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Name/Nickname: Leslie Henrick (AKA Henny, Henny-Penny)
Gender: Male
Birthdate/"Permanent" Story Age/Astrological Sign: NA; thirties/early forties; Virgo
Birthplace/Current Location: Minot, North Dakota
Height: 5'4"
Weight/Body Type: Somewhat above average; chubby/out of shape
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown; short
Race/Ethnic Background: Caucasian; European-American
Relationship Status: Casually involved (Jay Campion, charge/boyfriend (nonexclusive))
Orientation: Uncertain, likely homoromantic homosexual (closeted)
Siblings: Unknown
Profession: Cult recruiter/handler; researcher
Distinguishing Characteristics: Always fussy, impatient, and anxious; judgemental, especially toward drug addicts; very serious, dislikes joking; prudish--despises sexual innuendo, and avoided sexual contact/activity much of his life, so until recently came across as asexual; "book smart" but not very "street smart"; meek and obedient toward authority, but snappish toward his equals and below; easily frustrated and annoyed
General Appearance: Short and rather plump--his soft and somewhat feminine physique garnered him much ridicule when younger, so he's ill at ease with his looks; always wears suits on the job (prefers earth tones) and insists on appearing professional despite his awkwardness; occasionally uses reading glasses; looks younger than his age, with a round boyish face but frequently sour facial expression; often carries a briefcase
First Appeared In: NA
Character Summary: Leslie Henrick's mother was a drug-addicted prostitute; his father, who was never in the picture, was likely one of her drug dealers or johns. Her dislike for her son manifested very early on when she gave him the somewhat feminine name "Leslie," and things only went downhill from there. Although young Leslie was well behaved and tried hard to earn his mother's love, she frequently left him on his own when she went out, and even when at home, she tended to disregard him, so Leslie learned how to fend for himself. He spent much time at the library reading nonfiction and teaching himself how to use their computers. Getting meals was an uncertain prospect; although he often went a night or two without eating, what food he did get tended to be non-nutritious, and this combined with his rather sedentary lifestyle (he had no friends to go out and play with) led to him putting on some extra weight, which resulted in yet more criticism from his mother and others. He became withdrawn and anxious, and despite her neglect of him, he constantly worried about his mother's health and safety, cleaning her up and caring for her after her drug binges.
When Leslie was around ten, his mother's drug dealer refused to sell to her again until she settled her debt, roughly $500. She offered him Leslie. Her dealer was uneasy and skeptical that such a trade could benefit him, so he placed a call to a man he knew who might know what to do with a young boy. After some details were exchanged, he went through with the deal, leading a confused Leslie away from his mother's apartment; on his way out his mother told him to behave, but offered no goodbyes or any sign that she regretted the deal at all. As the truth of the situation began to settle in, Leslie grew silent and afraid, though the drug dealer simply transported him to a location where he was placed in another, more expensive car (after receiving some money, the drug dealer went on his way), then taken to a large building. Within, he was escorted to a doctor, briefly examined, then brought up to a massive private suite where a forbidding-looking man in a suit was waiting. He asked Leslie some peremptory questions about himself, then, seeing his obvious fear, said, "If it puts your mind at ease, kid, I'm not into little boys." He directed Leslie to a new computer and asked if he'd ever used one; when Leslie nodded, the man instructed him to get it up and running. After Leslie had done that, created a database at the man's request, then figured out how to connect a new printer the man had brought in once Leslie pointed out what kind was compatible, the man ordered him some pizza to eat and explained that Leslie's new life would consist of doing various errands for him. He was given a couch in a smaller room of the suite to sleep on, and the next day was fitted for new, child-size professional clothes; thus began Leslie's life with "The Company," the section of the Four P Movement cult which was in charge of more white-collar affairs and research/organization.
