Participants:
Scene Title | She Doesn't Need To Know That |
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Synopsis | Of failed raids, a doctor, and his daughter. |
Date | March 2, 2010 |
The Verb, Penthouse
Arriving by any of four elevators, visitors will find they open into three foot corridors facing wide double doors made from sturdy southern pine which swing outward and have the strongest locks available. The stairs lead to single doors, also outward opening, at the end of three foot corridors. Entry requires both a key and a keycard; other security measures are a video camera and voice communication terminal at all doors. The 4th Street side has floor to ceiling windows interrupted only by the access points. Cream colored curtains are normally kept closed.
This level has enough space for sixteen apartments. There is an office space with reception area, conference room, and executive office; a room for archery practice and other forms of physical exercise; a very well appointed kitchen and dining area; a music zone with an array of instruments, electronics, and amplifiers; an entertainment area with an HD set covering an entire stretch of wall from floor to ceiling; a locked room where security footage for the building is recorded and can be monitored; a laundry room; a staircase for roof access; central air and heating; the main bedroom and a few smaller guest rooms; plush deep wine carpet everywhere except the kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms; and track lighting everywhere overhead. The light levels can be lowered or raised in the entire place, or selectively by segments. The overall decor suggests the occupant is a woman.
Although getting time away from the base to deal with the situations that are her personal problems can be complicated, Elisabeth has taken the obligatory pager with her and headed into Greenwich Village today. She's dressed in her basic uniform, though it's covered by a coat. And since she's not actually military, there is no rank attached. Her blonde hair is caught up in an alligator clip for now, though that's not technically "regulation" — no one so far has made a big issue. She lets herself into the Verb and past security with little more than a wave, and she calls from the elevator, "CAT! Where are you?" as she steps off the elevator. It's not as if she'll get a lot of time to play with here.
The voice heard in reply comes from the room where Cat practices archery and other things, followed soon after by the twang of a drawn bow releasing an arrow toward a target. "In here." She doesn't step out to meet the arrival, choosing instead to continue with her target practice. When she's joined, the sight is of her ponytailed in sports bra and shorts, firing arrows at a target across the room which she's attached photos of Dreyfus and Skoll to. The image of Dreyfus has two bolts just under it, and one landed squarely through the left eye.
"I'd thought you'd be along sooner than this," she comments in a voice edged with repressed desire to perform acts of violence. And another shot is loosed from the bow, this one impacting squarely on the tip of Skoll's nose.
"I did too," Elisabeth admits quietly. "Getting away's been a little harder than I thought, and what time I do get away has been spent dealing with my own group's issues and keeping my father safe." She sighs. "I got your message — though Sawyer was timely about making sure I had it before you texted. I've got my dad and Abby's parents holed up in my apartment with Alec's security systems online and in place. So if you get the automated call from my place, I'd be much obliged if you'd get there as fast as possible."
"Not just me," Cat replies, "but as much as a small army as I can bring along for the ride." Her head doesn't turn as she speaks, focusing remaining on the archery target. The next shot aims for Dreyfus, just missing the right eye. "If these pics had enough of them, I'd be aiming for the balls," she mutters as another bolt is taken in hand. "Found a source who's very good at finding people, was told Skoll was at Eileen's apartment and called in Veronica. Dreyfus was reported to be in the Bronx, non-specific location. I've yet to speak with V and ask what exactly went wrong, beyond the surprise appearance of Daiyu Feng." Her jaw is set, the demeanor indicative of perhaps thinking if one wants a job done right, she must do it herself.
Elisabeth nods slightly, grateful that Cat will bring as much firepower to the table as she can manage. She doesn't ask how her friend is holding up because frankly, she doesn't expect Cat to really say anything but 'fine' in spite of the fact that she's anything but. "From what I understand from Vee, they were just flat out overwhelmed with Kozlow and Daiyu. Cardinal attempted to kill Daiyu — he was apparently ex-Vanguard and he's also ex-CIA. Has worked for Kershner in the past. So I've put word out to both Homeland and Kershner that I will use lethal force — if those bitches want Daiyu or whoever the fuck left alive, they better bag, tag, and contain before they get in my line of fire."
She pauses and comments mildly, "Considering that Phoenix is mostly defunct and you yourself are far too personally involved already… I'd recommend you don't act on this in much further capacity than you already have. You're under too much scrutiny here." The press, the cops, and many others.
Her head tilts toward a folder with information as its contents. "That's what I have on Feng," Cat states. "It isn't much, I'd be delighted to collect whatever can be collected. I saw the man once myself, the night Else Kjelstrom had her CD launch party. He stood out easily, drew attention. A man in a full suit at a rock album launch. Couldn't miss him."
