by Diana Winchester 30th December 2020, 1:45 am
-Shirotsume, Mister Burke's Residence, the third floor, early afternoon-
"Ah, hello Miss Winchester! I am so glad that you are here!" Mister Burke greeted Diana, who had just arrived at his home about ten minutes ago instead of in hours thanks to her recently discovered teleport spell. Diana was wearing her casual outfit with a backpack. She had left Saint Sinner Valentine, her personal iLac, and Ami at home because today she would be running a courier errand for Mister Burke, her longtime client who was the closest thing she had to a favorite client. Her mission was to take a special item to Capital Crocus and give it to Catherine Corvinus, the raven-haired computer specialist that the huntress had first met on her last mission to Fulci. Mister Burke had not told her what that item was in the job notice, presumably in the name of secrecy.
"I understand that you require my services for a courier mission?" Diana asked Mister Burke. The blond man nodded and pointed towards a small black case sitting on the right side of the desk next to the computer monitor.
"Yes, Miss Winchester. You see, I have asked Miss Corvinus to help me with a... matter pertaining to the rash of malfunctioning aircraft the company I work for has experienced lately. She has agreed to help, but I did not want her coming here to get what I am sending her. Instead you will be taking it to her." Mister Burke told Diana a little more about her mission while still not telling her what she was carrying.
"My superiors ordered me to find a trustworthy courier and you were at the top of the list. They readily approved of my hiring you thanks to that last job you did for us. Rescuing the air crews of those downed cargo planes has done a lot to raise your stock in their eyes." Mister Burke added that the huntress was fast becoming his go-to person for any sensitive work. He then looked towards the black case.
"Inside that case is a digital copy of the reports pertaining to the cargo planes that went down in Silent Glaciers, Fat Monsterland, and Forgotten Deserts. I am having you carry them to Miss Corvinus so that she can examine them to see if they were doctored in any way. My superiors are concerned that a mole may have doctored the reports to hide the real cause behind the crashes, so that is why we are having a trusted outsider examine them." Mister Burke finally told Diana what she would be taking to Capital Crocus. Diana recalled that Mister Burke was conducting an investigation into the crashes and that both he and his superiors had reason to suspect that a mole working for the competition had infiltrated the company and was working to destroy it from the inside. The air crews from the Fat Monsterland and Forgotten Deserts crashes had been tested for substance abuse and both crews had come up clean. They were also crews with over twenty years of experience, so pilot error could be safely ruled out.
"Is there anything else you would like for me to do while I am in Capital Crocus? Would you like me to stay with Miss Corvinus until the analysis is complete?" Diana asked Mister Burke. He nodded.
"Yes, Miss Winchester. As soon as Miss Corvinus tells you her findings, I would like for you to come back and report them to me." He replied.
"Very well then." Diana replied. She picked up the case that was given to her and prepared to leave the building, then teleport to the outskirts of Capital Crocus and go to Catherine's house. If the huntress had her way this job was going to be a quick delivery and a simple and uneventful wait for the results.
"Before I leave for Capital Crocus, is there anything else I need to know?" Diana asked her employer.
"Just the usual notices about confidentiality and the penalties for breaking them. Good luck, Miss Winchester!" Mister Burke bade Diana good luck before the blonde departed for Capital Crocus with the case in hand. She left Mister Burke's residence and walked outside, then put the case in her backpack so that only she and her client would know that she was carrying something important. She did not need to draw unnecessary attention to herself during this job.
-Capital Crocus outskirts, five minutes later-
Diana reappeared on the outskirts of Capital Crocus after using her teleport spell to cover the distance between Shirotsume and Capital Crocus. No one seemed to pay her any attention, which was a good thing. Diana did not like being the center of attention and worked best when the spotlight was not on her.
Diana walked calmly towards the city and recalled Catherine's address, which was 1946 Babbage Road. It would take the huntress awhile to get there, but since she had saved a lot of time by teleporting to the outskirts of Capital Crocus, for once time was something she had plenty of. Maintaining a calm and steady walking pace that did not draw attention to her, Diana soon entered the city and seamlessly merged with the foot traffic going deeper into the heart of the metropolis.
-1946 Babbage Road, forty minutes later-
It had taken awhile to get to Catherine's house because of the sheer number of people on foot, but since she had saved so much time by teleporting, Diana was not particularly upset about that delay. She walked up to Catherine's door and gently pressed the doorbell. Nothing. Maybe Catherine had been asleep, but it was afternoon. Chances were that she was in the middle of a gaming binge or in the middle of an intensive repair job.
Diana rang the doorbell again. Still no response. Diana hoped that Catherine was just asleep or busy and that no harm had come to her. Diana waited another two minutes before pressing the doorbell a third time and hoped that this time Catherine would hear it and answer the door.
[Post Word Count: 1,017]
[Total Word Count: 1,017/5,000]