02:15:06 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Jenks froze with the bottle halfway to his lips, his eyes alight. Gutter giggles insanely from the ground.

"Lookee, lookee!" he points at Cosmo, although his eyes are so bloodshot and pupils dilated it's doubtful he can actually see her. Bobo kicks him again, halfheartedly this time, his own attention drawn by the interloper. He runs a hand through greasy hair.

"Jenks!" he whispered urgently.

"Shut up, Bobo." Jenks steps away from the wall slowly, deliberately. He smiles at Cosmo, revealing a mouthful of chrome-inlaid teeth.

"It could be, you lookin' to party, baby?"

02:15:49 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo shrugged indifferently, drawing all eyes to a highly reflective silver microfibre top that she might as well have painted herself into.

"Could be," she smirked, echoing his words, "but I'm not free for a while. What do you have to offer?"

"Ahh, I'd kill for a smoke .. "

02:16:04 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Jenks pointed with his left hand.

"Bobo, smokes, now."

Bobo nods and turns, his eyes still on Cosmo, before ducking into the Stuffer Shack. He returns a moment later with a handful of cigarette packages, offering them like a fan of playing cards for Cosmo to chose from. Jenks snaps open his Zippo, the pale flickering flame turning his scarred rat-like face feral.

02:17:31 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

She nodded briefly as though to thank Bobo for his effort and selected one of the smaller, longer boxes, withdrawing a forbidding-looking cigarette and holding it between her lips. Ugh. Cosmo leaned forward, wickedly glittering eyes intent on Jenks as she took a long draw, paused, and finally exhaled, smiling slightly. She settled back, one ankle crossed casually over the other.

"Not bad. Let's say I wanted to come along for the ride .. what's on for tonight?"

02:18:07 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Jenks lights up his own cigarette, exhaling a thin stream from the corner of his mouth. Bobo crams the remaining cartons into his pockets, eyes glancing from Cosmo to Jenks and back again. Gutter's giggles have died to asthmatic wheezes, his eyes open and vacant as he drools onto the stained concrete. Jenks shrugs, flicking ash from the end of his cigarette, leering at Cosmo.

"Whatever strikes your fancy, baby, but I was thinking about what should be coming off tonight."

02:18:45 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo's laugh was low and throaty as she entertained the brief fantasy of punching Jenks in his dirty rat face, very nearly able to hear the crunch of his nose beneath her knuckles. She leaned towards him until their noses almost touched.

"Don't doubt it for a second, baby. I'll take real good care of you."

"Later."

She smiled again and started to pull back, hoping to cause just enough doubt for them to question her further.

02:19:02 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

"Whoa, hey! Wait up, baby. Where you goin' so fast?" Jenks holds out a hand, cigarette dangling from his mouth. Bobo hasn't quite gotten past the 'take real good care' statement, his eyes fixed on the curve of Cosmo's hips.

02:19:36 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo eyed the hand stretched toward her, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

"I said I wasn't free until later but," she chewed on her lower lip for a moment before her wicked little smile returned, "guess that doesn't mean I can't leave you with something to think about in the meantime."

She shrugged again, deliberately, and stood perfectly still as her longcoat fell into a heap around her ankles, waiting for the perfect moment, their complete attention. The dance was slow at first, barely noticeable with soft swishing hips and lightly rocking shoulders. Cosmo brought them along, bit by bit, raising the bottom of her shirt and then lowering it until she knew they'd do just about anything to keep her moving. Of course she stopped afterward, casting an irritated glance toward the security camera at the front of the building.

"Mm, think one of you can frost that lens for me before I run tonight? I'd hate to leave you in suspense ...."

02:19:51 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Gutter makes fishlike noises, blistered lips smacking against one another as he stares at Cosmo. Jenks' cigarette dangles unheeded from his mouth, smoke curling lazily into the chill night air. His eyes glitter with unwholesome hunger. He snaps his fingers at Bobo, who reaches up and pulls the security camera out of its mount. The unit dangles by its power and data transmission cord.

