Participants:
| Scene Title | Nothing Much Expected |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Len updates Liz on what he's found out regarding Teo. |
| Date | October 24, 2009 |
A Familiar Remote Diner
It may seem like deja vu, but on a Saturday morning, Len is sitting in a diner. Breakfast has been served and eaten. He has a cup of coffee in hand and he's waiting for his contact to show up. When he called her and gave her the location of the meeting, she must have realized the significance of that. Unfortunately, one of them will be out of ranks. This is the same diner that Len Denton first met Elisabeth Harrison. The person who introduced them was Minea Dahl. The waitress comes by and asks Len if he wants a refill and he holds the cup close, so she can fill it. It's his third cup this morning. She then clears his table.
When Elisabeth comes into the diner, she glances around briefly. Len's hard to miss. The blonde walks toward his table and slides into the seat across from him just as the waitress is leaving. She remains silent as the woman pauses in her clearing to pour Liz a cup of coffee and then vacate. "Morning," she says quietly, doctoring her coffee liberally while raising the bubble around them. She has a feeling this is not a conversation to have where people can actually hear it.
Glancing up when she slides across from him, Len offers a weary grin. He looks like he's aged several years, as that youthfulness about him seems to fading. Thankful for the silence, he starts off with the good stuff. "If you haven't been notified, I apologize. Doc Sheridan has been released. Some sort of deal was made that I wasn't exactly let in on between those above me and Teo Laudini made it happen. She's got a couple of injuries, but otherwise is doing well, all things considered. She's trying to deal with this and move on, though you know how that is. If you still require her services, you might give her a call. She could probably use it." The company of someone who's been there, as well as the attempt to get her life back to normal.
A look of pure relief passes across her features at the news that Bella is fine. "I'll call her immediately," Elisabeth replies, her sympathy evident. Though she doesn't expect that Teo tortured the hell out of the woman, she understands the fear the woman went through. "I'm glad to hear that she's okay." She studies the cowboy and asks, "What else did you find out?" Because he wouldn't have called her here just for that.
"Laudini admitted to killing Minea Dahl." The words come out the moment that Liz finishes asking. "Sheridan says that he has some sort of vendetta against 'us' and Dahl was to get someone attention, Sheridan was to get leverage. Apparently he got what he wanted from us and let her go." Len clenches his hand around his coffee mug.
Although she has suspected the information that Len imparts for quite some time now, the confirmation creates a sick feeling in Elisabeth's stomach. She looks … yeah, never mind. He'll have to deal with how she looks when she gets back from the ladies' room because the blonde flees the table abruptly.
When she comes back to slide back into her seat, the silence bubble goes back up and the blonde looks pale, though composed. "Sorry," she says with a grimace. "Christ…. I don't even know what to say, Len."
He watches her leave and while she's gone, he hopes she's alright. Perhaps she wasn't ready for this, he doesn't know. He knows for damn sure she's a tough woman and a good cop. While her other connections are suspect, she seems like she had her head on straight. He glances up as she comes back. "Sorry to lay that out like that. I have a tendancy to get fixated on things. Right now, all I can deal with her Dahl's death and finding some way to bring Laudini in. Are you alright?"
Elisabeth nods slightly, her hands cradling the warm mug of coffee between them. "Just…. " She bites her lip. "I …. " She blows out a breath. "Shit, Len. Teo's been…. off. In trouble." He doesn't want to hear this; she doesn't want to tell it. "When the travelers came back from the future, a future version of Teo was … apparently one of them, or something. Somewhere in that future, he was a manufactured Evo - from the formula Pinehearst was trying to create. At some point the perfected it. He was a telepath of some kind." Her voice is soft. "But he was also a man who watched all our friends… everyone we loved… martyred." She looks at Len. "From what I gather, the original Columbia 14 were actually Phoenix. Several years from now, when Evos were gaining recognition and rights thanks to the actions of now. He's…. messed up. And my Teo, the one who taught school with me… he's basically been compromised ever since the future version started sharing his brain." She grimaces.
