Broken Wings - XX -
Justin
"Do you have any idea what you were asking me for?" Nikki asked the minute I answered, ignoring my curt 'hello'. She was used to me being brisk with her on the phone when I was in the middle of something hot. To be fair, when she was in the middle of something, she would be cursing like a sailor and jumping up and down a lot.
I didn't take my eyes off of Seattle. She was far too irrational for my tastes, and obviously had very little clue what we were dealing with. I had never been so grateful in my life to hear anyone say that she had missed part of the conversation. I had never killed anyone in my life before, but to protect Jhondie...it was better to talk to Nikki that follow that line of thought.
"All I wanted was ten digits," I replied casually, not giving away anything. Seattle was looking at me strangely, with her head cocked ever so slightly. I wouldn't have noticed it, but that was how Jhondie looked when she was using her super-hearing.
Nikki blew out a breath. "Ten digits," she muttered. "Just like that time I needed a security code to the LA Times' printing office. Well, here's the payback for that one, buddy." Damn, what was going on there?
"The call originated from Roswell, New Mexico," she informed me. "But get this, I only know that because of the traps near the city lines." I'm sure that meant something important to her. I'd ask Dink about it later.
"You don't know specifically where?" I asked. Roswell was a good start, but there were still a hell of a lot of places to look, and that would waste time a little girl didn't have.
"I think that it's from a government location," she replied, sounding annoyed. Nikki hated for anything to show her up. "Listen, this is just the initial stuff. It's going to take me a few more hours to get the scrambling decoded and find out an exact location."
"You are a lifesaver," I said gratefully.
"Yeah, well, you're not going to be so nice if I have to go through a certain person to find the address. You want it that bad if I have to go last resort?" I winced, knowing what she was talking about. The guy was great, but he was expensive as hell. I had set up an account a year before that Nikki and a couple of other people had access to in case emergency funds were needed. This guy would clean it out if needed. I looked at Seattle. This could be Manticore. It wasn't just a little girl. Jhondie could be in danger too.
"I don't care who you have to pay what to," I replied. "I need that address."
"I'll have it in the morning," she replied, and then hung up.
"We know the doctor was in Roswell, New Mexico at last contact," I said to Seattle immediately. "My informant is going to be getting back with the exact address by morning."
She was quiet for a minute. I took the advantage while I had it. "Listen," I said quietly, "I have every intention of helping you, but there's a lot at stake here, and I'm not going to risk a lot of other people for what could be a wild goose chase."
Her dark eyes narrowed. "You want to duck out, just say the word. I can do this on my own."
I choked back a laugh. "Sure. You really think you can break into a government installation, and back out again without any help at all? Oh, and without my help, you're not going to know where to start looking in Roswell."
"Ever hear of Area 51?" she asked, giving me a look that clearly said "you are idiot". "Something foul going down, you know it's got to be there."
"I said I would help," I reiterated. I smiled a bit and imitated her speech. "Something foul going down, I'm all over it."
That got a tiny little laugh from her. I was going to need her to find out more about the kid and her connection to Manticore. For some reason a truce had just seemed to form between us.
"So now we wait on your...informant?"
"Yeah, she said it was going to be morning before she had what we need." I thought about asking her if she wanted to meet LAX, and then scratched that. Jhondie was probably at home, and I didn't want to explain to her mother who I was bringing home for Jhondie to meet. Besides, I didn't think it would be wise for them to get together. Even with a broken leg, Jhondie would still mess Seattle up if she didn't lose the 'tude quickly.
"Okay, then we'll meet in the morning," she said.
"The boss get you a place set up to stay tonight?" I asked. For some reason she smirked a little when I referred to him as "the boss". For a brief second I wondered if maybe she knew him in person. Nah. He would never reveal himself to a punk kid like her.
"Yeah, hooked me up in some uptown crib for the night," she replied.
"Why don't I take you there, and as soon as I get the call back, I'll call you and we'll get moving," I suggested. She eyed me suspiciously for a moment.
