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With special NPC performance by:
Scene Title | No Date For You |
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Synopsis | Forget freezing! The unspeakable power of making people grovel at your feet is way more fun! Even when those people work for Linderman and have a hidden agenda. |
Date | May 18, 2009 |
Jim Reilly, a loyal member of Tracy Strauss' staff team, media analysist, damage control, any seedy business that might need to be done, among other duties. He's arrived in Tracy's office first thing in the morning, sitting a folder on her desk and a fresh cup of coffee. "Hello Miss Strauss. Things are pretty active lately, I've summed up my thoughts on the effect Hiro Nakamura being named a terrorist will have on the president, and how we can take advantage of it, information and thoughts on the FRONTLINE act, and there's a CD of some Staten Island fight between an ATF officer and some unknown man, both in the hospital. Someone put it on my desk, I didn't know if it may be of interest to you or not."
Morning for Tracy finds her to be looking as she might any day - a pencil skirt, blouse and blazer, hair up in a power-ponytail. She isn't sitting - far be it for Tracy Strauss to sit - but is instead standing by the window, talking on her cell. "Yes, I understand. I have a meeting with her in the morning, and I may have found another prospectful candidate. Yes, you'll be taking care of that, so as soon as I know, you'll know." No goodbye, no have a nice day. She just hangs up, looking up at Jim. "What? Oh…right." The backlash from the Nakamura thing is particularly interesting to her, so she reaches for it first. But what he says last makes her blink a bit, turning her eyes up to the aid. "I'm sorry…ATF officer?" She asks, perplexed. She reaches for that file instead.
"Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, ma'am." Jim elaborates, a man of around 5'10, brown hair, hazel eyes, not too terrible in the looks department, wearing an expensive black suit and tie. He's only in his late twenties, but he's not bad at his job(s). "I watched the video, according to the audio, his name is Dutch. This hasn't been covered in the media yet, as many believe the video to be fake, due to content. But I've confirmed that the other man, whose name is censored in the tape, goes by the name of Mortimer Jack, currently being held in an undisclosed hospital. I have not been able to acquire much information, but people on the inside are saying he claims to work for Linderman and suffered personality regression due to a head injury, and may be willing to spill the beans. I brought this to your attention because I'm not sure if we can use this somehow, but it seems interesting."
Tracy turns her eyes up dissaprovingly to her man. "Thank you, I'm quite aware of what ATF stands for." She says, with a little shake of her head, like the kind you'd give a puppy who just pissed on the carpet because he didn't know any better. She finally sits down at her desk, slapping the file down on the table. "Daniel Linderman has been an asset to President Petrelli's agendas concerning the Evolved population. That being said, his reputation in public is less than pristine. If ATF is investiating this, let them do their job, but I see no reason why we should get involved, particularly if the tape's authenticity is under displute." Wow, shot down. "Let Daniel Linderman's publicist work on Daniel Linderman's image."
"Yes Miss Strauss, though I am concerned about the potential of this getting back to President Petrelli," Jim takes a deep breath, lightly tugging at his tie from sheer intimidation. "You know best, Miss Strauss." he adds in a grand ass-saving move. "Is there anything on the agenda that you might like me to look into? Perhaps something that you don't wish to get your hands dirty with…" he says, the last part in a whisper as he leans in a bit. He's the kind of employee who'll jump into dinosaur crap for the respect of his boss.
Tracy shakes her head. "I'm sure ATF is looking into it. Right now it's a legal matter - but keep your eyes on it, and if it turns into anything we may need to address." Now she's able to pick up the Nakumura file - what she's been waiting on all morning. She starts to thumb through it, glancing up at Jim with that I've-got-a-secret smile she uses so often at work. "I wouldn't worry - I've yet to find something I've yet to get my hands in." Hell she's been sleepign wiht half of her bosses!