Leslie explained to his new "caretaker" that, having been left on his own much of his life, he'd learned how to teach himself things from books; when the man had to leave him alone for the day, he handed Leslie off to the Company librarian, who at first was annoyed to be stuck with a child to look after. Leslie quickly and efficiently reshelved some books at the librarian's request, though--displaying understanding of the Dewey Decimal System--and afterward he and the librarian sat in silence eating and reading together. After that, whenever the man was going to be busy elsewhere, Leslie spent his time helping in the library and browsing the nonfiction. He picked up more technical skills and knowledge to help others with their research and fact-checking, and familiarized himself with The Company's computer system. When the old librarian died, by the time Leslie Henrick was an adult and now independent in the cult, Henrick was one of the very few to attend his funeral, and openly cried at his loss. Some higher-ups expressed surprise when Henrick didn't assume his post, but Henrick preferred to work in behind-the-scenes, subservient roles. He became highly requested for providing research for others, in particular helping to profile certain psychological traits sought in new recruits.
Henrick's research backed up Company psychologists' claim that a person vulnerable to suggestion and dissociation, especially one trained from a young age to control his/her switching of personalities or respond to cues given by others, would make the best type of recruit for Four P, though such traits were difficult to find or deliberately induce, especially in males. When another member of The Company encountered a male prostitute who displayed a clear ability to switch personalities at will (though he needed prompting to switch back, and was also addicted to heroin), he recommended that the young man be recruited, and the task was handed to an unwilling Henrick. Henrick set up a meeting with the man, "Jay Campion," in a hotel room under the pretense of hiring him for his services, though Campion quickly saw through his act (Henrick couldn't hide his discomfort at being touched and kissed by a man) and asked why Henrick really wanted to meet him. As soon as Henrick told Campion he "wanted to talk to somebody else" (the trigger phrase Campion had requested his client use to induce a switch), Campion grew threatening, pulling a knife on him; Henrick explained how he knew of Campion's "talent," and offered him a job more lucrative and reliable than soliciting, showing Campion a suitcase containing money and drug paraphernalia, as well as a gun, and promising him even more if he could display his talent again. Campion, still suspicious but wavering, did so, a frightened alter taking his place and attempting to flee the room before Henrick told him he wanted to talk to somebody else. Campion returned, and the awed Henrick started asking him questions about his skills and moral stance on various subjects. (Campion laughed when asked if he had any issues with prostitution or drug-running.) Campion expressed confusion, disbelief, then amusement when he realized that Henrick's questions indicated he worked for a cult; he cut Henrick off by telling him, "You need somebody to mess people up, then here I am. No qualms."
Despite Campion's obvious skills, Henrick at first advised his superiors against employing him, as Campion's psychological profile strongly indicated sociopathy. His advice was overridden and, to his even greater dismay, he was placed in charge of Campion's care and training, as his handler. He found himself frequently dealing with his charge's impulsive behavior, juvenile sense of humor, and sexual come-ons, in between teaching him the ins and outs of Company life and what was expected of him as an enforcer for Four P. The fact that Campion had been a drug-addicted prostitute, same as his mother, didn't sit well with him, either, and he often complained about the situation to Claire Jenness, a receptionist/concierge and one of the Company's rare female employees whom he'd befriended. Henrick's aloof attitude did little to discourage Campion's antics, however. Henrick also had to take into account Campion's abusive past, which he realized could have been his own, if events had gone somewhat differently.
Handlers in Four P often ended up in fierce rivalry with each other over whose charges were more skilled and would thus be assigned more lucrative jobs; Campion, as a very rare male multiple, was in high demand, and by association brought some esteem to Henrick's position in The Company. Another handler and his charge, Sandoval, challenged Henrick's and Campion's ability to pull off a particular task; Henrick was annoyed, but not surprised, when Campion seemed more interested in flirting with Sandoval than in competing with him (even though Campion tended to flirt with everybody). He was surprised, however, when Campion called him to an empty warehouse late one night, where he was sitting smoking a cigarette and covered in blood, Sandoval's mutilated corpse nearby. Stunned, Henrick asked him what he had done, to which Campion only replied, "He had it coming." Henrick recognized the same words Campion had used when describing how his childhood kidnapper had been killed by his girlfriend after he'd raped Campion and, understanding the significance of the phrase, he warned Campion to keep quiet and let him do the explaining, and called a cleanup crew to dispose of Sandoval's body.
