Friday 1.9 Hunting

[oracle-dreams.livejournal.com]

Crawford retreated to his office, shutting the door with a quiet click. He went through his usual beginning of the day routine - scanning stock reports and the relevant bits of world news, acts of habitual confirmation. While skimming through his various email accounts he pulled two suspicious trolls and forwarded them to Nagi. It was usually just a fluke - a mistyped email address by a housewife in Missouri or a lazy customer service rep out of India. Crawford was incapable of letting his guard down even for something so seemingly superfluous though. They would both need to be traced – just to be sure.

He turned his attention to the disk, again pulling up the sound analysis program and beginning a more thorough scan of its contents. He double checked that the speakers were still unplugged before he clicked play.

Several hours of gutting the soundtrack revealed a most interesting detail. One he wouldn't have ventured a guess at. A small smirk crossed his lips as he saved and encrypted his notes on the matter. Johnson had inadvertently tipped, at least, part of his hand.

It was nearly lunchtime and again he was nearly starving. Such an odd side effect for a mental talent. Usually it was the physical talents that displayed the vastly increased metabolisms. Both he and Schuldig suffered from it to varying degrees at times though his own battle with it always involved a power spike of some sort. But even as hunger nagged at him, he couldn’t forestall the next task at hand any longer.

He clicked the remote and the window shades obediently crawled closed. He let himself get comfortable in his chair. With half a shake of his head, he momentarily cursed his own apprehensivness. It was his own head for gods sake. There was no room for doubt.

He pictured Tot as he remembered her most clearly – the wide eyed look of shock on her clueless face as she raced up the steps to her death, lifeless eyes staring up at Nagi like a broken doll, pigtails limp as they draped over his arms. Slowly he let the image call the relevant visions foreward. It had been a long time but he was certain the girl did somehow survive that night. Several hazy snippets of the blue haired girl emerged – but all he could sense were images of today and today alone. A small quirk of smirk creased his lips as he let the image guide him deeper until he found what it was he was looking for.

He had a time and a place and the disgusting flavor and scent of cotton candy ice cream assaulting his senses.

With a satisfied grin he headed for Farfarello’s room.


With a single knock on the Irishman’s door, he pushed it open just a bit and called in.

“We leave in half an hour. This will be… casual.” The sound of amusement in his voice was clear - to anyone in this household, at least.

Comments

[bloodyfarfie.livejournal.com]

Farfarello had been laying on his bed, back to the door, sleeping as deeply as he ever did - that was to say, his eye jolted open at the single knock.

By the time Crawford spoke, he had a knife in hand and was turned to the door, simply nodding in response to the man. He got up, movingly fluidly to pull on a charcoal grey t-shirt, and a pair of comfortable black jeans. He did rather like 'casual' affairs.

Pulling on a white vest - lined with sheaths - Farfarello was quickly armed to the teeth and ready to go.

[oracle-dreams.livejournal.com]

Crawford returned to his own room, pulling on his shoulder holster as a matter of habit. He picked up his walther and gave a small snort of disgust. He had yet to clean it from the other night. He wasn't anticipating using it but it would accompany him just the same. He slapped in a fresh clip and secured it against his chest, concealing it with casual black Armani.

He turned next to the common bathroom in the hallway, tossing open the tall closet that housed most of their medical supplies. He pulled a small travel bag from the closet and loaded it from the small refrigerator on the floor before zipping it up and tucking into an inside jacket pocket.

One last stop in his office to pick up their dedicated channel comm links and he met Farfarello at the front door.

"I need your hunting skills today... I'm afraid your blades will stay clean." Crawford smirked as he grabbed his keys and headed for the elevator.

[bloodyfarfie.livejournal.com]

Farfarello was ready and at attention as Crawford walked over to him, following him out and to the elevator. He actually sulked for a moment at being told his blades would stay clean, before sighing and shaking his head, "Gee, thanks, ruin all my fun."

He grinned then, stepping inside the elevator as the doors opened, waiting until they closed before turning to the American and cocking his head to the side, eyebrow lifted.

"So, who might I be hunting down then, that ye wouldn't say in front of the others?" He might be insane, but he had a good eye for small details like that sometimes, and it wasn't entirely surprising that he noticed that detail in particular.

