Roth & Korrigan

Escapade 6: Not so much an escapade as a confrontation.

      Korrigan yawned, stretching as she got out of the car- the one that James had so conventionally hot-wired to make their safe escape. When she had asked him about the skill, he had shrugged, giving the vague answer of a plot to run away from home.

      The rest of the car ride had been quiet mostly, with Duchess already fast asleep, James focused on driving, and herself analyzing the many things that she still did not know about her employer. He was the rather quiet one of the two of them, and though she knew he liked to arrange things by pecking order, and hated chamomile tea with a vengeance, most things about him were sort of vague.

 

     That didn't stop Laurel from considering him a friend. An odd friend, but a friend nonetheless.

    "Where are we?" She asked. James rubbed his eyes- a bit tired- and stepped out to rouse his Dane.

       "A small industrial town, I think." He sounded cross, but she knew it was mostly because yet another cryptid had slipped out of his grasp. "I need to get directions."

      Laurel gave a slight smile- another odd thing about him- and gestured toward a nearby inn. "Maybe we should get some rest too." A not so subtle glance towards Roth's arm killed the debate before it started- and with the evidence of last night's longevity on both their faces, it was unlikely James had even a chance.

      "I suppose..." He sat on the ground to pull off his shoes, turning them over to reveal his emergency stash of pounds. A relieved sigh elicited from both of them; to see that their captors hadn't rendered the two completely helpless was a welcome sight.

      "I'll need to make some calls." Dark hands helped him up. "We can't let the m have access to your accounts."

      "Somehow, I don't think it's my money that they're after," James dusted himself off, and handed Laurel what was needed for a payphone. "but do what you think is best."

       Inside the inn, it was cozy- and the decorative features of the foyer were quaint- pictures of vistas with castles and rustic furniture invited the trio to come and relax. Korrigan resisted the urge- after all, her business was elsewhere- but James, after securing two rooms for the night, comfortably settled down to rest. Duchess flopped down at his feet, no doubt as tired as he.

      Reaching down to rub behind her ears, James sighed. "Another one gone, Duchess. No doubt we'll have to go home." And no doubt that Laurel will go back to her own life- see as she had other friends and such. James was slightly disappointed- he had been hoping to take a detour into London after getting proof of the beast- with only enough funds to get a ride back, that hope was an impossibility.

      "Now why the long face, handsome?" Roth's attention was pulled from his inward thoughts to the source of an accented voice. Auburn hair swept past blue eyes that he recognized as part of the visage of an old acquaintance- Mrs. Marge Thrace, whose name he'd uttered just this morning.

      "Marge, how surprising to see you here." Extending a hand, his face widened with a fabricated grin. "I wasn't expecting your tour to mobilize to quickly."

      She accepted it with a warm smile. "Alana went into labor and told us to go on without her."

      "Make sure to give her my best regards, then,"

      Still smiling, Marge plopped down on the couch beside him. A quick check across the foyer confirmed Korrigan's absence-if she craned her neck, Marge could see the financial assistant arguing into a phone whilst taking care of things online simultaneously. With little threat of her return, Thrace relaxed against the cushion comfortably.

       "So-" The timber of her voice settled out to invite friendly conversation. "What exactly have you been up to, love?" The smile widened as Roth changed positions on the couch, sitting up straight to face her. "Haven't seen you here in the UK in quite awhile."

        Roth never dropped his smile either. "Well, most of the world's fantastic creatures reside elsewhere than Great Britain, Marge. I've been almost everywhere, really."

       "And nothing to show for it?" A manicured hand sidled closer to his own.

      "No. However, this hobby of mine is just that: a hobby. How goes your husband?"

      The hand retreated, and a smile became a bit more tight. "He's doing well. A bit disappointed with how things are going, but that may just be mid-life crisis talking."

      "Hmm." James looked down to see a Duchess with wary eyes pointed at Thrace. A peek of white canines preceded a low growl as the Dane turned her head away sulkily. Thrace took no heed.

      "I see Duchess is growing as healthy as ever. How old is she, might I ask?"

      "Three years."

      "You said three years last time we met, dear."

       Roth turned his gaze from dog to dame, with a tinge of nervousness. "And when was the last time we met face to face?"

       ".....little more than a year ago."

       "Ah, so she's four years then."

      Thrace turned to her acquaintance with a fierce disposition, blue eyes trained intensely one green ones that tried to get away.

"When will you admit that your dog is abnormal, James?! If you would just let me take her to my team-"

      He cut her off- "I'll do no such thing. When it is abnormal for dogs to chase their tails and shake hands for treats, then I might give your offer a thought. She's normal, loyal, and nothing more."

