Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Tested in Fire ❯ Chapter 6

Tested in Fire: New Humanity Part six

Mayor Bannon looked out at Granville street below, the brown haired man's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the people go by. The office was above the street level, all of the windows miraculously kept intact. There were a few pieces of pretty good furniture inside, including the large desk that he usually sat behind.

"All right," Bannon turned back, the older man frowning, "what do you have to report?"

The catgirl pushed her black hair back, her golden eyes gleaming. "Jack has been busy," Cole said to him simply as she looked down to consult her notebook, "she's gone to see the Shogun and had a little visit from the Wolf."

"Damn," Bannon shook his head.

Vancouver was a growing city, potentially one of the most powerful in what was once Canada's west coast. The problem was that the city lacked any kind of central control, with no one leader representing the interests of the whole city. Instead little sections were ran by small minded rulers, each squabbling with the others over territory and power. Quietly he had been working to build his power, recovering weapons and recruiting allies but this could upset everything.

"She's a damn loose cannon," Bannon sighed, "why did Jack have to come back to the city?" Seriously Bannon asked her, "Do you think that Jack with bear a grudge over my men's attempt to force her to work for me?"

"It's hard to say," Cole sat forward, the dress that she wore hugging her curves. Even with the coat of fur she was a sexy girl, one that knew how to use her looks to her best advantage. "We know she hasn't formally contacted the Courier Guild," she calmly reported, "and her rep implies that she'll just take care of it herself."

"That's comforting," Bannon sighed.

Cole smiled up at him, "More than you think. Jack is the sort who understands she might have to work with you eventually, so she's not going to do anything too rash."

Bannon nodded slightly, "You may be right."

"There's been some activity from the Professor," Cole casually flipped over a sheet to another note covered page.

"Oh?" Bannon frowned.

"Raiding parties have been venturing out from Granville Island," Cole reported, "it's been just a few probing strikes so far, and a few hit and runs for supplies."

"What is that old fool up to?" Bannon scowled. He shook his head as he answered himself, "Probably hopes that things are going to get unstable enough for him to make a move."

"Pretty much how I'm reading it," Cole agreed. She looked down, "Rose has contacted us again, it looks like she might be interested in making a deal."

"No," Bannon shook his head firmly, "I'm not interested in taking over Denman Street and the west-side through an assassination." He smiled bleakly and added, "And the idea of having her at my back makes me nervous."

"I tend to agree," Cole said, making a face.

"What's wrong?" Bannon asked her curiously.

"Rose made a pass at me, a pretty crude one at that," Cole growled. Her tail uncurled to swish about angrily, "Didn't much like hearing a no."

"You're the head of my intelligence service," Bannon shook his head in disbelief, "she didn't really think you were just going to roll over for her?"

"Look like it," Cole softly sighed. She looked up at him and asked, "Do you want to hear the rest of the bad news?"

"Hit me," Bannon stretched his arms out, making himself more of an target.

Cole snickered softly at that. "The plan to reintroduce the old dollar coins is meeting pretty stiff resistance," she said, "most are still insisting on being paid in gold marks. The few who have taken the Loonies are now complaining because they can't spend them anywhere."

"Gah," Bannon shook his head. "All right," he ran a hand through his hair, "offer to exchange the Loonies for gold marks."

"But I thought you were determined to reintroduce...?" Cole blinked.

Bannon smiled wryly, "Can't have my people unhappy, it's bad for morale." More seriously he continued, "We might need to rely on them sooner rather than latter."

"Got it," Cole rose from her seat. "If you don't need anything else," she smiled, "I'd better get together with the rest of the council and get things going."

"No problem," Bannon gave her a casual wave.

Cole turned around, feeling a bit of satisfaction as she felt Bannon's gaze on her bottom. She wiggled her hips a bit as she slinked out of the office, nodding to the guards standing by the door. She went down the hall to the stairs, moving through the old Bay building to the Georgia Street exit. She headed south, smiling as she took in all the passerby.

A flier buzzed by just above them, making her duck a bit to avoid the breeze. A blur whizzed by as someone ran along at superhuman speeds, the occasional motor vehicle, a few horses and many bicycles out on the road. The men and women on the street ran a broad range from the purely human to the animal hybrids like herself.

A few blocks down Cole carefully crossed the street, walking up the Vancouver Public Library. The seven story tall circular building had been preserved in the darkness, even the most desperate realizing that the knowledge within would be vital in reconstruction. Yes, glass walls and doors had been broken, the commercial interests scattered in a half-circle inside defaced, but the library itself was left mostly intact.

Cole pushed open the wooden door into the courtyard then over to the entrance to the library itself, nodding to the armed guards. "Cole, Mayor Bannon's office," she identified herself,. despite the fact that they knew her pretty well by now.

"Welcome," the grizzled older man nodded, "we only have power up to the fourth floor, our generators are acting up again."

"No problem," Cole said as he held the door open, the improvised wood and steel barriers a bit rugged but still quite effective. She headed to what had been escalators but now functioned as up and down stairways and went up to the third floor.

The floor was quiet, the worn carpeting still helping to muffle footsteps. Cole walked by the information desk on the left, the fine arts division, and moved through the stacks to the study tables that were set up on the outer rim of the building. She caught her scent before seeing her, the slim blonde sitting at a table all alone.

"Welcome, Cole," she said, the woman turning to her with a slight smile, the courier tattoo she wore placed boldly on her left cheek.

"Hello Susan," Cole smiled back, bending down to place a friendly peck on that cheek. She studied the thin face, the curved lips that so easy formed a smile, those unnerving silvery eyes.

"How have things been at the Mayor's office?" Susan asked, reverently setting a battered paperback aside on the table.

"Pretty typical," Cole admitted with a smile. She tilted her head to the side, cat's ears flicking back and forward, "You wanted to see me?"

Susan studied her thoughtfully, "I've heard a disturbing rumor that a member of the Courier's guild was pressured by members of the Mayor's office."

"And if there was any fact to these rumors?" Cole asked.

"Rumors aren't really an issue," Susan gravely, "but if the member in question files a formal complaint the guild will have to take official action."

"I understand," Cole nodded, wondering who might have blabbed. Choosing her words carefully she said, "I don't think that will be necessary, the guild member in question has a reputation for handling things like this herself."

"Indeed," Susan smiled slightly. She gave Cole a look, "I would prefer not to interrupt the relationship between the guild and Mayor's office, of course."

"Of course," Cole agreed.

"You've heard the latest about Jack Scott?" Susan asked with false innocence.

"No, what?" Cole asked, wondering what she might have heard.

"Scott is reopening her office," Susan had a dangerous little smile on her face, "she's going back into business as a private investigator and negotiator."

"So she's no longer an active courier," Cole mused softly, "and is no longer under the protection of your organization."

Susan snorted her amusement, "She doesn't need our protection."

Cole nodded glumly, "True."

To be continued....