Chapter 21

Kennedy was putting the finishing touches on his report when he heard a knock at his cubicle's entrance. "Be right with you," he grumbled without glancing up. Dastun was already on his ass about getting the paperwork finished with every "i" dotted and "t" crossed; the last thing he needed was more interruptions. Tough enough to concentrate, knowing he'd have to face his favorite redhead soon and explain why he'd taken away her best friend.

"You always were so dedicated," a familiar voice purred in response.

That got his immediate attention. "Ada?" He lifted his head, and couldn't help smiling at the lovely vision in snug red leather before him. He whistled low in appreciation. "You look great." He paused again, grinning like an idiot, then seemed to suddenly remember both where he was and what she was. The grin melted from his face. "Okay, Ada, I know you're not here to talk about old times. You've got an agenda of some sort; you always do." He leaned back in his chair, arms folded, and narrowed his pale blue eyes at her.

She laughed, sitting down on the edge of his desk, and leaned forward to offer him a nice clear view of her cleavage. "No time for small talk with an old friend, lover boy? How disappointing." She pretended to frown, and wagged one slender finger at him. "I expected more of you. We did have so much fun once upon a time." She draped her body over the desk kittenishly, then reached out to play with the strands of long blond hair falling over his forehead.

Leon slapped her hand away. "What do you want?" His tone was as icy as his eyes.

Wong sat back up. "You're going to grow old before your time if you stay in this job, you know," she sighed. "Fine, down to business, then. I want Kirei Snowolf."

Kennedy straightened in his chair instantly, managing to look annoyed instead of surprised. "Never heard of her. Go file a report with missing persons." He looked back at his keyboard. "I've got work to do. Good bye." What the hell? he thought to himself. Bad enough he was going to have to tell Red her so-called packmate was a monster, he didn't need Ada making life even more difficult. Maybe if he ignored her long enough she'd get bored and leave.

Ada stood up and in one smooth motion grabbed his chair and spun it to face her. "You give me Kirei Snowolf, or I take Dorothy Wayneright. Doesn't matter to me which one I get; does it matter to you?"

He stared at her, unable to accept what she'd just said. "I...you...what?" He couldn't hide his shock this time. Wong had indeed made his life far more difficult. It was something she had a real talent for.

"You heard me. I know what your ex-girlfriend is, and I know what Snowolf is too. My bosses want at least one of them, and they're not the sort of people who accept failure gracefully. In fact, I'm being very charitable by only taking one; I'd get a very nice bonus if I brought in both. You've got two hours to decide." She stood up. "I'll make it easier for you. I've got everything I need to take your bad doggie legally, so you don't have to worry about your job. As for your little redheaded dolly..." Wong's lips curved into a nasty smile, "...I've got everything I need to take Wayneright too, and you know I don't give a damn about legalities when I have a job to do. Should there be collateral damage if I take her instead, well..." She shrugged coolly. "That's the cost of doing business."

Ada moved to the doorway, then took one last glance back. Kennedy continued to sit there, pale and silent. "I'll be back, lover. You think about this very carefully, hm?" She smiled again, and blew him a kiss before leaving.

Dastun waited a beat before answering Smith, not wanting to push their friendship to the brink...assuming he hadn't already. Things between them were already strained on a number of points, had been ever since the younger man quit the Force. The fact that Dan felt guilty for starting all this didn't help either. Still, if he hadn't learned the truth, and Snowolf had succeeded in harming Roger or Miss Wayneright...he would feel even worse. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't-- arming himself with that thought, he finally spoke: "Calm down, Roger, yelling isn't helpful."

He ignored the younger man's black glare, and kept talking. "She's here, just not in the usual holding area. There's been a few changes in procedure since you quit. Lycanthropes are kept segregated from the human prisoners--they're too dangerous to mix with the general population. You remember what that was like, don't you?"

Roger's eyes narrowed, but he nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember." He did, too, quite vividly. There had been a near riot one time while he was still in uniform. One death, and several human prisoners and one cop infected after it was all over. It had been awful. Worse, the cop had committed suicide after going furry the first full moon, unable to accept the loss of his old life. There was no way Smith could criticize the Military Police for deciding to isolate shapeshifters, it made too much practical sense. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders tiredly. "Can I see her, Dastun?"

