12:54:39 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Wrathmore shook his head. "According to my staff, this is the only visual we have of the individual."

He glanced at the young man standing by the display screen, who nodded and then departed the room. The older security chief stood and moved to the screen, manipulating it with silent mental instructions.

"The Hotel jealously protects its position as neutral territory. We show no favor towards any faction, force, or organization. We ensure complete anonymity for our guests, and it is my responsibility to enforce these statutes."

He paused, not looking at either Mac or Frankie, the image on screen rotated and overlaid with a schematic of the hotel floor. Mac measured out the distances and realized that Wrathmore had narrowed down the ambiguity to a series of three rooms on the sixth floor.

"Further, the Hotel allows any business to be conducted on the premises that does not jeopardize the safety of its tenants nor the integrity of the operation."

Wrathmore glanced meaningfully at Mac.

12:58:33 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac could hear Frankie's teeth grind with the same frustration she felt yet she couldn't hide the slight smile from her lips as Wrathmore dropped them silent breadcrumbs that Frankie seemed to miss in her restlessness and annoyance.

"Of course. And if one was to find one of your guests was putting that veil of anonymity and safety at risk and the integrity of the business by bringing a lot of potential unwanted attention to the hotel... Would you and your team want to head that off before it got out of hand?"

Mac was hopeful that they would have the support of Wrathmore and or his security team should things go in that direction, but she was already manipulating a plan in her head that Frankie and her could manage on their own.

"Do the elevators require key card access to go to the upper floors Mr. Wrathmore?"

When the older security officer gave a simple nod of his head Mac started to rise to her feet, encouraging Frankie to do the same.

"We appreciate your time and your due diligence."

13:02:21 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Wrathmore nodded again. "Good luck. And remember: we are impartial when it comes to applying the rules. Regardless of who is responsible for the initial breach. I have extended to you all the courtesy due for someone my friend Isomer recommends. From here on out, you're on your own."

Mac inclined her head, indicating her understanding and hauled Frankie out of the room behind her. The younger girl was spitting mad, her fists clenched at her side.

"Who the frag does he think he is?" she snarled, eyes wild.

"Frankie, goddammit! Calm your tits!" hissed Mac glancing around them. She guided the other girl further down the hall and around the corner for some semblance of privacy so she could brief her plan.

13:12:16 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac half walked, half dragged Frankie back out to the lobby before she shared any part of her plan. Hidden in plain sight, she pulled her friend down to one of the couches and had a little tete a tete and pitched her voice just for Frankie's benefit.

"The hotel's about to get a couple of new guests."

She could see the confusion in the furrows of her friend's face and she obviously had been oblivious to Wrathmore's gift back in the office.

"We're going to check in, grab a room on either the fifth or the seventh floors and we're going to go find Holly." Mac said rather matter-of-factly as if her plan was as clear as glass. To Frankie, it was clear as mud and Mac sighed before she laid the rest of her plan out.

"How much drek do you have in that giant bag of yours? You're at least dressed more for work than I am... We're going to grab a room a floor up or down from where Holly is, and we're going to go knock on a few doors looking for the party and get her out of there and safely back to our room."

Frankie nodded slightly and handed Mac her bag to dig through.

"You know I never travel light. But how do you know Holly's on the sixth floor.?"

Mac smiled as her friend didn't disappoint with the contents of her bag, satisfied that she could make something work towards her intended result, she looked back up and caught her friend's eyes.

"Our new friend narrowed it down for me." She smiled slyly before she dropped the important question, "How much cred do you have on you?" She was mentally tallying what she had left after paying Isomer and she knew she was close to fumes.

"Let's get upstairs before we waste any more time."

She rose to her feet and with Frankie bedside her the pair strode to the front desk to get their room.

13:30:08 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac hummed along to the mindless music tinkling from the speakers as she and Frankie rode the elevator up to the eighth floor.

"Two seventy five seems a lot for a room," grumbled the other girl, her mood only slightly mollified by understanding Mac's plan.

"Don't sweat it, sister," replied Mac, false cheerfulness in her voice. "I'm about to come into some nuyen. I can cover this."

Luckily, Frankie didn't push her beyond a skeptical glance. Mac really wasn't in the mood to tell that story. The elevator chimed, the doors sliding open to reveal the anonymous earth tones of the hotel's hallways. The pair followed the signs to find their room, slotting the keycard and stepping inside. The room was very nearly identical to a thousand other nameless hotel rooms Mac had been in, which was comforting in a way, and disquieting in another. The memories of her recent encounter still made her skin crawl, and the scene of tenderness afterwards, when Kovacs claimed her as his own, was just enough to keep the nightmares at bay.

Taking a deep breath, she refocused her concentration on the task at hand.

13:56:41 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac kept her coat on as she steadied herself on the edge of the bed before glancing up towards the door the girls just walked through and ensured it was locked behind them. She forced a bit more sunshine in her voice as Frankie took a seat on the edge of the bed and looked at her expectantly.

“Okay, let’s take a peek at just what all I can borrow from that bag of yours.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes as Frankie dumped the contents of her oversized purse onto the bed and let Mac have at it. Snatching up a few beauty products, Mac thought twice about grabbing the little black dress Frankie had balled up and stuffed inside, but decided against it as she wouldn’t have anywhere to carry her weapon.

As she dumped Frankie’s cosmetics out on the counter in the bathroom she continued to share her plan as she started to make herself look the part she was going to play with the tools she had at her disposal.

“We’re going to knock on the doors till we find her, we’re her friends coming to join the party. Typical day in our lives right? If she’s safe and okay, we’ll get called by the service and have to be elsewhere shortly thereafter. If she’s not, we’re going to take her out of there. I didn’t see anyone else on the video that looked like they were attached to this guy, so it should be fairly easy to get her out of there between the two of us.”

With each stroke of a brush she transformed herself from an almost average teenager and into more of the sultry vixen that had stared back at herself from countless bathroom mirrors like this one. The final touch was a swipe of blood red lipstick that had a shine like PVC vinyl. She gave herself one last look in the mirror and felt the automation of skills long and well-practiced fall back into place as if she had hardly missed a beat and she stepped out of the bathroom to find Frankie staring at her nails, the Pulsar sitting beside her.

“If things go sideways, you’re going to get Holly out of there, get her up here and let Wrathmore know things went tits up and I’m still upstairs in whichever room we find her in. Okay?”

“We’re all going to leave together Mac.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for, but if not I need you to be ready to get her out on your own and up here where it’s safe and get Wrathmore to do his job. I don’t want us to have to do it for him.”

She swallowed hard and helped Frankie gather her things back into her bag and her Pulsar tucked back into the girl’s pocket. She started out the door of their room and once they hit the hallway she linked her arms with Frankie’s and gave her a reassuring smile. They rode the elevator down to the sixth floor in relative silence, the music in the elevator did little to calm her nerves. Glancing up at the signage on the wall she encouraged Frankie to take the turn to the left and made their way to the bank of three rooms where Holly was likely still inside. Before she could talk herself out of the plan, Mac let go of her friend and knocked firmly on the first door, room 623.

