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Post by Jordanna on Apr 9, 2008 21:41:57 GMT -5
Proteus scowled, and picked up the payroll sheet that hinted at the sentries' rotation schedule.
"We might take a man going off duty at eleven o'clock," he said at last. "I can fake him long enough to convince his pals that he's gone to bed, then get back to you."
Nate nodded. "That's got a chance. It looks as if the guards on active duty sleep on the premises, in kind of a barracks here." He indicated a rough square on the map, some distance from the lab entrance. "If you can just sneak out of there after everybody else has bedded down, we'll be in business again."
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Post by skybright on Apr 9, 2008 21:45:27 GMT -5
Daws shot Vance a quizzical look. "What do we do with him once we're done having Cole pick his brain, exactly? We run a risk if we leave him without a babysitter when we make our move."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 9, 2008 22:09:03 GMT -5
"To be honest... I thought I might be some use in that," Henry answered.
He shrugged unconfortably. "I wouldn't hesitate to be in the real fight with all of you--but I'd be very little use to you there. I know that. I have no powers, and I'm not nearly the fighter Sid is. But keeping an eye on the captive... well, that's one thing I certainly can do."
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Post by skybright on Apr 9, 2008 22:20:52 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Good call, Henry. That should keep our guest from causing any trouble once we're gone."
She glanced down at the map. "So, I guess the next question is where we make our move to grab the lucky guy."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 9, 2008 22:33:10 GMT -5
"That's difficult to say," Vance sighed. "We don't know anything about what the guards will be doing before they start their shifts, or where they'll be."
Nate shrugged. "The guards work in pairs. If they walk around on patrol instead of just standing watch at the entrance, we might be able to catch one in a blind spot where the other won't see what's happening."
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Post by skybright on Apr 9, 2008 22:38:57 GMT -5
Daws nodded thoughtfully, still peering at the map. "Something like right here, maybe?" She indicated a space at the perimeter of the sketched compound, shrugging.
"Can't really tell for sure, but it seems from the map like these two buildings would pretty much block the view from most of the rest of the place."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 9, 2008 22:58:07 GMT -5
"We'll have to look at the place, but it might work." Vance nodded thoughtfully. "If we can pick off a guard there just before the shift ends, Proteus can take his place and make as if he's going to bed in the barracks. Meanwhile, we'll be working on our bird until Proteus can sneak back here."
"You'll need me to block the heat sensors when we go to pick up your man," Blizzard put in. "And trust me, you won't want to take long doing it. I'll have to make things pretty cold."
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Post by skybright on Apr 9, 2008 23:02:50 GMT -5
"Knew I was gonna be glad to have fur someday." Daws remarked with a wry grin. "I just hope the rest of you packed your sweaters."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 10, 2008 21:27:45 GMT -5
"We'll manage," Vance murmured. Then he glanced around at the group. "Anyway, if we've decided on this as stage one of the plan, we've got to move tonight. We have no way of knowing when Tiernan plans to crash the party."
Proteus shrugged. "I'm ready anytime."
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Post by skybright on Apr 10, 2008 21:46:31 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "It's what we came for -- I'm ready to get started as soon as we can."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 10, 2008 22:32:51 GMT -5
"Okay." Vance fished his cellphone out of his coat pocket. "I've got to call Rog and have him get down here with His Honor. The faster we can act once we've got our patsy, the better. Proteus--this part is your show. You choose who you want with you to get the jump on the guard."
With that, Vance began punching a number into his phone as he retreated toward the porch.
Proteus shrugged. "If it were only me, I don't think I'd need you, Blizzard--I could probably trick the sensors on my own. But somebody's obviously got to cart the sentry away while I'm taking his place, and they'll need your cover. So..." He surveyed the group. "The fewer of you, the better. Lieutenant Vance, you suppose you and Blizzard could wrangle one guy on your own?"
Nate nodded, taking from his pocket a small cylinder the size of a pen. "We 'borrowed' some of these hypo-gadgets Nocturne uses. One shot from this, and we won't have any trouble with the guy for about twenty minutes."
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Post by skybright on Apr 10, 2008 22:38:24 GMT -5
Daws grinned wryly. "Yeah, I can attest to that from personal experience. That oughtta buy us enough time to get him back here without too much trouble."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 10, 2008 22:45:58 GMT -5
Proteus glanced wryly at Daws. "We? Miss Dawson, I won't kick if you're going to insist on coming, but I think the three of us have it covered. Any more people will just mean more risk of attracting attention."
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Post by skybright on Apr 10, 2008 22:51:22 GMT -5
Daws chuckled wryly and held up her hands. "I meant it in the general sense, Proteus. I may have kicked and scratched my way into coming down here, but I don't need to tag along for everything."
She grinned wickedly. "Besides -- if I stick around here that gives me that much more time to annoy Cole."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 10, 2008 22:58:55 GMT -5
"Glad to know you'll have no trouble amusing yourself," Proteus said dryly.
Nate gave the shapeshifter a speculative glance. "I wonder if Cole can read you."
"Wonder no more, Lieutenant. He can't. It's been tried... but that's one story I don't feel like telling at the moment."
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Post by skybright on Apr 10, 2008 23:06:09 GMT -5
"So that's two people he won't be able to hear." Daws shrugged. "Well, maybe it'll cut down on the background noise so he'll have an easier time of poking around in the guard's brain."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 10, 2008 23:13:21 GMT -5
"If he needs quiet, we can just send everybody out for pizza," Nate retorted.
Vance came in from the front porch then, tucking away his cellphone. "Rog is heading out to pick up Cole right now. They should be here within a couple of hours. Auger," he added to a muscular black man among his operatives, "I'll want you to go to the nearest airfield shortly, and bring them back here when they land."
"Sure, Boss," Auger replied laconically.
Nate drummed his fingers on the map-covered tabletop. "And it's only about an hour until the shift should change at Mount Bliss. We might be back here with our boy before Cole even gets here."
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Post by skybright on Apr 10, 2008 23:19:18 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Better blindfold him while he's out cold, either way." She remarked. "Safer for all of us."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 11, 2008 19:57:12 GMT -5
"That's definitely on the to-do list," Nate remarked sardonically.
Vance frowned at him, with ill-disguised concern. "You sure the three of you will be enough?"
Nate grinned. "If there's any decent light, it'd be more like four of us. My specter probably won't have much strength at night, but he should at least be some use in anything less than a blackout." He squeezed his father's shoulder gently. "Anyway, I don't think we'll need him. Not to spirit away one poor sap."
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Post by skybright on Apr 11, 2008 21:47:47 GMT -5
"It only took Handy to grab Hubert when we picked him up," Daws pointed out calmly. "Besides, like Proteus said -- the fewer people we send in, the fewer people there are to attract attention."
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