Fractured Mirth
part 17
"So. Any....idea where to start?"
John Grant angled his head to the side in the empty room, as he watched Phoebe Halliwell approach the board clothed in a million thumbtacks, photographs of young women tacked alongside the photos of the deceased children that had only recently been uncovered. He frowned a moment, considering her, his blue eyes set deep in concentration. Shrugging, he gently took a step back, shoving his hands carelessly into his pockets. "I guess it all depends on what you believe, doesn't it?"
She followed his eyes to the photos, nodding. "And you don't believe."
"I wish it were that simple." He nearly laughed. "But you know what? Either way, this son of a bitch knows we're onto him. So the odds are pretty good that he's going to try and zero in, just like Rachel said."
"Probably," she sided.
He winced a moment, as he averted his eyes, training them to the ground below. "But you don't need to be in here. I...I mean, you don't need to see this. They're really not for a civilian's eyes. As a matter of fact, I don't even know if I could've handled them back before the VCTF took me in. We just haven't seen anything this bad in God knows when."
"Well, as a lowly civilian, I may not be able to help with the big details of the case just yet, but I may just be able to pinpoint a location for you."
"Location?"
"Yeah. George and I actually got into this daguerreian stuff a lot more than we both wanted to, and we just happened to find this journal," she stated, faintly amused at the prospect, as she pulled a stack of papers from behind her back, eagerly holding them up in front of his handsome face. "It was officially edited by this guy named S. D. Humphrey, and it was presented as the world's first photography magazine- as in, the eldest of all magazines remaining on the subject."
"And unless he was one of your creatures of the night, I doubt this...S. D. Humphrey is living anymore, much less resting in his coffin in undisturbed human form."
"Look, the point is, the thoughts expressed in this magazine, let us know exactly what this kind of art stands for. Just because you don't see supernatural splashed across the cover page, doesn't mean there won't be something there."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Listen to this. 'The daguerreotypist must aim to be cheerful and pleasant under all circumstances, and especially patient and playful with children.' Now, given what else we found, maybe these children did fully trust this man with their lives. Maybe it was someone the whole town had no reason to fear."
"You mean someone who was like Mr. Rogers on the outside, but Mr. Hyde's personality plus?"
She sighed. "Okay, look, funny as that may sound, isn't it how most killers strike? Granted, I've only dealt with demons, but it still doesn't mean they're all going to present themselves as the hideous monster they are."
"Yeah, thanks for the lecture."
"John, sometimes you can't-"
"I don't even know why the hell I'm still on this case," he murmured, cutting her off. "Half the time, I think I must be insane to actually put up with everything you and Rachel feed me. I mean, okay. It makes sense, yes, but as to whether or not it could be entirely plausible, I'm afraid I'm still pleading the damn fifth. Get my drift? But....I guess I have to still award points for effort, right?"
"The Daguerreian Artist should possess quick perceptive powers, an eye for the beautiful, which will enable him at a glance to decide on expression and position. He will promptly, yet judiciously, select the view of the face most favorable for the just disposition of light and shadows," she continued to read aloud, pausing to study the printed pictures that accompanied it.
"Light and shadows?" he repeated.
"Yeah, and this right here, tells me he loves the shadows more than anything else. It doesn't seem like he physically wants to display himself for what he really is, which would come into play with putting on the false persona. He wanted Robertson to take the heat, and he did. In more ways than one. This guy's slick. Real slick."
"And how exactly do we find someone who continues to lurk in the shadows? He's not really volunteering his true form for show, is he?"
"Yeah, and personally, going undercover seems to be our best bet all the way around. He likes to be in the shadows, so we put ourselves in those shadows to seek him out."
"So if this really like a hobby for you, or do you just do it every now and then for old times sake?"
She briefly smirked. "Some people just try and go with the flow."
"I don't know. See....I guess the most appealing quality for me in a woman is her unpredictability," he murmured. "I mean, you never really know what she'll attempt next, and yet you find yourself loving her for every second of it."
"Sounds like you've still got a little crush on someone yet."
"Yeah, well, it helps if they know how you feel, but it's even worse if you find yourself tongue tied with someone you....once upon a time- didn't get along with all that well at all."
"You're sure she doesn't feel the same way?"
He laughed. "No, I don't think she has a clue. Moreover, it doesn't stop her from screaming at whenever she sees an opportunity, right?"
"Maybe you should tell her," she added, shooting him a wink. "Usually helps a little if they know first, before you decide to make any other moves."
"The only move I'm going to be making, is saving her ass from this monster when he tries to take her down."
"Rachel," she sided.
"Is it really that obvious?"
"Well, no, but you kind of finally gave me something to go on there."
He fought the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "And look at us. We're supposed to be the big, bad VCTF, and so far we've got nothing on Albert, Robbie's gone, and I'm supposed to try my hand at working with a half demon. Where's the logic in this?"
