Men of Mystery

A New Assignment

The next day in the office, Dolores went to see the editor-in-chief, George Taylor.

"I tell you Chief, I met that fellow, Cerulean, last night. He saved me from a gang of thugs and flew me home."

Taylor smiled. "Really? Were you drinking?"

"Er — yes," Dolores admitted reluctantly, "but only a little wine."

Taylor smiled. "Where were the pink elephants in all this?"

Dolores frowned. She hated it when he didn't take her seriously. She sighed and went back to her desk.

Craig approached minutes later. "Sorry about last night. Please don't be angry with me."

Dolores said nothing and didn't even look at him.

Craig didn't really expected anything else really. But what could he do? He wasn't much of a fighter. He sighed and looked at his watch. It was time for a meeting with the Chief. He entered the editor's office and sat down.

Taylor began speaking, "The front page is getting stale. We need stories that grab the reader, so I'm sending you to San Monte in South America. The country is divided by civil war. I want you to send back stories about what's going on. Take a camera too and send back good pictures with your articles."

"What about my Cerulean assignment?"

"You've only got one story about him so far and I think that wife beater was drinking. Dolores says she's seen him last night, but she was out drinking too. And since I don't paid you to write fiction, let's focus on some real news."

"Sure thing, Chief."

Craig went back to his desk to do some research. According to his information a munitions supplier in America was supplying arms to both sides of the civil war and was involved with a bill in Congress now. But he needed names to expose this. And the only way to do that was to go to Washington DC first. He could get a ship from there to San Monte.

Without another thought he left the newsroom and went home to pack. Then he rushed to the train station and got a ticket to the nation's capital. Upon arriving, he made his way to the Capital Building and watched the afternoon session of Congress underway. Senator Gallstone was speaking about a bill that would allow America to support her allies in Europe against the Nazis. He was a short stout man with a round belly in a dark three piece suit.

Craig watched and when the session paused for a break, he went out to the lobby to see if he could speak with the senator. Instead he saw a beady-eyed man engaging him. Quickly Craig snapped a picture and hightailed it to a local pharmacy to have the film developed. He studied the picture once it was printed and went to a local newspaper to ask about the man talking to the senator.

"Who is this guy?" asked Crent.

"That's Lex Gear, a lobbyist."

"What's he supporting?"

"No one knows. He hasn't been seen soliciting members of Congress very often. Your picture is the first evidence he's been talking to Gallstone. But what they are discussing only they know."

Unsatisfied, Crent went to buy his ticket to San Monte, as he considered his next move.

Later that night a mysterious figure appeared outside of Gallstone's high rise apartment to eavesdrop on the senator. Standing on the skyscraper's window ledge, Cerulean listened to the conversation inside.

Gear was speaking to Gallstone. "Do you think you'll succeed in pushing that bill supporting Europe through?"

"It's looking good. No one has been asking too many questions. And once it is passed, the country will be obliged to support our European allies should the Nazis attack, which is likely."

"That will mean a lot to my boss," said Gear. "I'll be sure to pay you well for your aid."

"As well as you are being paid?"

Gear didn't answer; he just smiled and left. Cerulean met the lobbyist just as he was leaving the building. "Who is paying you to corrupt Senator Gallstone?" the costumed figure inquired.

"I don't know what you are talking about," replied Gear.

"Cat got your tongue?" He grabbed the lobbyist's arm. "Let's see if I can loosen it."

"Let go of me," Gear demanded.

Cerulean ignored the remark and jumped into the air, taking Gear with him. Running the long the phone lines, Gear screamed. "We'll be electrocuted."

"Nonsense," returned Cerulean. "Birds sit on the wires and are never hurt." He jumped to another building.

"Take me down," Gear screamed.

"When you are ready to answer my questions." He jumped again.

"All right you win. I'll talk."

Cerulean jumped to the ground. "Spill it."

"The man I work for is the munitions magnate, Sly Norton."

"That's all I wanted to know." And without another word the blue clad man jumped into the sky and vanished.