Traffic(Katy)

[hugodouglass]

Hugo grunted as he lifted the heavy carbine rifle onto the hotel bed, noting the weight of the contraption and remembering what a SWAT member once said to him about carbines: "They're heavy, but they can take a man's head off in the blink of an eye. Worth their weight, eh?" He glanced at the weapon superficially in order to see if there any glaring modifications that he needed to be aware of...none. None at all. Hugo smirked, knowing that the Venia armory wouldn't have carried faulty weaponry. They carried the best. McAdams(and the Alliance) made sure of that much. The detective then walked over to the window of his hotel room, glancing out over the beautiful landscape of Centurion, one of the wealthier cities on New Earth. It was bustling with the usual activity: stores were packed with the tourists, the rich, and rich tourists who were so ready to spend money. Hugo wasn't here to lounge around however: he was here on official business. Or so he thought it was.

The Alliance contacted him about a possible human trafficking ring in The Third, asking him if he would scout the area out and report back with relevant data. Of course, Hugo knew what that really meant: get in there, break the ring up and save the day. It was too messy for the Alliance boys to send in their units, so why not rely on the liaison who knew his way around The Third? They weren't too heartless, offering up a few of their own elite soldiers to come with him, but he turned them down, citing that they would only get in the way. The Third was a sleazy, run down, and cut throat area of the galaxy; in fact, it was supposedly number two on the "Areas you should avoid" list from Time quarterly(number one was Cybix. No surprise there.). It took skill and cunning to work around in that region, both qualities Hugo having in his possession. There was, however, another person who seemed to know what she was doing(or at least, that's what the Captain had told Hugo when the detective had brought the mission up): Katherine Tyler, first mate. Hugo liked Katherine, but had never seen her in action. But Hugo also liked the Captain and respected his opinion, which meant that he and Katherine were going to be on this one together. He hadn't had a partner in quite some time, but he could get used to working with someone again.

Hugo checked his gear once more before he walked outside his room, knocking on the door adjacent to his, saying:
"Time to talk, Kat." She needed to know what was going on and what Hugo's past experiences were before she charged in there with him. It wasn't going to be an easy battle.

But it wouldn't be fun then...would it?

[somerandomhippie]

For what was probably the seventh time that hour, Katy jumped off her hotel bed and rifled through her pack again. It was a bad habit that she'd never quite broken back in her time with the Black Ops; she'd been rather like the mother figure of the group, and they always prodded her about remembering to pack the toothbrushes. She'd threatened to pack it somewhere rather uncomfortable for the teaser, which usually ended in a wrestling match. Then she'd go and check her packing again. Comm, maps of the area, little bit of provisions, basic lockpicking tools, stuff that tended to explode... The list went on, and her drawstring pack was stuffed to it's limit. That, plus her civilian clothes, almost made her look like an older university student. Aside from the pistol on her hip.

Satisfied she hadn't forgotten anything, she pulled said revolver from her hip and opened up what used to be the cylinder, now the neutron chamber. She opened it up and spun it a couple times, just for fun, then flicked it back in with her wrist and clipped it back to her belt. She wasn't quite as riled as she thought she would be. Maybe the fact that she was on home turf, in more familiar territory, was soothing her nerves a little. What a scary thought. Usually, she had others around her to tackle and blow off steam with, but Hugo was on the other side of the door, hauling heavy stuff around from the sound of it. She'd met him before, and he seemed nice, but nice didn't really go anywhere around here. Not in these slums.

Hugo knocked, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "Kat? No one's called me that in ages. Gosh, I sound old." Opening up the door on her side, she spotted the rifle on his bed, and raised her brows. That was some heavy equipment. She'd toyed around with it before, and she could barely handle one of the model down. They were huge, but then again, she wasn't exactly endowed with height or anything. "Looks like you've got some fireworks planned," she commented. Hoisting her things onto her back, she let the door click shut behind her. "So, what had you wanted to talk about, anyways?"

