Participants:
| Scene Title | White Queen's Shadow |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Liz has some suspicions, after days of thought, about what's been going on. And inertia might be getting a little help. |
| Date | Nov 13, 2010 |
Coffee Shop Near Red Hook
When the text from Lola came through, Elisabeth texted back briefly that she'd make the time. But it has to be somewhere not terribly obvious, too. With martial law declared, it seems perhaps a better option to try to meet in a public space somewhere right near the textile factory — and what's better than a coffee shop? It's always the place for meetings. Elisabeth manages to get away from the factory, though it won't be for long. She's wearing jeans and a brown leather jacket instead of her black-on-black uniform, and her blonde hair is loose. She's sitting at a table waiting for Lola to show up with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands.
Lola hasn't had the luxary of changing clothes too much. She could have broken in and stolen some, but with things as they are still - calmer, perhaps, but not what she would call pary-worthy - she still wears that black jacket over a black tank top (over kevlar, but that can't be seen) and the cargo pants, and the boots. She has the top undone of the jacket, at least, and the myriad of weapons you know she's packing cannot currently be seen. She enters the coffee shop and removes her sunglasses, pulling them up over her head as she makes her way to Liz. The seat is nudged out with her foot and Lola settles down, using one of the other 2 empty seats as a foot rest. She looks over Elisabeth, at first judging to see if she has any apparent injuries. Seeing none, she relaxes a little bit. Her job is well-done. Thus far. "How ya feelin, sug?"
Glancing up as Lola joins her, Elisabeth looks weary. But she smiles for the Cajun just a little. "I'm still alive. It's more than I really expected, if you want the truth," she says quietly. "So what can I do for you this morning?"
Lola waves to a waitress, who brings her a tea. Hmmm, Lola didn't appear to be much of a tea person, but here it is, right in front of them. Lola. Tea. "Not much, sugar. Ah felt the need ta…ya know. Check up on ya. See how ya were doin' an whatnot. See if ya knew 'bout any more snipers tailin' ya. Ah don' think 'ol Dicky Cardinal'll be too happy if ya get capped by a sharpshooter when Ah'm around. Not that he'd think Ah did it, mind ya, but that's why Ah'm here, Ah'm sure you know."
Yes, Elisabeth, Lola has been one of your guardian angels.
There's a long pause as Elisabeth assimilates what Lola just said. And she looks down at her coffee, closing her eyes for a long minute. There was another sniper. Dear God…. why was there another sniper? And what the fuck did Richard know that she didn't? Because instead of just keeping Lola away that night, he sent her in to watch Liz's back. She looks up at Lola and says quietly, "Thank you." Time has inertia… And Elisabeth is starting to believe that there is more to that idea than any of us ever realized. The thing is…. why was there ANOTHER sniper? Because the original one came from Cardinal himself. "I appreciate you watching my back, Lola. And I'd be mighty obliged if you kept doing it for a little while. I have a feeling this isn't over," she says — only now as she says more than a few words does it become obvious that her voice is not going to get above the raspy whisper she's speaking in at the moment. She appears to have a case of laryngitis.
Lola nods a little as she hears Elisabeth speak. "Sure thing, sugar. If it makes ya feel any better Ah'd do it fer ya even if Ah weren' asked. You an Dicky done been good ta me, and Ah'm crazier'n a rabid coon an all but Ah don' forget when folks been good to me." Lola sips her tea, easily enough. She seems relaxed, of course. Far be it for Lola to ever be a damned thing but relaxed. And yet her mouth is drawn into a thin line of determination - she is focused as well. Surviving under Marital Law while sniping at other snipers tends to have that effect on even people like this one.
"Where ya hangin' about? Unfortunately Ah don' got a giant intelligence network to be snoopin' around with. Ah just gotta watch. Ya won' see me or nothin, nobody will, but Ah just wanna be able ta keep an eye on ya."
She watches Lola speak and grimaces slightly. She only caught about half of it, but she gets the gist. Elisabeth smiles slightly. "Sorry — I only heard some of that, but I get it. And I'm grateful. I blew out my hearing a bit the other night," she admits in that hoarse voice. "Should be mostly better in a couple days, though. And I'm staying at the Textile Factory in Red Hook — but I'll start being more mobile and back and forth to Redbird soon. There are a lot of things that need to be handled." That's something of an understatement.
