-OCTOBER 23rd, 2000-
Lucrezia de Vere stood by a large solitary monument of a stone angel within a hilly and treed
graveyard. Her black trench-coat flapped about her, the expression on her face was stoic and
her eyes, had they been visible from behind the large black glasses, had a look of cold indifference. She knelt down, running her gloved hand over the words etched into the stone.
David Ernest Rook
Beloved Son, Husband, Father
And Leader Amongst His Fellow Man
January 21, 1958 - October 15, 2000
Brushing her short but wayward hair away from her face, Lucy stood up and pulled her left
hand, which had been clenched at the base of her spine, forward. In it was a single white rose.
She stooped to place it in the cup before once again straightening her posture.
She rummaged around in the pockets of her coat for a moment before finding a gold cigarette
case and matching lighter. She flipped open the case, drew out a cigarette and lit it, still staring
at the monument. And there she stood for nearly five minutes, slowly inhaling the smoke and
flicking away ashes with noticeable aristocratic mannerisms.
"I knew I would find you here, Lucrezia." Said a man's heavily accented voice from somewhere
behind her, shaking her from an almost dazed state.
"Don't tell me I'm that easily traced." Lucy turned to the familiar accent, a lop-sided grin spreading
rapidly. "Because if I am, I *really* should get out of this business as soon as humanly possible."
She dropped the cigarette on the ground, kneading it in with her boot and approached
Arnaud de Föhn. She stopped just short and stared at him, removing her dark glasses, tucking
them into an inner pocket and allowing her almost black eyes to glint wickedly.
"Not at all, darling. One must need to know you," he hesitated for a moment, matching her smile.
"Shall we say...very well?...to anticipate your moves. You have very peculiar habits." Lucy shook
her head in mock disgust, cockeyed and closed-mouth grin still very much in place. "I've missed
you." she said as she took the distance between them in several slow steps. They embraced, the
embrace soon leading to a passionate kiss. After a moment, she broke it off and turned around,
still in his arms, leaning into him as they both stared at the grave.
"You really should learn to overcome these emotional ties, my dear, they could be your --our--
downfall." He said wearily. Lucy turned on him, anger evident in her eyes, her voice raised in a
tempestuous tone. "Damn it, Arnaud! They are *not* emotional ties..."
"Shhh, I don't believe that sort of temper is proper here." He flashed a sly smile at Lucy.
"I have several matters of importance to speak with you about. Over dinner, perhaps?"
Lucy nodded her head and they left the graveyard.
The atmosphere was impeccable. Low lighting, small table, French cuisine, Lucy's own
choice of wines, strains of Bach heard lightly in the background. Arnaud had obviously
grown used to Lucy's tastes.
She finished off another glass of wine and stared over the table at her dinner companion.
"Let me get this straight, darling. You wish *me* to bring your Invisible Man home to you?"
She shot a suspicious glance across the table. "What makes you think I can succeed where
you have failed?"
"Lucrezia, you know damn well what makes me think you can succeed. And aside from that,
you will not be alone. I will be at your beck and call." He matched her original grin again and
sat back in his chair, sipping the wine. "Good wine," he said softly as Lucy laughed mockingly.
"Good wine? That's it? Well, it bloody-well better be good wine." Her tone lightened somewhat
as she too sat back. "Chateau Petrus Pomerol, Bordeaux, 1945. Averages £4,600." She looked
up with a dodgy grin, chortled and took another sip of the wine. "For most anyway. The things
I run across, it'd stun even you..." Her hand reached lazily up and fondled the diamond necklace
she wore, a souvenir from one of her more recent assassinations.
There were several moments of quiet which followed as they both contemplated the subject
at hand. Lucy finally broke it, setting bolt upright in her chair and slamming her glass onto the
table. "Alright then, we've a deal. I'll do your little deed, under one condition." "Condition?"
Arnaud asked rather amazed. "Lucrezia, really, *we've* never worked with conditions."
"But you do understand this would need my full attention. Indeed, 'The Raven' would have to
go on a hiatus of sorts. It would cost me dearly." He nodded his head in agreement, "Go on."
Lucy leaned over the table and lowered her voice to a hushed whisper. "Once you do master
the technology of the gland, I want to be the first to use it."
Arnaud mimicked her exactly, leaning over the table until they were inches away from each
other. Lucy's eyes bored into his and vise versa. "We have a deal."
Arnaud had given Lucy everything he had on 'The Agency' and it's employees. Alas, if she
was truly to get the job done correctly, as it should have been done, she would need *much*
more information. For the next several months, she traced every move made by Fawkes, Hobbes,
Eberts, Claire and The Official. She knew their preferences in bars, restaurants, clothing shops,
gas stations, even dry cleaners.
For weeks, it seemed, she was perched on the roof of a building nearby the Agency, reaching
new levels in chain smoking and her pale complexion almost constantly sunburned.
Finally, after exhaustive weeks, it seemed she had found the target she needed. She sat in her
warehouse apartment alone and in the dark, save for the light of her laptop's monitor.
She had, as always, been using the identity she showed the world; Lucy de Vere, Antique and
Art dealer, specializing in art and antiques of European origin. Shortly after setting out on her
own, she discovered this was the best possible identity to choose. Not only did it allow for the
easy laundering of money, but it explained away her immense travelling and luxury without a
second thought by most.
After several moments of thought in the dark, she switched on a light, a stack of thick files
clutched tightly in her hand. She made her way to the wine cabinet in the corner and wretched
it open, struggling not to allow the files to slip from her grasp as she pulled a random bottle.
Plopping it her c. 19th Century kitchen table, she opened the top file and went for a glass, reading
on the way. She returned to the table, finally setting the files down, popped the cork and poured
the alcohol into the glass. The file she had been reading fell open to reveal the picture of one
'Hobbes, Robert'. She smiled at the sour looking portrait and went to her computer.
Several swift movements of the keys and she appeared to be connected with some one on the
other end. "Finally found that table you requested." She typed with a sly smile on her face.
"Should be shipped tomorrow, next day at the latest. Will let you know about further developments."
"Of course, Lucrezia, I shall be expecting word of it's arrival." The words danced across as they
were typed in real-time.
Lucy once again found herself surveying the Agency from the building opposite. She was in
jeans, a horrible change for her. She'd never worn them in her entire life and she found them
immensely uncomfortable. She also wore a cream, light-weight turtleneck tank with a tweedy
blazer over it, hoping she looked sufficiently 'dressed-down.'
She drew her binoculars out of her sack and took to watching almost every movement she was
able to. But something *very* peculiar caught her attention, something she had never seen before.
A young girl, no older than nine or ten, entered the building around mid-day. Lucy watched,
utterly stunned as the girl apparently made her way successfully past the security. 'If it was that
light,' she wondered, 'What exactly have I been doing on this roof for the last month?'
She shook all thoughts out of her head expect for one and continued to watch the building for
any sign of Hobbes...
Claire sat in her lab reading a report on her computer. She yawns. She should go take a nap,
but she doesn't want to sleep on the hard examining table "I'll go check with the official to see
if I can go home for a few hours." She says to herself. She walks down the hall and knocks on
the door.
"Come in." Eberts calls from the inside.
"Hello, Eberts, where is the official?"
"He's out, I am holding down the fort."
They hear a knock on the door. It's...Darien, who was a little surprised to see Claire and Eberts
standing around the office with no official in sight. "Where'd he go?" Darien asked. "If he's not
here does that mean I get to leave too? Actually that sounds like a good idea I think I might just do
that."
"No, Darien you can't leave, and I need the both of you here. We are expecting a package here
sometime from the official and he said everyone needs to stay here. It's only a few more hours
than you both can go home." Eberts tells them, worried they will leave despite that.
"A package huh? Let me guess you're not going to tell us what might be inside this little
surprise." Darien asked as he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest.
"I am tired, Eberts, I would like to sleep in my bed." Claire told him, trying to hold back a yawn.
"There is a couch in the office down the hall, go take a nap on it, Claire. As for you, Darien, I have
the perfect job for you."
"What are you going to make me do?" Darien asked. "If its ridiculous I'm not doing it."
Hobbes stuck his head in, making sure he hadn't violated any prime directives. He cautiously
walked over to the three and said, wanting to sound important in front of Claire,
"Uh, a perfect job, eh? Well, I do think that a more experienced, and uh, qualified person
should be your choice, Eberts..."
