Surprise Audit

Log Title: Surprise Audit

Characters: Sidney Canterbury, Dr. Kwak Min Jeong

Location: Luck, California

Date: May 20, 2018

TP: Out of Luck TP

Summary: Dr. Kwak is surprised by an unexpected audit of her medical center.

''As logged by Bzero - Sunday, May 20, 2018, 12:47 AM

Rancho Corba Acres Community Medical Center - Luck, CA

 * The Rancho Corba Acres Community Medical Center is large pale building near the coast, shaded by giant palm trees planted strategically around the structure. Inside are some of the most advanced medical facilities in California - especially their dental equipment, which is truly top-notch. Large windows and potted plants give the area a pleasant, airy feel.

Sid Canterbury had discovered a financial irregularity; Luck, California, in the middle of an occupation of several Californian cities by Cobra, was receiving regular, thriving power, with rationing being set in place by nearby communities to survive the years of Cobra terror. On the surface, this was merely community management done spectacularly.

Until Canterbury discovered the local city planners in other communities were all climate change theory supporters. So where was the power coming from?

Canterbury had registered himself as an Internal Revenue Service auditor, and had used DINSA to track internet usage in Luck, California, to spot the most stable internet, power, and telecomm activity in the community - the medical center.

After parking outside in the visitor's lot in his slim black sedan, he climbed out from atop the steel bottomed floor of his car, closing it and locking it shut with a special electronic cryptokey that responded only to him. And in case of emergency, a thumb print on the window.

IRS badge tagged to his suit, Canterbury strolled through the sliding doors of Rancho Corba Acres Community Medical Center, a dour, quiet look on his face, his eyes sheepish and belying the gentle confidence of a trained killer from Britain.

When Canterbury enters the clinic, he is met by an older Asian woman wearing a white lab coat over a smart, fashionable outfit. Although she walks with a cane, she is wearing high-heeled platform shoes that add several centimeters to her height. Moving slowly to intercept the young man, she gives him a smile. In a slight Korean accent, she asks, "Excuse me. May I help you?"

Canterbury's eyes sway across the facility from his right to the woman's eyes, a level smile touching his lips. "Yes, you may. My name is Sidney Canterbury, I've been assigned to your clinic as an auditor from the Internal Revenue Service. A suspect arrested with a large quantity of high power staging elements for narcotics indicated that this facility was one of several that were being stolen from by one of your employees," he explains in a polite British accent.

He looks down, to the cane, a bit of shame on his face. "So, as you see, I'm going to have to go over the records of your medical stores, namely your shipments, your stocks, and your expenditures," he says, withdrawing a small slip of paper, a federal court warrant allowing him to search the records of chemicals used to compose pharmaceuticals.

The woman is clearly surprised, and her perfectly-drawn eyebrows furrow as she asks to see the warrant. She studies it a moment, and then looks back up at Canterbury, studying his face. "And how do we know you are who you say you are? Maybe I see some identification?"

Sid reaches into his black jacket and withdraws a slim leather wallet with an IRS badge inside, marked 'TEMPORARY', and his face pictured, along with his named and his registered number. He flips it open.

"I hope you know that I'm here to help you. Our informant may be lying, but if there is an employee at your facility stealing from you, that could be indicative of further criminal behavior by them. It is in everyone's best interest to make sure there are no irregularities in your stocks, from the chemicals that have been stolen. Pseudophedrine, is the major chemical being investigated," he explains. "It's used in cold medicine."

The woman studies Sid's ID a moment, and then nods in understanding. "Then I appreciate your help, of course," she says with a smile. "I'll have to of course monitor you while you have access to our facility, but I will make sure none of my staff hinder your work." She leans on her cane to turn around and leads Sid inside from the lobby. "Please," she says, looking over her shoulder. "Come with me. I'm Dr. Kwak."

Sid closes his badge, then slides it back into his jacket, a Glock pistol grip visible. A predominantly plastic assembly case model.

"Thank you. I apologize to you for my queer manners, this is highly irregular, but given the situation the country is in, we have had to make due with some semblance of irrational reason."

Canterbury ducks his head down and follows after Dr. Kwak, looking intimidated by the entire situation he's in. A faintly fox-like look escapes the side of his gaze down a hallway, where the dental wing is, lips slimming a moment.

Dr. Kwak leads Sid into the clinic, raising her voice to announce his presence to her staff. "Mr. Canterbury is here from IRS to make sure there are no irregularity in our record or stock. Please show him every courtesy."

Kwak's people nod to her in understanding, some exchanging the normal nervous glances you'd expect when springing an unexpected audit on the building. Turning back to Sid, Kwak asks, "What do you need to see first?"

Canterbury withdraws a small electronic camera, a slim black plastic panel model, from his pocket. "I'll need to photograph your records, then your physical stores, and finally your laboratory records. Three simple steps, that's all." He looks to the clinic staff, a similarly nervous smile on his face. "No worries, friends," he says with his effete British pleasantry. "I'm just here on a routine inspection, some bloke decided to roll a van full of stolen pharmaceutical agents out in Death Valley. We've been all over trying to find all the affected clinics."

