Realistic or Modern Empire City: The Irish Mob - IC (Closed)

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 13: To Kill a Patriarch
Friday 5th November 1971
...2 weeks later...
Early Evening/Sunset - Cold, Breezy, Overcast
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Porter Family Apartment
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~
​

Warren Taylor

Despite Keegan's murder and approaching funeral, Warren had managed to get himself some freedom over the last couple of weeks. Granted, it had come with much argument and him having to admit to his older brother that he was seeing someone. Whilst he was free to date who he wanted, the fact Simone was already tied up to the mob and lived in the same building James' apartment was located in was considered complicated. Still, at least her place was considered safe enough for Warren to be in.

Warren had spent the night with Simone and the pair hadn't got out of bed until the afternoon. After both had a quick shower, Warren proceeded to get dressed, using those few minutes to consider how he was going to approach the next conversation. "So, I've got to head across to James' place now. I'm already late and there's a lot going on tonight," he began. With the plans to rescue Roxie and deal with Maddox, James had requested Warren's presence and assistance in maintaining communications. "Tomorrow we could go out for dinner..." he trailed off as he fastened the buttons of his shirt.

"Could doesn't sound very committal. I'm going to need something more definite than that, else I might just find myself a better offer." She tightened the towel around her body before turning to him and placing her hands on his shoulders. She leaned in towards him, as if about to kiss his lips, but quickly pulled back as soon as he took the bait. "Should I book us a table for tomorrow?" she suggestively asked, keeping him at arms length.

"Of course. You're the boss!" Warren agreed, flashing her a playful smirk. As Simone relaxed her arms, he moved in to passionately kiss her.

*****
​

James Porter and Warren Taylor

James had been busy and up late the previous night. It had been busy in his home's office as he ran through the plans for the two main jobs his family were to be carrying out. Jackson and Syd were leading Roxie's rescue mission. Meanwhile, Conor and Peter were to deal with Maddox. If the counsellor had crossed the family again, the orders were for him to be brought in so James could deal with him. He was aware of how delicate a situation it was, for if anything happened to Maddox, it was highly likely Conor would pay the price and be thrown back into jail. As much as James wanted to slaughter Maddox, he preferred the second possibility, the one where Maddox had been honest with them and Roxie would be found. If that was the case, then the orders were for Maddox to be put under protection for the remainder of Conor's parole. After that, James had no interest in the counsellor's safety. The Morettis could do whatever they wanted to him once he'd served his purpose to the Porters.

James had been slightly annoyed with Warren for not getting to the apartment on time that day, but he soon let it go as he became aware he'd hardly given his brother much room to breathe lately. James had spent most of the day out on business, but for the rest of the day he needed to stay reach of the telephone as he awaited updates on various different missions that were going on that evening. "You planning on telling Mum about your new girlfriend, then?" James asked Warren. Though he was teasing and there was a smile with his words, it was clear James was forcing out the light-hearted conversation to mask his deep stress.

"Ah, come on. It's not official or anything like that, yet. Just two people having a bit of fun..." Warren assured him. He sat down on the leather sofa and turned his head sideways to look to his older brother. "So, did you say Lucy was heading over soon? You both doing alright?" he curiously asked.

"Yeah, I'm expecting Luce shortly... We're both good, but all of this shit going on is becoming exhausting... for both of us," James admitted. He tapped his fingers against the empty coffee mug whilst massaging his forehead with his free hand. "How about you make yourself useful and make us both another coffee?" he asked, forcing a smirk.

Warren sat back and put his feet up on the coffee table. "Nah, mate. It's your turn. I made the last two! You're not the boss of me," he teased.

"Wow. I'm telling Mum!" James joked, despite struggling to shift his concern about Syd and Jackson.

Mentions: Bellz (Lucy) Fletchawk (Owen)

Porter Family Home
~ Bayside, Queens ~
​

Sinead Callahan

Sinead had had a spring in her step when Peter agreed to try for another baby with her. Although her husband hadn't been on the same wavelength until recently, it was something she had been wanting for quite some time. She just hoped their recent efforts would be quick to reward them. Her own excitement was held back upon finding out that Roxie had been kidnapped. Peter was already looking set to become more protective were she to become pregnant, but he'd stepped it up a gear after hearing about what was happening to Syd's pregnant girlfriend. The thought of something happening to Roxie and the baby concerned Sinead greatly. She prayed that they would make it out safe and well. The thought of the unborn child being harmed was deeply upsetting to Sinead and it was slowly opening up old wounds, ones she'd never been able to fully overcome.

With their husbands all out of various jobs, Sinead, Aliana and Blake were all together at the Porters' house, along with all of the children. Gwen was home too, but Sinead had hardly seen much of the fellow redhead, but it wasn't uncommon. Sinead sat on the sofa with Olivia standing in front of her as she plaited the blonde girl's hair. "Sweetie, I'm convinced you think I'm your personal hair stylist, because every time I'm over here, you make me do your hair," she lightly teased the child. "Not that I'm complaining. It's a long time since Savvy let me plait her hair and Emmy was never a willing model to begin with," he remarked. Once the plait was finished, Sinead tied the end with a small hair elastic and light;y tapped the girl's shoulder. "Okay, you're good to go. Make sure those boys aren't making a mess in the garden."

Once Olivia and any other children had left, Sinead sat back and looked to the two other women. She didn't want to overthink and start worrying about their husbands who were out on dangerous jobs. Instead, she thought about the one prospect that was keeping her positive throughout their families troubles. "Oh, how I miss having little ones of my own," she mused aloud, though the uncontrollable smile on her face made it clear something was keeping her happy. "Children are just the best! Do you ladies think you'll each have more children? Little brothers or sisters for Leo and Natasha?" she curiously asked.


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Blake)

Moretti's Office/Apartment
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~
​

Gabriel Moretti

As expected, Maddox had taken the bait Stefano had laid out for him. Gabriel was a cold, ruthless businessman and his primary goal was to rip the city from under the Porters' feet. Even so, it was disappointing to have it confirmed that Maddox had betrayed him. The men had worked together for years, with the Italian growing to respect and even care about the counsellor. They'd both lost loved ones at the hands of the Porters and it was on that basis that had helped Gabriel form a supposedly mutual alliance with Maddox. That's what made the man's double-crossing harder to accept and it was why he would enjoy personally delivering a slow, painful death to the filthy little rat.

Seated on the couch across from Alistair, Gabriel lit up a cigar and offered one to his close associate. The Italian then sat back as he placed the cigar in his mouth. He glanced to the soldiers guarding the door in the distance, before looking back to the East Harlem boss. He removed the stick from his mouth, holding it between this thumb, index and middle finger. "What a disappointment he turned out to be," Gabriel spoke upon, subtly shaking his head. "I'd grown quite fond of Dr. Parker over the years. Grew to consider him a decent man and even sympathised with his cause. That's what makes his betrayal difficult to accept. That's why he will suffer for crossing us." Gabriel took another drag from the cigar before leaning forward and balancing it on the edge of the crystal ashtray. "He will suffer a slow and painful death. I had hoped Ani would be found in time so she could get to witness what she caused. I suspect it was that whorish witch's influence that caused Parker to turn weak and pathetic. If only we'd let her burn with her loony brother."

It had only been that morning that Gabriel had received official confirmation of Maddox's betrayal. His office telephone had been bugged and a call the counsellor had with Conor Sullivan had been tapped into. Though cleverly vague, it had been more than enough to know the Porters were planning on rescuing Roxie and that Maddox had been the one to divulge her location. Since then, Gabriel had ordered his men to deliver Maddox to his office - and still breathing. Gabriel wanted to personally make sure the counsellor suffered for crossing him.

It wasn't all bad that day, as Gabriel was anticipating confirmation of James Porter's assassination. As fulfilling as it would have been to watch his biggest enemy die in front of him, Gabriel was by now content to be rid of the mob boss no matter the method. With James gone, it would be easy to take advantage of the chaos and upset. The city was practically in his and his allies' hands. One by one, they would pluck the other key members out from the Porter ranks until there was nothing left but whimpering children and their weak-minded mothers. The empire was about to crumble and those left standing would be knocked down, ready to be trampled over.

Pyroclast (Alistair)

The Emerald Pub
~ Midtown, Manhattan ~
​

Rachel Harris

The last couple of weeks had been stressful for Rachel. Her brother, Noah, had been hospitalised in the prison infirmary after being severely injured when a group of inmates beat him up. Though the prison reports concluded it had been an equal fight which Noah had lost, Rachel had dragged the truth out of the brother. He wasn't the only Sullivan-affiliated prisoner who had been hurt in recent weeks. Rachel knew it was the Morettis flexing their power and sending a message to the Porters - in particular, to Conor. It was only a matter of time before they managed to kill her brother and Rachel felt like she was living each day expecting the call from the prison. Given Noah's impulsive and controversial nature, Rachel knew she couldn't blame anyone but him for his current predicament. It made it difficult to resent the Porters for what was happening, but still, she hated that her brother was practically a sitting duck and being used to send a message to the mob about Moretti's growing power.

Rachel had decided the take the night off from running the pub and had invited Mitch to spend some time out together that evening. Before heading out to dinner, they'd arranged to meet at the Emerald as Rachel had moved into the apartment above the pub couple of weeks ago. With her cousin moving away, Rachel had no need for the larger apartment they'd been occupying and considering she was becoming part of the furniture at the pub, it seemed easier to move in.

Rachel sat by the bar as she sipped from her glass of wine. She was expecting Mitch at any moment, but in the meantime, she was occupied enough observing the game of darts two of the regulars were playing.