      It was at this moment that the creator of all that was good and holy decided that all matters concerning Roth's accounts were solved and Korrigan was done with her work, pushing her towards the two with a heavy pit in her stomach. With both gazes focused on each other, and not on the woman stopped in front of the couch, Laurel made to interrupt the occasion with a rather annoyed "Ah-hem!"

      A pair of faces looked up- one relieved, one pensive and distrustful. Laurel only paid attention to one. "I managed to close up all access to your savings, and debit card cancelled until you order new ones. With insurance, you should be able to get the latest models in smart phones, Mr. Roth." Her tone was short and clipped. "I also took the liberty of looking up flight tickets, and one scheduled to head towards Canada tomorrow seems promising." A sideways glance seemed to turn the atmosphere cold. "Mrs. Thrace. How is your husband?"

      "Well, it seems as if it's time for me to go. The girls can't parade about town without me." Thrace gathered up her things and stood up stiffly, making sure to avoid eye contact with a stormy glare. "Until next time, James!" And with that, she walked away.

      The air was still charged with both Duchess and Korrigan's lidded tempers, so James stood up, straightened his bloodied shirt, and handed Laurel her room key. "What time?"

      "5:30 in the morning. Flight leaves from two towns over."

      "Best get some sleep then. Good day, Ms. Korrigan! Come along, Duchess."

 

      "........Good day...."

Um...Happy New Years!...heh heh. Okay, so yes it has been over a years since I published anything, but there were some weird stuff going on with my site, and then things got out of whack. But here's to trying and maybe not updating weekly, but updating consistently at least.

                                             -The Writing Wolf

Roth & Korrigan

Escapade 5: Stressful Situation

It hurt. His nerves were screaming, crying, tearing at his attention. And with grim determination, Roth smiled. This was his element.

With two men down, four still surrounded him. All had knives, and determined looks upon their concealed visages. He could assume they used the Philippine sword art of Kali, judging from their stances, their swords, their outfits. Identical to their pursuers, the all black armor was light, close-fitting, durable material- meant for stealth; built on the presupposition that every encounter's result would be a success. Their faces were covered with the exception of their eyes- He was essentially dealing with ninjas.

Thinking quickly, Roth managed to swipe the matching knives off of the unconscious enemies behind him. Taking off the heavy shield he assessed that his knowledge of Kali was not as extensive as what would've been preferred for this particular venture, but- with a quick prayer for a miraculous turnout- it would have to make do.

Instead of waiting to be forced into defense, Roth went on the offense, which subsequently took his enemies off guard- he struck the closest on his left, guarding his injured arm to avenge it with his right. By the time he managed to disable the opposed- his utensils clattering down as James gave a foot to his gut- the others had recovered and now were set upon him.

Simultaneously dodging and blocking advances from the sides, the impromptu warrior sliced at the knees of a third, only to be blocked ferociously. Quick timing lent him an opening to bash the end of his stolen knife against a poorly armed head- at any later second, Roth would've been missing his good arm.

He could feel the blood dribbling down the other- and briefly wondered; would he have enough in him to deal with the other two? Not to mention the primary pursuers now three-quarters down the stairway. The fact that he could even feel the injury so instantly meant it probably wasn't deep, yet-

The sound of a gunshot rang out. The groan of an adversary behind him prompted Roth to swing a hook kick across his face. A quick glance downward, and he was rewarded with the sight of a bullet wound in the side. A rush of air preceded a girlish scream, and Roth turned around to find Duchess tearing into the last foe.

"Come on!" Korrigan clipped past him with pistol in hand, most undoubtedly filched from the unconscious by the stairway. He followed her to an open door, at which point Korrigan took the opportunity to swing around and aim a shot the ninjas on the stairs- right in the shoulder. The escaping party didn't bother to stick around as the injured pursuer sank knees at the bottom of his course.

"Ack! Owowowoowwoow." He blubbered as his fellow kneeled down beside him. She was about to say something when a static crackling caught her attention.

"Hello?" She asked into a cell phone, ".....No, they're gone....a dog...my men are injured! ....No fatalities, seems like pretty boy didn't have any intention to kill. They still going to need time to recover- Albert may need a rabies shot...yes, I understand, sir." A quick clik! and the conversation ended

"What'd the boss say?" The injured groaned as his superior pressed at his shoulder to stop the bleeding.

     "That medical help is on the way. And that we may have to prepare for phase one a little quicker than I would've wanted."

***

The rest of the mansion was quiet, and disturbingly uneventful. Handing the gun to James, Korrigan made a quick raid through a small bathroom on the first floor, thankfully finding a treasured medical kit, supplied with the things she frantically searched for.

