Participants:
| Scene Title | This Lady's Not For Burning |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Kaylee has information to share about Joseph's dreams and this dude she met— 'Avi Epstein?' And then they discuss telepathic interrogations and bombs and shot mothers. |
| Date | February 6, 2010 |
Staten Island — Old Dispensary
On the outside, this sprawling multi-level complex has not seen use in many years, its walls covered in greenery and stone exterior and glass windows showing evidence of disrepair. Surrounded by a chain link fence, a drive leads from the street to a large dock, and around the back one can expect to find more sprawling greenery that eventually leads to a concrete drop off into the Atlantic Ocean.
Passing through the chainlink fence and into the dispensary will reveal that the aged and crumbling outside is a facade. The loading dock is kept clear for the most part of everything save vehicles and supplies, though a section has been quartered off and transformed into an open workshop. The dispensary itself has been transformed into something akin to a makeshift dormitory, complete with common areas, a sizable kitchen and eating area, with various rooms converted into bedrooms for the residence. One room has even been set up as a makeshift clinic, amply stocked with supplies.
The back lawn and garden of the dispensary is surprisingly well tended, green and lush during the right months. Vegetables have been planted in accordance to season closer to the building, though someone has indulgently planted a plots of flowers - notably sunflowers - here and there. Further out, the ground drops a little and makes it to a concrete edge from which opens out into deeper water of the Atlantic.
Snow crunches under foot as Kaylee wades her way through the snow drifts making her way to the Dispensary. Only having to turn around a few scuzzy guys that thought she looked interesting. She had planned to be back last night, but when see had gone by Grand Central to feed Alicia… The telepath had decided to take a few moments with the dog and ended up just passing out on the couch. Really slick, Kay… Of course, it ended up being a good thing. The dark spots under her tired eyes says that it wasn't all that restful either.
Sneaking into the Dispensary, Kaylee glances around, hefting the backpack higher on her shoulder, she heads for the last place she remembers seeing Raith…. the basement. Her jacket is left over the back of a chair, leaving her in her jeans and black sweatshirt. "Raith?" She calls when she reaches the top of the stairs leading down.. "Heellllooo?"
The answer to Kaylee's call does not come from the basement. Rather, it comes from the hallway down to her right. Not words or a shout or yell, but a single, direct, and sharp sound- Cha-chak!- as Raith suddenly appears from one of the doorways with a shotgun aimed directly at her. Fortunately, the muzzle quickly moves skyward when he identifies who has paid them a visit. Unsurprisingly, he's dressed warmly, long black pants- wool, probably- and navy blue long-sleeved shirt. It's almost always cold in the dispensary during the winter, since only some of the rooms have working radiators. And that assumes that the boiler is up and running, which is may not be.
"Sorry," the remaining Remnant leader offers as an apology, "Nervous. You understand." Slinging his weapon over his shoulder, suspending it by the nylon strap attached to the barrel and stock, he exits into the hallways proper and approaches. "Some of us have been meaning to get in contact with, you… did, did you just come in the front door?" It's almost as if seeing Kaylee ust reminded him of something he'd earlier forgotten about.
"What's going on?" Teo appears in the doorway, down the hall from Raith, craning his head. His head does not look like it normally does. Yes, it's beautifully sculpted underneath the shag carpeting of off-blond hair, and still split open an inch wider than it should be through one corner of his bearded mouth, and blue-eyed and oddly generic, but it boasts a new set of glasses.
He found them in Gabriel's stuff, assuming Gabriel wouldn't mind him borrowing them for a good cause. You know the pair. Thick-framed, a giant magnifying glass protruding from one lens for fine detail work. Which making bomb parts can, occasionally, be. Of course, knowing that he's doing highly important tactical work somewhere in the background with volatile materials doesn't make him look like any less of a confusingly disjoint cobble-together of hobo and nerd and thug on first pass. "Woman.
"Have you slept at all in the past, what, thirty-six hours?"
