The Writers Guild Presents: 3/7/2014

Let it Rain

Chapter Two

Hell hath no fury

Rage.

There's no other word for how she feels right now; just total, uncontrollable rage. This was it; this was the last time that she was going to let something like this happen to her again.

How can he leave her again?!

Jessica couldn't comprehend her fiancés gall. With just a single call in the middle of the night, he's whisked away, again, on call to look at God-knows what in God-knows where. He didn't even tell her, he just left a note on the counter saying: "gone on business". Yes, of course, she had tried to call him, but his phone went to voicemail every time. That was the last straw.

"I know, Mom."

With her phone tucked between her head and shoulder, Jessica walks through the house shoveling anything of Brian's into a cardboard box. Her mother, talking to her all of the way in Texas, tries her best to reason with her daughter.

"I don't care how long we've been together," Jessica says, tossing a fragile model of a T-Rex skeleton forcefully into the box. "He's missed two Christmas's, every birthday and Valentine's Day this year, I'm not putting up with this anymore!"

Her mother spouts some story about her forty year marriage but Jessica's barely paying attention.

"Look," she finally yells, "if this were any other day then I probably wouldn't have been as mad, but a week before the wedding? He's lucky I don't try to go out and kill him! We're through, Mom, that's that!"

She angrily hangs the phone up and tosses it onto the living room couch. Since she saw the note this morning she's been taking everything that she could find even remotely related to Brian and stuffing it into cardboard boxes. She's on her fourth one now and still has another room to go through. It doesn't matter though, as soon as he's completely out of her life, the better.

Brian was an archeologist employed by the county museum. On their first date he bragged that he was one of the top in the country. Jessica found out a few months later that was more of a curse than an accomplishment. Since their first date, Brian's been called to investigate any strange find that other archeologists dug up. At first Jessica thought that was just something that she had to suffer for their relationship, but now she wasn't anymore.

Taking a break, Jessica stares at the boxes.

Maybe I should just throw them away, Jessica thought, thinking of the look on Brian's face when he saw all of his stuff in the trash. Jessica smiles.

It was the best idea she heard all day.

With a grunt, she lifts the first of the boxes, the ones full of archeology magazines and books and slowly walked to the door.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

"Coming!" Jessica calls, asking herself who could be at the door.

Jessica sets the box down and opens the front door, revealing a man dressed sharply in a black suit and tie.

"Good morning," he says, flashing on bright white smile. "by any chance are you Miss Jessica Turner?"

"Yes," Jessica says, eying the man. "And who are you?"

The man grabs his coat pocket and pulls out a badge, "my name is Special Agent Jackson Hite. I'm here to investigate-"

"It's about Brian, isn't it?" Jessica asks, crossing her arms.

The man looks surprised for a second but quickly recovers. "By any chance, do you know where he is?"

"No, and quite frankly I don't care."

Another surprised look.

"Why do you want to know?"

Agent Hite straightens his tie and says, "Because, Miss Turner, we believe that what Mr. Grant may have gone to investigate is of national security."

If she wasn't so mad, Jessica might have laughed. "National security? Brian? What exactly do you think he's gone to investigate?"

"Something that we think can bring down our entire civilization."

Agent Hite doesn't even blink, and suddenly Jessica doesn't seem so mad anymore.

Outside Café Central, Oregon Street, El Paso

Siwang pulled her Suzuki Hayabusa to a stop opposite the restaurant as she saw the parked Jaguar S-Type and the blacked out jeep that had been at King’s warehouse. Scanning the rooftops she picked out the only one that had easy line of sight into the café and headed round the back of the building and up the fire escape to the red roof of the ‘El Paso Loans and Savings’ bank. The street was normal, filled with walkers and traffic enjoying the evening sun.

“I’m on the roof.” She announced, “Soko isn't here but that is definitely his sons car parked outside.”

“We took the liberty of mounting a camera in your bow’s scope.” Vance replied, “Use it to give us eyes on the café.” He suggested as Siwang opened the backpack her contact had dropped off and released the spring that kept her compound bow compacted. Unscrewing the scope she stood it on the edge of the roof pointing at the café as she pulled out a quiver loaded with arrows from a poster tube. “Can you see Montague?”

“You seem almost concerned?” Vance stated. “OK he’s sitting in a booth with three figures; faces are shadowed but the security cameras inside should be able to tell us who they are. While that’s running…Huh okay Leon wants to talk to you.” He stated. “Something about firing angles and other line of sight stuff.”

“Siwang you are on the wrong roof, from your position you can hit three of the four targets. Assuming Boccanegra and his men know anything about tactics they will put him out of a direct line shot. The forth man can only be hit through an acutely angle shot and with all the activity there is a good chance someone else would take the first bullet.” Leon explained, “The map shows a building that would just fit the profile required to make the shot, angle the scope 110° to the left.”

Turning the scope Siwang loaded an arrow in her bow but there was no one visible on the rooftop. “He’s not here, either Svračak led us here as a distraction or he’s late for his own assassination.” She stated as she turned back to the Jaguar S-Type parked below her.

“Facial analysis complete and…oh s**t. I can't believe this. Montague is meeting James, as in our James and his partner Gillian West. The fourth man is Agent Theodore Hunter of Homeland Security.” Vance gasped. “Does that mean…”

“No there are plenty of possibilities.” Siwang stated, “Let’s focus on our enemies first and our friends later. I’m tired of waiting for Soko so let’s flush him out.” She added before aiming her bow at the wall behind the booth. “Get his target running and force him to reveal himself.” She added before releasing the arrow, the projectile scything through the plate glass window and into the back wall, the diners and staff scattering immediately. “Ok eyes open guys, look out for either of our targets.”

