Havenwood, A Safe Refuge

As the others were beginning their journeys to Havenwood separately, Don was attending to his personal business.

He sat quietly in his office, the lights dim. His chair was facing the window at the back of the room, the bird from earlier perched on the floor in his office. He eyed the bird once more, and he looked as it as if he were waiting for it to hurry up. After letting out a loud scream, the hawk hopped out of the light and into the shadows. Doneghan let out a sigh and turned to his computer, tapping out a few things while waiting.

A small datapad landed on the desk next to Don's keyboard, thrown from the darkness. A male voice came after the pad, a strong and agitated tenor.

"There's your report, old man. I have no idea why you're asking me to gather all this damned da-"
"You know why I'm having you do this. It's to update my records." Doneghan cut the other man off.
"I know why you asked me to, but I also know damn well that you can do it yourself without even leaving this fuckin' room!" A thump resounded from the shadows, where the man had angrily punched the wall. Don shook his head and picked up the pad.
"It's part of your training, Kai..." He paused for a moment. "Take some time on your next assignment to reflect on the power of names, whether they be given or chosen."
"Yes, sensei." The man spoke back, his voice now soft and respectful. Don hooked the pad into his Mother computer, and waited for the information to transfer.
"I'll contact you later with your next assignment, for now you're free to roam as you please, son." There was a slight pause before the other man spoke again.
"Thank you, father."

Doneghan turned from his computer only in time to see his son leaving the office, dressed in one of Don's own outfits. A soft smirk played across his face as he turned back to the data on the screen and began to peruse through it.

This is very well gathered and documented, Don thought, and from the looks of it he went completely unnoticed. He was able to successfully comply to my orders despite his recklessness. And so soon after the incident...
His thoughts were cut off as his handheld blinked on.
Receiving call from firestarter4.

Enoch's Dorito-muffled hello came through as Don propped the handheld up.

"Well this is a surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear from you two for some time..." He scanned over both En and Scott on the screen before continuing.
"I assume that everything has been well for the two of you?"

As Don waited for a response, he went back to scanning through his son's report, nodding as he mentally took note of it all. He stopped at one spot in particular, troubled by the description of a woman that had been seen at an agency hot spot.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Reluctantly, Arc hopping in the truck, tossing his duffel in the bed. As they took off he smiled, "Just so long as I don't get shot... despite my abilities... it still hurts."

Shortly after they began the drive, Arc pulled out a Gameboy DS, doodling and playing with it at the stuck hobbled along, the Diesel engine rumbling the entire way. Every so often, when he'd win a fight or die in the game, he let out a Afrikaans cheer or curse, having grown accustomed to speaking the three different Native African dialects he had learned while overseas.

Enoch kept hold of the device in front of the two of them, the screen wiggling slightly as he reached for another handful of chips to shove into his mouth. He waited to talk this time until he'd finished chewing thankfully, grinning back at Don. "Oh yeah. It's been just wonderful." He pulled the device away then, holding it up to let the screen view pan over the small cheap hotel room where they were staying in, pausing on Scott's lap briefly to focus on the thin black cat that was snuggled there and then back to the two youth's once again.

"See. It's so great here...." He rolled his eyes. "We're hoping to leave tomorrow...this thing is gonna show us how to get to where ever the hell you are?" He looked a bit skeptical before asking his next question without a bit of worry in his voice.

"Hey Red, did Colie get one of these things too?" He waited for an answer before he explained his concern further.

Scott had waved a bit when it was his turn to be on screen, glad to hear the calm in Red's voice. Hopefully that meant good things despite the weird feeling nestled in the blonde's stomach.

He did as the cat told him while En spoke with the group leader, idly petting her as she purred away. Scott tilted his head as he peered down at the older feline, wondering if she'd like what he did with En's car... although it was still stuffed with (now clean) clothes, it was at least trash free. Hopefully there would be more room for themselves and Ink on their journey to wherever-land.

Red's last comment caused Scott to look up a bit warily, wondering what was wrong. He waited as En continued on to ask about this mysterious Colie. All ears open, the youth snatched up the worn beanie from his nightstand, pulling it just above his eyes as he went to start stuffing things into a backpack. Best start packing now.

