The Gospel, Vegas, WinterRat1 Options

[Mister Juan]

CHAPTER I: The Gospel Of John

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

And from the light and the darkness, shadows were born.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

And God turned away.

[Vegas]

00:00:00 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – SeaTac Airport Concourse C SoyBucks

Time ticked by second by second with agonizing slowness. The oversized cup of soycaf she was hiding behind had long since gone cold and she could nearly recite the canned and repeated news program that flashed across the small vidscreen at her table. Remnants of her once perfect French manicure now lay in scattered piles around her - casualties of nervous picking. From here she could see both the continuously updated arrivals information as well as a crystal clear view of the door at gate C12.

Once her flight had touched down and she had disembarked from the plane she didn’t make a usual bee-line for the baggage claim as she had in the past. Instead she forced herself to take wandering walks along the various concourses of the Sea-Tac airport, constantly watching her surroundings as she went with long glances back over her shoulder when she felt as if she was being watched. In the corner of her vision her image link provided a mostly accurate countdown until the flight at gate C12 would arrive. At the latest tick, she had almost 4 hours to kill inside the airport.

She stopped at one of the gift shops somewhere along Concourse A and forced herself to peruse the various Seattle keepsakes, gossip rags, travel necessities and overpriced “food� to kill some time and to see if she was being watched or followed. Inside the small shop the past 72 hours were starting to catch up with her and while she had little to no appetite, she grabbed a bottle of FizzyDew and some type of candy bar along with a Seattle Sonics baseball cap.

Once the items were paid for she spent a long time in the women’s bathroom changing into another set of clothes from her carry-on and tucking the majority of her platinum hair under her latest purchase. Before she left the relative privacy of the stall she chose her hair was a rich chestnut brown and her skin looked like she had just gotten off a plane from the Caribbean League as opposed from a flight from Germany. She exited into an otherwise empty restroom and spent a few moments looking at her new reflection in the mirror. With the changes she had managed to make she looked more like a college student than an executive on the run.

Exiting the bathroom she meandered through the airport for a while longer, stopping at gates of arriving flights as to appear to be waiting for those arriving from various destinations. She took advantage of the exiting passengers to get lost in the crowds and make her way back to the International Concourse C, settling in at the SoyBucks café and appearing to study for a good hour as the countdown ticked ever closer to 00:00:00. She was about to get up to get a new latte when the gate agents at C12 started to move into action.

Flight 832 had arrived 17 minutes early.

Her breath caught in her throat and she honestly couldn’t remember taking another breath as she waited for what felt like an eternity for the passengers to start to deplane. He had to be on this flight because if he wasn’t…her life was over.

[WinterRat1]

23:05:29 Monday, May 31, 2070 – Onboard International Flight 839

It was raining hard. Somehow that seemed fitting, a natural progression of the weather from a week prior. It had been a gentle rain early in the morning the previous Tuesday. Nothing more than an early summer drizzle from a light grey sky that seemed to be simply a prelude to a brilliant sunny day.

That seemed appropriate. It was supposed to be a good day. Several months’ worth of clandestine efforts by himself and his little sister were going to finally come to fruition. Cassandra was going to be giving a public speech that day, thanking various governmental and corporate entities and individuals for their efforts in jointly making the soon-to-be-unveiled project happen.

She’d say a lot of things about how it was a great day for a lot of people, how this project would benefit so many people, and how it was so wonderful to be privileged to work with so many talented and dedicated people who cared enough to make a difference in the world. There would be a lot of introspection on all the good the project would do, and how everyone involved deserved an equal share of credit for making this day such a wonderful one.

It would sound lovely, and the media would eat it up. The next day she’d be receiving kudos from all quarters for her leadership and vision, and behind closed doors there would be plenty of talk on how it was time to start looking for a new project to assign her to, one more appropriately scaled for her vast talents, which of course would come with a well-deserved promotion.

Of course, it would also all be total bulldrek. The truth of the how and why this project had managed to happen had all been carefully manipulated at every turn, and all the evidence of what had really taken place was gone and buried. The real version of events would forever exist only in the minds of those who had been there. For everyone else, they would receive a heavily edited, revised, and of course perfectly sanitized version that would fit perfectly into carefully prepackaged public relations sound bites.

So how did he know the truth then? Simple. He’d been there. If he really tried, he could easily reconstruct the lives ruined, people killed, bodies buried, skeletons unearthed, and various other definitely dirty and probably immoral tactics that had gone into this project. With the exception of himself, his little sister, and Cassandra, no one else would ever know what had really gone into making this day happen. Or so he thought.

His illusions were rudely shattered with approximately the same force of the explosion that had claimed the life of Cassandra and various other Saeder-Krupp executives. Even now, days later, he would swear that right before it happened, she’d looked down from the stage where she was giving her speech and looked him right in the eyes, smiling softly.

Maybe she knew it was coming.

Maybe she was saying goodbye.

Maybe it was her way of saying thank you for all the years they’d been together.

Maybe it was her way of telling him that his contributions to this day would not go unnoticed, and he would be rewarded appropriately by her personally, later that night.

Or maybe it was nothing so deep, maybe she just saw him and smiled because he was there.

Maybe she had no idea what was coming, and the explosion caught her as off guard as it did everyone else.

If that last was the case, it would have happened too quickly for her to have felt anything. As jacked up as his own reflexes were, he was still far too slow to do anything except throw himself over the body of his little sister to protect her from the fallout of the blast. No one could have been fast enough to save Cassandra from the sudden inferno that engulfed the stage, no matter where they were standing, no matter how swiftly they could move.

At least that’s what he kept telling himself. That’s what he wanted to think. Or did he? Like his memories of Cassandra’s last smile, he had a hard time coming to grips with how he wanted to remember the moment of her death.

In the aftermath of the explosion, there was nothing for him or his little sister to do there. For sure their time would be better spent elsewhere rather than being one of hundreds of witnesses investigated by the incompetent investigators who would arrive on the scene first. The varsity wouldn’t be involved just yet, and he didn’t want to stick around for them, lest they dig too deeply and well. He knew. After all, he was one of them.

He had quickly hustled his little sister off to safety, wary of anything else that might be coming after the massive explosion. His fears were unfounded, for there was nothing, beyond the expected pandemonium and chaos to follow in the aftermath of such a loud, public, and messy assassination.

There was no doubt in his mind that was exactly what it was. Cassandra had a list of enemies and shady dealings from even before her official career in Saeder-Krupp’s management began, probably going as far back as high school or even earlier, from what he knew of her.

Sometimes he wondered just how much that was. Although they’d been partners, friends, companions, allies, co-workers, and lovers for the last nine years or so, it was hard to say how much true intimacy had been a part of their relationship. Certainly she was fun be with, and his time with her had never been anything but exciting. There was never a dull moment with Cassandra Von Richten, never a time when things were slow or boring. She lived life a mile a minute, and those in her circles went along for the ride at the same pace. Intelligent, talented, ambitious, and a drop dead gorgeous brunette, she was equally amazing in the boardroom and in the sack. He had been in both places with her on a regular basis over the years, and he could personally attest to her excellence as an executive and as a lover.

Even after all that, there was really no doubt as to who knew him best. That woman was currently all alone, waiting for him in Seattle. Or at least he hoped so. If she wasn’t…he didn’t know what he’d do next. Cassandra may have been a fixture of his life, but she was the cornerstone of his soul.

In the end, it was because of her that he’d left Saeder-Krupp. On his own, he probably would have stayed within the corp, used its vast resources and his privileged position within it to get to the bottom of the assassination, find out who was responsible, and make them pay. Ordinarily, that would have been the smart move. And normally, it would have worked. This time though, it would have cost him his life.