02:20:18 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

A low, sultry laugh covered what might have been an exasperated sigh while predatory eyes all but pinned the three of them where they stood. Idiots! Should I have used smaller words? -Frost- the lens; it's not nanosurgery. Bloody Spirits! Still, Cosmo's cheeks flushed as she evaluated the imperfect control she had over Jenks and his friends; they'd be hers with only the slightest tightening of the reins .. the most delicate touch to seal them to her.

Stuttering flourescent light licked across her curves as she took up her dance again, turning slowly as each part of her was concealed .. and in its turn revealed by the shadows that hugged the side of the building, caressed her skin even as they obscured her face. Electric blue lips took on an evil curve, parted and poised to whisper .. something. Black-gloved hands motioned for the youth to come closer.

02:21:09 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Jenks stepped forward, flicking his cigarette into the darkness with a casual air that belied the thunder of blood through his veins. His eyes, dappled from years of Burn abuse, slid from Cosmo's hip to the curve of her chest and back again. He rubs his hands together in anticipation.

Caught like an eager dog uncertain what to do next, Bobo turned his considerable bulk from left to right, covering the street for possible trouble. The simpleness of his facial expressions; delight, fear, hunger, confusion, didn't concern Cosmo much. Despite his considerable physical strength, Bobo lacked the decision making ability to deal with someone like her. That's why he left all of the tough calls to Jenks.

Gutter drools on himself, passed out half on and half off the sidewalk.

02:21:58 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo leaned in until her nose all but touched his, forcing Jenks to look up at her or back away until they were on equal footing. She nodded approvingly when their eyes locked. Her voice was low, sweet honey laced with poison, her breath all softness and warmth against his face.

"Tell me your name."

"Tell me something true, again" ....

02:22:11 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

"They call me Jenks," he replies with a grin, his teeth stained and breath reeking of cigarette smoke. Reaching out, he grabs Cosmo's hips, his hands rough and clumsy.

02:22:15 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

There was a whisper of satin skin beneath his hands, a hint of her perfume as she whirled to one side and out of his grasp. There was a second where he leaned forward, following her only to be spun and shoved against the side of the Stuffer Shack, gasping by turns at the smoothly muscled forearm pressed against his windpipe and the feel of Cosmo's long, athletic body as she held him there.

"Jenks," she whispered with a smile that would have been pleasant if not for the savage gleam in her eyes, "I've told you I don't have time for this .. don't you want to take your time with this?"

Just enough of an inflection to give him pause.

"I know a place, real nice, where we can party. Why don't you take your boys over there and get started?" A thin roll of paper bills appeared between her fingers (pulled from Spirits know where), tapped lightly against the tip of his nose. "That's two nights at the Heart o' the city on Alden. Leave a key for 'Eve' at the front and I promise," she flashed her teeth at him, "you'll get it all .. in a few hours."

The urge to smash her palm squarely into his nose was stronger than ever.

02:22:49 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

"Whoa, easy, babe," Jenks leaned his head back in an almost subconscious effort to ease a little of the pressure against his windpipe. "No reason to get to the rough stuff right away."

He grinned, an expression even nastier than his smile of moments earlier, pocketing the roll of bills that Cosmo offered.

"I know the place you're talking about, and I know just how to get things going."

He straightened his jacket as Cosmo slid back from close proximity, motioning with his hand towards his compatriots.

"Yo, drekheads! Bobo! We gotta a party to burn! Get the wheels, we gotta go see Montero!"

As Bobo nods his understanding, lumbering off around the far side of the Stuffer Shack, Jenks turns back to Cosmo.

"Don't worry baby, we've got the hook up. I'll make sure to keep some of the good stuff back for you."

02:23:31 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Stuffer Shack #391 Parking Lot, Los Angeles, CFS

She smirked, eyeing him meaningfully as she leaned casually against the wall, content to let the shadows conceal the fact that she wore little beyond her gloves, stilettos, and a coat of outrageously blue metallic lipstick.

"Not a doubt in the world, baby. Don't have too much fun without me."

