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Post by skybright on Dec 9, 2006 23:56:50 GMT -5
Daws nodded and took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I'm sorry this whole thing turned into such a mess."
She straightened her shoulders, gathering her composure and putting on at least a shadow of her usual self-assured demeanor. "I guess all we can do is . . . well, is wait for Vance's boys to get back here."
With Vance in tow, she pleaded silently . . .
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 10, 2006 22:14:40 GMT -5
It was nearly an hour before the grim searchers returned--without Major Vance.
"We didn't find a trace of him," Roger Latimore reported. "I've been listening to police radio, and for all that heck of a mess we left out there, they haven't found any bodies--not even Tiernan's people that we picked off. But at least they didn't find the Major's either."
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Post by skybright on Dec 10, 2006 22:32:26 GMT -5
Daws had spent the intervening hour in agitated pacing -- trying and failing to work off the nervous energy that was boiling in her gut. As Latimore finished giving his report, her face fell -- and then hardened in a look of grim determination.
"He's not out there, and he's not here, and he hasn't contacted us. That can only mean one thing." She swallowed painfully (trying to rid herself of the sudden lump in her throat) and turned to look at her friends.
"Tiernan's got him."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 10, 2006 23:06:13 GMT -5
Handy clapped a pair of hands over his mouth, wide-eyed, as Sid squeezed his shoulder in a feeble effort at comfort. Miriam's eyes welled up, and Alex hugged her.
"Vance knows everything about all of us," Sid murmured, voicing the frightening thought that was on the minds of many of them.
Handy looked up sharply. "Nobody'll ever make him talk."
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Post by skybright on Dec 10, 2006 23:11:18 GMT -5
"Nobody's gonna get the chance." Daws growled. "We're gonna go after him."
“Are you crazy?” One of the Our Lady resistance members blurted out. "Tiernan's guys'll be expecting that. It's suicide."
Daws whirled, a dangerous light in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I must’ve missed the part where it sounded like I was making a suggestion.” She lashed her tail and moved a step closer to the man who had spoken. “Lemme repeat myself. We-are-going-after-Vance.”
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 10, 2006 23:29:10 GMT -5
"Daws, cool it," said Sid, gripping her arm lightly but firmly. He didn't flinch at the dangerous glare he received in turn.
"I'm not sayin' we shouldn't go after him," he said quietly. "But if we're gonna do it, we'd better do it smart--and in a way that won't get you exposed."
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Post by skybright on Dec 10, 2006 23:36:19 GMT -5
Daws accepted that with a curt nod, though her glare didn't soften much. "Fine. But whatever we're doin', we best get a move on. Knowing Tiernan, he won't waste any time before he . . . before he starts in." She let whatever Tiernan might be starting in on go unsaid, and turned to Handy.
"I don't suppose you guys have some sort of protocol set up for this type of thing, do ya?"
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 11, 2006 0:11:54 GMT -5
Handy blanched--but before he could reply, another voice spoke up.
"I never should have trusted you to try this."
That remark came from Proteus, who stood in the doorway with arms crossed, looking distinctly angry.
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Post by skybright on Dec 11, 2006 0:21:53 GMT -5
Daws stiffened at the words. She sidestepped around Handy and the others -- expertly dodging Padre's attempt to grab her wrist again -- and stalked over to Proteus with cool, frighteningly controlled steps.
"Old man," She said, in a dangerously calm voice, "I have had one heck of a bad night. I got my best coat ruined. I killed a man. I broke my word -- not just to you, either. To someone a lot more important to me than you are. Now Tiernan's got one of my people, and if he isn't hurt now he's gonna be pretty soon."
Her voice lowered, growing even colder. "You do not want to push me right now."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 11, 2006 0:33:38 GMT -5
Proteus didn't flinch.
"I'm not interested in the grief you've gotten yourself into, Miss Dawson--my only concern is in cleaning up this mess, since I was partly responsible for it. Which one of your people was taken?"