She had been the one to tell him that Cassandra’s name wasn’t the only one on the list of their unknown enemy. He didn’t know how she knew, and they hadn’t had time to talk about it. Although neither of them knew who their foe was, that they were known to their foe made them uniquely vulnerable, especially if he/she/they/it knew of the hidden connections which had tied their trio together. Given the circumstances, it was a more than reasonable assumption, and it made their flight from S-K a foregone conclusion.

Once again, she’d saved his life. This time though, the very act of saving his life meant losing it. His whole life, he’d known nothing but Saeder-Krupp and its extended corporate family. Now the only family he had was her.

When he thought about it, perhaps that was the way it always was. He loved his parents, and they loved him, but there was always a distance, a natural byproduct of a relationship built on expectations and accomplishment. His friends at school and work were more alliances of convenience than anything.

It was different with her. Both were exceptionally accomplished, but in totally different fields. The age difference meant they never directly competed in anything, and their different genders further diminished any potential competitiveness they might have felt. But there was more to their relationship than that. More…and less.

Sometimes things were not easily explained, and his relationship with his little sister was one of them. Though he’d known her nearly his whole life, it wasn’t just how long they’d known one another that set her apart. Somehow, some way, she touched him in ways no one else ever had. And, he suspected, no one else ever would.

As twisted as it sounded, his little sister was special to him in a way no other woman ever would be. It certainly sounded crazy, but if he really thought about it, he was forced to admit it was quite possible their relationship would become more than just brother and sister. If so, god knew they were about to spend more than enough time with each other to determine if this was a realistic possibility. Such thoughts had run through his head and heart before, but he’d always ruthlessly suppressed them in favor of focusing on whatever current matters were at hand. Now though, unable to sleep and with nothing but time to think, he was having a much more difficult thought pushing these thoughts from his head.

Lightning flashed outside the window, a brilliant precursor to the thunder that roared a moment after, shaking him from his introspection. On the run through Germany the past few days, and now flying to Seattle with little more than the clothes on his back and whatever he’d been able to stuff into his travel bag before bolting his condo, he was running on empty, both mentally and physically. The fatigue was starting to screw with his head, making him think too much about things that were inappropriate for the situation at hand.

He admitted to himself that yes, this was an issue that might find itself resolved in the near future, its resolution forced as much by circumstances as anything else. But right now, suspended 20,000 feet in the air with an unknown enemy behind him and his little sister waiting ahead of him, was not the time or place to try and figure out an equation as complex as this one. In the end, it amounted to nothing more than mental gymnastics to rationalize yet another delay in the examination of this issue, but it worked.

On his internal chronometer, he saw it was close to midnight. Checking the latest status updates on his in-flight screen, he saw they were actually early by about seventeen minutes, something he was sure was a first in the history of aviation. As the pilot instructed passengers and crew to settle in and prepare for landing, he put the finishing touches on the ‘Relationships’ mental file in his head and put it away firmly, resolving to deal with the issue later. Naturally, he wouldn’t be able to get back to it until it was convenient, of course. It was a nice, indefinite criterion that would allow him to continue dodging the issue, much as he had for the last 16 years.

Clearing his mind of any further distractions, he mentally prepared himself for the landing as well. Running through a mental checklist in his head, he began preparing a list of things they would need. Fortunately they had a fully stocked safehouse already lined up, a carryover from his days working off the books for Cassandra. He’d never used it, simply had it set aside in case things got truly fragged, and he figured the current situation qualified.

Although he’d had it paid up through the end of the month, they were going to need to find work, and fast. They both had extensive experience doing ‘shadowrun’ style ops, but neither of them had actually worked the shadows as independent contractors before. True, they’d worked off the books for the last several years, but they still had S-K’s resources at their disposal, albeit only ones they ‘appropriated’. Of course, between their own not inconsequential positions and Cassandra’s influence, those resources could be quite extensive indeed.

Now their safety net was gone, and all they had was themselves, and each other. It was like leaving home to grow up, except usually failure didn’t mean death or worse. Whatever. He’d been down this road before, and the rest of his life would probably involve walking a similar path.

Quit being so damn melodramatic! Focus on the damn job. Right now, that’s survival. Everything else is secondary. He angrily shook himself. Too much time, too much unnecessary thought. It was definitely screwing up his focus. It was time to get his game face back on.

The plane landed, everyone going through the standard disembarkation procedure that had been used for decades. Grabbing his carryon bag that now held a substantial portion of his worldly possessions, he calmly exited the plane, just another business traveler catching the red-eye suborbital to Seattle, another person moving on to a different part of their life.

00:00:00 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – SeaTac Airport Concourse C, Gate C12

He spotted her as soon as he entered the gate. Her usually fair skin was now a dark tan, and her platinum blonde hair had been changed to a dark brown. But the eyes he’d gazed into many times over the years remained the same pale blue. Their eyes locked, and he saw the depths of relief within, and…something else perhaps?

He shook himself again, and strode quickly towards her. Part of him wanted a reunion straight out the trid, where she threw herself into his arms and he embraced her tightly as they whispered deep emotional murmurings to one another. The professional part of him not only didn’t want that to happen, it had worked with her enough to know it wouldn’t.

Instead, he stopped just in front of her and nodded politely, an acknowledgement she returned.

It felt so good to say her name, to see her standing in front of him and know she was alive and well, and realize that for better or worse, this stage of life would be with her. The present danger notwithstanding, that thought made him happy. He wondered if she felt the same way.

They spoke one another’s names simply, matter-of-factly, betraying none of the emotion they may have felt. Their cover had to be maintained, after all. From here on out they would be using their false identities in public, in case anyone was eavesdropping on them. But for this reunion, they allowed professionalism to take a backseat to emotion. This once, they set aside the cloud of uncertainty, lies and deceptions that were their world and let the truth shine through.

“Arika.�

“Julian.�

For now, it was enough.

[Vegas]

00:25:39 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – SeaTac Airport Baggage Claim/Car Rentals

Just saying his name was enough to threaten to break the wall that was containing all her emotions right then and there. She paused as she nodded back to him and her lips trembled as if she was going to say more but thought better of it. There was still so much she wanted to say, needed to say even, but standing out in the open like this wasn’t the place to start. Without another word she took a step forward knowing his pace would slow and match her own as the pair started towards baggage claim without so much as another word.

This wasn’t how she wanted it to be, this walk in silence that felt more like they were walking to their own respective deaths than walking away from what assuredly would have become that fateful result back in Essen. Desperately she wanted to stop in the middle of the concourse and be pulled into his arms. For time to stop for as long as they could manage and he would tell her everything was going to be alright, and that she could believe him. She needed that security, that lack of fear if even for a brief instant. Instead she just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as she watched her new life pass her by from under the brim of a baseball cap.

So much time had passed since her flight arrived that all the unclaimed luggage from that particular transport was docked aside with an agent and required her to verify her ID before they would release her bag. Thankfully her ID and credentials matched those associated with the oversized hardcase she was requesting and she had no hassle claiming the rest of her entire belongings which wasn’t much if you took inventory of just what was inside that case.

Realizing Julian had never left her side made a slight smile return to her lips before the couple moved to retrieve the remainder of his bags together. It struck her right there in the middle of the baggage claim that this is what her life was going to be like going forward, the two of them would be inseparable. Both out of a need of security as much as necessity and even perhaps desire. She couldn’t find any reason to find anything but relief and even a bit of pleasure in that prospect, however she had never in a million years of all her wishing and hoping, wanted it to come about like this. She broke her train of thought with an important question sent in his direction.

"I'm guessing we’re going to need a car while we’re in town. That is unless you want to rely on public transportation."