14:00:57 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac's senses are on overdrive, adrenaline coursing through her veins. The threat of the unknown had her on combat footing, something she would have classified far differently just a week ago. Now, though, with Kovacs' training fresh in her mind, and the weight of the pistol on her hip, she was acutely aware of the dangerous path she was walking. Not to mention that both Frankie and Holly Anne were depending on her. A minute had elapsed since her knock, and as she raised her hand to rap again, a sliver of motion caught her eye.

From beneath the door, a matte gray insect wriggled out into the hallway. At first she thought it was a cockroach, having run across plenty of those in the anonymous hotel rooms she'd frequented. But then it paused, artfully concealed in the corner of the door, and looked at her. Mac froze in place, a sudden realization chilling her. The hotel was frequented by people who were conducting illegal business, people who didn't want to be surveilled, people who were more likely than not to take responsibility for their own security. People like Kovacs and Tristan and Drift! How would they respond to a sudden and unexpected knock on the door?

"Frankie," she hissed, "don't move."

The other girl froze, eyes wide and searching. Another long, agonizing minute passed. Then the deadbolt on the door shot open, and the panel pulled back several centimeters revealing a face shrouded in shadows amidst the dim light of the hotel room.

"What do you want?" The voice was low, raspy and sibilant. Mac could tell the speaker was male, but beyond that, little else.

14:02:32 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac slipped into her lies as easily as ever while in the back of her head she was berating herself for jumping in with both feet and not thinking multiple steps ahead of herself.

"We're looking for Sierra," she purred dropping the name Holly used most often when she was off the books. "The agency sent us?"

She brushed a piece of hair from her face and flashed a soft and unassuming smile filed with the same naïveté that Holly often showed and she could feel Frankie soften her stance beside her as she took on the role as well like the pro that she was.

"They sent us to the right room didn't they?"

She stole a quick glance from beneath her lashes up towards the man shrouded in shadows and tried to view anything she could make out past him and into his room itself.

14:08:29 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

"Wrong room," replied the voice without hesitation. There's no inflection to the tone, nothing that would betray interest or suspicion although Mac is willing to bet there's a healthy dose of the latter. A separate voice reaches out from the shadows of the room in an exaggerated stage whisper.

"Are they hot?"

This, at last, elicits an emotional response from the figure at the door: a glance aside and a long suffering sigh. Mac can almost imagine Kovacs reacting the same way. The figure turns back to her again. "It's the wrong room. But if you're looking for business, it could be the right room."

"We're looking for our friend more," replied Mac, "sorry to bother."

Frankie blew a kiss and the two girls headed down the hall.

14:10:03 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

The pair of girls moved further down the hallway, left with two rooms to try to gain access to and find Holly. Mac pulled Frankie to the opposite side of the hallway as she studied the doors and the layout for a few moments before she spoke, keeping her voice soft.

"Two doors left. Left or Right?"

The both watched the doors for a moment more before they turned to one another and spoke in unison.

"Right."

Mac smiled darkly in the hallway's shadows. They were on the same wavelength, but she bet they were reaching their conclusions for different reasons. Frankie was thinking like a whore, seeing the room on the right as one with more privacy, sharing only one common wall. Mac was looking at it through new eyes, seeing not only the privacy angle but the room's proximity to the stairway exits and its distance from the elevators and the flow of guest traffic.

She felt the tension pooling in her neck and shoulders as they approached the door, anticipating that if someone answered the door, the might not be as happy to see them as the men in 623.

Frankie stepped up to the door and rapped firmly and Mac stepped back slightly and listened for someone inside.

14:14:51 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

"Hey sugar," smiles Frankie as the door cracks open, eyes and smile inviting, her hips canted seductively. "Somebody said there was a party going on?"

The young man who shifts forward into the light rubs the day old stubble on his chin, grinning hungrily with cold, calculating eyes. Mac is instantly on guard. She can see another figure in the room behind him, roughly same height and build, with a shock of unruly black hair. It's hard to tell without getting a closer look, but she thinks that he's the same one who was with Holly Anne in the surveillance video.

"Nah, no party here," replied the original, still blocking the doorway. "But if you come back later, say around nine? We can party then."

"Whatever you say, sugar," Frankie snaps her gum, "I'll see you tonight!"

Linking arms with Mac, she saunters away down the hall and around the corner towards the elevators before stopping. "I think that was the same guy in the room!"

14:27:03 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

“No drek Sherlock!” Mac hissed, her voice edged with all the frustration that she felt in that moment. While they had likely found the guy they were looking for, they still had no clue if Holly Anne was with them, somewhere else or worse. As Frankie’s eyes widened at her friend’s outburst, Mac softened her frown and ran her hands through her hair.

“Sorry.” She offered in a weak apology, which was the best she could do at the moment. “Yeah, it was probably the same guy, but we’re no closer to knowing if Holly’s with them and if she’s ok. And, we just gave them a seven hour window to disappear since we can’t exactly camp out outside their hotel room and wait to see if they leave and where they go.”

As Mac's words sunk in, Frankie's face fell and her voice cracked as she spoke softly.

"I'm sorry Mac, I wasn't thinking about it like that."

"It's ok, we'll figure something out."

Mac gave her friend's hand what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze before she leaned against the wall next to the bank of elevators and closed her eyes as she tried to think of a way out of waiting around for the next seven hours and skirting her other, just as important responsibilities. She could hear Frankie pacing back and forth in front of her and it sparked an idea. Her eyes popped open as she pushed off the wall, already in motion as she crossed Frankie's path and spun her around to face her. Mac was settling her earbuds into her ears as she gave Frankie a job to do.

"As soon as I get back in front of their door, call Holly's number."

With each stride down the hallway back towards the targeted room, Mac became increasingly more aware of the ambient noises on the floor of the hotel as her earbuds started to amplify sounds exponentially. The sound of the heating system pumping warm dry air through the halls, the sounds of her boots rasping against the generic carpeting and the muffled sounds of illicit and illegal conversations from behind closed doors. She glanced back over her shoulder at Frankie as she tried to focus her attention to the sounds behind a specific door, hoping to hear Holly's ringtone.

14:28:29 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Straining her ears, it isn't Holly Anne's ringtone that Mac hears but a pair of quiet voices over the atonal hiss of a white noise generator. She can just barely make out the words as they converse in low tones.

"Although four other teams were sent out to accomplish the same task, we have to assume that at least half of them have been compromised before being able to execute. This diversion that you've planned is a good idea, but do not get complacent. This close to the execution phase we must be doubly vigilant."

"Don't worry, I won't compromise opsec. Kesh and Oskar are watching the girls. They know what to do. I'll leave in a couple of hours to get them some food and check in on things."

A pause.

"Good. You stay there, and send Oskar back."

Footsteps, loud to Mac's amplified hearing, sound close, heading down the hallway towards her.

