Thankfully, the initial ambush went very fast and was over very quickly. The smugglers had been utterly unprepared for someone to have broken their ledger code, and so when Peter and his two teammates, plus Mrs. Caspian, Kirk, and Neal had them at gunpoint inside a shipping container, blocking their only way out, the smugglers were all swift to put down their guns.
Once the four smugglers were cuffed, Jones and Diana took two of them out to their car, leaving Peter and Mrs. Caspian standing over the remaining two, while Kirk and Neal began to open the heavy wooden crates of various sizes inside the shipping container.
Neal got his open first, and stared at the elaborately carved gold mask inside. “Wow. This almost looks like some kind of death mask, but not one I’m familiar with.”
Kirk was still struggling with his own large crate, but Mrs. Caspian’s voice suddenly rang out, and Peter jumped. “Neal, don’t touch that!”
Neal pulled his hand back as though he’d been stung, turning to stare at Mrs. Caspian. “What? What is it?”
Kirk looked over, taking in what lay in the box, and his face darkened.
“Ed - Kirk,” Mrs. Caspian said, and Peter could hear real, genuine fear in her voice. “What if it’s real? What if it’s - what if you -”
Kirk ventured closer, peering at the mask. “I don’t think it’s real,” he said softly. “It’s a terribly good imitation, though. But if it is the real thing - if anything happens - I’ll be all right,” he said, smiling just a little at Mrs. Caspian. “You know He is always watching over us.”
(What the hell did that mean? Peter wondered. And Mrs. Caspian had started to say something else, before she had caught and corrected herself. Ed. Had that been the beginning of Kirk’s real name? And if so, it was an indicator of how badly frightened Mrs. Caspian was, to have made such a slip.)
Mrs. Caspian pressed her lips tight, and her hands shook, even while she kept her handgun pointed at their other two captives.
Kirk reached out and carefully picked up the mask, seemingly holding his breath as he did so. When nothing happened after a few moments, he let out a slow breath, and Mrs. Caspian seemed to become smaller as the tension drained out of her.
“What is that thing?” Neal asked, hushed, and Peter wondered if he’d ever seen Kirk so wary and cautious.
Kirk pulled the mask toward him and inspected it closely, frowning. “It’s an excellent imitation of a Telemarine battle mask,” he said. “Again - I don’t think it’s real. There are some tiny differences, but only tiny; not ones you’d notice if you didn’t know what you were looking at.”
“You’ve seen these before,” Neal said, and there was only the barest hint of a question.
“It’s been a long time,” Kirk said, and the expression that flitted across his face was full of disgust, “but yes.”
“Why were you so afraid?” Peter asked bluntly, directing his question to Mrs. Caspian. “You don’t seem like the type to be superstitious.”
Mrs. Caspian had pulled herself together, and the relieved woman of a moment before was gone, replaced by the imperious MI6 operative who had first arrived. When she spoke, her tone was icy with anger. “The Telemarines are a - vanished people,” she said, her words clipped. “What we know about them is that they were ruthless, violent, and exploitive, as well as being powerful. It is entirely possible for them to have cursed an object such as that, if it were real. Do not speak of what you do not know, Agent Burke.”
Peter opened his lips to retort, but Jones and Diana reappeared then, and Peter decided it wasn’t worth the fight. Mrs. Caspian clearly believed what she was saying, and he could sort out the real and the fictitious later.
Diana raised her eyebrows at him in question, and Peter sighed. “Diana, can you and Jones take these other two away, please? And if you want to get started on the questioning, be my guest.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, glancing around meaningfully.
“We’re okay,” Peter assured her. “We’ll see you back at the office. Good work today.”
Diana and Jones moved forward to take custody of the remaining two smugglers, and Peter lowered his weapon, as did Mrs. Caspian.
“Thanks, Jones,” Peter said as the younger man went past him, and Jones nodded.
“Any time, boss,” he said with a satisfied smile.