[hugodouglass]

Hugo walked inside of Katherine's room and set a small spherical object on the floor. A moment later, the sphere emitted a holographic layout of The Third(or what could be mapped from brave surveyors up above before they were shot down), beacons placed at various locations. From the looks of things, the operation looked complicated...and in a sense, it was, with Hugo's baggage and all. But Katherine didn't know about all that just yet.
"We get inserted at midnight near this entrance here.."Hugo pointed to a green beacon located on the edge of the holographic projection. Continuing, he stated:
"Once inside the region, we're going to have to identify base of operations. I know a guy who has his ear to the streets, so we go see him first. Once we have location, we scout the locale, follow their movements. There are two safehouses that I had set up a few years back...one here...and another here. In case of an abort, we go back to one of these, lay low, then pop out when the coast is clear again." He blew out a small sigh, knowing that this wasn't going to be as easy as he explained. There were rival gangs competing in firefights on the street, hostile A.I.s that control city blocks and kill any that cross their turf...

And they had to cut right through it all.

"In all honesty Kat, I didn't know y0u had experience in this kind of work. If we're going to be working together, I need to know that you can handle this. Michael didn't tell me anything about your file, just saying that you could be good for me on this one. What are your specialties? What do you do best?" He was asking not only for a little comfort in working with her, but also to know how to play to her strengths.

[somerandomhippie]

Katy looked over her shoulder, then fully turned as Hugo set the hologram on the floor. Nodding along, she flicked her eyes over the map, trying to soak as much of it in as she could. Things hadn't changed too much since she'd last heard of the place, but then again, she hadn't actually been in it. As he finished, she sat back on her haunches, nodding. Seemed straight-forward enough. "So, this is basically just a scouting-out deal?" she asked, looking up. "Or were you planning to bust in, guns a-blazing?" Somehow, she wouldn't doubt it.

She stood up, brushing her knees off. Not the best carpet, but then again, she hadn't exactly wanted a maid rifling through her things. She could only imagine the reaction. "I got recruited to SWAT a couple years ago, and I've done a couple solo missions on stuff I've wanted to see through. Specifically undercover- I have a few aliases I pull out on occasion." With a smile, she insisted, "Don't worry, I can take care of myself. If we get in a bind, just get out, and I'll find my own way. This is your bust, after all."

Looking over, she asked, "On that line, then, what do you specialize in?" She'd never really asked before, and only read over his file briefly. She knew he was in detective work, but she'd never really gotten into that. What he was really good at, she had no idea.

[hugodouglass]

"I did a lot of dirty detective work. Dirty in the sense of hands-on and doing assignments that other guys didn't want to take on because they were too much of a headache. I construct things logically and I can pick out emotions and motives relatively quickly. Like your body language: you move with purpose and precision, yet there's a gracefulness in those movements, as if you were trying to handle yourself delicately while still being forceful. Quite the paradox if you ask me, but most SWAT members are, aren't they? Brutes one moment, stealthy infiltrators the next." He laughed slightly as he continued:
"No offense meant, of course." The lighting in the room was growing dim, indicating the sun's setting. Not long before they had to catch their shuttle.
"Meet me downstairs at eleven fifty. I have a few things to do before then." Hugo was being delightfully abrupt and business-like with Katherine, but it wasn't out of disdain; rather, he was nervous. Nervous about not coming home, nervous about Lisa having to grow up without a father, anxious about leaving his fiancee alone with two kids in the middle of San Diego. But he couldn't let that get in the way now. Now that they were so close.

The shuttle was a bit run down, but it could get the two of them safely inserted. Hugo could see there were a few flaps missing on the sides of the shuttle, indicating they might have a bumpy ride, but once again, it was usable. But where was Katherine?

[somerandomhippie]

Katy watched Hugo, nodding all the while. She knew those dirty jobs; she'd done a couple in her time, but not very many. Being the rookie in the ring, they usually passed those on to someone with a little more experience, whist she got shoved in a lump of idiots. Still, it was getting better. "No offense taken," she laughed, just a little wonder in her voice. "That's brilliant. I did dance when I was younger, and you basically just outlined ballet structure. Bravo." She applauded. "I tend to catch more from sound, and wording, but not quite at that level. More of a raw feeling than details like that."

Nodding as Hugo started out the door, she knelt down to the floor and scanned for the wire she was looking for. "Grey wire, grey wire, grey wire.... Aha!" Quickly unplugging it, she meandered over to the larger holo on the dresser, graciously provided by the hotel. A tech officer had once taught her how to do this, and she'd done it so many times since then that it was almost habit. Access to the Holoweb, traced back to the hotel, up and running. Booting up the system, she patched something into the captain, letting him know they were off, then unplugged and set everything in it's rightful place. Looking through her bag once more, just in case, she trotted out the door and down the stairs.

