"Yo! Soul Patch!"
Francis winced at the noise. "Stop yelling, Jake."
Jake looked at him, and smiled evilly. "Hung over?" he asked loudly.
"Yes," Francis answered tersely before walking through to the offices beyond. He squinted against the brightness that seemed to come from the overhead lights.
"You look like shit," J.D. said as she sat at her desk.
"I look the same now as I did in the car," he said as he pulled his seat out and nearly fell into it.
"You looked like shit then, too."
"Fuck. I think I'm still drunk," he whispered as he took a sip of his coffee. "Next time we argue, do me a favor and kick me in the head. It's gotta be less painful than this."
J.D. pretended to jot down the request on a memo. "Kick in head...got it." She leaned forward as a list of messages appeared on her computer. "Oh, shit."
"What?"
"Your headache is about to get worse."
~~~~~~~~~
Francis sat in the passenger seat as the car weaved through traffic, and tried to keep his head from exploding as the siren wailed just above him. He ran through various reports on a small computer, checking facts and requesting information as he fielded two phone calls.
"Security footage, statements, neighbours, everything," he said into the phone. "I even want statements from the damn pets if they have any." He flipped the phone shut, then opened it again to make another call while his fingers flew over the small screen in his hands. "Voice dial," he said into the phone, "Jake, office."
J.D. pulled the sports car in behind a row of police cars and glanced at her partner, who held a finger up for her to wait.
"Yeah, Jake. I need current discharge records for the armed services, both honourable and dishonourables, including those that finished their hitch." He listened for a moment. "Yeah, good thinking. Thanks." He closed the phone and got out of the car.
J.D. joined him, ignoring the reporters that swarmed them, yelling questions and snapping pictures. They quickly made their ways through and under the police tape after showing identification. Francis stopped outside the door.
"I'm going to do outside recon, if you don't mind," he said, and walked towards the west side of the large house. His stomach was churning and the last thing he wanted was some grisly scene to make him throw up all over the floor.
He took off his sunglasses, squinting in the bright morning light, and cast an expert eye over the exterior as he walked. Crouching by an indentation in the grass, he took a small flag out of his suit coat pocket and stuck it in the grass, marking it for later inspection. 1 This was bad and he knew it was about to get worse as he pulled out his phone, and made a call. "Lieutenant Francis Joseph McQhyn," he said clearly, then recited his clearace codes and the day's date. "Notification to supercede for current murder cases..." he paused slightly, then continued. "Effective immediately."2 Closing his phone, he set off back for the front of the building, and the mild chaos that would be resulting from his 'grabbing control'. When CISA crime experts arrived, there would definately be a territorial struggle with the police.3 Inside the building, J.D. wandered around the lower level, examining the body outlines on the floor. She stopped, and slowly looked up, sighing in relief at a normal flat ceiling. She had long ruled out some major connection with the ceiling, but still held it in reserve as a possible minor, secondary connection.
She went to the stairs, and climbed to the second floor, pausing as crime scene investigators walked past her. They were still processing the bedrooms, and the bodies within, and she stayed away form them until given the go-ahead.
With not much to see, and too many more places to visit, she walked to the front door, and out into the sunlight. Francis was in discussion with a uniformed officer, who seemed to be giving him some information he didn't like.
She watched as any kindness left Francis' face and he basically barked orders at the officer, who in turn started to respond but was cut off when Francis casually pushed his suit jacket back and easily rested his hand on his weapon. It was a movement he'd done many times, and was something that was almost second nature to many in law enforcement. The officer said something, then walked away.
J.D. approached and looked him over. "Find anything?"
"Few things," he said. "The officer so kindly volunteered to guard the door so that no one leaves until our crime scene gets here." He paused. "We're taking over the entire series of killings."
"Cops aren't going to like that move."
Francis shrugged. "Fuck 'em. I'm sick of standing on the side-lines, waiting for some higher authorization for our action. Come one, we have four more places."
