Another Crashed Car

[Nicole Decker]

Nicole put her hands on her hips as she cocked her head and bent over the crashed sky car in the middle of Alice and Nick Ryder's living room. She took a pair of tweezers and removed a part of an eyeball from the hood and put it into a container. She glanced over at Alice and shook he rhead.

"Well luv... this is a new and exciting and terrifying development." Nicole commented as she looked at the car. "So, an Ajem'dasis terrorist manages to dive bomb the loft, breaks through four layers of shielding and a reinforced barrier."

"He had a kilden." Nick said as he crawled out from under the sky car and yanked out a box. "A kilden array... " he grimaced and tossed it on what was left of the couch. "Jase kildens. I knew some of these. This was a message."

"I'm going to assume the message was 'die motherfucker die?" Nicole crossed her arms and looked over at Alice. "Maaaybe Alice and Gale should go to a secure location."

"This WAS a secure location." Nick muttered.

"That's why I'm taking my friend and her son on a little trip..." Nicole replied. "Because I am about 90% sure that this is going to result in some incredibly violent and macho bullshit and I came here personally, no other agents. Officially, this was an accident. Unofficially, I'm using my status as Director of SHIELD to cover this up. Alice... until this is all fixed, how would you like to help me redecorate a very spacious, secure and bloody empty condo? I have no bloody life outside the Mount and it shows."

[Catarina Peters]

Detective Peter's pushed her way past the objections of security and entered the livingroom. "Woah!" She exclaimed. "Air traffic control reported a crashed vehicle." Seeing Decker she hesitated. "I got the Alliance Transportation Safty Board and the IAA breathing down my neck for a report on whether or not there's a downed aircraft."

[Nicole Decker]

"Test flight gone wrong." Nicole replied as she flashed her badge. "Nothing to worry about. Other than Mr. Ryder's bank account after Mrs. Ryder redecorates. I'm sure there'll be some new expensive stuff plus a few other items... eh Mr. President?"

"Right." Nick said as he looked over at Peters. "You're the same Detective that investigated the attack at Joe's when Cece, Kinsey and Selene Cross were killed. Seems like you have a knack of getting involved in situations where there is plenty of Intelligence community around." he gave Decker a slight smirk.

"I'll be happy to forward a report to your office as for the ATSB and IAA... my office will handle them." Nicole replied as she glanced at the First Lady. "Alice and I were actually just about to go and shop for things for my own place... and seeing this shuttle... I think a shuttle in my living room would make an absolutely smashing conversation piece. It certainly drew you here."

[Catarina Peters]

"With all due respect sir, bullshit. You aren't the worst liar out there, but you aren't the best." She dug out an old fashioned pad of paper and a well worn pencil and scribbled some stuff onto the paper. Sticking the pencil between her teeth she ripped off the sheet and handed it to Nick. "The lead ATSB investigator is Greg Daniels. I will tell them what I saw and what you said. The rest is up to your ability to sell that little fiction to Daniel's, whom I have had no dealings with. For all I know is he's a full telepath and you won't be able to sell your story to him either."

[Nick Ryder]

"I raised a full telepath and Daniels isn't." Nick replied as he took the paper. "Daniels... Daniels... oh yeah... introduced him his girlfriend, made him sound cool so she'd sleep with him. He'll believe me."

[Alice Ryder]

“If you are all quite through I’d like a word with my husband.” Alice said finally speaking up.

[Nick Ryder]

Nick took Alice's hand and walked over to the study and winced. "This is bad..."

[Alice Ryder]

“There is a car in our living room. Our son was sitting in that exact spot not more than two minutes before it came crashing through the roof.” Alice said her tone even but the temperature in the room grew warmer as she spoke. “I thought he was in there Nicholas under all of that. I called for him and called for him. Do you have any idea what that’s like? I thought our son was dead. I’ve never felt so torn apart and relieved as I did in those moments. When Gale walked out of his room...I can’t do this anymore.”

[Nick Ryder]

Nick nodded his head and looked into her blue eyes. "I know... this isn't going to work." He looked toward the living room. "We're in a four story building and we get hit with a fucking flying car. This is not what should have happened. Alice, you and our son are my entire world. But if I can't at least keep you protected during all this..." he sighed heavily. "You're smarter than I am. Whatever you think will keep Gale and you safe... make it happen. Agency will pay for it."

[Alice Ryder]

“Money can’t fix everything.” Alice told him. “But in some regards I maybe bit smarter. I’ve learned a thing or two from Kinsey and Selene over the years and I have a plan.”