It took longer than she expected, seeing as she'd hoped to avoid as many people as possible, but she got down there in good enough time. Spotting Hugo, she walked over, and looked the shuttle up and down. "Well, she's been through a little," she commented, tapping the hull. Hearing something shift, she snatched her hand back, then relaxed when nothing else fell off. "So, Mr. Douglass, shall we be off?" she grinned, a little too broadly. Now that they were actually going, the nerves were starting to kick in. She'd dealt with them before, though, she would probably be fine.

[hugodouglass]

Hugo nodded, not saying a word as he got onto the shuttle. He was preparing himself mentally; the Third was not an easy place to function, let alone THINK about functioning. He needed to have his head clear so that when the shooting started, he would be ready.

The shuttle dropped them off on a block that looked like it had been neglected for some time, signs of said neglect being shown by way of the collapsed buildings, litter, and dark red stains on the concrete. Bloodshed had occurred on this street, which meant they were really close to their destination. As the shuttle left(in quite a hurry), Hugo strapped his bag onto his back and withdrew an energy pistol from a holster that jutted out from his belt. He looked over at Katy and said in a half whisper:
"We go in normal. Ward off beggars, shoot the ground if you have to. Wizard isn't far off from here." Hugo began to walk down the block, which naturally curved to the left. Their descent had begun.

Once inside the Third, the neon lighting of the clubs and the lighting that came from apartment windows were enough to guide them on the street. Hugo had expected beggars, but not as many as he encountered(six so far). Most of them didn't mean much harm, but some would be willing to kill if they were desperate enough. Hugo stopped in front of a club which held out a sign that proclaimed it's name with boldness: "THE INFERNO".
"This is where he said he'd meet us." Hugo holstered his sidearm before he told Katy:
"Watch it in here. These aren't your average bottom-feeders. Cover my backside and tap me on the shoulder twice if you see anything."

The club interior was illuminated by bright red lighting, dancers entertaining patrons on the main floor while tables and chairs were spread out in a square that surrounded the floor. Hugo spotted the bar, which was only fifty or so feet away to the right of them, and strode over to a stool, contently sitting down next to the form of a small man.
"Nice night out tonight, eh?" The small man turned around at the sound of Hugo's question, his features bearing resemblance to historical dictator Mao Tse Tung: Asian, round faced, and looked like he was constipated.
"Sure is, pal. But you got the numbers?"
"Numbers are all I do."
"What are they?"
"Seven two five seven." The Mao lookalike seemed to relax a little, saying:
"You packin heat like thaaat? Going to attract attention, Mr.Hugo."
"Not my problem." However, it was going to be one soon.

[somerandomhippie]

Hugo stayed silent as he boarded the shuttle, and Katy followed suit for his sake. She enjoyed chatting with others- it helped take the edge of things, she found. They usually ended up more relaxed. Still, if he didn't want to talk, she'd go with that. Going into a place like this, being unfocused was probably not a good idea. And one bad step could be dangerous, even fatal. Sitting down and pulling the bag onto her lap, she scrutinized the almost-empty interior until they landed.

The area was run-down, there was no doubt about it. Barely anyone simply strolling down the street, faces taunt and fists even taunter. It was almost like a war zone, only with less soldiers marching down the block. Was that what it was like? Living under fear of attack every single day? Her stomach clenched, and she blinked for a while. Looking over as Hugo strapped a handgun to his waist, she fingered her own, almost anxiously. Nodding wordlessly, they set off down the street, shadows growing longer to close them in.

As they reached the rather seedy-looking bar, Katy took a deep breath, letting it fill her stomach. Blowing it out slowly, she nodded again at Hugo's instructions, massaging her neck absent-mindedly. "Like this," she clarified, reaching over to tap his arm with two fingers. Anyone could tap someone twice, nice to know what the tap was actually like. She followed Hugo in at a respectable distance, then hopped up at a stool, one down the row. Turning to lean her elbows on the counter, she rapped her knuckles on the counter, leaving a coin or two on the spot. A drink soon appeared, and she took a small sip, glancing around. Only scum were here, scum and villainy. Especially the three men who had just snuck in the door.