"Hey! I agree. I think Hobbes here should take the job and I'll...go keep an eye out for that
package you were talking about." Yeah right! Once Darien walks out of this office he was
walking out of the building and somewhere else that wasn't anywhere near this place.
"I have to run down the hall to talk to one of the bookkeepers." Eberts pulls out a large
stack of files from beneath the desk. He sets them on the desk. "Here are the files. They
are just files for Fish and Game, so there is no need for you to read what's inside. But if you
are really desperate and want to read about fish being killed, and deer's being shot, go
ahead, but don't forget to file them in that cabinet over there. " He points to a black filing
cabinet in the back of the room then heads out.
Hobbes smiled out of the corner of his mouth, but tried not to show his great pleasure.
"So, what kind of special extra payment do I get with this special job?" He asked but it was
too late Eberts had already walked out.
Darien mutters something then watches Eberts leave. "Who's all in favor of running
as far away from here as possible, raise your hands." He raises his hand then goes
over and sits behind the desk. "But first lets see what's in these folders...Hobbes your
special payment would probably be a pat on the back if you're lucky."
"Hey, you're just jealous cuz you don't got what I got my friend!" Hobbes said, trying to make
Darien feel small or something.
"And what exactly would that be Hobbes?" Darien asked not being affected by whatever
Hobbes was trying to do.
Hobbes was temporarily stumped but regained his composure and came up with a
quick answer, "Oh, I think you know my friend."
Darien shook his head. "No, I don't so why don't you tell me what I'm suppose to be
jealous of 'cause right now I'm drawing a blank."
Hobbes looked smugly at Darien for a moment before saying anything, "If you
don't know, you shouldn't know. If you can't figure it out, then you're too dumb to know."
"You know what, I don't want to know and I don't care. But while you stay here and do
free labor I'm going to go out and have some fun." If there is any fun to have, he thought.
"Have fun filing." Darien said, smacking Hobbes' arm then walks out of the office.
"You just watch your back my friend!" Hobbes said very coolly back as Darien was
walking out of the room, "Now, about that job..."
Darien stopped in the hallway after he heard Hobbes' little warning. "I think
someone better listen to his own advice." He looked up and down the hallway
seeing if anyone was around, no one was so he went invisible and went back
into the office. When no one was paying attention he grabbed the files that
Hobbes was suppose to put away, turned those invisible then walked out with
them. "this should be fun to watch."
Hobbes turned to get the files, but found them, of course, gone. He quickly
spread his hands out over the area, trying to find the invisible man, "Don't
think I don't know where you are 24/7 Fawkes!"
After Darien ditched the files and went back to being visible, once again, he
went back to the office and stood in the door way watching Hobbes
walking around with his hands out in front of him. "What are you doing?
Making a new dance?"
Hobbes stood up straight, glaring at Darien, waiting for Claire to say
something...
Darien glanced over at Claire then looked back at Hobbes. "Nothing to say
huh?"
Claire snaps out of her trance then takes a quick look around the room.
"Where did Eberts go?"
"She's alive!" Darien said. "He went to talk to somebody. Before you go back
into your trance I need a shot."
"Okay, I'm really tired. Sorry about that." She begins to walk to the lab, pausing to make sure
Darien is following her.
"Uh-huh..." Darien walked out of the office and started toward the lab. "I'm
coming." He told her when she paused and looked back.
She shakes her head at him and continues walking down the hall.
Darien followed Claire into the lab, took off his jacket then sat down in the
oh so familiar chair. "If you're that tired then how come you just don't take
off?"
"Because Eberts, told us to stay here to wait for that package, though
I'd really like to tell him to go shove off. I really don't want that pip squeak to try
and fire me." Claire replied as she was getting the needle and counteragent.
"I know what he said and that pip squeak cant fire you he's just the
baby-sitter." Darien said, watching Claire getting the needle and the
counteragent. "You don't actually think there's a package coming do you? I
don't. I bet it was just something he was told to say to us to keep us from
ditching this place. But it wont work on me because I'm leaving, of course
after you give me that pretty little shot."
Eberts comes into the lab. "You will be glad to know the packet came in, and
after we open it, we can all leave." He pauses. "I will of course wait for you to
get your shot." He departs.
Claire injects the needle into Darien's arm, after sterilizing the spot where the needle
would go. "Oh joy," She says sarcastically. "I can't wait to see what's in this package."
"Cant wait to do that!" Darien said sarcastically, before Eberts had gone.
"But hey if it'll let me get the hell away from here then I'm all for it."
Hobbes goes down to the lab to see what everyone is up to. "So, what's in the package?"
Darien stood up after Claire gave him the shot and put his jacket back on then
he started to walk out when Hobbes arrived. "Still around eh? Find those files
yet?" he asked with a grin. "Don't know what's in the package that's what we're
going to go see now."
Hobbes glares at him but follows him anyway to see what's in that gosh-darned
package!
Eberts paces the office waiting for the others. He wants to open the damn package,
go home and paint. And maybe see if he could get his wife and daughter on
the phone. They were in Paris for a little shopping trip. They had been gone two
weeks and he missed them.
Darien entered the office with both Claire and Hobbes right behind him. "Okay lets
open this baby!"
"Okay, " Eberts pulls a large, thin envelope off the official's desk.
"I wonder what surprise he has for us now!" Claire said not really sure if she wants to
find out what's in that envelope.
Eberts open the top of the envelope. He dumps the contents out on the desk. "Yeah,
more envelopes." He mutters. There are four single envelopes each with their names on
them. He hand them out to their rightful owners.
"Oh how thoughtful...envelopes with our names on it! What a nice present." Darien said
in a sarcastic tone of voice.
"Who shall be the first victim of his trick?" Claire asks.
Hobbes steps forward bravely and takes his envelope and opens it to
find a piece of paper with the words 'make all of'. "What the..."
Darien took the envelope when he was handed it. He ripped it open to find the same thing,
a piece of paper with more words but his read, 'this would'. "All right what the hell is this?"
Eberts opens his and gives a frown. "You stick around," he read off the paper.
Claire opens up her envelope. "I knew," she said out loud. "We all got papers with words
on them. What kind of prank is this? It doesn't even make sense."
Darien looked at his paper then at everyone else's. "Wait, give them to me." He grabbed
everyone's pieces of paper then laid them out on the desk in order then he read it. "I knew
this would make all of you stick around." He turned around and looked at Claire, Hobbes and
Eberts. "I knew this was a joke! I should have left along time ago."
Maggie was bored, so bored she thought she might actually die. Though her
mother had told her that was impossible, she never had believed it. She was
glad to be back in her house, but there was no electricity and she didn't
have a clue how to get it back.
She'd been forced to steal food, and other stuff. The thought of taking a
battery powered TV was sounding good, it might keep her from dying that
awful slow boredom death. But she hadn't decided if she should do that or
not. That would really be stealing. Taking food and drinks and clothes,
that was stuff she needed, so it was okay, but taking a TV that really would
be stealing for real. And her parents might get mad even if they were in
heaven.
Darien walked out of the office and out of the building. "Now what
can I do...?"
Eberts watches Darien, Claire then Hobbes depar.He was about to leave himself, that
was until he heard a noise in the hall. He leaves the office to go out and investigate.
Maggie hadn't realized what was happening until it was too late. At first
she froze, like a deer caught in headlights. Then, she ran down the hallway
looking for a place to hide. Unfortunately, all the doors seemed to be
locked so all she could do was continue down that hall as fast as she could.
"No, please, do not run away. I shall not hurt you. My
name is Eberts. What's yours?" He was thinking she
reminded him a little of Charlotte.
Maggie stopped, still feeling a little panicked, especially at the sight of
some many people, not that it was a huge crowd, but one would have been more
than enough. She had become suspicious of all adults. Especially ones with
any kind of official jobs. It was those people who kept making her live
with strangers she didn't like. "Maggie," she replied softly. There was no
where left to go and though she could have lied, it wasn't exactly her best
thing, people could usually tell.
"Hi, Maggie, would you like to go get some ice cream?"
Eberts says maybe thinking that he will win her confidence this way.