14:29:57 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

A moment of relief with the knowledge of talk of "girls" in the present tense was short lived as the rush of adrenaline surged through her at the sound of approaching footsteps. With a snap assessment of her options and being unsure as to just where the footsteps were coming from, either down the hall away from the elevators or from within the room itself, Mac took the out she saw immediately available to her. Pressing herself firmly up against the lock bar of the fire door, she felt the latch release and she let out a grateful breath as there was no alarm, she put the majority of her body behind the door and thumbed her commlink to dial Frankie's number. As the footsteps were nearly on top of her, she stepped back into the hallway, mid "conversation" with Frankie as she tried to look casual and fluid as she stepped back into the hallway in full view of whomever she might cross paths with.

"No luck on a date on the seventh floor either. I'll meet you back at the elevator and we can try the eighth if we're desperate."

She dropped her gaze slightly towards the floor and made her way back towards Frankie and the elevators. If no one bothered her or stopped her, she'd have a chance to regroup in their room and think a little clearer about their next step.

14:32:09 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

The figure doesn't even stop, moving past Mac at a respectable distance. Out of the corner of her eye she can see that it's a slim, dark-haired woman dressed in a form fitting leather jacket with the hood pulled up. A respirator obscures the lower half of her face, her eyes invisible behind slightly mirrored sunglasses. The woman disappears down the far hallway as Mac rendezvous with Frankie. The other girl pops her gum in an effort to remain casual, but her eyes betray her anxiety. Mac shakes her head to ward off any sudden comments, gesturing towards the stairs, and by extension their rented room.

14:41:22 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac shot through the fire door down the hallway opposite of the one she just came as Frankie trailed behind her grudgingly up the two flights to their room as fast as her heels would let them. They had barely entered the room before Frankie started peppering her with questions.

"So, what gives? What did you find out? Was she actually in that room?"

Mac held up her hand to quiet the flow of questions spilling from her friends lips as she paced back and forth in front of the bed, still trying to figure out what they could do next and how best to leverage the situation. It was evident from her voice that her attention was split between bringing Frankie up to speed and plotting their next move.

"It's a good news bad news kind of situation. Good news is it sounded like Holly's alive, the bad news is she's not here and I don't know exactly where she could be. Good news again, one of those guys in the room is heading over to wherever Holly might be, but there are two other guys watching over her and I don't like those odds with just us."

They needed muscle to back them up and as much as she would have loved to reach out and ask for help from Kovacs and Tristan, there was no way she could jeopardize the plans already in motion across town. Mac rubbed at her eyes before she checked the time reflexively. She had a few people she could reach out to who came to mind instantly, but if the drek hit the fan she wanted people she could trust and who could handle themselves. A couple of the bouncers from the clubs sprang it mind right away, but they'd most likely be sleeping off their shifts from the night before. Mac continued to pace and became aware of the fact that Frankie was talking to her.

"...Hello? Are you even listening to me?"

Mac all but ignored whatever her fiend had been saying to continue down the train of thoughts she had been running, pausing her pacing for a moment.

"Sorry, I'm thinking too much. You're still tapped into the network of girls, right? Do you know if anyone else is missing? I figure we have maybe an hour before we need to be out front and watching for one of our mystery men to head out of here and we're going to have to try to follow them to have them lead us to Holly. Only we need more help and I'm drawing a blank on who we can ask. Who else has wheels and is kind of a bad ass?"

Frankie's mouth twisted into a frown as she tried ran through her mental Rolodex of contacts and connections and Mac started pacing again, a black and gold-filtered cigarette finding it's way between her lips as it flared to life.

"Will you sit down already girl while we figure this out, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet if you keep up like that." Frankie chided.

Mac sighed and shrugged out of her coat trying to make herself a bit more comfortable, forgetting that the gun that rested at her hip was now completely visible to Frankie.

14:44:03 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

"Yeah, I'm still plugged in," replied Frankie, a complex undertone to her voice. "Far as I know, Holly Anne is the only one unaccounted for but I can comb the list again."

Her fingers, dressed in their cheap gold rings, danced over the virtual interface of her commlink.

"Although if it's badass you need, I think I got just the boy for it. You remember Mario, big guy used to bounce at The Fallout? He owes me."

Despite her admonition to Mac, Frankie stood and wandered over towards the window, popping her gum impatiently while waiting for her call to connect.

14:47:39 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac nodded and took the opportunity of Frankie stepping away to make her call to update Kovacs and the network of her situation. She was torn between her loyalty to her friend and making sure she was safe, and her need to pull her weight with Kovacs and the rest of the team.

One step forward, two back. My friend isn't here, but it appears she may still be alive. Waiting to follow a lead literally to find where they're holding her. How are things on that end? Let me know if you need me to come back.

With a sigh she tossed the commlink beside her and laid back against the bed, her eyes closed as she thought about their next move, waiting for Frankie to complete her call or for her commlink to ping with a new message.

14:56:11 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac struggled to put together the pieces of information they'd collected already, trying to arrange them so she could derive some course of action, some next step to take that didn't involve breaking down the door to a room with unknown consequences on the other side. Kovacs and Tristan had taught her the basics about personal violence, but hadn't touched on anything about how to direct that violence. Her commlink shivered.

Got it covered on this end, just doing some manual labor. Standing by to assist if needed.

She stared at the plain words hanging in AR, feeling the absence of Kovacs presence keenly, if for no other reason than the warmth it brought to her skin. Frankie's tone intruded, turning from its usual sass to one of concern. Mac glanced over, reading the tension in her friend's shoulders, and slid off the bed. Frankie was off the line before she could reach her, though, turning a face pale with worry towards her.

"What is it?" asked Mac, dreading the answer.

"I think it's more than Holly Anne," said Frankie. "That was Jasmine, the tall brunette who works Simon's crew on the south side? She say's they haven't been able to contact a couple of their girls. They're still looking, though, since it's just Sunday afternoon now. They could have been on an all night ride and are sleeping it off somewhere. But I don't like the sound of it. Mario says he can meet us here in about half an hour, though."

15:12:41 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac nodded solemnly at Frankie’s news with no trace of surprise on her features as it only managed to solidify some type of truth to what she overheard in the hotel room. Her spirits were buoyed slightly by Kovacs’s offer, even knowing that she could reach out if they needed it lifted a little of the weight off of her shoulders. Coupled with having Mario along for the ride and an additional set of wheels made things feel a little less impossible.

“I figured the more we dug, the more we’d find out there were others missing. Those guys in the room on the 6th floor? They’re planning something, maybe something big and definitely not something legal. They were talking about four other “teams” heading out to pick up girls for some kind of distraction for whatever they’ve got planned, and that it’s close to going down. Two guys watching over wherever Holly and the rest of the girls are, this third that we’re going to hopefully be able to follow to their doorstep and the fourth that is staying here at the hotel.”

Mac paused and chewed on her lip while she processed a few more scenarios in her head before turning a pointed gaze back to Frankie.

