Coming Home - Chapter 102 (Weiss Kreuz)
Jul. 19th, 2011 01:41 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
guiltyredfics
102
"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."
At some point during the small hours, I gave up on the smokes and curled up on the bed. I awoke to sunshine and the sound of running water – and the smell of coffee.
“Here, have a bun.” Farfarello tossed a sweet roll at me. “About time you woke up. I was telling Crawford that we might just have to pack you in the luggage.”
I surprised myself by catching my breakfast before it could hit anything, though I did get glaze all over my fingers. The thing was sweet enough to cut through that lingering stale tobacco taste in my mouth – a rather impressive feat in itself, but I set my sights on a cup of coffee to complete my morning transformation back into a human being.
Make that afternoon, I amended after looking at the clock. “Damn! Why’d you let me sleep so long?”
Far shrugged. “I only woke up an hour ago myself, and Crawford doesn’t seem to be in any hurry. Said we may as well take it easy until this evening. There’s plenty of money for meals, and the restaurant downstairs does take-out, so we’re good.”
“I don’t trust it,” Nagi murmured, picking at a thread on his new t-shirt. “They’re too interested in us, whoever they are. They know too much already.”
The shower turned off, and I debated handing Nagi’s concerns to Brad. Instead, I said, “All right, who besides Esset would be in that position? Who do you expect to be at that meeting?”
“Not Interpol, that’s for certain,” Farfarello chimed in confidently. “They wouldn’t have sent presents.”
Nagi leveled a hard look at me and stated, “Maybe someone who has a reason to expect us to join them. Or, one of us, anyway.”
I swallowed. “Well, if that’s the case, it’s better than the alternative, isn’t it?”
“Gentlemen.” Brad stood at the bathroom door, wearing only his new jeans and toweling his hair. “Keep in mind that our choices were all made the day of the ceremony. Everything after that has been following the course already set. I refuse to return to Esset, and I refuse to hand any of you over, either. Beyond that…” He shook his head and shrugged. “I can’t speculate.”
“Who’s going with you then, Crawford?” Far asked. “All of us, or no?”
“Just you,” Brad replied with a nod to the Irishman. “Nagi, do you feel sturdy enough to cover us?”
The kid didn’t meet his eyes. “I suppose.”
“Schuldig, can you link with Farfarello?”
I glanced over at my one-eyed friend, who was trying not to laugh. We hadn’t done that kind of sustained link in a while, and it was always just this side of Wonderland from my perspective. “Is that an order?”
Brad tossed the towel onto the bathroom vanity, then turned to me and said, “You know I can’t risk you linking to me for that long, Schuldig. I need you to be aware of what’s going on and ready to act on it, not falling into my head and getting stuck there. Can you do it?”
I handwaved his concern. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Get me some more coffee first, okay? If it gets too freaky I’ll tap you and let you know.”
“Good.” Brad finished dressing, settling the shoulder holster between t-shirt and jacket. “Be ready to move out; only what you can carry, gentlemen. Wear what you want to keep and pack plenty of ammo. This could get intense. I’m not expecting trouble, but I will not be surprised again.”
Three minutes before the appointed time, a sleek silver minibus pulled up and parked on the street across from our hotel. The windows were tinted nearly black; the logo on the side read “Battlefield Tour Company.”
“Stay sharp, you two,” Brad stated, rising from his seat by the window. “Farfarello.”
Far nodded and swung into step behind him as he headed toward the door.
Brad paused, turning toward me. “If you lose contact, look for a visual signal, but don’t presume the worst. You’ll know.”
“Right, right,” I murmured, unconvinced. I shot Farfarello a meaningful look. “We can always count on Far to find a way.”
The Irishman nodded. “True enough. Pity I don’t have a flare gun, though.”
Grinning like a fox, I handed him my lighter. “Improvise.”
He offered a small wave to Nagi and followed Brad into the hallway.
Nagi secured the door, then seated himself on the floor in front of it. “Now we wait.”
“That we do.” I settled my thoughts on the Irishman, let my mind tag along with him like a tandem daydream. “I won’t be much company,” I murmured.
“Don’t worry about me,” Nagi stated. “Just do your job.”
Rather than reply, I tightened my mental focus. They were approaching the door of the minibus; the cigarette lighter was a small warm presence in the hand, picking up body heat in a reassuring manner.
I grimaced slightly and lit a fresh cigarette from the fading butt of the last one. Keeping tabs on Farfarello’s mind was always a tricky thing, as he tended to speak to himself in a near-constant narration and one could get lost in the babble. Babble, babblefish… I took a long drag on my cigarette and tried to keep my own thoughts inside my head instead of projecting down the link.
::I can still hear you,:: came the amused commentary. ::Bus is quiet, except for the motor; that’s still running, and by the sound of it it’s not the usual mass-transit. Sounds like it’s built for power and speed. Ah, and now the door opens, and we are invited in by a young man who has probably spilled blood more than once. He’s armed, but has made no move to hide it.::
In my mind I could see a distorted image of Brad stepping up into the bus. Everything seemed too crisp, except the edges around a one-eyed periphery; those were blurry, as if in a dream. Dream, it’s all a dream, every waking moment – damn it, stop falling in!
