One More Trigger Pt 15 (Patreon)

"From what you've told us," Emma said, "Coil has a large base, well situated, with dozens of well-armed, well-trained mercenaries. He's also got a power which makes him hard to beat, that probability manipulation you told us about."

“That’s all true,” confirmed Lisa. “Which makes me really wonder about this plan you say you have.”

Emma grinned at her. “Basic strategy. When going after a weaker opponent, you hit them from every direction at once. Going after a stronger opponent, you hit them from an unexpected direction. Our one big advantage right now is that he doesn’t yet know that we’re gunning for him.”

“Not a huge advantage,” pointed out Danny. “And it’s a card you can only play the once.”

“Big enough, if we leverage it the right way,” Taylor put in; behind her glasses, her eyes had picked up a certain gleam. “I think I see where you’re going with this.”

“Not sure I do,” said Missy.

Madison’s head came up. “Are we talking bait and switch?”

Emma nodded. “Misdirection is the key. Get him leaning one way, hit him from another direction.” She turned to Lisa. “Coil’s power. Can he stack it?”

Lisa blinked. “Use it in multiple directions at once? I don’t think so. I’d call him to ask for assistance with a job, and he’d either say go for it or don’t.”

“So how long before he decides for a fact that you’ve defected?” Taylor asked.

A pause. “Twenty-four hours would be too long,” decided Lisa. “Eighteen, we could just about manage.”

“Okay,” said Emma. “So here’s the plan. You call him tomorrow morning …”

***

Coil’s phone vibrated. He nodded to Mr Pitter. “Keep a watch on her,” he said. “I want to know the instant she’s able to answer questions.”

Pitter nodded. “It’ll be in the next six to twelve hours,” he said. “After that, she should be lucid enough.” He glanced down at the girl lying on the bed. Over the last eighteen hours, he had been feeding her carefully calculated doses of a cocktail of highly addictive drugs, designed to make her lucid yet pliable. Medical monitors kept track of her vitals; everything was in the green.

He supposed vaguely that he should feel sorry for her, but he didn’t, not really. Coil wanted her here, and what Coil wanted, Coil got. And she really was in good hands; he was dedicated to making sure that she remained healthy under his care.

Coil was already on his way out of the room. He checked the caller ID, then answered the phone.

“Hello?” he said neutrally. It was Tattletale’s phone, but the chances were that it wasn’t her making the call. Not after the Undersiders had reported her capture at the hands of Team Samaritan the day before.

“Boss?” he heard. It was Tattletale’s voice, and she was whispering.

“Ms Wilbourn?” he replied.

“I got the information you were after,” she whispered. “Now I need extraction, soonish. I haven’t got much time on this call. They think I’m taking a tinkle.”

“You have information? Give it to me,” he said.

“Fuck that,” she retorted. “I spill, you cut me loose. No. I give you what I’ve got when I’m face to face.”

“You gave yourself up to them,” he responded pragmatically.

“So the rest of the team could walk,” she retorted. “It’s far easier to extract one person than five.”

“You’ve been in their hands for over twelve hours,” he pointed out. “And they’re letting you go off on your own. Should I even consider you to be reliable any more?”

“Okay, fuck it,” said Lisa. “I’ll deal with it myself. Don’t send a team. Just have a car waiting. Corner of Frigate and Somerset. I’ve got them thinking I’m harmless; I figure I can pull a vanishing act. Once. After that, I’m shit out of luck.”

Coil considered. There was the chance that Lisa had turned. That she was trying to pull some sort of con, whereby the Samaritans captured whoever went to pick her up. She doesn’t really think I’ll be there, does she?

On the other hand, there was a non-trivial chance that she had actually acquired the information he wanted. Information that would give him leverage on Team Samaritan, either to control them or destroy them. Or one, then the other.

He considered his options.

One, he could ignore her request. But if she’s on the level, this could lead to her disclosing whatever information she’s gleaned about me to the authorities.

Two, he could have her picked up. And just as soon as I do, she goes under the thumbscrews, just to make sure that she isn’t pulling a game on me.

Currently, he was running one world where the Alcott abduction had gone off without a hitch, and one where it had not been attempted. In both, the Undersiders had been foiled in their bank robbery, but had had to leave Tattletale behind.

He had Dinah; that part had gone off perfectly. And now he had the chance of getting crucial information on Team Samaritan.

