Participants:
Scene Title | A Conspicuously Casual Conversation |
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Synopsis | In which a Federal agent and a terrorist try not to mix business with friendship while they sit around among military munitions stores and on top of each others' bleeding and abducted coworkers. |
Date | December 10, 2008 |
The Cellular World
6:45pm 12/10/08 ring-ring-ring-ring-…
Click. Teo evidently recognizes the number. "Buona sera." And Christian should just as easily recognize his voice, though it sounds bizarrely hoarse tonight.'
There's a soft sound of rustling in the background. "Hey, sup brother? I didn't mean to be so whatever, work and shit. There's a race coming up on this Friday, I'm all signed up to compete. Wanted to know if you wanted to come along?"
A half-beat as Teo spins the clock hands around in his head and looks at the world carefully through it. "Don't think I can," he croaks. Sounds sad: he is. "Too much going on at the frat house. You know. I'll pray you win, though. Have my share of beer for me?" The words carry the angle of a grin.
There's a somewhat audible clatter, and distant voices. "Hey you want me to look for a bike for ya'lls?" and then a half step worth of pause. "Everything cool, I mean is there anything I can help you guys with? I do owe you, yaknow like professionally."
There's nothing in the background wherever Teo is. Implies he's either nowhere or somewhere safe. Also, that he went into a conspicuous paranoid pause, either at the question or the sound of company. Both. "Might be. There's a guy who's been following me around. Heard he's FBI. Think that implies someone's in trouble. Who's there?"
FBI. Boy, there's a pause there. "The guy you helped me with, was FBI. I haven't seen him in awhile, but that's not unusual. Would you permit me to visit him, if you confiscated my equipment? If he's FBI, and not in our little fold I might be in danger too."
Rueful. Teo always sounds so rueful. Whether it's about kidnapping girls, cutting them, or shooting people. Either rueful or wary: "I think you made an assumption there, amico. Who's with you?" he repeats.
Christian licks his tooth a moment. "Felix, who's moving around under an assumed identity which I wont discuss. I also have a partner new, but she doesn't parade around as FBI. Felix, shouldn't be claiming to be a Fed anymore either, to be honest." And suddenly a loud clatter in the background. "Shit one sec." He pulls the phone down to press against his chest, but you can still barely make out his words. "Hey, you stupid fucks. What the motherfuck is your god damned problem you worthless maritime fucks?….yes…yes you fucking fuck now get the motherfuck back to your god damned boat before I find your CO and make it my motherfucking business." Pause.. "Sorry Teo.."
"No problem, amico. Uh. I meant," Teo says, "who's with you right now? Maybe you should be nicer to them." Under the dieselly register, he sounds mildly amused, if anything.
Christian frowns. "Navy," he says the word with sufficient loathing to express a lifetime of gripe with the US navy. "I had to trade some stuff out and file some paperwork, nothing important. I'm finished now anyway, I'm waiting in the armory for this dude to come back from dinner. See, me Christian if I was an officer I'd be Captain nice or Colonel awesome."
Captain nice or Colonel awesome wouldn't get anywhere, Teo's aware by now. He couldn't even figure out how to chastise Brian for leaving a knife with a prisoner who used it to stab him. "Weird," he answers. "Sucks. Sorry." Nice being a terrorist sometimes. You get most things out of other coffers, and the bureaucracy is smaller. "I hate being followed. Makes me paranoid. I can't believe you only know two Feds," he mutters irritably, though without any real resentment for Christian himself. "Describe Ivanov? Won't ask for names or whatever. You were going to introduce us anyway."
Christian is a Sarge, so he's supposed to bark at people. "Do you remember that handbook I showed you for my Ural, Felix translated that for me. Ask him a question in Russian. Ask him what he translated for me. Ask him what rifle I'm going to get him, I'm tryna score Felix an AK. What handgun did I bring him, it was a Sig P220. Ask him the name, of my machine gun. Felix has a new face, and I haven't seen him post surgery. He should have a bullet wound on his right thigh. If you don't have Felix, tell me and I'll come. I'm willing to wager, I'm better at getting information out of him than I am." Then a quick pause before. "And you know, I would never permit anyone I'm working with to tail you. You and another fellow, have never been named in my reports. Even my partner doesn't know either of you exist."
"Why do you think I've caught the guy?" Teo asks, blankly.
Christian pauses a moment. "How else would you know he's FBI, unless he's dead or he's tied up. Not many Feds following a terrorist would wear like an FBI hoodie."
Huuuh. That makes sense. There's a faint thunk like Teo let his head hit a wall to lean on. He's rather indelicate with his skull and its contents, sometimes. "I'll find out if they'll let you look at him," he rasps.
Christian ponders that, as he eyes a woman who he might find strangely alluring if it wasn't for her uniform. "That'd be cool, you need any material support while I'm sitting unsupervised in the base armory all by my lonesome?" He couldn't nab an M4 or M249, but he might be able to grab some flashbangs or some magazines.
Genuine concern shows in Teo's voice. "'Eeey," he creaks out, alarmed. "Don't get in trouble on the terrorists' behalf, ragazzo."
Christian smirks. "Don't worry, I'll bring you a souvenir. This is a navy base, I worked at a proper arsenal when I first got in. I could steal everything in this place, and a fucking F-18 to carry it and they wouldn't have the paperwork to backup anything. This place is a fucking train wreck, I mean like I got a rack of M-14s right in front of me, and everyone of them is filthy. Anyway, I'm gonna slip off. Call me in uhm, two hours?"
"If I don't, take no offense. Rough week at work," Teo requests. A beat's pause. "Two last things. You people made any headway with Kazimir or Ethan?"
Christian pauses a moment, furrowing his brow. "I'm not familiar with those names off the top of my head, what are their phone numbers?"which perhaps is the best clue as to how Christian's little brain actually works. Granted, he's never heard of Ethan or Kazimir nor has his net with PARIAH dug either of them up.
There is a long silence. "Do you never check your fucking— Jesus Christ. I'll ask Median to resend the intel. There are men trying to kill a lot of people and take over what's left. They did the high school, a few others homocides, and they have more planned. They have Sylar, and they're worse than PARIAH on any scale, statistical or moral, you care to mention. I don't have their phone numbers. Be careful: I think they've been targeting Registered Evolved. Uhhh." Teo's voice boils away into a cough, briefly. Then, "If it's Ivanov, do you give a shit?"
Christian frowns right there. "Yes, I care very much if its Ivanov because I need to kick his mother fucking ass. If he tailed you, then he needs to chew his teeth." He pauses for a moment. "Just give me the intel in person, Its probably a good thing you meet my partner. Now that there's two of us, we'll be working a little less closely with the Feds."
"Takes too long. But I'll see you two soon," Teo promises quietly. Which probably wasn't altogether wise: his voice is a nigh incomprehensible cellophone crackle this way. "Ciao, bello."
Christian nods. "Hey, remember: I'm your friend. I'll help you. Adios buddy, keep your powder dry." Click, leaving Christian to peer about the armory.
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