?
(Kat)
Kat had given Brandon a hug before he left to find Ireland
and talk with her. She left his room and headed down to the gym to let off some
pent-up energy.
?
This went on for a bit. She had wanted to stay with Brandon,
hold him, comfort him, make love with him. Yet she knew that he needed this
talk with his sister. So, a few hours later Kat left the gym, sweaty and
exhausted.
?
She headed up to her room, stripped off her clothes, took a
shower, dried off and put on her night clothes. She laid in bed and started to
read. It didn't take her long before she fell asleep.
?
It was early in the morning when she heard a commotion
outside her room. She got up and then noticed that her watch was blinking. She
looked at it and seen the message about the team coming to the briefing room.
*The team* which confused her a little. She threw on some sweats and headed
out.
?
As she rounded the corner to the briefing room she ran into
several people including Brandon and the security officer chief. The scents hit
her hard. Brandon's anxiety and anger. Yet it was the chief of security scent
that drove out the others. She moved to place her hand on Brandon's shoulder.
" Brandon, do you know what is going on? I got a message on my watch to
meet here in the briefing room."
?
(NPC Macamber)
"Ah," the black woman in the austere grey
security-personnel suit and close-cropped hair said, looking up from her tablet
when Kat arrived, ¡°You're all here now.? Good."? Turning, she
tabbed a code into the meeting room keypad and opened the door, then gestured
for the others to enter.? "If you'll all find a seat, I'll brief you
on what has happened."
?
Inside the meeting room, a long polished-mahogany table was
ringed by several comfortable-looking chairs, and a large flat-screen monitor
dominated the far wall.? Gen was seated in one of the chairs near the
middle of the table, looking exhausted and bedraggled.? She was in her
default mode and her clothes looked like she'd slept in them.? The
androgyne looked up when the door opened and people began to enter, but then
just looked down again, as if reluctant to meet their gaze.
?
When everyone was inside, the security officer closed the
door and locked it, then moved to the head of the table.? "I am
Arvina Macamber, acting head of security for the Chord organization," she
said without preamble.? Her dark brown eyes took in the group of young
people seated before her, gauging their reactions as she spoke.? "The
reason I am acting head of security is that there has been an incident.?
Malcolm Chord, the head of our organization, was killed when his helicopter
went down over the harbor earlier today.? Also killed were Imogene
Harrison, his head of security, and Ireland Richards, whom I believe all of you
also knew." She looked to Brandon directly for a moment, then
continued.? "There was one witness to the incident."?
Macamber glanced at her tablet, then frowned slightly before turning her gaze
on the huddled androgyne.? "Gen, is it? No last name?" She
looked at Gen for a moment longer, then went on.? "Please tell us
anything you can about what you saw or heard. We'll interview you again later
as our investigation gets underway, but for now, just tell us what you
can."
?
(Gen)
Gen didn't look up, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze.?
"They... they were coming to get me. Or maybe just to check on me.? I
don't know.? I... I didn't ask them to come," she said, sounding
defensive.? "I heard the sound of a helicopter getting close, and
then I got this phone call.? It was Ireland.? I guess I must have
given her my number when I first met her.? Nobody else had it." Gen's
eyes began to tear up.? "Nobody else had it.? She was on the
helicopter with Mister Chord and Harrison.? Calling to ask if they could
land." At that point, she did look up, looking to the others seated at the
table, her eyes begging for something.? "I didn't ask her to
come," she said defensively.? "I didn't ask _any_ of them to
come."? Finally, she looked back down at the table where her murky
face looked back at her from the polished surface.? "There was a
sound from the phone, a noise from inside the helicopter.? Something was
wrong.? Something was happening and they were reacting to it.? From
the lighthouse, I could see the helicopter weave erratically for a second, and
then... and then it just came apart... from the inside..."? Gen's
voice choked up and tears began to fall onto her reflection.? "It was
like it blew up, and all the pieces fell burning into the harbor.? I
popped wings to fly to where they went down, then went to gills and fins and
into the water.? I was hoping... maybe... maybe somehow..."
?
The androgyne looked up again, a lost look in her eyes.?
"All I could find were... were pieces.? Just pieces."? She
began hugging herself, rocking back and forth in her chair, sobbing "I'm
sorry.? I'm sorry.? They shouldn't have come out for me.? They
shouldn't..."
?
(Kites)
The woman didn't even seem to acknowledge him at all, which
felt odd to Kites, tapping away on her tablet.? It wasn't till everyone
arrived - Mia, Brandon and lastly, Kat - that she looked up and greeted
everyone, opening the conference room and stepping in only after everyone else
walked in.? Kites quickly scanned the room, his eyes landing on none other
than Gen slouched in the chair, shivering like a mouse.? His heart first
skipped a beat, but then a cold wave of relief washed over him and his hand
involuntarily placed itself against his chest, fears diminished.?
Gen...was safe...she was safe, but why was she here?? He glanced at Kat
but she seemed just as confused as he was.? The silence of the room was
deafening until the woman with the tablet locked the door and then moved to
head of the room.? And then the truth and reason as to why they were all
summoned so early was revealed.
?
