Season Three, Chapter Six
Shades of Grey - Part Two
Carolynn and Nathan had moved as one, a symbiosis of action that had prevented the pair coming to harm on many an occasion, now saw them through another impetuous and fool hardy action that was likely to get them killed.“Or worse”, realised Carolynn, for the PDF could be found riding shotgun for most of Zalthar’s nefarious low-life’s with high ambitions, and that would certainly include the Lead Barons of Grey. New money with old habits, gambling, protection rackets, prostitution, narcotics and people trafficking to name but a few. He knew they should leave it alone, that the two, rather thee of them should make the Trades and go. Anything suspect going down here could, should be left for the Agents of the Imperium to deal with, after all that’s what they got paid for wasn’t it ? Trouble was, if whatever was going down, used the Baron’s private funicular in plain sight with apparent impunity, chances were the PDF locally anyhow, were either involved or had be persuaded to turn a blind eye and look the other way!
Still, whatever was or was not going on, the fact was they were committed, the strong smell of fresh blood alone told them something was wrong here in the heart of the Capital of those with whom the herders were about to trade a considerable stake of their livelihood ! As a result, Carolynn and Nathan now found themselves with two semi-conscious women and a young man, the later of whom looked like he’d been trampled by a Morac, in a private freight funicular under a sheet of canvas late in the dark. It would not look good if they were found out.
“What are we doing ?” hissed Nathan , “We are supposed to be here to trade peacefully with these folk !”
“Don’t know about you,” replied Carolynn, “But if we are trading a sizeable sum of Bronze Hearths hard earned for necessary supplies to last out the snows, I’d like to understand a little more about our ‘partners’ practices and from what I’ve seen so far, those leave a bit to be desired ?” Replied Carolynn, then, “She dead ?“ Gesturing to the woman Nathan had just finished examining.
“Fraid so, and for some time.”
"This one isn’t but she don’t feel to bright. !” Carolynn added, taking his hand off the dark haired woman’s neck having felt for a weak carotid pulse. “How’s he ?” He then asked Nathan as he was beginning checking over the guy.
“Not good either. Pulse is low and his breathing’s kind of raspy. If he won the fight, then the losers in a bad way ! These two should be on their way to an Apothecary, not chucked into a fright car. How far we got to go ?”
“The point marker we just passed was 17/23, and as the numbers are going down, I’d say 5 or 6, so we need to be looking for a place to get of before we reach the terminus.” Answered Carolynn, peering out into the dark. They both fumbled with their capes, releasing their Bolt Pistols from holsters, checking the load-outs and thumbing off the safety’s, before sliding them back again. Nathan also pulled out some ‘smart’ grenades, handing a couple to Carolynn. “Work just fine without the Launcher, just tap the base and throw. Can’t set the time without the tube is all !” Carolynn continued to stare out into the dark and the smog. What earlier had been a serious irritant, now looked like being their best friend.
“That was 21, only 4 more to go and I can’t see shite, just the sides of this channel, which are way too steep or to far off to reach here !”
“Well you had better get us off this thing soon, or we’ll be star guests at a party we weren’t invited to !” Nathan looked a little worried.
“Come on then, stand-up Nate as we won’t get a second go at this !” Carolynn helped him to his feet as the wagon lurched on downwards to the sound of creaky gears and the whine of taught cables and to make matters worse, water still dripped out into the cut in places, making everything damp and slippery with algae. As the wagon dropped past 22, Carolynn suddenly spied their way out, for the track dipped as it entered the terminal, the roof about 2” clear, an easy jump so long as they timed it right and that was,
“ Now !” at which they both leapt clear, landing crouched then running stooped until they were in the cover of several ventilator outlets and large fan housings that were, that were chanting ?
“Now that doesn’t sound too reassuring.” Whispered Nathan, as they slid themselves closer to get a better listening position, but they still did not recognise any of the words.
“I Know several languages, but that’s none of them.” Said Carolyn. “There are sounds of High Gothic, but just sounds, not words, could be its one of the foundation languages it is derived from, but its lost on me.”
“In that case we are going to need to get a look see, I’ll check these vents aren’t alarmed, then see if I can get a panel off and have a poke about inside. Cover me !”
