1400 25 October 2061, Tacoma Docks, Seattle
Doctor Mavalli wipes his hands on a bloody rag, a satisfied smile on his face.
“There, all done. I’ve disabled the nanite hive so that it will no longer be able to produce any nanites. I’ve also disconnected and removed the remote receiver activator from the hive. The only way to reactivate your nanoware would be to undergo another operation. Which I highly discourage.

This particular surgical installation was designed to be short term only. All laboratory subjects it was tested on were deemed non-viable within thirty days. I’m very surprised that you’ve survived as long as you have. Now then, as for myself, I was never here, I have never met you, and I have no idea who you, or any of these people are. Luckily, I have some assets tucked away in various places for just this contingency. You’ve thrown quite a wrench into my life with this extraction, but I don’t mind that much. If or, indeed, when Novatech catches up with you, I trust you will repay my favor and disavow any knowledge of my whereabouts.

As for Nikaido and her Special Operations Group, I’m afraid I know precious little. My work for Novatech was remote and isolated from other aspects of the security operation she ran. The Rapi Project did not fall within the bounds of her authority, although the surgical procedures that were developed for the project were used by her in several deep cover operations. One of which you’re intimately familiar with.

In my dealings with her Group, though, I have spoken with both of her chief subordinates. They’re both male human norms: FM and Solstice. Each of them is as vicious and calculating as Nikaido is, part of the reason why she chose them as her right hand men. Special Operations Group Command, while headquartered in Seattle, conducts operations throughout the world. Nikaido, as much of a control freak as she is, cannot be everywhere at once. FM and Solstice handle much of the work, allowing her to focus on the larger overall direction for SOGC.

That’s all I can say reliably, the rest of what I know is mere hearsay and office gossip, useless I suspect in your quest for revenge. In any case, bed rest for at least five days or you’ll pull the stitches. They’ll fall out on their own when the incision is healed. After that, I recommend a further week of light duty before you put a full load on that muscle group. Good luck.”

0500 22 October 2061, Cheshire
Solstice rose from the crouch he knelt in to examine the damaged section, turning in response to his name. Nikaido strode across the open field in between the two fencelines, the chill wind billowing her long coat behind her. A pair of armed guards followed, Ares Alphas held muzzle down in assault slings across the chest plates of their hard armor. He gestured to the two members of his own team before stepping a short distance away. Nikaido spread her left hand to the side, not stopping to see if her own bodyguards obeyed the command before closing the last distance with her chief subordinate.

“Go,” she commanded.

“They came through here, four of them at least. The other two went over the fencelines somehow, my guess is magic. The normal security paranimals were withdrawn inside the compound after the attack by the...Rapi. At the time it was judged not to warrant an increase in the security posture as the creature itself would provide an early warning should any intruders attempt to access the facility. Apparently we underestimated its intelligence, as post-attack analysis shows the Rapi followed the intruding force through the fencelines and into the facility proper before exposing itself. The attack was well coordinated. One of the individuals who bypassed the fenceline was a rigger who accessed the CCSS, forcing the on-site security to force disconnect the automated systems. The necessary delay in manually bypassing the security systems to allow the squads to begin to clear the buildings allowed the intruding force to accomplish its goal of extracting Dr. Sadran Mavalli. Evac was the same as arrival; via boat on the west cliffs. We haven’t found any evidence of climbing gear, but the marks at the top of the cliff are unmistakeable. I believe they moved northwest towards the nearest island where a helicopter was waiting to take them ashore. One of our first response tilt-rotors reported passing a low flying helicopter on its way to the facility, but our follow-on surveillance unit could not relocate the vehicle. We have footage from the inside security cameras detailing the paired assaults by the intrusion team as well as the doctor’s capture ready for your review.”

Nikaido nodded. “Get me a list of all our projects that Mavalli was involved in. I don’t think this was a voluntary extraction. He received no unusual communications in the past three months. He took none of his experimental data or prototypes with him, nor was there any attempt to recover any. Without them, he’s not that valuable to a competing outfit. I find it hard to believe that all of our PsyOps people missed the usual indications of an extractee. It’s likely that he has some assets that we’re not aware of, though, so make sure you do a complete rundown on any possible drop accounts he has available to him. I’ll decide later whether or not a sanction is in order. There’s something else going on here. This intrusion team had remarkably good intelligence regarding what should have been a ghost operation. Find me the source of that intel. Will this interfere with our Mirror Dark Operations?”