"For starters, you look just like him."
"Yeah," he scoffed. "And that still didn't get me out of being hassled because I took you along with me on a lead, did it?"
"And we're all a little thrown off right now, okay? It doesn't mean we're all going to hold back and not say those things we don't really mean."
"You said you had a location," he reminded her.
"I think he might try one of the summer camps."
"Summer camps?"
"There's one where the kids sometimes attend through the fall too. It's open all year round, minus the winter months."
"That doesn't exactly live up to the name summer camp then, does it?"
"No, but that's the idea. He's going to want somewhere exactly like this. He wants the accomodations it brings him- he wants to take the easy route."
"You're positive about this?"
She shook her head. "Not one hundred percent, but it's the only shot we have, isn't it?"
"Yeah, and when I was talking to Duane? He said something about- well, I asked him who had helped him, right? I asked him who his accomplice was. He said he didn't have one, and yet he couldn't deny that there was a feeling he wasn't entirely conscious of. Matter of fact, I still don't know if his story was believable worth a damn, but I'm trying here...Phoebe, I'm trying to sort this out, and for the life of me, I just can't pick up on what this...this thing can do."
"Conscious, but not seen by the human eye?"
"Something that can weave through these shadows you were just talking about, but yet it can easily appear like the guy next door to someone who wants to see it."
"Spot on," she murmured, giving him an okay with her thumb and forefinger.
"So why can't Cole pick up on him? He can do that better than us, can't he?"
"Not necessarily. This man clearly has more power," she managed dutifully. "He probably has one over him. Cole can detect a demon a pretty good distance away, but he can't always pinpoint the whereabouts if they're shielded. When Cole was being hunted, he used to go the mausoleum, because it was the one place the bounthunters would have trouble finding him."
"Bountyhunters, really?" He raised a thoughtful eyebrow. "Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything."
"Look, the-"
"You're saying this guy hangs out with the undead too then, huh?"
"I wish it were that simple."
"Alright, so if I do this, I go after him, Cole can blindside him then, can't he?"
"Not if he picks up on Cole, and knows there are two of you there. Which is why you're going to have to be extra careful."
"And what about the kids? We're going to need some kind of a safehouse for them."
"We'll have to work on that as we get to it."
"And the connection to the kids back then and the kids now- something's still gotta be there, doesn't it? There has to be an underlying theme this guy's trying to get at."
"Power?" she suggested sarcastically.
"I'm being serious here."
"And I think he's made his mark already, don't you?"
"He knows about the VCTF. Through Duane, I'm betting he knew. If we can sort out what he already knows, and how to wrap ourselves around that, outwitting him is still not completely out of the question."
"Outwitting him lies in what you believe," she insisted. "There's no other way."
"What's the name of this camp?"
"John-"
"The name?"
"Look, don't you think you're getting a little too impatient here?"
"And for a woman who may have just lost two of her sisters, she's sure as hell not wallowing in her grief, is she?"
"What do you want me to do? Go after him myself and get myself killed?!" He voice rose without her own realization of it, her temper quietly catching her offguard. "Oh, yeah, that would really great, wouldn't it? It wouldn't show I was anything but a damn coward."
"Is that what you think I am?"
"You're still bent on revenge from your accident," she mused. "Rachel knows it, too. You want revenge, you'll get it. But you have to do it right."
"At the cost of what?"
"I'm not sure what you-"
"Rachel thinks Jack Dobson could be Satan in all his fun loving glory. Now, given that neat little piece of information, if he isn't onto Rachel yet, knowing she's figured it out, we may still have a shot through a human form, right?"
She smiled. "I'd say you're catching on somewhat."
"We've gotta get to this Jack guy, one way or another. Maybe he fled because he'd been picked up for petty crap before...I don't know. Maybe he thinks we'll have something on him and accuse him of being suspect, because of those earlier crimes. But guys who are married and are only suspected of truly loving their wives? See, I really don't think they'd be going through all this trouble. Maybe Paulina was it the whole time."
"It?" she questioned.
"The source to this guy's madness- his weak spot."
"You're saying it's what allowed him to finally snap?"
"He went after our prized assailant back there, didn't he? He had a motive in mind and he moved in for that kill. End of story."
"Because Duane was telling you too much."
"Either way, Bailey's got George looking into facilities, so if he's there, we'll find him."
"It's the Sunnyspot Lodge," she added. "The name of the camp? That's the one I saw in my premonition, when I touched one of the photos."
"Look, Phoebe, don't do this. Okay? Don't try and make it a supernat-"
"And I'm not lying," she hissed. "My head is still pounding from dozens of them. If you think for one minute I won't do everything I have to help you here, you must literally be thrown for a damn loop. Do you think I ask them to come to me? Do you think I sit there and beg for one of these things before I enjoy fighting the hands of time to save innocents who could just be dead, if we're seconds too late?"
