|
Post by Jordanna on May 19, 2009 22:06:07 GMT -5
Proteus scowled; he still considered Mount Bliss to be a personal failure.
"That wasn't our people, Doctor. We tried to stop them. Some of our people died trying to stop them."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 20, 2009 21:41:51 GMT -5
Voegel made a scoffing noise. "You're either a liar," He said, "Or you need to learn the meaning of the word 'counterproductive'."
Daws scowled. "Just because we don't like you doesn't mean we like everyone who'd like to see you dead."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 20, 2009 22:06:12 GMT -5
Vance looked back and forth between Voegel, Daws, and Caddy. Then he shifted his gaze back to Voegel, and chose his words very carefully.
"Other people have changed their minds after they've seen what we're really about. You ever hear the name Franz Huber?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 20, 2009 22:15:18 GMT -5
"Of course." Voegel replied, frowning. "We wanted him for the Mount Bliss project, but he suicided before we could contact him."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 20, 2009 22:22:21 GMT -5
"He didn't commit suicide," Vance replied levelly, reaching into his pocket for a fresh cigar. "The same people who imploded Mount Bliss tried to kill him, too--but that time, we got there first. Huber is alive today."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 20, 2009 22:27:36 GMT -5
"And he's working to undo the damage he did before we ran into him." Caddy added quietly, "Trying to save mutant lives instead of destroying them."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 20, 2009 22:38:52 GMT -5
"We didn't ask him for that help, either," Vance added. "I'll admit, we had to put him through a lot to hide him from that other party. We expected him to keep hating us for that--but I guess he started to see things differently."
Some of those statements were half-truths, but it was enough. Vance certainly didn't want to go into the fact that Franz Huber was a mutant himself now--much less that they were responsible for it.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 20, 2009 22:42:19 GMT -5
Voegel scowled. "If you're hoping for Stockholm syndrome, mutie, you're in for disappointment. Huber was a civilian -- and you're not the only one here with military training. I know where my loyalties lie."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 20, 2009 22:53:38 GMT -5
"Thanks for adding to our fund of information about you," Vance retorted coolly. "Now I know what I'm dealing with."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 20, 2009 23:03:41 GMT -5
"For all the good you'll get out of it." Voegel said, closing his eyes.
There was a knock on the door then, and Daws glanced from the door to Vance. "I think that's our guy." She murmured, "You want to get him lined out before we bring him in here?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2009 21:25:39 GMT -5
"Yeah... Keep an eye on Doc Mengele here." Vance bent to pull a spare mask from one of the army bags on the floor, then went to answer the knock. After looking through the peephole, he opened the door and stepped out.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2009 22:42:39 GMT -5
Cole had his collar turned up and a dark hat pulled down low over his eyes; as Vance emerged from the hotel room he looked up with a thin attempt at a smile. "Good evening, Major."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2009 22:48:50 GMT -5
"I wouldn't call it good." Vance shut the door behind him, allowing them to speak privately on the doorstep. "Translation: we've got Voegel, and he's as nasty a piece of work as we've ever found. I hope you've got your migraine meds."
He held out the ski mask. "Still, our hands are tied with Proteus around--we've gotta make Voegel comfortable. Bad as he's banged up, I figured it's better for us to wear these than try to blindfold him right now."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2009 22:50:51 GMT -5
"I understand." Cole said wryly, shedding the hat and pulling the ski mask down over his face. "What do you want me to try and find out from him?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 21, 2009 23:05:53 GMT -5
Vance shrugged. "Pretty much anything you can. Where his cronies have crawled off to since the bombing. Where their main headquarters is--or at least their local branch office. Who and what that 'Doctor G.' of theirs is. And if it's in Voegel's head, the names of the people they answer to."
He frowned. "And that dirty deputy police commissioner. If he knows anything you can fit into what you know about him, go for it."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 21, 2009 23:10:52 GMT -5
"Sort of a tall order, Major." Cole squared his shoulders. "But I'll do my best. It will probably work best if you ask the questions, like we did with Highsmith."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 23, 2009 21:52:03 GMT -5
"That I can do." Vance pulled his mask on again, and reached for the doorknob; then he paused to glance back at Cole.
"One other thing you oughta know. Doc Ollivard is here, keeping our patient pain-free enough to cuss us out. He gave Voegel a once-over already--and it looks like the creep has a mild heart condition. So if your fishing around in his head were to involve any... I dunno, mental pushing that'd stress his system..." He spread his hands. "Well, just be careful with him. Like I have to be, unfortunately."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 25, 2009 16:44:11 GMT -5
Cole nodded grimly. "I understand. There's not a lot I can do to affect another person's physical reaction to being read -- but I'll be careful."
He hesitated for a moment, then added "I imagine this will work better if we can keep the number of bystanders in the room to a minimum. I can't read you or Proteus -- but the more mental chatter there is, the harder I'll find it to focus on this Voegel character."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on May 25, 2009 21:45:15 GMT -5
Vance nodded. "I don't see any reason why we can't send everybody else out. We've got Voegel restrained, and if he does start to get uppity, I think Proteus and I can handle him."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on May 26, 2009 20:59:19 GMT -5
Cole nodded and took a deep breath. "All right, then." He murmured. "I'm as ready as I can be, Major."
|
|