Her blue eyes scanned the various kiosks and rental desks before reaching for Julian’s hand and leading him off in the direction of one of the major rental kiosks. His hand felt warm inside her own that was cool from the fear that was sitting like a ball of needles in her stomach. Something in his touch sparked a trip down memory lane in a fast-forward fashion, all of their "almost" or "could have been" moments coming back to her. Every opportunity she ever had to tell him the true depth of her feelings for him and how it was the one thing she had chickened out over in her life, and how she’d have the chance now to tell him everything…Just as quickly as the rush came she was struck with an immense wave of guilt. It hadn’t even been three days since Cassandra’s death and here she was thinking about her own selfish needs.

She was incredibly thankful when they approached the rental kiosk and she had to concentrate on something other than her own thoughts as she processed a four-day rental of an average sized, non-descript car. She put her new identity to another test as she used it to process the rental agreement, providing the required scans of her fingerprints for authentication. Thankfully she was rewarded with a confirmation screen and a request to process her payment and choose her type of key for the rental.

Following a quick slotting of a credstick and a minor delay, she was rewarded with a set of keys for a dark grey Mercury Comet. The kiosk’s screen let them know that the shuttle to take them to their car would arrive in 5.26 minutes out Door 5 of this level. She watched as the shuttle’s arrival clock ticked down on the screen for a few moments later before turning back towards Julian whom she found with his back turned to her, carefully watching the sparse crowd for anything out of the ordinary.

"I hope you’re better with directions than I am."

She smiled up at him and slipped her arm around his waist as she came up beside him, stealing a quick hug and trying desperately to keep things light and not let the weight of what both of them were carrying on their shoulders crush them.

They made their way down to Door 5 and outside into the still humid night air in time to catch the shuttle to the lot that held their car. The keys alerted the driver to the specific location of their car and it wasn’t long till all their belongings were stowed in the trunk of the Comet and Arika was pulling out of the rental car parking lot and into the metroplex’s traffic patterns. She had no clue where exactly they were poised to go, but she just drove in a direction of her choosing till Julian decided it was time to head to their destination and started to give her specific directions, or programmed an address into the car’s navigation system.

[WinterRat1]

01:00:00 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Cruising through Seattle’s Highways

The rain continued unabated as the two of them drove aimlessly through Seattle’s highways for almost half an hour. Since they’d entered the car, neither one of them said a word, each lost in their own thoughts. He absently stared out the window, watching the rain pour down on the streets around them, the tiny droplets illuminated by the street lights as they cruised through the mostly empty roads.

After a while, he reached forward and punched in the address of their safehouse into the car’s navigation system. With a set destination now determined, she activated the autopilot and leaned back comfortably in her chair, turning sideways to gaze at him.

She didn’t say anything as the car headed towards their destination, just continued to look at him. Finally he looked over at her.

“What?� he asked, somewhat flustered by her staring.

“Nothing.� She smiled at him.

He looked over at her, smiling contentedly at him, and reached out to pat her leg in a comforting, big brother sort of way. As he began to retract his hand, she reached out and caught it, holding him fast. Lacing her fingers with his, she held his hand tight.

“What?� he whispered, more gently this time.

“Nothing.� She smiled again, then turned back to the front windshield and closed her eyes, never letting go. He did the same.

01:23:19 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

A little more than twenty minutes later, the Mercury Comet slowed to a stop in front of their safehouse, a cozy little town home in the Lynwood neighborhood of Everett, far to the north of the Seattle sprawl. The car’s navigation system reported they were in an A level neighborhood, with security to match. A glance at the area indicated the town house was one of many, inconspicuous against the matching town homes for several blocks around. The place looked more like a cushy vacation timeshare than a safehouse for fugitive criminals, which she supposed was kind of the point.

Manually parking the car in the below ground level garage, he unloaded the bags while she went to take a look upstairs. To her pleasant surprise, she found it was a fairly spacious three bedroom town home. Upon entering from the garage there was an entertainment area down a hall to the left, and up a flight of stairs was a half bathroom, living room, office/bedroom and kitchen area. A second floor had the other two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a master bathroom (with a Jacuzzi that had room for two no less!) for the largest bedroom. Although the place was stocked with generic S-Kea furniture and mass-production decorations trying to pass themselves off as ‘art’, further examination showed a well stocked refrigerator, cleaning drone, dishwasher, stacked washer and dryer, centrally controlled and automated appliances, and climate control.

About the only thing that was lacking was the entertainment area; while stocked with basic matrix access, home stereo system, trideo, vidphone/fax and a low-end simdeck, that was about it. The last was no concern to her. They were here to work and hide, not spend the rest of their lives. And yet, the place was so…ordinary, it was easy to imagine this was what normal people lived like, in a comfortable suburban home living peaceful lives of matrimonial bliss…or at least what passed for such in the sixth world.

Coming back from the second floor, she spotted him pulling some boxes out of an unobtrusive space in the hall closet. Their bags were stacked neatly in the center of the living room. Carrying the boxes to the kitchen, he set two to one side of the kitchen table and set the others to another side. Opening the boxes, he began pulling out an assortment of weapons, including, as she had requested, an HK 227X submachine gun and AK-97 assault rifle. Without a word, he carefully field stripped the weapons, inspecting them and performing routine maintenance on them as he saw fit while she watched. She was more than capable of checking her own weapons, but she knew he would check hers in addition to his own. He always did.

“Not exactly what I expected of a safehouse for two fugitives on the run.�

He didn’t look up or break stride, continuing to inspect their weapons. “Would you prefer a burned out and gutted apartment in Redmond?�

“Just saying, the place seems kind of,� she looks around the kitchen, “domestic. Don’t you think?�

“Yes.�

“So…why’d you go for this place?�

“There’s a concealed escape tunnel from the master bedroom, the layout is designed that no matter where we are we can quickly enter or exit the building, and it’s an inconspicuous building in a quiet and secure neighborhood.�

“Makes sense.� She pauses for a few seconds, then asks mischievously, “And the Jacuzzi?�

He stops, sets down the Steyr TMP he’s working on and looks her in the eye. His voice is the same monotone as all his previous answers, but there’s…something intangible in his answer she can’t put her finger on. Facial expression? Look in his eyes? Tone of his voice? Something, but she can’t tell what.

“It came with the place.�

He returns to working on their weapons, and she continues watching in silence. After a while, she gets up and grabs two bottles of fresh spring water from the refrigerator, handing him one.

“Thank you.� He takes a long swig on the bottle, draining half its contents in one gulp. Standing up, he begins sorting and organizing the weapons and cleaning materials as he puts them away, finished with his task. Strapping on a quick draw holster under his right arm, he holsters the Steyr machine pistol he was working on earlier.

Now armed, he appears visibly more comfortable and relaxed, even though to date there’d been absolutely no hints of anyone following them either in the physical or astral planes, and they’d both been checking nonstop since they arrived in Seattle. She helps him stash the weapons and other gear in various strategic places throughout the house, and then they return to the living room, where he gestures to the bags still stacked in the center of the room. “Where are we sleeping?�

[Vegas]

01:24:03 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

Together.

The words echoed in her head like thunder and for an instant she honestly thought she spoke them aloud. She quickly watched his face intently to gauge his reaction. Seeing no change, she was certain her thought remained securely in her own head and she quickly recovered managing a slight shrug of her shoulders.

“Go ahead and take the master, as long as you’ll give me Jacuzzi rights every now and again I can live with the smaller bedroom.�

She smiled at him, her classic and genuine disarming smile, the kind that managed to keep her out of more trouble than she could remember as she grew up.

“Maybe we should take some time to show me the finer details of the place? That escape tunnel from the bedroom sounds like it should be high on the priority list. I also could go for a long hot shower to try to let go of some of the tension… Unless you’re dying to grab some rest, maybe we could just stay up and talk for a while?�

While she spoke, she moved to grab her own bags and waited for Julian to either protest or acquiesce to her suggestion. While she was exhausted and nearly dead on her feet the prospect of actual sleep terrified her. She knew it would be fitful at best and filled with memories she’d rather just forget. But the truth of the matter is the memories weren’t about to fade any time soon, there were too many unanswered questions and mysteries that needed to be solved. Perhaps knowing that he was just a room away would bring her enough peace to sleep, she couldn’t afford to not get some rest, she was going to have to be on top of her game if she was going to ensure her and Julian’s safety.