Maggie shook her head, not that she didn't like ice cream. In fact she
loved it and it was really hard to turn it down. But the fact of the matter
was she was scared of these people and what they might do. "I don't want
any," she told him. Eberts? Boy that name sounded familiar. "Do you watch
a lot of movies," she asked her curiosity getting the better of her. She
was pretty sure that was the movie man's name on tv, but he didn't look like
him.
Hobbes was a little take aback to see a young child in the halls of the
agency so he just stood there...
Darien started looking for his keys to his car but couldnt find them.
"Damn..." He turned around and went back inside thinking maybe they fell out
in the lab. He started down the hall and then stopped beside Hobbes.
"Uh...whats going on?"
Hobbes answered qiuetly so the child wouldn't hear, "There's a kid that
somehow or another got inside the Agency, just shows you how tight security
is around here..."
"There's security here?" Darien sarcastically asked before he went over to
see who this kid was. "Hey there." He said to the little girl.
"Hi," Maggie replied edging away from him a little. It felt like they were
ganing up on her. She glanced around looking for some route of escape, but
didn't see any. "Who are you?"
Oh this was great, barely walk over and already freaking out the kid. "Names
Darien." He replied with a dorky looking smile. "What about you? got a name
or are you the nameless child of the halls?"
Maggie couldn't help but giggle a little at that. "Yep," she replied. "I'm
Nameless Halls." This seemed a very silly answer and she knew it.
Especially since the movie guy knew her name already and would probably
tell. Adults always told stuff, they couldn't keep secrets for anything.
"You are strangeand weird, Fawkes." Eberts say to him. He begins wondering how the kid
got in. Stupid security goofed again, he thinks.
Darien slowly looked over at Eberts. "I never knew that. Thanks for letting
me know that I'm strange and weird." He told him flatly. "By the way you're
not so normal yourself."
Maggie liked this, it took the heat off of her. That was a very good thing.
She'd rarely seen other adults talk to each other like this either. Her
parents....well they were different, they teased each other a lot, but they
were special.
"Nameless Halls? Hmm...That's original." Darien said wondering if she
was going to actually say her name to him. If not she probably told
Eberts. "So how come you're in this dull place for?"
Eberts smiled. "I never said I was normal.Do you want
to handle the little girl -or- do you want me to? If
you two can handle her I have to go home to work on
something."
"We can handle her." Darien replied, looking at the girl. "Go have fun doing
your work at home."
"It's not work.But it has to be worked on." He turns to Maggie.
"Be good Nameless Halls, and watch out for Hobbes, he's a leprachaun."
Eberts says so she will understand he caught her slight irish accent.
He turns to Hobbes and Darien, "And don't forget to turn the lights out."
Maggie laughed, "'e's too big for that," she informed him. "They're little
things. Bye," she said relieved that one person was leaving. She hoped the
others would follow.
Darien couldn't help but laugh at what Eberts said about Hobbes. "Yeah,
yeah...turn out lights. You can go now Eberts. I think the leprechaun; I mean
Hobbes and I can handle this."
"It's not dull," Maggie told him after Eberts left. "It's interesting. Why do you have all
the telephone buttons on the doors?"
"It's interesting? Never heard that come out of anyones mouth." Darien said
taking a quick glance over at Hobbes. "Uh...they're there so people who don't belong
in there can't get in with out the code."
Maggie grinned at him, "They don't work too good do they? Is this a jail or
something?" No that couldn't be it, jails were for keeping people in, like
foster homes, not keeping people out. Maybe, it was the place where they
kept all the gold. That might explain Hobbes too, except she was pretty
sure he wasn't what Eberts said he was.
Hobbes just smiled a little to Maggie. He hated being with kids, talking to
kids, and everything else about them. In his mind, this child was just a
burden.
Darien shook his head at her first question. "feels like it," he muttered.
"No, its not a jail. Why would you think this place is a jail? There's no
rooms with bars on them is there?"
"I haven't seen every room," Maggie informed him. "And all the doors are
locked up, that's what jails are like. What is this place?"
"Nothing special." Darien replied. "Just another dull place. How about we
leave and go somewhere else?"
Maggie narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Like where," she demanded.
Not back to that awful foster home. She'd start biting people again, if
they did that to her and she didn't care how much trouble it got her into
she wasn't going back there.
"Anywhere you want to go. We'll even bring Hobbes along." Darien said, taking
another quick look over at the quiet Hobbes. He was going to come along if he
like it or not there was no way he was kid-sitting alone. "But first I gotta
find my keys..."
Maggie gazed at him doubtfully. "Anywhere I want?" McDonald's would be
good, she hadn't had hot food in a while. "I can help you look for your
keys," she added. She wasn't sure about this though. You weren't supposed
to go with strangers.
"Anywhere you want." Darien said with a little nod of his head.
Anywhere that wasnt here! he thought. "Okay, you look around here and
I'll look over that way." he pointed down the hallway..Darien kinda
figured he had dropped them in the lab since that was the last place
he had been at.
Maggie nodded and began to move along the hallway looking for the missing
keys, everywhere she could think of. She stopped when she reached Hobbes
looking up at him. "Aren't you going to help him too?"
Hobbes was a bit tongue tied at first and didn't know how to respond, he
could only get outa couple of words, "Well...He...He...doesn't like it when
I help..." He said, trying to make up an excuse the kid would buy.
"How come," Maggie wanted to know. "Do you mess things up or something?"
That's the only good reason she could come up with for not wanting someone's
help.
Darien watched Maggie for a moment then walked down the hallway,
punched in the keycode and entered the lab. "All right keys, where'd
you go?" He looked around, walking further into the room.
"Keys...keys...where are my keys...? ah ha!" They where laying
on the floor near the chair. He went over grabbed them then headed
back out. "Found them." Darien told them as he headed towards them.
Maggie skipped over towards him, the door to the lab was still open and she
peered inside with interest, then slipped past Darien and inside. "Wow!
This is neat! What do you do in here," she wandered over to one of the lab
tables and began to examine objects on it.
"Hey...where are you going?" Darien turned around and saw Maggie
entering the lab. "I dont do anything in there." He went in and stood
next to her. "Come on, lets get going, we can check out stuff later."
"Why can't we do it now," Maggie asked. She wanted to examine everything.
"You're a fibber too cause your keys were in here."
Darien gave the child an odd look. "I didnt know they were in here I had a
hunch that I had dropped them in here. And we can't because I don't think The
Keep would be thrilled to know we've been in here."
"Who's that," Maggie asked getting more interested in the subject. "You
couldn't of lost them in there if you weren't in there," she pointed out.
"Another person who works here." Darien replied, hoping that would be a good
enough answer so they could get out of here. "I was in here earlier before
you came around..."
"How come," Maggie asked again, but she reluctantly left the room. "Can I
meet who works in there sometime?" That might be really cool. In fact she
thought she'd like that a lot. "I want to go to McDonald's please," she
added.
Man this girl asks a lot of questions. "Because..." was all he said before
following the girl out of the lab. "Yeah, sure, you can meet her
sometime...actually you can meet her now." Darien told her when he saw that
Claire was standing at the end of the hallway.
Maggie grinned up at the lady, she was surprised to see a lady there and she
liked the idea. "Hi, I'm Maggie," she said cheerfully.
"Hello Maggie." Claire smiled at the girl. "I'm Claire."
"Ah, so that's your name. How come you told me it was Nameless Halls?" Darien asked.
Maggie glanced up at Darien. "Us girls have to be mysterious sometimes," she informed him.
"Uh-huh..." He looked down at Maggie. "Aren't you a little young to be thinking like that?"
Maggie shook her head. "My mommy taught me that and she said girls had to
stick together too."
"Speaking of mommy...where is she?" Darien asked thinking it's pretty weird
that no ones come looking for her.
Maggie frowned, what was she supposed to say to that? Not the truth, that
wouldn't work, but she was such a bad liar. However, the truth was out of
the question. "She's in Philadelphia," the little girl said averting her
eyes and talking a bit more softly.
"Oh, and your dad?" Hey there had to be someone looking for her? I mean who
the hell would let a little girl run around the city without supervision?
"Um..he's visitin' my grandpa in Ireland," Maggie said without thinking. It
sounded like a good excuse, but being so young she didnt' realize that they
might find it suspicious that her parents were both far away.
