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It wasn't that no one knew who she was, or what she did. Thinking that would be stupid, and at this point a lot of the stupid had already been weeded out of Chicago. Even with the presence of the new military wanna-be overlords.
One thing Anna could say for them, they really didn't leave her much time to herself, what with the sudden influx of electric tension on the streets. It took a lot to prevent riots, to keep people from panicking and running amok.
Even with the assistance of every temporary deputy in the city, putting all the small fires out was a full-time job.
It made her tired.
The sight of military police marching up to the Wasteland and fixating their attention on her--
That didn't leave her much room to think 'tired' would be going away anytime soon. Fuck.
She closed her notebook, briefly mourning the fact that her current poem was looking to be stuck on the back burner for a long, long time, and looked up.
"I'm guessing you're not here to report a crime."
The one on the left let his eyebrows go up, looking from her, to her pile of notebooks, to the bar.
"They said this was your office, but I didn't believe 'em."
Her mouth twisted wryly.
"Easiest place to hear things is where people gather. I'd think you and yours would know that already."
Anna smiled, close-mouthed and hiding her fangs. Not that it mattered. But some expressions were more easily read than others, and the gathered patrons of the Wasteland--well, at least some of them would know her patience was quickly running out.
"Still. Did you need something?"
She cut a quick look to one of the returning deputies, one eyebrow faintly raised. The wolf stopped on the doorstep, raised both eyebrows in turn, then slipped back out the door and into the streets.
Not that Anna was worried about disappearing, but it paid to have certain parties know who was being questioned.
Just in case.
The second MP quirked a slight smile.
"Don't expect us to believe you don't already know."
Anna smiled back, standing and gesturing toward an older gentleman in the corner. "You want to store these in the backroom again? Gwen gets cranky if I leave them out. Thanks."
Keeping one eye on the MPs, she picked up her bag from behind her chair, tucked a strand of long dark hair behind her ear, and nodded once.
"I'm game if you are."
They left.
***
"So you're a . . . poet, you said?"
The Colonel raised one very dubious eyebrow.
Anna smiled. "By training and by inclination, yes. You object to poetry? Is it the aesthetics?"
"Is that really what you want to be talking about, Miss--Logres? Or is it Mrs?"
Her mouth twitched again. "Just Anna. If you don't mind. Colonel."
He waved one hand, dismissing the current topic of conversation, she assumed.
"So tell me, what exactly does a poet have to do with relations between soldiers and civilians? You can deny it all you like, but we've had multiple reports of you at at least half the locations of blowups between military and civilians in the past month."
Anna's eyebrows went up. He had to be kidding.
"Are you about to segue into accusing me of spreading discontent? Because if you are, I think you might want to pay more attention to those reports that come across your desk."
His expression didn't twitch a hair. Anna just kept smiling.
"Well?"
He licked his lips, shuffling a few of the files on his desk.
"We're more interested, at the moment, in integrating you and your--deputies, I think you call them--into our own security forces. It's long past the time when Chicago and its citizens should have come to heel, and between you and me I don't see it getting better anytime soon without some cooperation between us."
Again Anna's eyebrow went up.
"Is that a proposition?"
If Gwen were here, Anna would laugh and say 'well, now, colonel, that leaves a girl feeling dirty, don't you know'. But Gwen's not.
Thank God.
"Because I'm fairly sure I'll have to respectfully decline. I don't do well working for other people."
That is, and has always been, an understatement.
"Though you don't have to worry about me not doing my part to keep my peace. We've got no interest in starting a war--at least not on my turf. So if that's it--"
She stood, careless of any forthcoming dismissal.
"I hope I won't be seeing you again. Have a nice day, Colonel."
Anna nodded once more, then turned and left.
The last glimpse the Colonel caught of her was the hem of her blue skirt swirling around her ankles as she strode out the door.
Well, that and her ankle holster.
Daniel's always been good with birthday presents.
One thing Anna could say for them, they really didn't leave her much time to herself, what with the sudden influx of electric tension on the streets. It took a lot to prevent riots, to keep people from panicking and running amok.
Even with the assistance of every temporary deputy in the city, putting all the small fires out was a full-time job.
It made her tired.
The sight of military police marching up to the Wasteland and fixating their attention on her--
That didn't leave her much room to think 'tired' would be going away anytime soon. Fuck.
She closed her notebook, briefly mourning the fact that her current poem was looking to be stuck on the back burner for a long, long time, and looked up.
"I'm guessing you're not here to report a crime."
The one on the left let his eyebrows go up, looking from her, to her pile of notebooks, to the bar.
"They said this was your office, but I didn't believe 'em."
Her mouth twisted wryly.
"Easiest place to hear things is where people gather. I'd think you and yours would know that already."
Anna smiled, close-mouthed and hiding her fangs. Not that it mattered. But some expressions were more easily read than others, and the gathered patrons of the Wasteland--well, at least some of them would know her patience was quickly running out.
"Still. Did you need something?"
She cut a quick look to one of the returning deputies, one eyebrow faintly raised. The wolf stopped on the doorstep, raised both eyebrows in turn, then slipped back out the door and into the streets.
Not that Anna was worried about disappearing, but it paid to have certain parties know who was being questioned.
Just in case.
The second MP quirked a slight smile.
"Don't expect us to believe you don't already know."
Anna smiled back, standing and gesturing toward an older gentleman in the corner. "You want to store these in the backroom again? Gwen gets cranky if I leave them out. Thanks."
Keeping one eye on the MPs, she picked up her bag from behind her chair, tucked a strand of long dark hair behind her ear, and nodded once.
"I'm game if you are."
They left.
***
"So you're a . . . poet, you said?"
The Colonel raised one very dubious eyebrow.
Anna smiled. "By training and by inclination, yes. You object to poetry? Is it the aesthetics?"
"Is that really what you want to be talking about, Miss--Logres? Or is it Mrs?"
Her mouth twitched again. "Just Anna. If you don't mind. Colonel."
He waved one hand, dismissing the current topic of conversation, she assumed.
"So tell me, what exactly does a poet have to do with relations between soldiers and civilians? You can deny it all you like, but we've had multiple reports of you at at least half the locations of blowups between military and civilians in the past month."
Anna's eyebrows went up. He had to be kidding.
"Are you about to segue into accusing me of spreading discontent? Because if you are, I think you might want to pay more attention to those reports that come across your desk."
His expression didn't twitch a hair. Anna just kept smiling.
"Well?"
He licked his lips, shuffling a few of the files on his desk.
"We're more interested, at the moment, in integrating you and your--deputies, I think you call them--into our own security forces. It's long past the time when Chicago and its citizens should have come to heel, and between you and me I don't see it getting better anytime soon without some cooperation between us."
Again Anna's eyebrow went up.
"Is that a proposition?"
If Gwen were here, Anna would laugh and say 'well, now, colonel, that leaves a girl feeling dirty, don't you know'. But Gwen's not.
Thank God.
"Because I'm fairly sure I'll have to respectfully decline. I don't do well working for other people."
That is, and has always been, an understatement.
"Though you don't have to worry about me not doing my part to keep my peace. We've got no interest in starting a war--at least not on my turf. So if that's it--"
She stood, careless of any forthcoming dismissal.
"I hope I won't be seeing you again. Have a nice day, Colonel."
Anna nodded once more, then turned and left.
The last glimpse the Colonel caught of her was the hem of her blue skirt swirling around her ankles as she strode out the door.
Well, that and her ankle holster.
Daniel's always been good with birthday presents.
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