* * *
December Continued
"Alyx says we have a go." Darien told Hobbes who sat slumped in the driver's seat taking advantage of the wait time to relax and conserve some energy.
"Finally." Hobbes muttered as he sat up straight and started the van. He pulled back onto the road, kicking dust up into the air. They had parked just a few miles from Novadyne, just at the limit of Alyx's best range. Once inside Novadyne communicating with her would be nearly impossible. Today she wasn't wearing a wire at all, with so many about in such potentially close quarters it was too risky so they'd nixed it. They were going to hope Alyx would be able to get a warning out to them as the lunch broke up and the scientists and techs headed back to work earlier than they had planned for.
Hobbes drove up to the main gate and pulled to a stop at the elaborate guard shack. He pulled the papers Eberts had handed to him out of an inner pocket and waved them at the pair that appeared. One took the papers back into the shack while the other watched them warily with a hand resting on the butt of his gun.
Mook number one returned, scrawling something on the paperwork. "You're cleared. Your escort will meet you in the lobby."
"Thanks." Hobbes responded and pulled forward as the gates swung ponderously open. "Well, Eberts must have pulled the right strings."
"Or twisted the right arms." Darien added with a hint of a grin that fell completely flat. "All right Hobbes, spill. What is your problem today?"
"Ain't got one, yet. I'd like to keep it that way." Hobbes pulled into a parking spot reserved for visitors and turned the engine off. He was out the door before Darien had a chance to really react. "Move it, partner."
"Oh, yeah, right." Darien climbed out, slamming the door shut in utter bewilderment as to why Hobbes was so pissed off at him. Darien trailed after Hobbes' stiff back and into the cool lobby of Novadyne Systems Incorporated. Blue was the predominant color, a calming cool blue that Darien found unnerving because it did nothing but remind him of counteragent and all the fun that went along with it.
"Gentlemen." A tall, thin brunette in a white lab coat and stylish glasses stepped before them. Hobbes noted the nametag had only a code number on it no name and no picture, which was very odd in a place as security conscious as this one. "If you will follow me, I'll escort you to Lab 536A."
"That'll work just fine Miss..." Hobbes left the sentence hanging in hopes she would fill in, but she didn't bite.
She kept the pace brisk and made a point to ignore their attempts to start a conversation or pry information of any sort out of her. But for all her silence she was still giving away hints to Hobbes. Once on the fifth floor she led them through a maze of hallways and to door that still had the remains police investigation tape on it.
Inside Hobbes gave the place the once over noting it was pretty well destroyed, shattered glass and burned equipment pretty much everywhere.
"Thanks for the escort." Hobbes said in obvious dismissal. When she tried to protest he waved at the cameras -- the active and functional cameras -- in the high corners of the room. "We'll give ya a wave when we're done."
"Yeah," Darien agreed following Hobbes' lead. "We'll get done faster without you looking over our shoulders." He looked over at her, her stern, tight-lipped expression reminding him of a Sunday school teacher he'd had when young. She, the Sunday school teacher, had been retired military and ran those early morning classes like a drill sergeant.
Miss lab coat huffed, but turned on her heel sharply and left the room, leaving the door open about halfway as she did so.
Hobbes shook his head. "Not a happy camper."
"And wanting no part of us being here." Darien looked over the room. It was well trashed to say the least. Glass crunched underfoot, there were nameless stains from unknown chemicals and dark brown smears that might be all that was left of the two victims, the computers were useless from what he could tell; the monitors shattered and the computers themselves blackened husks from the looks of it.
He walked over to one was still lying under the desk and poked at it, the casing shifting to reveal the interior.
"Uh, Hobbes, isn't there supposed to be like wires and circuit boards and stuff inside this thing?"
"Usually." Hobbes answered sounding more than a bit distracted.
Darien straightened and walked over to his partner, lowering his voice he asked, "Whatcha see, Hobbesy?"
"You tell me, Fawkes. Look at the room, really look at it, and tell me what you see." Hobbes directed in an undertone.
Darien did, giving the place the casual yet detailed once over that only one trained in casing places in record time could. It might not be the exact same observational skills as taught to real agents, but it served just as well. It took a few minutes to see it, to see what Hobbes must have spotted al most immediately, but once noticed it was unmistakable.
"Its superficial." Darien moved over to one of the lab benches and shifted a few items. The stuff on the surface was broken, but the table itself was almost unharmed. It was a good bet that once the mess was cleaned up they could slap on a new coat of paint and have the place back in use in a day.
Hobbes only nodded.
"So what's that mean?" Darien tossed the piece of glass tubing he'd picked up onto the floor to shatter amongst is brethren.
