* * *
December Continued
It was Darien's turn to be late, a good hour late in fact, but he actually felt like he'd almost had enough sleep the night before. Was it his fault they're been a black-out in his neighborhood, which killed his alarm? He muttered under his breath because he knew most every one would say yes, that he should have had a back up alarm or something to assure that he would be up on time.
He swung open the door to the office he shared with Hobbes to find Alyx looking over some paperwork while Hobbes typed on the keyboard. "Morning."
"Fawkes," Hobbes glanced over at him with a look of irritation. "Forget it. Have a seat."
Darien did so without argument, as it was quite obvious that Hobbes was pissed off. "Hey, Alyx."
"Mmmm, morning." she mumbled in distraction. She was trying to absorb some updated information on her character, including the location of the apartment they had set up for her. Her backend warehouse studio just wouldn't cut it for Madigan, and the Official, through Eberts, had arranged an apartment befitting her "station." A penthouse apartment in one of the premiere high rises in town. She was going to be heading over there in a couple hours to make it look lived in and then she was going to have to do some shopping.
She'd also had an incredibly bad night and was going to have to nap before she went out on her date. It seemed like every time she'd managed to drift off some half-seen figure would appear in her dreams and she'd find herself awake with a scream caught in her throat and covered in icy sweat. Between the lack of sleep and the irritating fact she couldn't figure out just what the hell was giving her nightmares, she was not firing on all cylinders.
"Well, try and curb your enthusiasm. You might hurt yourself." Darien snarked as he flopped down into the only other chair, the really uncomfortable one. "Anything new, Hobbes?"
"I wish. Nah,just more dead ends. The kid here got us something to work with, but it'll take time." He glanced at his watch. "Kid..."
"I know. Meeting with the Official." She slipped the papers back into their file and got to her feet. "Come on you two, I ain't going in there alone."
Hobbes actually chuckled. "Need him alive to sign the requisitions."
"And paychecks." Darien added wondering why he had bothered to sit down if he was just going to have to get back up.
Alyx shrugged "GS eight ain't all that much, but I manage."
Both guys stopped dead. "You ... you make a GS eight?" Hobbes all but squealed. He rubbed the top of his head and tried to put enough words together to make a coherent sentence. "You ... He ... GS six ... Me ... I'm gonna hurt him." The last came out as a growl of exasperation.
Alyx continued down the hall, but turned so that she was walking backwards and could see both men. "I wanted a twelve. My clearance level rates me for that. He wanted a five. We compromised. Sides I think he owes me after screwing up my life." She turned the corner then and the pair scrambled to catch up with her.
A few minutes later they were standing before the Official who was holding what appeared to be Alyx's report on the prior evening in his hand.
"A good beginning. Keep it up. Use whatever methods are necessary. Maybe he talks in his sleep." He set down the file and noticed the sudden cold look on her face.
"Excuse me?" Alyx asked in a tight voice. "Are you suggesting I sleep with Dr. Geofferies to get the information we need?"
"I am suggesting nothing. I am telling you to do your job and if that means sleeping with Geofferies then you will do it." The Official explained in a flat tone.
"Oh, crap." Darien commented very softly. He knew the Fish's orders had gone over like a pair of cement shoes worn by a mob informant just before his very last swimming lesson.
"I am not whoring myself for this agency." Alyx hissed the words at him.
"Kid..." Hobbes tried to intervene.
She rounded on him, raising her hand. "Not a single word, Hobbes, as far as I am concerned playing escort service for the fat bastard is bad enough." Her focus swung to the fat bastard in question. "You want to hear what Geofferies says in bed? You sleep with him." With that she turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Thankfully it was the wooden one; the glass one would have shattered.
"Hobbes." The Official barked, his temper obviously up. "Explain to her the realities of the situation. Since she has refused to get the information through direct means this is the only option. And she will do it."
"Sir, that might not..." Hobbes tried, but the Official ran over the top of him.
"No, damn it," He slammed a fist into the desktop. "Straighten her out, or you'll be the one sleeping with Geofferies, Hobbes."
