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Post by Jordanna on Jan 22, 2007 22:39:56 GMT -5
Nicholas Tiernan had put a rush on the tests of the body that the Spooks alleged to be their metamorph king, ordering his doctors to work around the clock until they could tell him whether the body was consistent with their knowledge of shapeshifters. It was early in the pre-dawn hours when one of his researchers, David Delarocco, entered his office to give him a report.
"Well?" Tiernan asked.
The gray-skinned mutant shrugged. "That body the Spooks brought in doesn't have the same cell structure as Doctor Dawkins, or any of the other few shapeshifters we've documented."
"You mean to say that it isn't a metamorph at all," Tiernan said, his eyes darkening.
Delarocco frowned. "I wouldn't like to say that absolutely surely... but it isn't consistent with what we know about shapeshifters."
"That's all I wanted to know." Tiernan rose from behind his desk and moved to his piano. "Send Cinders in to me."
When the Hispanic flamethrower entered a few minutes later, Tiernan was seated at the piano, his hands idly drifting over the keys. He did not look up at her as he spoke.
"The evidence suggests that the Spooks double-crossed us," he said, calmly and quietly. "You know what to do. Take anyone you need."
A vicious smile twitched across Cinders' lips, and she went out.
After a few minutes, Tiernan returned to the desk and paged his receptionist. "Leave a message for Miss Dawson. I want to see her, at her convenience. There are a few more things I want to know about what she's seen and heard in Spooktown."
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Post by skybright on Jan 23, 2007 18:59:13 GMT -5
Having heard Tiernan's message immediately upon arriving at her office, Daws showed up at Tiernan Enterprises shortly before nine o'clock. She had a sinking feeling that she knew why Tiernan wanted to see her -- and that it didn't bode well for the Spooks.
The receptionist waved her towards the elevator, and Daws did her best to keep her pessimistic thoughts from carrying over into her outward appearance as she stepped into Tiernan's office.
"Yes?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 23, 2007 23:17:03 GMT -5
"Good morning, Miss Dawson," Tiernan said coolly. He was standing in front of the tinted windows, with his back to her.
If he leaned close to the glass, off to his right, he could just see plumes of smoke rising from the direction of Spooktown.
"Having been my agent in communication with the Spooks... I thought you might want to know that they tried to double-cross me," he said blandly, turning at last. "According to my scientists, that body they delivered was almost certainly not a metamorph."
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Post by skybright on Jan 23, 2007 23:26:26 GMT -5
Daws' heart sank. Well, it would've been a great plan, Ace -- if it'd worked.
She only hoped that Vance's boys had been on their toes -- and, on a slightly more personal note, she hoped that Tiernan hadn't figured out her role in the charade . . .
She shoved that thought quickly to the back of her mind, put on a carefully neutral face, and pushed her fedora back. "I see."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 23, 2007 23:37:48 GMT -5
With languid unhurriedness, Tiernan returned to his desk.
"I wanted to know more about what you've seen in Spooktown. If you could describe anyone you might have noticed who seemed to be an authority figure, for example."
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Post by skybright on Jan 23, 2007 23:45:30 GMT -5
Sure. So you can make sure your storm troopers track 'em down.
Daws shrugged. " 'Fraid I can't be a whole lot of help to you there, Mister Tiernan. They never let me get any further into Spooktown than the front gate -- I did all my communicating with a sentry, and whoever else decided to gather 'round and hear what I had to say. Nobody ever seemed to be giving or taking orders from anyone that I spotted."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 23, 2007 23:58:58 GMT -5
"Ah. Yes. A very suspicious lot, as I understand." Tiernan shrugged casually.
"Well, I expect things will happen soon. The Spooks have paid their price--and that may well flush the metamorph out of hiding."
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Post by skybright on Jan 24, 2007 0:04:48 GMT -5
"Maybe -- assuming he hasn't just skipped town and left 'em to fend for themselves."
Oh, man, this isn't gonna be good . . .
Daws shrugged. "Sorry I can't be more help to ya, Mister Tiernan. Any other questions you had on your mind?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 24, 2007 0:15:08 GMT -5
"Not at the moment. I may call upon you later for other... identifications." Tiernan spread his hands. "That's all, Miss Dawson."