Darien stared at her for a moment. This was weird and for some reason he felt
like she was making up this stuff but hey if she didnt want to tell the truth
then so be it. "I'm going outside...come out when you're both ready to
leave..." with that he walked down the hall and outside.
"We're coming, aren't we Claire," maggie asked looking up at the woman. She
was pretty hungry and didn't really want to wait around.
Claire nodded her head a little. "Of course we are."
"Good," Maggie said relieved.
Lucy was still atop the roof, flat on her stomach, elbows supporting her lithe frame.
The only movement visible was the smoke which billowed from the imported French cigarette
that she clenched tightly between her lips. Looking through binoculars, even her highly
engineered pair Arnaud had manufactured for her, with the large sunglasses that once again
Arnaud had engineered for infrared viewing, was not the easiest task to manage, or the most
entertaining. She shifted slightly under the beating California sun; waiting, watching for
anything at all.
A movement. It was Darien Fawkes. Lucy shifted again, zooming in her binoculars, putting
the cigarette out absent-mindedly with one hand and squinting to get a better look.
She had considered him for several weeks as a primary target, and while he was the goal,
Lucy had chosen Fawkes' partner, Hobbes as the perfect choice. Like a vulture, she watched
his every movement and new his every mannerism. She'd practically been living his life for
several weeks of her own last month, and still followed him when life beat her down.
"C'mon, Hobbes," she said, her intense eyes never leaving Darien.
Hobbes suddenly getting that feeling that they were being watched. He instinctively,
after everyone left, pulled out his gun and walked up against the wall to the
entrance of the Agency. There, he looked around everywhere, trying to find
the spy.
Lucy once again found herself turned and leaning against the edge of the roof. She had
to try terribly hard to hold back her fit of laughter as she watched Hobbes slip into his
'special agent' mode. She'd watched him do this several times before while she observed
him in secrecy. His instincts were honed well, that was obvious, but he was far too paranoid
for his own good, which at times appeared to cloud his senses. However, just in case, she
reached for her holstered 9mm.
Lucy's heart was racing now which only helped to exhilarate her. She snuck a quick glance,
lifting up her glasses for better viewing. An instant later, she was once again hidden. There
was a part of her, as always, that wished she would be discovered, but there was *no* way
she would let that happen.
Hobbes saw something or someone pop up out of hte corner of his eye, he
turned, but not fast enough to get a good glance. So he slinked along the
wall to try to see if he could get a better view somehow. Here, kitty kitty,
he thought.
If she wanted him today, she'd have to move...*now*...Lucy threw her binoculars into the
multi-pocketed bag at her side, keeping her gun at the ready. Moving with a cat-like grace
along the side of the roof, she slipped into the door and raced down the abandoned building's
many flights of stairs. Her wickedly humorous smile was spread wide across her vermilion lips.
She left the building with an amazing speed threw her bag into her BMW Z3 Roadster. Holstering
her gun, she popped the hood and quickly pulled several wires. She paused to look in the mirror,
making sure she looked sufficiently flustered.
"Hello? Is anybody around?" She said, her proper British accent now at it's most impeccable.
She spied Hobbes. "Hello, sir?"
Hobbes came out ofthe door to find no one but a woman standing by a car that
seemed to have broken down. Damn crazy instincts, he thought as he put his
gun back in its holster. "Yes, madame, what seems to be the problem here?" He
said, trying to sound sophisticated.
Lucy smiled her most beguilingly charming smile, turning on everything she had. This
ploy was obvious, but she knew Hobbes couldn't resist the 'Damsel in Distress.'
"Oh, Police?" Lucy said innocently. "Thank God...I'm sorry, sir, but my car seems to
have busted on me. Damn-expensive-foreign-junk-pile." She said, walking to the powder-blue
convertible, her features hardening. She drew her blazer forward, careful to make sure the gun,
which was holstered in a hurry, wasn't at all visible.
She drew her gold cigarette case from within the pocket and pulled one of her abnormally strong
French cigarettes from within it, holding it between her lips, but not lighting it. "Bloody hell...this
is what I get, isn't it."
Hobbes, luckily, knew a few things about cars "Well, lets
take a look under the hood, shall we?" He said in the smoothest tones he
could do. Under the hood he found the snapped wires, but Hobbes recognized
them as minor wires, two were actually for the radio. Hobbes straightened up
and looked the woman, eyeing her suspiciously, "It seems only minor wires
have been snapped, the car should run..."
'Damn it...' She thought, her mind racing in brief panicky, cars were never her forte.
She leaned up against it, finally lighting the cigarette, her normal blue-blooded mannerisms
very much in place.
"Wish it did," she hesitated, letting her accent hang heavily as she thought of the next plan.
"Could you try, possibly? Wouldn't be too much of an intrusion, would it?" She smiled again,
leaning into the engine, her cigarette held away. "These the ones?" Lucy said, pointing at the
obviously snapped wires. "Cars never were my forte." She said laughing slightly and drawing herself
back up. "Cigarette?"
Hobbes shook his head to the cigarette, and didn't look at the car. Instead
he stared intently at the woman for a second before speaking again. "This car
runs fine, but something else in this picture is wrong..." Hobbes cautiously
put his hand on his holster, just to make sure this lady wouldn't pull
anything.
Lucy snapped back the gold case with a bit of mental amusement. She rather hoped it's
obvious luxury would have drawn him in, at least while she pulled something more vital to
the car's running.
She stared at him, the shock in her eyes registering quite obviously, though her entire
speech was feigned. "Um..." she said, her best nervous voice lilting outwards. "Oh god...I've
done something to offend you, haven't I?" She stepped away. "I've only been here for two
months...Aw damn it all...This is what I get for not reading Emily Post..Mum always said..."
She smiled lightly, nervously as Hobbes placed a hand inside his coat. Lucy bit her lower lip.
"I'm sorry sir," she babbled, losing all aristocratic presence and she coughed slightly. "It's just
the car, it rather stopped on me, right in the road...not really sure why. If I need to, ah, a phone
perhaps? Is that what I should have asked for?"
Inwardly, Lucy smiled. She knew her reflexes would be faster than his if it came to it, but she
still needed him. Quite desperately, actually.
Hobbes reached into his jacket not to get the gun but his cell.
Handing it to her, he looked very hard at her, like he was trying to
telepathically find out what her game was.
A huge grin spread across her face and a sigh found itself escaping her mouth.
"Oh..." She took the cell phone and dialled a number, the relief still *very* present in
her face. She quickly dialled a number and mouthed "This isn't the first time this heap
of sh...." She caught herself, smiling lightly. She searched around for the nearest street
sign, reading it off to the tow on the other end of the line. Flipping the phone, she gave it
back to Hobbes.
"Thank you, sir, I, ah, I haven't switched my cell service to an American carrier yet and
I'm afraid I'm rather lost without it." She smiled again, her charm regained and her aristocratic
presence creeping back into her mannerisms. She hesitated for a moment, then lit another
cigarette, drawing the smoke in and trying to calm herself.
"I'm truly sorry I started, I started babbling like I did...You see, my doctor just switched
my Zoloft to Prozac and, I don't know, maybe it's a reaction with the Lithium, but I'm edgy
and," She smiled attempting a laugh. "Nervous, paranoid...all of the above?"
She flicked the ashes from the cigarette and drew the hair which had fallen in her eyes back.
"Thanks...ah.." She smiled a cockeyed and dodgy grin. "Can I buy you a drink? Anything?"
Hobbes just cracked a sly smile as he took back the cell phone and
said very politely said, "No thank you, glad to be of service, now
excuse me, I have some errands to run..." and walked off.
Lucy looked after him. "Damn," she whispered under her breath. Then
an idea. "Ah, excuse me." She ran after him, a tight smile spread
across her lips and her feigned nervousness apparent again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name and here..." Lucy reached inside
the pocket of her coat and pulled out another small gold case. She
handed him a business card, simple with the name "Lucy de Vere- Fine
Art and European Antiques" With a number and an address listed below.
She smiled nervously, glancing obviously to the fact he wasn't
wearing a wedding ring. "Ah, I'd really like to talk to you. Like I
said, I've only been in America for two months and well, I'm new
to 'Son Digo'" Lucy said, murdering the pronunciation of San
Diego. "I know this sounds abrupt, but I'm very good at reading
people and I'd," she blushed slightly "like to see you again
sometime. Sure you won't take the offer on that drink?"
