Heading For The Low Ground

Participants:

abby_icon.gif cardinal_icon.gif niki_icon.gif

Scene Title Heading For The Low Ground
Synopsis Niki's packing to go in search for Peyton, when Abby's guilt drops in for a chat. Cardinal sneaks in on folks again.
Date August 17. 2009

The Apartment of Niki Sanders


She doesn't know how it happens, only that it does. Just when Niki thinks that perhaps she's going to have the upperhand in her 'war' with Linderman, something goes haywire. Whether it's Logan or now the kidnapping of Peyton Whitney, it's just far too much of a coincidence for her. If there's any chance that Linderman is pulling strings over at Humanis First, then this could get worse before it gets better.

The Peyton Whitney-napping is all over the news, so it was hard to miss and her blood ran cold the first time she heard it. A text to Cardinal and she's already tossing clothes into a backpack, and not being all the subtle about is as she slams closet doors. What she hasn't decided, is if she's getting out of Dodge or if she's going to stay and fight. What she does know is that she's not sticking around where folks know where she is and let them come find her.

Abigail returned on Sunday, though spent most of her time back at the bar, avoiding home and a likely very angry Leonard. But come the morning she's back and concerned about Niki due to whatever Cardinal told her. In a somewhat more better state of mind thanks to the usual culprits, there's the knock on Niki's door that reverberates through the apartment.

The door is opened, but it just swings open as Niki pulled the door opened and immediately walked away from the door as she finishes shoving a few more things into the backpack. She's no clue who's knocking on her door, and at this particular time she doesn't really care. "I don't know what you want, but I'm not sticking around, I didn't order anything, I don't want the paper and if you're going to try and serve me with any papers, I'm probably going to throw you down the stairs." Someone's a little testy this morning. She picks up her jacket and then turns towards the door. "Oh. Abby." Surprise.

"I came to see how you were doing. Richard told me that a person I knew decided to rough you up a bit" The blonde sticks to the door, hands in her jean pockets as the other woman heads back to her room. "Can I come in?"

"I'm on my way out, Abby. I have to go find someone to help me go get someone out of hot water. A friend of mine was abducted. It was on the news." It takes a moment for Abby's words to sink into Niki's head and she stops and looks at her. "I wasn't going to tell you after what he put you through before, but somehow he knew just where to look for me. I'd like to know how, but right now I have other things to deal with." Peyton Whitney was going to be a main component to their operation against Linderman, and now she's gone.

Abigail knows who it was, how he found Niki. "No, you didn't strike me as the kind of person to tell me. I wouldn't have known. I won't keep you Niki I just.. needed to check in on you. Make sure you were okay, because I know what he can do, what he likes to do"

"Somehow he can suppress my strength. That's all I know." Niki says as she zips up the zipper on her backpack. "I'm fine. I made a dumb move and dislocated my shoulder. I got it set back in and it's been fine. You know Jessica, she's not only about brute strength. We'll fine a way to put him out of the way." Niki leans against her dining table and sighs. "It's all starting again. This madness. Just like before. You think that things are going to start going back to normal and it just all turns to shit again."

"I told you, Niki…" The shadows stir up the wall, and Cardinal steps out of them— cracking his neck to one side, then the other, a grim smile curving to his lips, "…we can rest when we're done. Got your message. Saw the news, too." He turns his head a bit, looking at Abigail with a brow's lift, tone wry, "You a'ight, Abigail?"

Abigail can commiserate with Niki on the normal thing being shattered. It happens, again and again. "I know Niki. Whether you like it or not, it always happe…" God, Richard's doing it again. It's only maybe the second time she's ever seen him do that. Her shoulders turn inwards a bit, much like a chastised animal when he inquires after her. "Took care of a few issues. But I don't think i'll be doing.. what I did thursday again. By the news, do you mean the kidnapping? THe uhh… Whitney?"

Niki doesn't start at Cardinal's entrance. If she had, her dining room table might have been hurled his direction. "Peyton Whitney has a unique ability that we wanted to use. Plus, she seemed as if she were looking for something useful to do." She turns to Cardinal. "You didn't mention her to anyone, did you? Can it really be a coincidence that she's disappeared? I'm starting to think I have someone watching me, following me around."

"I didn't mention it to anyone," Cardinal replies with a tight shake of his head, one hand lifting to rub against the side of his neck self-consciously, lips pursing into a grimace, "It's possible… then again, if you found her so easily, so could anyone else. Including these Humanis sons of bitches." A glance to the pack, then back to Niki, "Heading to ground?"

Abigail remains quiet by the door, glancing between the two as they speak.

Niki shakes her head. "She found me. Well, she found one of me, anyway. She pulls out her iPhone and pulls up the text messages Gina received from Peyton and tosses the phone to Cardinal. "She sent me these messages the night she was taken. There's an address or something there. I thought I'd go check it out." If he scrolls through the messages, there are several from Peyton's phone, all distress messages.

The phone's caught, and Cardinal reverses it in his hand, scrolling down through the messages with a slight frown. "Worth a check," he murmurs, "I'll come along— you can stay in the car while I do some recon, and if we need to kick in doors, you'll be right there. If there's no leads, I have a few other ideas I can call up." He hands the phone back, brow raising, "Need a place to stay?"

There's a nod from Niki as she responds to Cardinal's query and turns to Abby. "Look. I'm staying away from Lucy's for a while. You have to find someone else to take my job, go ahead. As far as anyone else goes, you haven't seen me nor do you have any idea where I've gone. 'Kay?" Niki walks over towards Cardinal.

Abigail perks up at being talked to, though it's only to bring a frown to her face. "Okay. I can try" That's three people now. At least she knows that Niki's not leaving just because. "I'll uhh, i'll find someone. I'm uh, moving out, to above the bar. I won't be your neighbour anymore. But you know where to find me. I should get out of yours and Cardinals way"

"I've got a place, we've got a few people staying there— a few more coming in," Cardinal affirms with a tip of his head to Niki as she steps over, "It's not exactly th'fucking Ritz, but it's secure-ish, and secret." He turns a bit, looking to Abigail for a moment before allowing quietly, "S'alright, Abs. Just keep the home fires burning, eh?"

"It'll be better than here at the moment." She was homeless on Staten Island for several months, so she's not going to complain about that either. She turns to Abby and gives her a small smile. "If I haven't said it, thanks for putting up with me." And by 'me' she means all three of her. "I'll do what I can to keep in touch. If you hear anything, call me."

"Okay" Abigail promises, shuffling a bit where she is. Guilt inside for the state of Niki's arm, but worry as well for the fact that a friend of theirs is in trouble and they're hightailing it. "You know, drop a message at the bar if you need to." The younger blond starts to turn, head off towards her place before she stops, looks at Cardinal. "That thing. That L thing. Not an issue anymore" Cryptic, purposeful. Cardinal should clue in and Niki will likely be oblivious. "Take care, god bless"

A brow crooks over the edge of Cardinal's Oakleys, and he starts to say something… and then thinks better of it, giving his head a slight shake. "Alright." A faint smile crooks to his lips, "God bless, Abigail. Find your way."


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