Post by skybright on May 5, 2006 22:36:25 GMT -5
This time around, Daws was far more reluctant to make the trip through Jackson Heights -- and she did so distractedly, almost running into several passersby (one of whom muttered a Hindi prayer and a brief gesture of protection from evil spirits).
Reaching Jai and Veeru's apartment building, she called a somewhat offhand greeting to Salman -- who was serving customers and merely nodded his reply. Then she climbed the stairs to her friends' home and knocked gently on the door.
"Who is it?"
Daws removed her fedora and cleared her throat. "It's Daws, V."
"Daws!" Veeru swung open the door with his usual enthusiastic greeting -- but stopped short at Daws' reserved manner. He frowned. "Daws? What's the matter?" He reached out quickly and took her gently by the shoulders. "Has something happened?"
Daws shook her head quickly and laughed. "No, you old worrier, nothing's happened. Well, a lot's happened, but . . . ." She gestured at the open door, "I want to talk to both of you."
Veeru ushered her in, taking her coat and hat and still frowning at her. "Something's happened with Tiernan, hasn't it." It wasn't exactly a question. "Did your friends . . . ?"
"No, the Van Lindens got outta town okay." She replied, following Veeru to the back bedroom, "Jai's papers worked like a charm."
Of course they did. The younger twin's voice drifted from the speakers scattered throughout the apartment, But you're still worried about something, Regina.
Daws laughed mirthlessly as she and Veeru moved into Jai's dark, silent domain. "Yeah," She agreed, "I am worried about something. I'm worried about what I'm about to ask of you two."
Veeru raised his eyebrows at her, settled himself next to his brother, and touched the younger man's arm. As Daws flicked on the lights and Jai opened his eyes, both twins regarded her solemnly and said together "Ask."
Daws scratched behind her left ear and sighed. "You know what I've found out about Nicholas Tiernan -- and what I've gotten mixed up in out there." She paused for a moment, then plunged on, "Look, I wanted to keep you two out of all of this. Lord knows you two have had your share a' evil corporate overlords trying to wipe you out." She thought she saw Jai wince at that, and continued "But my friends and I -- the resistance -- we've sorta hit a blank wall. We wanna strike out at Tiernan, but we're not sure how -- or where. We really need an in. But . . ."
She was interrupted by a sound she'd only rarely heard -- Jai was laughing. Not merely chuckling, either -- he was laughing boisterously, his free hand cradling his forehead. Veeru, for his part, was grinning somewhat sheepishly. Daws raised her eyebrows. "Um?"
Jai shook his head, trying to catch his breath. "Regina," He wiped away a few tears and squinted against the light, "You did not think, knowing what I know, that I would stay out of Tiernan Enterprises, did you?"
"Huh?" Daws blinked, startled, and then frowned at Veeru. "V, I thought I told you to tell him . . . ."
"He did." Jai interrupted. "But surely you did not think I would listen?" He smiled slyly. "Like you, Daws, I make my living poking around where I do not belong."
Daws frowned. "I was tryin' . . ."
"To protect us." Veeru nodded. "You've always tried so hard to protect everyone, D. Sometimes you forget that other people have the right to take their chances."
"You want me to find you a place to strike at Tiernan." Jai said, blinking at her gravely, "And you were worried, because you knew that meant truly involving us in this rebellion of yours, yes?"
Daws chuckled wryly. "Yeah, somethin' like that."
Jai smiled. "We have been ready for that since the beginning. We were only waiting for you to ask."
Daws shook her head and held out her hands. "Serves me right for underestimatin' you two. I forgot how stubborn you could be." She leaned forward. "Okay, so you've been spyin' on Tiernan for a while now. Any suggestions for where he's weak?"
Jai smiled and nodded. "Tiernan rotates the contents of his warehouses every few days, on a fixed schedule which involves several trucks and many people. It is a complex operation; he changes the rotation every time so that no shipment ever moves from one warehouse to another in the same way twice." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued.