The sound of the shotgun, makes Kaylee turn around, hand lifting and her lips parting as if about to say something, at least till she notices who and her hand drops, with a soft smack against her leg. "Totally.." She offers in understanding to the mention of being nervous. "And no… I think I've been with the Ferry long enough to know not to go in the front door." She sounds almost amused that he'd think that. "You all kinda made it pretty clear this place is super secret."
The backpack is shrugged off her shoulders and held against her chest. "I meant to be back last night.. didn't happen, but that's a good thing." She turns and gives Teo a surprised look at his appearance. "Okay.. those those glasses are total BC's…. Or as one of my cousins called them, Birth control glasses.. They are totally unflattering, cutie… " Blonde brows lift a bit, with a grin as she teases him, she's in a surprisingly good mood despite. " And to answer your question, yes I did… " Her smile fading a bit, "I finally dreamed and had a chat with Joseph." Her nose gives a bit of a wrinkle, as she admits, "Unfortunately, I don't feel like I slept at all cause I used my ability… and even though it's a dream, it wears me the hell out."
At Kaylee's admission that she did not, in fact, use the front door, Raith looks visibly relieved. "The front door is connected to a shotgun," he says. It's a damn good thing she didn't go through the front door, in that case. He takes note of Teo only long enough to show the other man a look of disapproval at his fashion choices. "How is Father Joe?" he asks, "Was he able to give you any information that'd help us get him out of there? Or at least on what they're doing to him? Anything?"
Making bombs, guys! Je—sus. Teo irritably yanks them off his face and huffs out a sigh that clouds the lenses a translucent shade of white.
"I was making bombs," he notes, defensively, disconcerted partly by having been caught, so to speak, and partly because he doesn't feel very handsome anymore even without them. :( "And these aren't mine, anyway. They're Gabe's." And Gabriel will hopefully never know that not even the thief (borrower) in the night cared to defend the overall aesthetic of his accessory choice.
A little self-conscious, now, the Sicilian folds the glasses up to hook them on his sweater collar. The magnifying glass is not as heavy as it is bulky; the spectacles have no trouble remaining up there, instead of falling off to a tinkly demise on the floor. "Nightmares?"
"I'll…remember that." Kaylee comments with a touch of surprise. "It's just.. typical to walk in any which way but that way." She gives Teo a smirk and a wink. \You are.. ask any of the girls.. you look all rugged.\ The tone is teasing, but not overly flirty. "Gabe?" She asks curiously, but then shakes her head. "Nevermind.. anyhow… A nightmare. In this case, the dreamwalker Hokuto has been a godsend." She confirms out loud. "Nightmare Man was after him when I got there." She moves away from both men, not wanting to just stand there, and finds a chair to flop into, with a sigh.
"He's… been in there way too long." She grouses a bit. "Ready to be out, of course. He'll keep an eye out for Colette… though… and I have some of his memories of the inside of the place I can share with you both." She arches her back in the chair, so she can pull her cellphone out of her pocket, before relaxing again. A frown thins her lips as she checks her screen for the millionth time. "I have a really bad feeling she may be in Company hands.. She isn't back, I haven't heard from her… "
"We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it, unless, of course, we can find somebody who can locate her for us." Raith, however, doesn't sound overly worried about Colette: She'll be fine, obviously, if she's enough of a badass to know who he is. "Don't worry. Few days, a little more intel, and we'll be all set. Don't know how many more you've gotten, but we're definitely up to five guns, now. Plenty to wreck havoc and give us a good shot at walking out of there with everyone alive, and we've got enough thermite and explosives to bring the whole building down, deal them a huge financial setback." And as far as companies are concerned, that's the worst kind of setback possible. "Few more wouldn't hurt, of course. And speaking of our fifth, I've got a favor to ask you, if you've got the time for it."
The powder off the latex gloves— which he'd somehow remembered to remove, but not the glasses— leaves Teo's hands feeling weird, and he scrubs his palms one against another in a distracted way listening in the background. Too dry. Even for winter, and not the chapped kind. "Eileen can look around for Colette when she goes in. We'll want know what parts of the floorplan to hit as priorities.
