with apologies to Billy Joel for the thread title :)
After a fairly dreary week, Friday arrives with a hint of sunshine although still with a bit of chill. As is typical, the threat of sunshine has most of the people of the city up and about, scrambling from place to place. They go, not in vehicles for the most part, but public transportation or even walking to take advantage of the respite from the rain and the clouds. For many people, or at least those who can or are able to, the chosen destination is in the midst of downtown. Along the Yellow Brick Road, all sorts of entertainment, shopping and eateries can be found.
With lunchtime approaching, one of the more popular destinations for lunch is the Bistro Pacifica. Styled like an old European restaurant, the place serves homemade food with an Asian spin. Just halfway up the block is Jose's. Serving Tex-Mex with a distinctly regional flair, Jose's has become a favorite for business-people and those looking for inexpensive food with a lot of taste.
Bistro Pacifica
Esoteric
A limo pulled up at the end of the Yellow Brick road and let out a tall man dressed in business attire. With a definite purpose, Edward entered the Bistro. Without hesitation, the waitress smiled at him. "Hello Mr. Pickman. Ms. Jackson and your guest are already here." She led him to one of the seats near the side of the building where the view looked out along the YBR. As Edward approached, he saw Jackson and Mr. Warren, seated and in conversation. He could tell as he got closer it was some kind of small talk, most likely in deferment of awaiting his arrival.
Ninjahime
The bus stopped at the end of the YBR just as a limo was pulling away from the curb. Several people stepped off the bus, but a tall, thin, well-dressed blond stood out. While most of the people getting off the bus appeared to be college students, soccer moms or elderly, she appeared more like she belonged on Wall Street or in the financial district with her business jacket and skirt with heels.As she entered the bistro she heard Raelene's voice and saw her stand up gesturing with a smile.
Jose's
Hurt
Sitting on the patio just off the YBR, John waited anxiously on his platter of tacos. Jose's had always been his place to come when he was in this kind of a mood, and the cooks never failed to satisfy that craving. Lately, John had gotten in a bit of a habit of just people watching. He found that evaluating people kept his mind sharp, and as a friend has told him a while back, a sharp mind is one of the better weapons a soldier could have. He smelled them before they arrived. John sat back as the waiter placed the beginnings of the taco special in front of him. "Is there anything else I can get you sir?"
Seizure
Joseph was happy to get away from the office for lunch. It had been a long morning with several people just not cooperating with him. A couple of kids in one family were being bratty and their parents had called him to get him to basically threaten their kids. Another stop he'd had was to check on a mentally ill adult who had been abused by his brother. That one had turned out ok, but even with the man in a home, there was still no clear indication of who was going to be handling it in the long run. With tons of paperwork and barely any time to think, Joesph found himself at Jose's for lunch. He'd been there a few times, and the food was good. He was seated inside, in a quiet booth with a window seat.
Judging from the reaction of a couple of diners, Leah guesses she may have returned Raelene's smile and waive a little too enthusiastically, but shrugs it off as she makes her way to her friend's table.
"Hey, Rae. How've you been?" Leah says as she gives Raelene a quick embrace. She sits down and keeps talking, "It's really good to see you. Been way too long since our last face-to-face. So, is your money guy really going to show up, or did you just want to see me in heels?"
"A margarita, a Dos Equis, another plate of tacos, and some churros. I'm a growing boy. High metabolism. Plus, guys eating Mexican food are sexy and I want to look sexy."
Hurt ignores the strange look from the waiter and digs in to his lunch. He does not look sexy.
Leah quickly scans the Bistro Pacifica menu. "Mmmm... 'Chicken avacado eggrolls with Thai chili sauce'. Let's start off with an order of those, OK, Rae?"
Overhearing his words to the waiter, Joseph pauses for a moment in disbelief and then looks over at Hurt with an incredulous expression as if to say "Did someone really just say that?"
Edward strolled up to the two and sat down without waiting for approval
"I see the two of you are already conspiring against me, but let’s first see what this place has to offer."
Jackson turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Edward and smirked slightly, while Mr. Warren looked slightly taken a back for a few moments then put on a most unbecoming smile and replied
"It is good to see you Mr. Pickman, we were just about ready to order."
