Who: Jane and Mal When: March 10th, late afternoon Where: Jane’s apartment Status: complete
It had taken some work to get through to the girl who lived with Vex. Mal had technically met her before, but her eyes had been full of mistrust when she’d opened the door for him. It hadn’t taken a lot to discover that Vex was gone, but the details of it had required more digging, and not all of it verbal. The girl had tried to shut him out, even starting to get upset with his questions, but Mal had used his talents on her and he’d made it into the house and down into the basement. The whiteboard of Vex’s research had been intact, even more full than it had been when Mal had been there before. He hadn’t stolen any of it, though he’d taken dozens of photos on his phone. The work had to continue, and Mal could tell by the state of Lem’s mind that she was in no shape to continue it.
That had been a couple of weeks prior, and it had taken Mal a little while to start tracking down the names from the board. Some were completely elusive, some only had a trickle of information, but he located several of them right in town. He felt sure that AIR was not privy to the fact that some of their old charges were back and after them, so he didn’t feel rushed. Part of him was holding out hope that Vex would return, as well. The girl hadn’t seemed to think so, but what did she know? Nobody knew for sure but God.
So one sunny afternoon when he didn’t have anything else to do, Mal drove to Castle View and found Jane Randolph’s apartment. He wasn’t sure what sort of reception he would get, but even having a moment to delve into her brain would be helpful to him. So he got out of the car and walked up to her door to knock. He was dressed casually today, jeans and a red flannel and a ball cap over his dark blond hair -- he was due for a cut. Things had been distracting lately. Mal tucked his fingers into his front pockets as he waited, feeling oddly detached and nervous at the same time. If Vex was right, this would be the only other victim of AIR he’d ever spoken to.
Jane was painting when Mal knocked on the door. Her hands and shirt were splattered with paint and she was in such a zone that she considered ignoring whoever had come by. But then she figured it was probably Neil, and if it was Neil, then something was wrong, so Jane set her paintbrush aside and wiped her hands as well as she could with her small hand towel before walking to the door. The man on the other side was definitely not Neil and Jane instinctively shifted a bit behind the door, just in case she needed to shut and lock it quickly. He looked familiar in a way that most people in Point Pleasant did. She had been living there long enough now that she was sure she had seen this guy on the street or in a store at some point, but Jane couldn't be sure. She was fairly certain she had never been inside his dreams, at least. "Can I help you?"
Mal had his mind open to the woman’s the instant she opened the door, and he could read that he was not who she was expecting to see. The initial defensive instinct didn’t escape his notice either. He kept his hands in his pockets and offered up a faint smile. “I hope so. Sorry to disturb you. My name’s Mal Nichols. Are you Jane Randolph?” Mal asked. He confirmed it mentally for himself before she had a chance to answer, aware that she probably wouldn’t stand there and indulge him for long. He needed to get his foot in the door, so to speak. “I’m looking for people who knew a man by the name of Vex.” Mal watched her expression curiously, looking and listening for any recognition. He didn’t really have a plan if Jane slammed the door in his face, Mal was just kind of winging it here, which was uncomfortable at best. He really hoped she was willing to talk, the urge to connect with other people like him was stronger now than he’d ever thought it would be.
The uncertainty shifted into interest as Jane studied the man. Mal Nichols. Did she know that name? Before she could really think on it, he mentioned Vex and Jane's brow rose, not entirely sure what the man's motives were. Was he AIR? He didn't look the part, but that didn't mean anything. Jane was about to tell Mal that Vex was gone and she had no idea where he was, even if that wasn't technically true. But then she realized he said knew. Knew Vex, instead of knows Vex. Past tense. So maybe he already knew Vex was missing. "Okay," she said carefully, her eyes still locked onto his. "Maybe I knew Vex, but I didn't know him terribly well. What do you need?"
What did he need. That was an interesting question. Not what did he want, but what did he need. Mal knew there was often a difference, even if he tended to think more about the former than the latter. Maybe he’d actually been drawn back to this town by the need that he hadn’t quite identified until he knocked on Vex’s door. Mal looked thoughtful for a moment, then gave Jane an honest answer. “I need vengeance,” he said calmly. “Righteous justice. I want to continue the work he was doing. You were on the list. I would love to talk with you about what we have in common, if you’re willing.” He had no idea how she would take that kind of response, but Mal didn’t see the point in playing coy. Anyone who would align with him on this would need some steel in their spine.
