Double Helix, Issue 2

Morning Run

Waking up in the broom closet he calls a room, Shillelagh wonders how real the last evening was. The whole day makes no sense. There was a million dollar transaction in an alley by the docks involving a laptop and a mouse (not the electronic kind). Not to mention how he was shot, and this morning he feels barely hurt. Life never made a lot of sense, and that is going double now.

Out in the gym he tells Vic Stravinsky about his evening, and his cohort is more than a little suspicious. During their conversation Shillelagh notices an exterminators van loitering across the street, with two overall clad men combing the streets and alleys. Vic and Shil agree that this is not the neighborhood for this kind of shenanigans, and they head out to confront the suspicious characters.

As they suspected, these guys are clearly not exterminators. They also have thick accents and no knowledge of pricing or business. The confrontation nets Shillelagh a business card, and a healthy dislike for the Russians for both.

Back inside, they compare notes. Vic steps away for a moment and what does Shillelagh see? A mouse, and a strangely familiar one. Cleverly he throws his trademark headwwear over the mouse, who continues to push it forward. Undeterred, he grabs a metal water basin and covers the hat with that. Not to be outdone, the mouse defiantly pushes forward. With a shake of his head Shillelagh puts a 10 pound weight on top and surveys his work. With a scratch and a strain, the contraption barely inches forward. Having enough, Shillelagh picks up his phone and calls Maria Reyes.

News From Abroad

Upon arriving at the office Maria is greeted by a call from Shennong. Given what he has learned over the past day, he had to catch a red eye to Guangdong. After collecting his travel info and setting a schedule for communication she immediately gets another call: Shillelagh. She flashes a wry smile after hearing his unbelievable anecdote. Get that mouse over here. She prepares the lab and calls scientists and techs. Nobody likes a work call on the weekend. She doesnt care.