(Evie, Lya)
"I'll go," Alex says after a moment. "If this is happening across the country, then I'm likely to be safe. If not, then we know this is Ground Zero, and Loki, Jr. has something nastier up his sleeve than a few feet of snow."
He smiles at Toxic and Klepto.
"Somehow, when the Norse Goddess of Death wants a tete-a-tete with me and tells me I'm trespassing in her domain, I imagine she doesn't want me showing up on her doorstep any time soon," he says.
"Okay, Lieutenant, let's go talk to your people."
The door opens and closes without difficulty. A ribbed tunnel of plastic sheeting extends out of sight across the turnout.
Evie has been looking at the guest register and taking notes. She's got the name Bob Malcolm scribbled down, with the word Congressman? next to it. He's on the High-Roller level of the hotel tower.
Evie comes back to Lya and shows her the name she has found, "I think this is the only politician. At least, it's the only name that jumped out at me. I'm sure there are probably quite a few execs, CEOs and whatnot on the list, too, but..." She shrugs. "This is the one that I would be the most concerned about."
"So," the detective gives Lya a sly grin. "Wanna go check out his room and do some snooping while he's none the wiser? We'll have to be extra careful not to move anything so that the casino staff doesn't get blamed. But, it might be a good opportunity to find out if he's a threat or not."
"Sounds like a plan to me, Evie," Lya replies. "Lets grab his room key and go take a look around before Hitoshis people get to him."
You 'borrow' a master key from the manager's office and take the elevator to the suite occupied by Congressman Malcolm. And while he is a staunch supporter of law enforcement, he's also rather narrow of vision on social justice issues.
There are two security types standing in the hall, doing their best imitation of statues. Klepto and Toxic reach into the guards' coats, remove their weapons, and eject the magazines.
You realize that you've been in this suite before. It was where the Necromantix were staying. It is, however, someone different. The air is heavy with the smell of alcohol. There is the aftermath of a poker game, side tables still bearing food and drink, the big-screen TV muted but tuned to an all-news network that appears to be covering the end-of-the-world in other cities. Both of the bedrooms off of the main living space appear to be occupied, but the only way to tell which is Malcolm's room is to look.
Lya gives the table of booze a once over and grabs a half empty bottle of Glenlivit whiskey to take a swig as Evie gives her a look with a raised brow. "Oh come on... it was just going to waste!"
She then goes to one of the doors and pauses with her hand on the doorknob. "You realize there's a good chance I could be scarred for life depending on what they were doing in there when they were frozen," Lya chuckles.
Evie shudders. "Gods I didn't even think of that..."
"Well here goes nothing," Lya adds as she takes a deep breath and opens the door.
Before Lya opens the door, she quickly speaks up.
"Just be aware of how things were laid out if you start poking around. I'm sure no one is going to notice if things are a centimeter off here and there, but some people have some serious OCD issues. Like, all the magazines on a table have to be lined up exactly. Or, all the writing on bottles must face forward...that sort of thing," she says. "These guys may not notice anything amiss, judging by the condition of this room but...better to be safe."
Then, she grins, "Good luck, in there!"
Lya pulls her phone out of her pocket and winks. "Rest assured I was planning on taking a lot of pictures. You never know when pictures of a congressman can come in handy."
Even a 25-year Glenlivet can't erase the image of Congressman Malcolm topped by his executive assistant, Miranda Blum. Malcolm isn't in bad shape for a man of his age, but there's a pill bottle on the nightstand that suggests he needs a little help with the ol' flagpole. While Miranda is not quite voluptuous on a par with Christina Hendricks, neither is she lacking in physical charms.
Her taste in men, however ...?
(Evie)
There is a man lying on the bed, in a manner that can only be called insensate. His eyelids are in mid-blink, his pupils dilated. There's a sheen on his lips that suggests he was slipped a mickey finn with a kiss.
It's what's in the adjoining bathroom that catches your attention - a young, lingerie-clad woman putting the finishing touches on dressing her man.
Only in this case, it's a mirror twin of the guy on the bed, dressed in the uniform of an Air Force colonel. His nametag reads ELLISON. In one hand, he is holding a smartphone open to its notebook app, with what appears to be a safe combination on it ...
Without even thinking about it, Evie reaches down to dig in her purse...only to find it's not there. That's right. I left it in the van...six months ago, she thinks in slight irritation. Looking around, she finds the complimentary notepad and pen that almost every hotel in existence provides, tucked in the nightstand by the bed.
She carefully tears a note off the top and replaces the pad. The last thing she wants is to leave an imprint on the pad itself, leaving evidence that someone else has the combination she's about to , she goes to look at the notepad and, using the bathroom wall as a writing surface, she jots down the combination.
"Hey, Lya!" she calls out. "You may want to come in here and look at this. I want you to be able to recognize this guy when you see him out and about."
Lya takes a long gulp from the whiskey. "Aw man... I just knew it," she groans before pocketing the bottle and pulling out her camera. "Smile for the camera, Congressman... it's time for your close-up."
She takes pictures of various angles of the congressman in flagrante delictoand makes sure to get his face as well as the identity of his partner before moving on to the other man lying on the bed.
"Well isn't this interesting..." she mutters as she takes more pictures. "I wonder what makes you so important..."
She hears Evie's call and walks into the bathroom. "Holy..." she takes a step back and leans out into the bedroom to glance at the man on the bed before looking back at the half dressed double. "There's a whole lot more than hank-panky going on." she snaps some pictures of the double as well as the young woman dressing him. "Any luck ID-ing this guy?"
Evie shakes her head, "No, I haven't dug much into his identity, yet. But, judging by his uniform and insignia, he's an Air Force colonel. Ellison, it looks like. And, take a look at this...a combination."
She thinks for a second then asks, "Do you know if the casino has security boxes here?"
It's a pity, of course, that the elections are long over. Not that it would matter much - despite politicians prattling about values all the time, the electorate seems to ignore even the most flagrant transgressions, even re-electing the weasels to office.
You've seen enough unfortunates to recognize that the man on the bed was doped with something like rohypnol or another 'date rape' drug. He'll be out for hours, even if unfrozen - long enough for his doppelganger to do what? Steal something? Give orders? Make something disappear off the books? The resemblance is uncanny. If this were a spy movie, the double would be some foreign agent who had received cosmetic surgery and months of training...
"Not sure... but Hitoshi would know," Lya replies. "He should know about this anyway... because I think we may want to put off unfreezing these guys for the moment if we can help it." she reaches over to the bathroom sink and grabs some tissues in her hand to prevent leaving prints before gently prying the phone out of the frozen mans fingers.
"If you've got the numbers written down, I'm going to see if we can learn anything more from this guy's phone."
A cursory examination of the phone shows that it belongs to a Colonel Roger Ellison. There are the usual entries for subordinate officers, his wife, family members, his opposite numbers in other services, and political connections that include Congressman Bob Malcolm.
There are also numbers for several of the Westview's board members.
Other than that, there's a spate of news apps, plus the games Risk, Plague, Inc., and one for Scenario Poker.
*Scenario Poker was available on the Mac, but I don't think the programmer ever made a phone version, and used QuickTime video to give you the illusion that you were playing with real people, including subtle tells.
"While you're at it, scroll up on that Notepad app and see if there's an ID for what this combination is for. I would assume that it's either a deposit box in Ellision or Malcolm's name but, you never know. There could be another player in this," Evie says.
"Even if there's nothing there, we should be able to access the casino's security database to figure out if either of them do have a box."
"And, speaking of other players...let's see if we can figure out who this little angel is," Evie turns to the lingerie-clad woman. The detective begins looking around the room, trying to find the lady's belongings, perhaps a purse.
Just as Lya is being careful, so too is Evie. Before she starts digging into things and touching, she makes sure her hands and covered.
"So, what did you find in the other room?" she asks.
"Something that all the brain bleach in the world will never erase," Lya answers. "Malcolm was caught in the middle of giving someone a ride on the ol' bologna pony."