"You son of a bitch." Darien snarled in a low voice and was impressed by the shocked look on the Official's face when he snapped his attention onto Darien. "You know damn well what backing her into a corner will do. She won't let you manipulate her and neither will I."
He ignored the look Hobbes leveled at him. Darien didn't care if he gave the whole game away, helping Alyx keep some of her dignity was all that mattered at the moment.
"Fawkes I would suggest you stay out of this." The Official warned in a cold voice. "Or you may find there is a sudden lack of funding for counteragent."
Darien was about to go after the gloating fat man when Hobbes grabbed him by the arm and dragged him from the room by force. "Damn it, Hobbes, why the hell did you do that?"
"Because, you idiot, for once the chief wasn't kidding. One more word and you'd have found yourself on a free trip to the padded room complete with the fancy wrap-around robe." Hobbes explained even as Darien remained tense and angry as hell.
"She won't do it, Bobby. She'd walk out the door and never look back once if he tries to force her into it. And you know it." Darien flung out his arm and pointed down the hallway in emphasis.
"I know, Fawkes." Hobbes scrubbed his face with his hands. "But I also know he would stoop low enough to blackmail her with you." He had trouble meeting the shocked eyes of his friend. "Look, you go say hi' to the Keepy and cool down for a bit. I'll talk to the kid." Before Darien could say a word he added. "Kid gloves, my friend. I have no interest in getting my ass fried cause she's in a bad mood."
It took Darien a couple more minutes to cool down enough to respond, but when he did it was with a heavy sigh. "We just got her back, Bobby, I don't want her running again."
"Me either, Fawkes, but there ain't a hell of a lot keeping her here." Hobbes admitted much to Darien's surprise. "Go on. You being in a mood won't get her cooled down any faster. Even I've figured out that much." He gave Darien a shove to get him moving and watched until he'd rounded the corner headed for the stairwell. Now Hobbes just had to figure out where the kid might go. After a moment he headed for the opposite stairwell, but instead of down to the basement level where the various labs were located, including the Keep, he headed up.
Exiting on the roof he looked about for Alyx and eventually found her sitting on the knee-high lip that edged the roof looking west out over the city.
Alyx waited until Bobby was a few feet behind her and within earshot even with the noise of the city drifting up to their level. "I won't do it, Hobbes. I ain't gonna sleep with Geofferies just cause y'all think its part of the job." The drawl she'd picked up from years of living deep in the southeast made an appearance and she didn't feel like putting in the effort to prevent it.
"I got that impression, kid." Hobbes sat down beside her, keeping about a foot between them. He dangled his legs over the side of the building while she sat cross-legged with her hands draped across her thighs. She looked tired even to him. "Look, and don't hurt me for saying this, but it is just part of the job. I've done it plenty of times during my career. Why else would Bobby Hobbes be so damn good with the ladies? Bobby Hobbes knows exactly how to get what he wants when he wants it."
Alyx didn't even crack a smile. "Bobby, I won't sleep with Geofferies. I ... I can't." She turned slightly to see his face in profile, looking down at the people passing by on the sidewalk below. "I've slept with exactly one person in my life. I'm not about to have a job be where I pick it up again." If Hobbes had any reaction to her statement he made sure not to show it.
"Then what, kid? Most guys ain't that patient." He did turn to look at her then, meeting her eyes that were once again their proper quicksilver color. "Why not just grab the info like the chief wanted you to?"
Alyx sighed heavily. "All of you think it's so damn easy. Just go poking in the guy's head and pull out what I want. Well it ain't. In fact if I'm not careful it causes a lot of pain for both myself and the person I'm doing it to." She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hand. "Like what I did to Heilberg, I forced my way in, dug around for what I wanted and yanked it out. Nothing nice or neat about it. It's kinda like..."
"Rape." Hobbes stated in a hushed voice and Alyx paled slightly before nodding in agreement. "So what is your plan? You did agree to this ... this alternate method."
