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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 16, 2016 12:59:08 GMT -5
Finch stiffened horribly, and for a minute he said nothing. When he did, it was in a cold, expressionless tone. "They're alive?"
Jane sighed and began to pace. "I don't get it. If they want something from us, why not just ask? They have to know that we'll resist them now "
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 16, 2016 13:33:45 GMT -5
"They're doing it because they know you can't resist them, and they want to prove it." said Cas."
"Who says we can't resist?" said Jack angrily.
Cas shook his head. "They have too much leverage against you. People you don't want to get hurt." He paused. "As a friend of mine would say...it's not rocket science."
"They are," said Juliet to Finch. "For now. And we can heal them both." She glanced at him to catch his reaction.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 16, 2016 13:37:42 GMT -5
Finch hesitated, licking his lips. His face betrayed his need for them both to get better, but also the shock that that was a possibility. "Why?" He asked simply, helplessly.
The edge of Jane's mouth curved up slightly, despite the situation at hand. "You sound like you've got a good friend." She told Cas, glancing at him.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 16, 2016 13:56:48 GMT -5
Cas looked down at the floor and smiled a little in spite of himself. "Yes, he is a good friend." Then he returned to his usual serious demeanor, keeping his watch at the hall. "I would advise against acts of defiance. You have no ground to stand on."
Kurt nodded finally. "He's right." He looked around the room. "Until we figure out how to get the upper hand on these people, we need to not provoke them. Agreed?"
"Because we need your cooperation, Harold." said Juliet. "Much of our computer database is down. Our people think it's a virus, but we have no one equipped to handle the scale of the blackout."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 16, 2016 14:49:30 GMT -5
"Agreed." Jane looked back a Kurt, feeling pleasure that she had managed to connect with Cas, even for just a second. "So what do we do?"
Finch gazed silently at the two women for another couple of minutes, looking defeated. "I'll do what you ask." He said finally, voice flat and helpless.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 9:41:52 GMT -5
Patterson had finally left her corner, and was staring at something down the hall. "There's some kind of release valve over there...like the kind on a submarine hatch." Her eyes widened. "We could be underwater."
Juliet smiled. "Glad to hear it." She led him over to the computer. "Now get to work."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 9:44:35 GMT -5
"Underwater?" Jane repeated, coming over to look. "That's not good."
Finch limped obediently to the computer, then waited until she was gone before slipping the thing Charlie had given him out of his pocket to look at it.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 9:52:33 GMT -5
It was a bottle cap with a tiny, snakelike dragon carved into the metal. On the flip side of the cap, a number was carved: 462.
"Yeah, you wouldn't think so." said Patterson, mind racing. "But if we can flood these halls at the right time we can get the jump on them."
--
Tom lurched backward slightly as a man bumped into him, then hurried past him on the sidewalk, headed down towards the abandoned side of the island. He frowned, turning to his brother as they continued their walk home. "Have you noticed a lot of people heading over there lately?" he asked. "I thought there was nothing down there."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 9:56:50 GMT -5
James turned to look in the direction his brother had indicated. "Perhaps they've decided to build something there." He suggested, continuing his sake pace. "It's about time. There haven't been any new buildings for some time."
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 10:13:45 GMT -5
A few days later)
When James woke up early one morning, Tom was already gone. Work didn't start for another four hours.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 10:17:43 GMT -5
James sat up, giving an enormous yawn and rubbing his eyes to wake himself up, then noticed Tom's empty bed. "Tom?" He called, standing and pulling on his uniform. "Tom, are you here?" There was no reason he wouldn't be, unless he'd gone for an early walk, but that didn't sound like him.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 10:20:06 GMT -5
Tom, as it happened, was currently strolling down the little dirt road that led to the "deserted" half of the island, curiosity having finally gotten the best of him.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 10:22:58 GMT -5
Knowing his brother, James soon guessed as much. He grabbed a couple of energy bars and went after him, also knowing that the builders probably wouldn't like getting interrupted. He started down the street at a fast pace, but Tom would certainly arrive before he did.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 10:25:11 GMT -5
Tom soon arrived at the entrance point. He raised his eyebrows, surprised to see a barbed wire fence, guards standing watch at the gate. People walked here and there behind the fence, some carrying shovels, others checking in with the guards. This certainly wasn't here the last time he checked.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 10:30:20 GMT -5
James slowed, getting closer and seeing the fence before he saw Tom. "That's odd." He muttered to himself, but shook it off and kept going, nearing Tom.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 10:33:45 GMT -5
Tom stepped out from the bushes and headed out towards the entrance. A guard stepped forward to intercept him. "Sorry, buddy. No civilians allowed."
Tom put on an expression of surprise, adding a little stammer in for effect. "Oh...oh, I see. Terribly sorry, but there's been a misunderstanding. Ben Linus sent me to have a look at the operations...just to be sure everything's coming along." He smiled disarmingly. The guard narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 10:38:14 GMT -5
James approached the building and began to circle, not yet seeing Tom. He was just around the corner when Tom was lying to the guard.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 10:47:51 GMT -5
"I'll have to clear it with Linus." the guard said at last.
