From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 21:02:40

"You Dresden?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 21:05:58

"That's what it says on my underwear."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 21:07:57

"Not my kinda phonecall."


"I'm coming in to Chicago and my... boss gave me this number to let you know. Said you're some kind of authority there or something?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 21:12:45

That made me sit up and blink. That's not the kind of phone call I usually get. Not even at this time of day.

"That depends. Who's your boss?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 21:21:15

"You really don't want to know."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 21:27:42

I hate it when people evade my questions. It just makes me MORE suspicious.

"Fine. Who are you?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 21:29:03

"Zeke Stone, formerly of the NYPD. Don't worry, man. I'm being as straight with you as I can."




"Are you really a wizard?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 21:41:26

Okay, see when people ask me that question without giggling at the end, I get a little nervous.

"What'd you do, look me up in the phonebook?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 21:45:22

"Kinda. When I say my boss gave me the number, I mean he gave me a fucked up clue about dancing broomsticks and Mickey Mouse."

Wasn't THAT something to wake up to.

"And you're the closest thing I got."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 21:48:58

Mickey Mouse?

"Your boss is a sick fuck giving you clues like that. One wrong step and you could've ended up in the river for accidentally stumbling across Big Jimmie's side business."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 21:50:26

"My boss is a sick fuck. Period. End of sentence."

Oh, he wished he was at the end of his.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 21:52:30

"Great. So what does any of this have to do with me?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 21:57:37

"I'm trying to tell you to stear clear of what I'm going to be after. They're trouble and they're nasty and I'll be handling it. And when I get into town, hell, I'll try and tell you a little more but this is a phone and a few of these bastards are smarter and a hell of a lot more tech-savvy than me."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 22:05:10

Heh - that right there puts them out of my league. Baddies that can kick my ass in phone skills? No thanks.

"So this is one of those, we've never had this conversation and I don't know your coming or what you're after things, right?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 22:12:58

"This is one of those 'don't tell your superiors and don't shoot me on sight please' kinda things."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 22:31:41

"Your boss really didn't give you much info, did he? I tend not to shoot people unless they give me reason to."

Gotta say, that's a rather odd thing to say to someone you've never met. Which means there's something about him that might make me want to shoot him.

My life is never simple.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 22:33:26

"My boss thinks it's funny if my jacket has holes in it come evening."

Theres a soft sound. He's shaking his head.

"And trust me. You'll realize what's up when we chat. I just want you to know... I mean no harm and I came to you first cause it's really shitty when you jump jurisdiction without talking to the guy in charge in the area."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 22:36:57

Guy in charge? Jump jurisdiction?

Okay, now I'm just moving into 'what the fuck?'

"Right. So, what is it that you do? And why would it involve me?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 22:47:02

"Not on the phone. You know a good Italian place? I've practically got the Chinese noodles coming out my ears."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 23:00:28

"Uh, the one I can almost afford isn't far from Cook County Hospital. The Italian Village Restaurants. It's not the best in town, but it'll pass. Thirty minutes enough time? The Beetle's a little sluggish lately."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 23:16:50

"Hey, I'm walking. The last car I managed to get my hands on was a hell of a ride."

"Sounds good. See you there."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 23:19:15

"Sure."

I hang up the phone and damn, that's the weirdest conversation I've had in a while - which is saying something. I have a lot of weird conversations in my line of work.

Guess I should get going, huh? Hey, dinner meetings work for me. Though I should've told him he was buying.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 23:44:54

And Zeke makes his way there.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 23:45:38

He walks in the front door and asks the head waitress for where a guy named Dresden might be. She points out Harry and Zeke starts to walk over.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/20/2006 23:52:46

The guy walking over here looks a little worse for the wear, but he walks with purpose. He's one of those serious ones, I'll bet.

Man, business really needs to pick up - the nutcases are making me nutty.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/20/2006 23:58:17

He sits down and looks over at Dresden. He's... almost the same height, actually. Just a little shorter.

"I'm assuming you're the wizard?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 00:02:36

"Most of the time."

There's something... off about him.

"Can we eat? I'm starving."

Sitting around reading books all day works up an appetite.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 00:03:31

He shrugs.

"Sure, but I can only cover half the bill."

He holds out a hand.

"Zeke stone."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 00:07:52

I meet his hand, "Harry Dresden."

Then I shrug and add, "Smile right, you might not have to cover any of it."

*blink*

I think that came out really wrong.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 00:16:26

He holds up his hand to show a wedding band.

"I pay my half, you pay yours."

He opens his menu.

"I'm dead."

Well, there it is.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 00:20:50

Yeah, it came out wrong.

I point to the little redhead behind the counter. "Smile at her dumbass. I don't go in for the guy-on-guy action."