“You do realize you can't go anywhere near their room later tonight right?”

Frankie’s eyes flashed annoyance coupled with what Mac thought might be disappointment. She knew the girl was likely strapped for cash as much as she was with Wayne having his mental break.

“No drek Mac, but you’re not my mom, OK?”

Mac held up her hands in surrender while she shook her head.

“No, not your mom. But always your sister. Just looking out for you, like you have for me for so many years. Cut me some slack, OK?” A slight smile turned up the corners of her mouth for a moment before it disappeared when she grew serious again. “Maybe we should put the word out through the network? Everyone keep their guard up because if they’re still looking for additional girls for whatever this is…”

Frankie quickly nodded in agreement and the two girls pulled their commlinks and started to send out rapid-fire messages to their connections, their friends, their sisters. Mac’s final message however went straight to Kovacs.

Thanks for the standby support. Planning on tailing this guy to at least hopefully find out where he’s holding the girls, then build a plan from there. Not liking what I overheard at the hotel. More later. –M

Mac slipped her commlink back into her pocket and looked over at Frankie.

“Why don’t we head downstairs, jump in the car and watch the door while we’re waiting on Mario? I won’t forgive myself if that creep leaves and we’re sitting up here and we lose the one lead we’re clinging to.”

15:39:26 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Frankie nods in agreement, although Mac is fairly certain that her sister whore just wants to be in motion rather than waiting. Not only was she impatient to find Holly Anne, but she was also likely still chemically wired from her Saturday. Collecting up her stuff, Mac made sure that the room was in the same state as they found it before following Frankie out into the hall. Standing by the elevators, her commlink didn't stop shivering, multiple texts moving back and forth amidst the web of working girls. Word would travel fast through the network of whores. The sisters might compete viciously with one another over real estate and tricks, but nothing got in the way of them covering for each other's safety.

Mac kept them to the side of the lobby, slipping out a side entrance before making their way to where the Shadow lay parked in the late afternoon sunshine. Despite their quick exit, Mac still caught the watchful gaze of Dennis from where he stood by the concierge's desk. She dipper her head to him, receiving nothing but an stony gaze in reply.

Settling in to the driver's seat of the Shadow, she divided her attention between watching the front doors of the hotel and dealing with the multitude of messages on her commlink. The minutes still dragged past, Frankie's incessant fidgeting was contagious, and Mac found herself twisting her fingers together, drumming them restlessly on the steering wheel. With an effort of will she stilled her body, searching for the quiet center that she'd found with Tristan earlier that morning.

15:44:18 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac closed her eyes and did her best to tune out Frankie's fidgeting as she stilled her hands on the wheel before she let them slide down into her lap. Deep breaths edged her closer to a level of calm but nothing like where she was this morning. She forced her mind clear, not even letting herself think about Kovacs, while she lost herself in the void.

"He's here."

Frankie's declaration made Mac's eyes snap open and lock onto the rear view mirror expecting to see a now familiar shock of black hair exiting the hotel. Instead she only saw the closed front doors and no one around as Frankie rocketed from the passenger side door. She looked away from the mirror and out the windshield where Frankie was fast approaching a tall, stocky blonde who was exiting a gray SUV a few rows up from them.

She could see why Frankie had called him, and the fact he had a vehicle that was capable of carrying multiple passengers wasn't lost on Mac either. She stepped out of the Shadow and walked up to the pair outside the SUV as they trailed off their conversation at her approach, but she could see the look in Frankie's eyes. Full blown obsession for the man that stood beside her, Mac was all to aware she was dangerously close to that look herself these days. She inclined her head towards the blonde god, and forced a brightness to her tone but made no move to offer her hand as her gaze moved from the blonde, back to the front door of the hotel.

"You must be Mario, I'm betting Frankie brought you up to speed on why you're here?"

15:52:39 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

The blonde blinks in some surprise. "Naw, I'm Gulfen. That's Mario."

Mac followed Gulfen's gesture towards the other side of the vehicle in time to see a heavily muscled black ork heading towards them.

"Hey." The voice was somewhat at odds with the image, a smooth, urbane tenor. Frankie stepped away from Gulfen long enough to give Mario a hug.

"Thanks for coming, I appreciate the help."

The ork shrugged, lifting the ball cap he wore to run a hand through his short dread locks. "Ain't no thing. I owed you after you helped out with that thing I had a while back."

Mario shifted his gaze to Mac, who under other circumstances might have felt a little embarrassed about the mistake. The days events, though, have left her hollow and tense, with little energy left to spend on a social faux pas. "You'd be Mac, then?"

"Yeah," she replied, "and I appreciate you coming down as well. How much has Frankie told you?"

"Not much. She said that you think these guys got one of the girls in a flop somewhere and we're gonna follow 'em there and break her out." Mario's voice remained level, without the trace of braggadocio that a younger, less experienced man would have added. To him, it seemed like a simple fact. This is what will happen because I say it will happen. Both Frankie and Gulfen nodded in agreement.

"In a nutshell, yeah. I think there may be as many as four of them," added Mac, then went on in a cautionary tone. "But these aren't jumped up street punks we're dealing with, they're more like career criminals, professionals who are using the kidnapped girls as part of a plan. We're going to have to be a little more subtle than just kicking in the front door and busting heads."

Mario glances skeptically at Gulfen who shrugs. The ork turns back to Mac. "Well, I suppose we can try and do subtle. It's not our strong suit, though. We're really brick and mortar type guys."

"Mostly brick," amplifies Gulfen, and Mac has to crack a smile.

"Well, we'll work with what we've got," she replied. "You cool riding with me?"

Mario shrugged. "As long as your wheels've got the legroom."

Mac gestured towards the Shadow parked the next row over. Mario whistled in admiration. "I'll make an exception for that."

15:59:07 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac cracked a slight smile at Mario's sudden found enthusiasm for the Shadow, she shared it herself and she couldn't wait to get back behind the wheel. She glanced back over at Frankie and Gulfen and broke into whatever moment they were sharing by laying out a bit of her plan.

"I've got others standing by if this gets to be a more delicate operation than the four of us can handle alone. Right now I figure we keep our 'links open and you two can follow our guy as discreetly as possible and we can follow a block over since the Shadow is going to be a bit harder to keep on the subtle side of things. Frankie you're going to have to keep me on route by telling me whatever turns you make and which way our guy heads."

She paused to make sure Frankie was digesting the plan along with everyone else, and bought a little time for her to wrestle with bringing Kovacs into the mix now, or if/when the drek hit the fan.

"Once we know where they've got the girls, and we get a better idea of the situation outside and the surrounding area we can better make a plan as to what we'll do to get the girls out with the least amount of damage to them, or to us. Until then, we wait for him to come out."

16:08:14 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

"Sounds like a plan," replied Mario. He rummaged through the side pocket of his jacket in pursuit of what Mac assumed would be a cigarette or, worse, a popper. Instead, he came out with a thick pack of chewing gum, which he offered after prying loose a cube for himself. Mac accepted gratefully, thinking it a good omen.

