Escape, Evade, Regroup

Log Archive » Logs for September 2008 » Escape, Evade, Regroup

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Scene Title	Escape, Evade, Regroup
Synopsis	Two members of PARIAH make it out of the Company facility and into the keeping of the Ferrymen.
Date	September 19^th, 2008

Outside the Primatech Paper Facility, in the Bronx

It's late. Late enough for most people to be in bed. Certainly off the streets, which are dangerous places at night. Maybe that just means there's no one to see Grace, sitting on a short flight of stairs that isn't quite within the pools of light cast by nearby streetlamps. At least, no one aside from her Ferryman compatriots.

In black jeans and a black leather jacket, the only parts of her that stand out are her hands and the pale face framed by short, dark hair. One hand rests idly beside a cellphone, of all things, the gadget perched on the short concrete beam lining one side of the stairway. Her attention is directed towards the shadows on and around the street, idly sweeping them in search of movement. If her most recent message is right, the waiting part should be just about over…

A pair of figures appear. Oddly, the smaller seems to be half dragging the larger, and when they come closer into view it's a young blonde helping a barely ambulatory redheaded fellow. Both are dressed in black, and the girl's breathing is harsh as she continues to drag him along. "Just a…few more feet…" she whispers harshly, doing her best to get him to walk along with her. The poor guy barely looks conscious. Pausing, the blonde darts a look around the street, likely for some form of transportation she's expecting.

Juliet is making an obvious effort not to fidget. Lack of movement has never been quite so obvious, at least not to anyone who can see her at all amidst the shadows. She's wearing dark jeans, and a navy zip-up sweatshirt with her hair tied back in a tight ponytail. Her eyes are wide and round, trying to see as far into the darkness as possible.

The only thing more conspicuous than waiting people, on this street, would've been a waiting car; thus, there isn't one to be seen. The movement catches Grace's eye, and she rises to her feet in a fluid motion, crossing the distance to the pair quite quickly. The lighting is poor enough Grace doesn't notice the irony that, of all the people that could've made it here, it's the two PARIAH operatives she's met before — but all Helena needs is her voice which, brisk and down-to-business though its tone may now be, is as hoarse and gravelly as ever. "I'm guessing the deal more than went south. Wireless didn't have much in the way of specifics," she adds, reaching out in a wordless offer to support Alexander's other side.

Though Juliet doesn't make move until Grace moves, she's quick to follow once she does. She's wearing a dark backpack, which becomes apparent as she moves out of her shadow. There's an awkward moment as she pauses, unsure of where to go (Alexander having only two sides to support), before she moves to stand beside and just a step behind Grace. A shrug of one shoulder allows the strap of the backpack to slide free, and she swings it around to clutch it to her stomach.

"Yah." is all Helena can manage. "We got some people out." Her tone is clipped, even though her hindbrain is all, 'Pepper Lady!'. "One of ours got captured. I'm going to need a phone." She doesn't mention what happened to Peter and Sylar yet, mainly because she's not precisely sure what the hell happened there. "He took a bad shock. One of the Company agents, she slings electricity."

Since the offer isn't rebuffed, Grace slides Alex's free arm over her shoulders, wrapping one of hers around his waist. "I'll get him to the van; Julie, anything you can do for him?" she continues, gaze sliding over to the other woman. It doesn't stick there long; Grace promptly tips her chin in the direction of the stairs she'd been on. "My phone's over there." 'Hers' in the sense that she's using it tonight, at any rate; it's of the disposable variety. "It's all yours."

Juliet's brow furrows as she gives Alex a quick, weighted up-and-down. She moves over toward Helena, offering to take her side of the man with a gesture. "Not much, here," she answeres Grace, without taking her attention of her patient. "We need to get him lying down." One hand reaches for his wrist, fingers finding his pulse, and her eyes take on a blank look as she begins counting under her breath.

Helena nods, moving to help with getting him into the back of the van. She then picks up the phone and climbs into the backseat, dialing a number and holding it up to her ear. "Hey. It's Hel. Let Cam know we're out and it's done. No, not so well. Have him call me as soon as he can." She clicks off and then peers at Grace once more. "I need to talk to Bennett. If not Bennett, then Wireless, to get to him. His daughter's been taken by Homeland Security."

