It was an hour later, and they were gathered in Stephen's office. Tommy had gotten sandwiches and lattes to go with the scotch. Marc, Leroy (since Doni had thrown him out of Billie Jo's room), Bobbie Jo, Trevor and Laz were gathered to figure out where the hell they were.

Ian, looking dead calm, showered and dressed, having been seen to by Edwards whom they'd brought from Vegas, walked through the door.  Rimes appeared only a few seconds later, having been brought by Reno, who joined Tommy at the back of the room to take notes.

After Rimes offered an all purpose nod and took a seat Stephen pushed the memories of Doni and Dinah aside.  "Okay, there's some obvious first steps.  Let me list them and then we can organize them.  First, whatever Bobbie can tell us.  Then, and I've already got him started, Cal is going through their server looking for anything that will give us a direction.  Also we need to question the others who were in the penthouse.  And we should probably search the penthouse as well."  He paused and looked around the room.  "Not to mention mobilizing everyone who might have an ear in the right place."

Bobbie Jo stirred and then said, "I called my parents.  They're on their way.  My father...he can help there and he's going to need to help or he'll go crazy." 

Ian glanced over at Bobbie Jo at that news.

Marc frowned, thinking about it. "We're locked down tight?"

Trevor nodded. "I'll be sure to let Mr. and Mrs. Dubois through," he added. "But everyone requesting transport on or off the Refuge has to ask permission for the barriers to be removed."

Stephen was about to go on when the door opened and Dinah came in.  She found an empty chair and met Marc's look, saying, "Don't even try."

Marc regarded her for a moment then nodded.

When Stephen was sure they were done, and Doni wasn't coming too, went back to his list.  "That's what I have to start with," he said, leaning back.

"What can you remember? Did you see Betty Jo while you were being held? Or were the three of you kept separate?" Marc asked.

Bobbie blinked at the suddenness of the questions and then gathered her thoughts.  "No, we didn't think she had been, not until we got to the dam and she...or who we thought...was there."

"If I may," Rimes interjected.  "They ran the prints and as you perhaps surmised he was one of the missing agents."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Leroy said.

"Not surprising with this bunch," Marc commented.  Then looking over at Bobbie again he added, "I'm sorry this is all a bit much for you, Bobbie Jo, but we've got to find her soon. So whatever you can think to tell us would be helpful.  Who knows what small memory you have might at least aim us in the right direction."

She nodded.  "I know and I've been running it all through in my head, over and over again.  There's only impressions, mostly.  Like we weren't in the desert anymore, it was way too humid for that because I got congested right away.  And the shadows were different, they made me think it was earlier there than it was in Vegas and the smell...it was all wrong, too.  More like...like..." She shrugged helplessly.  "It reminded me of being in the Caribbean or even Hawaii.  It just made me think tropical."  She stopped and chewed on her lip for a minute.  "The other thing, the way they did things, it felt like magic, if that makes sense.  It didn't feel like it does when you guys do stuff." She looked around, a frustrated apology on her face.  "I know it's not much.  But it's all I can tell you right now.  Billie might have more later."

"Thank you so much Bobbie. It's quite helpful actually. It gives us a place to start looking which is more than we had before.  If Cal can find something on their servers we might at least have a starting place.  Mr. Rimes, can you keep the casino management and owners quiet, or at least contained?" Marc asked.

Rimes nodded.  "We're already on it.  The casino is shut down, we're putting it out that they had a major electrical problem.  All the guests have been relocated.  Right now we're interviewing everyone and will keep them isolated afterwards for as long as we can.  So you've a couple of days there at least.  Any access you need I'll arrange."

"Can you arrange for us to interview the people we turned over to Marsh?" Laz asked.  "Privately?"  At Rimes' look Laz said, "Nothing like that.  More like scaring them to death."

Rimes nodded.  "That I can arrange."

Laz nodded and addressed Stephen.  "In that case I suggest you get Carmine to handle the interrogations.  It'll save a lot of time."

Marc raised an eyebrow. "Good idea."  At Stephen's nod of agreement Laz nodded and pulled out his cell, moving to the side of the room, as Rimes made a call to arrange that Laz would have control of them.

Stephen looked around.  "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Dinah said.  "Bobbie, where you were, did it feel public or private?  Expensive or cheap?"

She nodded.  "Private and expensive, like everything was hushed and...I dunno, that thick carpet feeling and noiseless movement."

"And the guy who had you, how did people treat him?  Afraid, respectful, deferential, what?"

Bobbie's eyes narrowed.  "More the last two than the first, but there was a moment when...I heard him laugh, you know?  And I'd have sworn he was insane.  But then he stopped and he was calm, polite, soft spoken but there wasn't a doubt in his mind he would be obeyed and it terrified me."

Ian listened intently. "So magic and someone who is frightening. That narrows things down to several hundred at any rate. Did he have any sort of accent? A manner of speech that struck you as odd, or old-fashioned or.. or anything?"

She thought about it.  "Well-educated, what I'd call an expensive vocabulary.  Never a cheap word when there was a pricey one available.  But it might also have just been old-fashioned, given the lexicon he used...like 'importunate' and 'vexed' as we waited in the parking lot, apologizing to us.  And it was the sort of no accent that said there'd been one once."

"Thank you," Ian replied, thinking it over.  Trevor held up a finger to ask for a moment and listened to an earpiece he wore. Then he offered, "Cal has located some information which might be helpful. Email that he can trace back to an ISP in Hawaii. He's trying to narrow it down a bit further."

Stephen nodded.  "Anything else?"

"Did your people find anything at the meeting site, Laz?" Marc asked.