“Got something, I have ID on Svračak. Coming out the kitchen, no visible weapons but who knows what he had stored away. If you move now you should be able to catch up with him.” Vance announced as Siwang sprung into action, heading for the fire escape and sliding down, bow in hand as the crowd fled the restaurant. Crossing the road she saw her target climbing the fire escape of the Texas Tower building before seeing the flash of a gun going off, the bullet flying past her and boring a hole into the wall of the neighbouring building. “I've found Soko!” She answered as the old man retreated into the room on the third floor. Without hesitation Siwang climbed up the fire escape after him before entering the sniper's nest.

“Siwang I have James on the other line.” Vance stated. “What do I tell him?” Siwang turned off the headset, she was done talking couldn’t afford the distraction; she was facing two skilled foes armed with military weapons in the location they had set up camp, it was a perfect ambush. Walking towards the kitchenette she saw a flash of movement and spun round releasing an arrow as Svračak ran past her and out of the room, his father taking advantage of the distraction and emerging from the apartments kitchenette, stabbing his claw like knuckle duster into Siwang’s back.

“And here I thought the Chinese archer my son described to me would be a worthy challenge.” Soko hissed. “Yet like every other hit man, thug and problem solver in this city you have been found wanting.” He wheezed as he removed a syringe from a case strapped to his belt. “I want the Yankee sniper who shot me to end this. Because of the depleted uranium bullet he put in me I’m dying of cancer.”

“You deserve it!” Siwang snarled as she lashed out, kicking the syringe away before reaching for an arrow and thrusting it towards Soko only for her opponent to shift to the right, her blow going wide and opening her up to a scratch on the face.

“I did what I was ordered to!” Soko snarled before landing another scratch across the Patron Saint of Crime’s cheek. “I’m not like you!”

“No you’re…argh.” Before she could finish pain wracked through her body as the venom on the knuckle duster began to take effect.

“Ah so you were referring to the children?” Soko stated, “They needed pain, they needed to be reminded of why they hated us, why their parents fought us so we could be seen as just when we destroyed everyone of them!” He spat before removing a knife from the kitchen, police sirens sounding. “I should be going but then maybe one of the officers will surprise me. Now where to cut, not that it matters even a breath of wind on your skin feels like a burning brand.” He stated as Siwang convulsed on the floor screaming, her movements spilling arrows everywhere.

“Let me father,” Svračak stated as he re-emerged, “the police are still struggling through the masses. They will not be here in time to stop us.”

“Ah that’s my boy.” Soko said, a smile spreading across his face. “I admit that the pain is getting to me, I will watch you perform art with the blade rather than create it myself.” He announced, not realising that Siwang had an EpiPen in one hand and was reaching for an arrow with the other. Walking over Svračak loomed over his victim and smiled before resting the blade against Siwang’s thigh before slowly drawing up her leg, a line of blood left in the knives wake.

“I’m going to enjoy this as much as my father!” Svračak snarled as he raised the blade up for a stab. In a flash Siwang struck, the arrow jabbing through her torturer’s hand causing him to fling the knife back as he fell to the floor. “Father how could she resist!? The venom should be killing her?!”

“Lucky I had the foresight to pick up this.” Siwang grunted as her body continued to convulse under the effect of the venom, her hand spasm causing her to drop the EpiPen. “Actually you gave me the idea; in Macau my mother believed that centipede venom had pain numbing properties. She was right in a way; a clinical trial found that one peptide in the venom blocks the pain receptors in the nervous system. Turns out King was more than happy to supply me with the base venom after you tried to kill him. And while I’m going to feel like hell in an hour right now I bet your son feels worse!!”

“I feel fine?” Svračak stated. “Your old fashioned weapons are ineffective in the modern age.”

“Say that in six minutes when the curare laced in the arrowhead takes effect.” Siwang hissed. “Oh right in six minutes he'll be unable to breathe.” She added picking up her headset, bow and quiver. “CPR will keep him alive; I’ll leave his fate to you” She added before dropping onto the fire-escape, the police were just arriving as evidence by the sirens and the thud of boots in the café.

“I caught him.” She whispered down the line. “Texas Tower, send paramedics one the area is secure. Just make sure he gets to the war courts.” She added before slipping away into the darkness.

**

The Church, Under Altura Park

Siwang screamed as Jody, a trained paramedic one of her acolytes, took her temperature. Shaking her head she slipped out of the room as James walked in, arms folded and a look that could kill etched across his face. “Do I even have to say it?” He asked.

“Don’t…have to…pain is…reward.” Siwang grunted.

“You killed a man today.” James told her. “It’s bad enough you took the shot at me in the restaurant but when we got to Soko’s position we found his son Svra…something in critical condition. He died before the paramedics could get to him, one of your arrows in his arm.”

“Kid…was…monster but I…gave…Soko ultima…not my.” Siwang struggled before screaming in pain.

“Listen Maya as soon as this is over you are going to jail regardless of the fact you are my sister.” James stated. “This was all meant to be a bluff, you were an actress not a killer but I guess with where you came from I should have seen through your façade. From now on I’m not your brother, your friend or somebody to count on. I never thought I would say this but you disgust me more than any of the criminals I've ever arrested!! Congratulations ‘Siwang’ you killed two people today,” He added as he walked away, “Soko’s son and Maya Elizabeth Grady because from now on you are dead to me.”