Run Rabbit, Run!
Posted on Sun Feb 6th, 2022 @ 4:14am by The Narrator & Jacy Wright
Mission:
Li Shen's Bazaar
Location: Li Shen's Bazaar
Timeline: November 3rd - Before and then after the bookshop
Blue eyes scanned the list in her hand as Jacy tucked blonde hair behind an ear to keep it from falling into her face. It was almost a moot gesture, because as soon as she glanced back down it just tumbled back down again. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Jacy pulled her long hair over her shoulder and gave it a quick, hasty braid, securing it with a tie she had wrapped around her wrist earlier. It was one less thing to worry about. Unlike being off the ship and wandering around the open market. She hadn’t entirely been sure about the Bazaar as a place for her to stay for any given amount of time and she hoped to scour through the message boards later to see what ships were looking for passengers and such. Or maybe signing on with a crew would be best.
“What?” Jacy was half distracted, until she glanced up at the small Asian woman that had spoken to her. Then the words clicked and her face paled, the color slowly draining as fear crept up her spine. Surely not? She gave a small nod, her head turning to survey the area. There. Those men must have been what the woman noticed and considered trouble, and well, she wasn’t wrong it seemed like as they’re gazes zeroed in on her. “-I have to go. Xie-xie.” Jacy mumbled a hasty thank you before slipping into the crowd, pulling the jacket she’d been wearing from her shoulders and tying it around her waist in her attempt to run. Away. She had to get away.
Jacy nearly screamed when the hand latched onto her shoulder, sliding to her braid, jerking her backwards into a strong chest while clamping a hand over her mouth. It wasn’t something that he needed to do, not when she froze, blue eyes wide, skittish. Hadn’t this been the whole reason behind getting Cassia to teach her things? Right…. That set her into motion, into trying to break free, only the hand wrapped around her braid and pulled, making her back arch at an uncomfortable angle, “Riley, Riley, Riley. Come on now, dearie, we’ve been searching everywhere for you.”
Her heart raced as she struggled to remember the small bit of self defense she’d been taught, and once it flickered back into her mind, she grabbed it and let it take over. Before she realized what had actually happened his hold on her loosened and, even though they’d drawn some stares, she smiled, uttered a quick “Sorry.” and darted back into the crowd, weaving through until she could blend in and disappear.
He'd moved quickly, shaking out the pain in his arm from her unexpected retaliation, but his bulky form didn't slide anywhere near as easy as Riley's through that tightknit mass of bodies. It was busy here, folks milling around in random directions, gaze caught by this sign or that call in an everchanging dance of people and recreational pursuits.
So, he didn't shout or shove, but bided his time and circumnavigated said crowd, making his way around its outskirts to try and pick up the woman's trail once more.
In some ways blending in should have been easy, but she'd come to the conclusion that lady luck had a say in whether or not doing so would be successful or not. She tossed a quick nervous glance over her shoulder, knowing better than to believe the wave of relief that threatened to sweep over her. Goons sent by Ford didn't give up so easily, at least she figured the man for a goon.
She didn't immediately see him following, but he was here and that meant she had to be observant. What she did was tug the hood of her jacket up over her blond head, tucking her braid away. And that would have to do for now.
It worked for a little while, but Li Shen’s wasn’t a planet-sized place to hide out in, and it seemed Ford had more than one set of eyes and ears here.
As Riley left the bookstore in her wake and once again set out alone, she eventually came across someone unfamiliar who blocked her path in a firm, confident and yet not by overly aggressive means. Someone the suspicious characters lurking in her wake had clearly made a definite point of guiding her towards.
“Miss Scott,” stated the dark skinned man with the definite air of authority. “We need to talk.” His hand rested lightly upon the holstered handgun, and in the relatively confined space of the accessway corner Jacy had been funnelled into. “That is, if Dr Whitcomb is still important to you?”
Maybe it was the meeting of new people, and a single old friend -no, Adabelle, Alison, wasn’t technically an old friend or even an old acquaintance, Riley had just stitched the other woman up once upon a time ago… But maybe it was those things, along with the possibility of getting hired to a ship that would get her away from this place and the goons that had somehow caught up to her. She’d been so careful, and possibly stupid, for thinking blending in here would be easier than a planet. But whatever the reasons, the man appearing in front of her didn’t strike her as someone she should be worried about as she offered an apologetic smile and tried to sidestep around him. Only, he blocked her way yet again. It was done so skillfully, so smoothly that it took much longer than it should have for her brain to catch up to not only what was happening, but the fact that he’d used her real name.
Blue eyes darted from his face, to the way his hand set upon the butt of his gun. At least he hadn’t pulled it free or jabbed it into her side. And just when had she started thinking of such things as a good thing? “I’m sorry, you’ve-” but her words of telling him he’d mistaken her for someone else drifted as she realized that she’d successfully been herded. Her breath caught and she steeled her shoulders, “I’ve no idea who that is.” But the flash of recognition in her eyes would be noticed by someone skilled, and she moved to pass by him once again.
He waited, patiently, for the woman to realise her position, neither ordering or cajoling, but simply allowing there to be time to process the existing information. He wasn't particularly tall (about 5'10") and in his olive green shirt and dark cargo pants, boots worn, but well-maintained, leather the man gave the impression he worked for a living. His face advertised a personality somewhere between character building and earnest sincerity, and his demeanor left no doubt that he was used to getting shit done.
“I’ve no idea who that is.”
