Death in the Shell

A/N:

So here we are at the tail-end of the Conspiracy saga and will spin into the Loyalty saga of Death in the Shell. I just want to say that I do appreciate everyone taking time to read it even though I've been putting out content really quick. If there's anybody out there that can give me ideas to make improvements, I hope we can work together and fix it.

Standard Disclaimers Apply

*****

Chapter 7

Eve and Roarke were already out the hospital room when they noticed Peabody and the other uniform sprawled outside, as if they were lazy on the job. But Eve knew that Peabody was better than that and began to have a quick check of her pulse and the officers.

Eve:

Major, both Peabody and her partner have been heavily sedated.

Ishikawa:

I'll hack into the hospital and get the medics to them, just follow Waverly.

Without saying anything more, they quickly followed Dr. Waverly to the elevator with just enough time to reach it before it closed. They were required to keep their silence under thermoptics and Eve would be thankful for the advantages it brought to her and Roarke when they heard Waverly speak to Louise so soft and gentle as if it was between the two of them.

"Just you and me, my fine friend," Waverly began to say. "Nobody here to save you from what I'm going to do to you."

For Eve and Roarke, it was a bit difficult to hold back their snickers at the irony of his statement.

"Think I didn't know you were planning to rat out our operation? That you were planning to talk to the associates of the former Lieutenant Eve Dallas?"

It actually didn't sting Eve as much as she thought, especially since re-joining The Ghost Organization allowed her to not only be an officer again, but they allowed her to keep the title of Lieutenant. They wouldn't allow her to quit a case and they were more than willing to help her solve it.

"All it took was just a simple murder of a short-tempered officer to get Eve Dallas out of my way. The puzzles for her downfall was just easy to put together when Bowers was assigned to 'help' with the murder Shooks."

Eve:

Man this guy is so fucking full of himself, he can't even get the name Snooks right.

Roarke:

Just confirms who the better doctor is and he's not liking that the better doctor is a female.

"It's a shame that Detective Rosswell was supposed to be assigned to that matter but dispatch had to fuck it up."

Eve:

If Rosswell had taken that case, I would've chewed some asses out.

Roarke:

Quiet Eve, the elevator is getting ready to stop.

"A shame that the heart I took from him failed," Waverly said as he exited the elevator. "But failure must be reached for progress to be achieved. He was nothing more than just an obstacle and with Rosswell's cooperation, a ruffling of Bower's feathers, false data planted, I arranged for Bowers and your friend Dallas to meet at another murder scene. Bowers reacted as I predicted, though I must admit, Dallas was admirably controlled."

Eve:

Oh stop with the compliments I'm so blushing.

Roarke:

And yet you like it when I make you blush.

Eve:

Just drinking your coffee alone, makes me blush.

As quiet as a mouse, they followed Waverly through the organ research facility hallway and they stayed close enough to be in earshot. "When Officer Bower's death caused Eve's suspension, I knew that we'd have extra time to finish and we've been so close to complete success. Though I didn't expect Eve to resign from the NYPSD, I was laughing so hard, I couldn't even breathe."

Waverly went on to explain to Louise how Dr. Westley Friend had been against Waverly's organ regeneration scheme when Friend introduced the concept of artificial implants. Dr. Friend's success knocked away any chance of success with Waverly. But Dr. Tia Wo was Waverly's only supporter and kept Waverly informed of Dr. Friends doings. Waverly ultimately killed Dr. Friend after he found out about Waverly's schemes of regenerating animal organs and had intended to cancel all funding. Waverly ultimately killed Dr. Friend the same way Dr. Tia Wo self-terminated. He eventually had to go under, until it was safe enough for Michael to move to human organs. Waverly told all this to Louise while she was under heavy sedation, it wasn't like she was going to live to pass the tale around.

Eventually Eve, Roarke and Waverly reached a set of double doors fashioned with heavy opaque glass. Eve and Roarke watched Waverly touch the palm plate and had his cornea scanned while waiting for the timed locks to loosen and let the door open. Eve and Roarke had the element of surprise, but if there was one thing Eve learned from being a cop, it was to wait for the suspect to walk right into the sting op. So they chose to be silent as they watched Waverly remove his lab coat. He was dressed as if for an elegant evening engagement in a perfectly cut dark suit with a silk tie. His gold caduceus glinted in the bright lights. They watched him wear a wide grin as he began to prepare a pressure syringe.

"It's a shame that you've become a loose end, Dr. Dimatto," Waverly said in the middle of preparing the syringe. "But no one will know of that when you know how to dispose a body at a crematory. What happened to your body will remain a mystery. Your uncle will be broken and I'm sorry for it. But progress, great progress, requires heavy sacrifice."

"Sorry but that sacrifice has just been canceled," he heard a female voice speak behind him.

And out of nowhere, a fist landed directly at Waverly's face and Eve relished the sting of knuckles meeting flesh. The drive for her revenge ripped at her as she began to tackle Waverly and sent them crashing to the floor.

"Thought you gotten rid of me so easily?" Eve asked with her hand on his throat. "Or maybe it hadn't occurred to you that I had friends much more powerful than yours."

She didn't use the pain, she didn't need it. She used her rage. Half blind with it, she straddled him, slamming her elbow into his windpipe. He gagged, strained for air. And she twisted the syringe he'd nearly pumped into her side out of his hand.

"They said that you disappeared, I had everything worked out." Waverly choked out.

"What the world doesn't know, is that I was trained by one of the most secret organizations sanctioned by the United Nations," Eve leaned close to Waverly's face. "and they're going to eat you and your partners for breakfast, when we're done with you."