~~~~~~~~~~
Jake glanced up as his superior officer entered, and stood as he stopped by his desk. "Sir?"
"Any reports from the Lieutenants in charge of the multiples?"
Jake nodded. "Lieutenant McQhyn has claimed departmental ownership over all things regarding the shootings, and CISA crime investigators are all ready on their way."
"Thank you." He left, pulling out his cellphone as he did, and made a call. "Who authorized you to take over?" He listened to the reply, his face growing angry. "You've greatly overstepped your authority, Lieutenant, and can expect a full board hearing upon your arrival." He listened more, growing even angrier, then closed his phone and shoved it in his pocket.
Jake stood again as the man turned to him. "Yes, sir."
"As soon as your brother arrives, he is to proceed directly to my office." The words came out slowly and precisely. "Is that understood."
"Completely."
~~~~~~~~~
"Fucknuts," Francis said as he tossed his phone in the general direction of the back seat. It hit the ceiling of the car and fell to the floor.
"Who?"
"Captain Colsin."
"You're gonna get yourself a nice vacation," she warned.
He gave he a side-glance. "He's just pissed because I didn't let him be the one to grab authority. It ruins his little 'I'm a fucking hero' act."
"You're just sugar sweet this morning, ain't ya."
He sighed, properly chastised at her words. "I'm sorry. This is just so fucking annoying and we don't have time to dance around while our people call their people and act all nice then bring up the topic over dessert." He winced. "Plus, I have a fucking killer headache."
"Awww."
"Yeah," he pouted. "Poor me." He sighed. "Anyway, apparently I can expect a full hearing upon my return."
"Ouch."
"Don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand. "I can back up my reasons."
"Reasons..." She repeated the word thoughtfully.
He knew that tone. It meant she had some totally offbeat hunch that usually turned out to be right. "Okay," he said slowly. "What?"
"We're looking at this wrong," J.D. said. "The targets have been very rich. In fact, it reads like a shopping list from 'Forbes Top 50'. What happens to the companies when the owner dies?"
Francis shrugged. "Best case, the company falters for a couple days, stock drops, and then continues. Worst case, the company falters, doesn't recover, stock plummets, and goes under." He glanced at her. "Going by your theory, those that were hit, with the exclusion of the Deputy Minister, were all major hands-on in their companies, with portfolios that cover a lot of various projects, including funding politicians, and investing in lesser nations. Their companies are still reeling under the shock of having to replace them and the boards are scrambling."
"You got all that in the last thirty seconds?"
He gave her an infuriating smile. "I ain't just arm candy, sugar lips." His smiled widened at the blush that came to her cheeks. "Actually, it was part of the search I did when I narrowed that list down."
"Ah."
"But, I like your line of thinking. What if this is some wack-job trying to impose his own little version of what the country should be? Maybe he doesn't like the rich, and wants all to be equal...or maybe he wants to throw the economy into chaos, which results in massive reorganization."
"Not that it would be a bad thing, but the wrong methods."
He stared at her. "It's all bad. I've been stationed in some of the countries that this has the potential to become. It's fucking scary."
She rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean that part. I meant the 'all to be equal part'."
"We don't get to chose the country's ethics," he said. "Hell, if it had any ethics, we wouldn't be here."
Her reply was cut off as when they arrived at the last crime scene of the morning. Instead of police, they were met with CISA crime investigators, and one lone officer who refused to leave until handing over his 'watch' to an equal counterpart.
"I need authorization before I can leave," he said in a bored voice as they walked up.
Francis resisted the urge to rub away tension in his forehead. He pulled aside his suit coat and motioned to both the badge and weapon. "Is that enough authorization for you?"
"So much for departmental cooperation," the officer bitched as he turned.
