Chapter 5
"How exactly are we going to handle bringing the attackers to justice?" Joe asked.
Will let out an irritated-sounding sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There's not a lot we can do. We can't do much to private citizens when we can't produce the victims in court." He shrugged. "I mean, conceivably with some of our connections, it wouldn't be hard to frame false charges and make them stick, but that's never been how we roll, either."
"So they just get away with it?" Joe demanded, stunned.
"Yeah, Joe!" Will snapped, shaking his head. "They just get away with it, same as the Cabal's probably going to get away with what they did! Even if we had the resources, we don't have the time and we have friends who could help, but we don't need to be sucking them into a planetary Shadow War or asking them to potentially compromise their careers."
"Then what was point of involving the cops in the first place?"
"Impression management," Will informed him flatly. "If the abnormals don't believe that the authorities actually give a shit, we could be looking at a wide-scale breach between us and the abnormals."
"'Us' like regular humans or 'us' like the Sanctuary?"
"Joe, man, you need to wrap your brain around the fact that the Sanctuary isn't your enemy. It's true that we protect abnormals from humans but that works both ways, too. If abnormals are dangerous to humans, we stop them; you've seen that first hand. And, by largely keeping them from public attention and preventing Hate Crimes like we've been seeing here, we're preventing the kind of retaliation that could lead to all-out war."
"You really think it would come to that?"
"I think that, if you consistently deny any group its civil rights, they're eventually going to try to claim them by force. I also think, given the abilities some abnormals possess, that kind of thing would get ugly fast."
"Define ugly."
Will opened his mouth to answer and then shut it again, looking past Joe. Joe turned around to see Druitt standing in the doorway.
"I've been doing this considerably longer than young William and so may be in a better position to clarify," the scarred man told Joe, stepping inside.
He took a moment to regard Will searchingly, then turned his full attention to Joe, which was unsettling for no good reason the cop could place. He didn't walk into the room; he prowled in, grabbing one of the oversized armchairs that Will used for therapy and carrying it over to Will's desk. In one hand, which must have taken a lot of strength; like everything else in the Sanctuary, the chair was ornate and very substantial. He dropped it in front of Will's desk with a thud that made it clear the thing was at least as heavy as it sounded, then he sank into it, eying Joe.
"Consider some of the abilities you can find searching no farther than these walls," he told Joe. "I'm a teleporter. I can carry myself and numerous other individuals anywhere on the planet, indoors or out, in the blink of an eye. Now, take my friend Nikola who can channel and manipulate electricity to such a degree that he could completely neutralize several square blocks of the city's power-grid without particular exertion. Or young Clara who can turn invisible at will. A patient of William's who can ignite fires with her mind. An individual who can read thoughts. One who can manipulate emotions. It does not take a man of the good doctor's deductive abilities to see how destructive even such a small group of abnormals, working in concert, could be.
"Now consider a much larger group, with more diverse and impressive powers, fueled by anger and hatred instead of the simple need to protect their own. Nor would all be strictly human. Sirens, lizard-folk, assorted other man-beasts. Human or above-human in intelligence but capable of eviscerating or even dismembering an individual with only their hands and teeth. The damage and chaos this second group can cause is exponentially greater even before public confusion and panic are factored into the equation. Now consider such groups arising and moving against the human population all over the world."
"Ugly," Will repeated, giving Joe a meaningful look.
"Point taken," he sighed, nodding and climbing to his feet. "I suppose you two have a lot of work to do. I won't keep you."
"I'll be in touch, Joe," Will told him.
"And you have my card if anything comes up," Druitt added, climbing to his feet as well. "It was good to see you again, Detective. I'll see you to the door."
Since the two obviously had things that they needed to discuss, Joe let himself be led. It did not stop him from listening at the closed door.
"You inserted her?" Will asked.
"I did, but I couldn't help but notice how very perturbed she seemed."
"Don't start, Druitt! Give your history with women--"
"How dare you!" Druitt snarled, cutting him off. "You leave my past actions out of this!"
Joe withdrew then; he didn't need to eavesdrop on an argument over a woman. But Druitt's vehemence that Will not mention his past reminded Joe of what Steve had said. Curious, he left that wing of the Sanctuary for one where he might actually be able to get cell service. Once he had bars, he dialed the precinct.
"Caroline, it's Joe Kavanaugh."
"Oh, hey, Joe!" the girl on the other end answered brightly. "Long time no talk. What can I do for you?"
"I need you to run a name," he told her, smiling when he heard an affected yawn. "John Druitt, two t's."
"I'll run it but it's probably an alias," she told him. "Fan of the original, no doubt."
Joe frowned. "The original?"
"MJ Druitt, Joe," she laughed.
"Huh?"
