Log:Unfinished Business, Epilogue

Unfinished Business 2009/11/14 	 Ferryl Sable 1

Lady Luck tries to think. "I don't know what we can do! How do we track a submarine?!"

Sable straightens from where she sits, sheets of water pouring off her as she rises, her lips curling into a soft smile. "I'm fine, thank you, considering whether I should change identity. For all Vendetta knows I'm dead, perhaps I'm better off keeping it that way."

Sable waits in the shadow of a crate with water dripping off her. Her head turns as Ferryl and Amy approach. "We can let him go, he's within his rights, I wronged him more than any person should ever have to endure."

Lady Luck brightens up as she sees Sable. "You're ok!!"

Lady Luck says, "I was so worries when we founs out he'd taken you away underwater! How did you get away?"

Sable's shoulders lift slightly. "I'm good at escaping bonds."

Lady Luck says, "Oooh, an extra-secret identity! That's a good idea."

Ferryl nods in agreement. "I'd do it. If I had any way of keeping people from knowing me." She checks Sable over thoughtfully. "Anything broken?"

Sable shakes her head. "I'm fine thankyou, no real harm. We could let key people know that I've changed but otherwise we could sort of cover it up. And hopefully Mr Vendetta won't be back."

Lady Luck says, "So how come he's so mad at you?"

Sable says, "For a long time I was a brain-washed agent of next Generation, during that time I did some very bad things."

Lady Luck frowns. "Oh."

Ferryl nods. "Like me but less willing at the time. Or so I'd guess."

Lady Luck says, "I guess that's kind of bad, because then maybe he has a real reason to be angry so it's harder to talk him out of it."

Sable says, "So he's got a lot of justification for being angry at me, and I don't really blame him, he wants to avenge his Dad." Her shoulders lift in another shrug. "And who wouldn't."

Ferryl inclines her head. "I was under the impression that this sort of behavior wasn't condoned by society."

Sable's head tilts in acknowledgement of Ferryl's point. "It isn't... but in my experience tit-for-tat escalation always ends in tears. One side or the other has to be willing to let go."

Sable says, "I'm mostly glad you two didn't get hurt."

Lady Luck says, "I'm just sorry I didn't get here sooner!"

Sable smiles and shakes her head. "I'm grateful you made it at all, it's better than I deserve for walking straight into a trap like that."

Lady Luck says, "Well, it's not a very good trap if you don't walk into it!"

Ferryl nods. "I'm gonna have some words with the people I talked to. You might be willing to let this go but a lot of people were involved in this and since I got out, they might think I'm gonna take retribution on them, so they might decide that I need to be dealt with."

Sable says, "I need to talk to wiser heads and see what they think, this is all very fresh. Certainly Mister Carrao could use a lesson in manners."

Sable says, "Him I am angry with."

Ferryl nods. "So how do you plan to talk to him without everyone knowing you're still alive?"

Sable says, "It's just a fleeting idea, I'm not at all certain it's in any way practical."

Sable says, "But if I don't then I'm going to have to have words with Vendetta"

Ferryl smirks. "And he's gonna want to kill you again. Doesn't exactly strike me as the type to be satisfied with failure."

Sable says, "Which is why I need to have words with Vendetta. I'm not certain that he is a killer, if he were he would have simply shot me in the head when he had the opportunity. He is hurt and angry, and he has a right to be, but I think he is his father's son and he has the same moral compass."

Ferryl shakes her head. "He planned it out, and he performed the act himself. If he's not a killer, he'd likely want to see you brought to justice instead of y'know, killing you."

Sable's shoulders lift in a small shrug. "Then perhaps it's time to face justice. I've taken the attitude that I am doing enough good to atone for my past actions. If I can't convince Vendetta of that, how good a job can I be doing?"

Ferryl replies, "evidently not godlike enough. I won't pretend to understand what's going on in your or his head about this. I just have trouble seeing it ending the way you seem to."

Sable's shoulders lift slightly. "So what should happen? I kill him or he ends up in prison for attempting a crime that I actually got away with?"

Ferryl shrugs. "I'm not trying to bring you to justice. Are you?"

Sable says, "I don't know, but what I don't want is my crimes claiming another victim."

Ferryl shakes her head. "Still not getting what's up in either of your heads. Vengeance or not, he wasn't happy til he finished with first degree murder. That makes it his crime he falls victim to. He might do it because of something you did, but it's still his choice how to deal with it. Just like it's your choice how to deal with what comes next."

Sable's head tilts. "So you expect me to ignore the causal relationship between my crime and his desire for revenge, that seems facile and self-serving. I would much rather I went to prison for my crimes if that will prevent him from destroying his life in a quest for vengeance the law ought to be claiming on his behalf."

Ferryl hms. "So what you did, you chose to do it?"

Sable says, "That's an argument with some validity, but it's not for me to judge my own extenuating circumstances, that's what juries are for."

Ferryl nods. "Yeah. My question is whether you want to take that road. If you don't, then let him think you're dead. If you do, you're going to be in legal proceedings for a while until whatever they choose to decide."

Sable says, "Unless I can convince Vendetta that I can better atone for the loss of his father out of prison rather than inside."

Ferryl nods. "That's the part I consider unlikely. Long as you got a plan for what to do if what I expect to happen does."

Sable says, "Anyway, as I say, this is a decision that does not concern me alone, there are others with wiser heads I should discuss it with."

Ferryl grins. "Anyone except me."

