Without a hitch (rp thread for work_with_it)

[take_mychances]

[Takes place about 3 weeks after last post].The beginning of the evening was going off without a hitch. Dalia was at City Hall, in the auditorium usually reserved for City Council meetings. The mayor was up on stage right behind his press secretary, Eric Sheehan, about to be introduced. It was a 'town hall'-style meeting, so security was in full

Comments

[work_with_it]

"Everything look good so far?"

"Just fine, sir," James Gordon replied, unable to smile the way Detective Damian Layton did. Layton was confident in himself and in his men, and James knew them all well. There wasn't any trouble on the inside, he was sure of that, but he also knew criminals were smart. His increasingly common talks with Huntress had taught him that.

Already, his career seemed ready for advancement. His "instincts" were good, often leading to concrete evidence and a few solid arrests. Some had gone free, but his captain had waved them off. Just the way the system works, he'd told James. Of course, James hadn't revealed the source of those "instincts," and the vigilante encouraged him not to do so. There were some whispers about a new vigilante, yes, but she wasn't ready to be seen in connection with the police, and a rookie officer wasn't the kind of person who should reveal a connection to a vigilante

[take_mychances]

The press secretary began to turn toward Andrew Stephens

[work_with_it]

"Holy shit."

Layton's words registered first in Gordon's mind, even though the shots had started first. Not another word was said. Layton hurried into the crowd to track down the shooter while other officers present tried to at least guide the sections of the panicked crowd. James mounted the stage in an instant, along with one of Layton's men, Detective Peter Barrett. Barret-- and others, no doubt-- radioed for ambulances, checking the press secretary for a pulse.

James, his gun out in case of more fire, hurried toward the mayor. He glanced up and saw Dalia, motioning toward the side of the stage. One of the officers there-- most coming to check on the mayor as well, probably-- one of them could help her navigate the throng of people looking to get away. He looked back at the mayor. At least the wound didn't look fatal, but he wasn't a doctor. "Andy?" he said, not worrying about protocol and formality right now. "Andy, can you hear me?"

[take_mychances]

It was a shoulder wound - not fatal, but painful as hell. Andrew was in a bit of a daze, but he managed to blink up at James. "I'm okay," he winced.

By that time, Dalia was up on the stage, crouched down. She scanned the area briefly. The other employees who'd been on stage and had ducked were still clutching the ground or sitting down, waiting for some sort of all-clear signal. Nick Bruce looked weirdly calm amidst the chaos. The scene from moments earlier played over in Dalia's mind. Something was off. Well, obviously - there'd just been an attempt on the mayor's life and the press secretary

[take_mychances]

Andrew Stephens was sitting propped up in his hospital bed. The shoulder wound had turned out to be not deep enough to call for surgery and although he was on pain medication, he was beginning to feel better, albeit slightly fuzzy-brained

[work_with_it]

James knocked on the room's open door before he came in. Now that the initial panic was over, he remembered to be formal, "Miss Dent, Mayor Stephens. I hope I'm not interrupting?" After all, the last thing Andy needed was him making him lose his train of thought if he was instructing his aide on how to handle this situation.

[take_mychances]

"James," Andrew gave a tired smile. "Come on in. Dalia tells me you've had quite the busy afternoon..."

[work_with_it]

James managed a bit of a smile. "At least mine hasn't involved a hospital trip." He glanced briefly at Dalia before looking back at the mayor. "You know, she's the reason we've got the two of them arrested. She's got a good eye."