“Unknown at this time. While the apparent target was Mavalli, he may be a distraction from the true aim of the intrusion. I have my people working on it already.”

“Good. I’ll expect a sitrep at midnight local.” Turning, she moved back towards the compound and the waiting helicopter. Sosltice watched her depart before glancing over to his own team. The taller of the two, Kairen, shook her head once. Solstice nodded.

“No luck on astral? I didn’t think so. Don’t worry about it. Get me everything we have on Rogue and her actions during the previous six weeks. We might as well eliminate the obvious candidates first before we start on the unknowns. Jackson, start knocking down doors on your street contacts. This job took some time and it took some planning. See if anyone’s filled a request for specialized gear or transportation in the past month. I’ll expect complete post-event analysis as well as an update on your progress in eight hours. Let’s move.”

1800 26 October 2061, Ashland Heliport, Tacoma, Seattle

Warrick stood at the gate to the abandoned heliport, gazing out across the cracked concrete with vague disinterest.

“This is the last place she was seen?”

“Yessir. The witness is positive that the individual he saw boarding the helicopter was Empress 06.” The plainclothes man next to him spoke quietly, his eyes restless as they tracked across the empty buildings.

“Are you sure the witness is reliable?”

“Eighty percent probability.”

Warrick turned and nodded. “Very well then. Start sending out the patrols. We need street intel. We know what she purchased, use that to extrapolate probable missions. Find out if she’s still in town. We’ll set up headquarters at the hotel. I want it up and running in six hours. Let’s move like we’ve got a purpose, people.”

0600 28 October 2061, Los Angeles, CFS

Wu gazed out at the horizon, watching the waves roll against the rocks. The distant thunder of the water could not penetrate the density enhanced clear polymer windows, but he felt it in his bones nonetheless. The information he’d received was disturbing in that it dealt specifically with two operators he’d used to accomplish tasks in the past. Their reappearance right now was unplanned for, which translated to unwelcome. Wu felt no remorse for his actions, nor any real annoyance at the contingency operations he would have to undertake to ensure that no further harm was caused to any of his divergent tasks. Curiosity alone filled him. Why now? What had prompted the reappearance of the outcast Russian? And what did he hope to accomplish with an elite cybersurgeon? Nothing in his dossier suggested a motive for the extraction, and Wu had received no notice from his usual contacts that the surgeon was a viable extractee. So far, none of the puzzle pieces fit, but Wu was nothing if not a patient man. It was merely a matter of time before his intelligence gathering operations netted him the necessary data. Until then, he would wait. Wait and plan.

:: Her chest hurt. Much as it had so long ago when she awoke from the surgery that forever shifted her priorities. Listening to the doctor coldly lay out the wickedness he'd done to her, she felt a little more of her soul wither away. ::

:: Despite her desire to gut the offending doctor from crotch to chin, she nodded at his request for annonominity. Even had she wanted to get her revenge from him, the possibility that he hadn't done something to safeguard himself while digging in her ribcage was enough for her paranoia to allow him to live and quietly. Besides, it was Nikaido that had ordered this. It was that bitch who had ruined her chance at living a descent life. A shadow life perhaps, but one with the possibility of happiness. Not anymore. The only taste in her mouth now was for vengence. ::

:: At his mention of Rapi, her eyes narrow as she makes a mental note of it, hoping he'll elaborate more. Once he has completed his little bedside speech, she clears her throat from the dryness following the proceedure. ::

"I want you to write down everything you know about this Rapi project you were on, what you know about the operations being run at the facility you were being housed in, the projects you know or suspect Nikaido having a role in and everything you have every heard about FM and Solstice. Please indicate your level of trust in each bit of information between fact and gossip as well as your personal belief on the matter. Don't leave anything out."

:: Turning to Ivan, her expression softens just slightly, in the closest expression she shows to a smile. ::

"Thank you Comrade for witnessing the surgery. I trust the good doctor behaved himself throughout the surgery?"

"Can you call this number and leave a message that I want to speak to him. Get a throwaway phone and give him the number. Did any of the others stick around for round 2?"

