CHAPTER ONE: Murray's Journey: Following

[Laraqua]

"I'll need a name," she said politely. "We have a lot of patients here and they're not entered into the databases by profession."

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm sorry," says Murray, "I don't actually know the bartender's name, but this is the stabbing victim who was brought in Friday night."

[Laraqua]

"Oh?" asked the nurse, looking at him with renewed interest. "Yes, I think I know the one. A handsome fellow. Brown hair. Do you know him at all? I mean, if you don't even know his name, why are you tracking him down here?"

[Mr. Handy]

"I want to talk to him about Ash," says Murray, laying on the charm. "I'm really worried about her, and I know she frequents Annie's Bar and probably confided in him. When I went to the bar, I was shocked to see the place blocked off with police tape and blood on the floor. I found out a little about what happened and figured he'd been taken here. It also occurred to me that I might even run into Ash here, since she might be paying a visit."

[Laraqua]

"Oh, well, no, Ash hasn't been in about him but well... She was coming in to see someone else, though. A little girl. Err, who is it you said you were, again?"

[Mr. Handy]

"I didn't," says Murray. "The name's Murray Archer. I know Ash from San Francisco. This little girl, she's about six or seven years old, right? Long blonde hair in a ponytail?"

[Laraqua]

"Oh yes, actually, she did come to see her." The nurse types something into the computer and smiles at the response. "She's already been released, however, back into the care of her mother. Jack Fifer is downstairs in the renovated wards if you'd like to visit him. Just take the elevator down to the basement floor and go to Ward B. You can't miss him."

[Mr. Handy]

"Thanks," says Murray, "I'll go see him now. Glad to hear the kid is doing better." He follows the nurse's directions to the elevator so he can head down to the basement.

[Laraqua]

"Just go straight down the hall, turn left, go through the double doors, follow the hall through another set of doors, then turn left," said the woman cheerfully. "Follow that corridor to the very end and the elevator should be on your right." She reached for the telephone. "If you'll excuse me I have to confirm a few out-patient appointments." She turns back to her telephone.

The elevator takes a few moments to ascend from the basement floor to the first floor before the doors open with a soft ping. There's no soothing music here, just silence, as tends to be the way with shorter elevator journeys. The linoleum floor down here appears well-used, though clean, and the fluorescent lights overhead flicker a little with a slight electric hum. The doors across from him are labelled Morgue beside which is the Store Room door. Across the hall on the elevator side is a Stairwell door and two unlabelled doors.

[Mr. Handy]

"Can't miss him, huh?" says Murray to himself, shaking his head. He shrugs and tries the nearer of the unlabelled doors, hoping it will lead to Ward B.

[Laraqua]

Murray heads past the stairwell only to hear the Morgue doors creak open. Glancing back, he sees two men enter the hallway dressed in suits. One is big and tall with a face that only a mother could love and the other is thin and short with big hands that seem almost out of place on his body. Both of them have their gaze dead-set on Murray as they step out into the hall. The bigger guy has a grin that's all teeth and hostility, like a shark cruising in for the kill. The other man is frowning like he has places to be and didn't want to be here.

"Been asking some interested questions," said the bigger guy, never dropping his smile for a second. "Thought it might be worth introducing ourselves to each other. See why you're so interested in Mr. Jack Fifer and the mysterious Ash."

[Mr. Handy]

Murray smiles back. "Well, you already know I'm Murray Archer," he says, "seeing as the nurse at the front desk just called you and told you. So, who might you gentlemen be?" He watches their reactions closely.

[Laraqua]

There's nothing kind about either of the two men but they're more intelligent than the average mooks one might send after an errant private investigator. "You ain't answered my question. I want to know precisely the reason why you're interested in those two individuals and what you know about them and any connections between them. You answer our questions to our satisfaction and we won't be having any trouble here." He spreads his hands in a peaceable motion but his eyes describe a wish for violence.

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm a private investigator from San Francisco," says Murray. "I came to this town to find Ash. Never heard of Jack Fifer until I came here to the hospital, but I knew that she'd been spending time at Annie's Bar and figured she might have talked to him when she was there."

[Laraqua]

The big guy nods, seeming convinced, but the scrawnier one seems more suspicious. "Huh, well, who hired you to find Ash?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Well, you know that's condifential," says Murray. "I'd be a pretty lousy shamus if I went around blabbing to all and sundry who my clients are. It's someone from San Francisco, though, nobody local." He hopes that his smooth talking will convince the smaller man not to press any further.

[Laraqua]

The smaller man sneers at that and Murray gets the distinct impression that he's tossing up whether to be unreasonable or not. Before the man can make up his mind, a loud klaxon breaks the silence and wails through the air. The two men startle, blood draining from their face, and make for the door even as the linoleum becomes faded and torn, the ceiling tiles collapsing in places, and the paint scabbing off the walls as though steam were corroding it before his very eyes. The air grows cold, so chilled it's like stepping into a refridgerator and his breath comes out in a cloudy exhale.

[Mr. Handy]

Murray has no idea what is happening here, so he has to act on instinct. These guys seem to have some inkling what's happening, and they're from here and would know what to do and which way to go better than he would. He hurries to follow the two men.

[Laraqua]

They're faster than he is and their tension grants them speed. They're out the other side of the stairwell doors before he can do much about it. The bigger one leans heavily on the door while the smaller one fumbles with something - a key? Are they locking him inside? He can try to shove the doors open if he wished but the big man is quite large and it would be no easy matter to move him out of the way before the key slammed home. The air feels cold and damp against his face, the chill to the air clinging to his skin and hair, quickly sucking the warmth from him like a dive into an icy lake.

Strength check,Strength vs. 16.

[Seon]

The morgue doors creak open. "Is...is someone there?" Jack coughed.

EDITED For Clarity by Laraqua.