Evie snerks and laughs softly, before turning to Lya, "You know, ever since I've learned that gods are real and watch what goes on here on Earth, it's made masturbation a lot less fun. Hell, that's too much pressure to perform!"
"Man... what must it be like to be Heimdall anyway? Seeing everyone do stupid silly things on a daily basis..." Lya wonders as she gestures for Evie's pad and paper and starts writing down the names and numbers of the congressman and various Grandview board members as she's sure that's more information Hitoshi should know about.
She looks up suddenly and looks at Evie with slight trepidation. "You...don't have abilities like that do you? If so I'll have to let you know days you don't want to look my way," she chuckles.
The corners of Evie's lips quirk upward in a smile, "I figure it's sort of like watching stupid videos on YouTube. I mean, he's more concerned with making sure that the realms are safe and all but...seriously...how can you ignore some of the stupid stuff that goes on and not apply the Divine Facepalm at least a few times a day?"
At Lya's suggestion that she can see so very much, Evie laughs aloud, "Oh good lord, no...and I hope I never develop sight like that! I can look at a scene and tell what happened there but that's as far as it goes. So far, at least."
As she is looking for the woman's purse, she says, "Oh...we should also see if there is a spare wallet or something lying about. I don't know if Extra Ellison here is magical clone or another person or what. But, if he's a person, he may have left his credentials lying around somewhere."
"Well let's consult the oracle of our generation for answers," Lya smiles as she holds up her phone and plugs in the colonel's name. "Oh great Internet... tell me what you see... especially if I cross-reference you and our congressman!"
Colonel Roger Ellison is a highly-decorated Air Force officer, noted for his service in Desert Storm. He is the commanding officer at Nellis AFB. A number of anti-government/conspiracy pages list him as a front man for everything from Area 51 to the New World Order.
He and Congressman Malcolm appear to support each other - Malcolm backs legislation favoring military expenditures; Ellison praises Congressional leadership. They often appear at the same public events, air shows and annual chili cook-offs.
There are numerous photos, ranging from official portraits to archival news items. One draws your eye only because it's one of the earliest featuring Malcolm and his playmate, a woman named Miranda Blum. But there's another figure that draws your attention, an older man with a familiar half-smirk. The caption identifies him as Armand Roget. Jason Lyman's old alias, suggesting Lyman has his hands deep in military and political pockets ...
The only notation on the Notepad app is, 'Desk" - so perhaps a safe contained by or hidden inside a desk? Ellison's office, perhaps. It's a common enough practice, and reasonably sound - if your phone goes missing, you wipe it, the data goes bye-bye.
A cursory search of a woman's purse lying on the bathroom counter produces her ID, but it's likely to be useless, as the ID is a high-end fake.
But there's also a man's wallet, for one Douglas Maxwell, a name you recognize as one of Roget/Lyman's allies from Thomas Cardinelli's list.
Evie holds up the wallet, showing Lya the driver's license inside, "Hey, this is Douglas Maxwell's wallet. Do you think he's the one who is impersonating Ellison?" She gestures to the doppelganger that stands before them.
The detective runs a hand through her short hair, absently ruffling it into a mess. "So, it looks like Lyman wants to use Ellison to do...what, exactly? Obviously, he's taking advantage of his connection with Malcolm, somehow."
She thinks, "This makes me believe that Lyman doesn't have direct control over either of them. If he did, this switcheroo wouldn't be necessary."
"...or, maybe Lyman does have direct control but he suggested something that didn't set well with Ellison. Something that would harm his own men, maybe? Something that would require a switch. I don't know."
Evie looks to Lya, "If Maxwell is mixed up in this, we definitely need to let Hitoshi know what's going on before he starts unfreezing people." She frowns, "Do you think we should head on up to the offices to try and catch him? I don't know how quickly he wants to move on everything."
"Exactly what I was thinking, Evie... if they're so buddy-buddy then why the need for the double? It would certainly fit if the double is Maxwell though... at least with the Lyman connection anyway." Lya replies with a scratch of her head. "Why not give Hitoshi a call? I want to make sure we've searched through everything we can before I head out of here."
Lya then walks back into the bedroom and winces as she reaches past the frozen congressman to use the tissues to grab the prescription bottle off of the bedside table. "Excuse me for a moment there Bob... just wanted to get your address in case we need to pay you a visit at home."
As expected, the prescription is for an erectile dysfunction medication. An address and phone number are listed, though, depending on how this all sits with Mrs. Malcolm, they may not be his home.
You are more than a little troubled by the puzzle of Colonel Ellison's double, who is a perfect match. Could there be something his double was instructed to do while the real Ellison lay insensate ... and unlikely to admit he'd been suckered by a pretty face?
Or is there something more sinister afoot? Lyman isn't beyond kidnapping people and locking them up.
"I can't get through to Hitoshi," Evie tells you. "The line just goes dead."
Evie frowns and looks around the room. Even though she's fairly certain that this desk that she needs to find in connection with the combination is somewhere else, it would be pretty stupid to walk out of here without checking.
Thus, she starts looking around, checking the desks to see if any of them lock
"So, I'm thinking that if Lyman is dressing up an Air Force colonel to get into someplace with a combination, he must need to get into someplace only the military could enter. Or, someplace personal to Ellison. Maybe his office or home?" she calls out to Lya as she searches.
"Hmmn... guess we'll have to go looking for him then. With his 'guards' about I'm sure somebody knows where he is." Lya replies. "Let's do one last once over for anything and then we'll seal the room back up and head downstairs. Did the double have anything else on him like an address where he's supposed to go?"
She looks around the scene in frustration and sighs. "Without more information it's just so hard to tell... is Malcolm in on it with Lyman and this is a trap they worked to get the colonel? Or were Malcolm AND the colonel both about to get caught in the trap set by Lyman and that lady in the bathroom? You've got to wonder what defense committees Malcolm might be a part of and what projects this colonel might be privy to... you know?"
"Exactly. And being out of the loop for so long isn't helping things," Evie says. "Maybe we can get some help from Lieutenant Drake. I know that he's been frozen, too, but he may know someone trustworthy within the military that we could speak to."
There is an in-room safe, but it is keypad operated, with a user-selected numeric code. The numbers from the notepad are in the traditional format of a combination lock, likely to be somewhere that only Ellison can reach. A friendship or even a working relationship does not necessarily mean full and complete access - particularly when related to the nation's defense.
And we are talking about the end of the world.
Yet Maxwell looked to be intended as more than a look-alike. He was a perfect copy - and if someone in your work or social sphere bore that close a resemblance, it would not have gone unnoticed. And he was borrowing the real Colonel's uniform. How could they hope to pull this off, unless the substitution was meant to be permanent, and the unconscious Colonel was meant to be eliminated or 'disappeared.'
It was like something out of a bad spy movie.
"Well, I'm not sure that we can learn much more, just yet. I think we ought to go find one of Hitoshi's guards and see if they know where he is or if they can contact him. I don't know about you, but I don't want these guys moving until we have a better handle on what's going on," Evie says.
"Yeah let's lock this place back up and go fill Hitoshi in," Lya agrees. "Maybe some of his staff might be better at researching the political connections."
Lya then writes down the safe combination and proceeds to alter the note on the phone before wiping it for fingerprints and placing it back into the doubles hand.
Thoughts of the kind of mischief seen in popular fiction involving the suspension of time are set aside. Perhaps Malcolm isn't connected ... and perhaps he was a willing participant in getting to Colonel Ellison. Still, it strikes both of you as a bit early to presume a massive conspiracy with the enemy infiltrating the government and the military.
After wiping away fingerprints and correcting things that may have been disturbed, you leave the suite. The executive floors are only a couple of floors away, separate from the day-to-day offices. It's still strange to see people frozen in mid-stride, though Hitoshi appears to have 'thawed' his mother, Mika Hanamura, and his former financial advisor? Agent?
Mika has the door to her office closed. She is speaking quietly in Japanese, but there is an uncharacteristic frown on her face.
Karen Ryder looks up as Lya enters, her expression less stern than usual, but still somewhat cool.
