Colin MacGregor

Ryan slowly made his way through the crowd to stand near Colin with his back to the bartender. Softly, he murmured "I got the sample. Forty dollars apiece, the price has gone up since I was a pathetic addict."

"I ha'e go' tae ge' her tae wear tha' around the office", was Colin's only response, still gazing at Liz and her outfit.

Colin grinned then, and tore his eyes away. "Wha' can I say? Tha's an outfit tae wake the dead."

"Me brain dinnae completely shu' down a' the sight, believe i' or nay." His gaze drifted back towards the dance floor and he had to hurriedly look away. His gaze fell upon the DJ booth, where a waitress was handing up a long thin glass of something blue that fluoresced under the UV lights.

"Sure it doesn't", Ryan smirked. "Anyway, I got the money from Sean. I think they're keeping an eye out for other spooks still."

Colin nodded. "May wan' tae go ahead and ge' the sample ou' tae one o' the cars." The drink given to the DJ seemed odd, for some reason. He'd seen this DJ before, and never had the man had anything to drink other than beer. He puzzled over this for a moment, and was about to dismiss it when the light patterns changed from a staccato flickering about the floor to a subtler, more consistent flowing pattern. At the same time, the next song faded in; a slower, deeper beat that led the crowd to dance closer to each other and, conveniently, closer to Liz.

"I'm nay sure, bu' something's happening. Tha' change is nay normal, I think Chandler sent the DJ some sor' o' signal." Colin turned back to the bar and saw the bartender staring straight at Ryan's back and speaking into his radio. "Bugger, I think he saw ye on the buy. Dinnae turn around, bu' he's staring straight a' ye."

"Tha' too. Ye'd be'er ge' ou' while ye can, I'll see if I can smooth things a' the door so ye can carry the stuff ou'."

Colin headed the same way, and shot another look at the bartender. Fortunately, Chandler was no longer looking at Ryan. Unfortunately, his gaze was locked onto Sean and CJ. "Oh, double bugger."

"What now?" Ryan hissed, stopping in front of the crowd by the door. The bouncers were limiting the access in and out now, looking carefully at each patron as they left. "And how do I get through this."

Colin swore in Gaelic. "Be ready tae move." He strode through the crowd, brushing his hands across half a dozen exiting clubgoers and causing them to shove one another, conveniently out of Ryan's path to the door. When Colin reached the bouncer, he extended his hand and grasped hold of the silver puppetry strands running the length of the man's body. He felt the black man shiver as the skinrider took complete control and then Colin was looking at the crowd through new eyes.

Quickly he deliberately stumbled and shoved against the second bouncer, pulling the other man around so that his back was towards Ryan.

"Naw, man", Colin replied, "just these damn kids. I think that one's trying to get something past, though." He pointed at a young woman with black lipstick trying to get in who promptly shot him a bird.

"Yeah, well, that's entry's problem. We're watching for Chandler's buyer, remember?" the second bouncer reminded.

"Damn! There he goes!" The other man was pointing at Ryan, who was trying to make his way through the crowd around the doors, a look of panic beginning to form as the people crushed in around him.

"What?" Colin's host asked desperately. "That's not him...he's over there!" Quickly, he had James point at another man in a grey shirt standing ten feet inside the club.

Colin/James nodded, then began slowly wading out into the crowd, which parted for his host's massive, treetrunk like forearms. Luckily, the dispersal served to let Ryan get through into the parking lot, and he quickly ran towards one of the lone trees that were a token attempt to make up for the massive clearcutting development in the area.

Hoping to give the banshee time to stash the sample, Colin took a dive for the pavement and snarled at a big man with a 'Bear' t-shirt and black combat boots. "You tripped me, you bastard!"

With the last comment, Colin left his host and tapped the bear on the shoulder, just long enough to force him to shout "You shoved me first, asshole!". By now, the other bouncer was back outside and pulling James to his feet.

"Dammit", the other shouted. "Where'd he go? I saw him head for the tree, but then it's like he disappeared!"

Colin smiled to himself as James and the bear started yelling at each other and the other bouncer had to break it up.

"Go on", James snarled. "Call Chandler, tell him the guy got away. I'm going to see if our friend is hiding somewhere."

"No way I'm letting you go alone, you might trip over something else." The other bouncer's comment drew a laugh from the crowd as James flipped him a bird. He tapped his radio and relayed the message back to the bartender.

"Damn", Chandler replied. "Now I don't see the other two. Or the red leather hottie. I think they're all in on it."

Colin groaned. Triple bugger. Can this ge' any worse? He stood torn, trying to decide whether to warn CJ and Sean or stop the bouncers from searching for Ryan, when the decision was resolved for him. CJ slipped out of the now unguarded exit, her cellphone to her hear and a concerned expression on her face.

Well, there's one thing gone righ', a' leas'. He quickly ran after the two bouncers who were looking about the tree where Ryan had disappeared. Gently plucking at the men's silver strands, he managed to keep them bumping into one another far too much to spot the little yellow pills Ryan indicated he had stashed in a knothole near the tree's base.

