Entry tags:

character:digger conners

Who: Digger and Nori
When: Tuesday, June 26th, 1am (backdated)
Where: House in the Gray
What: Nori’s rescue
Rating: TBD (likely high - it’s Dig)
Status: Closed/In Progress

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The demon within had been chomping at the bit ever since Riley got the message about Nori’s kidnapping. All that rage; bubbling and boiling just beneath the calm exterior...all that darkness just screaming to be unleashed onto whoever took her. Father had waited three whole days before finally reaching out, before finally getting Dig involved. Three days was a lifetime when it came to these sort of cases. Not that the dirty cop was working it on the up and up. No he fully intended to kill whoever took her, but until he found the guy Conners had to rein in that violence. While the CoD’s leads had all turned up nothing, well Digger’s contacts ended up providing a few far more useful leads. It didn’t hurt to have three of the Five owing favors to him, and calling those favors in might have been a poor decision as far as business went...yet she was one of the few folks in the world that Riley actually felt some measure of connection to.

With every legal and illegal means at his disposal the killer for hire finally got what he needed. Hell it cost him favors owed, and a fair deal of credits too, yet in the end the man found himself standing at front door of the right house. For such a large man he moved with inhuman grace and silence. Slipping within the blacked out building; having intentionally cut the power just moments before. There in the pitch black Digger stalked through the rooms, gun in hand and helmet adorned on his head. Between the thermal and night vision optics it didn’t take long to clear the place room by room, but when he reached the basement at last only a single heat signature was showing. Aiming the silenced weapon straight at the target he keyed a command into his wrist device, filling the place with light once again as power was suddenly restored.
--
The light illuminated a unique scene. One light shown on a corner, a corner that held a dark haired woman sat curled, sitting against the wall. She was wearing what was once a white dress, now stained with red, yellow and brown colors. Around her neck was a large silver collar that was chained to the wall, it was locked from behind. Red streaked in her hair, on her face and hands- which clutched a spoon, equally red, as if it were her only defense. As the light turned on her back stiffened slightly, as she squinted, trying to make out the new figure before her.

Before her on the floor, laying next to a silver dog dish that held her name, was a man- or rather a corpse. Blood pooled around him, a trail from him to her made it clear she had been close when he bled out. Odd shaped puncture holes were visible in his sides, at least one could have possibly gone between his ribs into his lungs. A gouge seemed to be missing from his neck, confirmed by what looked like a bit of flesh resting about a foot away. The look on his face was clearly one of pain and shock.

A voice came from the corner, quiet and cautious. “I asked if I could have a spoon to eat dinner with... "
---
Two muffled shots rang out in quick succession; metal striking metal, and the chain fixed to the wall broke a second later. Clattering to the floor. Without saying a word the man just quietly sighed, reholstering his sidearm before finally slipping off his helmet so she could see his face. Dig moved with purpose too, closing the gap between the two of them and taking a knee as he reached out at last. Without saying a word the cop ripped the collar free with a touch of cybernetic strength, letting it fall away as well before turning his piercing gaze to her condition. Nori’s words seemed to hardly register at all; if anything Conners expression seemed devoid of any emotion...and after gauging her physical condition he finally turned his focus to the corpse for a moment. Still fresh. Maybe a few hours, a day at most. No sign of cerebral damage or fracturing to the skull. All good signs.

Death was his art, yet in this modern age of nano tech and cybernetics...well for the right price, and with the right conditions, death wasn’t always fixed. Oh it’d cost a small fortune for what he had planned, but the dead man’s misery wasn’t over at all. Not after what that creep had done. A devilish grin tugged at the corner of Riley’s lips as thoughts of torture danced through his mind, still a second later that dark and wicked glee seemed to vanish as he turned his gaze back to her. “Let’s get you out of this shithole. I’ll take you back to…” For a moment the man paused and considered exactly what he should do or say. Father would want to see her, to know that Nori was fine. But in her present condition...well honestly Dig didn’t give a shit what the old man wanted. “I’ll take you back to my place; we will get you clean up, I’ll check you over, and if you are up for it after a soak in the tub I will order in some food too.”

There were no prying questions about what had transpired. No need for any of that at all. Those answers, and the confession, would be pulled from her kidnapper later on. For now what mattered was getting her as far from this hell as he could. “Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?” There was no edge in his tone, just an earnest inquiry, and the offer to carry her was genuine as well.
--
When she saw the officers face she let out a breath, as if she’d been holding hers till that point. “Di-” She started, swallowing slightly. Dried blood rested around her mouth. She didn’t know what she thought of him seeing her like that, weak, dirty, a mess. Nori normally took pride in looking put together, in that moment she felt like the lost little girl she’d been the first time she’d met Officer Conners. Then… then she glanced over to the body. That had not been the actions of a scared little girl. “I can…” She put a hand on the wall and slowly rose to her feet, a little wobbly. She’d not moved from the corner in more than a few hours. Once she was stabilized she put a hand to her neck, the scar from that chord so many years ago visible again as her own collar had been removed when her assailants one had been placed on her.

