18th and 19th Sept 2003

Phalanx

Set the day after "Freak Nation"

Ames' thoughts on the Jam Pony fiasco. And how he got out of his bind.

Chapter 2

Ames calls Thula on his cell phone, he's standing on the street outside of Jam Pony, where a huge crowd is making lots of noise shouting out threats and demands to the authorities regarding the transgenics. Many are holding up signs.

"Yeah." Thula answered from the gym where she and her team had been working out.

"Good news. We found our target." Ames told her. I bet she was in the gym. He correctly opined.

"Excellent." She replied patting herself down with a towel.

"The bad news is she's sitting smack in the middle of Seattle P.D., sector cops, my agency people, and every news crew in the city." Ames explained taking in the chaotic and noisy scene around him.

"This complicates things.?" Thula queried

"I think we can get her right under their noses. I need a little bit of time to heat things up. Be ready". Ames stated making sure that his grin didn't appear. Thinking. It wouldn't do for me to be caught on film grinning whilst at a serious hostage situation. Even if those stupid transgenics have just played right into mine and the Conclave's hands. Don't grin! He admonished himself.

"Always." Thula hangs up.

Ames spots Otto and goes over to him, Otto gives him a quick debriefing on what's occurring. Otto points to a Nubian police detective wearing a suit and a bullet-proof vest, he's in charge of the situation, and is walking around giving orders to some of the cops. Ames can hear the detective from his position. He's doing an exemplary job of eavesdropping on the cop, whilst paying attention to Otto!

"Where the hell is my phone? A secure line should have been in here ten minutes ago. And get that damn news team behind that barricade! Next camera I see in the street, the guy carrying it goes for a ride." The police detective rants at those around him.

Ames and Otto approach him, badges in hand, they flash them at the police officer.

"Special Agent in Charge Ames White." Ames states flatly, staring the much taller man straight in the eyes and radiating power.

"Nice badge. Picture looks just like you." The police detective replies, not intimidated by Ames.

"Appreciate you securing the area, Detective. We'll take it from here." Ames says pleasantly, trying to take control of the situation. Come on moron! I out rank you! Give me control! Now! He thought, still keeping an utterly neutral expression upon his face.

Detective replies with pure sarcasm "I'm so pleased. Now I won't have to miss my little boy's recital this afternoon." He motions to a nearby cop. "Get this idiot out of here."

Ames is furious and some of it slips through his mask. "You're out of your league, Detective. Please ask your men to stand down." Give me control damn you!

Detective firmly states "Not until all those hostages are out of there in one piece." To one of his people he asks. "Where's my freakin' phone?"

"You're not dealing with a bunch of thugged-out punks who boost TVs for a living. They're highly-trained, genetically-engineered killing machines." Ames replied getting more annoyed with the idiot human.

"As far as I know, no one's dead yet, and I intend to keep it that way. So I need you and I need your lady friend to situate yourselves behind that barricade so I can do my job." The detctive said. He was not going to intimidated by White.

"You forcing me to go over your head?" Ames said imagining the stubborn cop's neck snapping beneath his hands. As easy as snapping a dry twig! He wistfully thought.

"Do what you gotta do, Special Agent in Charge White. Just do it someplace else!" The Detective replied exceedingly irate with the agent.

Ames casually opens his cell phone and walks away, talking on the phone as he goes.

"Where the hell is my phone, damn it?" The Detective roars at his subordinates. While he glares at Ames' retreating back, particularly at the cell phone pressed to the agents ear.

Ames could sense the man glaring at his back, and supressed a grin as he made the call that would give him control of the Jam Pony situation. And 452's head!

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