[WinterRat1]

01:25:47 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

As soon as the question cleared his lips he noticed her scrutinizing him. Most people would never have noticed, but he was looking right at her the entire time and he’d known her too long to be easily fooled. Especially when it was blatantly obvious as to why she might be doing so. Mentally he cursed himself for asking such an ambiguous question that could be interpreted in far too many ways.

She shrugged casually, and with an inward sigh of relief he thought maybe he was just over thinking things. After all, she could have simply been trying to figure out which room he wanted and if he was being polite, and trying to weigh her answer accordingly. Her smile was normal, unforced, with no tension. The same one she’d used all the time growing up. So there certainly couldn’t be more than meets the eye in her response.

Yes, that was it. Nothing crazy or unusual happening, just her trying to figure out which room she wanted and being considerate by trying to figure out which room he wanted before answering. She was always very thoughtful with him so that had to be the answer. No point getting crazy and letting his thoughts run wild down obviously incorrect lines of thinking, right? Perfectly satisfied with his rationalization and all too willing not to probe into it any further, he nodded at her decision. They both knew ‘from time to time’ really meant ‘whenever she wanted’, but that was fine with both of them.

Gently taking her bags from her after shouldering his own, he began heading upstairs and said, “Sounds like a plan to me. I’ll show you the escape tunnel first, then you can get settled in and take a shower. I didn’t eat yet, so I’ll make us something to eat, and we can unwind and talk the night away.�

He deposited the bags in their respective rooms, and then it only took a few moments to show her the escape tunnel conveniently hidden behind one of the walls of the master bedroom’s walk in closet. Leaving her to her shower, he changed into his pajamas and went down to the kitchen. He put together a small tray with a variety of items to snack on during their conversation, careful to ensure none of them were too heavy for the late hour. Making a sandwich for himself, he flipped on the trideo in the living room and settled into the easy chair as he began watching the latest entertainment news and gossip while munching on his sandwich.

About an hour later she came down the stairs, washed up and ready for bed. Even in her ‘casual’ pajamas, she still looked beautiful to him. They made her seem innocent, vulnerable…real? He wasn’t sure how to describe it, but somehow he felt special that she was comfortable being so relaxed around him, that she could lower her guard and just be herself when they were together. Of course, he valued being able to lower his guard and be himself with her as well. She was the only one he had ever had such a genuine relationship with. Even around Cassandra, there was always a dance of sorts, of secrets untold and aspects of themselves left tantalizingly unrevealed. Let’s not read too much into things. Probably a byproduct of our brother-sister relationship, nothing more, he reminded himself.

Shutting off the trid, he passed the snack tray over to her as she stretched out on the couch. As she picked up a cracker to nibble on, she pointed at the Steyr still holstered under his arm even while in his pajamas and giggled. He scowled at her. It was easy for her to walk around unarmed. As a magician, she was never without weapons at her disposal. He had to do things the old fashioned way.

They talked for a while, careful to avoid the events of the last few days, focusing instead on times long gone by, of memories and reminiscences and all the other things people with a lifetime of history together discuss in the late hours of the night.

Eventually, as with all such conversations, they began to fade into sleep’s irresistible embrace. Slowly Arika said less and less, and eventually she said nothing at all, drifting off to sleep on the couch. Quietly Julian rose from his seat, picked up a blanket and laid it over her, tucking her into bed as he had done so many times in the past on nights much like this one. Then he settled himself back into his easy chair and laid the Steyr over his lap, gazing fondly at her as he slowly allowed sleep to overcome him too.

[Vegas]

08:17:25 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

Dirty light filtered through otherwise clean windows to spill across the sleeping young woman’s face, her skin returned once again to its alabaster hue and her hair an almost matching golden white. She slept soundlessly, more deeply and longer than she had in days, a dark three days and nights to be precise. Somehow just knowing he was sitting mere feet from her gave her the security she desperately had been searching for over the last 96 hours.

Sitting up slowly and rubbing the sleep from her eyes she realized first just how not comfortable the couch was for sleeping on and secondly that the chair she had last seen Julian in was now empty. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus her attention on sounds alone listening for his movement elsewhere in the house. While there was no telltale sounds of movement upstairs she was acutely aware of a second breathing pattern in perfect counterpoint of her own.

With a self-satisfied smile she rose to her feet and padded near silently towards the kitchen, finally spotting his form in perfect repose, his eyes closed, off to the side at the rear of the large living room. Not wanting to disturb his routine, she made certain she was extra quiet as she pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She downed half of it as if she hadn’t had anything to drink in months before she realized he was staring right at her.

“Did you eat already this morning?� She already had her head stuck inside the refrigerator looking over just what they had on hand. While she was dying of thirst she was finding it hard to stomach the thought of eating much still.

“I already ate, I’ve been up for a few hours.�

Shaking her head she closed the refrigerator and smiled to herself.

“I envy you, not having to sleep more than a few hours a night.� Cuts down on the nightmares I’m sure… She wondered if he ever actually experienced nightmares like she had as of late. Perhaps it was a coping mechanism, perhaps it was subconscious guilt rising to the surface. Either way she could honestly do without the mid-night reflections of her past. She ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to tame the slight bed-head by tucking unruly strands behind her ear.

“So what’s on our agenda today?�

She drained what was left of her water and searched the kitchen for a recycling receptacle in various cabinets and cupboards.

[WinterRat1]

08:25:14 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

He rose smoothly to his feet, his meditation finished. His mind was focused, clear.

“First, we call and leave a message with Ms. Leibovitz. We’re going to need money and I don’t think working at the local Stuffer Shack is a viable long-term option. I don’t know how long it will take for her to get in touch with us, so it’s better to let her know as soon as possible that we’re in town and looking for work. For the time being I’m going to tell her not to send us any jobs that will require more personnel than just us two. Until we get our feet wet and a solid lay of the land here I want to keep outside contact to a minimum. We have lots of black ops experience but almost none as ‘shadowrunners’, and until we have a better feel for that world and its subculture, I think we’re better off playing it close to the vest.�

She nods, listening attentively as she walked around the kitchen preparing a light breakfast for herself. “What do we do while we wait?�

“Well…� his focus began cracking slightly, “I thought we could spend the day relaxing. It’s been a tough week for us both and I think it would be valuable for us to physically, mentally, and emotionally recover from it. It won’t do us much good if we get whacked our first job in the shadows and saved our unnamed enemy the trouble because we were too exhausted to take care of business.�

She stopped preparing breakfast and turned to face him, arching an eyebrow in an expression of incredulity and perhaps a hint of, dare he think it, seduction?

“Relaxing you say? And what exactly did you have in mind?� she purred playfully.

She obviously over exaggerated both her expression and tone of voice to convey a clear sense of jesting; somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but be a little disappointed she wasn’t more serious in her insinuations. The crack in his focus was noticeable now.

“Um…I don’t know about you but I only packed what I could shove into a bag in a couple minutes. I’ve only got the essentials, myself. I have got a couple outfits, my commlink, and some other miscellaneous stuff, but I’m going to need more clothes, especially for working, toiletries, grooming supplies, things like that. Plus we’ll probably want to stock up on supplies for the safehouse, since we don’t want to go out more than we have to.�

“Uh huh. And how do you propose we go about doing this?� She was clearly leading towards something. He knew what she wanted to hear, and he dreaded saying it. But he knew he had to, and worse, she knew he was going to. Sometimes a person just had to bite the bullet and do what needed to be done, as distasteful as it was. He braced himself.