The man grinned. A warm smile that indicated he understood this game and he was happy to play. He spoke with an even tone, and occasionally looked past Jacy/Riley to supportive eyes he clearly had out beyond them.
"I think you do," he said, tone nonchalant and friendly. "But either way, I have a proposition for you, Miss Scott. You can take a paid position on a particular Firefly class transport leaving this station this afternoon, and you can feed back information to me without giving those on board any idea that conversation is ongoing. You can help me out." He paused. "And in return I will ensure your backside is kept safe from those who wish you ill. Or," he canted his head to the side and back up again as if considering her options for her. "You can keep running and hiding on your own while putting Dr Whitcomb at risk. Your choice."
Ta Ma Duh.
The grin that spread across the stranger’s face had Jacy nearly shaking in her boots, and she was wearing boots, as it sent chills racing up her spine. She didn’t know him, but judging by that reaction, he knew she was lying and was more than likely going to enjoy whatever came next. He certainly gave the impression of a man not to be messed around with, one that got things done, and for a moment Jacy wondered if he was one of Ford’s goons, or something else entirely. Like a bounty hunter. The thought that she wasn’t dealing with the usual type of ruggagins, made her pause as he spoke, her gaze following his and realizing that she had indeed been effectively cornered.
His proposition took her by surprise and for a few moments she could only blink at him as they ran back through her head, something of a jumbled mess. But, she got the jist…boy did she. Jacy swallowed, eyes drifting from his face to start over his shoulder, not that she paid any attention to what she was seeing. This was a dilemma. Go shi, she thought as she nibbled at her lip. What choice did she have though?
“That’s all, just information? No sabotaging or anything?” It sounded simple enough.
He nodded, as if we talking to a prospective worker at a factory or some other mundanely interesting conversational interview. Relaxed, sincere and straightforward, he didn't make a power move or shift his hand from that holstered gun. If she ran, well, he had back-up out there ready and waiting. He had time to let her think about it, so he allowed Riley that headspace to make up her own mind.
"Just information," he confirmed. "No sabotaging. Like to keep them all alive and kicking," he added, his gaze suggesting that could include her too if she played this right. "But you tell them about this conversation, or anything about me and deal's off."
Again he waited, letting Riley make her decision.
Expecting a more verbal answer, she watched as he nodded, her gaze dipping down the hand he kept resting there on his gun, as if he had all the time in the world. And Jacy knew that if she tried anything, that not only would it not work, she’d be in even more trouble than she already was. Before she could get lost in her own thoughts he did speak, giving her the answer she had hoped for. This was going to be a position that she’d never thought she would find herself in, but here she stood.
She snorted, a roll of her eyes accompanying her words, “Like I know anything about you.” But she sobered quickly, and saw no other choice, “Fine. I’ll do it.” But there went trying to get hired onto that other ship, the one Ada- no Alison had told her about earlier.
The man didn't smile, but his expression didn't wrinkle into fury either. He'd been on both sides of this kinda friendly chat a few times in his lifetime and was quite comfortable with either. Verse worked well when folks knew where they stood, what they were sposed to be doing, expectations aligned and all that.
"No mention of me or this conversation," he reiterated simply, and his expression now left Riley under no doubt that he was waiting for her verbal confirmation. "No word of our deal, no sharing of our information. Gonna need you to verbalise that agreement."
She nodded as the man repeated himself, understanding what he was saying and eager to be away from the stranger. But he needed her to say it, “No mention of the deal, sharing information, or of you.” There. Done.
Once that was done, her words of agreement given, he gave a short whistle and a kid in a hoody stepped out of the darkness to his left. He slipped a well-used, dusty backpack from his shoulders and handed it over to Riley while managing not to break the gunman's line of sight for a millisecond. It was heavy when she picked it up.
"Some medical gear and a cortex," the gunman confirmed. "Have a feeling you're gonna need both. You can call me 'Arlo', when you check in. Are you still you going with 'Riley'?"
The short whistle took her by surprise, startling her so that she jumped slightly. Seeing the kid step forward and hand over a backpack was unexpected, but she took it, a “oof” passing her lips as she realized it was heavier than she thought it would be and it almost slipped from her grasp and to the floor. She was pulling at the zipper when he told her what was inside. That figured, but she peered inside, taking note of gear inside and the cortex, things that looked like they’d been well used, but obviously still worked or he wouldn’t be handing them over. And she wan’t stupid enough to believe that the cortex would be untraceable either. “Jacy. Wouldn’t he know this, though, if he’d found her?
"Jacy it is," Arlo noted, verbally as his gaze remained on the young woman as she checked out the kit. Just needed to be sure he was using the correct alias, keep things straight. "So, we're good to go. Help them out. They need a medic fairly often, so should be easy enough. Report back to me when I need you to - and check in with me whenever you land anywhere. Say nothing about me or this conversation to any of them. Any questions?" He offered.
She was confused and it showed on her face as her head jerked up and her eyes searched his face. That was all this was? Helping out a crew she didn't know and reporting back to him? "That's really it?"
Arlo kept his smile internal for the moment, though it warmed his heart to see that uncertainty. He could always work with the 'keen to get deeper in the crap' kinda souls. The ones who expected the shitty end of the sticks, the type who'd been kicked and bruised and pushed around.
"For now," he confirmed. "That's really it, yeah. Make some friends, keep me posted. I might have some fetch-and-carry errands for you to run in the future, but when I do you'll get plenty of notice."
He studied the young woman's face for a good long few seconds in silence, then waved at her to be gone.
"Go away now," Arlo told Jacy with a good-natured urgency.
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