Contrary to what Thomas let Butters believe for about three hours. Bastard.

"Sucks to be you, then, huh?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 00:33:03

He looks at Harry.

"Do you get what I mean when I say dead?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 00:34:07

I arch an eyebrow at him.

"Not alive."

He's not a ghost - he's too solid; which means something more akin to a demon.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 00:36:30

He starts browsing through the menu.

"Damned soul. If you want to be exact about it."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 00:40:07

"Yeah?" I flip open the menu. "How's that work?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 00:47:33

"Ziti... yes, god, I'm getting ziti."

He peers over the menu.

"I was down there and there was an escape. 113 of the nastiest sons of bitches ever to walk the earth got out... and I got tapped to find them. I do it, I get my life back."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 19:17:49

I put the menu down.

"So if you go around and gather up all the evil nasties you get to be not dead?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 19:22:55

"Give the man a Reggie bar."

He's still behind the menu.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 19:24:26

This guy's a little slow. Reggie bar? Wow.

"When did you die, man?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 19:25:11

"1983," he answers, putting down the menu. "And then I spent 15 years down under."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 19:29:45

I nod. "Ya look good for a guy who's been dead for 23 years."

Back to the menu - what am I gonna eat?

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 19:33:40

"Funny, cause I feel like shit."

He gestures to the waitress, gives her his best smile and she's pretty taken in by it. He orders up his ziti with eggplant before nodding to Harry.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 19:38:10

I wrinkle my nose at his dinner choice and order up a big plate of meat sauce covered spaghetti with garlic bread on the side.

I don't smile at the waitress; she already likes me. I have to pay for my dinner this time anyway - she let me slide last week.

I fold up the menu and sip my fresh-from-the-tap water. "I've been there before."

Another sip of water. "So what exactly is this thing you're hunting down in my town?"

Because if something's planning to tear my face off, I'd like to know what it is.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 19:39:38

"The nastiest bitch of the lot," he admits, "Ashur Badaktu. The one who organized the escape."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 19:45:21

"Aw shit," I mumble and try not to glare at the little old lady who's giving me the evil eye.

"You had to bring the baddest of the bad, didn't you?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 19:46:24

He snorts.

"I didn't bring shit. I've been chasing her. She's the last one, her and a couple others with her."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 19:47:12

"Why'd you chase her here? I have enough problems."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 19:51:54

"Cause this is where she ran," he growls out tiredly. "And don't talk to me about problems. When you've had a 4000 year old priestess from Hell sleep with your widow, you can talk to me about problems. Till then, you can stuff em. I didn't have to tell you shit and I didn't have to talk to you, but I was trying to play straight."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 19:55:54

"Evil mentor enthralled my girlfriend and nearly killed me, my faerie godmother still holds some sort of claim on me and my ex-girlfriend is a half-vampire. I think we're about even - except for the you being dead part," I snarl.

I don't like people snapping at me.

"And you're right, you didn't have to tell me anything, but you did, either because you're a sadistic fuck and like to torture yourself or because you think I might be able to help you, either way, you're getting a free meal, so quit your bitching."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 19:58:24

"Actually," he says, teeth a bit clenched, "I didn't want you stumbling into things that could fry your ass to your final destination. Wizard or not, the longer you spend in Hell the more it becomes a part of you and like I said... she'd been there for 4000 years."

He doesn't really give a shit about the rest. 15 years in Hell trumps anything.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:02:25

"Hell, I stumble into stuff like that just fine all on my own. I'm damn sure I don't need help. Of course, you do realize that now I'm going to end up part of this, right?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:03:03

"Only if you're stupid."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:04:09

I frown. "I didn't say that I'd get myself into it on purpose. Bad shit just likes to find me."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:20:06

He snorts.

"Maybe someone's got his eye on you. I'll ask next time I see him."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:22:56

"Michael'd just love that. Knowing that the Devil want me for his very own. Sorry, you'll have to tell him that my godmother has first dibs."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:27:35

"He doesn't much give a shit, more than likely."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:29:20

"Devil can fight my godmother if he wants. I wouldn't try to take her, but if he wants to give it a shot."

Hell, I don't know if Lea could take out the Devil, but it might be fun to watch as the world ends.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:31:45

"He's too busy bickering with the angel."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:34:21

"Angel?"

Okay - I'm out of water and my stomach's rumbling. Hurry the hell up chef-guy.

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:39:57

He shakes his head.

"Don't ask."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:42:30

I sit back from the table a little as the waitress drops off plates of carb-filled goodness.

"You realize that's exactly what you say to make someone want to ask?"

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:45:52

He looks over at Harry for a moment with a shit-eating grin on before heading to eat something a hell of a lot more tasty.