Jane was unsure about righteous justice. But vengeance? That she could get behind. She studied Mal for one more moment before stepping back and opening the door so he could come inside. She knew Vex was probably keeping tabs on everyone he met, including her and Neil. And if Mal knew Vex... well, then she would put a little bit of trust into him until she knew whether or not he was legit. "So what is it that we have in common?" Jane asked him, once she shut the door and led him into the small living room. "Other than Vex, I mean." Obviously it would be AIR because that was the only thing she had in common with Vex. And yes, the prospect of this man being connected to AIR as well was an exciting one, because with Vex gone, Jane had been floundering a bit where that place was concerned. She didn't have many allies. She wasn't even sure she could count Neil as one either.
Mal walked into her apartment with a nod of thanks, glad she recognized the need for privacy for these sorts of discussions. He followed her to the living room, glancing around curiously and making note of the painting in progress in the corner. Interesting. Vex had attached a note of ‘dreamwalk’ on Jane’s information, but Mal wasn’t really sure yet what that meant. He was interested to find out. Mal perched on the end of Jane’s couch, leaning his elbows on his knees and loosely lacing his fingers together. “We were both kidnapped as children and held captive by sadistic men hiding behind the name of science,” he said. “Experimented on against our will in order to create or unlock latent psychic powers. The American Institute of Research, they called themselves.” There was a hint of disgust in his voice at that -- they couldn’t have come up with a blander sounding name if they’d tried. “If Vex was correct, you were one of the ones that actually came away with a psychic ability. Is all that true?”
Jane appreciated the bluntness, even if she already knew the answer. She sat down in a chair facing Mal, not quite giving anything away in her expression, though her lips did twitch a little. She hadn't known him well but she did miss Vex. He was a character, someone she thought could be really useful in their fight against AIR. "That's true," she said after a moment. "But before I tell you anything about myself, assuming you actually want to know, what's your story? Did you come away with an ability too?" He may want to know what she could do and all that, but Jane wasn't entirely sure she wanted to spill her guts about her past to someone she barely knew. He had come there to talk to her, after all, so he could talk. At least for a bit.
As much as he didn’t like to answer them most of the time, Mal had expected questions from her. If she had ended up anything like him, she had a healthy dose of paranoia about her. Mal didn’t know if AIR had released her or if she’d escaped somehow -- and he didn’t delve into her mind to find out, giving her privacy until she refused to tell him -- but either way it seemed impossible not to feel hunted. In danger. He couldn’t blame her for not trusting him yet, that was only smart. Mal nodded a bit. “I did. The short version is that they took me very young and kept me a long time,” he said. “I don’t know what I would’ve become without their interference, but I turned into an accomplished telepath. They eventually sold me off as a teenager. I was used for espionage, mostly. Some assassinations. I can influence minds as well as read them. Then I escaped, went into hiding, and built an outside life. Now I’m back. And I want to make them all pay for everything they’ve done.”
Jane didn't mind the short version. She didn't need intricate details to understand what he was saying. And if she wanted to know more, she could always slip into his mind while he slept and dig up those nightmares on her own. Of course, hearing he was telepathic was a bit jarring and Jane stared at him, wondering if it was possible to completely wipe out any and all thought. It wasn't. Because her thoughts seemed to get louder the harder she tried to push them away. What was more disconcerting? The fact that he could read her mind? Or influence it. Espionage and assasination were both things that Jane needed time to digest but she couldn't very well sit there in silence until that happened. So her lips twitched briefly. "Vex must have found you incredibly fascinating." Jane paused before arching her brow. "Can you tell me what color and number I'm thinking of right now?" Why not test it out before taking him at face value?
