Maybe One Day You'll Understand Why (Cody)

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Things had gone from bad to worse for Maddie. She was feeling the pressure that Moff Shu had put on her little shoulders. Here she was creating a weapon most vile, meant to help purge the Sith from existence. It was horrible. The effects of the chemical she'd created, to watch beings literally melt away. More than once she had to excuse herself from the lab to race to the bathroom, to puke up the contents of her stomach. It was harsh, painful and Madeline just wanted away from it all.

Feeling entirely backed into a corner, Maddie started making plans. A vacation. A simple vacation. She'd planned it all out, booked the hotels, the day trips, all the little bits of fun that a normal girl like her would love to have if she was going on vacation, but no, Maddie wasn't going on vacation at all. She just needed her superiors to think this. That was all she needed. They just had to believe it well enough to release her without a tail, to let her have her 'vacation' without fears of her running. Once the plans were in place, it looked like a two week long vacation wonderland for a very stressed out scientist, which with what she worked on and the pressure from the highest levels of the government, it was no small surprise that she'd need something like this.

Her boss happily stamped off on the vacation time, without much care after seeing all that Madeline had planned and confirming that she really did have all the reservations booked and truly would be going. Maddie had been a good pet after all, doing as she had been asked and commanded to do for over a year now.

But Maddie was slow turning, she'd slowly been sneaking out all the data she had on the latest project, and gathered up the data for older and just as nasty projects. One thing she would never leave without was her work. She'd been careful and covered her tracks, hiding what was taken, and replacing it with something that seemed very close to the orginals but would never work. The chemical structure written in the false notes would fail.

Now it was time, she had her bags packed, went to the spaceport and headed to her private ship, Ticarah. Without so much as a glance around she walked up the boarding ramp, slung her bags down and started through the checklist to get off the ground. She was nervous, twitchy now that she was inside and out of sight of the Imperials around her. Soon enough she had taken off. The first jump had been just as planned, taking her off to the vacation wonderland. But .... she'd never check into her room.

As soon as she came out of hyperspace, she pulled a device from her pocket, activating it and a harsh painful long beep echoed through the ship. Any bugs or trackers that had been inside, now dead and useless. She didn't trust Atrisia in that regard. They had proven long ago what great lengths they'd go to bug her things. It was how they discovered what true projects she worked on and it certainly wasn't all about changing eye color, no ... it was sinister and evil and could kill billions if applied in the right manner.

Now with the bugs dead, she changed her course, and took off for Bonadan. Perhaps an odd choice, but it was one place people wouldn't be looking for her. People who knew her, knew she had ties on Coruscant and likely would be one of the first places they searched for the wayward scientist. Bonadan was busy enough, big enough that she could slip between the cracks.

Under an assumed name, she had bought a safe house recently. Paid in physical credits and no questions were ever asked. Now as she landed and stepped off her ship, this was where she was heading. With two leather bags over her shoulders and a small blaster on her hip, as well as a container of a mace like substance, she set off heading for what was likely to be her home for the next few days until she could move further out into the rim, and soon enough slip out of Known space and hide for the rest of her days.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Moff Shu was... well cowardly only really covered part of it. He had worked hard to reach his current position, effectively dictator of his own small nation. Anyone that threatened his position was eliminated, anyone that could be useful was used, and anytime he could get others to do the dirty work while he stayed safely locked in his office he most assuredly would make them do it. Hell, Cody had lived on Atrisia for years now and he had yet to actually see the man. It was a joke among the youth of the planet that he was really a hoax.

Well if he was a hoax, he was a powerful one. The moment the ISB agents lost their track on her ship things began to happen. When Madeline never checked into the hotel, they knew for certain something was not right. It was only once they forced some of the other leading (if not quite as brilliant) scientists to review her most recent work that the small inconsistencies, the formulas that would never work, that the ISB sounded the alert. One of Moff Shu's most valuable tools had run, and she was not allowed to succeed.

