Kirk
Kirk got out of the car in front of the Rabbit Hole, and made his way over to the door.
He banged on it a few times, as the person who'd given him a lift backed out of the driveway and took off down the street burning some rubber.
Alice
Alice stopped talking with Max, her bartender and tilted her head slightly.
"I wonder who that could be...we're not opening for a few hours yet."
Max shrugged his broad shoulders.
"Want me to go see, miss?"
"I'll do it, Max."
She bounced over to the front door and looked through the peephole, before opening the door.
"Steel! How are you, dearling? You want something to drink?"
She stepped back slightly to let him in.
Kirk
"Hey Alice," Kirk grinned, before stepping in and giving her a hug.
"Glad to know you missed me."
He looked around for a moment, and nodded.
"I see you've done some redecorating since I've been here. Care to let me in on any goss?"
Alice
"Ohhhh..." ALice giggled, getting a sly look in her eyes.
She waltzed over to Max gracefully, the big black man just looking patient.
"Ever so much news, Steel. So many things. So much intrest. And you didn't tell me darkling was so cute."
Kirk
"Darkling?" Kirk raised his eyebrows, following her over and sitting on one of the stools.
He leant on the bar.
"And who, exactly, is that?"
Alice
"Christina came by..."
Alice whirled, multicoloured skirts fluttering.
"So sad, is Spooky. Her eyes all black and weeping. I sent RK, darling kitten with her to make sure she stayed safe. And darkling she called him Christian. So pretty. Almost makes me wosh I wasn't one for girls."
Kirk
Kirk raised his eyebrows.
"Spook brought Christian here?" he demanded, "'Lice, you could have told me. My boys were looking for him. I created him."
He rubbed his eyebrow.
"And they're out looking for him at the moment too. Damn scientist has taken him somewhere in Nevada."
Alice
Alice pouted at him.
"But he was so pretty! Eyes, so blue. And she let him go when the month was up like she said she would. On her word."
She leant gracefully against Max.
"Maxie darling, have we heard anything?"
"No, miss," he said in his deep voice.
"And oh, this other little girl showed up. So cross with her, actually. She's banned, and you know I don't do that lightly. She says she had Craig on a leash like a puppy dog."
Kirk
"That's another thing..." Kirk began again, leaning further over the bar.
"If you have any information whatsoever on either Christian's location, or Craig's location, I need to know. Not only was Christian taken by Blakesley - the scientist that insists on hunting Taylor Hanson - but Craig took Taylor in about 13 days ago. Last I heard they were heading for Australia."
He shook his head.
"As soon as he gets back I'm assigning bodyguards to he and his girlfriend."
Alice
"This would be Mousey, correct?" Alice said, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Maxie darling, go get me those papers I recieved from that turncoat scientist."
"Yes, miss." He nodded and left the room.
"I heard that Miette, this particurily odious little girl kidnapped Isaac Hanson. They're in Australia too, but I don't have that many contacts Down Under. Most demons don't like it. Too sunny. And the Hellmouth there was closed..."
Alice moved over to Safety's cage and reached in to scratch his head lightly.
"I haven't heard anything. Christina went byebye the other day too."
She looked worried.
"I don't like this Blakesley at all...he's too good at covering his tracks."
Kirk
"Blakesley just grinds my nerves, and practically everyone else's," Kirk shrugged, "but then again, Spook left my good books as soon as she turned on Chris. Heard she lost her memory."
He raised his eyebrows.
"Chloe ran into her on the streets of Tulsa and she claimed she didn't know who she was. Chloe didn't really believe her, but thought she'd better report it anyway."
He hesitated.
"Taylor and Mouse are engaged for some time next year. Provided they live that long."
Alice
Alice mused slightly.
"Could be why she hasn't come to see me...and why she's back in America so soon. I was expecting her to hightail it to Europe and beyond."
She took a sheath of papers from Max as he reentered and came to her side.
"Well, Mousey and Taylor can consider this an engagement present then. It's the genetic analysis of what Blakesley did. I expect you'll see them before I do."
She tapped the papers against her hand.
"How is Chloe?"
Kirk
"She's fine," Kirk waved her off, "I think she has something for Christian at the moment, which is partly unnerving. Both for me and him."
He scratched his head.
"But Joel's got a good eye on her. Our eye in the sky," he chuckled.
"Is that the only copy of the analysis? Or did he manage to save some of the work?"
Alice
"Ask me no questions, I'll do you no lies. Very interesting work though."
Alice sat on the bar, kicking her legs slightly.
"But the labs are being closed down. Blakesley's out of a job. So he won't be in a lab."
Kirk
"Yeah, we know," Kirk rubbed his eyes.
"The Nevada lab was shut down when we had to rescue them," he nodded toward the analysis she held, "but he's somewhere in that state. I have a few guys out on the road asking random civilians."
He tapped his fingers on the bar.
"He's just doing it for his own obsessions now. He has no other reason to have taken him. I know Chris and Spook killed his cousin though."
Alice
"Oh yes."
Alice smiled.
"Very pretty, that. I didn't know darkling was such an artist. I'm sure you heard about Dathton...the YIRAAS hasn't stopped talking about it. Spooky and Christian caused quite a lot of waves."
Kirk
Kirk nodded.
"Chris kinda surprised me with that actually. As far as I know he prefers to kill one-on-one, like Craig. Not massacre."
He sighed.
"Then again, he might not have had a choice. Depending what kind of a hold she had on him. You still could have told me when they'd rocked up you know."
Alice
Alice sighed.
"I do happen to like Spook...not that many people do. And I'm not going to tell you where she is either. I like my friends alive."
She slid behind the bar, then moved the papers towards him.
"Want anything to drink?"
Kirk
"Does that mean you don't like me?" Kirk pouted playfully.
"Just soda water. And you can't tell me where she is, because you don't know where she is. You just said it earlier."
He smiled.
Alice
"Aw, I like you fine, Steel," Alice said as she got him a drink of soda water.
"I just have a connection to Spooky. And the fact that I want to get in her pants is another thing..."
She grinned at him as she fixed herself a drink.
"And I could know, and just be messing with your mind. I wouldn't tell you, anyway. Girl gotta have some secrets."
Kirk
"Oh you've got secrets," Kirk raised his eyebrows and noded slowly, a grin on his face.
He had a drink.
"You know there's a lot we want to know. But we also know there's a lot that you want to know. So we're pretty even in that respect."
He had another drink, then sighed.
Alice
"That's true."
Alice nodded as she sipped at her drink, which was blue in colour and smelt faintly of apples.
"But I have fauth in RK. So she'll be alright. Eventually. What news have you heard on the midnight market? Of course, it's mostly closed down now the US government isn't paying for specimens anymore...but China's joining in the race now. So it could be awhile before that dies like it should..."
Kirk
"The midnight market will never be shut down compeltely," Kirk shook his head.
"The US might be out of the running, but they don't speak for Europe, Japan, Korea, China as you say. Russia will be the next big contender after the US I reckon."
Alice
"I'm not a big fan of slavery...consensual bondage is another matter entirely," Alice drawled, sipping from her drink.
Kirk
Kirk chuckled.
"And don't I know it. I've heard too many stories from your bedroom than I'd ever like to."
He shook his head and finished off his drink.
"You'll be opening up soon, won't ya?"
Alice
Alice giggled and nodded her head.
"Yes, soon. Why? Got places to be, people to see and other people to kill?"
Kirk
"If that's the way you'd like to see it, then sure," Kirk grinned, standing up.
He took the analysis into his hands and skimmed his eyes over it.
"Do you want a copy of this? And for that matter, is there any bikes around I can clone?"
Alice
"I've got a copy already."
Alice stirred her finger in her drink, looking thoughtful.
"And the scientist. So there you are."
She smiled as she looked at a glittering diamond statue.
"Kit picked his brains apart first though. Max can show you. Max!"
Max appeared and looked at her queryingly.
"Take Steel round the back to the garage and let him clone one of the bikes."
"Sure thing miss. Follow me if you would, sir."
Max started off.
"Don't take so long before you come talk to me again, ok, dearling?"
Kirk
Kirk nodded, then leant over and hugged her again.
"If I had an actual home I'd say it was about time you came and saw me," he chuckled, "but I'll be back. And I'll let you know if I hear anything of your Spook."
He followed Max out to where there were a couple of bikes. He set to work on duplicating one, then used that to ride back.