Her hazel eyes, darker at that moment, glanced to Digger. “Don’t…” She said with a little rasp caused by her dry throat. “Please don’t look…” She meant at her, at the mess she must have looked. Dry blood everywhere, other bodily fluids she didn’t want to think about, unclean and probably a bit smelly too.
---
There was no sneer of disgust upon his face at all as he looked at her. Nor any trace of pity either. Both had lived hard lives. The sort that most folks didn’t survive, let alone thrive in. Yet even now, even in that dark blood filled basement, Nori was standing on her own two feet. Oh his rage still seethed, and caused Riley’s hands to shake ever so slightly. However he mentally whispered to the dark force inside...promising that violent nature of his that it’d be sated soon enough. Promising that the gift of a swift death the poor fucker had gotten would be undone and replaced with a world of agony. With a single nod of his head the cop took a step back, allowing her space to stand.

He was there, close enough to catch her if Nori needed him. But aside from offering a hand the man made no effort to assist her out of the room. When she spoke up again the slightest frown appeared, and after realizing what she meant Dig merely shrugged his shoulders. “Right...cause you know how much a bit of blood and shit bothers me. Get over it, pet. You look beautiful as hell. Radiant even.” That flash of a smile was shot her way, not trying to flirt or tease her really. Just an effort to let the woman know that he really wasn’t bothered by her present condition. The man dealt in death on a daily basis, and he had seen far worse before. “Move your ass and I will even consider ordering from that Thai joint. Been a while since I had something from there.” Without waiting for a reply he moved to pick up the corpse, tossing the body over his shoulder with ease. At last Dig spared her a quick glance back, making sure she really was capable of moving on her own, before he strolled out of the basement and upstairs.
--
The look of hate toward the corpse was real, and there was a moment of relief when Digger picked it up and removed it from the room. She took a few steps, and paused. With a kick of her foot that silver dog dish flew across the room before Nori followed.

Arriving outside, she pulled her arms around her as the cool night air hit her. She reached up and brushed her hand down her hair before hurrying to his car and taking the passenger seat. It wasn’t until she was sitting there that she realized she was shaking. Yes, she did torture people… bad people and those who needed to be broken. Bad people deserved it and those who needed to be broken… well that torture was always very pleasurable. The man who had jumped her and chained her in his basement had crossed a line. Sure, it was very close to what she had done with puppies in the past- but they always gave consent. And they knew she’d never hurt them, and they were always fed and pampered and loved. Nori didn’t feel any of that, she felt violated… for the second time in her life. She despised that feeling.
---
Silence lingered even when they reached the car; Dig moving to dump the body into the trunk, and pausing when both he and Nori were seated in the cruiser at last. For a moment he just looked over at her, noting the way her body shook and seeing that distant expression in her eyes. An expression he had seen before. Not just with her, but in a mirror years ago. After a brutal night of pain inflicted on him at the hand of his own father. There were moments, few and far in between, when he wished that he wasn’t so broken. Moments like this when the man wanted to say or do something to make things all better. However when words eluded the cop he let out another soft sigh; before getting out of the squad car and strolling back into the house once again.

A minute or two later the darkness of the night was pushed back by flames; literal flames roaring inside that building. Through smoke he appeared anew, silhouetted by the fiery inferno he had started. He couldn’t take away her anguish, but Dig could destroy the place and all evidence of what had transpired. He could erase it completely so that no one else need ever know. At last he returned to the driver seat and as the engine roared to life Riley finally spoke up. “You, me, and the dead. No one else will know, pet. I promise that.” Oh he wanted to tell her that the dead would pay for his sins soon enough; but for the present the man figured it was better to get her away from there. To get her somewhere safe, and warm. Somewhere were she could wash away the filth and blood...and maybe find some tiny sliver of rest as well.
--
She watched the flames as they drove off, turning in her seat to see the place burn. Nori was grateful Digger did what she was too drained to do, to defeated to do. Given time she’d reflect on the actions of the prior 24 hours and feel satisfaction, but hindsight hadn’t set in as of that moment. “Thank you.” She said, looking behind them still long after the house faded into the horizon. Soon she’d be in a familiar place and things would be better.
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