Columbine, miles away, her eyes wide and unblinking, mumbled off the details of her latest vision, betraying the whereabouts of the two boys and their latest assignment to move to a new nest (though she hadn't, thankfully, seen where that place is). A slight Asian woman of sat in the corner of the dim interrogation room, her mouth moving along with Columbine's words, the same sightless expression painted on her face.

The agent waited outside in the parking lot. New information flashed over the small hand held and he smiled. It seemed that waiting would be the wiser idea in this situation.

Eyr grinned across at him. "Don't be stupid, the police care more about people with money as a rule. Think the owner of this thing has any?" She pulled it out of the airport and onto the freeway, heading back in the direction of the frozen lake. She then passed across her handheld to Arc.

"Besides, I know it hurts to get shot." She said. "Remember the mall? You saved my life back then." She sighed, then reached to buckle the seatbelt around her almost as an afterthought, keeping one hand and one eye on the freeway. She put her foot down, making good time and driving relatively sensibly. To think a year ago she'd barely known how to get a vehicle moving.

"Ring ahead would you? Let them know we're coming?"

"Yeah... I suppose your right. Gotta love the judicial system and their ineptitude of investigative technology..." Arc felt a sudden desire to smoke, but had given up the habit when he went to Africa, not having such luxuries readily available. It hit him that cigarette's were not more then a gas station away.

"Eyr... we gotta stop for smokes. I'm dying for a fag..."

Arcturus closed the DS, depositing the stylus inside it's holster as he pocketed it. He pressed a few buttons and the familiar call sound resounded in his ears as he buzzed Doneghan to let him know they were on their way over. " 'ey Don, Tentacles picked me up in a junker... we're on our way now. You want to like... beam her directions or something? Maybe so we can find this secret hide out of yours?"

"Shark eat fish." She said, still grinning brightly. But then her ideas of personal property had always been a bit... suspect.
She screwed up her face at the mention of cigarettes, she despised the things. They smelled and tasted strange. There was also the nagging feeling that if she ever got into them, she'd never give them up. Best not to go there.

"Addict." She shot back, then added. "Sure thing, won't take about ten minutes. I'm running low on twizzlers." She said, glancing at him again with another mischivous expression. That was probably something else he hadn't had access to out in Africa.

She continued to drive as he operated the handheld, largely concentrating on the road. "Oh ask if the boys have checked in yet." She said hopefully. Of all of the refuge group, it was perhaps them she was most keen to see.

Arc remembered the delicious red licorice ecstasy at the mention of the candy. "I'll... wait in the car..." When she shot him that face, knowing she was more then likely just going to steal them anyway. "Cherry tobacco Arc's for me... when you're... pilfering the goods..."

He knew her too well.

Colie... Columbine...

Don's head stopped swirling about the redhead on screen when that name was mentioned. He hadn't thought about her in what seemed like a lifetime.

"Columbine..." He shook his head, glancing to Scott and Enoch on the screen of his handheld.
"No... We parted ways before I put these together. I haven't heard from her in such a long time..." His eyes became thoughtful for a moment, but he was interrupted by Arc.

"What? The GPS location should have sent when I remotely activated everyone's system... It should already be in there."
He took a moment and shoved himself away from the desk, out of the handheld's camera range. He stood and put his hands behind his head, speaking softly to himself as he looked out the window.

"What are you doing with them, Maeve?" He shook his head and sat down again, sliding the chair back into camera range.
"How far out are you, Eyr? I can prepare your rooms while you're on the way. Oh, and Enoch. Do you know when you'll be heading out? I might be able to send someone to rendezvous with you and help with your trip."
He looked back to the data on his computer, shaking his head.
I'll have to talk to him about this.

"We're heading out...um..." En's view swiveled towards Scott. "Now?" The youth shrugged, still looking for any objections from his companion before he nodded a confirmation to Don. "Yeah. Now....who we picking up. Someone we know?" He paused, swinging the device around and bringing it close to his face, dark brows coming together in concern. "Someone who knows about us? Knows what we are?"
Enoch didn't think Don would send them on a trip with anyone different but he'd become more and more paranoid the longer him and Scott were out on there own. It certainly didn't hurt to ask.

