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Post by skybright on Oct 26, 2009 22:58:23 GMT -5
"My friends know the value of subtlety." Cole replied with a thin smile. "If these people can be found, they'll find them -- without putting anyone in too much unnecessary danger. That's my hope, anyway."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 26, 2009 23:03:41 GMT -5
Half-shrugging, Vance nodded to the papers Cole had withdrawn from the bag. "Apparently Jai found some financial records in all that. If there's one useful thing to follow, it's money."
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Post by skybright on Oct 26, 2009 23:09:12 GMT -5
Cole raised an eyebrow at him and nodded, glancing over the folder in his hands. "You have that right. Bank accounts might be another way to track down the people behind all this -- and to determine who was on their payroll." His expression hardened. "If nothing else, maybe they'll be stupid enough to have defaulted on their taxes."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 26, 2009 23:23:23 GMT -5
Vance smiled flatly. "That occurred to me. Otherwise, I'm not sure what all is there. Caddy and Hubert sifted out all the hard copies of medical stuff, but we've got backups of all the computer files here, no matter what they are."
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Post by skybright on Oct 26, 2009 23:26:23 GMT -5
Cole nodded. "I'll look through it." He glanced up with a raised eyebrow. "Did you find the keycard in Voegel's safe?"
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 27, 2009 21:02:33 GMT -5
Vance nodded, patting the breast pocket of his coat. "That's one thing I'm not letting out of my sight."
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Post by skybright on Oct 27, 2009 21:58:20 GMT -5
"Glad to hear it." Cole replied. "I admit -- when I heard on the news that there'd been an explosion at Voegel's place, I was a bit worried."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 28, 2009 15:53:10 GMT -5
Vance's expression hardened. "Yeah. That Doctor G came looking for some of the same things we did--and he had a coupla mutant lapdogs to fight for it. Another young man we had with us got hurt by some some kind of toxic stuff G puts out."
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Post by skybright on Oct 29, 2009 18:47:31 GMT -5
Cole scowled. "That would explain Voegel's distrust for Doctor G., I imagine. Is he going to be all right?"
Daws shrugged. "We don't know yet. Our doctor's keeping an eye on him -- but this Doctor and his sidekicks are bad, bad news."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 29, 2009 21:15:25 GMT -5
"And we're not even sure those sidekicks are willing collaborators," Vance added. He gestured to the bags of documents. "All the more reason why, if we can put a stop to this with politics instead of violence, we've gotta try."
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Post by skybright on Oct 29, 2009 22:20:30 GMT -5
"If it can be done, I'll see that it is." Cole replied solemnly, turning his attention to the documents once more. "I think --"
Whatever the Mayor thought was cut off abruptly by the sound of a light knock at the door. Cole moved instinctively to his feet, shooting Vance and company a wordless look that nevertheless clearly conveyed the message: Make yourselves scarce.
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 29, 2009 22:38:53 GMT -5
Vance scowled warily, but he quickly turned and signaled for Nate and Handy to move into the bedroom. With one last uncertain look at Cole, the Major followed, glancing over his shoulder to see if Daws was following him.
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Post by skybright on Oct 29, 2009 22:52:17 GMT -5
Daws shot an apprehensive glance at Cole, but the politician was apparently ignoring her; he had hastily shoved the bags of documents under the coffee table and was moving for the door.
Daws turned and hastily followed Vance and the others into the bedroom. This better not mean another fire-escape exit tonight . . .
Cole shot her a glance that was half worry and half wry amusement, then sent a quick mental feeler through the door. He recognized the man on the other side as a courier who worked for his office; the young man was alone, a little impatient to be working so late, but not otherwise agitated.
With a sigh, Cole undid the locks and opened the front door. "Yes?"
The courier smiled thinly. "Sorry to be coming by so late, Mister Mayor, but Mister Koopman didn't think this should wait until morning." He held out a padded manila envelope, and a clipboard for Cole's signature.
Oh, for . . . "Mister Koopman usually doesn't." Cole put on his best tolerant smile and hastily scrawled his signature across the required line, taking the envelope. "Anything else?"
The courier shook his head with a tired grin. "Nossir, that'll do it." He tugged at the brim of his Mets cap. "See you tomorrow, Mister Cole."
"Thanks." Cole waited until he was certain the courier was really leaving, then closed the door and locked it again with a relieved sigh.
"All clear." He said, loudly enough to be heard in the bedroom.
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 29, 2009 23:00:34 GMT -5
One eyebrow raised in an expression that was partly inquisitive and mostly skeptical, Vance led the way out of the bedroom.
"Your handler Mr. Koopman hasn't taken to spying on you, has he?" he asked, only half joking.
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Post by skybright on Oct 29, 2009 23:07:02 GMT -5
"Spying?" Cole laughed. "I don't think he has the guile for it. It just never seems to occur to him that even I have to sleep now and again."
He sighed and glanced down at the envelope in his hands, frowning. "He usually calls, though. Whatever this is must be important enough that he thought I should look at it for myself."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 29, 2009 23:10:55 GMT -5
"After everything we've been up to lately, maybe it's something that concerns us." This time, Vance was not joking at all. "Either way, I guess you'd better see what it is."
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Post by skybright on Oct 29, 2009 23:26:34 GMT -5
Cole nodded and settled back onto the couch, tearing the envelope open. He slid out the contents -- two folded sheets of paper, a generic recordable DVD, and a scrawled note in Mickey Koopman's handwriting -- and examined them for a long moment before looking up grimly.
"The Mutant Citizens' Front," He said, "Has taken responsibility for the clinic bombing. This is their manifesto."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 31, 2009 20:44:08 GMT -5
Vance set his jaw. "Oh, wonderful. Just great... But at least now we might get an idea who the other cooks playing with dynamite in this kitchen are."
"If it isn't still the scientists pulling a fast one," Nate muttered.
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Post by skybright on Nov 1, 2009 23:19:02 GMT -5
"We can't discount the possibility that the MCF didn't actually plant the bomb." Cole pointed out. "They might have simply decided to salvage a little publicity in the wake of the bombing. It wouldn't be a first."
He glanced down at the typewritten sheets in his lap with a wry, humorless smile. "At the very least they're more eloquent writers than the groups who usually send us letters like these."
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Post by Jordanna on Nov 1, 2009 23:28:43 GMT -5
"What exactly are they demanding?" Vance asked. "Other than the same thing we want--for these military-scientist creeps to be shut down."
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