by Carol Roi
Jerking his arm away from her, then immediately regretting the action, he blew out a frustrated snort and nodded. "Okay. But not here." There were only a few uniforms and plainclothes officers in the bullpen, along with one civilian aide; but going strictly from memory, none of them had been involved in the Chung case. And while telling Connor what had happened might color her perception of Ventriss, and the case they were working now, he felt that she had a right to know.
Megan managed a quirky smile. "I could use a break, been here since before nine." She rose from her seat as he nodded, accepting her choice of locations to talk in.
"I thought that you and Dee worked out on the weekends?" Jim questioned as he led the way into the break room, holding the door for her, then closing it and engaging the lock.
"Normally." She walked over to the microwave and, after filling a cup with water, placed it in the machine to heat it up and pulled out a tea bag from the stash Jim knew she and Sandburg had placed in one of the drawers. "I think Diandra felt I could use the break, after the pounding that she gave me yesterday morning. Any way, she called me early this morning, saying she had other stuff to take care of and hoped that I didn't mind her begging off." Jim moved over to the coffee maker and poured himself a large mug of the bitter brew. The microwave dinged, and after setting the tea in the water to steep, she joined him at the table. Sitting down across from him, she said, "Okay, so tell me everything."
"You read the charges against Brad Ventriss?"
"Sure. Conspiracy to commit Theft, Breaking and Entering, and Murder. The charges of Theft, B&E and Murder after the crime was done. Strong Arm Robbery, Terroristic Threatening, Battery in the Third, Aggravated Assault on a Teacher or other School Official, Computer Records Tampering, Inference with Governmental Operations, Conspiracy to Defraud, Fraud, Introduction of a Controlled Substance into another, Rape--" The incredulous look on his face stopped her.. "What? Did I miss something?"
"You did that all from memory?"
"I was taking careful notes. About the only thing you didn't charge the kid and his girlfriend with was treason against the crown..."
"We thought about it." Jim sipped his coffee, his expression showing he was still trying to grasp just how she had managed to memorize all the charges that he and Joel Taggart had piled on Brad Ventriss. "How far into the file did you get?"
"Far enough to find that Susanne Nadine is doing the minimum sentence possible for her part in the crimes and that charges that were placed against Henry Nadine and Norman Ventriss, but not why they are still out walking the streets of Cascade. Back home, in Australia, Ventriss Senior and Henry Nadine would have been locked away until their trial dates."
"And what were those charges? Against the fathers?"
"You want the whole she-bang?" At his nod, she closed her eyes and recited, "Aiding and Abetting Felony Flight to Avoid Prosecution, Interference With Governmental Operations - specified as a Police investigation, and quite a few conspiracy charges. Mostly tied into the fact that they knew that their children had committed murder, theft, B&E, and strong armed robbery and still assisted them in their flight from justice."
"Do you know what happened with those charges, Connor?" Jim looked at her, saw her negative shake of her head and his grip nearly broke the cup in his hands. "They were dropped. Not even the Federal Government wanted to touch them after Ventriss' son died while in custody."
"Why?!?"
He snorted. "Politics. And a City/County Prosecutor who was afraid of the possible lawsuits that Ventriss and the Nadines could have filed against the City, the Police Department and yours truly."
"Bugger me."
Dee rapped on the door of the Presidential Suite, then took a step back. "Are you sure they're in?" Blair asked.
"Oh, yeah, they're there. My spidey sense is tingling." She was rewarded with a giggle from him. "Are you sure Jim won't be ticked that you just took off without talking to him this morning?"
Blair shrugged. "Maybe, but I couldn't get into the loft if I'd wanted. He locked me out last night."
"What? You didn't tell me that."
"You were asleep. I didn't want to wake you just to bitch about stubborn sentinels."
Slipping an arm around his waist, she pulled him into a one-armed hug. "I'm sorry about falling asleep on you. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
He kissed her cheek. "Believe me, I'm not worried about it." The door to the suite opened at that moment, revealing a cautious Jan-Michel.
"Mr. Sandburg, Dr. Pallas, is Lee expecting you?" He opened the door just enough for them to enter, and closed it behind them, then returned his gun to the holster he wore over his shoulder.
Dee raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. "Who were you expecting?"
"I…no one, that's just the thing. Can't be too careful." Crossing the living area, he knocked on the bedroom door. "It's okay, Lee. It's just Dr. Pallas and Blair Sandburg."
The door opened and Lee entered. Walking over to Dee, she gave her a hug. "Dee, I wasn't expecting you."
"I thought I should bring this by." Reaching inside her long duster, she produced the sword they had retrieved the night before, along with the wire bolo, handing them both to the other woman. "You're going to have to have the edge re-sharpened." Shrugging out of her coat, she laid it on one of the chairs and took a seat on the couch. Following her lead, Blair did the same.
Eolia looked the blade over carefully, immediately noticing the nicks. "Damn it! And I didn't think to bring my whetstone with me." She turned her attention to the wire. "What in the hell? Where did you find this, Diandra?"