From the sheer mobilization of intelligence resources one would think the most wanted man ni the Galaxy had just escaped. The ISB had probably not been happy when the other intelligence branches were called it, but outside Atrisian space ISB was at a disadvantage. Now IIB agents like Cody had been sent off across the galaxy to track her, all with orders to take whatever measures to capture her. Agent Weadge had received an additional order from his boss, to do minimal harm and to find her first.

Luckily for his boss, Cody was good at what he did.

It was true that a large percentage of agents had been sent to Coruscant, but Cody knew someone as smart as her who had planned this well would not do the obvious. Instead he had spent a very long night going over all her financial records. Her purchases, deposits, withdrawals. In the end, he had come up with a very large number of unaccounted credits. Playing a hunch, he started searching galactic realtors that had sold properties for amounts close to the missing credit amount after the money had been withdrawn. It was a fairly long list, but counting out factors like environmental factors and species density (a human on a non-human world would stick out to much for her to hide), he narrowed it down to five planets. The most populated was a place called Bonadan. He had never heard of it before, but he was certain she had picked someplace with as many people to hide among as possible.

Leaving a time delayed note detailing his information, Cody grabbed his gear and chartered a craft to take him to the planet. With luck the address sitting in his datapad would lead him to the woman before anyone else found her. It was all a matter of finding her before she made her next move. The game, as it was, had begun.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Madeline's pace was rushed, hurrying as she walked down the streets. Always, always she was looking up and about for any that might follow her. A scarf around her head and a low brimmed hat, an attempt to hide her features, but the woman was hardly a trained agents. Just a woman who was afraid and fearing for her life. She wanted freedom, to have he own life and to stop making the evil things that Moff Shu forced her into. The man expected her to be a monster and while she loved to push the bounds of science, she wasn't a murderer. She didn't kill people and the human trials were forcing her to do just that.

Slow now, she crept to the safe house. It wasn't anything special, but it was furnished. Which was all she needed. Hotels had security feeds after all, which was why she had chosen to purchase this place. Maddie was highly intelligent in her plans, she just seemed to forget that even cash, even cash could eventually be pinned down if one knew what they were looking for. Madeline wasn't expecting someone quite of Cody's caliber to have to work against. She expected lesser minds, and truly most were. People like her, with her genius happened once or twice in a generation. With her eyes peeled for anything strange, she waited at a bench across the way and watched the house. After thirty minutes, she was certain it was safe.

Crossing the street, she slowly reached into her pocket and retrieved the keys for it and finally opened her new home. It was simple inside, most of the furniture a stark white, a small kitchen off to the left and bedrooms and baths off to the right. After all she had been through, she walked in, and carefully moved into the bedroom. This house she had a special feature installed after her purchase. In the back of the closet, the floorboards weren't quite normal. Putting her hand upon them a scanner swiped over her hand. It literally came from the boards, a sweeping light washed over her hand and soon the boards slid away. Beneath them a vault, after keying in a lengthy code, it opened and there she slid her real work inside. Once secure she sealed both back, and closed the door to the closet. Then dropped her other bag in front of it.

With that, she rose to her feet and crossed to the bed and flopped upon it, tired and worn. She'd been through so much and was exhausted already. There was no telling what the next twenty four hours would bring so, for the moment, she needed to rest. She'd need all the strength she had to get through the next day.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 17 September 2013 - 05:58 PM

The trip to Bonadon was mostly uneventful, he spent the time studying holonet sites on the planet. The conclusion: it was a dump. It saw lots of space traffic, but the planet itself had been polluted to the point native life was almost nonexistent. Certainly not a place Cody would ever want to put down roots, but judging from the number of truly massive spaceport and its location at the edge of the Galaxy, it was certainly an excellent way-point for a fugitive.

Once he landed on the planet, he went for a walk. For a while, he simply watched the people around him and listened to their chatter. Clearly their place right on the Sith border was not lost on the local populace. For his current mission, this was simply a potentially useful factoid. As for as Atrisia was concerned, any expansion this direction was expansion away from the Atrisian Empire.