Mal knew it sounded a little far-fetched, even to someone who had been a victim of AIR herself. He hadn’t known it at the time, but his early life had played out like a bad movie in many areas. He didn’t feel the need to prove any of that though. Proving his telepathy was much easier and more practical; Jane didn’t need to believe his life story to believe what he could do. Even though he wasn’t listening closely to her mind, he could feel her trying to blank herself out and failing -- a reaction that vaguely amused him. That almost never worked when people tried to make it happen. “I wish I’d gotten a chance to know him better, we only met twice,” he said first, then went on without skipping a beat. “Magenta. And the number seven.” Mal paused then and tilted his head slightly. “Did you know that magenta doesn’t actually exist on the visible light spectrum? It’s a trick of the brain, a color to fill in the gap between red and violet. Brains are slippery little beasts.”
Jane pursed her lips together briefly before a smile spread across them. A telepath. She knew it was a possibility but she had never met one. At least not that she knew of. "I didn't know that," she said, "but now I do. I see a lot of different colors in dreams. Some I'm pretty sure don't actually have a name attributed to them." Folding her arms casually, Jane sat back against the chair. "I don't know what Vex told you about me, but that's what I do. Dreamwalk. It's not as powerful as telepathy, I guess, but it's been beneficial to me."
The prospect of seeing colors that no one else had was an alluring one, and Mal was tempted to go digging around in Jane’s head to find the memories of such things, but he refrained for the moment. That was rude, and he wanted this woman to be an ally. “Vex and I didn’t actually discuss anyone in particular,” he told her. “I just recently was allowed access to the information he’d collected, so I’m gauging interest from the other victims he could identify ... all he had on you was the word ‘dreamwalk,’ which was intriguing to me. Can you explain how it works a bit more? ... if you don’t mind me asking.” Mal’s tone continued to be calm and even, but there was a keener gleam in his eye as he studied her. He felt that ‘powerful’ was kind of a relative term; she could do something he couldn’t, and he was interested to know more about it.
Recently allowed access. Jane had to assume that access came from Nic, or Lem. She didn't mind it, simply because it was something of a relief to have someone else in front of her who understood where she was coming from, who knew what she had gone through. Neil did, but he was still doing his best to pretend it had never happened. A waste, if you asked her. And frankly, Mal Nichols was easier on the eyes than Vex had been. Not that looks were everything, or anything really, but still. "Dreamwalking isn't terribly complicated. Basically when I see someone, that gives me access to finding their dreams when they're sleeping. I can insert myself in their dreams, manipulate it if I want to. Sometimes I'm just a bystander, watching. Sometimes I talk to them, get information if I want it."
“So all you have to do is lay eyes on them?” Mal asked, sounding curious. “You could access the dreams of anyone you passed on the street? Can it be over any distance? Do you have to actively remember the face?” He paused, then gave her a sheepish sort of smile, the first one he’d cracked since he arrived. “My apologies, I’m not trying to interrogate you. Besides Vex, I’ve never actually gotten to talk to any other survivors before. It’s kind of exciting.” Of course, Mal’s ‘excitement’ was rarely obvious, mostly evidenced by his undivided attention on Jane, but she didn’t know him well enough yet to know that.
Jane's lips twitched and she shrugged one shoulder. "I have to remember their face, yes. I have to know who I'm searching for when I start walking. I've never really had any trouble with distance. It's fine, I don't feel interrogated. I'm sure you're curious. I am too. How does your telepathy work? Do you hear every thought? Can you shut it off?" More than anything she was curious as to how he influenced minds, if he could make her do something she wouldn't otherwise do. Or if he just nudged people into decisions or thoughts without a lot of harm.
Mal had even more questions about her abilities, but he supposed a tit for tat sort of thing was fair. He could answer some too, especially if it kept her openly talking to him. “It’s more like tuning things out than shutting it off,” he said, his tone a bit thoughtful as he considered the best way to explain it. “To me, it’s another physical sense that’s always running, like hearing. You’re always hearing something, but you can tune into what you want to hear and focus on it, or you can tune out most of it with concentration. It’s not always audio though, I can get the sense of those thoughts that have no words too. Memories, feelings, I can dig into those if I choose, past the current surface thoughts.”