James smiles. "Lya. And Detective Cartwright, is it? Hitoshi said he would be right back."
One of Hitoshi's newly acquired bodyguards stands to one side.
"Thanks... glad to see you guys are doing all right with all this mess," Lya replies as she shakes James hand and bows slightly to Karen. "Good to see you too, Mrs. Ryder. I imagine Hitoshi filled you in on a lot of things?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Evie shakes hands with those present and then moves to lean against the doorframe. She leaves the talking to Lya since she probably already knows these people through her friendship with Hitoshi.
"He did, and I don't pretend to understand any of it," she says. "In one sense, it's very flattering to have been courted by a god. But it's also disturbing to learn that they don't really have their own houses in order, or that their children are tasked with cleaning up the mess, with little more than a hello and how-do-you-do."
Karen tucks a non-existant strand of hair back behind her ear, a gesture you always associated with her tolerant-but-impatient tone, frequently lecturing a young Hitoshi about priorities and focus.
"All right is a relative term, I guess," James manages to smile. "Karen has the casino to get back in working order, and I am trying to cobble together a community assistance proposal out of whole cloth. We can help people, but our resources are limited."
"If there's one thing I learned from talking to my Dad Mrs. Ryder, it's that the Gods are just like us with very human problems... just with a bit more power is all," Lya chuckles as she leans against the desk. "When you're father is the Greek god of wine and partying, I imagine the first thing that comes to their mind is 'how do I get somebody else to take care of this for me so I can keep drinking.'" She clasps her hands in her lap and sighs. "Daddy issues aside, we've got other problems to deal with right now that take precedent."
She looks over to James. "When we were outside we encountered a community they called Sanctuary that was being run by a preacher as well as a local artist I met before all this mess started. It seems to me that they've got some resources and organization, but they could really use a stable shelter like the hotel," Lya replies earnestly. "Perhaps if the hotel would be willing to pool their resources with them, it could be a win-win situation for everyone?"
Evie nods, "In fact, they may not even want to move everyone here. I would imagine that they would want to relocate refugees here for safety, but would want to keep Sanctuary running so that they can continue to find those who are lost and need help. So, it would be more like a partnership."
"Of course, that's just conjecture on my part. I can't speak for those in charge of Sanctuary," she adds.
"You know that reminds me," Lya says as she starts patting her pockets, "I might still have Arky's card on me to see if I can give him a call. Couldn't hurt, right? Maybe we can at least organize a meeting where you guys can talk about it."
"While we have space, we cannot simply up-end things," Karen says. "It is not the same as filling the resort to capacity for a convention. We can re-task the ballrooms and the meeting rooms for shelter and organizational space. As I told Hitoshi, we can suspend normal housekeeping and laundry service to conserve water and energy."
"I have yet to ascertain if our perishables are still good. As of the time we were 'frozen,' we would have had two weeks of non-perishables, the basics. One week of perishables. And that would be operating all of the restaurants and lounges. If we are not serving steak-and-lobster dinners to everyone, then we will be able to sustain a relief effort for a longer period of time.
"That means a sensible effort at conservation," she underscores. "We will make every effort to provide a comfortable place to stay, even if it's in a cot on the Concourse."
Arky answers after the first couple of rings.
"A voice from the great beyond!" he says with a cheerful tone that should be bottled and sold. "You got in. Please tell me Hades, or whomever his Japanese equivalent is, didn't redecorate."
"I realize you've only recently been awoken from your stasis Mrs. Ryder, but you need to quickly come to terms that the world has already up-ended things and it's waiting for you to catch up. Those people out there who aren't being subjected to martial law or enslaved by ice giants have already been scavenging what they can to live whether it's bread and water or blankets to keep from dying in the night... so I think they'll be find without lobster." Lya sneers before turning back to her phone.
"Arky, my man... so good to hear your voice!" Lya replies with a relieved sigh as she turns her back to Mrs. Ryder. "Well there was definitely a lot more statuary when we got here... but that's currently being rectified. Just having a discussion with the hotel manager about pooling all our resources to try and get you guys a more stable shelter. What's going on outside?"
"Lya, I'm not worrying about who gets lobster," she says. "I'm agreeing with you. I'm saying that if we are sensible about where we direct our energies, then we can offer help to more people. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear."
Lya covers the phone receiver for a moment. "I'm sorry Mrs R... I'm just... it's not easy going to hell and back for your friend only to find out the rest of the world went to hell while you were gone. I just want to help as many people as I can in this mess. Would you like to talk to Arky and see if you guys can come to an agreement? He's one of the people running Sanctuary so he should be able to tell you what resources they can bring with them so you can coordinate."
"Snow, snow, and, for a change of pace ... snow," Arky says. "We'd love to relocate, but the problem with the Strip is that it's where the 'authorities' have set up. Neither Father Daniel nor I would have any authority or influence over things. Even if you take in other residents, there will be lines and lists and groups and all that stuff that keeps people separate."
"For example, and it may seem silly, but if they identify Tawny, she gets branded a runaway, I get labelled something else much less complimentary, and I can be the resident artist in county jail."
Hitoshi walks in, looks between his mother, and Lya, and then over to Evie. "Are they actually getting along?" He asks Evie quietly. He then holds his hand out to Lya.
"As the guy in charge of the Westview Grand, I'd be the one for him to talk to Lya, and we need to get this party started."
Evie nods, replying quietly, "More or less. A little sniping, but nothing terrible."
Lya shrugs and hands her phone to Hitoshi. "Unless the Westview connects to the storm drains, half the party is stuck cross-town."
"Who's this? Hitoshi, right?" Arky asks. "In one sense, it's simple. We pack up our people and get our butts somewhere a bit warmer than a strip mall. Some of the store owners are here with us, so there won't be any hassles over what we've salvaged to make it this far. We're keeping people fed, warm, and dry. And that's a big deal for just about everyone.
"The not-so-simple part is this: I'm a nobody. An adult with a girlfriend who's a runaway and not quite 18. I've been her protector and her mentor, because we both know there are ... disreputable sorts out there. But I can't just march into the Westview. The National Guard is basically camped outside your door. There are the well-meaning people who are 'in charge,' and don't give a shit about the community Father Daniel and I have built up. Just rules and lines and lists and groups and badges and titles ...
"Tawny loses, and I'll probably get charged with statutory rape, and everyone who has found shelter with us will just become another number on a form, someone for the government to take care of. You think they're ready to be told that the gods of legend and myth are getting ready to duke it out? I don't."
Hitoshi glances over at Heishi to catch his attention and glances over at the shadow doors with a questioning look. Heishi gives Hitoshi a questioning look and shakes his head. Apparently, there are limits to the portal ability, either in capacity or duration.
"Look, Arky, is it? Even if I thought the National Guard cared about that particular situation with you and your girlfriend, I have control of my hotel, they don't. You gather your people up and tomorrow night we will bring you through. Give us till then to prep the place and I'll have Lya call you again. You will need to Gather everyone up, and supplies. I am giving shelter and aid to your people of sanctuary. The rest will be on a case by case basis as we will try to get the other casino hotels to join in on the sheltering and giving aid. IF the national guard wants in on it, great, but you are friends of Lya, therefore once you step on these premises you are under my protection."
He finally shuts up and gives Arky a chance to reply.
"Tawny is a runaway, Hitoshi. If the authorities identify her, they'll call her parents. Her parents will point the finger at me. For things like that, they won't care that it's your building," Arky tells you. "That's just one reason my people were living in the storm drains. Rejects, outcasts, runaways. Good people, just not on speaking terms with the rest of society."
"Well that's gonna be a problem for the authority when they have to deal with ninjas, and 4 furies who while I can't speak for them, would probably step up. Look, I'm setting it up so the guard should be a problem. We are going to talk to all the casinos about opening their doors to those that need shelter. I'm sure there's some way enough confusion can be made that you can slip her in here and we can put her and you up in a private room away from prying eyes. We will get you all in here safe and sound even if I have to send my men out to do so, and that's a promise. Ask Lya, I may piss her off from time to time, but I always keep my word. You guys just need to be ready to move under the cover of darkness tomorrow night. Everyone else can come during the day." Hitoshi paces while he talks, and grabs a pad and jostling down instructions to Heishi.