Lucrezia de Vere stood by a large solitary monument of a stone angel within a hilly and treed
graveyard. Her black trench-coat flapped about her, the expression on her face was stoic and
her eyes, had they been visible from behind the large black glasses, had a look of cold indifference. She knelt down, running her gloved hand over the words etched into the stone.
David Ernest Rook
Beloved Son, Husband, Father
And Leader Amongst His Fellow Man
January 21, 1958 - October 15, 2000
Brushing her short but wayward hair away from her face, Lucy stood up and pulled her left
hand, which had been clenched at the base of her spine, forward. In it was a single white rose.
She stooped to place it in the cup before once again straightening her posture.
She rummaged around in the pockets of her coat for a moment before finding a gold cigarette
case and matching lighter. She flipped open the case, drew out a cigarette and lit it, still staring
at the monument. And there she stood for nearly five minutes, slowly inhaling the smoke and
flicking away ashes with noticeable aristocratic mannerisms.
"I knew I would find you here, Lucrezia." Said a man's heavily accented voice from somewhere
behind her, shaking her from an almost dazed state.
"Don't tell me I'm that easily traced." Lucy turned to the familiar accent, a lop-sided grin spreading
rapidly. "Because if I am, I *really* should get out of this business as soon as humanly possible."
She dropped the cigarette on the ground, kneading it in with her boot and approached
Arnaud de Föhn. She stopped just short and stared at him, removing her dark glasses, tucking
them into an inner pocket and allowing her almost black eyes to glint wickedly.
"Not at all, darling. One must need to know you," he hesitated for a moment, matching her smile.
"Shall we say...very well?...to anticipate your moves. You have very peculiar habits." Lucy shook
her head in mock disgust, cockeyed and closed-mouth grin still very much in place. "I've missed
you." she said as she took the distance between them in several slow steps. They embraced, the
embrace soon leading to a passionate kiss. After a moment, she broke it off and turned around,
still in his arms, leaning into him as they both stared at the grave.
"You really should learn to overcome these emotional ties, my dear, they could be your --our--
downfall." He said wearily. Lucy turned on him, anger evident in her eyes, her voice raised in a
tempestuous tone. "Damn it, Arnaud! They are *not* emotional ties..."
"Shhh, I don't believe that sort of temper is proper here." He flashed a sly smile at Lucy.
"I have several matters of importance to speak with you about. Over dinner, perhaps?"
Lucy nodded her head and they left the graveyard.
The atmosphere was impeccable. Low lighting, small table, French cuisine, Lucy's own
choice of wines, strains of Bach heard lightly in the background. Arnaud had obviously
grown used to Lucy's tastes.
She finished off another glass of wine and stared over the table at her dinner companion.
"Let me get this straight, darling. You wish *me* to bring your Invisible Man home to you?"
She shot a suspicious glance across the table. "What makes you think I can succeed where
you have failed?"
"Lucrezia, you know damn well what makes me think you can succeed. And aside from that,
you will not be alone. I will be at your beck and call." He matched her original grin again and
sat back in his chair, sipping the wine. "Good wine," he said softly as Lucy laughed mockingly.
"Good wine? That's it? Well, it bloody-well better be good wine." Her tone lightened somewhat
as she too sat back. "Chateau Petrus Pomerol, Bordeaux, 1945. Averages £4,600." She looked
up with a dodgy grin, chortled and took another sip of the wine. "For most anyway. The things
I run across, it'd stun even you..." Her hand reached lazily up and fondled the diamond necklace
she wore, a souvenir from one of her more recent assassinations.
There were several moments of quiet which followed as they both contemplated the subject
at hand. Lucy finally broke it, setting bolt upright in her chair and slamming her glass onto the
table. "Alright then, we've a deal. I'll do your little deed, under one condition." "Condition?"
Arnaud asked rather amazed. "Lucrezia, really, *we've* never worked with conditions."
"But you do understand this would need my full attention. Indeed, 'The Raven' would have to
go on a hiatus of sorts. It would cost me dearly." He nodded his head in agreement, "Go on."
Lucy leaned over the table and lowered her voice to a hushed whisper. "Once you do master
the technology of the gland, I want to be the first to use it."
Arnaud mimicked her exactly, leaning over the table until they were inches away from each
other. Lucy's eyes bored into his and vise versa. "We have a deal."
Arnaud had given Lucy everything he had on 'The Agency' and it's employees. Alas, if she
was truly to get the job done correctly, as it should have been done, she would need *much*
more information. For the next several months, she traced every move made by Fawkes, Hobbes,
Eberts, Claire and The Official. She knew their preferences in bars, restaurants, clothing shops,
gas stations, even dry cleaners.
For weeks, it seemed, she was perched on the roof of a building nearby the Agency, reaching
new levels in chain smoking and her pale complexion almost constantly sunburned.
Finally, after exhaustive weeks, it seemed she had found the target she needed. She sat in her
warehouse apartment alone and in the dark, save for the light of her laptop's monitor.
She had, as always, been using the identity she showed the world; Lucy de Vere, Antique and
Art dealer, specializing in art and antiques of European origin. Shortly after setting out on her
own, she discovered this was the best possible identity to choose. Not only did it allow for the
easy laundering of money, but it explained away her immense travelling and luxury without a
second thought by most.
After several moments of thought in the dark, she switched on a light, a stack of thick files
clutched tightly in her hand. She made her way to the wine cabinet in the corner and wretched
it open, struggling not to allow the files to slip from her grasp as she pulled a random bottle.
Plopping it her c. 19th Century kitchen table, she opened the top file and went for a glass, reading
on the way. She returned to the table, finally setting the files down, popped the cork and poured
the alcohol into the glass. The file she had been reading fell open to reveal the picture of one
'Hobbes, Robert'. She smiled at the sour looking portrait and went to her computer.
Several swift movements of the keys and she appeared to be connected with some one on the
other end. "Finally found that table you requested." She typed with a sly smile on her face.
"Should be shipped tomorrow, next day at the latest. Will let you know about further developments."
"Of course, Lucrezia, I shall be expecting word of it's arrival." The words danced across as they
were typed in real-time.
Lucy once again found herself surveying the Agency from the building opposite. She was in
jeans, a horrible change for her. She'd never worn them in her entire life and she found them
immensely uncomfortable. She also wore a cream, light-weight turtleneck tank with a tweedy
blazer over it, hoping she looked sufficiently 'dressed-down.'
She drew her binoculars out of her sack and took to watching almost every movement she was
able to. But something *very* peculiar caught her attention, something she had never seen before.
A young girl, no older than nine or ten, entered the building around mid-day. Lucy watched,
utterly stunned as the girl apparently made her way successfully past the security. 'If it was that
light,' she wondered, 'What exactly have I been doing on this roof for the last month?'
She shook all thoughts out of her head expect for one and continued to watch the building for
any sign of Hobbes...
Claire sat in her lab reading a report on her computer. She yawns. She should go take a nap,
but she doesn't want to sleep on the hard examining table "I'll go check with the official to see
if I can go home for a few hours." She says to herself. She walks down the hall and knocks on
the door.
"Come in." Eberts calls from the inside.
"Hello, Eberts, where is the official?"
"He's out, I am holding down the fort."
They hear a knock on the door. It's...Darien, who was a little surprised to see Claire and Eberts
standing around the office with no official in sight. "Where'd he go?" Darien asked. "If he's not
here does that mean I get to leave too? Actually that sounds like a good idea I think I might just do
that."
"No, Darien you can't leave, and I need the both of you here. We are expecting a package here
sometime from the official and he said everyone needs to stay here. It's only a few more hours
than you both can go home." Eberts tells them, worried they will leave despite that.
"A package huh? Let me guess you're not going to tell us what might be inside this little
surprise." Darien asked as he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest.
"I am tired, Eberts, I would like to sleep in my bed." Claire told him, trying to hold back a yawn.
"There is a couch in the office down the hall, go take a nap on it, Claire. As for you, Darien, I have
the perfect job for you."
"What are you going to make me do?" Darien asked. "If its ridiculous I'm not doing it."
Hobbes stuck his head in, making sure he hadn't violated any prime directives. He cautiously
walked over to the three and said, wanting to sound important in front of Claire,
"Uh, a perfect job, eh? Well, I do think that a more experienced, and uh, qualified person
should be your choice, Eberts..."