She looked over their black attire for a minute, faces hidden by hats, before spotting an odd lump in one of the men's coats. It was just barely covered by the hem, and was quite slim until it got to the square butt on the end. The magazine was pushing the fabric out quite a bit, and she didn't like how his hand was in the coat, just beside the trigger. She waited, and as she heard the click of a safety latch being pressed down, she leaned over and gave Hugo a tap.

"Those men in black are packing, and I don't mean nothing from Fed-Ex," she muttered as quietly as possible. Sure, everyone here probably was, but these guys were advertising, there was no doubt about it. You didn't carry a rifle around in your coat like that. She could see chairs being casually scooched around the tables, and that never boded well. Not with what these people were probably used to.

[hugodouglass]

The moment after Katy tapped him on the shoulder, Hugo already knew that whispers of their arrival had carried through the district, bringing some unneeded trouble on their heads.
"Wizard, just stay calm. You're coming with us." The music was beginning to fade, as if the arrival of the three men was a vacuum, drowning out sound in order to make room for their presence. The crowd was beginning to get restless as well, the dancers stopping mid-routine and their clients comprehending that something was indeed wrong.
"They'r.."
"Sevens, I know. We walk out of here nice and quiet-like."
"But Mister Huuugo! You promised no trouble."
"That's why we're leaving." Hugo turned to Katy and told her:
"Move out. Slowly, casually, as if we haven't seen them." Hugo slid off the stool, a small smile coming across his face, a smile that could have come from a humerous joke from a friend, not a nervous gesture at all. He took Wizard by the arm and gently guided him towards the exit. Hugo's ears were now picking up on the silence that had descended over the bar. He didn't pay attention, but rather continued to walk forward, attempting to go against the thick tension that the club was engulfed in. A few moments later, Hugo could hear the familiar whine of an energy rifle behind them, closer than he would have liked. Then a voice:
"Don't like the law around here, partner." Hugo turned around to find an energy rifle pointed directly at him by one of the men in black(the middle on). His eyes were bloodshot, but they weren't glazed over like the usual druggie. They were intense and locked on the party of three.
"Who says I'm the law?"
"Cut the jargon, lawman. We know you ain't here to help us. Gonna give you a few seconds before the rest of our crew come here and give you and your whelp a beatin so hard you'll wish you never dragged your carcasses across the Divide."

Whelp. That wasn't very nice.

Hugo knew that if he was going to get out of here alive, he was going to have either kill the men in front of them(highly unlikely) or create a distraction. He preferred the latter...but how?

[somerandomhippie]

Even the DJ knew who these people were, it seemed. Everyone was frozen in place, deciding whether to go for the fight or flight reflex. Judging by the looks on most of the places, flight seemed to be the preferred option, but a couple weren't so placid. Hands reached into holsters and coats, and the bartender was stooped slightly, as if he had something hidden inside the long table. If something happened, they'd be caught in a cross-fire of energy beams and screaming patrons. And all the highly flammable alcohol just sitting around... She shuddered a little. Hell.

Nodding, she got up with her drink sans parle, switching sides halfway through to get on the other side of this Wizard guy. Judging by his rather green expression, she wouldn't trust him if the end of the world was twelve minutes away. Especially since it seemed to be coming a little sooner. It was tense, and she was starting to stiffen up. Then a single, high note pinged and migrated upwards, at her right side. She spun, and as her heel caught on a broken bit of floor, she squeaked and scrambled to regain her balance. She shook a little of her drink off her boot with a scowl. Gosh, she probably looked like a drunk.

Hugo and the middle man snarled at each other as the other two lounged around, one even having the gall to take out a smoke and light it up. A frown of her own blossomed across her face at being called a whelp. Hitting him would be extremely satisfying, but then they'd be dead. They needed a diversion, and fast, before he decided to fire. She glanced at her drink again, and nearly smiled.

"Whelp...?" she asked slowly as she leaned forward, letting her balance tilter a little as she scrutinized his face. "That's not... That's not very nice." She nodded for emphasis, nudging him in the chest with her shot glass. "Even if you are cute." She giggled, more at herself for acting so stupid, and turned to the one lighting his smoke. "Don't you think he's not very nice?" she asked, flicking her wrist and sending the liquor flying in his direction. It hit the ignited lighter, a ball of flame flew in his face, and he yelled, stumbling into a rather crossed-face patron. As the fists started flying, she ducked behind a table and tugged Wizard with her. The door was only a few feet behind them, but they'd have to turn their backs and run. Not bloody likely. She tightened a hand around her pistol, all too ready to whip it out if need be.