Cosmo ignored his parting leer and let out a long, slow breath as she dressed. It was a shame that the three teenagers couldn't follow direction but there was a chance they'd prove useful later; at the very least they had a car she could borrow once they'd been dealt with. There was a small voice in the back of her head that protested, naturally, but it had grown much softer over the course of the last twenty four hours.

As it was no longer difficult to reach the camera from the side of the building, she took a moment to spray its lens, keeping her presence obscured in the event that it was repaired before she'd finished in the lot. Cosmo smiled thinly and made her way to the motel, finally ready to move forward with her plans.

02:31:17 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

It had not been difficult to thread her way across the street, covering herself in the larger shadows of buildings and adjacent vehicles, the path that lead her to this particular fence had been straightforward, even with the extra weight of the automotive toolkit and the parts she was 'contracted' to install. She suppressed a snort, "contracted!", and focused on the four Roadmasters nearby. Would this tasking, at least, proceed without incident?

Cosmo tilted her head to one side, eyeing the fence. Electrified links could pose a problem (as they had so many months ago) but again, none of the signs were there. She hefted her bolt cutters and frowned; some security systems were wired into perimeter fences so a single cut could set the whole thing off. Maybe if she climbed over, in two trips of course, using her jacket to shield her from the barbed wire ..

You know .. sometimes it's all right to ask for help.

Shut up.

Grumbling under her breath about another coat wasted, she takes a moment to secure the first half of her gear, glancing around carefully. Just because something had gone wrong every time she'd finished a job (aside from FTL Matrixware), well, it didn't mean that she'd be in the clear all the way to the Roadmasters; the lot's security cameras covered nearly the entire area and there was always a chance that some random bad luck would put a Saturday-night pedestrian right in front of her.

Cosmo's sigh was audible; the fence wasn't electrified and didn't appear to have vibration sensors. Long, supple fingers tightened around the chain links, hefting her upward, committing her to the tasking and whatever would happen after that.

02:31:23 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

From her position of cover behind the nearest Roadmaster, Cosmo surveyed what she could see of the parking lot. Apart from the three identical cargo vans parked in neat symmetry, the only other occupants seemed to be a pair of flatbed pickup trucks next to the central building. A couple of towed air compressors were parked in back, along with what appeared to be box trailers for either the trucks or the Roadmasters. No one seemed present in the yard, and no alarms sounded after her intrusion.

02:31:23 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo took a slow count of twenty to scan the parking lot for signs of life, the wash of her red-tinged playground reminding her how quickly things could go wrong. Would her last 'tasking' be a setup? What was it about using infrared that instantly had her thinking about betrayal?

She blinked and shook her head slightly, frowning as she silently worked at setting herself up for a couple hours of work.

04:16:58 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

And .. there.

There was hardly a sound as the door of the fourth Roadmaster was locked and pressed shut.

You're no mechanic, girl, but at least you still have all your fingers, eh?

Snorting softly, she glanced around the lot (and the path she'd take to get back to the hotel), grimacing at the blocky modifications that would be obvious to anyone sitting inside any of the vehicles. There was nothing that could be done for it, of course, so she had no choice but to believe that her contractors knew it would look this way. She hoped someone had planned for it, at any rate.

04:17:01 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo's egress plan is interrupted by the sound of four heavy diesel engines turning over. As one the Roadmasters' lights bathe the yard in shocking illumination. The lead Roadmaster shifts hesitantly forward, as if testing its footing, before completing a neat hundred degree turn, leaving it pointed at the narrow access gate to the parking lot. One by one the remaining three follow its lead until all are lined up, idling, waiting. Cosmo blinks in disbelief.

You've got to be kidding me.

04:17:06 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

Ohhhh, so you want out now too, hmm?

An unlovely snarl twisted her mouth as she glared from the Roadmasters to the gate and back again. A cursory glance at the central building was all she needed to know that the gate couldn't be opened (or closed) from there and that she could still carry this out with zero contact if she was quick about it.