RayPurchase (Mitch)

Teddy's Apartment
~ Manhattan, NYC ~
​

Valentina Moretti

Valentina had been fully aware of the situation with Teddy. She'd been horrified to see what the Porters had done to him when they got hold of him all of those weeks ago. Despite appreciating her father's business and hating anything that benefited the Irish thugs who had killed her family years earlier, she held no ill will towards Teddy. Along with her mother and Tony especially, she'd been fighting the man's corner and defending him to her father at every opportunity. Teddy was family and beneath Gabriel's cold treatment, Valentina knew her father still had some kindness for him. If he didn't, then Teddy would surely have been killed before now.

The youngest Moretti child felt she had something in common with Teddy at the moment and that was a need to prove herself to Gabriel. She had so many ideas for the business and had been out doing her own research for ways to help the Morettis take their rightful place in New York. The tricky part was trying to get her father to spare some time to listen to her. In fact, she'd had to arrange an official meeting with Gabriel the following day to discuss her plan. Whilst she knew he was testing her and seeing how hard she would fight to impress him, Valentina found her father's ways too formal at times.

Standing outside Teddy's door, Valentina knocked heavily to gain the man's attention. In her free hand, she clutched at a folder containing some paperwork she'd compiled to present to Gabriel the following day. She was happy with her research, but she wanted Teddy's input. Perhaps they could both work together and impress Mr. Moretti at the same time. "Get your lazy ass to the door, Teddy!" Valentina called out.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)
RayPurchase (Marcus) [Let me know if you don't have capacity to play Marcus this chapter]

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Enzyme Melanin-Gxdess RayPurchase Fletchawk
​

 

[Pyroclast]

Chapter 13: To Kill a Patriarch
Friday 5th November 1971
...2 weeks later…
Early Evening/Sunset - Cold, Breezy, Overcast

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Liberty Island​

Syd Porter

All routine that Syd had picked up during his stay at the psychiatric hospital had fallen away since he had learned of the danger Roxie was in. Afraid of his own mood swings, Syd confined himself to his bedroom as much as possible to keep himself out of the way so that he didn’t make any rash decisions or lose his temper. Time moved more slowly than it ever had before, even more so than it had at the hospital. The wait for news from Maddox was unbearable and often drove Syd into bouts of hopelessness, unable to convince himself that Roxie could still be alive. As the days went by, he grew increasingly obsessed with the idea of murdering both Maddox Parker and Stefano; it seemed to be the only thing that could occupy him besides thinking of what state Roxie could be in. Plotting their deaths was the only way he could feel productive.

After two painful weeks of nothing, his old counsellor had finally brought knowledge of Roxie’s whereabouts and without a moment’s hesitation, the pre-decided squad of six was brought together, bullet-proof vests and weapons distributed among them. A speedboat was arranged to pick them up at the harbour, which prolonged the wait, but no amount of added time could help Syd to prepare for what was to come. This would be no easy mission, and he had no doubt that Stefano and whoever else were lying in wait would have tricks up their sleeve. In the anticipation of finally seeing Roxie in whatever state she was in, still not knowing if the baby she was carrying was even alive, the ordinary level of anxiety that Syd felt before a mission was multiplied tenfold, and it showed. But nobody dared to suggest that he skipped out on the job; it meant more to him than any other ever had before.

By now the sun was well past its zenith, having dipped below the New York City skyline. The warm colours that it left behind glistened upon the boat’s wake, and they were followed by the distant clamour of a parade on the shore behind them. None of it could steal Syd’s attention, however - he had his eyes fixed solely on the Statue of Liberty up ahead, one hand gripped around the Remington M700 that Jackson had given him for the job and the other holding up a pair of binoculars, straining to spot any suspicious-looking figures patrolling the island. With the rough movement of the boat, it was hard to hold them steady, but when he caught sight of a pair of dark silhouettes armed with rifles he dropped the binoculars into his lap and managed to point out the figures in the low light. “There,” he spoke up above the roaring engine. “Way over there, see them?”

His hand fell to his rifle and as the boat lost momentum and came to a standstill at the dock, Syd kept his eyes trained on the two guards. They were only about a hundred yards away, but he still dismounted the boat as stealthily as he could. Syd had never killed a man before, at least not to his knowledge, but his finger was hovering over the trigger already. “They’re either Italians or they’re not, but I’m not taking chances tonight.” He moved over to the railing of the pier and rested his rifle against it, lowering down onto one knee to steady his aim. Of course he was nervous, but having Jackson by his side gave him enough confidence to push through it. “Got the one on the right.” Syd clenched his jaw as he waited for Jackson to fire first and the second the shot rang out across the water, he held his breath and shot the unsuspecting guard down.

Interactions
Enzyme Jackson

 

[Enzyme]

Chapter 13: To Kill a Patriarch
Friday 5th November 1971
...2 weeks later…
Early Evening/Sunset - Cold, Breezy, Overcast

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Rhys Caddel
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The silver jeep materialized behind a stop sign and turned onto the nearly vacant road, crushing the autumn leaves below its dense tires. The few people that roamed the sidewalk paid the vehicle little attention as it parked beside a parking meter. The tinted windows hid the vehicles' occupants, which sat quietly in their seats. Despite the countless planning, the mere presence of James Porter's apartment building was nerve-racking. Everyone in the vehicle knew their role down to a tee, but to actually acknowledge what they were about to do, and how much weighed on each of their shoulders, was enough to make even the most hardened gangster's hairline bleed sweat. The glass to James' apartment matched the blueprint's location, which helped it stick out as if it were marked by a highlighter. Rhys could almost see through the glass, obstructed by the reflection of a dying tree and the falling sun.

Rhys clenched the cigarette between his teeth, his right hand grasping a metal box, no bigger than a walkie talkie. A small light bulb protruded from the metal, glowing a deep red. Beside it was a keyhole, which had been covered with clear tape. He moved the detonator into sight, looking to the men around him. "Here we are," Rhys said confidently, his eyes falling on Tony. He knew the man was tough as nails, but he wouldn't be surprised if anyone of them cracked under the immense pressure.

The phonebooth rested just beside the apartment complex, practically signaling Tony over with its shimmering receiver. "Remember, wait until your watch strikes 6:30, then make the call," Rhys reinforced, the seriousness in his expression echoing how vital the timing was. With the amount of time they'd sunk into studying James' schedule, they knew exactly when he'd be alone in his apartment, at his desk, and ready to receive calls. Rhys wasn't going to leave anything to chance.

Rhys' hand moved for the door beside Tony, inviting in the cool, soft November breeze. "Men, let's make history," Rhys said to the gangsters in the car, looking to Tony as he let the man step out. He then looked to Steve, who had been tasked with staking out the front entrance. Rhys made sure his watch was accurate, before tucking the detonator closer to his chest. 6:15. His eyes then shot to the ominous window, the foreboding feeling boiling under his skin. He wouldn't let out another breath until the red lightbulb flashed green.

RayPurchase (Tony) Pyroclast (Steve) Misty Gray (James)

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

It was clear, as the two men sat silently puffing on their cigars, that they were both thinking the same thing. One simple test of Maddox Parker’s loyalty had revealed exactly what Alistair had been expecting: the counsellor was no longer on their side. His display of faltered enthusiasm towards the cause after being asked to kill Syd Porter had given Alistair serious doubts, and he was glad that Gabriel hadn’t let his common ground with the man get in the way of his judgement. Murdering Ammon was the beginning of a new chapter for the East Harlem boss, in which he would never again allow second chances; he was relieved to know that Gabriel was willing to treat Maddox with the same ethics.

Alistair sighed when his associate expressed his regrets at the direction that Maddox had taken. He had to wonder if he was beating himself up inside for trusting the wrong man, for employing somebody without solid convictions.

“Never trust anyone but yourself,” he cautioned, leaning forward to tap the ash from his cigar into the tray. When he resumed a more relaxed posture, he set his narrow eyes on Gabriel. “Especially not someone driven by his emotions. The man has always been pathetic, Gabriel. It was pathetic of him to think he was fit for this life simply out of a passion to avenge his beloved father. No matter how well he performed, he would never earn a seat at the table here with us. Emotions get you nowhere, my friend. You have to have motives beyond that to make sure your decisions are all made with conviction and a rational mind. Parker lost his drive as easily as it had come to him - one order to kill Porter’s son and suddenly it was too much to handle. He’s not cut out for this life and the quicker we get rid of him the better. If you feel bad about it, don’t.”

The thought of Ani escaping punishment made Alistair sink back into his seat glumly. He took a long drag from his cigar, focusing on the earthy taste for a brief moment out of his troubled mind before letting his gaze settle onto Gabriel once again. It was his turn for regret now. “You’re right, that was a mistake on my part,” he muttered. “Told myself I was done giving second chances and yet I didn’t kill her when I had a good chance to. I thought she would get that message loud and clear when I made her watch Ammon burn to death, but she was foolish enough to test me, wasn’t she? Still, she knows what’s coming to her, of that I’m sure. In fact, it’s the only thing I’m sure of. Right now, wherever she is, she is waiting to be found and will live in fear until the day my men bring her back to me and I give her a punishment that she knows she deserves. One as gruesome as her beloved Maddox is due to suffer.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel

 

[Misty Gray]

Midtown Medical Center
~ Midtown, Manhattan ~
​

Conor Sullivan and Maddox Parker

Conor had asked Peter to drive the car and when they reached the medical centre, they parked the vehicle on a backstreet behind the building in question. They weren't sure how their encounter with Maddox was going to go down, at least not until they received confirmation of whether the counsellor had crossed them or helped them, this time. Whether they were going to see to the man's death or go out of their way to help him avoid being killed, Conor expected it wouldn't be an easy ride either way. As such, he was armed and ready for trouble. As they walked to the front of the building, Conor kept a casual demeanour. "How's it going, Pete? Tinkerbell seems more upbeat these days, so I can only assume all is well?" he curiously asked. Only a few months ago, he had been concerned about his youngest sister and her marriage. It had almost reached the point where he'd considered having to have serious words with Peter. Thankfully, it all seemed to be resolved and his friendship with Peter remained fully intact.

