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Post by skybright on Aug 13, 2006 23:25:52 GMT -5
A few days passed relatively uneventfully. With no further word from the Spooks -- or Tiernan -- Daws kept herself busy with the still-abortive search for Joseph Huber, as well as a few other tasks that came her way.
Finally, on Tuesday -- having successfully tracked down an old college girlfriend for a client -- Daws arrived at her office to find Jerod Vance lurking in the doorway. She raised an eyebrow at him and pushed her fedora back.
"Funny, I didn't think you could get vigilantes delivered to your doorstep anymore." She grinned. "What's the news, Major?"
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 13, 2006 23:31:16 GMT -5
"Nothing much. Actually, that's what I came to ask you about." After Daws had unlocked the door, Vance sauntered inside and dropped himself on the sofa, eyeing her curiously. "Heard anything yet from our friends the Spooks?"
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Post by skybright on Aug 13, 2006 23:35:31 GMT -5
"Nothing and more nothing." Daws shrugged and dropped her fedora onto the coffee table, spreading her hands. "Whatever sort of committee system they run their offers through, it must be awful thorough. Either that, or they decided we weren't worth botherin' with."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 13, 2006 23:42:08 GMT -5
"I wouldn't bet on that." Vance rested his chin on his hand, raising an eyebrow. "But supposing they are interested in playing ball--how much of an offer do you think we oughta make 'em, for starters?"
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Post by skybright on Aug 13, 2006 23:52:08 GMT -5
Daws frowned slightly. "Hadn't particularly thought about it," she said, moving to unlock the inner office. "I'd sort of imagined you'd want to do the haggling on that account."
She shrugged one shoulder. "I've just been saving most of what's been coming my way from the bat -- so whatever you think is sensible, we can cover it." She flicked on the lights in her private office and then leaned against the doorframe. "You'd know better'n me what Tiernan pays 'em. "
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 0:05:09 GMT -5
"Mm-hmm." Vance blinked lazily. "But as I recall, we also sort of talked about doing more for the Spooks than just throwing money at 'em. Have you had any particular ideas about that?" He grinned. "Social work is a little more in your line than mine."
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Post by skybright on Aug 14, 2006 0:15:02 GMT -5
Daws' frown momentarily turned puzzled, but then she shrugged. "I suppose it is, at that."
She turned and ducked into the inner office. "Gimme just a second, willya?" She tossed over her shoulder, "I told Veeru I'd call as soon as I got in. Sorry -- it'll only take a second. Then we can carry on with this."
Oh, it's finally happened, Ace. You've dropped right smack off the edge into stir-crazy paranoia.
The guy in the other room sounded like Vance, looked like Vance, and even had some of Vance's mannerisms -- but he didn't smell quite like him. More to the point, he didn't feel quite like him -- and that had Daws vaguely worried.
She shook her head, lifted the telephone reciever, and dialed Jerod Vance's cell number. And aren't you gonna look dumb when his coat starts ringing?
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 0:24:12 GMT -5
There was no answer at the number Daws had dialed. While the phone was ringing, Vance got up from the sofa and sauntered to the doorway of the inner office, regarding Daws quizzically.
"You look a little nervous. Is something wrong?" The eyebrow over his good eye lowered. "Trouble with Tiernan, maybe?"
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Post by skybright on Aug 14, 2006 0:29:59 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow at him, shook her head, and hung up the phone. "Veeru's not answering." She said blithely. "Jai must've muted the phones or something."
She shook her head with a faint grin. "Boy, is he gonna mother-hen me for 'not calling'."
Well, that did precisely nothing to prove your sanity one way or another. She shrugged and leaned back against the desk.
"And to answer your question, Major -- no, I haven't had any trouble with Tiernan. Haven't even seen him since last week." She grinned cheekily. "But there you go, soundin' all caught up with my welfare again. Thought I toldja that'd spoil your reputation."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 0:37:29 GMT -5
From behind Vance, a startlingly familiar voice replied, "You'd better be glad I am interested in your welfare."
Vance--or the individual who proposed to be Vance--glanced over his shoulder and smiled wryly at the man standing behind him with a gun: a man who was perfectly identical to him.
This second Vance stepped forward, poking the first slightly in the ribs. "Hands up, brother." To Daws he said tersely, "It's really me this time. If you have any doubts, I can ask you how your search for Joe Huber is going."
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Post by skybright on Aug 14, 2006 0:45:25 GMT -5
Daws looked thoughtfully between the two Vances, then shook her head. "Jeeze, because one of ya wasn't enough."
She grinned at the armed Vance. "At least now I know I'm not completely losing it." Then she paused, chuckled, and added -- "But all the same, I been nosing around looking for a kid named Joe Huber for the last two weeks. Wouldn't take a friend of mine to have learned that from someone on the street."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 1:06:39 GMT -5
Vance grinned. "Well, it'll just be embarrassing if I have to go through my life story. Besides, I think this creep already knows a little too much about me." He nudged his double again. "So let's hear it."
