《The Manifest》Chapter 32
Advertisement
Mr. Smith was in his office working intensely, which was rather normal for his line of work. The program always kept everyone on their toes, and this case with Mrs. Johnson was no different. Even though she is one of the most co-operative members of the program, even an unintentional act could cause weeks of endless problems. Sometimes those acts are worse than the ones done intentionally, because at least you can track them, using behavior and patterns to predict a run. Smith had just finished his report, printed it up, and bound it presentation. He was sure Mr. Carlson and his superiors were going to find this very interesting reading, even if it was no where near the truth of the matter. Right now the truth wasn't something Mr. Carlson and his people were ready to handle. Their answer for everything was to expand and relocate anyone who asked too many questions.
Truth is, on occasion it was good to take people out and send a message to anyone else who tried to investigate them: you mess with the bull, then you get the horns. Smith didn't feel bad about what happened at Tuck's office, his only regret was not being able to take out Edgar Willis at the same time. Smith thought it was all taken care of, but it turns out the man who he thought was Edgar Willis was just a co-worker who falsely confessed to being Mr. Willis. A very heroic gesture, because if he had known that Edgar wasn't in the building, he would have left people at the site to look for him. But Tuck was the only man who knew the truth, but was unwilling to talk. Whoever was backing their project still remained a mystery. Mr. Tucker took that secret to his grave and to his maker. This kept Edgar and his back safe for now, but it was only a matter of time before he found Willis and the key this time would be to make him talk so they can find out who was paying for this little fiasco. Someone was backing this goose chase, that much Smith was sure of. Proving it on the other hand was going to be another matter altogether. The money was impossible to trace and doesn't go back any further than Dryden Supplies. He needed to keep digging and eventually the truth would come out, even if he had to call in every favor he had left with the every person he knew. While he was going over the paper work for Dryden Supplies, someone came knocking at his door.
Advertisement
"What seems to be the problem?" Smith asked, as he didn't even take his eyes off of his work.
"We seem to have a problem with Mrs. Johnson." A junior agent said trying not to sound worried, but failed.
Smith put down what he was looking at and then looked back up at the worker at his door, "What's going on with Mrs. Johnson?"
"Well, normally she's a very conservative spender." The agent calmly answered. "Normally she doesn't go out of hand when making online orders."
"Jesus, what the hell did she buy?" Smith asked. Even he knew this was uncharacteristic of Mrs. Johnson. Normally Carlson would only have to worry about Eva and her Gucci bag collection being the only thing that ran the bill on their cards a tad high.
"A necklace." the junior agent replied, "She purchased it off an online auction site for twenty-seven hundred dollars."
Smith sat back and thought about it for a moment, and after a few moments, he looked back up at the worker, "How old is this necklace?" he asked with potential answers already buzzing around his head.
"Well," the agent started, "The Corporation that made it doesn't exist anymore. According to someone I know on the floor who knows a lot about jewelry, she said that this company's items are rare to find, especially online. She said that they hardly ever make it online and are usually sold at one of those private in house auctions."
Smith mulled over the expenditure for a moment and then shrugged it off, "Let it go. Chances are this was her favorite jewelry company way back in her younger days. There's a good chance she probably had one just like that in her past life. Things like this happen all the time, especially when it comes to women and their Jewelry."
Advertisement
They both shared a laugh at that comment.
"Besides," Smith continued, "It's not like she's going to make a habit of this. You said yourself that pieces like these rarely if ever make it online. That means this purchase is likely going to be a one time thing. I highly doubt she's going to pull an Eva and spend six digits anytime soon."
The junior agent laughed again, "No, I guess not. I'll let the payment clear and I'll have a team inspect the item when it comes in through the mail."
"Why do we want to inspect it?" Smith asked, somewhat confused.
"Well, if the taxpayers are going to foot the bill for an expensive necklace," the junior agent answered, "The least we should do is make sure that it's not a fake."
"That doesn't seem too unreasonable." Smith agreed. If the taxpayers were going to buy stuff like this, the least they should do is make sure they're buy stuff wasn't fraudulent. He dismissed the worker and sent him back to the floor to do his job. At that moment, women's obsession for jewelry wasn't exactly a high priority. He went back to his investigation of Dryden Supplies, the one thing that was in his humble opinion the real threat to the program. He wasn't worried about the online spending habits of a woman who has a specific taste for jewelry. He should have been.
Advertisement
- In Serial30 Chapters
Eternal Mana
A young man woke up in another world with a reward system. Almost done w another book. Hopefully have time to rewrite and research on Volume 2.
8 129 - In Serial21 Chapters
The Binding of Lupo
Set in the year 2245 on the distant planet of Arcathia. Ayden O'Hara is a troubled 24 year old with the unique power of telekinesis. Plagued by a recurring nightmare of Red August, a terrorist attack that took his mother as a child and left him disfigured. He wants nothing more to see those reponsible behind bars and allows himself to be drafted into a special government task force to hunt the terrorist group. This story is LGBT friendly. Follow me on Twitter @felixwritez for more content including artwork and character bios!
8 183 - In Serial81 Chapters
Journal of an Adventurer
Join Lone Solo in his adventures that will lead him from being an ex-soldier suffering ptsd to fighting an invasion of an unknown enemy as an Adventurer. Please note: Lake Merrin is in 1st person, in the style of stream of consciousness. 2nd note: Due to evolution of my story and feedback, I will be continuing from The Great Spoon Heist to a 3rd person PoV. Journal Entry One Twenty-third of Harvest, 1007 FK. Within two weeks I will be on the front line, fighting an enemy that has powers beyond our imagination! It reminds me of a book I read in school—about the end of the Massacre of Magic, and the invasion of those Beasts and their shambling, rotten minions! Back blurb: He is a face in the crowd; a nobody, but with every story, there is a beginning. Travel with this ordinary half-human as he works to find a roof over his head, to put food on the table and stumbles on something beyond his reckoning.This is his journey; this is his path. His Journal. A Journal of an Adventurer.Should he stand up to become a "hero"? ...Will it matter? Lake Merrin is a city in the North-Western part of Western Duchy, Favinonia. It is also known as Iron Dukedom. Duke Trahern Isenhart III is the ruler of Iron Dukedom, and his third cousin Count Darel Isenhart is the ruler of Lake Merrin, and it’s county. Lake Merrin is home to twenty thousand people, and it has the second oldest Adventuring Hall in Favinonia; nearly nine hundred years old. This is set in a gunpowder/industrial fantasy world.
8 180 - In Serial11 Chapters
The Soul Fire
(Closed. Thanks for reading.)In the world of Dajarok, ascending to the Immortal Realm is but a dream. Humans, demons, dragons, and magical beasts. All of them dream of ascendance. Death is the End. You cannot deny it. However, magic that is pure can be twisted and break the cycle.Magic was used in an attempt to force Men into the Immortal Realms. Instead, they tainted their souls. Souls are the fires of life in every living thing. With it tainted and twisted, the undead race were born into being. The undead are rising as the fifth powerful race of the world. This is the story of one them, the prince of a empire, that no longer exists, reborn an undead human knight. With one life lived, how should one live another?
8 215 - In Serial8 Chapters
5 times Natasha helped the Avengers, 1 time they helped her
Everyone gets low at some point, Natasha helps each of the Avengers when they need her most but what will happen when she eventually needs them. 5 + 1 story.
8 85 - In Serial59 Chapters
Rud and the Damsel
Fate brings them together and violence forges their circumstance, but can love save them?In the early 1800s, even those born to privilege are not immune to the violence of the time. The only thing they have in common is they both have lost everything, and they will need each other to survive.
8 214

