Kyler inhaled sharply at Logan's insinuation. A lesser woman might have been frightened under his penetrating glare but she refused to fold. She let her indignation frost her words. "I have accepted money for my services."

If he wanted to think the worse of her so be it. She wouldn't be the one to set him straight. Fact was she rarely got paid. Most of her clients were single moms barely getting by while their ex-husbands hide potential income in their girlfriend's name. They came to her looking for help and she did her damnedest for them. She knew what it was like. She had to watch her mother struggle with two kids and two full time jobs while her dad went fine dining with his flavor of the month.

If Freud had been her therapist he would have told her that she was using her career as a means of revenge. That was a part of it. She loved seeing those pompous asses sweating it out in court. No, the biggest part was the puzzle itself. She lived on the thrill of getting answers. It was satisfying to close an open circle. It gave her a natural high. If that made her a bad person then tough titty she could live with herself and that was all that mattered. <I>Well, I won't have to put up with this for much longer.</I>

"Logan, that's enough. Let her talk."

For a moment she was afraid Logan would jump on Scott but he simply shot him a dirty look and resumed eating. Hey, it's true! You can sooth a beast with food. "Like I said, I am a hacker. Two weeks ago I was hired to compile a dossier on a Charles Xavier. His surface information is tidy."

"Wait, I don't understand. What is surface information?" Bobby asked perplexed.

"Surface information your standard stuff like social security number, date of birth, employment record back accounts, that sort of thing. Xavier has an impressive income as you know. He is what most would consider 'blue blood' with lineage in sociality. Your school here is privately funded. Some very interesting people make donations here, by the way."

Her little lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the very person she was just discussing. She knew Charles Xavier used a special wheelchair. No one would ever be offering this man any sympathy. He radiated confidence and authority. She took a bite of her sandwich as she waited while Scott explained her presence.

Who would have thought that superheroes eat ham and cheese? She found herself waiting with the others for his reaction.

"I think we need to discuss this further. Would you mind joining me in my study, Miss Renden?" Xavier posed it as a question but there was an underlining order to it.

"Of course."

Gambit jumped to his feet and helped her with her chair. He winked at her when she walked passed him to follow Xavier. The outrageous gesture gave her a measure of assurance and she smiled at him gratefully.

Xavier study was a lot like him. The furnishings were masculine, elegant and refined. He waved her over to a winged back chair by his desk. She geared herself up for their talk while she settled herself.

Get a grip girl! Look him in the eye and spill your guts so you can get out of Dodge.

"Spilling guts might be messy, don't you think?"

"How? I gather you are a telepath as well?"

"Didn't you know?"

"No. It fits though. I only knew you are a supporter of the mutant cause. The information I gather comes from computers mostly. You have erased many records that pertain to you and your X-men but you still left a paper trail."

"Those documents couldn't have tied the X-men and myself together."

"It didn't. I was able to make a connection from photographs of you. I was forming an in-depth dossier of you. It isn't unreasonable to investigate people who show up in background pictures of you at political conventions. Especially if they show up repeatedly."

"What were you able to find out?"

"You are a mutant supporter. People who fit the physical profile of the X-men are often in your vicinity. These people have little surface information. You are wealthy but I can't find records of what you do with your money. Money usually leaves a trail a mile wide. What really clinched it were the UFO sightings in this area. Every plane, no matter how advanced needs light. I am not sure how you were spotted but there are two reports of alien disturbances not far from here. I put the pieces together and made a guess."

"Not many people would have arrived at your conclusion."

"Well, the person who hired me was a big clue also."

"Can you tell me who hired you or are you bound by profession ethics?'

"Normally nothing under the sun would make me break a confidence but this isn't normal. I have to do what I believe is right. Coming here was difficult for me but I knew I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror if I didn't try to do the honorable thing."

"I understand about honor."

"I know you do. I heard you speak once. You were at Indiana University giving a lecture on prejudges against mutants. Several students ridiculed your views but you held firm. I admired you tremendously for standing up for your beliefs."

"I remember. I gave that lecture ten years ago. You couldn't have been more than a child."

"I was thirteen. I am here partly because of that speech. It influenced my life. That is why I am going to give you the dossier on you and all the information I was able to dig up on your team instead of turning them over to my client. If I could link you, others will be able to. You will need to take care of it." She started to rise. "It's out in my car I'll get it and then go."

Charles steepled his fingers and analyzed the situation while Kyler went to fetch the files. His scans indicated she was telling the truth. He would order the team to form a dossier on her just to be sure though. He needed to find a way to get her to stay a while. This was a potential threat to their security. He would need some time to figure out how to deal with it. He examined her features when she returned to the study. Her long black hair swayed with each step. Her face was clear of makeup giving her a fresh subtle beauty. Her classical features were set in determination. He found her eyes intriguing. A misty gray color they almost looked luminescent. Every emotion she felt while they had talked flickered in those pale gray orbs. Surrounded by people who could hide their emotions he found this aspect refreshing. She handed him a bulky folder when she reached the desk.

"Those are the original disks of the information I gathered. There are no other copies."

"That is a relief of course but aren't you taking a big risk telling that?"

"I've spent ten years idolizing you, wanting to be like you. If I can't trust you then it is my own fault for choosing you as a role model. Kyler took several deep breaths while she built her courage. Telling him the client's name might be the right thing to do but it still battled her ethics. "The person who hired me wanted the dossier and blueprints of your school. I don't know why he wanted the information but I doubt he is an old friend of yours. His name... his name is Essex." She sounded as if a burden was being lifted off her shoulders.

Xavier's stiffened. "He isn't a friend but I know him."

"Maybe it isn't such a big deal then." She suggested on a hopeful note.

It was a very big deal. There was no way he could let her leave now. "What do you know about Essex, Kyler?"

"Not much why?"

"Let me tell a little about Mr. Essex." He sounded like he had swallowed something bitter.

She gave her full attention and listened with dawning horror.