Really, it was a no-brainer.

He collapsed the universe where Dinah had not been abducted, and opened a new one.

***

Universe A

“Very well,” he said. “I’ll send the car.” He’d send expendable personnel of course. Whatever happened to them, happened.

“Thanks. I’ll take it from here.” She hung up before he could say any more.

***

Universe B

“Sorry. You were careless enough to be caught. You’re on your own.”

“You son of a bitch!” she snapped. “You’re going to fucking regret –“

Emma opened the toilet stall that Lisa was sitting in. “Hey, what the fuck?” she said, loudly enough for Coil to hear at his end. “Who are you calling?”

***

“Wouldn’t you like to fucking know,” Coil heard Lisa say, and then there was a splash and a gurgling sound before the signal cut out.

Dropped the phone in the toilet, he realised. But she’s been caught. No use to me any more. He sighed. Time to start lining up my assets within the PRT to make sure she doesn’t tell too much about me or my organisation.

***

Universe A

Lisa stood up from her seat on the commode and pocketed the phone. Stepping from the stall, she high-fived Emma.

“Think it worked?” asked Emma.

Lisa grinned. “He’ll be sending the car. Focusing on helping me get away from the nasty superheroes. So with luck, he won’t be focusing on preventing his base from being attacked.”

“Excellent,” said Emma, and pulled out her own phone as they left the restroom.

***

Universe B

Lisa stood up from her seat on the commode and high-fived Emma. “Nice timing,” she said with a grin.

“Think it worked?” asked Emma.

Lisa shrugged. “Well, he won’t be sending that car, but chances are, he’ll be looking to have me plinked to stop me from talking. So with luck, he won’t be focusing on preventing his base from being attacked.”

She fished in the bowl of water she had been holding on her lap. Lifting out the now-dead phone, she opened it up and pulled out the SIM card. Dumping the useless phone in the trash, she pocketed the card. “I liked that phone too,” she observed.

“Eh,” said Emma with a shrug. “Casualties of war.” She pulled out her own phone as they left the restroom.

***

Both Universes

Taylor and Madison, two unassuming teenagers in hoodies and carrying backpacks, strolled along the sidewalk, half a block from Coil’s secret base.

It had been well built, designed to take even a relatively close-range overhead nuclear airburst. But high-end air filtration requires constant maintenance, and in low-danger periods, such filtration was reduced to a minimum. In addition, with equipment and personnel being moved in, bugs had naturally come in with them.

Taylor noted a certain lack of venomous bugs, and had been working to rectify that problem ever since she had come within range of the base.

“So, how’s it going?” asked Madison, a few steps to her right.

“Reasonable,” Taylor told her. “I’ve got the place mapped out, and located the armoury. Got bugs working to screw up the locking mechanism. They’ve only got sidearms.”

“Excellent,” said Madison. She was good with relatively large and slow-moving projectiles such as paintgun pellets, as well as lightweight pistol rounds. Rifle rounds challenged her air shield considerably more.

Taylor’s phone rang at the same time as Madison’s. They looked at each other; Madison accepted the call while Taylor declined hers. They moved closer together so as to share the call.

***

Emma activated the conference call as she and Lisa climbed into the car waiting outside the fast-food restaurant. Danny Hebert leaned over from the front seat expectantly. Emma gave him a thumbs-up.

“Getting a read?” Emma asked.

“It’s like Lisa said,” reported Taylor. “This base is big. Makes you wonder how much he embezzled to get it built. I’ve got the layout mapped, except for one place that there’s a big door. Basically airtight. Not sure what’s behind it. The rest of it, it’s done. Got Coil located, and the armoury door jammed, like we planned. I think I’ve also found that kidnapped girl. But we’ve got a problem.”

“Problem?” asked Danny.

***

“Yeah,” said Taylor. “There’s a bunch of capes on site. Tentative identification as the Travellers. Costumes hung up show reds and blacks, trademark masks. They’re all asleep in their quarters, but once we start the show, they’re likely to make an appearance.”

“Christ,”said Alan Barnes. “That is a problem.”

“Maybe not,” Emma put in. “Taylor, can you jam that door too?”

“Not so as they couldn’t bust it down with their powers,” Taylor objected. “Sundancer and Ballistic could both deal with it really easily.”

“Yeah, but here’s the thing,”Emma said. “Sundancer and Ballistic are big hitters. They don’t have low settings. They’ll probably be reluctant to use their powers in an underground base, which could be brought down on top of their heads.”

