|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 19, 2008 20:43:10 GMT -5
"Highsmith," Vance murmured, examining the nametag on the man's uniform. "Might as well leave him in dreamland until he wakes up on his own or Cole gets here. The less time he's trying to make noise or trouble, the better."
He turned to the table, where Nate had picked up a sheaf of blank paper and was drawing a rough map.
"I can lay out the complex in a little more detail, at least," the younger man remarked. "And where some of the guardposts are."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 20, 2008 0:15:58 GMT -5
Daws moved to the side of the table, watching as Nate sketched. "How many guardposts did you spot?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 20, 2008 22:16:09 GMT -5
"Eh..." Nate grimaced. "A lot. The place is crawling with creeps. We came around the hills off to the north, here--" he made a rough indication on the map--"and I guess we got away with that alright. But there are unfriendly-looking guys with large guns wandering around all over the place."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 20, 2008 22:29:22 GMT -5
"Well, that's inconvenient." Daws remarked. "Especially that 'with large guns' part. I guess a frontal assault shouldn't be our first choice -- not that it was to begin with."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 21, 2008 21:15:14 GMT -5
"I still want to know about that possible back entrance, if it's still there," Vance murmured.
Nate frowned. "We had a look at the spot where that should be, from a distance anyway. There didn't seem to be any guards around there--but that could just mean that tunnel is filled with a hundred feet of rock now."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 21, 2008 23:41:51 GMT -5
"Too bad we haven't got the time to work our way through a hundred feet of rock," Daws frowned. "And if our guy hasn't been on guard duty back there, he may not be much use there."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 22, 2008 20:02:50 GMT -5
"The guards might get rotated to different posts now and then," Vance murmured. "Keeps men on sentry duty from getting too complacent. I guess we'll find that out when Cole gets here... Could be any time now."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 22, 2008 22:51:01 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Here's hoping he does before our guest comes to."
Then she cocked her head, turning her ear slightly towards the boarded-up front windows at the faint sound of a vehicle engine approaching. "Actually -- unless we're planning on someone else joining us, I think that's Auger coming back with His Honor as we speak."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 22, 2008 23:09:21 GMT -5
Vance moved swiftly to the door and stepped out onto the porch. Words were exchanged outside, and a moment later, the Major returned--with Auger, Roger Latimore, and Mayor Cole in tow.
"So here we all are," Vance said to Cole, nodding toward the grim-looking group of fighters. "And that," he pointed to the unconscious man on the mattress, "is our new pet."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 22, 2008 23:17:25 GMT -5
Cole examined the unconscious man with a carefully neutral expression. "Well," he said dryly, "I certainly hope you won't let him get off his leash."
He spread his hands with a slight shrug. "All right -- I suppose the best place for us to start, Major, is for you tell me what you'd like me to look for."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 23, 2008 22:11:15 GMT -5
"In a nutshell, everything that has anything to do with the lab complex," Vance replied. "Specifically, the security, obviously. Numbers of guards, armaments, passwords, surveillance systems, alarms or even booby-traps--you get the idea. Also the location where Colonel Ashley is being held within the tunnels, so we can get to him and get out as fast as possible. And we think there's an abandoned and possibly sealed back entrance to the tunnels, so it would help if you can find anything about that."
He paused, his expression hardening. "According to Proteus, the complex is also rigged with a self-destruct. Needless to say... it would be nice to know how we can keep anybody from pulling the killswitch."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 23, 2008 22:16:30 GMT -5
Cole nodded. "That's a lot of information to try and pull out of someone on the first meeting, but I'll do everything I can. A pad of paper and a pen would probably be useful -- I can take notes as I encounter things that way."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 23, 2008 22:25:21 GMT -5
Vance collected a notepad and pencil from the table. These he handed over to Cole.
"Can you do this with the guy unconscious, or do we have to wake him up?" he asked the telepath.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 23, 2008 22:33:35 GMT -5
Cole shook his head. "An unconscious person's mind is almost impossible for me to navigate. Unless you want this to take all night, I'd suggest waking him up."
He frowned thoughtfully. "I think the best way for this to work would be for someone to question him about the complex -- just general ones, or even questions peripherally related to what you want to know. Even if he doesn't answer, it should bring the information we need closer to the surface." Cole shrugged, "I can ask the questions as well, if you want, but I'll concentrate better if my attention's not divided."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 23, 2008 22:43:23 GMT -5
Vance frowned and nodded. "I can do the asking... Regina, do me a favor and remind me if there are any points I forget."
He put his hands on his hips and glanced at the still-oblivious Highsmith. "Okay. Sid, Nate, you'd better wake him up."
Sid ambled forward to join Nate beside the captive. Together they hauled him into a sitting position against the wall, and Sid gave Highsmith's shoulder a firm shake. "C'mon, bub. Snap out of it."
Because Highsmith was blindfolded, it was impossible to see if his eyes were opening--but after a moment he stirred by himself, and let out a dazed groan.
"He's liable to have a headache himself," Vance remarked to Cole in a low voice. "Does that make things more difficult?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 23, 2008 22:50:51 GMT -5
Cole shrugged slightly. "Possibly -- but there's not much to be done about it, I suppose," he replied quietly. "It may make his thoughts a little bit more jumbled, but most people's are naturally, anyway."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 24, 2008 22:26:42 GMT -5
"Okay, then." Vance turned back to the groggy Highsmith--who at that moment recovered far enough to realize his situation. He let out a gasp and jerked violently at the ropes that bound his hands behind his back.
"Don't bother," the Major said tonelessly. "You're here for the duration, brother."
Highsmith's muscles tensed visibly. Then he answered in a flat voice, "You're no brother of mine, mutant."
Vance raised an eyebrow. "Who said anybody here is a mutant? Maybe we're just a little overzealous about recruiting new members into our treehouse club."
"Nobody else but a mutant could take me the way you did." Highsmith lifted his chin. "Whatever you thought you were going to do, you won't get away with it. Everybody in the whole place knows I'm missing by now."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 24, 2008 22:59:05 GMT -5
"Now, now." Daws interjected, "If you don't play nice we won't teach you the secret treehouse password.
"As for your pals," she grinned wickedly, "I wouldn't bet on a rescue anytime too soon."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Apr 24, 2008 23:24:22 GMT -5
Highsmith appeared to pale slightly behind his blindfold. With a shrug, Vance pulled forward a rickety chair and sat down facing the captive.
"If it's any consolation, we don't intend to hurt you. All we want is to have a nice, quiet little conversation."
"You won't get anything from me," Highsmith ground out.
Vance sighed. "Okay, pal. Be that way. But we're going to have that talk, all the same." He glanced at Cole, then back to the prisoner. "How many other guards are on duty at any one time?"
Highsmith spat in Vance's direction, quite futilely. Sid gave him a light but still firmly reprimanding smack in the jaw.
Vance repeated the question, and over Highsmith's defiant growl in response, he gave Cole a questioning look.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Apr 24, 2008 23:36:03 GMT -5
Cole nodded slightly, his brow furrowed in concentration as he scratched out a few notes on the pad of paper in his hand, then turned his focus intently on Highsmith -- putting visible effort into delving into the guard's thoughts.
|
|