"In this rotation, it is necessary for the trucks going to his warehouse here in Queens to take a detour. Otherwise they must pass through one of the borough weigh stations, where the Police keep a watch.
"Instead they go down to the old Murfeeston bridge -- out of the City proper -- to cross the river. Then they work back down along the river to the warehouse."
Daws nodded. "I know that bridge."
"Then you know it is narrow -- only two lanes. The City would have destroyed it long ago, if it were not a historic site." Jai smiled slightly. "The traffic cameras on the bridge make for very interesting viewing -- particularly in the very early morning, when Tiernan's trucks move through. Except for those trucks, the bridge takes almost no traffic."
Daws grinned. "So it wouldn't take much manpower or attract much attention to stop the trucks . . ."
"And seize the shipment." Veeru added, grinning. "Just like in the movies, eh Daws?"
"Yeah." Daws sobered, "Except people don't really die in the movies."
"It would not be terribly risky." Jai said, "The trucks themselves are not heavily guarded -- it is at the warehouse that Tiernan concentrates his forces."
Daws smiled. "Well, all right then. Vance showed Tiernan his way a' hittin' a warehouse -- now we'll show him ours."
Jai smiled, delighted. "I will print you the schedules, and the route. You can take them to your friends."
"On one condition." Veeru added gravely, "I will stop the trucks with you."
Before Daws could protest, Jai added gently but firmly "Those are the conditions of our joining your resistance, Daws. I am the eyes and ears of the family," he gestured at his brother, "Veeru is the legs and the arms. Both are joining, or neither are."
Daws shook her head, chuckling. "I forgot how crafty the two of you can be, too. All right, it's a deal." She raised her eyebrows. "I'll take it to the others, and you can get the schedules and such once we figure out a good time to strike."
"Agreed." Jai winced slightly and said "Forgive me, but that is about all the light I can take today. It is good to see you, Regina."
"And you." She grinned as she flipped off the lights and Veeru rose. "Looks like we'll be seein' more of each other."
"I won't complain." Veeru raised his eyebrows at her as he led her back to the apartment door. "There's only one question left, D."
"Yeah?" Daws settled her fedora on her head, "What's that?"
Veeru looked puzzled. "Who's 'Vance'?"
Reaching Jai and Veeru's apartment building, she called a somewhat offhand greeting to Salman -- who was serving customers and merely nodded his reply. Then she climbed the stairs to her friends' home and knocked gently on the door.
"Who is it?"
Daws removed her fedora and cleared her throat. "It's Daws, V."
"Daws!" Veeru swung open the door with his usual enthusiastic greeting -- but stopped short at Daws' reserved manner. He frowned. "Daws? What's the matter?" He reached out quickly and took her gently by the shoulders. "Has something happened?"
Daws shook her head quickly and laughed. "No, you old worrier, nothing's happened. Well, a lot's happened, but . . . ." She gestured at the open door, "I want to talk to both of you."
Veeru ushered her in, taking her coat and hat and still frowning at her. "Something's happened with Tiernan, hasn't it." It wasn't exactly a question. "Did your friends . . . ?"
"No, the Van Lindens got outta town okay." She replied, following Veeru to the back bedroom, "Jai's papers worked like a charm."
Of course they did. The younger twin's voice drifted from the speakers scattered throughout the apartment, But you're still worried about something, Regina.
Daws laughed mirthlessly as she and Veeru moved into Jai's dark, silent domain. "Yeah," She agreed, "I am worried about something. I'm worried about what I'm about to ask of you two."
Veeru raised his eyebrows at her, settled himself next to his brother, and touched the younger man's arm. As Daws flicked on the lights and Jai opened his eyes, both twins regarded her solemnly and said together "Ask."
Daws scratched behind her left ear and sighed. "You know what I've found out about Nicholas Tiernan -- and what I've gotten mixed up in out there." She paused for a moment, then plunged on, "Look, I wanted to keep you two out of all of this. Lord knows you two have had your share a' evil corporate overlords trying to wipe you out." She thought she saw Jai wince at that, and continued "But my friends and I -- the resistance -- we've sorta hit a blank wall. We wanna strike out at Tiernan, but we're not sure how -- or where. We really need an in. But . . ."
