Free Falling

Cyrus returned the stare of the man standing in front of him, lips pressed into a thin line of a defeated scowl. He took his time sitting down in the chair positioned at the desk, and didn't take his eyes off of the man. Though this was partly because he didn't want it to seem like just because the man had bested him in an argument about morals and priorities, it was also because it did seem like the man wouldn't hesitate to choke the shit out of him if need be. Self-preservation.

"Don't you think you've wasted enough time already? Hurry up and call her." The man's fists were balled up tightly at his sides, shaking slightly.

Cyrus punched in the phone number, noting the time as it rang.

"This had better be important. It's almost midnight." Monica Hughes sounded as if she had been asleep for a while.

"I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't, ma'am." Cyrus assured her, voice empty of emotion. The man in front of him folded his arms impatiently. It occurred to Cyrus then that maybe the man hadn't been in this sort of situation before. Pampered political idiots.

"Then what's the problem?"

The man leaned over. "Your precious STAG team blew up a building with my daughter in it!"

"For the last time, she wasn't in the building." Cyrus frowned.

There was silence before Monica responded. "Who is that?"

"Then where was she, hm? Traffic cameras show the car her mother was driving being pursued by N-Forcers, your officers, to the same building you were called to go to. Same cameras show her being dragged inside by a man. Nearly thirty minutes later, you blow up the penthouse!"

"Mayor Wesley Fuller...is that you?" Cyrus suppressed a groan at the recognition in Monica's voice.

"Yes, Monica." He bit his lip.

"You said your daughter. Denitra?"

"Yes, Denitra... If she survived the attack." Wesley glared at Cyrus, who returned it.

"She isn't dead." Cyrus fought to keep himself from getting angrier.

"Why, if you were given an opportunity to rescue her, didn't you?"

"Like I told you when you barged in here with your ludicrous accusations, I am not here in Steelport to save one life, but thousands. At the time, my main objective was to fulfill the wishes of my superior, Senator Hughes. I was to retrieve Josh Birk, and that's it." Cyrus leaned back in his chair, hands folded neatly in his lap.

"THEN WHY DID YOU BLOW UP THE PENTHOUSE?"

Cyrus shrugged. "It was necessary to slow the Saints down. Leaving their stronghold intact would not have helped us in any way. It cut down on their numbers and forced them to scatter. They're disorganized right now."

"AND WHAT ABOUT MY DAUGHTER?"

"I saw her jump off the building with the Leader of the Saints." Cyrus stood and turned away from the man, looking out at the quiet streets of downtown Steelport below.

"The Saints?"

Cyrus heard the shock in the man's voice and turned around. "You haven't noticed how quiet it is in Stilwater? They've moved here now, multiplying like cockroaches. I fully intend to exterminate every single one of them."

"My sincerest apologies, Wesley." Monica broke in.

"I-I don't want apologies, Monica. I want Denitra back, safely." He leaned towards the phone. "Help me bring my baby home, alive."

Another moment of silence hung in the air, as they all realized just how difficult that would be. "I'll call in some favors with the Mayor of Steelport and the Chief of Police. The three of us will get the police force there to start searching for her. But it'll have to wait until morning when I know we'll all be in our offices and have access to the phone numbers and people we'll need."

Wesley sighed. "It's only one night. I can only hope she's provided a decent cot to sleep on and food to eat to tie her over until tomorrow."

"You sound like you need some sleep yourself. Go home and rest. In the morning you can head down to the precinct. I'll call in a favor and have them assist you in recovering Denitra." Monica assured him.

He sighed again. "Thank you, Monica. Though I hate to think of what she'll go through until then, I know it's the best you can do on such short notice."

"Thank you for understanding. Don't worry. With both STAG and the police on their tail, the Saints won't even be able to piss in peace."