“I checked for stores in the area, and there’s a place called the Rainforest Mall nearby. I thought we could go shopping there,� he muttered under his breath.

“I’m sorry, would you please repeat that? I couldn’t hear you.� Her smile blatantly contradicted her statement, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook. Not on this one, when she knew getting her way was a foregone conclusion.

“I said there’s a mall nearby and I thought we could go shopping together,� he repeated, clearly and with no small amount of dread.

She grinned. “That’s what I thought you said. What a great idea. I love it.�

She walked right up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. “That’s very thoughtful of you, I’m glad you were thinking about me.� The crack in his focus was getting bigger by the moment.

Curses. Although he’d tried to make it clear this was just business, it was a load of drek and they both knew it. He’d tried to conceal his motives underneath a professional veneer, but the deviation from their standard operating procedure was too obvious for her to miss. Their normal way of doing things was for him to go out and start getting the lay of the city they were in while she went shopping for them. She knew his sizes and tastes better than he did himself, and her sense of style was certainly far superior to his own. He was very efficient at gathering information about the city presenting it to her clearly and concisely. It was a much more efficient way of doing things. There was no practical need for them to go shopping together…except to spend time with one another.

She loved going shopping with him for reasons that baffled him, since he added no discernable value to their shopping trips. He just followed her around carrying their (i.e. her) bags and giving his opinion of the various outfits she tried on. Except his opinion was always the same; her flawless sense of style and innate sophistication meant everything she tried on looked fantastic on her. In his eyes, she always looked gorgeous. Lately though, he started wondering if that opinion was not unduly biased. He decided not to dig too deeply into that question at the moment.

She nuzzled her face against his shoulder, her breath hot against his neck. “Mmm…this feels nice. You’re so comfortable I think I could go back to sleep standing up.� Was it his imagination, or did she ever so slightly press her body tighter against him as she said that? The crack in his focus was now a gaping hole, visible to all but the blind by now.

She pulled away and looked up, smiling at him. “I’m going to go get ready; I’ll be down in a little while.� She practically bounced up the stairs, eager to begin their little shopping excursion, a treat she usually had to blackmail out of him.

While she was upstairs, he called Ms. Leibovitz and left a message. The woman never let anyone get a hold of her directly, only via message drop. He was polite but brief and to the point, letting her know they were in town and looking for work, and she should call them if she had any jobs available, but only if they were suited to the two of them taking it on by their lonesome.

That done he tried to meditate again to regain his focus, desperately seeking to clear his mind and regain a cool, detached professionalism about the situation at hand.

Calm down. There’s nothing there. Don’t let your imagination get the best of you. She was just hugging you, that’s all. She’s excited because you volunteered to go shopping. You only volunteered to go shopping because she’s had a stressful couple days, and you want to help take her mind off of recent events. It’s something any big brother would do. She likes hugging you because she feels safe with you. You’re her big brother. There are no hidden agendas behind her hugs. She’s just looking forward to relaxing and spending time with you because you haven’t had a chance to do that for a while. Don’t screw things up by seeing things that aren’t there. You’re brother and sister. Nothing more, nothing less. Stay cool. Be a professional. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Relax. Let it out. You are calm. You are focused. You are a professional.

He didn’t know how long he had meditated, but when he opened his eyes again, he was calm and focused once more. His mind was clear as glass and his focus as hard as diamond. He was unshakeable. Why? Because he was a professional.

“OK I’m ready to go.�

He looked up and saw her walking down the stairs. The moment he laid eyes on her, his focus shattered into a million pieces.

[Vegas]

08:39:14 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

As she came back downstairs only a few minutes after she had left Julian, she still looked more like a college co-ed than anything else. Figure-enhancing dark-washed jeans covered a pair of black, low-heel genuine leather boots while the charcoal grey t-shirt did little but accentuate all of her feminine curves as the fluorescing print on the front advertised for an old ‘50’s German glitter punk band that was once again popular with the youth crowd. She had done very little to get ready besides pulling her hair back in a messy French twist, leaving tendrils of hair to frame her face, and slapped on a little mascara and lip gloss so she didn’t keep him waiting long. She still looked like a million nu.

Sliding her sunglasses to the top of her head she took a second to pose on the stairs in an overly flamboyant supermodel way to try to crack Julian’s all business exterior. Where she expected to see a smile tug at the corners of his lips, she saw nothing. However, his eyes told an entirely different story altogether. It struck her to her core, eliciting a faint but perhaps noticeable blush on her cheeks before she got a hold of herself and continued down the stairs and past him to start gathering her things.

She was honest to god flustered. Closing her eyes as her hand rested on her commlink on the counter she instantly flashed back to that look he had given her in perfect detail. Her brain worked in overdrive to try to explain it away as a misreading of him and yet the raw emotional side of her was actually excited by what she was letting herself believe she saw. Perhaps there was a chance after all?

Turning around to face him after a few good deep breaths to regain control of her emotions she put a smile on just for him and prayed she didn’t look rattled.

“Ready to go?�

Julian gave her a silent nod and then the smile at the corners of his mouth confirmed it for her, she was so royally busted. Or so she thought. She brushed past him and started downstairs towards the car, the sooner she could focus on the excuse of having to drive the better off she’d be.

15:42:21 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Rainforest Mall, Seattle

It didn’t matter that Arika was from thousands of miles away. Malls were malls and innate “mall-sense� instantly kicked in the second she stepped inside. Never mind the ARO’s or the interactive maps that assaulted her PAN, she just linked her arm through Julian’s and started them off on their quest to find the items they needed. First they’d knock out the need for clothes, then maybe grab a bite to eat and finish off the trip with a stop at the KongMart attached to the mall for additional supplies and toiletries to finish stocking the safehouse.

The pair made their way in and out of various stores of Arika’s liking and she made quick work of deciding whether the store was worthy of their money moments after stepping inside the store. She flitted in and out of dressing rooms trying on this item and that, occasionally getting Julian’s opinion on one thing or another when she couldn’t decide. Some things, particularly items she picked out for him, she just bought without having him try on as she knew his sizes probably better than he did. She picked out a number of things for him, pushing the edges of his current style to make him a bit more fashion-focused.

By the time lunch rolled around they had already been power shopping for three hours, attested by the amount of bags Julian had in each hand. The majority of the bags belonged to her, but tucked in there were the few that contained items for him as well, things she picked out especially for him and as always her taste was impeccable. The pair settled on what looked like the healthiest option in the mall’s food court and grabbed a bite to eat. It was between bites of her salad that she dropped the bombshell.

“We need to get you a good suit, something that doesn’t look like it came out of a flats dispenser or off the racks of a military surplus store.�

She grinned like the Cheshire cat before popping another forkful of soy-lettuce into her mouth. She could practically hear him groaning internally from across the table and it only made her smile grow brighter. He always cleaned up well if he had help, and she was always willing to do just that. It was the closest their conversations had come to business all day and her stress level was dropping rapidly with every nuyen spent.

And they continued to spend a large chunk of the limited funds they had on the necessities. A stop at Barneys got Arika the suit she wanted for Julian. From there the pair headed back to the car to store all their goods before hitting up the mall’s connected KongMart. They browsed the aisles and picked up various toiletries that they needed and a few preferred snacks and drinks to have on hand to supplement the supplies at the safehouse along with additional basics. Feeling that they both were dragging from the hours of shopping, Arika made quick work of finding what remaining items they needed before heading to the front of the store.

Moving away from the checkout lanes with their purchases following behind them on a drone-operated rolling cart, she shot Julian a soft and sweet smile while inwardly she beat herself up for not paying closer attention to her bank balance throughout the day. The inevitable shopper’s remorse was already starting to set in and they hadn’t even left the mall yet. Ms. Liebovitz couldn’t call them back soon enough.