“Give me your arm.” Even as he put the acquired weapons in the adjacent sink, James’ left arm was snatched from his possession into Laurel’s diligent hands, trailing blood down his sleeve and across his vest- it complimented the lip stain still on the dark grey article. Rolling the sleeve back, both were rewarded with the sight of a thin slit, welling up with red, just before reaching his elbow. The cut was, thankfully, away from any major veins- Laurel let go of a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding.

“Do you suppose it might need stitching?”

“No, it’s pretty-“ Korrigan stopped, halting her assessment to look up and find a smile playing on his lips. With a firm scowl, she tore open the bandage packaging and began to clean his arm. “You have terrible timing for humor.”

“Isn’t humor the best sort of remedy?” A whine elicited from Duchess, who stood guard vigilantly at the bathroom door. James himself tensed up at the stinging contact, yet never lost his amused smile.

“Not when we’re running for our lives.” She finished wrapping the injury in gauze and bandages and tossed the kit back under the sink, where it had been found. Taking back the gun, a careful peek about the doorway showed an all clear. “Let’s go.”

“Hold on a moment.” Roth tugged at her, pointing to a door clearly marked, GARAGE. His smile grew even wider.

There we are, a post that took me more than a week to try and choreograph(This is mostly due to finals and such). I wanted to make it a bit longer than the usual 550 words, give or take a few ten. It's probably going to get even longer in the future. Sorry for the wait everybody. In the art section, you can check out a slight redesign of Laurel( 'cus originally, her face was too long.) Please tell me what you thought of  this section!                                                                                            

                                                 -Writing Wolf

                              

Schedule notice (among other things)

Hi Everyone!
       I have decided that instead of Saturday updates, updates shall be on Sundays, and may be irregular in the next few months, as I kind of want to create a update buffer for myself. That being said, enjoy the newest post below!
                    -WritingWolf

Roth & Korrigan

Escapade 4: Running

            The polished wood floors didn't provide much traction as Roth skidded around the corner, Korrigan behind him, and Duchess at his heels. Shots rang out as the figures from the moore- clothed in a rather ominous black- chased after them with guns in hand. As several bullets whizzed inches past his face, James couldn't help but give thanks that their pursuers weren't nearly as accurate as Korrigan with their arms.

          Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. Ripping a shield off an iron suit of armor as he tore past, Roth tossed it behind him to his comrade. "Strap it on your back, Ms. Korrigan!" With a nod Korrigan struggled to don the shield like a backpack, while Roth stole yet another to use as his own. With a hopeful look out the windows to his right, the running researcher was dismayed to find that floor on which they were was four stories up- no chance of leaping out to actually survive. With an amused look, Roth remembered running from pursuers much like this in New Jersey- where he had met Korrigan for the first time.
          
         He had been searching for the Jersey Devil, with Duchess in tow of course, when he'd come across one of the gangs in the area. Turned out, they had been using the Devil as a front for a bunch of robberies, thereby leading to rise in sightings- which of course drew Roth out of his little Alaskan corner to investigate. And it had been safe to say that they weren't happy when Roth, with an understandable amount of frustration, declared that he would be turning them in to the proper authorities. With the help of trash can lids and snowdrifts, he and Duchess were able to elude their pursuers and disappear into the winter crowds- just in time to come across a distressed young lady.
           
        "James! " that very same lady now had noticed a staircase rushing up to meet the three at the end of the hall.
           
        "Excellent!" Her employer exclaimed, even as shots narrowly missed his chest, for he turned to ride upon the well-polished banister. Following suit, Korrigan went flying down in the same fashion, while Duchess nimbly took three stairs at a time. Like the somewhat sensible people they were, the figures from the moore followed on foot.

            "Ha!" Korrigan cried in delight- until more figures were spied at the end of the current course. Though just a handful, they looked menacing- and they were blocking the only visible hallway on the level.

             "Stay behind me, Laurel." With the end of the banister approaching, Roth struck the corresponding step, propelling himself through the air to stick a kick against the head of the closest enemy. As he fell with a resounding crack, Roth landed to sweep aside the legs of another. Preparing to strike a punch in the face, James was struck with a sudden pain.

             Flashes of light attracted his eyes towards the knives in the majority of his opponents' hands. Logic then screamed for him to look down. The white sleeve of his shirt was currently changing to a dark red.

