Where In The World Are The Killers?

Lifeless in Seattle

In Seattle...

"Anders, ever since we talked to SOMBRA's founder, we've suspected that they may have something to do with the current unrest in the US. Following the US's rash decision to build a wall on the Mexican border and the subsequent talk of sanctions against them by the Unified Nations, the country has been divided into two factions," Chief Ripley summarizes their recent discoveries, "the USNay camp is clamouring for the US government to leave the Unified Nations, which could have grave consequences for international cooperation. The USStay camp is advocating the government to stay in the Unified Nations and avoid possible conflict. The government has so far refused to officially side with either camp."

"All this tension is no doubt playing right into the hands of SOMBRA, a suspicion only proven right by the discovery that SOMBRA is directly involved in the USNay movement!" Anders responds, "not only are they funding the movement through the corrupt pharmaceutical company O.M. MediLab, which we had mistakenly hoped to have shut down... But they also directly set up the murder of the leader of the USStay movement, Sandy Turner, by paying a student to kill him!"

"Anders, we need to figure out the extent of SOMBRA's involvement in the USNay movement and what they're trying to achieve through it!" she orders, "Robert Hicks, the leader of the USNay movement, is in Seattle right now. Take Michelle and head to the USNay bus to see what you can find!"

"Of course, Chief!" Michelle agrees, "Anders, let's go check out that bus!"

Driving into the heart of Seattle, Anders and Michelle located the bus their Chief had ordered them to search. Suspiciously, the door was unlocked, but they couldn't hear anyone inside. After drawing their weapons, Anders and Michelle climbed aboard, but thankfully, there was no one inside. At least, no one alive, that is. A dead woman in a red dress was slumped on the black leather couch with a knife sticking out the side of her neck.

Anders and Michelle holster their guns as they climb onto the bus. Looking around the crime scene, they spot a bobblehead of a smiling man in a blue suit on the couch's side table with a faded tag tied to its neck. There was also a broken badge on the floor, nearly kicked underneath a chair.

"Oh God, Anders, this poor woman has been stabbed in the neck! Just look at all that blood!" Michelle gags, "it appears that Hicks and the USNay campaign will have to wait a while! We've got to figure out who murdered this woman!"

"At least the murder weapon is obvious; you're right. The pocket knife is still in her throat!" Anders says, opening a portal underneath the woman to send the body to the morgue, "it would help if we had a name to put to that face, though..."

"She does look familiar..." she snaps her fingers, "oh, I know! It's Kelly Purnell! I saw her on the news just yesterday! Kelly was a journalist for Wolf News, the most conservative network in the States! They're one of the most fervent USNay supporters."

"There's nothing like a difference in political opinion to get people riled up... Could an angry USStay supporter have killed Kelly?" he wondered.

"The clues you've picked up should help answer that question!" Michelle suggested, "this bobblehead is obviously USNay merchandise. It's Hicks, the leader of the movement!"

"There's a note attached to the bobblehead," Anders picks it up to inspect the faded tag.

"If you think it's worth recovering the faded writing, then go ahead!" she instructed, "you also found a broken badge? Well, you know what to do with that. Grab the tape! Anders, this is the second high-profile murder we've had to deal with since we got to the US! Whether SOMBRA is involved or not, we'd better solve this case quickly!

Anders recovers the message on the bobblehead's tag first. He dusted the faded tag attached to it and blew off any unneeded powder to read the writing.

"The note on this bobblehead reads, "Kelly, keep up the good work!" And it was signed by Hicks himself!" Anders tells Michelle, "so our victim was on first-name terms with the leader of the USNay movement. I guess that's not a huge surprise, given her network was promoting his cause. I think it's time we talked to the top dog himself! Let's question Hicks!"