InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Gimme a T!"

Zadkiel Thrush (lifeibreathe) wrote in we_float,
@ 2010-06-20 00:48:00

Entry tags:

character: alec tremont, character: matt cavanaugh, character: zadkiel thrush

Who: Matt Cavanaugh, Zadkiel Thrush, and Alec Tremont (briefly)
When: Sunday, June 20, 2096
Where: Anhalt, then a flophouse in Ballard
What: A rescue mission
Status: Closed, Complete

"I have an address," Alec said. It was clear from the feverish, glazed look in his eyes that he hadn't yet slept. "They've been taunting me all night, electronic bread crumb trails that lead down digital dark alleys, but I finally have an address for where Barton is, and apparently not in very good shape. I expect it's a trap, so you should probably be prepared for that." He thrust the scrap of paper into the hands of the only person up and about. "I'm going to bed now. Ta."

Zadkiel stared at the information, uncertain what to do with it. A trap. Barton injured. He didn't even know who was home, or who would be of any help in this kind of situation. But one of them had a gun, and that would be a good thing to bring into a trap. He also seemed to be one of the more level-headed of the house's inhabitants, and that was good, too.

He padded upstairs and knocked on Matt's door.

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palehorses
2010-06-21 06:05 pm UTC (link)

"Not a fucking clue," Matt said, lighting a cigarette. "Seriously, I've barely talked to the guy, and I don't know how the fuck he got this address, so I can't even guess. You talked to him, he didn't suggest anything?"

He stayed where he was, looking at the building they'd been sent to, for the moment; anything Zadkiel could add to what Alec had said could only help them, if Alec had even said anything by the time he'd gotten the address. Matt had walked past him the previous night and had been fairly sure Alec'd been covered in a light layer of dust. He also hadn't looked like he'd even seen Matt.

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lifeibreathe
2010-06-21 08:10 pm UTC (link)

"He didn't say much," Zadkiel said. "He made it sound like someone knew he was tracking the information, and they were leaving a trail for him. So I guess that means they probably know we're coming."

He frowned. "I don't know how one goes about doing this sort of thing. Instinct tells me that just walking in probably isn't the best idea, but what choice do we have?"

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palehorses
2010-06-21 11:06 pm UTC (link)

"Well," Matt said, his smile mischievous, "unless you want to stand well back and lob, like, fucking missiles at the building, I think we're gonna have to walk the fuck in."

He climbed out of the car and stood looking at the building. It was a relic of the older Seattle that still could be found in traces; the building was only about four stories, shops on the bottom floor. He figured that probably meant the rest of it was residential, but it could equally be office space. "Which floor, or did it just send us to the building?"

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lifeibreathe
2010-06-21 11:41 pm UTC (link)

Zadkiel peered at the scrap of paper again. "I think that's supposed to be a four. So I'm guessing the top floor. Would it have killed him to write legibly?" He glanced at it one more time, then tucked it into his pocket.

"Here we go, then," he said, and headed for the building, for the door that would lead to the upper floors rather than into one of the shops. It wasn't locked, and he wondered if it ought to have been. He pulled it open cautiously and stepped inside, climbing the stairs as quietly as he could manage, although he wasn't sure what he was hoping not to disturb. He stopped when he reached the top of the stairs and glanced back to make sure Matt was still with him.

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palehorses
2010-06-22 01:59 am UTC (link)

No smile now as Matt gestured for Zadkiel to step back. He drew the gun and held it one-handed easily, ready to aim if it proved necessary.

The door looked ... well, it looked like it had been recently picked. But Matt didn't see any of the traces of a trap that he would've recognised; that didn't mean it wasn't trapped - worse, that it wasn't somehow set up to register their presence and sent their presence and DNA profiles to someone else - but there wasn't much to do about that if they weren't going to walk away, which wasn't an option here.

He didn't knock on the door, but he did open it quietly, letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding when it swung open easily.

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lifeibreathe
2010-06-22 02:19 am UTC (link)

Zadkiel wasn't sure what the second unlocked door might signify, but his stomach clenched in a cold knot as he took a cautious step inside, his eyes flicking around the room, trying to figure out what, or who, was there.

He saw nothing. The shades were drawn, so it was really dim, and all of the lights were off. He squinted, which of course didn't help. He waited until his eyes started to adjust before stepping inside.

The room smelled of dust, stale sweat, and faintly of urine. He wrinkled his nose, but edged farther into the room. And heard a moan of pain coming from somewhere deeper in the gloom.

He forgot caution and headed for the sound, drawn like a moth to a flame to the sound of someone suffering. When he saw the man curled up on the floor, he fell to his knees beside him, searching for exposed skin to touch, to try to assess the damage.

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palehorses
2010-06-23 04:23 am UTC (link)

Matt grimaced - Zadkiel had said that he was afraid there were traps, and then he went for the most obvious one?

But there was nothing for it, short of yanking the kid back and clearing the room, so Matt suppressed a sigh - nearly cracking his jaw in the process - and checked the rooms as he went down the hall.

There wasn't anything there, until he found Zadkiel, and the man on the floor. And oh my did that not look good. "Are you - is he even alive still?" A stupid question, he realised a second later - he'd heard the moan - but the guy didn't look at all like he should be alive.

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lifeibreathe
2010-06-23 04:52 am UTC (link)

Zadkiel didn't answer. His hands were pressed against Barton's abdomen where he'd pushed up his shirt to reach his skin. The young man was bent almost double over Barton's body, and his expression was a mix of concentration and pain. His eyes were nearly closed.

He shook his head slightly and laid one hand against Barton's temple. His face was a mask of blood, and it had soaked into his hair. Another few seconds ticked by, and then Zadkiel shook his head again. "Not for long," he murmured.

He left his hand on Barton's face, stroking back blood-sodden strands. He suspected Barton was past caring, but he did it anyway, his lips moving as he murmured something, to the dying man or to God.

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palehorses
2010-06-23 05:08 am UTC (link)

And this was the moment when all the not-talking bit them on the ass. Again. Matt had a sudden sense that this was exactly the same as when he and Maxxie had run into the robbers in the drug store - he had absolutely no idea what would happen when Zadkiel used his powers, if he'd do the science-fiction thing and just use himself up in the effort, or if he'd done it and it was over, or what.

And that meant that Matt didn't know what to guard against. His empty hand clenched into a fist - not a gesture that there was something he could fight, but one of frustration. He didn't know what to expect, and he hated not knowing.

At the same time, he thought it was possibly - maybe - a touch smarter not to interrupt.

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