"Because I can get the info, if given a few days." She turned, hanging one leg on either side of the edge. "Being around a person lets me get a handle on how their mind works, allowing me to slip in unnoticed and, with the right questions or comments, the answers will drift to the surface where I can get at them without him the wiser."
"Subtle instead of brash. How long kid? We can't drag this out weeks, ya know." Hobbes caught on fast and could see how this would work out better than going in and just ripping the info from the guy's mind.
"If things go like I think they will tonight I should have a pretty good handle on his mind, might even get some prelim intel. Say, two more meetings at the most." Alyx answered after a moment to think about it.
"You gonna play coy that long?" Hobbes asked more to make her think about the reality of the situation than anything else.
Alyx shook her head. "I'm no fool, but I'm still not gonna whore myself for the fat man."
"Kid, if you can get the job done without having to do that more power to ya. But the day may come..."
She cut him off. "Yeah, it may, but not today."
Hobbes swung his legs around and stood up. "Take the time you need to cool down, I'll tell the chief I set you straight. Might as well let him think he won or he'll just be a bigger pain in the ass to deal with."
"He threatened Darien, didn't he?" Alyx had turned back around and was looking out over the cityscape laid out before her.
"Yeah, kid. Just be careful. You may have a deal with him, but he's the best when it comes to underhanded manipulation." Hobbes didn't wait for an answer, she listened to his feet crunch on the gravel of the roof as he crossed to the expanse followed by the sound of the door creaking open and thudding shut. Even it needed to be repaired, much like most of the things in her life these days.
Darien was sitting on the exam chair one leg drawn up to his chest while he fumed and allowed Claire to draw a blood sample and check his monitor without a single complaint about it. Once she had marked the vial of blood and set it in the cooler she broached the subject of his bad mood.
"Darien, is there something you wish to talk about?"
"Bitch about, yeah. There's nothing to really talk about." He tossed the cotton ball he'd been he'd holding in place at the biohazard can and Claire got it open with a foot on the pedal just in time.
"You don't need counteragent for several days yet and your current mission shouldn't require it. Yet you've used more quicksilver than you should have. Care to explain?" Claire had gone into full-blown Keeper mode and Darien was not in the mood for it. Another lecture on the way things run around here was not something he wanted to be reminded of.
"You too? Like the fat man's threat of cutting off the counteragent wasn't bad enough. Shit happens, Claire. The gland has a mind of its own sometimes and I get the fricking lecture." He slipped off the chair and grabbed his jacket off the back of it. "Next time don't offer to listen unless you actually mean it." He didn't let the look of shock and hurt that crossed her face stop him and was out the door a moment later.
He ran into Hobbes on the first floor as he walked the building trying to make some sense of the whole thing. "How's Alyx?"
Hobbes shrugged. "Good enough. We're on the same page for this one. Now you, on the other hand, still look like you're about to strangle the Official if he blinks funny. Take the kid to lunch or something. I'll get the tapes finished up and we'll meet back here before she heads to the penthouse." He looked up at Fawkes who had somehow managed to slouch off about six inches in height.
"You sure?" Darien asked with only the faintest trace of hope in his voice.
"Yep. Go, before you brood yourself bald." Hobbes said, solely for the reaction he knew he'd get.
Darien's hands flew to his hair even as Hobbes began to chuckle. "Hobbes, don't say things like that."
"Go on, Fawkes. She's probably still on the roof. And if anyone can, you'd be the one to talk her down." Hobbes turned and swaggered down the hall hoping to steal a few minutes from Claire to discuss his pair of partners. He knocked on the door; still not having a key of his own and it slid open a second later. "Keep, you got a sec?"
"Yes, Bobby. This is about Darien, isn't it." Claire set down the file she was holding and rotated the chair about to focus on Bobby.
"Yeah, him and the kid."
Alyx glared at the speaker spitting out the horrible musak in the elevator. The fancy security down in the lobby of the building had called up to let her know Geofferies had arrived to pick her up for their dinner right on time. Sad to say she was starved. Instead of lunch she and Darien had run by her place to pick up a few items before heading to the penthouse apartment where Alyx had decreed naptime, as she was completely exhausted by that point. Darien had offered to leave, but she had asked him to stay, wanting the comfort of his company to hopefully hold the nightmares at bay and allow her some actual sleep.
