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Post by skybright on Jul 27, 2006 23:22:41 GMT -5
It was late afternoon, and Daws was passing time by leafing through some missing-persons paperwork she'd had Jai send her.
Two days had passed since the resistance meeting; today was the first day Cole had been able to break free from a hectic week of campaigning, so Daws had arranged for Vance, Miriam and the others to meet at her office at four o'clock. It was nearly that, and so far nobody was here yet -- but they'd be here.
Meanwhile, Daws was occupying herself by looking for a very specific missing person -- Joseph Huber, the long-vanished son of the "deceased" Doctor Franz Huber. There was more than just curiousity motivating her in that; Tiernan was the sort who played dirty with his enemies, and it was concievable that the young man might be in danger if Nocturne ever found him -- regardless of his estrangement from his "dead" father.
Plus, Daws wanted to see if she couldn't salvage the relationship between father and son. What good's being a snoop otherwise?
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 28, 2006 21:32:47 GMT -5
Clad in a shapeless dress and with her now-familiar scarf drawn over her hair, Miriam made her way down the sidewalk toward the door of Grimalkin, Inc. She was flanked by Alex and Sid. They had parked two blocks away, with their usual abundance of caution.
"How much can ya really trust a politician?" Sid muttered, giving Miriam a significant glance. "For all we know, this guy might decide he can give his campaign a boost if he turns in the 'morgue murderer'."
"I think that's a little too paranoid, Sid," Miriam replied with a faint smile. "Daws trusts him. That's enough for me."
With a shrug, Sid knocked on the door.
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Post by skybright on Jul 28, 2006 21:41:11 GMT -5
Daws glanced up through the open door of the inner office and grinned when she spotted her friends through the front window. She shifted her feet quickly off the desk and sauntered to the door, gesturing them in.
"Glad you guys made it." She remarked as the trio entered.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 29, 2006 19:36:47 GMT -5
"Oh, you know us, Old Faithfuls," Sid drawled as the trio entered the office. He glanced around. "That vote-hound here yet?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 29, 2006 20:28:16 GMT -5
"Nah." Daws shook her head. "He's had a busy couple of days, I guess -- some underling at one of his opponents' office is pressing misconduct charges, or some such thing, so Cole's got to step up his efforts to look wholesome by comparison." Daws rolled her eyes, showcasing her obvious disdain for such political maneuvering.
"Cole said he'd be here, though -- and I don't see any reason he wouldn't show, not if he really does want to impress us with his ability to be part of this resistance."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 29, 2006 20:39:05 GMT -5
"I gotta agree with Major Vance." Sid shook his head. "Too risky havin' a guy that high-profile get too deep in our outfit. Even if he's on the level, we don't need any muckrakers trying to dig up his skeletons find ours in the process."
Alex sat down on the sofa, pulling Miriam along to sit beside him. "I just hope we can keep him happy enough to do all this spying stuff, without him wanting to learn the secret handshake or something."
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Post by skybright on Jul 29, 2006 20:49:52 GMT -5
Daws shrugged thoughtfully. "Way I see it, there's no use trying to hedge the issue -- he'll be able to tell, anyway. Best thing for it is to be honest with the guy. That counts big with him -- or at least he says it does. If he's really as good a guy as he makes out to be, then he'll be willing to help us in the way he's capable of."
She shook her head. "Nobody should be allowed to reach adulthood believin' things are always going to go how they want. If Cole's managed to get this far without learning that . . ." She half-smiled, "We're just gonna have to disabuse him of that notion."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 29, 2006 22:51:45 GMT -5
Miriam sighed. "In a way I almost regret it. The visions I've had in the morgue weren't always from innocent victims--killers and criminals prey on each other too, and I had quite a few of them cross the autopsy table." She shuddered. "Even their last moments of life were enough to let me see what monsters they'd been. Knowing that, I can't imagine what Cole's subjected himself to in Tiernan's head. I know it's necessary, but it seems like sort of a raw deal to ask for so much without meeting him on level terms."
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Post by skybright on Jul 29, 2006 23:17:33 GMT -5
Daws sighed. "I s'pose that's true, Doc -- but, if you think about it, it's a raw deal to ask you to spend your life ducking the cops, and it's a raw deal to ask Caddy to hide Hubert from Tiernan, and so on down the line. We've all of us got a raw deal in this thing -- and those who haven't, it's probably only a matter of time." She shrugged. "Nobody ever said that fighting the bad guys was gonna be fair, Doc."
Before anyone could respond, the front door was pushed somewhat cautiously open and James Marcus Cole entered, looking vaguely sheepish.
"I'm sorry for the late arrival," he said, glancing around. "A press conference ran rather late this morning, and the whole day's followed suit."
Daws smirked. "So long as you got here okay -- and so long as . . ."
"As I wasn't followed. Yes, I know." Cole shook his head with a faint smile. "You're remarkably paranoid for such a young woman, Miss Dawson."
"Which is the only reason I'm gonna live to be an old woman." She retorted. Then she gestured at the group. "Everyone, this is . . ."
"James Marcus Cole." He smiled and extended his hand. "How d'you do?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 29, 2006 23:25:31 GMT -5
Sid looked somewhat skeptically at Cole before shaking his hand. "Sid Rosenstein. This is Alex Malone, and..." He hesitated, glancing at Miriam.
The fugitive stood up, offering Cole her hand. "Miriam Van Linden."
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Post by skybright on Jul 29, 2006 23:33:09 GMT -5
Cole nodded politely and shook the woman's hand. "Doctor Van Linden, of course. It's a pleasure to meet you." He cast a brief sideways glance at Sid and added -- more to the older man than to Miriam -- "I assure you that you don't need to be apprehensive. Your secret is quite safe with me."
