systemcat
Visitor From Another AU
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Chapter 8:
Feeling trapped happened almost instantly at seeing the VILE agent coming towards him. Starting to climb up the mound of rumble he was on high sitting with his job equipment. Looking into the hotel, Greg tried to guess exactly how far down the jump would be to the floor of the hotel's lobby if he did the act. If this were a swimming pool he was eyeing, he thought in guessing the jump was twenty feet down. Then it would be ok to do and cushioned. But this being nothing but open air followed by marble tiled floor. He wondered what bones in his feet and maybe legs would break in the attempted jump.
Grabbing in one fist, a piece of rubble larger than his hand. He took aim at the VILE agent heading towards him and stated, "come any closer to me and I'll bean you in the head with this."
Ignoring the warning, the VILE operative continued heading towards Greg. Throwing the chunk of cement mixed with rock at the warned man, the projectile hit it's target smack center on the man's forehead. The reaction was minimal, a pause in acknowledging he'd been struck before the unexpected happened. Not further pursuit of the radio reporter but a rebuke towards his team leader. "Do not wonder Contessa why myself and the rest of us haven't lept to defend you as ACME claims victory for this round! Lady that rock he just threw! Even through I have internal armored padding under my mask, that is my final straw! None of us have slept in days or eaten because of your orders!"
Carefully making his way down the rubble pile, the conked on the head VILE agent continued his rant. "You had us reserve what food we got a hold of for the auction guests! None for ourselves except of course for yourself just to taste if the food wouldn't offend the potential buyers!"
Walking passed his leader and considering spitting on her. The enraged VILE agent continued to further protest, before ripping open the front door to the hotel. "Your choice to befriend the Nazis, which given your stance on your own self proclaimed superiority doesn't shock me but at the same time sickens me! While we wait for the police to come which granted is any moment now! I’m going to treat myself to that food you've withheld from us and invite the rest of my teammates to join me for it! Prison food is god awful but at least in prison we'll get a little rest before the division boss springs us!"
Having said what had been plaguing his thoughts he discovered his way back inside hotel blocked, at least temporarily. Up front before those in a better position to provide defense. Sadie was awkwardly holding as many of the former auction prizes in her arms as she could. Followed by Cal holding the remainder of what the mystery girl couldn't. Lastly behind him, almost side by side. Patrick and Jocelyn ready to defend their company and themselves at a moment's notice if the VILE operatives they were facing decided to attack.
The secondhand victim took on a look of dread at seeing the angered VILE operative before her. Snapping at the woman before pushing her aside, the agent said. "I know things can be heard in here from just outside! I'm not a problem to you, stand aside!"
Wanting revenge & actions taken against ACME and the man in league with them. The Contessa gave another silent order, this time to the other underling who had accompanied her outside. This henchman but more accurately henchwoman had an unreadable expression on her face for having noted what was expected of her. Shrugging her shoulders, with her tried eyes hidden behind the darkened lenses of her mask slash head covering. She commented before moving into the lobby of the hotel to follow after her comrade in thought. "I'm with him. We're all with him."
A car door slammed shut in the near distance, in the parking lot to the hotel. The Contessa didn't even turn around to see who had just come. The guess to that was easy, same as hearing tumbling bits of small rubble clattering down to the earth falling off even larger pieces of debris. The source behind that sound too, was an easy guess for the VILE team leader, who no longer it seemed actually had a team to lead. In front of The Contessa, grinning now having quickly gotten over her fear of the VILE agents who'd moved pass her. Sadie, pushed aide the disillusioned lady and stepped out on to the walkway surrounding the outside of The Argent Suites Hotel.
Normally for Sadie the sight of the police filled her with a sense of dread worse than she'd felt when she had just been facing the VILE henchman who'd pushed her aside to raid the snack bar in the conference room. Although these cops she thought, the French unless before her sister had passed on, had let something slip of her. The Sûreté knew nothing of her criminal activities. Almost not at all did these people working for ACME and their reporter company.