Sable smiles. "Well having nearly died twice in the one week perhaps I've decided not to act without exploring all the available options. Perhaps I should be more thoughtful and cautious in my approach to this and everything else."

Ferryl nods. "Then that's all I got to say about it. Time for a chat with Carrao to tell him not to order any hits on me or something stupid like that."

Sable says, "I hope that goes well. I'll be happy to help out with that when I've decided on my course of action."

Ferryl smirks. "If I need help with it I'm doing it wrong. Pure negotiation stuff. Or y'know, friendly reminder stuff."

Sable smiles. "Always remember, people are at their most dangerous when they're fearful."

Ferryl nods. "that's not really something that applies to me. I kinda get scarce when I get fearful."

Sable says, "Anyway I should drag my soggy ass back home I guess. Thank you very much for all your help, I very much appreciate it."

Ferryl salutes. "Good drying." She heads off.

Sable cautiously and carefully makes her way home, taking great care that she isn't seen

Ferryl ensures her weapon is at the ready but not held in hand for the visit. She creeps her way into the general area, avoiding lighted zones and the sounds of patrolling security, cameras, looking for the optimal entry. Amusement creeps into her thoughts at the idea of returning to what she used to do, only now without the intent to do something mean.

The home of gangster Christopher Carrao sits behind a ten foot iron fence. From the perimeter, it's not too far to the house. It sits just beyond a semi-circular driveway. There's some activity right now. A car waits in the drive, it's engine idling by the front door of the home. Two men in overcoats wait by the car, keeping an eye out.

Figuring Carrao is probably going to be part of that car by the time things come to an end this evening, Ferryl takes up a perch some distance away and watches.

The guards stand watch for a few minutes, until Carrao emerges from the house, pulling a suitcase along behind himself. He loads it into the trunk of the car, and then everyone gets inside.

Thoughtful while she watches Carrao leave his home, Ferryl decides to try the direct approach. Just as Carrao's door closes, she lands from a leap by the opposite door, opens it up, gets in, and sits down, closing the door gently behind her, using the other doors as cover from the two guards for a moment. "hiya, Chris. You don't mind if I call you Chris, do you? I can stick with Mister Carrao if you prefer." One hand remains on the door release in the event of things turning very sour. "Just here to say, I'm not dead or captured or something, so we can continue having dealings in future." She grins.

"Holy--!" The two guards in the front seat begin to reach for their guns, hidden beneath their coats.

Eyes fixed on the guards' motions, Ferryl tries diplomatic rather than immediately assuming. "Not here to kill. You know me. I don't do that from close up. Here for chatter."

The guards get there guns out and point them at Ferryl. Before they can start shooting, Carrao speaks up. "Wait! Jesus!" he says to his men. He's surprised by Ferryl's appearance, and he tries to squeeze himself as far away from Ferryl as he can in the back seat of the car. After a moment, he's recovered from his panic enough to talk. "Wha-what do you want, Ferryl?"

"Understanding. I want you to understand that I have no hard feelings about what happened earlier. In turn I'd like to understand more about what you think of me as an asset." Ferryl smiles, amused.

Carrao relaxes a little bit. He pauses to think a moment, and then he speaks to his two bodyguards: "You two. Out. Now." He preempts their disagreement by adding: "Just shut up and do it." Reluctantly, the two bodyguards leave the car. They watch Ferryl and Carrao, but probably can't hear what's being said.

Carrao asks, "No, what exactly are you talking about?"

Ferryl replies, "Vendetta. He was waiting for Sable. I was in the crossfire. Wasn't too happy about it. So I have questions about how tonight's events came to pass."

"Look.." Carrao says, "I didn't have a choice. Vendetta blackmailed me into helping him. He got hi s hands on some information that would be very damaging to one of my overseas operations. I just set up the meeting, I didn't have anything to do with what happened after." Carrao swallows, his nerves still on edge. "Did yo get him? What happened?"

"What I said, is what happened. There could be more but that's all that happened." Ferryl smiles. "Now Vendetta, he has blackmail on you. Is it in physical format and thus easily misplaced?

"Why should I tell you? So you can blackmail me instead of him?" Carrao asks. "And Sable... is she?"

Ferryl laughs. "Asset, Mr. Carrao. Let me ask you, what use could I have for blackmail material? I don't exactly use money much and well, if I had favors that blackmail tends to call in done for me I'd probably not last long as a free cat lady. The material could go missing, and end up in your possession. One never knows. For the moment, I'm keeping the precise events below the radar. Give it about a week and I can talk about it more freely."

"Well, if you believe what people says," Carrao says, "I'm a bad guy, and you're a good guy. Who's to say that you do want me to rat out my friends." He seems to be comfortable with the conversation now, the initial shock and fear is passed. But lets say that you get rid of this problem for me. What do you want in return?"

Ferryl looks amused. "I'm not one of the good guys." She smiles sweetly, "I do have one favor to ask of you when the thing arrives in your possession. Someone framed me. I have no idea who or where to start asking questions, except that shortly before, some nice anonymous officer made a complaint about my weapon being carried in city limits. I don't like the idea of coincidence when it comes to things about me."

Ferryl inclines her head. "Do you think that information could be obtained?"

"I won't promise you anything," Carrao says, "But if you take care of my problem, I'll ask some people some questions."

Ferryl nods. "I'm not making any demands. As I said, after it arrives, then maybe you can help me. If not, I get a crack at Vendetta. I don't like him very much." She opens the door, sliding out of the car with ease. "Have a pleasant drive." She bounds off.

FIN