about where he's gone to." She smiles. "What would help now is if you came with us and told us everything you know, and then perhaps we can figure out what to do."

Posted: **Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:32 pm**

"You really think you can help? Thank-you!" Helen stands up, ready to accompany Caroline. She wipes away her tears again, and tries to put on a brave face.

Posted: **Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:56 pm**

"I can't guarantee anything," Caroline says, "but my friends and I will try. But you must tell us what you know and help us help you, if you can." She turns, hoping to lead her to where Andrei and Timour are, fearing that she might not be as persuasive as the task called for.

Posted: **Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:33 pm**

Andrei listens attentively while Caroline and Helen explain the situation, then eyes Timour and Caroline for a moment, trying to gauge their thoughts.

"Do you have any reason to be suspicious of Mr. Gavigan?"

It comes out a little abruptly, so he quickly follows with an explanation,

"I ask because we have reason to suspect him of... bad things. That's why we came here. To talk to him about it."

Posted: **Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:37 pm**

Helen looks really surprised and a little irritated, "No, I'm quite sure that you must be dreadfully mistaken. Mr Gavigan, Edward that is, is a very good friend of Paul's. He's always been most kind to both of us."

"I also came back to the foundation to speak to Edward, but unfortunately he's not here at the moment. He has been at Misr House all afternoon, that's his country house in Essex, on the coast."

Posted: **Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:12 pm**

Trying to rescue the situation, Caroline says, "I'm sure you're right about Mr. Gavigan, Helen. That's why we wanted to talk with him, to clear up these ... misunderstandings. Anyway, dear, it's rather awkward having this sort of conversation outside here. We're dead on our feet, and it also might help if we could just take a little look inside where Paul was working, see if we can see anything out of the ordinary, if he left any clues as to what happened."

Posted: **Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:18 pm**

Posted: **Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:40 pm**

Spoiler:

Posted: **Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:10 pm**

Andrei files away "Misr House - up the coast" in his mind. His plan is evolving - now he needs to find evidence of Gavigan's guilt at the Penhew Foundation, then confront him about it at Misr House. A solitary estate away from prying eyes sounds like the perfect place to deal with the man.

He starts thinking about transportation, and is barely listening to Caroline and Helen.

Posted: **Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:01 pm**

For a moment Helen looks genuinely excited at the prospective investigation, but then caution wins over her, "I really do not think that that would be allowed, I'm sorry Caroline you have been really nice, but the guard would never let us in out of hours. Not without permission from Mr Gavigan anyway. There is a nice quiet cafe nearby, if you'd like to talk more privately."

Posted: **Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:38 pm**

Caroline tries to hide her disappointment at having pushed Helen too far and finding that the woman's resistance was up again. "Yes, perhaps you're right, Helen," she agrees reluctantly, looking at Andrei and Timour for guidance.

Posted: **Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:07 pm**

With no attempt at diplomacy whatsoever, Andrei asks,

"Where is the Misr House? Can you give us directions?"

Posted: **Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:10 pm**

"Caroline shouldn't even have suggested it, for it is not your place to make such a decision." Timour says as he steps in confidently with a thin & warm smile, without waiting for a response to Andrei's question "It is just that with the many deaths and disappearances lately, every moment could make a difference... Yet Paul's disappearance could be entirely unrelated and benign in origin."

"I'm afraid our group of friends have been affected by the recent turn of events, you see. Which explains their eagerness." he adds, musing silently, inlaying a fine sentiment of dread in his words.

"But discussing this in the streets with the oncoming chill and fog is not the right place nor time." he says as he carefully reassuringly places his arm around Hellen's shoulder and directs her in the direction of the café, yet leaves the way to the Penhew Foundation building open as well "We would very much like to hear your story."

Posted: **Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:24 pm**

When Timour puts his arm around her Helen begins to cry again, burying her face against the big Russian's shoulder she sobs for about a minute before pulling herself together again.

"Forgive me, I feel so out of my depth, and you are all so kind. What do you mean deaths and disappearances? Do you really think Paul is in danger?"

"I am not really in any state to sit in the café, I would only worry the staff. Come with me, I shall see whether the night watchman will allow us in, we can chat in my office."

As they start walking, Helen suddenly remembers Andrei's abrupt question, "I'm afraid that I couldn't really give you useful directions to Misr House, I've been there twice, but Paul drove both times. I think I could probably remember the way if I went with you. Do you have a car? I'd really like to speak with Mr Gavigan myself."

"We can decide in the office."

Posted: **Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:04 pm**

"Oh, I'm so sorry Helen, I did not mean to add to your worries. We currently have no reason to believe that Paul's disappearance is related to our own burdens." Timour says as he offers her his handkerchief "I will explain further when we are inside."

"I do not know the customs of your employer, but if you believe there's a chance the night watchman would not let us in on your word alone, maybe you could go in the front & we'll wait at the rear for you to let us in?" he suggests innocently.

Posted: **Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:00 pm**

When Timour steps forward, Andrei's face immediately darkens.

For a few moments in the conversation he looks like he's about to say something, but Timour seems to always be there a step earlier, with something better to say.

Eventually, he steps back out of the circle of the conversation and lights another cigarette.

. . .

"I'm afraid that I couldn't really give you useful directions to Misr House, I've been there twice, but Paul drove both times. I think I could probably remember the way if I went with you. Do you have a car? I'd really like to speak with Mr Gavigan myself."

Andrei turns back at this. It's incredible how much more deflated he looks than a minute ago. His shoulders are sagging and he doesn't make eye contact with Helen or anyone else.

"Yes. Yes, we probably have a car. We can get one," he responds uncertainly. Then he looks away again, his brows furrowed like he's puzzling through something.

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:08 am**

SuAside wrote:"I do not know the customs of your employer, but if you believe there's a chance the night watchman would not let us in on your word alone, maybe you could go in the front & we'll wait at the rear for you to let us in?" he suggests innocently.

Despite her problems Helen smiles mischievously, wiping away her tears with Timour's handkerchief, "Good idea, meet me at the back door in five minutes, I'll make sure the watchman is busy elsewhere."

coffee demon wrote:"Yes. Yes, we probably have a car. We can get one," he responds uncertainly. Then he looks away again, his brows furrowed like he's puzzling through something.

"Oh! Don't worry, if you don't have a car we could borrow Paul's as long as one of you can drive. I'm sure he won't mind under the circumstances."

Helen returns Timour's handkerchief and with newfound determination strides towards the entrance to the Penhew Foundation.

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:31 pm**

"Thank you, Timour," Caroline says quietly after Helen is out of earshot. "I was afraid I would bumble it."

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:52 pm**

"You're most welcome, my dear." Timour replies "Nothing a broad shoulder to cry on couldn't fix."

"It's nice to make progress, let's not bumble this up." he says as he winks when using Caroline's word "We should probably wait for a moment before moving closer. We don't want to be seen loitering around the back entrance, acting all suspicious."

"Let's just agree for now that Helen's boss has not been entirely candid with us, and that has given rise to some suspicions of involvement with you, Caroline." Timour suggest "I'll play the part that suspect that Mr Gavigan is simply trying to protect the good name of his former boss and of the foundation, not knowing who to trust with any further information that he might possess. And probably does not understand the relevance of this information himself."

"I, of course, do suspect more is afoot, but we shouldn't expose our hand, even if Helen is sympathetic to our cause." he further explains, as he nonchalantly but carefully inspects his surroundings and the people on the street "Andrei, any input on the current situation and how we'll handle it further? I'm not entirely sure we should rush in all three of us. If we get into trouble, we might need someone that's able to make a diversion or spring us from a well layed trap... That said, an extra set of eyes on the inside can also yield results."

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:43 am**

"I don't intend on leaving until we have a chance to prove Gavigan is guilty." Andrei swallows and looks at his two companions, then quickly glances away, continuing to talk as he eyes the back side of the Penhew Foundation.

"I want to look in his office and I want to see what's in the room downstairs. If we have to wait until later tonight, so be it. After that, I want to drive to Misr House and pull Gavigan out into the cold in his nightrobe and shove the evidence in his face."

"Whether he is raping and killing these women and threatening Elizabeth's life, or if he is telling someone else to do it, it must stop. Tonight. I don't care."

"I told you that I would kick down every door in that place to get some answers, and I mean it."

I should never have showed that woman my face, he thinks, cursing his lack of foresight.

"I'll stay outside."

He gives the two a solid look; his decision is made.

"For now. Tell that woman... tell her I.. just make up some excuse. I'll go wait over there." He points to the opposite side of the small park, to a dark corner of a building within sight of the rear of the Penhew Foundation. "Good luck."

Without waiting for the others to respond, he heads off in the direction that he just pointed.

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:23 am**

Caroline just stares after Andrei, as she seemingly has done so many times before in recent days. While she was troubled by his fragile mental state, exacerbated by exhaustion and worry, at least a small part of her admired the man's obvious dedication to her own dear friend Beth. Would I go to the lengths he's prepared to go to help her? she wondered to herself, afraid of what the answer might be.

Turning to Timour, she says, "Well, I suppose that's probably for the best. The edge of his feelings is a little too sharp for poor Helen, I fear. We must try to get from her what we can without endangering her if at all possible. I'm still shaken by the fact that we couldn't protect poor Gwen."

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:55 pm**

"Let us hope that there is still hope for Gwen. I'm not giving up on her just yet." Timour says sternly.

