chapter seven

Connor was used to having blood on her hands. When the Director had taken her in, when he deemed she'd had enough training, she went back and killed the man who called himself her father. It was still a cold case, as far as she was aware. Connor was good at what she did. That was only the beginning. Working the streets of what she had come to think of as the Institute's city was not an easy task, especially not for a girl with a fancy car. She couldn't count how many times someone had tried to steal Karr, or tried to take advantage of her. Karr probably had more blood on his fender than she did. He protected her the only way he knew how.

Weapons were nothing new, but even she didn't have a collection this big. She looked around as Matthews guided her through his warehouse, studying the vast array of weaponry on the walls. Everything from flintlock pistols to Japanese katana to what appeared to be a primitive AK-47. She gave him a look, something akin to respect in her eyes. "You've been at this for a while." she said.

"Family business." Matthews said edgily. "My father loved the antiques. I prefer the modern stuff that actually works, but I couldn't sell off his collection."

"Sentimental value." Connor said vaguely.

Matthews stopped long enough to look her over. "You don't put much value on emotions, do you?" he asked.

Connor shrugged. "Never given much of a reason to." she said. "What about the Savages?"

"Getting there." He resumed his path through the massive single room to the backdoor. Connor reached up and ran her fingers through her loose hair. Loose to cover up the comm. link the cops gave her, one that wrapped around the ear instead of sitting snug and invisible just inside of the ear canal. She had traded out her usual clothes for a black wrap-skirt with camouflage spaghetti-strap and combat boots. No jewelry, as usual. Karr thought it would make her disguise complete, but Connor wasn't fond of wearing shiny things while on the job. It made it hard to hide, and the skirt was going to hamper things as it was. "So, you like to collect too?"

"My preference is sniper rifles." she said. As little information as possible. The cops were listening in. "How did you get involved in this business?"

"Family." he said simply. "Why? Thinking about getting involved?"

"Maybe." It actually wasn't a bad idea. Wholesale guns were cheap, but the individual price could be driven to extortionate rates, and if there was no competition in the area, Connor could set up a nice little shop right in her hometown. Something to consider, at any rate.

"Don't. People around here don't like newcomers on their turf." Matthews advised. He opened the back door and flipped a light switch, and suddenly Connor realized she was in deep trouble.

"Honestly, do I look dangerous enough to warrant six armed coworkers?" she asked, taking a slight step back. She was completely unarmed, but that didn't really mean much when dealing with Connor. If there was anything in the room that even had the slightest potential as a weapon, the men wouldn't stand a chance.

"Hang on, Connor. We're sending in backup." the female cop in her ear assured her. Connor simply reached up and brushed at her hair, unobtrusively shutting off the comm.. They could communicate with her, but they were no longer listening in. Let them use the tape she was carrying later, if she wanted. If Matthews wasn't going to drop the bombshell she thought he was.

"I don't care." Matthews said. "I'm not taking any chances. I'm familiar with your type. Any cops come through there, and you die. Pure and simple." He took a step forward. "Hand over the money."

"Only after I get my guns." she shot back, not even fazed at the cop comment. If anyone came through the door, it wouldn't be a cop.

"They're sending in Knight and Kitt." Karr reported in her other ear. "I'm thinking it would be a good idea to play damsel in distress."

"You think I'm that stupid?" Matthews spat. "Do you even have the money?"

No, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "I only do wire transfers." she said easily. "I wanted to make sure you weren't blowing smoke before setting up the payment."

"You should have said that before we made the deal." Matthews growled. "Get rid of her."

Six guns locked onto her. Before anyone could fire, a black Trans-Am tore through the wall behind them and knocked three of the men to the ground. Michael Knight jumped out and attacked the next one closest to him. Matthews came at Connor, a small yet deadly knife in his hands.

Connor waited until he was close enough, then knocked the knife from his hands with a perfectly executed roundhouse kick. He stumbled forward in surprise, and she took the opportunity to drive her knee into his gut. Matthews dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

Knight looked over at her from where he and Kitt had the others apprehended. "You have a knack for finding trouble." he said with an easy grin.

Connor shrugged and smiled back. "Maybe. But you have a knight in shining armor complex."

He gave her a look. "What's my name?"

"Very funny." She turned to the stash and picked up one of the Savages and a pack of ammo. Michael watched as she found a good hiding place underneath the floorboards for the items. None of the cops would ever think of looking there.

"You're a collector."

"Among other things." She looked him over, her face turning serious. "Are you going to tell on me?"

"Hey, I just saved you." Michael shot back with a grin. "I'm not going to piss you off now."

At that moment the cops showed up. Kitt watched with interest as Connor immediately fell into the role of the startled, slightly disoriented young woman the cops were expecting to deal with. Even for an investigator-for-hire, there were some things that just shook people up.

But Kitt had seen how Connor had handled Matthews. She was so far from helpless. He had asked Michael who was more dangerous – the wolf or the lover of wolves. Now he thought he had his answer. After all, no one was expecting the good girl to be allied with a being of pure evil.

/----/

Karr kept lookout as Connor retrieved the gun and the ammo. The cops had cleared everything else out and made seven arrests that day. They were happy with Connor, and paid her every penny of her twenty thousand dollar fee. All but one thousand of it went to the Institute's bank account. Karr hated it, but there was very little they could do about it.

There were plans, ideas that they both knew they shared but neither ever spoke of. Connor had her own bank account that Karr made sure the Director would never find. They had contacts the Director didn't know about, knew people that he had never heard of. When the time came, they would be able to create their own institution, their own foundation, and no one would ever be able to stop them.

Not the Director. And not Michael Knight.

Connor put the gun in the trunk and slid into the driver's seat. "A good day's work, right?" she murmured. Karr made a sound of disgust.

"I hate working with the cops."

"So do I, but I try to humor the Director." Connor fired up the engine and allowed Karr to take them back to their hotel. "You know, I wonder just how deep Kitt and Knight's relationship goes."

"Kitt protects Knight." Karr said immediately.

"But are they friends, or does Kitt just tolerate him because he has to?"

Karr hesitated on that one. "I don't know." he admitted. "It all depends on how Knight treats Kitt and what Kitt thinks of the situation. Why?"

"I was just thinking. When we take out Knight, Kitt may not be the problem we think he'll be."

"His programming won't allow it."

"His programming won't. But he might."

Karr conceded that point. After all, he was living proof that programming wasn't everything.