by Rina
The glare of the florescent lights shone off Dobrinsky's head, making the former
cop wince and wish for his sunglasses. Three hours of sleep just didn't cut it
when it came to dealing with the Director's assistant, even if the reason for
staying up that late had been pleasant.
"What is it, Dobrinsky?" Vic sighed, starting to walk past the other man, only to
be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"You're late. She isn't happy." The news was delivered with almost a maniacal
glee.
"Five minutes and considering how late I was here last night, it could be a lot
worse."
"Ahhh..." Dobrinsky smirked. "Enjoying the new assignment were you? The only
thing that's saving your ass this morning is that Ramsey isn't here yet either."
"What do you mean Ramsey isn't here?" Mac asked as he pushed open the door,
strolling inside, his sunglasses and a grin firmly in place. "You mean you've
been waiting for me? I'm touched."
"In the head. Buck up, Ace. You and Mansfield had better get yourselves into the
briefing room or I can't say what will happen. Might like to watch though."
"You would." Both Vic and Mac muttered the comment at the same time , then looked
at each other and smiled, bonded by their desire to antagonize their common
enemy.
"Well Victor, we'd better get going, wouldn't you say?"
"Definitely. Don't want to make things worse for us then they are already."
"Nah, I just don't want to give Dobie a show."
"And here I thought you were an exhibitionist at heart."
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Victor."
"Like what? I think I know more about you then I want to actually."
Mac tilted his head to look at Vic over the top of his sunglasses. "Like what I
did last night after I left here."
The younger man's bloodshot eyes gave Vic a very good idea of what Mac had been
up to and his lip curled in an expression of disgust. "Spare me the details,
please."
"Sure you don't want to know? Might give you a little ammunition for tonight..."
Mac grinned, pushing his glasses back up into place, rendering his dark eyes
unreadable again.
"Thought the idea was to try to get this guy to pick me up, not to make him
sick."
"Don't be too harsh on yourself, Victor. I'm sure he wouldn't become ill
comparing you to me—just stick to your good points."
"Being?" the ex-cop asked dryly.
Mac rubbed at his chin a moment, pondering the question as they walked down the
deserted hallways toward the briefing room. "Well... ummm... There's—no, that
doesn't work. How about... No, not that either... You're loyal!"
"So is a dog."
"No go, eh? How about..."
"You have nice eyes and a gorgeous ass. An ass that should have been sitting in
front of me fifteen minutes ago." The Director stood in the doorway in front of
them, her petite form encased in a skin tight leather jumpsuit the particular
purplish-red shade of arterial blood.
"What about me?" Mac whined, causing Vic to glance at the ceiling and shake his
head. Only Ramsey would risk their boss's claws for a complement.
"You have a lovely ass too, Mac, but it would do for you to remember that I own
it and that I do not like to be kept waiting for it's arrival!" The last was
punctuated by the sharp blow of the riding crop the Director had concealed next
to her leg against the younger agent's posterior as he passed her.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"To make a point. Now move, both of you."
Vic turned his face away from the other two when he sat and coughed into his
fist, attempting to hide his amusement from them. If Mac had been the only one
present then he wouldn't have bothered but considering that any reaction right
now would probably earn him a whack as well—well, Vic really had no desire for
that.
"Something amusing, my dear?" Vic jerked around and found himself face to face
with the Director. The proximity was much too close to her teeth for his comfort,
especially considering that the term 'man-eater' seemed designed just for her.
"No, I just had a late night and I was taught that yawning without covering your
mouth wasn't polite." Ignoring Mac's mouthed 'Good one', Vic settled back into
his seat, trying to ignore the harpy hanging over his right shoulder.
"So I heard." Straightening, the Director turned and strolled to the head of the
table. "And did you both have a productive evening?"
Vic shot a quick glance at Mac who suddenly seemed very interested in the amount
of shirt cuff showing under his jacket sleeve. "Not if you mean finding Kirkdon,
we didn't. I did spend time in eight of the chatrooms he has frequented in the
past, but no one there matched the profile of his online personality that we
had."
"And you, Mr. Ramsey? How was your time spent?"