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Post by skybright on Jan 24, 2007 0:23:01 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "All right then. I'll let you know if I get a line on your Major Vance or on Van Linden."
Leaving the Tiernan Enterprises building in as much of a hurry as she dared, Daws almost turned towards Spooktown -- but quickly saw the futility of such a move. If Tiernan's attack was still going on, then Vance's people wouldn't need her help badly enough to risk being spotted by one of Tiernan's goons.
If, on the other hand, things had already gone down -- then she was in no position to deal with a crowd of very angry Spooks on her own.
After another moment's thought, she turned for the office. It was possible that Roger Latimore or one of Vance's other men might hve tried to contact her there; if not, she supposed she'd head for Long Island . . . and face the unpleasant prospect of dealing with an angry Proteus.
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 24, 2007 0:29:23 GMT -5
Roger Latimore was already lurking across the street from Daws' office when she arrived. As she was unlocking the door, he moved swiftly across the street and caught her elbow, hurrying her inside before she could say a word.
"It's come apart," he said, in a quiet, terse tone. "Tiernan must have figured that body was no shapeshifter. He sent a bunch of his thugs into Spooktown before dawn. A few of 'em were firestarters, and..." He spread his hands futilely, his expression telling the story.
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Post by skybright on Jan 24, 2007 0:33:48 GMT -5
Daws grimaced and ran a hand over the fur on her face. "I've just come from his place. He's pretty pleased with himself, the --" she broke off abruptly, running over a long string of increasingly unpleasant Hindi curses in her mind, and then sighed.
"What kind of damage are we dealin' with?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 24, 2007 1:03:43 GMT -5
"We're talkin' more than damage." Roger winced and sighed heavily. "We're talkin'... casualties. A couple of our people. A couple of Tiernan's. I don't even know how many Spooks--the ones that could get out have all scattered."
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Post by skybright on Jan 24, 2007 1:09:07 GMT -5
Daws sighed and shook her head. "What a mess. This whole thing has been nothing but a mess, start to . . ." she half-laughed. "I only wish it was finished."
She frowned. "Okay -- how's the situation with your boys? We can get 'em to a friend of mine if any of them need medical attention."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 24, 2007 1:27:19 GMT -5
"I've sent a couple of 'em... We had one loss."
Roger flung himself down on the sofa. "You haven't turned on a TV or a radio yet. The media's all over this already. The anti-mutant crowd is yelling about evidence of mutant violence, and mutant sympathizers are blaming it on a human lynch mob."
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Post by skybright on Jan 24, 2007 1:31:05 GMT -5
"Oh, man." Daws groaned and sank into one of the armchairs. "That's the last thing we need. It wouldn't take much for this whole thing to blow up into the out-and-out war we've been trying to avoid this whole time."
She sighed. "What else could possibly go -- no, scratch that." She shook her head vehemently. "I don't want to know what else could go wrong. I don't even wanna think about it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 24, 2007 2:18:40 GMT -5
"I've talked to Mister Rosenstein. He saw it on the news. Fortunately, Proteus was still upstairs with the Major, so he doesn't know about it yet--but his being there means I can't talk with the Major yet, either."
Roger shrugged, looking worried. "What's your next move?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 24, 2007 21:59:57 GMT -5
Daws sighed and shook her head. "I don't guess there's much I can do here in the City. I'll have to talk with Vance and the others about what we do from here."
She grimaced. "And sooner or later -- somebody's gonna have to break all of this to Proteus. I'd rather chew broken glass -- but it's gotta be done."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 24, 2007 22:34:05 GMT -5
"Meantime, I'm gonna see about doing what we can to help the Spooks that got away--if we can find any of 'em," Roger declared wearily. "It's our fault all this has happened."
He stood up. "Don't go around Spooktown for a while. It's crawling with cops."
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Post by skybright on Jan 24, 2007 22:41:43 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "I figured as much. I imagine Tiernan'll have a pair of eyes or two down there for a while, too -- no sense in me riskin' it."
She clasped Roger's hand. "We'll be in touch. You guys be careful out there -- the Spooks might decide to try taking all of this out on you."
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