As they passed a parked car, Conor noticed two serious-looking men seated in front. The passenger window was slightly open and directly across from it was the public telephone. Conor was in no doubt the men were expecting a call and given the proximity to Maddox's office, he was sure the men were Moretti's guys. Once out of earshot, Conor turned to Peter. "Looks like we're not the only ones watching Dr. Parker. We'll definitely have to slip the guy out of the back door... if we're keeping him alive," he spoke quietly to his brother-in-law.

When they'd climbed the stairs and reached the reception desk, Conor was glad to see the waiting room was empty. Conor stood at the desk and sent Laura a charming smile, playing on the fact she was attracted to him, despite her own wedding engagement. "Evening, love. I'm here to see Dr. Parker." When the receptionist pointed behind him, Conor turned to see Maddox emerge from his office. "Ah. Thanks for seeing me at short notice. Things have just been rough and I didn't want to bother you, but... That's why my good man [Peter] here practically dragged me to to see you," he went on. As he spoke, Conor made gestures out of Laura's sight for Maddox to dismiss the receptionist. He didn't want the woman around when things were likely to get messy.

"It's never any trouble seeing my clients at short notice," Maddox replied. He caught the hint and looked to Laura. "I'll be locking up after this session, Laura. There's no need for you to stay late, so you can get yourself home now," he told her.

Once Laura had left, Conor walked with Peter into the counsellor's office. Conor shut the door behind them and took a seat on the sofa, waiting for Maddox and Peter to sit down too. "You already know Pete, right?" Conor said to Maddox. "He had a session with you but you never got another chance to fuck with his head, am I right?" he asked, flashing a knowing smirk.

"I had no intention of doing that..." Maddox began, looking Peter in the eyes.

"Pete, keep Parker entertained while I make a call." Conor got up from his seat and approached the telephone. "I'm using your phone, Doc. Going to see if there's any news on whether you've been telling porkies again or if you finally came good. Hopefully you haven't been lying, because a lot of people want your blood after what you did to Syd. If you've given us a dud location, it's going to get awfully messy for you." Conor picked up the receiver and dialled the number of his contact, wishing to find out if they had confirmation on Maddox's lead being genuine.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant
Lorelei Bryant ​

Spoiler: TRIGGER WARNING

This scene depicts drug use and overdose. Please don't turn to drugs like for an answer. Viewer discretion is advised.

Gwen sat with Rory on the bed as she brushed her wet curls being as gentle as she could not to get the brush snagged in a tangle. "Let's try not to get gum in your hair next time, hmm?" Gwen asked her daughter with a sigh. Rory nodded her head lightly and Gwen moved to hold head for a second, "Stay still." She murmured, "Or the brush is going to get stuck." The little girl obeyed as Gwen continued to brush through her hair. "You promise not to cause any more trouble with the other kids tonight? I know things are crazy right now but you have to behave." Once done brushing her daughter's hair, she moved to set the hairbrush down before wrapping her arms around Rory and pulling her into a bear hug.

"Mooomm!" Rory complained as Gwen planted two kisses against her damp hair. "I promise to not get into anymore trouble as long as you promise to stop babying me." Gwen rolled her eyes holding onto her now squirming daughter before releasing her. "Alright, go have fun. I'll be downstairs after while and remember Jason will be here soon so I'll come get you when he is." Rory smiled excitedly before nodding her head, "Bye mom!" She said before unintentionally slamming the door shut behind her.

Gwen watched the door for a few moments, a soft smile on her face before it started to fade away. Her head was start to ache, her mouth dry...the feeling of overall weakness was filling her with dread. Shuffling off the bed, Gwen made her way to her vanity drawer and opened it up, staring down at the familiar tie dyed make up bag.

Despite being the happiest she had been in a long time, she still found herself unable to quell the call of needle. It was an every day battle for her, internally at least. Her conscience told her to stay away but she didn't have the will to do so, she didn't want Jason to fall into the pattern of drinking again. The guilt of lying to him was eating away at her soul and she knew she didn't deserve him. Almost automatically, Gwen reached for the bag and unzipped it quickly.

Turning her head, she eyeballed the door once more wondering if she should lock it. Nodding her head slowly, Gwen set the bag down a moment before heading to lock the door. Once it was locked, she felt like she had the privacy to do what she needed to. Taking the bag from the vanity and moving to sit on her side of the bed, Gwen took out its contents: a spoon, the substance itself, a lighter and the clean needle she needed.

Grabbing the spoon and the baggie, she poured a good amount of the substance into it before lighting the lighter and placing it underneath. Looking around her room as she waited for the heated spoon to liquify the substance, guilt washed over her. Here she was up in her room instead of downstairs with the guests they had been expecting. She was getting high before Jason was suppose to arrive and part of her felt ashamed for her actions. Closing her eyes, she told herself that this was what she needed to do in order to keep Jason from falling off the deep end, that everything would be okay for now. For now. She had been telling herself that every time she injected.

Letting the lighter shut off, Gwen opened her eyes and reached for her syringe before dipping the tip of it into the liquid and pulling the plug up. Allowing her mind to cloud itself, unable to think about what she was doing at this point, she set the spoon down and held out her arm. Injecting was as easy as breathing and when she felt the substance move through her veins, she closed her eyes. After she was sure she used all of it, she pulled the needle out and slumped on the bed.

Normally, the affects of the drug brought her a sense of euphoria and it kicked in almost immediately but this time around something was off and it brought a wave of gut wrenching anxiety to the forefront of her mind. Trying to suck in a deep breath, she heard an almost wetness sound in her breaths and immediately knew something was wrong. Too high to even move from the position she was in, she tried to roll herself over on her back to breathe easier but even that didn't help. The edges of her vision started to darken and Gwen tried to voice for help, but it came out as whispers as she fell into darkness with a ragged, wet filled breath, her last thought was realizing that she had forgotten to lock the door and no one would come for her in time.
mentions: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Cartwright-Sullivan

Ever since the conversation about having a second child, it seemed like Aliana's hormones were out of control. Nearly everything he did made her want to basically mount her husband, even if it was just opening a jar of pickles. To her knowledge, she wasn't pregnant yet and she figured, from the experience with Leo, it would take her a while to get there. Every week, Leo would ask for a status update on the arrival of his new brother. She, of course, had always made a mental note of telling him how the whole thing worked so he would quit saying, "When's the package arriving?" but she figured that was a talk for dad. Instead, she'd just respond by telling him it hadn't shipped yet and she'll tell him when it had. Of course, the truth about where babies come from was put on hold considering his father had to take care of some very important business. Ali was okay with the certain business he had, but at the same time she felt uneasy. The thought of something happening to Conor always crossed her mind when he had to 'work' but this time was far more important. Things were coming to a peak and when things came to a peak, bad things happened and lives were lost.

Luckily, mommy time with Sinead and Blake was happening and she would be able to relax her mind. Ali stood with a glass of wine in her hand; red and her first just in case she actually was pregnant but didn't know. She was watching as Sinead took care of Olivia's hair, currently wishing that her next child was a girl. Despite Leo desperately wanting a baby brother, she was hoping against that and wanted a girl. With Conor, Leo, Seana, and even Allen around, it was almost always four against one when she tried to lay down what was deemed, 'unfair and unnecessary' rules and punishments. At least with a girl, there would be some sort of sense of girl power and someone to back her up in her corner. As Ali lifted the glass to her lips, Olivia and the rest of their off-spring hurried out of the room. With a slight smile, she took a sip and turned to look at Sinead.

Her friend was acting weirder than usual; a bit more giddy than usual and she had a bigger grin too. When she mentioned having more kids, her smile matched her friend's as she tried to hide it behind her wine glass. "Well actually," she started, taking a seat in a nearby chair crossing her legs. ",to answer your question, Conor and I have talked about it and he's up for it. We talked to Leo and he's VERY adamant about a baby brother but I'm praying against it. I will not be out-numbered in my home anymore, okay?" She joked. Her eyes then narrowed as she looked at Blake then back at Sinead. "Why? Is there a baby in there?" She asked pointing to the woman's stomach.
​

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

Quitting was much easier said than done, as Jason knew well. It was difficult to transition back into a life of sobriety during such a difficult time; after getting fired from his dream job and struggling through the very real possibility of losing Gwen to heroin, Jason had been left feeling powerless for the first time in years. Being sober only seemed to accentuate the constant anxiety that hung over him, the fear that he was about to lose everything. Despite his efforts to keep his house free of any alcohol, he had had to confess to Gwen more than a few times when he had given into temptation - alongside the times when she had noticed it herself, of course. However, honesty was turning out to be a good look on him, and although he did his best to control the damage on his own so as not to burden her during her own recovery, he felt his relationship with Gwen strengthen for it.

Since spending time with her made it easier to avoid drinking, the two had been arranging as many dates as possible around her rehearsals for Cabaret, trying to live in the present moment and just enjoy the pleasure of each other’s company. This time, a bouquet of purple flowers that Jason couldn’t identify protruded from between the lapels of his jacket, zipped halfway up to keep them secure against him as he meandered through the streets of New York City. Once he had stationed his motorcycle in the driveway of the Porter Mansion, having now grown quite familiar with the place, Jason unzipped his jacket to withdraw the bouquet and let himself in through the front door.

As always, he was met by the family’s excitable pack of dogs, which always put him slightly on edge as he could never quite tell whether they approved of him or not. Perhaps he carried Ruben’s scent with him. Eyeing the staircase that led up to Gwen’s bedroom, Jason pushed through the sea of dogs and made his way over to it, picturing Gwen getting ready to see him. Before he reached the first step, however, he caught sight of Lorelei through a doorway across the hall. The child instantly brought a smile to his face - with the extra time he had been spending around Gwen recently, he had also got to spend more time with her daughter and had come to care quite deeply for the girl.

