Chapter 05: The Reprieve

Rain was still pattering against the windows when Kyle woke up, the skies were gray and the clouds hung ominously above, but at least the rain wasn't as bad as the previous day. He stretched a bit after getting up from the bed, wincing as his muscles stretched and his joints popped, the thought that he was getting too old for his line of work hovering somewhere in his mind. If he were to be honest, it'd been that way for a while and he was seriously considering retiring, maybe in a couple of years, and definitely not before the whole issue with Sam was resolved.

The boy was still asleep, huddled beneath the blankets and for once not looking like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Kyle let him rest, as he usually did, as he went to shower and get dressed. By the time he stepped out of the bathroom, Sam was sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily.

"Good morning," Kyle said, digging through his unpacked bag for a clean shirt.

"Mornin'" the redhead(at least, originally) muttered, as he slid out of bed.

He looked tired still, and Kyle thought it was probably because of the dream he'd had the previous night. Sam had most likely had a rough night, and while Kyle felt a bit sorry for the kid, they still had a lot to do.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, starting on his disguise by taking out the chestnut colored wig he would be wearing.

"Fine," Sam answered shortly.

It didn't look like it to Kyle, but he wouldn't push it, at least not so early in the morning.

They left the room soon after, Sam still looking a bit sullen, maybe a tad more pale than usual, but that could have easily been because of his recently dyed hair. Kyle was still getting used to the boy's new look, but at the very least, he didn't stand out as much as before. He did, however, look shockingly pale, almost to the point of looking unhealthy, and it made Kyle just a bit uncomfortable because he'd developed some sort of misguided sense of responsibility for the boy.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked after a while of walking down the cold Chicago streets.

"To see an old friend that might be able to help find the guy we're really here to talk to," Kyle told the boy.

Sam didn't say anything for a while, just following Kyle closely.

"Who are we really here to talk to?" he asked after some time.

Honestly, Kyle didn't know, because he only really knew the guy's name and some other important details, but he was one of the few people who might be able to help him figure out who Sam was. Or at least, what was wrong('not wrong, different', Kyle amended in his mind) with the boy.

"I'm not really sure," he said truthfully. "So we're going to have to ask around a bit. There's a few things we have to do before we meet the guy."

The rain began to pick up, but they were near enough to where they were going that Kyle decided not to get a cab. At least not yet. He did stay closer to Sam though, if only because the neighborhood was getting progressively worse.

About five more minutes of walking and they arrived at an old apartment building. Three floors, peeling blue paint and graffiti marring the front. Kyle walked in confidently, glaring at the young men standing outside and looking like they wanted to mess with him and Sam. He wasn't even remotely worried though, and maybe that was why they decided to look away.

After climbing two flights of stairs and walking down the hall, they stopped in front of a door without a number, and Kyle knocked firmly on the old wood painted black. There was the sound of someone approaching from the other side, their feet scuffing the floor and then a moment of silence as they looked through the peephole. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing a woman on the other side, with blond hair that curled around her face and fell past her thin shoulders. She wasn't very tall, thin but with a pleasant set of curves and long, shapely legs currently bare thanks to the short skirt she wore.

"Kyle Thatcher," she said, looking him up and down with eyes of a clover green tone. "Been a while, can't say you've changed much, even under that crappy disguise."

Kyle smirked, having expected the woman to be able to tell it was him. She was a smart one, after all, probably why she was still around. Her name was Nora, and she'd looked after herself ever since she was still a young girl. She'd once said her folks hadn't been around very often, and then one day, they just hadn't been there at all. Nora had gone off on her own after things got desperate and she worked the streets for a while to keep herself fed and clothed and alive. After a while, she got to know pretty much everyone who lived or dealt business around the area and she decided that it was easier to sell information rather than herself. Plus, it paid a hell of a lot better.

Often, when Kyle was in the area, he stopped by to visit, even if he didn't really need any info. Nora was an old friend, and they shared a few similarities. Not to mention, the things she knew came in useful and she was smarter than a lot of the people Kyle had to deal with. It was a nice change.

"Good to see you too Nora," Kyle said, nodding slightly.

"Well come in, I suppose you must have business you want to talk about," said the woman, opening the door a bit more widely.

