talien
Community Supporter
Puppet Shows and Shadow Plays: Part 1b – Welcome to Phoenix
“Okay, so here’s the latest.” Archive brought up the information on their next mission on everyone’s Cistrons. Not that it was necessary; they had a big screen television in the van too.
People had begun disappearing near the southern edge of the San Carlos Indian Reservation, west of Phoenix, Arizona. The first people missed were an elderly couple, the Curtleys; they were due at their son’s home for dinner a month ago. The Curtley’s car was found on State Road 70 with a flat tire, but there was no sign of the Curtleys. At a nearby gas station on State Road 70 an attendant, Felix Royos, disappeared while working the night shift two days after the Curtleys vanished. Four days later, Ed Stoltz and Chris Martin were reported missing while fishing on the Coolidge Dam reservoir, less than four miles from State Road 70. Their camp was found abandoned, with no signs of violence or emergency.
“As the Arizona highway patrol and the Apache tribal police began to investigate, they noticed more disappearances connected to the area,” said Archive. “The abandoned rental cars of two European couples—Rolf Trautner and Fred Ollenburg, and Mr. and Mrs. Van Olson—were found two weeks ago. Both cars were on the side of State Road 70, and neither showed signs of sabotage or mechanical failure. An Apache sheep rancher, Victorio Begay, as well as his wife and two teenage sons, vanished from their beds, leaving their flock unattended for at least a week.”
“Let me guess,” said Jim-Bean. “State Road 70?”
“Right,” said Archive. “Fifteen miles out.”
“The FBI is treating it as a kidnapping,” said Hammer. “So that’s our cover. Blade’s team leader on this mission.”
“Did I hear Drake correctly?” asked Guppy in his thick Indian accent, “or are we getting a new agent?”
“I heard that too,” said Jim-Bean. “Guess Drake’s already calling in the second string.”
“But we completed our missions!” said Guppy with enthusiasm. “…right?”
Hammer shrugged. “We’ll meet Agent Caprice at the Phoenix police station.”
They passed a road sign that pointed to Route 70, southbound.
“This Road 70 sounds like a bad place” said Jim-Bean.
“They call it the Devil’s Highway,” said Blade, driving the van.
“How do you know that?” asked Guppy.
Blade never took his eyes off the road. “Because I used to live here.”
“Okay, so here’s the latest.” Archive brought up the information on their next mission on everyone’s Cistrons. Not that it was necessary; they had a big screen television in the van too.
People had begun disappearing near the southern edge of the San Carlos Indian Reservation, west of Phoenix, Arizona. The first people missed were an elderly couple, the Curtleys; they were due at their son’s home for dinner a month ago. The Curtley’s car was found on State Road 70 with a flat tire, but there was no sign of the Curtleys. At a nearby gas station on State Road 70 an attendant, Felix Royos, disappeared while working the night shift two days after the Curtleys vanished. Four days later, Ed Stoltz and Chris Martin were reported missing while fishing on the Coolidge Dam reservoir, less than four miles from State Road 70. Their camp was found abandoned, with no signs of violence or emergency.
“As the Arizona highway patrol and the Apache tribal police began to investigate, they noticed more disappearances connected to the area,” said Archive. “The abandoned rental cars of two European couples—Rolf Trautner and Fred Ollenburg, and Mr. and Mrs. Van Olson—were found two weeks ago. Both cars were on the side of State Road 70, and neither showed signs of sabotage or mechanical failure. An Apache sheep rancher, Victorio Begay, as well as his wife and two teenage sons, vanished from their beds, leaving their flock unattended for at least a week.”
“Let me guess,” said Jim-Bean. “State Road 70?”
“Right,” said Archive. “Fifteen miles out.”
“The FBI is treating it as a kidnapping,” said Hammer. “So that’s our cover. Blade’s team leader on this mission.”
“Did I hear Drake correctly?” asked Guppy in his thick Indian accent, “or are we getting a new agent?”
“I heard that too,” said Jim-Bean. “Guess Drake’s already calling in the second string.”
“But we completed our missions!” said Guppy with enthusiasm. “…right?”
Hammer shrugged. “We’ll meet Agent Caprice at the Phoenix police station.”
They passed a road sign that pointed to Route 70, southbound.
“This Road 70 sounds like a bad place” said Jim-Bean.
“They call it the Devil’s Highway,” said Blade, driving the van.
“How do you know that?” asked Guppy.
Blade never took his eyes off the road. “Because I used to live here.”