"Cole also mentioned there's probably an underground route out, since surveillance didn't show any surface movement for days— and that's a lot of big private mil guys to feed and water. It's possible she'dve been moved out that way, but probably not likely. Sheridan doesn't seem exactly discriminating with her subject pool, but she still doesn't have that many to house.
"I think she's still alive," Teo clarifies, as encouragingly as he can. He glances at Raith, briefly, then back to the girl telepath. "And in reasonable shape, physically. We just have to prepare for a shit-ton of detox."
"I'd really like to see that place go up…" Then that cold dangerous edge touches her words as she adds, "And I'd like to see that Company bitch pay for what she's done. Especially with what Joseph showed me.. He's…" She's quiet for a moment as she tries to think of how to explain it. "He knows we're coming for him though, so… at least he gets a bit of hope there." That said with a glance to Teo. "That's what I'm worried about.. Her using Colette as a subject.. she's just a kid really." So says the telepath who is only a handful of years older.
The mention of a favor, draws her eyes back to Raith, "The fact your helping get back two people I care about, I totally owe you, Raith.. So I'm all for hearing it.. though.. I have a question first. It's been bothering me since yesterday…" Slouching, in her chair, Kaylee folds her hands and rests them on her stomach, and hooks her ankles. "When I went to Peter's place to grab my laptop," Her head nods to the back pack at her feet, "There was a guy there snooping around his place. Seems he knows Eileen as well." Her head tilts a bit as she considers the older man, "Ever heard of a CIA guy named Avi Epstein?" Brows drop as she turns thoughtful, "I think he mentioned being called Aviators."
Raith is silent at first, although for the few moments of that silence, the expression he wears on his face is an unhappy one. He didn't wear it, however, until the name 'Avi Epstein' even came up. "Cousin Avi," he says finally, "Good old conniving, taletelling, backstabbing Cousin Avi. Oh, you'd better believe I know him, Kaylee." And then, Raith's unhappy expression melts away into a dark, scheming grin.
"How would you feel about tying him to a chair and reading his mind, Kaylee?" he asks just a bit too sweetly, a bit too joyfully, "It would mean the world to me if you'd do that. Absolutely the world. You'd do that for me, wouldn't you, Kaylee?"
Climbing to her feet again, Kaylee seems to be considering what Raith is asking. There is a dark twist to her smile as she crosses her arms. "Hmm.. Well… He does seem to be a threat. Snooping in Peter's place.. and .. by the way, knows we were at Eileen's and what she did for Eric. he's watching her like a fucking hawk." There is that dangerous edge to her town, mirrored by her eyes. "Wants me to make sure they keep their noses clean." She chuckles even as she says it.
She paces towards Raith, slowly, eyes narrowing, fingers of one hand drum on her other arm. "Normally… I wouldn't want to get into someone's head like that… but." Her tone soft and thoughtful, "I do owe you.. and I'm curious what he wants with Peter and Eileen."
Stopping in front of him, Kaylee extends a hand to him, "You tie him down, I'll violate his mind and leave him wondering what the fuck just happened." The smile she gives Raith is a sweet one. Temptation, is a rather nasty thing with Kaylee, and sadly, Raith isn't helping her be a good girl.
"Find out what you want about Peter and Eileen," Raith says, his smile gone suddenly, "But I'll warn you ahead of time. You'll be a lot happier not knowing why he's so interested in them. As for me…." Grimly, conspiratorially, Raith leans in close, close, close to Kaylee's face. "And for Eileen-" Well, there's a shock- "The CIA issued an execution order for a friend of ours, Gabriel Gray. We need to know who signed off on it. We have a hunch, but we have to be sure. That's the rule, you know."
"Make sure you have the right person."