Small cold fingers touched my hand, replaced the cigarette that had dropped to the floor. “Are you all right, Schuldig?”
I raised my hand – shaky, palm damp – and kissed the filter. “Yeah,” I whispered, “it’s just…weirder than usual.” That was an understatement: Farfarello’s mind was tightly focused on the task at hand, the way it got when he was on a kill. He was so self-aware that I couldn’t hear the conversation in the bus. ::Talk to me, Far. What’s going on?::
::Crawford was right,:: Far told me. ::Through all the tricks and traps, the one watching out for us has finally found us, but not to use us. If that’s what he wanted, he never would have been successful. Flower cats have become mice, it seems. Are you enjoying yourself, Pretty? Or were you hoping for a fight?::
::Having a great time. Don’t lose my lighter,:: I retorted, holding onto anything secure in his thoughts as his perspective swung around again. He was studying the interior of the minibus. While it made me dizzy, I felt fairly certain that he’d be able to sketch the entire thing from memory as soon as they returned to the hotel.
::Dizzy? Are you falling in again? Should I sing to you, perhaps?:: Far teased, though his tone had become more gentle.
::Just keep me company until I can drop the link,:: I told him, eager to get back into my own mind.
::You’ll be wanting Crawford to anchor you,:: Far stated blandly. ::Shall I let him know?::
::No, I’ll be fine. How do you know about that, anyway?::
::Just because I’m missing an eye doesn’t mean I can’t see.::
I took a deep breath, then another drag on the cigarette. Musings on Troy and betrayal, angels and fools, heroes and devils swarmed through my thoughts, and for a moment I thought I understood Farfarello completely.
::We’re coming back.::
I blinked. The profound certainty of a moment ago faded like waking from a dream. ::Understood.:: The cigarette had burned down to the filter.
Aloud I said, “They’re on their way back.”
Nagi nodded and took up a position covering the door with his pistol, just in case.
I followed them out the bus and into the lobby, then up, along the hall – Far contemplated another guest’s leftovers sitting out waiting for room service to pick them up – and then to our door. “They’re here.”
Nagi watched them enter, then shut and locked the door behind them.
“This is for you,” Brad stated, handing Nagi a compact rectangular case. Tapping his head, he said, “Gentlemen, conference.”
I sighed, weary but capable, and linked in, bringing Nagi and Far with me.
::There is an offer on the table,:: Brad announced with no emotion. ::Kritiker has learned a great deal about us, enough to equip a vehicle with psi shielding, and –::
“Fuck!” I spat the word aloud. ::No wonder I couldn’t keep a clear link with Far! Why didn’t you warn me?::
::You would have expected foul play, and not remained an observer,:: Brad stated. ::I suspected as much, that’s why I told you not to jump to conclusions. Frankly, this is a good sign: they know what they’re up against, and if we choose to take sides, they can offer us some degree of protection.::
Nagi’s presence in the link flickered and dimmed. ::I knew it.::
Brad’s silent voice rang clear. ::Nothing is set. They have invited us to sample their hospitality first, with a fresh vehicle, food, money, and medical supplies. I plan to take advantage of their charity while we can.::
My mouth felt dry, and I realized I was sweating. ::Aside from being a thorn in Esset’s ass, what are we to Kritiker? I think we can safely presume that they’re not offering us a peaceful retirement and a timeshare.::
::They’re looking for an edge, of course.:: Brad paused, adjusted his glasses. ::The storm I foresaw is here: Kritiker and Esset are at war, and we are the most sought-after free agents in this conflict. Esset wants us back, or dead; Persia wants our help. We can join Kritiker, or simply keep on doing what we do best: keep Esset snapping at its own heels.::
::I don’t like being leashed,:: Far murmured, his mind flashing with barely constrained energy.
::None of us do,:: Brad replied. ::Still, if it comes down to our dignity or Esset’s destruction, I’m willing to sacrifice a little. Gentlemen, the machine must be dismantled or it will continue to devour and deceive all who fall under its power. If no one stops Esset, it will own the world. And there will certainly be no good place for us in that regime.::
Far stripped off his eyepatch and grimaced. ::You’ve got nothing new to tell me, I’ve got nothing new to add. I’m having a shower.:: He didn’t wait to be dismissed.
Brad let him go. ::Nagi, that computer was designed and built by Persia. He claims it’s secure, with satellite and WiFi capability. Of course, he can track it; supposedly no one else can. It’s your call.::
Nagi regarded the case as though it were a coiled and waiting serpent. ::I suppose at least it would make an interesting decoy. Are we done?::
::For now. Schuldig, stay in, please.::
::A private moment, Brad? I’m touched.::
::We will be meeting that bus. Make sure Farfarello doesn’t get any ideas.::
::Then I’d better go get my lighter back.::
102
"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
An alliance between Schwarz and Kritiker seems like a mad gamble, and in many ways it is. We already know that Brad has something in the works as far as putting at least one of his team in Kritiker’s care, and we know from Glühen that something of the sort is inevitable; how it all works out will be revealed before the end of Book Three (which we’re currently in and has a fair way to go yet, but not as far as one might think).
no subject
Musings on Troy and betrayal, angels and fools, heroes and devils swarmed through my thoughts, and for a moment I thought I understood Farfarello completely.
...now THAT'S scary! 0__0
no subject