Hollow Point Happiness

Case 12: Tracks In The Digital Mud

Chris sat before a massive screen on his apartment wall and looked over the pages of information that were being downloaded. In the corner of the screen was a video of Inti speaking.

"This is the amount we were able to dig up so far. We will bring another report as soon as we find something tangible."
Chris marveled at the pages, "This is incredible."
"It is merely the surface. I will be leaving to return to work now, notify myself or Aja if you need anything."
"Oh. Thanks, Inti."

The video disappeared and Chris started to read over the pages. It was about 34 reports, each a few pages long. One from each of the members.

"I think I lucked out. I hired two bounty hunters and get a hoard of them. And they're good at it too."

Scrolling through the pages the first thing of substance that caught him was about 3 hours into reading.

"What the hell? Is Mana's robot going on vacation?"

He read over the report, according to it the 'Mystic' account was liquidated by the Defrag unit. Reading further Chris was bewildered at how it had happened.

"The damn robot... how... it bounced the money...Jesus. Even if I had the police equipment it would take hundreds of years to track this shit."

Defrag had transferred the money in thousands of small intervals with each having transactions that bounced off of millions of encrypted accounts.

"That just seems like overkill," Chris scratched his neck, "I mean it's gone after the first hundred but this... this is something else."

A few reports later Chris found something else.

"The robot is visiting Mana's old friends. Weird. But I need to focus on myself, I'll tell them to stop tracking it I guess."

Starting to slump he clapped his hands against his cheeks and kept reading. Almost 6 hours later Chris finally hit something. It read:

"Based on the provided evidence for this hunt I elected to look into power struggles and political balance within Warmage Arms during the time of the reported event (Emerald Cartwin's accidental death) and the time before it happened. Looking to the people involved I found a disconnect between evidence provide and solid evidence found. Chris Cartwin report that he got into a dispute with a group who's leader was named Eric Hemsfield who then sent a hit after Mr. Cartwin, and later ordered a hit on his wife (Emerald). While there is a Hemsfield that is associated with Warmage Arms they are a freelance contractor and very low in the company so it is unrealistic they would be able to order the hit and cover it up with the companies power. Further, they are not related to anyone named Eric Hemsfield. During my investigation though I did find a name Tyra Hemfields who was at the time as well as currently relatively potent within the company, Tyra also is related to someone named Eric but their last name is not Hemsfield or Hemfields. I will continue digging along this scent and provide another report to follow up."

"I could have sworn that was his name. I'll have to check my old contracts." Chris pulled at a light beard that he had unintentionally grown out. "It was Eric, John, Rome, and some guy with a hooker kinda name. Ah, what was it again."

Chris pondered over the name as the room grew dark and the sun sank. A voice made him jump, it was AVA.

"Mr. Cartwin. It's Friday you need to pick up Ash from school."
Standing up, "Oh, ya. You're right. Ready the car."
"The car is out of gas Mr. Cartwin."
"Oh."

Chris pulled on a jacket and made his way outside, it was a 'nice' day, at least by Earth standards. The fog was light and it was in the high fifties. Chris made his way down the stairs and set out along the street. Halfway there a noise in his earpiece alerted him, he answered the call.

"Um, Hello. This is Chris."
A thickly accented Slavic man spoke, "Mr. Cartwin, we've had a... problem."
"A problem. Isn't that for you to work out, not me?"
"While that is normally true, we thought we should alert you to this."
Breath out heavily, "What is it?"
"We believe there is another Hydra that may get in the way of our work. Due to this development, your family's lives, as well as your own may be in danger."
"What?"
"I am forwarding a report to you, if you have questions please contact Aja or Inti."
"Hey wait-"

The call ended and Chris sat down on a bench and pulled out his phone. He pulled up the report. It was a distorted picture of a figure wearing a skull mask in a doorway with a massive man-shaped figure wearing a trenchcoat, it had what looked like cybernetic arms and an image of a two-headed snake biting an apple. It was very reminiscent of Aja's and Inti's tattoos.
The report read:

"We apologize for the picture quality but the area has some sort of EMP like effect, this was what we managed. From what we can tell the man in the mask is Cinna 'Cypher' Phirr, the figure is not yet identified as we are unable to find anyone with a mechanical right arm in the Hydra database. We are still investigating, but believe it may be an imposter. In the event it is not an imposter here is what you should know:

Hydra's are a suborginazation within the criminal world/ underworld. To become a Hydra you must be considered the best in your field at what you do. You must be elected by the current running houses, which you policemen refer to as the head mobs or clans as well as current Hydra's. For example, Mrs. Aja and Mr. Inti are the current Hydras for Information and Reconscense. They have the traditional style of a tattoo on their's right shoulders down to their palms of a two-headed snake biting an apple, This designates that they are highly effective and have been in their field for some time. Smaller symbols refer to newer or less experienced Hydras and visa versa for larger. It is a badge of honor and gives them a reason to charge high prices. The Huntsmen is a group that works for the Hydra but are not Hydras themselves. Hydras operate by a very strict code which consists of the following rules:

1. There may never be more than 1 Hydra for any given field, but a Hydra may have as many as 3 heads. (As many as 3 people may makeup 1 Hydra.)
2. Should any Hydra ever find an imposter every active Hydra is to assist them in the removal of the imposter entire bloodline.
3. Should Hydras ever meet in the field they must decide who is more suited. They are to complete their respective task and then hunt down and kill the Hydra's heads and body. (The current contractor and their bloodline.)
4. Should a Hydra ever retire, they are to be killed as well as their bloodline. (This does not apply to natural deaths or accidental deaths.)
5. Should a Hydra ever fail a task they are to retire. If a Hydra is ever killed they are to retire.

That is the general synapses. Please be wary and attentive.

Chris put his phone down and slowly pulled open his jacket, revealing the holster. In which sat the black and gold pistol engraved into is grip was the caduceus with a two-headed snake biting an apple.

"Guess you were a beginner. Makes sense, you were a sloppy hitman after all, even with all you're tricks."