"The shell casings and while I don't expect anything, they're being run for ballistics and prints.  That's it.  I've sent Paul and Anja to the casino.  They're getting started on the search."  He looked at Leroy for a moment.  "They could use some help if you're available," he said and moved on.  "And Carmine says he's at our disposal, just let him know.  He can do it at his place or ours, as it were."

"Let's do it at his. Far more visceral I'd think," Marc suggested.

Leroy roused himself. "I'll go help Paul and Anja. Tell your Mom and Dad I'm sorry, Bobbie."

She smiled.  "I will.  Though you won't get away without Mama feeding you.  She asked where you were."

Leroy managed a slight smile. "Okay, I'll say hey to her before I leave. He got up, planted a kiss on Bobbie's cheek and walked out in search of Mama, who was, he was certain, at Billie's bedside.

Laz looked at Ian and Marc.  "You going to Italy? Natha and I are going to pick 'em up and get them to Carmine."

"Yes," Ian said.

"I'll let you and Ian handle it. I've got some ideas I want to chase down," Marc replied. 

Dinah looked at him and raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting.

Laz grinned and looked Ian.  "Whenever you're ready."

"Now," Ian replied and they winked out.

"You know," Marc said, looking at Bobbie. "That whole scene was painted strictly for shock value and to hurt Ian. It's personal. So I'm thinking there has got to be some personal connection. And I'm not entirely sure I trust Ian to tell us if he figures it out."

"You know, he and daddy, they go way back I think.  And maybe not as buddies, you know?  I mean daddy never talks about the past, before he met mama, but for this, he would if it would help.  He might have an idea or two," Bobbie said.

"Excellent idea. I'll meet with him once we're done here, if he's willing. Dinah, would you like to be there?"

She grinned.  "Sure.  I hear daddy's really something, and where the sisters get their looks."

"You're taken. Fully," Marc replied easily. "Anything else Stephen?"

"No.  But I think it might be good if whenever possible someone stayed close to Ian.  Not hovering, but in the background."

"Good suggestion," Marc replied. "Any idea who?"

Stephen looked at Trevor sitting quiet in the background and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, gee, thanks. All right. I'm off. I'll hand off to Natha."

"Thanks.  You could always recruit Julian for variety," Stephen suggested.  "And Trevor, if this is personal should we worry about Adele?"

Trevor gave it some thought. "I'll call her. But she's either in Italy or in Maine. Either place she's quite safe. Still, better safe than sorry."

"Thanks."  He watched as Trevor left, taking Rimes with him.  Then he said, "Dinah I'd like a private word with Marc if you'll allow that."

She hesitated and then stood and kissed Marc.  "I'll meet you in the infirmary," she said and left taking Bobbie along with her.

Stephen let the door click closed and then rubbed his face.  "I don't want to wait to try to track Roz.  Whoever this guy is she's probably not glued to his side.  And I don't like the idea that she might decide to go after either Doni or Dinah again."

"I agree. I've been trying to figure out what she's been doing since we last had contact with her. I don't think she's been on Earth. We'd have heard, seen or felt her before this."

"And she knew you'd been out on the Rim and implied that your genetic threat was less than meaningful.  But beyond that, I've no idea where to start other than she's always been notorious for her champagne taste.  And trying to trace her in the more expensive venues off planet."

"I'll contact some friends off world to see what we can find out. Perhaps I'll sic Dinah on it. I'm not crazy about letting her out of my sight at the moment, but I think we'd best find her fast. Giving Roz time to retrench will make things that much harder."

"Okay and I'll let you know if I think of...." He broke off suddenly, grinning.  "We're idiots, you know that don't you?  She bled all over that suite when Leroy shot her.  And you've got her helix, too."

"Jeezus. Yes. Dinah!" Marc was shouting even before he made it through the door headed toward the Infirmary.

Dinah heard him before he reached the door, mentally and normally.  She met him in the hallway.  "What?"

"I've got Roz's helix and we've got her blood. Get your DNAdar fired up."

"Roz?  Do I know her," she said, heading for Cal and the ops center monitors.  "She my competition?"

"She was behind the missile attacks on the Refuge from Home. You've met her. I screwed her. Remember?"

Dinah slammed her brakes on and looked at him.  "Roz is the woman..." she stopped and caught her breath.  Then she said, her voice tight, "from the office that day?"

"Ah, you do remember," he said with a grin. "Yes. That one. She actually did us a favor, but obviously not planned."

"Oh?  I must have missed that part."

"Well, it certainly made me realize how important you were to me," he replied. "Probably faster than I might have otherwise."

"Ah, well.  In that case, I agree.  She did.  'Cause I was thinking it was going to take you years, if not longer.  I was planning how you'd pay for it too."

He smacked her butt as they joined the crowd in the ops room.

"And you'll pay for that too," she said as she went to where Cal was waiting for her. 

Marc called up Roz's helix and handed it off to Dinah.  She set it spinning and brought the DNAdar up and went to work, sorting out the billions of no matches and near matches, while Cal narrowed down the map field as she worked.  He got it down to the Hawaiian Islands and everyone in the place held their breath.  Then it narrowed to Maui and then Kapalua on the northwest coast and you could have heard a pin drop as it did.

Stephen looked at Tommy and said, "get Laz and Ian back here now, and Leroy and the others."

Dinah got it down to one helix and Cal typed so fast his fingers were a blur on the keys.  Then he put up a set of coordinates.  "Want the address?" he asked, a grin on his face.

Ian, Leroy, Trevor and Laz zapped in.

"We're going in," Marc said. Ian took one look and was gone. "Shit," Marc said as he took off after him. Leroy wasn't far behind.

"Well that was fun," Dinah said, staring at where Marc had been.  "Now what next, I wonder?"

"Find my daughter," Jonah said.

Dinah turned to look at him, her smile suddenly dazzling.  "You must be daddy."