Chapter 11: Loose Ends and Tethers in Atlantic City
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That what he goes there for, is to unlock the door.
While those around him criticize and sleep...
And through a fractal on a breaking wall,
I see you my friend, and touch your face again.
Miracles will happen as we trip.
--Seal, "Crazy"
"This isn't bad," Schuldig said as he observed Atlantic City on their way to the hotel. "I still think I like Vegas better."
"Vegas does suit you," Crawford agreed noncommittally.
"I don't think that you meant that as a compliment," Schuldig said dryly.
"Hmm. Well, here we are." Crawford pulled into the hotel's entrance. A valet took the keys from him as two bellhops got their luggage out of the car.
"Nice," Schuldig said.
"Let's find our objective."
Schuldig sighed. "Sometimes, Crawford, you're no fun."
----
Frankie Lovani relaxed in the aromatherapy room. Gentle music played through hidden speakers, soothing her. Mike was right. She had needed this session in the spa. After a face treatment, a good massage, and the peace and quiet of this aromatherapy session, she was starting to feel normal again.
The door opened and closed, letting in a good-looking man with fox-colored hair, wearing one of the spa's black shirts. He grinned at her. His grin was mischievous. "Don't let me bother you. Tracy had to go on break, and she asked me to take over. I hope you don't mind?"
Frankie shook her head. "No, that's fine. I trust Tracy. She would put me in good hands."
"Best in the business," the man said. He had a trace of an European accent, but she couldn't place it.
Long, deft fingers touched her temples and began to massage. She opened her eyes. "I didn't ask for a face massage."
"You look tense. I thought it might help," the man said. He put a finger over his lips. "I won't tell if you won't."
Frankie flashed him a smile. The people here were so nice. She fell asleep under the stranger's soothing touch.
Schuldig smirked at the sleeping woman. "Like I said, best hands in the business."
"Telepathic suggestion didn't hurt, either," Crawford said as he came in. "Let's get this done."
Schuldig clasped one hand over Dr. Lovani's forehead and the other behind Crawford's neck, long fingers cradling his skull. The two men tilted their heads forward to touch foreheads lightly. Within an eye blink, Schuldig found himself inside Crawford's mind.
He walked a vast plain under a dark, still sky. The emptiness wasn't unexpected but still remarkable. Only Crawford had a mind disciplined enough to produce something like this. "So this is what's inside, eh, Crawford?" There was an echoing quality to his voice. He looked around. His mental 'voice' was bouncing off of Crawford's 'walls.' That was astounding. Crawford's shields really were like stone, so solid they had a quality to them approaching weight and substance.
A shadowy figure came out of the undifferentiated dark. "Farfarello!"
Farfarello had changed slightly but was still recognizably his old teammate. "Schuldig. Tis good to see ye."
Schuldig reached out and brushed his fingertips over Farfarello's arm. The Irishman felt solid. Schuldig marveled at that. The few mental constructs he had run across inside people's minds never did. They were ghosts that couldn't stand up to his intrusive 'touch.' Farfarello could. Schuldig felt the roughness of the clothes he was wearing, the ridges of his numerous scars. Farfarello's flesh was cool and unyielding to the touch, as it was in life.
"It's good to see you too," Schuldig finally managed, as he got over the pleasure and surprise. "You look well."
"That I am, Schuldig, that I am," he agreed solemnly. "Ye're about to go traipsin' through that girl's mind, aren't ye?"
"Yes. Crawford has offered to act as an anchor and to pull me back, if necessary."
"Ye never did like that part of ye're job, did ye? And didn't I force somethin' very much like that upon ye? I'm sorry for that, but 'twas necessary, ye know." Farfarello gave him a sidelong glance.
"I know, Farf. Don't worry. I don't hold it against you. I'm just glad that you're here." Schuldig laughed. "How, I still don't know, but you are. How does it feel to be immortal, Farf?"
"We're all immortal, Schuldig."
"I don't know about that," Schuldig said. He peered at Farfarello through half-lidded eyes. "What are you now, Farf? I can't even tell. You're like nothing I've ever seen in anyone's head."
"I'm the pneu'ma, Schuldig. I'm still the same man ye once knew."
Before, you were Jei. And you were Farfarello. Which are you? Jei or Farfarello?"
"Which was I before?"
Jei within and Farfarello without, I would say. How is it now? The two of you separated, didn't you?"
"Aye, aye. But Farfarello couldn't leave without Jei, and vice versa. So we came over together. I'm all that and more besides." Farfarello gave him a meaningful nod, gesturing to the outside. "You'd better get goin'. Crawford's getting impatient."
"You're right. He's never liked delays, has he?" Schuldig created his anchor point and attached it to Crawford's consciousness, so that Crawford could access it at will. "Take care, Farf."
"I will. I will. God will be with ye." Schuldig started, but Farfarello was already gone, and he was hurtling into Lovani's sleeping mind.
