She nodded and packed up the folder of Susan's drawings, returning it to its place in her file cabinet. "That'd be all right, under the circumstances. And like I said--if you're going to be around here a while, you might want to talk to some of the other teachers and staff."
She picked up her purse and nodded to Max to follow her, into the corridor to the doors at the west end. "My car's right over there..." she nodded in that direction and led him across the lot to a blue Toyota Camry. "Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"
"I've not been here before. I just need to know that we're not going to be seen or heard."
Max fishes a device out of his 'crime kit' and sweeps the Camry for surveillance devices and trackers. It's reasonably small and looks suspiciously tricorder-like.
"Well let's see." she thought aloud, as she started the car. "What about--oh, Fisherman's Wharf? that's not that far from here."
"All right. That should be safe enough."
True to her word, it wasn't more than a ten or fifteen minute drive from the school.
Max observed her as she drove, weighing options and making decisions. As they drove, he went into his 'crime kit' and virtualized a new microphone, keeping his hand inside the bag the whole time.
"I hope I'm not making a big mistake telling you what you're about to hear," he said. I didn't even tell your principal, Mr. Lafayette, the whole story."
He rubbed his chin as turned to look out the window, slipping the microphone into his mouth.
She looked at him, her eyes narrowed slightly, but she shook her head. Her instincts had been to trust him this far, she'd wait and see where this led. "It's already clear there's more to this than kidnapping and murder. Anyone who'd go to this much trouble--" she sighed and shook her head. "I guess we suspected all along, but just didn't want to think about it. It's one thing when it's a face on a milk carton, another when it's someone you know." Then she was pulling into the parking lot and once parked led Max to one of a row of small tables that dotted the shoreline. "It's still early for dinner, so there's not that many people here right now."
"It's a nice view," said Max. "Are you hungry?"
"Actually yes, now that you mention it." she replied.
Max ordered dinner for them, so that they would look more 'normal'. "I'm a mutant," he said. "That's how I -know- that Susan is alive."
* * *
Meanwhile, at Pacifica Gardens Memorial Park...
Barbara had been sitting on a bench, keeping an eye on Susan from a short distance, so as to allow her a little privacy, if she wanted it, while not leaving her alone, which would be too big a risk.
She'd gotten worried when they'd lost contact with Max--she had every intention of giving him a good talking to when they got back, they didn't need to -ask- for trouble and it had sounded like Max had been egging that punk on...but hadn't wanted to chance interrupting Susan unless Max stayed out of touch for -too- long.
So she was a bit relieved when the transmission resumed--though Susan at that point, hearing the track the discussion was taking, came back over to her, fighting back tears.
"Susan, I know--" she whispered. "Don't worry. we'll help you get it back, as much of it as we can. But remember what Max told you, we like this you too." then she just held Susan close, trying to reassure her.
That's where they were when Max's flat statement reached their ears. It was enough to send both of them hurrying out of the gravesites area to the main building, where they ducked into the restroom. Luckily this was empty at the moment--for as soon as Barbara had verified *that*...
"Max what *are* you doing?" Barbara whispered. "At least Chuck was a relative, this--don't you think the Dawn'd be watching the school, anyone part of it?"
* * *
At Fisherman's Wharf:
She went pale, stared at Max, but managed otherwise to keep composure. "I've heard of mutants, Mr Summersett. In this day and age, who hasn't? But about Susan--?!?" she broke off, incredulity on her features but also what might be...hope?
"I know in some places, being a mutant would get me stoned to death, or imprisoned, or tortured, or a hundred other rather grisly fates I don't want to think about. I don't think you're of that mindset."
She shook her head. "I'm a *counsellor*, remember? I'm supposed to help kids deal with all sorts of problems. From everything I've read that particular realization can be traumatic for a teenager. If someone were to come to me with that I'd have to try and help." she managed to keep her voice even but it was clear she was fighting herself not to ask the question that mattered to her the most. "How can you know about Susan, though? You didn't even know who Jeffrey was until I told you this afternoon."
"I work for a branch of the government you've never heard of, and they've 'loaned' me to the FBI because of what I can do. I came to your school on a separate matter, but Susan is another reason for me being in San Francisco. I needed to find someone I could trust. Someone who knew her, but was sufficiently public to protect that person from being made to 'disappear'. I've picked you. Please, don't make a scene. Just act normally. Attention would just put us both in danger."