Jackson just looked at Edward and said
"You are late."
Edward smiled politely and studied Jackson.
Constance Jackson, like him, was 32 years old, and they had both attended Harvard and the same classes. She stood just 5 feet 2, but manages to give off a menacing aura nevertheless and ran her office with iron hand efficiency. She had been no less intimidating back then, but brilliant and hard working, however despite this she had never manage to score high grades and after Harvard had ended up working a dead end job since she had lacked the connections. Edward had offered her the job as his business manager or as he teasingly called it his Consigliere despite the fact she has most others had disliked the eccentric youth, because he admired her iron will and determination he knew the slight female was exceptional despite her grades.
Mr. Warren on the other hand was a blubbering idiot with connection, frankly Edward found him gross, but Jackson made much use of his skill and often brought him along to make presentations for Edward, though at times Edward suspected that the reason he ran into the pig so often was that Jackson knew how he disliked the man.
Edward looked towards the waitress to have her take their order...
Bistro Pacifica
Esoteric
The waitress smiled and stepped up to the table. "I have a feeling that I know what you'll be having Mr. Pickman as I've served you before and have a good memory, but as I am sometimes wrong about these things I...." Her voice trailed off and she dropped her pencil and pad. Her eyes went wide as she stared out the window, focusing on something out there.
Ninjahime
Rae smiled. "It was part of the plan you see. You always look better in heels and dressed up than you do any other time. And, since I happen to know you don't get out to socialize very much I figured this might be a good opportunity to get you into the sunlight and among the living. Oh, and I just heard from my 'money guy', as you so succinctly put it, just before you arrived. He's held up in traffic. Seems like a delivery truck stopped right in the middle of the road on it's way down town."
She nodded and took a closer look at the menu. "Sounds good to me. Why don't we add some....." Her voice trailed off as she stared out the window, focusing on something out there.
Jose's
Hurt & Seizure
Hurt's strange way of ordering had the waiter shaking his head as he walked away. He apparently was not used to people speaking like that. Joesph saw him shake his head and say something to a couple of the other waiters and they burst out laughing just before he stepped into the back or the restaurant. After a couple of minutes, the waiter returned, setting a drink and a plate of tacos down in front of the strange individual. He then stepped over toward Joesph and stopped suddenly, the tray with Joesph's food on it clattering to the patio with a loud crash.
*****
Yellow Brick Road
All
You all feel it really a split second before you see it.
The loud, heart-stopping sounds of an explosion and shattering glass along with the accompanying shock strike you all with barely a warning. Within moments, a strange cloud of silvery mist blankets the surrounding area. Just as panic and flight are about to take hold, the cloud begins to swirl without any evident prompting from the wind. It whips itself into a cyclonic mass, discharging what appear to be bolts of bluish lightning both within itself and outward around its immediate vicinity.
Both blast and bolts subside and begin to dissipate before anyone (yourselves included) can arrive on the scene, leaving the dead and injured as the most immediate concern. The fleeing,panicked crowds and hopelessly jammed roads make you all the only first-responders available for the critically injured now.
Flash-bang-blast-pressure wave-plate glass windows-Move! The thoughts flash through Leah's head and she goes into motion.
"Get down!" Leah yells as she springs up and does a quick handspring over the table and tries to push Raelene under the table in an effort to shield her from the blast and any flying debris coming with it.
Edward shields his eyes from light of the explosion and sits stunned for a moment when he hears the young lady shout
"Get down!"
He then quickly stands up and moves to push the waitress down to the floor and hopefully behind something, without concern for himself, while shouting to Jackson
"Down on the floor!"
Joseph's eyes widen and he desperately reaches out his hands as if to stop the blast wave through sheer force of will...and somehow he does, the impact seeming to run into an invisible barrier of telekinetic force as he focuses completely, a trickle of blood streaming from his nose.
"Awwwwwww. My tacooooooooos!
Hurt pulls two pistols with wicked looking bayonets from shoulder holsters that had been (barely) concealed by his jacket. He spears a soft taco with each bayonet and eats one while scanning the area for something to shoot.