After awhile he ducked into a store, and began grabbing some clothes. By the time he was done, he had a complete outfit that seemed to match the clothing of the natives. Paying with sith credits, something that earned some looks but far less that Republic or Protectorate credits would have, he took his clothes and changed in the refresher. Almost as an afterthought, he bought a clipboard and some flimsiplast.

Now that he had his supplies, the agent went back to his ship. It was to late now to move in with the plan he had come up with, but he had enough time to quickly scribble out a form on a sheet of flimsi. Once it was ready, he went to bed.

The next morning, dressed in his clothes complete with the floppy front brimmed hats that seemed to be the local style for men at the moment, Cody took a taxi to a random location down the street from the address he had found. Then he walked the rest, knocking on each door on the way. A handful of apologies that he had the wrong house was all he needed to excuse himself and move on.

Finally he reached the house in question. It was just before local noon, and he was dressed like a local. Knocking on the door he called into the house, speaking in a near perfect reproduction of the local accent. And in an accent he had learned during his walk. "''scuse me Sir or Ma'am! I'm here to talk about the upcoming vote on whether we should create an anti Sith militia! It will only take a few minutes of your time!"

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

There was one more thing Madeline had done before she had left. The three completed vials of her newest creation, would soon be found missing back on Atrisia. She'd taken them too, deeming it too dangerous for anyone else. In the early morning hours she had gotten up, headed to a couple different places, banks mostly. With contacts in to mask her blue eyes, and that same hat, she walked in and had deposited the vials, each in a different location. Each under a different name, a different bank and with luck, no one would ever stumble upon them. For the way she had packaged them they looked like a simple metal rectangle, no longer than a datapad, and only a couple inches across and about one and a half inches high. They were complex containment containers, designed only to be opened by her specific DNA and nothing else. Without it, to force it open would drop a chemical into the vials and neutralize the toxins to nothing but harmless black sludge.

Maddie had been twitchy, it seemed every stranger passing by the windows, every noise left her on edge. The sleep she'd gotten that night in the soft bed, was restless, almost painful and tormented with nightmares of capture. With her hair still a bit of a mess, she hadn't bothered to tame it, she rose from the bed. Running fer fingers through her hair, she gave some small effort to tame it. She threw on a simple and thin blue camisole, and a pair of long white pants. In the pocket, her small hold out, and the other held the mace. She never could be too safe. Not now, not when she was so close. This evening her guide was to meet her here and take her to the safe haven in unknown space, far from the reach of Atrisia or anyone else for that matter.

But then came the knock. Madeline jumped, completely startled. As she cautiously approached the door, she peered through the peephole and out onto the steps. There stood a local. Maddie closed her eyes and scolded herself for being so jumpy. She kept the chain on the door and opened it a touch. Her blue eyes masked beneath the contacts but her features otherwise much the same. "I'm not interested, sorry." She said firmly, now having a good look at him. With that she started to close the door.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 18 September 2013 - 04:46 PM

As the door began to close, he stuck his foot in the door. This part was risky, but he had to talk fast and keep her attention. Even with the contacts, he knew he had been right. Madeline Kahoshi was right before him, and he was the only Atrisian asset within who knew how many systems. If he lost her here then his resources would be severely limited.

"Wait, but Ma'am! This is about protecting our homes, your home! If we don't stop them, then this time next week you could very well get thrown out on the curb and your house given to some sith informant as a reward! We must unite as a planet, and throw off the evil overlords who would dare try and steal our livelihood away from us!"

He gave a pleading look, which he held for a few moments before taking on a look of disappointment. "Well, would you at least be willing to sign this petition? If we get enough signatures, it might force people to consider the militia more seriously. I promise you wont be bothered again if you do." As he spoke, he presented the flimsi he had created yesterday which now looked like a petition. There were a few squalled names on it, but it did not look like he had been very successful very far.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Madeline rolled her eyes, she wanted him to go away and leave her in peace. Everything had been planned to a T and she just wanted to go back and try and relax until her guide arrived. She technically was not a citizen here, her signature would matter little. She glared coldly at him as he stuck his foot in the door. At least the chain on it kept him from forcing his way in for the moment. She just wasn't trusting enough at this point to take the chain off and open the door. No, no Maddie was too skittish, too afraid of what could happen out here. Sighing heavily she figured if she just took the clipboard, signed it he'd go away. She reached out, taking the clipboard from him through the small space in the door. He clearly wasn't going to let her close it, but this way she could get it over with.

