CERK goes AWOL! (4/5)
Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Any Chocolate
by Christina Kamnikar (w/Jamie Randell & Lisa McDavid helping)

2:53 AM, Monday morning, July 29th

        Christina grimly studied the squad car that she and Jamie had been
shepherded into; and even more grimly studied the handcuff on her wrist,
attached to the grille between the front and back seats. This was not a
good thing. A new experience yes, certainly; but hadn't someone once said
that experience is what you get when you don't get what you want? 

        At least Lisa and her crew were in a separate paddy wagon.

        The Toronto P.D. had evidently hooked up a new alarm to the
electric fence at some point after the last time the plans were updated. 
The nice officer had informed Chris that yes, cutting through the fence
where she'd done so *had* turned off the electric current---and set off
the silent alarm downtown. The MMG promised herself that after she got out
of jail, she'd have a little talk with her blueprint supplier about
keeping her informed on new developments. 

        Right now the police had taken _everyone_ into custody, since the
scrimmage they'd interrupted had involved two cars, one all-terrain cycle,
and the property of a nearby irate farmer.  Christina was only mildly
consoled by the thought that the Cousins were responsible for wrecking the
man's fence and scaring the cows. Unfortunately, she knew enough law to be
pretty certain that as the indirect cause of the chase that led to the
property damage, the Mercs would probably be the ones blamed for it. 
        The squad car slowed down, and Chris blinked through the window
and the driving rain at a very familiar building. "The 96th?" she
whispered in shock. 
        Jamie leaned forward to get a look out the window and gave a
little yelp of joy. "We're home! Familiar territory! This is great!" 
        Chris shifted and grimaced at her handcuffs again. "Are you sure
about that?" 

        It was eerie. Norma the desk clerk was there; all the
half-familiar faces of the other detectives; the building itself---Jamie
couldn't get over the fact that they were on Nick's home turf. Of course,
Nick wasn't there right now. Neither was Tracy. But still... there was
Cohen's old office, and down that way were the interrogation rooms, and
there was Reese's nemesis, the water cooler. "This is so cool." 

        The younger police detective shot her a wary glance, and Chaos
elbowed her in the side and muttered, "Will you cut it out? These guys
look like they're going to call in a shrink for a psych evaluation at any
second." The MMG glared across the room at Lisa McDavid, whose eyes
narrowed thoughtfully as she sat down to give her statement to the officer
who'd taken her into custody. 

        Chris and Jamie's statements were pretty simple: "I don't know
what you're talking about. We were just out driving around. I have no idea
who those people are.  I want my lawyer." Even really simple questions
like 'what's your name?' were answered with "I'm exercising my right to
remain silent. I want my lawyer." 

        But after the police got through taking Lisa and her cohorts'
statements, they were less willing to tolerate the Mercs' deliberate lack
of cooperation. 

        "We know that you---" one of the detectives, the one that looked
like Sipowitcz on NYPD BLUE, pointed to Christina with a pencil, and the
dark-haired MMG merely raised one eyebrow and looked bored, although she
was fairly unhappy at that moment, "--are Christina Kamnikar, an American
visiting in Toronto, and a member of a roleplaying convention. And it
appears that we have a great deal of evidence that you're responsible for
the recent hijacking of the CERK radio station." Chris yawned. 

        "And you---" Jamie's eyes widened, who-me? written all over her
face, "are Jamie Randell, also an American, also part of this role-playing
game, also known as 'the Web Goddess' for some reason, and we're fairly
certain we can prove that you helped your friend hijack the signal." The
detective threw the pencil on the table, and exchanged a frustrated glance
with his partner, a younger detective who was nondescript to the point of
invisibility. "What we don't understand is why you did it, and who has it
now. If you cooperate with us, we'll consider this a prank. High spirits. 
If you don't..." He let the phrase trail off menacingly. 

        "You're bluffing," Jamie said. 
        "I want my lawyer," Chris added calmly. 

        At this, the detective threw his hands in the air and snarled, "I
give up. It's too late at night to deal with this bullshit. We're putting
you in a cell until we can arraign you in the morning. We'll see if you're
still refusing to cooperate then." He frowned at Chris. "_Then_ you'll get
your damn lawyer." 


        The door didn't actually go "clink", and it was a pretty nice cell
as far as jail cells went, but it still sent chills through Jamie's spine. 
She'd come close to getting arrested a couple times before; you couldn't
follow KISS through most of the lower 48 states without running into
trouble once or twice. But as clean and quiet as the the 96th's holding
cells were, she really, really didn't want to stay here. Unless Nick or
Tracy or even the ghost of Schanke was going to get her out. Chris had
collapsed onto the low bench along the wall and appeared to have fallen
asleep within seconds. Jamie never ceased to be impressed by her Merc
Mommy's ability to conk out anywhere, anytime. 

        A hooker in the next cell peered at Jamie, and asked, "What are
you in for? Breaking and entering?" 

        "Failure to get an assembly permit," Jamie said, hanging her arms
through the bars and checking out the other woman. "Nice tattoo." 

        "Thanks. It's hard to find someone who can get the violet right on
these... who did yours?" The streetwalker frowned and drew back from the
bars as the door leading to the cells opened, and a tall, pale man dressed
all in black entered on silent feet. Jamie gulped as the hooker moved
away, muttering, "Man, it got chilly in here all of a sudden." 

        Ice-blue eyes surveyed Jamie, then moved to the prone Christina,
who suddenly sat straight up and croaked, "Oh, wow... baaaad dream, Jamie. 
I thought Lacroix---" she stopped speaking abruptly, smiling weakly at the
figure on the other side of the bars. "Oh. Hi." 

        "Hi," Lacroix mimicked her, then glowered at both of them. "Tell
me, Ms. Kamnikar. Didn't you believe me when I said I'd kill you if you
did this again?"