Mr. Michaels agrees to help.

"No Captain, you do not need to ask for my help. I offer my services freely in your quest to save this woman." Michaels pushed aside the beer and climbed to his feet. "As for the other position, we can discuss that later." Brenan was pleased with Michaels willingness to help him rescue Sasha although he was a little concerned by the gun officer's desire to discuss the offered position later. Was he planning to ask for more money?

Glad to leave the din of the Powder Keg behind, Brenan led Michaels out to the street and back towards the piers. As he walked he saw the distinctive scarlet baldric of the swordsman he saw in the bar wandering behind him, but before he could figure out a way to shake his new tail, he saw the sailor turn off the main street onto a tree lined boulevard that led to a more respectable section of town. He walked in silence for a minute or two and was just starting to relax when a young messenger boy wearing a flapping green tunic ran by them at top speed and disappeared into the crowd ahead. After his initial response of pulling Michaels to a doorway and half drawing his sword Brenan smiled when he saw the true nature of the threat. The boy was not one of the wiry street rats that the Veer used, but a slightly overweight apprentice not used to this much exercise. Brenan doubted that the boy would be able to keep that pace up for long.

"Maybe I am too paranoid for my own good." Brenan muttered under his breath and to his surprise Michaels not only heard his words but was able to make out enough of them to offer an observation.

"Being too paranoid has its problems, but the strength of the benefit from the condition is not to be undervalued." Brenan agreed wholeheartedly; his paranoia had saved his life on more than one occasion.

"Your hearing is unusually acute for a man of your position." Brenan noted as they walked purposefully along the cobbled street.

"I have made it a habit to wear wax ear plugs as much as possible especially during drills." Michaels dug into one of the several pockets tailored into the sleeve of his double breasted jacket and pulled out a pair of small plugs that looked like they might have been carved out of a candle with three centimeters of the wick still dangling from the end.

"I have no desire to hasten the inevitable damage that my ears will suffer. These work fairly well." Michaels paused as a thought crossed his mind "Although I may be able to improve on them." Brenan had by now recognized the signs of a new idea bubbling in his companion’s overactive brain and in an effort to keep him focused started to explain what he needed.

"The woman who needs help is locked in an addition to a large warehouse not unlike that one," he said pointing to a similar structure "although made of mortar and field stone, not logs." He added pointing out the biggest difference between the two buildings. "We're taking a small detour in a bit so you'll be able to see the building as we walk by." Brenan noticed with amusement that the messenger boy in the green tunic that had sprinted by them with so much energy before had now slowed to a walk with one hand clutching his side. "I'll need enough of an explosion to knock out a wall or door but not so much as to drop the roof onto the inhabitants inside." Turning off the cobbled street onto a smaller one of packed dirt and trash, Brenan led Michaels towards the alley where Sasha was being held.

"Mr. Michaels," Brenan took his arm and turned the gunnery officer to him to emphasize the importance of the next few words. "The room is being watched, so you must not stop to examine the structure." Brenan stooped to pick up a small pebble "I'll try to buy us a few more seconds with this, but do the best you can without drawing any attention." Giving Michaels a firm squeeze on the arm he asked "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes quite," Replied Michaels showing perhaps slight annoyance "although you might have more faith in my abilities than is warranted. What you are asking for is a difficult job even if I had time to examine the structure in detail." Brenan nodded in understanding and Michaels continued "You may well end up with either the whole building collapsed at your feet or nothing more than a dent in a wall that was built thicker than my estimate."

"In this case, err on the side of knocking down the building." Brenan told Michaels grimly. "Better for Sasha to be crushed in the explosion than the alternative." Brenan's words darkened the mood of the two as they walked around the bend into the alley behind the one eyed man's room. Brenan put a slight limp into his step as they approached the outbuilding, he didn't see anyone watching from this angle, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Just as he passed the walls of the addition he stopped and dug at his shoe for a few seconds before pretending to pull out the pebble he had scooped up earlier from inside.

"Flapping gravel streets" he said loud enough for any bystanders to hear and tossed the pebble ahead of them towards the tiny bar where he had his drink earlier in the day and watched the argument between the Veer spider lady and the sadistic red haired man. Brenan felt at least a small measure of comfort that he had not heard Sasha's screams as he paused by the wall, but this was in no way enough to ease his anxiety for the woman that he had never even met.

Walking out of the alley Brenan saw the guards left by the dark skinned spider lady clearly bored by their assigned job. One was leaning against the alley enterance, the other was sitting in the very same seat he had occupied before, and Brenan could see the barkeep was annoyed that the man had yet to order a drink. The dumb shit's going to get himself kicked out of the bar if he doesn't smarten up and spend a mark or two decided Brenan as he walked by.

As he and Michaels stepped out of the alley Brenan noticed the same out of shape messenger boy who gave a slight start of surprise when he saw them again the boy was heading back the way he had come from, this time at a more reasonable jog. Heading back to his ship Brenan said nothing until they were well clear of the watcher in the bar.

"Can you do it? he asked holding his breath as he waited for Michael's reply.

"I think so Captain, a mine in the middle of the back wall should open a big enough hole, the only concern I have is that your lady friend might be sitting against the wall just at that spot." He raised an eyebrow in inquiry before he continued. "Are you sure you want to risk this?"