Now back on to stable earth having carefully held his packed suitcase the whole way down. As to ensure it's internal contents weren't accidentally banged about. Greg taking in her sight but focusing his attention on to her footwear before returning his attention to her face, said. "Nice new to you shoes, you've gotten yourself. How very Dorothy Gale of you."
Catching the reference thrown at her, she mentally compared witches in the story. Before deciding which one best fit her thoughts on The Contessa. Trying not to have any sense of fear come to the surface of her demeanor. As she watched the uniformed law officers approach the hotel. Sadie said, "Dorothy took the shoes of the Wicked Witch of the East. For lack of that gal's screen time for badness. I'd more compare The Contessa to the Wicked Witch of the West. VILE has done plenty of bad things and her henchmen and women. They're her flying monkeys right now."
Wanting to laugh at the comparison knowing the mystery girl was throwing humor at him. Greg thinking back on his last true interaction with Sadie. Trying to comfort her in Cal's house, and the hit he'd received, made him hesitant to express himself further. This wasn't the right time for showing acknowledgment of a jest. This was a time of pressing much larger concerns.
Because of one of them, he chose to signal a member of the Sûreté. The one signaled, not handling the arrest of Caterina Gallo and her underling teammates, but talking to Cal instead. As the contractor handed what paintings he held over to Patrick. Greg wanted to speak with the officer in hushed tones about what mustn't be spoken of, knowing of the emotional distress it carried with the volatile young woman. Once the officer was suitably near to him. Greg whispered, "the girl holding most of the paintings. The VILE ringleader, no polite language. I'm used to holding my tongue because of work. The prissy peacock you see minus footwear. She ordered the death of the lady's sister and had her body dumped in a ditch. Could you guys start searching for it? Give the grieving sister closure?"
Sadie didn't look at all currently like she was grieving, the officer noted. Sadly he now had an answer to a mystery he'd heard spoken of in recent days and had once seen the body to. This closed the case he was sure. In soft low tone, the officer answered. "We got a report of a woman's body left off Passerelle du Grand Large and it was picked up. Taken to the morgue. No reports of foul play reached us. The body, this woman looks similar to the passed on fille. Our dead mystery is likely her sister. Could she come with us to identify the body?"
"Hold on one second, I'll ask." Greg replied, before he walked to Sadie with Patrick. As the girl loaded what was now her paintings into the back of Cal's pickup truck.
It was a hard call who among ACME's staff was in the best position to talk with the Sûreté. It's senior leaders or it's one present locally based employee, who understood better French than his bosses. Not long into the debate of overlapping talk, Patrick felt it best left in the hands of Cal and Jocelyn. Jocelyn while not from the area, had said that in the time of her youth, he'd heard her say earlier. She had known people who had lived in France prior to settling near by where she had lived before her migration. Patrick wanting to still do something once knowing he couldn't do much good. Despite the fact some of the officers knew English. Requested of Cal, he assist Louveofran in putting the paintings into the truck.
Patrick knowing the two guests of his had an unease going between them. The knowledge of that coming from remembering the punch the young woman had given the reporter not long ago. He gave Greg a look before carefully placing the paintings he'd been carrying, into the truck's flatbed on top of the ones Sadie had laid in first. Hopefully he thought, the younger man knew now anything could be a touche subject to talk to the young woman about. He knew from speaking with the reporter back in New York when the whole proposal was taking place of the trip they were now on. That regardless of what Sadie thought. Greg indeed had too, recently lost a sibling. Knowing the reporter had his attention focused on the mystery girl. He kept quiet as the other man spoke.
"An officer of the Sûreté. He wants your presence to come with him to I guess what is their police station."
As the men standing near by her, watched. It looked to them like her eyes bugged out at hearing the request. Plus the impression feel, she'd paled for a moment before defense kicked in. Snapping out her reply, Sadie attempted to keep her calm but knew she was failing at the act as she spoke. "I've done nothing. Nothing can be proved. You know these are rightfully mine."