“Okay, so we know this one wasn’t real,” Neal said, addressing Kirk. “What’s in your crate?”
no subject
Thankfully, the initial ambush went very fast and was over very quickly. The smugglers had been utterly unprepared for someone to have broken their ledger code, and so when Peter and his two teammates, plus Mrs. Caspian, Kirk, and Neal had them at gunpoint inside a shipping container, blocking their only way out, the smugglers were all swift to put down their guns.
Once the four smugglers were cuffed, Jones and Diana took two of them out to their car, leaving Peter and Mrs. Caspian standing over the remaining two, while Kirk and Neal began to open the heavy wooden crates of various sizes inside the shipping container.
Neal got his open first, and stared at the elaborately carved gold mask inside. “Wow. This almost looks like some kind of death mask, but not one I’m familiar with.”
Kirk was still struggling with his own large crate, but Mrs. Caspian’s voice suddenly rang out, and Peter jumped. “Neal, don’t touch that!”
Neal pulled his hand back as though he’d been stung, turning to stare at Mrs. Caspian. “What? What is it?”
Kirk looked over, taking in what lay in the box, and his face darkened.
“Ed - Kirk,” Mrs. Caspian said, and Peter could hear real, genuine fear in her voice. “What if it’s real? What if it’s - what if you -”
Kirk ventured closer, peering at the mask. “I don’t think it’s real,” he said softly. “It’s a terribly good imitation, though. But if it is the real thing - if anything happens - I’ll be all right,” he said, smiling just a little at Mrs. Caspian. “You know He is always watching over us.”
(What the hell did that mean? Peter wondered. And Mrs. Caspian had started to say something else, before she had caught and corrected herself. Ed. Had that been the beginning of Kirk’s real name? And if so, it was an indicator of how badly frightened Mrs. Caspian was, to have made such a slip.)
Mrs. Caspian pressed her lips tight, and her hands shook, even while she kept her handgun pointed at their other two captives.
Kirk reached out and carefully picked up the mask, seemingly holding his breath as he did so. When nothing happened after a few moments, he let out a slow breath, and Mrs. Caspian seemed to become smaller as the tension drained out of her.
“What is that thing?” Neal asked, hushed, and Peter wondered if he’d ever seen Kirk so wary and cautious.
Kirk pulled the mask toward him and inspected it closely, frowning. “It’s an excellent imitation of a Telemarine battle mask,” he said. “Again - I don’t think it’s real. There are some tiny differences, but only tiny; not ones you’d notice if you didn’t know what you were looking at.”
“You’ve seen these before,” Neal said, and there was only the barest hint of a question.
“It’s been a long time,” Kirk said, and the expression that flitted across his face was full of disgust, “but yes.”
“Why were you so afraid?” Peter asked bluntly, directing his question to Mrs. Caspian. “You don’t seem like the type to be superstitious.”
Mrs. Caspian had pulled herself together, and the relieved woman of a moment before was gone, replaced by the imperious MI6 operative who had first arrived. When she spoke, her tone was icy with anger. “The Telemarines are a - vanished people,” she said, her words clipped. “What we know about them is that they were ruthless, violent, and exploitive, as well as being powerful. It is entirely possible for them to have cursed an object such as that, if it were real. Do not speak of what you do not know, Agent Burke.”
Peter opened his lips to retort, but Jones and Diana reappeared then, and Peter decided it wasn’t worth the fight. Mrs. Caspian clearly believed what she was saying, and he could sort out the real and the fictitious later.
Diana raised her eyebrows at him in question, and Peter sighed. “Diana, can you and Jones take these other two away, please? And if you want to get started on the questioning, be my guest.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, glancing around meaningfully.
“We’re okay,” Peter assured her. “We’ll see you back at the office. Good work today.”
Diana and Jones moved forward to take custody of the remaining two smugglers, and Peter lowered his weapon, as did Mrs. Caspian.
“Thanks, Jones,” Peter said as the younger man went past him, and Jones nodded.
“Any time, boss,” he said with a satisfied smile.
“Okay, so we know this one wasn’t real,” Neal said, addressing Kirk. “What’s in your crate?”