|
Post by skybright on Jun 25, 2006 23:24:03 GMT -5
As promised, Daws was waiting at her office that night. As ten o'clock moved closer, she occupied herself with carefully disassembling, cleaning, re-assembling and loading her revolver -- partly because she wanted the weapon to be ready, and partly to try and distract herself from the moral conundrum her brain had been puzzling over for the last few days.
At quarter to ten Daws rose, flicked off the lights of the inner office, and locked the door behind her before taking up position on the waiting-room couch. Then she fixed her eyes on the street -- waiting for the arrival of Sid and the others.
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 25, 2006 23:42:37 GMT -5
Always cautious to a fault, Sid had once again procured a nondescript old car. He pulled up a block away from Daws' office, leaving Alex and Miriam in the car as he strolled down the sidewalk to the front door. In a shoulder holster under his suitcoat, he was carrying his favored Walther semi-automatic.
He couldn't see through the windows of the office in the dark, but he thought Daws might be watching the street, so he gave a slight wave as he stepped toward the door.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 25, 2006 23:46:03 GMT -5
Daws recognized Sid's familiar outline approaching through the front windows and rose from the couch, crossing to the door and pulling it open just as her friend reached it.
" 'Evening, Sid." She chuckled quietly at the older man's startled look, and gestured to her slitted pupils. "Seein' in the dark's got its uses."
She stepped through the door and pulled it shut, locking it behind her. "We ready to do this?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 25, 2006 23:54:24 GMT -5
"Ready as we'll ever be," Sid replied, patting the lapel beneath which his gun rested. "C'mon, Foxy an' the Doc are waitin' in the car."
He led her down the block to the old Chevy, where Alex and Miriam were sitting in the back seat, both looking anxious.
"Nice night for a kidnapping," Alex murmured cryptically as Daws climbed into the front passenger seat.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 0:02:42 GMT -5
Daws smiled humorlessly. "Better than for an assassination, anyway."
She raised an eyebrow at Sid. "Any problems gettin' a room?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 0:13:02 GMT -5
"Nah. We're all set." Sid started the car, and they set off toward the Lucky Motor Court.
"That little guy that follows Vance around showed up at the back door of the Club tonight, though. Wanted to know the room number we got. Wouldn't s'prise me if they'd looked it over already by the time we get there."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 0:21:32 GMT -5
Daws made a displeased noise in her throat. "We're gonna have to keep an eye on Vance. The man's got a real bad habit of doin' things his own way whether it's the best way to do things or not -- and I don't want Huber to end up dead the minute we turn our back."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 0:30:17 GMT -5
"He could have gone ahead and taken care of the whole problem his way, without inviting our input at all," Miriam pointed out. "At least he's gone so far as to inform us and hear us out before he acts."
Alex gave her a quizzical look. "You're about the last person I'd have expected to speak up for Vance, after what he did to you."
Miriam shrugged. "Whatever it may be, Vance obviously has a reason for his strong feelings about this fight. With a little more patience, I think he could do a lot of good."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 0:34:11 GMT -5
"You've got a good point, Doc." Daws shook her head in exasperation. "I may not always like how Vance does things -- but they do get done, and that's something to Vance's credit."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 0:54:01 GMT -5
The Lucky Motor Court was a sprawling, ramshackle structure that dated back at least sixty years, sitting lopsidedly beside a pothole-riddled old highway. The gaudily colored building stood at an angle to the roadside, presenting to passersby a side wall on which the motel's name was emblazoned. Someone with a perverse sense of humor and a can of spray paint had rechristened it at some point, changing one letter to turn the name into something more forebiddingly appropriate. Where a chain-link fence had long ago rusted into oblivion, an overgrown tangle of bushes stretched along the front of the property--shielding the parking lot and the doors of the rooms from the road.
"Here we go," Sid muttered, pulling the car into the gravel-paved parking lot. "It ain't the Millennium, but it's got the Bates Motel thing goin' on--it's been nearly deserted since they built a new highway. The folks who run it won't bother us, either. They don't wanna know anything, so long as they get cash up front."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 1:03:11 GMT -5
Daws nodded grimly and patted the concealed envelope of cash in the inner pocket of her trenchcoat. "We can handle that -- courtesy of Nick Tiernan."
After Sid maneuvered the car into a parking place far from the main road, Daws climbed out of the car and peered into the shadows of the dimly-lit parking lot.
"Cheerful place." She remarked, as the others also exited the car. "If Anthony Perkins shows up, I'm bailing -- Vance or no Vance."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 1:19:45 GMT -5
After a terse cash-for-room-keys exchange with a surly old man who served as the night clerk, Sid led the way to room #14. There were no lights on, but when Sid tried the doorknob, he found it unlocked--so he reached beneath his coat, resting his hand on the butt of his gun. Slowly he probed for the light switch and turned it on.
"Evenin', kids," Jerod Vance greeted them coolly from the depths of a threadbare armchair.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 1:23:56 GMT -5
Daws let her hand fall from the butt of her own pistol and nodded at Vance. "Major." She gestured at the shabby hotel room they were standing in. "I take it you've had a chance to examine the accomodations. Any complaints?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 1:30:18 GMT -5
"The wallpaper's peeling, there's cigarette burns on the carpet, and I don't even wanna know what it was I found in the bathroom sink," Vance retorted. "Tactically... eh, it's secure enough. The windows are all rusted shut. Handy and me both couldn't budge 'em, so no worries about a little guy like Huber sneaking out that way. And there's only the one door."
"Where's your sidekick?" Sid queried.
Vance shrugged. "Handy's pickin' up some food to stash in this joint. Should be back any minute now."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 1:35:10 GMT -5
"Good enough." Daws pushed her fedora back and -- after eyeing the nearest of the room's two single beds -- settled onto one of the rickety hardbacked chairs near the room's small table.
She stretched laconically. "Well, this'll be an interesting couple of days, anyhow."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 1:41:56 GMT -5
The next few minutes were spent in an awkward silence. Finally there was a soft scraping from the other side of the door, and it opened. Handy McCarty entered, in each hand carrying a bag full of cheap, basic groceries, which he dumped on the table. He didn't acknowledge the new arrivals with anything more than a glance.
"We ready to go, Jerod?"
Vance rose with a stretch. "Ready. Let's just hope Huber didn't decide to go make his clandestine phone chat early tonight."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 1:46:31 GMT -5
"Knock wood," Daws muttered, following Vance and his sidekick into the motel's parking lot. She raised an eyebrow at Vance.
"You got a vehicle for this little adventure, or shall we use ours?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 1:56:01 GMT -5
"You're welcome to ride the tin can," Vance replied, pointing to an old brown van that sat in a dark corner of the parking lot. "Not much for comfort, and the AC won't work, but there's plenty of elbow room in the back for grappling with rogue scientists."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 26, 2006 2:02:06 GMT -5
"Good enough." Daws hesitated and glanced at Miriam and Alex. "Y'know . . . if you two would rather stay here . . ."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 26, 2006 2:15:41 GMT -5
"I'll stay if you want me to," Miriam replied. "I know I won't be very useful--but I want to see exactly what happens to Huber."
Alex shrugged. "I'm already too late for my second show," he replied casually. In truth, he wanted to be near Miriam if there was any trouble.
|
|