But what Eve didn't expect to happen with Waverly, she caught too late when she loosened her grip on his throat. Waverly was foaming at the mouth and his body began to twitch as if he was having a heart attack.

"What the fuck did you take?" Eve asked as Motoko and Batou walked in.

"Cyanide," Waverly let out a rusty croak. "I'd rather die than have you bring me down."

Motoko let out a smirk, "Even if you were to die, your friend Young will be the only one talking and God forbid what will happen when we find Vanderhaven and make him talk."

"They can all go to hell," Waverly's breath was straining. "But how do you think your bosses will react when they find out you went rogue and defected?"

But as the corrupt doctor began to feel his life leave him, he heard Motoko, Batou, Eve and Roarke laughing their asses off and as he began to die the final words he heard were, "I don't know what you're talking about." He didn't know if Motoko or Eve said it but he died knowing that all his work was crumbling like a rock tower and The Ghost Organization were the ones who found the pebble.

Three days later

The Ghost Organization operated in total secrecy when they worked, the only people who knew of their work were very select members of The U.N., the United States included. So when they conducted their interviews against Dr. Young and Dr. Vanderhaven, their transfers back to New York custody was just the icing on the cake when Motoko and Batou delivered both of them to Cop Central's doorstep where Captain Feeney and Commander Whitney waited. The full cake involved the media leaking details of every involvement from every member of the American Medical Association, Senator Brian Waylan of Illinois and other political members located around the world.

Eve and Roarke were back in the mansion and lounging at their theater room watching Channel 75 and Nadine Furst report multiple resignations and arrests of prominent members and backers of Dr. Waverly's organ cloning scheme. On the night of his death, The Ghost Organization were very tempted to throw Waverly at the Drake Center's incinerator to have him cremated, but Eve and Roarke opted to deliver his body to the New York City morgue to be autopsied by Morris. Upon examination of Waverly's office after he died, they found recordings of every single person he traced since this case began, ranging from Rosswell, Bowers, Snooks to finally Roarke and Dallas. The latter of the two decided to attach those recordings to Waverly's body for Morris to find and for the NYPSD to see.

News also broke of the NYPSD's decision to rule out Eve Dallas as the suspect in the murder of Officer Bowers and were willing to let her return to her post as Lieutenant if she chose to return in 90 days. But Eve didn't want to return yet because she still owed a favor to the Major about helping out with a case. Motoko did however allow Eve to call Captain Feeney to give an update on her whereabouts, after all Feeney was the only one who really knew the truth.

"So Waverly decided to take the cowards way out, huh?" Feeney asked Eve through Roarke's link.

"Bad enough he took his punches like a sissy, but I think he was more scared of being Bruno's date for the rest of his natural life."

"One of these days, kid, you and I are going to sit down over a brew and talk about your involvement with the Ghost Organization."

"I trust you didn't tell anyone about us did you?"

"Not a single soul, but I am curious as to why you won't come back to your post, you're in the clear kid."

"I caught the presser on screen, Feeney and I'm sorry but I can't return yet. But I will return eventually."

"I know you will, kid, you're a New York cop to the bone."

Eve let out a smile at that statement. "You bet your ass, but I'm also loyal to Motoko Kusanagi and right now I owe her a favor."

"Well if you ever need help, I'll be there for you kid." And the screen finally went off and that's when Eve saw Motoko's face in the link's reflective screen.

"Luckily you won't have to wait long to fulfill that favor," Motoko said as she entered Eve's office.

"What do you mean, Major?"

"What I'm about to show you, Dallas," Motoko pulled out a disc and handed it to Eve. "Involves a group that is very dangerous and they are willing to kill multiple people to get to you."

Dallas accepted the disc and what transmitted in text only, made her blood very chilly.

Dear Comrade,

We are Cassandra.

It has begun.

All we have worked for, all we have trained for, all we have sacrificed for is in place. A dawn after so long a twilight. The goals set over thirty years ago will be achieved. The promises made will be kept. And the martyr's blood that was shed, avenged at long last.

We know you are concerned. We know you are cautious. This is what makes you a wise general. Believe that we have taken your counsel and your warnings to heart. We do not break the moratorium on this righteous and bitter war with a battle we intend to lose. We are well-equipped, our cause well-financed, and all steps and options have been considered.

We send this transmission to you, dear friend and Comrade, as we joyfully prepare to continue our mission. Already, first blood has been spilled, and we rejoice. Circumstances have put an opponent in our path you would find worthy. We have attached to this transmission a dossier on Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the so-called New York City Police and Security Department so that you might familiarize yourself with this adversary.

Through the defeat of this enemy, our victory will be all the sweeter. She is, after all, another symbol of the corrupt and oppressive system we will destroy.

Your wise counsel directed us to this place. We have lived among these pitiful pawns of a weak-kneed society, wearing our smiling mask as we scorn their city and their system of repression and decay. We have, to their blind eyes, become one of them. No one questions us as we move about these immoral and filthy streets. We are invisible, a shadow among shadows as you, and the one we both loved, taught us the canniest soldier must be.

And when we have destroyed, one by one, the symbols of this overfed society, demonstrating our power and our clean-minded plan for the new realm, they will tremble. They will see us, and they will remember him. The first symbol of our glorious victory will be a monument to him. In his image.

We are loyal, and our memory is long.

You will hear the first rumble of battle tomorrow.

Speak of us to all the patriots, to all the loyal.

We are Cassandra.