A Rumor of Peace

CHAPTER 13

SUMMARY : Asking question's of what happened.  Harry and Roark confront Rabastan and Rodolphus in an alley at the scene. 

"What happened here, Corporal Tobias?"  Roark asked as he got to his feet, turning to face the man even as the others rose as well.

"We're really not sure, Lt. Roark.  Lt. Tristyn, Lt. Logan and Lt. Kili came in together for dinner, had a couple of drinks, talking, laughing, having a good time until Lt. Kili received a call.  He left a few centons later."

"Ki?"  Roark asked, turning his head with a raised brow.  

"A call from whom, Kili?"  Harry asked.  "Fili?"

"No," he answered with a shake of his head.  "It was one of our contacts.  He was finally getting back to us with some information Fili, Tyler and I were looking for.  He said he had tried them first, but both told him to call me as they were tied up following other leads.  I went to meet him."

"ALONE, Kili Matthew?"  Severus demanded in a tone that had Kili's already pale face going white.

Kili nodded as he looked at him.  "Yes, Severus, I went alone.  I'm sorry, I know the three of you told us not to go anywhere alone, but this was our only chance to get this information, and there wasn't anyone free to go with me that wouldn't have sent him running."

All three nodded.  "Would he have trusted on of us?"

Kili shrugged.  "Hard to say, Harry.  He's always been extremely skittish, but...he might have."

"Might have would have been good enough.  If he looked like he was going to run upon sight of us, we could have hung far enough back so you could talk to him.  Next time, if there IS a next time, you are to call one of us.  We are never too busy to go somewhere with you.  Understood?"

Kili nodded, a slow smile curving his lips.  "Yes, Sir."

"Good.  Now that we have that settled," Harry turned, "go on, Corporal."

"Sir.  It was a short time later that I observed Lt. Logan also receiving a call.  He spoke to the caller for a few sentons, then ended his call.  He and Lt. Tristyn spoke, at which time I heard Lt. Logan promise him he would be careful, and he's call if he should need help.  He smiled, said he'd see him at work tomorrow, and left."

"Ki, I know you weren't there, but any idea what that may have been about?"  Roark asked.

"Hard to say.  Could have been another of our informants that we've been slowly cultivating around the city.  No idea which one though, or what it could have been about.  We'd have to talk to Logan."

Roark nodded.  "Corporal?" he asked, looking back at him.

"Lt. Tristyn ordered another drink, made a quick call to someone.  I would say it was about a half a centar later before a man, tall, sable brown hair, mid to late thirties, arrived...In fact, now that I think about it, he looked very much like a Terminator.  He stood in the doorway for a moment, looking around the room.  He spotted Tristan sitting in the left back corner and moved to his table, taking a seat across from him.  He leaned over the table, speaking softly.  There was a second man that came in only microns behind him, but I really didn't pay a whole lot of attention to him, as he moved to the bar and ordered a drink."

Roark tensed suddenly.  "Dark, sable brown hair.  Mid to late thirties...Did you happen to notice if he had sherry brown eyes?  Dressed primarily in black and leathers?"  He saw Tobias nod.  "Rodolphus."

"The other one?"  Harry asked.  "Did he look the same as the first to almost be his twin?  He likely would have been dressed in dark brown's, black leather?"