"What do they teach cops these days? He was a suspect in the Ripper killings."
Joe felt his eyes widening. "The…"
"Jack the Ripper, Joe. Honestly. British serial killer in the late 1800s?" she clarified. "Maybe you've heard of him in passing?"
"Just in passing," he whispered. "Let me know what you find on this Druitt guy."
"Will do," she agreed, hanging up.
He could have dismissed it as a coincidence, except for two things. When Joe become aware of the Sanctuary and its mission, Will had laughingly informed him that Magnus was a little older than she looked. And, yesterday, he'd casually mentioned that one of her friends was the inspiration for the literary Sherlock Holmes.
Which meant that the presence of guys here named Nikola Tesla and John Druitt were unlikely to be coincidences…
0101010
"Mr. Tesla?" Joe asked, leaning into the lab.
A slim, dark-haired man in a labcoat was bent over a workbench, his back to the door. "Who wants to know?" he asked in a bored voice, a shower of sparks arcing up over his shoulder as he worked.
"Detective Joe Kavanaugh, friend of Will's."
He did look up then, putting aside what looked like a taser and turning to face Joe, an intrigued expression on his face. His looks were unexceptional except for hair that looked like he'd recently taken live voltage.
"A cop?" he drawled, leaning back against his workbench and eying Joe speculatively. "What an interesting development."
He narrowed his eyes. "How so?"
"The last time I saw Helen before the current unpleasantness, she wouldn't have let a law enforcement official inside the main gate, let alone into the inner recesses of one of her Sanctuaries." His smile turned into a smirk. "And on account of the boy, no less. Curiouser and curiouser."
Joe wasn't sure exactly what Tesla was implying but, from his expression, it was fairly inappropriate.
"Case I was working intersected this world. They didn't have a choice but to bring me in."
"There was a time that wouldn't have stopped them from keeping you in the dark." He gave Joe a toothy grin, eyes calculating. "He has changed her."
His expression grew abstracted and Joe could see the wheels turning in his head as he considered the implications of that idea. Which was unsettling given Steve's contention that this guy was scum and Will's doubt as to whether he'd stay loyal to the Sanctuary if things got bad.
"Can I ask you something?" Joe asked.
"I believe you just did." Inclining his head, he added, "But I don't suppose one more could hurt."
"Can't help but notice there are people here way older than they look, Magnus and then Will mentioned this Watson guy…"
The smile faded, replaced by a slightly pained expression.
"Will said he didn't make it. I'm sorry."
"Yes, well, trust James to find a way to make himself a martyr to Helen's cause," he answered, giving himself a shake and sneering. "If he had to die, that's how he would have wished it to happen. But I gather your question isn't about Helen or James."
"No, it's not. It's… well, it's about you."
The toothy grin was back, this time accompanied by sparkling eyes and a delighted expression. "And no one told you, Detective? I can see why Helen likes you; you're clever."
"The Nikola Tesla?" He laughed and shook his head. "Damn. This place is a real Who's Who, isn't it?"
"Helen attracts greatness," Tesla answered placidly.
"It's a real honor to meet you."
He smirked. "That's what they all say."
"I'll bet! Damn." He shook his head. "Can I ask--"
"Pigeons are simply less complex than humans," he interrupted, expression tight. "I dislike germs but no more than the next man. The majority of my so-called eccentricities were affected by me to keep anyone from digging too deeply into my personal life. Immortality has its down-side; privacy is vital."
"Sorry. You probably get that every time."
"I do," he agreed. "And it never gets any less old."
"Right. I'll just shut up, then."
Tesla gave a murmur of assent and returned his attention to the taser.
"So, what is that?"
The scientist raised an eyebrow. "It's called a taser. I'd assumed a man in law enforcement would be familiar with them."
"I assumed, you being the greatest inventor in history, there might be more to it than meets the eye," he clarified, frowning.
"I'm modulating the frequency so it prevents memory encoding. An idea of young Henry's. He's clever enough but lacking on the practical end in these matters."
"He always seemed more than competent to me."
"He manages but his true talents lie elsewhere."
Another shower of sparks left the taser, arcing several feet in the air.
"How are you making it do that?" Joe asked. "Tasers don't spark like that."
"No," he agreed, smirking and putting it down. Lifting his empty hand in the air, he added smoothly, "But I do."
Joe jumped backwards as a stream of sparks rained from Tesla's fingertips.
"How the hell?" he whispered, staring with wide eyes.
Tesla smiled. "Didn't you know? I was born during the most powerful electric storm that region of Croatia had seen in centuries…"
"Right." Joe nodded slowly. "Well, thanks for your time. I'll let you get back to work."
He inclined his head and then returned his attention to the modified taser. "Good day, Detective."