Ivan smiles at Blitz's softening features. "Good doctor and I had understanding, you wake up, or he went to sleep. All things worked out well, Da? Gabriel and Clay had some business to take car of. Cara and Phoenix also left. Just Ivan here for now." He takes the phone number from her hand, slipping it into a massive pocket. "Are you being sure you want me to leave just now?" When she nods yes, Ivan smiles, letting his tusks show. "Behave your self doctor," Ivan says to the doctor.

Ivan leaves the room and steps out into the main area of their hideout. A makeshift bunker that at one tie used to be a warehouse. Now the inside looked like a fortress. The windows where bordered up with reinforced plywood, along with razor wire just incase someone got through. The doors were rigged with trip wires, and other nefarious traps the team could come up with in the month they had of downtown.

Ivan gathered his black Stetson from his cot and placed it carefully over his horns. He had paid allot for the modified hat, and he liked the way it looked on him. Only three vehicles remained, Blitz’s bike and truck, and Ivan's Harley Davidson Scorpion. The chromed out monster was sized to fit Ivan’s 500 lb, 9 foot tall frame. It had been a while since he left the warehouse. The surgery had taken almost 24 hours and Ivan had stood by Blitz's side the whole time. He had an empathy for the girl. No, empathy wrong word, sympathy. She has lost everything, So did I at one time.

The Scorpion blazed out the building roaring like the thunder god. It only took him 45 minutes to reach downtown, traffic was particularly bad this time of morning. The poor clerk at the Cellular One counter nearly choked on his shake when Ivan came through the door.

"Howdy, Comrade. I am in need of small phone, big enough to use, and prepaid." Once he received the phone Ivan handed it back to the clerk, "please if you may, dial this number, Ivan tends to break things." The clerk obeyed dumbfounded while Ivan held the phone out. "Thank you comrade, dosvidonya."

"Hello," Ivan says into the phone as he exits the store. "My name is Ivan, I work with a friend of yours, you may recall her, she drives a Blitzen. She wanted you to call her at this number, prepare to copy. LTG #898-555-9864-25, call her soon."

"Mmm, mind if I order us some breakfast before I leave?"

Soulful chocolate-hued eyes gazed into his still-baffled blues while a slow smile crept across her face. Taking his brief nod as a 'yes' Amanda stretched, catlike, and slipped from the ruffled egyptian cotten linens, pulling the complimentary terry robe about her slender shoulders almost as an afterthought. Supple, manicured fingers dialed room service expertly and while her order was enough to send the cooks into a frenzy of activity her taste was impeccable.

Bah, these corpers were all alike, she mused; every one with more money than they knew how to use and not a braincell to share between the lot of them. Give 'em a bit of a thrill and the sky may be the limit ....

A soft laugh slipped from between her lips as she wiggled into the snug sheath of a dress she'd selected the night before, ran two fingers across her newly styled sandy blonde 'do, and smiled demurely at the man still abed. Seth ... or was it Stev? After a few moments spent searching for her shoes, the svelte woman all in black sauntered back towards the four-poster. She leaned forward and whispered a soft 'thanks," chuckling quietly as she removed her silken scarves and slipping a luscious red strawberry between his lips. Amanda left without so much as a backwards glance.
_____

Less than an hour later a tall skinny woman with spiky red hair and violet shades left one of the many U of S dorms, her skintight synthleather bodysuit wholly at odds with the heavy-seeming backpack she carried (likely filled with all manner of academic accoutrements, of course). Raising a slender arm she hailed a cab and began the six-hour long journey to the harbour.

Ivan dropped the kickstand on his bike and killed the engine. The Scorpions motor sputtered and died fitfully. I am going to have to have Jada take a look at that. "Blitz, I have the phone," the tall troll bellowed through out the hideout. He found her resting in the room that was used for the surgery, her ashen face looking better than a few hours before. "I called and lefting message. Here you go," he passed the inert phone off to her. "Any word from rest of team?"

:: Blitz shakes her head. ::

"No. Not yet. We're going to need them though. Can you give me a few moments to get dressed?"

:: As Ivan leaves, the new phone buzzes in her hands. The conversation is brief and to the point. Rising from the bed, she groans slightly from the stiffness before dressing and rejoining Ivan with the good doctor. ::

"Ok. We need to gather the troops. I really need a decker ASAP...do we know if Dos Equis is still available? Oh...give Cosmo a call as well. We're gonna need her."

