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Post by Jordanna on Apr 13, 2008 0:24:26 GMT -5
"I've heard stories." Miriam dropped her gaze again quickly. "I don't know that it could ever happen with me... but I don't know that it couldn't, either."
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Post by skybright on Apr 13, 2008 0:28:30 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "And Alex doesn't know about this?" She asked gently, "I mean -- about what's worrying you?"
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 13, 2008 22:19:22 GMT -5
"No. Alex is..." Miriam paused, and chuckled sadly. "He's not very good at seeing the down side of anything. He wouldn't understand this, or believe it if he did."
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Post by skybright on Apr 14, 2008 0:56:07 GMT -5
"I guess not." Daws smiled wryly. "I guess that's a big part of what makes him Alex."
She lapsed into thoughtful silence for a moment. "Listen . . . would you be willing to talk to Caddy about all this when we get home?" She shrugged. "This is what he does for a living, after all. Maybe he'd be able to help -- or to give you some peace of mind about it, anyway."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 14, 2008 20:04:16 GMT -5
Miriam sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I really have made too much of it--to myself, at least. I don't want to be trouble."
She bit her lip. "And I guess I'm afraid of finding out any more about myself."
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Post by skybright on Apr 14, 2008 23:38:30 GMT -5
"I can understand that." Daws replied gently. "I think everybody can."
She squeezed Miriam's shoulder. "Just . . . think about it, okay? And -- if you need someone to listen, well," She grinned faintly, "That's what I do for a living, yanno."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 15, 2008 20:17:34 GMT -5
"Thanks, Daws." Miriam impulsively leaned over and gave the detective a quick hug. "It means a lot. Even if I don't take you up on it... I want you to know that."
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Post by skybright on Apr 15, 2008 22:35:14 GMT -5
Daws smiled crookedly. "Least I can do for a friend, Miriam." She said sincerely.
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 16, 2008 20:16:44 GMT -5
Miriam drew a breath to reply, but they were interrupted by Vance, who edged somewhat diffidently into the doorway and looked down at them.
"Sorry to interrupt the women-talk. I thought you'd want to know Proteus and the boys are just about ready to leave."
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Post by skybright on Apr 16, 2008 21:48:47 GMT -5
Daws raised an eyebrow at him and nodded, climbing somewhat gingerly to her feet (for fear of collapsing one of the steps beneath her). "Suppose we should come in and wish them well, huh?"
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 16, 2008 22:39:57 GMT -5
The Major shrugged morosely--still anxious about sending his son on this mission without him. He turned and retreated into the house, and the two women followed.
Inside, Proteus was watching neutrally as Nate and Blizzard made a last inspection of their guns. The shapeshifter could not have been pleased to see the weapons, but if he'd had any objection to make, he must have done so before Daws and Miriam came in.
Nate holstered his pistol and innocently grinned up at the women. "Just in case, you know."
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Post by skybright on Apr 16, 2008 22:43:31 GMT -5
"Sure." Daws grinned crookedly and patted the slight bulge of her own shoulder holster. "Better to have it and not need it than the other way around."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 16, 2008 22:55:22 GMT -5
"They won't need it," Proteus murmured flatly. "If we can't do this quietly, there's no doing it at all."
Vance sighed. "I can't argue with that, Proteus. But if anything does go wrong, the whole operation would be a no-go anyway--and I want the three of you back here."
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Post by skybright on Apr 16, 2008 23:00:14 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "If we have to scratch this thing, the least we can do is try and make sure we make it out of here with everyone we came with."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 16, 2008 23:07:18 GMT -5
"There won't be any scratching it," Nate declared confidently. "We'll be back in a little while with our unsuspecting guest."
Proteus sighed. "And I'll be back as soon after that as I can get away--if all does go well."
Vance squeezed Nate's arm. "Be careful, Lieutenant. Keep your head down."
Hearing his father address him as a soldier clearly pleased Nate. He grinned and thumped Vance on the shoulder in return. "Yes sir." Then he glanced at Daws and stage whispered behind his hand. "Keep him from worrying, will ya?"
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Post by skybright on Apr 16, 2008 23:13:10 GMT -5
Daws scoffed quietly. "You don't want much, do ya?" She held out her hand to Nate. "Godspeed."
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 17, 2008 21:30:15 GMT -5
"Yep." Nate clasped Daws' hand briefly. "See ya."
Then he turned to Proteus and Blizzard. "Okay, gentlemen. Let's go hunting for stool pigeons."
Vance watched the three go out the door, then folded his arms and slouched against the table. He raised an eyebrow at Daws.
"Now we wait."
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Post by skybright on Apr 17, 2008 23:27:04 GMT -5
Daws nodded, pushing her fedora back with a slight sigh. "And now we wait." She agreed quietly.
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Post by Jordanna on Apr 18, 2008 20:16:08 GMT -5
For nearly an hour, the fighters waited quietly, carrying on scattered conversations in half-whispers. A few people scavenged a meal from the supplies, but others were too high-strung to eat. Major Vance concealed his own worry by poring over their scant data about Mount Bliss once again.
Then, fifty-three minutes after their three comrades had left, the group heard a soft scraping from the porch. Vance leaped up and rushed out.
A moment later, he was smiling grimly as he followed Nate and Blizzard into the house. The two younger men were hauling a blindfolded, unconscious man in camouflage fatigues between them.
Nate flashed a bright smile around the room. "No hitches. We nabbed this guy without getting picked up on the sensors, and Proteus took his place. If nothing goes wrong on his end, I guess he'll be back as soon as he can sneak away."
He and Blizzard dumped their acquisition on a decaying old mattress in one corner of the room.
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Post by skybright on Apr 18, 2008 23:52:22 GMT -5
Daws folded her arms and regarded the unconscious captive with an air of detached cynicism. "So." She murmured. "This is our man on the inside -- and he doesn't even know it."
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