Shannon continued..
#2 of Words
Continuation of a scene.
Please read the first part if you haven't, and reread it if you have. Some edits have been made for continuity and fleshing out.
This little foray into writing has become a real monster.
What started as a single scene that I couldn't get out of my head, has turned into nearly 50,000 words spread across three story arcs.
"How long have you been online?" he asked as he watched various data fields on the report changing by them self. Most notably, a proper name now appeared in the previously blank 'Identification' field. He did not recognize the name, but it certainly was not Shannon's.
"As soon as you entered the room, I saw your pad connected to the network. So I jumped in and accessed the police network through it." came the response, almost smugly. "You should change your passkeys more often."
He moved to the wall of morgue lockers, and opened the first one marked as occupied. On the end of the retractable table within, was a small black bag. The data pad scanned the ID on the bag, and an image taken from the scene appeared. A disembodied hand and arm, still holding a pistol, lay on the ground. The image rotated and pulled back, displaying where it was found in relation to entire scene.
"So now you include me, in this... whatever this is." He said, as he slid the table back into the locker.
Moving to the next locker, he found the bag inside was even smaller than the first. He didn't bother accessing the data on it, and moved to the next.
"If I had directly accessed an official database, after my own death, it might have raised questions."
"Accessing and altering ANY database after one's death raises many questions. A growing list of which I am currently compiling." He growled, as he slammed the locker door shut and moved to the next.
The room remained quiet, except for the repeated opening and closing of locker doors as the dragon moved down the wall.
"So what did you use?" he finally asked, in a much calmer tone. "Mining explosives don't account for everything I have seen in the report."
"It was mostly standard mining explosives, though I doubt the manufacturer had considered their effectiveness when strategically placed and shaped." she replied.
"Mostly..." he repeated.
"There may have been an ATM35 behind the front door."
The dragon stopped what he was doing, closed his eyes and sighed. Either alone would have been enough to obliterate the house and anyone inside it, but using both meant she knew there would more outside. The mining explosives had been used to mask the military device. Instead of a single large crater surrounded by flattened buildings and bodies, there was fire, debris, and chaos everywhere, and no sign of a tell-tale crater.
"I knew they would send a team of at least five, possibly seven." she finished, "I had to be sure."
"Well, in that regard, you definitely overachieved. They sent nine, and you got them all."
He would not have been surprised to see muscles on her burnt and ravaged face attempt to smile at that news.
He found what he assumed he was looking for in the seventh locker. A nearly intact body, with only minor scorching. Massive internal injuries from the blast, a cracked skull and a broken neck. The data pad began to display the relevant information.
The report surmised that he had been a passenger in the vehicle at the time of explosion. Thrown from the vehicle as it came apart. A Mephitine, like Shannon, and a representative of the Oroyo trading guild, according to his ID.
"He must have ranked quite high to merit seven guards and driver. So he was the target?" asked the dragon checking the pad. "This, Weston Emorye?"
"Him?" Shannon's voice sounded confused. "No, I was the target, he was just stupid enough to come himself. Is his tail still intact?"
"Wait. You said that you detonated the explosives." he reiterated.
"Yes." Shannon confirmed.
"And killed nine people."
"Yes, ten if you count me."
"And YOU were the target?"
"YES!"
The dragon turned his head toward what remained of the burnt body on the exam table.
"You keep answering my questions, but my list is not getting shorter."
"Just grab his tail and get me out of here."
"What do you mean 'grab his tail'? You mean rip it off of his corpse?"
"No, it unscrews, just rotate it to the left... YES, tear it off."
The dragon looked at the male skunk laying on the slab before him. "Is this one of those Meph rituals?"
"Sort of. Its an ancient way of keeping score between rival families." Said Shannon's voice. "I have never been one to follow the old ways, but Weston had threatened that he would take my tail on more than one occasion, so I think this is only fitting."
The dragon placed the tablet on the exam table, then rolled the body onto its side. The body was still frozen rigid from the time it spent exposed to the elements. Wrapping his talons around the base of the tail, he gave a firm upward yank. The sinew and bone crunched but remained attached. After adjusting his grip, he pulled down with a sharp twist, and the tail came away with a snap.
"I guess they do unscrew." Said the dragon.
A muffled sound came from the tablet.
He laid the body back onto the slab, retrieved the tablet with his free hand, and used his tail to slide the slab back into its locker, and shut the door.
"What was that?"
"I said, you need to hurry and get me out of this body. My emergency backup will not last forever, you know. Here is a list of things that I need you to do before you leave." Said Shannon, as a numbered itinerary appeared on the screen. "Any questions?"
The dragon glanced at the detailed list. "My list of questions only continues to grow, with things like 'When did you suddenly become my boss?' "
"When the life of a five year old girl was at risk." Shannon replied, then she disconnected.