Under the Boardwalk

Posted on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 @ 6:49pm by Lieutenant Zachary Chase & Jackson Banning V

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Planet, Beach/Former Party Site

“Shut up!” Chase growled at the other man in the room, the one who’d just been complaining that Chase had left marks on the girl. “Things didn’t exactly go as planned! She wouldn’t drink the drink, then she didn’t want to dance... what a nightmare!”

“Eh, she probably read your mind, knew you were up to no good.” The fellow shrugged. “I don’t think our buyer particularly cares about the state of the woman; besides, the burn from the tazer is nothing a dermal regenerator can’t fix. Banning, though, that one matters. What are you waiting for?”

“I’m on it,” Chase grumbled and left. Being around when Cassidy Wilde woke up wasn’t really something he wanted to do.

* * The Beach * *

Jackson returned to the beach several minutes later having taken the time also to splash some cold water on his face. He had a bad case of the drowsies and wondered if it was his age catching up with him. His mental age at least. He shook that off and decided it was a day full of sun and fruity drinks loaded with alcohol. As he reached the sand, it took him several beats to process what he saw, which was absolutely nothing. No people. No band, no one at the bar, no Cass either.

He walked across the expanse of sand, somewhat bewildered. He hadn’t been in the bathroom that long. Had he? As he continued walking around the area, he tripped over something by their table - Cass’ sandals. What would make her leave so fast that she’d not grab her shoes? He hoped that at least Chase was with her to keep an eye on her.

“Jackson!” A breathless Chase jogged across the sand towards the bewildered tourist. “Oh man, it was crazy! You should have seen this place just clear out!” He laughed and stopped to catch his breath.

“I noticed.” Jackson rubbed his eyes, then looked back at Chase. “What the hell happened? And where’s Cass? I was hopin’ she was with you.”

“Oh, her, yeah, she’s fine. Just taking a nap. I have a friend watching over her. No worries there, buddy,” Chase assured Jackson. “What happened was... well... did you hear there was a bomb threat called in earlier? Over at at the main government building in town? So, of course, when I pointed out a couple of folks who might have been involved in that threat, Archadia’s Security just had to respond. And as they arrested some people, someone shouted ‘bomb!’ and that was all she wrote: everyone scattered.”

He gestured towards Jackson, “Come with me. I’ll take you where Cassidy is.”

“A nap? Well, she is kinda small, and has been matchin’ me pretty much drink for drink today. Lead on, Zach.”

“This way,” Zach clapped Jackson on the shoulder and led the way away from their resort. By the time they’d gone down a sizeable road to a smaller road then to a small alleyway, they hadn’t really gone very far, distance-wise, from the resort. The farther down the alley they went, though, the shadier the area started to look.

“Zach? What’s goin’ on?” Jackson’s brain was still fuzzy from the sedative. He stopped in the alley and turned to face Chase.

Chase stopped and faced Jackson. “It’s like this, Jack, you’re being … what? kidnapped? abducted? run off with?....” He listed a few other applicable words then nodded. “Whatever word you want to use, go ahead.”

“Kidnapped. Yeah, right, funny guy. I like a good joke more than most. Where’s Cass?”

Laughing, the Security officer shrugged, “Don’t say I didn’t tell you. She’s in the building up ahead.” He set off in that direction.

That seemed a rather odd joke to Jackson and he followed, now not at all sure what the hell was going on. He caught up with Chase and fell in step with him. “How’d she get over here?”

Giving Jackson an odd glance, Chase shook his head and didn’t answer. Coming up to the door of the building he’d indicated, he entered a code into the keypad and the door slid open. “After you, Jackson,” he was falsely polite.

Something wasn’t settling too well with Jackson now and he shook his head. “I think I’d rather you just bring ‘er out so we can get back to our weekend.”

“It’s a touch late for that, Jack,” the bigger man said, smiling slightly.

“Alright, just what the hell’s goin’ on Chase? Maybe it’s the liquor talkin’ but I’m not gettin’ the joke here.”

Turning to fully face Jackson, Chase laughed lightly and said, “That’s ‘cause there is no joke here.”

A voice behind Chase spoke: “There certainly isn’t.” Before Chase could turn to see the owner of the voice, he was shot in the back. Two more shots, aimed for Jackson, came out of the dark opening.

The sound of the shots was explosive as it echoed off the walls of the narrow street. When the echoes finally died away, two men lay still in the street. The only sound to break the silence was a soft laugh and quietly spoken words. “Now that was a party.”

*********

Jackson Banning V
Zachary Chase
Mystery Man
One Is Still Standing