"Sure, Roger, of course you can." The major stood up, picking up his cap as he did so. He played with it for a moment before putting it on. "I really am sorry, you have to understand that. I was as shocked as you were when this came down...Ah, hell. Look, she's being interrogated by an investigator from the Paradigm Home Office right now about the attack. We already know her hair matches the ones found on the victim. You sure you want to listen in?"

The negotiator's eyes widened. "Interrogated by the Home Office? Why them? Did she get to speak to a lawyer already? Who is it? Wha--"

Dastun shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "No, she has no right to a lawyer, you know that. She's not human."

"But Dastun--"

"Roger, I didn't write the laws. If she were a normal shapeshifter, yes, she'd be entitled. But she's not, she's an animal that can shift to look human, not the other way around...That's what brought the Home Office in. She has no rights, no more than an android would." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Do you still want to observe the interview?"

Smith grimaced. "Yes, more than ever, if I'm going to be able to help her. This has to be a mistake, and the Home Office is only going to make more trouble. You know they'll try to take her for their own uses. I know her, Dan. She wouldn't hurt anyone deliberately, she just wouldn't."

The two men made their way down to Interrogation in strained silence. Dan brought Roger into the attached section behind the one-way mirror, joining the technician electronically monitoring the session with the usual visual/ sound recording equipment and polygraph. The Home Office investigator and two burly patrolmen (both armed with large tasers) were with Snowolf on the other side of the mirror. "They've just started," the tech said softly as he adjusted the settings on the bank of equipment arrayed before him. "All you've missed is Investigator Pierson asking her name and residence, the usual." He turned up the sound a bit, cleared out the static. "There ya go."

Roger stared at Kirei on the other side of the glass. For a moment, she glanced up in his direction, as if she could feel him standing there, and he felt himself shiver. Her face was perfectly calm, but her large brown eyes held such resigned sadness--it tore at his heart. He noticed that in addition to the lie-detector electrodes, they had her shackled to both the floor and the chair, and he suspected the restraints were electrified as well. He turned towards Dastun and asked if they were. The older man nodded. "Standard procedure with lycanthropes," he added matter-of-factly, then shrugged slightly. "Can't take any chances, you know that."

The negotiator bit his lips, managing to keep his sarcastic retort silent, and nodded instead. His Snowy was probably the least violent person here, he thought. This was insane. His thoughts were interrupted when the investigator began to question her about the incident.

"Can you see this picture clearly?" Pierson asked, sliding a large black and white photo directly in front of her. She nodded in response.

"Please answer aloud, we're recording this," he chided her. "Now, again, can you see this clearly?"

The little shapeshifter obeyed him instantly. "Yes, I can see it clearly." There was no emotion in her voice at all. Her calm was reflected in the minimal movement of the polygraph's needle.

"Do you recognize this person?"

Roger watched her study the picture in that quick all-observing manner of hers. She had an almost photographic memory for things like faces...suddenly he realized he was holding his breath. Whatever she said would be the truth. If she knew this face, she'd admit it.

He prayed silently that she would say "no." To his dismay, she nodded again. "Yes," she answered calmly, fearlessly. "I recognize the person."

The technician monitoring the session glanced at the stress readings from the detector, and also nodded. "She's telling the truth."

"Of course she is," growled Roger. He turned towards the major. "That picture, who is it?"

"That's the victim from the park attack," Dastun replied softly. He couldn't bring himself to look directly at his friend as he answered, instead focusing on Smith's ghostly reflection in the glass. The distress in the young man's face was obvious. At that moment Dastun hated himself for causing his friend such hurt. The idea that just maybe Roger was right about Snowolf stabbed his conscience. It wasn't his place to judge, he told himself. He couldn't take chances with stuff like this. What if she WAS an assassin?

The thought was cold comfort as he watched the negotiator move closer to the glass partition. Roger placed his large palms flat against the surface, all his attention on the scene unfolding before him. Smith was very aware of what the line of questioning would be. If there were any sort of extenuating circumstances to be found, it would be exposed here and now.