Elisabeth looks up at Len and says quietly, "And yet… he's the same man who stayed with me while Humanis First tortured the shit out of me. Who tried to help me hang on. Who tried to find help before … they killed me."
While Len can sympathize with all that she says, it doesn't change the fact that an employee, a damn fine agent and someone he considered a fried is dead. "I'm sorry. I was going to ask for your help, but if you think you'll be a risk against me and what needs to be done, then I'll find another way. You're the only one that I'm aware of that has any sort of connection to the man and he needs to be brought in." Len hasn't yet decided what he'd do with the man once he is brought in, but that'll just have to wait til that day comes. Part of him thinks he'd be content with just throwing him in jail, but he does have flashes, daydreams perhaps, of him pulling the trigger and killing Laudini as well. "I'm afraid I just can't let this drop. It's personal for me as well as professional. It's not in me to just walk away from something like this. No matter what it costs me." He doesn't mention that he's been considering walking away from all of this once this job is done.
"Yeah… he does," Elisabeth says quietly. "I wouldn't ask you to just let it go, Len. Minea was a friend. He crossed a line." She sighs heavily. "I've got every feeler I know to use out looking for him. So far, I've got nothing. But I swear to you… whatever the hell is going on, I'll find a way to get to him." She looks at Denton and says quietly, "It may take some time. He's very, very good at laying low." God….. GOD, Teo, what have you done? Why? Her heart is aching. "And I have to admit that dealing with Norman White has priority at this moment. I'm not just going to ignore this or let it go, though."
"If you see him, hear anything at all, no matter when or where.." Len glances across the table at her. ".. call me. I'll drop whatever the hell I'm doing and get there as soon as I can." He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a worn leather wallet and extracts enough money to pay for his meal and the coffee, plus a tip and tosses it on the table. He tucks his wallet away. He's been working nearly non-stop on this for a week now and he looks it. Perhaps it's time to make a phone call and take a break. Hell, sleep might even do the trick. "If you need anything, you let me know." She's already told him she's having IA issues, though he doesn't bring it up specifically.
There's a faint smile. "I think you have enough on your plate without worrying about mine, don't you?" Elisabeth asks quietly. She studies the man and says quietly, "I do have some news for you, if you want it. Humanis First intel. I'm told that William Dean is dead. And apparently…." She grimaces at this. "Varlane took it upon himself to attempt to torture Danko or something. He caught him in Midtown with some mercs chasing him or something. Couldn't extract the both of them and had to leave him at the mercy of whoever was behind them, but he did manage to get away with some useful stuff. Like Danko's phone. We've got someone tracing the contacts list in it."
"Well, that is at least some good news. Though, Danko's a slippery one. I've seen his jacket. I wouldn't necessariliy count him down just yet. Not trying to bring the moment down, but just be wary of it." He's offered his help so that's out there. Len should probably head over to see someone, try and take his mind of all of this even if only for a few minutes. He slides out of the bench and stands, "Thanks for your help on this. I mean that."
Elisabeth pfffts in disgust. "Frankly, I gave Varlane hell — because he didn't get anything actually useful out of Danko. He just ripped his TOOTH out and … basically taunted the bastard. It's going to get ugly, I'm pretty sure. Danko's not out… now he's just a wounded bear, more pissed off than ever." She drinks her coffee and sighs as he stands. "I'll do what I can, Denton, but…. I can't promise anything. He may opt not to bother making contact again. I have no way to trace him if that happens. He has a lot of help." Wireless, for one.
Len shrugs as he acknowledges that. "It's still one more chance I don't have on my own. But as they say, 'If you don't expect too much, you'll likely not be disappointed.' The fact that you've got your eyes open on this is enough for me." He tucks his thumbs into his jeans pockets. "Take care of yourself, Harrison." With that, he turns and slips out of the diner. He plucks his phone up and dials as he heads towards his Jeep.