Remembering how the young mystery woman had acted when he'd met her on Staten Island. Patrick continued his silent observing and at the same time made a private wish. He doubted it, but if the Sûreté kept criminal records of overseas international activities. Also files on the arrested and their prints, they'd be useful now. Because of the doubt this could be, he thought of what could be done instead. Maybe if he agreed to it, Cal could help springboard ACME doing such a thing. The company one day having it's global connections tied together more than it already was. Needed file information on criminals and what they'd done. He'd propose this start to Cal before he and the rest of the non-native party, headed back to the United States.
"Your sister," was all Greg could think to say in reply to Sadie. Moving away from her at making the comment, was the action he felt best to do additionally.
Blushing at her mistake and relieved she'd been wrong about her thoughts of the Sûreté requesting her presence. Knowing she had painted herself into a corner out of fear. Nodding yes, she then walked away from the pickup truck and to the gathering of law officers by the hotel. Feeling oddly relieved the mystery girl was out of his hair for a moment. Patrick leaned in against the truck, with one arm under his chin on flatbed's raised edging. As the old man started thinking forward about what had to happen next and how that might be achieved. The radio reporter spoke up again. "Has this trip been successful in your opinion. Off the record, I'm not recording this."
Not answering immediately the detective replied, not lifting himself up from the position he was in. "It feels like it but I feel like it could have been done in a better manner. We were lucky about Cranna living in this area. Benjamin, poor Ben. He got lucky and if we'd been any later rescuing him. To that case Mrs. Cranna's kitchen pantry would be fuller now but only because it couldn't be gotten to in time. We got lucky about this whole ordeal except Ms. Louveofran's sister."
Greatly concerned about that luck and the bad what ifs that surrounded it. Patrick paused before continuing to say,"what I said when you interviewed us, of if telephones were as portable as your recorder. There was too much close call to what just happened. Being able to know things in advance of coming over here. Some worry would have been avoided. Additionally some faster assistance could have come if we'd known in advance what was going on in better detail."
Joining the senior in leaning against the truck, Greg stated. "I don't think it would have been a good idea for our mystery girl to have been told about her sister's death over the phone. What you heard me speak of. That news had been delivered to me in a phone call and even though we saw what happened in person. It would have been impersonal & wrong to hear the news remotely like that. Please don't call me a hypocrite for making a statement like that. But sometimes when I deliver the news, a little of it feels like it doesn't belong on the airwaves. What is deeply personal to families like death."
Neither was sure what more could be said just then on the topic of death. Turning around to face away from what had once been a well maintained lawn with sculpted bushes and what both were sure had been pruned trees. Patrick and Greg both took in the sight of things coming to a close with the Sûreté's arrests. Their questions, and further seemingly needing to convince the mystery girl into one of their squad cars. Jocelyn and Cal were now heading in the men’s direction.
"Unless she wants to stay behind which I doubt. We'll be picking up Ms. Louveofran from the station after we've picked up Benjamin, to go back home." The female detective said when she had reached a respectfully close distance to the pair in front of her.
Thinking back on the interesting landing and what had happened just after that landing. Greg asked, "can we still use the plane we used coming here? The Axis airport. I assume we're using that to leave? There aren't any Nazis still hanging around right?"
Already making her way to the front of the pickup, towards it's passenger side door. Jocelyn replied, "It should be gassed up by now and I'm sure it's staff, who Patrick & I have known for a while. They'll be ready to accommodate us when we arrive at the airfield. Further I should think with my old people's handling of the locale area. Seeing them come for the plane when we were on the beach. I'm sure they've cleared out any remaining Nazis knocking about the place."
Unlocking the driver's side door, Cal then pulled it open and moved himself into the driver's seat. Before leaning to the farthest side of the cabin to unlock the passenger door for Jocelyn to move into the truck herself. Taking note of how well the paintings were nesting in the flatbed. Patrick too got into the truck but as he had gotten used to. It's end near the driver’s cabin. After he had unlatched the rear flap of the truck, allowing entrance. Greg following his lead into the flatbed before he locked the latches back into place, to take his spot in the truck. Choosing to lean against one of his suitcases to have his back avoid the steel shell for rest.