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Post by skybright on Dec 11, 2006 0:38:34 GMT -5
"Major Vance." Daws replied. "Tiernan's been under the impression that Vance was dead. Once he finds out different . . ." She broke off with a frustrated growl.
"We've got less than no time at all to get him outta Tiernan's hands. So if you've got any brilliant ideas, don't be shy about sharing 'em."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 11, 2006 0:50:33 GMT -5
"Simple enough--I walk in and take him out," Proteus muttered. "And without any of you around to start shooting at things."
Sid uttered a snort. "How're ya gonna do that--pretend to be Tiernan right under the nose of the real thing?"
"That's one idea." Proteus shook his head slightly. "I can do more than you know. For me, it would be just that easy."
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Post by skybright on Dec 11, 2006 0:55:20 GMT -5
"And if you get caught, who's to be walking in and rescuing you?" Padre asked quietly.
"Even if you got spotted and managed to escape, that's still time we can't afford to lose." Daws frowned at her feet for a moment, then sighed. "But . . . if you think you can get in and get out with Vance . . ."
"I'd still feel better with more than one man goin' after him." Padre interjected. "Tiernan'll have the Boyo under heavy guard, you can bet on that."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 11, 2006 1:08:42 GMT -5
"Nobody catches me," Proteus replied coolly. He glanced at Daws. "But if you insist on trying to feel useful--and you can keep that temper of yours under control--you might go keep Tiernan busy with that double-agent doubletalk of yours."
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Post by skybright on Dec 11, 2006 1:12:41 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I'd half like to just claw the man's eyes out -- but I can keep that locked down. For this, I can."
She lashed her tail. "But I'm gonna need a good excuse to be waltzing into Tiernan's office. Otherwise he won't think it's worth dropping his . . . other projects."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 11, 2006 1:29:50 GMT -5
Proteus shrugged. "You're on your own there. My problem is getting Vance out, and that's all."
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Post by skybright on Dec 11, 2006 1:37:32 GMT -5
"Fine." Daws crossed her arms and frowned at the shapeshifter. "One question -- how d'you plan on finding him? All this talk of you walking in and walking out is well and good -- but only if you know where to walk in and out of."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 11, 2006 1:44:24 GMT -5
"You forget I've been spending a lot of time snooping at Tiernan Enterprises lately," Proteus replied evenly. "And not always disguised as that boy, either. I've found out who gets the higher clearance around there, and taken advantage of it. I'm pretty sure I know where they'll take Vance."
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Post by skybright on Dec 11, 2006 1:51:26 GMT -5
"Okay." Daws glanced away from the shapeshifter, to the crowd of resistance members who were watching the exchange with varied degrees of worry, hesitancy and outright fear.
"Roger," She gestured to Latimore, "Check the police band and see if it's safe to start moving people out, willya? Whatever else we're doin', we can't spend all night just holed up here."
She turned to Father Rick, Handy and the others. "Padre, once Roger gets you the all-clear, get our people out and home. Handy . . . you probably best do the same with your boys.
"Sid, Alex -- we still gotta get those black-and-whites back to the lot before dawn, or we're gonna have trouble from the cops on top of every other kind of trouble we've got already."
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Post by Jordanna on Dec 11, 2006 23:33:52 GMT -5
By the time Daws had completed her litany of instructions, Latimore had done his part, eavesdropping on police radio transmissions. He spoke up briskly. "Sounds like we're in the clear, Miz Dawson. We can move."
Padre promptly started herding the civilian fighters out, but Handy hesitated, looking like a lost puppy.
Sid clapped him on the shoulder. "Listen, once you clear your people out, get yourself over ta my house. Foxy an' I'll meet ya there." He turned to Daws. "If--when you get the Major sprung, you can bring him over too. I'll call Doc Ollivard an' have him waiting, if you... think we'll need him."
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