Getting Alexander around the corner is easy enough; into the van is a little more difficult, but having help makes a big difference. Grace hops into the back of the van once Alexander is in place, motioning for Juliet to do the same. The better to look after her patient. The driver's seat is occupied by a man a bit older than Grace, who waves vaguely at the people in back before starting the vehicle and putting it in motion.

As they pull out onto the street, Grace listens to half of Helena's phone conversation, then smiles a subtle and very lopsided smile at the remarks directed her way. "You don't know?" She nods at the phone. "You're holding the phone; send her a text." Just like that. Really.

Juliet tosses her backpack up ahead of her and clambers up after it, pulling the doors closed behind her. She glances up briefly at Helena, but doesn't otherwise give the coversation any attention. "Loosen his shirt," she instructs Grace in a crisp tone. Businesslike. "Get it away from his neck. You got anything back here we could cover him with?" She, meanwhile, takes the backpack and shoves it beneth Alex's feet, leveraging them up at an angle.

Helena blinks at Grace. "Oh, right." She's apparently a little in shock too, judging by how red-rimmed her eyes are. She begins to type a message: Wireless r u there? After sending, she reckons Grace needs to drive, so she tries to do her best to help while waiting for the beep-beep to indicate a new message.

Loosen his shirt? Grace takes the expedient method of just cutting it open. "Sure, Jules." A folded blanket and a pair of pillows come from beneath the seat, setting the latter to one side where people (namely Juliet) can grab them if they're needed and shaking the blanket out over Alex. "Is there anywhere in particular you two need to go?" she prompts of Helena.

Helena's wait is very brief, not more than a second or two. Yes.

Helena looks briefly over at Alex as the two women work on him, and then begins to type. We're out. CB was taken by MP HomeSec. Got people out but PP and GG gone/dead??? Need to talk 2 u or NB.

"Oh," Juliet says, sounding more delighted over the pillow than seems technecally necessary. She reaches out to pull it toward her, and quickly switches it out for her backpack. "Good," she allows, taking in both her work and Grace's. She pauses a moment to stare at Alex, and lets out a puff of breath. "Where was he hit?" she asks, looking up and addressing Helena for the first time.

Since her question passes unanswered, Grace smiles just faintly. She sits back, plays idle passenger, and after a bit queries Juliet instead. "What's your verdict - what does he need?" A hospital stay, of course, being out of the question.

The electronic conversation continues around them. I'll tell Bennet. Get back to you with what he wants. A brief pause, followed by a second message. Didn't see any bodies. Doesn't mean they're alive, but… it's what info she has.

Helena looks over her shoulder. "I'm not sure. I think pretty square in the chest. He's breathing and he was walking, but he was on the verge of passing out." She looks back to the phone, thumb typing. I know. Im ordring E&E for my group. Coming in with one wounded. SYS? Can give more info f2f.

"Depends," Juliet answers, lips drawing back into a thin-lipped frown. "There's not much I can do for the electric shock, other than treat the burns." She nods to acknowledge Helena and moves up to kneel beside Alex's chest, finishing the work Grace started with his shirt and tearing it down the middle. She's careful not to touch him, though she makes a face as the burn is revealed. "If we can keep this from getting infected, he could be fine."

Grace nods slowly as Juliet speaks, and looks to Helena. "We can put you guys up for a bit, if you're comfortable with that." They'll have to follow the house rules, of course, but that can wait. She turns back to the nurse. "We should have everything you need for that." Preventing infection doesn't generally call for high-tech equipment, fortunately. Low-tech, they can cover.

We can meet. Getting Bennet will take longer. Slightly, anyway.

"No promises," Juliet warns with a slight shake of her head. "I don't have any way of telling what going on internally." She gestures at the burn on his chest. "If the internal burns are too severe …" She trails off, turning her palm upwards and spreading her fingers.

OK. With that, Helena signs off and looks up at Grace. "Wireless says she'll meet me. So I'm guessing you guys have a safehouse you can take us to?" She's probably assuming Hana will meet them there.

