Chapter 15
**********
Roger felt guilty for cutting Dan Dastun's chitchat short, but they
could catch up later. Right now there were more important things to take
care of.
"I'm calling in response to an outstanding traffic ticket," the
negotiator remarked dryly.
Major Dan Dastun was a man whose laughter was obvious in his voice.
"You let Dorothy take the car again?"
"Ha, ha. That ticket, did she pay it?" Roger wanted this riddle
solved.
"Sure. She came in with--she took care of it with Kennedy," the
major said. He was hesitant to remind Roger of Snowolf's presence there, lest
the negotiator find out about his conversation with the petite brunette.
Roger never carried a gun, but if he suspected someone was trying to steal
one of his girls away, he might make an exception.
"Kennedy?" Roger asked, trying to sound innocent.
"Leon Kennedy," Dastun clarified, eager to steer the conversation
away from anything that might put Roger wise to his feelings toward Kirei.
"He just got transferred here."
(Hah!) Roger thought triumphantly. The name matched the initials
on the card that had come with the roses--L. K.
"Is he fit to be handling such matters?" Roger asked haughtily.
"How much do you know about this Kennedy guy?"
Dastun assumed, as Roger had hoped he would, that it was merely
concern for Dorothy that prompted the question. He answered right away. "Leon?
If he stays with the force, he just might threaten my position as ultimate
cop," the major joked. "Graduated in the top tenth from the academy, writes
very well-written and accurate reports, dominates the target range. Not
only that, he's a good kid."
"Reminds you of you?" Roger asked dryly. He was not liking what he
was hearing.
"Reminds me of YOU," the major clarified.
"Oh really?" Roger asked through gritted teeth. "How so?"
"It's somewhere between his burning need to serve and protect, or
the fact that all he does in his spare time is beat women off with a club,"
Dastun chuckled. Roger snarled. This was worse than he'd thought.
"Don't you worry about it, Roger," Dastun continued. "Leon took
good care of Dorothy."
"Yeah, that's why I'm nervous," Roger muttered.
"What was that?" Dastun asked.
"Nothing," Roger quickly said. "Thanks, Dan. Listen, I have some
business to take care of, but let's get together for a drink sometime
soon."
"Sure," the major agreed, puzzled by the negotiator's mood. "You
okay?"
"Never better," Roger said. "I just have some things that need
attending
to."
Dastun laughed. "That's another thing you and Kennedy have in
common. You're always on the job, both of you."
Furious, Roger hung up.
Unperturbed, Dastun also hung up. "Yup," he repeated. "Hard
workers, both of them."
~~~~~
Leon had spent over a dollar already.
A penny *pinged* off the ashtray across the room, then skittered
across the desk the ashtray sat on and rolled onto the floor.
Leon sighed and readied another penny. It had to be close to two
dollars by now that he'd thrown at the ashtray. A case file lay untouched on
his desk.
He couldn't help it. He couldn't concentrate. All he could think
of was her.
The memories were coming more frequently now, making him so anxious
to be near her again. He remembered everything about her in startling
detail, could call up every expression she'd ever graced him with. Dorothy
sitting on the kitchen counter in her old high school uniform, kicking her feet as
she watched him make breakfast; Dorothy in the precinct petting the dogs who
worked narcotics; Dorothy covered in blood after pack fights, exhausted
and bewildered. Dorothy at the stove in an apron, trying desperately,
adorably to be domestic; Dorothy asleep in the bed they'd shared, the covers tucked
around her, Dorothy snuggling next to him on the sofa as they watched movies.
Dorothy laughing, Dorothy puzzled, Dorothy's eyes shiny with tears.
His mind tried to tell him she belonged to someone else now, but
his heart found it impossible to believe. They'd shared so much. It
couldn't possibly be the same with this Roger guy...could it?
Trying to shake away the scent of the little redhead's hair, the
feel of her body in an embrace, Leon turned to the file on his desk.
(Concentrate, boyo,) he told himself. (Work before pleasure.)
Leon smiled unconsciously as he read the report. The young officer
would never deny that he was proud of himself for surviving the Raccoon City
incident. Unfortunately, one result was that now every weird freaky
X-Files-ish case somehow made its way to his desk.
(At least I'm not the only one in this building who's got the
coroner's office bookmarked as a Favorite Place,) Leon thought to himself, unable
to help grinning.
Assassins for hire. What a chilling concept. Guns broke all the
rules. They could take down almost anything if used properly, men, women,
children, girls with heightened speed and pointed claws...
(Focus, Kennedy.)
Leon shook his head and grinned again. This case would be...a
challenge. And he was ready for any challenge that came his way.
~~~~~
Roger hung up the phone and seethed. Dorothy had been acting
strange ever since those roses had come, and then even stranger after going to the
precinct to pay for the parking ticket. That officer had done something,
said something to her.