"Rory, hey!" he called out to her, stepping across the threshold of the room to catch her attention. "C'mere, you." Still clutching the bouquet in one hand, he leaned down with a smile and opened up his arms to receive a hug from her. "How're ye' keepin', then? You got this place runnin' the way you want yet? All the lads doin' your chores for you?" He tousled her damp hair teasingly, having to then untangle his fingers from the mass of curls. He brought the unidentifiable purple flowers towards the girl to show her. "What d'ye think, Rory? I brought them for yer mam. I don't know what they are, mind, but sure she'll like them. Would ye show me where she's at? I haven't seen her yet."

Interactions
Bellz Lorelei, Gwen

 

[Pyroclast]

Soul Garden
~ East Village ~​

Danny Vaughan

As the weeks went by, Danny’s financial situation had begun to stabilise enough for him to go back to a more balanced life. He and Owen had moved into their new apartment and furnished it, whilst also paying rent for the storage unit that held the Porter’s drug supply. With all the money that the mob raked in, Danny couldn’t help but think that they could be paying for it themselves - but they did pay him handsomely enough for his distribution, so at least he could afford it. With everything beginning to settle down, Danny allowed his working hours to drop back so that he could spend more time with Savannah, and what money he had going spare to take her out on dates. It sounded like she could do with an escape from all the drama in her family life, too.

Keeping in mind her history of being targeted in the city, Danny had taken her to East Village to introduce her to one of the few vegetarian restaurants that the city had to offer, an intimate, hidden place called Soul Garden. The two had sat by the back window, away from the streets and with a close view to the courtyard where the restaurant grew its organic produce. Once the bill was paid, Danny took her hand and led her out into the courtyard. Despite the high walls that enclosed the space, a light breeze still flowed through just enough to send wafts of fresh herbs into the air around them. It added to the tranquil atmosphere, providing a gentle escape from the hustle and bustle of the city streets.

"I used to come here with my family back when we lived up in the Bronx," he told her with a nostalgic smile. "Even though it was far away. Haven't found any place in New York like it - but then I guess 99% of the population is still eating meat." His tone wasn't judgemental so much as mildly disappointed. Reaching forward, he snapped off a small sprig of rosemary and brought it up to draw in its scent before passing it to her. When she wasn't looking, he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, bringing a light blush to his own. "Well, hey, I guess we can't hang around here all night. You still wanna go check out that arcade down town? If we turn right out of here we'll get a better view of the sunset on our way."

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah

Fletchawk Owen (mentioned)

 

[RayPurchase]

Tony Harris

​

Today was the day. Tony hadn’t exactly slept well the night before, tossing and turning in his shoebox of an apartment, the cheap cotton sheets sticking to him. It wasn’t fear or worry that had kept him on edge for most of the night. It was excitement, a near constant rush of adrenaline. The death of the King of New York. And he’d be the one administering and hearing the man’s final words, if that didn’t speak volumes about the faith that Gabe had in him… well nothing would. It had been hard, dealing with wounds both physical and mental, they’d always known that it was going to be hard, shifting the Porters from their throne. But now for the first time the end was in sight. Without James they would be a headless beast. Syd was a wreck, Conor was the perfect example of brawns over brains, then who was left? Pete, the man was the furthest along the straight and narrow, he didn’t have the balls for this kind of thing. And so the beast would wither and die, and the Morettis would rise back to their rightful place at the top of the Big Apple.

The car journey with Rhys had been quiet. Clearly both of their minds were far too busy to fill the journey with idle chatter, of nights out, yesterday’s big game. It all seemed so trivial, compared to what they were on the verge of achieving. Tony’s fingers drummed against the door frame, and a by now well worn and totally flavourless piece of gum kept his jaw busy as he looked out of the window. Eyes darting this way and that. He looked at the small box that Rhys had extracted from his pocket. You would pass it by in the street and think it was nothing more than a piece of junk. So inconspicuous that you wouldn’t even bother to kick it and send it scuttling down the sidewalk. But this little box was what was going to change everything. They’d gone through the plan more than enough times together, and he’d gone over it himself near countless times as he had struggled, and failed to get off to sleep. He took a deep breath, his eyes closed and he ran his hands through his hair.

“Fucking showtime. Best not to leave Mr Porter on hold eh?”

He stepped out of the car, and whilst the phone box was only a scant few feet away, the distance could have been miles. The streets were quiet, but he still pulled up the collar of his coat, and kept his gaze down. Between that and the flat cap, there was little of his face on show. The chances of being spotted were slim, but given the fact they were in spitting distance of the apartment, nothing was to be left to chance. He slid inside the phonebooth and pulled the door shut beside him. Reaching inside his jacket he removed a roll of quarters, and neatly stacked them ontop of the phone itself. Unhooking the phone he let out a sigh of relief as he was greeted by a dial tone. A busted phone would have been sod’s law. He placed the phone back on the hook and looked at his watch. Still some minutes to go. He looked out of the booth, up towards the windows of Porter’s apartment. As if expecting to see the man himself there looking down at him. Of course all he saw was the reflection of the grey overcast sky, the clear blue skies of the weeks previously obscured behind the forboding clouds. A good day to die.

( Enzyme Rhys, Misty Gray James)

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah had barely had chance to relax over the last couple of weeks. She'd been rehearsing for her lead role as Cinderella for a lot of the time. In a way, she appreciated the distraction as she otherwise wouldn't stop worrying about Roxie's safety and how her friend's abduction was affecting Syd. As was becoming normal lately, things were quite tense. In addition to it all, she'd had a few lectures from various members of her family about dating Danny, but she'd stood her ground and made them back off. She'd already known about his role within the mob, so she didn't need people telling her he was a drug dealer like she didn't even know. Overall, she'd been allowed to make her own mind up and have some freedom to date him.

Savannah hadn't been to East Village before, so she enjoyed the new experience with Danny. She was an occasional meat-eater, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to be eating a vegetarian meal. Although there was a slight amusement when she imagined how Uncle Conor would react to being taken somewhere where he couldn't devour half of a cow in one sitting. Regardless, Savannah enjoyed her salad and especially enjoyed the peaceful time with Danny.

The days were starting to get colder as autumn settled in, so Savannah put her coat on before Danny took her hand to lead her into the courtyard. She spent most of her days rushing through the city and then shut away in the rehearsal hall, so it was a nice change to be somewhere quiet and relaxing. "Your family sounds so sweet," she softly enthused as he explained he used to visit the place with him. "I think this is a lovely place. I'm really glad you brought me here," she assured him. She was often surprised to think he was involved with the mob, but then, people didn't exactly pin her as part of the family either. She took the rosemary from him and took in the scent, just as Danny placed a kiss on her cheek. She blushed as her wide eyes looked up to him. She then quickly nodded her head. "Sure. I'm still up for the arcade," she agreed. She was about to turn to walk with him, but she instead decided to follow up on his gesture. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She smiled before taking his hand and inviting him to walk with her to the arcade.

As they walked, Savannah scanned the area around them a few times, but not as frequently or intensely as she had in the past. She'd been training with her father and other members of the gang, not to mention she had a gun concealed on her, which she couldn't deny made her feel safer despite the crudeness of it. "How is your friend doing?" she curiously asked. She knew enough about what had happened in Danny's apartment and that poor Ryan had been somehow involved. "I hope my uncle's guys have stopped pestering you now," she added. She knew some of them could be pretty intimidating and serious. Warren was her favourite bodyguard as he was more relaxed and sociable. The likes of Adam, however, were not the most approachable or talkative of people. She could only imagine what things they were capable of doing, or what they'd done already.

She smiled as she thought to lighten the tone. "Despite you being a troublemaker," she began, her tone clearly in jest, "my mother still wants to meet you. She's not enjoying that I left her out on the gossip and she probably just wants to ask you a million questions!"

Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy
(No Picture Needed)​

The loud sounds of the carnival off the coast of Manhattan masked the perpetual humming of the motor as the small boat skipped across the rough waters. The skiff was no larger than a life raft, yet held seven hungry Porters, with an unquenchable thirst for retribution. On the bow of the boat was Syd, overlooking the fleeting sun as it dipped behind the riled waves. By the depth of the black lines under his eyes, it could only be assumed that the past nights leading up to this moment had been utterly restless. Behind him was Jackson, looking over the shoulder of his godson. His eyes traced the outline of Syd as the boat violently rocked up and down. He could see the determination, grit plastered over the kids' face as his eyes never left the approaching shore. The distant, childlike reverberations of the carnival echoed Syd's loss of innocence as they approached the creeping darkness, as Syd had ventured far from his old self, and transformed into a vengeful spirit. Jackson could feel the darkness oozing out of his godson, like the black venom spewing from a vessel of bitter hatred. While Jackson was sure Syd was considerably lost, he knew it wasn't too late to pull him back into the light. It was incredibly important for them to get Roxie back alive, for he feared what the boy would become with that last pillar of sanity obliterated.

As the dark island grew over the coast, Syd spoke over the constant buzzing and crashing of the waves. Jackson pulled up the binoculars from around his neck and peered into the lens. Syd's description was accurate. Two men stood beside a building over the docks, their silhouettes shrouded by the dying sun. While their outline was faint, Jackson could make out the frame of submachine guns slung around their shoulders. As they trailed closer and closer, Jackson signaled for the driver to kill the engine, allowing the boat to fall to the mercy of the restless ocean. With the distant carnival in the background still prevalent, the crashing waves silently surfed them to the wooden docks.

