Fic: Chase the Morning {24/37}
Chapter Four: Friends
Date: August 19, A.I. 7 [2007](night)
Location: Orchard, Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado
Henry and Will waited in the trees on the border of the small wood, watching for the man who had left the note. The moon was just beginning its descent when Henry spotted movement at the far side of the orchard.
‘Hey, look.’ He said, tapping Will on the shoulder to get his attention. ‘There’s someone down there, coming towards us.’
‘Yeah, I see them. Let’s go.’
They left their posts and headed cautiously down the hill, not particularly enjoying the fact that the hillside was bathed in moonlight. When they reached the agreed upon rendezvous point, Henry took a seat on the stone where the note had been found and Will leaned against a nearby tree, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to look nonchalant. The figure moving towards them resolved itself into the form of a tall man, his hair pulled back into a ponytail. Moonlight glinted off of his steel-rimmed glasses as he drew to a halt a few feet away from Will and Henry.
‘Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Foss.’ He said dryly. ‘I could’ve sworn I heard that you died in South America.’
‘And here I thought you’d died in L.A., Peter.’
‘Looks like we were both wrong.’
Will looked from Henry to the man and then back again. ‘Anyone care to tell me what’s going on? Who is this guy?’
‘Doctor Peter Kavanagh.’ Peter said, holding out a hand. ‘I used to work for the same company as he did, though for a different branch in Los Angeles.’
‘Doctor Will Zimmerman,’ Will said, shaking Peter’s hand briskly before letting go. ‘You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the Sanctuary Network being described as a company before, though I guess that’s a pretty good comparison.’
Peter looked mildly startled. ‘You worked for Doctor Magnus?’
‘Yep. Out of curiosity, how did you know we were in the woods?’ Will asked.
‘I can answer that one.’ Henry said. ‘Peter here is an empath. Passive only, though, so you don’t need to worry about him messing with your emotions or anything.’
‘Always good to know.’
‘Where’d you guys come from, anyways?’ Peter inquired. ‘It’s been a hell of a long time since I’ve seen anyone associated with the Sanctuary, and I assumed most everyone was dead. It’s good to see that I was wrong.’
‘Yeah, about that. We’ve been travelling for a while.’ Henry replied. ‘We’ve been out of contact for some time now.’
‘And what are you doing out here? There’s not much out here besides trees and birds.’
‘We could ask the same question about you.’
‘Ah. Well…’ Peter rubbed idly at the back of his neck. ‘I live out here, actually. Um, quick question, though, since while I can probably vouch for you, Henry, I’m not too sure about you, Doctor Zimmerman: Are you allied with the Wraith? ‘Cause there’s no way in hell I’m going to tell you where I live without knowing where your allegiance lies.’
‘How would you know what I tell you is the truth?’ Will asked. ‘And for the record, no, I’m not allied with the Wraith. Neither is Henry.’
‘I know that now. I can See that you’re telling the truth.’
‘Wait, what? You believe me just like that?’ Will was confused.
‘As I said, I can See that you’re telling the truth. It’s another gift of mine.’ Peter said. ‘I can tell if you’re lying or not.’
‘Really? That’s interesting.’
‘Not really.’ Peter sighed. ‘Look, I can’t stay much longer; if you want to come with me to the village you’re more than welcome to, but you’ll probably be locked up since it’s night time. I’d wait until morning and then come into town. They’re generally a little more receptive to strangers when it’s daylight.’
‘Well, that’s good to know.’ Henry said. ‘They don’t know about Abnormals, though, do they?’
‘There’re a couple near-human Abnormals in town who’re able to blend in, but on the whole, no, the general public still doesn’t know about the existence of Abnormals.’ Peter told them. ‘I’m going to head back now; hopefully, I’ll see you two in the morning.’
‘Yeah, we’ll be there.’
‘Good. Sleep well, and take care of yourselves.’ With that, Peter turned and left, making his way back through the orchard and then out of sight. Will and Henry watched him go, and then Will turned to his friend.
‘Think we can trust him?’
Henry nodded vaguely, getting up from his seat as he did so. ‘Yeah, I think we can. I’ve worked with him before, back at the Sanctuary, and he’s always been a trustworthy guy. A little antisocial at times, but otherwise a good guy, and one you want to have on your side when the walls start to come crashing down.’
‘Hmm.’ Will started back up the hill, Henry following behind him after a beat or two. They made their way back into the woods, choosing a new spot for the night’s camp and settling in, wondering what the morning would bring, and whether or not this chance meeting with an old friend would bear any good fruit.