Chapter 4
"No, no, don't apologize," Magnus murmured into the phone, shaking her head. "It was never more than an off chance. Thank your operatives for me and, as always, keep me updated, Carlos." She listened for a moment, murmured agreement and hung up. She looked up at him. "Come in, John. What can I do for you?"
"I'll be bringing Clara to the Gobi facility in a short while," he answered, stepping into the office. "Who was on the phone?"
"Doctor Ramirez of my Mexico City branch. He thought he might have a line on a Cabal facility but it was just another drug lab." She sighed and gestured for him to have a seat.
"On the subject of drugs," he began slowly, sitting down.
She raised an eyebrow. "John?"
"Young William seems rather agitated. He mentioned he was taking something. Began with an m, I believe."
"Modafinil," she confirmed, nodding. "Don't worry; I'm monitoring his usage closely. Given his other meds, I have to."
He raised an eyebrow. "Is he safe?"
"Safer than he would be if I weren't monitoring him," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and pushing down the memory of the rather loud argument she'd had with Will the other day. "He's a big boy and a competent enough physician. He's well aware of the risks and he considers them acceptable."
"Are they?"
"For now, but have no doubt that I will restrain him should it become necessary."
"Of course you will, Helen. Forgive me." He inclined his head. "And how goes the rest of the war effort?"
"The Cabal's being fairly inactive for the time being. I imagine most of their attentions are focused on understanding the Source."
"Or they're planning another offensive."
She scoffed. "The Source was their goal, John. We're no threat to them any longer. We never were in the first place."
"Helen, can I…" he began, extending his hand across the desk. "I need to help you."
"And you are, John, by focusing your efforts on recovering our daughter. I have been running this organization for a long time now. I know what I'm doing and I have no time to train an amateur in these matters. You'd be more hindrance than help at my job." Cringing at his hurt look, she added, "Whereas you are proving invaluable in expanding our knowledge of Cabal facilities and operations worldwide."
He sighed but nodded, looking mollified. "I just never thought to see you depending on a boy the way you once did on James."
"Don't let his looks fool you. Will's done a great deal of living in his thirty-three years."
"He'd have to or he'd hold no appeal for you."
She frowned faintly. Druitt had yet to express anything resembling jealousy but she was starting to wonder what he thought the nature of her attachment to Will was. It wasn't uncomfortable that he might assume that of them; he would hardly be the first. But, at the same time, she didn't like people to underestimate Will's importance to her and her mission. Or his potential.
"He's clever," she tried to justify herself. "He can be the next James with work."
He raised an eyebrow. "You really believe that?"
"James and I discussed the matter at great length. We were quite agreed. Will has more raw potential than James did prior to taking the Source."
"Hmmm," he mused, steepling his fingers. "Then why not deliver him into James' hands for training?"
"They're too similar. I may wish to see him develop gifts similar to those James possessed, but that doesn't mean I ever wished him to acquire James' flaws."
"Such as the over-use of stimulants."
"Leave it, John," she answered shortly, shaking her head. "These are difficult times. His behavior now doesn't automatically foreshadow his behavior once the situation has been retrieved."
"Not any more than James' use of cocaine during the murders foreshadowed his continued indulgence afterwards," he answered with that smooth insolence of his.
Magnus shook her head. "You go too far, John. Collect Clara, be on your way, and report to me for brain imaging once you've returned."
"Helen…"
"No." She shook her head. "This conversation is over. Go and have it done with."
He looked irritated and more than a little concerned, but she turned her attention to her computer and kept it there until he retreated. Will's similarities to James were hardly lost on her. They could make him invaluable. They could also be his undoing. Yet she facilitated him in behavior she would have protested in anyone else. Because, as she had known James, as she had come to know Will, she knew that if she did not give him the stimulants he sought, he would find them elsewhere.
And then she would no longer be in a position to protect him from himself.
0101010
Will ignored the hand on his chest, staring at the medical files on the computer and earning an irritated sigh from the woman leaning over him from behind.
"You know, most guys like getting groped by their girlfriends," Clara pointed out, removing her hand and straightening.
"I'm on the clock," he answered, shaking his head. "I need to focus here, Clara."
"Will, we'll get your friend back," she told him gently. "John and I are on the case."
"And it's one case of about twenty that the Sanctuary's dealing with, most of which have fallen squarely into my lap. So why don't you and Druitt handle the Mission Impossible stuff and let me handle the Criminal Minds end."
She sighed again, moving to sit on the edge of his desk. "When's the last time you slept?"
"Don't know," he answered, shrugging and leaning around her to retrieve a file. "Probably before the Cabal made war on my family."
