|
Post by skybright on Jul 17, 2006 5:00:45 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I know it. He's got me as concerned as anyone -- though I'm not real sure exactly what I can do in the way of snapping him out of it." She shrugged. "Sid's a smart guy. He can make his own choices."
She took a drink and changed the subject. "Brandeis been giving your boys at the safehouse any trouble?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 18, 2006 0:40:42 GMT -5
Vance shook his head. "No--other'n turning their stomachs with all her anti-mutant propaganda. She still thinks they're norms who see it her way. They'd like nothing better than to have her bound and gagged, but as long as she behaves herself and is willing to go quietly into retirement, we'll be easy on her 'til we've set things up. Should be a few more days. We've got her identity papers; now we're just getting an apartment in Amherst worked out." He scowled. "It's only paid up for a month, so she better find herself a nice non-murderous job before then. She knows that, too."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 18, 2006 1:27:39 GMT -5
Daws shrugged. "There's a college up there -- she can maybe get a teaching job. Heck, she can wait tables for all I care." She frowned. "I feel kinda sorry for Hubert. Bein' so attatched to someone like Brandeis . . . can't be easy for him."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 19, 2006 1:03:53 GMT -5
Vance shrugged. "He's better off. I'll bet Brandeis didn't even know Huber carried the X-gene. If she went into a panic when she saw you, imagine what she'd have done if she'd found that out about her boyfriend."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 19, 2006 13:35:07 GMT -5
Daws sighed and nodded. "Still, I can't imagine having feelings for someone who felt that way about what I was."
She shrugged. "I guess in some ways I was lucky, when you come down to it. Ending up on my own wasn't really all that different than how I'd always lived. It'd have been a lot harder if I'd had anyone who cared about me -- only to have them suddenly turn ugly when they found out I was a mutant."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 20:18:24 GMT -5
"Yeah," Vance murmured with a frown, staring at the smoke that curled from the tip of his cigar. He was silent for a few moments; then he shrugged and took a long puff, glancing speculatively at Daws.
"As you say, we work better with each other than at cross purposes. Well, maybe I'm just in a mellow mood--but I think I'll let you in on a coupla angles my people have been trying to work on, without much luck. You get around; maybe you'll have some ideas, or a useful contact."
He paused. "Hanging around Tiernan Enterprises as much as you do, I guess you know about the mutant tramps camped out in a kinda shanty town near there, taking handouts without actually wanting to work much for 'em. They call 'em Spooks."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 23, 2006 21:12:05 GMT -5
Daws let out a brief, harsh laugh. "Oh, I know about them, all right. Me and the kid got into a brawl with a handful of 'em the night Tiernan brought me in. Had to pull my gun on one of 'em to get out of it -- and I still ended up with a blow to the shoulder that hurt for most of a week."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 21:24:38 GMT -5
"Oh." Vance frowned. "Maybe you wouldn't be so much use on this, then. See, the thing is, I figure the Spooks could be sorta useful if they were handled right. Tiernan hires out some of 'em now and then for quick 'n' dirty jobs that aren't too involved for 'em, but all they're really interested in is the money and food he has to offer. It wouldn't take too much to swing 'em the other way, even if it was only for intel. They see and hear a lot.
"Of course, like we've already talked about, my network can't exactly match Tiernan for cash incentives. But if we could wave around a wad like he drops on you..." He shrugged and grinned slightly. "Well, that's something you could contribute that dirty money to."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 23, 2006 21:30:49 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Tiernan's money payin' Tiernan's temp-help to turn on him. I like that." She grinned. "It's got the sort of irony I appreciate -- and so long as no more gangs of random rag-tags try to kidnap me for leverage against Tiernan, I'm all for it."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 21:44:47 GMT -5
"Right." Vance nodded. "But it's a little more complicated than just throwing money at 'em. They could easily turn around and get even more money from Tiernan, by telling him about the third party--meaning us--that's trying to buy 'em."
He shook his head. "There's more in play with the Spooks, though. They've got their own kinda laws, after a fashion. And we know they've got--well, some kind of a leader or something, whose guidance they actually do take. We figure we might be a little safer if we can deal through this person. But it's a pretty mysterious figure; no idea if it's even a man or a woman. A coupla my people have tried to find out and make contact, but no luck."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 23, 2006 21:53:27 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow. "Sort of a Court of Miracles thing, huh? Makes sense, I guess. Somebody has to make the rules." She tapped one claw against the tabletop, looking thoughtful. "What're you thinkin' -- I could maybe try and make some contacts, see what comes of it?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 22:07:03 GMT -5
Vance shrugged. "If you didn't make such a bad impression that they'd skin you on sight, I'd be glad enough to have you poke around a little."
He took a sip of his beer. "While you're at it, there's something else you might want to look into. Of course you know that real shapeshifting mutants are pretty rare, and most of 'em can't hold a different shape for longer than a matter of minutes or hours. But we've heard rumors that the Spooks know something about a shapeshifter who's a lot stronger. You can imagine how useful somebody like that could be on our side. We've been looking for this mutant too, but there's no trace of them either."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 23, 2006 22:19:03 GMT -5
Daws chuckled. "A mutant like that wouldn't leave any proof, now would they? Heck, your boys might've been talkin' to him -- or her -- the whole time, and never even known it."
She took a drink and nodded. "I'll see what I can come up with. That fight's the only encounter I've had with the Spooks -- but a lot of times, in neighborhoods like that, you get more respect for holdin' your own in a fight -- even if it was against them."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 22:27:28 GMT -5
"Let's hope so." Vance shrugged. "Meanwhile, my boys and I are at your disposal for that little surprise party you're wanting to throw at one of Tiernan's labs. Only don't get your hopes up that it'd be much easier than the Murfeeston Bridge. So far as I know, the bat keeps a round-the-clock guard on every installation he's got."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 23, 2006 22:30:00 GMT -5
"I'm not hoping for easier, Major -- just for less explosive." Daws replied dryly. "Besides, I'd love to see the look on Caddy's face if I turned up on his doorstep with a whole armload of highly-financed research. Might even be enough to shut him up for a minute or two."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 22:44:08 GMT -5
Vance gave a gruff snort in lieu of laughter. "That would be sort of an accomplishment. Alright, let's find out what we can about an appropriate place to hit Tiernan. I'll see if my little clerical mole can turn up anything--but in this case, you'd probably have better luck with Cole, if he's agreeable."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 23, 2006 22:51:51 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "He said he was in -- I'm gonna do my best to make him stick to that. After all," she grinned cheekily, "Every politician deserves some pain-in-the-neck private eye hangin' around to hold them to their promises."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 22:58:22 GMT -5
Vance chortled again. "I like that. Not above finding out where the skeletons are buried, eh?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jul 23, 2006 23:05:33 GMT -5
"Never." Daws shook her head. "I don't like politics on principle, and that extends to most politicians. They get elected by telling people lies, and then I get pushed around by their underlings -- the cops, specifically -- for trying to find out truths. Something about the whole system is obviously screwy."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jul 23, 2006 23:14:54 GMT -5
"I can relate to that. You oughta see the inner workings of the military." Vance shook his head and sipped his beer. "Open combat was a lot less confusing than figuring out all the bureaucracy. That's one thing I don't miss."
|
|