2007-12-16: A Very Interesting Life

Starring:

Niki_icon.gif Felix_icon.gif

Summary:

Date It Happened: December 17th, 2008

A Very Interesting Life


The hour is verging on late when Niki finally picks up a phone and punches in the number imprinted on Agent Felix Ivanov's card. Business hours were kyboshed a couple of hours prior, but … do FBI agents have normal business hours? Worst that could happen is she gets voicemail. The call comes from her cell — Niki herself isn't at home, but rather, in a dark parking lot when she hits 'send'.

It takes a little bit….there's ringing, a series of clicks as if it were being transferred or re-routed, and then the sound of someone picking up. "Ivanov here," he says, crisply, in that accentless voice.

There's no one to see Niki standing around and looking impatient, but it happens naturally. The parking lot she's in isn't as much of a lot as it is the open mouth of an alley, on second glance. Smoky steam trails up from street grates nearby. "This is Niki Sanders," she says, only half formal. She pauses for a second, maybe waiting for the man's recognition to kick in. "I was told … I should contact you."

There's a few heartbeats' worth of pause, before he responds. His voice is dry when he finally does. "Miss Sanders," he says, with that bare hint of amusement. "I finally have a last name for you. Mr. Derex told you to call me, I believe?"

"Jack," Niki confirms. In her alley, she backs up into the wall of a building, leaning against it with the faint rustling of her winter coat against brickwork. The distant thump and twang of music is just barely picked up on the phone. "I'm not really clear on what's supposed to happen now."

"To be honest, nor am I. Mr. Derex is assissting us with a few things. Part of the price of his help is that I do what I can to help you with certain problems with other goverment agencies. I'm honestly not sure I can do much for Mr. Hawkins," And Felix does sound faintly apologetic, of all things. "But lay it out for me, and I'll see what I can do?"

"What's Jack involved with that you'd make a deal like that?" Niki's out-loud wondering is a touch cynical. She hesitates before going on, but when she does, her tone is softer, subdued, but still with that hint of negativity. "You must've looked at his record," she says, "I don't know what I'm supposed to lay out." She wishes she did. "I'd love more than anything to see him out've jail sooner, but he confessed to first degree murder."

"I can possibly get him moved to a nicer facility, and lean on a parole board for early release if his behavior while incarcerated is very, very good.. But he has priors, and that doesn't help. The same for Child Services. You've led a very interesting life, as the old Chinese curse is supposed to go," Fel points out. His grin is audible. "I can't say, when it comes to Mr. Derex. But he's of sufficient use that I'm willing to do what I can."

There's no reply from Niki, right away — she steps away from the wall, suddenly seeing a glimmer of light thanks to Felix's possibilities. "You could do that?" she sounds surprised, hesitant. She just … chooses not to comment on her interesting life. If only he knew the half of it. "I'm okay with Child Services," she adds. "I've been doing everything they asked. But if there's some chance you could get D.L. somewhere better— somewhere safer…"

"I will not make any promises, because I don't yet know what I can do. This is a long reach - the government is not as monolithic as it might appear," says Felix, sounding a little weary. "But I know people who in turn know people, and I can call in some favors."

"He doesn't want any charity," Niki says, a well-intentioned warning of sorts. "But I'd be grateful for anything you could do. He doesn't— " Deserve to be in there. She cuts herself off and adds instead, "If there's anything I can do…"

"…Yeah, well." Niki doesn't have much to say about that. Felix is right. She does say, "Turns out you're looking out for me in a different way." A pause. "I … have to go to work. You'll be in contact?"

"You have my number, and I have means of reaching you now, yes. Call me if you need anything, and I will update you as I progress," he says, in that professorial voice.

"I'm hoping I won't need anything," Niki points out — because when you need an FBI agent, you're rarely in a good place. But then, good places are hard to hold onto for this woman. "Thank you." The thanks is preliminary, and it's a little hesitant, but grateful all the same.

It takes him a moment, but he does arrive at the same conclusion, and Niki is treated to the all-too-rare sound of Felix's laughter. "Point taken," he acknowledges. "Thank me when I've done soemthing concrete for you."

"… Deal, Agent Ivanov." Taking back her thanks for a later day, Niki hangs up the cell phone, tucks it in her coat and opens a nearby door that opens from the alley in Queens into the club.

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