The men moved their hands to the wood to catch the boat from smashing into the concrete slab that held the shore. As the driver tied the skiff to one of the dock's handles, Jackson hopped onto the wooden boards, keeping his body low to the salty water that spat up into his stubbled chin. Syd secured the M700 on the nose of the boat and confirmed that he could take out the one on the right. To Jackson's knowledge, Syd had never taken a life, but by the empty glimpse in the boy's eyes, he was sure the kid wouldn't hesitate. The carnival had been periodically setting off fireworks throughout the journey, and he was confident the loud explosions off the coast would be more than enough to mask their gunshots. "Wait for the fireworks, mate. It'll keep us in the shadows," Jackson muttered to Syd as he crept up the dock.

He could hear a vague conversation between the two guards as he grew closer, their backs to him. By the looks of it, the men had been posted there for hours and were restless, and certainly unsuspected. The distant sounds of the fireworks popping off sliced through the whistling wind. The fireworks screeched as they shot up into the sky, punching through the fragile clouds above, and soaring into the black void. Jackson crouched behind the guard on the left, raising his silenced 1911 to the back of the man's head. The black sky suddenly illuminated a bright red as if someone had flicked a light switch, exposing every detailed the shadows had hidden. Before the man even knew what hit him, he was faced down in the blood-stained grass. Jackson didn't bother to look to the surprised guard beside him, for as soon as the sky changed to a canary yellow, he was lying beside his friend. As quickly as the sky had lit up, it withered back to its charcoal state.

With the guards eliminated, the men from the boat invaded the shore. Jackson looked to Syd as he moved up beside him on the grass. "You did good, kid, but we're not done yet." As if on queue, the whizzing sound of a gunshot ripped through the quiet atmosphere. Before the loud crack could dissipate, the boat driver's skull shattered into a dozen pieces, leaving behind something that slightly resembled a jaw. Jackson's bewildered expression scanned around to what had just happened. As abruptly as the first bang had come, another rang out. This time the boom threw a Porter soldier a good foot off the ground before sending him cascading back into the furious waves, with only a loud gasp able to escape his lips. "Sniper! Fuckin' scatter!" Jackson shouted over the roaring waves, grabbing onto Syd's shirt and throwing him behind the building the dead men had been guarding. The yaps of Moretti goons could be heard over the whipping wind as they moved to secure the field that surrounded the statue of liberty. By the sound of it, there were a dozen of them.

Jackson looked to Syd, a look of uncertainty in his eyes, "Where is this asshole?" Jackson looked over the corner of the building he was hiding behind, only to see the dark, empty windows of the base that held the Statue of Liberty. Just as he was starting to scan the windows, another deafening shot rang out, exploding a concrete chunk just above his head, forcing him back behind cover.

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Bellz]

Lorelei Bryant ​

Rory hadn't caught up with the rest of her cousin's like her mother had suggested but instead had decided to wander the halls, waiting for Jason to arrive. It had been a long time since she'd had a father like figure in her life, and even though she may have been too young to remember him, there was a part of Rory that missed having both parents. Jason offered some extra support that her mother just simply couldn't provide so when he walked through the door, Lorelei's face lit up like it was the 4th of July. Running to the man, Rory jumped into his arms and squeezed him tight. "I'm so happy you're here!" She said into his shoulder as he asked her how she was doing. Chuckling at his questions about having the place running the way she wanted, Rory untangled herself before taking a step back to see the man better.

"Eh, same old same old. Thomas won't listen to me about anything." She pouted but beamed as he tousled her hair teasingly. Looking at the flowers as he showed them to her, Rory leaned in close to take a sniff. "They are beautiful! Smell good too!" She exclaimed before bobbing her head up and down as he asked her to show him where her mother was. "She's upstairs! She helped me with the shower and told me she'd be down in a minute. But she's probably being lazy." She teased before comfortably taking Jason's hand and leading him towards the stairs. The dogs followed after her, Blondie in particular taking the lead as they headed up the stairs.

Stopping in front of their door, Rory knocked on it a few times, "Mom! Jason's here!" She called, always remembering it was polite to knock first before entering. When she didn't hear her mother's voice on the other side Rory looked up to Jason, "She might be asleep, she was tired today." Blondie who almost never made a sound, began to whine as she nudged Rory's free hand. "What is it, girl?" Rory asked before looking up at Jason. Reaching her free hand out, she tried to turn the knob only to find that it was locked. "Mom??"
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Peter was asked to come with Conor to check in on Dr. Parker, make sure everything was in order. After hearing that he was in fact responsible for Syd's suicide attempt was angering but for Peter, it was really disappointing. Peter was silent in the car as they drove and pulled into the Midtown Medical Center parking lot but as they walked to the front of the building, Conor asked how things were going. Giving the man a small smile, Peter was keen on keeping news about what Sinny and him had agreed to quiet until she wanted to inform everyone. "We are certainly happier, if that's what you are wondering. Happier than we have ever been in fact."

Peter had noticed the two men seated in the parked car as well but made sure to only give them the slightest attention as they passed. Nodding his head in agreement with his brother-in-law, they entered the building silently.

Once in the office, Peter gave a slight wave to Laura before Dr. Parker emerged from his office. After signaling for Laura to leave, the men waited for her to be on her way before the men all walked into the office together, Conor shutting the door behind them all before taking a seat on the sofa. Peter took a seat and gazed around the familiar room a moment, remembering how intimidating it had been to him the first time.

Peter stared at Dr. Parker as Conor introduced him, crossing his arms around his chest as Conor said that Maddox never go another chance to fuck with his head. Peter understood that was what he'd done to Conor and Syd but he secretly wondered if he would have done the same to him.

Maddox said he had no intention of doing that to Peter and that made him raise a single brow in curiosity as he met his eyes. As Conor went to the phone, Peter cleared his throat and leaned forward, hands clasped in front of him. "Look." He started, making sure the doctor was paying attention to him before he continued to speak, "I know what you did to my family and in my book that's crossing many lines...but I also know that you are working hard to redeem yourself...and I know a thing or two about redemption."

Pausing, Peter for some reason wanted to give this man reassurance. He wasn't educated, he wasn't the brightest like the man that sat before him. "As much as I hated Catholic School...I'll never forget this phrase, The lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him." Peter looked the man in the eye a moment before leaning back against the couch, not saying anything more as he simply stared at the man.
with: Conor + Maddox Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Theodore "Teddy" Wycliff

It was embarrassing, to say the least, being told to exit the room amongst people who were technically lower than he was. The only good part about it was Amato also having to leave the room, but that's not the point. The point of the matter is that he felt like he was being demoted in every way possible. If his boss had told him to leave the room that was one thing, but having Rhys do it only added to his current despair. Being left out of the plan wasn't anything new as there were often things he simply didn't need to know. His job didn't involve him having to be active in that area, so there truly was no reason being there. But when things like his betrayal was pointed out and used as a reason to kick him out, it made him feel like utter shit.

Teddy normally wasn't the type of man to drink his issues away, but today he would be. He hadn't left his apartment all day; showered, put on actual clothes which was a simple form fitting t-shirt and sweats, but as far as leaving goes he hadn't stepped out. For the past two weeks, he had been getting information on some of the local drug dealers. He had been trying to find a way to find his boss the connect the Porter's were using. Well, with this big assassination about to happen, stealing their resources from them was going to be easy. Only, he had to actually get a sit down meeting with said connect. But before he even attempted this, he wanted someone's opinion on the matter. So when Valentina said she was coming over to talk about an idea she had, it was the perfect timing. They could trade ideas and work and see if any of them would pan out or be something Gabe would even pay attention to.

He was standing in front of a cork board, pictures and yarn and papers pinned up all over the place. To anyone else, it was a mess but to him he knew exactly what he was looking at. The music playing through the headphones on his head was classical music, something he only played when he did work. During a brief change, he heard the knocking at the door and only hoped whoever it was hadn't been there for too long. When he opened the door and saw it was Valentina, he gave her a brief smile and opened the door wider for her. "Ah, the lovely Valentina. I ever tell you how much you look like your mother?"
​

 

[Misty Gray]

Maddox Parker​

Though he knew better than to vocalise his assessment under the present circumstances, Maddox could see how the whole situation was causing conflict within Conor. The Irishman was showing hostility towards the counsellor and making clear threats towards him. Whilst Maddox believed Conor was serious and would follow through on such threats if he felt it was justified, he'd also seen the other side to his apparently existing client. They'd recently had meetings in the very office they were now in, with the interaction disguised as counselling sessions. It hadn't been difficult to make it seem like Conor was attending an appointment as beneath all of the mob talk and demands for insider information about the Morettis, the mobster had still opened up to Maddox as he once had before learning of the counsellor's betrayal. Conor had needed help in overcoming his grief over Ryan's death and guidance to avoid turning to alcohol for help. As much as he believed Conor would kill him if he had to, Maddox still saw the understanding side to the man. The counsellor might have had ulterior motives and been generous with the praise when he wrote his reports that helped Conor's release from prison, but he now knew positive feedback he gave the parole board was all genuine. Maddox believed Conor had changed for the better and deserved his freedom. He was sickened with himself to think he'd once set out to help Conor improve only to set him up for a greater fall; to shatter the good man's mind into pieces. Like he had already done to Syd.

Conor left Maddox and Peter alone, apparently equipping the Callahan man to let out any ill feelings he may have towards the counsellor. Instead, Peter spoke up to express more hopeful words. They were words that Maddox didn't think he had earned or was entitled to, but were appreciated nonetheless. Maddox nodded his head, agreeing that his behaviour had crossed many lines. He was glad he hadn't been instructed to manipulate Peter and part of him wondered how the man was doing, having remembered the way his prison sentence had left deep scars and affected the man's marriage.

Maddox wasn't yet sure how much he would have to do before he felt he'd redeemed himself, but to hear Peter acknowledge he was making efforts towards it at least filled him with some hope, that he was making a difference. With Ani out of his life for the unforeseeable future, all that Maddox had to cling to was his need to make amends and try clear his conscience. Only then would be believe he deserved Ani in his life at all. When Peter quoted the words he'd learned in Catholic school, Maddox slowly nodded his head before sitting back in his chair. He didn't believe in God, but it didn't make the words about redemption any less valid and impacting.