"Let's casually move closer, shall we? Helen must almost be there." he says as he offers Caroline his arm.

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:00 pm**

Caroline takes the proffered arm. "I hope you're right about Gwen, but right now I need to avoid getting distracted."

Posted: **Thu Dec 22, 2011 2:49 pm**

Behind the Penhew Foundation
7:35pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

After a couple of minutes the back door of the Penhew Foundation opens and Helen cautiously pokes her head out. Spotting them waiting by the railings, she waves Timour and Caroline over.
When they reach her Helen looks surprised that Andrei is not with them, but doesn't mention it. She whispers urgently "Quickly, the guard will be back down in a few minutes!"

Once the investigators are inside the door Helen closes it gently.
Inside the Penhew Foundation
7:36pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

The back door is at the end of a long corridor that runs right through the middle of the Penhew Foundation ground floor, at the far end Timour and Caroline can see the entrance foyer and an empty desk where the night watchman would presumably have been sitting.

"I sent him upstairs to fetch some documents," whispers Helen as she leads the way quickly along the corridor. She opens the third door on the right, labelled "library", the previous door was labelled "archive" while the first was labeled "goods receiving".

On the opposite side of the corridor from the door that Helen opens is a door labelled "Mr Edward Gavigan, Director".

The Penhew Foundation library is a large room containing about a dozen large bookcases, all crammed full. Tall windows look out onto the park where the investigators met Helen. Two reading tables stand in the centre of the room, while a smaller desk sits in one corner. Helen switches on the lights and immediately moves across the room to another door leading to the archive. She unlocks it and says, "Wait in the archive, I'll join you when the guard has been back."

Posted: **Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:42 pm**

"Thank you, dear. We'll be quiet as mice," Caroline promises. "Take whatever time you need. No need to make the guard suspicious by hurrying."

Spoiler:

Posted: **Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:28 pm**

Timour tries to make note of whatever features of the rooms that would aid their escape if they had to run or a bottleneck where they could hold their ground. Just to be prepared... After the weird encounters of late, one can never be too careful. He especially does not intend to shoot at the night watchman, but sadly the human element is not the only thing to keep in mind.

In the archive he turns his attention to anything that might relate to Jackson Elias, the 'lost' expedition or The British Museum (Wilson/Gwen).

OCC: Can you give us a decription of the windows? The pictures earlier do not show them barred, but neither did it show the fence.

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:14 pm**

The archive room has two entrances, one leading to the library, the other to the central corridor. There are a large number of filing cabinets around all four walls and two tables stand in the center of the room, one stacked with wooden boxes. It would be relatively easy to barricade either door, or to obtain cover within the room.

The room's two large windows are boarded up on the inside, apart from their uppermost sections, but Timour thinks he'd be able to break through relatively easily in an emergency. None of the Foundations ground floor windows are barred, but all of the windows on the upper floor are barred. The railings and night watchman appear to be the Foundation's main defense against burglary.

Looking around the cabinets Caroline sees that they are arranged in chronological order; the Carlyle Expedition has a cabinet all of its own. The boxes on the table have been sent by "The Clive Expedition" which appears to be currently in Egypt.

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:27 pm**

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:22 pm**

Caroline reaches for the Carlyle Expedition file. Realizing that there's no time to read the whole thing, she intends to look for anything related to the expedition's final fate first, and then work backwards if time permits. She nods to Timour in a way meant to suggest that she's found something and then gestures toward the door, hoping that Timour will keep a lookout for Helen's return.

Posted: **Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:54 pm**

Timour nods at Caroline's unspoken suggestion, and lingers at the door. He listens attently for any signs of someone approaches, but at the same time slowly looks over the labels on the cabinets near the door.

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:08 am**

The Archive Room - Inside the Penhew Foundation
7:40pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

Inside the Carlyle Expedition cabinet, Caroline finds a folder dedicated to events in Kenya. Flicking through it though, she is disappointed. It would take a few hours of study to be sure, but it looks like the folder contains no useful information about the fate of the expedition. Caroline can see nothing explaining the purpose of the diversion to Kenya, other than newspaper cuttings telling the same story that she's already read in the New York papers.

There are transcripts of the trial of the tribesmen convicted of the massacre, but given Jackson Elias' findings that the trial was nothing less than a travesty, the value of the trial notes is questionable.

Other files in the cabinet look like they deal with the logistics of the expedition, and the excavations in Egypt.

The labels on the cabinets closest to Timour suggest that they contain contain documents relating to the Foundation's scholarship of archaeology students. Other nearby cabinets are labelled with pre-war dates, likely cataloguing the activities of the Foundation when Sir Aubury Penhew himself was running things. Dates begin from 1905.

As Caroline finishes flicking through the Kenya file, Timour can hear the night watchman enter the library. Helen thanks him, and Timour hears his leaving again. Then he hears Helen's footsteps as she walks towards the archive room door.

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:42 am**

Caroline scrambles to try to make everything look as it did, and then hopes she looks more casual than she feels.

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:20 pm**

As Caroline is already covering up her search, Timour simply patiently waits at the door until Helen enters as he does not wish to act too soon and cause the night watchman to become suspicious if he overhears a voice other than Helen's.

Posted: **Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:20 am**

The Archive Room - Inside the Penhew Foundation
7:40pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

The door opens and Helen comes into the archive room, "He shouldn't be back for a while now, we should be able to talk as long as we are quiet."

She looks nervous, but is obviously also glad to have found people to confide in, "How do you think that Paul's disappearance is linked with the deaths and disappearances that you speak of? Do you really think that Paul is in danger? Your friend thinks that Mr Gavigan is a bad man, but are you sure? Couldn't he be in danger as well if your friend is wrong?"

Posted: **Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:17 pm**

"Well, Helen, I'm afraid it's quite convoluted and I'll have to cut a few corners to be able to explain it quickly enough." Timour replies making positive eye contact with Helen "Don't hesistate to ask clarification if things get too complicated."

"First of all, I'd like to stress that we have no evidence at all that Paul might indeed have gotten caught up in this, nor do we know if Mr Gavigan is in any way involved at all." he says "Some of my friends are eager to jump to conclusions. As Mr Gavigan has not been honest with us, they assume he is involved. I don't necessarily think so. Rather, he might be trying to do what's right for the foundation or he might be afraid of the consequences of speaking out, but at the same time his silence or lack of cooperation might endanger people. As for Paul, he might have been involved in research that relates directly or indirectly to the disappearances. Perhaps he did not know this himself..."

"But let's start from the beginning." Timour suggest "We were drawn into this when investigative writer Jackson Elias asked our friends to come to him in New York. He was investigating the Carlyle Expedition in Kenya in 1919, which as you well known was massacred. Before they could speak to Jackson, he was murdered. It was Jackson's opinion that the Carlyle expedition massacre was a cover-up, and indeed, one expedition member had even been spotted alive & well in Asia after the supposed massacre. His death was presumed to be an effort to silence him and his theories."

"There appear to have been two cults involved in violence & disappearances, both here and in New York. Much of this seems linked to the Carlyle expedition, or whatever it ran across." he explains "The Cult of the Bloody Tongue and the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh. Are these connected? Are they the same? Are they opposing factions? We do not know, but we know for a fact that the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh -and it's supposed leader Tewfik al-Sayed- is actively making people disappear in London. They are also going well out of their way to murder anyone who appears to be taking an interest in the Carlyle expedition and everything that surrounds it. The socalled Egyptian Murders are most likely their work. The police however seem to be unable to track down the perpetrators."

"A personal friend of ours, from the British Museum, has been taken recently and we are desperate to get her back before she turns up dead as well. I refuse to believe she is dead already." Timour says with a clenched jaw and fire in his eyes.

"I hope these ramblings explain our predicament. And that I haven't drowned you in all this information." he then says as he tries to shake his anger, and tries to produce a sincere & hopeful smile "Unless Caroline has something to add, I would very much like to hear your own story..."

Posted: **Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:43 pm**

"No, I think that's enough for now," Caroline says in response to Timour's question. "That's a great deal to take in and accept all at once as it is."

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:08 pm**

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:36 am**

"I'm afraid that my story is far less exciting than yours."

"I've worked at the Foundation for about a year, as the head of the archive. I met Paul a little over two years earlier at a dig in the Shetland Islands; after the dig Paul found work at the Penhew Foundation and eventually he managed to get me my job here as well."

Helen smiles weakly before continuing, "I'd obviously prefer a position as an archaeologist, but we were both so happy until the last couple of weeks."

"I'd noticed that Paul had become more and more withdrawn, he was working late and seemed very distracted. Then on Monday I caught him studying some old handwritten book!"

"You'll probably think this strange, but I believe that this book is the reason for his disappearance. He refused to show it to me you see, snatching it away and saying that it was just something that he'd brought back from work."

Shaking her head Helen says, "I'm not sure exactly what the name of the book was, something like 'The Ghornea Fragments', but there is nothing by that title listed in the Foundation Library!"

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:53 am**

"Oh, dear, that does sound worrisome," Caroline says. "As a doctor, I know how dangerous it can be when people become fixated on such strange matters. Do you think he took the book with him? It might help if we could see it."

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:08 pm**

"Well, I think that Paul took the book back to his flat every night. So we could take a look before we borrow his car. I've got a key to his flat"

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:38 pm**

"Well, jumping to conclusions, I'd say there's a chance the tome he found was related to the cults." Timour muses "There have been others. But without further information, it's impossible to say. He might have become so involved with the book he was studying that he went off on a quest for answers. So engulfed in reading that he did not have the presence of mind to tell you."

