Where In The World Are The Killers?

Up in Smoke

In San Francisco...

"Anders, I've loved travelling the world with the team, but I admit I'm glad to be back stateside!" Carmen smiles, ready to go out and explore San Francisco, "but even home soil feels shaky after recent upheavals. In Mexico, the border wall the US is building has created tensions high enough to cause murder... And with the international community getting involved in the dispute, a movement appeared in America to leave the Unified Nations altogether!"

"Not to mention the mess we ran into in Pacific Bay!" Anders rolls his eyes, "finding out Ahmet's biological parents are SOMBRA is a shock! Ahmet's still processing everything that's happened... But that investigation helped lead us here to San Francisco! We were already on our way, but it expedited the process!"

She nods, "we know there's a huge debate between the USNay movement, which wants the country to leave the UN, and the USStay movement, which wants to remain. Both are trying to influence the people and the government. I don't understand how things got to this point. Last time I was in the US, there wasn't any of this Nay-Stay nonsense."

"Well, times have changed! And we have to deal with it, little as I like politics getting in the way of our investigations. When we caught SOMBRA's founder in Colombia, he gloated about the trouble they were about to raise in the North. And I'm seeing plenty of trouble!" Chief Ripley massages her forehead, "if SOMBRA's not behind the recent political turmoil, then they'll certainly take advantage of it! We must uncover what's going on here! You should start by talking to the USStay movement leader, Sandy Turner, who's based here in San Francisco!"

"That's easy enough!" Anders says, checking the time on his phone, "Sandy's giving a speech in the city right now. Let's go!"

At the USStay rally...

"...and that's why we, Americans, need to remain in the Unified Nations. We make a stronger world by cooperation!" Sandy proclaims, standing behind a podium on the stage before a large crowd of supporters.

"U-S-Stay! U-S-Stay!" the crowd chats, waving their hands and signs.

"USStay is a choice to believe in the world! To continue our alliance with this brave experiment called freedom! Thank you, America!" he smiles, holding his arms outstretched as his audience cheers.

Anders and Carmen stood away from the crowd and watched supporters slowly filter out of the area, some stopping to congratulate Sandy before they left. And the crowd dwindled to a few participants; the agents approached the stage where Sandy and his bodyguards were standing.

"Anders, that was quite a crowd around Mr. Turner," Carmen remarked as they showed their badges to the guards, "good thing we have our Bureau badges to get us close to him!"

"Agent Anders, nice to meet you!" Sandy greets, walking down the steps to shake the Turk's hand, "I've heard of the Bureau's work. Did you like my speech?"

"We only caught the end of it," Anders replies, shaking the offered hand, "the reason we're here is bec-"

"I'm dreadfully sorry; I just remembered I have another appointment," he apologizes, checking his watch, "I'd love to talk to you in quieter surroundings. Could we meet in, say, an hour?"

"Well, we're really in a rush, so-"

"Anders! He didn't even let you finish!" Carmen grumbles as Sandy strides away to where his car is waiting for him down on a side road, "he went straight to his car! I guess all we can do is wait-"

BOOM!

"What was that, Anders?!" Carmen cried as the aftershock of the explosion subsided, "the explosion came from Lombard Street. And Mr. Turner went that way! Let's go there!"