Oh-no! Don't loose James! This requires....RESEARCH! Anyways, enjoy this update and tell me if you think I could make it better(because I think I could).
                                                   -WritingWolf

Roth and Korrigan

Escapade 3: Duchess

      Roth and his companion froze. The door to the closet had swung open by itself, and no moving force seemed to be present- that is until a huge mottled mass of fur launched itself around the corner and strait into Roth. As first impulse, Korrigan was about to kick the thing, until the light from outside revealed the new attacker to be a familiar face.

       "Duchess!" Roth cried in laughter- the tan and merle Great Dane was very lovingly showing her affection for her master by way of slobbery tongue.

       "I thought we'd left her at the hotel." While Duchess had proven time and time again that she was a wonderful assistance on frequent trips about the world, Korrigan had made the insightful decision to leave the loyal dog behind- the Beast of Bodmin Moore was a big cat after all, and Duchess, in all her quietness, still loved to chase cats on first sight.

       "She must have- Duchess, please!-followed me- Duchess heel!- You know how she can't stand to be left out of things- good girl, Duchess, very good!" Thankful to have had the wall supporting him, Roth turned around and with hopeful green eyes ordered: "Tug-of-War, Duchess!"

        Duchess, despite never having to free her master from rope bonds in a game of Tug-of-War, was very careful in gnawing and pulling at the rope, making sure to avoid impaling Roth's hands on her teeth. Soon enough, his hands were free- though somewhat slobbered on- and with some teamwork, they unbound Ms. Korrigan and himself completely.

        Wringing her wrists to get rid of some numbness, Korrigan made an assessment of the situation. "So we've lost our bearings, and sense of time- though I'm sure its late morning by now- our possessions are stolen, and whoever coshed us and took them made sure to immobilize us in a place that could be considered close at hand. Pretending that we were still tied up, and ignoring the fact that Duchess rescued us, it could be concluded that whoever attacked us this morning still wants something." She took a tentative peek outside the closet- the hallway was loitered with decorative weapons and empty suits of armor. "Good Lord, we didn't incite anyone to murderer yet, did we?"

              Roth peeked out the closet as well- something about the hallway seemed familiar."I'm sure we hadn't, Ms Korrigan- expeditions are to prove existence only, not harm anything or anyone. All I can currently suppose is our kidnappers have a want of my money- but they already achieved that when they acquired my wallet. I can think of nothing else."

             "Well...let's go- this place gives me the creeps." Duchess quietly whuffed in agreement, staying pressed against her master's leg. James stroked her head, and about to step past Ms. Korrigan into the hallway, paused as he heard voices coming.

      "...like a grudge match, ya' know? And- Hey!" Roth grabbed his accountant's wrist and took off down the opposite end, as the figures from the moor noticed their once-captive hostages making an escape. "Get back here!"

      "I think its high time we took our leave- wouldn't you, Ms. Korrigan?" He smiled wryly back at her. "Come, Duchess!"

       Duchess left her post snarling in defense against the oncoming captors, and turned to race beside her fleeing companions.

             Hey Everyone! I kinda had to leave you all because schoolwork became too much. Leave a comment to tell my what you think! Constructive criticism is welcome, since this blog is to help me improve my writing skills. Until next weekend!
                           -Writing Wolf

Roth & Korrigan

Escapade 2: The Closet

            James Roth cracked open an eye, head pounding in a threat to tear itself apart. Currently, he was awakening from unconsciousness, hands tied behind his back- his legs were bound in the same fashion, with a strong military-grade rope. Resignation made itself apparent in his sigh- he’d been bested by the mysterious figure on the moor, though Roth couldn’t help but suspect his apparent aggressor had a hidden accomplice. Willing his other eye to open, the adventurer noticed he was sitting upright within a dark closet of some kind-complete with coats, mothballs, shoes and the like- with Ms. Korrigan unconscious and bound as well. Currently, perhaps due to the small space, or some impishness on their captor’s part, she was resting in his lap, head on her companion’s chest.

            “Ms. Korrigan,” Roth whispered. She didn’t stir.

            “Ms. Korrigan.” He tried- a bit louder, only to garner no response.

            “Laurel!” This time, Roth whispered as loud as he dared; and the harsh address coerced his fallen friend into jerking awake- red lipstick stained his vest from where Korrigan’s face had taken support.

            “Mr. Roth?” Her voice was laced with confusion- there was no doubt, even as his accountant, that this was Korrigan’s first time being rendered inept. It was only Roth’s third time around as well- and the last two instances had been by falling objects, not mysterious foes in the fog.

            “If you would please be so kind as to get off me?” As it was somewhat uncomfortable for himself, Roth could only imagine what the situation could seem to Ms Korrigan, who was rather prudish for their generation. Even in the dark, he could see the shades of indignation make its way across her face- said face was whipped quickly away as she rolled off to sit at his side.