"Da, comrade, will make calls." Ivan found a quiet place in the warehouse and sat his bulk down, leaning comfortably against a solid wall. He had spent most of the last month alone in the 'secret base' of Blitz's revenge. He stayed because he admired the womens courage, but truth be told he had no where else to go.

"Gabriel, Ivan here. Blitz says come in, time for part 2." A similar call was made to all the team members he had the numbers for.

"Da, Ivan. Gabriel en route."

He slides a t-shirt on, followed by pants and a vest, then Gabriel looks around the house, packing his heavy armor into a duffel and slipping on his paired Manhunters and Steyr TMPs. A quick check of safeties and a quick inspection of his integral SMG and he is out the door, grabbing an armored trench coat to cover the pistols and chrome.

Entering the warehouse, Gabriel calls out, "Honey, I'm home!" He then executes a seat roll to the right, hopefully dodging any incoming fire his remark might draw, whilst smiling all the way

Cosmo blinked and looked around warily, snapping the slim pewter casing for her compact mirror shut with a light ‘click.’

There it was again…

…and again. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she glanced around once more, making sure that none on the bus were paying too much attention to her. Retrieving the cell phone that was vibrating in her pocket, she slipped the band onto her wrist and lifted the cover. Her voice was low (but not too low) and her tone quick (but not too quick).

“Yes?”

....

A brief smile flashed across her face as she heard the unmistakable accent of the good-hearted troll Ivan. Part two, was it? She mused, grinning broadly, barely able to conceal the twinkle in her cornflower-hued eyes. She slid into the comfort of her Russian accent without even knowing it.

“I'm on my way, Comrade. Give me two hours....”

She shut the case quickly and shook her head, turning the cell phone off with a barely intelligible curse. Leaving it on, even if it was for less than an hour, was an accident that she could not afford to repeat. Old habits died hard, after all.

Ayuda couldn't help but smile at the call, sitting at the table outside the small cafe.

"Of course I'm in. I'm out of town right now, but should be back within the next week or two. Same locale?"

He nods, saying goodbye quietly and clicking the phone off, glancing around at the pedestrians on the street, colorful ponchoes and straw hats all around. It was good to be home again, even if for a little while.

Clay sat in the darkened back office of the college glaring at the computer screen. He was midway through grading a seemingly endless list of essays written up by a series of Political Science students that couldn't give half a damn about the history course he taught. He recognized at least three of the essays as direct plagarism of previous works he'd read and failed them outright. While he was certain he should have felt more insulted by the blatant plagarism he found himself hoping that he'd find more simply to cut down on the amount of marking he had to do.

As the telecom on his desk chimed off the incoming call notification he contemptuously flicked the power switch on the computer erasing the last hour's work. No loss there he thought to himself I didn't like the wording on it anyways.

Punching the answer button Clay growled a greeting into the receiver half expecting a call from one of his students asking for yet another extension on one project or another.

Upon hearing Ivan's voice on the other end of the line Clay relaxed visibly "Eh, sorry about that chummer. Bad day at the office y'know?." After listening to Ivan's pitch Clay nodded to no one in particular "Sure I'll make my way over shortly. God only knows it's got to be better than the drek I'm wading through currently."

Having said that Clay throws on a worn longcoat and swings a heavy black art-case over one shoulder before walking out of the office and locking it behind him.

Moments later a familiar Americar pulls out of the college lot and begins making it's way towards the warehouse.

"Gabriel, friend, welcome back, has been whole month has it not? Blitz is doing well, she came through surgery like champ-ion. Bozemoi, that is one tough lady." the big troll smiles at his friend and hands him a drink. "Have you been busy in month?"

Dr. Mavalli drums his fingers on the table for a moment, marshalling his thoughts.

"The facility that I worked at dealt with surgical research and development, including gene therapy and nanotechnology. Several corporate departments had projects online there at any given time, but overall command of the facility was left in the hands of Special Operations Group Command. Nikaido received daily briefings on the progress of all projects underway at the facility. Beyond that, I am unsure as to her precise role in any of the programs we were working on.