“So you’re saying …” said Danny slowly.

“I’m saying that the door will hold long enough,” Emma stated.

***

“This plan is starting to sound more than a little reckless to me,” said Alan Barnes. “We’re depending on the girl who can make a small, mobile sun, and the guy who can send objects flying at a touch, to not cut loose with their powers at the wrong moment.”

Lisa cleared her throat. “There’s a strong possibility that someone’s gonna get hurt doing this,” she said. “Maybe killed. Too many variables.”

Missy’s phone rang.

“Whose phone is that?” asked Danny. “I don’t recognise the ringtone.”

“Sorry,” said Missy. “It’s mine. I have to take this.”

She climbed out of the car and walked a few steps, raising the phone to her ear.

***

Vicky looked up sleepily as Amy rolled off the camp bed and stumbled to her feet.

“’s’matter, Ames?” she mumbled. Blearily, she tried to look at her watch. “Time is it, anyway?”

“Six,” said Amy. “I need to call the Samaritans, see if they’ll let me be a liaison.”

“Us,” corrected Vicky drowsily. “Us be liaisons. ‘Cause we’re sisters. Do everything together.” She blinked a few times. “Isn’t it a bit early for this?”

Amy shook her head. “I can’t wait any longer. I’ve been lying awake for two hours already. Where did I put my phone?”

“’s in my bag,” Vicky replied with a yawn. “With mine. Grabbed ‘em both.”

“What would I do without you, Vicks?” said Amy, and knelt to search Vicky’s bag. She quickly found her phone, opened it, and dialled the PRT contact line.

“Parahuman Response Teams, my name is Angela, how may I help you?”

“Hi,” said Amy. “My name is Amy Dallon. I want to get in touch with the Samaritans.”

“Amy Dallon as in Panacea, of New Wave?”asked Angela. “And you want to get in touch with Team Samaritan, is that it?”

“That is correct,” said Amy.

“You are aware that Team Samaritan does not hold any particular connection with the PRT, the Protectorate or the Wards, aren’t you?”asked Angela.

“I’m aware of that,” said Amy patiently. “I’m also aware that Vista of the Wards was appointed official liaison to the team as of yesterday. You have her number, don’t you?”

“I … wait one moment, please,” said Angela. She was back on a moment later. “Please state your name, cape identity, PRT clearance level, and PRT clearance number.”

Amy took a deep breath. “Amy Dallon. Panacea. Clearance level green. Clearance number one five three four alpha.”

"Thank you. Please hold."

Vicky leaned up on one elbow. “I can never remember my clearance number.”

“Shh,” hissed Amy, covering the phone with her hand.

Angela came back on the line. "Connecting you through to Vista now."

There was a ringtone that repeated for several moments, so long that Amy almost hung up. Crap, she thought. She's still asleep,

But then the phone was answered.

"Hello?"

Before Amy could speak, Angela's voice answered Vista's. "Vista, this is Angela from the PRT switchboard. I have a call from Panacea of New Wave. Do you wish to accept the call?"

"Uh, sure," said Vista. "Put her on."

"The line is open, Panacea," Angela stated. "You may proceed."

"Uh, thanks," said Amy. "Vista, how are you?"

"Fine, but a little busy," Vista replied. "What's up?"

"Um, I was calling to see if you could ask the Samaritans if we - that is, me and Vicky - could be liaisons to the team from New Wave.". Amy paused. "I mean, if that's okay."

There was a long pause. Then Vista spoke. "Let me see if I have this straight. You and Glory Girl want to join the team. Like, right now."

"Uh, yeah," agreed Amy. "We can wait till after breakfast if you want."

"No, no, it's good, really," said Vista. "Can you just hold on a minute?"

"Sure," replied Amy.

"What's going on?" asked Vicky, standing and stretching. Under any other circumstances, Amy would have appreciated the sight more, but she was concentrating on the phone.

"Oh, uh, she's gone to talk to someone, I think," she said distractedly.

***

Missy opened the car door and leaned in.

"Guys," she said. "You are not gonna believe this."

***

Amy closed the phone and turned to her sister. "Vicky," she said. "Costume up. Fast. We've got somewhere to be."

"What?" asked Vicky. "Why? What's going on?"

"You are not gonna believe this ..." 

Part 16