ShadowChancer
Chapter 17
by MistThing, published on March 31, 2001
Gabriel followed Leigh out of Starbucks, and then stopped, searching for Grace. She tagged along slowly, lagging behind him, her eyes still caught in a faraway gaze. Gabriel cursed silently.
-"Gracie, come on, no time!" - his arm circled her narrow shoulders, sweeping her forward forcefully with him.
The trio headed for the street, pushing against the larger-then-expected crowds.
-"What's goin' on here, Leigh?" - hissed Gabriel, embracing Grace tightly - "I don't like the atmosphere around this place ..."
Leigh turned her head halfway to him while manoeuvring within the breathing, buzzing tight knot of street dwellers. "It's November 29th today, Gabriel" - she raised her voice over the crowd's hum - "The World Trade Organization conference is due here, Downtown Seattle, in two days. Haven't you both noticed the gathering of demonstrators and police forces on the streets during the past week?"
-"How did it slip my mind ..." - Grace mumbled weakly - "I'm a reporter, how the hell could I not - "
-"Forget about it, Grace" - Gabriel practically carried her forward while casting worried glances around - "You were looking elsewhere, okay? You can't control every damn thing, Gracie, now don't you crack up on me, Grace, walk, dammit!"
-"It has been fairly quiet till now" - remarked Leigh, making a sharp turn into a less-crowded street - "My boss at S.A.F. didn't even call off CityWalks for Kids, but..." - she shrugged - "I wouldn't like to be here tomorrow ... It's gonna get ugly fast in here, for sure ... remember this date, November 30th 1999..."
-"We simply had to stumble across a riot or two..." - Gabriel muttered softly - "didn't we, Gracie?"
Grace smiled faintly. "It just occurred to me, Gabriel" - she said - "Wade might know that I had taken the blood with me, but thanks to Barricade he doesn't know I'm carrying it ... in me ..."
-"I still don't know what to make of this, Gracie" - Gabriel gave her a careful, quick gaze - "Let's just ... get ourselves outta here for now, okay?"
She gave him a slight nod, a fleeting breeze disheveling her black hair.
-"Where are we headin', Leigh?" - pressed Gabriel.
-"I've got to find us a safe house for tonight" - Leigh was leading them fast out of the Downtown district, going south - "I'm not a too-good mind-shielder, Gabriel, that's not my field. But I sense something closing in..." - she frowned - "I'm not going back to my temp job, that's for sure. Time for me to move on again..."
They were walking for quite a while now, Leigh dictating a fast pace. Their surroundings gradually acquired a rough, industrial semblance dominated by brick warehouses and massive trucking yards, punctuated by heavy weight industries.
Gabriel breathed in the gritty, dusty air. "Charming..." - he mumbled.
-"Welcome to SODO district" - said Leigh.
-"SODO?" - Gabriel was still urging Grace forward, his arm and hand sweating around her lower back and waist, his face and neck hot with the effort of their prolonged walk.
-"SODO means simply 'South of the Kingdome'..." - Grace responded feebly - "or, 'South of Downtown' ... it's Seattle's industrial district. Been here a few times 'cause of my work..."
-"There are a lot of artists living in here, too" - pointed out Leigh - "They've converted unoccupied warehouses into their own living spaces, getting a strange kick out of the train horns and the drone of cars at night..."
-"Yeah, and they can easily get industrial supplies for their artwork, and make as much noise as they want" - responded Grace, looking somewhat more spirited - "So, does your safe house belong to such an artist?"
-"Hey, Gracie" - Gabriel grinned in Grace's ear - "If you're after some ... noise and art supplies, why didn't you tell me so, honey?"
-"Jerk..." - mumbled Grace, but she was smiling. Her tread was lighter now, relieved from the load of whatever haunted her soul the last couple of hours.
They passed a large steel casting factory, and Leigh made another turn, entering a compact dead end alley. She entered a building painted with a huge colorful mural. "That pile of dirt here used to be a printing house" - she remarked, swallowed by the black entrance.
Gabriel paused before entering, studying the mural. "I get a strange feeling lookin' at this, Grace" - he told her.
Grace studied the painting, her lips spreading with a slight surprise. "Look up there, Gabriel" - she raised her hand - "That symbol integrated into the mural ... we've seen it before ... a moon crescent with a four-pointed star lying in its curve."
-"Yeah" - said Gabriel, frowning - "The Starlight Cybercafe logo."
Grace headed for the entrance. Gabriel placed his hand gently on her shoulder, making her halt. "I don't like this one bit, Gracie..." - he whispered softly. She shrugged and walked inside.
Last update: October 25, 2007
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