Twitching the cowl of her hood forward and hoping that the thin layer of black obscuring her features would be enough, Cosmo left the cover of the Roadmasters and stalked toward the gate with as much speed as her training would allow.

They can't be fragging serious ..

04:19:20 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

With the back of her neck crawling beneath the gaze of the security cameras, Cosmo swiftly disassembled the maglock casing. As the high strength plastic came free, she stifled a grimace at the obvious anti-tamper circuitry present. Bypassing that added another minute to her already high profile. Thankfully, though, once her splice was in place the gate began to roll open. The lead Roadmaster waited only long enough for there to be enough space for it to pass before accelerating out into the night.

Hey! Wait for me!

Cosmo hurriedly replaced the cover of the maglock before making a quick jog to the rear step of the last van as it bumped over the gate track and out into the street.

05:06:48 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Alvarez Building Supply Company Parking Lot, 4601 Murray Ridge Road, Los Angeles, CFS

The vans sped east along the 10 for a full forty five minutes (two of which were spent hanging off the back of the last Roadmaster with one hand while the other fiddled with the rear door's lock). The trip that led to the convoy into a massive industrial lot, gave Cosmo more than enough time to consider the wisdom of her decision (or the conspicuous lack thereof); perhaps if she'd planned things differently, thought to bring a tracking beacon or arrange for a vehicle to tail the Roadmasters .. useless thoughts now. There was nothing for it but to use the opportunity she'd made for herself, stay alert, and learn what she could.

Then somehow find a way to get the frag outta Dodge.

She took a second to disable the van's interior light before peering around the interior of the underground lot, taking some small comfort in the weight of the Manhunter nestled against her curves and the reassuring tug of the two spare clips balancing the belt across her hips. Not that she'd ever enjoyed a firefight, of course, but it was better to shoot from concealment than to attack in the open .. that went double for situations like this one. Cosmo rubbed her hands together slowly, ready to duck and roll out either door at the slightest sign of trouble.

05:08:26 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

The four vans pull into the vast underground parking structure, slowing from their brisk freeway speed to a jogging pace. With fluid precision, they break from their trail formation to a line abreast, crossing the empty aisles of white lines towards a pre-staged cluster of vehicles against the far back wall. As her formation of stolen Roadmasters draws closer, Cosmo can make out three other work trucks parked in line, as well as seven large pallets of gear hidden beneath opaque gray tarps. Shadows behind the parked vehicles resolved themselves to be gunmen, dressed in familiar khaki battledress with black tac vests. Their weapons were drawn and ready, though, the squad deployed in defensive positions in case the arriving vans were not who they were expecting.

05:08:28 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

She took it remarkably well, all things considered, that the 'slightest sign of trouble' was, in truth, a group of combat-ready grunts with automatic weapons and plenty of hard cover and she .. cruising toward them in a remotely-controlled vehicle. She might have laughed about it (and would later, if she lived long enough to find an old friend or two) but there was barely time to acknowledge the bass-heavy thud in her chest before a rush of adrenaline pumped life back into her.

There was no time for nerves, not even a second to think about being afraid or wonder how many bullets she could take before it was really and truly over. It was time to act.

Cosmo crouched in the back of the van, smooth muscles taut, ready as she watched for the perfect moment, timing the deceptively simple maneuver to thundering pulse and measured breath, waiting for a concrete pillar to be within range before the Roadmaster stopped and her time was up.

There.

She didn't breathe, hardly seemed to move, as the van's rear door opened and she launched herself free, tapping the door once with her foot even as she rolled forward and to one side. The Colt was in her hand by the end of the first rotation, cleared and poised to shoot by the time her back pressed against the concrete column that would be her only protection if things went south.

If things go south? IF?!

05:08:34 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

The move was perfectly timed, a flawless touch and roll that left her in a perfect covered position. She'd been trained by the best. But her dismount had not been as perfect as the landing, and she watched in some dismay as the rear door of the Roadmaster closed, but without enough force to latch. As the cargo van slowed, the door swung open again, then slowly closed.