"Hey! I agree. I think Hobbes here should take the job and I'll...go keep an eye out for that
package you were talking about." Yeah right! Once Darien walks out of this office he was
walking out of the building and somewhere else that wasn't anywhere near this place.
"I have to run down the hall to talk to one of the bookkeepers." Eberts pulls out a large
stack of files from beneath the desk. He sets them on the desk. "Here are the files. They
are just files for Fish and Game, so there is no need for you to read what's inside. But if you
are really desperate and want to read about fish being killed, and deer's being shot, go
ahead, but don't forget to file them in that cabinet over there. " He points to a black filing
cabinet in the back of the room then heads out.
Hobbes smiled out of the corner of his mouth, but tried not to show his great pleasure.
"So, what kind of special extra payment do I get with this special job?" He asked but it was
too late Eberts had already walked out.
Darien mutters something then watches Eberts leave. "Who's all in favor of running
as far away from here as possible, raise your hands." He raises his hand then goes
over and sits behind the desk. "But first lets see what's in these folders...Hobbes your
special payment would probably be a pat on the back if you're lucky."
"Hey, you're just jealous cuz you don't got what I got my friend!" Hobbes said, trying to make
Darien feel small or something.
"And what exactly would that be Hobbes?" Darien asked not being affected by whatever
Hobbes was trying to do.
Hobbes was temporarily stumped but regained his composure and came up with a
quick answer, "Oh, I think you know my friend."
Darien shook his head. "No, I don't so why don't you tell me what I'm suppose to be
jealous of 'cause right now I'm drawing a blank."
Hobbes looked smugly at Darien for a moment before saying anything, "If you
don't know, you shouldn't know. If you can't figure it out, then you're too dumb to know."
"You know what, I don't want to know and I don't care. But while you stay here and do
free labor I'm going to go out and have some fun." If there is any fun to have, he thought.
"Have fun filing." Darien said, smacking Hobbes' arm then walks out of the office.
"You just watch your back my friend!" Hobbes said very coolly back as Darien was
walking out of the room, "Now, about that job..."
Darien stopped in the hallway after he heard Hobbes' little warning. "I think
someone better listen to his own advice." He looked up and down the hallway
seeing if anyone was around, no one was so he went invisible and went back
into the office. When no one was paying attention he grabbed the files that
Hobbes was suppose to put away, turned those invisible then walked out with
them. "this should be fun to watch."
Hobbes turned to get the files, but found them, of course, gone. He quickly
spread his hands out over the area, trying to find the invisible man, "Don't
think I don't know where you are 24/7 Fawkes!"
After Darien ditched the files and went back to being visible, once again, he
went back to the office and stood in the door way watching Hobbes
walking around with his hands out in front of him. "What are you doing?
Making a new dance?"
Hobbes stood up straight, glaring at Darien, waiting for Claire to say
something...
Darien glanced over at Claire then looked back at Hobbes. "Nothing to say
huh?"
Claire snaps out of her trance then takes a quick look around the room.
"Where did Eberts go?"
"She's alive!" Darien said. "He went to talk to somebody. Before you go back
into your trance I need a shot."
"Okay, I'm really tired. Sorry about that." She begins to walk to the lab, pausing to make sure
Darien is following her.
"Uh-huh..." Darien walked out of the office and started toward the lab. "I'm
coming." He told her when she paused and looked back.
She shakes her head at him and continues walking down the hall.
Darien followed Claire into the lab, took off his jacket then sat down in the
oh so familiar chair. "If you're that tired then how come you just don't take
off?"
"Because Eberts, told us to stay here to wait for that package, though
I'd really like to tell him to go shove off. I really don't want that pip squeak to try
and fire me." Claire replied as she was getting the needle and counteragent.
"I know what he said and that pip squeak cant fire you he's just the
baby-sitter." Darien said, watching Claire getting the needle and the
counteragent. "You don't actually think there's a package coming do you? I
don't. I bet it was just something he was told to say to us to keep us from
ditching this place. But it wont work on me because I'm leaving, of course
after you give me that pretty little shot."
Eberts comes into the lab. "You will be glad to know the packet came in, and
after we open it, we can all leave." He pauses. "I will of course wait for you to
get your shot." He departs.
Claire injects the needle into Darien's arm, after sterilizing the spot where the needle
would go. "Oh joy," She says sarcastically. "I can't wait to see what's in this package."
"Cant wait to do that!" Darien said sarcastically, before Eberts had gone.
"But hey if it'll let me get the hell away from here then I'm all for it."
Hobbes goes down to the lab to see what everyone is up to. "So, what's in the package?"
Darien stood up after Claire gave him the shot and put his jacket back on then
he started to walk out when Hobbes arrived. "Still around eh? Find those files
yet?" he asked with a grin. "Don't know what's in the package that's what we're
going to go see now."
Hobbes glares at him but follows him anyway to see what's in that gosh-darned
package!
Eberts paces the office waiting for the others. He wants to open the damn package,
go home and paint. And maybe see if he could get his wife and daughter on
the phone. They were in Paris for a little shopping trip. They had been gone two
weeks and he missed them.
Darien entered the office with both Claire and Hobbes right behind him. "Okay lets
open this baby!"
"Okay, " Eberts pulls a large, thin envelope off the official's desk.
"I wonder what surprise he has for us now!" Claire said not really sure if she wants to
find out what's in that envelope.
Eberts open the top of the envelope. He dumps the contents out on the desk. "Yeah,
more envelopes." He mutters. There are four single envelopes each with their names on
them. He hand them out to their rightful owners.
"Oh how thoughtful...envelopes with our names on it! What a nice present." Darien said
in a sarcastic tone of voice.
"Who shall be the first victim of his trick?" Claire asks.
Hobbes steps forward bravely and takes his envelope and opens it to
find a piece of paper with the words 'make all of'. "What the..."
Darien took the envelope when he was handed it. He ripped it open to find the same thing,
a piece of paper with more words but his read, 'this would'. "All right what the hell is this?"
Eberts opens his and gives a frown. "You stick around," he read off the paper.
Claire opens up her envelope. "I knew," she said out loud. "We all got papers with words
on them. What kind of prank is this? It doesn't even make sense."
Darien looked at his paper then at everyone else's. "Wait, give them to me." He grabbed
everyone's pieces of paper then laid them out on the desk in order then he read it. "I knew
this would make all of you stick around." He turned around and looked at Claire, Hobbes and
Eberts. "I knew this was a joke! I should have left along time ago."
Maggie was bored, so bored she thought she might actually die. Though her
mother had told her that was impossible, she never had believed it. She was
glad to be back in her house, but there was no electricity and she didn't
have a clue how to get it back.
She'd been forced to steal food, and other stuff. The thought of taking a
battery powered TV was sounding good, it might keep her from dying that
awful slow boredom death. But she hadn't decided if she should do that or
not. That would really be stealing. Taking food and drinks and clothes,
that was stuff she needed, so it was okay, but taking a TV that really would
be stealing for real. And her parents might get mad even if they were in
heaven.
Darien walked out of the office and out of the building. "Now what
can I do...?"
Eberts watches Darien, Claire then Hobbes depar.He was about to leave himself, that
was until he heard a noise in the hall. He leaves the office to go out and investigate.
Maggie hadn't realized what was happening until it was too late. At first
she froze, like a deer caught in headlights. Then, she ran down the hallway
looking for a place to hide. Unfortunately, all the doors seemed to be
locked so all she could do was continue down that hall as fast as she could.
"No, please, do not run away. I shall not hurt you. My
name is Eberts. What's yours?" He was thinking she
reminded him a little of Charlotte.
Maggie stopped, still feeling a little panicked, especially at the sight of
some many people, not that it was a huge crowd, but one would have been more
than enough. She had become suspicious of all adults. Especially ones with
any kind of official jobs. It was those people who kept making her live
with strangers she didn't like. "Maggie," she replied softly. There was no
where left to go and though she could have lied, it wasn't exactly her best
thing, people could usually tell.
"Hi, Maggie, would you like to go get some ice cream?"
Eberts says maybe thinking that he will win her confidence this way.