"You're going to run yourself into the ground if you don't stop this."
"Not if we get the situation resolved quickly enough."
"Will," she began.
"I don't have time for this, Clara." He shook his head. "You need to wrap your brain around the scope of this thing. It's not just the people you've met here. It's not just the hundreds of abnormals running around Old City. It's not just the hundreds of thousands of abnormals all over the world. This is the future of the human species up for grabs here. No one with a conscience can recognize that and opt to take it easy instead of giving a hundred and ten percent."
She folded her arms over her chest, scowling. "Are you saying I--"
"No!" He shook his head, annoyed and telling himself firmly that was just from the modafinil. "You've been working as hard as any of us, pushing your ability to its limits, probably past what you used to believe you were even capable of, and you're doing it every day. I respect that and I'm grateful to you for it. But the fact that you're pushing yourself that hard means you aren't in a position to tell anyone else to not push themselves. This will eventually be over. Until it is, we all owe everything we've got and just a little bit more besides."
"You're going to kill yourself."
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
"I know the meds are prescription and everything, but you're starting to remind me of an addict, Will…"
"Then feel free to stop hanging out with me. Wouldn't want my bad habits rubbing off."
"That's not fair!"
"Weren't you supposed to be playing ninja this afternoon anyway?"
"Will!" she protested, shaking her head.
"I don't have time, Clara. I've got eight million things to do that I can't trust to anyone else. Making nice-nice with my girlfriend isn't high on that list. Sorry."
She made a frustrated noise and spun on her heel. Will knew he could have stopped her and they would have been good again then and there. But the simple truth was that he could be contrite any time and a woman that desperate for acceptance would pretend nothing had happened, so he let her go and got back to work.
He heard her talking in the hallway, took a moment to identify the other voice as belonging to Druitt, and breathed a sigh of relief. Clara always got amped over field engagements. By the time she was ready for extraction, she wouldn't even remember they'd argued.
Druitt, on the other hand…
0101010
"Hey, boss, you get my email?" Henry asked, leaning into her office.
"Yes, yes." Magnus nodded, climbing to her feet. "I was just about to respond. How much did you need?"
"Twenty-five, thirty Gs to start."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's all?"
"Given the situation, pretty much everyone's offering goods and services at a discount, even in parts of the world that haven't been impacted by this yet."
"That steep a discount implies material and manpower from less than legitimate sources."
"I know we don't normally take help from warlords and cartels…" he began, trailing off when she held up one hand.
"Given how deeply embedded into various governments, militaries, and industries the Cabal would appear to be, we can no longer afford to rely exclusively on our traditional channels, Henry. If you trust the judgment of your contacts, I do. Make it clear that this in no way constitutes a permanent arrangement but, for the time being, we'll take help where we can find it."
He hesitated, then nodded, stylus flying across the screen of his computer tablet. "My contacts in Columbia can start getting Intel back to us by evening. I'll have to get back to you on time-frames for Africa and Indonesia."
She nodded. "Tell them all, please, no unnecessary violence and, the lower a profile, the better."
"They know." Henry started to leave, then turned back. "You holding up okay?" he asked hesitantly.
"As well as any of us, I suppose," he murmured. "And you? I know I haven't been precisely accessible, but…"
"We've all been busy," he answered, waving a dismissive hand. "Will keeps asking if I want to talk, how I'm handling everything, if the meds are working."
"And are they?"
"Guess." He shrugged, staring down at his computer tablet.
"Henry, look at me," she directed, moving closer. She caught his chin lightly in one hand, forcing him to look at her. "Nightmares?" she prompted because Will had warned her it was likely.
"Not bad ones." At her look, he shrugged defensively. "I'm honestly too damned tired most nights to dream at all. And Will gave me those pills for when I do."
She nodded acceptance. "Just remember that Will and I are here for you, no matter the hour. We both love you very much, Henry."
"And Will and I love you," he agreed, eyes not quite meeting hers. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find us. And I know Will's a shrink and all, but I want to be here, too, if you need."
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "You've comported yourself wonderfully these past weeks, Henry. I need you to understand that, even when I forget to say so. You've done so much for us, for me." Biting back a smile at his hopeful look, she told him, "I'm proud of you. You've risen to this occasion wonderfully."
He smiled, eyes suddenly swimming. "Thanks, doc. But I should get back to work now."
"You do that, Henry. And remember that your family is here for you should you need us."
"Don't you forget, either," he answered, clearing his throat and hurrying from the office.
Feeling tired, empty, Magnus returned to her desk. As Will had so blithely started to put it, there was no longer any rest for the wicked.
