City Hall was normally divided into two floors during public hours. The lower, main hall where the ballroom was set up, housed most the city’s more common offices: tax collection, vehicle registrations, utilities, public records and the like. The mayor and other city officials’ personal offices were housed on the second floor where a perimeter balcony overlooked the ballroom. All were open to the public though the upper level seemed a little less crowded. Sharply dressed servers strolled around with silver platters passing out champagne and hors d’oeuvres mostly to small, intimate groups clustered together for a temporary escape from the crowd below. There was a small dining area that normally served as a café during the work week where Paige sat at high table with her partner, Xi.
The temporary headquarters for the Marshal taskforce in the city was towards the back of the building, not in view of the other offices. Paige used her passkey to enter from the side rather than funnel through the front doors like the common citizenry. Once inside, she had to pause and lean against the wall in an uninhabited stairwell and momentarily catch her breath. The cold had become near unbearable: At least for a woman accustomed to middle and south Florida year round. She wondered how in the hell Lupe had adjusted, then again he had several layers of added “protection” from the elements, so to speak. Milo seemed to have been okay as well, but she rolled her eyes at the thought of him.
Loser.
With the happy rise of heat, she found the upper level much more to her liking when she met Xi who had already ordered the drinks.
“Been a while since I saw a woman order one of those.” Xi said with a smirk. The café had been converted into a cocktail bar for the evening and she texted him to order her a classic Collins.
“I needed something light,” Paige replied. “I had that coffee thing a little while ago and it had milk in it.” Their table overlooked the ballroom from the railing. She took a few sips as she glanced over. “What do they drink where you’re from?”
“Mostly fu-fu, daiquiris and cheap wine,” He said. “We live in the desert so there’s plenty of tequila too.” Xi scanned around as well. He had hawk-like vision and a myriad of patience to boot. He once spent two days staring down a rifle scope in Afghanistan waiting for a militia leader to appear. Looking for gangster thugs making a show of themselves while sipping a
Kronenbourg 1664 was like a night at the Ritz.
“Never had a taste for tequila,” Paige visibly winced at the thought of it. “But I can’t say I haven’t ordered my share of cheap wine and chic drinks.” She smirked at the memories that flowed behind the comment. The night had been full of reminders of Delta City, both large and small. “Seen anything?”
Xi shook his head, “I know I saw a couple outside, patch and all.” The
Dellesantos Gang had been a focal point of more than one their briefings and both were familiar with the group’s colors as well as the gang’s hierarchy. Being from the Southwest, near the Mexican border, Xi had delt with its equally dangerous sister-organizations that operated across the borders. “Apparently you really stirred them up when you made that crank call on the Visagoths, P-3 was in the air and listening. They were ready for a showdown.”
Paige’s smirk turned into a full grin. “Never underestimate the wonders that can happen when you sow seeds of distrust in a garden of assholes.”
“You just make that up?” Xi chuckled. He had already created a nickname for her various and obscure pontifications,
Paige-isms.
“Nah, I read it somewhere.” She watched as a group that included the redhead she’d spoken to earlier decided to take on a few songs at the piano. She wasn’t exactly a fan of the tune, but she could appreciate talent and it fit the ambiance of the evening, though it was quickly cut short by a small disturbance. It appeared that someone had fainted or passed out though her view was obscured by the assembled gawkers. She shook her head and went back to her drink. It was time the EMT's got off their asses and worked like everyone else.
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