"We might indeed find more information at his work place, or in his flat..." he says "However, now that we are in the building, and in the presence of the head of the archive, we might be able to quickly gain information that might shed light on our own suspicions. Information here could easily exonerate Mr Gavigan, leaving my friends one less thing to worry about."

"Would you grant us this favor?" Timour asks "Regardless of your answer, I feel we should help you as best we can. But it would be greatly appreciated if you were willing to help us in our quest for information."

Posted: **Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:22 am**

Helen nods, "Of course I'll do anything I can. And thank you ever so much, I was so sure that nobody was going to help me to find Paul!"

Posted: **Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:40 pm**

"Well, I'd say Caroline is most qualified to quickly get through this so I'll let her ask questions about the information we're looking for here. I'll keep an eye out while she's busy." Timour says with relief at Helen's answer "However, I was also wondering what is downstairs? The bricked up cellars seem odd to say the least. Have you been there?"

Posted: **Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:18 am**

Helen is surprised, "I'd never noticed, sorry. There are lots of minor items stored in the basement. Uncatalogued trinkets that have arrived, plus supplies ready to ship out to our expeditions and digs. But I wasn't aware of a 'bricked off' area. I don't go down there much though."

Posted: **Fri Jan 13, 2012 5:59 pm**

"Very well. Before I let Caroline do her work, was Paul's desk anywhere near here?" Timour asks.

Posted: **Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:58 pm**

Helen winces, "Unfortunately Paul's office is near to the front of the building. We'll have to wait until the guard goes back upstairs again."

"He was engrossed in his newspaper before, and he probably is again now."

Posted: **Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:48 pm**

(...following straight on from the last post)

From somewhere outside the room you all clearly hear someone shouting, "Hey, stop! Who are you?"

Posted: **Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:17 pm**

Was this directed at them? Timour didn't know, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Guard?" Timour whispers to Helen as he takes up a position next to the door frame, ready to hit anyone who enters with the rifle butt. Wrapped or not, the effect should be quite effective...

Posted: **Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:53 am**

The Archive Room - The Penhew Foundation, Tottenham Court Road, London
7:48pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

From the other side of the door Timour can hear Andrei replying to the guard. His first words are quietly spoken, difficult to hear even from close to the door, of the guard replies Timour can't hear him:
<Andrei:"I'm... I'm sorry. I'm looking for someone. My... my friends were just in here, not too long ago. I was waiting for them outside and they didn't meet me.">
<Andrei:"They.. I... I tried to get in through the door they took - the back door, and it was locked. Here, let me explain.">

There is a pause of a second or two before Andrei speaks again:
<Andrei:"I'm an... an investigative reporter. I had a question...">

Then Andrei suddenly raises his voice, easily audible to everyone in the archive:
<Andrei:"Okay. I've fired this gun before, I'm not afraid to shoot, so don't do anything stupid. I don't want to hurt you. I just need to see something. Come over here and open this storage closet.">

The guard's reply is also audible, and sounds like it's from almost right outside the archive door.
<Guard: "Please! Don't shoot, I'll do whatever you ask!">

Posted: **Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:04 pm**

"черт возьми!" Timour silently curses to himself as he sets his wrapped rifle down against the wall.

"There are no other guards, are there?" Timour whispers to Helen as he prepares to open the door with his pistol drawn.

Posted: **Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:58 am**

"What is your friend doing? Is he crazy?" asks Helen.

<Andrei: "Don't worry. I don't want to shoot you. But I will if I have to. So don't do anything stupid.">

"No, there are no other guards. There is a cleaning lady in the building as well though," noticing Timour's pistol for the first time, Helen adds, "Please, be careful."

Through the door Timour hears Andrei raise his voice again, demanding:
<Andrei: "Why is this door locked?">

<Guard: "What do...?">

The guard's reply is cut off the sound of a woman screaming.

Posted: **Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:32 am**

"Stay here, they do not need to know you're involved." Timour says to both women. He fixates Caroline for a brief moment and nods at his rifle.

He opens the door & steps through it, with his pistol at low ready.

Posted: **Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:37 am**

How could this have gone so wrong so quickly? Caroline wonders to herself. Oh, yes, there were Russians involved.

Posted: **Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:13 pm**

This is cross posted from a PM to Coffee Demon, the same scene is repeated below from Timour's perspective.

coffee demon wrote:Andrei is unable to make a split-second decision on what to do.

He steps backwards, aims the gun weakly towards the side of the guard and fires.

His near-instantaneous thoughts are:

"Maybe I'll hit his shoulder. Maybe it will go over his shoulder. Hopefully the sound of gunshot will stop them both."]

Things are happening too fast!
At the far end of the corridor the cleaning lady is running...
From by the storage room door the guard is lunging towards him...
The keys clatter on the floor...
Another door is opening on the opposite side of Andrei...
The guard is holding something, not the keys though, what is it?

Andrei fires. The blast from the big revolver, deafening within the confines of the narrow corridor.

Too late he sees the knife: The guard is holding a knife!

Andrei's shot whistles harmlessly past the guard,just a warning shot! Any sane man would flinch, back away from the gun, but this is like Harlem all over again, the guard has a crazed look in his eyes, as he drives the blade towards Andrei.

Out of the other door steps Timour Rukov, pistol in hand, but he's too late!

Posted: **Tue Jan 24, 2012 12:02 am**

This is a repeat of the above post from Timour's perspective. To sync everyone back together.

Timour opens the Archive Room door, his pistol held ready, and steps though the doorway.

Bang! The sound of Andrei's service revolver is unmistakeable, his shot wide of the lunging night watchman. Timour is surprised to see the guard's knife and the crazed look in his eyes, but even as he brings his gun around he instictively knows that he's a split second too late; Andrei's fate is out of his hands.

Off to his right, at the far end of the corridor Timour see's the cleaning lady at the edge of his vision, running away.

Posted: **Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:54 pm**

Things were spinning out of control in front of Timour's eyes... A shot fired, a guard rushing forward, a maid making a run for it. There was absolutely no way to deal with it all.

"FREEZE!" Timour yelled with a booming voice, extracting all the breath he could from his lungs. There was no time for anything else...

At least he hoped to stop the maid, but maybe, it would startle the guard and break his resolve and slow his charge.
Timour raised his pistol at the guard. The dice had been cast...

Posted: **Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:05 am**

Stunned by the gun fire Helen turns to Caroline, a look of desperation in her eyes as she asks, "What's... what's happening? Why?"

SuAside wrote:"FREEZE!" Timour yelled with a booming voice, extracting all the breath he could from his lungs. There was no time for anything else...

Time seems to stand still for Timour, he thinks he sees the maid halt, but the guard has only one thing on his mind, he hardly even notices the second Russian as he drives his knife towards Andrei. The knife is a filleting knife, steak knife or some other sharp pointed kitchen impement, Timour has no time to observe such details, even while time stands still.

His pistol is almost on target, his aim steady as ever, but the knife will get there first.

Posted: **Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:21 am**

Caroline is almost as dumbstruck as Helen despite knowing better than she the potential for violence in the Russians and Andrei's instability.

"Freeze!"

Caroline momentarily halts as if the command had been meant for her before realizing its true aim. "Stay here!" she shouts to Helen as she seeks a way past the men to track down the fleeing woman--not that she really knows what she'll do if she catches up to her and heedless of the fact that she may be making herself a target or a distraction.

Posted: **Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:41 pm**

Andrei manages to backpedal and lunge away before the guard can get close enough to swing the knife at him.

The first chance he gets, Andrei will spin and fire his pistol straight at the knife-wielding guards' chest.

"TIMOUR! He's not a guard!"

In the heat of the moment, Andrei shouts out in Russian, and what he does say doesn't make a lot of sense anyways, except maybe to himself.

Posted: **Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:32 am**

As soon as Andrei is out of his line of fire Timour shoots the crazed guard in the chest, the target barely has time to react to the impact before Andrei pistol fires again, his bullet also finding it's mark.

The guard's lifeless body falls at Timour's feet, his knife clattering noisily onto the floor tiles.

At the end of the corridor the cleaner screams hyterically as Caroline rushes over to calm her.

Meanwhile Helen peers cautiously around the door of the archive to see what is happening.

Posted: **Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:55 am**

"He... the guard tried to kill me!" Andrei looks wildly from Helen to the cleaner. He looks at his gun distastefully and puts it back into his satchel.

He glances at the storage door (OC: which I believe the guard unlocked), looks back at everyone, then steps quickly to the storage room and opens the door fully to look inside.

Posted: **Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:08 pm**

Helen is utterly horrified, transfixed by the guard's bloody corpse, "What have you done? I thought you were outside!"

When Andrei storms through the storeroom door she asks, "What are you looking for, it's just junk in there?"

She turns to Timour, as if he'll have all the answers for this madness.

Inside the store room it is dark, and Andrei needs to use his flashlight (the room's light bulb doesn't work if he checks).

In the torch-light Andrei sees boxes and crates piled high against the far wall, blocking the windows. Other boxes are scattered around the floor together with old and broken office furniture. In the very centre of the room is a badly damaged stone sarcophagus, evidently not in good enough condition to display upstairs.

Meanwhile out in the corridor Caroline finds the cleaning lady sobbing behind the reception desk.