Yeah, he knows.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:47:06

"You're not gonna tell me about the angel, are you?"

I fork spaghetti into my mouth and mumble: "Bastard."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:48:30

He holds up a finger.

"I wish, but nope."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:51:48

"You're about the worst date since Kincaid."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 20:55:09

He raises an eyebrow at that.

"But was Kincaid as pretty?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 20:56:22

"Prettier. He had bigger weapons."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 21:02:52

He pouts.

"You men. Like magpies."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 21:04:45

"Eh, though, since he was being paid, it was more like a hooker. But the conversation was good."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 21:18:27

"Gross."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 21:20:18

"Wuss."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 21:25:17

"I just don't want to hear about your 'conversation'."

Smirk.

Eating again.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 21:26:55

I snort.

"Jealousy is so ugly on most people."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 21:28:54

"And yet I look good."

Eating.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 21:30:36

"For a dead guy."

	From: ezekiel_36_27	Date: 06/21/2006 21:36:57

"Pretty spry though."

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/21/2006 21:40:14

"We writin' a song now?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/24/2006 19:08:31
	a phone call -

So, sitting here in my office, just finished yet another book and I glance at the phone that hasn't rung all day. Then I remember that it rang yesterday and I had a conversation with a strange man. I should probably let Murph know that something's probably up.

I pick up the reciever, dial the number for her office and wait for her to pick up...

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/24/2006 22:37:10
	Re: a phone call -

And because it is a slow day, I pick up on the first ring. "Murphy, SI."

I have a feeling I'm about to say good-bye to a slow day...

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 19:19:28
	Re: a phone call -

"Wow, first ring, Murph. Slow day?"

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 20:14:43
	Re: a phone call -

"Hey, Harry. Yeah, just a little slow. What's up?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 20:20:02
	Re: a phone call -

I pause and take a breath.

"Oh, the usual. Strange guy who's new in town stops by to tell me there's something nasty coming to town."

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 20:21:28
	Re: a phone call -

There goes my slow day.

"Well, damn. What sort of 'nasty' are we talking about here?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 20:24:09
	Re: a phone call -

I cringe.

"Don't kill me if I tell you it's something you shouldn't get involved in."

I wait, she's going to yell at me or growl at me or something.

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 20:33:49
	Re: a phone call -

I sigh exasperatedly into the phone. I'm no helpless female, despite what Dresden seems to think.

"Well," I say tightly, "I won't know that until you tell me, Dresden."

I'm glaring so hard at the phone that it really should go up in flames.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 20:41:05
	Re: a phone call -

I wince. I knew she'd hate that.

"Look, Karrin, I shouldn't be anywhere near this, if it makes you feel any better."

It won't, but that's the truth.

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 20:42:30
	Re: a phone call -

"Um-hm," I say. It's not like he'd ever take the safe route.

"Out with it, Dresden. What's coming to town?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 20:46:48
	Re: a phone call -

Well, she asked for it:

"Nasty bitch of a damned soul named Ashur Badaktu."

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 20:50:39
	Re: a phone call -

"Sounds charming. How bad a bitch is she--or it?"

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 20:53:18
	Re: a phone call -

I shrug, which she obviously can't see.

"I don't know."

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 21:05:23
	Re: a phone call -

"Hmmm...is there anything I should look for, calling cards to say she's in town?"

I have to have more than just a name, after all.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 21:11:51
	Re: a phone call -

"Not to be a pain in the ass, but I'm really not sure. The guy who told me about her didn't give me much else than the name."

There's a brief pause.

"But I'll tell you what, I'll do some digging and let you know what I find out."

Otherwise, she'll just yell at me some more.

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 21:13:32
	Re: a phone call -

Well, if he doesn't know, he doesn't know. At least he called.

"Okay, thanks for the tip. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything odd."

Of course, I'll find out about anything odd anyway. That's just my job.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 21:18:48
	Re: a phone call -

"You bet. Oh, the guy who tipped me off is named Stone. Try not to fill him full of holes when you first meet him. No matter how much he might deserve it."

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 21:20:27
	Re: a phone call -

I snort. "I take it he's a real charmer," I say, writing his name down.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 21:23:42
	Re: a phone call -

"You could say that."

I smile - she might be able to tell.

"Talk to you later Murph."

	From: lt_murphy_si	Date: 06/25/2006 21:27:34
	Re: a phone call -

"Bye, Harry."

Pause.

"Be careful out there, okay?"

He has such a way of getting into sticky situations.

	From: wizard_dresden	Date: 06/25/2006 21:30:23
	Re: a phone call -

"Thanks, Murph."

I hang up and lean back in my chair.

I could really use an actual, real-live case walking in the door about now.