Drek.

05:08:40 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo allowed herself to wince and suppressed a groan now that the moment of perfect calm had passed. Blood thundered in her ears, pounded within her chest as she waited, hoping the sounds of the parking lot covered the muffled closing of one door. She listened for the telltale scuff of boots on pavement and wondered if these soldiers trained in hand signals or had voiceless comm units .. would there be a shout to alert her before things went 'boom?'

05:08:53 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

The heavy growl of the Roadmasters' engines slows to and idle, then dies completely. Silence returns to the parking structure. Then, movement. Amplified by her artificial ears, Cosmo listened to the scuff of boots on concrete, the click of thermoset plastic buckles against injection-molded composite stocks. She could almost see them in her mind, the fire teams covering each other as they cleared the immediate surroundings, then checking over the vans.

A pause in the action. Instructions being received?

The sound of tarps being pulled aside. Must be starting the loading.

Moving cautiously, Cosmo turned to face the column, weapon indexed along her side. Slowly, she slid back, bringing the Colt up to ready. Smartlink active, finger on the trigger, she eased around the curve of the support column until she could put eyes on the action.

Six of the armed figures were loading the vans, purposefully shuttling gear from the pallets to the rear decks beneath the watchful gaze and weapons of two more. She almost cursed aloud, almost drew down when she recognized the three slim figures dressed in khaki jumpsuits clustered together by the rear of vans. She looked closer at some of the gear the armed guards were loading, recognizing several containers.

05:09:26 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

All four vans, not just mine.

Cosmo nodded slowly, as though the movement would convince her further that the Kalds had not noticed her presence yet, or were still uncertain. The packages interested her more, for the moment, and she zoomed in on several of the crates she did not recognize, scanning for serial numbers or identifying marks as she plugged a thin datajack cable into her p-sec. The interface was quick, seamless, and within moments she was making notes on everything she saw regardless of how trivial it seemed, reminding herself that there was no such thing as a 'useless detail.'

05:29:08 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

Just twenty minutes had elapsed and already three vans were fully loaded. The Kalds moved for the first time, turning towards each other in conference before one, one of the boys, climbed into a truck accompanied by two guards. The truck backed from its spot before heading out of the parking structure. The remaining personnel continued to load the last of the gear, finishing in a matter of minutes. With the same swift efficiency, the guards and the remaining two Kalds mounted their vehicles, the trucks bracketing the Roadmasters in the convoy.

05:37:22 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Kumeya Industrial Processing Depot Parking Lot, 707A East Holt St, Los Angeles, CFS

Not much of a 'conference' if no one's talking, is it?

After taking a second to consider the wisdom in following the convoy herself, Cosmo ultimately decided against it. Following four empty vehicles into parts unknown was one thing, but following those same vehicles under an escort of at least six men with automatic weapons and three of those strange children was quite another. She'd uncovered a bit more information, after all, but it wouldn't do her any good until she could find some way to put the pieces together. No, it was time to regroup and get her second-to-last tasking.

She sighed softly, leaning against the concrete pillar until the residual heat from the vehicles had faded from even her vision. Her thoughts never wandered, exactly, though she did spend a while wondering what would happen once she'd finished her last tasking; if her employers were willing to kill her at this stage, what would stop them from eliminating her once her usefulness had ended? Could she really expect whomever had found her to simply let her go? Difficult questions with impossible answers. A few more things to consider. Perhaps this Oracle fellow would be able to shed a bit more light on her situation and if not .. she would find her own way. Somehow.

06:03:17 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Somewhere along the I10, Los Angeles, CFS

A brief tour around the industrial lot had reinforced her belief that the place was mostly empty, with only a few light utility vehicles and no signs of security personnel. She entertained the thought of 'borrowing' a small pickup truck for a ride back to town but discarded it almost immediately; it would be better to leave no trace that anyone was there, much less a lone 'runner sticking her neck out much too far already.

