Participants:
| Scene Title | Probably a Target |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Len breaks the news about Minea to Veronica and mentions that — yeah, she could be next. |
| Date | May 13, 2009 |
Office of Len Denton
With the departure of Agent Castillo, Len has settled back in his chair. His decision to bring her into this has weighed heavy on his mind. She's a fairly new agent and very impressionable it seems, however she has a determination about her that he finds compelling and appealing. In fact, he finds some of those same qualities in Agent Sawyer, who he has called in to explain to her what has happened to Agent Dahl.
Agent Sawyer has not been told of Agent Dahl's involvement as part of his 'posse', but that is about to change. Now, those inside Denton's inner circle are all at risk — and from inside their very own yard. THe message sent to Veronica reads simply:
Need to see you. My office. ASAP. Dent.
Veronica makes it there within half an hour. She comes to the open door and taps on it while standing in the doorway, waiting for him to invite her in. The wounds from her run-in with Doyle are still present — the bandage on her shoulder peeks out from beneath the cap sleeves of the white pin-tucked blouse she wears with black pinstriped pants, a mix of girlishness and business. Of course there's the gun holsters that hold her handgun and her tranq gun that takes away from the eyelet charm of that top — a jacket that would hide the holsters probably tossed in her office. "Agent Denton?" she says, looking somber. She knows it's serious. There's no quip, no mischief in her dark eyes today.
Waving her in, Len motions to the chair in front of him. She is one of three agents his has brought in to his trust, one of four total. "I have some news to pass to you. You may want to sit down." He isn't sure how well Veronica and Minea get along, but the very fact that what has recently happened to Minea is due to the very investigation they are working on — he needs to make sure she's well aware.
Frowning, Veronica nods, and takes a seat, her eyes never leaving Len's face. Both hands cling to one another in her lap, something to hold onto, to try to keep them from shaking, because she knows from his face that whatever is going to come cannot be good. How much more bad news can she stand? "What is it?" she asks, her husky voice both weary and wary as she watches him with those grave eyes.
"It's Agent Dahl. She was —" He pauses as if to consider what exactly he wants to say here. " — contronted in her apartment the night before last. We've kept it quiet because it pertains to what we are working on, very directly. The information I am sharing with you is of the highest level of security. You are not to mention it to another sole, am I making myself clear?" Len is /rarely/ this serious.
"Confronted… is she all right?" Vee demands, her eyes filled with alarm and worry. "What happened?" she says, brows furrowing as she stares at him. She remembers herself, her position, however, and nods her head. "Of course, I won't mention it to anyone."
All right? Now, that's a tricky question. He's already determined how much he's going to tell her. "She's been mindwiped. And she's in some sort of coma. Not a typical coma as there is far too much brain activity for that. But she's non-responsive. We are working to get someone in to reverse the process." Len reaches over and touches his spacebar on his computer. "As for when that will happen, I cannot be certain — even if it will work at all."
That being said, "I want you to be very careful. I have /every/ reason to believe that this came from inside this organization. So, let me reiterate. Talk to no one about what you are working on. Only myself. If someone who ranks higher than myself comes to you — you don't know anything, even if they know you know something — deny it until you talk to me. And finally, if you are ever approached unexpectedly by someone or if you find someone in your home that doesn't belong there — shoot first."
Vee bites her lower lip, brows furrowing again with worry and concern for Minea. Her whiskey-brown eyes threaten to spill over with tears but she blinks hard and looks away a moment. She looks too small, too innocent, too sweet to do the job she does in that vulnerable moment. "God," she says and looks back at him. "If someone who ranks higher than you comes to me, I'm supposed to …" she swallows hard, shaking her head and trying to wrap her mind around the situation. "Is there something Min… Agent DAhl," she's already distancing herself from the victim, self preservation her instinct, "something she was specifically on that endangered her specifically, or are we all at equal risk?" She swallows hard. In other words — is she next?
Len watches the female. His heart does go out. "If it's worth anything, I'm told we can bring her back. We are just waiting for a certain someone who can help." He stands and walks over and sits near her on the edge of his desk. "Look, I told you when I brough you in that this was going to be — dangerous. And yes, we are /all/ in danger." He puts some emphasis on the word /we/ as he already expects to be visited at some point. "I can tell you this about Minea Dahl. What I know now, is because of her. She's a damn good agent and she knew far more than was expected it seems. Someone didn't want her discussing it — perhaps even so far as to think she hadn't passed the information on to us yet. All I can tell you Agent Sawyer — is to watch your step. You almost had Doyle, I have ever faith you can get to him again. However, if you think you are compromised, then let me know. I can send someone else."
"I had Doyle," she says with a growl. "The transporters lost him." She's not happy about that at all. "I have no idea where he'll be next. It won't be anywhere nearly as obvious, I guarantee you." She lifts her chin, the vulnerability fading from her face. Her eyes are harder. "Do you have anyone you suspect?" she asks quietly. "
Len /could/ tell her. He's been very careful about not outright accusing who he suspects. Dahl texted as such to him as well. But, he's not quite ready to throw that name out. "I have suspicions. If I say and I'm wrong, your guard will be down and I don't want that. We'll just say I have a good idea." He crosses his arms across his chest. "Look, if you want to see Dahl, I can arrange it. We have her someplace safe until we can get her back to normal."
She nods. "No, I understand," she says, pressing her lips into a line for a moment before shaking her head at his last offer. "No. I don't want to see her, if she's not there." She swallows hard. "Is… I mean… how many of us are you warning? If it's an inside job… it could get back to them," she points out, looking like that vulnerable little girl again for a brief moment, before she raises her chin and squares her shoulders, mustering her courage.
Len arches a brow as he looks down at her. "Make no mistake, my telling you that Agent Dahl was — injured, was out of courtesy. No one else knows, except for her partner. Other than Dahl, only one other person knows about the rest of it. And we have one contact on the outside - NYPD. That's all I can tell you. I'm not willing — at this time — to expose anyone else. Just like I have not told anyone else you are involved here."
Veronica nods in understanding. "Thank you. For telling me. For trusting me." She frowns. "Is there… anything you want me to do? To look for? Aside from … trying to stay safe?" she asks, feeling the need to have some control over the situation, rather than helplessly waiting for the bogeyman to come looking for her.
"Keep on Doyle. Even if you can't bring him in — I want to know who he's associating with." The cowboy responds. "If something changes, I'll let you know." he stands and moves back over to sit in his chair. He picks up a notepad and a grin crosses his face. "I do have one other thing to ask you.."
"All right. I'll try to find him again." She doesn't relish the thought. He may be chubby, but he's still a needle in the haystack that is New York City. She eyes his sudden grin, raising her brows and canting her head. "Yeah?"
ORDER: It is now your pose.
"Do you do karaoke?"
"Karaoke…?" she echoes, with a blink and a shake of her head. "You mean like sing in public?" Another blink of those long lashes. "No. I can't say I do…" Veronica says as she gets up, wincing a little at that shoulder wound.
Len watches her as she walks out. He gives a /big/ sigh and crosses another name off his list.