"You never cease to amaze, Miss Strauss." Jim says in his normal constantly ass-kissing possibly wanting-in-her-pants manner, then pulls up a seat to her desk. "I've been unable to locate Mister Nakamura, though it's possible he's fled the country. I also have a few ideas, not in the files, ma'am, I wasn't sure what you would think," He coughs, clearing his troat, always uneasy when his job could be on the line, especially with this woman. "Would you like to hear?"
Tracy glances up at the man. Her eyebrows shoot up slightly, furrowing together. "I would think that Homeland Security might be most interested in Mister Nakamura's whereabouts." She informs him, easily. Each little movement she makes causes her ponytail to swish back and forth. "We deal in communications here, we are not responsible for catching America's Most Wanted."
"Oh, no, I meant ideas unrelated to Mister Nakamura. I apologize, I should have been more clear." Jim is almost sweating now, he slipped up, it's almost like being on the chopping block. Tracy could have his balls in the most terrible way if he doesn't fix things fast. Clench "My idea involves making Evolved far more accepting of the Linderman Act, and by proxy, far more accepting of President Petrelli. We have television ads, sure, but what if we could find the face of the Linderman Act? Someone who could tour the city, maybe tell stories of how hard things were before registering…"
Tracy nods, setting the files aside to give her aid the attention he deserves. "We're working on a project currently to do something similar with FRONTLINE." She informs him, hands resting, folded across her desk in a very easy manner. "Do you have any idea on whom this face might be?"
"I have three people in mind so far, all seemingly with a different outlook, but I've only been able to observe or ask people around them, I haven't approached them. I um, thought you might have a more… delicate touch." Jim says with a slight grin, then reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small folder, each with a different picture. "The first is Joseph Sumter, he could put a religious spin on the registry, runs an Evolved church, certainly a low risk choice. Then there's Homeland Security Agent Matt Parkman, has certainly taken his share of bumps for the country, low risk, probably has plenty of stories to tell. Then there's an unregistered on the list, he's suspected of being Evolved. Magnes Varlane, pizza boy, somehow delivers all over the entire city. You've seen the boy attempting to protect Abigail Beauchamp on television? That's him. Moderate risk, unless you can groom him."
Tracy takes the folder, flipping through it. "Matt Parkman is out." She says with an easy breeze, setting that folder aside. Why? What's her reasoning? She doesn't say. But Matt Parkamn is certainly out. "So is Sumter." THat file is also set aside with Parkman's, again, for whatever reason, she doesn't say. "Maybe this third one, simply to his connection with Abigail Beauchamp. I've been in contact with her over FRONTLINE. But he's not registered, so that defeats the purpose." She sets the folder aside, shaking herhead. "I like your idea, but you need some spokesperson who isn't going to make things more controversial."
"He's not registered, that's the point, you can walk him from unregistered to registered, completely groom the progress, have all the control over your spokesperson. But I can understand wanting to pass. I can look for more candidates if you wish." Jim offers, beginning to stand. Then he gets a bit of a bold look, taking a deep breath, then asks, "And, would you like to have lunch later?"
Tracy is being asked out, but it doesn't really register with her. No, she's thinking about work, pure and simple. "I have a lunch meeting with White House Press Correspondant." She says, going back to the Nakamura file. She begins to look through it, quite curiously - after all, Presidnet Petrelli will be giving a statement within the next few days, gaguing the press reaction is one of the most important steps. "But do look for someone else. I like the idea."
"Very well, Miss Strauss, I'll get right on it." Jim has an air of disappointment in his voice; shot down, but one expects these things. He leaves the file on the table, straightening his jacket and tightening his tie, then he begins to turn so he can exit. "Is there anything else before I leave, ma'am?"
Tracy shakes her head, already her attention is on the file. "No, JIm, thank you very much. Good job." Yes, a backhanded compliment, but a compliment none the less. Realizing how cold she's being, something Tracy tries to hide, she lifts her head and gives the man that bright, albiet political smile.
"T-thank you ma'am!" Jim bows his head a few times, struck dumb by her smile, it's clear she's made his day as he exits the office, walking down the hall whistling.