"So how is it that you know Frankie?"

"Street sister," replied Mac after a moment, confused as to why Mario couldn't immediately tell that she was a working girl. The ork gave her a well, duh look.

"Almost literally. We grew up in the same stable." Mac shivered. The wind was picking up. She flicked her head towards the shelter of the Shadow and Mario shrugged, following her lead by opening the passenger door. He slid the seat all the way back before wedging himself in. It was a tight fight, but appeared to be reasonably comfortable. Mac dropped into the driver's seat, and although she put the key in the ignition, she left the engine off for the time being.

"How come I never saw you at the club, then?"

Mac grinned. "My talents would have been wasted. I have skills which are in demand by a certain clientele."

Mario cocked his head back, gazing at her from the corner of his eye. "Izzat so? Must be quite the talent."

You have no idea, whispered the voice in her head, but she held her tongue. Memories bubbled to the surface of her mind, rope wound tight around her skin, her eyes closed, hair wild as Kovacs bent her body to his pleasure, his skin hot against hers. She shivered again, pushing the thoughts away.

"So they say," she muttered quietly, glancing towards the truck where Frankie and Gulfen sat. She couldn't see through the tinted windows, but she trusted her friend.

"This guy we're watching for, he about a meter sixty, athletic, black hair?"

"Yeah, sounds like him, why?" Mac turned back towards Mario, in time to catch his gesture towards the hotel.

"I think that's him."

16:17:36 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Heart of the City Hotel, 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Bellevue, Seattle

Mac shifted her legs and popped her gum forcefully to force the thoughts of Kovacs from her head. Mario's declaration turned her full attention to the doors of the hotel as she verified that the guy leaving was actually one of the two from inside.

"Looks like it's time to put this all in motion"

She felt Mario settle into the seat beside her as she didn't hesitate to push her call through to Frankie who while she answered immediately had a slight breathiness to her voice. Shaking her head she kept her eyes trained on the mass of jet black hair as it wove its way through the parking lot.

"He's moving to his vehicle, keep the line open and get ready to follow him at a slight distance and keep me up to date on his directions."

Mac heard the almost instant rumble of their SUV as Gulfen fired the engine, but she made no move to start the Shadow, knowing she could make up any initial distance quickly if they rolled out just behind the SUV. She waited until he climbed into his vehicle and she knew Frankie and Gulfen had his car in their sights before she eased the Shadow out of its parking spot and quietly cursed herself when she gave it a little more gas than she had wanted to as she headed in the opposite direction and looped around the block to run parallel to the SUV.

17:39:06 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - northeast corner of 140th Ave NE and 40th NE, Renton, Seattle

Staying on the line with Frankie allowed Mac to coordinate their pursuit of the nondescript Ford Americar that pulled out of the parking lot ahead of Gulfen's SUV. Mario kept his eyes out, calling out lane changes and sightings as the Shadow alternately trailed and paralleled the target. Their route took them out of Bellvue via the 202 into Redmond. Mac fretted that they were headed into the barrens, which would almost immediately expose the tail. Instead, the Americar turned south, crossing into Renton but remaining on the surface streets. As the pursuit went on, she couldn't fit the growing sense that the driver and his team were taking pains to fly underneath the radar. Frankie's voice broke into her thoughts.

"He's pulling into a driveway, looks like some kind of commercial property, warehouse with an office. We're passing by now. He's definitely stopping. We'll be at the end of the block."

Mario, listening in to the call, pointed and Mac nodded, seeing the SUV as they crossed the parallel street to make a left. "Got it, we'll be right there. Sit tight."

17:51:13 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mac drove past the parked SUV, deciding to take a tour around the outside of the warehouse from the security of the Shadow trying to spot any security or other bodies watching over the place. Kovacs' voice echoed in her head as she took the car back around the corner and was instantly taken back to his lesson in Redmond about hiding the truck, and she quickly attempted to put theory to practice to stash the Shadow before she and Mario could make it back to the SUV on foot.

Once the Shadow was tucked away within a couple of blocks of the warehouse so she could get back to it in a hurry if necessary, she and Mario walked back to where Frankie and Gulfen waited for them and slid into the backseat bringing a swirl of chill evening air with them to the otherwise warm interior of the SUV. Mac already had her commlink in hand as she slid across the back seat to make room for Mario.

"Did you see him go in? Did anyone else come out yet?"

She asked as her fingers worked dexterously to send an important update knowing if things went sideways, Kovacs was 30 minutes away at best, and to filter quickly through any updated messages via their network to get a better idea of who might be inside and how many other girls they might have to help get out.

Found where they're holding our friends, some warehouse in Renton. We're keeping watch getting a feel for what we're up against, appreciate you on standby. Not sure how this is going to play out.

She made sure to geotag her message with their exact location before she hit send. In the meantime the foursome sat inside the SUV and watched and waited for the man Mac expected to be Kesh to emerge and return to the hotel.

18:02:44 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

The building appears to be a two story light commercial application structure, with a warehouse portion abutting and attached to a series of offices. It's not large, perhaps twenty by forty meters all told, but in this case that's more than enough room to hold trouble for Mac's coterie. She puts her lessons to good use, scanning the rooftop and eaves of the structure, as well as those surrounding it and across the street, her eyes probing for signs of security or surveillance. None are readily apparent. Again, Mac is struck by the feeling that although these appear to be professional operators, they're doing all they can to evade detection and avoid arousing suspicion.

"Haven't seen anyone in or out yet," replied Frankie, turning in her seat to look at Mac as she and Mario climbed into the truck. "We gonna wait for that other guy to leave then kick in the door?"

Mac shook her head, mostly hoping that Frankie was joking, replying even as she felt her commlink shiver. "Maybe something a little quieter."

Copy. Be careful. Let me know what you need.

18:07:39 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

You.

The simple thought was an instant response the moment she read the message and she had to consciously stop herself from sending a mirroring message back. Truth be told she would have felt better having Kovacs there with her, not only for his level of competence and skill but for the level of confidence he brought to her as well. Mac's lips twisted into something of a grimace over the thought of kicking in the door and going in hard and unprepared as to what might await them inside.

"I don't like the idea of kicking in the front door since we have no idea of what is waiting on the other side or even where they're holding the girls if we make it past the door." She was talking things through as she was sorting the quickly diminishing options in her head.

"We need eyes inside, but even if one of us could get in..." Her train of thought derailed a bit as she was thinking about the lack of visible security, the likely limited numbers inside and if there would be a way to actually get someone into the building without being detected. The guys were out, they were both too big, too obvious. Frankie was about as subtle as a bull in a china shop on a good day, and she was hardly dressed for stealth. Which left her as the only option, with no visible way in besides the front door and a plan started to form in her head.

“Frankie, hand me your Pulsar.” It was more of a statement than an actual request which drew a slightly icy glare from the raven-haired girl in the front seat which softened only when Mac added an impatient “Please.”
She then turned her attention towards Mario.