"It means the kid might very well be right." Hobbes glanced up at on of the cameras. "I'm thinking a little recon might be in order."
"Maybe get a little lost on the way out?" Darien contained the grin and did his best to make it appear he was still looking over the room for clues, same as umpteen other investigators had.
"Yeah, lost right into Lab 348. Our friend's current residence." Hobbes responded.
Darien nodded. This was gonna be a little tricky, trying to find the blind spot in the cameras' sweeps. He wandered the room seemingly aimlessly until he found the sweet spot and let the quicksilver flow.
"Keep in contact there, my friend." Hobbes muttered into the mic he wore even as he did his best to draw the attention of those watching the cameras to him and away from the partially open door just in case Fawkes had trouble slipping out the space provided. The door didn't even budge
Darien strolled down the hallway, watching for security to come running once they realized that he was gone from the lab, leaving Hobbes alone to face their wrath. The place was pretty empty; just like Alyx had told them it would be through Geofferies. He was heading towards the stairwell, not wanting to get caught in the elevator invisible, when a lab number just around the corner from 536A caught his eye. Ducking down the hall he noted the rather elaborate lock for the door. "Hobbes."
"Yeah, Fawkes?" Hobbes sounded irritated.
"What do you know about Lab 536B?"
Thirty minutes later they were back in Golda driving to meet Alyx once her lunch with Geofferies ended. About the time security had started to search for Darien, which he covered by ducking into the bathroom and reappearing inside and wandering back out in to the hall with still damp hands. He was hustled by two burly guys with crew cuts to where Hobbes was arguing with Miss Stern-face from earlier and two males in lab coats that were pushed aside to reveal fair sized guns.
Though Hobbes grumbled, grouched, complained and threatened they were still escorted from the building and told, point blank, to not return without a warrant.
"What're they hiding, Hobbes?"
"Good question, Fawkes. Good fricking question." Hobbes tapped the steering wheel in irritation. "They certainly gave us the bum's rush out the door."
"That they did. You trying to yank their chains didn't help much." Darien commented in amusement. Hobbes had been well off the deep end during that exchange.
"Had to Fawkes, couldn't let then think we were on to them." Hobbes turned to meet Darien's suddenly confused gaze. "Come on, do you think we'd have gotten out so easy if they thought we actually knew something?"
As those words sank in Darien's heart dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of his feet. "You don't think..."
"The kid is fine, for now." Hobbes said to ease Darien's mind. "This ain't some cake walk ya know."
"Don't remind me. Why would guys in lab coats need guns? Unless..." Darien trailed off not really wanting to think too deeply about that possibility.
"What, Fawkes?" Hobbes knew that worried look.
"Just ... It reminds of the lab. Kevin, Arnaud and everything." Darien explained in an emotion roughened voice.
"I bet it does. Fawkes, those weren't no terrorists. Doubt they were lab techs, but they weren't no terrorists." Hobbes pulled into a parking space a couple blocks down from where Alyx was having her lunch date. It was looking like things were well timed. Bunch of guys dressed in modified geek were flowing out of the restaurant and heading for a variety of late model cars parked all along the street.
A group of about six gathered on the sidewalk outside the door apparently deep in discussion, but they broke up moments later leaving just two people standing their, both of whom Darien recognized. His jaw clenched in anger as Geofferies curled a hand about Alyx's neck and leaned in for a kiss to which Alyx seemed to participate in full.
"Fawkes, cool it. She's doing the job." Hobbes hissed as Darien clenched his hands tight enough to turn the knuckles white.
"I know that." Darien snapped in complete frustration. "Don't mean I have to like it one bit. And I damn well know she doesn't."
Hobbes eyed his partner warily. "You okay there? Not heading to the danger zone or nothing?"
"I'm fine." Darien huffed and slouched down in his seat. In truth he didn't want to check, didn't want to find out he had pushed his luck again. He didn't yet have even a hint of headache so he wasn't too worried about it.
"Looks like the party is breaking up." Hobbes nodded at the pair who were separating; Geofferies heading to his car while Alyx looked on, giving him a wave as he drove slowly by and seconds later past the van heading back to Novadyne. "Think you can give her the heads up to our location?"
"She knows." Darien turned his head to look out the passenger window. "Says she wants to meet at her place." Darien blinked a couple times and refocused on the world before him. He'd never get used to this, or how she managed to talk mind to mind and do other things at the same time. "That work for you?"
Hobbes started the engine. "Good enough." He pulled the van onto the road headed the wrong direction, not wanting to risk her being connected with the two of them as a precaution. By the time they had turned around and back through the town her car was gone.