She was interrupted by a sound she'd only rarely heard -- Jai was laughing. Not merely chuckling, either -- he was laughing boisterously, his free hand cradling his forehead. Veeru, for his part, was grinning somewhat sheepishly. Daws raised her eyebrows. "Um?"
Jai shook his head, trying to catch his breath. "Regina," He wiped away a few tears and squinted against the light, "You did not think, knowing what I know, that I would stay out of Tiernan Enterprises, did you?"
"Huh?" Daws blinked, startled, and then frowned at Veeru. "V, I thought I told you to tell him . . . ."
"He did." Jai interrupted. "But surely you did not think I would listen?" He smiled slyly. "Like you, Daws, I make my living poking around where I do not belong."
Daws frowned. "I was tryin' . . ."
"To protect us." Veeru nodded. "You've always tried so hard to protect everyone, D. Sometimes you forget that other people have the right to take their chances."
"You want me to find you a place to strike at Tiernan." Jai said, blinking at her gravely, "And you were worried, because you knew that meant truly involving us in this rebellion of yours, yes?"
Daws chuckled wryly. "Yeah, somethin' like that."
Jai smiled. "We have been ready for that since the beginning. We were only waiting for you to ask."
Daws shook her head and held out her hands. "Serves me right for underestimatin' you two. I forgot how stubborn you could be." She leaned forward. "Okay, so you've been spyin' on Tiernan for a while now. Any suggestions for where he's weak?"
Jai smiled and nodded. "Tiernan rotates the contents of his warehouses every few days, on a fixed schedule which involves several trucks and many people. It is a complex operation; he changes the rotation every time so that no shipment ever moves from one warehouse to another in the same way twice." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued.
"In this rotation, it is necessary for the trucks going to his warehouse here in Queens to take a detour. Otherwise they must pass through one of the borough weigh stations, where the Police keep a watch.
"Instead they go down to the old Murfeeston bridge -- out of the City proper -- to cross the river. Then they work back down along the river to the warehouse."
Daws nodded. "I know that bridge."
"Then you know it is narrow -- only two lanes. The City would have destroyed it long ago, if it were not a historic site." Jai smiled slightly. "The traffic cameras on the bridge make for very interesting viewing -- particularly in the very early morning, when Tiernan's trucks move through. Except for those trucks, the bridge takes almost no traffic."
Daws grinned. "So it wouldn't take much manpower or attract much attention to stop the trucks . . ."
"And seize the shipment." Veeru added, grinning. "Just like in the movies, eh Daws?"
"Yeah." Daws sobered, "Except people don't really die in the movies."
"It would not be terribly risky." Jai said, "The trucks themselves are not heavily guarded -- it is at the warehouse that Tiernan concentrates his forces."
Daws smiled. "Well, all right then. Vance showed Tiernan his way a' hittin' a warehouse -- now we'll show him ours."
Jai smiled, delighted. "I will print you the schedules, and the route. You can take them to your friends."
"On one condition." Veeru added gravely, "I will stop the trucks with you."
Before Daws could protest, Jai added gently but firmly "Those are the conditions of our joining your resistance, Daws. I am the eyes and ears of the family," he gestured at his brother, "Veeru is the legs and the arms. Both are joining, or neither are."
Daws shook her head, chuckling. "I forgot how crafty the two of you can be, too. All right, it's a deal." She raised her eyebrows. "I'll take it to the others, and you can get the schedules and such once we figure out a good time to strike."
"Agreed." Jai winced slightly and said "Forgive me, but that is about all the light I can take today. It is good to see you, Regina."
"And you." She grinned as she flipped off the lights and Veeru rose. "Looks like we'll be seein' more of each other."
"I won't complain." Veeru raised his eyebrows at her as he led her back to the apartment door. "There's only one question left, D."
"Yeah?" Daws settled her fedora on her head, "What's that?"
Veeru looked puzzled. "Who's 'Vance'?"