From: Teo <johannes@lls.se>

Dangerous Knowledge pt 7

	It is a well known fact that traffic never moves at the right
speed. Either it is too slow so you can't get through or it is too fast
and won't let you into the other lane. At the moment I was definitely
going too slow. At 90 miles an hour.
	I looked at the clock on the dashboard. It showed 7:15. Damning
whoever it was that was supposed to keep the clocks in rental cars correct
I took a corner on two wheels, barely touching the ground. Almost there,
just two more turns and I would be on Little-Red-Riding-Street. I took
another corner clipping an empty babycarriage. At least I hope it was
empty.
	Last corner and then I could see the square in front of me. 
Running down a barkbench and making pedestrians run for cover I took a
shortcut over the square, gliding to a stop at the foot of the stairs
leading up to the building. I drew my weapon and tumbled out of the car
trying to roll back up on my feet and failing miserably. Looking around
quickly I stood up and cased the surroundings. Nothing strange at ground
level apart from a pair of scared eyes looking out at me from what in all
probability was Riahanna's car.
	Relaxing a bit I walked over to the car and looked inside. The
eyes turned out to belong to the driver, a young girl in a custommade
uniform. A small sign on her chest said: "Joney". As I knocked on the
window she winced a little but lowered it just the same.
	"Hi.. Joney.. I am Teo. Has Riahanna mentioned me?"
	Joney visibly relaxed and nodded.
	"Is she still inside?"
	Joney smiled and nodded again.
	I decided to put a stop to the conversation as it was rather
onesided. Also there was a shot from somewhere. Joney ducked down in her
seat and I crouched down at a spot I hoped would place the car between me
and the sniper.
	This was all wrong. They were supposed to shoot at Riahanna but
she hadn't come out of the building yet. What was the target? The sound of
another shot and the shattering of glass made my brain jump into gear. The
elevator. The elevator goes down on the *outside* of the building you git.
Casting a glance up the side of the building I could see the elevator
slowly moving down the building like a wounded crystalline slug. There was
a unearthly tinkling sound as pieces of the shattered window hit the
pavement.
	If they wanted to hit the elevator they would be on one of the
roofs. Quickly I scanned the surrounding buildings and caught a flash of
steel on the roof of a nearby multilevel supermarket. I cursed under my
breath.
	"Too far. I wont be able to hit from this distance.", I started to
look around in frustration there had to be something I could do. My eyes
fell on a hunting rifle with a scope that was offered me through the
window of Ria's car.
	"Will this help?"
	"Yes!", I grabbed the rifle and rested it across the hood of the
car looking through the sights, "Thank you Joney."
	There was another shot and this time I could see the shooter
silhouetted against the eveningsky. I squeezed the trigger and the figure
disappeared. I smiled a self satisfied smile and relaxed against the car. I
did it. I saved my client. Maybe this case I would be able to collect on
my expenses.
	A shout derailed my train of thought. Looking up at the elevator
that had almost reached the first floor I could see Riahanna and mr
W's secretary struggling for control over a wooden box. The shout
wasn't from Riahanna though.
	"Let go of it you little bitch! Ow!", judging by the sound Ria had
just kicked the secretary on the shins. The secretary countered by letting
go of the box entirely and pulling out a rather impressive knife from some
unimaginable hidingplace, "If you don't hand me the box I'll cut you."
	The elevator was now low enough fo me to see that Ria was really
angry now, she would never let go of the box. Dropping the rifle on the
ground I changed back to my own piece and aimed at the secretary.
	"Drop the knife woman, or Spooke and your sister won't be able to
recognise you when they open the box I'll send you to the church in."
	The look she gave me confirmed my suspicions. This was the sister
of Spooke's Highpriestess and she was not going to yield. Shouting
obscenities at me, Riahanna and the world in general she swiped at Ria
with the knife. Cursing again I shot her. Plain, simple and clean. In
through one eye and out the back of her head. Ok, maybe not so clean then,
but it did the trick. She slumped down on the elevator floor almost at the
same time as it reached the ground floor of the building. 

	Still trembling with rage Ria marched out of the elevator and out
the door. When she reached me though her face had turned gray as if she
was realising what had just happened for the first time. I caught her by
the shoulder and tried to make her look at me.
	"They tried to kill me..", she looked at the box in her hands,
"Someone actually tried to kill me.", she finally turned her gaze up at me
her brows knotted, "Why?"
	"Because of this.", I gently took the box away from her and put it
on the hood of her car, "I am guessing it's the official deed to the
church, it has to be it's the only thing that could threaten Spooke this
much."
	Ria looked at me as I started fumbling with the catches to the
box, "No it isn't"
	"It has to be.", I couldn't be that wrong. Nervously I managed to
open the box. For a while I just stared at the contents. Candles? Pouches?
A small book? I shook my head and looked at Ria, "What...?"
	Ria shrugged a little at my confusion as if to say she didn't
understand it either, "It's a spell.", she said finally.
	"A spell?" 

	I was beginning to get a headache. 

---

Teo
MalkaviAnarch