Spilling Guts

Part 46 - The Calm

Cetz could hear the disappointment in Megan's voice as she explained how their lead had led nowhere. Aside from one photograph from Retten's wall of insanity, they had no idea how Parker Lenore could have been connected to Louis.

"We're headed back to base to wrap up," said Megan. "We'll have a final report ready by this afternoon."

Cetz heard the clearing of a throat.

"And can Rachel be available to look at my foot when we get in?" asked Megan sheepishly. "There was an incident involving force, gravity, and a very heavy table yesterday."

Cetz, very familiar with Megan and Teegan's frequent seminars on hand to hand combat, had to ask: "What did the table do, and did it survive?"

"My foot was an innocent bystander to a raging table-flipper," snapped Megan. "And yes, it survived."

"My sympathies for your foot. I'll pass the notice on to Rachel." Cetz's fingers twirled around the charging cord to the headset cradle. "By the way, you might want to touch base with Louis."

"Is he still working on the Devil's Neckbrace case?" asked Megan.

"Last I checked. I think he's been talking to Rachel about some of the more technical aspects. Make it a quick meeting, and then call it a day. You've worked hard enough."

"Will do. See you soon."

Click.

Cetz glanced at his tablet and saw on the Hive message board was starting to take bets for when Grant finally woke. And someone wanted to know the specifications for "woke".

Cetz had more pressing dilemmas. After he reviewed Megan and Teegan's report, he would call in Louis and read him in on the hunt for Retten. Not all of it, but enough for Louis to know what was going on. It had been hard enough keeping Louis' condition secret from Megan and Teegan; they had questions and hated being told to not search for the answers. And Cetz had to keep telling them to not look into it.

Being the Head of Watch two was like weaving a giant tapestry with electric wire, except some of the wires were exposed in places, and other fully stripped. The weaver had to be careful not to cross live wires while still maintaining a pattern of people, information, and productivity. He wondered if Balcuwitz understood that.

He also wondered why his mind strayed to weaving of all metaphors until he glanced back at the Hive message board.

Oh, the Hive had an example of their latest craft meet hanging on the wall. That's why.

As for Will...

Will probably had enough on his plate. Cetz wondered how the nerdy agent was faring while working upstairs, and how the rest of the Chaos quartet were fairing without him to be a fixations or distraction.

***

Louis hadn't lasted long at his desk. He didn't want to call Will and ask him why he wasn't at work. He also didn't want to sit idle if Will wasn't coming in at all. In a moment of distraction, he had picked up one of the files from the mountainous inbox. He had read the brief description and questioned his faith in humanity.

Double sticky post-it notes. As in, the notes were sticky on both sides, from edge to edge.

Yeah, no. I have more important things to do than this. I'll check if Will arrived by lunch, then I'll call.

Though, at the despondent looks on Beni and Reese's faces, they might call Will before he did.

Louis left the tea on the warming coaster and refilled his own mug before retreating to the spare office and his research. The dimly lit room had become a refuge from patent work. The only problems he had to face were the ones he brought in himself.

His task was to compile a comprehensive report of his theories on the Devil's Neckbrace, the effects on its victims, and possible treatments. The treatments section was the weakest; it was mostly a list of other medical journals and their own treatments for insomnia, narcolepsy, and other sleep disorders. As much as he wanted to help victims of the Neckbrace, he had no original ideas. Yet. His bibliography section also suffered formatting issues since his left hand wanted to ache when tapping the "tab" button.

Perhaps I should pass the report by Balcuwitz first, thought Louis, taking a break to stretch his fingers before typing again. A lot of the victims' problems had a psychological slant to them; perhaps Balcuwitz had psychiatric knowledge that could help. Brain bio-chemistry and the like. Him and Rachel could probably give the report an overhaul.

Should he give a copy to Will?

Will was the reason for his decent into reports, old case files. Will hadn't been sleeping well and was probably snappy with Louis because of the lack of sleep. The report, if it was valid, would help.

Yeah, how are you going to present that. "Hey, sorry I was a jerk. Here's tea, an apology note, and a twenty-five page report on how you mind might turn into screaming mush due to sleep deprivation." I'll let Rachel bring it up to Will, he trusts her.

Will trusted her when she put the Devil's Neckbrace on him.

Louis abandoned the keyboard and flicked his pen back and forth in his fingers, the nib clinking against his empty mug like a chime.

"Holy shit, just print the damn thing and let's go," he said to himself. He needed more coffee.

He gave the drive a cursory read-though, looking for obvious mistakes, and then hit print and send. A copy will have hit Rachel's inbox, and one would be printed off in the copy room down the hall for him to pass on to Megan and Teegan. If he was going talk it over with them, he wanted a psychical copy to make notes on. He got up, mug in hand and a weight off his shoulders. Once the report was in the hands of smarter people, he could relax.

Coffee, give the report to Megan and Teegan, see if Will arrived yet... Louis checked his watch as he walked out of the office and into the bright hallway. And lunch. Didn't realize it was this late.

Stopping by the copy room and slipping his report into a blue case folder, he wondered if he should offer to have lunch with Will?

His mind, always a skeptic, said: Let's see if he's here first.