Alphabittle was making his way back to the property he was currently renting in Falmouth whilst he finalised the arrangements to purchase a house. It was going fairly well, he thought. Ever since finding his daughter again, and discovering that she was in the care of his old friend Liz, things were finally looking up for the man.
Misty had been helping earlier to move some of the objects he wanted to have in his new home. It turned out she'd although she wanted to have a relationship with her biological father, she was rather reluctant to leave the Havens behind, considering how long she had lived with them. Alphabittle understood, of course. Considering Misty's unconventional life she had led, she'd forged a close bond with Pipp and Zipp that was akin to that of siblings (and in his view Lady Haven made a superb mother figure). Although not quite the family dynamic he'd been expecting, just getting to see Misty again made it worth it.
As for today, Alphabittle had spent the day with Argyle, pouring over some of his information and trying to find some information out about what was going on. The story Misty had told him was very complex, and he needed secondary sources to try and make sense of it.
But now he was almost at the rental home, and as he slipped the key into the lock he turned it. The door opened and he stepped inside, looking around for clues. "Misty, I'm back!" Misty had stayed behind in the house to help set stuff up.
There was no reply. This concerned him greatly. Normally Misty was quick to reply.
He made his way through the house. The place was a mess. Somebody had clearly broken in and made a mess of the place. As his panic continued to mount as he searched each room, he made it to the room which doubled as a study.
Sitting on the desk was a message, which he started to read. Looks like you haven't changed all that much, have you?
Alphabittle was trying to figure out what this meant before he suddenly felt something hit the back of his neck. He reached back, but then slumped forward onto the desk as all went black.
"Zipp, we need to launch an investigation!" Pipp said. "I can't raise Misty on anything. She's not responding on any social media app or platform, and I can't find her anywhere in the house!"
Zipp nodded. "That is unlike her. We need to investigate, and Detective Zipp is on the case!"
After she had suited up in her spy gear, the pair headed to the rental home where Alphabittle had been staying. Zipp slipped her goggles on and added some gloves. "Watch where you step, Pipp. This is an active crime scene so we can't disturb anything."
Pipp nodded as she stepped in. The pair carefully scanned the rooms, noting the fact the door was unlocked. In fact, to say the door was unlocked was something of an understatement. It was as if it had been forced open. They advanced deeper into the structure, with Zipp spotting something in one room.
"Mud marks on the floor consistent with dragging," she said. "There was a fight in here. Furthermore, the marks resemble those on Misty's shoes."
"How do you know that?" Pipp asked.
"They made a similar shape on the pumpkins we had to clean up a while back."
"Fair point," Pipp replied. The pair then arrived in the office to find everything torn out and removed, as well as a note sitting on the desk. Pipp picked it up and read it. "Looks like you haven't changed all that much, have you?" she read. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Beats me," Zipp said, continuing to scan around. "What we do need is the footage from the CCTV cameras in the street next to the house. And for that we'll have to go to the Mayor's office."
Alphabittle suddenly awoke in a darkened room, with the doors locked all around him. "Hello? Where am I?"
Suddenly, a monitor flickered into life, and showed a small doll. He recognised it almost immediately. It was one Misty had made. "Hello Arthur. I want to play a game. You probably do not know me, but I know you and all about you. You have maintained a facade of who you are whilst hiding the reality of your actions from the world. In these rooms, you will be tested. Whether you are who you claim to be or a coward will be revealed. In order to leave the room, you have to tell the truth about what happened that day."
Alphabittle was confused. "What day? I've lived many da- no, no, not that one!"
"That one," the voice said, almost as if the tape knew he would say that. "You have five minutes. Live or die, make your choice."
Alphabittle always was a cynical one, knowing an easy way to live was just to do as the other person said. And so, after a few moments of hesitation, he replied. "I- it was my fault. I wasn't paying attention, and she was taken from me!"
Suddenly, a nearby door opened. "Well done, Alphabittle. The next test will push you harder."
Zipp and Hitch arrived at the Mayor's office. "Is the archive available?" Hitch asked.
"Yes. May I ask which section?"
Zipp looked up. "We need to consult all the CCTV footage from the last 24 hours."
The desk worker glanced at the display. "The last of the footage is being processed, but it will be ready shortly. I'll let you know when you can be let in."
Both sat down and waited. Zipp noticed something. "You're still torn up over Sunny, aren't you?"
"She's been acting really oddly for days," Hitch said quietly. "Although I've offered to talk to her she still won't tell me what's wrong. What sort of friend am I who can't understand what's going on?"
"Change takes a long time to process," Zipp replied. "I'm certain you can fix things."
Suddenly, the door opened, and the pair proceeded into the next room to check the cameras. Zipp looked at one bank, and Hitch looked at another to try and find answers.
