SEARCH: The Surveilled Reunion

Serialised Fiction | Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller | Season One, Episode Nine

Previously on SEARCH: Matt McNair discovers that not only has he been named a suspect in the murder of Andy Murdoch and Flight Club, someone has been in his hotel room and looking for something…

…And they hadn’t left. They were waiting on him. And we are about to find out who.

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Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

APPENDIX 39: Transcript of a Recording of a Telephone Conversation Between Eleanor Wells [The Wells Foundation] and James McCullach [The Wells Foundation]

WELLS: You have an update?

MCCULLACH: It worked. We had a lot of calls from concerned citizens about him. Including the owner of the hotel he’s staying at.

WELLS: Well, she’s probably forfeited a good review on TripAdvisor for grassing up her guest.

MCCULLACH: I’d say so.

WELLS: What’ the latest?

MCCULLACH: We have a team in position, outside the hotel. We searched his room but found nothing. Nothing of note that would lead us to The Ghost or The Grail.

WELLS: He’s smart. He’ll have it on him or well hidden.

MCCULLACH: We’ve planted a few bugs in the room though.

WELLS: Where?

MCCULLACH: They are well hidden.

WELLS: He strikes me as someone who will check his room for bugs, especially after the events of the last few days. So are they actually well hidden?

MCCULLACH: One in the lamp, one in the phone and one in the centre of the bible in the drawer.

WELLS: Good. Can we listen in?

MCCULLACH: Yes we can. Patching you through to the frequency now.

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

APPENDIX 40: Transcript of Covert Recording of Matt McNair at The Pettycur Beach Inn, Hotel Room Number 44 & APPENDIX 41 Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Eleanor Wells [The Wells Foundation] and James McCullach [The Wells Foundation] Observing Covert Recording

NB: The recordings have been cleaned up as much as possible although static and crackle exist on recording may make some parts of the audio indistinct.

[CAMERA SHUTTER AS PICTURES BEING TAKEN]

MATT: —the room is completely trashed. I’ve sent you photos, take a look for yourself. Christ. They’ve turned the place over. They’re looking for something. Recordings. Maybe even my laptop with the video on it. Did you get the photos? Now do you believe me?

WELLS: Who’s he talking to? Can we get ears on the other part of his phonecall?

MCCULLACH: I’ll try.

MATT: No. Why are you whispering?

[SILENCE]

MATT: Sarah, I’m going to have to call you back. [PAUSE[ Who’s there?

WELLS: Tell me you didn’t leave one of our people in the room. Please tell me that.

MCCULLACH: No. It’s not one of ours.

MATT: If you were going to hurt me you would have done it already, so I’m guessing you’re not the architect of this mess. Who are you? Come out of the shadows. Come out—it’s you.

WELLS: Who is in that room with him? Do we have eyes in there?

MCCULLACH: We don’t.

WELLS: You planted audio, not video? For god sake.

MCULLACH: We were pressed for time.

WELLS: Save it.

MATT: Am I right?

UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Yes.

MCCULLACH: We have the voice, running vocal through audio recognition—

WELLS: No need. I know exactly who that is. That’s who we’ve been looking for.

MCCULLACH: The Ghost?

WELLS: Aye. That’s The Ghost alright. That’s Jo.

MCCULLACH: OK, teams get ready.

WELLS: Hold your position. Do not engage yet. I want to listen to what she’s got to say.

MATT: You’re here.

THE GHOST: I guess I am.

MATT: You don’t sound too happy about it.

THE GHOST: I don’t know you.

MATT: You didn’t know Andy.

THE GHOST: Neither did you, but here you are.

MATT: He didn’t hide who he was.

THE GHOST: I have a reason to hide.

MATT: Then why are you here?

THE GHOST: Because he said I could trust you.

MATT: Who did?

[AUDIO: PHONE RINGING]

THE GHOST: The man on the other end of that phone.

[AUDIO: PHONE ANSWERED WITH LOUDSPEAKER TONE ACTIVATED]

MATT: Hello?

JOHN MCNAIR: You didn’t go back into the bar. Good lad. I was hoping that would be the case.

[SILENCE]

JOHN MCNAIR: Matty? Are you still there?

MATT: Is it….is it really you?

JOHN MCNAIR: Aye. It really is. I know this is a shock, but we don’t have time to get into that right now.

MATT: We don’t?

JOHN MCNAIR: We don’t. Am I on speaker?

