As the elevator shaft came to a halt at the bottom floor, the doors opened up slowly. Taking a breath of air, Julia stepped out into the lobby.
One of the security guards instantly took notice of the redhead stepping into the lobby and went to her. "Can I help you?" He was under strict orders by Geese to keep an eye on Julia, and if she left the Tower to inform of it immediately.
"Yes, just thinking of stepping out," Julia said. "I've been spending far too much time cooped up in this building. Perhaps it's time to see some of the city for once..."
"If you will allow me I'll have an escort for you in five minutes," the guard offered and used his radio to ask for the guards.
Nodding her head, Julia decided, "Very well. Perhaps I could even get someone to act as a guide?"
"All of our guards are well acquainted with the city." Of course they were. It was a good thing to know the layout of town if you were chasing after someone to kill him or her.
Nodding her head to that, Julia asked, "Anyone less conspicuous than one of the guards here?"
The man thought about it for a moment and nodded slightly. "We might just have the person for that." He turned to the radio again. "Ask Mr. Howard if Lily can accompany Miss Brigand."
Julia nodded. Lily? Was this another 'secretary' of his?
Five minutes later, as promised, five security guards in black suits came out of another elevator. Behind them, looking calm, came a pretty girl in her early teens.
Blinking her eyes once, twice, Julia got onto one knee so she was at eye-level with the girl. "Hello there. I'm Julia. And who are you?"
The girl looked at Julia with that very same unnerving calm. "Lily."
Smiling a little, Julia nodded her head. "That's a pretty name, Lily."
The girl looked away from the smile. "Should we go, Miss Brigand?"
A little surprised by the girl's outward lack of emotions, Julia nodded her head. "Yes, please. Lead the way, Lily," the redhead said as she stood up.
Lily nodded and started walking outside. She sighed inwardly when she felt more than saw the guards all keeping pace with both her and Julia.
Following the girl, Julia couldn't help but wonder why a child still so young was so cold. "Is it because of Geese?" Julia wondered.
Both women were lead to a big limo and were helped inside with the utmost care. After that they sped off into the streets of South Town, two of the guards in the front and the remaining three sitting opposite from the women. Julia, one experienced in hiding weapons, could easily see the guns all three of the men had inside their jackets.
Rolling her eyes, Julia couldn't believe the air of seriousness. Well, at least these people were prepared for the worst. Turning her head towards the aqua-haired girl, Julia asked, "Isn't this a nice car ride?"
Lily didn't stop looking outside as she answered in a monotone. "Yes."
Julia raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should stop and get some ice-cream?"
One of the men nodded and turned over his shoulder to speak to the driver. "To Danny's."
Lily's shoulders seemed to slump slightly at the scene.
Julia frowned a little. Why was this girl seemingly so...? Sad all of a sudden. Before she was emotionless. Now the girl seemed rather perturbed.
Lily remained silent in the entire trip, which took ten minutes. Once they reached their destination Julia and Lily were helped out of the limo and led to a small establishment.
The attendant, upon noticing the new arrivals, seemed to stand more rigidly and smiled forcefully. "Welcome! Please have a seat and I'll be right there with you." It was obvious from the look of the place that orders were made at the counter, not at the tables.
Tapping her fingers on the table-top of the booth, Julia couldn't help but notice the hurried pace. "Strange..."
Lily didn't comment and simply waited until the attendant reached their table. "Will you have the usual, Miss Lily?" He asked as politely as one would a queen, to which she nodded slowly, and the man then turned to Julia. "And what would you prefer, Miss...?"
Smiling a little, as to not startle the attendant, Julia asked, "A real smile, maybe?" She asked in a slight teasing tone of voice to calm him. "You can relax a little, you know."
The man took a deep breath and eyed the men in black suits nervously. He then turned back to Julia and gave her an even more forced smile. "Might I suggest our milkshakes?"
Julia frowned a little but shrugged it off. "All right... May I get strawberry?"
"I'll get your orders here before you know it," he said and literally rushed of to do just that.
At the action Lily sighed and looked out the window, to a couple of kids that were begging for a few coins from the uncaring pedestrians.
Noticing Lily looking out the window, Julia turned her head to see what it was that had the girl so intrigued... And almost regretted it. Those two kids weren't much older than her girls, and it gave a painful pang to the woman's heart.
Standing up, Julia said to the guards, "Excuse me a moment," and got up from her seat.
The guard looked at his companions and took after Julia, together with another one.
Julia turned and glared down the two men following her, in a way that would have made Geese damn proud. "I need to use the ladies' room," she told them seriously, daring them to say otherwise.
"We'll wait outside. Mr. Howard's orders," one of them said as impassively as he could. While Julia looked intimidating the man knew what Geese Howard was capable of. He just chose the lesser of two evils.
Rolling her eyes, she said, "Fine. Then just stand by the door of Danny's and wait. There's something I want to do," she said as she started walking towards the exit.
"We can't do that, Miss Brigand."
"Why not?" Julia asked, getting REALLY tired of this runabout pursuit and questioning.
"Mr. Howard made it clear we are to watch after both you and Lily with our lives," the oldest of the two said.
"Fine, then you can watch. I'm not going very far. Hell, the people from the booth will be able to see me," Julia said seriously.
The man nodded but still didn't relent, following Julia outside with the other guy close behind him.
As she crossed the street and got closer to the two children, Julia looked back, "Can you at least give me a little distance now? I don't want you scaring these two."
The men nodded reluctantly and allowed Julia her space, but not without reaching into their jackets and looking everywhere carefully.
Walking closer to the two homeless children, Julia had a caring smile on her face, "Hello there," she said calmly as she kneeled down. She held the purse that Geese had given her as part of the small wardrobe he provided for her, and was pleased there was a little spending money in it. The woman gave each kid a ten dollar bill. "You two go get yourselves a good meal, all right?"
The children’s' faces lit up and they thanked Julia profusely before rushing off down the street.
Julia smiled as she saw the two run off. Standing back up, she walked back over to the two guards. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
The men remained impassive.
Placing her hands on her hips, Julia huffed a little. "Well, shall we get back inside?"
"Right after you, Miss Brigand."
"Thank you," Julia said as she started heading back across the street and back into the Danny's.
Once inside Julia could see their order was already there, as promised, and Lily was taking little spoonfuls of her sundae while looking out the window sadly.
The redhead frowned a little. The girl seemed so sad still. Sitting back down into the booth, Julia took a sip of her milkshake. "This is pretty good, don't you think so?" She asked Lily.
"You didn't help them," Lily stated softly.
"I know I didn't," Julia said knowingly. "But I've at least eased their suffering for a day."
"No, you didn't." And with that Lily pointed out the window and down the street.
Julia turned her head to look down to where Lily was pointing.
Just then Julia could see the children both give the dollar bills to a guy in leather clothes, who smirked before pointing down another street. The children nodded and rushed off. "Those kids won't see the money you gave them. They probably won't have dinner either," Lily said with a frown.
It was a common occurrence in South Town.
Julia was gawking, her mouth hanging wide.
"Welcome to the real world," Lily said bitterly and finished off her sundae. She stood up and walked past Julia, not stopping as she said, "I'll be waiting in the car."
Turning her head to one of the bodyguards, Julia asked, "Did you know?"
"Yes," came the calm reply.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" Julia asked. "I would have brought them in here to eat."
"It was not my place to speak. My duty only includes making sure you're not in danger."
Julia narrowed her eyes. "That's just peachy..."
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(Posted Fri, 27 Aug 2004 02:19)
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