Terra had sat in the booth of the bar where Cassie had appeared and made her offer, for at least another hour, maybe more. The two beers she had essentially conned out of the woman she had already christened as Tina Tiara remained before her untouched and unopened their temperature warming by the second. A single hand remained loosely gripped around the closer of the two bottles despite the fact that drinking its contents had not really occurred to the Terra given her current contemplative state.
As she sat the jukebox continued to play through the mountain of quarters she had slid into the machine just before Tina’s arrival. On most occasions this would have resulted in a one girl dance party, with an occasional added participant if anyone deemed worthy appeared. Today however Terra sat not dancing and not even drinking, truly Cassie had been the worst thing she had ever experienced. To say Terra resented being made to sit still and consider her future would be a Grand Canyon sized understatement. All she had wanted to do tonight was find a bar, get wasted and make as many bad decisions as she could by last call.
Instead she sat in a booth that only grew worse in smell as the hour continued to grow later. The eventual odor to be found in your typical dive bar could not be said to be even remotely pleasing, and Terra had normally moved on or become to intoxicated by this point to notice. She knew what she had to do of course, she had to make a call and see what he had to say about the situation. It had been a rather long time since they had last spoke and as had been the usual for years now it had not been a pleasant conversation. Still she knew she had best not let him find out from anyone else…or god forbid from the national news if her heroism made headlines.
Reaching into her purse that had been placed on the tabletop she slides out a small black flip-phone, flipping it open she begins to reluctantly dial his number.
After what had seemed an eternity Terra finishes inputting the numbers and for a few minutes more she sits staring at the light blue glow of the keys on her phone, an old school Razor that she had refused to part with. Reluctant or not she knew putting off the call would end badly for someone. Maybe her, but more likely any new friends she had made, It wouldn’t be the first time. Resisting the urge to gulp for dramatic effect Terra hits send and listens as the strange dial tone that happened whenever she called one of his secured numbers began to ring in her ear.
It came as little surprise when no one answered, she had not truly expected him to. Usually when she checked in it went that she called and left a message and he would respond later if at all. Terra had come to prefer this as it allowed her to prepare her responses so as to minimize just how angry he would become with her. She could think of little she hated more then upsetting the man who had been her only real father figure. So as the dial tone stopped and the beep sounded to indicate she could leave her message she began to speak in a slow and hushed tone.
“I know you said to only call if there was an emergency….but I’d say this qualifies. I don’t know if your working or what but this might be a face to face thing. I’ll let you be the judge Slade.”
A second passed and Terra actually did gulp as she realized she had said his name, secure line or not she had been told never to do that. He’d had said when he told her this that you never knew who might be listening. Still what was done could not be taken back and so she continued on.
“The girl from the press conference…Wonder something or another..she just approached me. Asked me about joining her cause and playing hero too I guess. I don’t know how she found me! It actually gets worse….”
Pausing there as she consider just how to say the next part, this would be the part he would likely dislike the most. She would have to phrase it the best way possible…
“She said someone else is out there…she didn’t say a name.”
Stopping long enough to finally twist the top off of the beer still in her hand Terra turns it back drinking nearly half of it before stopping. The urge to drink it all in as close to an instant as she could manage only grew as she considered who the mysterious organization might be, but she knew better then to keep The Terminator waiting.
“Could it be them? The one’s who sent you to…well you know where…”
He had never gone into the details of the job that had brought him to Markovia or exactly why he hadn’t handed Terra over to the people who had sent him, but he had made it clear they could not learn she still lived. If they did it would lead to considerable trouble for them both and he would not allow that.
“I’m out here alone, and I know I can’t expect you to be here. What I’m saying is I think I need to take the offer from Wonder bra. Maybe I’ll get a mask or something so I’m hiding in plain sight. I think i can get these idiots to protect me…”
Pausing as she considered her words yet again.
“Besides you can’t tell me having an inside line on a something like this wouldn’t be a good thing. If you can get back to me tell me what you want me to do…and be careful out there.”
Flipping the phone closed Terra places it onto the table as she gulps down the rest of the beer in her hand, she then reaches for the second.
“Well that’s that..time I saw about this safe house.”
Popping open the second beer and taking a long swig from it as her eyes remain firmly on the phone on the table before her. She had no expectation of it ringing so soon, but a part of her really hoped it would.
“Let’s hope the fridge isn’t all apple juice and Vitamin Water.”
That said she slides the phone into her purse and exiting the booth makes her way for the door.