"But you do," he brought forth. "You do save them, Phoebe. And that's what separates you from those of us who just can't bring ourselves to take that step forward."
"You'll have to. If not for me...for my sisters...for Rachel. Do it for her, John. She needs you. They need you. All of these women and children who have died, need you on this."
"I know," he whispered.
"Those men were guarding those pics. Sure, they may have wanted them discovered, but there was something behind it- something else that we don't even...look, George and I deduced that whatever way these people died in, they were lost. They still can't find their way back, even now. They want to reach that heaven, if it exists, but I don't think they can manage it, unless they're free. And as of right now, he's probably got them trapped and taking their energy. I think there might be more of these," she sided, indicating the old fashioned photos. "The women? We've only found children, but then again, they're also the most willing of victims. The women, on the other hand, were harder to snag, harder to make his own, to use them to his own devices for pleasure. Some probably fought back."
"And some might have just been scared out of their minds," he reasoned.
"True. But the bottom line is, once we reach him, something tells me we may have a lot more answers than we bargained for."
"I'm counting on it."
"Yeah, well, we'll probably get a lot more evil than we bargained for, too. Can't exactly say I'm counting on that," she remarked stubbornly.
"So you think those guys really do work for him?"
"In the black cloaks? Hmm....hard to say, really. With their leader...or...potential leader unwilling to say two words, I would imagine that would be kind of hard to conclude."
"Think I'm finally starting to see the light with Cole having a little fun with him."
She laughed. "I was just telling Bailey that morphing into Belthazor might actually help us at this stage."
"Nobody's morphing into anything," a familiar voice droned behind them. "Not if I can help it. Control is best left untouched, pending whether or not you actually have it."
"Any news to report?" Phoebe asked him hopefully.
He gave her a small smile, crossing his arms lightly over his chest, his blues somewhat sparkling. "Only that I continue to regret not being able to spend any time with you," he sided. "Then again, we should probably all get some rest soon, and all options considered, a pretty good time might just be coming up, after all."
"Yeah?"
"I think we're really making progress. We've got one unreliable, but soon to be willing lifeline- and as far as we know, our heartless murderer's only got the innocents to keep him company, let alone the threat of Piper and Paige. We'll be moving up our timetable at this rate."
"So that's a good thing, right?"
"Turns out Albert had some sentences to pronounce properly, after he began to gasp for air. I shimmered into his cell after Bailey dropped him there....responsibly forced some out of him, and I found out he was a member of a group called Knights Of the Fallen Order."
"What, is that like straight out of Dungeons and Dragons?" John quipped.
Cole lightly rolled his eyes, placing a strong hand in front of them, palm directed outward. "They don't exactly come out in this too clean, but they refuse to let Satan take over and spread his choas. I mean, in a nutshell...anyway. Now, I might be going out on a hunch here, but due to my little choice of persuasion, I think Albert might just be able to see the light of day and make a little change in our favor."
"Meaning we'd have warriors with death wishes on our hands?"
"Ever hear of allies?"
"Ever hear of getting your head chopped off and fed to the one they serve?"
"You watch too much television," Cole concluded. "Those would be savages, Agent Grant. And Albert's group is hardly what I deem cavemen of the woods. They're not likely to be drawing little people on rocks, and building fires, with absolutely no knowledge of English having entered their domain."
"Does Bailey know you did this?" Phoebe asked him.
"I'm used to working alone, remember? I'm obviously not going to tell the VCTF about every damn one of my findings." Upon catching John's eyes narrowing at his expense, Cole offered a forced smile. "No offense or anything, of course."
"Yeah, and I'm still getting over the shock that I'm actually expected to work with you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm not exactly sure yet, but I think it's actually starting to make a little bit of sense."
"If the lead on the lodge pans out, it looks like we've got a trip ahead of us. Right before we're ready to leave, I'm going to release Albert," Cole explained. "He'll get the rest of his men together-"
"Wait. There are more of those guys?" John eagerly cut in.
"Yes. See, when the children are really small, Mom takes them aside and tells them to go and get all of their friends to be great warriors too. Before they know it, they have an entire clan of warriors, and they hunt their prey for dinner, while desperately longing for a woman who can accept their way of life."
"Real mature," John added, hands slung at his hips.
"Look, I'll let him gather his guys together, and we'll join forces. They want exactly what we do, and I'm not one to take away that kind of judgement."
"Even if their judgement doesn't agree with ours after it's done?"
"I'm willing to take the chance," Cole murmured. "So we round up Bailey and Rachel, and if we head out that way, we don't tell them what to expect. We need the extra help, and in case you haven't noticed, this monster works solely from his own agenda, and he doesn't answer to petty minions who have tried to upstage him and gain the higher power. He works for himself. To preserve only himself."