"From what I was able to recover from the logs, Kirkdon likes shy, insecure
partners. He wants to be able to dictate each step of the relationship including
where and when they finally meet."
For a moment, it looked as if the Director had the urge to pat both her agents on
the head. "Good work boys—for the first night at least. That profile is exactly
why I want Victor in the rooms."
Vic bristled at that and his mood wasn't helped when Mac gave him a sly grin. "So
nice to know what you all think of me. If that was the case, why don't you put
Nathan out there in the room? Kirkdon will be all over him in a second."
"Now really, could you see Nathan lasting more then five minutes in one of those
places without proposing one of his theories. As much as I appreciate his skills,
I also know his liabilities and I do not want to risk losing another Agency
employee to this man. I want you both back out there tonight. Mac, you skim the
rooms, trying to spot Kirkdon. Victor, talk to some of these people, see if any
of them have any information."
"Gee, can't wait," Vic sighed, kicking Mac under the table when the younger man
snickered to himself.
"Behave boys or I will make you do so. Now, get some rest, I want you fresh for
tonight."
The two men remained silent until she had left the room, ascending the stairs
that led to whatever realm of purgatory she occupied when not making their lives
miserable.
"I vote for running this mission from the comforts of our own places. No point in
sitting here all night when we can access the web as easily from home."
Vic started to disagree on principle, then he reconsidered. It would be easier
to talk to his new friend if Mac wasn't there looking over his shoulder—and
provided that CJ was online tonight. "It's not like she won't know what's going
on anyway, probably has taps into everything we do there."
The fact that the Agency routinely bugged their apartments with mikes and cameras
was something of a joke and Vic, Mac and Li Ann at times placed bets on who could
find the most hidden devices in an evening's time. So far Mac held the record
with twelve, including one camera hidden in the light over his stove.
"Better watch what you say then," Mac chuckled as he stood, rubbing at the spot
the Director had hit earlier. "Or you may be the next one she swats."
"I'm not the one who was out partying when they should have been working,
remember?"
"And thank you for covering for me." The ex-thief's teeth flashed as he grinned.
"Let me know if you want me to do the same one night. I'm sure I can pass myself
off as you online."
Vic slid out of his seat, shaking his head at his partner's cocky arrogance. What
had Li Ann ever seen in him? It was impossible to hold a serious conversation
with the man. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want to get the reputation out
there as being easy."
"Ooo, good one. I'm wounded." Mac tipped his glasses down and gave Vic what
would have been a very effective pout if the older man hadn't known it was fake.
"Does that mean you don't respect me any more?"
"No." Vic waited until Mac's expression changed to a pleased smile, then swooped
in for the kill. "That would mean that I respected you to begin with." The change
in the younger man's expression was immediate and pronounced and Victor almost
felt sorry for him. "See ya later tonight, Mac. And don't worry, I won't tell
anyone." With that, the former cop strolled out of the dark room, heading for
home and the nap he knew he was going to need if he was going to make it through
the night.
TrueBlue: Any luck so far?
LghtFngrs: No, the man is still laying low as far as I can tell. Anything
interesting going on where you are?
TrueBlue: Gee, do you want to hear about the guy who says that he is Tom
Cruise's double and is trying to pick up anything in sight or the size queen who
keeps asking for everyone's measurements?"
LghtFngrs: Better then the crap I'm reading.
TrueBlue: What crap?
LghtFnrgs: Don't ask, I think it would offend your innocent eyes if I typed it
on the screen. Just be glad that he's not in this room.
TrueBlue: C'mon Ramsey, you going to tell me something I didn't see when I
worked vice? I doubt it.
LghtFngrs: Am not in that room any more anyway. Off to the vanilla side for a
while, don't need to warp my young mind.
TrueBlue: Too late for that.
LghtFngrs: Aww, I didn't know you cared.
TrueBlue: I don't. Warp your mind all you want, it might do you some good.
LghtFngrs: Hmmm, maybe I should send you to that room anyway...
Vic was about to reply when a new arrival in the room he was scanning caught his
eye and he found himself sitting up on the couch and grinning. He brought up a
message box, then paused, wondering if he should do this. The uncertainty was
compounded when he saw that CJ was greeted as an old friend by quite a few of the
others in the room.