"What do you need to determine that?" is Grace's next question to Juliet. She looks over at Helena, and that crooked smile makes a reappearance. "Like I said. We can put you up. It'll be a bit." A trip across the fringe of Midtown, to be precise, but that's the only way to get there in any decent time. She looks up to meet Alistair's gaze, reflected back in the rearview mirror, and the driver nods acknowledgment.

There's a shuddering sigh from the guy on his back — Alex is swimming back up to consciousness. He has the odd, branching burn pattern of a lightning strike victim — Elle got him but good, with the Sith hand.

"A hospital," comes Juliet's apologetic reply. "Surgery, if there /is/ internal damage -" She breaks off as Alex stirs, and moves closer to his face. "What's his name?" she asks, glancing briefly at Grace. She moves away again, and gestures Grace forward to take her place. "See if he's responsive. I want to get something on this burn, just for now."

Clean gauze and bandage tape from Juliet's backpack are neatly placed over the majority of Alex's burns. "They'll have to be removed, and the burns cleaned once we get there," she explains. "Don't touch it until then." This done, Alex is about as stable as she can make him, under present circumstances. She leans back against the side of the van to wait.

Second Floor of 'The Hangar', Greenwich Village

When they finally arrive at the safehouse, Helena is particular about helping get Alexander onto a bed where he can be tended to. She's stuck the disposable phone in her pocket, in the event of getting rung by Wireless. Only after Alexander is laid down does she look at Grace. "I know you," she says, "Don't I?"

After assuring Juliet that surgery, at least, can be arranged if need be — field-expedient, perhaps, but clean and decently supplied — Grace lapses into silence, leaving the PARIAH operatives to confer or not as they choose. She faces forward and watches out the windows as they pass out of ruined Midtown, into Lower Manhattan, to the streets of Greenwich Village. She reclaims her phone from Helena long enough to make a cryptic call, after which the van pulls into an alleyway, stopping behind an old-looking, five-floored building.

They see Alexander into a guest room on the second floor, the bed covered in sheets and without a blanket. There was, however, a point to that, as Grace pulls a blanket out of the dresser in the room; easier to lay it down after the fact. "We've met," the woman agrees, having had plenty of time to recognize the familiar face. "I've met him, too. Guess it really is a small world," she concludes with a hint of a crooked smile.

Alexander is now nicely dosed with the good drugs. He's listening from the comfort of the guest bed, eyes glazed with pain and the drugs. "What're you doing here?" he wonders of Grace. "Don' remember you, Air Force," he points out, voice slurred and slow.

Helena looks pleased at Alex being awake, if only somewhat. "Hey, Alex." she says warmly. "Looks like she's with the Ferrymen. She was our ride." She offers a tired smile to Grace. "You were the lady asking me about peppers. I remember your voice, definitely.

"Good to see you awake," Grace remarks to Alex, rasping voice as gentle — and clear-spoken — as it can be. Responsive is good. "That's cause you fell asleep," she quips, only half-serious. "Harkness'll take a strip out of your hide for it — once you're well enough to afford it." Now she is grinning; if it's small compared to most grins, that's just the way her expressions work. After that, blue eyes flick to Helena. "Yeah. It is memorable," she allows, shrugging.

Alexander looks down at himself. "What happened to me?" he wonders, glancing between them. "I don't remember anything," he sounds fairly plaintive.

Helena's lips purse. "That blonde bitch totally Dark Side lightning bolted you." she tells Alexander. "I think she got shot, and some of the prisoners who escaped grabbed her and took off."

Explanations are Helena's forte — Grace just provided the transportation. Mindful of Juliet's earlier statements, the woman goes back to the dresser and rummages about in one of the top drawers, pulling out items to clean and re-bandage the burns with.

Alexander bites his lip at that. "I….damn. Did we accomplish what we meant to?" he asks, practically. "Did we lose anyone?"

"We managed to free several," Helena says softly. "But Claire's in Homeland Security Custody. And Peter…" she pauses, and then says firmly, "Peter's missing. He and Sylar had a confrontation, and they either blew up in fire and are dead or are god knows where."

Turning back to the bed, Grace holds the medical supplies so that they're in Alexander's field of view. "Alex, we should get the burns cleaned. If you don't mind, I'll do that now " She glances to Helena. " and you guys can talk around me."