"Also bring the supplies and shop owners you can. We will all have to work together in this. Anyone who can work will be a big help. We are going to get the place setup for your people. One last thing, anyone with special needs should be in the first wave during the day. They will need the most care."
"No offense Lya, but we're here to protect you... not start fights we can't win with the National Guard," Klepto says quietly as she leans against the wall with the other Furies.
"None taken, " Lya whispers back. "There's got to be a better way than forcibly confronting the Guard. Hitoshi gets a bit... intense sometimes."
"Sometimes..." whispers Orithia with a roll of her eyes.
"Maybe we could try talking to the Guard first," Lya theorizes. "I'm sure they're stressed out trying to organize people already... so if Hitoshi offered to take people in, maybe we could do it on the condition that there's no interference by the Guard."
"Maybe use that soldier you talked to earlier as a liaison?" Phoebe adds.
"Yeah... he kind of owes Hitoshi anyway seeing as he freed him and his men... and he also has experienced what can happen when people threaten the place," Lya answers.
"Oh...Hitoshi!" Lya taps Hitoshi on the arm to get his attention. "Ask Arky if they've got a doctor among them who can handle somebody with a drug overdose, would ya? You've got somebody frozen upstairs who is going to need some help."
Even though Evie can only hear half the conversation, she has got a pretty good idea that Arky is not 100% behind this idea.
After Lya gets his attention and asks about the doctor, the detective speaks up, "Hitoshi, if Arky doesn't want to come here, we can't force them. They still have every right to make their own choices, regardless of whether we think those are good or bad."
"Look, maybe Arky and his gang can keep operating as normal but send us any people they find out in the snow? We can still help by taking pressure off of Sanctuary. That way, they don't have to provide for everyone that they find out there. But, anyone who doesn't want to come, for whatever reason, still has a home out there."
"Don't underestimate the National Guard," Arky says. "As I said, they're the people with authority in this scenario."
"One of the reasons we're still out here is that we've got close to two hundred people, Hitoshi. We can't just pack up in a day's time, and the Guard doesn't have any place to put us, even with commandeering resources from other casinos.
"You're going to have to find a way to tell them we're coming in, through their lines, through your front door, without getting them all worked up and making enemies. Unless that's your gig, man, then I'm the last guy you want advice from."
Lya grabs her phone back out of Hitoshi's hand and sticks her tongue out at him before putting it to her ear. "Arky...it's Lya again. We've had some contact with the Guard after Hitoshi freed a few of them from the hotel, so maybe we can try talking to them first and making a deal before Hitoshi tries to take them all on single handed. I'll be sure to keep you updated."
She runs a hand through her hair as she paces. "In the meantime, do you have anybody that needs more immediate help? We could probably sneak in small groups if necessary."
"No, we're good. I may be an idealist, dear cousin, even the Scion of the god who invented medicine," Arky says, "but I can't be everywhere. Not yet, at least. We transferred the few people who were seriously injured to the Guard.
"We just need someone to get the authorities looking past their bureaucracy. I can't do it because they won't listen to a kid off the street who's got a bunch of runaways under his wing.
"I've been known to be very persuasive," Lya chuckles. "Not only that but we've got a police officer, an attorney, and the owner of the hotel on our side, so we'll see what we can do." Lya's eyes widen as she gets an idea. "Even better... if you've got a doctor you can temporarily loan us, we might even have a Colonel."
"A colonel? Do I really want to know?" Arky says. "Never mind. We don't have a doctor in residence, but some of the paramedics make the rounds and bring a doctor if they're needed. Some of the 'doomsday' folk tried holding them, that didn't end well."
"All the juicy details aside, there's a colonel in stasis here at the hotel thanks to the darkness and it looks like he was frozen mid-overdose," Lya replies. "If you guys could get one of those paramedics to come over they've probably been trained to handle overdoses... and then he'd be in debt to you and your people for saving his life, right? I figure he's our best bet at a ringer if we're going to try and convince the National Guard to do anything for us."
"It'll be hit and miss," Arky says. "Like I said, they're not really our people, but some of them make their rounds. If we can convince the Guard to let us bring people into the Westview, then we'll probably have some of the medical folk on tap as well."
"Can't be an overdose, can it? Wouldn't that cost him his job?"
"Well... let's just say I don't think he was planning on taking anything and leave it at that," Lya laughs dryly. "So not only would we be saving his life, but his job too. If you can get a paramedic to agree to help us out, Hitoshi might be able to get one person sneaked through the lines... and then if all goes well the rest of you will be able to walk right in."
Hitoshi mutters "Whatever" and walks off to go deal with the setting up of the Casino.
"Mother, James, Heishi, lets start unthawing the hotel staff for now. After that we can unthaw the patrons. However, leave the good colonel and those in his room frozen until we can get a doctor in to help him."
"Very well," Karen says. "How does this work? Can we go person-by-person, or do we just tell Mr. Heishi, here, 'unfreeze all the staff'? There will have to be some kind of assembly, some kind of briefing."
"Ryder Misu, we suspended the building all at once. We can undo this in pieces, but it will not be as precise as you are thinking."
"You mean something like we can do a room, but not individuals?" James asks.
"Hai."
"How do you want to do this, Hitoshi?" James asks you.
Hitoshi shrugged. "Let's do this Room by Room and Level by level then. But leave the Good Colonel and everyone in his room Frozen for now. Any idea on who we should unfreeze first Mother? Oh, and where in the fuck is the rest of the board, cause if they left and left all these people behind instead of doing their jobs, I am having James write up the paperwork and doing a hostile takeover from those chickenshit bastards within the next hour."
"If we begin with Staff, we will be working on the Concourse and Casino levels," Karen says. "Make sure our people know we're in disaster mode, just like a fire drill, and it will take care of itself."
"I don't think any of the other board members are on the premises, Hitoshi," says James. "I imagine we might be hearing from Greg Mason, but with you and I absent, and no information on the status of the Westview, he has no quorum and no grounds for taking action."
Hitosi nods in both cases. "Alright then, you heard my mother. Unthaw rooms, Separate the Patrons from the Staff, and inform the Staff that we are in disaster mode and that they should go to their stations inside the building."
He pauses.
"James, I don't think he even knows I was missing, but now, he is. Someone try and contact the Board then. If they don't reply, assume something has happened to them and we will go from there on that issue. Maybe some of them got eaten by trolls or something. In Mason's case, I can only hope that to be true."
"Unlike you, Mason doesn't live here. After the last boardroom drubbing you gave him, he wouldn't be here unless there was another meeting or he wanted to entertain guests on site," James says. "He may be fuming, and he may be scheming, but without a quorum and without backing, he's got nothing. Whereas you show up with resources that can help a great many people. In a snowed-in city, no one is going to give a rat's ass about what Gregory Mason wants."
"Come with me," Karen says to Heishi. "Lya, if you and your friends can lend a hand?"
"Sure," Evie says, nodding. She assumes that she is included in 'and friends' and the invitation to help is not meant for just Lya and the Furies.
Actually, whether or nor Mrs. Ryder meant to include her, Evie is still going to help where she can. She had actually been trying to decide what to do with herself and whatever Hitoshi's mom has in mind will keep her busy.
The detective takes a deep breath that, despite her best efforts to stifle, turns into a yawn.
"Whatever we can do to help Mrs. Ryder," Lya replies. "Though it looks like coffee might be in order."
"I gather that once we start 'unfreezing' people, we'll be able to do something about that," Karen says. "I'm sure we can also make a room available for you to grab some rest if you need it ... Detective? Did I hear that right?"
Evie chuckles, "Well, it has been six months since I last slept!" She smiles, "But, yeah...I was only asleep for a couple of hours before the break-in at my apartment and we've been running nonstop since. Caffeine would be welcome!"
At Karen's questioning tone regarding her job, Evie nods, "Yes, ma'am. I'm a detective with LVPD...at least, I was. At this point, they may have declared me dead and retired my shield."