[hugodouglass]

Hugo would remember to applaud Kat's judicious distraction later; in the meantime, he had some refuse to clean up. Hugo discharged a few quick shots as he ran towards the exit through the now brawling patrons(one little spark is all you needed to get an all out club fight). He almost got tripped by a man, but managed to scoot out the front entrance, which was now crowded with onlookers. Hugo looked left, then right, and realized he had slightly miscalculated: he had thought Kat and Wizard had gotten out of the club already...apparently, they hadn't.

Back into the den.

Hugo reached for a small circular object hanging off of his belt and threw it into the club. A moment passed before the object let out a green-yellow gas that, as the patrons found out rather quickly, would knock them out.
"Kat, get out the back door. Wizard should be able to get you two out. Meet me at safehouse location zero two point seven. Be careful." And with that comm transmission, Hugo took off, hoping his plan would work.

A few blocks away, Hugo could see that there were more gang members surrounding the club, all shouting threats at each other and waving energy weapons like they were flags that represented their own nation. Perfect. Hugo knew that with all the mess that Kat and he had started, the gangs would be occupied with each other rather than searching for the duo. This incident would also catch the attention of the slavers, who frequented this side of The Third when they weren't oppressing the innocent and wanted some cheap thrills. As Hugo turned around, he was greeted by an energy pistol staring him down.
"You have quite the talent for stirring up trouble." The pistol was held by a small woman, probably five foot, but the determination and anger that showed in her face made up for her height deficiency.
"And you might be...?"
"Dakota, leader of the Rising, a group here."
"A..group? Don't you mean a gang?"
"I despise that word. We're not common thugs, like all the others here. We want to change things around here, get things cleaned up. And you're going to help us do that."
"Why?"
"Because I know why you're here, Hugo."
"How do you know my..."
"Intercepted comm traffic from you and your partner. You were on your way to your safehouse. I'm coming with you."
"I don't have a choice in the matter?"
"My pistol says no."
"Then you're welcome to stay."

Hugo could tell that this Dakota person, albeit a bit forceful and crude, meant well. He could tell from the way she moved, how she held her gun, how she spoke. She would prove to be a valuable ally.

Dakota and Hugo arrived at the safehouse half an hour removed from their initial exchange, Dakota whistling as she walked into the place.
"Got his place decked out, dontcha?" The small eight hundred square foot apartment contained a few cots, a food generator, visible(and nonvisible) weaponry, as well as two holo screens that were currently blank.
"Kat...where are you?"

[somerandomhippie]

Grunting as an energy beam walloped the table just above her head, Katy looked around for Hugo frantically. Where was that cowboy? Was he alright? Wizard started crawling off towards another overturned table, but she snatched his collar and dragged him back. "You're not leaving my sight, buster," she growled. Cutting off his attempt at a parlay, she mentioned, "I'm the one with the gun here, remember. Now, shut up, and stay low." Looking up over her makeshift trench, she whipped her pistol out and fired off a couple shots. Things cleared for a moment, and she took the opportunity to haul Wizard and herself over to another table. It was a little further in, but by the looks of it, the door was a pretty bad spot by now. They would just have to find a good spot to wait it out.

She soon saw the orb fly in, and stiffened as it began releasing the gas. She didn't respond to Hugo's call- she didn't want to waste any breath. Swinging her pack in front of her, she dug a cotton kerchief out of the front, holding it over her nose and mouth. She whipped it back around, and poked Wizard's breast pocket, which held a silk square. Fancy, but probably a knock-off. "Cover your face," she told him, as softly as she could to conserve her breath. "Back way out. Stop hyperventilating." The stubby man was obviously quite frightened with the whole situation. "Get us out!" she finally growled, and he snapped back, scurrying over towards the bar. Giving the man with the rifle- now coughing on the floor- a good kick as she passed, they dashed out the back with only a little breath to spare.

Breathing in deeply through her nose once they were an alleyway over, she smiled, more out of relief than happiness. Gods, fresh air was nice. "See?" she told Wizard, slapping him on the back. "Not too bad."

"Sure, Missy," he grumbled, obviously not convinced. "Sure."