"Are either of you carrying anything besides your fists?” She cocked a brow, silently hoping that the answer would be ‘yes.’ She watched two pairs of eyes move back and forth between their faces in a form of silent communication that came from working together, much like between Kovacs and Tristan. Satisfied they might be a little more prepared than she originally thought she tossed her idea out to the three of them.

“Here’s what I’m thinking. We wait for the one guy, Kesh to head back to the hotel. Based off what I overheard at the hotel, that leaves the guy we followed plus one more inside watching over the girls. Granted I don’t know if that’s all that’s inside, but I figure if I go to the door I’ve got a 50/50 chance of having the one who hasn’t ever seen me before answer. He answers, I con my way inside, we know they’re holding working girls. If the one we followed answers, I use Frankie’s Pulsar and we get inside. Either way Frankie you stay with the SUV and keep it ready to get out of here in a hurry, the guys can hang back slightly and either come in with me if I can take down the one, or come kick the door down if the drek hits the fan.”

Mac paused to watch them digest the beginnings of her plan before she continued.

“Hopefully if I can get inside without raising suspicions too high, or without causing bodily harm I’ll still have my ‘Link on me and I can find where they’re holding the girls and let you all know if we keep a line open again. Get a better idea of how to get everyone out safe too. If I go silent, or you don’t hear from me for 10 minutes, you’ll all know something is wrong and can come ready to thump skulls. Thoughts? ”

Mac tried to keep the plan simple and hoped the anxiousness she felt hadn’t bled through to her voice. While she waited for their feedback she fired off a message for Frankie’s eyes only.

If I get into trouble inside, I need you to do something for me. Call this number <<k.vcf>>, tell them I’m in trouble and we’re still at the same location. This is my safety net, please use it if things all go to hell.

18:14:53 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

As Mac outlined her ideas, Mario was rummaging through the rear storage compartment of Gulfen's SUV. He turned in response to her question, hefting a pair of Remington shotguns. Mac glanced from the long arms to him and back.

"That'll do," she commented wryly.

"Not sure these guys are going to be cool about answering a knock on the door of their hideout," started Gulfen, an astute observation from an unexpected source. "What if you rang up front while we kick in the back door?"

"Hey, heads up," called Frankie, gesturing towards the building. A figure, indistinctly male in a long coat and hat, was exiting and heading to the car that just pulled up.

"All right, so his exit means two inside plus maybe a hostage or two?" Mario leaned over the center console to watch the action. "I like them odds."

18:18:07 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mac nodded as she silently longed for the familiarity of the Remington in her hands.

"No guarantees that we're down to just two inside, that's just the only ones I'm aware of. And we still don't know where the girls are inside that space."

A slight frown creased her forehead as she chewed on her lip.

"I suppose going at them from both sides makes more sense, I just worry about our friends' safety inside going in hard."

As the four of them turned their attention eagerly towards the front of the building, the man in the long coat and the dark Americar, Mac fired off one more message to Kovacs out of curiosity as much as a need for more information on what they might be going up against.

Don't suppose the names Kresh or Oskar mean anything to you, running in a crew of at least four, possibly more?

18:19:26 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

"Might could use something more surgical then," mused Gulfen, racking the slide on his Remington to chamber a round despite the comment. Mario grunted, turning back to the cargo compartment.

"Look, I know we're not SWAT or anything," started Mac, only to hold up short as the bouncer withdrew a massive revolver from the back. "What the frag is that?"

"Ruger Bloodhawk," Mario grinned proudly. "Came out almost a decade ago, one of their first combat revolvers for bigger hands. Took this one off a troll who thought he was more important than he was."

Mac eyed the hand cannon. "Not sure that qualifies as surgical."

"Oh ye of little faith," chided Mario, checking to make sure the pistol was loaded. Her commlink shivered to an incoming text.

Names don't ring a bell. Want me to source them through Isomer?

18:23:13 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

I know he's fast, but the guys we're with aren't likely to wait for long by the looks of things. But I suppose it can't hurt, I'm trying to get a handle on what we're walking into.

Mac quietly hoped Isomer would come through with something tangible before they got too far in over their heads, but by the looks of the gun Mario was going to carry in the point might be moot.

She could feel the tension laced through with adrenaline and excitement building in the truck. The guys thrived on it at some level, often looking forward to bouncing some jackass out of the club, coming to the aid of a female patron even and being the hero, but Mac wasn't feeding off it for a change. Usually she would be throwing herself headfirst into the fray, but it was always at her own peril not at the potential cost of her friends and she still worried about Holly Anne inside and just what bigger plan they'd be breaking up. How important it would be to that team to complete their job.

She shook her head and tried to buy a bit more time to hear back from Kovacs.

"How long do you think you'll need to get in place at the back door and how do you want to time it? Want to wait for me to try to bring them to the front?"

18:26:39 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

"Maybe ten minutes," guessed Mario. "We can just drop you a text when we're ready. Then call us when you knock on the door. As soon as we hear 'em answer, we'll go in through the back."

Mac rubbed the back of her neck. She couldn't see anything wrong with that plan although she was pretty sure that Kovacs would have had a better way to go about it. Her commlink shivered with an incoming text, as if the thought had brought about the action.

Request sent. Anticipate a text direct from Isomer. Probably five minutes.

18:30:51 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

A glance at the incoming message caused her to send a quick response back.

Thanks, I owe you.

As Mac waited for a text from Isomer, she silently agreed to Mario's part of the plan with a nod.

"Let's do this, sooner we get it over with, the sooner we can all go celebrate."

She watched as the guys nodded and looked at one another for an instant before they both slipped from their respective doors of the SUV and Frankie slid over to the driver's seat and cranked up the heat. Mac leaned forward between the front seats but kept quiet as the two girls watched Mario and Gulfen disappear around the corner of the block. She could hear Frankie's breathing slow with a long exhale that she found herself matching. She reached her hand out and rested it on her friend's shoulder with a light squeeze.

"We'll all get out of here ok. Keep your eyes peeled and promise me you'll make that call if anything goes sideways."

Frankie nodded in the front seat but said nothing, her eyes locked on something outside the front window of the SUV. Mac slid across the back seat to the door and opened it, whispering "wish me luck" as she stepped out into the biting cold and she pulled her coat tightly around her. As she pushed the door closed and stepped away from the SUV, Mac steeled her resolve as she slowly made her way towards the front door, thinking back to the other night at the Underworld with Kovacs, pulling on memories that made her feel a rush of excitement to mask the anxiety that was growing as she drew closer to the front door of the warehouse.

18:37:08 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mac did her best to slow the rapid thunder of her heartbeat, but it was a vain effort. Not even walking into a Yakuza den with Tristan had been this nerve wracking. But then she knew the caliber of operator that Tristan was. And she'd known, although perhaps not fully appreciated, what Kovacs would have done in the case trouble came calling. But here, now? It was her and two unknowns against a stack of more unknowns, with lives in the balance. Certainly Holly Anne's, and most likely hers, Mario's, and Gulfen's. Mac rubbed her hands together, suddenly finding them damp. Her commlink buzzed as she crossed the parking lot towards the front door of the warehouse, doing her best to move casually.