In the background of this exchange, Teo's face changes in the hallway's translucent, oatmeal-colored shadows. What. What. He hadn't known about Gabriel's CIA-issued execution order, and there is an errant pang of guilt for rummaging through his stuff for clockmaker glasses. He glances down at the front of his sweater, the hinge visible on the rim of his sweater and the glint of magnifying parts. Exasperated, he roughs a palm over his face.
Well, if anyone can handle being hunted to the ends of the Earth— and back again— by a Federal intelligence agency. "I don't know who 'Agent Avi Epstein' is," he complains aloud. "Do we have to kill him afterward, or wipe his memory, or what?"
You'd think she's lean back away as Raith invades here personal space, but she stays right there, amusement painting her features, "I can dig that information out of his head, I can make him say it.. and I can make him think something else happened when we're done. I can't wipe his mind, but I can block the memories.. I'm a telepath of many talents, Mr. Raith, and I'm at your disposal…" She holds up a finger, "Within' reason. I do have a life to live… and.. I am trying to be a better person." There is a bat of lashes at Raith, before she turns away.
"I don't think what he has on Peter and Eileen can be that much worse. I worked for Adam Monroe.. I've seen in Peter's head when his eyes were blue… and talked about the time of the Nazi's… Seen what madmen can do.. " Crouching, she unzips her backpack with a jerk and pulls out a laptop. "That agent asked me about the different eye color and Nazi stuff.. I just accused him of looking for political fodder against the President."
She straightens gain, tossing the empty pack on the chair, "By the way.. I downloaded the photos from my phone.." She holds it the laptop and gives it a bit of a wiggle. "Can see the pictures better."
"Political fodder," Raith repeats. After a moment, he nods approvingly, "Good girl. And to answer your question, Teo, no, we aren't going to kill him afterward. I want the memory of what happened blocked. So long as he thinks he just got too tired and fell asleep, that's good enough. We'll figure out what to do with the info afterwards." Multitasking is something Raith manages to do, in this case. "We've got a laptop of our own. Not the most cutting edge beast, but it works. I'd like copies of the photos for my own reference. And Teo, how you doing on those explosives?"
There's a vague motion of Teo's fingers, that looks like it was supposed to be somewhat more brusque and decisive but he got distracted. Avi what. Peter who? Petrelli? Everybody knows each other in this damn city. "Good. Few more hours and the detonators will be done. We should have enough to take down two sections of wall. I don't have enough PETN for a third but with five people and no map yet, I don't know you'd want one?"
He pauses to tug at his sweater, drops his head a fraction of an inch to sniff. He doesn't know if he's just imagining the reek of sulfuric acid on him still or if it's really there. "Am I supposed to make a firebomb?" he asks, on something of a second thought. Days to prepare materials while they wait on further intelligence, and days he's going to have to spend in Italy. He's trying to get done as much as is physically possible. Wiping his nose on his sleeve, Teo starts to turn back to the doors.
"Only people I know who can erase memories work for the Company. If you want to borrow some of those, we'd better deal with Aviators before the raid."
"Easy." Kaylee comments lightly, with a short nod of her head. "I'm stuck here for the rest of the night anyhow." She wiggles fingers at Raith. "And I can download the memories Joseph shared to your head too, that is if you can trust me enough." She prides herself on not looking where she'd not wanted. "Not sure how useful it all is.. He was limited to various areas… but it's something to consider.. There is a storeroom I want destroyed as well.. When he was running from that Sheridan person, he found a crap ton of Refrain."
A glance goes to Teo, giving him a bit of a smirk. "Yes.. Peter Petrelli." Then to both of them, hands spreading out, "Anything I can help with while you have me at your disposal, I'm not in the curfew dodging mood tonight. I might not know much about this stuff, but I'm willing to learn. I'm a good student." Okay.. sorta. Ethan might say differently.
"Don't worry about the firebomb, Teo," Raith replies, "I have incendiary grenades. A few, at least, plus some powdered thermite, and I can probably scare up some det-cord. We have plenty of explosives, like I said." For now, at least, it seems like Raith has reached his limit for dramatics, turning away from Kaylee and walking past her, ostensibly towards where the Remnant's computer is kept while he stretches his back. "And all I'm concerned about in your case Kaylee is whether or not you know how to use a rifle. You've got about five days to perfect fire discipline, if you haven't already. Five days to make sure everyone who's going in can shoot straight without wasting ammo."
