Chapter 3

Will flipped through the satellite readouts again, more to have something to do with his hands than because he needed another look at the images.

"Yeah, this looks more like a detention center that a training camp to me, too," he told Druitt. "Whether it's where they're keeping Ashley--"

"Depends largely on how they made her switch sides and whether that conditioning seems to be holding. And, of course, on exactly how cooperative she's being."

"I think we have to accept that the best case scenario is probably that she's told them everything she knows about us. Tesla's been helping Henry completely overhaul our security system on that assumption. She knows Henry and how he thinks, but…"

"But Nikola remains an unknown quantity." Druitt nodded, letting out that irritated growl that always accompanied him being forced to acknowledge that Tesla was, for the time being at least, an ally.

"Look, Druitt, I know he's a disgusting piece of shit," Will began.

"Hush," he interrupted before he could continue. "Nikola is nothing if not brilliant and his… affection for Helen means he'll do what he can to assist the Sanctuary for the time being. Put aside your personal distaste for him and focus on the greater good."

"Easy for you to say," he answered sullenly.

"Do you think so?" Druitt challenged, his voice low and eerily calm. "Would you like to see my scars, William? The ones Nikola gave me? Perhaps you'd like to hear the words he used to taunt me for all those weeks? Or to know what it feels like to be repeatedly electrocuted?" He shook his head, still seeming perfectly composed. "No one has as many reasons to hate Nikola as I do but, under the circumstances, I am more than happy to put that aside for the time being."

"Sorry. I, uh… if we work with evil people, how are we any different from the Cabal?" He shook his head. "Never mind. Don't answer that."

"We both know there is no good answer to that, son." He shook his head. "If I ask you a question, will you answer it honestly?"

"Depends on the question."

"You're using more than caffeine to stay awake and alert, aren't you?"

Will hesitated. It wasn't really Druitt's business what he was on med-wise and Magnus could be counted on not to tell him. But, if Druitt went to Magnus with concerns that Will was taking more stimulants than were healthy, she might decide to take a closer look at his intake.

"Magnus prescribed me some modafinil. It's perfectly safe, used by shift workers and the military…"

He frowned. "But that and the caffeine are it?"

"Yes," Will answered, not bothering to add 'for now' since he didn't need Druitt telling tales to Magnus. If he had Adderall standing by, just in case, that was his business, not theirs. "That's all I'm on, Druitt. Scout's honor."

"You remind me of James in many ways, so I feel it only proper to extend you this warning: stimulants will consume your life if you don't watch your intake. They started solely as a way to allow him to do his job better but I imagine you've read enough Sherlock Holmes to know how that turned out."

Will sighed and nodded. "I know, nasty addiction and he eventually had to be detoxed in what was, presumably, such a terrible few weeks that it was only ever alluded to in the stories. I'm not going to go down that road but, right now, Magnus and Henry have a ridiculous amount on their plates and they're more than a little unhinged by losing Ashley. For the time being, I need to be the collected one."

"Fair enough, I suppose," he murmured, expression reflective.

Will drummed his fingers on the desk, one at a time in sequence, three or four times to diffuse a little of his nervous energy before he spoke again.

"I talked to Clara and she'll be happy to scope out the facility if you give her a ride," he told Druitt. "I think she's starting to really enjoy the wonderful world of espionage."

Druitt smiled fondly. "She's an interesting young woman; there's real potential in her now that she's over her initial shock at this world. I gave her a book on the kunoichi to read."

"Kunoichi?"

"Female ninjas who specialized equally in evasion, disguise and the use of their feminine wiles. Young Clara was most taken with the idea."

"The two of you make a hell of a team," Will answered, smiling. "Didn't know you were interested in Japanese culture."

"Not particularly, but I've always felt a special affinity for people capable of seeming to vanish off the face of the Earth," he told Will with a faint smile. "And I'll thank you not to try to profile me based upon that admission."

"I understand and I won't," he assured him, holding up both hands.

He ignored it when splaying his fingers gave him the urge to drum them on the desk again. No way was he about to start tweaking in front of Druitt one minute after being asked about his use of stimulants.

"Thank you," the other man said. "Rest assured that, should I decide I need the services of a psychiatrist, you will be the first to know."

Will nodded. "So I should tell Clara that you're Go for checking the facility?"

"Absolutely," he agreed. "Have her find me and we'll set up the details."

"Thanks, Druitt." Will climbed to his feet, turning to leave the office.

"William?"

"Yeah?"

"You may find, son, that sometimes a few hours of sleep have a stronger effect on your ability to reason than drugs designed to bypass the process. Think about it."

"Will do," he promised. After all, thinking about slowing down wasn't the same as actually doing it.

0101010

Joe heard a decidedly inhuman yelp as he headed for Henry's lab. Not that 'inhuman' meant it hadn't come from a person. Not around here. He picked up his pace, turning the corner into Henry's lab to find the man shaking his hand wildly as if he'd burned or shocked it. Probably shocked, judging from the open server tower he was working on.