Alexander swallows hard. "God, I'm sorry," he says, quietly, before nodding at Grace. "Shit," It's that multisyllabic oath, again. "I….we'll have to free her."

"I gotta tell her dad first." Helena says quietly. "And I — Sylar may be free. If he and Peter didn't die." To hope that Peter is alive is to accept that Sylar is loose. It's a hard trade off.

"Given Wireless, he probably knows by now," Grace remarks softly, as she walks back over and starts to tend to Alex's wounds. Taking off the temp bandages; carefully cleaning the burns; laying down new gauze.

He's gonna have some absolutely bizarro scars when he heals — there's a long branching streak from his gun arm which spreads into a whole tree's worth on his torso and shoulder. "God. I hope Peter took him down," Alexander says, gritting his teeth.

"I know, but I want to talk to him anyway." Helena admits. "He's the best knowledge source for the Company that I know. I'm hoping he'll talk to me. Show me things." She looks down at Alex. "Yeah," she says, "Me too." She doesn't sound quite so zealous about it, though.

Grace nods to Helena. "Fair enough," she deems. Finishing up with Alex's bandages, the woman returns the supplies to their place. "Anything else you guys need tonight?" she asks, turning back. Her gaze settles upon Helena. "I assume you'll want to stay in here — there's blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, that sort of stuff in the closet. Bathroom down the way. Can give you a tour of the building, or you can deal with morning-sunshine Alistair later on," Grace concludes, raven's voice even drier than its normal tone.

Al sounds embarrassed. "Uh. I'm really thirsty," he says, in a very small voice. He's supposed to be a big, tough cop. Being taken care of is weird.

Grace nods to Alex. "Easily fixed. As long as you don't turn your nose up at water." She's teasing… probably. But she's definitely not going to risk incurring the wrath of the medic, so the woman ducks out of the room and returns in short order with a glass of filtered water for the patient.

"I think I can find my way around." Helena assures. "I can keep looking after him but I'll need to go out tomorrow and scope out some follow up."

"Water is good, if you haven't got any Dom Perignon," Al says, offering a wan smile.

At Helena's remarks, Grace raises a brow, but doesn't really seem surprised. She addresses Alexander first. "I wouldn't be surprised if Scott did… but I'm not giving your doctor the chance to flay me," she concludes with a faint smile. And so, it's water for you. Her attention shifts back to Helena. "Talk to Alistair in the morning; he'll let you out, set up the return procedure, and give you contact numbers. Every possible exit in the building's wired, so you'll have to go through one of us to get in and out." A nod in the direction of the window. "Same goes for any of your people you direct back this way — we've got plenty of room to take them, but they don't come to the front door."

Helena nods. "As far as I know, everyone's briefed." she says. "I'll need to meet up with our infiltration boys and see what they've scoped."

Alexander nods sagely, but doesn't ask further questions.

Grace nods again. "If you need anything, and you can't find it in here, just ask. We either have it, or we'll figure something out." She shrugs one shoulder. "That's probably enough for now. I'll let you two get some rest." The woman retreats to the door, pausing a moment to make sure the PARIAH members don't need anything else before she goes.

"Thank you." says Helena suddenly, turning to look at Grace as she exits. "For doing this. I mean, I know it's part of the job and all, but thank you."

"Yes, thank you," Al rasps, from the shelter of the bed, rolling his head to watch her go.

Grace shakes her head at the expressions of gratitude, and chuckles quietly, the sound coarse and not much like laughter even if that's how it is meant. "It isn't my job," she corrects. "I just do it. You don't need to thank me." And with that brusque statement, Grace is out the door, closing it gently behind her before they have any chance to argue the point.

This info would go out to all members of PARIAH:

With Claire Bennett in the hands of Homeland Security and particularly the custody of Matt Parkman (noted to be a telepath), effective immediately, all members of PARIAH are issued the escape and evade order. For now, the tenement is to be abandoned, until as such time as an all-clear is sent out, and even then, it may be that the there needs to be a new HQ. A few of the infiltration specialists may be allowed back in briefly to scope it out and collect things for people if they're given clearance.

Contact Cameron or Helena through channels appropriate to E&E situations if they are needed.