Now with the board in hand, and a step back from the door itself she retrieved a pen from her pocket and scrawled down a signature of an Alena Rienea. Then stepping back she reached out through the door, and held the board out to him. Just needing him to take it back now so she could move on. "There, now please leave me in peace." A prickle held in her voice, showing her annoyance at the man's persistence.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 18 September 2013 - 05:25 PM

Part of him had hoped that she would open the door enough to grab the clipboard, but she was clearly even more paranoid than normal. Given the circumstances, it was probably wise of her. Well, it had been a very small hope. Unfortunately not knowing what kind of weapons she had on her made things very dangerous, but he had no idea what defenses she had protecting the house. Given the transactions he had tracked it could not be anything terribly expensive, but one could do a lot with very little money if they put their mind to it.

So as she reached out to hand the clipboard out, he moved in a flash. Hands flew to grab her outstretched arm with the intention of pulling her against the opening as hard as he could. If he succeeded in grabbing it he could then pull her arm to the side against the door frame in a very painful angle.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

One thing about Maddie, she was no fighter, not in the least. Her eyes opened wide, in shock as a scream echoed through the house as he jerked her hard against the door. She struggled hard, trying to pull her arm back in, trying to get away. "You bastard, let me go!" She shouted. The position he held her in, even if she could get to her blaster, it would not do her any good. She couldn't reach through the space and shoot him, no her body was in the way. But still that did not stop the dark haired woman from drawing it from her pocket. By hell and high water, she was going to use it given the chance.

The harder she pulled, the more pain she found she was causing herself. "Let GO!" She screamed even louder than before. Panic was so clearly written in her eyes as she shifted, trying to place her foot against the door itself, her other elbow to get some leverage to pull away.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 18 September 2013 - 05:53 PM

He could not see through the door due to her body, but he figured that if she had a weapon it was most definitely drawn by now. Considering how paranoid she had shown herself already, he was going to bet on her having something. Which meant he had to put her in a situation that made her value not having a weapon over having one. It was a good thing she probably knew physics.

"Stop struggling and drop that little item in your right hand... or I break this arm." To emphasise his point, Cody pulled the arm further and far past the point where it was comfortable. With the door frame acting as a fulcrum, it would not take that much more force to snap the bone inside.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Madeline was panting hard, panic overwhelming her. Feeling him pull her arm around further, she howled in pain. It hurt, no doubt about it. But simple fact was she didn't want to relinquish the item in her hand. Moving carefully, still managing to keep a hold of the tiny blaster, she pulled the mace like substance from her pocket and let it drop to the floor with a heavy thud. The hardwood in the house, echoing loudly. She had dropped something, that was certain but she hoped he hadn't noticed she still had her weapon. That was just something she couldn't give it up. Pulling against him again she tried to get free but only cried out in pain once more. Knowing the physics, she knew it wouldn't take much more pressure to snap her arm. Something she really didn't want to happen, couldn't afford to happen.

"Please ...." She pleaded, tears now falling. "Let me go." Her voice softer but no less panicked than before. All she wanted was for the pain to end and him to release his grip on her arm. "What do .... you want? I've got money, a ship, I'll give you anything, just release me!" She begged, still quieter than before. Gears were turning in her mind and she was slowly working a plan out.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 18 September 2013 - 06:52 PM

"What I want is for you to unlock that chain and then keep your empty right hand visible while I open the door. Anything else would be extremely unfortunate for you. I'm not the type who enjoys hurting pretty women, but I will not hesitate if you leave me no choice."