Ready when you are -M

She scanned the building's facade one more time, searching for any detail that her earlier surveillance might have missed. Seeing nothing that altered the current game plan, Mac took a breath and opened a call to Mario, waiting for the icon to click over to green before knocking on the door. Long seconds ticked past. She knocked again, louder but trying not to be insistent. Still nothing.

"Keep knocking, we're going in," said a low voice over her commlink.

18:38:49 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mac held her breath as Mario’s voice filled her ears with his whisper. This was the point where everything could go well, or go horribly wrong. It wasn’t lost on her that they were about to press forward without any additional info and her hopeful five minute window had passed.

Come on Isomer.

”Hold,” Mac whispered softly trying to buy a few more precious seconds. ”Waiting on updated intel on the inside.”

Confident she could work an angle and prolong a distraction at the front door if she could draw those inside, she raised her fist again and pounded with a bit more force on the metal door.

18:38:50 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mac's instruction is either too soft to be heard by ears keyed up with adrenaline, or, more likely, ignored in the rush to action. Her knock is swallowed up by the sharp crash from the rear of the building, although it's loud only to Mac's sensitive ears. She curses, anger and fear and adrenaline mixing poorly in her stomach. She turns to jam her commlink in her pocket, readying the taser. The motion saves her life. A pair of bullet holes appear in the door in front of her at approximately chest level, and something hot flicks at her shoulder. A shotgun booms from inside the building, answered by a stutter of automatic gunfire. Mac reels backwards, sliding against the wall for better cover. More gunfire sounds from inside, a pair of loud cracks followed by another shotgun blast.

18:38:51 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

"Frag this," muttered Mac. The confrontation had turned lethal already, she had no need for the taser. She dropped it into her pocket before reaching back and drawing her Browning. The motion, alien outside two days ago, now felt somehow familiar, her lessons with Kovacs at Locus' range springing into her head unbidden. She crossed the door low and fast, putting her back to the jamb on the opposite side before testing the latch. It was locked. Muted shouting reached her ears, faint due to the shocking loudness of the gunshots from moments before. The voices seem to be getting closer.

18:38:54 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

The door opens. Mac turns, bringing her weapon to bear, only to see the thin disk of a concussion grenade come flipping through the narrow opening. She whips back the other way, launching herself towards the corner of the building. Behind her, the slam of the door is followed immediately by the thunderous detonation of the grenade.

18:38:55 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

The flash and overpressure are stunningly painful, driving Mac to her knees despite the shelter of the wall.

"Frankie, make the call!" she shouted, although her voice sounded distant and tinny to her ears. She thumbed the volume on her commlink up, trying to glean a semblance of information about what was happening inside the building. The front door burst open again, a pair of figures hurtling into the night. The SUV's engine turns over, far too quick for Frankie to be reacting to Mac's shout. The halogens throw spooky beams through the dust and haze of the grenade blast, illuminating both figures. The first fires off a shot at the truck, while the second pivots, something clutched in his hand. Mario's hand cannon booms, loud despite the recent explosion. The second figure collapses in on itself as the round strikes home. The interior of the warehouse detonates, a brilliant flash of angry light that throws Mario out into the yard, the back of his jacket aflame.

18:38:56 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

A glassy calm envelopes Mac, and time slowed to a crawl. Her hands lifted seemingly of their own volition, the sights of the pistol bright in the reflected light of the explosion. Dimly, she can hear the rustle of grass as she settles onto her knee, arms outstretched. The fleeing figure appears almost motionless in her view, its leg poised in mid step. Her pistol recoils into her hand silently, the impulse traveling up her arms and into her shoulders. Something dimples the back of the figure's jacket. The trigger on her pistol clicks against her finger and Mac fires again. Sound and heat rushes back into her as if the bullet had pierced a glass veil around her, the flat snap of her pistol firing seemed like thunder compared to the sudden silence it replaced, and in the distance she can hear the approaching wail of sirens. Mario screams in pain, flailing desperately on the ground in an attempt to extinguish the flames burning him.

18:39:43 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mac looked down at the pistol still held steady in her outstretched hands and blinked twice as the reality of the situation folded in around her. Mario's screams and the encroaching sirens cut through the level of shock that had set in and she pushed off her back foot and rose to her feet making her way as quickly as her body would let her towards the Ork's smoldering frame, her fingers fumbling as she reholstered her Browning and quickly pulled her coat from her shoulders, draping it over Mario's back to try to extinguish the flames.

Her dark eyes flicked between the two bodies that laid crumpled near them as Mario's screams pitched down to low keening moans. She realized how vulnerable she left herself sitting without her longcoat, and moved quickly to kneel near Mario's ear, her voice soft but firm.

"Cops aren't far from here, we need to get you out of here. Can you move?"

She swallowed hard before she said anything else, her eyes moving towards the door.

"Gulfen? The girls?"

Her questions were answered by additional moans and Mac keyed her commlink to get Frankie to pull the truck up to try to get Mario into the truck as she tentatively stepped towards the door while Frankie's panicked babble filled her ears.

18:41:29 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mario grunts in pain, rolling to his feet with a gasp as the motion tears open the skin beneath his melted coat.

"I kin make it," he mutters, more to himself than in answer to Mac's question, but it suffices. Mac turns back, looking through the door in a vain hope that someone might have survived the blast inside the warehouse. The utter wreckage of the interior disabuses her of that notion. Smoke still curls through the open doorway, hanging thick in the air inside, but most of the flames are dying down. Nothing is left inside that's larger than her fist, and although the only smell in the air is the clay-like combustion residue of the plastic explosives, Mac can feel the bile rise in her throat.

Turning away, she hurries to help Mario, who's made it halfway to the truck. He shrugs off her attempt to lift his arm over her shoulder, more out of the impracticality of it all than any kind of wounded pride. Instead, she took two full strides and reached the door before him, opening it only to find more bad news. Frankie huddled in the driver's seat, her face drawn and pale with abject fear. Dark red blood bubbles from between the fingers she has clenched over her right shoulder.

18:46:37 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - 120 Factory Ave N, Renton, Seattle

Mac's world collapsed further in on her as she watched her friend bleeding in the front seat. She silently added the guilt for this onto that which had already piled up for how completely sideways and fragged up this had all gone. Mac closed her eyes and regained some semblance of control by pushing the storm of emotions she was feeling down, trying to detach like she would with clients.

She slammed her hand against the exterior of the truck as she opened her eyes, causing Frankie to flinch with fear, more blood seeping between her fingers with the movement. Mac's face softened slightly with concern, but her eyes remained cold and her voice was firm when she spoke.

"Frankie, did you make the call?"

