Morningstar Manor

Fin had learned that the best way of dealing with this situation was to be utterly professional about it. So he presented his card to the desk at five to ten and stated when he was expected and who by. The desk sergeant read the card, nodded and asked him to wait, suggesting he took a seat.

Fin smiled and went to stand in the middle of the room, as far from anything that might harbour anything intrusive as possible. This was going to be hard enough as it was without any leftovers tainting the taste.

He just hoped - prayed - that this one wouldn't be too bad.

Fin had been to the post office to send a gift to an old friend in LA and had, frankly, procrastinated on the way back. Feeling the fresh air on his skin was pleasant. Sometimes his apartment felt like a cage.

But it was a comfortable cage and one in which he knew he worked well, so now he was on his way back to it with a bag of groceries under one arm and a few magazines, including the latest Smashing under the other.

In the Lobby he looked around and ambled towards the mail room.

Calling it an early day, Adam was down in the gym, putting on quiet the show. Barechested, he sweated to the '80's, singing along to the music that poured through the iPod tucked into the waistband of his shorts.

~.~

Out in the gardens Alec sat, scanning the paper, reading without really seeing. His mind was elsewhere-upstairs with teenager still too frightened to leave the apartment and on the nameless, faceless figure that was stalking the city streets.

~.~

Also in the gardens, and also reading, was Joe. He, however, had opted for the table just outside the Mocha. Here he could enjoy the late afternoon sunshine, and be close enough for a refill. The best of both worlds.

~.~

Saturday and Sunday, Jazz had worked, spending her whole shift on pins and needles, expecting at any moment for Mr. Michaels to turn up and tell her that he'd changed his mind. But he hadn't. And now she was forced to consider that maybe, just maybe, he'd meant what he'd said.

Figuring it couldn't hurt to at least look, she sat in the Mocha and flipped through the various pamphlets Michaels had given her. School, huh?...Who'd a'thunk?

Classes start tomorrow, here be my last "hurrah" of the summer. ;P Get 'em before they're gone.

The sirens were louder now, and Emma spelled Sean holding Andy's leg, she was already covered in blood, there was no escaping the stuff. She wasn't as good at it as Sean was, her hands were too small, but she did the best she could. Tears left clean white streaks down her face, a too white face smeared with red. they changed over again after Sean had worked his hands out, he'd needed a break, and wiping her hands again Emma looked up. The doors were opening and two paramedics came rushing in, followed by several police and other people. Suddenly the gallery was way too crowded, and the only place out of the way was actually under the desk, so Emma crawled under there in the flurry of activity, hardly making a sound, and left Sean to handle it. She did pull her phone out of her pocket, and sent a text message to Alec, it took a couple of goes to type it right, but she got there in the end.

Alec? I need u, come 2 the gallery 290, fast? Emma

Tucking the phone away she looked round as someone crouched down by the desk, "Are you hurt miss? Come on out and we'll take a look at you." The man smiled, a paramedic, but Emma just stared at him wide eyed, "Andy, she's, so much blood!" She was shaking, and tears still ran down her face, but Emma was beyond noticing much not even the smell registered any more.