God Help Us

Participants:

elisabeth_icon.gif ygraine_icon.gif

Scene Title God Help Us
Synopsis The first of Wireless's mystery messages is delivered. It brings about as much joy as expected.
Date December 7 2010

Redbird Security


The lobby of Redbird Security Solutions is not…. in the best of shape, though it's not utterly destroyed either. Clean-up has been in progress since yesterday, so it's looking almost back to normal. Although the sight of the blonde in the middle of everything, conducting business with the Textile Factory via bluetooth in between going downstairs where the communications is not usable. At the moment she's standing in Richard Cardinal's office, pacing back and forth in a deep gray pair of suit slacks and a black V-necked pullover and boots. Her hair's loose, hiding the headset in her ear, but her tone is strident. "Brown, I don't give a flying fuck what the Hill said about the matter, I'm telling you it needs to be online by tomorrow and if it's not, I will scalp his ass." It's been a bad couple of days. She's pissed. "And if you can't assert yourself in this job, I will find someone who can, so grow a set and get on the ball. There's no way in hell you pulled this shit with Kershner or she'd have eaten you for breakfast. Don't think that because I'm nicer most days that I won't do the same." She clicks off the phone with a snap and a disgusted sigh. "Christ."

Today, the lycra is hidden beneath layers of looser, warmer gear - but Ygraine still sports the wrap-around shades, black cycling helmet, and fingerless gloves as she picks her way delicately through the last bits of the clean-up operation. Visibly relieved upon spotting Elisabeth, she raises a hand in greeting… then looks a little uncertain as she catches the woman's tone.

Still, she moves closer, swinging her camel-back pack off her shoulders as she makes a bee-line for the owner, the Alley Cat Courier Service badges clearly on display.

She rarely loses her temper with her subordinates at FRONTLINE — she's not entirely sure enough of her position to really do it often. But some days it just needs doing. Catching sight of Ygraine, Elisabeth looks surprised. Oh! A smile quirks one side of her mouth. "Well hey there, stranger," she greets mildly. "How's life treating you these days?"

The Briton hand-wobbles, her smile somewhat relieved as Elisabeth appears genuinely pleased to see her. "'Interesting', as it often is", she says dryly. "But tolerably well for the most part. Down where I have my home missed out on the worst of… recent events, fortunately." Even if she didn't personally. "But… wow. This looks… impressive. Am I here at a bad time? If so, I can make this a flying visit. I've got a delivery for you."

There's a grimace. "Not a bad time. Just… helping clean up a little." Checking up on her friends. Elisabeth shakes her head. "Unfortuntely, certain people are starting to seriously piss me off." Which is probably not a good plan. But that's neither here nor there. "Whatcha got?" she asks curiously, clearly not expecting a courier'd package.

"Something I need you to sign for… and I've been asked to check up on the account's standing with you", Ygraine says, slightly inclining her head towards the door to Cardinal's office, and away from the people in the lobby.

A single brow lifts and Elisabeth takes the step back into Cardinal's office that will allow Ygraine to join her inside instead of standing in the hall. Only when she closes the door does she tilt her head. "The account's standing? What's going on?"

The Briton glances around - both curious and, nowadays, habitually suspicious of her surroundings - then removes her shades to expose her eyes. Setting down the pack, she instead delves under her back - reaching under the protector guarding her spine from crashes, to draw out a slender, sealed package. From within that, she produces an envelope.

"Personal delivery, into your hands only, from Wireless", she says quietly, expression and tone both rather worried. "It's one of just two I've got to make for her. Both with that condition."

Now Liz looks beyond worried. Reaching out to take the envelope, she slits it open immediately to withdraw a single sheet of paper. As she reads it, her blue eyes cloud with a ferocious scowl. "Fuck." The murmur has a hint of resignation to it, as if whatever's in the letter is not as big a shock as it could be. Looking up at Ygraine, the blonde demands quietly, "Did she say anything else to you? And does the other letter you have go to someone in the Ferry?"

