James Brighton Society, Chapter 6: Pages 5-6

Page 5, 6 Panels- Ballroom/Hallway, JBS Headquarters, Arlington Virginia

Panel 1: We move to a shot from the entrance to the ballroom a few moments later. Standing in the doorway is the same mecha hitman that we saw in Mr. Briggs' office in Chapter 5 hit Grem with the poison dart. He signals for the Grand Vizier to join him in that area just as the sound of big band music starts to fill the area.

Panel 2-3: A two-part set of panels that starts out with a shot of the Grand Vizier from the same area of the ballroom the hitman's standing in in the previous panel. He gives a passing acknowledgment of the underling, turning to move toward him as the music plays on. In Panel 3, we cut to a shot of the two of them standing side-by-side as they exit the area.

GV JONES [to MPM-5 businesslike, Panel 3]: What's the status of the green pest? Has he been disposed of? MPM-5 [nods, to GV Jones; Panel 3]: Yes, sir...

Panel 4-6: A three-part set of panels that follows the two of them as they make their way down the hallway in discussion with one another. The background behind them in each panel is a different slice of the hallway, showing off its impeccable mansion-like architecture and gorgeous Renaissance-era paintings on its left, stopping in Panel 6.

GV JONES [looks over to MPM-5, concerned; Panel 4]: Do I detect a tone of apprehension within those mechanically built pipes of yours, MPM? MPM-5 [stammering, Panel 4]: Well, sir, I...I saw Grem taken down by the refined Oleander darts. I deemed that he was unconscious before going down the chute... GV JONES [steadily more angered; Panel 5]: Did you not see whether his body was sufficiently drained of life? MPM-5 [holding together a good balance, Panel 5]: I was about to untilI was hindered by the rush of oncoming police officers. Apparently, someone called them in regard to a break-in in the building's administrative offices. GV JONES [intrigued, already knows the answer; Panel 6]: A break-in? The Detective... MPM-5 [nods in agreement, Panel 6]: That is the most likely scenario. What do you want to do with her?

Page 6, 6 Panels- Hallway/Det. Randolph's Office, JBS Headquarters/D.C. Metro Police Station, Arlington Virginia/Washington D.C.

Panel 1: Cut to a close-up of the Grand Vizier's face a few moments later. He's standing in front of some type of hard surface that is unseen to the reader at this point. You can see a little bit of the hallway behind him in the background, along with the MPM-5 looking on over his left shoulder.

GV JONES [to MPM-5, ominously]: I have some friends in the Capitol Police Department that will take care of the little brown girl. MPM-5 [curious, to GV Jones]: And what of the Irishman? GV JONES [Bubble 2]: I doubt even a man of his...unique biological foundation can survive the experience of the Oleander. Even then though, the ingredients for the spell are already in place.

Panel 2-3: A two-part set of panels that pulls back to a rear shot of the same general area that we saw in the previous panel. In Panel 2, we see the Grand Vizier move down a stone staircase (hidden by a painting whose back appears to the reader in the left of the panel view) in a setting that denotes some hidden basement below the compound. A couple of moments later, in Panel 3, the door closes and we see the painting (El Greco's "The Dormition of the Virgin") close back into its original place.

GV JONES [Cont., Panel 2]: No force in the Heavens or this cursed planet can stop us now!

Panel 4: Cut back to the Detective seated at her desk in the precinct later that day. She's looking over the file papers from the Hart Senate Office Building, using it to help type up something on her typewriter. You can see the seal of the United States Senate on the top left corner of the top page, along with the date (Dec. 28th, 1943) and a scrawl of indecipherable text in the meat of the page.

CAPTION: The Following Day... DET. RANDOLPH [thought bubble]: There's something that hasn't felt right since Grem and I left the Hart Building.

Panel 5-6: A two-part set of panels that centers on the same setting as the previous panel. The layout shifting slightly toward a simple shot of Tasha's face. In Panel 5, she continues working, splitting her focus between the stack of papers from the Senate and what she wrote thus far. In Panel 6, the good Detective's attention is pulled to the left moments later by the sound of a voice coming into the scene.

DET. RANDOLPH [Cont. thought bubble, Panel 5]: Not because of what happened to Grem. He's immortal...he'll be fine! It's what happened in the HR Office. Three RADs guarding the personal and legislative information of 50 Senators as well as hundreds of staff members. DET. RANDOLPH [Cont. thought bubble 2, Panel 5]: The Feds would never think to leave such valuable documents under such lax security, especially in a time of war. Not unless they knew... CAPT. LENNOX [Off-Panel, forceful yell to Det. Randolph; Panel 6]: Detective Randolph! DET. RANDOLPH [thought bubble, Panel 6]: ...someone might come!