“No problem !” With which Carolynn moved closer to the central vent nearest the rungs of what looked like a maintenance ladder and the only visible access to the roof he could make out. Bolt Pistol in hand he pulled up his cape, smoothing his outline to blend with the already cluttered roof furniture of vents, tanks and the large fan-housings of cooling systems. In their lea, the two of them were also partially covered from the rest of Grey, rising on the cliff before them like a vast curtain of scrap vanishing into the darkness and ever present yellow smog that clung to the place like mould. Nathan finished testing resistance across the various components of the buildings vents and having also given them a thorough visual inspection, signalled to Carolynn he was satisfied the place was not wired, and began removing a 2” square section to gain entry. The whir of the huge fans and the mounting dirge-like chanting from within obscured Nathan’s nevertheless stealthy use of his ever present tool kit to remove the plate and surreptitious entry to what proved to be part cooling duct, part maintenance shaft. With a central access ladder, the shaft was clearly designed to afford access to long runs of bundled cabling and equally complex pipe-work junctions that along with the cabling, disappeared into a number of horizontal crawl spaces that lead off at about 12” intervals. Pleased to have secured such an ideal entry, Nathan swung his light about the space, scarcely able to believe how easy this had been, until the beam came to rest on a socket wrench, snipped wire ends and pair of discarded work gloves that finally made the connection. Added to the lack of dust and dirt that would rapidly accumulate in such a place, it became immediately apparent that this construction had been recently re-fitted, and in all probability, whatever security it may warrant had yet to be installed. Satisfied he was not leading them into a trap, he climbed back to the opening to wave Carolynn over, when he froze, as he was suddenly made out the sound of footfalls over the chanting and mechanical throb of the fans on the roof behind the vent in which he crouched. Nathan desperately scanned the section of roof where Carolynn was keeping watch, but of there was no sign of him.
“He must have had to relocate.“ Nathan reassured himself, slowing his breathing, and listening intently, trying to make out further sounds that would give away the position of the intruder, for an intruder it most certainly was. The boots that had made those first tell tale sounds he could tell had hard soles, not made from Morac Hide as were those of Carolynn’s, for they would have made scarcely a sound at all ! The quiet of the Mountains taught those who chose to make them their home the true value that could be found in a sound. Nathan gently slid his hand up inside his cape, reaching the holster and sliding out his Bolt Pistol, his thumb quietly releasing the safety as he did so. Then, from the dark somewhere behind him came a muffled sound, followed by a sharp exhalation and the noise of something settling on the roof. Moments later, Carolynn’s face appeared at the opening, “All clear Nate, come and give me a hand shifting our guest will you ?”
Sliding out of the vent, Nathan helped Carolynn pick up someone in a PDF uniform and bundle them into the now somewhat cramped space at the top of the shaft he had opened up.
“Handy !” Exclaimed Carolynn, peering down at the central ladder and crawl spaces, clearly impressed with the entrance Nathan had secured, “You certainly know how to pick them, anyone ever tell you that if you ever felt like quitting herding, you’d make a great burglar.” “Yeah, you, last time you dragged me into some crazy stunt of yours !”
“Dragged ? Don’t remember ‘dragging you’ onto that lead wagon. Can’t take credit for that, I…”
“You jumped first and you knew I’d have no choice but to follow, just to haul your sorry arse out of the next disaster !”
“You do have a point I suppose, but we have no time to debate the rights and wrongs now, this body is gonna be missed by someone at some point in the not too distant future, so we have to get a move on.”
“Unless …” Mused Nathan.
“Unless what ?”
“How did you kill them ?”
“Neck as…”
“Great, in that case we can have a good look see around the edge of this roof top, I mean its probably 60” to 70” in places, then there are parts where the cliff naturally drops away. It was an industrial accident waiting to happen !”
“Make that a really sinister, creepy burglar Nate !”
Having found a section of roof that dropped away to a side of sheer, empty cliff, they had disposed of one problem, but Carolynn and Nathan were still up against the clock, for the intruder had taken up time they did not have to spare. Back inside the cowling at the top of the shaft it was time to make a hard call, continue this dark, or risk it and try a return run the next ? But that was when a change in the monotonous chanting rising from deep within the structure intervened and swayed their hand !
Mk
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