[WinterRat1]

20:45:12 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

It was the pose, he decided. It had to have been the pose. She hadn’t come down the stairs wearing anything drastically different than she usually did when she was going casual. But when she struck the pose and looked at him like that…

He didn’t know why she did it. He wasn’t even sure how to interpret the look. Was it serious? Was it just a joke? He had no idea, but when she shot him that slightly over exaggerated yet unquestionably sultry look, one full of teasing seduction and hints of forbidden promise, how was he supposed to resist that? Especially from her, of all people?

Glancing around the restaurant interior as he waited for her to finish freshening up in the ladies room, he decided this was probably not the best place for him to come regain his focus. Known for its spectacular view of Puget Sound and seafood cuisine, the Gravity Bar was definitely a first class restaurant. He’d read somewhere that the seclusion it offered from the heart of Downtown Seattle led many vacationing celebrities to make appearances here.

He wasn’t sure if any would show up, but he was sure even if any did, they couldn’t possibly match the beautiful woman who had come here on his arm. They’d finished shopping a few hours ago, then went home to rest and unload their stuff. As they debated where to eat, he’d spontaneously suggested this place, having read good reviews on it. What he neglected to consider, and immediately realized as soon as she shot him a surprised look, was that this was not the kind of place he usually frequented.

A first-class joint all the way, this was definitely not suited for the business casual he preferred, and certainly not the casual street style he’d taken to wearing when ‘working’. Nope, this kind of place was perfect to wear the suit she had bought for him earlier this morning. The squeal of excitement and tight hug she’d given him immediately after he mentioned coming here were an obvious sign she thought he’d suggested the place so he could wear his suit and dress up, something she always encouraged him to do.

Was it his imagination, or had her hug been a little tighter and a little longer than it usually was?

Regardless, when she came down to the living room after getting ready, he’d had to fight hard not to let his mouth hang open. He’d had an absurd thought at the time that it would have been incredibly advantageous to have a cyberskull, so he could electronically forbid his mouth from opening. It probably didn’t matter anyway. From the slight smile she had given him as she came down the stairs it was pretty obvious she’d caught him checking her out anyway.

He’d quickly muttered something about warming up the car and hustled down to the garage so she wouldn’t see him blush, although he took care to open the car door for her when she came down and assist her in getting in.

It had been an almost comfortably awkward drive to the restaurant, if that even made any sense. Of course, not much about their relationship was making sense today. He couldn’t deny their forced closed proximity, and more, the certainty of continued close proximity was messing with his head and his heart. It felt so wrong, and yet so right at the same time. He’d just buried his lover a week ago, and now he was being drawn to his little sister like a moth to flame. What was wrong with him?

Was Cassandra ever really your lover? What does that word mean, ‘lover’? And depending on the definition, can siblings ever be lovers and be right? Why exactly would it be wrong for them to be lovers? It wasn’t like…

His thoughts were interrupted by the waiter refilling their water. Gazing out onto the dark waters of the Puget Sound, softly illuminated by the lights from the city, he couldn’t believe he was here, in this environment, with her. The appetizers had been tasty, and their entrees had been perfect. Their conversation was relaxed and comfortable, alternately drifting between serious and light as flowed through the evening.

It all felt so natural and ordinary, and once again he asked himself if maybe they weren’t better off just starting over. Making a fresh start for themselves here in Seattle, far from the blood, death, and constant living on a razor’s edge that had encompassed the last several years of their lives.

When she had gotten up and told him she was going to freshen up, they had shared a smile, for no reason at all. There was no reason for either of them to smile, and yet when he looked at her, he couldn’t help it. It just came. And she had answered in kind.

Yes, maybe this was the way they should be living, where no one had to know where they’d come from or who they really were, just become normal people living a normal life, and enjoying quiet, pleasant evenings together such as this.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed her returning from the restroom. He never knew why he did it. Long after he’d had time to reflect and analyze from every angle, he still couldn’t figure out what compelled him to do what he did next. Perhaps it was because his stomach was full, leaving him with a warm glow. Or because the music in the background was calming and relaxing. Possibly because she was so lovely he just couldn’t resist. And if he was really honest with himself, maybe, just maybe, it was because it was what he really wanted for himself, and for her.

Without allowing himself to think twice, he placed his napkin on the table and rose resolutely to his feet, striding towards her with purpose in his step. She raised an eyebrow at his approach.

“I’m flattered Julian, really, but I’m a big girl now. I can walk myself back to the table.� She smiled at him through her teasing rebuke, letting him know she was flattered at his impulse to escort her back to the table.

He shook his head. “I’m sure you can Arika, but that’s not why I got up.� He smiled and gestured grandly to the small ballroom dance floor on their left, “May I have this dance?�

[Vegas]

21:13:51 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

The question was innocuous, or would have been from anyone else but him, but she was quite touched by his obvious desire to keep her mind off the situation at hand, to share a very pleasant evening together. She stood there an extra moment, taking in the sight of him all dressed to the nines and offering his hand just so she could always have that mental snapshot to remember forever, whatever should happen. With a thousand-watt smile she placed her hand in his and nodded.

“You may have this dance Julian� …And so much more, if you wanted it too.

She let him lead her to the dance floor that was sparsely populated with a few other couples taking advantage of the mood, the music and the moment. The music wasn’t conducive to slow-dancing per se, so the pair started moving with the other couples in time and the back and forth positioning for who exactly was leading began. Neither of the pair were about to take home awards for their dancing, but they had each made countless trips to the dance floor with their respective dates to company functions and could move well enough to not step on each others feet.

Tonight however they both moved a little differently, some might say it was more relaxed, others might say they looked more like a young couple in love who were out celebrating some event in their relationship. Truth was it was just different. Julian looked stunning in his crisp, tailored charcoal grey suit that seemed to set off Arika’s sheer and flowing eggplant purple dress. She felt like a princess when he’d spin her out from him, the skirt of her dress swirling around her long legs, only to reel her back to him once again. It felt like an instant before the song ended and the couples on the floor were applauding politely the small band providing the music. The band switched gears and moved to a much slower song next and she could feel her partner make that first initial step back towards the table. Before he could get away from her however she grabbed his hand in hers and caused him to pause mid-step as she pulled slightly back towards her.

“Please? I’m having such a good time and I don’t want it to stop right now…�

The tone of her voice could have made the ice caps melt and he was unable to say no when he looked into her eyes. A few more couples had joined them on the dance floor and the space became a little more premium the longer they waited. She took the initiative and slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Breathing deeply she could smell the traces of soap from his earlier shower mixed with the more natural musky scent of him as his arms wrapped around her and she sighed softly, happily, as she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes getting lost in the moment. She had a feeling that tonight was going to be special to both of them for a long time to come.

But all good things come to an end, and while the slow dance was a long one it had to stop sometime. She lifted her head and looked up at him with a dreamy smile and thanked him for the dances. There was a hesitation on both their parts to let go of one another and she wanted to go up on tiptoe and kiss him right there in the middle of the dance floor but the next song began, something a bit more upbeat, even swingy. The mood and feeling she was tightly wrapped up in evaporated before her like the fog over Puget Sound. She laughed softly, trying to hide both her embarrassment and disappointment while finally letting go of him. They walked back to the table in a sort of awkward silence that seemed to be becoming a normal occurrence for them these days. It wasn’t uncomfortable as much as it was filled with a tension that wasn’t all too unpleasant, more like part of the game when you started to fall hard for someone…

Returning to the table they smiled and their quite attentive waiter wasted no time bringing over the dessert menu along with the after dinner drink list. The desserts were decadent by description alone and made it hard to choose just one, so the pair agreed on a fresh, seasonal, real fruit tart and some chocolaty concoction that would likely be equivalent to sex on a plate. They ordered cappuccinos to go along with the desserts and as Julian kept the majority of his attention focused on her, she couldn’t help but notice he was also keeping an eye out on the rest of the surroundings as well. She knew he never really was able to “turn off� when it came to work, and it would be the thing that likely kept both of them alive because of it too.

