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Post by skybright on Jun 11, 2006 2:24:11 GMT -5
Daws scowled. "Well, after he got us into a war, he decided he didn't want to take the credit. So he sent Tiernan a letter callin' for Tiernan to cease all his agressions against normal humans -- unless he wanted the destruction to go on."
She laughed harshly. "And then he signed Doc Van Linden's name to it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 11, 2006 2:37:02 GMT -5
Joey frowned. He had seen very little of Miriam Van Linden, but he already admired what he did know of her, and he realized she was in more danger than almost anyone else in Nick Tiernan's current disfavor. It rankled him that the Grenadier would have done something so callous.
"Listen, Daws," he began hesitantly. "This could get me in awful trouble, but... I know something about Major Vance. That's why he doesn't like me. But now I want you to know it, too."
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Post by skybright on Jun 11, 2006 2:41:14 GMT -5
Daws tilted her head and regarded the teenager gravely. "If Vance is the 'trouble' you're worried about, Joey," She said, "Then don't be -- 'cause he'd haveta go through me to get to you. What is it you know?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 11, 2006 2:50:12 GMT -5
"Well..." Joey bit his lip. "The fact is... Major Vance worked for Mister Tiernan, for a while."
He shrugged. "The way I hear it, he'd had it rough after the Army dumped him and his family left. He was angry... I guess he just wanted to fight back somehow. So he was an enforcer for Mister Tiernan--but he never killed anybody. That was the one part of his pride he had left."
He let out a long breath and stared down at the carpet. "Then something happened. I dunno what, but Major Vance wanted out. Whatever went wrong, it must've made Mister Tiernan pretty upset. I... heard the Major was killed. An 'accident', you know? Until that day he caught me listening to you and the Padre, I didn't even know he was still alive."
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Post by skybright on Jun 11, 2006 2:56:23 GMT -5
Daws shifted the case of water slightly and sighed. "Yeah, that about matches up with what I figured."
In response to Joey's look of surprise, she grinned wryly and shrugged one shoulder. "Hey, I'm a detective. It's what I do.
"In any case, that's probably why Vance did what he did to the Doc -- he doesn't want Tiernan knowin' he's still alive." She scowled and added "If bein' dead's that important to him, maybe I oughtta arrange it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 11, 2006 3:02:13 GMT -5
Joey grinned wanly. "I guess it'd be easy for me to feel that way, too. But, I don't know... I think a part of me is kinda sorry for Major Vance."
His gaze dropped again. "I know how it is to feel guilty about working for Tiernan--and he was in a lot deeper than me."
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Post by skybright on Jun 11, 2006 3:11:31 GMT -5
Daws shook her head. "Yeah, but you hold 'em up next to each other, and I'd say you had a better reason."
Then she shrugged. "But I know what you mean. I coulda ended up in Vance's shoes, if I'd taken a couple different wrong turns along the way. Anybody could've.
"But that's not gonna keep me from havin' some choice words with Vance next time I see him. I told him I'd take him to task if he hurt any of our people -- and I meant it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 11, 2006 3:18:06 GMT -5
"He'll just make some smart-mouthed remark," Joey replied with a half-grin. "Sometimes these last couple days, I've wondered if we just oughta let him and Mister Tiernan fight it out. But then," he smiled wanly, "I guess we'd run out of bridges and landmarks a long time before they were through."
He shrugged. "So what do you want me to do now?"
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Post by skybright on Jun 11, 2006 3:26:43 GMT -5
Daws shrugged. "I figured I'd just head back to the office," She said as the elevator doors slid open and the two of them walked out under the watchful eye of the desk clerk.
"You're welcome to come with me if you want. All I'm gonna be doin' is paperwork, but hey," She shrugged, "Y'might as well have a day that runs the whole gamut of what the job entails."
She grinned wickedly and added "Y'know, if we could manage to get arrested before midnight, that'd really round out the learning experience."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 11, 2006 3:30:26 GMT -5
Forcing a weak chuckle, Joey followed Daws out of the hotel.
My life is never, ever, ever going to be normal...
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