The Cardinal Directive: Mission Log #44

The Forgemaster

[Start of Season 2]
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>> ...
>> Confirmed.
>> Now Playing Mission Log #44...

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The silence in the Olympica canteen is a thick, heavy affair, permeating the entirety of the building from the roof right down to the dirt foundations as the footage flickers to life. It has been hanging like this for several minutes, each of the operatives within now seated, feet shoulder width apart, palms flat on the table and eyes straight ahead.

Kalser, Becquerel, and Masur have not joined their teams. Instead, they kneel where they had stood, knees in the small puddles of water and blood dripping off of their bodies. Korlan stands behind them, silent and still.

Cassidy and Wendy hold each other’s gazes tightly, never daring to stray from the person ahead of them as Jericho patrols the room. Slow, even steps carry him between the tables, passing each operative in attendance one by one.

The officer’s gaze lingers on messy trays. Equipment out of place. Gloves fallen to the wayside and bags stuffed haphazardly under their operative’s seat. Cigarettes and lighters that hadn’t made it back into their owner’s bags, and small gambling pools made from bottlecaps and steel chips.

Jericho pauses as he reaches the space just behind Cassidy, eyes tracing down. He crouches, picking up a playing card that had landed on the floor and turning it over in his hands.

But at last, continues to walk.

He circles around the other side, his breath burning Wendy’s neck as he passes. There is a moment of lingering just behind her and Alison, but it isn’t long before he’s made his way through the last few tables and finally back to where the three team leads all kneel.

His hair has been righted, not a strand out of place anymore despite its freshly-dried appearance. Still, his voice lends itself to gravel and a heavy sigh as he finally breaks the silence.

“I didn’t think I’d have to have this conversation,” he says, angling his head towards the three, but his projecting voice made no discriminations about who it was addressing. “Frankly, it’s disappointing.”