Kites' blood ran cold, his pupils contracting as he heard the
awful news, just like everyone else did.? Chord was gone...so was Harrison
and Ireland.? Just like that.? How was this even logically
possible?? It was only the other day that they argued who was right or who
was wrong on how Gen's situation was handled.? Neither reached an
agreement on the matter, simply parting ways and that was that.? However,
Kites never felt more vindicated than he did in that moment.? Half of him
was horrified but the other...? the other side of him was elated so much
that he had to hide his mouth with his hand, the corners of his mouth curling
up.? Something must be wrong, not just with the situation, but with
himself.? But this is something he'd had to examine later.? Now was
not the time.? The recounting of yesterday's events was painful to listen
to, even more so seeing as how Gen had to relive it again.? Kites had seen
many of her emotions - happy, angry, needy, wanton, stubborn - but he had never
seen her sad, her tears streaming down her face.? It was heart
breaking.? It no longer matter how it looked like or what anyone else may
have thought of him in that moment, or perhaps silently judged him for
it.? He fell right to her side, crouching down as his hands reached up and
gently cupped her face, thumbs wiping away the torrent of tears.
?
"Shhh...hey, hey, Gen...look at me," Kites
whispered, tilting her chin so that he could look into her eyes.? The
hidden smile wasn't there anymore.? It fell away when his hand did.?
"This is not your fault.? You didn't ask for this...you didn't ask
for any of it.? Come here..."? Standing up, he gathered the
androgyne into his arms and sat back down, holding her tight against his chest
as he perched her on his lap, wings wrapping around them to hide her from
view.? There was nothing else that he could do or say that would make this
better, so he didn't.? At the very least, he hoped that it would bring her
some semblance of comfort, if that was even possible right now.
?
"Ms. Macamber," Kites said after a bit of silence,
swallowing, lowering his wings enough to show himself, but still keeping Gen
well wrapped within their embrace.? "I-i know that you will need time
to investigate this...situation, but...what happens to us in the
meantime?"
?
(Mia)
Mia wondered why Kites hadn¡¯t responded to her, she was
trying to be civil.? She was about to ask if he was okay when Brandon came
running up demanding to know what was going on.? Then Kat arrived.?
The woman in the suit suddenly acknowledge them and let them into the briefing
room.? Everyone took seats, but what got Mia more curious was the fact
that they were suddenly locked in the room.? Why?
?
Then the woman introduced herself and started to inform them
as to why they were there.? She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing and
a few tears rolled down her cheeks as she listened to Gen recount what
happened.? Then Kites comforted Gen, but then asked about what happens to
them.? Really? That¡¯s what he is concerned about, them.? She just
shook her head.? This was all too much; she couldn¡¯t handle this.?
So, she focused on something else, ¡°why did you lock us in?? Are we
suspects in this accident?¡±
(Brandon)
Brandon just listened he was stunned.?
Everything¡everything in him hurt¡but his heart.? His heart was shattered into a million
pieces.? He could barely breathe.? He was cold¡silent anyone that knew him, knew
he was never like this.?? At times it
seems like his emotions had emotions.? He
looked about the room, sure he could blame Gen had they not went to get
them¡his family might still be alive at least not all of them dead at the same
damned time.? Kites lied but Brandon knew
because Kites loved Gen he could say nothing else.?
??Brandon¡¯s voice was deadpan.? ¡°You can all stay¡or go as you need to.¡±? He could only hope that would alleviate
Kites¡¯ fears that he would have a place to stay or lay his head for the
nite.? ¡°I am sorry you had to experience
that Gen.¡±? He wasn¡¯t feeling forgiving
right now, but no one should have to witness that kind of horror.
??¡°Ms.
Macamber.? I was in¡¡±? There was a pause to clear his throat and his
chest, right now he was devoid of tears.?
¡°¡I was in Ireland¡¯s room all night you can check my bracelet and
security cameras, for confirmation.? At
the time of the incident, I was with Kat and didn¡¯t leave till 11 pm of which
the security cameras will vouch for that as well.¡±? He was sure that would take care of Kat¡¯s
Alibi as well.?
??¡°I need
to survey the wreckage, I need a site analysis and I want access to the
preliminary report.? I will be in Chor¡
My office making phone calls.? We have
less than 12 hours to get ahead of this in the newspapers.?? I need to get PR on the line, yesterday.¡±? He paused and turned to Mia, he spoke to her
gently he knew she was getting closer to Ireland, he touched her arm.? ¡°Yes Mia we are all suspects initially, give
your alibi to Ms. Macmber and you will be free to stay or go.? I have somethings I need to take care
of.? You all have your
communicators.? I will call should I need
anything.¡±? He was dying inside.?
?He walked by Kat and kissed her cheek but it
was nearly devoid of emotion, only the trembling of his lips told that anyone
was there and that he wasn¡¯t a robot.? He
swallowed but turned to stand in front of Ms. Macamber.? ¡°Is that satisfactory for you?¡±? Sure this was all his now and he was in
charge but it would still require her security clearance.? Since he had the most to gain he was the prime
suspect.? The problem was he didn¡¯t want
all of this¡he wasn¡¯t ready¡? ¡®Time waits
for no one!¡¯? He was never one that was
good at coping he was generally one extreme or the other¡this was the other!
Tag - Kat, Gen, NPC Macamber, Kites, Mia, Brandon