"All right. Once we get the first couple of areas taken care of, and we're sure no one is going to 'freak out,'" Karen says. "Then I'll have enough staff that the rest of you can take a break, get some food and rest."
She pauses and gives Hitoshi a serious look.
"That includes you, Hitoshi."
At Karen's suggestion, areas are 'unfrozen' - providing a conscious desk staff and a handful of disoriented bellhops.
"Frozen in time?" one asks. "Like Doctor Who timey-wimey stuff? That's totally cool!"
Most of the staff take their tone from Karen, hiding their thoughts behind a veneer of professionalism that will carry them through the next day or so. It seems a bit selfish to focus on 'staff,' but as the casino's disaster plan is implemented, the wisdom of doing so becomes clear. The ballrooms are prepped to receive the rest of the casino's guests, and the simple courtesy of food and drink makes it all seem much more normal.
"Please assure all of our guests that they will be billed only for the length of their original reservation, and that 'check out times' are not being enforced at present," Karen reminds her desk staff. "Don't try to explain the situation to individual guests. Direct them to the ballrooms on the basis of their last name, and we'll take it from there."
It is clear that Karen Ryder is in her element and that Fimbulwinter or whatever apocalypse is rolling up to the door will not be fought entirely by the gods or by Scions, but through the assistance of mortals like Karen and the staff of the Westview Grand.
Lya makes her way through the halls bustling with awakened staff getting back to their routine until she finds Hitoshi issuing directions in one of the ballrooms.
"Hey Hitoshi... I was wondering...I know those portals of yours aren't terribly suited for large groups of people...but could you get maybe 2 people through? I'm still trying to negotiate with Arky to at least get a paramedic over here to help us handle the Colonel... because if we can get him on ourside, maybe he can negotiate with the National Guard out there to help us get any of Arky's people who wants to come to the hotel."
She runs a hand through her hair as she chews her lip. "If that isn't an option I'm going to just have to go out there myself to get them... and I don't want to see the look on Klepto's face when I tell her that, you know?"
Hitoshi looks at Heishi. "You told me we couldn't do that again, is that right?"
"There is a cost, Hitoshi-sama. The power must come from somewhere, and you are not yet ready," Heishi says, a touch ominously. "It is possible to open a path, but a large number of people would take more energy than is available. To open a path for a small group will also cost energy that you may not wish to expend until you ... understand."
Hitoshi looks around. "Mother and the Staff have all this covered. Neither the Board nor I am here to micro manage the Casino. We are going to have the Physically go get Arky and this doctor. However, as late as it is getting, a Vehicle might be a good idea first. We can't be driving all over the place when nightfall hits. It's going to drop big time."
He runs a hand through his hair. "In other words, I'm going to let Mother do what she does best, and I am going to do what I do best."
He turns around. "Hey Mom, the Garage of the Casino faces away from the Convention center so the Guard isn't going to be in our way. However, we need a Ride that's quick and Maneuverable in the snow."
"If we weren't in the middle of a blizzard, I'd be worried," Karen says. "There's a Humvee in the garage. A guest had wanted something special for a party, so it has been ... tricked out ... a bit. The Day Manager at the desk will have the keys."
You retrieve the keys without incident, and are directed to a space normally reserved for high-rollers. Feeling confident that you and Heishi are more than a match for any non-environmental hazard in your path, you leave the rest of your 'security' detail behind to assist with the 'thawing out' process.
You take the elevator to the key-access level, and have a moment of trepidation, as the level is dark.
"Something I should know about, Heishi?" you ask.
"Iie, Hitoshi-sama," he answers. He draws his sidearm and slips out into the blackness beyond, keeping the doors from closing with the edge of his foot. "I sense nothing."
You step forward, and sensors register your presence where they failed to recognize your bodyguard. The beam of an argon laser scans across the floor, creating a path of cerulean blue across the garage floor. A path that ends at something that is vaguely Humvee shaped ... but has been modified with blue underbody lights and trim reminiscent of light vehicles from a Tron remake ...
Hitoshi ' s left eye twitches for a second. "Note to self, find the dumbass that asked for the underbody lights, and smack them... hard."
He turns. "Well Lya, it's no tumbler, but if we unplug the under carriage lights, it should be fine... unless you want the lights."
The underbody lights may be horrendously tacky, but it's an excellent job for what was probably a last-minute request from a top-tier guest. You recognize the handiwork of another custom garage in town, and are thankful it wasn't your old shop.
Still, the vehicle is nicely tuned, turning over with barely a moment's hesitation, even though the cold is noticeable here in the garage. The rumble tells you there's plenty of power under the hood, likely the later model V8 engine, even if that means astoundingly low fuel economy...
Hitoshi nods and rolls down the window to talk to Lya and Evie.
"Okay, this one works. I'm going to go check the other Casino's to see if I can get them on board with the whole offer shelter to Refugees deal. The keybox is over there in the office will have more key's to the other Hummers should you two wish to take a Vehicle. Just be careful. Alex hasn't reported back in yet, and I don't want anything to happen to you two."
"Don't we need one of your people to open the ... whatever it is?" asks Evie.
"Not to leave," Heishi says. "My associates will be mindful of your return."
"Okay," says Evie, even if the whole magical-barrier thing is still on the far end of weird-stuff-that-comes-with-being-a-Scion.
First things first. You give some wires under the dash a quick yank, and the gaudy underbody lights go dark. You pull out onto the Strip, which the Guard has somehow managed to keep partially clear of snow, possibly by running an MRAV back-and-forth. The Guard presence, however, appear to be fixed at the far ends, with a roving patrol presently several blocks away.
"If you do not have a specific destination in mind, there is something I would like to show you," Heishi says.
"All right then," Lya chuckles to Evie as she goes to look through the key box. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's see if we can find something more subtle."
"Furious Fury, six o'clock," Evie whispers as Klepto comes storming out of the elevator.
"Ah crap..." Lya mutters as she hangs her head.
"What do you think you're doing without us? Do you think for one minute that we'd let you go alone out there?" Klepto growls as she pokes Lya in the shoulder.
"I'm not going alone, Klepto... Evie is coming with me, so we'll be fine, I swear!" Lya pleads as she turns to the Fury with her hands outstretched. "We're needing to keep this on the down-low. I'm sure those guards out there are on the lookout for us as a group, so I figured if it was just Evie and me bringing back Arky and hopefully a paramedic, it wouldn't look as suspicious, you know?"
"Your Dad will have my hide if I let something happen to you out there..." Klepto replies as she crosses her arms over her chest.
"Lya's my friend too... and I will do whatever I can to keep everyone safe, Klepto," Evie replies with a reassuring smile. "I may not be an Amazon, but I've had my share of experience protecting people."
"Besides," Lya adds with a wink. "If I need you guys, you're only a call away...right?"
"Right..." Klepto huffs. "I guess we can help keep people in line here until you need us. You'd better bundle up at least and take a kit with you in case something happens."
"Yes mom," Lya chuckles as Klepto rolls her eyes and heads back to the elevator.
"We'll need to make sure we're prepared for this trek before we head out," Evie says. "I'll bet I can scavenge an emergency kit and a map from these vehicles."
"Great idea," Lya replies. "I'll grab us some warmer gear upstairs since I need to call Arky and make sure we coordinate before we head out."
"And, grab some food and water, too!" Evie calls out after Lya. "I'm hoping that nothing happens that strands us out there for any length of time, but...just in case..."
"Okay!" Lya calls back, already on her way back up to gather gear and make that call.
Evie turns her attention to the cars and starts going through them, popping open glove compartments and trunks as she looks for maps and emergency kits. She also keeps her eyes open for flares, flashlights, extra tires, a jack, jumper cables, tool kits...whatever she can think of that might be needed on the road.
The Westview's stable of vehicles includes the usual array of Lincoln Town Cars, an airport shuttle, a Cooper Mini, and a stretch Humvee. All either bear the Westview Grand logo, or are in basic black ...
... except for the all-white LTC that must be reserved for weddings.