The waiter soon returned with their desserts and the tiny steaming cups of strong coffee and foam placing them on the table before each of his guests with an “Enjoy!� before disappearing back into the flow of the restaurant. The pair took their time savoring the first bites of their respective desserts, instantly picking up a small forkful of each and exclaiming that the other had to try theirs. That elicited a smile from Julian and a laugh from her and things returned more to their sense of “normal.� They were sipping their coffee and she was having a mini debate with him over whether or not the guy three tables over was TriD heartthrob Beau Brent or not. She wasn’t convinced and he was acting like he didn’t care while secretly he had already noted the presence of the star over an hour ago.

They were in the middle of the debate when Julian’s attention suddenly focused elsewhere for the tiniest of seconds. Had she not been looking directly at him she probably wouldn’t have picked up on it, but she did and she quirked a brow the smallest sinking sensation forming in her stomach expecting the worst coming up from behind her. When he didn’t move and his eyes moved back to her face she could tell he wasn’t entirely with her. The commlink in his head had rung through with a priority call. Mrs. Leibovitz.

[Mister Juan]

21:13:59 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

Filtering through the “clicks� of forks against plates, the “tinks� of glass on glass, and a faint giggle in the air, Mrs Leibovitz's voice came clear into Julian's ears. The old jewish woman sounded as if she was right next to him. In the distance, he would almost hear an old Yiddish tune softly playing.

“Good evening and welcome back to the Emerald City, my dear boy!� started Mrs Leibovitz, her joy sounding genuine, even over the link that carried her voice to his ears.

“I am oh so very glad to hear from you! What good deed brings you in this little corner of our world?� she asked, as slight drop of irony tainting her comment.

Somewhere, someone turned a faucet on.

“I am sorry, my good boy! Where are my manners. Excuse this foolish old woman that I've become. Why don't you come over for breakfast tomorrow. My cousin's nephew has just brought back this marmalade from France and you must absolutely try it.�

[WinterRat1]

21:15:33 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

As soon as Mrs. Leibovitz's call showed up on his image link, he let it ring twice, then picked up. While the fixer led off with her usual 'senile old lady chatter' he used the time to refocus himself.

Whatever issues he had over Cassandra's death and in his relationship with Arika, now was not the time to focus on them. By the time she paused to let him speak, he was his old self again. Calm. Cool. Detached. Professional.

Indicating to Arika who it was, he answered her 'request' pleasantly, "We would love to try your nephew's marmalade over breakfast tomorrow morning. What time would you like us to come, and where would you like to meet?"

[Mister Juan]

21:17:03 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

Her voice , no matter how far she might have been from them, sounded almost too delighted.

“This is truly excellent!� she started, as if Julian had just told her she was going to be a grandmother “it is good to hear that there are finally some decent people in this city.�

As she continued, almost rambling on about the poor state of Seattle, and how dishonest and bent people had become, a very bare and simple envelope icon began to blink in Julian's vision, overlaying itself with the neatly dressed table in front of him.

8:00
8333 55th ave NE
Sand Point Country Club

It blinked a few time before dissolving itself back.
All of a sudden, Ms. Leibovitz rambling didn't sound like ramblings anymore. When she spoke of how bad things were going for so many people... when she spoke of how so many people she knew had trouble and issues with this and that.... It didn't sound so innocent anymore.

“What do you think of all this my boy?� she finally asked after a few minutes, he sly smirk tangible over the voice link.

[WinterRat1]

21:21:19 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

His voice doesn't change in the slightest in response to Ms. Leibovitz's insinuations. His tone remains polite and professional. "It appears we arrived at a good time then. We look forward to discussing more about what a few good people can do in a city full of the bad. If you have nothing else, we'll see you tomorrow morning..." his voice trails off into a question, and the older woman responds with a warm goodbye.

Turning to Arika, he forwards the information from his commlink to hers. In the meantime he sets his commlink to begin browsing for information on the Sand Point Country Club. Nothing deep or heavy, simply a cursory search for items such as dress code, weapons permitted, business specialties, reputation, bribes required to get in, etc.

They sit in silence for a moment, then he says simply, "It sounds like we have work. And no shortage of it either. Money shouldn't be a problem any more, at least not for a while."

She smiles, but it seems a bit forced to him. It's as if she's not entirely thrilled they hit the ground only a day ago and already they have what sound like a steady stream of jobs lined up. It occurs to him at that moment perhaps money isn't the central issue here, and his mind flashes back to the events of the day. The questions he'd suppressed earlier return full force, and this time he can't shut them out so easily. The silence turns awkward.

Finally he asks, "So...what do you want to do now?"

[Vegas]

21:23:22 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

She couldn't mask the disappointment on her face with the tiny cup of cappuccino she was sipping from. Honestly she had beeh hoping Mrs. Leibovitz would take her time getting back to them with a job so that she could enjoy this advanced game of playing house a little while longer. Knowing that was not going to be the case she unfocused her attention on Julian's face to allow herself a chance to memorize the information he forwarded to her.

With the overall mood of the evening ruined by the cloud of upcoming business that now hung over them like the near constant grey blanket that enveloped Seattle itself, there was little more to do or say. Her slight shrug spoke volumes enough alone as she set what was left of her cappuccino back onto the small saucer.

"I suppose we call it a night and head back, be certain we're prepared for whatever tomorrow has in store for us?"

She arched a brow slightly almost daring him to give her another answer, but she knew his practical all-business side would likely win out over continuing their "date" further into the night. Preparing for their evening to end early she makes a couple of requests to her commlink to search the local grid for additional information on the who's who of the Sand Point Country Club.

[WinterRat1]

21:25:17 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

He was going to say, ‘Silly girl. Of course we should be prepared for whatever tomorrow has in store for us. Let’s head back and get to work.’

But something stopped him. Maybe it was the look of disappointment on her face when he gave her the news about Ms. Leibovitz’s call. Or possibly the little shrug practically screaming her distaste at the idea of going home and getting to work. Perhaps it was her tone of voice, or even the arched brow almost daring him to surprise her.

Although if he was really honest with himself (and he didn’t feel like being particularly honest with himself at the moment), it was just as probable he didn’t want the evening to end either, but was simply too scared to come out and say so.

In the time honored fashion of high school boys the world over, he pulled the classic ‘toss the ball right back in the girl’s court’ maneuver, infamous for being used when the man in question (Julian) had no idea what the woman (Arika) wanted, and so resorted to a desperate game of, ‘why don’t you decide so we can be sure of doing what you want’?

“Well, we uh, probably should get back and start doing research.� He pauses, fidgeting awkwardly. He deliberately avoids looking her in the eye as he resumes talking, careful to look almost anywhere except directly at her.

“But, um, it’s not like we really have to do our research right now. I mean, it’s only like 21:00:00 or so, not very late. And I uh, I have the sleep regulator, you know? So I can do research later, and still be really fresh tomorrow. Cause I only need three hours of sleep. So I could just do some research while you’re sleeping and I’ll still be fine. So we don’t really need to go back and starting working right now. I guess we could um, just do whatever instead.�

Drek! Could I sound like any MORE of a moron? What am I, in third grade? Sheesh!

Immediately realizing how pathetic he sounded, he quickly holds up his hands and adds, “But that’s only if you want to do it, of course. Wait! When I say ‘do it’, I mean stay out later, not, you know…� He laughs nervously.

Yep, that’s me, Mr. Smooth. Great. Let’s just hope this works.

