Deliverance
CHAPTER ONE:
DELTA
For the first time in a long time Inspector Eric Finch woke up neither to an alarm clock or his cell phone, but instead to something much nicer. Something that smelled like Sunday breakfast.
His mother would make the most delicious meals on his parents farm in Former Ireland. She would wake him and his brothers up and start cooking breakfast, and while they waited his father would comb the boys' hair, making sure they weren't looking shabby for mass.
Faintly he could hear the soft coo of a woman jazz singer. For a moment Finch considered the possibility that he had died and gone to heaven, but as he sat up and remembered the past events and where he was, he realized it was the next best thing so far.
It had been a little over nine hours since Miss Hammond had insisted he might not be safe in his own home. He had been a party member and she had no idea if the people would be calling for the execution of all government corrupted officials or not.
It was the least she could do since he had not shot her or anything.
He followed his nose through the mysterious Shadow Gallery, and ended his search standing in the doorway of a cozy looking kitchen with Evey Hammond's back to him.
"Oh. Good morning Inspector Finch." Evey said as she glanced over her shoulder then quickly turned back to the delicious smelling mess she was making on the stove.
"Morning." he replied distractedly as he was trying to see what she was doing. "What are you doing?"
"Um... making - or well trying to make - breakfast." She told him, flipping the eggy mess over in the pan. "I hear it's called Eggy in a Basket, but I must be challenged because I don't think it's as easy to make as people have told me."
Eric Finch said nothing in reply, but as he stood at her side in front of the stove, he thought it looked like she was trying to make scrambled eggs and French toast in one pan to save dishes but something went horribly wrong.
"I'll make lunch." He offered as Evey sat him down and gave him a plate full of slop.
Though it wasn't very pretty looking, he ate it anyway and was startled when his eyes began to water and his throat closed up. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as he savored the taste. The smell had only brought back a brief memory, but the taste of real butter on such fine wheat bread took him back to watching his mother pull out a freshly baked loaf of bread and when she sliced it when it was still warm she would smear their own home churned butter on it just for him.
"It's delicious." He said at last.
Evey only smiled at him from across the table and began eating from her own plate of eggy-bread mess. The smile was short lived, however, and he could see the look on her face but couldn't place what it meant exactly. He thought she looked a bit apprehensive. Almost like she was in the BTN being chased again. But the look was soon masked and she began to eat.
They ate in silence, neither one glancing at the other until Finch realized he was missing something.
"Do you have any coffee?" He asked.
Evey looked up at him before glancing around the kitchen. There was a coffee pot, so she thought they might, but she had no idea how to make coffee, she just ordered it.
"We might, I don't really know..." She said and began to get up, but Finch raised a hand to stop her.
"Don't trouble yourself, I'll make it." Especially after this little breakfast catastrophe, he thought privately and glanced down at his plate as he stood.
All seemed right in the world when Finch had a cup of black coffee in his hand, possibly the most delicious brew he had ever tasted. But his serenity was ruined when his mobile rang.
"Yes?"
"Inspector Finch?" A young male voice asked nervously.
"'Lo Dominic." He said in a tone that Dominic was unused to receiving, from him anyway. It was almost as if there was feeling behind it, a feeling other than apathy.
Finch sipped his coffee carefully and glanced up at Evey who was busying herself with the dishes.
"I hadn't heard from you after you left and - where are you?"
"With Evey Hammond. Where did you disappear to once I left the car? Thought you would be with me after a while, thought you wanted to know answers as well."
"Hammond? What about Codename V? The people are still screaming for him."
"He's dead. As are Chancellor Sutler and Mr. Creedy." There was no feeling behind this news and it was delivered in his usual calm demeanor. He saw Evey pause in her laboring and watched as she dried her hands when she turned to him, her head was tilted at him and she crossed her arms over her chest. Finch looked at the ceiling instead as he listened to Dominic curse under his breath.
"What are we supposed to tell them?" Dominic asked, knowing this news would be devastating to the people.
"I guess we could try... telling them the truth." He said with a sigh.
"Right. Well, after you. Look, could we meet some where? Where are you and the Hammond girl?"