All of the cars are properly equipped with maps, GPS navigation systems, and a basic emergency kit.
Finding warm clothing isn't as difficult as one would think, with prominent ski resorts within a day's drive. Still, the selection tends towards touristy jackets trimmed with fake caribou fur and bearing splashy Ski Nevada! logos.
Lya calls Arky.
"Hey, Lya. Got a doc - finishing his residency at University, really - and a couple of paramedics who are willing to drop by, they'll probably be here in an hour or so, and we've got the usual list of house calls, then they say they can go with you," he says.
"Excellent," Lya replies. "Evie and I are getting a vehicle and supplies together so we can start heading your way. You guys need anything there that we can provide since we're making the trip?"
Evie gathers all of the supplies up into a pile as she waits for Lya to return. Her eyes flit from car to car but, honestly, she has no idea which one would be the best choice for snow travel. She has spent her entire life living in a desert. She knows how to handle a car on sand or loose gravel but...snow? Not so much.
"I hope Lya has some experience with this," she mutters to herself. Perhaps the singer has lived in colder climes and has a suggestion.
Lya returns shortly thereafter. Phoebe is helping her with a modest pile of supplies, an assortment of things to barter with Arky. Even though it's possible that the Westview could replace Sanctuary in some ways, relocating 200+ people won't be an easy task.
"Okay, it's only a couple of miles from here," Lya notes, punching an address into the dashboard's GPS. It beeps, and cheerfully advises you to turn left in 50 feet.
Leaving the garage is ... weird, if only because the stark winter landscape leaches away most of the Strip's color and energy. In the distance, you can see what appear to be roadblocks or security checkpoints at either end of the Strip, and a pair of tailights hints at a roving patrol.
The GPS flashes red, and a message bearing the Seal of the State of Nevada pops up on the screen.
A state of emergency has been declared. Residents of Las Vegas are asked to report to the Las Vegas Convention Center. Please bring clothes for several days, along with any blankets and winter wear you may have available. If you are without a vehicle, please call 1-800-CLV-HELP to notify us of your location, remain indoors and shelter in place ...
The message repeats. Automated navigation is unavailable.
"Well so much for that..," Lya says as she turns off the GPS. "Not like we were planning on using the main roads anyway."
She turns down a side road and smiles at Evie to reassure her. "I may not have a lot of experience driving in snow, but I've certainly driven one of these babies before and these things are like tanks. Besides that it's white, doesn't have the hotel label on the side, and it's roomy enough for anyone we need to bring back with us."
She coughs and mutters "Might not have been mine... but we'll leave that story for another day."
"Relieving you," said one guardsman. "Anything happening?"
"It's snowing," came the sarcastic reply.
"That's a big help."
"I'm cold."
"Count your blessings. You're not over babysitting the creepy undead Nazis," the first guardsman pointed out.
"True, that. But Thor sure wants to be there."
"Thorsson's one of those Satroo fellows. He thinks Odin is going to ride in on a warhorse," frowned the first man.
"Hey, come on, he's not a bad guy. Knows his beer, and his 'church' has some good microbrews, too. All I really give a shit about is whether he's got our backs, and he does."
"True. Anyway, see you in four."
Neither man seemed to notice the white LTC driving slowly down the Strip, then making a turn to cut between two other properties ...
Evie laughs at Lya's muttered remark, shaking her head, "No worries. I'm familiar with that scenario. My brother Ricky might have taken a few joyrides in the past and I might have ridden with him a couple of times...but if you ever meet my parents, you can never tell my mom. Holy shit. She'd blow a gasket, even though that was years ago."
The detective peers through the windows, trying to keep an eye out for any trouble along the road. However, the snow makes it difficult to see. As she squints at the whiteness, she asks, "Have you lived here all your life?"
"Yup, mom was a waitress at the Hard Rock among other things and never talked about who my dad might be. Heck... I doubt she knew herself. So as soon as I got old enough I took off to live on my own."
She stops at an intersection and peers down the streets looking for patrols before slowly moving on.
"Ended up holing up with a gang called the Ghost Dogs for a while... but things went...bad... and that's where I met Hitoshi. Ended up living with him and his mom for a while until I met Dad and the Furies and got focused with my music. How about yourself?"
"My life was pretty darned normal up until a few months ago," she chuckles. "I'm a native, too. My mom works as a secretary at one of the local law firms and my dad is a grease monkey. They still live in the same, little ranch house I grew up in on the outskirts of Vegas."
"My middle brother, Ricky, flirted with the gangs when he was young, but managed to avoid getting sucked into that lifestyle. He was a wild one, though. Drinking, drag racing, vandalism...but, he finally grew out of his juvenile delinquency. He's a bartender over at The Basement."
Lya is familiar with The Basement. It's a bar located in, appropriately, the basement of a pool hall. The clientele tends to be a fairly rough and tumble crowd, and the place is well protected with bouncers at the ready.
"My youngest brother (and a fan of yours!), is Ian. He's working on his PhD in anthropology. I think his ultimate plan is to become a college professor. Last time I talked to him, he was headed to India to meet with some folks there and do research. I don't know if he made it back before all this hit," she frowns, worried about her serious, thoughtful sibling.
She shrugs and smiles, "My family is your average family. We've had our ups and downs, but we stick together. Even though we may drive each other batshit insane, we stick it out."
"So, what about your music? What inspired you to choose this genre?" she asks.
"I wonder what your brother would've made of that sarcophagus we found," Lya chuckles as she makes her way down another street. "I'm sure he could write a thesis based on everything going on these days."
"As to the music... I think living on the streets exposed me to the Punk scene," she continues thoughtfully. "There are so many people who slip through the cracks only to be forgotten and they've got a lot of energy and anger and frustration... and I think punk music helps to create a sense of unity for those people." she chuckles to herself and half grins. "That and it's fun to play."
"That, and it's fun to listen to!" Evie grins. "Going to one of your shows is one of my favorite memories."
She leans forward and peers at a shadow in a building, trying to determine what it is through the blur of snowflakes.
Glancing at Lya, she smiles and continues, "Ian had been having a hell of a time with a research paper he was writing. Apparently, there was a lot of information that wasn't all clicking together and he was getting frustrated with it."
"I had been given a cold case involving a kid and..." Evie sighs, her lips pressed together. "I hate those cases. Yeah, cold cases are old but, you still learn what happened and...they're never pretty. And knowing that stuff happens to little ones who can't defend themselves..."
"Anyway," she shakes it off, "Ian comes knocking on my door and drags me out at 1AM to see you guys. 'We need to relax!' he said. When he gets like that, there's no arguing with him. He's a Cartwright and it means he has a stubborn streak a mile wide."
"I remember getting there and you guys were already on the stage," she chuckles. "You has these fantastic banners up with these wild, Celtic knot designs as part of the set. You were up there, belting out a tune and it was hard. I could feel it pulsing in my chest. You know? How the beat gets in there and it's like...like your blood? Like your heart?"
"Ian went and bought us beers and, for that night, we didn't think about work. The two of us just danced and sang along (badly) and enjoyed ourselves," Evie laughs. "I don't even remember the taxi ride home. But, I do remember waking up and feeling like crap the next day. I still needed to wade through a ton of old police reports."
Lya is forced to slam on the brakes by something looming out of the snow. The LTC slews to one side, a muffled crump as it hits one of the snowdrifts over a row of buried cars.
"What the ...?" she exclaims.
There's certainly something out there, but it is lost in the falling snow. It could be a Vegas resident, a solo scavenger; or it could be something else. Arky had mentioned some folks had their own notions of doomsday and how to weather it ...
Lya stops the car and partially opens the driver side door so she can use it as cover if need be while she stands and surreptitiously slips her Beretta out of her belt behind her back.
"Hello? Anybody out there?" She calls out.
Hitoshi nods at Heishi. "Sure, if you think it's important, then it probably is."
He looks back in the rear view mirror towards the hotel. "Yea, they should be okay. Lya's smart, and Evie's the daughter of Hiemdall. Plus Lya has the Furies." He mutters.
