Chapter 3

Sacrificial Lambs

9:00 a.m., Wednesday

Fuzzhead slept quietly on his couch. He had spent the better part of the night roaming the Matrix. All in some hope to gain more information that he could trade to Sheila Windors. It was early in the morning when he finally disconnected his datajack. Shortly afterwards he laid down on his couch and didn't intend to move for the next six hours.

He was in a peaceful slumber when he felt something poking up against his temple. He pushed it away with his hand and creaked open his eye to see what it was.

"Hey there, chummer, you've been a bad little decker." Strife said, holding an Ares Predator II mere centimeters from Fuzzhead's temple. "I think your afro has gotten you in a tad bit of hot water."

Fuzzhead raised his hands up slowly, showing that he was not armed. His eyes traced across his room to find that there were three other uninvited guests. Two of them looked like they were just muscle. There was a tall woman that unnerved him. She stood just behind Strife and was dressed in lavishly expensive clothes and was wearing a pair of mirror shades. His home had been compromised. The expensive lock he had on the door had been overcome. Now he was face-to-face with his foes.

"I think that you've been spending way to much time in the virtual world." Strife continued. "So maybe we should adjust your sense of reality."

Fuzzhead started to shake, but he tried to control himself. On the net he wasn't afraid of confrontations. In the real world, it was much different. Fuzzhead had no idea how to handle himself. "Okay, now just chill out there, man. What do you want."

Strife grabbed Fuzzhead by the collar and shoved the pistol in his face. "Don't pretend to be smart around me, afro. Trace countermeasures say that you've been roaming around the wrong person's system. Maybe that you found out a few things that you weren't suppose to know."

I was traced, Fuzzhead thought to himself. He started to get up, but Strife took the barrel of the Predator and slapped him across the head. Blood tricked from a gash on Fuzzhead's temple as he was sprawled onto the floor by the force of the blow.

Strife turned to Goran. "Check his telecom and see if he's made any calls."

The woman moved up and looked Fuzzhead over. "I think I can get some information out of him."

"He's all yours."

"Excellent." The woman pulled a small item from her coat pocket. It looked like a small glowing jewel attached to a wooden stick. She placed it in front of Fuzzhead's eyes and started chanting.

"Hey boss." Goran said. "His com is empty, like he erased the whole system." He glanced at the adept as she worked her magic. "What we going to do with him?"

Strife smiled. "Make an example."

9:45 am

Shortly after the group had managed a successful escape from Greendale, Remy had Hamish to drive them to a small apartment building in lower Redmond. Here Fulcrum maintained what he called his "Place of Thoughts." Fulcrum had control over much of the third floor of the shambling structure. With only a few other tenants, who kept to themselves anyway, it was a perfect place for Fulcrum to be left alone to work his magic. Essentially it was nothing more than a quiet place were Fulcrum would often go where he could be by himself. He normally didn't like to have any of the other members of the team in with him. The only other person who knew what was inside was Shard. Remy reasoned that the only reason Fulcrum let Shard in was because she was magically active. Sort of a kindred spirit. Still, another part of Remy argued that Fulcrum had more serious reasons. Not everyone was happy about going to Fulcrum's place. Hamish always complained that it had a eerie feel to the place. Of course still Guido bellowed about breakfast. On the way, much due to the complaints of Guido, the group stopped at McHugh's drive through. However, Hamish's feelings about the building could not be changed.

Once they arrived at Fulcrum's place, the shaman said that he had work to do and locked himself in. Remy frowned at this. The shaman was always secretive about his ways, but he always had a noble purpose to what he did. Remy was also aware that Fulcrum was a little picky about what he would and would not do during a run. Of all of the people that Remy knew, Fulcrum had the highest moral standards of them all. The shaman always despised killing and tried to avoid taking advantage of people. Yet he was so strong with his magic that it seemed he could easily overpower to most difficult opponents. At times Remy would ponder on what kind of shaman Fulcrum was, but was always perplexed.