"I only hope I have given enough to your family over recent weeks and that those men looking to save Roxie today will make it out unscathed," he told Peter. "After this, I suspect I will no longer be in a position to provide new leads to your family," he began. He knew full well Gabriel would know by now he had betrayed him and if he was to see the Italian again, it would likely be before the cold man slaughtered him in some cruel manner. "All I can offer is insights into your enemy's structure and the types of men the key players are. In simple terms, they are cold and savage men, but even they will have weaknesses," he explained. Truth be told, Maddox feared the Porters would struggle to take down the Morettis. It was a stark revelation to him that he cared, considering he'd spent many years imagining and plotting the Irish Mob's demise. "I urge you to ensure those vulnerable in your family are kept safe, as the Morettis will use them to break the likes of yourself and Conor."

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Pyroclast]

Steve Kelly

To be chosen as part of the team tasked with assassinating the head of the Irish Mob felt like the peak of one’s career. At twenty eight years old, Steve wondered if he would ever do anything more thrilling, daring or significant than this. However, with the adrenaline already pumping through his veins as they pulled up in line with James Porter’s Manhattan apartment, he decided that he would die happy if this was the last thing that he ever did at all.

He perched on the very edge of his seat, leaning into the centre of the car to get a better view so that he could find the window that belonged to James’ office. The sight of it made his heart jump, anxiety beginning to swell in the pit of his stomach. Rhys’ plan had been devised meticulously, scrutinised several times over to ensure that its execution would be a total success. There was no doubt in Steve’s mind that every man involved was confident in his role and trusted that no one would back out now. The anticipation of going down in history was making him physically restless and when Rhys said the words aloud Steve struggled not to jump out of his seat. He rolled his lower lip between his teeth, struggling to suppress a wild grin; anyone could feel the excitement radiating from him, tugging at the corners of his lips and putting a bright spark in his eyes. As if his natural excitement for the job hadn’t been enough, he had also snorted a measure of cocaine off his knuckles on the way over, which was only making the suspense harder to bear.

Seconds later, Steve found himself sitting on a bench next to the door to James' apartment block. It was a true test of his patience as to how long he could wait before checking his watch again. All he needed was to wait until the clock struck half past six - then he knew he could walk away to a safe distance, and the job would be done. If anyone were to enter that building before that time, however, there was a risk that they could stop the whole operation. No matter how probable or improbable that was, a risk was still a risk - and so, Steve sat, anxiously eyeing his surroundings, expecting anyone walking past to turn towards the door.

The sound of a young man's polite voice made him turn in his seat and, upon seeing the source, let out a groan, his gaze drifting back towards its target. He was now sharing a bench with a boy who looked no more than 16 years old, sharply dressed with his hair neatly combed. He introduced himself as Joshua, and called him ‘sir’. Steve knew what he was going to say next before he even said it, and began to chuckle to himself just as the boy began to say, "Have you heard the good word of our -"

"Look, kid, before you go throwing around lines from that big book of yours, you should know you're wastin' your time on me."

He smiled. "Everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Even those who have turned their backs to Him - the path towards the light is always there for you to walk. His arms are open for you."

While usually Steve would have enjoyed taunting the likes of an innocent Jehovah's Witness, in that moment the distraction was only agitating him. Apparently blind to the nervous bounce in Steve's leg, Joshua continued with his mission. "It's up to us, as children of God -" This drew an exasperated laugh from Steve. "- to let Him in, to let Him see us, heal us, redeem us of our sins. Allow Him to forgive you for your past and guide you along the path that leads to Heaven. We have a Kingdom Hall down on -"

"I ain't allowed in no church, Kingdom Hall, whatever you call it. Now beat it, kid. I'm busy."

"You will not be turned away," he sweetly implored, and held out a pamphlet.

The people on the street seemed to move faster as the boy's speech became harder to block out; his focus was strained and he was finding it hard to predict what direction everyone was going to take. It was vital that the job was done perfectly - and since his role did not require much of him, if he were to fail because of a young Jehovah's Witness he was sure the Big Boss would skin him alive. His agitation reached a peak and he spun round to face the boy, baring his teeth. "What if I told you I'm the fucking Devil?" he spat, watching as the boy's eyes were drawn to the pistol under the jacket that Steve had stretched open. "If you don't leave me alone I'll curse your whole family to die in their sleep!"

The boy, now wide-eyed with horror, stood up on shaking legs and fled down the street as fast as they would carry him. Glaring after him, Steve momentarily forgot his post and when he turned back he saw a woman approaching the door to the building block. Instantly he recognised her - though he couldn't say much for the young man at her side. In an urgent manner, he leapt to his feet and ran over to the pair, strategically coming to a halt between them and the entrance. From a mixture of nerves and the cocaine, there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead and a rather wild look in his eyes, but he knew he had to do his best to act the part. "Hey, 'scuse me, sorry to bother you," he panted, pausing to swallow in an attempt to ease the dryness in his mouth. With a quick glance to his watch, he saw that they had only a couple of minutes to spare. “I’ve - I’ve lost a kid.”

While Steve was no actor, he knew that Lucy Porter was the current matriarch of the Irish Mob and had taken care of plenty of children - the most recent being the offspring of the late Arlene Sullivan - and so had begun to improvise in a way he thought would most effectively keep her attention. His agitated state lent him an air of distress, which worked in his favour. “It’s been 4 hours now, he’s only 6 years old - we were at the zoo in Central Park - one second he’s there right in front of me, next thing I know he’s gone, just fucking gone -” He raised a hand to his mouth, his eyes widening. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to swear! Oh God, I just hope God’s watching him - his name’s Joshua, he’s, uh, got a green backpack on, orange sneakers, hair like mine. Kinda’ slow in the head - got problems with his brain, you know, so he’s real vulnerable without me. Please, please keep your eye out and if you see him, take him to the station, won’t you?”

Holding his eyes on Lucy for a second longer, he then glanced to his watch again, only to see it change from 6:29 to 6:30. He felt his heart rate pick up even more. Tony would be making the call any second, and there he was, standing right beneath James’ apartment window with his wife almost at the doorway...

Interactions
Enzyme Rhys
RayPurchase Tony
Bellz Lucy
Fletchawk Owen
Misty Gray James, Warren

 

[Bellz]

Stefano Carriveau
Roxie Carriveau

​

few moments before the attack...

The basement under the statue was complete black with the single light that hung above Roxie off. Roxie was in a state of hypnagogia, somewhere in the middle of sleep and wake. Knock...knock...knock. Flinching slightly, Roxie couldn't muster enough strength to open her eyes anymore. She had been hearing noises for almost two weeks, she knew somehow that they weren't real. Roxie A voice whispered, sounding as if someone was right beside her. Her heart dropped painfully in her chest but she still didn't stir. It was so silent, she could hear the light as it buzzed to life above her. Even with her eyes closed, the light blinded her and she groaned in pain as her head ached. Unable to open her eyes, she listened as the door opened and closed and the footsteps walking towards her. They came to a slow halt in front of her but Roxie just continued to let her head hang, eyes still closed.

Before Stefano could say anything, one of his men from above came crashing through the door, stopping in the door frame. "We've got company." He declared and only then did Roxie manage to snap her eyes open. "Ah...look who's up." Stefano said calmly before turning to his man, nodding his head. "Take out who he's brought with him, leave the boy to me. Make sure the door stays open, like we've planned." Roxie turned her head stiffly and looked as the man nodded his head. He met her eyes and for a moment she could have sworn she saw some sort of remorse in them. He turned quickly and headed back up the way he came, making sure to leave the entrance to the basement wide open.

Roxie continued to stare at the empty doorway as Stefano stared at her. "You know, you may not care what I think of you, Roxanne. You never really have...but I'm proud of you." That was the last thing she thought she'd hear. Brows furrowed with confusion as she slowly turned her head to look up at him, eyes squinting as the light blared above them. Even with what little she had left in her, she didn't trust anything he said to her. But yet a part of her, a very very small part of her, relished in the fact that he said that. "The fact that you've made it through these couple weeks. Very strong. Just like your mother, you know." Roxie's lip trembled as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears pouring out her eyes as he spoke about her. She wondered if she had any family left, if her mother knew...she had nothing. "Stop." Roxie begged weakly. He was confusing her, making her think that somehow, even with what he's done, that he loved her.

He was keeping her from thinking about what that man had been saying, about company. Suddenly, with the door leading to the outside being wide open, Stefano and her could both hear guns being fired and men yelling above. Roxie had to look to her father, wondering if she was hearing things like she had been for a while. But Stefano smiled softly, "Told you he'd come." He said to Roxie gently and at first, Roxie just stared towards the door, processing what he meant.

It had been two weeks, at least that's what her father had said...the days had molded together and with no windows, she didn't know what was night and what was day. The fact that her father was confirming that Syd had come for her sounded like a lie, but the gunfire outside was all the proof she needed. A sob broke, partially from the relief of being saved and from knowing what her father had planned when Syd eventually found her. Stefano shushed her as he slowly walked to stand behind her.

He pulled at her ropes, not being gentle about it in the slightest. Gasping, she was too weak to fight him as he let her hands loose. Dropping the bloodied rope to the floor, Roxie looked at it as her hands hung beside her. Was he just letting her go? No, he knew that the moment she got up from the chair, she'd fall. It was all for show, she guessed. "Sit up straight." He barked and Roxie flinched moving to grab the sides of her seat. Pushing herself to sit straight, her head felt heavy on her neck as she sat up straight.

The guards that had been hidden in the dark parts of the room stepped closer to Stefano and Roxie, taking all for corners around where the light touched. There was no way, Syd would be able to get past them. Roxie turned her head towards the door before cool metal was pressed to her head. "Look straight ahead." Stefano commanded in a deep voice, pressing the gun further against her temple as she immediately looked into the darkness ahead.

