Free Edward by Marcus LaGrone

don't know.  Honestly I'm
a little flustered right now.”
    “Gotcha.  Sorry.  I know you are busting your
butts.  Well I got to get back to the client.”
    “Speaking of butts...”
    “Can it Trevor. Out.”
    “Out.”
    Gillian walked over from the edge of the stage to address the
musicians in the front row, “You are dismissed for the day with full pay. 
I expect to see you at eight tomorrow and we will try this again.  Thank
you for your professionalism.”
    There was a small celebration on the side and no small
amount of groaning from the stage.  People quickly moved to pack up their
instruments and bag their personal effects.  Well at least a third of the
crew was happy to work for Gillian today!
    “We have an inbound reading on motion sensor number 14,”
chirped the comlink.
    “That's roof access by the air handling unit,” replied
Edward.  “Is the maintenance crew doing something?”
    “Negative,” came Kadu's voice over the link.  “All
building staff was signed out at six-thirty.  That is not far from the
catwalk for the power cables to the stage lights.”
    Not good.  That would quickly lead to the stage at an
angle that was hard to view.
    “Alex, take the stairs.  I'll take the ladder to the
catwalk directly over the stage.”
    “D-tack,” replied Alex.
    Edward raced to the edge of the stage and searched for a
ladder up.  He had seen one earlier!  Where was it?  Other side
of the stage!  Too far now so Edward shot up the side of
the stage climbing up the scaffolding instead.  He caught more than
a few odd glances from the gaffers and Gillian as well, but he had a place to
be and 'up' was it.  As he climbed out onto the maze of catwalks high over
the stage, he shifted the color of his fur coat to dark colors and splotches to
more readily blend in.  What a mess!  Cables and pot lights everywhere
and the lights were hot!  As if he was stalking a deer, Edward slowly
moved toward the center spar.  Foot over foot, slow and graceful, married
to the shadows, he moved silently closer and closer.  There!  There
in the shadows ahead he spotted his target.
    It was a Taik with dark fur and dressed in dark
colors.  He was stationary, kneeling, removing something from a bag. 
Edward carefully moved closer for a better look and his fears were confirmed.
“Target sighted with a rifle,” he whispered over his comlink before he turned
it off.  Closer.  Must get
closer.  The man brought the rifle up to his shoulder.  Out of
time!  Edward followed the aim down to the stage below and, to no surprise, it came to bear on Tatiana.  No time for
stealth, time for speed!   Edward jumped from the catwalk down to the
stage below.  As he fell his Live Steel Armor wrapped around him and he
slammed to the stage in front of Tatiana just in time to catch a bullet
smashing against his armor.
    The stage crew ran for cover.  Between the gunshot and
Edward jumping from the rafters, no one wanted to be around.  Edward moved
Tatiana to the back of the stage where he knew the sniper would not be able to
get an angle for another shot.  “Stay here!” as if she needed to be
told.   Edward looked for another way to head back up to re-engage
the sniper, but Alex had already come to bear.  Good man!  The sniper
made a quick escape via a rope to the stage below so Edward instead charged
headlong after the thug.
    His target wasted no time leaving and tore across the stage
at breakneck speed and down the side corridor toward the rear exit. 
Edward ran after him at top speed and silently had to curse himself, the man
was simply faster than he was.  No two ways about it, he was the slower of
the two!  But Edward wasn't going to give up and made up his mind to rely
on endurance if he didn't have speed.  As he made the first set of doors
he heard the odd footsteps of a Shukurae behind him.  Kadu! 
Excellent!  As she passed him, he leaped onto her back.  Now they were the faster!  Just like old