The docks were a different realm at dawn, a world that the sun hesitated to touch. The fog was a veil that separated the known from the hidden, and Thomson moved through it with the certainty of a man who had navigated it many times before.
Thomson: "Keep your eyes open, kid. The docks are full of ears and eyes; some are friendly, most are not."
His assistant, a young man named Ricky, nodded, his hand never straying far from the notepad in his pocket. He was eager to prove his worth on the field, to step out from the shadow of desks and paperwork.
Ricky: "Got it, Thomson. First real stakeout, I'm ready."
Their footsteps were soft thuds against the wooden planks, each step a deliberate silence. As they passed, containers loomed like steel titans, and the scent of salt and oil was a heavy curtain in the air.
They found the witness, a dockworker with eyes that had seen too much and said too little. He was a silhouette against the dawn, a figure etched into the fabric of the docks.
Dockworker: "He was here, alright. Kept to the shadows, like he was part of 'em."
Thomson: "Did he say anything? Anything at all that struck you as odd?"
The dockworker shook his head, his voice a low murmur that seemed to blend with the creaking of the ships.
Dockworker: "Only thing he left was a whisper, something about a meeting place. 'The Crow's Nest,' he called it."
'The Crow's Nest' — a name that sent ripples through the undercurrents of Thomson's memory. It was a bar, notorious for being the crossroads of information, where the currency was secrets and the stakes were always high.
Thomson: "Thanks. You've been a great help."
A nod was the only goodbye they exchanged before Thomson and Ricky made their way back through the fog, the outline of the city slowly coming into focus as the day began to lift the night's shroud.
Ricky: "So, what's the plan?"
Thomson: "We go to 'The Crow's Nest.' We listen, we watch, we wait. Someone there knows more than they're letting on."
The episode closes with Thomson and Ricky standing at the threshold of 'The Crow's Nest,' the door a portal to a world of whispers and shadows. Thomson's hand rested on the doorknob, a decisive motion paused in time.
To be continued...
What secrets does 'The Crow's Nest' hold? Will Thomson and Ricky find the information they need to unravel the mystery of the murder and the missing child? And what dangers will they face in a place where whispers can be as deadly as bullets?
Tune in for Episode 4, where the lines between ally and enemy blur, and Thomson's journey takes him deeper into the heart of the city's darkness.
The Bounty Hunter's Odyssey - Episode 1 - The Hunter's Echo
The Bounty Hunter's Odyssey - Episode 2: The Unseen Threads