New Story: The Adjusters #62

(Thanks for your patience, folks. Here we go.)

Here is October's installment of The Adjusters, “Los Angeles, Part 1", wherein Daniel Malcolm and Eve Shawbank start investigating a new Special in Los Angeles.

As usual, comments welcome.

I'll also remind you that we have a Speculation Thread available for general discussion. (A thread which I read but do not comment on.)


The Adjusters #62 - Los Angeles, Part 1

The flight from DC to Los Angeles was three-quarter full, a late flight in the middle of the week. Most fliers were business people returning home, as near as Daniel Malcolm could tell, after spending a day or two on the East Coast, ready for their commute the next morning. At least, for the middle managers that surrounded Shawbank and him in Economy Class.

Shawbank was out. The lights were dimmed in the cabin, illuminated only by the glow of the individual entertainment units attached to the seats. She was not sleeping, though. She sat in her seat, head back, eyes closed, thinking about whatever it was that was bothering her.

For she seemed bothered by something, that much was clear. Daniel had noticed she had been distracted for several weeks now, more taciturn than usual. Brisecoeur had shrugged when Daniel had carefully pointed it out, and the Belgian’s guess was she had been given a special project. Like the one about hunting down Thaddeus Cargyle? Daniel had asked. “No clue,” Brisecoeur had replied.

The lack of conversation, the darkness, the stillness that characterized planes after the lights were out suited Daniel just fine. He still had not digested the video clip Paul had sent him earlier that evening—Jenn, his Jenn, in the throes of whatever Biff had done to her, whatever Cargyle had done to her, a puppet to artificially induced lust—his Jenn, fucked up, but alive, and functioning.

Continue reading...

Next month: Los Angeles, Part 2.