Kyle led Sam in, a hand on the boy's shoulder, and heard Nora lock the door behind them. Her apartment was small, but neat and not nearly as bad as the outside would lead someone to believe. It was comfortable, Kyle thought, warm and cozy in an odd way, even with the worn and mismatched furniture.

"So, who's the kid?" she asked, walking over to sit on a worn old couch.

Kyle followed suit, pulling up a chair after Sam had taken a seat on an armchair.

"His name's Sam, not sure on much else," Kyle told her. "Which is why we're here."

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Nora asked, leaning back on the couch.

"Have you heard of a man named Dr. Albert Quinn?" Kyle asked.

Nora frowned, thinking about it, but ultimately shook her head in denial.

"Can't say I have, who is he?"

To answer, Kyle reached into his coat for an envelope, handing it to Nora. She arched an eyebrow, but opened it and took out the small stack of papers inside, taking a moment to look through them. Some were old clippings from newspapers and magazines, but there were a few pages that had been printed out. Kyle had worked on that for a while before he headed to Connor's with Sam, and it was his best bet for any answers.

"Okay, so the guy hasn't had the best of luck, what does he have to do with the kid? He his or something?" Nora asked, still flipping through the clippings, most of which detailed the financial and professional issues of the doctor.

"Dr. Quinn's specialty is neuroscience, he used to work for a big pharmaceutical company in the R&D department. He was one of the leading names in the field, helped come up with a lot of the treatments used today to help with injuries to the brain and nervous system."

"Sounds like a smart guy," Nora commented dully. "So again, what do you want with him?"

"Apparently, the good doctor had a hobby that not everyone agreed with."

And now Nora looked interested, almost like she was waiting for a particularly juicy bit of gossip.

"Most of the test subjects the doctor used were people with serious problems that volunteered to undergo experimental treatments in the hopes of being cured. Unfortunately, the doctor had a tendency of going a bit overboard with his, 'treatments'," Kyle explained.

"Meaning," Nora pressed.

"Meaning that the good doctor's patients often underwent some very controversial and dangerous experimental treatments against their will and largely without their knowledge."

Nora's nose scrunched up in distaste, clearly knowing what Kyle was talking about.

"So the guy messed with people's brains just for kicks and you want to find him and have a nice chat with him," she said incredulously.

"More or less, but he didn't do it just because he liked cutting people's heads open and messing with their brains," he shrugged.

"Then why?"

"Well, he had a few theories that he wanted to prove, but the people he worked for couldn't risk the public finding out what was going on behind the scenes. So, he had to do work in secret, at least from the public, the companies he worked for probably knew what was going on. They just didn't care to stop it if there was a potential for profit, just as long as it stayed a company secret."

"But word got out," Nora guessed, getting a nod from Kyle.

"Yeah, word got out, and Quinn lost everything, well, except for the money he'd saved up. He lost his job, his reputation and his family, then he just disappeared. No one heard from him again, but they say he's somewhere in this town."

Nora nodded, a thoughtful look on her face.

"So you want me to find him. What makes you think I'd know where this guy's hiding? I'd never even heard of the guy."

"No, but you've probably seen him, you just don't know it yet," Kyle said with a smirk.

Now Nora seemed interested as Kyle pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture.

"I've been trying to find him, but I couldn't get a good fix on the guy," he said, handing over the phone. "Then I heard he was here and managed to narrow the search area."

"And the search area is this place," Nora nodded, looking at the picture of the man on the phone. It wasn't that strange really, a lot of people chose that particular part of town to hide out. There were so many people trying to stay under the radar that there was little to no risk of anyone pointing their finger at anyone else.

The person in the picture was an older man, with graying brown hair and eyes of a pale blue tone hidden behind wire rimmed glasses. His face, thin and gaunt, was heavily lined, and half hidden by the collar of his jacket as he walked down a crowded street that Nora knew all too well. There was something familiar about the man, she thought, she'd probably seen him earlier, maybe passed him by, because she was sure she hadn't spoken to him. Nora never forgot a face, it was something that had gotten her into trouble at times, but it also provided for her, especially when people like Kyle showed up looking for someone.

"Don't think I've seen him, at least not up close. Probably passed him by though," she told him.

"So he looks familiar?"

