[DASH=cyan]"Atticus, that price on their heads is not going to go unnoticed...and she's expecting... I just found that out late last night... IF the Haven gets their hands on them..."
Atticus felt compassion at the worry he heard in Ace's voice. He didn't know much about their relationship but he knew that Ace felt endeared to the girl like an older brother to a sister. Despite Ace's amused amazement at her cleverness, which was no less real, Atticus knew that Ace was concerned for his friend's well being, and with good cause. Atticus was never 100% behind the idea of training the couple in order to send them back out into the fray. However, while he may not have been sure about the plan, he'd never been unsure of Ace or his judgment. If Ace said they would be ready, they would be ready. But pregnant…that changed things.
Or did it? What would he have done had he been in their shoes so many years ago stuck trying to make sense of the world they now found themselves in? Would he have let the death, the chaos, the fear keep him from the freedom of life or love? Of family? There were those, who since the fall, had argued that there should be laws against anyone bringing children into the chaos as it currently was. But who was one person to make that decision for another? And further, like the life giving sun, or knowledge like that contained in Atticus' books, who could ever think themselves powerful enough to overcome the power of life? Deep down he applauded their audacity.
Clearly, they were a resilient couple and apparently both stubborn and clever as well. Yes, he had to admit he admired their courage. Whether or not it would serve them well in this instance, however, was yet to be seen. He was never so naïve as to think that one person could ever really make another do something they didn't want to do. Neither he nor Ace could have kept them in the Tower if they didn't want to stay, even if they did believe it was for their own good.
"I'm sorry, Ace," he said genuinely and while still compassionate to Ace's fear he said matter of factly, "And you're right. Haven will not, cannot, let their secret be revealed. As long as your friends are alive, they are a threat. I don't like the things that I'm discovering about Haven, Ace. And it would only serve to mislead you if I told you that I believed them to be incapable of touching their lives once again. They are a powerful force with even more powerful 'friends' and I fear that we have yet to uncover the depths to which they will go to hold their position and secure their interests. Your friends are in great danger." A part of him felt bad for telling his friend the truth like this but he knew Ace knew him well enough to know that he was far from a cold and uncaring man. He would want the truth and he would want action. Atticus, of course, was a man of both.
"…Yes, I know about Matt and Josie, but who else?..."
Apparently, they weren't exactly on their own after all. Who was their accomplice? Unless he was their best ISH agent, for which he knew better than to hope, at this point it didn't matter.
"…Do you have a plan on this Atticus, or should I come up with one?"
There was a tinge of desperation in Ace's voice and…was that impatience? Despite himself, and the seriousness of the situation, the corner of one side of his mouth raised ever so slightly into a smile. Haven may be a force to be reckoned with but few people, perhaps only one he realized, knew just what Atticus and the ISH were capable of should it be required, and Atticus was not-so-slowly coming to see the need. It was time to act.
"Ace, be of good courage, my friend," he said as the energy of taking action began to create momentum within him. "They may not know that they need our help, or be willing to ask for it, but we're going to give it to them anyway. We can ask for their forgiveness later. They can't have gone far. SAM informed me of the tampering only a few minutes ago. They'll be agile with bikes and can cover ground quickly but they'll still be heading through rough and open terrain. We have a good idea of where they're headed so we're not shooting in the dark. If they're after the young man's brother they'll be headed in the direction of Freemont. And unless they put forth a serious effort to stay away from every form of civilization out there they'll pass through or be seen by at least one of the outposts along the way. If we don't have an actual agent in each of them we'll at least have a presence. I'll put out a communication informing those on the network of Matt and Josie's…uh, departure…and what we know of their intentions. I'll inform our agents to offer any assistance they may need but not to impede them. For whatever reason, it appears they don't currently want our direct involvement, but you know better than most that we've always been quite successful at staying effectually involved…indirectly. Don't worry, we'll find them and when the time is right, and if at that time they seem willing, we'll do our best to persuade them to greater caution, or at least to accept the help of friends.
Is there anyone you'd like to send from the Tower?"[/DASH]