"So Heishi, how much trouble are we expecting when we get to where you are taking me?"
"Trouble? I would tell you if there were such," Heishi says. "We are going to visit Kimura-san. It is a very nice home. It reminds me of my childhood, long ago."
He recites an address, which you enter into the Hummer's GPS. The unit begins to calculate its route, then a message bearing the Seal of the State of Nevada pops up on the screen.
A state of emergency has been declared. Residents of Las Vegas are asked to report to the Las Vegas Convention Center. Please bring clothes for several days, along with any blankets and winter wear you may have available. If you are without a vehicle, please call 1-800-CLV-HELP to notify us of your location, remain indoors and shelter in place ...
The message repeats.
"I do not understand. The spirit of this device does not want to cooperate?" Heishi asks. "That is unfortunate."
For a moment, you are actually worried that your bodyguard is going to shoot the GPS screen.
"I will give you directions," he says, and does so.
You find yourself at a home that is on the pricier side of town, where houses are sprawling, ranch-style affairs with a generous amount of space around them. The nods to Japanese sensibilities are evident even under the piled snow.
Heishi rings the doorbell, and someone inquires who it is in Japanese. The door is opened immediately thereafter.
"Ryder-sama," the gentleman says. You remember him: Masaru Matsudaira, Kimura's second. "We are honored."
While the home is warm, the light seems to be entirely provided by candles shielded by rice-paper frames. As a result, the shadows here seem more pronounced, and flicker about as the candle flames dance.
"He sleeps," Matsudaira says, though you are not sure if he is speaking to you or Heishi.
Hitoshi bows to the man.
"Greetings Matsudaira-san, Heishi said there was something to show me, and he directed me here. If Heishi says it's important then it must be. How are you and Kimura-san faring with the cold and the weather?"
He keeps his voice soft, not wanting to wake whoever is sleeping.
There's no answer except a sharp whistle. You realize there are three or four people, clad for the weather, loading up a makeshift sled.
"Shit's ours. Back off," someone hisses, as you hear the ch-chak of a shotgun being readied.
Evie looks towards Lya, questioning. She watches her hand clamp around the gun behind her back realizes that this might not have been the best idea ever.
Oh, well. That's the risk you take, she thinks grimly. Had there been someone injured or in need of help, Evie would've never forgiven herself for not checking.
She pulls out her own gun, a standard police issue glock, and quietly rolls down her window as she searches for targets. If anyone out there decides to either shoot at her or she has to shoot someone else, she'd rather not take out the glass and have to drive in a cold, cold draft.
If I live. If I'm dead, I don't think the cold will bother me, she thinks. Maybe. Dunno. Have to ask Thomas about that, if he's still hanging around.
The falling snow doesn't seem to impede your vision much. You can easily make out the numbers and locations of the people warning you to back off.
Three are huddled near the makeshift sled, while one person is moving off to Lya's left ...
Evie blinks in surprise as she realizes that she can see. Just a few moments ago, the air had been thick with snow, severely limiting how far she could see. But, now, when the need arises...it's as if the air is clear and bright. However, she doesn't let that phase her for long. She can be as surprised as the wants to, later. Right now, there is a threat.
"Lya," Evie whispers loudly. She hopes that the shifting snow masks her voice enough so that the others can't hear her. "Three near the sled, one to moving to your left."
Realizing that Lya will only be able to reliably see the one closest to herself, Evie takes a bead on the farthest targets.
She also takes note of any weapons they carry and peers at the sled, trying to make out what may be upon it. Are these looters or are these desperate people who are trying to help one of their own? Do they appear as if they can be persuaded not to attack? Because, honestly, Evie would rather not have to shoot anyone. These are strange times and people who may not normally do such things but...well...hardship will make people selfish and cruel.
"We're not trying to get in anybody's way my friend... we're just looking to get to Sanctuary," Lya calls out as she quietly slips the safety off. "So how about none of us do anything we might regret and we can all move on to somewhere warmer, huh? Don't you want to be warm and safe instead of cold and dying because you picked a fight with people with guns who are trained to use them? Just take what you've got and go."
She catches Evie's whisper and nods almost imperceptibly.
"It's the End Times, girl," comes the answer. The sneer is evident in the speaker's voice. "There's no 'warm and safe.' You go run off to your friends in Sanctuary. Don't come begging on our turf."
You're willing to take the answer at face value, but Evie's skeptical look is enough to tell you the speaker is talking to keep you locked down while his cohort comes up behind you.
"Back off...just back off," Evie mumbles softly. "I don't want to kill you assholes but..." her finger tightens ever so slightly on her trigger, ready to put a bullet in one of them.
She glances at Lya, hoping that the Scion of Dionysus can do something to diffuse this situation before it becomes a shootout. As it stands, Evie is ready to defend her friend, poised to either shoot or pull Lya back into the cover of the car.
Lya whips the gun out from behind her back and shoots the ground at the feet of the person Evie warned her of before aiming at his head.
"I suggest you call off your goon or your End Times are going to happen right now... got it?"
Seeing as Evie's covering the speaker, Lya keeps her gun trained on the guy trying to ambush her and slowly reaches down to grab her staff out of the car.
"Επιτρέψτε μου να είμαι το μάτι του κυκλώνα σε μια θάλασσα του χάους!" she whispers as the runes briefly glow before fading again.
~~~~
(Hitoshi)
"He does not know," Heishi says. "He was between the worlds."
Matsudaira bows respectfully.
"This way, Ryder-sama," he says.
There are others in the home, all clad in unadorned Japanese peasant garb from the Shogunate era, all quietly tending to tasks such as food preparation, cleaning, and - it appears - praying. The hallway leading to Kimura's office is lined by figures kneeling in supplication.
All of whom lower their heads to the floor as you pass.
Matsudaira opens the door to the office, which is also lit by flickering lamps. Simple shadows dance and beckon, while others seem to writhe and form dark-omened kanji that dissolve when you try to discern them. And all of the shadows seem to stretch towards a decorative screen at one end of the room.
"Kimura-san is in the Shrine. He may wake when you approach," Matsudaira tells you.
Heishi moves a panel of the screen aside and takes up post. For a moment, he is not a business-suit clad executive bodyguard, but anashigaru, a foot soldier from a time long since passed.
Beyond the screen, the space is lit by a single candle. A spare form is kneeling before a statuette whose shadowy outline is quite familiar to you: Izanami.
And you realize the kneeling figure is Toshiro Kimura.
Or, what's left of him.
This is not the man you met at the signing, the Pacific Rim CEO who appeared to be in his early 50's, but a much older man, his hair completely white, his face deeply lined with wrinkles. His eyes are half-closed, with a rheumy edge to them. His breathing is labored.
Before him is a bowl that is filled with a dark liquid. You know, without closer examination, that it is blood. His blood.
A barely audible rasps reaches your ears as Kimura acknowledges your presence by speaking your name.
Hitoshi takes a hesitant step towards Kimura, then looks over at Matsudaira.
"Someone explain this please... someone other than Kimura-san," he says softly
(Lya, Evie)
Whirling snow and waves of force resolve into discrete patterns in Lya's mind. Order and chaos are one and the same, a nuance of creation, and the feeling of cresting a wave that Lya gets from being on stage.
But none of this is apparent to the quartet of scavengers. They don't seem to be cowed by your confident air and ready weapons.
"Bitches got teeth," laughs one. "Let's bring her back to Compton. He likes 'em with some fight."
Lya realizes with some irony that Compton is - or was - one of the Ghost Dogs ...
Evie grits her teeth and waits. She has no idea exactly what it is that Lya is doing since she doesn't speak Greek, but she is loath to start shooting and possibly disrupt whatever it is.
Instead, she bides her time, taking careful aim at her target. All she has to do is pull the trigger. The man probably has no idea that she can even see him...
"If you know Compton, then tell him that Sonny Black still thinks he's a pathetic piece of shit," Lya warns. "The only bitch with teeth he ever even got near was me when I ripped out his nose ring with them. Sonny thought it was so funny that he kicked Compton back to Cali and let me join the Ghost Dogs." She raises her other hand and the sleeve slips down to reveal the image of a flaming dog skull on the inside of her wrist.