So Cosmo sighed and went through the contents of her duffel, selecting the same silvery top she'd worn earlier and a pair of low-slung jeans that fit her to perfection. Her long hair had become curlier than usual in the tight bun she'd fixed before working on the Roadmasters, a fact she took advantage of by shaking the mane about her torso while she walked along the 10.

Only a matter of time, now....

06:05:38 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo smiled as she heard the tone of the vehicle's engine change, unloading as the driver came off the accelerator. The wide swath of electric blue from the headlights cast her shadow on the road in front of her, but she didn't look back.

Not yet.

Gravel crunched beneath tires, and Cosmo took one more step, swinging her hips and her hair around, her eyes and smile curving like the weapons they were. Only to have the red and blue lightbar on top of the cruiser illuminate.

Facts impressed themselves onto her memory, even as the door opened and the Ranger stepped out into the night. The vehicle was a California Ranger's modified GMC MPUV, dressed in digital desert camouflage, and equipped with pursuit and law enforcement accessories.

The officer himself was young from what she could see, wearing the one piece gray tactical jumpsuit and tac gear that was standard issue to the Rangers. As he came around the hood of the cruiser, he unsnapped the cover on his stun baton holster.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

06:06:06 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

Her devastating smile never faltered though her soft gasp was timed in perfect sync to the lights that didn't bother her eyes at all. Lifting one arm to shield her face from the glare (as well as expose a healthy expanse of bare midriff), she pretended not to notice the weapon at his hip.

"Hmm," Cosmo inclined her head toward him, "could be. You aren't heading toward town, by chance?"

Headed my way, handsome?

06:06:29 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"Yes, ma'am, I am."

Almost in response to Cosmo's gesture the cruiser's lights dim, dropping down to illuminate the ground at their feet. He remained standing outside arm's reach, his posture relaxed but primed. It was textbook: his approach, his positioning, the way his eyes scanned her eyes, then her hands, then the surroundings.

"I'm afraid that it's illegal for pedestrians to be on the interstate. May I see some identification, please?"

06:06:41 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

A world full of dirty fragging cops and I have to find this one. Bloody lovely.

She sighed heavily, bringing 'unconscious' attention away from her face, eyes darting up and down the highway to be sure she was clear in case she had to ..

what? Assault an officer on the side of the road and abscond with his car? Please.

"I would, Officer," her soft voice tinged with a hint of breathy respect for his position, "but that's part of the problem. My boyfriend and I, we were driving and .. got into an argument. I wanted to turn around but he told me to get out."

Cosmo looked at him, eyes wide, and sighed again.

"My purse was in the glovebox and I didn't have time to get it before he pushed me onto the road. Please, help me?"

06:07:03 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

There was a second of hesitation as the Ranger weighed her explanation, taking in her posture and her clothes, the slight dishevelled look to her hair.

"This boyfriend, he have a name?"

06:07:11 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"He does. You won't get him in trouble, will you?"

She reached towards him, her pale (almost trembling) hand stopping just short of his chest as she stalled for a few extra seconds to get a better read on this young, handsome Ranger.

06:07:38 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"You're telling me that abandoning you on the side of the road isn't some kind of crime?"

The young Ranger offers a smile to cover the fact that he's shifted back, keeping a safe distance between Cosmo and himself in case she made any suspicious move.

06:07:54 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

She smiled enchantingly and a hint of a girlish dimple peeked out of one cheek.

"You're the expert, Officer. I'm just glad you found me before the cold really started to seep in."

Cosmo rubbed her bare arms, shuddering to reinforce the fact that it was, in fact, January.

06:08:22 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"Yes, it would seem so. Why don't you step into my office and out of the cold. You can tell me the name of the scoundrel who left you out here."

The Ranger gestures towards the rear of the cruiser with his off hand.

06:09:12 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"Thank you so much, Officer."

She took her time walking to the vehicle, smiling up over her shoulder as he helped her inside with a quiet reminder to watch her head. Impossibly long legs took even more time to fold into the spacious backseat, crossing one way and then the other as she 'tried to get comfortable.'

