What If? A Post Ward Mystery! Part Three
(Honorary) Doctor Victoria Dallon
Lisa Wilbourn a.k.a. Tattletale
Dragon
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Post Ward Mystery: Cops and Robbers
Lisa and Vicky first ran into trouble when they transferred trains at the rebuilt Grand Central Station in New York.
Their trip had been very time consuming, and Vicky was already half asleep when they made their connection back to Washington D.C. at three in the morning. Lisa, on the other hand, knew that they were supposed to return to Gimel in a mere two more days but could not bring herself to care. Annette had been a fountain of information, and it had been better than mainlining caffeine for the blonde Thinker.
Taylor was alive!
Oh, the paranoia and caution that marked the younger brunette was still in play. There had been no pictures on display anywhere, no items that could give away their connection. But Annette had been so calm and matter of fact about the whole thing, that it was like a neon billboard in the desert. The fact that she actually cared more about her loss than the subject in question was also nice but atypical. It demonstrated a familiarity with the situation that could not be faked.
In other words, Annette had heard it all before.
Which led to the logical conclusion that she had been told the story by the one person who would know it better than Lisa.
It all made sense!
Unfortunately, her moment of victory was marred by the door to their private cabin being opened without invitation.
Looking up, and not so subtly elbowing her companion in the side, Lisa was treated to the sight of two unknown men in black suits. The one in front was wearing a stylized mask with green flames decorating the surface. His companion was a normal man, despite the fact he looked like rocks were a major part of his diet.
Surprisingly, the unmasked man spoke first. "Greetings ladies. My name is Agent Thompson, and this is my partner Enhanced Agent Alpha Class, code name Singe. We're from the New York FBI office. I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, but we were hoping you could answer a few questions." With that, they both presented their badges.
Seeing that everything was in order, Lisa swallowed.
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Lisa and Victoria had been assured that they had not broken any laws. According to their Visa agreement with the Earth Aleph American Government, they were free to use their own time for any sort of sightseeing they wanted. As long as they kept within the bounds of local legal practices, there was no problem whatsoever!
However their change in plans had been noticed, and thus a cause for friendly concern. After all, diplomatic credentials or no, one of them could fly through battleship armor without mussing her hair, while the other had the ability to gather information about national security by sharing a drink with the right person. Having the appropriate resources at hand to handle any unexpected bumps was only good sense really. Something that could not happen when the appropriate parties could not be put in place properly.
Agent Thompson asked politely to speak with Doctor Dallon, while Singe took Lisa to a different, empty cart. However, instead of simply asking questions, the Enhanced F.B.I. Agent started talking. "Ms. Wilbourn, there are many lessons we have learned about Parahumans over the last few years. One of the big ones is something that I believe came from one of your PRT manuals. The phrase, "Never let the Thinker talk." As part of your certification for a Visa, your projected threat rating was provided. Given the exceptional abilities you have demonstrated, I know that if I allow you to start talking you could sell me the eastern seaboard. So, as a courtesy, I am going to ask you for a single thing. Take the reason for your visit to Boston, boil it down into a single sentence, and say that and nothing else. The shorter the better. Okay?"
Looking at the federal agent, Lisa fought the urge to tear apart his past with a glance. She was not that child anymore, and there was no reason to start a war over her ego. Even if she really, really wanted to.
But Taylor was not their business.
Speaking slowly, and without inflection, Lisa replied. "We were visiting the analogue of a friend's relative who I lost during Golden Morning, and Vicky only along for support."
A bit longer than he wanted, but with enough ambiguity to trip up their own research team.
The agent seemed to stare at her for a moment before sighing. Leaning against the door, he transformed from a dependable and unmoving agent into a tired young man.
How old was he, anyways?
Looking off to the side, he started speaking quietly. "You know, when I was younger, there was a woman who helped me get my head on straight after I went to a dark place. She is the reason I had the drive to get where I am today. She also liked gossip, and kept me in the loop on all sorts of issues. So, when she asked me for a favor after hearing about my posting, I knew she was serious. Off the record, I'm going to suggest you think a bit more in the future, Ms. Wildborn. You are definitely smarter than this."
With that, the Agent seemed to inflate into his previous, confident stance before opening the cabin door. "Thank you for your time, Ma'am. Agent Thompson, I think we're done here."
Singe was joined by his partner, before both casually walked away. In moments, there was no sign they had ever been present.
Well except one.
Carefully reaching for the closed door, Lisa grabbed the scrap of paper Singe had left wedged in the handle before rejoining Vicky. The other blonde looked a little ruffled, but nothing too bad. "Geeze, these guys are paranoid. At least they were polite and friendly, so it could have been worse."
Snorting, the blonde Thinker smiled. "Well yes, your gal pal could have ripped them in half and they knew it. This is more or less a friendly warning. We're going to have to make sure any future delegations have a tighter ROE to be safe. These guys have been bitten hard by Parahumans over the last few years."
Yawning, Vicky nodded. "So, what did you get off of tall, dark and disturbingly distinguished over there? I've seen Yangban members that emoted more."
Looking at the paper in her hand, Lisa's eyes widened. "More than I thought, that's for damn sure."
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This has never been a game.
Get cash and buy a burner.
508-555-6641
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Bug.