"Whoa." Francis motioned and the officer turned around again, surprised. "Listen up, buttercup," he said. "In the past three days, there's been a body count hovering just under one hundred. That count is sure to go up, so I don't need your petty attitude on this. Crimes like this specifically fall under CISA jurisdiction, and I'm not letting the killers get away on some technicality because you want a territorial pissing match."
To his credit, the officer held his composure and his tongue. "Yes, sir," he replied with a fair degree of neutrality.
"Good," Francis said, then approached and handed the officer a card. "If you ever want a career change, let me know."
"Uhhh..." He took the card.
"Never let anyone, not even CISA, bully you without cause," Francis said. "Now get the hell out of my crime scene."
J.D. watched as the officer walked away, and waited until Francis joined her before talking. "What'd you do?"
"Offered him a job at CISA," he said simply.
"Not that," she hissed. "I meant with turning him around." She waited as he stared, annoyed that she couldn't see his eyes through the dark sunglasses he wore. "You don't have t.k.," she said slowly. As far as she knew, she was one of the few in their regional office with telekinesis.
Francis smiled slightly, then walked into the large house.
~~~~~~~~
"He took over?"
"Completely," the renegade CISA agent said. "He's got a hearing when he gets back, and I'll be making sure that he's too busy to concentrate on this for long." He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "Gotta go." He closed his phone, and put it back in his pocket.
~~~~~~~
He sighed as she ignored him, and then put the computer touch screen down that he was using. "I don't have t.k.," Francis said, then waited. She continued to ignore his as she drove. "I sent him an urge to turn around."
"Urge?"
"Certain mind control. Little side effect of my heritage."
"Since when," she asked as she pulled the car off the road, "have you been able to do this?"
He looked at their surroundings. "Why did you pull over?"
"Because I need full concentration to talk to you."
"Oh." He could feel another argument coming, and decided to head it off. "Yes, I can send mental urges, no, I don't do it often, and no, I have definitely never sent you an urge."
"You sure?"
He thought he would be offended, but strangely, he wasn't. "Come on, J.D. If I sent you any urge, you would have been in my bed right after you pronounced my name correctly on the first try." He looked out the window. "Besides, it wouldn't have been right. It wouldn't have been your choice."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being honest." She leaned over and kissed him. "Why don't you do it often?"
"Be honest?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, smartass, tweak someone's brain?"
"Oh." He smiled, knowing what she meant by the honest part. "I don't do it because it's highly invasive, so I usually only use it for interrogations. Kind of...suggest that they tell the truth. And I don't like it then because it creeps me out. It feels like...well...best way to describe it would be... " He brought his hands up and wiggled his fingers. "It feels like hundreds of spiked-legged spiders swarming inside my skull when I do it."
"Yuck." She swallowed to quell her stomach at that description.
"Yeah, yuck. Anyway, I figured that with the way my head feels today, I wouldn't really notice the difference."
~~~~~~~~
Captain Colsin glared at the man who stood before his desk. "Why?"
"I have the authorization, Captain," Francis said calmly.
"There are channels to be taken first."
Francis tightened the muscles in his lower leg in an attempt to divert the anger he had. The pain that traveled up his right leg bled some of it away.
"You're already on thin ice regarding your relationship with Lieutenant Diamond."
Francis tightened his leg further. "Relationships within CISA are not frowned upon," he said calmly. "In fact, they're sort of encouraged. Both the Lieutenant and I are professional enough to separate professional and private life."
"See to it that you do."
"Will that be all, sir?"
"One day, it WILL be all."
Francis smiled mysteriously, then turned and walked out of the office, his gate turning to a small limp after the door shut. He bent his leg up to massage away the kink he now had in the muscle.
"Muscle pull?" J.D. asked as she approached, or alternate method of telling someone off?"
He gave her a dirty look and ignored her. "You wanted something?"
"You, on top of me."
His head raised quickly enough to throw him off balance and back into the wall behind him. He straightened. "Don't tease." She smiled seductively, which wasn't helping the stirrings he was feeling in his groin. "Please," he whispered. "I think CISA would frown upon me banging you right here in the hallway."
