Chapter 1: New York – daytime
Among the New York's shopping audience, two characters are trying to make their way through the crowd. Bags are pushed aside, dogs bark and shopping bags fall on the ground.
Still, this does not seem to affect the first person.
'How far are we?,' he calls frustrated to the blonde curling head behind him. The woman, who tries to slip along the annoyed eyes with a continuous flow of apologies, calls that he needs to pass two more streets.
Newt speeds up his passes. He had never expected to be back this soon, but he cannot just let this situation happen. Whatever their plan is, MACUSA is not going to succeed. Queenie runs behind him; actually, she should walk first, but running on her heels through the streets of New York is already a task!
'Right here!,' Queenie calls Newt. 'Oops, excuse me sir!'
As they both turn the corner, the big Woolworth Building rises up in front of them. Just before the entrance, Queenie graps Newt's arm and pushes him into a porch.
'You have to get in your suitcase,' says Queenie with a squeaky voice as she tries to breath. Newt stares at her, stunned. 'What? Why? My criminal record is gone and my animals are nothing to be afraid of; mrs Picquery knows that.'
Queenie is bending forward. 'I know that you are well in favor of Madam President, but that does not mean that you are welcome. Only people who work for MACUSA may enter.' Before Newt can protest, she raises her hand. 'Yes, I know: I work there. But people who serve coffee need no help here, especially not from a person whose face nobody in MACUSA will ever forget. Even if they do not recognize you, you will never go further than Mrs Picquery. She knows everyone.'
Newt looks as he just has been shot at of a cannon. 'Everyone knows my face?,' he asks aghast.
'Of course! There are only a few people with a huge Thunderbird in their suitcase, and only one who has also protected the entire magic community for exposure! ' Queenie rises slowly and looks at Newt. 'I'm wrong: Frank is especially the star, but your face will not be forgotten any day soon.'
Her eyes are friendly, but determined.
'It's your own choice: whether you cooperate and try to stop Mrs. Picquery, or you stay here and wait for a miracle.'
Fifteen minutes later, Queenie walks through the hall of MACUSA, with in her hand a brown suitcase. The crowds of midday have passed, allowing her to move quickly through the big hall. Without any notion of her, Queenie walks through the basement, stops in front of a small door and goes in.
In the small room she puts the suitcase on the ground and knocks on the top three times. Two seconds later the case opens.
'Where are we?,' asks Newt, as he climbs out of his suitcase.
'The coffeeroom.' Queenie is busy making coffee. Cups fly through the air and land on the tray, after which the sugar pot and milk can be added. 'The Magical Security Department is far from away from here, but the tebo is probably in one of the larger research cells, one floor above. These cells are only too much protected to get in.'
Queenie takes her tray and turns around. 'If we want to learn more about the operation, we need to get more information from Mr. Van Deijk, head of Magical Security Department. According to Tina, he left the operation last night to deliver the tebo and never returned. Ofcourse, he lets his slaves do the annoying work again,' Queenie says while shivering as she opened the door to the hallway.
Newt doesn't need more information. He does not want to know what Tina needs to do in order to hide an operation where fourteen killed were people. Whatever it is, it can not be good.
With his suitcase in his hand, he follows Queenie outside. After they have walked a few blocks Queenie stops and looks unobtrusively around the corner.
'Here it is. I am going tob ring Mr. Van Deijk and his attendants their afternoon coffee; they have a meeting. It may take a while before I have enough information, so be patient. Try to keep yourself silent in the meantime. If somebody comes, hide in this closet'.
While she nods her head towards the closetdoor, she turns around and looks at Newt. 'Please, don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.'
Newt looks at Queenie as she walks toward the door of the office, knocks and goes in. Filled with thrill Newt waits, but before he even has to do some effort to not get bored, the door opens again. From the shadows, Newt sees that only Queenie steps out. She is watching Newt with a perplexion. 'They already left.'
Newt is stunned. 'That means they're already in the cell,' Queenie continues. 'We could walk towards the corridor, maybe I can catch a thought from Mr. Van Dijek, so I know where they are. But even then it's a hugh task to... Newt, wait!' She runs after Newt, who has already turned around the corner. One floor higher and many attempts to stop Newt later, Queenie bumps into him.
'Mercy Lewis, if you know something else! I said that it's impossible to get here, hmff ...!'
'Stt ...', whispers Newt, his hand put over Queenie's mouth. 'Listen'.
A light buzz spreads through the long corridor. It's monotonous and high, like a working fan. Slowly Newt slips toward the sound. His eyes are focused on something at the end of the hallway.
A blue dot, small and slightly vibrant in the sky.
'I'm almost certain ..' whispers Newt.
'What are you certain of?'
A few seconds later, Newt puts his arm out to stop Queenie. Curiously she peeps aroud his back and looks straight into the little eyes of a big blue bug hanging in the sky.
'A billywig,' replies Newt.
The animal looks at them, motionless, and then flies away, deeper into the corridor. Newt and Queenie sprint after him. 'Where does it come from? And what does he want from us?,' Queenie sputters out.
But before Newt can answer, they hear an immense roar, so hard and close that the doors on the other side of the corridor tremble in their posts. They start to run again, after the billywig, through the right corridor, where the find a big door at the end. Without even thinking of a plan, they storm through the door and are suddenly standing face to face with a large elongated cage. A deafening sound of voices, crackling metal and infinite roar drone through the big room.
They found the cell.