"She told me it's called the Shadow Gallery."
"Never heard of it."
"Neither have I."
There was a silence for a while and Finch heard a roar of chanting over the phone, they were indeed screaming for Codename V, but that was all he could make out through the noise. Then there was what sounded like a door slamming and the noise was muffled.
"I think the Hammond girl should be the one who delivers the news of V's death. And... the others." He could hear Dominic much better now but his suggestion was a bit of a shock to him.
Finch looked over at the mentioned girl and met her gaze, it held his with a strength that made him unable to look away.
"What's it like out there Dominic?"
"Uh... dirty... and well, I think they know Sutler is dead. The news isn't on, nothing is being reported. The police aren't doing anything and the fingermen seem to know it's best to not be seen. The people want to know, and I have a feeling it's up to us what to tell them."
"I'll call you back Dominic."
"Are you going to meet me? Inspector!" But Finch hung up.
"Did I say something wrong?" Finch asked, wondering what the wrath of Evey Hammond might entail. He was sure Codename V would have taught her all of his little karate gimmicks and Finch didn't want to be her punching bag.
"No," Evey said and had a small smile as she shook her head. "I was merely surprised you told the truth and didn't try to cover it up."
"Oh." was all Finch could think to say in reply to that and sat down to finish his coffee. Ignoring the rest of her dishes, Evey sat down across the table from him and watched him. He could tell she was about to say something and he would need to respond, so he decided to savor the coffee while he could.
"I've decided to go to the BTN, tell them who I am and ask if I may deliver my own special report just to tell the people what has happened, so that they have an official report from someone not being payed to cover the truth up."
Finch nodded and decided not to tell her that was just what Dominic was saying she should do. He also decided not to make a remark on how asking nicely would probably go over better than going in with a bomb.
"I was on the phone with Dominic - "
"Who?"
"My partner. The one you maced."
"Oh, right." He noticed there was no guilt on her face and it almost made him smirk.
"He says nothing was being reported, policeman aren't doing a thing, about what I don't know, but he says it's dirty too."
Evey took in this bundle of half-information with a nod and Finch felt rather silly for having presented it to her all bollocksed up like that, though he knew he didn't have hardly enough information to satisfy her anyway.
"Then maybe all we'll have to do is let ourselves in and take it from there." Evey suggested optimistically, trying not to let herself think of what V would do in a situation like this.
"Should we write a script?" Finch asked, not at all sure what you did in front of a camera or preparing to go in front of a camera unless he was staring up at the large head of Chancellor Sutler.
"I don't know..." Evey bit her bottom lip and stood up. He watched her as she moved to the sink to finish doing the dishes. That only lasted about a minute before she rinsed her hands and then crossed her arms over her chest.
"I don't know." She repeated. Tears started to form in her eyes and she was thankful Inspector Finch was still sitting at the table and her back was to him. Closing her eyes, she took in a shuddering breath and tried not to think about how easy it would be to just sit down and cry and wish over and over for V to still be there.
He's still here. That's what he would want me to know. Just the fact that Inspector Finch and I are talking about delivering the news, completely to them and in no way fabricated... that means he's still here.
Waiting a moment longer to speak as she didn't want her voice to crack and for her guest to think she was weak, she turned once her eyes were dry again.
Finch had not known what do to during her little moment, as he had had little experience with women for the past few years since Delia had ended it with him. But he did recognize that she was still in the mourning process... it was just that he was completely clueless what to do with another human being's emotions.
Now, though, he saw that she had masked her emotions once more and he recognized her as a force not to be reckoned with.
"I think it would be a good idea," Evey began, "if there were no scripts. If we went there and allowed them to hear what I say like I was having a conversation with them."
Finch nodded, ready to give her whatever she needed as long as it meant telling people what had happened. He would want to know if it was him.
"Great, is it alright if I make a quick stop at my place?" Finch asked, though he suddenly felt ridiculous for asking this young woman permission to do anything, especially going to his own home. "I mean, I want to make a quick stop to do some things if you don't mind waiting."
"No, I don't mind." Evey said quietly, "We'll just have to be careful."
