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(no subject)

Who: Leonard McCoy
Broadcast: Yes! Fleetwide
Action: Caprine/Solace
When: Friday

[There are days when McCoy would gladly turn in his lab augment for an engineering one. After practically picking apart the Caprine and then putting her back together bolt by bolt (with a lot of help from actual engineers out there, thanks) he's about ready to airlock himself.

He's a doctor, not a goddamn mechanic. It's like learning anatomy all over again, except this time he doesn't understand a single thing. Glory be, at least, they've finally graduated to trying fix the many issues in non-essential systems.

Like the kitchen, where McCoy is now making sure it all works again, after having spent hours trying to put it all back together. Spoiler: it doesn't go well. That's why he's waving away wisps of smoke and coughing a bit when he addresses the Fleet.]

I need an engineer. Again. [Sigh.] I'll pay you the going rate. Come on over to the Caprine. It's the ship in the most pieces over here. [There goes more credits. Everything exploded again. Someone just... put him out of his misery.]

[private comm to Beverly Crusher]
[So he's starting to regret thinking that someone should put him out of his misery. Really coming to regret that.] Hey. We need to talk. Let's meet somewhere.

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_{[ He nodded and checked his comm. ]}

Right. Twenty minutes it is.

_{[ He slipped it back in his pocket, adjusted his jacket, and made his
way into the crowds to seek out someone with a terminal. Eventually he
found one, and with the right amount of cash he was granted the liberty to
sit down and toy with it. As he had thought, Bones' account wasn't all that
hard to hack - he should talk to him about that - but in this case it was
useful and he wouldn't complain. Now just to hear what Beverly had found..
]}

[Meanwhile, Beverly disappears into the crowd, exploring the local shops and warehouses and talking to the other shoppers. It proves easy enough to get people to talk - no one is suspicious of this nice older woman who is just trying to find obscure parts for her ship. Still, it takes a few tries before she finds a promising lead - a name and a warning to avoid this certain group.

Once they meet up again, she passes this information on to Kirk.]

Does that match with what you found?

_{[ Kirk taps something and nods before shutting down the terminal
(wiping what he had looked up, of course, no sense in leaving evidence
behind). ]}

It would make the most sense. Did you get a clue on where they're most likely to hang out? Odds are they would take Leonard there, where they're most comfortable.

There’s a warehouse, not too far from here, that I was adamantly warned against going anywhere near.

[Which of course, means she’s going in.]

Adamantly, you say?

_{[ He smiles, but it's not his usual, carefree charming one. This one
is full of teeth, a predator's grin. ]}

Well, you know how I feel about warnings, especially adamant ones. Let's go get my doctor back.

[She nods sharply. No one from the Enterprise gets left behind, least of all Leonard.]

You should know I have training in covert operations... If you can provide a distraction, I'm sure I can get in.

_{[ He seemed momentarily surprised by this, but saved his questions for
later and simply nodded. ]}

When we get to a good spot, you wait, and I'll go ahead and draw them off. It is one of my specialities after all.

_{[ He moved to let her lead, though he was barely a step behind,
obviously anxious to get Leonard back. ]}

[Beverly remains calm and casual as she walks through the city, as if she had nothing more on her mind than what to get for lunch. Her voice stays even as she talks to him.]

I have every confidence in you. We're going to get him back.

That part was never in doubt.

_{[ He isn't quite as even as here, but he tries to match her stance, her pace. He knows they need to look unassuming, but it's so very hard when he wants nothing more than to burst in and start cracking heads - including Bones', though not nearly as hard. But still fairly hard.

He saw the warehouse in question come into view, licking his lips as he sight at least one of the guards, though they didn't look to be taking turns walking the perimeter. He looked to Bev, patting his chest where he'd hidden his stun-gun. ]}

Ready when you are.

["That part." What part is in doubt then, she wonders. But she isn't given much time to ponder over that, as they soon reach the warehouse. She makes a quick scan of the building, seeing if she can spot any guards on the roof or in the windows. She can't, but doesn't mean they aren't there.

Under her breath she murmurs:]

I'm going to turn up here, double around the block and come from the back. That should give you time to get started. Will that work for you?

_{[ He nodded to her, slowing his pace enough to buy her a few extra seconds as she dodged down the street before returning his walk towards the two goons he could see. A short conversation, some well placed quips and pointed, nasty comments, and Kirk had made the distraction Beverly needed. When your pride is stung, you tend to tunnel vision pretty easily, especially guys like these.