Posted: **Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:59 pm**

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Timour growls at Andrei as he tops off his 1911 pistol while suspiciously eyeing the dead guard and his knife "But not now. You check the storage & the basement. We don't know how much time we have."

"Bring the cleaner here, tell her we mean her no harm and shot only in self-defense. Once you brought her here check Gavigan's office." Timour says to Caroline as he searches the guard's body after kicking away the knife "Remember, no names from now on."

Timour then pushes Helen back into the Archive Room as he retrieves his "package".
"This is not what I had in mind... Apologies." he says to her, out of sight and hopefully out of earshot "If you wish, we can pretend you are our hostage."

"I still intend to make good on what I told you, if you can tell me where Paul's desk is."

Posted: **Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:10 am**

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Timour growls at Andrei as he tops off his 1911 pistol while suspiciously eyeing the dead guard and his knife "But not now. You check the storage & the basement. We don't know how much time we have."

When Andrei storms through the storeroom door she asks, "What are you looking for, it's just junk in there?"

...

Andrei gives Timour and Helen a confused and frightened look, then rushes into the storage room.

The vision of the guard collapsing under his gunfire runs through his mind, but he pushes it out.

Andrei scans around the storage room, then puts the flashlight on the ground and rushes to the sarcophagus and tries to shove it aside.

Timour's accusation pops into his head. Explaining to do? What did I do? He tried to kill me! What did I do wrong? Am I a bad person?

If the Sarcophagus doesn't move, Andrei adjusts the flashlight on the floor, grabs the lid of the sarcophagus, and heaves at it to either push it off or lift it open.

Posted: **Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:27 am**

SuAside wrote:Timour then pushes Helen back into the Archive Room as he retrieves his "package".
"This is not what I had in mind... Apologies." he says to her, out of sight and hopefully out of earshot "If you wish, we can pretend you are our hostage."

"I still intend to make good on what I told you, if you can tell me where Paul's desk is."

"It's... it's okay, I'll be okay. Thank you"

Helen heads back into the corridor, "I show you where Paul's desk is."

Posted: **Fri Feb 03, 2012 3:51 pm**

On edge herself, Caroline attempts to coax the cleaning woman as calmly as she can. "Oh, my dear, are you all right? What a horrible thing just happened! For no reason at all, that man pulled a weapon on one of my colleagues. I'm sure you're awfully frightened, but I need you to come back with me and help me identify the attacker for ... the investigation." She hedges a bit, hoping that the woman will draw the inference that she and the Russians are somehow affiliated with the police.

Posted: **Sat Feb 04, 2012 12:20 am**

coffee demon wrote:If the Sarcophagus doesn't move, Andrei adjusts the flashlight on the floor, grabs the lid of the sarcophagus, and heaves at it to either push it off or lift it open.

Try as he might, Andrei cannot move the sarcophagus, but he is definitely on the right track - when he adjusts the flashlight beam he sees that the dust on the floor has been wiped away in a circular pattern where the sarcophagus sits, and there are also feint scuffs on the floor. Clearly there is some way to rotate the whole sarcophagus in place, but he can't see what it might be!

In frustration he returns to his plan and tries to move the sarcophagus lid, but it won't budge as it is not a separate piece, the sarcophagus is fake!

Caroline wrote: "...I'm sure you're awfully frightened, but I need you to come back with me and help me identify the attacker for ... the investigation."

The cleaner nods and gets nervously to her feet, then accompanies Caroline without saying a word. She is clearly terrified and her distress gets worse with each step along the corridor towards the uniformed corpse laying in a pool of blood

Posted: **Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:51 am**

If it looks like the woman is headed in the right direction, Caroline has a go at Gavigan's office.

Posted: **Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:24 am**

Andrei is releasing too much adrenaline to think that there might be a clever way to slide the sarcophagus. He feels certain that every moment is precious. There is no time to waste. The police will be here any minute. This is the reason why they came to London; this is why they broke into the Foundation; this is why a man just got shot (he refuses to tell himself he shot the man). If they didn't get into the basement and find evidence that would condemn Gavigan, then it was all for naught.

He leans his shoulder against it again and heaves again with all his might. When that fails, he calls out in Russian,

"TIMOUR! Come quickly! I found it! Help me open this!"

He waits precisely one second, then roars out, "TIMOUR!! QUICKLY!"

Posted: **Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:52 am**

"Hold that thought." Timour says to Helen "Try to get the cleaner to relax & not run off on us, but be on your guard."

He then runs towards Andrei.

Posted: **Mon Feb 06, 2012 2:59 pm**

Timour arrives in the storage room and immediately sees Andrei struggling to push the sarcophagus. He immediately notices the same wear marks on the floor as Andrei spotted earlier, obviously the sarcophagus has recently been rotated on the floor.

Posted: **Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:20 pm**

In Russian:

"Quick! Help me move this! The hidden cellar is right underneath this room!"

Andrei moves over slightly to let Timour get next to him and help shove the sarcophagus. He is obviously not calm.

Posted: **Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:38 pm**

"There has to be a trick to it." Timour observes as he sees Andrei's exertion. He joins in to push, but looks around to try and find a way to toggle or unlock it through cunning rather than force.

Posted: **Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:00 am**

"Maybe you're right!" Andrei grunts in Russian as he heaves at the sarcophagus, and is also looking around at the same time. If they give it a heave and it doesn't budge, he picks up the flashlight and starts poking at the sarcophagus and looking over the walls of the room for a secret switch. He shines the flashlight towards wherever Timour is looking whenever he other Russian asks.

He shouts out while searching, "CAROLINE! Is everything satisfactory out there?"

Posted: **Tue Feb 07, 2012 10:35 am**

Gavigan's Office - The Penhew Foundation
7:50pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

The first door that Caroline opens leads into a waiting room rather than Edward Gavigan's office itself. The room is divided in half, to Caroline's left is a secretary's desk with an expensive typewriter, a couple of filing cabinets and a large potted plant; to her right is a waiting area with some cozy leather armchairs arranged around a polished coffee table. A magazine rack sits against the wall holding scientific and natural history periodicals. There is a large skylight in the ceiling, but no other windows; a painting of the Giza Pyramids hangs on the wall in the waiting area. Outside it has begun to rain, the raindrops patter down onto the glass of the skylight.

Directly opposite Caroline is a second door, it's unlabeled, but presumably leads into Gavigan's office proper, as she opens this door she hears Andrei shouting from the store room.

coffee demon wrote:He shouts out while searching, "CAROLINE! Is everything satisfactory out there?"

As Andrei is shouting his voice is drowned out by a low rumbling sound of stone scraping on stone.

Then out in the corridor, Helen screams.

The Storage Room - The Penhew Foundation
7:50pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

Andrei and Timour try in vain to push the sarcophogus, they feel it shift a little, but even between them they lack enough strength to move the whole thing, nor can they spot any switches that might operate the mechanism. Then while they prod and push at the top of the sarcophogus Timour's fingers find a small section that can be pushed in. He pushes harder and with a low rumble the sarcophogus rotates on the spot revealing a steep staircase in the floor.

Then out in the corridor, Helen screams.

Posted: **Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:19 pm**

Caroline abandons the office search to see what's happening with Helen.

Posted: **Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:40 pm**

Timour curses under his breath as he wants to hurry into the corridor, but he thinks better of it. With a swift stride and with his weapon shouldered, he checks the rear of the corridor before he commits himself to sidestepping out into the hallway facing the direction he last saw Helen.

Spoiler:

Posted: **Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:38 pm**

Andrei grabs the flashlight and stands hesitantly at the top of the stairs. He flashes the light downwards.

This is what we came here to do. I can't waste time. The sooner I find something against Gavigan, the sooner we can leave.

The big Russian feels a twinge of guilt. There's more to it than the greater good. It's impossible to ignore his deep desire to find some mystical treatise or idol that might enlighten his research into these strange worlds they've started to discover.

He plunges down the stairwell, shouting back in English to alleviate his fear of what lies in the darkness below:

"I'M GOING DOWN! I'll BE FIVE MINUTES!"

Posted: **Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:57 am**

In the Corridor

Timour sees that the back door is clear (and still closed) as he moves through the door to face Helen. At the same time Caroline re-enters the corridor from Gavigan's office.

They both see Helen and the cleaning lady grappling on the floor close to the body of the dead guard. The cleaner has taken the knife from where Timour kicked it and straddling Helen's prone body.

Helen meanwhile is using both her hands desperately to try to keep the cleaner's knife at bay.

"Help me!" she pleads as she sees Timour appear.

Posted: **Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:18 am**

Under the Storeroom

Meanwhile Andrei descends the steep staircase, his torch lighting the way.

At the bottom he finds the bricked off cellar area. Across the room from him is a cosy seating area, with six leather chairs arranged around a table; various items are piled on the table including an automatic handgun and an ornate looking chest. A glass-fronted bookcase stands nearby, stuffed with tomes and scrolls. At least a dozen crates are piled against the wall to Andrei's right (the one with the brick up windows), several of which have been opened, and all the walls are decorated with ancient mosaics, bas-reliefs and statues stolen from digs around the world, and all depicting dreadful monsters and demons.

An unlit electrical light hangs from the ceiling, and Andrei can hear the faint sound of an electric fan providing ventilation to the hidden room.

The shadows cast by the crates in the torchlight, combined with the monstrous things depicted in the artwork gives the room an eerie atmosphere.

Posted: **Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:47 am**

Unless Timour acts first, Caroline reaches for the nearest heavy object she can find and attempts to club Helen's attacker into submission.