Maggie shook her head, not that she didn't like ice cream. In fact she
loved it and it was really hard to turn it down. But the fact of the matter
was she was scared of these people and what they might do. "I don't want
any," she told him. Eberts? Boy that name sounded familiar. "Do you watch
a lot of movies," she asked her curiosity getting the better of her. She
was pretty sure that was the movie man's name on tv, but he didn't look like
him.
Hobbes was a little take aback to see a young child in the halls of the
agency so he just stood there...
Darien started looking for his keys to his car but couldnt find them.
"Damn..." He turned around and went back inside thinking maybe they fell out
in the lab. He started down the hall and then stopped beside Hobbes.
"Uh...whats going on?"
Hobbes answered qiuetly so the child wouldn't hear, "There's a kid that
somehow or another got inside the Agency, just shows you how tight security
is around here..."
"There's security here?" Darien sarcastically asked before he went over to
see who this kid was. "Hey there." He said to the little girl.
"Hi," Maggie replied edging away from him a little. It felt like they were
ganing up on her. She glanced around looking for some route of escape, but
didn't see any. "Who are you?"
Oh this was great, barely walk over and already freaking out the kid. "Names
Darien." He replied with a dorky looking smile. "What about you? got a name
or are you the nameless child of the halls?"
Maggie couldn't help but giggle a little at that. "Yep," she replied. "I'm
Nameless Halls." This seemed a very silly answer and she knew it.
Especially since the movie guy knew her name already and would probably
tell. Adults always told stuff, they couldn't keep secrets for anything.
"You are strangeand weird, Fawkes." Eberts say to him. He begins wondering how the kid
got in. Stupid security goofed again, he thinks.
Darien slowly looked over at Eberts. "I never knew that. Thanks for letting
me know that I'm strange and weird." He told him flatly. "By the way you're
not so normal yourself."
Maggie liked this, it took the heat off of her. That was a very good thing.
She'd rarely seen other adults talk to each other like this either. Her
parents....well they were different, they teased each other a lot, but they
were special.
"Nameless Halls? Hmm...That's original." Darien said wondering if she
was going to actually say her name to him. If not she probably told
Eberts. "So how come you're in this dull place for?"
Eberts smiled. "I never said I was normal.Do you want
to handle the little girl -or- do you want me to? If
you two can handle her I have to go home to work on
something."
"We can handle her." Darien replied, looking at the girl. "Go have fun doing
your work at home."
"It's not work.But it has to be worked on." He turns to Maggie.
"Be good Nameless Halls, and watch out for Hobbes, he's a leprachaun."
Eberts says so she will understand he caught her slight irish accent.
He turns to Hobbes and Darien, "And don't forget to turn the lights out."
Maggie laughed, "'e's too big for that," she informed him. "They're little
things. Bye," she said relieved that one person was leaving. She hoped the
others would follow.
Darien couldn't help but laugh at what Eberts said about Hobbes. "Yeah,
yeah...turn out lights. You can go now Eberts. I think the leprechaun; I mean
Hobbes and I can handle this."
"It's not dull," Maggie told him after Eberts left. "It's interesting. Why do you have all
the telephone buttons on the doors?"
"It's interesting? Never heard that come out of anyones mouth." Darien said
taking a quick glance over at Hobbes. "Uh...they're there so people who don't belong
in there can't get in with out the code."
Maggie grinned at him, "They don't work too good do they? Is this a jail or
something?" No that couldn't be it, jails were for keeping people in, like
foster homes, not keeping people out. Maybe, it was the place where they
kept all the gold. That might explain Hobbes too, except she was pretty
sure he wasn't what Eberts said he was.
Hobbes just smiled a little to Maggie. He hated being with kids, talking to
kids, and everything else about them. In his mind, this child was just a
burden.
Darien shook his head at her first question. "feels like it," he muttered.
"No, its not a jail. Why would you think this place is a jail? There's no
rooms with bars on them is there?"
"I haven't seen every room," Maggie informed him. "And all the doors are
locked up, that's what jails are like. What is this place?"
"Nothing special." Darien replied. "Just another dull place. How about we
leave and go somewhere else?"
Maggie narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Like where," she demanded.
Not back to that awful foster home. She'd start biting people again, if
they did that to her and she didn't care how much trouble it got her into
she wasn't going back there.
"Anywhere you want to go. We'll even bring Hobbes along." Darien said, taking
another quick look over at the quiet Hobbes. He was going to come along if he
like it or not there was no way he was kid-sitting alone. "But first I gotta
find my keys..."
Maggie gazed at him doubtfully. "Anywhere I want?" McDonald's would be
good, she hadn't had hot food in a while. "I can help you look for your
keys," she added. She wasn't sure about this though. You weren't supposed
to go with strangers.
"Anywhere you want." Darien said with a little nod of his head.
Anywhere that wasnt here! he thought. "Okay, you look around here and
I'll look over that way." he pointed down the hallway..Darien kinda
figured he had dropped them in the lab since that was the last place
he had been at.
Maggie nodded and began to move along the hallway looking for the missing
keys, everywhere she could think of. She stopped when she reached Hobbes
looking up at him. "Aren't you going to help him too?"
Hobbes was a bit tongue tied at first and didn't know how to respond, he
could only get outa couple of words, "Well...He...He...doesn't like it when
I help..." He said, trying to make up an excuse the kid would buy.
"How come," Maggie wanted to know. "Do you mess things up or something?"
That's the only good reason she could come up with for not wanting someone's
help.
Darien watched Maggie for a moment then walked down the hallway,
punched in the keycode and entered the lab. "All right keys, where'd
you go?" He looked around, walking further into the room.
"Keys...keys...where are my keys...? ah ha!" They where laying
on the floor near the chair. He went over grabbed them then headed
back out. "Found them." Darien told them as he headed towards them.
Maggie skipped over towards him, the door to the lab was still open and she
peered inside with interest, then slipped past Darien and inside. "Wow!
This is neat! What do you do in here," she wandered over to one of the lab
tables and began to examine objects on it.
"Hey...where are you going?" Darien turned around and saw Maggie
entering the lab. "I dont do anything in there." He went in and stood
next to her. "Come on, lets get going, we can check out stuff later."
"Why can't we do it now," Maggie asked. She wanted to examine everything.
"You're a fibber too cause your keys were in here."
Darien gave the child an odd look. "I didnt know they were in here I had a
hunch that I had dropped them in here. And we can't because I don't think The
Keep would be thrilled to know we've been in here."
"Who's that," Maggie asked getting more interested in the subject. "You
couldn't of lost them in there if you weren't in there," she pointed out.
"Another person who works here." Darien replied, hoping that would be a good
enough answer so they could get out of here. "I was in here earlier before
you came around..."
"How come," Maggie asked again, but she reluctantly left the room. "Can I
meet who works in there sometime?" That might be really cool. In fact she
thought she'd like that a lot. "I want to go to McDonald's please," she
added.
Man this girl asks a lot of questions. "Because..." was all he said before
following the girl out of the lab. "Yeah, sure, you can meet her
sometime...actually you can meet her now." Darien told her when he saw that
Claire was standing at the end of the hallway.
Maggie grinned up at the lady, she was surprised to see a lady there and she
liked the idea. "Hi, I'm Maggie," she said cheerfully.
"Hello Maggie." Claire smiled at the girl. "I'm Claire."
"Ah, so that's your name. How come you told me it was Nameless Halls?" Darien asked.
Maggie glanced up at Darien. "Us girls have to be mysterious sometimes," she informed him.
"Uh-huh..." He looked down at Maggie. "Aren't you a little young to be thinking like that?"
Maggie shook her head. "My mommy taught me that and she said girls had to
stick together too."
"Speaking of mommy...where is she?" Darien asked thinking it's pretty weird
that no ones come looking for her.
Maggie frowned, what was she supposed to say to that? Not the truth, that
wouldn't work, but she was such a bad liar. However, the truth was out of
the question. "She's in Philadelphia," the little girl said averting her
eyes and talking a bit more softly.
"Oh, and your dad?" Hey there had to be someone looking for her? I mean who
the hell would let a little girl run around the city without supervision?
"Um..he's visitin' my grandpa in Ireland," Maggie said without thinking. It
sounded like a good excuse, but being so young she didnt' realize that they
might find it suspicious that her parents were both far away.