The imitation of Vance smiled in a placid way that was very unlike the genuine article. "She was already beginning to notice. I thought her sense of smell might give me away." He glanced down at the gun barrel against his ribs. "Really, Major Vance, there's no need to be violent."
"There's no need to play tricks either, if you were here for a good reason," Vance retorted. He pulled the other away from the doorway and pushed him toward the sofa. "Sit down--hands in plain sight."
The other calmly complied. Vance perched on the corner of the coffee table, regarding his double intently.
"You must be the shapeshifter we've heard rumors about. I didn't expect you to show up on the Spooks' business."
"Oh, they're friends of mine. Besides... I know you've been asking about me. I get curious about people who are curious about me. I don't think you can blame me for that."
"How did you know Miss Dawson had anything to do with me?"
The shapeshifter in Vance's form smiled, and began to reach for his coat pocket. Vance started up with a warning snarl, and his double shrugged whimsically, relaxing again.
"Alright, Major, look for yourself. Left coat pocket."
Vance handed off his gun to Daws, then took his double by the arm and hauled him to his feet. He frisked him, finding only one small object in the pocket indicated.
"How do you like that?" he asked, and passed to Daws an improbably familiar beer-bottle cap.
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Post by skybright on Aug 14, 2006 1:12:37 GMT -5
Daws grinned slowly and shook her head. "I thought you smelled familiar." She flicked the bottlecap idly between her fingers for a moment, then held it out.
"I guess in that case we can skip askin' who you really are." She remarked. "You're anyone you wanna be -- which I suppose explains why you don't need a name."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 1:21:53 GMT -5
The shapeshifter reached out to reclaim the bottlecap. "If it makes you any more comfortable, the Spooks call me Proteus."
Vance frowned. "Alright then, Proteus--do yourself a favor and change faces. I'm getting the creeps talking to myself."
Proteus shrugged. Then his skin and clothing rippled and shifted--and suddenly the figure seated on the sofa bore the image of Nicholas Tiernan.
Vance had instinctively raised his hands in readiness to blow their guest away. It was only with slow reluctance that he stood down, although his body remained tensely alert. He shook his head. "You've either got a death wish or about the most twisted sense of humor I've ever come across, pal."
Proteus smiled. "It's as good a face as any other. Besides, your reaction just told me a lot."
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Post by skybright on Aug 14, 2006 1:28:24 GMT -5
"All right, Proteus." Daws handed the gun back to Vance and seated herself on the corner of the coffee table. She tipped her head and examined the shapeshifter with mild amusement.
"So far in our acquaintance I've done more or less all the telling. Suppose for a change you tell me something useful. Aside from causin' me to doubt my sanity and giving the Major far more aggravation than he deserves -- which is my job, by the way -- what is it that brings you here?"
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 1:40:04 GMT -5
Proteus shrugged. "The Major's lackeys have been asking around about me--not that it's gotten them anywhere. I've been meaning to find out exactly why. I'll admit, I wasn't quite sure where to find him and go to work on him without... introducing myself? But then you happen to show up, dropping some of the same hints he has about the Spooks--and sure enough, there he was in the corner. Well, when you up and handed me a calling card, that was pretty much an invitation to come around and find out what goes."
He smiled lightly. "It's true, I'm a little curious what you're bothering the Spooks for--but the main thing I want to know is what you want with me."
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Post by skybright on Aug 14, 2006 1:44:34 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow at him. "I guess that's fair enough. I'd feel the same way in your shoes."
She glanced over her shoulder at Vance. "Whattaya say, Major? This was sort of your idea, after all."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 1:52:27 GMT -5
Vance shrugged and put his hands on his hips. "You know that some of us don't take too kindly to the rough way Nick Tiernan plays..."
"I can see where this is going already." Proteus smirked at Vance. "And the answer is no. That's your war, not mine. I have nothing against anybody in this world, and I wouldn't change that for anything."
"Even against a murderer?" Vance growled.
"It takes one to fight one." Proteus shook his head. "No sale, Major."
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Post by skybright on Aug 14, 2006 1:58:10 GMT -5
Daws shook her head wryly. "Jeeze, is this ever a weird conversation to be havin' with Nicholas Tiernan's face." She muttered.
"Look," She crossed her arms, "I'm no good at speeches or changin' people's minds for 'em, Proteus. But lemme just say for the record that there's no such thing as real neutrality. I know that from experience."
She shrugged. "You can walk away as many times as you wanna, but one of these times someone you love, or someone you were responsible for, is gonna end up hurt or killed because of something you could've stopped. And then, trust me," she flinched faintly. "You'll wish you'd done differently."
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Post by Jordanna on Aug 14, 2006 2:04:23 GMT -5
"That's a pretty speech, Miss Dawson." Proteus shrugged. "Maybe someday, someone I care about will run afoul of Tiernan--and I wouldn't like that. But I'd like even less to have blood on my hands, no matter whose it was. There's no one in the world I'd cross that bridge for."
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