Nora nodded.

"I'll ask some of the girls, but I can't promise anything."

Kyle sighed, standing and reaching into his jacket. Nora held out his phone, but Kyle waved her off.

"Keep it, if it'll help you find the guy. You're my best bet right about now," he said, pulling out some money. "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me more, but I guess it was a long shot."

Nora scoffed, taking the money and counting it.

"I said I'd ask the girls," she said. "They usually come through for me. Besides, if this guy's around here someone has to know something. Are you sure it's the right guy?"

"Positive," Kyle assured her, because while he had never met the guy, he'd done his homework. "I'll stop by tonight to check back with you. You still in the usual spot?"

"Yeah, you know not much changes around these parts," Nora answered easily. It was true enough too, Kyle didn't travel to Chicago all that often, but he always stopped to visit Nora when he did and the only thing that really seemed to change was the graffiti marring the surrounding buildings.

"Anyway, if you're here you're probably looking for a bit more than information. Anything else I can set you up with?" Nora offered, and Kyle thought about it for a minute.

"Is Al still around?" he asked after a moment.

"Shockingly," the woman scoffed. "Yeah, he's there, just talked to him a couple of days ago," she added after a moment.

"Then I'm all set, I'll just stop by and see what he has lying around," of course, Kyle knew damn well what Al had at his place. Pretty damn near everything you could need to kill a person. And he wasn't talking about just the usual tools, but stuff you could get creative with as well.

Nora nodded and then glanced at Sam, the corners of her mouth curling downwards into a slight frown and a thoughtful look on her face. The boy shifted almost imperceptibly in what may have been discomfort. Kyle only noticed because he'd learned that body language was something that Sam didn't have as much control over as he did in what he said. It was something he came to depend on when it came to figuring out what the boy was thinking.

"You can leave the kid here while you go see Al," she offered, eyes still trained on Sam.

Kyle wasn't all that surprised by Nora's offer. He could tell what she was thinking, and it was something he had considered as well. While Al was a perfectly good guy – at least by his somewhat low standards – his place of business wasn't the best place to take a kid Sam's age. Normally, he would have taken Nora up on her offer, but Sam had already seen enough bodies and blood that Kyle didn't see the point in attempting to shield him from the uglier parts of the world. Not when Kyle was too immersed in them, dragging the boy along with him. Besides, Al's place was probably a lot cleaner now that he was running a legitimate business as a front.

More then that though, there was a sense of discomfort brewing in Kyle at the thought of leaving Sam with Nora. The boy was trouble, even for him, and he didn't want Nora to get more involved in whatever the hell it was that he'd stumbled upon when he took in Sam. Not to mention, he wanted to keep Sam close to him, just to make sure the boy was safe.

"Thanks, but I think I'd rather he come along," he said, and knew from the way Nora's eyes narrowed that she'd taken it the wrong way.

"I can look after one kid," she said with a hint of irritation. "And you really have nothing to worry about Kyle, he's a bit young for me," Kyle would have been taken aback by the comment had he not been used to Nora making such remarks all the time.

"It's not that," he told the woman. "I just don't want you getting into trouble for helping us."

Nora looked like she wanted to protest, but let it go in the end, something Kyle was glad for. He left with Sam shortly after, heading back out into the cold streets and the light drizzle that persisted. They walked for a couple of blocks before Kyle decided that it was about time they caught a cab. The weather was worsening and he didn't want Sam to get sick, not to mention, Al's place was pretty far off.

They ended up in the warehouse district. The warehouse that Al ran stood before them, all five floors of red brick and worn paint, shadowing the street and making them just a bit colder. Kyle pulled his coat closer to his body and glanced down at the boy at his side. For his part, Sam didn't seem particularly concerned over what they were doing, but that was usual for him. He seemed content to just let Kyle do what he saw as necessary, and honestly, it made Kyle feel like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, at times. Even if it was just Sam he had to look after.

"Stay close," he said, just as he usually did. Kyle didn't think the warning was needed, not when Sam always stayed close to him and rarely spoke. Still, the boy nodded and walked next to Kyle, so close that his arm brushed against the older man's.