Silence returns as she sets the bow aside and shifts attention to the full size punching bag which hangs from the ceiling. It looks newer than the most recent time Elisabeth was in this room. Perhaps she kicked the hell out of the one which was previously here and replaced it. Again. Krav Maga moves, which she's been learning and practicing for over a year, begin.
"As to future actions, I don't intend to stand still and let them have initiative. Soon I'll contact the source again and ask for a new location. This time, hopefully, eyes can be put on the spot and people tracked, a better determination made of numbers involved and the area covered to eliminate escape routes."
During a moment of stillness, her first since the conversation began, she faces Elisabeth and makes eye contact, the controlled rage and patience mixing with determination in them. "The bastard forgot to do his homework or is overconfident," she exhales, "he obviously doesn't know or doesn't care what happened the last time a member of the Vanguard seized my attention. But…" she adds quietly, "rest assured I don't intend to personally engage in battle unless I have to."
There's a slight nod. "I wouldn't presume to tell you to stay out of it altogether. I continue to work for the system as much as I can, Cat, because in the end….. the system will reign. Some system, whether it's the one we have or a new one. In this case, Homeland Security is interested in seriously showing up Kershner, so…. it behooves their interest to go ahead and take down this cell. If only because they can lord it over her." She smiles faintly. "But if you get the intel to Vee and to me… I might even be able to mobilize my unit to get involved. That's supposed to be what I do, after all. Credible intel, tactical planning…." She studies Cat. "Believe me when I say to you I understand. If they get to my father, Cat…. I'm not going to be quite sane."
"There's always some form of authority," Cat agrees with a nod. "After becoming President George Washington, the commander of an army raised to fight a rebellion which partly began over taxes, sent his own army to crush a tax revolt." Her physical activity resumes while she speaks.
"I thought to contact you with the data I had, but believed the unit would first need to be invited along by a law enforcement agency. Perhaps for the future notice should go in two directions, so your commander can be told and offer assistance."
Elisabeth nods slightly. "That might be helpful. You're a credible source, so … in theory we can respond." She sighs. "You mentioned something about Edward Ray that I haven't had time to follow up on either. What's up with that?"
"Backed up as a credible source with Veronica's bosses by semi-accuracy. Skoll was where I said he'd be, though that may have been blind luck he didn't leave before the team struck." Cat goes quiet for a bit, opting to land a few more savage kicks on the punching bag before resuming on another topic.
"The goods on Edward came in a dreamscape. Helena and I were led to a young woman's mind; it was Boston in 1992 during the Barcelona Olympics. The dream featured the woman's six year old self, her mother, and Edward. He came to see them, demanded the mother take daughter and leave town or something bad would happen. The mother threw him out in anger. The dreaming woman told us the man was recognized as her father from a picture she'd once been shown, she didn't remember the event being played out in front of us. The next morning she came to see me for information about him."
Activity stops, she faces the blonde to gauge her reaction. "She's Kaylee Thatcher."
Elisabeth …blinks. "Well…. that's unexpected. Though not exactly useful information, really. Interesting." She looks thoughtful.
"The story feels true," Cat opines, "and I never raised the possibility it isn't. It would be interesting, just the same, if a sample of Edward's DNA could be had for testing with hers. She wanted information about her father, and I gave it, in short form, about both of him and his activities. Including that bodies weren't, to my knowledge, recovered from Pinehearst. With the way allegedly dead people sometimes aren't, in fact, dead, that leaves his survival possible. I saw them seem to die, but I didn't see anyone verify it."
There's a pause, and Elisabeth nods slowly. "I don't know what more any of us can really say to her about him." She looks curious. "What else would you want to tell her?"
"That was it," Cat provides, "there's not much more that could've been told. He was a professor from MIT with a predictive SLC ability, not a fancy Midtown lawyer named Ray as she'd been told by her mother. He found us and helped defeat the Vanguard, helped by info from his future self, then disappeared until the roof at Pinehearst. That an older version of him came with allies to make changes to his liking and tried to hit all of Fort Lee with the SLC to boot. The basics, generally. What I left out, though, was that Delilah Trafford shot an iteration of her father. She doesn't so much need to know that."
"No, she doesn't need to know that," Elisabeth agrees softly. "There are some things kids shouldn't know about their parents…. and there are some things parents shouldn't have to know about their kids." She shrugs slightly. "Hang in there, Cat," she murmurs softly. "I need to get back." She takes the file on Feng Daiyu.