Agent Singer goes rogue!
In the grand tradition of badasses like Jack Bauer, John McClane and Martin Riggs, Abigail is off the reservation and playing by her own rules. But really, is it any wonder? After all, she’s just realized that her life – her very identity – is a lie, and that she works for the very organization that conspired to manipulated her mind. Not to mention the fact that her mother/protector/stabilizing force is dead, gone, and no longer able to guide her. Now, the only semblance of control she has left in her life is her ability to destroy the MONSTER ultimately responsible for all her woes – Dracula! And, that more or less brings us to where we found Abigail at the beginning of Pitch Black Day. The circle is complete…
Or is it? There is one interesting new wrinkle in this week’s prose that changes the context of Abigail’s mission quite drastically. Even if she is able to defeat Dracula, save the world from eternal darkness (with the help of the Daredevils, natch), and return safely to England, she will find herself hunted and marked for death by Section X itself. Man, this girl just CANNOT catch a break, can she?
But, before that is even a concern Abigail must first survive her confrontation with Dracula, and right now that ain’t looking very likely. Be here NEXT WEEK for the kick-off to the fifth and FINAL chapter of Pitch Black Day! That’s right, in just 7 days join us for the beginning of the end!
Will Abigail defeat Dracula and avenge her family? What will become of Joe at the hands of vampire Doc? And, what about McGinty!? All that and some stunning surprises too are coming your way so make sure to RSS, Like, or Follow so you don’t miss out!
As always, make sure to stop by the Sunday Bonus Lunch for your weekly dose of crazy, and make darn sure to mark your calendar for next Tuesday because you DO NOT want to miss what is coming.
Anyways, till next week!
-Matt-
I really enjoy this wonderful climax of the backmatter section. Now I’m looking forward to the last chapter.
At first reading I was taken aback by the totally inappropriate language of the new Director SISX, but I realized that this is exactly how it is: He is just the very reverse of his predecessor. I really love it how this last SISX memo shows he disregards all advice from the very first SISX memo we have seen, the one that his predecessor gave him on taking over the job.
The reveal about the true nature of her operation is surprising yet inevitable at its finest. It also explains the recklessness of her plan: Full disclosure towards the Daredevils was never an option. Once again, you blatantly play to those Adventure tropes and afterwards subvert them at least partially before fridge logic can set in. IOW, you answer the inevitable Why didn’t they just … questions one typically has to ask after watching Adventure stories.
Regarding the Director SISX’s predictions:
1) Abigail may have nowhere on land to hide, but 2/3 of Earth’s surface are covered by oceans … and now she has aquired a taste (if maybe a bitter one) for seafaring …
2) I suspect SISX Tier One personnel will have some difficulties to make their resume recent, given that they will die if they tell anyone about what they have done. I remember how Jim Prideaux from Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy couldn’t provide meaningful references on his prior experience, and only got a job as substitute teacher because someone left his school in the middle of term. And it’s quite clear that the more loyal they were to the prior director, the worse they will stand with the new one. Poor chaps … (Did you just make me care about some murderous mandarins? Are you really that good storytellers?)
Addendum: Even if the Colonial News Brief tells me nothing I didn’t expect – apart from the location of the grisly death – it manages to amuse me with style.
Addaddendum: I love your editcomment facility!
Once again you’ve eloquently articulated many of the things we’ve tried to convey on the page. The most perceptive of which being the the fact that the main memo on this page was meant to be the reverse or opposite of the very first SISX memo. Kudos!
Thanks, Timothy!
You’re welcome.
What can I say? I like the way you think.
I love dramatic WHAM lines:
I am X
For X insert one of the following:
(Dracula | your father | the one who knocks | the very model of a modern major-general)
But I love it even better if more drama is implied and reading between the lines is properly rewarded.
“Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say “Ni” at will to old ladies.”- Roger the Shrubber
Well, if you cannot trust a secret organization of Spies, assassins, and secret agents, then who can you trust?
I, for one, am still a bit peeved at them for killing Dr. Van Helsing (presuming that he is truly dead), and now they are picking on a sweet, demure, innocent, young lady, who is completely unable to defend herself (note sarcasm)…
“Well, if you cannot trust a secret organization of Spies, assassins, and secret agents, then who can you trust?”
This message brought to you by the NSA
I think that the DDD are regretting the “no questions asked” part of their deal. And jeez, way to class it up, SISX. If he really does put a bounty on Abigail’s head, maybe the DDD will have a new recruit on their hands.
Yeah, I think it is pretty safe to say that from now on the Daredevils will be implementing an ALWAYS ask questions policy.
That is…IF they survive. DUN DUN DUN!
You know there comes a time in ones life where they read secret correspondence and can only chuckle thinking “heh…if only you had any idea of how wrong you are Director. Not only can they (DDD) do it, they already Have done it.” The only point of mystery is if Mrs Singer will kill Dracula quick or slow.
You’ve got a lot of confidence in Agent Singer, tkg. Let me know how that is working out after you see next week’s page…
That, ladies and gents, is what we call in the business, a TEASE.
Yeah but wouldn’t placing a bounty on her head so high that there would be no place on earth to hide conflict with acting oblivious to her transgressions?
The bounty will only go into effect IF Abigail survives her mission to kill Dracula.
The Director was only acting oblivious to her shenanigans in hopes that she would continue her mission and eliminate Dracula and (hopefully) herself, thus solving 2 problems at once.
However, if Abigail survives then she is still a liability and must be dealt with.