After all the waiting, after the minutes, hours, days and weeks, it looked like her fate was going to be sealed. A weak hand lifted to her belly that had grown in the last couple weeks and she squeezed her eyes shut. She tried fighting for her baby, they had made it this long with barely any food or water...and a bullet to the head was going to kill them both. Careful of the healing cut, she slid her thumb across the middle of her stomach and listened for the footsteps that would eventually come down those steps. She held her eyes close, unsure of what she'd see if she opened them. If Syd walked through that door, she was sure the guards would shoot him dead.
mentions: Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Valentina Moretti​

Valentina returned his smile before making no secret of giving him the once over. "I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've seen you not in uniform," she remarked. The uniform was of course the formal clothes he tended to wear when around her father. She wasn't sure if Teddy like to be dressed smartly or if it was to comply with Gabriel's orders. Either way, she couldn't resist making her comment. She smirked when he pointed out that she looked like Elvian. She thought on it for a second before shrugging her shoulders. "I've heard many times before, but I think this is the first time I've heard it from you." She took it as a compliment, considering how beautiful her mother was. "And hey, I'm grateful you didn't say I looked my Papa, because that would be down right offensive," she teased.

Valentina stepped past Teddy to enter his apartment, taking some time to look around the place before turning back to him. "Is this some form of art or a cry for psychological help?" she asked, curiously pointing towards the cork board. She set her folder down on the nearest empty surface before looking to Teddy with a more serious expression, free of any humour or sarcasm. "Are you holding up alright? This whole situation is pretty horrid, but you have a fighting chance. I know what my father is capable of and how cutting he can be, but the fact you're still breathing and walking proves it's possible to win him back over."

The youngest Moretti retrieved her folder and opened it out on the table to show some annotated photographs of the interior of a modest sized pub. "I had to make an appointment with him just to discuss any thoughts I have and he hardly rushed about confirming a slot with me tomorrow. So I wanted to see what you thought about my idea..." she said, awkwardly biting her lip. "This is a pub in the Upper West Side, near the cop station. Doesn't look like much, but it takes a decent enough profit." She brushed her hair behind her ears to stop it obscuring her view of the paperwork as she turned the page and pointed to where it was located on the printed map. "The real selling point of this place is that it located across from the cop station and is a regular drinking hole for many of NYPD's finest. The place is for sale and if my father had one of his associates take up ownership on his behalf... I think it has potential for gaining insider information and making allies on the force. Ones who also don't like those Irish bastards running the city."

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Theodore "Teddy" Wycliff

Once Valentina looked at him and commented on his attire, he gently pinched his shirt and gave a slight chuckle. "Ah, you mean sweats and a t-shirt? Yeah, well, when you don't necessarily have anyone to impress, you don't have to worry about dressing 'fancy'." It wasn't that he didn't want to impress her, but he felt comfortable around Valentina to be casual. She definitely wasn't her father, which was a good thing on her part. Hearing her mention that she was happy he didn't say she looked like Gabe made him laugh. "Could you imagine it? A daughter that resembled so much of their father. Not the Gabe isn't good looking himself, but you and your sister definitely get 90% of your looks from Elvie." As Valentina stepped into his apartment, he closed and locked the door behind her. Taking off his headphones, he set them next to her work space on the counter top.

Teddy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly while looking at the board. It did make him seem a little crazy and he couldn't help that bit. "Ahh, I'd say more of an art project. You simply don't understand it because your mind isn't nearly as complex as mine." He joked, before matching her seriousness. She was concerned and sounded like Tony at the moment. Except, he didn't have to plaster on a fake front in front of her; all the Moretti women could see right through his bullshit. "Trying to be, if I'm honest. Figuring out how to pay your father back and then some has been keeping me up at night..." Rubbing his hand across his face, he took a deep sigh, her words settling in. "I know I'm even lucky to be alive after everything that happened but some days, I wish I'd have chosen death." He slightly shrugged as she started moving her papers about. While she got settled, he walked into his kitchen and asked what she wanted. Once she answered, he walked back over with her choice and a small glass of whiskey for himself. Listening to her idea and looking at the pictures himself, he nodded his head.

It truly did make sense; the location, the reasoning and what not. Especially the bit about the police. He had heard from several sources that the police weren't fans of the Porter's as they had been the reason for a lot retaliations. People out to kill them took innocents out in that attempt making their jobs tougher. Winning the police over to their side was something beneficial and he had to admire her for figuring that out. "That's actually very smart. We'd have the police in our back pockets in no time, honestly. I hear a lot of them are fed up with the Porters. All those bombings, civilian causalities and even public property that was destroyed is technically their fault." Taking a sip from his cup, he tapped the side of the glass before continuing his thoughts. "You think... Maybe if we have the police in our pocket then moving drugs would be easier?"
​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd was too busy trying not to process the fact that he had just taken a life to respond to Jackson. He had always wondered about his potential to kill since before he had even officially joined the mob, trying to imagine the circumstances under which he might do it and whether or not it would affect his conscience. Since his suicide attempt, however, the thought of it had come to him daily, visualised with increasing detail yet less regard for the consequences, and he had become fixated on the satisfaction of murdering first Maddox and then Stefano. Now that he had made his first kill, however, he didn’t feel very much at all. No satisfaction, no guilt, no panic - any emotional impact it would have had on him was stunted by his bitter determination to find Roxie and bring her home.

Just as Syd was getting to his feet, a gunshot sliced through the air, causing him to instinctively duck down again. Turning to Jackson, he followed his Godfather’s eyes towards the boat and heard the heavy slump of the driver collapsing onto the dashboard. His head had been turned inside out, coating the boat’s interior with a thick splatter of blood and brains. There wasn’t time to stand in horror, however, as another bullet shot through one of their men with such force that he was cast off the edge of the pier and thrown into the dark, murky water. That’s when the fear broke out.

All the noise that had surrounded them before - the fireworks, the waves beating against the pier - seemed suddenly to amplify as the men were launched into action. By Jackson’s command, Syd leapt behind the previously guarded building to take cover from the sniper’s aim. He struggled to speak over the onslaught of gunfire, so for a moment he just leaned back against the wall and hoped that no more of the men accompanying them on the job had been shot down. His grip on the rifle tightened when Jackson peered around the edge of the building and almost lost his head; he knew then that they were completely trapped.

“We need our eyes on the statue,” he thought aloud, glancing to his side to see their colleagues gathered behind one of the neighbouring buildings. “Crown’s gotta be out of range - I say he’s further down. The windows or platforms. Or...or he’s coming from somewhere closer. Next rooftop along, maybe.” The gunfire had by now ceased and the only explosions left came from across the water, an array of colour bursting across the darkening sky and illuminating the ground like lightning in a storm. Yet, despite the fireworks, everything seemed eerily quiet in comparison. The guards and sniper would know exactly where they were hiding, and Syd could feel himself being watched through the scope of their attacker's rifle. He let his own hang suspended from its sling and instead withdrew an old M1911, again one that he had borrowed from Jackson for the job.

One of the men out with them, Garrett, made eye contact with Syd across the gap between the two buildings that they were hiding behind. As quietly as he could, Syd crept closer, getting a better view of their surroundings with every step. Finally he caught sight of one of Moretti’s guards doing the same thing, gun in hand and approaching the corner that concealed Garrett. Syd shook his head at him to signal for him to stay still, before holding his breath and firing a clean shot at the guard’s head. Blood was smeared down the wall as he slid to the ground, and while he was pleased to have managed to take one of them out, he knew that the angle of his corpse indicated exactly where Syd stood. He didn’t know how many snipers there were - there could be two or more, ready to fire at both his side and Jackson’s.

From behind his cover, Garrett pointed to the side of the building Syd was hiding behind, that he couldn’t see. At first he thought a guard must be approaching him, but it soon became apparent that Garrett was giving him the signal to move out. Not knowing what was around the corner, he didn’t get it at first; to move away from cover seemed like suicide. But Garrett was adamant and waved his gun to show that he had his back, and so, with only a moment’s hesitation, Syd darted around the corner. There were steps leading down into a basement, and without much time to think about what he was doing he leapt down them. A bullet swept past his head but he ducked down to the bottom step, missing it by a hair. His heart was hammering in his chest and his palms were sweating, but he didn’t want to shout in case it attracted the attention of more guards. He couldn’t see Garrett, Jackson or any of the others anymore - but at least he had a position, now. If he stood up straight against the wall, the ledge hanging over the steps would still cover him and so he managed to slowly back up into the shadows far enough to just about see the windows of the statue. Even through his binoculars, however, it was too dark to see anyone there. It crossed his mind that Jackson might have believed he had been shot dead when he had rounded the corner - so, with Garrett and the others covering him from across the gap, Syd raised the M700 to rest on the ledge, peered through the scope and began to open fire in the direction of the statue.

Interactions
Enzyme Jackson

 

[Pyroclast]

Jason Costello

“Lazy? That doesn’t sound like her at all,” he playfully argued, smiling as the little girl took his hand. The dogs, apparently starved of attention, all followed the pair as they made their way up the stairs and over to Gwen’s door. She called out to let her know of his arrival and he laughed, adding, “And all your dogs are here, too!”

There was no response, causing Rory and Jason to exchange a brief, quizzical look. When she speculated that Gwen might be asleep, he was about to open the door before one of the dogs started whining, trying to get Lorelei’s attention. He wasn’t any kind of dog whisperer, but it seemed like strange behaviour to him. She tried to open the door herself then, but somehow it was locked.