"Let's blaze."
Justin
"Do you have any idea what you were asking me for?" Nikki asked the minute I answered, ignoring my curt 'hello'. She was used to me being brisk with her on the phone when I was in the middle of something hot. To be fair, when she was in the middle of something, she would be cursing like a sailor and jumping up and down a lot.
I didn't take my eyes off of Seattle. She was far too irrational for my tastes, and obviously had very little clue what we were dealing with. I had never been so grateful in my life to hear anyone say that she had missed part of the conversation. I had never killed anyone in my life before, but to protect Jhondie...it was better to talk to Nikki that follow that line of thought.
"All I wanted was ten digits," I replied casually, not giving away anything. Seattle was looking at me strangely, with her head cocked ever so slightly. I wouldn't have noticed it, but that was how Jhondie looked when she was using her super-hearing.
Nikki blew out a breath. "Ten digits," she muttered. "Just like that time I needed a security code to the LA Times' printing office. Well, here's the payback for that one, buddy." Damn, what was going on there?
"The call originated from Roswell, New Mexico," she informed me. "But get this, I only know that because of the traps near the city lines." I'm sure that meant something important to her. I'd ask Dink about it later.
"You don't know specifically where?" I asked. Roswell was a good start, but there were still a hell of a lot of places to look, and that would waste time a little girl didn't have.
"I think that it's from a government location," she replied, sounding annoyed. Nikki hated for anything to show her up. "Listen, this is just the initial stuff. It's going to take me a few more hours to get the scrambling decoded and find out an exact location."
"You are a lifesaver," I said gratefully.
"Yeah, well, you're not going to be so nice if I have to go through a certain person to find the address. You want it that bad if I have to go last resort?" I winced, knowing what she was talking about. The guy was great, but he was expensive as hell. I had set up an account a year before that Nikki and a couple of other people had access to in case emergency funds were needed. This guy would clean it out if needed. I looked at Seattle. This could be Manticore. It wasn't just a little girl. Jhondie could be in danger too.
"I don't care who you have to pay what to," I replied. "I need that address."
"I'll have it in the morning," she replied, and then hung up.
"We know the doctor was in Roswell, New Mexico at last contact," I said to Seattle immediately. "My informant is going to be getting back with the exact address by morning."
She was quiet for a minute. I took the advantage while I had it. "Listen," I said quietly, "I have every intention of helping you, but there's a lot at stake here, and I'm not going to risk a lot of other people for what could be a wild goose chase."
Her dark eyes narrowed. "You want to duck out, just say the word. I can do this on my own."
I choked back a laugh. "Sure. You really think you can break into a government installation, and back out again without any help at all? Oh, and without my help, you're not going to know where to start looking in Roswell."
"Ever hear of Area 51?" she asked, giving me a look that clearly said "you are idiot". "Something foul going down, you know it's got to be there."
"I said I would help," I reiterated. I smiled a bit and imitated her speech. "Something foul going down, I'm all over it."
That got a tiny little laugh from her. I was going to need her to find out more about the kid and her connection to Manticore. For some reason a truce had just seemed to form between us.
"So now we wait on your...informant?"
"Yeah, she said it was going to be morning before she had what we need." I thought about asking her if she wanted to meet LAX, and then scratched that. Jhondie was probably at home, and I didn't want to explain to her mother who I was bringing home for Jhondie to meet. Besides, I didn't think it would be wise for them to get together. Even with a broken leg, Jhondie would still mess Seattle up if she didn't lose the 'tude quickly.
"Okay, then we'll meet in the morning," she said.
"The boss get you a place set up to stay tonight?" I asked. For some reason she smirked a little when I referred to him as "the boss". For a brief second I wondered if maybe she knew him in person. Nah. He would never reveal himself to a punk kid like her.
"Yeah, hooked me up in some uptown crib for the night," she replied.
"Why don't I take you there, and as soon as I get the call back, I'll call you and we'll get moving," I suggested. She eyed me suspiciously for a moment.
"Let's blaze."