The Rapi project's goal was to produce a viable organism which blended the survivability traits of a paranatural animal with the intelligence of a (meta)human and the augmentation of synthetic materials. To date, all other attempts at implanting a para-animal with cyberware had resulted in subjects too violent to control. Our research showed, however, that by genetically altering key sequences in the animals DNA, we could induce a level of dissociated docility which would offset the instinctual disruption caused by synthetic implants. Once we proved that, it was only natural to go one step further and attempt to replace those DNA sequences with ones borrowed from compatible (meta)humans. Our initial results were phenomenal. The subjects performed on average four to five times as well as theoretical models predicted. I am afraid, though, that your raid has cost the program dearly. Practical demonstrations will most likely be delayed for another year or two.

Solstice runs all of SOGCs operations west of ninety seven degrees west longitude. I've heard that Nikaido recruited him out of the CAS Army or something like, and that she personally oversaw his training. It's rumored that he still has connections with the CAS government, although his loyalty to Novatech and specifically to Nikaido is unquestioned. Solstice was a frequent visitor to the facility, and I was under the impression that he made regular tours of all facilities controlled by SOGC. I've spoken with him once or twice, during presentations of research material, and I get the impression that he's extremely intelligent and well informed.

As for FM, her other lieutenant, no reliable information exists. Rumors abound, though. They say that he was Nikaido's first project, that he was once an elite Ren Raku Red Samurai operative but when she was through with him he'd become a cyberzombie dedicated to the destruction of all other corporations and fanatically loyal to Nikaido. His section of SOGC, all operations east of ninety seven west longitude, runs like a well oiled machine. Every task is accomplished on time and on budget. If anything falls behind, senior leadership takes over and sets the project back on track, often times with brutal methods. Those that work for SOGC-east are psychopaths, feared universally through the corporation. And if they fear anyone, it's their boss, FM.

I can't think of anything more useful."

:: As she listened to Dr. Mavelli report, she bit her lower lip as the thought. Standing up, she paced back and forth as the details grew more and more troublesome. Potentials were there, but she would need to begin looking at alternatives. Success was all that mattered, not the path it took to get there. ::

"Wait here Doctor."

:: She picked up her jacket and paused at the door as she listened to the two men greet each other. She smiled to herself at Ivan's words. Stepping out into the room, her heavy boots making unmistakable thuds as she walked, drawing attention to herself as she pulled on her armored jacket. ::

"Welcome back. "

:: Her eyes shift immediately to Clay and a single eyebrow raises as she looks wordlessly to Ivan, the question obvious in her glance. ::

((edited to account for the simultaneous post from Grendel))

"Hoi, Ivan. I've been well. Been working on a few things. Any idea what our leading lady is up to?"

Clay stands in the doorway and ponders Blitz's reaction for a moment before a grin quirks its way onto his face "It's good to see you're feeling better. For a while there I was worried I'd never be on the receiving end of another one of your warm welcomes."

As he watches Blitz stand there stone faced, Clay lets out a visible sigh. Same old Blitz he thinks to himself before attempting a more diplomatic greeting. "Honestly B I'm glad you're ok, the stuff that Dr.Mavelli was talking about when discussing the operation sounded risky at best. What do you say, truce?"

"I am not sure Gabe, but I think we are about to be finding out," he says as he turns sideways. Ivan's large bulk had blocked Gabriels vision and accidently hid the fact the Blitz was in the room.

Even travelling at a slow klick the low rumbling of Cosmo's ride announced her presence nearly 5 seconds before the sleek black sportster slid through the warehouse doors. She stepped from the driver's side, grinned, and pulled a grocery bag from the front seat. Setting two six-packs of Cherry Cola on the roof of her freshly-painted ride, she reached deep into the bag, pulled out a handful of candy, and tossed mixed packs of her favourite Sugar Blasted Berry Bombs to Ivan, Gabriel, and Clay. She made her way towards Blitz and pressed the candy into the other woman's hand, only showing a bit of her concern at the last moment.

"You look good, lady."

She kept the hint of a question quiet, something that was not meant to be heard by anyone else.

Drek. Can anyone really blame a girl for being worried?

Ivan brightens conciderably at Cosmo's entrence, "Bozemoi!" Two huge strides brings him to her as he clasps her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground, "It is very good to see you," the big troll says in russian. He sits her down gently and offers a warm smile. "It is good we are all back together again, now where is Ayuda?"

Cosmo laughs out loud and does her best imitation of a troll-sized bear hug, grinning like an idiot all the while.

<in Russian>"Good to see you too, friend. Everything went well .. yes?"

