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Post by Jordanna on Jan 30, 2009 0:12:44 GMT -5
"Sir, public relations is our only reason for not reducing Tiernan Enterprises and everybody in it to a smoking crater," Vance retorted humorlessly, handing Cole the original sheet of phone numbers.
"Here. If you can trace any of those without anybody asking questions, it'd be a big help. And I don't think I have to remind you--if you're going to trust anybody, you'd better make personally sure you can trust 'em."
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Post by skybright on Jan 30, 2009 0:16:47 GMT -5
"Believe me, Major Vance," Cole said grimly, pocketing the sheet of numbers, "That isn't a mistake I plan on repeating any time soon."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 30, 2009 0:34:04 GMT -5
"Okay... I think that's all we've got now, then." Vance paused. "Oh, one more thing. Those two starving actors we're sitting on in Mutietown. Ideally, we'd like all this to work out so they can go back to their lives here without the bad guys swooping down on 'em--but if we can't do that, we'll have to do one of our resettlement jobs."
He shrugged. "We thought you might know somebody in Hollywood we could fix 'em up with. Just to give you advance warning, if it comes to that."
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Post by skybright on Jan 30, 2009 0:41:12 GMT -5
Cole nodded. "I have some contacts I'll keep in mind. And I'll keep in touch with you concerning anything else I find out."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 30, 2009 23:14:18 GMT -5
"Same here. We're going out to Doc Ollivard's now, see what he can make of the rest of these papers." Vance shrugged. "If we get anything, I'll call you."
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Post by skybright on Jan 30, 2009 23:21:48 GMT -5
Cole nodded. "Good luck." He hesitated for a moment. "And Major -- be careful.
"All of you," He added, glancing at Handy and Daws. "There are a lot of people putting an anti-mutant spin on this already. Things are apt to be more risky than usual for a while."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 30, 2009 23:33:50 GMT -5
"We can't be much more on guard than we already are every minute of our lives..." Vance smiled flatly. "But we'll try. Good luck to you too, sir."
He gave Cole a small salute, then glanced at Daws and Handy, and led the way out of the apartment.
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Post by skybright on Jan 30, 2009 23:46:00 GMT -5
Daws tugged the brim of her fedora down and stowed the handful of stolen paperwork back in her trenchcoat as the trio made their way back down to the street. "I don't envy Cole his job any day of the week," She remarked, "But especially not at times like this."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 30, 2009 23:51:46 GMT -5
"I'm finally starting to be thankful we've got him," Vance muttered. "A deputy police commissioner--this is big, and it's rotten to the very foundations of this city. We can't deal with this the way we do with Tiernan."
As he opened the door of his car for Daws, he handed her his cellphone. "Here. See if you can get hold of Jai, and put him on the crooked cop's digital trail. The sooner we move in every direction we can, the better."
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Post by skybright on Jan 31, 2009 0:07:52 GMT -5
Daws nodded and punched the Patil's number into the phone as she slid into the passenger seat. After a few rings Veeru picked up, and Daws gave him a brief rundown of the day's events before relaying the request for information. She read off the number Cole had recognized -- and the rest of the numbers on the sheet of notepaper -- and then closed the phone.
"Jai's on it." She told Vance. "He'll put the police commissioner at the top of his priorities, since it's already a solid lead -- but he'll also give the rest of those numbers a shot, see what else he might come up with."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 31, 2009 0:12:45 GMT -5
"That's good," Vance nodded. "He can probably do even more than Cole to track 'em down."
They made their way out to Caddy's house as quickly as traffic allowed. Vance led the way to the front door, and knocked.
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Post by skybright on Jan 31, 2009 0:23:30 GMT -5
After a brief pause Hubert opened the door, smiling thinly at the trio. "Hello, Major. Miss Dawson. Handy." His smile disappeared, replaced with a look of concern. "I've heard the news on the radio, but I didn't exactly expect to see you here. Nobody of ours is injured, are they?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 31, 2009 0:28:49 GMT -5
"Proteus was sleuthing, and he got a little banged up. He's okay. Brought us back another scared human non-com, though. Long story..." Vance waved a wearily dismissive hand as he walked in, with Daws and Handy following.
"We've brought along the papers Proteus did manage to scrounge up. There's some science crud we want you boys to decode for us--if you can do it in English."
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Post by skybright on Jan 31, 2009 0:38:51 GMT -5
Hubert nodded and led them into the living room, gesturing for them to take a seat. "We'll do what we can, of course.
"Cadeceus should be down shortly." He added after a moment's hesitation. "He's . . . just monitoring Doctor Van Linden's condition."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 1, 2009 1:10:31 GMT -5
Vance frowned worriedly. "How is the Doc? Is Foxy upstairs with her?"
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Post by skybright on Feb 1, 2009 20:43:49 GMT -5
"Her condition is stable." Hubert sighed. "I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my depth trying to tell you much more than that. Cadeceus could give you more details."
He spread his hands. "Mister Malone has hardly left her side. To be quite honest . . . I'm beginning to be as worried about his welfare as I am about Doctor Van Linden's."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 1, 2009 23:21:15 GMT -5
"Yeah." Vance shoved his hands into his coat pockets and shrugged morosely. "That featherhead doesn't take many things too seriously--but when he does, he takes it hard."
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Post by skybright on Feb 1, 2009 23:29:12 GMT -5
"I can hardly blame him." Hubert said quietly. "Her condition is . . . frustrating, even for Cadeceus and myself. I imagine it must be even more so for him."
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Post by Jordanna on Feb 1, 2009 23:36:30 GMT -5
"I guess all we can do is hope this rest her body's forcing her to take'll do the Doc some kind of good. And if she does pull out of it... Foxy's right about one thing. We can't let this happen to her again." Vance sighed. "I never should've let her go with us to Mount Bliss in the first place."
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Post by skybright on Feb 1, 2009 23:50:57 GMT -5
"You're hardly the only one to blame, there." Daws said quietly. "I didn't exactly do much to avoid losing that argument."
Hubert cleared his throat quietly. "At any rate -- the coma is intended to do exactly what you mentioned, Major; to give her the chance to heal."
The scientist made a vague pushing-away gesture and leaned forward. "Now . . . you said you had something for us to look over."
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