"That's Missy Tyler to you," she corrected before turning to look around. "Now, Short Round, 02.7. Where's that?" The houses seemed to follow a numerical order, but she couldn't really tell. It seemed kind of scattered- then again, they were in the alley.

"Dat's block two, door seven," he told her in a slightly patronizing tone. "Don't you got no schooling? This block twelve. Block two ten down."

Katy sighed. Informants. They never changed. "Right," she nodded. "I get wind of you telling anyone about this, though, and you'll find me on your doorstep. Got it?" She crossed her arms, in no mood to argue, and nodded as Wizard did. Waiting and watching as he left, she made sure he was well gone before turning herself. Now, onto the safehouse.

Slightly jittery as she made her way down the alley, she waited until right at house two to dart onto the street, find door seven, and bolt in. Slumping her pack on the ground, she peeked out the window, then slunk into the back room. She'd have to leave the door open for Hugo- he wasn't back yet. Looking down, she tutted at the sticky spill the liquor had caused on her boot, and took it off, hopping over to the sink to clean it. She'd just about finish as she heard the door open, and froze. Soon enough, though, Hugo called her name, and she tugged her footwear back on, traipsing back into the larger room.

"Meow," she greeted him quippingly, eyes instantly going to the smaller woman at his side. She was shorter than Katy, but not by much. There was an energy pistol in her hand, but an open look on her face. Well, if Hugo had let her in, then she was probably OK, if not trustable. "More friends?" she commented, glancing between them. "And if I might ask, you are..." She trailed off, waiting for the woman's name. If she would give it.

((Lol, sorry it's so long! It'll probably go back down now that she's done her solo adventure XD))

[hugodouglass]

(I LOVE IT!!!)

"Dakota." She said her name with the same terseness she had addressed Hugo through their first meeting. That was just a part of her personality(had to be terse in this area of the galaxy to get around) he assumed. That intensity may lead to some mistakes, so Hugo would make sure to keep watch on how she reacted further down the line. In the meantime...
"So, Dakota, tell me something: why us?"
"Waddya mean, why you guys? You were here and we needed the help."
"Oh cut it. Gangs..."
"WE ARE NOT A GANG!" Dakota protested, waving her energy pistol at Hugo to emphasize her point.
"Ok, so gangs and your so-called 'group' usually want nothing to do with us."
"I explained this to you before; you two were our only options."
"And you really think we're going to succeed?"
"If you two made it this far, I know you both have a good chance of taking down those scum." Dakota paused for a moment, mulling something over in her mind before she walked over to the holo screen, pressing on it to activate the 3-D imagery.
"That won't have anything you need."
"Oh yeah?" Dakota worked her way through file directory upon file directory before she found what she was looking for: a case file named HAGGERTY.
"See that?" Hugo looked over at the case file projected forward into the room, noting that it had been documented three years ago...when a lot of the human trafficking got started in this sector(not that it hadn't been going on in other places).
"What does this have to do wit..."
"Larry Haggerty was my dad. Slavers tried to capture my family by night and my father gave his life so that my mother and I could run. We were in Cygax, second biggest city on New Earth, and we were being attacked by slavers! Nowhere was safe. A few months afterward, my mother went to go get some food and never came back. Police never got anywhere and I had caught wind that slavers were getting popular here in the third." Dakota turned around to face the duo, continuing:
"I want those slavers out of here. And my people are ready to do whatever it takes to get them out. You understand?"
"Absolutely." He looked over at Kat and asked:
"You have the map we looked over in the hotel? My stuff got lost in the fray back at Inferno." Speaking of Inferno...
"And where's Wizard?"

[somerandomhippie]

As Dakota- as she was apparently called- snapped her name, Katy's mood darkened slightly. Well, she couldn't blame her, not really. They were cops in a gang street. Bull in a china shop. A crocodile at an alligator convention. Something like that. Either way, she'd have to be careful with her humor, just in case this Dakota wasn't very laid-back. Little people packed quite a punch- she could talk. Starting as she started waving her firearm higgledy-piggledy, she took that as an indication that laid-back was not on her list of traits. No jokes, then.

As Dakota walked over to the terminal, deep in thought, Katy crossed both the room and her arms. Nudging Hugo's elbow, she muttered, "Interesting friend you've got here." She was breezing through Hugo's files like she owned the place. There was more to her than Katy knew, that much was clear. "Speaking of friends, who were those guys back at the club? Sevens, you called them. Should I worry about them?" Most of the time, guys in black suits were something to worry about, so she wanted to know.