Roger was hurt that she hadn't come to him, that she hadn't said
anything to him. Why hadn't she? Didn't she trust him?
(Maybe she tried,) a nagging little voice in his head that sounded
suspiciously like Dorothy said, (and you just didn't listen. How much
do you really listen?)
He silenced the voice. Dorothy might have been afraid to tell him.
He would have to talk to her, show her she could trust him. The little
android had been hurt in the past, and Roger was still paying the bill for it.
(It's a good thing I'm rich,) Roger joked to himself, and it made
him smile.
~~~~~
Leon needed a minute to collect himself.
He had on his desk files regarding a terminated experiment on
shapeshifters--however, instead of humans changing to animal form, it
was the other way around. Bred and trained to serve, to protect, they had been
a top-secret brainchild of the government.
Which might explain having no fingerprints, or any other
identifying marks.
A terrible suspicion had whispered its way through Leon's mind once
the connection had been made to shapeshifters.
"It's me," Dorothy had told him brightly, "and Roger, and Kirei."
Leon knew who Roger Smith was. Everyone did. The negotiator was a
self-made millionaire, and had been known to foil some of Paradigm's
recent criminal schemes. He'd be an obvious target for an assassin. And they
wouldn't just hire some cheap local talent. It had been tried on Smith
and it had failed. They'd need someone good, not only to take care of
Smith but of any witnesses or obstacles--like a red-haired android she-wolf who
could bench-press a car.
Leon paled at the thought. It made sense. If someone was after
Smith, they'd be sure to have done their homework. They'd know Dorothy lived
in the house with Roger. It wouldn't take much digging to discover that she
was a bio-android, and from there it would be a short leap to finding out she
was a lycanthrope. The attack in the coffee shop--it seemed so long
ago!--was on record. Marvin Branagh had written the report. Leon remembered it
like it was yesterday.
If someone was planning to hit Roger Smith, they'd have to plan on
taking out Dorothy too. She was both an obstacle and an invitation to up the
stakes. So the assassin would have to be packing some serious hardware, like
an Uzi, a tank--or a wolf beneath their skin. Who was this Kirei? What did
she really want?
Leon Kennedy set his strong jaw. He had failed Dorothy once. He
would not fail again. There was a reason he'd been transferred here. He was
getting a second chance, and this time he would not lose her.
Leon smiled, reaching to touch the small plastic command wolf on
his desk. (I will not fail!)
**********
Roger felt guilty for cutting Dan Dastun's chitchat short, but they
could catch up later. Right now there were more important things to take
care of.
"I'm calling in response to an outstanding traffic ticket," the
negotiator remarked dryly.
Major Dan Dastun was a man whose laughter was obvious in his voice.
"You let Dorothy take the car again?"
"Ha, ha. That ticket, did she pay it?" Roger wanted this riddle
solved.
"Sure. She came in with--she took care of it with Kennedy," the
major said. He was hesitant to remind Roger of Snowolf's presence there, lest
the negotiator find out about his conversation with the petite brunette.
Roger never carried a gun, but if he suspected someone was trying to steal
one of his girls away, he might make an exception.
"Kennedy?" Roger asked, trying to sound innocent.
"Leon Kennedy," Dastun clarified, eager to steer the conversation
away from anything that might put Roger wise to his feelings toward Kirei.
"He just got transferred here."
(Hah!) Roger thought triumphantly. The name matched the initials
on the card that had come with the roses--L. K.
"Is he fit to be handling such matters?" Roger asked haughtily.
"How much do you know about this Kennedy guy?"
Dastun assumed, as Roger had hoped he would, that it was merely
concern for Dorothy that prompted the question. He answered right away. "Leon?
If he stays with the force, he just might threaten my position as ultimate
cop," the major joked. "Graduated in the top tenth from the academy, writes
very well-written and accurate reports, dominates the target range. Not
only that, he's a good kid."
"Reminds you of you?" Roger asked dryly. He was not liking what he
was hearing.
"Reminds me of YOU," the major clarified.
"Oh really?" Roger asked through gritted teeth. "How so?"
"It's somewhere between his burning need to serve and protect, or
the fact that all he does in his spare time is beat women off with a club,"
Dastun chuckled. Roger snarled. This was worse than he'd thought.
"Don't you worry about it, Roger," Dastun continued. "Leon took
good care of Dorothy."
"Yeah, that's why I'm nervous," Roger muttered.
"What was that?" Dastun asked.
"Nothing," Roger quickly said. "Thanks, Dan. Listen, I have some
business to take care of, but let's get together for a drink sometime
soon."
"Sure," the major agreed, puzzled by the negotiator's mood. "You
okay?"
"Never better," Roger said. "I just have some things that need
attending
to."
Dastun laughed. "That's another thing you and Kennedy have in
common. You're always on the job, both of you."