Jane had to think that was difficult to live with. Although if he had been telepathic for most of his life now, he had probably long since learned to live with it. She was about to question him further when Vex's voice seemed to echo in her head from their conversation in December. Mal. "You're the preacher," Jane said, aware that it was off topic, sort of, but she wanted to confirm it. How many other men in Point Pleasant were named "Mal"? Neil would probably avoid this man like the plague if he remembered the telepathy detail. Lord, she could only imagine what went on in Neil's head. Her lips twitched. "Vex said you seemed ageless."
He lifted an eyebrow as Jane made some connection in her mind, then let out a soft chuckle. “Ageless, that’s a new one,” Mal murmured. He wondered how that conversational detail came about, but he didn’t go diving in Jane’s head to find out. It didn’t matter, really. “I am a preacher, yes. As for my age ... I don’t know exactly. No one ever told me, and I didn’t even know birthdays were celebrated until after I escaped. I’ve estimated I’m somewhere in my mid-30s, most likely.” He gave a small shrug; it was a detail of his life that wasn’t terribly important to him. He had his made-up paperwork birthday, and that was all he needed. “I’m curious, do you have dreams of your own? Or always walk in others’?”
What a bizarre thing, to not know how old one was. He didn't even know his birthday? Jane realized she could have been sitting where he was, if they hadn't started that fire. Maybe she would have forgotten how old she was as well. Maybe she would have been "ageless" to Vex. Jane didn't mind the question, shifting away from Mal's personal life. Jane was generally an open book if she felt she needed to be, but she didn't blame people who were more guarded. "I have dreams of my own," she confirmed with a shrug. "Mostly on nights I don't dreamwalk. But I've found dreams of others to be more fascinating, so experiencing my own dream is rare. I can't manipulate my dreams the way I can with others."
Part of Mal was truly intrigued by Jane’s ability, while another part was sounding some alarm bells. Now that Jane knew him and his face, she could get to his mind while he was sleeping and vulnerable. Mal often had chaotic, violent, and unhappy dreams, but he also occasionally had the kind that left his sheets wet and heavily featured Sam. It was interesting to him, to finally be on the other side of a mental threat like that. Usually he was the one to fear. Mal pondered that silently for a moment, his gaze shifting off into the middle distance before it returned to Jane’s face. “Does that make people afraid of you, when they learn what you can do?” he asked.
On some level Jane understood the mental threat she posed, but she thought telepathy was much worse. She wasn't sure if she would be able to feel him digging around in her mind but she was guessing not. It felt like her mind was open to him as much as his subconscious was open to her. Maybe they could come to an understanding to stay out of one another's minds for the time being. His question prompted Jane to smile. "Only if they have something they want to hide from me. Only a handful of people in this town know what I can do and none of them seemed bothered by it except for Neil, but he's bothered by everything. I imagine there are people who are afraid of you though. Or at least, nervous around you."
Mal didn’t quite feel afraid of her, just protective of his secrets. He didn’t know what kind of moral compass this woman had, but he knew most people in today’s society wouldn’t tolerate his relationship with Sam. The last thing he wanted was trouble from that, for either of them. Mal could fix it if they were separated by authorities, it would just get messy and it would interrupt his plans for AIR. He wondered if asking for a mental truce between them would tip Jane off that he had something to hide. Didn’t everyone, though? Mal just happened to have a list of them, many of which were felonies. Her comment drew a soft smile out of him that didn’t quite reach the eyes that were still steadily trained on Jane’s face. “Are you nervous around me?” he asked mildly. Jane now knew more about him than anyone else in town not employed by AIR. Even Sam didn’t know his full background.
Jane's moral compass had already been a bit shaky. She generally didn't give a shit what people were doing as long as they weren't hurting other people... namely her. AIR had hurt her, so she wanted revenge. Her thoughts rarely drifted to anyone else. The smile remained on her lips as she studied him. "Not at all. Are you nervous around me? Afraid I'll dig into your dreams while you're asleep?" He seemed like the kind of man who had secrets. Fuck, didn't most men of God? Jane was intrigued, certainly, but if he was meant to be an ally, she wasn't going to fuck that up by violating his mind. A telepath would be more than a benefit to them, especially now that Vex was gone. They needed a leader and while Jane liked to take charge, this felt a bit bigger than herself. They needed more.