:: Blitz nods to Clay, blinking back the momentary lapse in memory. She inwardly childs herself on letting the medication fog her mind, but deep down she fears that it may not be the drugs at all...at least not the current drugs coursing through her system. ::

:: Nodding with a shrug to Cosmo, the candy disappears almost instantly. ::

"It was nothing."

:: The statement is almost ridiculous, but it was classic Blitz. She had learned a long time ago the folly of showing any sort of weakness. ::

"Ok...listen up people."

:: Her tone was short and crisp, yet strong. Almost too strong. Cosmo was probably the only one adept enough to recognize the slight overcompensation. ::

"Ivan, can you secure the doctor please. I haven't decided if we are through with him yet. I would hate for him to do something rash and force me to retaliate permanantly."

"Cosmo...I need you to find me a decker. A damn good decker and one we can trust fully. We will probably be swelling our ranks a bit depending on which way I see this operation proceeding but the first step is I need to make some secure communications."

Cosmo nodded slightly, not showing any reaction to the other woman's brisk tone at all.

"I'll make a call; see if I can find anyone on short notice. Any requirements other than 'good decker,' and 'trustworthy'?"

She kept her voice light, already reaching for her cell....

"How bout GOOD decker...would be helpful if he could also take care of himself to a degree...I'd like to make him a regular with the group since Dos Equis seems to be unavailable."

Arching an eyebrow she handed over another pack of the Berry Bombs and smiled just a little.

"I'll do what I can, Mon Capitane."

With a quick little salute and a wink, Cosmo wandered over to the far side of the warehouse, dialing HB's pager number first, leaving her cell # as a contact this time. Finding a semi-comfortable seat against the wall, she dialed Moody's number, preparing herself for the inevitable tirade.

Ivan nods at Blitz order. He cracks his massive knuckles and heads for the makeshift recovery room. He opens the door and smiles at the older man, "Ah, what is up, Doc?" He laughs inwardly at his own humor before taking out plastic restraints, "for your own protection," he says by way of explanation.

Moody's penguin icon does a studious job of ignoring you, idly flipping through the pages of its virtual book.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the prodigal party girl. And what cosmic event, may I ask, causes you to grace the lowly with your presence?"

With a sigh, the Doctor holds out his hands for Ivan.

"You see? This is why my mother wanted me to be a doctor. She didn't want me to fall in with the wrong sort of people."

Cosmo let out an exaggerated sigh and threw up her hands, knowing for a fact that she wasn't being ignored nearly as much as he'd have her believe. She humored him though, throwing in just the right amount of self pity, .. like a girl being chastised by a doting uncle (an odd business relationship but who would question what worked?)...

"All right, I'm sorry I had to leave so quickly and without telling you but you know how it gets ... no one knew .... I'll tell you what ... take a couple of people to the Needle tonight, on me; I can let my guy know you're coming. Party of four? Good."

"Now, I'm looking for a friend; maybe you can help me.... Well that's just the thing .. I haven't met this person yet and I need you to pick one out .... Right. Good. Yes, white hat, though, if you can work it out ... and good in a fight if it ever comes to that. The real McCoy .... Mhmmm, exactly. Of course, I expect someone that can keep a secret ... yes, maybe even a little better than I can."

Grinning into her vidscreen, she gave a bit of a self-deprecating chuckle and arched an eyebrow, her voice turning serious only at the last.

"Sound like anyone you know?"

Moody smiles, and takes the spectacles off his beak.

"Look at you with the cute bribes. I suppose that I can forgive you just this once. Moreover, I have just the person for you. Let me drop him a line and I'll let you know."

The penguin disappears in a burst of snow flurries.

Smiling slowly, she flips her phone shut and leans back against the cool ferrocrete wall, giving her head a slight shake.

Ghost, networking was expensive....

Cosmo pulled out her pocket secretary and began calculating, her bank balance growing smaller and smaller with each step. To get reservations for tonight, Jes would want considerable incentive and to get that she'd have to pull another string or two.... She whipped off a quick text message through to her maître d' contact in order to keep the cell free.

:Res for 4, Moody. Tonight. Take good care of him .... Pass for 2 .. Motorcycle Combat; Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Under AP. C:

and then ....

:Double VIP Pass for Sunday's game, care of AP. Vintage Gucci alligator clutch to match the shoes from last time.... C"

(Thankfully she still had the puse or she'd be at this all day.)

