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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 1:05:26 GMT -5
Nick Tiernan was by nature a man of nocturnal habits, especially when his lackeys were carrying out important night missions. So he was fully awake when he received a confused telephone call from Shade, the phasing mutant who had led the team sent to abduct Franz Huber.
"He's gone, sir--apparently for a few days. The police were here earlier today, and they're looking for him too."
After a bit of subdued swearing under his breath, Tiernan ordered Shade to learn what he could, then return. He slammed down the receiver of his phone, sat seething for a few minutes, then picked the phone up again and paged the reception desk--not for Tanith this time, but his night secretary.
"Call Regina Dawson."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 1:17:54 GMT -5
Among the many less-than-intelligent choices she'd made since joining the resistance against Tiernan, Daws held giving Nick Tiernan's office her home phone number as one of the least intelligent.
This was especially true when the aforementioned phone roused her from her first night's sleep in her own bed in nearly a week. Daws snappishly told the night secretary she'd be there as soon as she could, rolled out of bed, and went in search of her fedora and some clean clothes.
---
By night, the Tiernan Enterprises building should've been deserted; instead, various people were milling through the lobby with various looks of frustration and mild panic on their faces. Daws edged her way up to the front desk.
"Regina Dawson to see Mister Tiernan." She told the unfamiliar secretary. "It sounded urgent."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 1:24:18 GMT -5
The night secretary gave Daws a blank but vaguely annoyed look. Tiernan hadn't told her anything she was supposed to tell this detective; he merely said to call her and have her come in, and that was, as far as she was concerned, the full extent of her duties.
"Mister Tiernan wants to see you," she said brusquely. "Go on up."
In his sanctum above, Tiernan sat leaning on his desk, drumming his fingers impatiently. He disliked it when things did not go according to plan--which was happening more and more often lately.
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 1:34:30 GMT -5
Daws suppressed a yawn as she rode the elevator to the top floor, trying to smooth down the still-mussed fur on her face. Where did Tiernan get the idea that I'm on 24-hour call, anyhow?
She shook her head. Such inner complaining was really just a way to distract herself from the fact that -- once again -- Nick Tiernan was not going to be happy. Whether he was going to be unhappy with her specifically was a worrisome question -- one she really didn't want to dwell on.
Daws removed her fedora before opening the door to Tiernan's office. She raised a quizzical eyebrow at the financier as she pulled the door closed behind her.
"You have something too urgent to wait until after dawn, Mister Tiernan?" She asked, trying to keep her tone fairly neutral.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 1:49:22 GMT -5
Tiernan scowled at Daws before replying crisply, "Franz Huber has disappeared."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 1:57:50 GMT -5
Daws looked mildly surprised. "Disappeared, or just vanished back to the Casa Del Frankenstein?" She asked, stepping further into the office.
"I mean," she shrugged, "The way the guy was apparently actin' in regards to his room arrangements sort of led me to think he wasn't the world's most stable personality. Could he just have decided to snub the conference?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 2:07:54 GMT -5
"I think not. I'm told the man was eager to get across his abominable ideas in his address at the conference today. According to my operatives who were sent for him--and are now trying to piece together what happened--the very reason his colleagues called the police is because he missed that speech which he was so looking forward to."
Tiernan rose from his seat behind his desk. "Think about the possible implications, Miss Dawson. If this person has made a sudden advance in his researches..." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, coming as close to an expression of fear as he ever had in Daws' presence. Opening his eyes, he looked at her gravely.
"If he's gone to put his work into practice, it could be the death of us all."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 2:16:45 GMT -5
Daws' eyes widened and she swallowed convulsively. "So what's the move? Your boys turned up anything on where he might've gone to? 'Cause if it's really like you say -- and I pray it's not -- but if it is, we gotta turn up the little creep's whereabouts fast."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 2:29:02 GMT -5
"We have nothing. As far as we can determine, he simply walked out of the hotel and disappeared three nights ago." Tiernan made a slight growl of frustration. "I blame my own sense of dramatics. I intended to take Huber on this final night, after his address, so that his colleagues could recognize it as the consequence of threatening our kind."
He moved from behind the desk, to pace by the darkened windows. After a moment, he shot Daws a guarded glance.
"I find myself almost reluctant to do this, since your luck--at least I hope it's only your luck, and not your competence--seems to be rather variable. But I want you to make your own effort at trying to trace Huber, if you can. My people are working on that even now; but you're a trained detective, with some contacts we don't have."
He frowned. "Try to think of this as any other missing-persons case, which I understand is often your work. But find him... before he has a chance to poison our entire species."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 2:38:16 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Understood, Mister Tiernan. I'll talk to my contacts at the Millenium, see if I can get anything that the Police might not be takin' seriously. If he's out there, I'll find him."
She scowled. "This guy wants to kill us with some epidemic? Well, he's gonna have at least one mutant that he'll have to deal with face-to-face first."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 2:43:38 GMT -5
"I intend to deal with him myself, when--if--he's found," Tiernan replied blackly, and sank down again behind his desk. "Now go, Miss, Dawson. And work quickly."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 2:49:06 GMT -5
Daws nodded and replaced her fedora. "You'll hear from me." She said, turning on her heel and heading out of the office.
Daws waited until she was on the sidewalk outside the Tiernan building before she allowed herself a satisfied smirk. Tiernan didn't suspect her -- although that crack about her luck and/or competence sort of stung. And so far, Tiernan didn't have any clue that Huber's disappearance hadn't been voluntary.
If she could do anything about it, he never would have.
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