Post by skybright on Apr 25, 2006 22:12:22 GMT -5
Daws surveyed the former site of the Tiernan Enterprises warehouse and shook her head in amazement. The entire building was decimated in a way she'd rarely seen: only the charred and crumbling remains of one back wall remained. She fished out a cigarette and a match, but the glare from the man beside her changed her mind and she slipped them back into her pocket. Instead, she turned to face him.
"What can you tell me, Jake?"
Jake Marten was a wiry little man with a brush of unruly ginger hair and a perpetually surprised expression. He gestured at the shattered remains of the warehouse and announced glumly "Flash point's right here in front. Whole place was doused with a highly flammable liquid, probably high-octane gasoline, and then it gets puzzling." He shook his head and led her a few steps closer to the scene, gesturing as he did so.
"Flash point this big -- look at these scorch marks -- we'd expect a device of some sort. Just a tossed match wouldn't make this kind of ring burn -- don't step over that." He shook his head and concluded " 'Tween you, me, and the fencepost, Daws, I don't think we're looking at a device-based detonation."
Daws raised an eyebrow and chuckled at him. "Jake, buddy, y'don't have to sidestep the issue. Look at who you're talkin' to," she pushed her fedora back, "And then say it. You think a mutant did this."
Jake shrugged and nodded. "Seen it before. No traces, no fragments -- I'd guess someone with an energy power. Not a firestarter," He added, "Or they wouldn'ta used the gasoline. Pyrokenes think it's cheating to use propellants."
Daws nodded slowly, thinking of several people who had been sitting in the basement of Our Lady weeks earlier. "Any other possibilities?"
Jake shrugged again and scratched his neck thoughtfully. "Saw some documentation from a Chicago fire, a couple years back. Mob-started. They rigged up a sort of home-made flamethrower -- left spatter burns like those." He gestured. "F'r that matter, I guess one of those old shoulder-mounted flamethrowers the Army used to have might do it. But my money's still on a mutant." He grimaced slightly and glanced at her . "Sorry, Daws."
She chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't be, Jake. There's both kinds on both sides, I know that better than anyone." She sobered, thinking again of the group of people she'd helped rally against Tiernan.
Daws turned abruptly and headed for the subway station. "I'll see you around, Jake."
She had some phone calls to make.
"What can you tell me, Jake?"
Jake Marten was a wiry little man with a brush of unruly ginger hair and a perpetually surprised expression. He gestured at the shattered remains of the warehouse and announced glumly "Flash point's right here in front. Whole place was doused with a highly flammable liquid, probably high-octane gasoline, and then it gets puzzling." He shook his head and led her a few steps closer to the scene, gesturing as he did so.
"Flash point this big -- look at these scorch marks -- we'd expect a device of some sort. Just a tossed match wouldn't make this kind of ring burn -- don't step over that." He shook his head and concluded " 'Tween you, me, and the fencepost, Daws, I don't think we're looking at a device-based detonation."
Daws raised an eyebrow and chuckled at him. "Jake, buddy, y'don't have to sidestep the issue. Look at who you're talkin' to," she pushed her fedora back, "And then say it. You think a mutant did this."
Jake shrugged and nodded. "Seen it before. No traces, no fragments -- I'd guess someone with an energy power. Not a firestarter," He added, "Or they wouldn'ta used the gasoline. Pyrokenes think it's cheating to use propellants."
Daws nodded slowly, thinking of several people who had been sitting in the basement of Our Lady weeks earlier. "Any other possibilities?"
Jake shrugged again and scratched his neck thoughtfully. "Saw some documentation from a Chicago fire, a couple years back. Mob-started. They rigged up a sort of home-made flamethrower -- left spatter burns like those." He gestured. "F'r that matter, I guess one of those old shoulder-mounted flamethrowers the Army used to have might do it. But my money's still on a mutant." He grimaced slightly and glanced at her . "Sorry, Daws."
She chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't be, Jake. There's both kinds on both sides, I know that better than anyone." She sobered, thinking again of the group of people she'd helped rally against Tiernan.
Daws turned abruptly and headed for the subway station. "I'll see you around, Jake."
She had some phone calls to make.