Leaning back again, she grinned and called out.

"Following lead one. Is anyone planning on meeting this guy with me if he sounds all right?"

Before anyone can answer, the cellphone in Cosmo's hand shakes in response to an incoming call. HardBitten's harsh icon of digital snow materializes on the small LCD screen.

"You rang?"

"Yes. You, Gabe and me. The rest will stay here and keep good watch on the doctor. When we get back, we'll make some major decisions, beginning with what to do with the doc."

Ivan comes back into the room as Cosmo asks her question. He nods silently to her.

:: Turning, she heads over to the small makeshift garage and the table that is currently supporting her RC Deck. Snaking the cable to her forehead, she closes her eyes as she brings her network online. She runs through her diagnostics making sure everything checked out ok before slipping the straps of the deck over her shoulders. ::

:: Heading upstairs to the empty loft, away from the group, she sets her deck down and disengages from her network as she slips her jacket off and drops it on the floor next to it. ::

:: She begins by stretching. Her chest ached the most, but it seemed to spread through all her limbs and if they were going to become active again, she would have to be ready. The more she stretches, taking each to the point of pain and then a little further, she surprises herself but feeding off the sensation. Soon, her limbs are warm from the exertion and she finds she's breathing deeply and regularily with each contortion. Feeling oddly centered, she remembers back to that strange lesson she'd had seemingly so long ago and finds that she can remember the forms he always ran through. Clumsily, she begins to duplicate them. Her grace isn't as smooth as his practiced maneuvers, but her memory is surprisingly clear and she finds she can almost see him in her mind as she copies his movements to the best of her ability. ::

Flipping the screen up more out of reflex than any real understanding that it was ringing, she blinked at HB's icon, amazed that he'd called back so quickly.

"I did; thanks for calling back so quickly. I'm looking for someone that may be interested in a joint venture. Someone with your type of skills, elite, from what I can tell, also good in a fight but the biggest requirement is someone that won't ditch or squeal on us...."

Cosmo smiled engagingly into the screen.

"Interested? Know anyone that might be?"

:: Not even pausing in her excercise, Blitz calls down over the railing. ::

"We also need another in covert ops!"

Cosmo arched an eyebrow and chuckled, inquiring this of HardBitten as well.

"Hmm, another thing while we're here: do you know any good greasemen?"

For a moment, HardBitten's icon looks even grumpier than usual.

"I know a couple. Any reason why I've been left out of the running on this particular job, though?"

Yeah, I know a couple... She smiles and lofts an eyebrow.

"I didn't think it was your kind of job, HB, sorry if I'm wrong. ARE you interested? If so .. then it's going to be a better day than I'd planned...."

There's a distinct impression that the individual on the other end of the line shrugs.

"Tell me more about what you need done and I'll either quote you a price or pass on it. You know the way this works. I'm going to assume that you want quality muscle as well, so I'm going to start at the middle of my list and work upwards."

"The important thing for now is setting up a few secure transmissions before we can move any further. After that, depending on what's available, you can either elect to stay with us or not, contract renegotiations are always acceptable to me, as you well know...."

Cosmo smiles lightly into her vidscreen and winks.

"The bosslady is keeping her hand tilted close for now and as of this moment, you know everything I do as it pertains to what we'll be doing. Anything else, you'll have to ask her yourself. I do know, however, that the group we're up against is known for it's 'trix security; whether that helps or not ...."

"We're looking to form a group; future ventures we'll be offering an equal share in what we make."

She pauses, peering into the snowy screen for some sort of sign, a slender copper eyebrow raised curiously.

"Think you could drag yourself out to a meet?"

The harsh burst of static that spews from the phone makes you think someone just threw up a heavy jamming field until you realize that it's HardBitten's form of laughter.

"If it requires a face to face I'm out. You don't need to see me for me to work. I can do secure transmissions over any matrix link. If you're talkint a radio network, that's another beast entirely. I could even do secure virtual meetings for the right price. But for basic comm cover it runs 5k plus long distance charges."

Frowning perhaps a little more than necessary, she shakes her head.

"Then this isn't the job for you, I'm sorry to say. Do you know anyone that doesn't abhor a 'face to face,' as you put it?"