Bracing himself so that he could continued pulling her arm painfully against the doorframe, Cody repositioned himself so that he had a grip on the door handle and was actually now holding it closed. He was far too cautious, agents in his line of work did not live long if they were not, to let her open the door herself. He had no idea what she had dropped, what else she had on her, or how ready she was to fight. As long as he kept control of the situation, her options were limited.

"Open the chain, and show me your hand," he repeated.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Even now, Maddie was trembling, no doubt something Cody could feel in the arm he held so firmly against the frame. Scared out of her mind, which was dangerous. She was cornered and that was no place to put someone like her. She may not have been a fighter, may not have been strong but she knew were her weaknesses and strengths were. Crying softly, she didn't want to open the door, didn't want to unlock that chain and for a while she just simply did not move. All she could do was cry, and trembling there held so painfully in the door.

She was determined, one had to give her that. The weapon, she did not drop, only shifted herself and carefully started to undo the chain. Every part of her knew, knew the second he opened the door, she was going to have to take that shot and pray she did not fail. Because if she did, chances are her life would end. Either here, or if he was what she suspected, it would end on Atrisia, in an execution most foul. She closed her eyes for a moment, a few more tears falling as she let the chain drop. As she did so the weapon had already come around, just waiting for him to open the door, and she'd take the shot. Likely the only one she'd get. Maddie wasn't a fool, she knew that likely he'd break her arm before all was said and done, but a broken arm she could live with. A hole in his chest, possibly not.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 18 September 2013 - 07:58 PM

She did not show an empty hand after the chain was unlocked. The was a bad sign. It was also one he was prepared for. Pulling hard on the handle, he actually smashed it against the arm he was holding. At the same time he used his weight to pull her arm against the frame. He was well practised in how much pressure it took to break the various bones in the human body, and he was hovering right at the edge.

"Last warning, empty your hand or the arm goes snap. You can't win this one."

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Madeline screamed with the door slamming against her shoulder, much of her arm outside at the mercy of Cody and the pressure worsening as he put more weight against it. All she felt was radiating pain from her shoulder, down her arm where it was pressed hard against the frame. Shifting back, now sobbing at the pain he had forced upon her, she gave the smallest of tugs to try and get free but it only brought more pain running down her arm. "Please ...." She pleaded between sobs, "Let go. Let it go... Please." Slowly she shook her head, already close to agony with what had been done so far.

Maybe there was a chance. Something she could use and still drop away what was in her hands. A glance to her left and there was a lamp. It was going to have to do. Slowly, slowly she fished into her pocket, placing the small blaster away. She withdrew a small but heavy bottle of nail polish and let it fall to the floor with a clunk. It would hopefully be convincing enough of a thud on the floor. Finally above her head, she showed her hand, empty for the moment, though it was unlikely to stay that way. Not letting him have a chance to grab for her other hand she pulled it back keeping it just in the line of sight, but far out of reach given his current position. "Now will you release me?" She begged, her voice trembling. She was far from out of options and she did have an advantage he did not. The terrain here she knew. She knew the lamps, the couches, the closets, knives in the kitchen. There was much more than just what she had on her person.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 20 September 2013 - 12:48 PM

Again Cody had no idea if she had really dropped whatever weapon she had been holding, but given that she had just proven she had lied about dropping it once by the second object hitting the floor he was just going to assume she still had it on her. Her hand was empty for the moment though, a fact he could verify visually. It was just going to have to do.

"Yes just as soon as I..." Cody did not finish the sentence before acting. Two things happened at the same time. He kicked open the door he had been holding closed while pulling her out through the opening. Hopefully the suddenness of her actions would knock her off guard, and if he was lucky the door would hit her and stun her. Either way he immediately twisted her arm to try and force her to turn and press her back toward him. The human cody was so usefully frail, all one had to know was how to make it do what you wanted. Pain was such a wonderful motivator.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Everything happened so quickly, before she really could tell for certain what goals he had in mind. The second the door flew open, even as she let out a startled shriek, she pulled the small hold out from her pocket, trying just to squeeze off a single shot in his direction. She knew even hearing the discharge, it was all she was going to get. Within not even a half a second more, he had managed to manipulate her, twist her around, her back towards him, her own arm pressed behind her. She wasn't done, no. He'd just put her in a tight spot and she wasn't even close to giving up. A stomp to his right foot, her own elbow the free one, still holding the blaster came back for his ribs. Anything at this point was a desperate attempt to free herself from his grasp. In the whole process the young woman was screaming, shouting, hoping someone would hear her, help her and get her out of the paws of the monster that held her.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 20 September 2013 - 08:22 PM