Posted: **Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:46 pm**

Timour kneels, rests his support arm on his knee and stabilizes his body against the door frame. Slowly his finger starts depressing the trigger as soon as he sees that the front and the back of the target are clear. As the 2-stage trigger breaks sharply under the constant pull and is quickly released again, a single shot rings throughout the hallway.

For a split second, there is no noise in the world, except for the sharp ping of the shiny brass .30-06 casing hitting the stone tiles of the corridor and bouncing off.

Spoiler:

Posted: **Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:56 pm**

Andrei tries to ignore the horrific shapes and rushes straight for the the table. He picks up the chest to check its weight, then quickly puts it back down. He can feel the eyes of the creatures on the walls watching him, and has a horrible feeling that something is going to grab him from behind. He spins around quickly and shines his flashlight behind him. The hairs are standing up on the back of his neck.

He swallows, turns back around and tries to open the chest. If it's locked, he rushes to the bookcase and tries to open the glass front. If the glass front is locked, he'll smash the glass with the butt of his pistol (which is in his pocket) and stuff his satchel full of random scrolls and tomes.

His actions feel sacrilegious. He feels sick, afraid and powerless.

Posted: **Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:18 am**

SuAside wrote:Timour kneels, rests his support arm on his knee and stabilizes his body against the door frame. Slowly his finger starts depressing the trigger as soon as he sees that the front and the back of the target are clear. As the 2-stage trigger breaks sharply under the constant pull and is quickly released again, a single shot rings throughout the hallway.

For a split second, there is no noise in the world, except for the sharp ping of the shiny brass .30-06 casing hitting the stone tiles of the corridor and bouncing off.

Timour's shot hits the woman as she half turns towards him; from the momentary look of shock on her face in the instant before he pulled the trigger it is clear that whatever she was expecting to see it wasn't the muzzle of his automatic rifle.

The bullet strikes her in the left-side of her chest just in front of her left arm, exits behind her right arm and destroys her heart on the way through, leaving a gory mess on the opposite wall. As the spent casing rolls across the floor, the cleaner's body twitches once and then falls onto Helen. The moment of silence is broken as Helen shrieks and attempts to pull herself out from under the corpse.

coffee demon wrote:Andrei tries to ignore the horrific shapes and rushes straight for the the table. He picks up the chest to check its weight,
OC,How big is it?
then quickly puts it back down. He can feel the eyes of the creatures on the walls watching him, and has a horrible feeling that something is going to grab him from behind. He spins around quickly and shines his flashlight behind him. The hairs are standing up on the back of his neck.

As Andrei reaches the table and spins around, he senses a presence lurking silently in the far corner of the room, but before his flash-light beam penetrates the darkness of that corner, the hairs on his arms stand up on end as the air hums faintly with static.

Andrei's torch flickers once, crackles and dies. Yet although his world is plunged into darkness, in his minds eye Andrei can visualise the far corner of the room, to the left of the entrance stairway, it is the shadowy corner of Miles Shipley's eerie masterpiece, the corner towards which he Andrei Zatisov was depicted running, the corner where the formless monster lurked waiting.
As Andrei's eyes quickly adjust to the flash-light failing, he can see the staircase dimly illuminated from above, and in the corner of the room, a blackness darker than the other shadows unfolds itself, impossibly illuminated from within by the sparkling of a million distant stars. Slowly, inexorably it extends it's smoke like tentacles across the room towards him - between him and the exit! Andrei smells the peculiar aroma of burnt hair, and knows that the Chimera has been waiting for him, down here in the darkness, a vicious trap left for him by Edward Gavigan.

Posted: **Tue Feb 14, 2012 5:54 pm**

Andrei stumbles backwards, hits the back of his knees on the low table, and falls seated onto the table. He rights himself quickly and gets behind the table, holding his satchel between himself and the Chimera, as though it contains words of power than might hold it back. He is suddenly drenched in sweat.

Thinking quickly, he tears open the top of his shirt to reveal the ink marks (mostly washed off by now) that he drew on himself the night before.

He's standing behind one of the leather chairs now, with the satchel upheld and his chest bared to the creature. He only barely has the presence of mind to croak out, dryly,

"help, HELP! Light!"

Posted: **Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:24 pm**

Timour sees his bullet hit home, well recognizing that no man, zealot or not, would survive such a hit. The two outcries for help melt together.
For but a split second he contemplates going to help Helen, and leaving Andrei to his fate. Real or imagined.

The thought shames him, as he stands up and quickly takes his flashlight in hand.

"Caroline, help Helen!" Timour shouts, as he carefully decends the staircase with his rifle leveled and his flashlight along the barrel.

Posted: **Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:51 pm**

Caroline scampers to help Helen, first checking the assailant's body for signs of life even though it would seem obvious there were none, and then (if all goes as she suspects it will), tries to aid the living woman up from where she lay and examine her for injuries.

Posted: **Wed Feb 15, 2012 2:22 am**

Posted: **Thu Feb 16, 2012 1:56 am**

Decrepit wrote:Caroline scampers to help Helen, first checking the assailant's body for signs of life even though it would seem obvious there were none, and then (if all goes as she suspects it will), tries to aid the living woman up from where she lay and examine her for injuries.

Caroline finds that the 'cleaning lady' is quite dead.

Helen is cover in blood, but almost all of it appears to be from her attacker. Her worst injury is a fairly deep cut in the palm of her left hand, the injury should be something that Caroline can patch up easily enough.

She is also in shock, past crying now she asks Caroline, "What is happening tonight? These people have worked here for longer than me! I thought they were my friends."

"She tried to kill me! She called me a bitch, and said this would be a quicker death than I deserved! Who are these people? What have they done to Paul?"

Posted: **Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:29 am**

Posted: **Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:37 am**

While Caroline is helping Helen, Timour cautiously descends the secret staircase. His flash-light is illuminating the steps ahead of him, but it doesn't look like the there are any other lights on in the cellar. For a second he thinks that maybe Andrei has just dropped his torch, then he smells the familiar scent of burning hair the tell-tale of the dreadful fog creature that attacked them the night before!

Posted: **Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:12 am**

The insane markings that Andrei has marked upon his body have no effect on the terrifying entity. He feels the cruel caress of the abomination's insubstantial tentacles wrapping around his neck, his right arm and his waist and then the crushing force as they tighten around him. He is lifted off his feet and is overwhelmed by the stench of burnt hair other tentacles join the attack probing through his lips and his nostrils.

Then for a second, just as he feels himself slipping out of consciousness the Thing is illuminated by the powerful beam of Timour's flashlight. Caught in the beam it is suddenly both visible and tangible, a shimmering, sparking grey octopus formed from liquid star light.

It drops Andrei at once. He lands on the hard floor with a thud, gasping desperately for breath, as the beast pours itself impossibly up onto the ceiling and then seeps into the air-vent and disappears.

Posted: **Thu Feb 16, 2012 5:19 pm**

Timour gags at the sight of the beast, the visual distortion being too much for him to pile on top of the foul stench.

He tries to keep his cool, and his mind on the job at hand. He quickly sweeps the room with his rifle and flashlight, making sure nothing else is in the room with Andrei.

Spoiler:

Posted: **Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:29 pm**

Andrei lies gasping on the floor, shirt wide open, soaked in sweat. He stares bug-eyed at Timour and the vent in the ceiling.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:50 am**

Timour sweeps the room with his torch, but doesn't locate any other threats. The artwork around the secret room is creepy, but nothing like as bad as the paintings that Timour viewed at Miles Shipley's house. He also notices for the first time that Andrei has drawn weird arcane looking symbols all over his body under his shirt, these have partially washed or rubbed off, but they are still clearly visible now that he's ripped his shirt open.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:46 am**

Temporarily leaving Helen, Caroline calls down the staircase to Timour and Andrei: "Is everything all right down there? is anyone hurt?" She's almost afraid of the answer.

Posted: **Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:13 pm**

"Fine, Caroline, although I think Andrei needs help. I'm afraid we've stumbled on something beyond our comprehension." Timour shouts back, as he does a double take on what just happened a few moments ago.

Largely ignoring artwork, he scans the room for books or notes to take with them.

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:58 am**

Andrei continues to stare wide-eyed at Timour. He's dripping in sweat. He slowly looks up at the grate where the Chimera left. Then he lowers himself carefully to the ground and sits there with his arms hanging over his knees. He stares blankly at a spot two feet in front of him and six inches from the ground.

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:10 am**

Torn between helping or at least comforting Helen and seeing what Timour meant by Andrei needing her, Caroline says to Helen, "Dear, I know this has been horrible, and we'll sort it out as best we can in just a moment. Right now, I need to see what's gone on downstairs." She takes her bag and heads in that direction.

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:39 pm**

Andrei gives Caroline a dead, glum look, then looks back down at the ground.

Posted: **Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:14 am**

Tmour spots the same things as Andrei did when he first entered the cellar, although the things on the desk have been disturbed during the struggle - the ornate chest was knocked off onto the floor, together with a couple of what appear to be passports.
There are lots of books and scrolls in the glass fronted shelves, they look like lots of occult textbooks & grimoires, some of them look very old like the books from the Black Library that Timour visited under the British Museum.

Posted: **Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:58 pm**

Timour inches closer to examine the fallen chest & it's contents, and picks up the passports & pockets them on the way.