After some looking, Hitch found the camera. "Got it!" He played the footage as Zipp walked over. The film showed several armed thugs breaking into the home, and then removing an unconscious Misty a few minutes later.
"Does this have audio?" Zipp asked. "A handful of security cameras can record sound."
Hitch pushed another button, and the audio become available.
"Good work," said one. "The boss will be pleased. Grab the other one when he's in, and we'll take them to the Factory. What happens to them next is none of our concern."
Hitch's face looked more concerned. "They were kidnapped!" he said. "But by whom? And where did they go?"
Zipp observed them getting into a van. "Note down that license plate. I'm going to enter it into a vehicle database and see where it was last spotted."
Alphabittle entered the second room, glancing about at the sudden shift in light. As he entered, the lights flickered on and bathed the room in bright light. "Enough with the bright lights already!"
Suddenly, there was another blast of sound, and another television came on. "I see you made it through the first test. Whilst confessing to guilt is an important step in the road to salvation, your obsession with the past and your own errors continues to blind you."
A box switched on, revealing a large box full of things. They were items belonging to Misty that he had preserved. "These items are from your past. They are holding you back. There is a key in the items that will unlock the next door. But in order to get the key you have to let go. You have ten minutes to decide. Move forward to the future, or remain stuck in the past."
Alphabittle examined the buttons. There was one linked directly to an industrial incinerator. He immediately clicked what was meant by this test. To get the key he would have to destroy these items.
"You monster," he said under his breath. "What right do you have to decide how I live my life?"
Even so, he knew there was only one way to progress. "Misty, forgive me." He closed his eyes and hit the button, unable to watch as the flames obliterated the few things he had left of her.
Once it was done, the key was dropped into a slot, and he removed it before heading over to the door.
News of the abduction had reached the engines, and they had somewhat mixed reactions. Charles looked over. "I have a theory," he said.
"That's usually a bad sign," Rebecca said.
"What if Misty is a double agent?" Charles suggested.
"How could you even consider such a thing?" Porter asked. "Given how Opaline treated her, why would she still work for her? You know Opaline threw her from the train and left her to die."
"The only evidence we have from that comes from Misty herself," Charles pointed out. "How do we know she didn't jump off herself and use that as a cover story? Not to mention our enemies always seem to know when and where we'll be. Somebody has to be leaking information to them, and I have no doubt as to who the mole is."
Outside the shed, the drivers were all consulting a map. Zipp pointed to a settlement. "The license plate from the van was last sighted here, in this abandoned industrial plant," she said.
"Waltham Abbey," Izzy read. "That's a long way from here."
"Sure is," Hitch added. "It's a decommisioned gunpowder factory which used to be operated by the government. Safe to say nobody's operating it now. But it's such an odd choice for a base."
"Presumably the place being abandoned is why Opaline picked it," Pipp suggested. "Who would investigate an abandoned building on a military site that's no longer in use?"
"Good point," Zipp answered. "Let's get out there and save our friend."
As they headed to their engines, Sunny looked at Hitch. "Here's hoping you found the right place."
Hitch was still confused. Sunny had been acting oddly for a few days since the accident, and he couldn't quite follow why. "Look, if you need to talk just let me know, OK?"
"I somehow don't feel now is the place or time," Sunny answered, as she hopped into Salty's cab and started the engine. "I'll explain when we get back, OK?" The familiar sound of engines soon eliminated any possibility of a conversation.
Later, the convoy moved off for its destination. Once more it was time to save the day.
Alphabittle unlocked the final door and stepped into the next room, which was very noisy. The floor above was shaking, and spinning blades roared round and round.
"Does that sound familiar, Arthur?" said the voice. "The engine is one you worked on. Your failure to maintain it properly resulted in a crash on the East Lancashire Railway."
"The accident was down to driver error," Alphabittle replied.
"That's what the cover up said," the tape continued, once again somehow knowing he would say that. "The General Manager changed the story to protect you. Well, you have no protection from this. The blades will slowly move towards the central path. Move quickly and potentially fall? Or go slowly and risk being cut? Make your choice."
Alphabittle knew he had no choice. He ran.
Opaline watched Alphabittle's progress on a monitor. "He's moving faster than I anticipated," she smiled. "At this rate he'll be with us in about half an hour. I think he has recruit potential."
Boomer glanced at the same monitor. "Speaking of him, where's the prisoner?"
Opaline pointed to another monitor. "Hung up as you asked."
"Good," Boomer replied, grabbing his familiar jacket and heading for the door. He smiled as he did so. "I think I'll pay our prisoner a visit."
Opaline laughed as she looked at the display. "You think I'm not a threat? These fools have no clue what I have planned for them. Once I have what I need, they'll regret ever standing against me or any of my followers. Project SENTINEL is close, and with their help it will not fail."