Darien stared at her for a moment. This was weird and for some reason he felt
like she was making up this stuff but hey if she didnt want to tell the truth
then so be it. "I'm going outside...come out when you're both ready to
leave..." with that he walked down the hall and outside.
"We're coming, aren't we Claire," maggie asked looking up at the woman. She
was pretty hungry and didn't really want to wait around.
Claire nodded her head a little. "Of course we are."
"Good," Maggie said relieved.
Lucy was still atop the roof, flat on her stomach, elbows supporting her lithe frame.
The only movement visible was the smoke which billowed from the imported French cigarette
that she clenched tightly between her lips. Looking through binoculars, even her highly
engineered pair Arnaud had manufactured for her, with the large sunglasses that once again
Arnaud had engineered for infrared viewing, was not the easiest task to manage, or the most
entertaining. She shifted slightly under the beating California sun; waiting, watching for
anything at all.
A movement. It was Darien Fawkes. Lucy shifted again, zooming in her binoculars, putting
the cigarette out absent-mindedly with one hand and squinting to get a better look.
She had considered him for several weeks as a primary target, and while he was the goal,
Lucy had chosen Fawkes' partner, Hobbes as the perfect choice. Like a vulture, she watched
his every movement and new his every mannerism. She'd practically been living his life for
several weeks of her own last month, and still followed him when life beat her down.
"C'mon, Hobbes," she said, her intense eyes never leaving Darien.
Hobbes suddenly getting that feeling that they were being watched. He instinctively,
after everyone left, pulled out his gun and walked up against the wall to the
entrance of the Agency. There, he looked around everywhere, trying to find
the spy.
Lucy once again found herself turned and leaning against the edge of the roof. She had
to try terribly hard to hold back her fit of laughter as she watched Hobbes slip into his
'special agent' mode. She'd watched him do this several times before while she observed
him in secrecy. His instincts were honed well, that was obvious, but he was far too paranoid
for his own good, which at times appeared to cloud his senses. However, just in case, she
reached for her holstered 9mm.
Lucy's heart was racing now which only helped to exhilarate her. She snuck a quick glance,
lifting up her glasses for better viewing. An instant later, she was once again hidden. There
was a part of her, as always, that wished she would be discovered, but there was *no* way
she would let that happen.
Hobbes saw something or someone pop up out of hte corner of his eye, he
turned, but not fast enough to get a good glance. So he slinked along the
wall to try to see if he could get a better view somehow. Here, kitty kitty,
he thought.
If she wanted him today, she'd have to move...*now*...Lucy threw her binoculars into the
multi-pocketed bag at her side, keeping her gun at the ready. Moving with a cat-like grace
along the side of the roof, she slipped into the door and raced down the abandoned building's
many flights of stairs. Her wickedly humorous smile was spread wide across her vermilion lips.
She left the building with an amazing speed threw her bag into her BMW Z3 Roadster. Holstering
her gun, she popped the hood and quickly pulled several wires. She paused to look in the mirror,
making sure she looked sufficiently flustered.
"Hello? Is anybody around?" She said, her proper British accent now at it's most impeccable.
She spied Hobbes. "Hello, sir?"
Hobbes came out ofthe door to find no one but a woman standing by a car that
seemed to have broken down. Damn crazy instincts, he thought as he put his
gun back in its holster. "Yes, madame, what seems to be the problem here?" He
said, trying to sound sophisticated.
Lucy smiled her most beguilingly charming smile, turning on everything she had. This
ploy was obvious, but she knew Hobbes couldn't resist the 'Damsel in Distress.'
"Oh, Police?" Lucy said innocently. "Thank God...I'm sorry, sir, but my car seems to
have busted on me. Damn-expensive-foreign-junk-pile." She said, walking to the powder-blue
convertible, her features hardening. She drew her blazer forward, careful to make sure the gun,
which was holstered in a hurry, wasn't at all visible.
She drew her gold cigarette case from within the pocket and pulled one of her abnormally strong
French cigarettes from within it, holding it between her lips, but not lighting it. "Bloody hell...this
is what I get, isn't it."
Hobbes, luckily, knew a few things about cars "Well, lets
take a look under the hood, shall we?" He said in the smoothest tones he
could do. Under the hood he found the snapped wires, but Hobbes recognized
them as minor wires, two were actually for the radio. Hobbes straightened up
and looked the woman, eyeing her suspiciously, "It seems only minor wires
have been snapped, the car should run..."
'Damn it...' She thought, her mind racing in brief panicky, cars were never her forte.
She leaned up against it, finally lighting the cigarette, her normal blue-blooded mannerisms
very much in place.
"Wish it did," she hesitated, letting her accent hang heavily as she thought of the next plan.
"Could you try, possibly? Wouldn't be too much of an intrusion, would it?" She smiled again,
leaning into the engine, her cigarette held away. "These the ones?" Lucy said, pointing at the
obviously snapped wires. "Cars never were my forte." She said laughing slightly and drawing herself
back up. "Cigarette?"
Hobbes shook his head to the cigarette, and didn't look at the car. Instead
he stared intently at the woman for a second before speaking again. "This car
runs fine, but something else in this picture is wrong..." Hobbes cautiously
put his hand on his holster, just to make sure this lady wouldn't pull
anything.
Lucy snapped back the gold case with a bit of mental amusement. She rather hoped it's
obvious luxury would have drawn him in, at least while she pulled something more vital to
the car's running.
She stared at him, the shock in her eyes registering quite obviously, though her entire
speech was feigned. "Um..." she said, her best nervous voice lilting outwards. "Oh god...I've
done something to offend you, haven't I?" She stepped away. "I've only been here for two
months...Aw damn it all...This is what I get for not reading Emily Post..Mum always said..."
She smiled lightly, nervously as Hobbes placed a hand inside his coat. Lucy bit her lower lip.
"I'm sorry sir," she babbled, losing all aristocratic presence and she coughed slightly. "It's just
the car, it rather stopped on me, right in the road...not really sure why. If I need to, ah, a phone
perhaps? Is that what I should have asked for?"
Inwardly, Lucy smiled. She knew her reflexes would be faster than his if it came to it, but she
still needed him. Quite desperately, actually.
Hobbes reached into his jacket not to get the gun but his cell.
Handing it to her, he looked very hard at her, like he was trying to
telepathically find out what her game was.
A huge grin spread across her face and a sigh found itself escaping her mouth.
"Oh..." She took the cell phone and dialled a number, the relief still *very* present in
her face. She quickly dialled a number and mouthed "This isn't the first time this heap
of sh...." She caught herself, smiling lightly. She searched around for the nearest street
sign, reading it off to the tow on the other end of the line. Flipping the phone, she gave it
back to Hobbes.
"Thank you, sir, I, ah, I haven't switched my cell service to an American carrier yet and
I'm afraid I'm rather lost without it." She smiled again, her charm regained and her aristocratic
presence creeping back into her mannerisms. She hesitated for a moment, then lit another
cigarette, drawing the smoke in and trying to calm herself.
"I'm truly sorry I started, I started babbling like I did...You see, my doctor just switched
my Zoloft to Prozac and, I don't know, maybe it's a reaction with the Lithium, but I'm edgy
and," She smiled attempting a laugh. "Nervous, paranoid...all of the above?"
She flicked the ashes from the cigarette and drew the hair which had fallen in her eyes back.
"Thanks...ah.." She smiled a cockeyed and dodgy grin. "Can I buy you a drink? Anything?"
Hobbes just cracked a sly smile as he took back the cell phone and
said very politely said, "No thank you, glad to be of service, now
excuse me, I have some errands to run..." and walked off.
Lucy looked after him. "Damn," she whispered under her breath. Then
an idea. "Ah, excuse me." She ran after him, a tight smile spread
across her lips and her feigned nervousness apparent again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name and here..." Lucy reached inside
the pocket of her coat and pulled out another small gold case. She
handed him a business card, simple with the name "Lucy de Vere- Fine
Art and European Antiques" With a number and an address listed below.
She smiled nervously, glancing obviously to the fact he wasn't
wearing a wedding ring. "Ah, I'd really like to talk to you. Like I
said, I've only been in America for two months and well, I'm new
to 'Son Digo'" Lucy said, murdering the pronunciation of San
Diego. "I know this sounds abrupt, but I'm very good at reading
people and I'd," she blushed slightly "like to see you again
sometime. Sure you won't take the offer on that drink?"