Lunch was an interesting experience and she quickly learned you could take the scientist geeks out of the office, but you can't take the office out of the scientist geeks. The waitress made sure there were pads of paper floating about to keep the guys from writing on the napkins, but it didn't always help as they would often grab the nearest paper-like thing and scribble away.
She sat squished in between Geofferies and another fellow named Jamie Graves who looked her over and then at Geofferies and gave him a thumbs up and big old grin. He received a smack in the back of the head from the next guy down for his trouble.
After the initial discomfort and introductions, the nearly two dozen men, who'd taken over several tables and booths in the back of the restaurant, dove right back into their discussion. At one point Kirkland began to explain what they were working on in vague terms, but Alyx had surprised all of them by making an observation that sent several scrambling for more paper.
From there on the atmosphere from most loosened up considerably, but there were four of them who registered as very wary, and very concerned about her presence. To her senses they came across as markedly different from the rest even though they did the geek thing perfectly, getting excited over trivialities, and taking odd little turns into other subjects that would often circle around back to where they had started.
Alyx loved it. While not the field she had studied many years ago, the feel of it was the same. The energy, the enthusiasm, and she found herself missing it far more than she'd ever thought possible.
They talked and laughed and ate for nearly two hours, hot wings, pizza and soda flowed in astonishing quantities and yet the talk never waned. These guys loved their jobs and it showed. At one point Kirkland reached around her to get the attention of Jamie and his arm ending up staying in place, draped about her shoulders in a proprietary manner. The few who dared comment were bombarded with balled up pieces of paper thrown with an uncanny accuracy. Alyx helping them reach their intended targets only a minimal amount effort.
Almost on cue at five PM several of them glanced at watches and the scribbled notes were gathered up and wallets appeared just as the waitress showed. This was definitely a regular occurrence here. They strolled out of the building and into the late afternoon sunshine. This time of the year darkness settled in early and the temperature had dropped quite a bit already.
Two familiar minds registered on hers, but she ignored them for the moment, still having to deal with Kirkland and his friends.
"You should bring her around again. Nice to actually be reminded of what the female of the species looks like." Jamie, the obvious smart-ass of the group, commented with a grin.
"Wonder what Dorothy would say about that comment, J?" Another member of the group tossed out making Jamie frown slightly.
"You wouldn't." Jamie hit the bait hard and was rewarded with laughter from most of the group. "All right, just remember I know where you live." He turned back to Kirkland and Alyx. "Well, you gonna kiss her good-bye or not?"
Alyx was amused to feel the embarrassment that rushed across Kirkland and he blushed to go along with it. "Oh, I imagine he will, but after you boys leave. He doesn't want you to get in trouble with Dorothy."
"Keep this one Kirkland. Anyone who can match J, here is perfect for you." That came from one of the guys at the back of the group and Alyx realized it was true. She'd been matching Jamie's sarcasm and quick wit at every turn and usually to her advantage.
"Bucky-ball-boy there is right, keep this one." Jamie nodded at her. "See you back at the lab, Kirk."
The group broke up then and within minutes she and Kirkland stood alone on the sidewalk. "This was a lot of fun. Thanks for the invite."
"You are a lot more than I ever imagined. Where on earth did you learn thermodynamics?" He closed the distance between them curved a warm hand about the back of her neck, playing with the hair and stroking the skin in such a way as to make her shiver slightly.
Alyx shrugged. "I probably read a book on it somewhere. Does it really matter? I'm just glad I was able to do more than nod and look pretty for you."
"Oh I never had any doubts about that." He leaned in for that kiss then, groaning softly as he pulled her closer. When he broke away, it was with great reluctance. "I have got to go. I only have a half day tomorrow, how about dinner at my place? I'll pick you up at six?"
Alyx debated, intentionally drawing out the moment, before answering with carefully chosen words. "So long as you don't think I'll be underfoot." The look her gave her was heated and she found herself reacting to it. His emotions impinging upon hers and directing them to a degree. She slammed the connection shut and was relieved there was no carry over, that the flow was cut off completely.
"Oh no, definitely not underfoot." He stole another kiss and moved away to his car.
Alyx stood on the sidewalk and gave him a wave a he drove past before heading to her own vehicle. She focused on the pair of men parked a couple of blocks away. *Darien?*
*Yes?* His "voice" was stiff with anger and jealousy.
*Can we meet at my place? I need to speak to you and Hobbes before going to the Official.* Alyx explained quickly and without adding any extraneous emotion. She wanted no part of making him even more upset.
It took Darien a moment but he finally responded. *We'll meet you there.* Then he cut off the connection.
Alyx sighed and waited until they had driven past in Golda, adjusting her hair and other blatantly girlie things, before starting her car and driving away.