She nodded, making a clear effort to do just that. As a passing waiter noticed the tenseness on her face, he approached. "Is everything all right, Ma'am?"
She glanced at Max, then looked at the waiter and nodded. "Yes, I just got something *cough* caught in my throat. *cough*" She took a sip of water. "But I'm ok now." She smiled at the waiter reassuringly, and he went on about his rounds.
Once he was out of earshot, she turned back to Max. "I did some drama work at college." she tried to smile. "I never thought I'd use that again--certainly not like this." She took a deep breath then went serious again. "Now what about Susan?"
"You see, Susan is very much alive. And I know exactly where she is. What happened to her isn't going to be quick to explain. We'll finish our dinner and then go for another drive, while I tell you her story as I've come to understand it."
She nodded, and finished quickly.
Over the mike, Max was hearing rather vocal protests. "Max, have you gone completely mental? We -can't- turn her over to anyone just yet...!!" Barbara pleaded.
"I said I wasn't leaving you and I -meant- that. I want to go back--but not till I'm sure they can't do this to anyone else." came Susan's response.
Max listened and continued his dinner. "I can't take you -to- her. That's far too dangerous, and she's a good ten hours away by car. You need to gather copies of your evidence and go to Agent Lankowski at the San Francisco branch of the FBI. He handles kidnappings and abductions. Tell him what I'm going to tell you, and give him my name. He'll see that I've been assigned to this investigation and will take a serious look at what you show and tell him. No one at the SF branch knows of my subsection, but he'll get what he needs to know from Washington."
They resumed driving. Once they'd been underway for around ten minutes or so, Max told her about finding Susan in NYC and what he knew about the Dawn and their connection to her. He told her that Susan was also a mutant, but does not reveal what he knows of her abilities. He made -no- mention of Barbara or of any of the others.
"I'm looking for links to her past, to try to unlock the rest of her memories. The contents of your file will help, and knowing that someone on the outside is fighting to help her will cheer her up."
"As far as Mr. Lafayette knows, I'm investigating a computer theft. That's all he knows and all he is supposed to know. If he finds out we were together, just tell him that I've asked you to help me in my investigation. You yourself are probably being monitored to some extent, so just go about your business as if things were normal. When you make those copies, make two extra sets. Give one to someone you -really- trust, and the other you mail to the abductions department of the FBI main office. Send it from a Post Office depot. Do -not-use a mailbox or courier service. Do you understand?"
"All right. I--this is a lot, but it's for Susan." she sighed. "Damn it. I've -heard- of...of the Dawn, they've been on the news but I, I never thought even they'd stoop to using kids."
"Anything to achieve their ends. You've seen what extremes they're capable of."
"I have to go back to the school and start looking around. I'm sorry to have brought you into this, but I needed someone, and you're the best person I could find."
"And I should be getting home. Don't worry--I'll say only what you've said, to whom. And that mail will go out first thing tomorrow morning. My--roommate--has an office in the house, so I can do the copies on her machine. I've done it before so she won't even ask why." She paused for a minute. "I just wish she could know I'm pulling for her. But if even half of what you've said's true, she doesn't even know who I am anymore, does she?"
"Not yet, but hopefully that will change."
During all this there were repeated comments from both girls casting doubt on Max's sanity, etc. Barbara finally announced that she and Susan are heading back *right now* and when they get there..."we are *going* to talk about this..."
"Would you like me to drop you by the school, then?" she asks.
"It's best that we not take the chance of being seen. As is, you were giving me a ride home. You can just drop me anywhere. I'll grab a cab." He looked at her with deadly earnest. "Be -careful-, and let's hope your drama skills are up to par."
She drops him off in front of a department store, then drives off. Max does a little light shopping, looking for tails, then goes out a different exit and calls for a cab to take him to an address a few blocks from the school. He walks the rest of the way.
The corridors are dark as he enters the building and taps in the security code to reset the alarms.
"North door alarm is disabled," he says. "Just let me know when you get here. It has the most cover and the lighting isn't as strong as it is in the back."