It meant Kirk was going to get banged up some. He was good, but he was no savant to be able to ward off blows from a group of some ten odd men taking shots. But it was worth it. Worth it to get Bev in and to save Bones, and his smile was vicious as he blew blood back in one of his opponent's eyes, making the group howl. ]}

[Beverly disappears around the corner and comes back to circle the warehouse, hoping that she might luck out and find an alternative entrance. Along the first two walls she scans, there's nothing but then - ah! A cracked open window on the second story. The opening would be too small for Jim, but she thinks she can probably make it, if she can just get up there.

So, once the shouting starts from the front of the building, she drags a few crates over. With any luck, no one will hear that over the sounds of the fight. Still, even after climbing her makeshift staircase, she huddles for a minute out of sight of the window, hand on her phaser just in case. When no one appears, she chances a peek in at the window.

It appears to open up into a bathroom, of all things, one that is thankfully unoccupied at the moment. Before that has a chance to change, she pushes gently up on the window to see if it will go up any further. To her relief, it does, and she is able to slip through the opening by swinging one leg over and ducking underneath the window. Seeing as there is nothing of interest in here, she moves to go out into the corridor, just as the doorknob starts to turn. Damn! There is no place to hide and no time to get the deadbolt before a scruffy looking man enters. Fortunately, she has the benefit of surprise and in those one or two moments where he stands gaping, she stuns him with her laser gun, then immediately starts searching his pockets, which yields her yet another gun and more importantly, a personal communicator, so she can listen in on what's happening around the warehouse. There's Jim outside of course but mainly she is listening for... Ah yes, there we go.]

Don't worry, Leonard, I'm coming!

[She murmurs this as she heads out into the hallway. She moves through the warehouse, silent and swift, using the stolen comm as a beacon to steer her towards McCoy and away from potential encounters with his kidnappers. This latter endeavor is not entirely successful, of course, so right before she bursts through his door, he will no doubt hear some shots fired and shouting and more than a few thumps and grunts. But then she appears, looking a little worse for wear, but smiling nonetheless.]

Leonard!

[There's a ruckus outside -- it's muted and far away, likely outside -- and Leonard's stuck in a room. It's not a large room, but neither is it a glorified closet. There's nothing in it; probably because, after the first time Leonard kicked a chair at someone in a fit of temper, no one wanted to tempt fate again. (Neither had Leonard for that matter, given that someone had promptly shoved him into a wall after that, but sometimes those fits of temper just happened.)

He's moving a little slow -- his midsection is, on the whole, a lovely shade of black and blue -- but he's not gonna sit in the corner while the sounds of a fight filter through the doors. As he's standing, it seems as if that fight -- or another one entirely -- gets closer.

Much closer.

He pushes to his feet (which is no walk in the park because his hands are tied -- tied like they couldn't find decent handcuffs anywhere -- behind his back and, Jesus Christ, but his hands and wrists are all scraped up) and turns to face the door. There's a conscious effort to look at least a little defiant, whatever's going on, because really. He's honestly had enough of this whole thing and he's probably about to get shot in the head this time.

Of course, he's thought that the last dozen times anyone's come near him so he's also a little on edge.

So gaping at bit at Beverly when she bursts through the door? Completely understandable.]

Beverly?

[Obviously. He's allowed a moment of surprise.]

Edited 2017-02-28 02:34 (UTC)

It's really me, I promise.

[Relief is written all over her face as she dodges into the room and starts working on the ropes tying his hands together.]

Jim's outside, providing a distraction, though I suspect he'll need some help soon. [She grunts, working on a particularly stubborn bit of knot.] How are you holding up?

[He turns so she can easier get to his hands, grimacing as she mentions Jim. Well, of course. He's glad Beverly didn't just decide to waltz in here without back-up, but he hadn't had a chance to try to talk to Jim about this particular mistake. Oops.]

I'm good. [He's not; she'll have a good view of knuckles and wrists scraped raw and she's likely observant enough to realize he's moving a little slowly. But he's moving.] I'm ready to get out of here.

Don't lie to me, you look awful.

[With a final tug, she gets the last of his ropes free, then comes around to face him again. For a moment, she drops the Secret Agent facade and her gaze softens as she rests a hand on his cheek.]

