11-05-2017, 09:38 AM
He caught the device with one hand. Dead and cold, with a crack down the front, he turned the wallet over in his hands even as shards came away from the screen. His throat tightened as did his fists around the device. What happened? She drop it? She throw it? Was it ripped from her hands as she tried to summon help?
Jay looked who chucked it up and down. He was about as warm and fuzzy as he sounded on the phone. He was dressed like a guy from wealth that didn't actually care what people thought of him, but the necklace seemed out of place. It was almost impossible to pin an age on him, because while he seemed early thirties, he could have easily been a hundred.
How did he know her? Images flashed through his mind. Fire and smoke curled in his nostrils. Natalie smothered by a cloud of ash. The rumblings of a vehicle over rough terrain. Pleas for help drowned to silence by explosions and gunfire. Nausea twisted his stomach. How did he know her?
He stepped forward. "My name is Lt. Jay Carpenter. This is Lt. Jared Vanders. We were part of the Legion that ensured her safe passage out of Sierra Leone."
He was about to ask the same of this guy when he summoned a video. The club was empty now, all but abandoned during the day, but last night it had been thick with people. The completely trustworthy, good, clean-cut sort of people with no ulterior motives at all. What the hell was she doing here anyway? Did she frequent this kind of place? Jay's gaze studied the pipes overhead, the worn bartop, and the concrete floor.
The video showed her departure into darkness, followed by a skinny, dark-haired creep. There wasn't a good shot of his face, so recognition software would be shit in this situation, but Jay memorized every nuance to his movement. The way his feet shuffled quickly after her. The twitch of his hands. The fall of his hair. If he touched her, he was going to regret it.
When the orbs of light spun into being, illuminating their way, Jay looked at Jared expectantly. He didn't feel anything that implicated the man, but what else could have it been. The sense of competition, resistance and withdrawal always accompanied the power being wielded by other hands. "Did you do that?"
While Jared explained, Jay pulled something from his own Wallet. It was the map provided by Nox of the underground city, or as much of it as had been documented. He didn't want to know why Nox had such information, but he wouldn't hesitate to call upon the guy if necessary. Not that he was dying to see the guy again. They hadn't exactly parted the best of friends. He was a fighter though. Far more accomplished with the power than Jay could utilize. Jared and Nox could together devastate anything they found. Jay wasn't completely useless, meanwhile. He had a gun and years of training behind him.
He used the routing feature to determine the location of the club on the map, and a red dot showed their place in the undercity. More than one tunnel penetrated the earth nearby, and dashed lines showed connection points - natural and unnatural alike. Jay hadn't studied it in detail yet, but it seemed they were about to get a crash course in the Underground City.
"You're an old family friend, I take it?"
He asked quietly, keeping his ears open as they walked.
Jay looked who chucked it up and down. He was about as warm and fuzzy as he sounded on the phone. He was dressed like a guy from wealth that didn't actually care what people thought of him, but the necklace seemed out of place. It was almost impossible to pin an age on him, because while he seemed early thirties, he could have easily been a hundred.
How did he know her? Images flashed through his mind. Fire and smoke curled in his nostrils. Natalie smothered by a cloud of ash. The rumblings of a vehicle over rough terrain. Pleas for help drowned to silence by explosions and gunfire. Nausea twisted his stomach. How did he know her?
He stepped forward. "My name is Lt. Jay Carpenter. This is Lt. Jared Vanders. We were part of the Legion that ensured her safe passage out of Sierra Leone."
He was about to ask the same of this guy when he summoned a video. The club was empty now, all but abandoned during the day, but last night it had been thick with people. The completely trustworthy, good, clean-cut sort of people with no ulterior motives at all. What the hell was she doing here anyway? Did she frequent this kind of place? Jay's gaze studied the pipes overhead, the worn bartop, and the concrete floor.
The video showed her departure into darkness, followed by a skinny, dark-haired creep. There wasn't a good shot of his face, so recognition software would be shit in this situation, but Jay memorized every nuance to his movement. The way his feet shuffled quickly after her. The twitch of his hands. The fall of his hair. If he touched her, he was going to regret it.
When the orbs of light spun into being, illuminating their way, Jay looked at Jared expectantly. He didn't feel anything that implicated the man, but what else could have it been. The sense of competition, resistance and withdrawal always accompanied the power being wielded by other hands. "Did you do that?"
While Jared explained, Jay pulled something from his own Wallet. It was the map provided by Nox of the underground city, or as much of it as had been documented. He didn't want to know why Nox had such information, but he wouldn't hesitate to call upon the guy if necessary. Not that he was dying to see the guy again. They hadn't exactly parted the best of friends. He was a fighter though. Far more accomplished with the power than Jay could utilize. Jared and Nox could together devastate anything they found. Jay wasn't completely useless, meanwhile. He had a gun and years of training behind him.
He used the routing feature to determine the location of the club on the map, and a red dot showed their place in the undercity. More than one tunnel penetrated the earth nearby, and dashed lines showed connection points - natural and unnatural alike. Jay hadn't studied it in detail yet, but it seemed they were about to get a crash course in the Underground City.
"You're an old family friend, I take it?"
He asked quietly, keeping his ears open as they walked.
Only darkness shows you the light.