An interesting thing he had learned about group psychology, more often than not when something happened in a public setting everyone assumes someone else called for help and so they did not bother to. Which lead to no one calling for help in the end. It was a horrible thing really, but incredibly useful when it came to situations like this where he had no choice but to make a move in the public eye.

Like he had thought she was holding a weapon, and it was only the speed of his actions that had caused her shot to go wild. The foot and elbow elicited a grunt from the agent, but he simply gritted his teeth. The need for an act gone, he let the other self take over. The light seemed to fade from his eyes making them look dead, not that she would notice. All passion and pain drained from his features. Instead he simply looked... bored.

No longer worried about things like self preservation or his target's well being, Cody continued his attack. Pushing forward he basically forced the two of them to slam into the door. The difference being he had a soft cushion. The arm not holding hers attempted to snack around her neck, to pull her close and restrict her airflow. Her unconscious would be safer for both of them.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

The shot ... useless and utterly failed. She had a feeling it would, but she just could not let it go. Would not let it go. Her life was on the line, truly and she wasn't willing to let that go so easily. If she could just get away, just run one more time maybe, maybe there was a chance, but as time went by her chances of escape were dwindling. Faster and faster.

Being slammed into the door, knocked the wind from her lungs and left her gasping painfully. The shock from it, the pain, she couldn't hold to the weapon in her hands and it fell away with a clatter to the ground. Even now she could feel him moving, the arm came up and Maddie reached out digging her nails in deeply and raking them down his arm. ANYTHING to prevent him from getting at her throat. Smart enough to know, the doctor in her, knew too well that should he get there, and apply pressure, she'd have at best eight seconds to get him off or it was all over for her.


Bringing her leg up, she used it to push off the door, and angled the pair into her living room. Space, she needed space. Something else to work with. Still his attempts were not something she could fight off for long. She was hardly trained, much better with a sword than anything else, and hardly one to go out running for endurance, panting hard and tiring fast, time was running out. About that time, she felt the pressure hard on her neck, tried to open her mouth and scream but nothing came out. 8... 7.... Another hit to his stomach with elbow, aimed for the solar plexus. 6... 5... She struck again and again. 4.. 3.. Things growing dark at the corners of her vision. 2.. 1... And all of it was over, her body fell limp against him unmoving.

Everything she'd tried, failed. Nothing really got her anywhere. Her only chance was the few opening seconds and really even that wasn't a big chance at that. Now unfortunately, she was in his hands now, at his mercy and not a damn thing she could do do change any of it.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Cody Weadge


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Posted 21 September 2013 - 10:03 PM

Her final struggles were not ineffective, even as she passed out pain stabbed through his body from the blows. However he was past caring about such pain, his mind did not find such things important at the moment. All that mattered was the job. As she fell limp in his arms he knew that the current task had been completed. Once he had made sure that she was actually unconscious, Cody laid her down carefully on the ground and searched her for anymore weapons. Then he picked up the mace and calmly walked to the front door closing and locking it securely. No police had come yet, but he had not expected any.

Next was securing his captive. It did not take long to find a suitable chair, and removing some rope from inside his clothing he tied her arms and legs to it securely. Next came the black hood that was standard issue for intelligence everywhere. If they did not work, people would not use them. Once he no longer had to fear her waking up and trying to escape, he began to search the house. After tearing everything apart he found the hidden safe, but dared not try and open it. Not with his current equipment. As often seemed the case with him, this left two options.

Finding another chair, he placed it in front of Madeline's and waited.