I'm glad I found you though. [If he had been... well. She must not let herself think of that. So she presses an extra gun into his hand.] Let's go.

[He finds it in himself to quirk a grateful half-smile in response to that. Lightly, he touches her shoulder and steps back. He rolls his wrist a bit gingerly, then checks the gun she gave him.

Oh, does it feel better to have some means of defense in hand. (But there's also a part of him that hates that he needs it.)] Me too. I need out of this place.

[Not just the building here. All of Solace. He wants back on his ship.

Enterprise preferable, Caprine doable.]

[She gives him a curt nod, all business again, before she ducks out into the hallway again, her gun drawn. The couple of guards she fought to get in the door lie crumpled on the floor, though they are still alive. Perhaps a mistake, some might say, but like McCoy, Beverly doesn't like having to fight like this.

No one new appears, so she gestures him forward. No way he's going out the way she came in, so they'll have to go out the front, right where Kirk is. She turns on her Drift Fleet comms.]

Crusher to Kirk. I've got him.

_{[ The call came as Kirk knocked down one of the men rushing him, clocking him at just the right angel to keep him down. Perfect. He let out a breath and spat to the side, grinning red at the others. ]}

Phasers to stun, doctor.

_{[ It was much of a warning as he could give her without giving away that they were coming. Enemies were still out here, but he was sure that between the three of them they could get away given some warning shots and the need to take care of their own and lick their wounds. Once on the ships, they wouldn't be touchable. ]}

[McCoy falls in with Beverly, weapon held at the ready and sticking close. There's no way in hell that he's falling behind here, not after Jim and Beverly risked this much to come find him. He owes them both. (And Jim will likely make certain that he knows it. He messed up but good on this one.)

She calls Jim and Leonard almost winces at the tone in Jim's answer. He'll have to worry about that later, though; right now, he's watching for guards, walking behind Beverly with an arm pressed against his side and ignoring as much of the stiffness and pain as he can.

Comes in handy, when he sees someone coming up behind them. He raises the gun and shoots because he'll be damned if he's not gonna watch her back.] We need to go faster. [Because if there's one of those guys, there's more and, as far as he's seen, every worker in this vast building is armed.]

I think we're almost there...

[Still, she starts to move at a trot along the corridor and down the nearest stairwell, finding another goon waiting for them right outside the doorway on the next floor. He lifts his gun to shoot, but Beverly stops him with a swift knee to the groin and an elbow to the chin.

Unfortunately, she can hear more shots coming down the hall.]

_{[ He really hopes they both get there pretty soon. He can take a beating, that was for sure, but even he had limits, and it had been awhile since he'd taken this much punishment in one go. He spat blood and continued to attack as his opponents came, their egos still working for him as they assaulted him one at a time instead of en masse. ]}

Damn it, you two had better hurry up!

[He's hurrying as fast as he can, what with bruised ribs and all, thanks. He and Beverly round a corner and he's suddenly guiltily incensed by what he sees: Jim Kirk taking on half a dozen guys to give him a fighting chance to get out of his dumb predicament. Even as he levels the laser gun at one of the guys out there, he's internally berating himself.

He's such a goddamned idiot. Might as well just shoot himself while he's at it. This was not how any of this was supposed to go.

Great job showing everyone he can take care of things himself.] C'mon. [He practically snarls it at Beverly as he pushes past her and makes his way toward where Kirk is throwing punch after punch. He'd be striding there with awful purpose if there wasn't just the slightest hitch in his step.]

[The snarl barely registers - she's too busy taking in the fight as well as making note of Leonard's obvious injuries, to take care of as soon as they are free. She herself doesn't dive into the fray, instead taking a position to shoot at Kirk's attackers. While she's plenty versed in hand-to-hand combat, she's at more of an advantage from a distance than she is up close. Before they can react to her and Leonard's arrival, she's able to take down a couple, giving Kirk more room to work.]

_{[ He takes the help he can get, knocking back his current attacker and breaking through the ring towards Bev and Bones. He's bruised and bloody, but able to move for the moment. Adrenaline was a wonderful, natural sort of drug, wasn't it? He nodded to them both and pushed off, hurrying back the way they had come. He hoped the people would have the sense not to pursue, but this might be a mad dash for the shuttles. ]}