"Fuck, we have a lot of work to do."
By then, the Sicilian is half back into his work room and half out. When he flaps his hand, it's mostly just his shadow that provides the visible part of him, indicating that he is doing any flapping. "I'm gone for three days, starting tomorrow evening," he hollers back. "Mom got shot. I get vacation. To Italy.
"So don't burn anything down until I get back, si?" Belatedly, he thinks to poke his shaggy head back out of the door, peering to and fro to check that Raith is listening. Dramatically or in a heavily ironic but understated fashion, either will do. He reaches up to catch the dorktastic glasses on his collar before they fall down. "Including Kaylee's ego, right? You'll be fine," he adds for the telepath, offering her a half-smile that's oddly exaggerated by the cut in his cheek without losing the general sentiment. "Rifles aren't too bad. Aiming with handguns is a bitch."
Hands are held up and she gives Raith an apologetic look, "Closest I've gotten to fire a rifle was making a security guard in Pinehearst shoot everyone in his group and then suicide afterward." Kaylee's hands lower, one snagging her back pack and laptop from the chair to follow Raith to the computer. "So yeah.. Show me how to use one.. and I'll practice."
A sideways glance goes to Teo and she can't help but chuckle. "My ego will be just fine Teo. I've dealt with some real asshole.. seemed to be a trait for awhile there when I dated." Then with a sweeter tone she adds, "But thank you for your concern and I do hope you have a safe trip."
"And yes.. Handguns are a bitch.. Ethan Holden trying to teach me that when he went.. Poof!" Kaylee shrugs and grins. "He was rather amusing as a teacher."
"Holden's amusing for sure, but I question the quality of his instruction," Raith admits, "But hey, what do I know? Maybe he's really, good at it. Take care while you're traveling, Teo. Give your mother our best." It doesn't occur to Raith, apparently, to ask exactly how she was shot.
Teo wouldn't be able to tell him, really. Nor will his mother. There's at least one mystery to be disambiguinated on his journey home. If he's nervous, there isn't enough stage or spotlight enough here for anyone to tell. He hasn't been home in five, twelve, or seventeen years, depending on how one measures time. He claps the doorframe briefly in farewell, ducks back into the room with a nod of farewell.
A moment before the door closes, he does think to say: "—Nobody has sex on my bed." Hinges wheeze, and the entrance into his very important and highly explosive studio abruptly claps shut.
"If you don't make me play fetch for rifle parts.. You get a big plus right there." Kaylee says with a chuckle as she sets her laptop next to the Remnant's computer. Pulling the lid open and preparing to get those photo's transfered. "I don't think he appreciated the fact I found him amusing. I think he was going for fear… or something" Her tone thoughtful as she thinks back to the instruction.
Teo's last words get an odd look from Kaylee, glancing over at Raith she arches a brow at him. Then she a little shake of her head as if saying, 'I don't want to know.' and concentrates on the task at hand.
5t"I'll make sure someone does, don't worry," Raith calls back to Teo. Rather than stopping at the computer as Kaylee does, he continues on to the kitchen. "I'm making a cup of coffee," he says, "Last chance if you want one. Like you said, you're stuck here for the night. I'm going to make the most of it."
"Coffee?" Kaylee glances up from the computer screen with a expectant look, of a child being offered candy. "Yes, please. Like I said. I slept.. but I might as well not of. As useful as this dream walking has been with Joseph, I'll be glad when that evolved dream manipulating bastard is gone for good."
Watching after Raith she asks, "So.. this Gabriel.. Colette talks about a Gabriel. I wonder if it's the same guy. She talks rather highly of him. I — think it'll upset her to find out he's dead. You, Gabriel and Eileen are her go too people, it seemed like. When this whole thing started she started looking for you all."