Lola nods. She takes out a cigarette from her breaast pocket and a silver lighter. Kain Zarek's lighter of old. She lights her smoke and exhales, even though there's probably no smoking in here, it should be a few minutes before it's noticed by anyone of authority. "Ah getcha sugar," Poor Elisabeth, having to read Lola's lips when she talks with such a southern twang. "Red Hook's mah haunt, anyway, Ah'll keep an eye fer ya. If ya don' mind pingin' me when yer on the move, Ah'll be able ta keep an eye on ya better. If ya don' mind the shadow, a course."
Right now, Elisabeth doesn't a bit mind having a shadow. She'd rather have the real thing, but…. he trusted Lola to watch her back, and that's enough for now. She smiles slightly. "Much obliged. I'll text when I'm out of the building. I'm on light duty anyway." She hesitates. "Lola…. my power's blown out." The other woman needs to know that.
Lola glances up from her cigarette a moment. Puff, puff. Then she looks down again, exhaling. "Not surprisin' Ah guess," Lola admits. "Saw watcha did, was more'n impressive. Ain' no supplies that ya flipped a few breakers somewhere in there. Ah'll keep an eye on ya sugar, doncha worry. Ya know Ah'm the best shot in the whole fuckin' world, and ya know Ah'm gonna be watchin' ya ta make sure yer okay. Do we know, yet? Who the sniper was? If not Ah kin probably go rifle through his pockets. He's probably still up there."
Elisabeth shakes her head. It's been days. He might still be there…. or whoever sent him may have cleaned up the mess already. But who else knew there was supposed to a sniper up there and that Lola wasn't going to take the shot? Her blue eyes are hard as the blonde comes to the realization that there's a certain alternate version of a man about to get a visit from one pissed-off lover. "I have some suspicions," Elisabeth says quietly. Because some things have to happen the way they happen, right? Son of a bitch. "I'm not ready to talk about them yet, but I'm going to make a trip out of town in the near future. I'll let you know when I'm ready." She's got a lot on her plate right now.
Lola nods, tapping her cigarette so grey, lifeless ash tumbles to the floor. Ash. For a moment there's a flash of something in Lola's eyes that Elisabeth hasn't seen before. Concern? Fear? Sadness? But then it's gone, and she's smoking again and looking at her new 'mark' so to speak. "Ah understand, sugar. Ah'll go an check ta see if he's there all the same. Worst comes to worst, he might have a nice rifle. Not better'n mine, but somethin' Ah kin sell later on…" Her criminal admissions flow free in front of Elisabeth these days.
Yeah, well… Elisabeth isn't exactly doing things by the book anymore herself. The blonde nods a little and says in that rough voice, "Go ahead. Let me know if you find anything." Even if the body is still there, she doubts it highly. "You can text me personally or go by Redbird. Peyton's running things while Richard's handling some stuff; she'll get to me if you can't. Probably for the next week or so, I'll be mostly in the building." She doesn't want to admit that just getting here from the factory wiped out her energy reserves. She's going to have to sit for a while before she can go back again.
Lola nods, and she finishes her tea. Reaching into one of her breast pockets she pulls out enough money to cover the coffee and her own drink. "Alright sugar. Ya just take it easy, ya hear?" She stands, snuffing out the cigarette and leaving it there. And then she does something rather odd. She stands and seems like she's about to lean down and whisper something in Elisabeth's ear. Something sekrit, something top sekrit even. And then Liz will feel a little peck on her cheek from Lola's lips before the woman has turned and is heading out.
Man, she's a weird chick.
Watching her stand, Elisabeth is paying attention to what she says. And then she tilts her head, curious as Lola seems to be about to try to whisper something and looks startled at the kiss on her cheek. What the hell?? Bemused, she watches her new bodyguard head out. It's only after Lola's gone that the blonde realizes the Cajun paid for her drink too. A faint smile plays about her lips and she merely shakes her head, gathering up the strength to walk back to the factory without collapsing.