A nasty surprise.

Gabby watched as first Ellis, then her partner Lewis vanished down the narrow hole they had exposed. There was a modern, clean-looking steel ladder, and a faint glimmer of amber light coming up from below. This was it, no backing out now. Their backup - a cordon of cops and feds was surrounding the area but they hadn't been able to get close enough to pinpoint the building so whatever was down there they were on their own.

Gabby wasn't worried, she could take anything that was waiting for her down there.

The leather jacket wasn't much, it wasn't even anything she'd wear in her normal life, but still she found herself descending the ladder carefully, trying not to scuff it on the rough concrete walls. They were getting closer and closer to Butcher, this one last step and they'd be in a position to put away the city's shadowy overlord for ever.

At the bottom of the ladder Lewis - or Rob as he was at the moment - was chatting, tough and casual, with three massive security guys in what looked like maintenance company boiler-suits. She knew they were checking out her ass in these tight jeans as she came down the last few steps, but she was well used to that now, with the circles she's been moving in.

"So what does Mr. Butcher want to see us about?" Lewis was asking as Ellis and one of the goons started to lead them down a dark, cement corridor. Gabby followed, another thug bringing up the rear while the last one climbed back up to pull the hatch shut.

"Well, now Rob," Ellis started, "I guess it's business in a way."

"Huh, I guess everything-"

Gabby only heard the first part of Lewis's sentence. Something hit her in the back of the head and the next thing she knew a black star-burst was rolling around her from the back to the front until it engulfed her senses completely. Dimly she was aware of her knees hitting the floor as she pitched forward. Suckered. She hoped they didn't get Lewis too, they might not, he was faster than he looked.