“Sure she didn’t go out?” he mumbled, but he would find it hard to believe himself. Lorelei had just told him that she had been helping her in the shower and since her hair was still wet, it couldn’t have been long ago. “Gwen?” he called out, reaching past the girl and rattling the door handle. Surely she wouldn’t have locked the door to go to sleep? He was desperate to come up with a reason, any but the one he was dreading to be true. Balling up a fist, he banged loudly on the door a few times. No response. “Rory, is anyone else in the house? I want ye t'go and find them. Now, please.”

It was all he could think of as he launched his weight at the heavy oak door: how could he not have known that she hadn’t recovered? A vision of her laying sprawled upon the bed made his chest grow tight with panic; no other explanation seemed feasible anymore. The door refused to budge, so, after scanning the corridor for inspiration, he reached for a large amethyst paperweight and proceeded to slam it forcefully at the strike plate. The dogs were scampering around him, barking aggressively. They were mostly familiar with him by now, but his actions didn’t exactly make him look like a friend of the family. He just had to do his best to ignore them - his efforts to break down the door were far more important.

At last, he managed to break into her bedroom. The amethyst was dropped carelessly onto the floor as he bound over to her bed. His worst nightmare had come true. There lay Gwen, blue in the face, with one hand dangling off the side of the bed right above where she had dropped the needle.

“No, no, no, no -” Jason rolled her onto her back and jumped up to straddle her. With heavy, rhythmic motions, he started pumping down on her chest. Her blue eyes pointed up at him, but they were totally lifeless. “Come on, Gwen - Gwen, ye have to stay wit’ me, baby, ye have to, just -” Tipping her head back slightly, he leaned down to wrap his lips around hers and blew sharply into the back of her throat. His eyes pricked with tears as he sat back up, continuing to pump down on her chest. “SOMEONE HELP!” he yelled over the barking dogs. “Gwen, it’s going to be okay, I promise…” But doubt was growing inside of him as he searched her vacant eyes for signs of revival.

It went on for a few rounds more, by which point Jason had grown fully ignorant of his surroundings. Nothing else mattered, not when Gwen’s life was in his hands. After his fifth attempt to resuscitate, he broke into a sob - but it didn’t slow him down at all. “Please, please, please come back t'me,” he begged. “Come on, baby -” He was interrupted when she drew a sharp inhale, causing his own heart to briefly stop. Her breath had sounded strangled, like she was choking on liquid, so he quickly spun her onto her side in case she was being sick. Her mouth was filled with what looked like foam and blood trickled out of her nose - but she was alive. Jason let out a shaky breath of relief as he cradled her unconscious body and bent forward to kiss her face. He allowed himself only a second to recover before jumping to his feet and scooping her up into his arms. Then, with darkness and panic in his eyes, he turned to the rest of the room. "Someone get a car going!"

Interactions
Bellz Gwen, Lorelei, Blake
Misty Gray Sinead
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter ​

Lucy had traveled into the city down the street from the apartment in search of fresh fruits and veggies at the local farmers market. Her new "bodyguard" Owen was a good kid, not much of a talker but Lucy didn't mind keeping to herself for the good part of the day. After she had gotten everything that she had wanted to get, with bags in hands, the pair walked down the street and were about to head into the apartment building when a man suddenly stopped her. Lucy took in the way he was panting, seeming frantic as he tried to explain his situation. When he said he'd lost a kid, Lucy's heart dropped.

The man explained that the kid was only six years old and had been gone for about 4 hours now and Lucy shuffled the bags in her hand to place one on the man's shoulder, "Just breathe." She murmured softly as he apologized for cursing. Lucy took in every bit of information about the kid as she could before she nodded her head once the man asked if she would bring him to the station, "Of course I will, don't worry. He's got to be around somewhere." She tried to reassure the man before turning her head to look at Owen for a second. Not that she would say anything to the man, but something about his demeanor and his story was making her feel like something was off.

Once again, the man looked down a this watch and Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly, where did he have to be? "I know you're worried about your...son? But if there is one thing I know about the city is that when people see something out of the ordinary, they report on it." The choice of words she used...they were almost like a warning to the man. Her tone was friendly and she even wore a smile on her face but something about the way he continued to check his watch was certainly out of the ordinary to her. If she had lost one of her children in the city, she wouldn't have been keeping track of the time, that's for sure.

"Do you have somewhere to be?" She then decided to ask rather bluntly, wondering what the man would say to her very obvious question in that moment. Any parent who was looking for a kid would come up to strangers, begging them to turn them in if they see them but checking their watch seemed almost careless, like he had somewhere better to be than looking for his own child.

Lucy's heart ached at the thought of this little boy being lost in the big city and the fact that this father was too busy glancing at his watch than actually going to look for him in other places. "I'll keep an eye out for your boy, but if you'll excuse me...my husband is expecting me home any second now."
with: Steve Pyroclast
mentions : Owen Fletchawk

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel nodded in agreement as Alistair spoke about not trusting anyone but himself. It was a rule the Italian tended to live by, but it didn't stop him from feeling disappointed when those he'd at some point deemed reliable proved to be a letdown. "The man is weak to be guided by his emotions," Gabriel said, nodding along with his associate. "I can't deny it does pain me that Maddox turned out to be waste of space. Not because I care for the man or will mourn his death once his blood had been mopped up from my floor. But because of this right here," he said, tapping to the side of his own forehead with his index finger. "Beneath those pathetic emotions, there's great intellect and insight inside of that gifted man's head. It's wasted on someone with no conviction. There was so much promise, given his skills and professional position." Gabriel then shrugged his shoulders as if switching off his pensive demeanour. "Still, there is no use in dwelling on it. That brain of his will be reduced to a dead weight, as will the rest of the fallen counsellor." A smirk crossed his lips. "I suppose we're aiming for a hat-trick today. Him, along with James and Syd Porter," he couldn't resist pointing out.

Gabriel watched on as Alistair took on a glum expression himself. "Like Maddox, Ani started off full of promise. No matter how committed she was at the start and how much she convinced herself she was strong enough for this life, she couldn't take the heat. Ani and Maddox getting together enabled them to wallow in their shared doubts, no doubt getting lost in some childish delusion they could actually have a normal life together." He shook his head. "No, we have both been fair men," Gabriel said, not entertaining any irony or how preposterous his words were. "I hope your men will find her soon. You have my support in ensuring the fickle witch is delivered to your doorstep."

Gabriel looked to his watch as time seemed to be ticking by slower than ever as he waited for Maddox, as well as news on Porter's assassination and the expected attempt by the Irish mob to rescue Roxie. He leaned forward and retrieved his cigar, taking a few moments to savour it before continuing to speak. "Tony and Steve appear to have been working well on the various jobs we've dispatched them on," he pointed out. "I wonder what your thoughts are on Ethan being brought in to assist with some more jobs, particularly alongside Rhys." He cleared his throat, knowing Alistair and Rhys had some kind of animosity towards each other, but he saw potential in Rhys and Ethan working together. "More to the point, what can you tell me about Ethan and his work ethic? I know he produces results without fuss and I respect that about him, but I've barely interacted with him in all of this time."

Pyroclast (Alistair)

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Lorelei Bryant
Gwen Bryant ​

Blake had become an expert on pushing her feelings as far as she could down into her subconscious and locking them away tightly. Knowing what Jackson was doing with Syd was alarming but she had so much confidence in her husband that she convinced herself that he would come home every time he went out on a job. Natasha was a great distraction, she was having a hard time getting to know the other children due to her shy personality so she tended to stay close to Blake. Holding the girl in her arms, Natasha was almost asleep as Blake rocked her back and forth. Sinead was tending to Olivia's hair and things were rather peaceful despite the action that was happening away from home.

Noting that Sinead was acting a little happier than usual, Blake smiled her way as she asked Aliana and her if they were going to have anymore kids. Aliana started off first joking that she would not be out-numbered in her home anymore which made Blake laugh, "I definitely can't relate." She teased, looking down at her daughter as she sucked her thumb. Before Blake could say anything about what Jackson and her wanted, Aliana pointed to Sinead's stomach and Blake raised a brow.

Suddenly, a loud thud could be heard from upstairs before a man's voice screamed for help. Blake was up out of her seat immediately, setting sleepy Natasha down on the sofa beside her as she looked wide eyed to Sinead and Aliana. Gwen's daughter, Rory, was clumsily running towards the women with tears streaming down her face as she pointed to the stairs. "HELP!" She cried out as loud as she could and Blake didn't hesitate to run in the direction of the stair case.

Bounding up the stairs two steps at a time, Blake reached Gwen's bedroom and saw Jason holding her limp body in his arms, blood pouring out of her nose onto the floor. Blake only had a moment to see the heroin needle on the floor before she understood what was happening. "We'll take my car! She's the fastest one here." Blake told him turning on her heels to grab her keys. Before she could take a step forward, Lorelei stood in front of her, eyes wide and full of fear. Scooping the girl up into her arms, she bounded back down the steps and stopped by the lounge where Sinead and Aliana were. "We've got to get Gwen to the hospital. She's overdosing." She said quickly before moving to set Rory down. "You have to stay here, okay?" She asked the girl but Rory stubbornly shook her head, trying to step around Blake to run after her mother.

"Stay. Here." Blake commanded in a stern voice as she held up her arms to block the girl. Rory screamed in defiance at her but Blake just shook her head, turning on her heels before sprinting out the door, fumbling with her bag to grab the keys to her Plymouth she had rented only a few days ago.

Gwen could hear the commotion around her, Jason's cries for help but she was too weak to muster the strength to speak. Taking in ragged, wet, shallow breaths, she coughed a few times before her breathing stopped completely again. Blake looked down at the woman with wide eyes before opening the passenger door to allow Jason to get in with Gwen in his arms. Once they were in, she rounded the car before climbing in and starting the engine. Not waiting for it to warm up, which she knew was terrible for the car, she threw the car into gear before taking off towards the gate, which the guards barely opened as she barreled through them.
with: Jason Pyroclast
mentions: Sinead Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess