seymoure | (no subject)

47.

Mickey was struck by inspiration.

“I have an idea, but it will be dangerous, and I need to talk to someone before we make plans,” He said, already walking out of the office. The door opened before him and neither of the other people in the room said anything.

David sat uneasily in the car, occasionally smiling at Stonedragon.

After a while the Colonel ordered sandwiches to be brought in and the pair of them ate in complete silence.

After his secretary had cleared away the dirty dishes the Colonel sat with his hands in the “prayer” position, but David was sure he was not praying.

His tightness of jaw and refusal to look the boy in the eye said that he was beginning to lose his British cool. David did not want to be there when that happened.

A full 15 minutes after he left, Mickey returned.

“I’m sorry that took so long, but I had to work out some specifics.” The boy told them. Then his mother followed him into the office. She was as they had seen her before the bomb.

The sight of her took away both David and the Colonel’s breath. Then the Colonel said, “Madame Mimic I presume?”

The face of the boy’s mother faded to be replaced by that of the super chameleon.

“If the three of us give ourselves up to him,” Mickey began.

“Never!” Stonedragon shouted.

“At least that is what we want him to think,” Mickey assured, “If we have pulled all our troops out and placed them in an ambush position, we could still beat him!”

“Won’t he be expecting that?” David asked.

“First, we’re the good guys, we don’t cheat,” Mickey said with more than a little sarcasm, “Secondly, if we start moving them now they can be in place before he even suspects. It will look legit.”

No one in the room spoke.

Mickey continued, with more passion, “We’re going to have to fight him one way or another. This way we might get enough of an edge to finish him off.”

“But will it work?” Stonedragon said.

“You haven’t ever played chess with my little brother have you,” David said.

Another pregnant moment slowly passed.

“We’ll put it all into motion,” Stonedragon finally said.

“Already begun,” Mickey told him. "That plan, and another," He congratulated himself.

Stonedragon’s eyes narrowed.

“When this is all over. . .” He said threateningly, and then eased up on the words, “You and I must play chess.”