Meanwhile the investigative officer seemed a trifle surprised by her ready admission. "You're certain of that, you've definitely seen this person before?"

Kirei looked up at him, her dark eyes steady. "Yes."

He cocked his head at her for a moment, then made a short notation on the paper before him. "Okay, then...Miss Snowolf, do you recall the events leading up to your seeing this person?"

Roger's heart continued to sink with her answer. It was the night Dastun had taken her to "Lucky Chang's" in his place. She briefly described how she'd been asked to sit in for him, and how she was too restless to sleep when she got home, so shapeshifted and went out for a run.

"Why didn't you go out as a human? Why shift?"

Kirei shrugged at that. "Because it's safer. I look like an easy target since I'm small, it's stupid to go out alone at night. Why attract trouble, you know?" She smiled a little at that, well aware of the irony of the statement in light of her predicament.

Her questioner didn't smile in return. "What happened next?"

Snowolf described the path she took through the park, up to the point she heard someone crying.

"Oh? What did you do?" Pierson asked, suddenly very interested.

On the other side of the one-way mirror, Roger curled his hands into fists, still pressing against the glass. He was trembling slightly, and his lips moved in silent prayer to whatever god or gods he believed in. Dastun remained quiet, feeling his own heart speed up. Whatever she said next would make or break the case.

"I saw a little girl being assaulted by that boy, the one in the photograph. She was begging him to stop, and when he didn't I decided to stop him for her." She paused.

"Go on."

"I knocked him down and sat on him til the girl had a chance to escape. I waited until I was certain she was long gone, then got off him and went on my way."

The investgator sat up straight, then pointed his finger at her. "You didn't bite him, or throw him around, or threaten his life in any way?" He sounded as if he didn't quite believe her.

Snowy shrugged. "I growled at him and showed him my teeth...mmmm, brushed my fangs against his neck to scare him, but that's it. I didn't hurt him. I certainly didn't want to hurt him. I just wanted to make him stop."

Behind the glass, Roger let out a whoop, then whirled to face the major. "I TOLD you she'd never hurt anyone!"

The technician monitoring the polygraph glanced at the ink squiggles being scratched out by the needle. "She's still telling the truth according to this," he murmured. "At least, she believes in what she's saying."

Smith grinned. "I want all charges dropped, and I'm taking her home. You ought to be checking out that so-called victim, not Snowy."

Dastun nodded slowly. "I guess we can arrange for her to be released in your custody while we check this out. We'll have to get a description of the kid from her first though." He buzzed the intercom connecting the two rooms. "Get an artist in there to draw the little girl."

Snowolf glanced up towards the mirror, recognizing the gruff voice. "Major Dastun? I can draw her for you if that's easier. Just unchain one of my hands and give me some paper and a pen, even a pencil."

The three men in there with her looked at her, then at each other uneasily. Pierson buzzed the major back. "Do you think that would be wise?" he asked.

Dastun glanced at Smith, then shrugged. "Just give her some slack to draw with, but keep it attached. If she tries anything funny, you know what to do." He watched one of the guards reluctantly approach the small woman, warily releasing enough electrified chain to let her move her left hand freely. The investigator slid his pen and notebook over to her. Kirei flipped it to a blank page and began drawing.

The negotiator watched her for a few moments, then turned back to the major. "So after she finishes I can take her home? You need some bond money?" He began to pull his checkbook out of his jacket. "Whatever the amount, I'm good for it."

Dastun sighed. "It'll take a little more than money, Roger. You need proof of ownership."

"Proof of OWNERSHIP?" Smith sputtered, utterly incensed. "She's not a PET, she's a person in her own right, what are you talking about?"

"It's the law," Dastun replied stubbornly. "I don't make it, just enforce it, you know that." He could feel another headache coming on, centered around the scarred vein on his forehead.