Ygraine bites her lip, rather intently studying Elisabeth. From her worried and near-hungry expression, she's been a good courier and not examined the envelope's contents herself.

"Yes. Ahh, yes I have one for someone in the Ferry, that is. And… sort of, to the other question. She declined an offer of help. She provided as much explanation as you'd anticipate. She told me that I should avoid attention, but not so much as to go to the extremes I can take for travel around the city. And they were to get to their destinations "as soon as possible". I only delayed long enough to get home and change into courier gear, then swing by the office to grab some work as a cover."

"All right…. just so you know — don't text anything sensitive. Wireless's ability's been compromised for now. Tell whoever you're taking that to that if they need us for anything, we're still here but we're having Institute problems — they're pissed that we've been thwarting them. If they need to get to us, I'm guessing they'll have you act as go between." She grins a little. "They can text me with nothing more than a time of day to meet, and I'll meet whoever needs me at the Nite Owl, okay?"

Ygraine pauses briefly, as if making sure that she's filed all that away in her memory, then sighs and nods. "This doesn't sound good", she says rather miserably. "D'you… is there anything I can do to help you out? Messages delivered under the radar, or whatever?"

There's a pause as Elisabeth considers that. "Yes. Not at this moment, but I have a feeling that's going to get pretty much necessary if we don't fix the situation. So…. if I have a message for you to carry, I'll text *you* a time, and you meet me at Dorchester Towers? That way if you wind up being followed, there's no real way to know who you're seeing."

Another slight pause, then Ygraine nods. "Inside or outside?", she asks, fiddling with her back-protector a little to settle it properly into place once more, before reaching for her pack. "I seem to recall the lobby's open to the general public…."

"It is," Elisabeth assures her. "Knowing that you're around and actually doing this job will make me … a bit happier." Or something. She smiles. "Anything you carry for me, though, it's a real job. Expect to get paid. In the meantime…. thank you. The message from Wireless is important. You better get going.

Ygraine quirks a wry smile, then ducks her head. "Thanks. I'm a long way from broke… but extra income's welcome. I'm burning what spare cash I can on stuff for the refugees, at the moment." As she talks, she carefully restores her shades to their position, then secures her pack on her back.

"Take care of yourself. This… well. We've had too many people hurt already", the Briton says worriedly.

Elisabeth says softly, "If they're strapped for cash, I can put in donations too." For all that she runs FRONTLINE — and she's doing a pretty damn good job of it — she's also keeping her ear to the ground for anything that needs to be passed on to the evacuees. Though she's not even sure if Ygraine is aware of her status. "Listen…. a lot of this has to stay way, way under the radar. With Wireless's security out of commission at the moment, I want you to use this phone number for anything that needs to come to me." She moves to Richard's desk, rummages around for a post-it, and scrawls a number on it. Then she hands it to Ygraine. "It's a burn phone. I can't have too many inconsistent messages on the phone that does FRONTLINE business, but I keep this one on my person. And if I text you a time and 911, it means that something's come down the pipe that the Ferry needs to know about there and then. Okay?"

Ygraine gulps and nods. After dithering momentarily, she opts not to trust herself to simply commit that number to memory, though it's stuffed under at least two layers of clothing rather than being stored anywhere more obvious. "In… theory, at least, Nichols is another courier who knows the routes and sites. But I've not seen hide nor hair of her for some time. I'm also sometimes up at the Island or off inland doing supply runs - so I can't guarantee an instant response. But if I can get there on time, I will. I promise."

Elisabeth nods slightly. "God help us, Ygraine…. I think we're gonna need it," she admits softly. She jerks her chin toward the door. "Go on, lady. I gotta finish here and get back to Red Hook."

Forcing a smile, Ygraine nods - then snaps off a rather impish salute. "Yes, ma'am. And… good luck to you." A nod of farewell, then she turns to slip through the door and back out to the street.

Next on her list, Bennet.


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