----
Compared to Crawford's controlled mental environment, Lovani's mind was like a tumble down the rabbit hole. Even asleep, chaotic thoughts crashed and merged with each other, racing wildly around like frightened rabbits. Schuldig felt grateful for the steadying line that came from Crawford's mind. The tether had taken on the persona of the person it was tethered to and was a secure, stout cable that kept Schuldig from getting swept away by Lovani's undisciplined mental mess.
Schuldig slogged through that mess, sifting out the flakes of gold from all the sand. A face stopped him. It was of a woman, sharp featured, ageless and nearly sexless. Her eyes were large, watchful. The only indication of her age was the faint lines radiating from her eyes and the dark hair liberally streaked with grey. It seemed vaguely familiar, but Schuldig couldn't figure out where he had seen it before. He sifted some more and was able to put a name to the face: Vela Berdan.
Carefully, Schuldig took these culled few nuggets and squirreled them away. He erased her memory of seeing him and fogged her memories of the experiments she had conducted on the psi talents. He nudged her to believe that they had been failures and to burn her notes and research. For good measure, he persuaded her to give up paranormal research altogether. That took considerably more effort, because it was an interest deeply ingrained in her. From her mind he found the location of Sutter. The good doctor was enjoying a solo round of golf. Perfect.
Like a man pulling himself to shore, he brought himself back hand over hand along Crawford's tether. Once he was back in Crawford's mind, he looked around for Farfarello, but the Irishman was gone. Too soon, he found himself cast out of Crawford's mind. He blinked as he settled himself back within his own psyche. He staggered a little, and Crawford steadied him even as he led him out by one elbow.
Schuldig's steps didn't steady until they were nearing Schuldig's hotel room. Schuldig handed Crawford the keycard and watched in silence as the precog swiped the card and opened the door. Crawford steered him in the room and onto the bed. Schuldig sat on the edge of the bed frowning. "Sutter."
"What about him?" Crawford asked.
"I have to take care of Sutter."
"No you don't," Crawford said calmly. "You're wiped out."
"We still don't know who's financing this," Schuldig argued as he let Crawford push him back to lay flat on the bed. "Lovani didn't know. Vela was the liaison. She's the key." Crawford paused, then continued his ministrations. He took a towel that had been lying in a shallow bowl filled with water and wrung it out. He then placed the cool cloth over Schuldig's eyes, blocking his vision.
"That's unfortunate," Crawford said dryly.
"If I can get to Sutter—"
"It's too late, Schuldig," Crawford said with a sigh.
"But—"
"Sutter," Crawford interrupted, "is about to meet his fate on the golf course. Lightning storm. His dedication to his hobby will prove fatal." As if to punctuate his statement, a threatening growl of thunder sounded.
"Did you--?"
Crawford's silence seemed to reproach him. "Merely a suggestion to the right party at the right time," he finally said. "The future does the rest."
"Damn," Schuldig said. "Too bad Lovani doesn't play golf too. Would've saved me some trouble."
"Unfortunate," Crawford agreed.
"The future," Schuldig said. "Your stock and trade. I've always wondered. What's it like, Crawford? To see what everyone else doesn't?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Schuldig."
"I sometimes wished I had been a pre-cog instead," Schuldig said.
"And sometimes I a telepath." Schuldig felt the bed shift as Crawford sat on the edge of it. Schuldig moved his arm until the backs of his fingers brushed against Crawford's hip. Crawford didn't move away.
Schuldig let his fingers remain there. The small contact was reassuring. He laughed suddenly. "I wonder what you would be like if you had been a telepath," he said.
"About the same, I would think," Crawford said.
Schuldig lifted a corner of the towel to look at Crawford. "You'd be wrong." He lowered the corner again, enjoying the cool darkness. "Our talents shaped us, shaped our personalities. I wouldn't be as confident as I am today if I didn't know what ran through people's heads. Nagi wouldn't be as alienated, and you wouldn't be as arrogant."
"If I had telepathy instead of pre-cognition, I would be just as 'arrogant' as before. Just for a different reason." Crawford countered.
"True," Schuldig agreed cheerfully. "But you wouldn't be as remote. You wouldn't be able to be."
Crawford didn't have anything to say to that. The two sat in companionable silence, listening to the rain pelt the windows and the storm roll past. At one particular lightning strike, Crawford's lips curved faintly. He loved tying up loose ends. His smile faded. He still had the major loose end, Vela Berdan, to take care of. And that loose end would be the one to tie all the last of the loose ends together. Crawford just hoped that he wasn't going to find a Gordian knot for him to unravel at the end of Vela's thread.
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A/N:
Thanks to-
Lestat197 – Your enthusiasm always does me good and is very encouraging to me, thanks for the support.
Lily – I liked Schu as observer, too. With his ability to see all facets, even the unspoken ones, I imagine that he knows quite a bit about human behavior and social patterns. Thank you for your kind words about my OCs. I'm thankful to have the reassurance that they don't detract from the story.
Precognition74 – Claire is going to pull another surprise or two out in the future. Like her son, she's not all that she seems to be on the surface.
Tysoyo Kalli – Welcome, glad you've dropped in! Thank you for your reviews on my other stories, and on this one. It's always good to know that people are reading them. I'm delighted that you've caught up, and hope that you'll enjoy the rest.