It worked and she had woken up in plenty of time to shower and get all gussied up for her evening at Thornton's. With Darien's help she chose an outfit that fit the "rich casual" bill. Dark brown silk shirt and black dress slacks over a pair of low heeled boots. Over that was a cinnamon colored suede jacket. A necessity, as the evenings were quite cool this time of year. Her hair chose to cooperate and was pulled back into a French braid that hung over one shoulder, a bright contrast to the deep rich red-brown of the jacket.
When Bobby arrived with the equipment she had already put the contacts in and he did a double take when he saw her. Once he approved her positioning of the wire was secure and invisible he drew her aside into the huge kitchen in the apartment. There he handed her a small item that she took a bit gingerly. Untangling it she was quick to realize it was a butterfly knife in an adjustable leg sheath.
His words had been simple and to the point. "Just in case, kid."
She hadn't argued and had, in fact, asked him politely for lessons in its use, if he had the time. For all that he still had this seemingly huge dislike for her, she understood this was his way of trying to make peace and mend fences that hopefully weren't shattered beyond repair. After a quick lesson on the basics, he helped her attach the sheath to her calf and hide it in the top of the boot under her pant leg. Surprisingly it did ease some of the underlying worry and fear that had been lingering in the back of her mind.
Then he and Darien had left to wait in the van until Geofferies showed up. He'd called earlier in the day to confirm and get the address of her place as the night before it had remained undecided whether they would meet there or go together. Once she had the penthouse she felt safe enough to allow him to pick her up.
The doors parted just as she was seriously debating frying the speaker to shut off the awful rendition of a Barry Manilow song she was trying to not put a name to. She found Geofferies standing by one of the glass windows, forgoing the reasonably comfortable sitting area to watch the traffic drive slowly by on the darkened street. He was dressed in dark brown Dockers and a white dress shirt; the matching sport coat was casually flung over one shoulder.
"Good evening, Dr. Geofferies." Alyx called out as she approached him.
He turned and gave her a brilliant smile, his blue eyes drifting across her through the glasses as she stopped just a couple feet away. "Kirkland, please. Just not K. C., far too many K. C. and the Sunshine Band jokes over the years."
"Agreed. Did everything go all right at work today?" she asked as he came to stand before her. He had explained last night that he usually worked on the weekends because there were fewer people about, but hadn't been very specific as to what he did for a living. In fact, Novadyne had never been mentioned.
He shrugged and then slipped into his coat. "Lets not talk about work." He offered her his arm and she looped hers through with a smile.
"Not discuss work? What on earth will we talk about?" she tossed off in a flippant tone.
Kirkland leaned down a bit, he stood right around six feet tall so, even with heels, he towered nearly a foot over her. He didn't seem to mind though. "I'm sure we can find something far more stimulating to discuss." he whispered in her ear making her shiver. He opened the door to the building and escorted her out and down the street to where his black BMW was parked. Within moments they were on their way.
The evening went pretty much as planned. Alyx – Madigan – used to moving about in circles where a casual dinner would cost several hundred dollars relaxed and enjoyed herself in the intimate surroundings. It was made plain when the maitre d greeted Kirkland by name that he was regular here and because she was here as his guest she was deferred to as well. Apparently it was a rarity for the good doctor to bring company, especially female company.
Over the course of the excellent meal, followed by a dessert she would have loved to have begged the recipe from the chef, but refrained as it would not be appropriate, they slowly moved closer to one another. By the time the bill appeared, around midnight, they were sitting side by side with Kirkland's arm draped casually about her shoulders. They had managed to fill the evening with quiet talk about their lives without going into any real depth. He seemed to take her at face value and, on the surface, she did the same. Underneath the smiling and relaxed persona Alyx was busily getting a handle on how his mind worked and making inroads on gleaning information beyond the surface thoughts and emotions that were so easy for her to capture and which told her very little.