Feeling trapped happened almost instantly at seeing the VILE agent coming towards him. Starting to climb up the mound of rumble he was on high sitting with his job equipment. Looking into the hotel, Greg tried to guess exactly how far down the jump would be to the floor of the hotel's lobby if he did the act. If this were a swimming pool he was eyeing, he thought in guessing the jump was twenty feet down. Then it would be ok to do and cushioned. But this being nothing but open air followed by marble tiled floor. He wondered what bones in his feet and maybe legs would break in the attempted jump.
Grabbing in one fist, a piece of rubble larger than his hand. He took aim at the VILE agent heading towards him and stated, "come any closer to me and I'll bean you in the head with this."
Ignoring the warning, the VILE operative continued heading towards Greg. Throwing the chunk of cement mixed with rock at the warned man, the projectile hit it's target smack center on the man's forehead. The reaction was minimal, a pause in acknowledging he'd been struck before the unexpected happened. Not further pursuit of the radio reporter but a rebuke towards his team leader. "Do not wonder Contessa why myself and the rest of us haven't lept to defend you as ACME claims victory for this round! Lady that rock he just threw! Even through I have internal armored padding under my mask, that is my final straw! None of us have slept in days or eaten because of your orders!"
Carefully making his way down the rubble pile, the conked on the head VILE agent continued his rant. "You had us reserve what food we got a hold of for the auction guests! None for ourselves except of course for yourself just to taste if the food wouldn't offend the potential buyers!"
Walking passed his leader and considering spitting on her. The enraged VILE agent continued to further protest, before ripping open the front door to the hotel. "Your choice to befriend the Nazis, which given your stance on your own self proclaimed superiority doesn't shock me but at the same time sickens me! While we wait for the police to come which granted is any moment now! I’m going to treat myself to that food you've withheld from us and invite the rest of my teammates to join me for it! Prison food is god awful but at least in prison we'll get a little rest before the division boss springs us!"
Having said what had been plaguing his thoughts he discovered his way back inside hotel blocked, at least temporarily. Up front before those in a better position to provide defense. Sadie was awkwardly holding as many of the former auction prizes in her arms as she could. Followed by Cal holding the remainder of what the mystery girl couldn't. Lastly behind him, almost side by side. Patrick and Jocelyn ready to defend their company and themselves at a moment's notice if the VILE operatives they were facing decided to attack.
The secondhand victim took on a look of dread at seeing the angered VILE operative before her. Snapping at the woman before pushing her aside, the agent said. "I know things can be heard in here from just outside! I'm not a problem to you, stand aside!"
Wanting revenge & actions taken against ACME and the man in league with them. The Contessa gave another silent order, this time to the other underling who had accompanied her outside. This henchman but more accurately henchwoman had an unreadable expression on her face for having noted what was expected of her. Shrugging her shoulders, with her tried eyes hidden behind the darkened lenses of her mask slash head covering. She commented before moving into the lobby of the hotel to follow after her comrade in thought. "I'm with him. We're all with him."
A car door slammed shut in the near distance, in the parking lot to the hotel. The Contessa didn't even turn around to see who had just come. The guess to that was easy, same as hearing tumbling bits of small rubble clattering down to the earth falling off even larger pieces of debris. The source behind that sound too, was an easy guess for the VILE team leader, who no longer it seemed actually had a team to lead. In front of The Contessa, grinning now having quickly gotten over her fear of the VILE agents who'd moved pass her. Sadie, pushed aide the disillusioned lady and stepped out on to the walkway surrounding the outside of The Argent Suites Hotel.
Normally for Sadie the sight of the police filled her with a sense of dread worse than she'd felt when she had just been facing the VILE henchman who'd pushed her aside to raid the snack bar in the conference room. Although these cops she thought, the French unless before her sister had passed on, had let something slip of her. The Sûreté knew nothing of her criminal activities. Almost not at all did these people working for ACME and their reporter company.