Maybe he just tries to come on to people that way, maybe I should just forget
it, maybe... The thought was interrupted by first a personal greeting in the
room and then an IM.
CJiles: TB! Glad to see ya man. I was hoping I'd catch you on tonight.
TrueBlue: Same here, CJ. I can't believe some of the people in here!
CJiles: Yeah, has FlvrMvn given you his old 'tell me how big you are and I might
play with you' routine?
TrueBlue: Oh yeah, I think he got the message when I told him that if he had to
ask he really didn't want to know.
CJiles: Good comeback [g] So, did you survive work today?
TrueBlue: Barely. Ended up a little late to my morning meeting and the boss
almost chewed my ass off for it.
CJiles: Ouch! I'd offer to kiss it better for you but I don't want you to think
I'm that kind of guy.
TrueBlue: If she had done it I might be tempted to take you up on it.
LghtFngrs: Victor... Oh Veek-tor... I've got another room for you to try. Say
goodbye to your friends and come along.
Vic cursed under his breath, wondering at Mac's timing.
TrueBlue: Look, can it hold on a minute? I want to check something out here.
LghtFngrs: ::shrug:: Your neck, man. Someone there catch your eye?
TrueBlue: Just keep on looking Ramsey, okay?
CJiles: Good thing for both of us then that she didn't or who knows what might
happen ;)
LghtFnrgs: All right but just consider this payment for what you did last night.
TrueBlue: All right, all right!
TrueBlue: If she had I'd be going for rabies shots as we speak.
CJiles: All right what?
LghtFngrs: Huh? If who had what and why would you be needing rabies shots?
Looking back at the messages, Vic lowered his forehead into his hands and
groaned. Thank God there was nothing strange in either message—well, really
strange any way.
TrueBlue: Sorry CJ, this annoying person keeps bothering me and I was trying to
get him off my back.
TrueBlue: I was... Don't worry about it, Mac, just let me know if you think
you've found him.
CJiles: Do you know how to block idiots like that?
LghtFngrs: I read and obey, Master ::snicker::
TrueBlue: Just did it. So what about you, survive the morning?
CJiles: Barely, I did get lucky though, boss left early so I skipped out and
came home to take a nap. Amazing what a few hours sleep will do to your outlook
on life.
TrueBlue: I hope you don't get in trouble over that. I'm really sorry I kept
you up that late last night.
CJiles: Hey, you apologize again and I'm going to have to thwap you. It was my
pleasure, really! I'll crash come the weekend so it all evens out.
TrueBlue: Are you sure?
CJiles: I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it.
TrueBlue: Sorry, guess I'm not used to taking people at their word.
CJiles: Life been that bad to you?
CJiles: And I told you I'd do this if you apologized again. [thwap]
TrueBlue: Hey! [laughing] No hitting!
TrueBlue: And—well, let's just say I've had a few bad experiences.
CJiles: Sorry to hear that, but don't let a couple of jerks ruin you for
everyone.
TrueBlue: I know, it's just...
CJiles: Just what?
CJiles: Or say 'CJ shut up' if I'm prying too much.
TrueBlue: No, it's not that, I guess it's that after a while you don't trust
your own judgment in things like that any longer.
CJiles: Things like what?
TrueBlue: Personal relationships. You could say I have a history of failures in
them.
CJiles: Everyone has a heartache or two in their background. I think it makes
you appreciate the right person more when they come along.
TrueBlue: But what if they never do? Or what if you're looking in the wrong
place when they show up?
CJiles: But what if you aren't?
BlackWatch: Hi there. Pretty quiet in here tonight.
LghtFngrs: Yeah, it is. Is it always like this?
BlackWatch: No, it varies. Don't think I've seen you in here before.
LghtFngrs: First time I've found my way in, got any tips for a newcomer?
BlackWatch: Sure, I'm always glad to help. With that and anything else you
might need.
Part Two: See Ya Later
he moment the door to the Agency's headquarters shut behind him and Vic saw who
was waiting for him, his good mood vanished, cut off as thoroughly as the spring
morning had been by the layers of reinforced metal behind him.