The younger man glared at him. How the hell was he supposed to prove ownership? They weren't even Legal Domestic Partners, which was the alternative for marriage when more than one companion or a non-human was involved. The three of them had discussed it, but somehow had never gotten around to doing anything about it. If they had, he would have had at least some sort of legal paperwork to use, proving their relationship, if not ownership...the very idea of "owning" her annoyed him, it smacked of slavery. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and felt a couple of cold hard objects slip against his fingers. He pulled one out. It was a steel dogtag. Snowy's dogtag. He stared at it closely, and realized some of the intricate markings on it matched her DNA pattern from the police labwork.

Bingo!

Roger smirked despite himself. "Here's my proof," he said, handing the rectangular bit of engraved metal over to the major. "Has her name, identity, everything...she's mine." He reached again for his checkbook. "Now, how much do I write this out for?"

Meanwhile, Snowolf had finished two drawings for the investigator. One was a close-up portrait, the other a full figure clearly showing the child's height in comparison to the boy Snowy had stopped. They were almost photographic in their detail. She pushed them over to him, moving slowly so as not to frighten him. She then sat quietly as the guard retightened the shackles on her left arm.

Pierson studied the the sketches, then nodded. He buzzed the major again. "We've got the drawings, and they look as if they'll be helpful. I want her kept in isolation while this is checked out."

The major leaned over the intercom and replied. "That won't be necessary, Sir. Mr. Smith has proof of ownership"-- (Kirei knotted her brows in puzzlement at the phrase, but smiled when she heard the rest)--"...and he's paying to bond her out, so we can release her into his custody."

"Major, she is remaining here where we can keep an eye on her.This animal is potentially too dangerous to be allowed to roam, at least til we know the truth." The investgator's voice turned sarcastic. "If her owner wants something to cuddle, there are plenty of human women around."

Roger flushed with anger. Furious, he slammed his fist onto the intercom: "You coward, come in here and say that to my face! How DARE you--" Dastun pulled him off and shook him.

"Listen to me, Roger, you screw with Pierson, and you may never get her back! He's from the Home Office, for god's sake, you know what that means!" Right or wrong, Dan now regretted his snooping more than ever.

The two men stared at each other silently for what felt like an endless moment; then the younger man took a deep breath and shook his head. "I know, I know," he grumbled, still angry. "Damn it, this isn't right, Dastun. You know it's not right. Look, can I at least speak to her before they take her away, let her know I haven't given up? Please?"

The major nodded. "Let me try, I'll be right back." He left the room and knocked on the door to the interrogation room. One of the beefy officers let him in. Dastun saluted Pierson smartly and said something. At first the investigator shook his head no, but then Dastun said something else, pointing at Snowy and then to the mirror. Pierson cocked his head for a moment as if thinking, then nodded. He stood up, saluted the major, and left.

Dastun waited a beat, then came back for Roger. "Come on, we've only got a couple minutes," he said, hustling the negotiator the few steps to the other room.

Roger threw the door open and rushed over to Kirei. He knelt beside her and hugged her tightly, chains and all, then petted her hair gently. "Damn it, I leave you alone for a few hours and you get in the craziest messes; what the hell were you thinking, Snowy?" She started to reply, but he closed her mouth with a quick hard kiss. "Don't say anything, little one. I was behind the glass, I heard everything. Dorothy and I are going to get you out of this, don't you worry. We'll find that little girl, and she'll tell them you're a hero. No one is taking you away from us. Not now, not ever. Like you girls say, 'pack is pack.'"

There was a knock at the door. One of the officers opened it, and several very large and heavily armed guards came in. "We have to take the prisoner, sir."

Roger ignored them, hugging Kirei again. "Behave yourself while you're stuck here," he whispered. "Don't want to give the mucky mucks at the Home Office any excuses to keep you. Please, please be careful. I love you, little one. I want you home." He kissed her again, then stood up and moved reluctantly away from her as she was released, her chains now in the hands of four of the guards. They towered over her slight figure, making her seem even smaller than she was. Oddly, they seemed to be the nervous ones. Kirei appeared to be completely at ease.

As they led her out the door she turned to face him one last time. Roger caught a quick glimpse of her mouthing "I love you" as the door closed.

"I'm coming back for you, Snowy," he muttered aloud, heedless of the officers still there. "I promise. I'm taking you home." He shook himself. It was time to find Dorothy and plot strategy.