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Post by Evangeline on Dec 3, 2008 22:41:14 GMT -5
"We are, sir." Lt. Stokes replied. He turned back to Freda. "That SOB is gonna have some big regrets very shortly."
"Bye." Kendall said before ending the call. He then nuzzled Artemis. "That was Mama, just checking on us."
"Jeez, that guy's fast." Marty said of Raven.
The unconscious wolf was shoved into the cage, which was locked. There was a bowl of water in it, and some seedcake. The forklift eyed her for a moment, then moved on to other tasks.
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Post by ebonyviper on Dec 3, 2008 22:56:01 GMT -5
"Then let's move out," said Arrow as he took the lead in the convoy and headed out of the cove.
*****
"Is Mama alright?" Artemis asked softly, hazel eyes staring up at her father.
*****
"That's something we didn't know about him," said Nerisa as she followed in the older destroyer's wake.
*****
The muscles on the wolf's shoulders twitched, a sign that she was slowly coming to, but she was just going to be on the groggy side for awhile. One sky blue eye cracked open as she breathed in deeply.
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Post by Evangeline on Dec 3, 2008 23:10:43 GMT -5
Stokes fell in behind Nerisa and her father, also engaging his sonar. He gave Freda a reassuring nuzzle.
"She's OK, sweetie." Kendall nuzzled his daughter. "We'll hear from her later."
"Hope he doesn't do anything rash." Marty grimaced. "Carl's capable of anything now."
Another black forklift tossed a bucketful of cold seawater through the cage bars, splashing Delfina. "Wakey wakey!"
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Post by ebonyviper on Dec 3, 2008 23:22:11 GMT -5
Freda returned the nuzzle as she went along too, keeping close beside Stokes. She wanted to come along too as she just couldn't stay at the cove by herself. Her own sonar was activated as well.
*****
"Where's she at?" asked Artemis.
*****
"It's possible that Raven's survival instincts might kick in, though," said Nerisa, "He's bound to have them too. It's not exactly safe up in space, either, so I've heard."
*****
"Gah!" Delfina was startled by the cold water splashed on her, causing her to cough and struggled up on weak, unsteady feet to snap at her tormentor.
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Post by Evangeline on Dec 3, 2008 23:57:21 GMT -5
"She's on her way to a big house that belongs to a friend of mine." Kendall answered. "She's helping some people get away from the fire that's burning on the other side of the ridge, and they're going to stay there until it's safe."
Stokes was as worried as anyone for Delfina, but felt proud that Freda trusted him enough to stay by his side on Carl's trail.
"I couldn't imagine a more inhospitable place to live." he said in response to Nerisa.
Randy and Erika caught up with them, each carrying a few humans prepared for a confrontation. Jastrow, still a bit tired from his drive upriver, tagged behind them.
Now there were two forklifts, laughing and poking gaffs through the bars to torment the wolf within them. "Hey, she talks!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Carl's harsh eyes looked down on them. They beat a hasty retreat just as quickly. The eyes then took on a sickeningly unctuous look. "Welcome aboard, madame."
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Post by ebonyviper on Dec 4, 2008 0:18:45 GMT -5
"How long will that be?" asked Artemis.
*****
"That's what I think too," said Nerisa, keeping both her attention on her sonar and on the conversation with Marty.
She watched her superior keep on the trail as well. Arrow was determined to find Carl however possible.
*****
"The feeling's not mutual," growled Delfina. Only a few months ago, she had figured out how to speak while in animal form, though sometimes it was hard to maintain a conversation, which meant that she would have to drop to thought-speech if talking tired her out.
Her ears lay flat against her skull, her hackles raised, as she continued to growl.
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Post by Evangeline on Dec 4, 2008 0:41:36 GMT -5
"The people might have to stay a day or two, but Mommy will be back soon." Kendall promised. "And then we can go back to camp."
"I wonder if there's others like him out there?" Stokes mused. "And if they miss him?"
"You should consider yourself fortunate, Frau Verant." Carl responded with the same oleaginous smoothness. "You, my dear, are very important to me, for you have something that I've always wanted. I think you can guess what it is."
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Post by ebonyviper on Dec 4, 2008 0:54:24 GMT -5
"Promise?" asked Artemis, "She'll be back?"
*****
"Could be a possibility," said Freda, "We really don't know much about his life history."
*****
"Oh, now that's a toughy," Delfina let the sarcasm drip through her voice purposely, "Let me think about that for a minute... uh, how about no, not gonna happen, pal?"
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Post by Evangeline on Dec 4, 2008 1:21:07 GMT -5
"Promise." Kendall rubbed Arte's roof. "She'll call back soon. Why don't we get another book in the meantime?"
"Eventually he might tell us." Stokes lifted his eyes to the horizon, which was almost indistinguishable from the sky because of the mists and fog. They were getting into the deep water now, and the big ocean swells. His nose worked as he combed the air for scents in addition to everything his onboard systems could do. "I think there's a trace of Delfina there - and you-know-who."
The smaller powerboats were also getting scent, and being faster, moved out ahead.
"A little respect, please." Carl tossed his nose so that the cage shook. "You simply cannot afford sarcasm right now, woman. Just what was it that you were digging up for yourself?"
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Post by ebonyviper on Dec 4, 2008 1:35:25 GMT -5
"Okay," said Artemis, "Will you read to me, Papa?"