Scooter ran over, a wide grin on his face at the antics. "Hey, we need to get out of here. Kate's on the phone, and she says the cops are on the way. The bar-dude reported a drug sale in progress."

"Not that this is the time for it, but what does that mean?" Ryan asked Colin quickly.

"May the devil ea' yuir cat", Colin replied quickly. "Ryan, run over tae the o'er side o' the lo' and reappear, maybe Dumb and Dumber here will chase ye. Then Scooter and I can ge' the pills ou'."

Ryan blinked, then shook his head with a grin. "Aye aye, sir." Sure enough as soon as James spotted Ryan making his way down another aisle of the parking lot, the two ran after him.

"Can ye ge' these tae Sean's car?" Colin peered quizzically at Scooter, who nodded. "Good, tha' jus' leaves..."

The rest of his plan was quickly shut up by the roar of one of the Fetches atop the building, both of whom were now staring directly at CJ and Sean. Colin squinted to try and make out why, then realized Sean was carrying a gauzy figure, another ghost.

Scooter nodded, but held out his hands. The two small yellow pills - painted with a small black happy face, Colin noted - began swirling in circles above the poltergeist's outstretched fingers. The other ghost quickly hurried for Sean's Acura while Colin ran towards Sean and CJ.

He was about 50 feet away when one of the fetches leapt down into the parking lot, barely avoiding an oblivious clubgoer. The spectre stared at Colin with a snarling growl as black ichor drooled from its jaws. The second one leapt from the roof a moment later, so that the two boxed in Sean and CJ.

CJ looked around desperately, then pulled her gun as Sean closed his eyes. Both fetches leapt again at the same time, and Colin called on juggernaut to harden his gauze as one hurtled towards him and the other pounced on Sean and his ghostly burden.

Neither specter reached their target, however, as three blue streaks of gauze piercing rounds fired out of CJ's pistol and caught the fetch leaping for Colin square in the back. The black mottled carcass shredded completely before it reached him, coating the ghost in spectral remains. He shuddered, but muttered a silent prayer of thanks as he brushed himself off.

Meanwhile, the second fetch landed on empty pavement as Sean's form disappeared with a flash and crack. Damn, I did nay e'en realize he was projecting, Colin thought as the wisp storm-wended himself and his burden away. The surviving specter turned to look at CJ, then, malice pouring off of it in waves, and she desperately tried to bring the gun around.

Colin diverted the energy he'd already summoned for juggernaut, though, and covered the distance separating him from CJ and the specter in an instant, barreling into the hound with enough force to send both tumbling. "Run!", he cried to the detective. "I'll keep him distracted, and I'm fas' enough tae ge' away!"

CJ opened her mouth to argue as Colin swung a fist at the specter, cracking it across the side of its drooling mouth. She nodded though, and quickly backed down the parking aisle, trying to keep her gun discreetly tucked away but close enough at hand should she need it.

Colin nearly regretted watching to make sure she left when the specter dove for his throat. Only his boosted reflexes saved him as he rolled across the rough pavement to avoid the snapping jaws and tried to get to his feet.

Suddenly there was another flash of light, another crackling explosion and a hand grabbed his collar. He barely had time to register the words "No heroics today, kiddo" before Sean wended away once more, pulling both spooks through the etheric to reappear next to the wisp's RSX.

"No time", Sean forestalled any questions and pointed at the car, where Ryan, Scooter, and Liz were already seated. The unfamiliar ghost - a hue, Colin could tell from the weak and faded form - was huddled on the front. The skinrider dove through the side of the car to slide in next to the newcomer as Sean opened the door and his projected self dissolved into his unconscious body in the driver's seat.

Tis lucky I dinnae need much room, Colin thought, his gauze half projected through the dashboard to give the rescued ghost space. He looked down at the hue, the girl, curled into a ball just as a tremor passed through her and she moaned. His heart ached for her and he reached out a hand to let his gauze soothe hers.

"We found her on the stage", Liz explained. "I think she's still just a drone class."

Colin looked over at Sean who was peeling out of the parking lot as fast as he dared. They past two police cruisers turning onto the street for the Chamber, but Sean showed no sign of relief. "Sean, wha' is i'?", Colin asked gently.

The skinrider frowned but looked back down at the hue. There was something familiar about her, and then he realized he'd seen her at the Chamber before - danced with her, even, for she had been a regular pigment user and had seen him often enough to remember the 'angel' from one trip to the next.

And how do I tell me friend tha' I knew wha' she was doing - taking pigment, dancing wi' ghosts. How do I tell him tha' I nay jus' failed her, I gave her more reason tae continue taking the stuff.

How do ye tell someone tha' yuir a' leas' partly responsible for his sister's death?

<--PREVIOUS

DON'T LOOK BACK

NEXT-->

Last Updated: January 2, 2004 by Blake Sorensen

#0770 - Hasty Departures

November 14, 2003