He goes straight to the security office and disables any connections it has to the office. Then he goes back to the main office block and picks up a sheet of paper. He draws the computer he'll need to sort out their records and put them in some kind of reasonable order. Banks of high speed floppy drives with a main processor to scan them all and copy their data to a central hard drive with a CD-R backup system, which he loads with blank discs he bought at the department store. He then draws two droids: an R2-D2 unit and a C-3PO model to keep things coordinated.
"Okay guys," he says. "This is what I need. I want all of these discs cataloged, copied and collated. 3-PO, I want you to memorize every location of every disc so that we can put everything back the way it was. R2, your job is to manage the data. I want a copy of every reference to Susan Harrison and those associated with her. I've hooked this processor into their network's main data line. Use that to run search programs to run background checks on all the employees of the school hired within the past ten years."
The R2 unit beeped and whistled, then plugged into the jack Max had included in his drawing. Max looked towards 3-PO questioningly.
"Yes, R2," said 3-PO. "Master Maxwell, he says that this equipment is all -very- archaic, but he will do his best to serve you."
"That's all I can ask for. Okay, get to work, and try to keep the noise down."
Max went into the file area and set up a sheet scanner with a large loading hopper. Working at speed, he pulled ever file and loaded its contents into the scanner, keeping careful track of which papers went into which folders went into which drawer or box. He wanted to get most of the work done before the ladies arrived.
The stack of papers piled up pretty quickly, even allowing for the tremendous amount of data that was being processed. Two things did come to light as Max was going through them.
Kyle, Sheila T. Teacher intern from UCSF, began the school year as assistant to Mr. J. T. Harrison, but resigned abruptly in early October, supposed to have been transferred to another school.
"R2, find out where she went. Trace her social security records. and scan for a current driver's license and dental records. If you can't find something current, run matches through morgue records of unidentified persons."
Galdos, Lucia. Secretary, Main Office -- took leave of absence early October, after coming into inheritance from relative. Later, sent letter saying that she would not be returning, and was moving out of state. The letter did not say which state.
"Probably fake names or a red herring, but put together detailed files on these two. Work habits, performance reviews, whatever the records have. Oh, and check for deleted files from that time period which might be recoverable. Maybe they didn't cover their tracks thoroughly."
While this information was processing, there was a bit of an interruption as Barbara stormed in, Susan close behind her.
"Maxwell Rockwell, have you completely lost your mind?" Barbara broke off as she saw the computer, the robots. "I guess I don't need to ask. Where's a phone? I'm calling Arias. Maybe *he* can talk sense to you. You know you're *not* supposed to be doing this!" The rush subsided and she took Max's hands, gazed into his eyes with all her feelings for him showing clearly. "Damn it, I--we--almost lost you once...!"
"This would take all night going disc by disc. They're faster, and they can spot things faster than I can. Did you really think I'd be able to come in here and -not- look?" He rubbed the backs of her hands with his thumbs. "Just let me get finished with this, and the two of you can take me wherever you want to, and I'll do whatever you say within reason."
"I know what I'm doing," he said. "I've already come up with a couple of suspicious characters. I'm matching up the records of a teacher with Susan's school schedule. You can't dial out. The phone lines are in use. Might be nothing, might be something. As for Arias, I don't need his advice. 3PO, advise me over the com link if R2 finds anything interesting, and run that cross-check between Sheila Kyle's classes and Susan Harrison, as well as any other student listed as missing/presumed dead."
Barbara looked at Max for a long moment, then sighed. "All right--but please be careful."
Susan came over and put a hand over Barbara's and Max's. "I just don't understand why you told her so much." she began.
"Because the Dawn hide behind secrets, and I'm tired of it. I want to see if she rats us out or not. I want you to get all the help we can get you to bring your memories back. I certainly haven't helped, and Barbara has done all she can without actually going into your head and poking around. Even Professor Xavier couldn't bring you all the way back. You're blocking yourself, and we need to know why. Plus I want them to come after me. I'm going to get the proof we need to get you the protection you should have."
"She's not a telepath, is she?" Barbara asked, "or were you checking for that sort of thing? What I mean is, what do you think she could do that Professor Xavier couldn't?"
"A telepath? Oh, no. Her acting ability isn't -that- good. I was talking about -you- looking around in Susan's head."
"I could try--if it came to that." she said slowly. "though I'm not as strong as the Professor is. I'm not even as strong as I used to be, before...well, you know."
"And Vanderberg might be able to tell us about something that happened here. Maybe something traumatic from -before- Susan was taken. Something that made her lock part of herself away."