There were a couple of guys outside by the shipping trucks, loading them with boxes and complaining about the weather. Kyle approached one of them, the one that looked the least likely to bite his head off for interrupting. He was a big guy, average height, a bit shorter than Kyle himself, but strong and a hell of a lot sturdier looking and it wasn't just because of the heavy coat he wore. The man turned to look at the newcomers as soon as he heard them walking over and stood straight, forgetting about the boxes he was loading.

"Can I help you?" he asked, a slight tone of suspicion in his voice, but not many people would really notice. Kyle, however, depended on his ability to pick up on that kind of thing too often to let it slip past unnoticed.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Al, is he around?" Kyle asked casually.

The man looked at him for a moment, his gaze traveling over Kyle's decidedly unthreatening form and then to the boy standing beside him, looking as impassive as always. Whatever he saw in them, it appeared to be enough to convince him that they weren't about to cause trouble.

"Yeah, he around. You lookin' to talk business with him?" he asked, probably because Kyle really pulled off the businessman look pretty damn convincingly.

"That's right, I'm expanding on my business and need to ship some materials to the new location. You think I can talk to him?"

The man nodded.

"Come on then, I'll take you to his office," he said, turning and motioning for Kyle to follow.

They walked into the garage and up a set of stairs and down the hall where Al's office stood. The door was open, but the man still stopped in the doorway and knocked on the frame, causing Al to look up.

He was a tall man, thin with wispy blond hair, dark eyes and a sharp smile. His skin was pale, almost pasty, probably because he was always holed up in his office with only artificial lighting. Al was the type that could smell a deal a mile away, so it didn't surprise Kyle when he stood with a smile that was, quite frankly, creepy as all hell.

"Who is this, Frank?" he asked the man who'd shown Kyle in.

"Didn't catch his name," Frank responded, shooting Kyle a look, clearly having just realized his mistake. Al always liked to know who he was dealing with, if possible, before they even met. "He says he's here to talk about business, though," he finished with a shrug as Kyle stepped forward, reaching out to shake Al's hand.

"John Peterson, and this is my son, Tim," he said, motioning to Sam and shaking Al's hand. "Sorry for just dropping by on such short notice, but I'm in a hurry and I need some things shipped out to California," Kyle knew he should probably get down to business, but it was always fun to mess around with Al and it wasn't like he had anything else to do until he had to meet up with Nora again.

"California? That's a pretty long way," Al said, rubbing his chin with what he probably thought was a thoughtful look.

"I'm willing to pay whatever you think is fair. I just need you to guarantee that things will get there on time and in good condition," he knew Al was a greedy bastard, so it didn't surprise him when he was suddenly led to a chair along with Sam.

"Please, sit down, wouldn't want to make you stand while we talked," Al said, walking to the other side of the old desk and taking a seat as well. "Now about the distance-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Al, it's me, Kyle," he said, not able to take any more of it. In response, Al just gave him a puzzled and wary look.

"Kyle? Kyle who?" he asked and Kyle didn't know whether he should laugh or punch the man.

"Kyle Thatcher, you idiot. You seriously didn't recognize me?" he said, and a look of realization crossed Al's face before he scowled.

"How the hell would I know," he snapped. "You come in here dressed like that with a kid, talking business."

Kyle barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, look, I need some things," Kyle said, not really wanting to hear Al sit there making excuses.

"What kind of stuff? Anything in particular?" Al asked, looking a lot calmer, thought still irked.

"Guns, nothing fancy, don't want to call too much attention to myself, and anything else you have that might come in useful. I'd like to have a look, if you don't mind," he told the other man.

"Fine, come on then," Al stood, heading out of his office and to the old elevator down the hall.

"I keep the good stuff in the basement," he said once Kyle and Sam were standing inside the small elevator. "We keep so much other crap there, no one bothers to look close enough to find anything worth noting."

The basement was large, filled with boxes stacked in large metal shelves and along the walls. The lights weren't much help, too widely spaced and dull to really ring much brightness to the room. Al, however, knew exactly where he was going and led the other two without trouble. At the very back, there was a door, locked, Al opened it with a key he kept in his jacket's inner pocket.

The door swung open and Kyle could see more crates and boxes inside, along with long metal containers and racks and cases with guns and riffles. Kyle could even spot a few crossbows and a grenade launcher, of all things. He wasn't all that surprised though, Al liked flashy things and what was flashier than a grenade launcher.