It was oddly good to hear that Jane wasn’t afraid of him. Not that he expected her to admit it directly if she was, but she certainly seemed calm and collected. He wasn’t getting any waves of fear from her mind, though he was keeping a respectful distance. Mal had similar thoughts about them being allies. He wasn’t used to having those, not in any honest sense, so he would have to step carefully. “Not afraid of it,” he answered. “Just not used to being ... exposed, I suppose. It’s not comfortable. What would you say to an agreement that we’ll stay out of one another’s brains while we work together toward our common goal? Unless necessary for the mission or trust is broken, at least.” That sounded reasonable to him, and he would uphold his end as much as he could and hope she did the same. Or at least hope that her visit came on a more innocent sort of night.
Jane had been face to face with scarier men and had managed to hold her own. Feeling fear was a rarity for her, though it wasn't impossible. She always figured AIR had damaged that part of her brain when they were trying to trigger her ability. It would probably get her killed someday, but... c'est la vie. Figuring that this conversation was building toward a mutual understanding, Jane nodded. "I'm okay with that. I don't have any plans to break any kind of trust here, or with anyone else we find to help us. Stay out of my head, and I'll stay out of yours. Although... at least you'll know that I'm holding up my end of the bargain. How can I know for sure you'll leave my thoughts alone?"
At least she was agreeable to it, that was a relief. Mal took note of her saying he would know if she got into his dreams -- at least he would be aware and able to retaliate, if she was telling the truth. He gave Jane a wan smile. “Unfortunately, I don’t think you can,” he told her. “There aren’t really any thumbprints left behind or anything. I can say the same as you, though ... my goal is to destroy AIR. I need allies to do it, and have no wish to alienate you or anyone else. I’ll swear on a stack of Bibles if you like.” Another smile crossed his face, this one a little warmer. He was a preacher, after all, and it did mean something to him, even if it didn’t to Jane.
"I'm an atheist, so swearing on that book doesn't do much for me." She sounded amused before shrugging and straightening in her chair again. "But I believe you. I want to take down AIR as much as you do, so we'll stay out of each other's heads unless there's a damn good reason to do so. Have you spoken to anyone else? You said you saw the information Vex had. Were there any other names?" She had to assume there was Neil's name, but she sort of felt like if Mal had approached Neil, Neil might have texted her about it. Then again, maybe not. He could be hiding in his closet now for all she knew.
An internal part of Mal cringed at the word ‘atheist,’ but he didn’t let it distract him. Hell, some days he didn’t believe either. His faith ebbed and flowed. Not that he would ever tell anyone that. It didn’t matter what Jane believed in this situation anyway, they could still work together. He focused on her questions instead. “You’re the first I’ve approached,” he told her. Mal pulled his phone out of his pocket to go to the pictures he’d taken of Vex’s whiteboard. “There was the one you’ve mentioned a few times ... Neil Wainscott? He’s a librarian, correct?” Mal glanced up at her briefly. “I was going to go to him next. Then perhaps Miriam D’Onofrio ...”
"Yeah, he's the librarian. But he's... skittish." Jane figured that was the nicest way to put it. "We're friends though, so I can talk to him for you. Or... be there when you talk to him. Otherwise he may never open the door. He's been in denial about this for a long time. And then there was the mess with the... other world." She waved her hand dismissively. "Which I guess ties into Miriam D'Onofrio too. She's gone. Disappeared with the others. So unless some creepy doorway reappears and she walks back through it, she's not going to be much help to you."
Mal was nodding a bit -- having someone else with a connection to Neil would likely make the conversation easier. He thought he was fairly good at dealing with skittish sorts, but having an ally around always helped. He didn’t get a chance to think about it long anyway before Jane mentioned the ‘other world,’ which naturally piqued Mal’s interest. He’d of course heard about the disappearances back in late January, though he didn’t know who Miriam D’Onofrio was or that she’d disappeared, only her name from Vex’s list. Mal raised his eyebrows at Jane. “I’m sorry ... other world?” he asked, obviously clueless.