Dr. Kwak stands next to Sid, leaning on her cane, and nods, giving her staff a big smile. "Please give Mr. Canterbury your every cooperation! Otherwise, get back to work, please," she laughs in a cool-boss manner. Her employees laugh obligingly, and go back to what they seemed to have been doing when Sid arrived - proving walk-in medical help to members of the Luck community.

Turning back to Sid, Kwak says, "Most of our record are online, but I can print hard-copy for you," she offers.

"Please do so," Sid says, turning to face Dr. Kwak, the employees having passed the test. If there's anything amiss here, none of them know it. He'll have to keep fishing. "I'll need a full manifest of all your staging agents printed out," Canterbury shares, with a fingering lift of his camera.

"Sure thing," Dr. Kwak says with a smile. "Follow me." She leads Sid further into the clinic. All seems normal... although strictly speaking, the facility does seem to have a few more burly orderlies than might be strictly necessary for a small-town medical facility. Luck used to be pretty worn-down before the recent economic boom, however - so maybe they're just still dealing with more than their share of possibly-violent down-and-outs.

Canterbury follows along with a smart click-slide of his business shoes as he moves along behind Kwak. He looks visibly cowed by the burly orderlies, although one can see his eyes dart to the inner edge of elbows, the tip-points of pelvises, and the outer sides of knees along them, as he moves past. He offers each an apologetic smile, as if he's offended each of them personally and accidentally.

Canterbury is stared down by the orderlies, but Kwak herself is the epitome of smiling civility. She brings Sid back to where the drugs and records are stored - behind an armed uniformed guard, whose shoulder patch reads, 'Extensive Security.'

"Elaine," Kwak says to the guard, "This is Mr. Canterbury. Please allow him access to our store and physical record, although he is not to take anything from the room without permission beside copy and picture, OK?" She looks at Sid. "Would that be OK?" she asks politely.

Canterbury is well aware that his only armor is the laminated IRS badge worn on his jacket.

"That's just fine, all I need is pictures of your records and pictures of your inventory for a match."

"Great!" Dr. Kwak enthuses. "We really appeciate your help. If there is any theft, I want to know immediately. I trust my people, but that doesn't mean you should not verify, correct?" She laughs merrily as Elaine uses her keys to let Sid and Kwak into the restricted area in the back of the clinic.

Canterbury hears the merry laughter, and smiles blithely, nodding. "Of course." A merry laugh from a Korean woman whose authority is being questioned?

Canterbury's left hand curls into his cuff, a slim tube steel weight sliding into his fingers. He curls his hand around it loosely, as he steps into the restricted area with a tip of his head forward, leading with his left leg to keep his hand in striking position as his fingers tighten. His right hand, meanwhile, is holding his camera in a ready position.

Dr. Kwak leads Sid into the back room - and gives him complete access to what he needs, both in the form of printed records and inventory. She keeps watch on what he's doing, but doesn't interfere. At some point, she even offers him tea.

Canterbury politely declines the tea, having left Britain to escape the nasty stuff, although the Far Eastern variety is tempting. But he's not a judge of dietary character like Chuckles is, which is why Canterbury can't find a decent cheeseburger, and Chuckles gets them from some pizza place that Canterbury has never heard of. Canterbury thinks a Chili's burger is pretty good, but it's indecently expensive and sits like a stone, while Chuckles goes anywhere that has a red letter sign. Chuckles keeps telling Canterbury to go to 'sit down' restaurants, until Canterbury gets the humor.

After Canterbury finishes the inventory, he slides the camera away and puts both hands in his pockets, the metal rod still in his left, although now Canterbury is relaxed. "That will about do it, Dr. Kwak," he says with a pleasant, neutral look of polite indifference.

"Thank you," Kwak replies politely, after standing what must have been an excrutiatingly long time on her cane, although her smile never wavered. "Please let me know the result of your investigation?" she asks with a slight tilt of her head. She knocks on the door, and Elaine lets them both out of the back room.

"Of course, Dr. Kwak," Canterbury replies with a firm, boyish smile. "I will make sure to do it myself, personally. We have several concurrent investigations running around the state about this matter. If you have any concerns, please ring the IRS branch office in Nevada." He politely and carefully moves behind Dr. Kwak, aware that she has maneuvered on the cane for quite some time from his delicately soled movements, but otherwise endeavors to take a lead while synchronizing with her footfalls.

Kwak leads Sid outside, and bows her head deeply in thanks, while still leaning on her cane. She reaches into the inner pocket of her lab coat.... and produces a business card reading, 'Dr. Kwak Min Jeong, Rancho Corba Acres Community Medical Center,' with a set of numbers and an email address. "Please reach me at any time." With one last smile, Kwak heads back inside.