"It was wrapped around the blade. Reminds me of a bolo."
"It's called a StrungBuck round. Not sold in the open market. Good thing I ducked when I did." She dropped the item in question on the coffee table, then wiped her hands down her pants leg.
"I should say so!"
Laying the sword aside, Lee dropped onto the loveseat, and Jan-Michel perched on the arm of a chair. "Yeah, in testing the rounds, the developers actually decapitated a few target dummies. Not the way I want to leave this life, you know?"
Blair leaned forward in his seat slightly, eying the strange weapon now lying on the coffee table. "So who would use such a weapon? Not any thief I've ever run into."
"They are mostly used by the Federal government agencies. I know the CIA used them back in the early 90's. But unless a shipment was stolen or misdirected, I don't see how someone could get their hands on them. As for who would use such a thing?" Lee shrugged. "I just don't know."
Dee chewed her lip, turning her suspicion over in her mind. Finally, she spoke her fear aloud. "An immortal perhaps? Though the odds of it hitting the intended victim at just the right angle would be too high to make it really effective as a weapon. A sword is still more accurate."
"I don't think so. Like you said, too inaccurate to make sure you get the job done. Not to mention, there's no honor in using that type of weapon in combat." Lee folded her arms across her chest, and Dee wondered at the defensive posture, automatically tuning in to her with her senses.
"Not all Immortals share our sense of honor, Lia. Besides, you would know if he were immortal, wouldn't you?" Lia's heart rate sped up slightly, but not any more than could be expected by remembering a traumatic experience.
"I think so, but I'm not sure. I mean, look at Jan-Michel. I used to be able to sense preemies, but I didn't with him."
Dee noticed that Blair and Jan-Michel were engaged in some form of silent communication. "Okay, what is it? The two of you know something we don't?"
Blair frowned. "I hate to bring this up, but…what if this guy's a Hunter?"
Jan-Michel shook his head. "We have no evidence to support that. As far as we know, his running into Lee at QuestScape was purely accidental. So a thief had some exotic weapons. Is it as far-fetched to believe he's some rogue CIA agent who happened to take some weapons with him when he left the agency?"
Dee felt Blair shudder next t
o her, and her hand automatically found his, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I have a friend who can look into that possibility for us," Blair replied, "and I'll talk to Joe about the Hunters, see if he's heard about them reforming or any of them continuing solo."
There was an awkward silence for a few moments, as each of them considered the horror that was the Hunters, a group of Watchers who had decided their role was not to watch and record, but to eliminate Immortals. Lee finally said, "Look I'm starved, how about the rest of you?" At their nods, she reached for the phone. "I'll order breakfast sent up, if we're going to be discussing this kind of topic." After taking everyone's orders, she called it in to room service, then settled back down in her seat. "Okay, Dee you've asked your questions, now it's my turn. What," she pointed her finger at Blair, "is he?"
Dee looked at Blair, who shrugged, then she turned her gaze back to Eolia. "What do you mean?"
The other immortal switched to Greek from English. "I've touched him, Dee. I felt something, some kind of power, but I can't tell. Is he to be one of us? Are you training him?"
Laughing lightly, Diandra replied in English, "Blair's a shaman, Lia. Not one of us." Her words sent a visible shiver through the other woman. "A good shaman, as unlike the one who hurt you as day is from night," she soothed, dropping once again into Greek.
Running a hand through her hair, Eolia took a deep breath, then smiled and nodded to show her mentor the memory had passed. "Oh. Maybe that explains the Aussie, too. I felt a similar... oh, I don't know, presence, from her as well."
Dee hesitated, shooting a brief glance at Blair, then said, "Megan and Blair share certain...qualities, yes."
"That's a relief. I thought I was losing my mind, sensing Immortals at every turn."
"No, there are not that many of us in Cascade, just myself, you and Jan-Michel, as far as I know." Dee gave her a grin. "Seacouver, however, is another matter."
"No kidding. MacLeod and those that are stupid enough to go there. Not a very restful city for Immortals. I don't think I've sensed that many Immortals since my last trip to NYC."
"Oh, I find it restful enough. I live in Mac's building," Dee said.
"I thought you lived here?" Lee asked.
Dee slid her gaze over Blair, feeling him squeeze her hand in return. "I split my time between the two."
The expression on Lee's face softened, and she smiled at them. "I'm glad that you found someone to share your life with, even if he is a mortal."
Shaking her head in amusement, Dee chastised the other woman, "Lia, your prejudice is showing. Mortals
are the same as us. Blair is not 'just a mortal'. He's my heart."
"I know. Sorry. It's just hard to watch your mortal lover age and die, while you remain the same." Lee pulled her feet up onto the cushion with her, wrapping her arms around her knees. "I think that's why
Azir's death is so troublesome to me. We were supposed to live and love forever."
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Lia."
Sighing, she said, "The worst part was even though we were separated by a whole nation, I felt him die. I never want to feel that pain again."
