The Fall - Part I
“Young lady, do you know what you’ve done?”
“I got the information we needed.” CJ matched the older man’s gaze without flinching.
He held her eyes for a long moment, then pursed his lips and shook his head. “So much like your parents.” He smiled fondly at the startled CJ. “You sure do remind me of them.” He sighed, “I can only cover so much, like I told Buck. Mayer Todd is going to be out for blood on this. Now git. Tell Buck I’ll call later. On the old number.” He turned and walked away before she could even process what he told her. A moment later she was distracted anyway, when Hitomi and Alana came walking up.
She knew something was wrong right away. Alana looked like she had been crying, and Hitomi had a protective arm around her. At CJ’s look, Hitomi mouthed “Jeremy.” CJ inwardly sighed. Yeah, he was going to be a problem. It would have to wait, however. “Come on, we need to find Buck and get out of here.”
“Why? What’s up?”
“I managed to scare the location of the base from that soldier they brought here. Plus, I think we’re about to be really unpopular with the mayor.”
Hitomi sighed, “We can’t take you anywhere.”
“Yeah, let’s go. We’re going to need to see if we can salvage some equipment.”
They found Buck talking with the fire chief, who turned and left as they walked up. “Good new, girls. It looks like they managed to put all the fires out. They’re going to let us in to get some personal effects if we can.”
“Good,” CJ said, quietly. “We can get some weapons and other things while we’re in there.”
Buck raised a brow, “Oh?”
“Mistress Interrigatrix here managed to get the location from the soldier they brought in.”
Buck’s angry response was forestalled by CJ holding up a hand. “The interrogators left the room. I saw an opportunity and took it. I didn’t touch him.” Her eyes glittered. “I didn’t have to.”
Buck’s expression softened as he gave her a speculative look. “You have always reminded me of your parents. But right now, I almost swear they’re right here in front of me.”
CJ narrowed her eyes. “You’re the second person in ten minutes to tell me that. Any other day I’d ask why I never knew that Chief Sweeny knew my parents, but right now, I want to get out of here and find the people that destroyed our home.”
“You already talked to Jarvis? Did he say anything?”
“Just that he’ll call you later, on the old line.”
Buck smiled, “Right. Let’s go then. I’ll call ahead to the hotel and get a few of the instructors to meet us there to get what we can salvage. We’ll get our own supplies.”
“I got the information we needed.” CJ matched the older man’s gaze without flinching.
He held her eyes for a long moment, then pursed his lips and shook his head. “So much like your parents.” He smiled fondly at the startled CJ. “You sure do remind me of them.” He sighed, “I can only cover so much, like I told Buck. Mayer Todd is going to be out for blood on this. Now git. Tell Buck I’ll call later. On the old number.” He turned and walked away before she could even process what he told her. A moment later she was distracted anyway, when Hitomi and Alana came walking up.
She knew something was wrong right away. Alana looked like she had been crying, and Hitomi had a protective arm around her. At CJ’s look, Hitomi mouthed “Jeremy.” CJ inwardly sighed. Yeah, he was going to be a problem. It would have to wait, however. “Come on, we need to find Buck and get out of here.”
“Why? What’s up?”
“I managed to scare the location of the base from that soldier they brought here. Plus, I think we’re about to be really unpopular with the mayor.”
Hitomi sighed, “We can’t take you anywhere.”
“Yeah, let’s go. We’re going to need to see if we can salvage some equipment.”
They found Buck talking with the fire chief, who turned and left as they walked up. “Good new, girls. It looks like they managed to put all the fires out. They’re going to let us in to get some personal effects if we can.”
“Good,” CJ said, quietly. “We can get some weapons and other things while we’re in there.”
Buck raised a brow, “Oh?”
“Mistress Interrigatrix here managed to get the location from the soldier they brought in.”
Buck’s angry response was forestalled by CJ holding up a hand. “The interrogators left the room. I saw an opportunity and took it. I didn’t touch him.” Her eyes glittered. “I didn’t have to.”
Buck’s expression softened as he gave her a speculative look. “You have always reminded me of your parents. But right now, I almost swear they’re right here in front of me.”
CJ narrowed her eyes. “You’re the second person in ten minutes to tell me that. Any other day I’d ask why I never knew that Chief Sweeny knew my parents, but right now, I want to get out of here and find the people that destroyed our home.”
“You already talked to Jarvis? Did he say anything?”
“Just that he’ll call you later, on the old line.”
Buck smiled, “Right. Let’s go then. I’ll call ahead to the hotel and get a few of the instructors to meet us there to get what we can salvage. We’ll get our own supplies.”
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