By Avery Breaux
80219.15
15 years before Impossible but True
--==San Francisco, California, Earth==--
80219.15
15 years before Impossible but True
--==San Francisco, California, Earth==--
"You're sure?" Breaux asked Angela Nolan.
Visibly agitated, she answered for the fifth time, "Damn it boyo. Yes, positive. This identification was cleared by my informant and my informant is. . ."
Breaux interrupted her, finishing her sentence, ". . .never wrong."
Breaux started to speak again, and Angela anticipated his question, "Yes, this is the right meet spot."
The fog was thick and sight was past being impaired. There was no seeing into the distance.
Once again, you had to listen to discern who was coming close. Alcatraz had long since stopped being a tourist attraction and had been utilized for commercial use, including restaurants. Starfleet even had a series of offices in one of the many buildings erected over the years.
This western end of the island was still the lone spot that saw little or no foot traffic from those who did have occasion to visit the island. Of the eighteen acres, this was clearly the most desolate.
Soon the steps could be heard coming from off to their right. It was in fact, one of their contacts from Chinatown. Breaux knew better than to say anything and allowed Angela to open the dialogue.
Chin stared at them as the water lapped up against the side of the embankment that led to the bay, the bitter cold cutting through all of them. Chin finally broke the silence.
"My better judgment told me not to come here. This is a little dramatic, don't you think?"
Breaux watched on as Angela stared at Chin -the tension was palpable. Breaux looked about and listened in case Chin had brought anyone along.
Angela stepped toward Chin, "So you do have better judgment?"
Chin cocked his head to one side and furrowed his brow, "What the hell does that mean?"
Again the silence only filled by the sounds of the bay and the occasional fog horn.
"Chin, Look, unless you have a," Chin stepped to the side of the embankment as though he were preparing to turn and leave.
It was then that Breaux noticed Angela's hand was inside her jacket pocket. Just her right hand.
"You set us up," Angela said quietly as though looking right through their contact. She was referring, of course, to their encounter at Coit Tower only weeks before. They had escaped that firefight and Angela and Breaux had spent a considerable amount of time tracking down who had been behind that failed transaction that nearly resulted in their demise.
It was at that moment that Chin noticed the placement of Angela's hand as well. He froze.
Angela Nolan made no motion whatsoever. Breaux stood just behind her-motionless. Another foot back from his current position, and Chin would have been obscured by the dense fog.
Chin made his last error in judgment in dealing with Nolan, he flinched reaching inside his jacket, the butt of a phase pistol barely visible firing through her jacket pocket. The green aura of Chin's body being vaporized offered an eerie illumination to their foggy location.
He was gone.
Avery stood next to Nolan, no words exchanged-only the sound of the foghorn in the distance.
"He was a liar you know," Nolan offered as she removed her jacket and began rolling it to carry with her off the island.
A stunned Breaux could only respond, "What?"
Nolan began walking up the craggy hill to a walkway. "He had no judgment."
***********
Present Day
--==Alchemy, Engineering: Prior to the events in Confrontation=-
Present Day
--==Alchemy, Engineering: Prior to the events in Confrontation=-
Breaux was laughing and rolled over onto his back. The debris from the cart in Engineering was still clattering to the floor, but their scenario had provided a welcome release.
The acrid smoke that filled Engineering occluded their vision momentarily and Avery was taken back to the night on Alcatraz.
His laughter stopped.
Lt.Avery Breaux
Engineering Officer
USS Alchemy NX-53099
Engineering Officer
USS Alchemy NX-53099