Jane was well aware that she shouldn't tell Mal anything she knew about what had happened out on Witcham. There were a lot of details she didn't know herself. But she still thought some of it had been tied to AIR somehow. Neil had been involved, and the teenage girl's dad had worked for them when Jane and the others had started the fire. As far as she knew AIR only took kids over a certain age but she wouldn't put it past them to experiment on a baby. She still wasn't fully convinced AIR hadn't done something to Nic and Carson at some point either. Her mind was full of theories. "It's a long story," Jane said finally. "But I'm sure you heard about those people who went missing in January. Neil and a few others were involved. Someone managed to open this doorway to... some other place. If you were here for the fog incident, it's all tied together. I think AIR had something to do with it, because of Neil and the girl, but I have no way to prove it. I don't even know that I have to. I just want to destroy them and get it over with."
That was obviously all news to Mal, and a deep line appeared between his brows as Jane spoke. “I was here for the fog, yes,” he murmured after a moment. Mal wasn’t sure what to make of all that. The only ‘other worlds’ he ever considered were heaven and hell. He hadn’t had much of an explanation for the fog and the huge destructive creatures that had come with it. When the members of his small church had asked for his opinion, he’d called them demons and left it at that. Jane seemed to know a great deal, but if her friend Neil had actually been involved, maybe it would be better to ask him. Or dive into his memories and see for himself. Mal hadn’t promised to stay out of his head, after all. “So Miriam is off the list then,” he went on after a moment’s thought. “Vex had a couple of other names, but he made notes that they were both missing as well. So that just leaves the three of us that I know of. Do you know any others? Who is the girl you mentioned?”
Jane thought about Alex, but decided not to tell Mal his name. Alex wasn't technically involved in AIR and it seemed pointless to push him into this mess when he couldn't really do anything about it. "The ones I knew about went missing shortly after I moved back here. I don't know if they disappeared or voluntarily moved away. Maybe they saw me and jumped ship before shit went down." Her lips curved into a smile again. "There may be others in town, but we haven't found them yet. The girl... her name is Jules Cooper. She's a teenager. Turns out her dad worked for AIR when we burned the place down. I can't tell you for sure that they did something to her, but from what I know, she was able to open that doorway." Jane thought about Shane and then her smile widened. "I know someone else who can help us. He doesn't live here, but I think it might be time to bring him back. He helped us escape."
There was almost too much that Mal wanted to respond to, he hardly knew where to start. The more Jane spoke, the more something inside of him started to get stirred up. He’d been alone with his trauma for so long, feeling like an alien in the world, sure that there was no one else out there who’d escaped AIR or remembered their time there ... and now, within minutes, he had a growing list of others like him. They may not have been held captive for so long or been through all he’d been through, but they would know some of it and they were like him. More like him than anyone else he’d ever known. Mal felt a sudden surge of emotion about it all and his throat thickened up. He swallowed and took a slow breath in through his nose, letting his eyes roam the room as a momentary distraction. “The uh ... the girl, you said her father works for them?” he asked, squinting a little as he refocused on Jane. That seemed the most important, potentially. “Is he still in town?”
Watching Mal, Jane supposed she probably took for granted that she had escaped and returned home. That she had a mostly normal childhood after her parents moved her out of state. Yes, she spent a lot of time dreamwalking, but that had been fun. Something that came as natural to her as breathing. But Mal had been sold. So she could only imagine what his life had turned into. She felt stirrings of sympathy, but there was more excitement, knowing he would be a powerful ally to take AIR down. He probably had more purpose, more reason to do it than she did. "He's in the cemetery," Jane said pointedly. "He died in the fire with the rest of them. I only found out about that after the girl told us her dad had worked there. Ted Cooper. Only one person survived besides us. Wilkes's assistant. But he left town after he was discharged from the hospital. I've tried to find him over the years, but I haven't been able to. I wouldn't be surprised if he changed his name, or left the country. I can't remember his face, or I may have been able to find his dreams. I don't know for sure."
