Post by skybright on Jul 26, 2006 20:23:53 GMT -5
Daws had been expecting a few days' wait before hearing from Cole again; she'd planned on occupying herself with a few run-of-the-mill cases, content to bide her time until she got a phone call from the politician.
So she was more than a little surprised when -- the day following Cole's planned meeting with Tiernan -- she returned to her office to find Cole sitting on the waiting-room couch. The blond man was leafing idly through a Mickey Spillane novel and behaving as if front-running politicians commonly spent their afternoons in the offices of low-rent private eyes. He glanced up and smiled faintly as she came through the front door.
"I couldn't reach you by phone." He said, rising.
Daws raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, torn between amusement and mild irritation. "That's why I've got an answering machine, Cole." She gestured for him to follow her as she unlocked the inner office and removed her fedora. "Did anyone follow you?" D'you even know how to tell?
"I know how to tell if I've been followed, Miss Dawson." Cole replied, taking a seat on one of the hardbacked client's chairs. "Don't forget -- I've spent my life dodging publicity."
"Yeah," Daws replied good-humoredly, taking her own seat, "But the guys you're used to bein' followed by don't have guns, Cole." She leaned across the desk, raising an expectant eyebrow. "What'd you find out?"
Cole frowned slightly. "For one thing, your friend Hubert is going to be in very serious danger if Tiernan ever discovers what's become of him. The same holds true of anyone sheltering or aiding him. Tiernan doesn't believe that Huber committed suicide, and he's more than willing to kill the people who helped Huber disappear."
Daws sighed, shaking her head. "I guess I shouldn't have got my hopes up. Tiernan's not the type to jump to conclusions -- not where his enemies are concerned, anyhow." She shrugged. "I'll pass on the warning. Now," she leaned forward with a grin, "What can you tell me about irritating the guy even more?"
Cole smiled. "You were right. Tiernan funds several labs -- including a variety of legitimate ones, with above-the-board scientists and researchers." He chuckled. "And a great many others that are much less legitimate -- including one he thinks of as 'the Gray lab'.
"He's fairly certain that none of his enemies know about its existence -- but he's still extremely paranoid about security, particularly with Huber's disappearance and the recent activities of the resistance. He's implementing a change of security measures, effective at the end of this week -- never dreaming that we already know all the details."
"Well, you do, anyway." Daws smirked. "So, once you let me know the details, we'll be on our way."
Cole raised an eyebrow. "I'll admit that part of my reason for coming here was an attempt to prove to you that I'm able to act without being followed all the time, Miss Dawson." He said quietly. "Although you regard me as too high-profile to be an active member of the resistance, I'd still rather like the chance to be more than merely a source of information."
Daws smiled faintly. "That's fair enough. Everyone's entitled to decide for himself how involved he wants to get. But you've got to admit that there are certain . . . complications in your case." Like how comfortable . . . some people . . . would be with the idea of you being around.
Cole sighed. "Miss Dawson, at some point I really am going to have to teach you how to think more quietly. I can assure you, the resistance has nothing to fear from me -- any more than they would from any other mutant." He added, in a tone of mild rebuke.
Daws looked startled -- but then she shook her head and laughed wryly. Serves you right for dealin' with a politician, Ace. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry for anythin' I implied without saying out loud."
She leaned forward. "Look, let's you and I compromise on this one. Gimme enough to pass on a rough idea of what we'd be dealing with. I'll take it to the rest of the resistance -- and make it clear to them that you want in more deeply. Then I'll let you know when and where to meet us with more of the details."
"Fair enough, I suppose." Cole cleared his throat and placed his clasped hands on the edge of Daws' desk. "Well, for starters . . ."
So she was more than a little surprised when -- the day following Cole's planned meeting with Tiernan -- she returned to her office to find Cole sitting on the waiting-room couch. The blond man was leafing idly through a Mickey Spillane novel and behaving as if front-running politicians commonly spent their afternoons in the offices of low-rent private eyes. He glanced up and smiled faintly as she came through the front door.
"I couldn't reach you by phone." He said, rising.
Daws raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, torn between amusement and mild irritation. "That's why I've got an answering machine, Cole." She gestured for him to follow her as she unlocked the inner office and removed her fedora. "Did anyone follow you?" D'you even know how to tell?
"I know how to tell if I've been followed, Miss Dawson." Cole replied, taking a seat on one of the hardbacked client's chairs. "Don't forget -- I've spent my life dodging publicity."
"Yeah," Daws replied good-humoredly, taking her own seat, "But the guys you're used to bein' followed by don't have guns, Cole." She leaned across the desk, raising an expectant eyebrow. "What'd you find out?"
Cole frowned slightly. "For one thing, your friend Hubert is going to be in very serious danger if Tiernan ever discovers what's become of him. The same holds true of anyone sheltering or aiding him. Tiernan doesn't believe that Huber committed suicide, and he's more than willing to kill the people who helped Huber disappear."
Daws sighed, shaking her head. "I guess I shouldn't have got my hopes up. Tiernan's not the type to jump to conclusions -- not where his enemies are concerned, anyhow." She shrugged. "I'll pass on the warning. Now," she leaned forward with a grin, "What can you tell me about irritating the guy even more?"
Cole smiled. "You were right. Tiernan funds several labs -- including a variety of legitimate ones, with above-the-board scientists and researchers." He chuckled. "And a great many others that are much less legitimate -- including one he thinks of as 'the Gray lab'.
"He's fairly certain that none of his enemies know about its existence -- but he's still extremely paranoid about security, particularly with Huber's disappearance and the recent activities of the resistance. He's implementing a change of security measures, effective at the end of this week -- never dreaming that we already know all the details."
"Well, you do, anyway." Daws smirked. "So, once you let me know the details, we'll be on our way."
Cole raised an eyebrow. "I'll admit that part of my reason for coming here was an attempt to prove to you that I'm able to act without being followed all the time, Miss Dawson." He said quietly. "Although you regard me as too high-profile to be an active member of the resistance, I'd still rather like the chance to be more than merely a source of information."
Daws smiled faintly. "That's fair enough. Everyone's entitled to decide for himself how involved he wants to get. But you've got to admit that there are certain . . . complications in your case." Like how comfortable . . . some people . . . would be with the idea of you being around.
Cole sighed. "Miss Dawson, at some point I really am going to have to teach you how to think more quietly. I can assure you, the resistance has nothing to fear from me -- any more than they would from any other mutant." He added, in a tone of mild rebuke.
Daws looked startled -- but then she shook her head and laughed wryly. Serves you right for dealin' with a politician, Ace. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry for anythin' I implied without saying out loud."
She leaned forward. "Look, let's you and I compromise on this one. Gimme enough to pass on a rough idea of what we'd be dealing with. I'll take it to the rest of the resistance -- and make it clear to them that you want in more deeply. Then I'll let you know when and where to meet us with more of the details."
"Fair enough, I suppose." Cole cleared his throat and placed his clasped hands on the edge of Daws' desk. "Well, for starters . . ."