She cleared her throat. "In fifteen minutes, we're required to attend a meeting to update them on our...and by 'our', I mean 'your'...actions today."
"Okay." He took J.D.'s hand and pulled her off to the side. "Need a favor."
"Here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
He closed his eyes and exhaled as his groin flinched at the thought. "No," he said slowly. "And stop teasing. You're going have me walking around with a bulge all day."
"You don't need me for that," she whispered. "You already have a nice bulge."
He whimpered, then took a few deep breaths. "Seriously. I want you to recommend invoking article ten."
She stared at him in disbelief. "Why."
"Because too many people are dying, and this needs to be stopped."
"Why don't you recommend?"
He wet his lips and glanced at the ground before answering. "I can't tell you," he said slowly. "Yet." He looked in her eyes. "Trust me."
"I..." This was a big step to recommend. Article ten authorized CISA near carte blanche in using their hereditary powers on the general public. Article ten was a last step effort since giving specially powered people the complete freedom or authority to act could prove to be dangerous.
Francis chewed his bottom lip slightly, not liking what he was about to do. He was willing to screw over her career for a hunch. "Janet...I give my word that there's a method to my madness here."
"You screw me over, Soul Patch, and I hurt you."
~~~~~~~~~
The room was like any boardroom in the universe, cold, wooden and full of people who would rather be somewhere else. Various departmental heads were there, including more than a few lieutenants, and general agents. A table at the front held three higher officers, including Captain Colsin, who was glaring at Francis.
The CISA Director was wrapping up the reports from the different departments before he turned to the main part for the extra Lieutenants and agents being there. "Last night, five of the city's richest were killed in their own homes. The heat is on us to stop these people." He looked up. "Lieutenant Diamond, your report?"
Francis stopped the shock from his face as J.D. stood. He hadn't counted on her being called before him, and his plan hinged on being able to convince them to follow the action his partner would mention.
"We have a lot of leads, but nothing solid," J.D. said. "It's almost like they know what to do to get around our tactics." She paused as she noticed Francis starting intently at the mirror behind the front table. "I recommend evoking article ten."
Noise erupted around the room, which was quieted by the panel in charge. "We cannot use our specialties against the population."
J.D. breathed deeply and let it out slowly. "With respect to those present, there is ample reason to authorize invasive tactics. So far over one hundred have been injured or killed by these people. We need to head this off now... before that number grows."
The panel exchanged glances. "It is under advisement." The speaker turned slightly. "Lieutenant McQhyn, do you have anything to add?"
"No."
J.D. resisted the urge to look at him. Before coming to this meeting, they had agreed to back each other up on this plan. If he used her, she was going to seriously kick his ass before kicking it some more.
"Dismissed."
They walked out with the rest in the room, and were silent all the way back to the office. J.D. watched as Francis walked past the desks, and out into the front area. She followed as he went through to the coffee shop, then out into the street.
He crossed the street, then turned. "Before you tear into me, let me explain."
"Okay," she said tightly.
"When you mentioned article ten, every person in that room reacted with shock...except one person." He looked at the coffee shop. "And that person actually smiled."
"No one would smile unless that was the course they wanted us to take."
Francis nodded.
4
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Comments
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Okay.. I like this Francis character... tough guy, kind guy, office clown, and someone not only willing to accept responsibility, but shirk it, too. You have writen a very complex character with ease, and each facet is revealed to compliment the others in some ways.
Nice quickie. You don't waste time with too much descrition that would make the scene longer than a quickie would be. Quick, naughty and to the point.
Once again, your dialogue and description is very good, and never tied down with too much of either. The scenes go by nicely and are easy to comprehend.
beginning: 4, language: 4, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 4, characters: 4.
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Oooooooooo I hope the next chapter is like the past two hehehe this can become very addicting you know
Well done!!
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