Susan gave Max a hug. "I want them back too, Max. You know that--but I'm not leaving you, either, and I don't want you to--I mean, like she said, we almost--lost you--once."
"I'm not that important, Susan. Both of you have lives out there to take back. You've got people to go back to. People who care about you and miss you. Every day you're not with them they suffer just that much more. I don't have that. Outside of our little band of refugees, I may as well not even exist. Actually, I -don't-, because the Dawn destroyed all my files at the orphanage. I guess they thought it would be easy to erase me. But I -can- do something to bring that last day of suffering that much closer for the two of you. Right now ... that's kind of my reason for being."
"Hold the phone, Max." Barbara replied. "We both might have those other people, but no matter what, you're going to be part of both families, if either of us have anything to say about it when this is all over." She squeezed his hand, even as Susan did the same with his other hand. "Don't even think about trying to go it alone. That's probably how *he* started out."
"Actually, I've been 'alone' pretty much since I was eight. That's why knowing the two of you is such a rush, being hot babes aside."
Barbara smiled softly and gave the hand she was holding a squeeze. "Well that's something you don't have to worry about again, being alone I mean. right, Susan?" She decided it'd be best to ignore the 'hot babes' remark, though she knew Max meant it as a compliment and she couldn't entirely keep from smiling at that.
Susan squeezed both Max's other hand and Barbara's. "Right."
A list for Sheila Kyle came up, and showed which classes she taught during September of 1995. Crosschecking with Susan's class schedule for that same time period showed that Ms. Kyle did teach a 10th grade English IIA class during 2nd period, and that Harrison, S., was listed in the student roster for that EIIA group, based on crosschecks of that with attendance records.
Ms. Kyle had only joined the faculty that term, when school began at the end of August. Mrs. Galdos, however, had been there for several years, since March 1992 in fact.
"That's pretty funny. This Ms. Kyle was only here for a few months, and there doesn't appear to be a new address for her, but the search isn't complete yet."
According to the note in her file, she had changed addresses and wanted a school closer to her new one. however, tapping into the San Francisco County School District records, she was -supposed- to start teaching at Bayshore High in mid October, but never did. She simply disappeared from there and didn't return to UCSF, either.
"R2, check county morgue records for Jane Does matching her physical parameters. And get me a location and description of this secondary address. Let's see if it's a vacant lot or what. Did she just dry up, or was she blown away?"
The new address given as where she was moving to, when crosschecked against city maps, comes back as a nonexistent house number, though the street given does exist. If that house number did exist, it'd be right in the middle of Candlestick Park.
There were no morgue records matching either Sheila Kyle's physical description, or Lucia Galdos',
Jeffrey Harrison's record at the school went back to 1973, he joined the faculty at WCHS just after graduating from college. Cathleen Larkin joined the office staff in 1976, the two married in 1979. Susan was born in 1981.
"Okay, I suppose that points a couple of fingers. But something had to tip them to the fact that you were here. Okay, you droids keep working the offices while we go check out some of the classrooms."
Max stepped out into the hallway, thinking. "Susan, when did you first find out you could throw lightning?"
She closed her eyes and tried to think back...but still couldn't see into the dark emptiness inside her. After a moment or two she shook her head. "I just remember waking up, and people calling me Electra, asking me how I felt. That was in a hospital I thought, then they took me to a room with all kinds of machines and--" she swallowed, then looked directly at Max. "They told me," she whispered, "the teachers--it was like they already knew. They said the machines were supposed to help them find out how much, and help me learn to control it. I didn't like it when they hooked me up though, sometimes it hurt." she swallowed again. "I was so afraid that that was what the Professor was going to do, if we'd stayed there. I mean, I know he wasn't like them, but I just couldn't stop being afraid." she whispered, her face paling as she spoke.
"Is it possible you might have .... hurt someone with it ... maybe badly?"
Susan's face lost what color it had left. Her mouth dropped open and she sagged against the nearest wall. Barbara barely managed to grab her before she collapsed and eased Susan to a sitting position. "No." came in a weak, barely audible whisper.
Holding up his comlink, Max says, "R2, check on any unexplained deaths by electrocution in the area for the past eighteen months. Then check local hospital files for electrical injuries and cross reference both lists to students here and any of the extracurricular groups the Harrison family belonged to. Also unexplained power surges. Check the electronic text of the school newspaper as well for unusual events involving electricity."