MATT: Aye.

JOHN MCNAIR: Is Jo in there with you?

MATT: Jo? You mean—

JOHN MCNAIR: The Ghost, Slanaighear, whatever she’s getting called these days.

THE GHOST: Not my fault.

JOHN MCNAIR: Aye, aye. Listen. You both need to get out of there. Now. The place is being watched. They can probably hear this conversation.

THE GHOST: OK. Do you want me to lead them away?

JOHN MCNAIR: Aye. Do your thing Jo.

MATT: Wait, where are you going?

JOHN MCNAIR: Don’t worry, you’ll meet again.

MATT: What do I do?

JOHN MCNAIR: You don’t have Jo’s special set of skills. So run. Get out of there. I’ll call you when you’re safe.

MATT: How will you know when I’m safe?

JOHN MCNAIR: I always do.

[PHONE CALL ENDS]

MCCULLACH: Ellie, we have eyes on the subject. She’s on the move.

WELLS: Take her. Go. Go now.

MCCULLACH: What about The Journalist?

WELLS: Just get Jo!

MCCULLACH: OK. Oh shit. She’s taking out one of the other teams. She’s right on us we—

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

APPENDIX 42 Transcript of Recording of Telephone Call Between Eleanor Wells [The Wells Foundation] & James McCullach [The Wells Foundation]

WELLS: I lost audio. What happened?

MCCULLACH: We lost her.

WELLS: Lost her, or got your arses kicked?

[SILENCE]

WELLS: I thought so. What about The Journalist?

MCCULLACH: He’s gone too.

WELLS: Are you lot trying to be as incompetent as possible? Honestly. You’re worse than a bunch of fucking Stormtroopers.

MCCULLACH: No Ell—no ma’am.

WELLS: I don’t want to hear any of it. Find The Journalist. If our girl wants to talk to someone she’ll talk to Matt McNair. Find. Him.

MCCULLACH: OK. Eh, Ellie?

WELLS: Yes?

MCCULLACH: The person who called Matt. Was that, The Grail?

WELLS: Course it was. Where one is, the other is not far away.

MCCULLACH: Would you like us to find him as well?

WELLS: I’ll get someone else to find him. Different tactic. You focus on your end, I’ll focus on mine.

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

APPENDIX 43 Transcript of Recording of Telephone Call Between Matt McNair & John McNair

MATT: Hello?

JOHN MCNAIR: It’s me. You made it away OK.

MATT: I did.

JOHN MCNAIR: Where are you?

MATT: Nowhere. Just driving.

JOHN MCNAIR: Smart. Keep on the move.

MATT: Can we meet?

JOHN MCNAIR: Yer smarter than that, surely. It’s too risky.

MATT: Smart’s got nothing to do with it and it’s worth the risk.

JOHN MCNAIR: Matt—

MATT: —they just killed a room full of people without a drop of consequence, and my guess is that they are behind the fact that The Ghost can do whatever she can do and they are the reason that you’ve been missing all these years. I know what they can do. I know what they are capable of. But after all this time, after all that’s happened already? I’d rather take the risk. Dad. Please.

[SILENCE]

JOHN MCNAIR: OK.

MATT: Thank you.

JOHN MCNAIR: What can you see?

MATT: Water. Buildings. Boats.

JOHN MCNAIR: OK. Perfect. Don’t say this out loud, but do you remember when you were a kid, where it was you thought your sister tried to push you on purpose?

[LAUGHTER]

MATT: Aye. I do.

JOHN MCNAIR: OK. If you can see what I think you can see, head there. I’ll meet you.

MATT: Think this will stop them from finding us?

JOHN MCNAIR: No, but it will give us some time while they figure it out.

MATT: OK.

JOHN MCNAIR: It’s worth realising this now though.

MATT: What?

JOHN MCNAIR: They’re always listening. I’ll see you soon.

[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]

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I know it’s been a while but here is the latest episode of SEARCH, finally! It’s a big one with a twist, turn and emotional reunion after the previous chapters big cliffhanger. I’d say we are well over half way now, and barreling toward the end of Season One, with a lot still to come! What do you think of this episode’s big twist? Did you see the reappearance of Matt and Sarah’s father coming?

Thank you for following the story of SEARCH and all stories here on Toasted Fiction. I promise wait for the next episode of SEARCH won’t be this long!

Enjoy and happy weekend.

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