Now back on to stable earth having carefully held his packed suitcase the whole way down. As to ensure it's internal contents weren't accidentally banged about. Greg taking in her sight but focusing his attention on to her footwear before returning his attention to her face, said. "Nice new to you shoes, you've gotten yourself. How very Dorothy Gale of you."
Catching the reference thrown at her, she mentally compared witches in the story. Before deciding which one best fit her thoughts on The Contessa. Trying not to have any sense of fear come to the surface of her demeanor. As she watched the uniformed law officers approach the hotel. Sadie said, "Dorothy took the shoes of the Wicked Witch of the East. For lack of that gal's screen time for badness. I'd more compare The Contessa to the Wicked Witch of the West. VILE has done plenty of bad things and her henchmen and women. They're her flying monkeys right now."
Wanting to laugh at the comparison knowing the mystery girl was throwing humor at him. Greg thinking back on his last true interaction with Sadie. Trying to comfort her in Cal's house, and the hit he'd received, made him hesitant to express himself further. This wasn't the right time for showing acknowledgment of a jest. This was a time of pressing much larger concerns.
Because of one of them, he chose to signal a member of the Sûreté. The one signaled, not handling the arrest of Caterina Gallo and her underling teammates, but talking to Cal instead. As the contractor handed what paintings he held over to Patrick. Greg wanted to speak with the officer in hushed tones about what mustn't be spoken of, knowing of the emotional distress it carried with the volatile young woman. Once the officer was suitably near to him. Greg whispered, "the girl holding most of the paintings. The VILE ringleader, no polite language. I'm used to holding my tongue because of work. The prissy peacock you see minus footwear. She ordered the death of the lady's sister and had her body dumped in a ditch. Could you guys start searching for it? Give the grieving sister closure?"
Sadie didn't look at all currently like she was grieving, the officer noted. Sadly he now had an answer to a mystery he'd heard spoken of in recent days and had once seen the body to. This closed the case he was sure. In soft low tone, the officer answered. "We got a report of a woman's body left off Passerelle du Grand Large and it was picked up. Taken to the morgue. No reports of foul play reached us. The body, this woman looks similar to the passed on fille. Our dead mystery is likely her sister. Could she come with us to identify the body?"
"Hold on one second, I'll ask." Greg replied, before he walked to Sadie with Patrick. As the girl loaded what was now her paintings into the back of Cal's pickup truck.
It was a hard call who among ACME's staff was in the best position to talk with the Sûreté. It's senior leaders or it's one present locally based employee, who understood better French than his bosses. Not long into the debate of overlapping talk, Patrick felt it best left in the hands of Cal and Jocelyn. Jocelyn while not from the area, had said that in the time of her youth, he'd heard her say earlier. She had known people who had lived in France prior to settling near by where she had lived before her migration. Patrick wanting to still do something once knowing he couldn't do much good. Despite the fact some of the officers knew English. Requested of Cal, he assist Louveofran in putting the paintings into the truck.
Patrick knowing the two guests of his had an unease going between them. The knowledge of that coming from remembering the punch the young woman had given the reporter not long ago. He gave Greg a look before carefully placing the paintings he'd been carrying, into the truck's flatbed on top of the ones Sadie had laid in first. Hopefully he thought, the younger man knew now anything could be a touche subject to talk to the young woman about. He knew from speaking with the reporter back in New York when the whole proposal was taking place of the trip they were now on. That regardless of what Sadie thought. Greg indeed had too, recently lost a sibling. Knowing the reporter had his attention focused on the mystery girl. He kept quiet as the other man spoke.
"An officer of the Sûreté. He wants your presence to come with him to I guess what is their police station."
As the men standing near by her, watched. It looked to them like her eyes bugged out at hearing the request. Plus the impression feel, she'd paled for a moment before defense kicked in. Snapping out her reply, Sadie attempted to keep her calm but knew she was failing at the act as she spoke. "I've done nothing. Nothing can be proved. You know these are rightfully mine."
