Inner Workings

Inner Workings - Part 54

The only person Watch One could find in the area with bomb disposal certification was a firefighter flown in via chopper from northern San Francisco. She was filled in on the situation and then suited up in a lead lined suit. Justin watched from the dry confines of the Watch van as the heavily padded and armored woman waddled into the apartment complex, like a pill with bulky arms and legs. And a very rotund bottom, thought Justin.

"Oh yeah," he drawled. "That outfit sure does give her the boom-boom."

Quinn didn't say a word, just looked at him with eyes that said "I judge you. Hard."

Justin lifted his hands in surrender. "Sorry."

His phone beeped before he could continue.

"Cowl," he answered. Watch One again. "Slave drivers" he mouthed to Quinn who nodded in agreement. "Yep, Sandra's being carted off to the loony bin. The hostage is safe. Once the bomb is taken care of we can scoot." He slouched, bored, listening to Watch One's response while eyeing the apartment. Then his eyes widened.

"You want me to go with him?"

***

Will slept for a whole hour, missing Beni and Reese's farewell to the Devi's as they collected their belongings.

Reese said Will was better off. "Paro is doing fine, but her son has a glare that could burn the salt off a carnival pretzel."

"I bet he does," muttered Will, trying to keep his head from moving too much. Trying to keep his everything from moving too much as Beni followed Reese's directions down back roads and detours to avoid worst of the mudslides and rain-outs.

"Massaru gave me a note with his Skype account," said Beni. "He'd like to keep in touch with you."

"Sounds good," said Will, shifting to take weight off his wrists and then hissed. Even his balls hurt when they shifted. How the hell did his balls make his head throb? And his stomach...

Oh shit his stomach.

"Pull over!"

"What?" said Reese.

Beni cut mud to get to the edge of the road. A misty rain met Will's cold face as got out and heaved onto the grass. Energy drink fortified with green tea and ginseng tasted as bad coming up as it did going down.

He wiped his mouth and then buckled down in the back seat with a mint pellet dissolving on his tongue.

By the time Beni reached the slightly dryer roads of northern San Francisco, Will had taken another roadside visit and used a rest stop. Another bathroom for Will to add to his California dreams collection. Riding in the back seat on an empty stomach and very little sleep made him carsick in ways he hadn't experienced since elementary school. He'd be embarrassed if he wasn't so miserable.

Will's only respite was sleep.

Beni and Reese took a break from driving when they had to stop for fuel. Reese picked up some non-sweet snacks from the convenience store along with bland crackers and ginger ale for Will. Beni parked so both of them could stretch outside.

"How long do you think until he wakes up this time?" she asked, gesturing at Will behind the window.

"If I've been timing him right another half hour." Reese, sipped from the last can of Red Bull. "And we should have a bucket handy."

Beni nodded with a grimace as she was handed the can and took her share of caffeine. "I'd hate to say it, but maybe he should take some painkillers, something to knock him out for longer than an hour."

Reese blinked. "Coming from you, I'm surprised."

"Just this once," she said.

"We'll see what we can do once we get to the hotel."

They got back in the car and Reese took over navigation again. He looked back at Will.

"I wish this was one of those times he secretly had Louis stashed away inside."

***

"Can you track the truck that left Mark Bell's workshop?" asked Cetz. "I hate to have a couple of trained bombers as loose threads."

Grant shook his head as he flicked away the tab on his screen. "I could go through other satellite feeds, try their heat lenses and see what they got, but clouds... clouds are a bitch."

"Yes they are." He moved the slushie cup out of Grant's reach. "And you should get some sleep. There's nothing more you can do tonight. Find a cot or a ride home."

Grant gave Cetz a weary thumbs up as he left.

Cetz walked around the Watch before going to his office. Med Tech was quiet, Rachel took an early evening to go home, which was rare for her. Bella slept in her cage. No beeping of alarms or buzzing of speakers. Silence. Silent night.

All was calm, but not right. Round yon coffee shall I be tonight.

Passing through Main Tech, Cetz saw the squirrelly shrink in his same little corner, hunched over a mug of what looked like the red-hot curry from the break room, and a notepad as he eyed the few agents remaining at their desks.

Cetz had no hope for this shrink to be the one to fit Louis and Will's needs.

If Will and Louis made it back to Watch Two.

Cetz locked his office door and pulled up the communication window for Watch One. It didn't take long for the Head to answer. Will had done his negotiation. Now Cetz had to do his.

"Yes?" asked Watch One.

"What do you want in exchange for Agent Patriarch?"

"You act like this is a hostage situation."

"Isn't it?"

Watch One leaned back in his chair, relaxed, patient. Cetz feared he'd be begging by the end of the night.

"Agent Patriarch is not a hostage," said Watch One. "Right now he's a patient of our Med Tech. He's in rather bad shape, but he'll live. What makes you think he would be better at Watch Two?"

"Did he say he wants to stay?"

"He hasn't woken up yet. When he does we will talk further on the subject. I think going over what our teams will do next is paramount."

Cetz prayed Louis' antagonistic feelings towards Will didn't mean he wanted to leave Watch Two. If Louis didn't want to stay at Watch One, they would have to listen to him.

He hoped they would listen.