Ted Cooper. The name didn’t ring any bells, but Mal hadn’t known a lot of their names in the first place back then. Everyone was ‘doctor’ or ‘sir.’ For a long time names hadn’t meant much to him at all -- he didn’t have one, so why should he expect anyone else to? He nodded to the information, taking mental notes of it all. Wilkes’s assistant, all the rest dead. “And the fire is what allowed you and some others to escape,” he said, just to confirm he knew a bit of the story. Vex had plenty of notes on that fire. “I was gone by then, obviously.” Would he have escaped with them? Or would he have tried to defend his handlers at that time? Mal didn’t even know. There had been times when he had felt he was in the right place for him, others when he was dying to escape, it was all a blur in his memory now. But he knew better now, and anyone he found associated with AIR deserved to feel their wrath. “I’ll keep my ears open for others ... in the meantime, can you set up a meeting with Neil? And reach out to your out of town contact. We’ll need as many hands as we can get.”
Jane nodded. She felt like she would have remembered Mal if he had been there, but that wasn't necessarily true. There were a few in the building she had never met. Jane never knew if they kept them apart on purpose or not. "I'll talk to Neil," she promised. He would probably be difficult to convince, but what else was new? Jane felt like she could get him to help them, or at least meet with Mal to talk about things. She had gotten him to meet Vex, hadn't she? Shane would probably be easier to persuade and she hadn't seen him in a while. Jane had his number, but dipping into his dreams would be much more fun. "How can I get a hold of you?"
Mal hadn’t had a ton of interaction with AIR’s other charges in the same facility, but he definitely would’ve remembered a fire, of course. So he didn’t think he’d been there at the same time as Jane, at least not in any meaningful way. But that was all history now. Their path forward was what mattered. A tiny smile flickered across his face at her question, as his first thought was ‘in my dreams,’ but they had an agreement. “I can give you my phone number, if you’d like,” he offered. “Or you can come see me at the church, Word Of The Redeemer. I’m almost always there, my apartment is above it. It’s in the same building as the laundromat.” He paused, then added, “We accept nonbelievers too, no lightning strikes at the door, I promise.”
"How about both." Jane unfolded her arms and stood from her chair to grab her phone from her kitchen counter. She pulled up a new contact and then handed Mal the phone so he could type in his number. "Once I talk to Neil I can shoot you a text. Hell, maybe meeting you in a church will ease his mind a little. You're a lot less intimidating than Vex. No offense." She doubted he would take any. But Vex was... eccentric. Unusual. She hadn't known him well but she knew enough to know his going missing was a great loss. They needed more firepower for sure. That was where Shane came in.
He accepted her phone and punched his number in before handing it back. Mal chuckled faintly over the comparison to Vex. It was funny -- out of the two of them, Mal was likely the more dangerous one. He hadn’t learned much about Vex’s background, but the odds were good that Mal had killed scores more people than he had. Still, Mal was disappointed that he was gone as well. All he could do was try to carry the torch well that Vex had lit. “None taken,” he said, smirking faintly. “Some of us just need better camouflage than others. I’ll do my best not to intimidate your skittish librarian.” Sensing that the conversation was coming to a close, Mal stood up. “I’ve probably taken up enough of your time.”
"Thanks." Jane took her phone, well aware that Mal could be as fluffy and sweet as a kitten and Neil would still be suspicious and scared. It would probably be smart not to mention the telepathic bits until she actually had Neil in front of Mal. She slipped her phone into her pocket and walked Mal to the door. She loved a man who didn't overstay his welcome. It made her want to give him a painting. Maybe one to hang up in his church. The thought amused her, but it was probably too soon to do that. "Once I convince Neil to meet you, I'll text. And obviously, if anything comes up, you know where I live."
“Likewise,” Mal told her with a faint smile. He thought he could’ve stayed and talked to her for hours, asking all kinds of questions about her experience and what she remembered, alongside even more questions about her ability and what other people’s dreams were like ... but he didn’t want to be intrusive. They’d just met. Maybe some other time, if this connection over a shared goal continued. “Thanks for speaking with me, Jane. Talk to you soon, I hope.” Mal stepped out the door once she opened it and gave her a nod. Even if Neil wasn’t on board with what they wanted to do, Mal hoped Jane was all in. They needed more people and more of a plan, but he was feeling better about the chances that there were others out there who might be like minded.