Security

Participants:

berlin_icon.gif luther_icon.gif

Scene Title Security
Synopsis After a meeting with Richard, Berlin needs to get escorted out.
Date September 24, 2018

RayTech


"What do you mean, she's stuck?"

Luther presently tries to smoothe away the wrinkle of the skin between his eyebrows as he paces over to the nearest security monitor, punching in a key that allows him access to the cameras. "Lou, I thought guest clearance cards were permissible in all public areas?"

"They are. Lower Con isn't Public."

"What? Oh. Goddamnit… OK. I'm going down there now. Please disable the alarm and make a note to change designation for Lower Con."

"Alright."

It's another minute or so before Chief of Security Luther Bellamy appears, entering into the lower floor hallway from the stairwell. The man wears a suit, but the jacket of one arm is left freehanging as the arm that belongs in it is currently in a cast, the sleeve of his shirt unbuttoned at the cuff and folded up to the elbow. He looks over to where Berlin has gotten stuck in her exit towards the RayTech lobby elevator. Waving his good hand, Luther indicates that he'll open the door from the other side, his security card having the proper access.

By the time Luther arrives, Berlin has settled into a spot against the wall, reading a book. She doesn't seem to mind having to find a way to fill time, not once she got the picture that she wasn't able to leave on her own. Waiting is not unfamiliar to her.

Still, she doesn't miss Luther's entrance, and she tilts her head when she catches sight of the wounded arm. Closing her book, she stands at the wave and comes over toward the door. She mouths the word thanks, but also settles a shoulder against the wall. Even though this wait is sure to be shorter. The book gets tucked away into her bag and there's a moment where a couple others are visible, too. As if she is determined to never be bored. Or else hopes for bits of free time to get through a page or two.

Though he might be curious upon spotting the books, Luther doesn't pry beyond a quick glance of the covers, possibly catching the title of the one being tucked into her bag. "Officer Beckett. I apologize for the technical difficulty," the man apologizes as he opens the door for her. "It wasn't the badge." Which, he leaves the lanyard in her possession for the time being.

"Don't worry about it," Berlin says, stepping through the door once it's open. She's quick about it, because she doesn't want to get stuck again. "Your boss felt the need to prove a point. It happens from time to time," she says, dryly. Sparing a glance to his identifcation, she smiles before she adds, "Thanks for the save, Mr. Bellamy."

Luther's face might be vaguely smiling on the badge photo ID, but the security chief's actual expression reflects concern for the young officer's dry words regarding his employer. "And what point would that be?" he utters as they walk towards the next access point and first choice. Elevator or stairs? In light of preventing any further technical difficulties, Luther reaches over to open the door for the stairwell, waving the Wolfhound in. But he feels the need to note, "Just in case. Power outages have been reported around the zone, even though we have our own backups here." Including himself, in a real pinch.

"That he's big and important," Berlin says. It's almost not even accusatory, like she's been through it enough times to make it routine. When he choses the stairs, she steps that direction, hefting her bag onto her shoulder. "Better safe than sorry," she says, echoing his words. "I've been caught in a few of the blackouts. The— the ones that aren't normal, anyway. The people here are getting restless. Might keep an eye out for that. Especially if your building has its own power." People in a group have been known to do plenty of damage.

It's impossible to hide the snort-huff of a laugh that escapes Luther, the sound softly echoing along with their footsteps up the stairs. He turns to Berlin, schooling his expression down to a more mild amusement. "They'll be a bit disappointed when they find out we can't charge all their phones at the same time, but we can host a fair number of peaceful citizens in a pinch," he comments, the amusement from the Wolfhound officer's point prior twisting to something more wry. "But, RayTech's trying… at least with being big and important, having weight to throw around might get something done."

"It does get things done," Berlin concedes, nodding once or twice as she talks, "and RayTech is making a difference. No doubt of that." It isn't the company she lacks faith in, in other words. She climbs in silences for a few steps before she looks back to Luther. "You know your boss pretty well, Mr. Bellamy? Head of Security. You go back, as I understand it. Can I ask you what you think of his personal motivations? If that isn't too far over a line. I think I've already proven today that my interview skills are a little subpar."

Luther, content to climb stairs in silence as well, lets the moments slide by with just the sounds of their steps ascending. It's when the young officer turns to him and asks that set of questions that he likewise turns to her. Arched brows lift, and the man blinks at her. It's good that she's patient, because the answer doesn't come right away.