And if it did, maybe Julian would find out just a little more about how Arika really felt. Not that he was thinking that, and nor would he ever, of course. He was just being polite and leaving the decision of what to do next up to her.

That was the gentlemanly thing to do, wasn’t it? Yes, that was it; he was just being a gentleman. Right. A gentleman.

[Vegas]

21:37:22 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

She literally had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud. He was genuinely rattled over something and she wasn't quite sure what had happened to throw him so off kilter. Thinking back she could never remember a moment where Julian had tripped over his tongue like this before and she was loving it to be honest. She just sat across from him and looked at him for a few more moments like he had grown a second head on his shoulders until she couldn't control it anymore and broke into a fit of giggles. Before he could get upset she reached across the table and grabbed his hand in hers.

"Come on Mr. Charm. It's still early, I don't turn into a pumpkin until midnight, and the neighborhood seems nice enough. Let's go for a walk."

Seeing a level of relief on his face she smiled and gave his hand a little squeeze before letting go. She waited until they had settled their check with their waiter and let him walk her out of the restaurant like the gentleman he was trying to be. Outside she took a deep breath and was rewarded with the warm moist air that filled her lungs. They were hardly the only people out and about the neighborhood that evening and Arika was willing to just walk where her feet carried her and for now that was towards the sound.

The Gravity Bar had their own waterfront patio that was used for large parties and even events with live music and entertainment on the weekends. Tonight however the area was relatively empty and provided the pair a private place to spend time together and talk about business or otherwise yet it remained to be seen just what was discussed. Finding a place to sit she stayed relatively quiet as she looked out over the water as the light started to fade in a muted splash of colour against the otherwise polluted skies. She was rather reflective in her pose, the look on her face was relaxed and as if for that very instant, she was a million miles away.

A perfect night... a perfect time to tell him everything...

Something pulled her back to this time and this place, the waves of the Sound lapping rhythmically agianst the shore below them. She turned to look up at Julian who had remained standing by her side. Ever loyal. Always ready. She didn't know why she allowed herself to think of him in any other way, but she couldn't help herself. There was so much history between them. When he caught her looking up at him she smiled softly and shook her head. She knew business wasn't far from either of their minds no matter how hard she tried to push it away.

"So how is our dear friend Mrs. Leibovitz? I trust she is well and looking forward to brunch tomorrow?"

[WinterRat1]

21:45:19 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

"She's fine." His answer was brief and to the point.

Looking down at her, he raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Do you really want to talk about business? I thought we stayed out so we could get away from work."

[Vegas]

21:47:41 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

Something had given her away. She could sit back in board rooms or darkened bars and her abilities would allow her body and her face to never betray her inner emotional track and motives. But with him, with him it was different, it was always different. It was as if he was able to see through her defenses, her walls to keep her and her goals safe.

"I'd be lying if I said yes."

She sighed softly and focused her attention to a point just to the left of his face as to avoid having to look into his eyes that very moment.

"But I know you Julian, it's always on your mind... the prep before a job. I just figured if we got it out of the way now, there'd be more time for... relaxation later. I forget that you hardly ever take the time off."

She smiled slightly, but it had a slight sadness to it.

"I don't want to be the buzzkill tonight however, so if business gets put aside till later I'm all for it."

[WinterRat1]

21:49:13 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

He smiles down at her. "But I'm not on a job yet."

He gently cups her chin in his hand and turns her head slightly, bringing her eyes in line with his. "It's not that I don't take time off. I just need a good reason."

Pause.

"Relaxation...now and later is a good enough reason for me."

Inhale a deep breath.

"As long as..."

Think.

"As long as it's with you."

Exhale.

Wait.

Think about was said.

Wait to see how she'll take it.

[Vegas]

21:52:11 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

Kiss him.

Arika Raine Dietrich was hardly ever caught off guard, yet her best friend had managed to do just that. She blinked a number of times in silence as she mentally replayed what had just been said to ensure that she hadn't just made herself hear what she wanted to hear. Of course this left an painful silence hanging in the air while she tried to regain her composure.

Stand up and kiss him.

She started by slowly closing her mouth that had opened in surprise and had remained that way. Next she drew a long but silent breath as she looked up into his eyes. Finally she managed to nod slightly in response.

Way to blow the moment. Say something already.

"Of course. Right. So what did you have in mind exactly to relax?"

She was off her game and it was showing.

[WinterRat1]

21:53:29 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

"Uh, well..."

Frag! ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!

"I um, I was thinking..."

Use the 'nervous laughter to buy time' ploy.

Quick! Play it off! You obviously misread her. Idiot! What the hell is wrong with you! What were thinking??? Argh!!!

"Heh, well, it's like you said. I uh, I so rarely take time off from the job that I don't really know how to relax. I thought you had some ideas, but it seems like you really want to get working, huh?"

He smiles in what is meant to be a reassuring, 'it's OK' kind of smile, but he can't help but feel disappointed inside. He knows he shouldn't, after all, it was just his own stupid mind running amok instead of thinking clearly, but still...

[Vegas]

21:55:01 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Gravity Bar North – 88th Street SW on the shore side

She turned her face away from him as she steadied her breathing, slowly feeling her control coming back to her with each word.

"Right. Working. It's just easier not to think about all that's happened if I focus on work, or the potential of it."

By the time she looked back up at his face she was completely in control, calm and unshakeable again all the while a sense of awkwardness lingered below the surface. No better way to deal with it than to just keep things moving forward and to get them out of the otherwise romantic surroundings they were currently in. She rose to her feet and slipped her arm back beneath his and smiled.

"C'mon handsome, time to get me home before I turn into a pumpkin."

It took about half the time of the walk back to the car for things to return to "normal" between the couple and the conversation flowing freely once again. On the drive back while on auto-pilot, the pair discussed the few important details about the Sand Point Country Club and discuss briefly their plans for the morning.

22:57:25 Tuesday, June 1, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

Once back at the condo they had spent a little while longer making sure the two had a strategy for the club and a way to watch their backs along the way. While they had little reason not to trust Mrs.Liebovitz, it was the millions of faceless masses along the way they'd have to worry about and they needed to play it safe. It wasn't long into the discussion that Arika played the tired card and found herself up in the spare bedroom getting ready for bed.

She was far from sleepy however and took her time to unpack further the very few things she had managed to leave with. She hung up clothes and tucked others away in drawers, finally slipping out of the dress she wore to dinner, hanging it up towards the back of the closet in some subconscious gesture. She slipped on a pair of PJ's and in the bathroom she finished getting ready for bed, taking her hair down and removing the minimal makeup she wore. Finally she crawled into the still unfamilar bed and stared up at the ceiling as she closed her eyes, listening to his movements through the house below.

06:17:25 Wednesday, June 2, 2070 – Lynwood Town Home Safehouse, Everett, Seattle

She had drifted in and out of sleep all night, only barely conscious of the fact that he had come to check on her

at least twice in the night. She woke up having almost completely forgotten about the night prior and yet another missed opportunity to tell Julian everything. Shaking it off before it could get to her, she got out of bed and right to work, jumping into a shower to get cleaned up and then proceeded to go through her closet to find something suitable for the country club and a breakfast meeting with Mrs. Liebovitz.

She knew as she started down the stairs that he would already have been up for hours, and would be waiting ready to head towards their desitnation, just like every other time before. Halfway down the stairs she stopped and slipped on her other shoe and smoothed down the skirt she had picked before heading into the kitchen for a cup of tea before they left. She had chosen a more casual version of her office wear which had been a challenge since she didn't exactly have anything that fit the description of appropriate attire, it was either too casual or too dressy.

She felt him enter the kitchen before she heard him and without looking up from her coffee cup as she prepared a fruity black tea she nodded slightly.

"Good morning Julian."