Caitlyn sprinted toward disaster already worn out. Besides the double shifts, she'd been trying to synthesize the more recent clues with her Undercity criminal empire theory. She'd also already visited Vee or rather "V" to reconcile information and was going to stop by again this late afternoon for follow ups if he was willing. Frankly, the drugs help him talk, but I won't use anything he says against him.
The sound of an explosion a block away gave her a generous shot of epinephrine. She covered the distance faster than she thought she could. Onlookers were entering the street and gossiping.
Caitlyn's spirits plummeted when she saw someone exiting Marcus' front door. A young woman in Undercity clothes, dirty with ash, debris, and blood. She had a left leg limp. Most noticeably though, she had the body of a little girl in her thin arms.
She appeared to be in shock. She was looking around shouting, "Hospital! She's the Sheriff's daughter! She's one of you! Where's the hospital?"
Caitlyn got close to them. "I'm Off– I'm Caitlyn. Is Ren safe to move? Did she injure her neck or back?" Cait couldn't see any deep bruising or major bleeding. She was probably concussed by the blast, but my medical training is limited.
"No, because he–he protected her," she replied. She was trembling badly and seemed near vomiting. "Where's the hospital, though? They'll take her. She's not a–a trencher."
"One of us," echoed in Caitlyn's mind. She held out her arms. "It's close. Please let me take her. You're injured and should ask for medical attention."
The woman seemed to finally see and not just hear. "En–enforcer?" With reluctance she extended her arms and transferred the unconscious child.
Caitlyn secured Ren as best she could. She wanted to run again, but looked at the building and then the woman as she started a crab walk. From the outside, it was merely broken windows and a little smoke coming out of it. The woman must have been close to the explosion since she was cut and walking wounded.
"You said he protected her. Sheriff Marcus? Is he up there or anyone else?"
The woman looked back like she strongly did not want to be questioned by an enforcer right now, but she hung her head. "Dead. Died saving her." Cait had half-expected that answer yet the lack of love between her boss and her didn't prevent her eyes from watering.
"My chum," the woman added and pointed as a sickly looking man with a bleeding arm came out of the building with a large bag. Cait could tell by its shape it held a heavy firearm, but that wasn't pertinent, at least as much as caring for survivors. "He was the only other one nearby."
Caitlyn checked Ren's pulse. It was stronger than she feared it would be.
"Who are you?"
"...Powder."
Caitlyn turned and switched to a half-run. After reaching about the halfway point, Cait glanced back and saw Powder and her companion following them, at a slower pace given the injuries. Caitlyn was getting used to Underciters having a nom de guerre. "Powder" sounded false when she said it, but not wholly.
After getting to the hospital, Ren was on a bed before Powder and her friend hobbled in. Cait was focused on Ren and did not know if they're lack of treatment was due to them not seeking it, them being trenchers, or something else.
The man with the bag said something to Jinx and left, but he returned after a spell. About an hour after arrival, the doctors gave positive news to Caitlyn.
She approached the two. "She is doing well. They think she'll be able to walk out of here tomorrow or maybe two days and that she'll regain consciousness soon."
Powder was crying a little. Cait hesitated. I should ask them about the explosion more, especially since the Sheriff is dead. But after my experience with V…
"Will you stay until then? You seem to care for her."
Powder mouthed something to the side Cait couldn't catch. When she looked back she shook her head. "No… I can't do it like he… and then he tried… it wouldn't work, I'd…"
"If she has people up here, she will do better here. Topsiders fare better than being one of us," the man claimed.
Cait nodded. Powder still seemed in shock from the explosion. "It's okay. Do you have a message for her?"
Powder was looking worse by the moment. She looked at her companion. "Did you take it?"
He nodded and reached into the bag. Cait instinctively prepared for action, but the man took out a piece of paper.
He had a hesitant look. "But, it…" the paper had residue and blood spatter on it. Cait would guess it was from Marcus, but it would be hard to know.
Powder still took it and gave it to Caitlyn with an unsteady hand. "First, please, please let her know it's not her fault. She–she's not to blame." The tears were coming faster and she also had a slightly runny nose. "Her–her father loved her so much. And, that she won the game. She's the first Topsider champion of it."
Caitlyn was listening through the sobs and despite years of formality training from her mom, moved in and embraced her completely. Powder cried for a while longer then dried her eyes. She broke the hug and gestured to the other they had to go.
As they began, a voice yelled, "Jinx?!"
Cait and the two turned to see V was propping himself up. He blinked a couple of times before pointing with his remaining hand, cuffed though it was to the bed. "That's Jinx! Silco's daughter. She murdered Halt, Meena, and Su. She's the Mad Bomber!"
Fury flashed on Jinx's face. "Don't you dare call–" she began before her associate grabbed her arm.
"We need to go, now."
Cait watched the man. Neither he nor Jinx was reaching for the bag. I can produce my service pistol or at least bolas and detain them. It's just one person's accusation, but can't allow them to leave.
"I will NOT arrest you, but you need to answer more questions," Cait directed and brought her hand to her bolas.
V scoffed and even winked sardonically, but that was missed on the two suspects whose attention was square on her. "Regretting you didn't cuff me when you hugged me, Officer Caitlyn? You're more honest than most enforcers. The first part is defin–" Jinx broke midword to lunge at her.
Cait was fast too and her bolas came up just before Jinx tackled her. It struck her left arm, but without much momentum or anything else to attach to merely abraded her arm. The man was reaching into the bag while V was yelling for security.
Jinx was a small opponent for Caitlyn, but she had experience as the underdog. She had knocked the wind out of Cait and was trying to put her on her side. Cait was resilient though and landed a strong reverse elbow into Jinx ribs. Growling, Jinx kneed Cait in the kidney.
Stunned, Cait felt Jinx wrapped an arm around her neck and put her in a sleeper hold. Cait struggled, but had neither the leverage to overpower or training for this.
She was already going when she saw the man take out a pistol and aim it at V. The last sounds she heard before everything went quiet was someone shouting "No, don't!" and then a gunshot.