They're near the top of the stairs before Luther finally answers, and even then she can tell he's had to ponder the response. "Richard, as weird as his methods may be, means well and wants the best. What I think, is that more often than not he needs to surround himself with support. Good people. If you'll excuse the self-aggrandizing comment, there. Richard… Deep down, he's a good guy. But he's even recently found out some things about himself that would make anybody question who they are. But I generally don't question his motivations." Luther reaches his good hand up to scrub at his jaw, glancing up as he swipes his badge on the reader and opens the door out to the main floor hall.

"Hopefully not too deep down," Berlin says, although the comment comes with a crooked smile. She looks over at him, expression turning more serious. "But that makes sense. I added to his existential crisis, maybe. Has he talked much about his father? Um. Not— About David Cardinal. We linked him to someone in the Institute. Sort of a big deal for Wolfhound. I was hoping he would let us know how to find him. But he asked for details about our missions, which I can't tell him." She runs a hand through her hair, letting out a heavy sigh. "Someone else should have come talk to him." The young officer's shoulders slump, like she's all too aware of her own shortcomings.

Luther laughs in short amusement for the crooked comment. "Not too deep, but he's not the type to wear his heart on his sleeve either," agrees the security chief. The man arches a brow at the mention of David Cardinal, clearly in recognizable reaction. Luther slows to a halt in his tracks, leaving the pair between exits in the middle of the hallway. "Sort of a big deal…" rumbles the man in a low echo, and a wry twist of a smile, "for a paramilitary group to be looking for him." Luther glances away from the young Hound down the hall, then back to Berlin and his brows lift at her, hand rubbing at his jawline. "Well it's not a complete loss, Officer Beckett. I can give you a last known address but I have a feelin' he's gone by now or at the very least he's going to be shy about you all showing up at his shop. Richard did mention wanting to be more transparent with things, though, so." The man debates inwardly for a few beats.

"Well, I hope to get the chance to get a better impression of him, then," Berlin says. She also stops when Luther recognizes the name. When he echoes her words, she smiles sheepishly and lifts a hand to make a so-so gesture. "How much of it is legit is still up in the air. But best to look into it, in case there's a cell we've been missing." She brightens when he goes on, though, and her smile evens out to something more genuine. "That would be immensely helpful," she says, like she's trying to hold on to some thread of professionalism. "We'll work out how to approach him so he doesn't rabbit. If he's still there. It's just an interview at this point. They could be trying to set him up. Or even set Mr. Ray up. Or just distract us from something else."

The seriousness of that possibility piques on Luther's sense of security. "It had better not be," he says as he resumes their progress to the lobby, but at a more deliberate and thoughtful pace. "I'll have Lou send you that info before you go. But, you'll give us a heads up if something's coming our way, right?"

"Whatever they're doing, Mr. Bellamy, we'll get them." Berlin seems confident of that, at least. Wolfhound does have a pretty stellar track record. She follows him along again, nodding to his words. "Absolutely. No one needs to get taken by surprise. Especially by those people." She looks over his way, letting out a bit of a sigh. "I appreciate the help." Getting out of the building, as well as with Cardinal, likely.

Once they've come out to the main lobby, Luther nods at Sera in short greetings and holds open the door for Berlin to pass. "And I apologize for the clearance issue," he replies. "Wasn't supposed to happen, but our upgrades have been on a sporadic rollout given the blackout schedules." It's one of the many excuses, anyway. There's a moment where he starts to reach a hand out to pat Berlin's shoulder, but realizing what he's doing, he stops and awkwardly converts to a handshake. Just happens to be the off hand, given his other is in a cast. "I appreciate you coming by, Officer," he covers, although after a beat he adds in a quieter and curious sounding query, "Have you been in the organization long? Wolfhound, that is. It's what you wanted?"

Berlin slips into the lobby when he holds the door, but his apology gets a wry expression in return. Her diplomatic response: "It's alright. I completely understand why it happened."

She catches the movement of his hand, but shakes it in farewell anyway. The question he follows up with doesn't help her suspicious expression, though. "A couple years," she says, glancing over to Sera herself as if the woman might be witness to this for her. "Tracking down Institute and tossing them in jail where they belong? Yeah, that's definitely what I wanted." She reaches over to pat his arm, giving him a smile as she does. "Maybe I'll give you a wave after I see Lou. Thanks again." When she walks away, it's with a shake of her head.

These men.


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