NRPG: I tried to sort out the time line in this post, and I think I got it right. I think the events with Leo and Zenya happen the night the team returns from Boston, and Chris get attacked the following night. If I didn't, kick me. I wanted to get this out yesterday, but I ended up having to go in to work and make the world safe for nuclear power.
I also found out this morning that one of the players from the USS PROMETHEUS died suddenly over the weekend. I'm a little numb at the moment so I don't know how the writing will be. It's odd how these tenuous connections we make really affect us.
RPG:
[St. Vincent's Hospital - Morning]
"Are you ok?"
The voice cut through the fog and Jordan felt hands on his shoulders. His head rung like the Liberty Bell. He sat up against the wall in the stair case and forced his eyes to focus on the person in front of him. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said to the nurse who was leaning over him, "I must have tripped coming down the stairs."
"Lets get you down stairs to the ER and have you looked at."
"Thanks," Jordan said standing, "but I'm all right, really."
"If you say so..." the nurse said.
Jordan nodded and walked toward the door leading from the stair case to whatever floor he had landed near.
Jordan pushed open the door and stepped through. He moved to one side and leaned against the wall. The ringing in his head was beginning to subside, but he figured he'd have a nasty bruise when he was done. Whoever that guy was he had an odd way of making a point.
Jordan's cell phone began to ring. "Stern," he answered.
[Jordan, we have a big problem,] Zenya said.
She sounded panicked and Jordan became worried suddenly. Zenya was normally one of the calmest people he had ever met. "It's Rebecca Cross. She's after us."
"Are you ok?" Jordan asked.
[I'm fine but my... friend Valery has been shot.]
"By Rebecca?"
[No, by Leo actually,] there was a hint of ammusement in her voice.
"Ok, I'll come to you. Where are you?"
[I'm at St. Vincent's Hospital,] Zenya replied.
"What room?"
[515.]
"I'll be there in two minutes," Jordan said walking back into the staircase and climbing upward.
[Two minutes?]
"Yeah," Jordan said pushing open the door to the fifth floor. "Keep talking, I'm almost there."
[Is this some kind of joke?] Zenya asked.
Jordan knocked on the door and Zenya turned around. She was sitting in a chair by Valery's bed. She hung up her cell phone and looked at him in amazement for a moment before standing up and walking over to him. She reached out to brush the hair away from the bruise that was forming on his forehead, "What happenend."
Jordan grabbed her wrist before she could touch him, "Sorry, but it's a little tender still. I had a conversation with someone who had a little advice for me. I think he wanted to drive his point home."
Jordan looked over at Valery's sleeping form, "Come on, I'll buy you some coffee, and you can tell me what happened."
***
Zenya was finishing her story when Agent Martin Reed walked into the cafeteria. He explained what had happened at his apartment that morning.
> "Who do you think is behind all of this?" Martin asked Jordan.
> "An old enemy of ours, Rebecca Cross. She has had it in for Team Zulu, ever > since we put an end to her murderous plans, a couple of months ago."
> "So that's who R C is..."
> "What's that?"
> "Emily was attacked this morning, by someone working under orders from an > R C. It must be Rebecca Cross."
> "Is she OK?"
> "She's fine. It takes more than one man to get to her." Martin told Jordan > about the lamp and about how angry she was, that someone had the nerve to > try and attack her.
> "Let's go up and see how the patients are doing," Jordan said.
They returned to the 5th floor and walked over to the door of Valery's room. He was awake, and Zenya looked briefly at Stern and Reed before entering.
Jordan and Martin walked down the corridor a short distance before Martin asked, "Well, what do we do now?"
"We're in a bad situation. Rebecca's the hunter here and we're the hunted. The only thing we can do is be careful. I'm going to call Jenny and have her pass the word to Vanessa and Jim.
***
[JEH]
"Ok, Agent Stern. I'm taking a few hours off this afternoon, but I'll make sure Agents Lee and Reaper get the word. I'll be back in this evening to make up the time if you need me."
[Thanks Jenny, I'll talk to you later.]
"Bye."
Jenny hung up the phone and walked down the hall to Vanessa's office. She wasn't in, but it certainly looked like she'd be back soon. Jenny wrote Jordan's message down on a piece of paper and put it in the center of Vanessa's desk.
Vanessa returned a few minutes after Jenny left with an armfull of files which she placed in the center of her desk.
***
Jordan was sitting in front of the TV with the remote control on a table to his left, a bowl of popcorn in his lap, and his SIG-Sauer P-225 on the table to his right. With Rebecca Cross on the prowl he wasn't taking any chances.
The phone began to ring and he muted the TV, picked up his gun and walked into the kitchen to answer it. He picked up the phone and said, "Stern residence."
[Jordan, we've got a problem,] Jim Reaper said.
"What's the matter?"
[It appears Rebecca Cross got to Vanessa's boyfriend.]
Jordan sighed, "Where are you?"
[St. Vincent's.]
"I'll be there in about half an hour."
***
[The following day - noon-ish - JEH]
Jordan had the entire team packed into his office. Jim had just returned from saving Barney, and they all looked at Jordan wondering when the phone call would come.
"I've arranged for agents to stand guard at the hospital. Fortunately both Chris and Valery are expected to recover. I think we have two choices at this point. We can either take the offensive and try to track down Rebecca Cross, or we can wait for her to come to us."
"I think we've got to take the offensive," Leo said.
"I agree," Jordan said nodding, "I don't like the idea of playing this game at her pace."
The phone rang and Jordan answered, "Stern."
[Hello Agent Stern.]
"Good morning Rebecca. How are you?"
[How can you be so calm? You know what's coming.]
"That's precicely why I'm so calm."
[You were very difficult, Agent Stern. I had to work very hard to figure out what to do with you. It's going to take a while, but I think you'll really enjoy what I have in store for you.]
"Why so cryptic Rebecca? I thought you like being direct and watching us suffer."
[In this case the suspense is part of the suffering. Have fun with your band of merry men, Robin Hood.]
Rebecca hung up suddenly, and Jordan could only sit and stare at the phone for a moment. Rebecca had been anything but direct with him, and that was a departure from her behavoiir over the past couple of days.
The phone rang again, and Jordan answered, "Stern."
[Jordan? It's me.]
"Sarah?" it surprised him that his sister would call him at the office.
[Yeah. I had to call. I just found out I'm pregnanat! Isn't that great?]
A chill ran up Jordan's spine.
NRPG:
Next!!
Gotta go feed some kids.