"I don't suppose you'd sit with me, would you? It's been such a stressful night, I'd ..," she sighs again, shaking her head slightly, "I'm sorry. It's fine. You don't need to hear this...."

06:09:49 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"Of course. Just a moment."

The nametag on his uniform, visible by the interior light through the open door, reads McCrossan. He closes the door after Cosmo has suitably arranged herself, continuing around behind the cruiser before sliding in to the driver's seat.

The interior of the vehicle is clean and well kept, a study in steel and gunmetal gray. The security mesh dividing the front and back seats is so fine as to be almost invisible, but Cosmo is willing to bet that it is strong enough to hold back a troll. The front seat is illuminated by the pale flat screen displays from the cruiser's computer and sensors. McCrossan closes his door, turning on the small inside lights and adjusting the environmental controls to blow warm air across Cosmo's feet. Turning to face his passenger, he offers the same warm but professional smile.

"How about a name and address?"

06:11:15 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

Cosmo allowed just a touch of a sulk to paint her lips as he climbed into the driver's seat when she would have been much more effective at close range. A series of names and identities ran through her mind in the few seconds she gave herself to smile back at the Ranger, each one, of course, was immediately discarded since it was clear he'd be checking his computer as soon as she gave him a name. There was one name that would work, but could she risk using it?

"It's Megan, but I can't go home," she breathes, "he'll look for me there and I don't want to see him. Not for a long time. I just need to find a quiet place to think things through, you know?"

06:12:28 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"Megan. Is there somewhere I can drop you where you'll be all right? A friend's place, perhaps?"

McCrossan turned in the driver's seat, fastening his seatbelt.

"You'll want to put your safety belt on, Megan."

The cruiser's lightbar dies, but the highbeams come back on. With a signal, the MPUV pulls back onto the highway, it's pursuit turbine snarling.

06:13:03 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Grand Ave Exit, Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"I'll be all right so long as I'm out of the cold. A coffee bar, maybe? Someplace near a hotel? I really just need to clear my head and get a good, long sleep."

She sighs again, masking her intense relief by glancing out the window. Not many people in her profession could say that they'd be entirely comfortable buckled up in the back of a Highway Patrolman's cruiser, and rightly so, but there was a certain security in knowing that she was safe for the next quarter hour or so, even if McCrossan wasn't likely to warm up to her.

Maybe she didn't have to charm everything that moved.

What a novel idea....

06:15:21 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Westbound Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"I don't think I could justify dropping you off just on the corner somewhere. Surely you have a friend in the city who would let you crash on their couch for the night?"

McCrossan drives with skill, signalling and checking his blindspots. His attention extends not only to the positions of the other vehicles on the road, but also to their speeds and intentions. He still has a job to do.

06:17:08 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Westbound Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

"At this hour?" Cosmo chuckled, appreciating skilled driving when she saw it.

"I doubt anyone I know here would still be a friend if I showed up so early on a Saturday morning. Most of them will be comatose until tonight." She absently massaged the side of her neck. "Thanks for caring, Officer McCrossan. I haven't seen a lot of that in this city and it's nice to know that there's someone looking out for you, you know?"

06:21:07 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Westbound Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

She caught him watching her in the rearview mirror again, his eyes flicking back to the road when she tried to hold his gaze. A soft smile stole across her lips as she found herself back on familiar ground. Silence grows between them, broken only by the rhythm of the tires on the road, and the occasional passing vehicle. McCrossan finally breaks the silence, his voice a little less detached than before.

"I know a deli that's open early. They serve a respectable breakfast. You could get some coffee and a croissant or whatever your particular brand is."

06:22:45 Saturday 06 January 2063 - Westbound Interstate 10, Los Angeles, CFS

The radiant angelic glow that suffused her features at the mention of coffee was hardly contrived; there were few things in life she enjoyed as much as a cup of good, hot java. Some things she enjoyed more, of course, but those weren't quite as accessible as what she was being offered now.

"Mm, that sounds fantastic. Tell me, Officer, have you had breakfast yet?"