Susan burst into tears. Barbara tried to comfort her then looked desperately at Max. "What's gotten into you? Don't you see what you're doing to her?"
"I -might- be unlocking a door. 3PO, suspend all searches but continue to help R2 collate." He looked at them both with confusion and determination. "Look, we don't have a lot of time here, so we either try to get what we can here and now, or we pack it all in and forget trying to run down Susan's past. Susan, you have to tell me, and tell me -right now-. Do you want to find your past or not? Don't you want to know if you -didn't- do something? The two of you make me feel like I'm tearing out my own heart, but who else is going to ask these questions? -Something- got their attention. -Something-brought them here. Something made them want you enough to kill your parents, screw over the investigation, and then fry your mind to make you into one of their troopers. You were strong enough to get away from them, and -I- think you're strong enough to take whatever we come up with now. Which in itself might be nothing. I'll shut this whole thing down if you don't think you can face it, but you'll never know then, and it's going to follow you for the rest of your life. But if we stop now, I won't start again. It hurts us all too much."
She only sobbed quietly for a few minutes, while Barbara continued to try and comfort her. But then she began, slowly, raggedly, to try and get some control back. "We've come this far. It's just--if I -did- hurt somebody!" She closed her eyes for a moment, she just couldn't make herself say or even let herself think the other thing. "I never wanted to hurt anyone." She opened them again and stared at Max, wide eyed. "Is that it? Am I that dangerous?" She stared at her hands as if they'd suddenly become unrecognizable. "We have to know, don't we?"
"If something did happen, it might have been accidental. You've had some training now, and you haven't hurt anyone since -we've- been around, right?" He instructed the droids to resume their work, then moved over to Susan.
"Susan, I could make a bomb the size of a briefcase which would destroy an entire moon. Tell me ... who's really the threat here?"
"It's all on -how- the power is used that determines if your dangerous or not. You don't go off on impulse anymore. You -call- up the power, it doesn't let itself go. You're not any more dangerous than a man with a loaded gun. It takes a decision to pull either trigger."
He takes both of her hands, then pulls her back to her feet and away from the wall. "You could be electrocuting me right now, but you're -not-. You -have- control over it, Susan. Look at how stressed you just got. Did anything happen? -No-. Because you are -in control-. I'm sorry if this is hurting you. I don't feel good about -doing- it. You -know- that I'd rather not do it this way, but you're right. We -do- have to know."
Susan nodded, briefly. then slowly, still gulping back sobs, pulled one hand free to brush away the tears.
Barbara gave her a hug.
The commlink beeped.
Max moved to check the visual readout. On the screen was the following: November 1994. Susan Harrison (then in 9th grade) admitted to school nurses' office almost every day for a week complaining of severe headaches.
Subsequent examinations by three different MD's showed no apparent physical reason for these symptoms (no brain injury, tumor, or etc.)
Another report came up. Max noted that it had been compiled from information from the SF Unified School District, California Power Corporation, and the SF County Code Enforcement Office.
At this same time and continuing at irregular and progressively less intense degrees through September of 1995 were a series of unexplained electrical problems (surges, outages, shorts, etc.) centering on two particular sections of the SF County power grid, specifically the substations serving the areas of West Covina High and the Harrison home.
Susan looked at Max, uncertain. "You think I somehow caused this?" she wondered. "It does seem odd that they started about the same time as I got sick. Or do you think it's just a coincidence?"
"Power fluctuations certainly would make sense. Hmmm.... This would mean there's more to your power than we first thought. The Professor wasn't all that forthcoming with the analysis of your capabilities."
"He said it'd take a few days to get that." Susan replied.
Max turned his attention back to the report.
Despite the flood of cross-accusations of faulty wiring, inspection procedures, etc., no proof of such was ever found.
A second report followed, this one compiled from information from the school nurse, SF County EMS, and SF General Hospital.
In March, 1995, an apparent power surge resulted in the electrocution of two students. One of these seemed to recover quickly, almost right away in fact, (it was assumed that she'd received a much milder dosage) the other one was comatose for weeks afterwards and was eventually transferred to a rehab center.
The two students involved were Susan Harrison and Johann Krueger.
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