Furious, Roger hung up.
Unperturbed, Dastun also hung up. "Yup," he repeated. "Hard
workers, both of them."
~~~~~
Leon had spent over a dollar already.
A penny *pinged* off the ashtray across the room, then skittered
across the desk the ashtray sat on and rolled onto the floor.
Leon sighed and readied another penny. It had to be close to two
dollars by now that he'd thrown at the ashtray. A case file lay untouched on
his desk.
He couldn't help it. He couldn't concentrate. All he could think
of was her.
The memories were coming more frequently now, making him so anxious
to be near her again. He remembered everything about her in startling
detail, could call up every expression she'd ever graced him with. Dorothy
sitting on the kitchen counter in her old high school uniform, kicking her feet as
she watched him make breakfast; Dorothy in the precinct petting the dogs who
worked narcotics; Dorothy covered in blood after pack fights, exhausted
and bewildered. Dorothy at the stove in an apron, trying desperately,
adorably to be domestic; Dorothy asleep in the bed they'd shared, the covers tucked
around her, Dorothy snuggling next to him on the sofa as they watched movies.
Dorothy laughing, Dorothy puzzled, Dorothy's eyes shiny with tears.
His mind tried to tell him she belonged to someone else now, but
his heart found it impossible to believe. They'd shared so much. It
couldn't possibly be the same with this Roger guy...could it?
Trying to shake away the scent of the little redhead's hair, the
feel of her body in an embrace, Leon turned to the file on his desk.
(Concentrate, boyo,) he told himself. (Work before pleasure.)
Leon smiled unconsciously as he read the report. The young officer
would never deny that he was proud of himself for surviving the Raccoon City
incident. Unfortunately, one result was that now every weird freaky
X-Files-ish case somehow made its way to his desk.
(At least I'm not the only one in this building who's got the
coroner's office bookmarked as a Favorite Place,) Leon thought to himself, unable
to help grinning.
Assassins for hire. What a chilling concept. Guns broke all the
rules. They could take down almost anything if used properly, men, women,
children, girls with heightened speed and pointed claws...
(Focus, Kennedy.)
Leon shook his head and grinned again. This case would be...a
challenge. And he was ready for any challenge that came his way.
~~~~~
Roger hung up the phone and seethed. Dorothy had been acting
strange ever since those roses had come, and then even stranger after going to the
precinct to pay for the parking ticket. That officer had done something,
said something to her.
Roger was hurt that she hadn't come to him, that she hadn't said
anything to him. Why hadn't she? Didn't she trust him?
(Maybe she tried,) a nagging little voice in his head that sounded
suspiciously like Dorothy said, (and you just didn't listen. How much
do you really listen?)
He silenced the voice. Dorothy might have been afraid to tell him.
He would have to talk to her, show her she could trust him. The little
android had been hurt in the past, and Roger was still paying the bill for it.
(It's a good thing I'm rich,) Roger joked to himself, and it made
him smile.
~~~~~
Leon needed a minute to collect himself.
He had on his desk files regarding a terminated experiment on
shapeshifters--however, instead of humans changing to animal form, it
was the other way around. Bred and trained to serve, to protect, they had been
a top-secret brainchild of the government.
Which might explain having no fingerprints, or any other
identifying marks.
A terrible suspicion had whispered its way through Leon's mind once
the connection had been made to shapeshifters.
"It's me," Dorothy had told him brightly, "and Roger, and Kirei."
Leon knew who Roger Smith was. Everyone did. The negotiator was a
self-made millionaire, and had been known to foil some of Paradigm's
recent criminal schemes. He'd be an obvious target for an assassin. And they
wouldn't just hire some cheap local talent. It had been tried on Smith
and it had failed. They'd need someone good, not only to take care of
Smith but of any witnesses or obstacles--like a red-haired android she-wolf who
could bench-press a car.
Leon paled at the thought. It made sense. If someone was after
Smith, they'd be sure to have done their homework. They'd know Dorothy lived
in the house with Roger. It wouldn't take much digging to discover that she
was a bio-android, and from there it would be a short leap to finding out she
was a lycanthrope. The attack in the coffee shop--it seemed so long
ago!--was on record. Marvin Branagh had written the report. Leon remembered it
like it was yesterday.
If someone was planning to hit Roger Smith, they'd have to plan on
taking out Dorothy too. She was both an obstacle and an invitation to up the
stakes. So the assassin would have to be packing some serious hardware, like
an Uzi, a tank--or a wolf beneath their skin. Who was this Kirei? What did
she really want?
Leon Kennedy set his strong jaw. He had failed Dorothy once. He
would not fail again. There was a reason he'd been transferred here. He was
getting a second chance, and this time he would not lose her.
Leon smiled, reaching to touch the small plastic command wolf on
his desk. (I will not fail!)