Dakota finally pulled up the file. It was labelled HAGGERTY, but it wasn't all that long. Katy shifted over, running her hand through the projection to pull the document open. She'd just started reading when Dakota started to explain, so she listened instead. Poor thing, she thought ruefully. All that, and that's just one. Why is she the only one doing something about this? Apart from us, of course. She snapped back then, as Hugo asked for the map. "It's in my pack," she told the two, striding over to the door.

Digging through her stuff, she told Hugo over her shoulder, "He left. Didn't seem too keen on staying with trouble like this. Last I saw, he was jimmying a window on block..." She thought for a moment. "Thirty-four, must be. Second from the right." Her eyes sharpened. Perhaps bringing him along would have been a good idea, but then again, she didn't think Hugo would want him knowing too much. At the least, they knew where he was, so if they needed him, they could grab him. Finally, she found the map at the bottom of her bag and dug the sphere out, rolling it across the floor. It lit up above her, like the surface of a pond, and she stood.

"So, you two are the experts here," she shrugged, going to stand on one side of the hologram so they were all evenly spaced around it. "Where are we looking for, and what do we want to do about it?" She could help form a plan, sure, but she had no background knowledge of how the place was operated other than what Hugo had told her. She was just tagging along for the ride. And a heck of a ride it was going to be.

[hugodouglass]

As Hugo sorted through a few map details, Dakota turned to Katy and addressed her question about the Sevens:
"Sevens run this place now. Used to be where most groups had a slice of territory to themselves and no one messed with each other. Just a few months ago these Western wanna-bes show up looking like they're dressed up to recreate the Frontier war from 2123 and claimed that the Third was theirs. They have numbers, firepower, and not much of a heart. They'll murder anyone who gets in their way."
"And I'm guessing they're working with the slave traders?"
"That's right. How'd you..."
"Those boys aren't your typical gangsters, if you haven't already noticed. They're packing legitimate firepower and probably have more men than most of the gangs here combined. In fact, they aren't gangsters at all. They're mercenaries." Hugo walked over to the holo screen adjacent to the one Dakota had used and, after a moments of sifting through projections, found what he was looking for. The screen projected the holograms of three men, one of whom was the leader of the trio at the club.
"These three men have been connected with several trafficking incidents over the past two years. Haven't been able to catch them, not even with the Alliance scouring the galaxy for them. They hide in places like this, where the Alliance and any other decent minded person wouldn't dare enter."
"Hey, watch it." Dakota piped up, shooting Hugo a glare.
"Except for short brunettes with an urge for social justice." Satisfied, the glare stopped. Hugo knew how to deal with women(when one deals with a fiancee and two daughters, it almost becomes second nature).
"Now, to the map...this is where we are" Hugo pointed to a flashing green dot that lay on the first layer of the three dimensional grid.
"And I know where they are." Dakota walked over to the map and placed her finger on the opposite end of the grid.
"I had sent out one or two of my scouts. One managed to get back alive. Blubbered about the biggest robot army he had ever seen, cowboys, just a bunch of gibberish, nothing substantial." Robots? Hugo hadn't taken that into account before.
"You know that area of The Third is closed down to even us. We can't get in."
"Oh we can find a way."
"Past all that? They've got every single entrance point covered."
"That's why we're going in head-first."
"What do you mean by that?" He looked over at Kat with a grin, saying:
"I hope you're ready with a few more distractions." Hugo then turned to Dakota, saying:
"Listen kid, give me..."
"I ain't a kid! I'm twenty two!"
"Right, like I was saying, give me an hour and I'll be ready. You just get your guys together to be ready. I need to go get a few things done." He looked over at Katy and told her:
"There's some weaponry in the closet. You might want to look at that and see if you can use any of it. Feel free to use what you need to. Same to you kid." Dakota mumbled something under her breath before Hugo walked into one of the two bedrooms, closing the door behind him, and collapsing on the bed. He hadn't slept very much in the past forty eight hours and it was starting to catch up to him.
"Come on lazy bones...up." Hugo managed to force himself up off the bed, a thought coming to him: Darcy, Lisa, Casey...what were they doing? How was San Diego?

Would he ever see them again?