Inspector Finch led Evey to his humble abode and thankfully without incident. As they walked they could hear in the distance a loud roar chanting "V, V, give us V!" and Evey was amazed that there were still people calling for him. Weren't they exhausted?
I hope they don't fall apart with the news of V's death.She thought worriedly.
They had noticed all the dirt in the air as well, Dominic had been right about that. Evey was feeling the need to take another shower before they were halfway to Finch's home.
Unlocking his door, he led her in graciously and asked her if she wanted a drink. Evey nodded yes while looking around at the very masculinely decorated apartment. It gave her the inane urge to sit down, cross her legs and act the part of coy dinner guest.
"Nice place." she said instead as she accepted his drink. The glass was dusty from his fingers and he apologized sheepishly before telling her that he needed to get washed up and she could feel free to make herself comfortable.
Evey watched him leave before taking a seat on his very fine couch.
Out of curiosity, she turned on the telly. As she flipped through the channels she saw that it was the same thing on each one - the "emergency" channel continuously airing Sutler's message. Evey had missed it the night before so she sat and listened to the man showcase his little man syndrome at its best through his speech.
"What a load of shit." She said under her breath and turned the television off. Looking around at the somewhat bare apartment, she tried to find something else to keep her mind occupied.
Eric stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, glad to be cleaned and not looking forward to having to leave his apartment again. It would be so easy to just stay there forever.
Who's going to be on my side? Once they hear I'm a cop, it'll be off with my head.
Maybe staying there forever wouldn't be what he did. Maybe he would run away to Ireland, but he immediately beat that idea down. There was no Ireland and there was no one for him in Former Ireland either.
Getting out his razor, Eric tried to distract himself away from thoughts of hiding and running away and set on getting rid of his stubble.
But when he was rinsing out his razor, he almost dropped it from what he saw.
That name... the brand name carved into the plug in his bathroom sink. It had caught his eye because he could have sworn it said - but no, he was wrong.
Still, he had never noticed it before, and it had given him an eerie feeling when he was certain he had seen her name.
Using his pointer finger, he covered the line of the "T" and read the new word out loud.
"Delia."
No, that was over.
He had learned things from her journal, and his memories of Delia were tainted now. All those years together, and not once had she confided in him.
It wasn't her fault.
He knew too well the pain memories could cause. Perhaps he should have been less drawn back, perhaps he should have made her feel welcome... feel as though he was someone to confide in. Someone who could feel what she felt.
He knew as well as she must have that it would have been impossible. For until last night, he had only felt numb.
But when he saw that building, those fireworks... When he heard that music, something changed.
The feeling had been there when Codename V disguised himself as William Rookwood and he, Inspector Eric Finch, listened to talk of conspiracy. The feeling had been there when he asked Dominic his questions one might have passed off as an insomniacs ramblings. The feeling had been in Larkhill Detention Facility.
Then it had been just a tiny, fleeting feeling. Insignificant really.
The time had passed when being insignificant was acceptable. He had known that when he watched Evey, the way her lip trembled but her chin was held high. The way the fireworks danced and reflected in those defiant eyes.
When he saw her in person for the first time, chasing her in the BTN, there had only been fear. At least she wasn't out of place. Fear was all anyone had. But not anymore. Fear had died as swiftly as Chancellor Sutler. And Prothero. The Bishop. Fear had died with them.
And fear had died with Delia.
He snapped out of his daze and tried to leave behind old memories. There was pain in those memories, and it was pain he no longer needed to deal with.
When he was satisfied with the job he had done shaving, Eric Finch finished getting ready and concentrated on the task before Evey and him, refusing to think like a weak minded fool any longer.
Evey had found a book on Inspector Finch's shelf that she had never heard of and curled up on his couch, letting it enchant her and take her away.
The book was soon charming her and she didn't even notice Finch walk into the living room until he cleared his throat.
Looking up at him, Evey quickly sat up and set his book down gently, feeling a bit sheepish for lounging on his nice couch with her dirty clothes.
"Are you ready?" He asked, wondering if he was.
Evey shook her head. "No, not hardly... let's go." She stood up and Finch was content to follow her.