*****
"Keep together," ordered Arrow, "We don't know what he might do if he catches one of you alone."
*****
Delfina scrabbled on her paws to keep from falling over. "Good question," she said with a wolfish shrug of her shoulders and gave a wolfish grin, "I haven't the slightest idea of what it that you think I'm looking for."
I kinda liked Grayston better than this guy, she thought to herself, At least he wasn't as vague as Carl is.
*****
Underneath the waters, Raven's manta-ray form glided smoothly through the currents, he own natural sonar quietly pinging, as he searched for Carl. He was down deep enough, so that nobody would know that he was right underneath them.
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Post by Evangeline on Dec 4, 2008 13:00:05 GMT -5
"Sure." Kendall smiled.
"Don't worry about that, sir." Jastrow answered to Arrow. "We're definitely on the buddy system here."
The mists and fog were thickening as the convoy advanced. The boats were almost relying solely on scent and their natural directional sense to find their way through. It was a good thing that they did, for the humans aboard didn't have a clue.
"You still have a fix on Raven, Lieutenant?" Jastrow called out to Stokes. He was a little wary of using the radio right now. Didn't know who could be listening...
"Still got him." Stokes replied. "But don't get out of shouting range of us." He glanced aside to check on Freda.
"I know what goes on with you top-level users." Carl growled. "You go and find things that give you power. Well, that's what I want, and I intend to have it. Tell me what you were looking for down there!"
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Post by ebonyviper on Dec 4, 2008 13:32:55 GMT -5
Artemis got up and went over to the low shelf to pick out a children's book. She came back a moment later, holding the book out to Kendall, "Read this one, Papa."
*****
"I'm alright," said Freda, and she admitted, "but, I'm also afraid."
*****
"Gee, I think you're gonna be out of luck on this," Delfina drawled, "There's nothing down there worth collecting or keeping. Souvenir hunters already got to the place before I did, unfortunately."
My best bet is to keep him frustrated long enough to drop his guard, Delfina thought, But I have to play this carefully, though. There's no telling what might happen.
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Post by Evangeline on Dec 4, 2008 14:18:25 GMT -5
"Bullsh*t, like you humans say." Carl snorted, rattling the cage again. "You of all people wouldn't be wasting all this time and money here to dive on an empty site. Now," his eyes narrowed in a flinty, greedy way. "I want to know what you found down there. You DID find something. I want to know. NOW."
Stokes gave Freda a comforting nudge. "Carl won't get anywhere near you as long as I'm here."
Kendall took the book. It was about a smalltrack kit, born on a farm, who wanted to go and see the big city. "OK." He opened it and started to read it to her.
Peter and Hannah and a number of staff and volunteers were present to greet the incoming evacuees as they passed through the gates. The Vanquish woman raised her 'shades at one of the volunteers with the column. "That's Ebony."
Hans and Gonzo, after dropping off their captive, did not dare to return to the public roads, now full of police and fire vehicles. They decided, once again, that they would chance going cross-country, despite the fire. However, they hadn't counted on sudden wind shifts and the temperatures themselves altering conditions. The smoke obscured their vision, and their sense of direction. Suddenly they found themselves up against a wall of flame, and backed out only to find fire crossing behind them. They were trapped by their own arson.
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Post by ebonyviper on Dec 4, 2008 14:41:54 GMT -5
In her wolf form, all the magic that Delfina could do was a bit of an electrical charge, which she had already tried on the bars of the cage, to no avail. She could now sense Raven beneath their position. Just what was the alien up to? 'This is a fool thing you're doing, Raven,' she sent down to the alien.
She got no answer, sensing that Raven was rapid rising to the surface, and prepared for the disastrous outcome.
"I think you're about to find out," said Delfina, just as there was a huge explosion of water and a dark, manta-ray shape took to the air, circling like a predator.
*****
"I know," sighed Freda, "but I'm also worried for Delfina. And Raven. What if he hurts either one of them?"
*****
Artemis nestled by her father's fender and listened quietly to the story. Soon, other children began to gather, drawn to the story as well.
*****
Ebony winced upon getting another psychic snap as she pulled up, "Can you take care of these people? I have to go back out there. And I need a firetruck and a police cruiser to come with me. I think there's still more out there that hadn't escaped the fire yet."
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Post by Evangeline on Dec 4, 2008 15:13:51 GMT -5
Carl directed his power full astern as the alien appeared off of his starboard bow. He cussed up a storm in German, then screamed at his forklift crewmen to take action, which they attempted to do, with combat shotguns firing slugs at the ray-like being as it did a low pass over them.
Stokes paused. "You hear that? Sounds like someone being really mad in German." He stiffened as he heard gunshots. "Oh, Chrysler."
Marty was already untying from Nerisa and going under.
Now that they had sounds to home in on, the powerboats bolted towards the source.
It was evident that little Artemis already had good taste in books, as the one she had selected was an award-winner. Kendall was also as good as reading them as Artemis was at picking them. Even Doris stopped to listen as it progressed.
Lane, being equipped for wilderness firefighting, followed after Ebony, along with a sheriff's deputy, another 4WD. They had no idea what was going on with her, but something in her voice told them that she wouldn't be put off. And she'd already located a child that everyone else had missed, so they were a little less inclined to doubt her now.
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