Once Fulcrum locked himself in, Remy spread out everyone so they could keep an eye on things. They weren't in one of the friendliest neighborhoods around. So he sent Hamish with the Bison around to the alley at the side of the building. The rigger then launched a Condor drone and set it on a high-flight observation patrol. This way he could see almost all of the connecting streets around the building. Remy along with Guido, with his bag of McMuffins, stood watch near Fulcrum's door in case anybody tried to disturb him and maked sweeps of the other two floors. The troll was more than happy for a peaceful moment to go through the rest of his breakfast. Smiley was assigned to take up a position on the roof. It was only after much arguing that Smiley agreed on the condition that he could take Guido's sniping rifle. This left Shard to roam as she pleased which is how she preferred it. This way she could be available wherever she was needed. She was still a little dizzy from the manipulation she had pulled earlier in the morning. She made the mistake of sustaining the spell too long.

"Why am I doing this?" Shard said silently to herself as she slowly paced down the second floor hallway. She has made mistakes today just as she had all her life. Nothing ever changed for her. Her parents, once part of a band of wandering gypsies, had died when she was still very young. Shard, her real name Sharon Shrasee Lenn, had done all she could to survive in Tir Tairngire.

Shard smiled at the word. Tir Tairngire? In her language it meant Land of Promise. The rest of the world saw it as an Elven nation with quite a reputation. Yet it was far from being a Land of the Promise. It was just as cold and vile as any other place on the Earth.

Sometimes she found it odd how some people could look on shadowrunning as a glorious thrill ride full of excitement and glory. Shard had been in the shadows for many years now. She has seen no glory in all that time. She has seen no glory from the day she was left out on her own to this moment in a small, crumbling building. The only excitement she found was being able to survive another day. The simple act of waking up in the morning was a blessing to her.

Things had changed a little for her over the years. She had kicked and clawed her way out of the Tir. Only to be faced on the streets of Seattle with nowhere to turn. Shard was still quite surprised when Remy came up to her one night. She and Remy had known each other for years. They had a few close relationships while he was in Tir Tairngire, but things changed as they always do.

Remy had left early one morning without a hint as to why. He had simply disappeared. It was only later that Shard found out that Remy had ended up in Seattle. However, she still had no idea what Remy was running away from. From the first moment she saw him, he was paranoid and jumpy. Now he was confident and strong in his will. Shard still knew that he was hiding something that he had done in the past. Though she knew that she wouldn't find out what it was unless Remy decided to tell her.

"How are you feeling, Shard?"

"Still have a little headache." Shard spun around to see Remy standing a few meters from her. "Whose watching Fulcrum?"

Remy shrugged. "Guido can handle it. He's polished off his breakfast and is in full business mode right now. It would take the entire Humanis club to move him."

Shard offered a smile.

"Smiley's still a little keyed about something."

"What is it this time?"

Remy walked up behind her, then trotted over to a window that viewed the street. "Fulcrum grabbed Smiley's gun away from him back at Greendale just when he was about to frag up that guard all over the street." Shard looked at him in surprise. "I don't think he knew that you were holding control of the guy. Drek, I didn't even know it."

"What did Smiley do?"

"Fired off a lovely string of colorful metaphors, what else? He was out of line though." Remy stated. "He....his weapons weren't silenced. Sometimes I don't know why he's still around. Either he's got too much metal in him or he just likes being the way he is."

Shard almost laughed at that remark. Smiley had always had a reputation of being slightly insane, but it never occurred to her that he wanted to be that way. "Something tells me that you didn't come down here to discuss Smiley's state of mind." Shard pushed her long, blonde hair away from her eyes.

Remy grunted, "Maybe."

"Look, Remy, I know that we've had some...." She hesitated. "....problems in the past, but that..."

"We had some good times in the past, Sharon. Good times." Remy was standing silently before her now. His cold, black eyes showing a hint of what he was hiding. "Neither of us can deny that."

"But it was all in the past. Things are different now, we've all changed."

Remy shook his head. "Yeah, you brought Fulcrum up with you from the Tir."

"Fulcrum has nothing to do with it, Remy."