Sandoval's handler, on learning of the incident, was infuriated, and demanded that both Campion and Henrick be censured and removed from The Company. They were called before The Company's higher-ups, including the man who'd requested Campion be recruited, to argue their cases; Sandoval's handler pointed out that Campion was an unstable liability (the same argument Henrick had made in the past) whose talents shouldn't negate the wrong he'd done. Henrick shot back that Campion's actions were in self-defense (which wasn't entirely true, as the murder had been committed as revenge for an earlier assault), and he'd proven far more beneficial to The Company than Sandoval had. He also reiterated that Campion was a rare and thus indispensable commodity, plus, Sandoval's own attack on Campion (on learning of his death, Miss Jenness had also wished Sandoval good riddance, hinting that he'd made an attempt with her as well) proved he was more of a risk to Company members than was Campion, who, despite his constant innuendos, had no history of sexually assaulting others. (Throughout the whole proceedings, Campion obeyed Henrick's order to keep his mouth shut and let Henrick do all the talking--something unusual enough in itself.) The higher-ups talked amongst themselves for a time before calling the three men back; they agreed that Campion had gone overboard and was to have certain restrictions placed on him for a time, but as a multiple he was simply too invaluable to be let go, whereas Sandoval, as a "singleton," was expendable. Henrick was warned to keep his charge on a short leash but for the time being, they were to remain employed by The Company. Sandoval's handler was livid but helpless to appeal the ruling; Henrick, for his part, was relieved to have escaped the worst of it with his job intact, but had oddly mixed feelings over how strenuously he'd argued--and sympathized with--Campion's case. For his part, Campion let up somewhat on his teasing of Henrick, and the two grew slightly more tolerant of each other.
After getting drunk one night (something he never did), Henrick accosted a surprised Campion in his room and kissed him, but lapsed into a stupor before anything else could come of it; he awoke in his own bed the next morning, and, alarmed and having no memory of what happened after kissing Campion, called Miss Jenness (who knew most of what was going on in the building) for details. Miss Jenness explained that Campion had called her to help him get Henrick back to his room after he'd passed out, and that apparently, nothing else had happened between them. Henrick was even further confused to find that he was both relieved that Campion hadn't attempted to take advantage of him, as well as slightly disappointed. Much agonizing led him to the realization that he'd actually grown attracted to Campion. Although he'd previously adhered to a policy of not getting romantically or sexually involved with charges (a personal policy, which was a suggestion but not a rule in The Company, as handlers sometimes did start relationships with their charges), Henrick made a tentative attempt at inviting Campion to his quarters, and after a rather awkward start on Henrick's part the two began a sexual relationship. Henrick was surprised at first that Campion didn't announce their involvement (or Henrick's self-perceived shortcomings) to anyone else, especially Miss Jenness, though assumed this must be merely a carryover of the discretion Campion had shown as a prostitute. He felt slightly disappointed again that their arrangement was purely sexual, and that he was likely seen as little more than just another client, though Campion did seem rather fond of him and his comments and behavior toward Henrick became slightly less abrasive. Henrick ended up being the one to accidentally inform Miss Jenness of their relationship, since he'd assumed that she would have found out through Campion first. Miss Jenness was initially astonished, but then pointed out that this would explain Henrick's obvious shift in mood lately, that he seemed less tense, snappish, and fretful, and more sure of himself in his interactions with other Company members. When Henrick expressed his surprise and doubt that Campion was the cause, Miss Jenness replied that she hadn't been referring to Campion specifically, but to the fact that Henrick was "finally getting laid."
Henrick, Campion, and Miss Jenness are rather close and trusting as a friend group, something unusual in The Company, and frequently pool their resources to keep up to speed on Company affairs that might otherwise remain unknown to members of their relatively low standing. Henrick's relations with Campion are somewhat strained by the fact that Campion has formed a sort of personal connection with Max Kristeva, a detective investigating Campion's case, who also possesses multiple personalities and for this reason is a target of The Company; Campion has made it clear he refuses to kill Kristeva, a decision which could jeopardize both his and Henrick's jobs. However, since Kristeva's partner, Det. Chance Devetko, managed to fend off an attempt Campion made on his life--and thoroughly beat Campion in the process--Henrick despises him as much as Campion does. He attempts to keep his head down and his eyes and ears open, seeking opportunities to secure Campion's good standing in Four P and to keep his own position safe, as well.
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