Walker hated Benedict with a passion. Hated the man's slim good looks, his athleticism, his sneering superiority, his connections. Most of all he hated what he owed to him. Benedict never brought up the debt, never mentioned it once during their infrequent meetings. But Walker knew the score and knew Benedict would never forget. He growled, low in his throat, and shifted the unlit cigar from the left side to the right side of his mouth.

"Make it quick, damn you, I'm busy."

Benedict shrugged, closing the door behind him but declining the seat across the worn desk from the private eye.

"I would have called but I was in the neighborhood. I've got a client who needs talent and you know the right kind of people. I want you to get in touch with Paladin. Give him this LTG number. Tell him to use my name and my client will take the call."

Walker snatched the thin plastic card from his hand, glancing over it with a grunt.

"Sure. That all?"

After a moment of silence, Walker glanced up to see if his visitor heard him, but Benedict was already closing the door behind him. The private eye snarled a curse, punching numbers into his telecom.

Once outside, Benedict looked back over his shoulder at the worndown building housing the detective's offices before turning up the collar of his coat against the rain. Sliding into the driver's seat of his Mitsubishi, he clicked open his headware. The software ran through its connection algorithms, waiting for the encryption handshake before passing the silent signal that the line was open.

I've spoken with Walker, he'll bring Paladin into the mix. Yes, I know. Yes. No, he's next on my list. No, she hasn't spoken with me yet. There's no reason to think she can't handle this, I mean look what she did in Germany. Yes, I'm aware of the movements in Cal Free. Do you want me to go to LA? Whenever, you know I'm ready. All right, I'll check back in a couple of hours. Out.

For a long minute he sat silent in the car, listening to the rhythmic drone of the rain on the roof. The pixie like creature in the seat next to him fidgeted restlessly, playing with the hood of the robe it wore. It watched him with disturbingly clear blue eyes. Finally, he sighed.

"Yeah, tell her I'm fine. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

The sprite beamed gleefully before disappearing with a POP. Routing another call with his headware, he started the vehicle and pulled out into traffic.

Hey, it's me. Yeah, I'm going to need Parvati's skills for a client of mine. No, not like that. No, I'm not telling you how to do your job, I'm just saying tread easy for a couple of weeks. She's going to be busy. Good. No. That's fine. Out.

"None that I'd recommend, but let me flip through my files and see what I can find."

HardBitten's tone leaves no question as to his feelings towards anyone in his line of work who would meet face to face.

Cosmo nodded reluctantly and shrugged, affecting a seemingly effortless smile even if it wasn't all that easy.

"Again, thanks for your time and for what it's worth, I really am sorry. Let me know if you find anything via pager. This thing's been on too long."

With a light laugh she didn't feel the phone flipped shut. She leaned back against the wall, letting the smooth ferrocrete behind her head soothe her in some small measure, her eyes drifting shut as she shoved other, more disturbing images aside.

Another screen, a link she held to as dearly as life, gone snowy at the worst moment. A face, beautiful and terrible, just outisde the ring of cold yellow light that flickered....

She swallowed hard, willing the pager to life. Moody would dial the second number if the first was off .. she just hoped he'd do it soon....

The Cessna Citation XV business jet taxied across the damp tarmac to the general aviation terminal at Sea-Tac International. The only markings on the aircraft were the required tail identification number: NR71296. Guided by the flight director drone, the jet slowed to a halt in the temporary parking space on the ramp. After a moment, the port engine coughed and wound down from idle power. The forward ramp opened immediately afterwards, and the aircraft's single passenger stepped out into the cool evening air. His eyes, calm and alert, swept the immediate area. With a sure pace, he moved down the narrow steps and across the cement towards the terminal. Behind him, he could already hear the jet's turbines winding up.

Once inside, he provided a slim datacard to the attendant standing behind the desk. She returned his smile with a little more than the usual courtesy, disappearing into the back room before returning with a luggage cart. The two duffle bags on the cart contained everything he would require for the duration of his stay in Seattle. He would inventory the contents once at the hotel. With a nod to the attendent, he lifted the heavy duffles with apparent ease, and made his way through the terminal to the front lobby. Idling at the curb was a Toyota Elite courtesy sedan, its trunk already lifted. Placing the duffle bags inside, he closed the lid firmly before sliding into the backseat. The driver glanced up at him in the rear view mirror before shifting into drive and accelerating away from the curb.

"Straight to the hotel, sir?" the young man asked. Damascus smiled.

"Yes, thank you."