"The rest of us don't think he scans too well. We don't know anything about him. It's obvious that he doesn't plan to tell us anything. I don't even think that he wants any of us to know. Like he's hiding something."

"Like you are?"

Remy quieted down with Shard's harsh remark. He stood speechless for a few seconds. Shard, as if sensing Remy uncomfortable feeling, kept on talking.

"I met him when he was passing through Portland. Please don't tell him I told you this." She sighed. "And don't tell the others. It's just to respect his wishes, okay?"

Remy nodded.

"Look, Fulcrum had left Azltan." She looked around to make sure no one was listening, then continued. "His family, his wife and 5 year old daughter, had died. Both of them were killed in a air plane crash over the Gulf. Fulcrum took the whole thing kind of hard. He shut himself off from the world and just bottled up his emotions."

"So I've noticed."

Shard's eyes opened a little wider. "It just took everything away from him. Like he didn't have a reason to keep on living anymore. He went for weeks out alone in the wilderness. Then he found a calling in magic. He felt a strong connection with something again and he followed it. He was traveling through countries looking for a way to put himself to use in a new life when we ran into each other. In the weeks I've known him before I came to Seattle, he changed so much. He's not like you and me, Remy."

Remy tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, well, it's hard to explain." Shard propped herself up against the wall. "Ask yourself why we do what we do. Because of our lives? Because of what we have lived through in our younger years? Ask any shadowrunner and that's probably what they will say. Either we have a debt to settle or we were brought up on our own or we're running away from something. It doesn't matter because it's all the same." Remy nodded his head in slight agreement. "But with Fulcrum it's different. He just has this code and feeling about himself. Remy, he's not in it for the money or the power. He...." She brushed her hair back again. "...he just wants to do some good in his life."

"So Fulcrum is not in this job for the money." Remy could've have guessed that much for himself. The shaman never really seemed to care much about money.

Shard nodded. "I think the reason he came along was because of this," She paused for a second.

"Lola." Remy supplied. "Lola Domingo, Smiley found a photo of her in her father's bedroom."

"Lola, then. That's why Fulcrum took this assignment. That girl is out alone on the streets right now, Remy. She doesn't have anyone to turn to and is running scared."

Remy opened his mouth as if he was about to say something.

"I know Remy, I was like her at one time. You know as well as I do that the odds of her living to see next week are very slim. Fulcrum knows it too."

Remy grunted at that. There were other reasons why he accepted the job as well. Though, knowing Shard, she wouldn't believe him. She had always seen him as a person who was primarily concerned for himself. All because he ran out on her a few years ago in Tir Tairngire. Remy knew that it was pointless to try and convince her otherwise.

"Right now he's doing everything that he can to find that girl. That's why he locked himself in."

"I figured he was working some of his voodoo. Whatever you call it, magic." Remy lit a cigarette. "I seen him do it once before, find someone with magic. Didn't look to hard. Seems all he had to do was find something that was connected with the person, say a few words, and that's it."

"It's a little more complicated than that, Remy. From what I understand."

"To me magic always is. If you don't have it you better learn to fear it."

Remy turned and walked back up toward Fulcrum's door. Shard thought for a second, then followed him.

"What are you afraid of?" She asked.

Remy only mumbled a reply as he climbed the steps.

As the two reached the top of the stairs, Fulcrum's heavy steel door was pushed open from the inside and the shaman stepped out. He was carrying the small pink teddy bear that he had taken earlier from Lola's room. He had the expression of concern on his face.

"Fulcrum?" Shard sounded deeply afraid and concerned for her friend.

"I've found her, but it wasn't as simple as I thought it would be."

"What happened?" Remy asked.

"She's being moved around a lot. First she was in South Tacoma, then there was the pattern of movement and had trouble keeping track with. She made me send out spirits and track her astrally. Oddly, I don't think that she was awake when she was moved. Like someone was taking her."

"You think it was the corp?"

"I don't know who it was. All I know is that she is no longer in Tacoma."

"Then where is she?"

"She's in Loveland."