"She's a good kid," Raith replies from further off, "Pretty dense, but a good kid. Gabriel had, problems, same as we all did, but he tried to make himself a better person. Tried to do something for the world instead of himself. The good news is he still did, even if he didn't live to see it. His rack used to be on the top floor." Finally, Raith reemerges from the kitchen, no coffee yet. "I think I'm going to keep it empty. Use it to help us remember all the monsters that died saving the world."
"I know all about trying to be a better person." Kaylee states blandly, fingers typing across the keyboard of her laptop, before shifting over the the Remnant's PC, plugging a cable between the two. "I still kick myself for running with Adam Monroe. I'm still having to reassure people I'm not his lackey anymore.. Of course, now it's this whole thing with the Petrelli's.. " She gives a small shake of her head. "Have dinner with a guy and his mom and get labeled a bad person cause she's a Company founder. Guess I'm a bad judge of people or something"
Eyes lift to glance at Raith and gives him a lop-sided smile. "Though, what does that say about you all?" Giving a small shake of her head, she waves off her comment. "So.. Saving the world stuff? Does it have to do with that image that Rebel put out there? That nuclear explosion?" A brow lifts curiously, before her eyes fall to the laptop and she proceeds to click and drag image files over.
"We, generally work on a smaller scale," Raith replies, "Working on the large scale didn't turn out so well for us. Mistakes were made, and a lot of people who didn't serve it almost died-" Thus the rule: Make sure you have the right person- "So we scaled back. Way back. As for having dinner with the Petrellis…"
"Who cares? All it means is that you had dinner with the Petrellis. Maybe it means the Petrellis sort of like you, who knows? Who cares? Action, Kaylee." Once more, Raith finds himself at this crossroads, preparing to deliver a similar lecture to Kaylee in New York as he did to Magnes in Argentina. "It has nothing to do with who or what you are. You are not defined by your gender, or the color of your skin or hair. Not by your bank account, your credit cards, your car, your friends, what you eat or what you don't eat. Action defines who you are. Action and nothing else. You ran with Monroe, and now you don't. Maybe that means you're indecisive about what you believe. Maybe it means you only care about what's best for you. And people will use that to try and force a definition on you. To force their definition onto you. You keep working with the Ferrymen, you keep doing good in the community, you keep opposing Monroe, and sooner or later, people will change their mind and everything will be happy."
"Fuck 'em. You decide what your actions are, Kaylee. Define yourself. Don't let someone else do it for you."
Plucking the cord out of the PC, Kaylee declares. "Done. The pictures are there for you, Mr. Raith." The lid of her laptop is snapped shut and she studies the older man. "Maybe, though I do believe in what I've done for the Ferrymen." Wrapping the cord around the laptop, she shakes her head slowly. "I think I'm still honestly trying to define myself. Still trying to find my way.. I've felt more on track since I got thrown into the Ferry's lap and Joseph convinced me to help them."
A hand rubs across tired eyes, "Since getting away from Monroe.. everything I've done with reason, even talking and dealing with Peter's mom. I needed a favor, she owed me from pulling her out of whatever hell her husband put her in mentally." Kaylee shrugs, "Course, they are seeing it as I'm turning traitor. McRae understandably asked me to leave the safehouse." She gives him a lop-sided smirk, finding the situation amusing, at the moment. "All it was… me setting up to go back to college. I needed to know if my dealings with Adam, put me on any wanted lists."
Setting her pack on the floor against the desk, she moves in his direction, "How about that coffee?"
"Just waiting for water to boil," Raith replies, "Instant's all we got around here. Quick, and most importantly, cheap." And back towards the kitchen. "We all have to find ourselves, Kay. Path we take may brings us into conflict with others, but we have to do it. If McRae wants you out of the safe house, that's his business. Let him think whatever he wants to think. You know what's what, and when it comes down to it, that's all that matters."
"You knowing what's what."
"Wise words, Mr. Raith.. wise words." Kaylee comments softly, following after him.