Fifty cent tour

Kahtenny was working on his second helping of breakfast when Radu and Naitachel entered. "Morning," the big Indian said.

"Good morning," Radu answered quietly, pulling the stool out for Naitachel before seating himself beside him. Looking at Kaht's plate a moment he finally asked, "What is that thing?"

The Seraph flashed his mate a grateful smile and settled neatly on the stool before giving Kahtenny a cheerful grin. "Good morning!" Yeah, a morning person... and afternoon, and evening. Just not right after waking, no, but then, he rarely slept, so...

"That's one thing that hasn't changed," Kahtenny said. "The meals are as good as ever. Maybe better," he added, barely understandable through a full mouth. "What thing? The steak or the flapjacks?"

Radu looked at what Kaht referred to as steak and shook his head. "I suppose it is what passes for steak now."

"Is that what they are? Which is which?" Nait asked brightly.

A tall, lanky Latina with a face that would have been alarmingly beautiful were it not always contorted into what appeared to be a permanent scowl approached the table. "Mister Prince?" she began.

"Now, you can slander that poor piece of meat, which probably pulled a plow most of its life, but don't go insulting Melanie’s pancakes. That reminds me, I've got a good stock of emergency rations in the truck. Pick them up in a day or two,” John Eagle said.

"Yes, Miss Duarte?" Radue answered quietly.

"Chapman was wondering if you'd be down for training exercises today or not, sir?" the young woman asked.

Naitachel simply smiled and shrugged. "Pardon, but I do not normally..." He broke off as the table was approached. Being a vegetarian the few times he ate real food, he'd hardly be a connoisseur.

"I am certain that one of us will, though I hesitate to say which," Radu answered, pouring a cup of tea as he did so.

"Very well." She nodded to Naitachel, looked at the Indian curiously, then headed back out the way she'd come.

Kahtenny watched her go, an appreciative gleam in his eye. "You've got an exercise room?"

"I prefer my meat fresher and redder," Radu admitted as he poured a cup for Naitachel as well. Radu nodded. "We've actually got one more established, a cavern they use to train in and another place to swim where they do laps and underwater exercises."

Nait gave a small wave back, and blushed faintly at Radu's comment. "Thank you." He sipped from his cup quietly. "Will we be showing John those?" he asked.

"I thought perhaps he might enjoy making use of them." Radu confirmed.

"Good. I'll likely be spending some time there. Wouldn't want to get out of shape," Kahtenny said with a grin.

Radu nodded. "When you're done with your breakfast I can begin showing you around."

Washing down the last bite with a swallow of coffee, Kahtenny rose. "I'm ready when you are."

Nait smiled. "I've yet to learn my way about, so this should be pleasant. I do not think I recall seeing that place before." Quickly finishing his tea, he rose to join them.

Radu sipped his tea a moment, quirking his brow in amusement before setting it aside and standing. "Very well. Let us begin."

Kahtenny sent a mind-call to Tsosie: <Come.> The wolverine met them at the door and followed along.

The first place Radu led them to was a control room lined with monitors, warning lights, speakers and keyboards. Matty sat there in a rolling chair sliding easily from one keyboard to the next, occasionally entering information as he took in the screens all at once.

The ex-Seal quirked an eyebrow. "Security Central?"

Chuckling, Nait offered a cheerful, "Good morning, Matty!"

Matty didn't bother looking up. "Morning..." he mumbled, peering closely at something on one of the monitors to his left.

Kahtenny stepped up behind him, peering over his shoulder. "Bandits?"

"This is our man security office. Matty is one of three who usually monitor things for us. He's here most of the time, but Kris and Jeff both take shifts, too," Radu informed him.

Matty shook his head at Kaht's question. "Not exactly. Those are their friend's clothes wrapped in towels. They just left them naked in the swimming area."

"I think he meant there," Radu gestured toward some blank screens.

Curious, Naitachel edged a bit closer to also peer over Matty's shoulder.

"Uncle and Vlad are both already down there checking out corridor 3. Min's with Tommen on Corridor 10," Matty answered.

"What's the problem?" Kahtenny asked.

"And corridor seventeen?" Radu asked, his eyes narrowing in concern.

"How you tell one from another is astonishing," Nait murmured in an undertone. "They appear all the same to myself."

"Badger and Michael," Matty answered Radu before replying to Kaht. "Someone's been bypassing or cutting our security feeds and stealing things. So far it looks like they didn't get anything this time. We had help ready the moment the feeds went down."

"They are numbered according to where they are located in relationship to the main entrance," Radu explained to Nait. "The further from the exit, the higher the number."

"Hmm. Is it the same location every time?" John Eagle asked.

"No. So far it's all over the map. Literally. I'm trying to determine their next hit by feeding the data for their actions in and letting the mapping triangulation programming sift through it. Maybe it'll have a hint where to meet them next," Matty answered, trying to bring the cameras back online.

Nait tilted his head and studied the screens like a bird. "I fear numbering still has lost me when from within they appear much the same. Ah well..." He arched a brow at Matty. "How often has such incidents been occurring?"

"Every three to five days and always in one of the corridors where we are not, despite our best efforts at securing ourselves within the darkness. Night vision goggles would not have surrendered our position. I can only assume that someone we trust is involved,” Matty answered.

"Maybe we ought to take a little stroll down that way," Kahtenny said, "I'd like to see just what they're doing. Just a newcomer taking the 50-cent tour, you might say."

"Nobody has been hurt during such incidents, though, yes?" Nait asked.

"Nobody's been hurt yet," Radu concurred, nodding to Kaht. "Good idea. Follow me."

Radu led him out of the office and down a long, narrow, rough carved hallway.

Naitachel followed, gliding a step behind. He was curious as well about these incidents, and here was a chance to see the scene of a crime...

They approached Mircea and Vlad, who were inspecting a cut feed closely.

As they reached the first damage site, Kahtenny held back a step or two, observing the layout of the area, noting where the camera was placed and its range of vision. Leaning against the wall, he unobtrusively slipped a tiny mechanism, no bigger than a penny matchbox, out of the cargo pocket in his coveralls and set it in a chink in the wall.

Naitachel held back out of deference to their work, not wishing to interrupt their concentration.

"It was definitely cut again," Mircea concurred. "Jina was just in the next corridor. Whoever did it was either silent enough or familiar enough to bypass the alarms and avoid even our attention."

"So, then... someone in our midst," Nait observed, shoulders slumping a bit. <I... do not wish to have to "clean house" again,> the Seraph told Radu uneasily. He still was haunted by what he had done in New York years ago. <Besides which... just interviewing might cause unrest, as most are already uncomfortable with myself.>

"Comes to housecleaning, I'll take care of it, amigo, you won't have to," the big Indian reassured Nait.

The Seraph blinked, frowned slightly in confusion, then blinked again and smiled hopefully. "You... /heard/ me? I thought you only heard your furry friend, but this is wonderful!"

"Well, yes, you said it, I heard it." Puzzled, Kahtenny said, "You mean you weren't talking out loud? Well, I be go to hell. It must be rubbin' off."

"Ah, but I was not using my true voice, John. This shall be very useful, I think," Nait beamed brightly at this new discovery. "We shall have to teach you to use it discretely."

"Fine with me, but let's sort this out first, eh?" Kahtenny answered