Helping hands

[MD2, 1:15PM, Central Hospital]

>"Two. And her cleanliness. If she is really a vagabond, >I don't understand why she is so clean. Unless Santa >Fe's vagabonds are obessed with cleanliness." Jim told the >sheriff.

>"Well, that is not surprisingly. Our folks are quite nice >people. I will not be surprised if some of them actually >take turns taking care of her and to make sure that she got >a bath regularly and clean clothing."

>Vanessa mumbled something to herself.

>"What did you say?" Zenya asked.

>"Like the helping hands."

>"The helping hands. You're right. I'm sure they will help, >won't they, Sheriff?" Zenya turned to Jackson. "A helpless >woman."

>"What helping hands?" Jim asked, feeling like someone who >had suddenly found himself dropped into the middle on a >on-going conversation of a on-going party.

"That's the group Mr. Gantry was telling us about earlier," Vanessa answered. "The one Rebecca Cross is involved with."

"I think its about time we have a talk with some of the other members," Jim said. "Do the Helping Hands have a headquarters?"

Jackson shook his head. "Nope. Far as I know, they meet in the homes of the members." He held up a finger in an a-ha gesture and pulled out his cell phone and a note pad. A moment later he was talking to someone at the station. "Hey Kline, we still got that Helping Hands poster on the bulletin board. � Yeah, give me the number, will ya? � Thanks." Jackson jotted down the number and handed it to Jim. "Here. Don't know who this'll get you, but its a place to start."

Jim showed the sheriff the photograph of the cabin. "Any idea where this place might be located?"

Jackson looked the photo over. "There's a lot of cabins in the mountains around here. All kinds of little back roads that don't go anywhere," he said. "Might be the old Renault place, though. Up on Birch Ridge Road."

The sheriff excused himself, needing to get back to the office, leaving the three agents gathered in the parking lot of the hospital. Jim looked at the scrap of paper, then at Zenya and Vanessa.

"Something tells me that one of you ladies would have better luck than I would," he said.

Zenya dialed the number and waited through several rings until a gruff male voice finally said,

"I got this number from Helping Hands poster," Zenya said, letting her accent come through more than usual. No reason to alert the group to why someone wanted to meet with them.

There was a long pause filled with muted arguing in the background, then the voice of an older female came on the line. the woman asked.

"I need to speak with someone."

"Not on the telephone."

"No, but someone else might be. Could we meet?"

"Near Central Hospital."

The line went dead.

"Lincoln Street Diner in twenty minutes," Zenya reported. "They seem to be a secretive bunch. She ask for a name and didn't give me a chance to ask for hers."

"While we're waiting, maybe we can get an address to go with this number," Jim said.

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Sydnie Kathryn MacElroy

SA1 Kate Calloway, X-Files, DELTA
SA2 Zenya Gorky, X-Files, ZULU
Fianna Nikal, Kal-Dixas Spaceport

Linguae quae genera distincta non habent inuriam faciunt feminis.

"It may not be apparent, but I am often amused with human behavior."