Posted: **Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:14 pm**

After pocketing the passports, Timour pick up the chest from the floor. It is constructed from red sandalwood and ornately engraved with the shapes of creatures of nightmare, hulking creatures with the gait an insects, but the build of apes, their powerful arms end in vicious talons, while their faces are dominated by toothy maws.

The chest is not locked and contains two daggers, with wavy blades like those of a kris, and hilts carved from ivory. Between the two daggers is a tightly rolled scroll, tied with red ribbon.

Caroline finds that Andrei is almost catatonic, he continues to stare at his feet.

Posted: **Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:07 pm**

Timour checks the desk (OOC - via PM) while Caroline is examining Andrei.

Posted: **Fri Mar 02, 2012 2:30 am**

[OC: Kinda waiting for Decrepit to post...]

Posted: **Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:38 pm**

Timour puts the small-ish chest under his arm and quickly walks towards the lounge chair. He dumps the ledger or diary that is next to it into the chest, together with the scrapped paper and the stack of unused writing paper. He leaves the pistol where it is.

"Grab whatever looks important or useful, we don't have the time to go through this here." Timour says as he takes a swift step towards his friends and stuffs whatever old & work looking books are in reach into the chest without weighing it down too much "Andrei, get up, we have to get out of here."

Posted: **Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:13 pm**

Frustrated and scared, Caroline's medical knowledge fails her, she slaps Andrei hard on the cheek, "Come on Andrei! Timour is right we have to move! Now!"

Posted: **Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:53 am**

Andrei jerks upright for a moment. He touches his stinging cheek and stares up at Caroline, stunned. His eyes start to water and a tear drips down the side of his face. He looks back down at the ground, completely dejected, and shakes his head. His lips are moving slightly, like he's trying to say something.

Then he lays himself down gently on the floor, covers his head with his arms, and curls his legs up tightly to his chest.

Posted: **Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:14 am**

"No! Please Andrei , I'm sorry, but you have to get up!" Caroline kneels down and tries to lift Andrei back to his feet, but he is much too big for her.

She shouts up the stairs, "Helen! Come down, we need help!"

"Timour what's happened to Andrei? He's in shock and I think I've made it worse! Between the three of us we must be able to get Andrei out and take some of these things. What have you found?"

Posted: **Fri Mar 09, 2012 6:54 pm**

"Grab this chest and fill it with what seems relevant, but don't weigh yourself down too much, you have to be able to run if the beast returns or new zealots show up." Timour says as he hands over the chest "See with Helen if you can find her a coat to cover the blood. And ask her if the guard had a vehicle we could commandeer. Move quickly, improvise, I don't know how long we have left."

"I'll try to get Andrei on his feet." he says as he grabs Andrei's arm and attempts to pull him upright.

Posted: **Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:52 pm**

Andrei resists Timour initially by pushing his hands away, but his heart isn't really in it. Eventually he lets Timour pull him to his feet. He stands there limply for a minute, looking around sadly, then moves to lay down again.

When Timour moves to prod him forward again, [OC: I think I can safely assume Timour does this?] Andrei tries to push the other Russian away again. He quietly mouths in Russian, "Don't touch me," and glares at Timour with haunted eyes.

Posted: **Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:56 am**

"Come on, tovarich." Timour grunts as he drapes Andrei's arm over his own shoulder & drags him along, willingly or not, while carrying the BAR in his off-hand "No man left behind. Out together, home together."

Posted: **Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:50 am**

Helen steps into the storage room seeing the sarcophagus moved and the hidden staircase. "Caroline; What's happening?" she asks, visibly shaken by the blood covering her.

Edging closer to the staircase, she resists going down it, uncertain of this secret passage in her employers building and the recent events. "I heard your two friends shouting, what's happening down there?"

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:41 pm**

Under the Penhew Foundation
7:55pm - Thursday 29th January, 1925

Caroline shouts back up to Helen as she quickly tries to gather things into the box. "We're ok Helen! Something has happened to Andrei, but I think Timour can get him back up there! I'll be right up."

She sweeps most of the remaining items from the desk into the box. And then moves over to the bookcase. She doesn't have time to study everything in the torchlight, so she grabs the lighter looking items, including a few rolled up parchment scrolls and some bound handwritten notes. The notes are labelled: "A study of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, by Professor W.L. Fiennes "

For a moment she forgets Andrei's condition and shouts out, "Andrei! These are the notes that you were looking for! The missing notes, Gavigan must have got them!"

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:44 pm**

Posted: **Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:26 pm**

Andrei perks up and looks over at Caroline and the documents. He thinks for a minute, then his face lowers into a mask of disgust and hatred. Caroline has never seen him look so angry. Timour's flashlight lights the huge Russian's face in a way that makes him look almost demonic.

His lip quivers and he tries to pull out of Timour's grasp.

"Caroline, you are a fool," he spits. "Have you not learned... can you not understand, all this is useless?" He gestures at the shelves of books. "All this is useless. Do you have a document that says 'I am Gavigan, I kill people?' No? Because all THESE books do is make him look like a collector! It's gibberish! The police won't understand! I have books like this too, so what does that make me?"

He struggles again with him arm, trying violently to pull himself away from Timour.

"We just shot people upstairs. The only difference between us and Gavigan is that we haven't raped them beforehand. But I don't doubt - if we keep doing this, following mysterious mystical notes and nonsense, that we will sink to depths, to depths that are just as low..."

He glowers at Caroline and Timour, like an enraged bull about to charge.

Posted: **Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:33 pm**

"And what do you suggest we should do instead?" Timour exclaims angrily as he lets Andrei free himself of his support "Shall we cower in the shadows? Shall we let those who we care for be the victims of our lack of courage? Shall we allow our friends to be raped and slaughtered because we gave up?"

"No! We did not cower when war swept our continent. We rose and fought with our allies, until we were backstabbed and could fight no more. But we did not cower then, nor shall we now we face an enemy we do not know. An enemy we, and possibly the world, does not understand and has no refuge from." he carries on with fervor "I failed protecting my country and lost many of my closest friends in the war & subsequent boljevist uprising, but let God damn me for all eternity if I do not find the strength to die on my feet while protecting my friends' lives now, if need be, rather than dying on my knees pleading and groveling for my own life."

He then turns towards the stairway, taking his flashlight and BAR with him.

Posted: **Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:43 am**

Posted: **Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:08 pm**

As Timour speaks, Andrei's head lowers and his mouth twists into a scowl. His chest is heaving and his nostrils flare. His eyes are so filled with hate that it doesn't seem like he could possibly be listening to Timour's reasoning. You would think that Timour was directly insulting him in the worst possible way.

As soon as Timour turns away, Andrei lunges for him. From Caroline's position, it looks like Andrei might be trying to grab the other Russian's neck with his huge hands. Fortunately, Timour catches the motion out of the corner of his eye and steps aside; Andrei ends up only grabbing Timour by the shoulders. It's an easy position for the smaller Russian to twist away from.

Posted: **Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:31 pm**

Timour effortlessly tears himself loose and keeps on walking up the stairs with his rifle held across his chest.

Spoiler:

Posted: **Tue Mar 20, 2012 11:53 pm**

"Mr. Timour, are you and your friends alright? I heard some scuffling form the darkness, but can't tell what happened." Helen inquires as she sees Timour coming up the steps.

"I think we should call the police to let them know about Malcolm and Julie attacking us. That is, if someone hasn't already called them about the gunfire."

Posted: **Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:54 pm**

"Everything is just dandy, but calling the authorities is unlikely to work to our advantage." Timour replies as he takes large and swift steps up the stairs, taking care to let his flashlight shine enough light rearward for the others to ascend safely "It would be hard enough to explain our presence in this building, but explaining why I'm carrying a Browning BAR around would be somewhat unlikely to be succesfull. If you wish to stay and explain the situation, you are welcome to do so, but we would be thankful if you were kind enough to leave our names & whatever other information you might have gathered out of your story."

"I think a better idea would be to take the information we found with us, and analyze it elsewhere. You are welcome to join us. Do you think you can find a long jacket to cover your bloodstained clothes, as not to arouse suspicion?"

Posted: **Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:22 am**

Helen can see Timour coming back up the stairs now.

Below him Caroline pauses to try to encourage Andrei, "Please Andrei, don't give up. Gavigan isn't here, but Helen knows where to find him. And the items we're taking are evidence of wrong doing, if not then why hide them down here?"

"I'm sorry I hit you, I'm... I was scared, and I want to get out of here. "

Posted: **Fri Mar 23, 2012 2:16 am**

"Yes, my coat is in the library, I'll go grab it and meet you back in the main hallway."

Helen heads back to the library to retrieve her coat and weighs the possibility that these people might be able to help find Paul against all the bizarre happenings of the night. Despite the overwhelming desire to call the police and get their help, Timour seems to know quite a bit about what's going on and might be more helpful.

After collecting her coat and making sure it sufficiently hides the bloodstains, Helen heads back into the hallway to meet-up with her new-found friends and take them back to Paul's flat to examine the evidence.

When Timour, Caroline, and Andrei come into view, Helen announces, "We can head back to Paul's flat to take a look at what you have. I do hope there's something that can help find and help Paul."

Posted: **Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:13 pm**

It takes a few minutes before Andrei calms down, and until then Caroline is unable to persuade him to move at all from the spot where Timour left him. Fortunately though the fog creature does not return, and eventually the pair ascend the staircase to rejoin the others in the hallway.