As En waited for an answer he began 'packing', which mostly consisted of stuffing the mess he'd made in the hotel room into a more condensed pile in an old backpack. Enoch made sure the cat and her things got put in the car first, and then helped Scott finish loading the vehicle.
The communication device was stuffed in his back pocket as he did so, the speaker function left on so En could hear Don's answer and give his own as he made preparations to leave.

The fire-starter didn't notice they were being watched, nor did he pick up on the dark SUV that began tailing them as soon as they left the hotel parking lot.

"Well if Colie doesn't have one of these phone-things we need to get in touch with her somehow. Can't figure why she'd call if something wasn't going on." En mused out load, tossing the device to Scott as he did so while he drove. "Annnnnd we need food." He glanced towards the blonde with a grin. En always seemed to be hungry. "Watch for signs...has to be something worth eating on the way."
The thin black cat rubbed against the seat as she crept her way up front to curl up in Scott's lap. Ink certainly had no problems being on the road again.

Don shook his head...
"You wouldn't know who they are, but I've worked with them for a substantial length of time... And yes, they're gifted just like the rest of us." He paused for a moment while the handheld on the other end was being jostled around. When it came to a rest he began to speak again.
"Remember to travel light, and always be aware of your surroundings. I can look over some GPS maps and find you a route I'd believe to be the safest if you'd like... If not I'll need to know the ways you're planning on going so I can send rendezvous coordinates to you two as well as the one you'd be meeting." He pulled up the files he had on Columbine, a small smile coming to his face.
"As for Columbine... I'll have to look into getting in touch with her. She fell off of my radar over the year and I never made the time to figure out where she was..." He shook his head. "I'll be able to work on finding her after everyone gets to Havenwood. Until then, don't worry and travel smart! If Havenwood's secrecy were ever endangered then we'd be back on the run again," He clenched his fist, and rapped his desk quite hard, "and I would have a few words with whoever put my beloved home into the danger that made me have to abandon it."

He browsed over Columbine's files for a moment and thought to himself. A feeling rushed through his bones, but he shook his head.
"I wouldn't believe that, not without proof..." He pulled up the other files he had been viewing, those about the redheaded woman 'Maeve".
"But I would believe it in an instant that you had shifted loyalties yet again..." For a moment he appeared angry, but soon enough he was back to perusing the many files on his computer, monitoring the security cameras and researching maps for safe routes for Enoch and Scott.

His eyes trailed to the camera watching the kitchen, where Kai's silhouette could be seen devouring a large meal.
"Ever the hungry one." He reached over to a microphone, which was connected to the building through a pa system.
"Come back to my office in five or ten minutes... Or after you've finished cleaning our food stocks. I have another assignment for you." The figure on screen lifted his right hand and gave a thumbs up.
"Oh, and don't get my clothes covered in food." Don commented. The figure tucked it's thumb into a fist and then flipped off the camera.
"Grow up." Don said, then turned the pa off and went back to his work.

(In an effort to get this going again)

Eyr beamed at him, pulling the stolen truck into the outside lane and then on and into the rest stop, where she bundled out through the doorway without a backward glance. She knew he'd look after the truck. As she sauntered towards the little shop, she fished in her pockets, turning up a few odds and ends, some of which she threw away. But among all the junk in there she had enough coinage to buy something.

With the tender busy with the one other customer, she neatly swiped a few packets of twizzlers and hid them about her person, along with pop-rocks and a bar of chocolate. Then she selected a tin of tuna from another shelf, then took a bottle of water from the cooler on her way to the counter. She paid for these, offering the poor young man behind the counter a winning smile that at least broke his expression of abject boredom to grin for a moment.

Thanking him, she went skipping back to the truck and bounded back inside, tossing a packet of twizzlers into Arc's lap. "Mission accomplished." Then she wound down the window. "Geesh those stink."