            “How long have we been out?” Ms. Korrigan had voiced the question on both of their minds.

            “I have no clue- our attackers seem to have taken my pocket watch.” They had taken a number of other things, such as his Swiss Army knife, his coat, his wallet, and his phone- not that he used it much anyway, but such a device could have been useful if it had gone unnoticed. Ms. Korrigan herself was missing her infamous pistol, as well as her own coat- which was really inconvenient- even with a closet full of coats, it was cold.

“Do you think they were after the Beast?” It was then that despair struck James like a gunshot- in his confused state he had failed to realize that the trail outside on the moor was had most probably gone cold, and the search for the famous Beast of Bodmin Moor would have to start from scratch.

            “I highly doubt it Ms. Korrigan-” Frustration seeped into his response. “If they were, they wouldn’t have taken the time to take us captive.”

            “…Identity theft isn’t in the budget Mr. Roth.”

            “I’m well aware- we must try to make our way out of this closet. Lean on me to try and stand, if you will Ms. Korrigan.” With a small grunt, Korrigan put her back against Roth’s shoulder and pushed her way up the wall. Her hands gripped his arm, once she had a secure foothold against a suitcase, and helped them both to stand upright on their feet.

             Just as an attempt was to be made on the door by Ms. Korrigan and her steel-heeled boots, the entrance to their unconventional prison swung open seemingly on its own.

     Again, I couldn't wait for next Saturday, so you guys get the next Escapade this week! I suppose I'm a bit impatient, so I might change the schedule time. Don't forget to leave a comment to tell me what you think!

                 -Writing Wolf

Roth & Korrigan

Escapade 1: Bodmin Moor

           It was fairly dark on the moor, and the fog was so thick its current occupants struggled to move through it. Mr. James Roth was bent low to the ground, examining the imprints in the soil, while Ms. Korrigan, his companion of two years, held the lantern over his waves of curly brown.

            “Anything?” she asked as she cocked her pistol- one can never be too careful when hunting.

            “This is interesting.” They were currently at a crossway, where the beast had started down two paths, before continuing along a third. Ms. Korrigan bent to look at the paw prints Roth pointed out, her onyx curls spilling out of a messy bun over her shoulder.

            “Was it looking for something?”

            “Evidently.” His gloved digits lightly touched the marks where a nose was pressed to the ground. “See here, where it sniffed each path? Except for the third, and that was the one it chose to travel upon. Our clever Beast of Bodmin Moore used a disjunctive syllogism!” Mr. Roth quietly exclaimed. “Wouldn’t Marge and her Animal Rights Society get a kick out of that!”

            There was a distinct huff of discontent from Ms. Korrigan- she rather disliked the Mrs. Marge Thrace, having encountered her and personic racism one too many times.

            “Shall we continue?” In the early hours of morning, there was much to be desired for the young African American, such as a warm bath, and comfortable bed.

            “Naturally- we’re in the end game Ms. Korrigan- we can’t afford to lose him.”

            “Must we have a repeat of the Ama-”

            “This will be nothing like the Amazon, I swear it.” Roth, as a cryptozoologist and adventurer with a habitual travel bug, embarked on constant trips with Korrigan in tow from his Alaskan abode. This recent expedition to his ancestral home of England was in pursuit of the famous Beast of Bodmin Moore- and proof of a mythic creature to rub in the faces of hid zoological contemporaries.

            “Mr. Roth-” Korrigan’s rebuttal was cut prematurely as she fell with a sigh, lantern crashing to leave Roth in the darkness.

            “Ms. Korrigan?” he turned to find his friend lying unconscious in the dirt, pistol forgotten. There was a figure in the darkness, stooping over her form. “Oy!” Roth rushed towards it, noting the pole within its hand.

            The figure started with a preemptive strike, prompting Roth to counter with an over head block, feeling the sting of wood against flesh. He then struck, trying to aim for the general chest area, only to find his opponent was as skilled in unarmed combat as he. The fighting in the darkness was however, tilting in the figure’s favor- if Roth had his authentic katana at hand, he could make short work of Korrigan’s assailant- all he had equipped currently was his Swiss Army knife, and reaching for Korrigan’s pistol would give a break in his defenses. Just as he was about to lay a knee strike- KRAK!

            James could see his dreams slip through his fingers as his gaining unconsciousness painted the dark, foggy night even blacker.

Author's Note:
     And here begins our adventure...I sort of got too impatient waiting for Saturday. I might add a picture and I might not... it depends. I hope you enjoy this first post! Leave me a comment to tell me what you think!
                 -Writing Wolf