"I'm afraid this is top priority." argued Tom. "It'll take you...what...three hours to get back to headquarters? By that time I'll be off duty, and the whole thing will have to be put on hold. And Linus just hates that sort of delay, so if I were you, I'd move..." Tom trailed off, eyes fixed on the guards, who were dragging a redheaded girl across the path by her arms. He couldn't see well, but he thought she was struggling...and were they headed towards the polar bear cages? "I...I think you'd best let me through now." he said, quietly but insistently.
"No can do." said the guard. "Sorry. Rules are rules."
Tom ignored him, pushing past him a little to get a closer look at the cages. "Trust me, this for your own good." he said, attempting to shove his way through. He knew he wouldn't get far, but now he just wanted to get a glimpse at what was going on inside. "Let me through, for your own -" He was cut off as the guard punched him in the face, then jammed his knee into his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. He stumbled to the ground, then lunged for the guard, hotheadedness getting the best of him.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 10:53:55 GMT -5
And then James was there, strong hands restraining his brother by the arms. "Easy, brother." He said in a quiet, but serious tone, pushing Tom behind him so he could confront the guard. "I apologize for my brother, he had a bad day yesterday. You know how it is." He said in a friendly, confidential tone. "Stayed up too late, drank too much coffee, I tried to tell him he'd regret it. Anyway, we'll let you get back to your work, now." He turned to leave, dragging his younger sibling behind him.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 10:59:03 GMT -5
"They have people." said Tom as he limped back up the path. "In cages."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 11:02:03 GMT -5
James didn't pause, walking quickly and dragging Tom along by his coat. He didn't even answer his brother, for fear of losing his temper, and because he hardly wanted to have this conversation in public. If Tom wanted to act like a child, he would be treated as one.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 11:06:26 GMT -5
Tom struggled angrily, annoyed at his brother's stubbornness. "Let me go - hear me out? I know what I saw."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 11:09:22 GMT -5
James remained stubbornly silent, all the way up back to the house. He only let Tom go when the were inside, and then he still waited before speaking, trying not to do anything he'd regret. What to start with, accusation?
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 11:14:55 GMT -5
"People." repeated Tom, sitting at the table and running his hands through his hair. "People, in cages. Working. There was a girl, a girl being dragged...why would they do that?" He frowned and shook his head, trying to comprehend any explanation.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 11:18:13 GMT -5
"Tom, what were you thinking?" James said at last, turning to face his younger brother. Of course he didn't think Tom was right, he knew there had been a misunderstanding. People in cages? You'd think someone would have heard about that. "Running off to where you don't belong, lying to the guards, you could have been seriously hurt."
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 17, 2016 11:21:39 GMT -5
"I knew what I was doing." said Tom. "And, as it turns out, it's a good thing I went down there. Now I know I wasn't going mad. Something's not right here, and I intend to find out what."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 17, 2016 11:23:53 GMT -5
James put a hand to his head, as if having a headache. "You're not doing anything." He told him flatly, blue eyes stern. "If I hadn't been there, who knows what might have happened. These are good people, Tom, why can't you just accept that?"
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 19, 2016 21:07:35 GMT -5
"I've always said it..." said Tom slowly. "I've always said there was something off about this place. I let you convince me otherwise, but no...I was right."
Reese was sitting in the cage with Reade, absentmindedly fiddling with the locking mechanism. A couple thuggish Others came half-dragging in Finch from a day's digging work. Reese looked up. "Hey." he called, standing up, blood running cold at the sight. "What did you do to him?"
Patterson finally succeeded in prying a small piece of metal off the pipe system in the room. "There." she said triumphantly. "Last one. Now whoever they come to get next, use this to defend yourself, and aim for the hatch door. It should flood out the hall and give us a chance." She turned to her friends. "Cas, Jane, Weller, Jack. This could be it."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 19, 2016 21:16:27 GMT -5
Jane nodded, excited and fearful at the same time.
James fell silent for a minute, contemplating his brother with a tired look. "Look, you thought you saw something that doesn't make any sense. Have you even considered the fact that they might have an explanation?"
Finch stumbled, too tired and in too much pain to do much of anything. He supposed they would come back for him tomorrow, and the next day. It didn't matter. Root and Grace were alive.
Reade stood, joining Reese silently. There was nothing he could do but watch as the dragged the defeated man back to his cage.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 19, 2016 21:23:03 GMT -5
"Hey!" shouted Reese again. The guards ignored him, tossing Finch back into the cage. Eli helped stabilize him and helped him to the ground. Reese turned and started kicking at the polar bear feeder, with enough force to damage it. "Hey. You in the suit. Cut it out." said one of the guards, heading towards the cage. Reese kicked it again. "What are you doing to my friend?" The guard made a move to open the cage, gun pointed at Reade. "Don't try nothing, FBI." he said roughly. "This ain't your business."
Soon enough, Juliet appeared. She held up a list, reading down the names carefully. "Now which one of you is Patterson?" she asked.
"Yes of course, because there are a multitude of perfectly innocent reasons one would have a secret prison camp on a deserted island." said Tom sarcastically.
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