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Post by Jordanna on Oct 14, 2007 23:17:18 GMT -5
"Do you know where my mortuary is?" Henry asked Proteus, and receiving a nod, he went on: "Come by there at nine o'clock in the morning. I'll take you to the cemetery."
"Alright." Proteus stood up slowly, glancing around at the group. "Thanks for caring... about Claire, I mean. I'll see the rest of you, I'm sure. You know how to reach me."
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Post by skybright on Oct 14, 2007 23:21:34 GMT -5
"And you know where to find us." Father Rick replied. "Take care, Proteus."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 14, 2007 23:29:43 GMT -5
"Same to all of you," Proteus replied, and quietly climbed the stairs.
When Proteus was gone, Vance shook his head and looked around at the others with a somber expression. "I always felt we'd failed him--but now I really feel rotten. We cost him a life he'd already worked so hard to put back together."
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Post by skybright on Oct 14, 2007 23:37:27 GMT -5
"Tell me about it." Daws rubbed tiredly at the fur on her face. "And then dredging up bad memories on top of all the grief we've caused him lately . . ." She slouched back in her chair with a deep sigh. "Every once in a while I really don't like my job."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 15, 2007 21:48:12 GMT -5
Vance made a growling noise in his throat and rubbed his jaw.
"There's gotta be something we can do about it. The Spooks are no angels, but they're Proteus' people, and that means as much for him as our people mean to us. There must be some way to let him have his life with them back."
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Post by skybright on Oct 16, 2007 17:13:54 GMT -5
Daws nodded, rubbing the back of her neck. "Proteus was the one who insisted on staying away for the Spooks' safety. Maybe now things have blown over a little we could convince him to change his mind."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 16, 2007 22:01:28 GMT -5
"Miriam frowned. "If only what we're doing with Lusus Naturae, and the other jobs you've gotten for the Spooks, will teach them to be more honest and responsible--I really wish we could see them together as a community again. If only there was a place for them to go as a group, instead of being scattered."
"If only," Sid sighed.
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Post by skybright on Oct 16, 2007 22:21:38 GMT -5
"There oughtta still be a tidy little sum sitting in that account Cole raised for the Spooks." Daws mused. "If we could find a place, that'd maybe put it a little bit closer to a reality."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 16, 2007 22:34:21 GMT -5
"Where would ya put a buncha people with attitudes like the Spooks got?" Sid pondered.
Henry shrugged. "I suppose it depends on how much they're reformed by having to hold down normal jobs and provide for themselves." He shook his head. "I feel as sorry for Proteus as anyone, but you have to admit that his tending kept the Spooks in sort of a state of arrested development."
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Post by skybright on Oct 16, 2007 22:37:20 GMT -5
"Sorta like kids with their mother always stepping in to do things for 'em, instead of letting 'em work it out themselves." Daws agreed thoughtfully. "Fifty or sixty years' worth of that, well . . ." she trailed off with a shrug.
"Anyway, it's something to think about -- once we see how they do at holding down those jobs for a while. But it's not impossible."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 16, 2007 22:50:04 GMT -5
Vance nodded thoughtfully. "Just something else to work out as we go along."
He sighed. "And speaking of working things out... We've got to do something about the gap in our intelligence-gathering. And for that--and other reasons--Regina, I think it'd be useful if we could collar your friend Cole. We need to figure out exactly what his game is."
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Post by skybright on Oct 16, 2007 22:55:11 GMT -5
"I know it." Daws leaned forward with an expression very near a scowl. "We can't let him keep putting us off -- there's too much that could go wrong." She sighed. "And if he's not gonna come to us -- I think it might be about time we went to him."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 17, 2007 20:50:32 GMT -5
"Now you're talking," Vance rumbled. "You can count on me for any backup you want in shaking some answers outta him."
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Post by skybright on Oct 17, 2007 21:43:28 GMT -5
Daws nodded grimly. "We'd better make it this week some time. No sense putting off the inevitable."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 18, 2007 19:39:45 GMT -5
"Fine. Call on me anytime." The Major glanced at his son. "And if you think he'll give us any trouble, Nate might be able to help... You said you can sort of pre-program that shadow of yours to do simple things, right? How long in advance?"
Nate frowned, looking as if he wasn't quite sure what his father meant. "I can... well, have it hold off on what I want it to do for a few minutes, I guess. Why?"
"Cole's a telepath. I don't know what he could do to try and keep you from jumping him with your little trick--but if you can set it in motion before we ever walk in the room, there's not much he can do about it."
"Oh. Yeah, I... guess it might work."
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Post by skybright on Oct 18, 2007 20:54:20 GMT -5
Daws grinned crookedly. "Good thinking, Jerod. That plus the fact Cole can't read you oughtta throw him off balance a little." Her grin faded a bit. "Hopefully 'a little' is all it'll take to get him to tell us what he's up to."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 18, 2007 21:23:53 GMT -5
"I'm hoping he won't force us to get rough with him," Vance replied. "But I just don't trust him. I want to know what's going on in his head--and if he's reluctant to share, I want to be ready for anything."
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Post by skybright on Oct 18, 2007 21:33:30 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I can't argue with that."
Father Rick chuckled somewhat humorlessly. "Just try not to break anything, you two. Mayors are hard to come by."
Daws snorted. "You kidding, Padre? Cheap politicians are a dime a dozen around here -- and I'm starting to think that's all Cole is, after all."
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Post by Jordanna on Oct 18, 2007 21:48:17 GMT -5
"We might've created a monster when we hooked that guy up with Tiernan," Vance growled. "Regina, with security the way it is, I'm counting on you to find some way to horn in if those two get together for any cozy chats."
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Post by skybright on Oct 18, 2007 21:54:06 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I can do that -- I'm supposed to be checking out Cole for Tiernan anyhow. I'll call it 'research' or somethin'." She grinned. "After all -- I'm an expert at poking my nose in where it doesn't belong."
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