By then Helen and Timour have had chance to search Paul's desk, but it doesn't actually look like anything on or in the desk has been touched during the last two weeks. It's as though Paul stopped working on anything two weeks ago.

Posted: **Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:59 pm**

"Any place is better than here." Timour replies as he conceals his BAR again and pockets the spent cartridges "It would be good to contact our friends first. Do you have a telephone at the flat? How far away is it."

As he turns and sees Andrei come back up the stairs, he breathes a sigh of relief.

Posted: **Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:37 pm**

"Paul lives only a short walk away, barely five minutes from here. My flat is a bit further, so we can call your friends form Paul's if you like."

When Caroline and Timour come up, Helen sees Andrei disheveled state and lets out a small gasp, "Oh my... I... I think Paul has some bandages and medicine at his flat as well if you need it Mr.Andrei. If everyone is ready, we can go there now."

Posted: **Tue Mar 27, 2012 6:13 pm**

Spoiler:

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:06 am**

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:23 pm**

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:22 pm**

Posted: **Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:11 pm**

To save messing I'll say that Helen and Timour had time to check Gavigan's office as well as Paul's desk.

The office is neat and modern, with a big french polished desk dominating the room. Photographs of Gavigan on various excavations and expeditions, mostly in Egypt adorn the walls.

They don't find anything occult/mythos related, nor anything illegal in the office. They did find the following potential clues though:

A small locked wall safe behind one of the photograph frames.
A modern typewriter, it's placed inside a 'built-in' cupboard in the back wall of the office.
The back wall of that same cupboard contains a concealed door. This door opens into the storage room (where the sarcophagus / secret steps down to the occult study are).

Posted: **Fri Mar 30, 2012 7:31 pm**

OCC: Since we've jumped ahead a bit, I'll just describe what Timour would've been doing during these discoveries.

IC:

After failing to find anything of interest at Paul's desk, Timour checks the rear entrance for any activity, be it police showing up or bystanders suspiciously eyeing the building (thus implying they heard the disturbance). Once he observed the rear, he will move to the front entrance and do the same there.

Hopefully, if the police does show up, they have time to slip out the back before that is blocked off as well...

Posted: **Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:20 pm**

Looking out of the front door windows, Timour can see that it has started to rain, the drizzle finally getting rid of the last of the fog. Illuminated under a streetlight, outside the foundation's iron railings, a middle aged lady stands under her umbrella and hurriedly converses with two uniformed policemen, pointing repeatedly forwards the Penhew Foundation as she speaks.

Posted: **Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:29 pm**

Timour let's out a brief whistle, loud enough to be heard inside, but hopefully the cops outside would not hear it.

"Time to go, the authorities are here!" Timour warns "Grab what seems useful and easy to carry, but make haste."

He starts briskly walking towards the other side of the building, intent on herding everyone out (while still making sure Caroline carries the chest he handed her).

Posted: **Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:03 pm**

Helen heads towards the sound of Andrei's whistle. Checking her coat to make sure that covers the bloodstains as best it can, she prepares to head outside. "Mr. Timour, it sounds like Andrei is ready to leave. I don't think we should let him go somewhere alone again... Last time he... oh, poor Malcolm..."

Gathering her emotions back up, she reminds herself that finding Paul is what she needs to do, and she may need these new people to help. Meeting up with Andrei and Caroline, Helen relays what she and Timour found in Gavigan's office, "Do you think we might be able to return after the police leave? We found a locked hidden safe that might have some information on the cults or the expedition you and your friends mentioned. If he is keeping any secrets about Paul, there might be something there to help"

With that, Helen bundles up her coat to exit into the cold outside air.

Posted: **Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:58 pm**

Posted: **Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:06 am**

Caroline is feels as if she's in a daze, given all that's happened, but she still clutches the materials the group hopes to secret away from the cursed foundation. She curses herself, too, for failing to help Andrei and hopes that getting to Paul's will give her a chance to make amends.

Looking at the huddled group of people who were only strangers to her a short while ago, before her world turned upside down, she marveled a little at how much she had come to care for them, even depend on them, as the only safe harbor in a mad universe. Her mind wandered, too, to her friends not there--and how much they had all lost, and how far they had to go to try to get any of it back. Strangely, too, her thoughts lingered on Maks, so like and so unlike his twin, a man whose boorishness seemed to know no bounds and yet whose presence made her feel a little safer despite the sometimes childish hostility between them.

She tries to brush that aside and focus on the matter at hand, clutching the chest even tighter.

Posted: **Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:25 am**

Andrei follows the other three. He looks haggard and dazed and not quite present.

When he sees the dead people in the hallway, he stops and looks at them for a long time. He crouches next to one of them and tries to arrange the body so it looks more respectful. Less like a dead sack of flesh, more like someone who has fallen to sleep.

Andrei will continue to position the bodies nicely until one of the others drags him away.

Posted: **Fri Apr 06, 2012 5:09 pm**

Timour simply grabs Andrei by the collar and continues to herd the ladies towards the other exit.

Posted: **Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:53 pm**

Coming up to the exit, Helen takes a peek around to see if anything suspicious stands out to her and whispers back to the group, "If we head out here, I can lead everyone back to Paul's flat. Are you ready to depart?"

Posted: **Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:14 am**

The coast appears to be clear outside the back door for the moment. Helen can see that the gate to the loading area is chained shut, so the only way out of the yard is to climb over the railings.

Posted: **Sat Apr 07, 2012 6:09 am**

Andrei swats Timour's hand off of him when the Russian tries to physically move him. He follows the other three closely, watching for police and too-curious passersby. His heart isn't in it, though. He feels like he's just going through the motions. Something feels wrong, false, distant about everything.

His brow is knitted, and he looks distracted as he puzzles over this.

What has changed? Why do I feel so different?

Posted: **Sat Apr 07, 2012 9:02 am**

"Up and over." Timour says as he braces himself with his back against the railing with his knees bent, making a makeshift stairs.

"Give me the chest, I'll pass it on once you're over." he adds.

Posted: **Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:26 pm**

"I'll go over the fence first just in case I see anyone. I have a decent excuse for being here if I do see any onlookers and might be able to shoo them away if needed." With that, she steps up to Timour and takes his hand to steady herself going up an over the fence. Somewhat clumsily, she manages to flip herself over the obstacle while trying to keep her coat as well shut as she can.

Dropping back to the ground on the other side, she turns to keep an eye out for any onlookers or police.

Posted: **Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:51 pm**

Posted: **Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:56 pm**

Posted: **Sun Apr 08, 2012 9:06 pm**

With Timour's help Helen clambers over the railings without much difficulty. She takes a look around and the coast appears to be clear for the time being. A nearby alleyway will take them north, towards Paul's flat, without heading back towards the policemen.

Posted: **Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:52 pm**

Andrei tosses his satchel over the fence, hops it easily, and retrieves his satchel. The exertion puts him back into the present moment. He starts walking quickly away from the Penhew Foundation, glancing behind him to ensure the others are following.

Posted: **Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:27 pm**

Posted: **Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:52 pm**

Once everyone was over the fence, Timour passed his (wrapped) BAR through the fence and climbed over with ease.

"Off we go. Try not to look suspicious. Act natural." Timour says as he pats himself down and grabs the BAR "Lead us to the appartment, if you will, Helen."

Posted: **Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:13 pm**

Posted: **Wed Apr 11, 2012 6:24 pm**

Posted: **Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:37 pm**

After passing the BAR back to Timour, Caroline picks up the crate again and sets off after Andrei as quickly as she can manage, "Slow down, Andrei! We don't even know the right way."

"Help me with this box."

Posted: **Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:08 pm**

Andrei stops and takes the box from Caroline, then turns and keeps walking, but veers more in the direction of the other two. He doesn't dare stop and wait for them, but he slows down until they catch up.

"Where are we going?" he asks in a hoarse (and probably unnecessary) whisper.

Despite the evening temperature, he removes his jacket and wraps it around the box. His shirt has become untucked sometime in the last half hour, and one side of his collar is askew, but he makes no effort to clean himself up.

Posted: **Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:47 am**

"This way," Helen says as she guides the party to the alley leading to Paul's flat.

Leading the group to their destination, Helen turns up her collar against the January chill and tries to piece together in her mind everything that happened in the Penhew Foundation. Turning to the others, she inquires "Why would my friends have attacked us? Could they have been in a part of the cults you mentioned? I've known them for such a time and they seemed so strange and almost mindless tonight."

Posted: **Thu Apr 12, 2012 4:54 pm**

Andrei seems distracted and half-aware until Helen brings up the attackers. At her question, his face flushes and he interjects in a shaky voice that he can barely control;

"We k- they attacked us, but we - we killed them. Let's not forget that. They're dead now."

He shakes his head disgustedly. As they pass under a lamp, the bags under Andrei's eyes show prominently. The lamplight reflects the pale pallor of his skin. The towering Russian looks exceptionally weary and tortured.

He looks over at Helen and asks, "They were your friends? Did you know them well? Did they have.." he swallows. "...did they have any family that you know of?"

Posted: **Thu Apr 12, 2012 6:54 pm**

"That line of questioning leads only to torment." Timour interjects as he walks at Helen's side "Yes, I do believe they're involved in this cult. Or another cult."

"How well did you know them? You never suspected anything?"

Posted: **Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:43 am**

Andrei returns Timour's reply with a long, cold glare.

Posted: **Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:11 am**

"Well... I only knew them from working there, but we'd spoken casually and had coffee occasionally. But no, I never would have imagined that they would do anything like that."