Dee nodded. "I know the feeling, Lia. It's what drove me insane when Lydia died."
"I'm not far from that abyss, Dee. I want to just let go and fall into it, but I can't. Not now."
"It gets better, I promise it does." Reaching across the space between them, she rubbed her friend's arm.
"I hope so." She switched from Greek back to English. "One other thing I wanted to ask you. Last night, in the alley, what were you doing to John? Why did Ji... Ellison call out for you?"
Dee had hoped Lee had forgotten about that, but she supposed there was no harm in revealing her ability, as long as it didn't leave the room. "I've learned to use my energy to heal others."
Lee's eyes widened in surprise, as did Jan-Michel's. "How? I don't understand."
" I...just push my quickening outside myself and into another, to speed up their own healing ability. It's hard to explain Lia, and it took me 2000 years to learn." Diandra extended her hand in front of her, palm up, and concentrated. After a few moments, her palm began to glow with a faint blue light, and tiny sparks danced across her skin. "A light display this small is fairly easy. Healing or something more powerful than this can be exhausting, depending on how much of my Quickening I expend."
"Gods, I can feel that, like I did last night. I didn't realize that we could do such a thing." Eolia sighed sadly. "Too bad I didn't know about that aspect of the Quickening before..."
The glow surrounding her hand slowly fading, Dee replied, "Even if I had arrived sooner, I don't know if I could have helped your friend. He had already released his spirit from this world. I'm sorry, Lia, I did the best I could."
A knock on the door forestalled whatever Lee's answer would have been. Getting to his feet, Jan-Michel crossed the room, his gun in hand. He peered through the peephole for a moment, then opened the door to admit the room service waiter. Once the bill had been taken care of and they had moved to the large dining table, Lee's gaze lit on Jan-Michel. "Jan? Did C and Sharee leave to go make arrangements for John David?"
Her bodyguard looked up from his plate to answer her. "Yes. May take a while, but they know they are to check in every hour with me."
"Good. And what about your talk with the manager here? Can we extend our stay?"
"That's not looking too good, Lee. Something about a convention and a previous booking."
"Damn. Okay, as soon as we're done here, start looking for other accommodations. I think the police made it very clear that you and I are not to leave town...."
Dee set her coffee cup down. "That's not a problem, Lia. The two of you can stay in my guest rooms. That will give you access to my workout studio as well." Feeling Blair kick her under the table, she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Dee, that's sweet, but I really shouldn't impose..."
"You won't be imposing...um, will she, Lobo?"
An unrecognizable emotion flickered across his face, then he replied, "No, that's fine."
Lee glanced across the table to LaFollet. "Jan, that sound okay to you?"
"Whatever." He looked at Dee. "You have a workout studio?"
She nodded. "Yes, it's fairly large. Enough room for martial arts or fencing. A universal machine, a heavy bag, etc."
"Great," Lee said with a grin, "just what I need to train him. And Jan? You'd best get used to carrying a sword, don't think that I missed the fact that you weren't yesterday."
"Lee, I don't have one, remember? I've worked out with Azir, but I always borrowed a blade before."
Getting to her feet, Lee said, "Wait here." Disappearing into the bedroom, she returned carrying a sword. "Here, I think Azir would want you to have this."
LaFollet looked shocked. "I.. I couldn't, Lee. You should keep it."
His teacher shook her head. "No, I have mine, plus my backup which Dee returned, so I'm covered."
Dee spoke up. "It's tradition, Jan-Michel. A teacher always gives their student their first sword."
A bright smile lit up Lee's face. "See, Jan? Can't argue with tradition." Crossing the room to stand before him, she presented him with the sword. "From Saladin to Azir to you. One day, you can pass it on to your
student."
"I…thank you, Lee." Setting the sword aside, he turned his attention back to his food, seeming somewhat embarrassed by the whole thing.
As the meal was drawing to a close, Blair asked, "Jan, have you talked to Joe since you…um…crossed over?"
The new Immortal shook his head. "No, I reported to my superior yesterday, but I didn't mention it. And I don't really know Joe very well. I've only spoken to him on the phone a couple times and corresponded through email. I'm not really sure how to handle my situation."
"I think you need to let Joe know what happened, let him decide how to deal with it. I suspect he'll keep the knowledge to himself, but it's important that he know, to keep the Chronicles
complete." Blair gave him a grin. "Besides, it's not like you're the first Immortal Watcher."
"I'm not?" LaFollet's voice was incredulous.
Dee laughed, and Lee looked amused. "Not by a long shot. In fact, rumor has it that the Watchers were started thousands of years ago by an Immortal who wanted to keep tabs on his fellow Immortals. Not to have an advantage over them, but to avoid them."
Blair nodded. "If the two of you don't have any plans for this afternoon, why don't we run over to Joe's in Seacouver, and we can let him know the situation. Any objections?" At the others' head shakes, Blair said, "Good, I'll give him a call and let him know we're coming. I should probably let Jim know where we're going, too."