"Or it will be until some passerby wanders past the glass front windows." Daws broke in. "I'd suggest we move this to more private quarters." She gestured at the still-open door to the inner office.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 29, 2006 23:46:01 GMT -5
The group retreated to Daws' private office. Sid entered last and closed the door behind him, stationing himself in front of it with crossed arms, in an unconscious relapse into enforcer habits.
"Daws tells us you wanna get initiated inta the whole works," he began to Cole, before anyone else could speak up. "I'm kinda curious, pal. Why would a guy like you who's messed up in politics wanna get his hands dirty with a little somethin' like fighting against crime?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 29, 2006 23:59:51 GMT -5
Cole winced slightly and glanced at Daws. "You'll be pleased to know you're not the only loud thinker in your circle of friends." He murmured.
Then he glanced back at Sid with a longsuffering look. "Mister Rosenstein, I know that this City's politics have been corrupt almost since its founding -- and that's particularly true when it comes to those who hold the mayor's office." He crossed his own arms. "But that doesn't mean that everyone involved in those politics, or seeking that office, is corrupt.
"I want to be involved because I've seen what Nicholas Tiernan does to hurt people -- mutant and human, directly and indirectly. I've been inside that monster's head, Mister Rosenstein, and seen the ugliness he's directed against innocent people -- people whose only fault was crossing Nicholas Tiernan the wrong way. After seeing what I saw inside Nicholas Tiernan," He uncrossed his arms and shook his head, "I have to 'dirty my hands' fighting him. Any other choice makes me party to his evil."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 30, 2006 20:42:03 GMT -5
For a brief moment, silent pain flickered across Sid's expression. The idea that Cole had seen Tiernan's thoughts came through to him in a way it hadn't before, and he wondered with a sick feeling if Cole had seen Tiernan's memories of Caroline's murder.
However, he mastered himself quickly. He shifted his shoulders and swallowed hard, giving Daws a slight nod before his gaze returned to Cole.
"I can appreciate that," he said, and his tone had softened slightly. "Now, that don't mean I can believe any politician'll be a straight shooter in office 'til I see it--but when it comes to Tiernan, well... you seem on the level to me."
He frowned. "But I'm afraid we're gonna disappoint ya anyway, Mister Cole. We've talked it over with all our people, an' takin' you in on everything is too risky--fer you and us. I woulda thought you'd've figured that out already, but if ya don't see why, we'll be happy ta explain it."
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Post by skybright on Jul 30, 2006 21:47:02 GMT -5
Cole frowned slightly and raised an eyebrow at Daws, who shrugged. "I see."
He sighed and shook his head. "I suppose I shouldn't be terribly surprised by that. As Miss Dawson is so fond of reminding me, I carry a very high profile to be involved in underground work." He spread his hands. "But I can't help my nature, Mister Rosenstein. I'm a doer -- when I see something wrong I want to take action against it, not merely stand by. I want to be of use to this fight against Tiernan, in every way I possibly can."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 30, 2006 22:38:49 GMT -5
Miriam spoke up. "That's the very reason why we're trying to shelter you, Mister Cole. The most effective thing you can do for us is exactly what we've asked you to do--to spy for us. But it's also the most dangerous job. The less you know, the less you could give away if... if Tiernan found you out. Besides, you've got political enemies, and having one of them trace you to us would bring a lot more than just Tiernan down on us."
She shook her head. "I'm sure you've thought about what would happen if the non-mutant public learned that mutants are fighting amongst themselves--even if half of them are fighting the other half to protect humans."
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Post by skybright on Jul 30, 2006 22:49:06 GMT -5
"I have thought about that, Doctor." Cole said gravely. "The so-called 'registration acts' would most certainly pass, and we would all of us be in a great deal of danger." He shook his head.
"I suppose I hadn't stopped to think of what might happen if Tiernan discovered what I'm doing . . . but you're quite right." The politician grimaced faintly. "I know better than anyone that there are . . . ways of finding out what people know, no matter how strong they believe themselves to be. But if they don't know anything to begin with . . ." He let that unpleasant though trail off, and shrugged. "The less I know, perhaps, the better."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 30, 2006 23:08:21 GMT -5
"That's the general idea," Sid murmured. "We'd be all for telling ya more if it was safe, but it just ain't."
The discussion was interrupted by the muffled sound of a knock at the outer office door, and Alex glanced at Daws. "Will that be the Major? Wasn't he supposed to come too?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 30, 2006 23:21:54 GMT -5
Daws nodded and stood, gesturing for the others to step back from the inner door. "Yeah, he was supposed to show -- but that doesn't mean it's him." She raised an appraising eyebrow at Cole.
"All right, you're always tellin' me I think too loud." She nodded at the locked door that led onto the alley behind the office. "Well, if I think at you to get outta here, you and my pals split posthaste. Got it?"
Cole nodded, a faint smile on his face. "Paranoia again."
Daws cocked an eyebrow at him. "You wait until the first time someone shoots at ya, Cole. You'll never look at paranoia the same way after that."
Without another word she ducked out of the inner office, shutting the door fast behind her.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 30, 2006 23:32:26 GMT -5
Jerod Vance slouched on the doorstep, alone, arms folded. He tried squinting to peer through the window, but even the sight in his good eye was not exactly twenty/twenty, and he couldn't see past the glare on the glass. He was just raising his hand to knock again when he heard footsteps on the other side of the door.
"It's your friendly neighborhood bat exterminator, Miss Dawson," he remarked, although he wasn't sure the words would penetrate the door.
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