Remembering how the young mystery woman had acted when he'd met her on Staten Island. Patrick continued his silent observing and at the same time made a private wish. He doubted it, but if the Sûreté kept criminal records of overseas international activities. Also files on the arrested and their prints, they'd be useful now. Because of the doubt this could be, he thought of what could be done instead. Maybe if he agreed to it, Cal could help springboard ACME doing such a thing. The company one day having it's global connections tied together more than it already was. Needed file information on criminals and what they'd done. He'd propose this start to Cal before he and the rest of the non-native party, headed back to the United States.
"Your sister," was all Greg could think to say in reply to Sadie. Moving away from her at making the comment, was the action he felt best to do additionally.
Blushing at her mistake and relieved she'd been wrong about her thoughts of the Sûreté requesting her presence. Knowing she had painted herself into a corner out of fear. Nodding yes, she then walked away from the pickup truck and to the gathering of law officers by the hotel. Feeling oddly relieved the mystery girl was out of his hair for a moment. Patrick leaned in against the truck, with one arm under his chin on flatbed's raised edging. As the old man started thinking forward about what had to happen next and how that might be achieved. The radio reporter spoke up again. "Has this trip been successful in your opinion. Off the record, I'm not recording this."
Not answering immediately the detective replied, not lifting himself up from the position he was in. "It feels like it but I feel like it could have been done in a better manner. We were lucky about Cranna living in this area. Benjamin, poor Ben. He got lucky and if we'd been any later rescuing him. To that case Mrs. Cranna's kitchen pantry would be fuller now but only because it couldn't be gotten to in time. We got lucky about this whole ordeal except Ms. Louveofran's sister."
Greatly concerned about that luck and the bad what ifs that surrounded it. Patrick paused before continuing to say,"what I said when you interviewed us, of if telephones were as portable as your recorder. There was too much close call to what just happened. Being able to know things in advance of coming over here. Some worry would have been avoided. Additionally some faster assistance could have come if we'd known in advance what was going on in better detail."
Joining the senior in leaning against the truck, Greg stated. "I don't think it would have been a good idea for our mystery girl to have been told about her sister's death over the phone. What you heard me speak of. That news had been delivered to me in a phone call and even though we saw what happened in person. It would have been impersonal & wrong to hear the news remotely like that. Please don't call me a hypocrite for making a statement like that. But sometimes when I deliver the news, a little of it feels like it doesn't belong on the airwaves. What is deeply personal to families like death."
Neither was sure what more could be said just then on the topic of death. Turning around to face away from what had once been a well maintained lawn with sculpted bushes and what both were sure had been pruned trees. Patrick and Greg both took in the sight of things coming to a close with the Sûreté's arrests. Their questions, and further seemingly needing to convince the mystery girl into one of their squad cars. Jocelyn and Cal were now heading in the men’s direction.
"Unless she wants to stay behind which I doubt. We'll be picking up Ms. Louveofran from the station after we've picked up Benjamin, to go back home." The female detective said when she had reached a respectfully close distance to the pair in front of her.
Thinking back on the interesting landing and what had happened just after that landing. Greg asked, "can we still use the plane we used coming here? The Axis airport. I assume we're using that to leave? There aren't any Nazis still hanging around right?"
Already making her way to the front of the pickup, towards it's passenger side door. Jocelyn replied, "It should be gassed up by now and I'm sure it's staff, who Patrick & I have known for a while. They'll be ready to accommodate us when we arrive at the airfield. Further I should think with my old people's handling of the locale area. Seeing them come for the plane when we were on the beach. I'm sure they've cleared out any remaining Nazis knocking about the place."
Unlocking the driver's side door, Cal then pulled it open and moved himself into the driver's seat. Before leaning to the farthest side of the cabin to unlock the passenger door for Jocelyn to move into the truck herself. Taking note of how well the paintings were nesting in the flatbed. Patrick too got into the truck but as he had gotten used to. It's end near the driver’s cabin. After he had unlatched the rear flap of the truck, allowing entrance. Greg following his lead into the flatbed before he locked the latches back into place, to take his spot in the truck. Choosing to lean against one of his suitcases to have his back avoid the steel shell for rest.