"Well, this good enough?" the man asked smugly while Kyle walked around examining a couple of guns.

"Guess it'll do for now," Kyle answered, knowing it pissed Al off when people were anything less than impressed. Kyle hid a grin by turning away from Al to look at a couple of knives.

They left the warehouse about an hour later. Al had a list of things Kyle would need and had promised he'd have a car loaded and ready with everything by the next morning. It wasn't as soon as Kyle had hoped, but it was something, and at least he wouldn't have to go without more than a handgun for much longer.

He and Sam took a cab back downtown and stopped at a pizza place for lunch before heading back to the hotel for some rest. There was no use in staying out in the streets when there was nothing to be done and it was too cold to just stroll through town. So, Kyle let Sam watch tv and nap for an hour or so and then got ready to meet Nora. He thought about leaving the boy in the hotel while he spoke with the woman, but as safe as it seemed they were at the moment, Kyle didn't want to take any chances, so he woke the boy and called a cab to take them to their meeting place.

It was well into the night, the streets lit with signs and light posts and the wind harsh and cold. The rain had let up for a bit, but Kyle's breath still came out in a mist as he stepped out of the taxi with Sam. Nora was sitting inside a diner, he could see her from outside. It was the place where they usually met to talk because Nora was working and when she could spare the time she'd stop to get a cup of coffee. Not to mention, she didn't want too many people knowing where she lived, so she did business in the streets or in what were her usual meeting spots.

Kyle was relieved to walk into the warmth of the nearly empty diner. It looked like not many people bothered to venture out, even if it was just to get a bite to eat. Nora watched as Sam and Kyle walked towards the booth she occupied, calmly sipping her coffee.

"Hey Nora, got anything for me?" Kyle asked, getting straight to the point.

The woman nodded, setting her cup down.

"I do actually, you got pretty lucky," she took out a piece of paper and handed it to Kyle. "That's where you can find him, it's not far from here, quiet area, all things considered. Not much going on around there, and the doctor keeps to himself, except when he's out pulling bullets out of people. You tend to remember someone like that, so once I knew who to ask, it was easy enough to find the guy."

"You always manage to come through for me, Nora," Kyle said, tucking away the address he was handed after a quick glimpse. They sat there chatting for a while longer, and Kyle bought Sam and himself some dinner since it was already pretty late.

"So, when are you meeting the doctor?" Nora asked after a while, leaning back in her seat.

"Tomorrow, after I pick up some things from Al," the man answered, finishing up his coffee, watching Nora frown. "What?" he asked, knowing there was something bothering the woman.

"Just, be careful, okay?" Nora said.

"I'll be fine, Quinn might be a creepy bastard, what with the whole playing with people's brains thing, but I don't think he's dangerous," Kyle said with a shrug.

Nora let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head, leaning over, closer to Kyle.

"It's not that, I mean Al. I called him earlier and he sounded odd, kind of pissed off, but there was something else," she said, looking thoughtful.

"Oh, I bet he was pissed, you know I liked to mess with the guy," Kyle told her with a grin. "He's probably gotten into some sort of trouble, you know how it is with him. I'm actually pretty surprised that he hasn't moved since I was last here."

Nora just hummed in what might or might not have been agreement. She left shortly after, saying she had to meet someone else and Kyle waited just a bit longer to leave with Sam. By the time they got back to the hotel, Kyle was exhausted, but he still took the time to secure the room, take a quick shower and change into more comfortable clothes before getting into bed. Beside him, Sam was already asleep, just a lump of bedsheets in the middle of the bed, his breath coming out with a soft sound. No nightmares so far, and Kyle hoped it had been a one time thing, but he doubted it.

He fell asleep thinking of how, all in all, it had been a pretty good day. No one had shot at them and they were staying at a decent place, and Kyle had to think about his life choices and how they had gotten him to the point were those were rarities and things he should be grateful for.

Hello, sorry for the insanely long wait for this chapter, but I've been busy. You know what they say about life and surprises. Anyway, not much going on in this chapter, but the next one will, most likely have action and I shall get to work on it ASAP. As always, please review if you get the chance and thank you very much for reading and reviewing.