A Friendly Face?
Chance, Jake and a recently-awoken Cody walked from the bus station opposite City Hall and up the grand stairs of the building. A banner emblazoned with the new 'Vote Manx' campaign advert hung over the entrance, and it was evident that they were going to put a lot of effort into this one as soon as the trio stepped through the door. As they did so, an infra-red sensor picked up on them and powered up a wall-mounted TV. Startled by its sudden activation and the thought they may have triggered a security system, Jake and Chance Jumped. They were relieved when the TV played out the latest 'Vote Manx' commercial:
"Without a mayor Manx-ey, our town would really stink"
"We wouldn't have our golf course, or mini skating rink"
"We wouldn't have our space port, or shiny Bigfoot traps"
"It's not the mayor's fault that the stadium collapsed" the TV sang, before a rushed voice added "Paid for by the Mayor Manx for Mayor Mayoral Committee."
The TV then went silent, and Chance went over to the touch-screen 'visitor's guide to City Hall' machine. He called up the building guide, and found Callie's office located on one of the upper floors.
"This way" he said to the others, leading them through the darkened and empty lobby to a bank of lifts.
As they stepped out many floors up, Chance took a moment to rearrange his hair in a vein attempt to look like more than a dishevelled tomkat. Jake gave a resigned sigh, and knocked on the door of the office.
"Come!" barked an irritable voice from inside. Gingerly, Jake opened the door.
Callie sat at her desk in front of a large map of the city, and didn't look up as the three kats entered.
"What?" she asked, shortly.
Chance was about to turn on what he liked to dub the 'Chance Charm', but Jake nipped in first. That was the last thing they needed, with Callie evidently in a bad mood.
"Err, Miss Briggs, we need some help" Jake cautiously offered.
Hearing his voice, Callie looked up. She had been expecting a courier delivery, not her two mechanics. She didn't see Cody, who had once again taken refuge behind Chance's leg.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, puzzled.
"Uh, Cal, listen. It's a kind of a long story" Chance said before he and Jake launched into a detailed explanation of everything leading up their arrival, Chance's finding Cody, the chopper attack, the escape from Enforcer headquarters, everything.
"Well, I, I, I'm really not sure" Callie stammered, reeling in shock at the story that had just unveiled before her.
"I know it's a lot to take in Miss Briggs" said Jake "but I swear to you it's the truth. We really need your help."
"You're fugitives, and you've got a child that isn't yours!" Callie said, calmly. "I really don't have any choice here." And with that she picked up her phone, and began dialling 1-800-N-FORCER into it.
"Please Help" a small voice squeaked from behind Chance's leg.
Callie paused in dialling the number, and looked down.
"Please" Cody said again, stepping out from behind Chance to face Callie.
Upon seeing Cody for the first time, Callie's heart melted. She had always loved kids, and this kitten was so cute and lost, she couldn't resist. She still tried to maintain some degree of composure, though her expression throughout said otherwise.
"Well, I suppose I could give you the benefit of the doubt, and I do need someone to house sit while I'm working later" she said, beaming at Cody.
Callie came around her desk and knelt down in front of Cody.
"Hello little guy, I'm Callico" she said "but you can call me Callie." Cody nodded in response.
"Are you alright then little Cody?" she asked, but received just another, small, nod in response.
"Would you like some sweeties from my desk?" she asked, but this time got no response at all.
Callie stood up, looking slightly miffed. She was normally good with kids.
"Is he... You know, all right? Upstairs, I mean" Callie whispered to Jake.
"He seems to be a mute, Callie" Jake said coldly, rather annoyed at her readiness to believe Cody was dumb, but then, she hadn't witnessed him in action.
"Oh, I see" said Callie, and although she didn't really see at all, she reached into her desk and drew out a lollipop, which she handed to Cody. He took it gratefully; restoring Callie's slightly bruised confidence in her children skills.
---
Back at Enforcer Headquarters there was utter turmoil. Steele was incandescent with rage, and had found an outlet: the hapless custody sergeant.
"How did they get out you cretinous imbecile!" They're just two bloody mechanics! They're hardly Houdini!" he bellowed at the sergeant.
"Sir, that's just it - you didn't frisk them properly, one of them must have had tools when you locked them in there and they managed to unlock the gate..." retorted the sergeant.
Steele had no argument; he had failed to frisk them when they went into the cell. Had he done so, they would not have been able to get through to the secure labs. Steele stalked from the custody suite and headed back to his office.
Things were not looking good. The deal he had made with Puma-Dyne depended on his controlling the anti-mutogen so that once the pandemic had developed he could charge top dollar for vaccines against it. Now he had lost the carrier, and now could not track him to get it back. Worse, Commander Feral & his niece were due to return in a matter of days. He needed to complete his deal with Puma-Dyne before that, otherwise Feral was sure to take him to task.
One of the troopers entered the office, and was rewarded by having a desk-tidy thrown at him.
"Sir, we have an All Points Bulletin out on the kid, all available units are searching for him. It won't be long, we'll get him" he said.
"What about the mechanics? They're helping the kid, and if they find out his significance, we are royally screwed" replied Steele, growing more agitated by the minute.
"We'll find them, sir"...