"You okay there?"

Henry looked up at him, yellow eyes sweeping over his form in a manner than was more than a little unsettling. Horrified, Joe cleared his throat and took a slow step backwards, spreading his hands. Henry frowned blankly for a moment, then his eyes shifted back to their usual pale blue. He shook his head, expression apologetic.

"Sorry, man. Easier to make sure none of the blades are overheating if I use the other eyes," he explained with a yawn.

"You okay?" Joe asked, frowning at him. "You don't look great."

"Maybe it's my time of the month?" he scoffed. "Just busy, man. It's been seriously crazy here. Have you touched base with Will or Magnus lately?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I heard about Ashley. I'm sorry, Henry. She seemed…"

"She was," Henry answered shortly, shaking his head. "Not her fault what happened so just drop it, man."

"Sorry." Joe held up both hands. "Can't be easy for you."

"Not easy for any of us," Henry answered with a shrug, roughly jerking a blade out of the server tower and tossing it aside. "We make due, same as we always have."

He picked up another blade and shoved it into the new slot with more force than was probably recommended.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Find a bitch named Dana Whitcomb and give her a double-tap between the eyes?" he countered, voice hard.

Joe's eyes widened at that.

"Sorry, man," Henry sighed, shaking his head. "She's just… Never mind. Everything is crazy right now. None of it makes sense."

"I get that a lot's gone down," he began. "If any of you need anything at all, let me know."

"You have your own worries," he answered. "You don't need ours, too."

"Yeah, but--"

"No," Henry interrupted, shaking his head. "This isn't your war, man. You don't want to make an enemy of those people. Just do your job and, end of the day, go home and pretend we don't exist. It's not just safer for you. It's safer for everyone you've ever cared about."

"They're that hardcore?"

"Nah. They're worse."

"Jesus."

"Yeah." Henry nods. "Did you need anything, Joe, because nothing personal but I've got enough work for about three people piled up that all needs to be done yesterday if not sooner."

Joe blinked. It was the closest he'd ever heard Henry to being abrupt. "Right. I'll get out of your hair."

"Thanks, man," Henry answered, returning his attention to the server tower.

"You picked a bad time to bother him," a quiet voice noted as Joe returned to the corridor.

"Yeah, obviously," he agreed, turning around.

He jumped because he found himself face to face with a seven foot tall lizard-man. Which became considerably less intimidating when he took note of the coffee mug and terrycloth bathrobe. The lizard-man gave him a toothy grin.

"Ssssteve," he introduced himself, offering his free hand. "I help Helen out in the infirmary."

Joe hesitated for a moment before shaking. "Uh, nice to meet you, Steve."

"Joe Kavanaugh, right? Will'ss buddy?"

"We used to work together, yeah."

"You do again," Steve pointed out with a growled chuckle.

"So it would seem. Uh, all of this?" he began, not sure what he was really getting at.

"Bad timessss." Steve shook his head. "People are afraid. Walk with me," he suggested. "Henry doesssn't need the dissstraction of people talking nearby."

"Right," Joe answered, falling into step beside the lizard-man. "So…"

"Will told you what hass happened?"

"Big nasty bioweapon, psychosis followed by death." Joe nodded. "Now people are attacking anyone they even suspect of being an abnormal."

"Mmm." Steve nodded. "Complete nightmare. People who only want to be left alone and they can't even have that anymore."

"That's always a terrible situation. Will said you're adopting a kind of bunker mentality?"

"We've had to. Not everyone wasss able to go into hiding in time. They're all here until we can find them new placcccessss."

"He mentioned some names I hadn't heard before in connection with the Sanctuary. Someone called Druitt and a guy named Tesla? Doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in either one."

Steve considered for a moment. "They've known Helen for a long time. They can be relied on for now."

"For now?"

"Nothing iss forever," he pointed out with a shrug. "Even affection. But, while the Cabal iss a threat, helping Helen will remain in their besssst interesssst."

"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, there."

"One iss detesssstable. The other iss John Druitt."

Joe frowned blankly.

"Google that name," Steve suggested, shaking his head and taking a sip of his coffee. "Do you want any?" he offered. "You look like you could do with a cup and there'ss alwaysss a pot in every kitchen."

"How many kitchens are there in this place?" he asked, having only seen the one.

"One large one and many ssmall 'family' oness. More homey. Helen consssiderss it important for our mental health that we feel like we are in a home, not a hossspital. Esspecccially in ssuch timess."

"Because suddenly people have less of a choice about staying here?"

"Mmm," he agreed, expression surprisingly pensive for a giant lizard.

"Is that a problem?"

"Many abnormalss are born to be free. Wallsss don't agree with all of uss."

"People get stir-crazy and the situation in here could turn as bad as the one out there."

"We know. We can handle it," Steve assured him.

"If you're sure." Joe handed him a business card. "Just in case that changes."

Steve nodded and studied the card for a moment before tucking it into a pocket. "I'll call if anything changess," he told Joe before turning and wandering off, humming to himself.