She then pulls back the hammer of her gun so everyone can hear it. "So go on home and ask Compton how he got his scar before I give you some of your own."
There's a long, uncomfortable silence.
"Oh, fuck," someone breathes.
"No way," someone else says, tagging on a giggle-snort.
Evie is able to see the apparent leader wave off the man who was trying to outflank them. The threat of some towering brute who liked playing rough evaporated.
"Shut your holes, both of you," comes the warning.
"Jeez. He said he lost it in a bar fight in Lodi."
"Shut up!"
There's one more restrained snort of humor.
"Get in your car. We ain't got nothin' for you. Go be someone else's problem."
The quartet fades back into the snow. The last thing you hear is a ... 'with her teeth?' and another snarled 'shut up!'
Lya slowly lets out the breath she was holding as the last of the men fades back into the snow. "Now might be a good time to leave," Lya says quietly to Evie as she clicks the safety back on her gun and puts it back in her waistband. She takes one last glance around before ducking back into the car and quickly locking the door before starting the car up again.
"Come on, baby... don't fail us now."
"No kidding!" Evie scoots back over to her side of the car, having moved a bit to be within reaching distance of Lya. However, she does not put away her gun or roll up her window, yet. She's still scanning the streets to make sure that the gang members don't change their minds and decide to try something stupid as they pull away.
"Good job, out there," she says. "I'm glad that didn't deteriorate into bloodshed."
"Yeah... much as I wanted to shoot those bastards, I figured you wouldn't want that added weight on your conscience, Evie." Lya replies as she shifts the car into gear and pulls away through the snow. "We've got enough crap to worry about as it is."
The car starts without incident, and you resume the journey to Sanctuary. Still, the thought of society reduced to gangs arguing over turf and scavenged goods isn't entirely reassuring. You hope Alex is finding better news amid a greater concentration of people and social systems directed towards orderliness.
Past the Strip, the horizon is dominated by the castle. Fortress. Whatever. Smooth walls of classic design, watch fires burning bright upon the towers to either side of the gate.
But it isn't the Keep alone that draws Evie's attention. It is the rippling sky beyond, unfamiliar stars and a river of milky light unlike anything she's ever seen under the desert sky ...
And part of her knows that it is home.
Asgard.
"Earth to Evie..." Lya waves a hand in front of Evie as she stares out the window. "You ok?"
Evie blinks, startled slightly by Lya's hand waving in front of her. She hadn't even realized that she had spaced out.
"Uhh..yeah, I'm fine," she smiles reassuringly at Lya. "Just distracted by that." Evie gestures out the window, indicating the sky.
With a sigh, she turns her attention away from Asgard and back to what is happening here, in Las Vegas. One day, she will walk there. Maybe. But, for now, there is too much to be done on Earth.
"But, yeah...I do appreciate you handling that back there," she leans back in her seat with a sigh. After a moment, she pops open the glove compartment and starts rummaging, looking for some Chapstick.
"History with the gangs aside, I don't think it would've been good for you to kill them, either. You're a good soul, Lya."
Lya glances out the window before focusing back on the roads. "It is weird seeing the snow fall in Las Vegas, isn't it?"
She sighs. "I want to help people if I can... but they certainly don't make it easy sometimes. I may not be like Hitoshi... but when someone decides to threaten the people I care about there's nothing I won't do to protect them."
"The snow...of course," Evie says softly, realizing that Lya can't see what she does. It's useful and wonderful, but will take some getting used to, just as seeing and talking to ghosts did.
More of me seeing things others can't. Heh! Any other day of the week, and I would've been labeled certifiable... she thinks with a wry grin.
"Aha!" Evie gives a small exclamation of triumph as she pulls out a stick of cherry Chapstick. She pops the top off and runs it across her lips, soothing the dried skin there. She holds it out to Lya, offering her some.
"So, how are we going to handle things once we wake up the room with the colonel?I'd like to lock the bedroom doors so that the senator and the double can be handled separately rather than having to deal with everyone at once," she ponders. "I'm betting that the doors don't lock from the outside, though."
You remember the pickets and gates at the entrance to Sanctuary, and the young woman posted out front waves you past the first gate into a space that is partially shielded from the cold by hanging tarps.
She motions for you to roll down the window.
"Hi. Welcome to Sanctuary," she says. "Can we help you?"
Lya takes the Chapstick with a nod of gratitude and applies a layer with a smack of her lips. "Well I figure we're going to have to remove the Colonel from the room first so we can wake him up separate from the others," Lya replies as she hands the tube back to Evie.
"If we're lucky, the medical people we pick up will be able to save his life so we can get his side of the story. Not only that... but maybe he can help us talk to the National Guard so we can take in more refugees without having to deal with the red tape. The Congressman might end up being a dupe... but that doppelganger and those girls... I wouldn't trust them being unfrozen unless they were bound, gagged, blindfolded and trussed up like pigs."
"Hey there," Lya calls out as she rolls down the window with a smile. "Lya Bach and Evie Cartwright here to see Arky. We've brought some goods to barter in the hopes of getting a doctor's house call over at the Grandview."
"Oh! We appreciate the gesture," she says. "Just stay on the main aisle until you reach the garage. Someone there will take you to see Arky."
Hand signals are passed, and you are fairly certain that you were being watched by less-friendly faces until you were identified.
You drive back out from under the tarped-over area, and proceed through what was once the strip mall's parking lot. A small space has been marked off for children's play, sporting a couple of snow forts and piles of snowballs. And then an easy turn takes you into the garage, with the roll-down doors closed swiftly behind you.
Arky's cheerful baritone comes from around the corner, singing a couplet from Baby, It's Cold Outside!
"Lya. And Detective Evie," he smiles. "You sounded all serious and grim on the phone. This is Doctor Lee, from General."
A slim Asian woman nods a quick greeting. It's difficult to tell her age. "Russell tells me it's important."
"It's good to see you again, Arky," Evie smiles.
Then, she turns her attention to Dr. Lee, "Ma'am, we have a gentleman back at the Westview who may be suffering an overdose on...something. From the circumstances we found him in, it looks like this wasn't of his own doing. And, those responsible probably don't care if he survives. We'd greatly appreciate it if you could come take a look at him."
"Afraid things got a bit weird at the hotel," Lya replies as she shakes Arky's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Doctor Lee," she adds as she bows respectively. "My name is Lya Bach and this is my good friend Detective Evie Cartwright."
She leans against the hood of the car and takes out her flask to offer. "Not just a gentleman... but a Colonel and potentially a key player in our current predicament," Lya adds. "If we can save his life, he might be our best opportunity to figure out what's going on as well as our way to help anyone who wants shelter at the hotel to be able to do it without military entanglements."
She takes a drink from her flask. "Hitoshi has managed to keep him stable for now... but if he's to be any help to anybody he's going to need immediate medical attention. Wasn't sure what we should bring in trade... so we just grabbed a bunch of supplies from the hotel for you guys to go through." She thumbs over her shoulder to indicate the large trunk of the car.
"Russell, that's your decision," Lee says. "Right now, I don't care about insurance, billing, or payment in trade."
She motions to a paramedic standing off to one side. "TJ, are we stocked for an overdose?"
"Stabilize and transport only, Doc."
"If we can transport him at all," she notes. "Detective, are we talking party drugs, heroin, or something else?"
Evie thinks for a moment, then replies, "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say date rape drugs. It was slipped to him in secret."
"Dudes pupils were all whacked," Lya adds as she whips out her phone to show Dr. Lee the picture she took of the Colonel.
"Dilated pupils, unresponsive," Lee talks to herself. "Whatever it was, it wasn't something nice. And a Colonel? Do you know what service?"
"Evie? Did you pick that up when you checked things out?" Lya asks as she takes her phone back and flips through the pictures. "Maybe I've got a picture of his uniform in here..."
Evie nods, "Yes. He's an Air Force colonel."