Seeing the unease that the events caused Andrei, Helen considers a lie to help put his concerns to rest, "Oh, poor Julie had been a widow for years, she spoke of wanting children, but never had any. Malcolm didn't really talk about his home life much, other than to complain about courting woes on occasion, but always a different lady friend. I... I don't believe he ever mentioned the same lady twice." Helen tries to make it sounds somewhat lighter in mood than it should be hoping that this will relax the tension.

As they continue to wind through the alleys to Paul's flat, Helen appreciates the company in the darkness despite the recent frights they seem to have brought into her life. Quickening her pace, she focuses on getting back to a more comfortable environment to let everything that's happened sink in.

Posted: **Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:30 pm**

Andrei listens attentively to Helen, then lapses back into his own thoughts without reacting much.

After they walk another block, Andrei asks quietly,

"Are we going to drive to Gavigan's manor, then? Are we going to pick up the others?"

After this is answered, he looks around to make sure no one else is on the street, then asks, "And what will we do when we get there? Shoot Gavigan? Then run away, I suppose? As murderers." He swallows hard. "I wonder how many other people we will end up killing at the manor. What if the butler sees us? Will we kill him too?"

Posted: **Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:59 am**

As Andrei speaks Paul's flat comes into view, Helen can see it a couple of hundred yards ahead. Paul's flat is the middle floor of a three story townhouse, she can see his car parked on the street outside, and nothing appear to be amiss from here.

Posted: **Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:16 am**

"Let's first analyze what we have with us. We have to remember there are people missing, and it's somewhat unlikely that Gavigan would just hold them at his manor. Perhaps we can find clues in what we gathered." Timour says "We also need to get in touch with our other friends & let them know what's going on. We're not alone in this..."

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2012 9:23 pm**

"We're not going to find anything we don't already know", Andrei replies flatly.

"The thing is... I was hoping we would find something that would give us... something real, some real evidence which we could show other people. So people would understand. A bunch of daggers and old books aren't going to... they're not going to help us explain to the police why we just killed two people."

He swallows hard and takes another look around them before continuing.

"Don't you see? What are we becoming? We're fighting because of things that we've seen... that no one will believe. We're completely on our own. And - up until now - we have been behaving, I'd like to think... I'd like to think we're decent people. I want to be a decent person. But now... what's the difference between us and Gavigan?"

He stops and grabs Timour's shoulders, forcing him to look Andrei in the eyes. Andrei's face is pained. He looks genuinely frightened and exposed - moreso than Timour has ever seen him. In Russian, he continues,

"Timour. We just shot people! In London! We're killing people, just like in the war, Timour, and making excuses for it, just like we did back then! Last time, though, we were heroes; people liked us for what we did, even if they didn't understand." He continues in English again:

"This time, though, there is no one. No one will understand. We are on our own. We are criminals."

He looks everyone in the eyes, trying to see if they understand the implications of this.

Posted: **Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:48 pm**

"But it was self defense... Julie attacked me... I would have died tonight if not for you and your friends helping me." Helen replies back to Andrei. "I don't know if your bad people or not, but I want to see Paul again. I have nothing else to go on... Without your help, I don't know what else to do next."

Feeling a bit lost on what to do to help keep, Helen gives a small exasperated sigh. "We're here" she says as she points to the townhouse coming into view. "Paul's flat is the 2nd floor. Maybe a bit of rest will help us relax a little and give us a fresh perspective."

Heading up to the flat, Helen unlocks the door and lets everyone in, then immediately re-locks the door behind them.

"If you'll pardon me... I cannot wait any longer to change out of this bloody dress," Helen says as she heads into a bedroom. "There's tea in the cupboard, we may have some coffee as well. Please help yourself while I clean up a bit."

Posted: **Tue Apr 17, 2012 6:54 pm**

OCC:
For continuity's sake assume that this post is before rbiddle's since Andrei has grabbed Timour's shoulders and locked eyes with his. Something you don't simply stroll away from.

IC:
"Я боюсь, товарищ." Timour says slowly in russian as his eyes drop to the floor "I'm afraid of what will happens to us if we get found out. I'm afraid of what will happen to our friends. I'm afraid of what will happen to those who are already missing. I'm afraid we might turn into coldblooded killers before this is through, even if just to prevent bad things from happening. I'm afraid that I will be losing my grip on reality before this is over. I'm afraid we are stumbling onto things that should never have been known to humanity in the first place."

"But we are here, and I for one cannot turn away." he says switching seemlessly to english as his eyes meet those of Andrei "I will do what I feel is my duty. I will investigate this madness in order to protect others, and save those in harm's way if possible. What else can a man do?"

"Sometimes morals take precedence over law, sometimes necessity takes precedence over sound judgement." he explains "At potentially great personal peril I will make my stand. Even worse so, at great peril for others, I will do the same. This weighs heavily on my mind, but I know deep down, that if I do not, I will not be able to live with myself."

Posted: **Tue Apr 17, 2012 8:33 pm**

[OC: Lets assume this part of my reply is before Helen, responding to Timour]:

Andrei listens carefully to everything Timour says, maintaining intense eye contact with him. He nods as he comes to understand Timour's point of view.

When Timour finishes speaking, he grabs his shoulders and squeezes him tightly. In Russian, he declares into Timour's shoulder, "You're right, old friend, you're right. By God, you're right."

He pulls away and quickly wipes his eyes, then he grabs Timour's shoulders and gives him a huge brotherly shake and slaps him on the back with his huge hand. In English, he declares to the rest of them, "By God, he's right. We must do what we can. Yes!"

... [OC: Assume Helen talks now.]

Andrei nods in agreement. He even smiles a little.

...

(In the house)

"I'll make some coffee."

As he sets the kettle on the stove, Andrei continues,

"You're right, Timour, you're absolutely right. We have no choice. So let's go about it like heroes, then, shall we? I apologize for... showing weakness. I must admit," he chuckles to himself, "I must admit that I had a bit of a scare in that basement."

He falls silent, pulling mugs out from the shelf.

"But lets not talk about that. It's in the past. Onwards and upwards. Did anyone see a phone? I wonder if we should try to call The Railway Inn, where Johnny was going to meet us tomorrow. Let's not ask for him by name. He's easy enough to remember. A Chinaman in London! Can you imagine!" He grins widely as if this is a fantastic joke.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:20 am**

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:22 pm**

Posted: **Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:32 am**

Caroline points to the box of items taken from the basement of the Penhew Foundation. "Should we take a look at what we've got first? Perhaps we have something damning about Gavigan here."

Posted: **Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:45 pm**

"I will look into this with Andrei." Timour replies while already moving towards the chest "Perhaps you should find a phone and try to contact Johnny, as well as our other friends? Maybe they've returned to the hotel already?"

"If you do manage to contact them, keep the information vague, but do give clues as to what happened and where we are. If something happens to us, we want them to be able to retrace our steps." he explains as he digs out the writing paper from the chest and carefully places it on the table "I think a phone call by a lady would be less suspicious than by one of two burly russians..."

Timour sits down while taking out his reading glasses and inspects the sheet of paper before he starts to deftly color the entire sheet of blank writing paper with a pencil, hoping to discover what had been written on the sheet now removed. Perhaps it was something else than what he would find on the crumbled & binned paper he had recovered as well?

"If you don't mind, that is, of course..." he adds absently as he briefly looks up from the paper.

Posted: **Sat Apr 21, 2012 2:31 pm**

Helen comes back into the room wearing a different (and less bloodied) dress than before. "Did I hear you needed a phone? Paul doesn't have one, we normally use the Mr. Marshall's phone for calls, he;s out landlord. Caroline, if you want, I can take you down to it. I'd like to keep it quick if we can though; I don't much like the way that Mr. Marshall looks at me... Unnerving it is."

Smelling the coffee brewing, Helen moves to the kitchen to check on it and pour herself a cup. Searching through the cupboards, she rummages up what she can in terms of first aid supplies and takes them to Andrei. "It's not much, but it looks like you got a bit banged up back there. If you need and bandages or medicine that we have, please feel free."

Posted: **Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:09 am**

Andrei takes the chest hesitantly and sets it down on the floor. He opens it slowly, and carefully arranges the contents around him. He's far less possessive and secretive about these documents, compared to how he's behaved in similar situations in the past.

He doesn't open any books or letters, but reads their covers carefully.

"I don't think it's safe for anyone to open any of these at the moment."

When he finds the Fiennes document, he hesitates, then opens it and scans it quickly. If it looks like it's going to take more than 30 seconds of study to figure out what it's about, he folds it carefully into his jacket pocket.

...

When Helen passes him the First Aid material, he gratefully accepts them and sets them beside himself to use in a moment.

Posted: **Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:49 am**

To Helen, Caroline replies, "Yes, of course; let's go now if that's all right. I want to be sure that everyone's all right." She wonders pensively about Beth and her other new friends, feeling a dread creeping up on her that something might have gone as wrong for them as it had for her own group.

Posted: **Thu Apr 26, 2012 12:58 am**

"Let me show you the way," Helen says to Caroline as she leads the way to the door.

Heading down to the landlord's phone, Helen inquires, "You mentioned your friends... Are they also looking for Gavigan? I admit, I'm still a little skeptical that my boss is the bad man Andrei makes him out to be. Tonight has been so surreal though... I don't know what to make of it all."

Posted: **Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:55 pm**

Spoiler:

Play@YSDC

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