As her friend took a second before nodding, Mac changed her plans, throwing open the back door so Mario could climb in across the seat in back. Slamming the front passenger side door, she came around to the driver's side and eased Frankie into the back seat beside Mario.

"One of you keep pressure on her shoulder, hard pressure. We're going to see Doc Baker, he still owes me one last favor."

Mac slid into the driver's seat, tossing her coat into the passenger's seat with a wince of pain that cut into the adrenaline spiking through her. As she nosed the truck into the street she opened up the first of two calls, this one to Kovacs, and waited until it connected as she tried to put distance between them and the warehouse without drawing attention as she aimed north.

"Change of plans. Taking two for medical. Shadow's still on site, tucked away." Her voice was clipped and as strained as her nerves.

18:54:13 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - westbound out of Renton, Seattle

Kovacs' voice held the distant, atonal quality of active encryption.

"On the way. We'll recover it."

Mac nodded, jamming down the accelerator to merge through traffic. "Gotta go. We're on the road to the street doc."

"Update when able," instructed Kovacs before ending the call. Mac let her commlink drop, focusing her attention on driving.

"How we doing back there?"

"She's in shock," replied Mario, surprisingly calm given the state of his own injuries. "But the bleeding has slowed. Drive faster."

19:03:29 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Westbound out of Renton, Seattle

She needed no more encouragement to pick up speed, especially once they had threaded their way across the surface streets of Renton and onto the I-5. Mac's eyes travelled frequently from the highway stretched out before her to the rear view mirror, stealing glances to be certain they weren't being followed as much as to check on Frankie sprawled across the backseat, eyes closed and unmoving.

She drove aggressively through the sparse traffic that littered the highway south of downtown, her attention only slightly distracted as she placd the call to Doc Baker figuring she owed him at least a heads up before she dropped Frankie and Mario on his table. She wasn't surprised to hear a level of detachment to the doctor's voice when he finally picked up her call, aware of just who was calling.

"Baker Primary Care Clinic."

"Hello Doctor. I have one of your dependents with me, emergency situation. She has a bullet wound to her shoulder and an additional friend who needs your assistance."

"I'm sorry but I'm unable to..."

"Cut the drek Doc, we're about 15 minutes out and you will take them because you have a contract on one, and you owe me for the other."

Mac heard him start to say something before stopping himself and then acquiesce with a heavy sigh and she nodded to herself, grateful it wasn't a long-fought battle.

"Have the door to the garage bay open for a white SUV, she's going to need your immediate help."

She ended the call abruptly and tossed her commlink to the seat beside her as she continued their rapid drive north.

19:19:44 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Baker Primary Care Clinic, 500 19th Ave E, Downtown, Seattle

Mac was grateful that as she came down Republican and made the left onto 19th, the garage door was rolled up and the bay empty as she aggressively pulled into the clinic, stopping just short of Doc Baker before killing the engine. She jumped from the driver's seat as the garage door was already rolling back down, concealing the SUV inside. Mario was slow to exit the opposite side of the vehicle as Mac moved to the rear passenger door and beckoned the doctor over urgently.

Doc Baker regarded Mac coolly as he approached and acknowledged her presence.

"Kenzie."

"Jon," she returned his greeting and got just as personal. "It's Frankie, and that's her not-yet-on-the-books muscle."

Looking at Frankie's body, stretched out across the back seat unmoving, he quickly snapped back into doctor mode and made quick work getting her out of the back of the SUV and into the clinic where he immediately went to work to stabilize her. Mario shuffled in slowly after and Mac stopped only long enough to grab her coat and commlink from the front seat before she stepped into the clinic and parked herself on a couch with a hiss of pain that shot through her shoulder where the blood had started to dry and fuse her sweater to her skin.

20:07:28 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Baker Primary Care Clinic, 500 19th Ave E, Downtown, Seattle

"It's a jacketed hollow point, hundred and twenty five grain from the remaining weight, probably one of SK's barrier blind tactical application rounds," explained Doc Baker as Mac turned over the bullet fragment in her hand. Frankie was still sedated on the OR table beside them, her vitals being monitored by a combination of expert systems and Golem, the doc's freakishly patchwork assistant. Mac still looked askance at him, even after coming here half a dozen times. Dude's got five arms, fer crissake! she rationalized to herself. Regardless of his appearance, he was able to complete the stitch work on Frankie while simultaneously debriding Mario's burn wounds. The bouncer had refused any pain meds, responding with only angry hisses of pain as Golem pulled melted nylon from his skin before cleaning the burns and laying down a protective layer of synthetic skin.

"...good thing she was ducked down, even the barrier blind rounds tend to deflect down when they hit the windshield. If she was upright she would have taken this to her abdomen and been in a real world of hurt."

Mac nodded absently, her eyes on the wounded survivors while her mind did its best to shut out the knowledge that five other people lay dead on the streets, three of whom had no business being involved in whatever went down.

20:13:32 Sunday, 14 January 2063 - Baker Primary Care Clinic, 500 19th Ave E, Downtown, Seattle

Try as she might, Mac couldn't keep the images from the warehouse from playing back in her head with vivid details once the adrenaline wore off. Squeezing her eyes shut did little to ward off the memories and the way her imagination filled in the blanks where there were holes. The clinic swam before her eyes when she opened them again and she swayed on her feet.

"I think I need to sit down." She whispered as she shuffled unsteady on her feet back to the safety of the couch where she leaned forward and tried to regulate her breathing and the bile growing in her stomach. She tried to focus on something else, her eyes landing on her longcoat and the now visible tear that marked the right shoulder near the seam. She fingered the frayed and tattered fabric as the doctor's brows knitted in concern as Mac grew increasingly pale and he focused on the blood on her clothes.

"Kenzie, is any of that blood yours? Are you hurt?" Doc Baker was moving towards her while Golem continued to dutifully work at Mario's wounds.

"It's probably mostly mine... For a change," She laughed bitterly at a joke that made sense only to her given the events of the last week. The laugh dissolved into a sigh as the doctor was quick to take a look where the bullet had slid across her skin. Mac winced and cursed as he tried to move her sweater away from the wound. She tried to wave him off but she just succeeded in a temporary reprieve until he came back with a bottle of saline to rehydrate the wound and free the threads of her clothing.

She pushed him away when he poked and prodded and as he stretched her sweater away for a better look before he leveled a stern gaze at her.

"You can let me look at it and take care of it by cutting it off you or you can take it off." He paused as Mac's face went dark, bringing back memories she'd rather remained buried. "I'll find you some scrubs that should fit."

She finally acquiesced, struggling to pull her sweater up and over her head. She was finally rewarded with a sharp stabbing pain in her shoulder before she wrapped her arms around herself in some strange display of modesty as she felt the doctors eyes roam over her with something other than professional courtesy. Mac turned her back on him slightly, giving him better access to her shoulder as she fished out her commlink, figuring she owed Kovacs an update.

Doc's demanding to take a look at me too. Hope the recovery was successful. Could use a ride out if you're in the neighborhood, Baker Primary Care on 19th.