[oracle-dreams.livejournal.com]

"We need to retie a certain blue haired loose end." Crawford passed Farfarello a sidewards glance to see if recognition would flair. He already saw the effects the girl had on Nagi, how easily distraught the boy could get over Masafumi's only successful experiment.

"You did not miss. The Schrient girl was dead. I don't know how or why she survived that night but I won't put Nagi through that again."

[http://users.livejournal.com/tarot_card_/]

Farfarello lifted an eyebrow and nodded, knowing full well who Crawford was referring to, though he distinctly remembered killing her. He then frowned as Crawford seemed to predict his thoughts, and shook his head. "Why doesn't it surprise me all that much? Damn Schrient, like bloody cockroaches."

He glared at the wall briefly, then turned his attention to Crawford once more. "Where're we findin' her?"

[oracle-dreams.livejournal.com]

The elevator came to a smooth stop at the parking garage level. For a change, and a certain level of anonymity in the neighborhood they were heading to, he headed for Schuldig's precious red Ferrari. Nothing said 'Yakuza' quite like an expensive import which, in turn, meant appreciative glances but no blatant stares. He disarmed the alarm with a bright, echoing chirp.

"Shinjuku station, somewhere in the south exit concourse. We need to find the ice cream stand that sells blue cotton candy ice cream."

Brad smirked as he opened the driver side door, sliding schuldig's seat all the way back before climbing in. He also turned the radio off before putting the key in the ignition.

And - look at that - a full tank of gas.

His smirk grew. It would be a small, petty payback, bringing it home empty but it was a satisfying thought none the less. Maybe they would leave some takeout bags on the floor as well...

Brad coaxed the engine to life, sorely tempted to peel out of the garage at a speed that did this machine justice. Reason won out, as it always did.

"If Nagi was distraught to the point of confiding in - Balinese -..." the word was forced out as flat and monotone as possible. Brad knew he was dwelling on NOT dwelling on all things involving Weiss since his vision. He needed to find perspective before actual emotions began clouding his judgement where the assassins were concerned. "... then this is officially a 'situation'. One that can be easily rectified. Nagi isn't certain beyond a doubt that it was Tot that he saw. So we move now before he has any more time to think on it and go looking for her himself."

[http://users.livejournal.com/tarot_card_/]

Farfarello nodded and slipped into the car, frowning a little to himself, "Alright, not a problem. I'm sure ye'll find it easily enough."

He blinked at the smirk on Crawford's face, trying to figure out what he was so pleased with, but shrugged a little to himself.

"Then we'll take care of it." There was no question what Farfarello would do to keep Nagi - or any of his team - safe and sound - mentally, physically, in any way that mattered. "Just point me in the right direction, 'n a place deserted enough, 'n it'll be taken care of." He was...irritated she was back, and angry at how she affected Nagi, and, honestly, a little hurt it was Balinese that Nagi had confided in.

[oracle-dreams.livejournal.com]

"Once we find that stand, it will just be a matter of time." Brad reached into his pocket and handed a comm link to Farfarello. Shinjuku station was a mob scene no matter the time of day. Farfarello would be able to track the girl to a more suitable location so they could gather her up for a small drive.

"We'll need to keep this off of Nagi's radar. My apologies..." Brad glanced in Farfarello's direction. " ... this will be quick, clean and nearly painless. But this time, she stays dead."

Brad easily weaved in and out through traffic, taking his usual round about approach to his destination. Especially now that Johnson had their number, he just knew it was only a matter of time before the wolves decended on them.

"Still... " He mused out loud. "... I'm curious exactly what it was about that girl that captured his imagination. Why he cared..."

[http://users.livejournal.com/tarot_card_/]

Farfarello nodded once and took the comm link, looking over at Crawford. He affected a pout briefly for a moment before nodding, agreeing with the need for this to be quick and clean.

"As am I. Maybe it was her innocence? He hasn't exactly met many people like that in his life.. Only thing I've been able to think of."

He sat there, body calm and still and relaxed, though inwardly he was nearly vibrating in anticipation of his hunt.