Greatest Creation | Jessi Stark

six | acquaintances

Westview, New Jersey

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Rubber SUV tire wheels screeched against the damp pavement, slowing to a halt twenty yards away from a police vehicle that was parked just ahead of a town entrance sign. Fog floated over the black top, omitting an ominous hue likely to cause anyone a hint of concern. A local sheriff and his lieutenant stood casually against the mobiles hood out in the open air. One of them held a cup of coffee, another had looped his fingers into his belt.

A third individual was with them, dawning a different uniform unique from the officers. He didn't appear to give off the same arrogance as the officers did. Frost gently coated the grass around the small group, and their breaths were visible in the crisp air. It painted an peculiar picture of a rather quaint town just off the beaten path of the New Jersey highway.

The officers, and the third individual who stood near the welcome sign, turned on their heels to see the black government SUV pull up and shift into park. Monica Rambeau paused for a moment in her seat from behind the wheel to eye the green sign that displayed the name of the town.

Westview

She pulled her keys from the ignition and shoved them into her jacket pocket, then stepped out of the car, dropping onto the pavement. Water from a small puddle splashed up on her black boots.

One of the individuals immediately approached her, whipping out a badge to identity himself. He crossed the space between them quickly. She shut her door, starting towards him as well "Jame E. Woo. FBI" he greeted, his dark, almond eyes shining in the sun. Her gaze dropped down to his ID, then moved to analyze him.

"Monica Rambeau, S.W.O.R.D" she returned plainly, not skipping a beat as she met him halfway and shook his hand "what's the story, here, Agent Woo?" she asked, taking a look over his shoulder. Down the frosted, narrow road stood the outline of the town in question. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at least on the surface. To Monica Rambeau however, nothing is ever as it seems no matter how simple it's projected as.

Jimmy Woo's purpose for being out there near Westview that morning was to investigate a missing persons case. What he discovered upon arriving at the outskirts of the town shook him to the core.

"I've got a witness set up down the road in Westview-" Woo pointed his thumb behind his head, referring to the town located west of his position "-and this morning, it looked like he flew the coop"

"Your missing person is in the Witness Protection Program" Monica gathered. The officers standing nearby continued to chat lightheartedly with one another, barely paying the two government agents a moment of their time.

"I have contacted known
associates, relatives..." Woo listed.

"And let me guess..." Monica came to her own conclusion, shoving her hands into her coat pockets "none of them have seen him either?"

"No. None of them have ever heard of him" he corrected, the gravity of his words settling over her shoulders. The family of the witness in question had never even heard of him. Her lips, which had housed a subtle smirk, dropped as she tried to piece together what exactly Agent Woo meant by his words "Something seemed hanky to me, so I took the first flight out of Oakland to interface with local law enforcement-" Woo explained "which is when I encountered a new wrinkle"