Leaving the restaurant they went for a stroll in the small park that was just across the street. They spent and hour wandering the decorative pathways, some of which were lined with fragrant night blooming flowers that were oblivious to the chilly December weather and releasing their scent onto the light breeze. Once they had completed the roundabout circle and returned to their starting point, Kirkland decreed it was time to take her home.
Alyx agreed to his offer of walking her to her door, given the late hour and the potential for harm against one so lovely, or so he had commented in hopes of persuading her. She had laughingly agreed, his gallantry amusing in this day and age.
Standing there with the door to the penthouse open she debated the merits of inviting him in to get more information versus seeming too forward and risking him getting the impression she wanted him to stay for the night. He solved the problem for her.
"I'm beginning to be very glad I nearly trampled you last night." Kirkland leaned against the wall next to her door watching her.
"That's me, always underfoot." she responded with a smile.
"Under foot' is not where I'd like to have you right now." His hand came up to caress her face and she sighed, her eyes drifting shut for a moment.
They flew open when she felt his lips brush along hers and, fool that she was, she stiffened in reaction.
"Hmmm, too soon, I'm guessing." His voice was soft, but unhurt and his fingers were still playing with a stray curl they had found by her ear.
"Well, of course." She looked down at her wrist, observing a watch she wasn't wearing. "It'll be another fifteen minutes till I'm ready for the first kiss. Men, you're always so impatient." Alyx grinned at him hoping like hell that she'd covered her scrawny ass on that one.
He chuckled warmly and drew her closer. This time she was prepared for the kiss and responded with as much faked enthusiasm as she could muster. It must have gone over quite well because when he pulled himself away a moment later his eyes had gone dark with desire.
"Sweet," he muttered softly. "Like berries." Then he dove in again, a bit more demanding this time, his tongue trailing along her lips until she opened to him. She didn't think, just allowed herself to react and respond to what he was doing. He was quite good at it, she had to admit and part of her didn't mind in the least, but another part of her was paying very close attention.
With his mind fully absorbed in making the most of the moment, Alyx found he was quite open mentally and slipped into his mind with nary a twinge on either of their parts. He was still far too new a presence for her to comprehend completely, but he was also a very logical creature and with very few subtle promptings she was able to find her way to the information she wanted.
Only to encounter one very thick, very stubborn wall keeping her away from her goal. The good Dr. Geofferies was hiding something; something big and it definitely involved Novadyne and his work there. Risking his awareness of what she was doing she pushed a bit harder and was rewarded with an image of the lab that had been destroyed, but in his mind it was still pristine and undamaged even after the accident.
Alyx snapped back to awareness as Kirkland broke off the kiss with a groan. "Damn, you are a sweet thing."
"Sorry, I can change that if you'd like." she offered in a voice that was surprisingly husky. She was even more shocked at the fact she was more than a little aroused.
"Oh, no. Don't you dare." He stole another kiss from her and cupped her face gently. "I have to work late tomorrow, running some tests, but, if you're willing to drive up to Miramar we could meet for a late lunch."
"I'd like that." Alyx answered allowing herself to relax in his gentle hold.
He released her a moment later and dug in his pocket and came up with a business card and a pen. He scrawled on the back of the card and handed it to her. "Three o'clock. Its a little hole in the wall place, but the food is amazing. A bunch of us head there between tests so I hope you can handle a room full of geeks talking their trade while eating Buffalo wings."
"I think I'll manage." she responded lightly. Taking a chance she brought up one hand to rest against his abdomen, the muscles tightening reflexively.
"And I had better go." He took her hand and kissed the palm before releasing it. "Good night, Maddy." He pushed her door wide open and waited for her to enter.
"Good night, Kirkland." She gave him a smile and shut the door, locking it softly. She focused on him and felt him move down the hall feeling more than bit pleased with himself and how the night had gone. There was a hint of something, like she was going to be of use to him, but it flitted away before she could grasp it. Once she was certain he was on his way out of the building she spoke aloud. "He's on his way out. I'll see you two in fifteen."