DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
(1x1 RP with @Shaba7)
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Of Kings and Pawns (IC)
- Thread starter DrTrollinski
- Start date
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
Burbank, California
August 3rd, 2016
10:15AM
"Been eating properly, Joseph?" The doctor asked, looking over some of the pieces of paper he had in front of him.
"Uh, yeah." The boy smiled and nodded, his hands clasped together in front of him. "Why?"
"You've just lost a little weight since your last appointment here, that's all." The doctor smiled back, "Your average blood glucose has gone up since last time, too. It was 150 last time you were here, but this time it's gone up to a little over 180." He said. "Any idea why?"
Joseph's smile disappeared, and Karin knew the boy had been crushed. It didn't take much to shatter is self-confidence. She put a hand down on his knee and just offered him a smile. He forced one back, then looked at the floor.
"Not sure, really." He shook his head, "I guess it's just... I don't know. It's been kinda' up and down."
"Indeed, your data we downloaded from your handset this time around fluctuated quite a lot. Obviously, as it's the summer we can't expect things to be perfect, so not to worry. I think we can agree that although things could be a lot worse, they could also be a lot better, couldn't they?"
"Yeah."
"Alright... You've had your eye screening and you've seen a podiatrist this year, haven't you?"
"Yeah, they said everything's fine."
"Good. In that case, Joseph, for the next three months I want you to stick with what you're doing, but try more blood tests and more correction doses if you can. It's not easy, I know, but we can get this right, okay?" He smiled at him again. Joseph nodded. "Okay, young man. It's been nice seeing you again." He stuck a hand out to him, which Joseph promptly shook. "You enjoy the rest of your summer, and best of luck in the Fifth Grade." He said.
"Thanks."
Karin sighed, then put a hand on her brother's head. "J, mind stepping outside while I have a word?"
"Sure." He nodded and got up, slowly, and wandered out of the room. As soon as the door was shut, Karin turned back to the doctor and gave him a fake smile.
"I wanted to talk to you about getting an insulin pump for Joseph. He's... Really not all that happy. Not with how restricted things are for him now. He's just turned ten years old, and he's in the prime time of his childhood... He can't deal with having to do three, four, five injections a day."
"I understand that, yes."
"Will his health insurance not help cover it?"
"Not for the pump itself. There is an upfront cost, but the insurance will cover infusion sets and insulin, as it does now."
Karin gulped, "So, how much would it cost?"
"The cheapest the initial cost will be is just under $5,000."
"Five-thousand?" She felt her heart sink a little bit. "Is there really nothing you can do to help him out? Not anything at all?" She asked. "I understand this works for him right now, but it's not that that I'm worried about anymore. What good is all of this if his quality of life is just getting worse?"
"I understand your concern, Miss Held. I would help if I could, but insulin pumps are sold through the companies themselves. Sadly, we don't fund for it. At least not for people like Joseph. It's a very black and white process. He may have his issues, but in the hospital's books, he doesn't fall into the criteria for those suitable for funding, as maintaining his health isn't a direct struggle."
Karin closed her eyes and nodded once. She couldn't help but feel so powerless. It was a matter of leaving now - She couldn't argue anything else. She knew from the start that she was going to lose that fight. She needed that money, but sadly it was money that she didn't have. She went and found Joseph, and off they went. The ride back from the hospital wasn't as chirpy as it usually was. This time Joseph just lied down in the back seat, facing away from the front. She didn't know how long he'd be thinking about it, but all she wanted was for him to say something. He was usually so chatty and joyful - whenever he got like this, it just made her feel miserable. All she wanted to see was his happiness, and with that taken away, she simply didn't have much left.
She didn't have much money, but she had enough to treat Joseph to lunch at the very least. She pulled up at the diner she worked at after a short drive back towards home, parked the car up, and hopped out. Joseph followed in suit, obviously, but she quickly went to him and put an arm around his shoulders, hugging him close and putting on the best fake smile she could manage.
"Hey, we'll get it right, okay? Don't beat yourself up." She said. "I'll treat you to one of those chili dogs you like. Sound good?"
"Yeah." He nodded, glumly, and wandered inside with her. The diner she worked in was okay - small, but not tacky. It was well-decorated and all the staff that worked there were friendly and sophisticated, if not a little financially desparate. The only real issue was some of the people they got in there. When you were a place that served beer out the bottle, alongside other forms of alcohol, you got some unattractive guests towards the evening. Luckily, at this point in the morning, things were relatively quiet. Things were nice, and of course, going inside, Karin not only saw the chef but also another waitress she worked with. She always suspected that the chef had a bit of a thing for her - a man initially from LA but renting a place in Burbank. He was tall, African-American, tattooed, and loud, but he was also in his late thirties now. Not really her type - a nice guy, though, and usually managed to put a smile on anyone's face, even Joseph's.
--
LAPD HQ, Los Angeles
"Welcome to the Detective Bureau, Hale."
The words he'd been waiting to hear for too long now. A grin hit his face - He turned down the chance to be a Sergeant, a field supervisor, to instead take the rank of Detective. There was no higher level of pride in his books. He had to stop himself from screaming out of excitement - he knew he was going to be stepping into a whole new world now. There was so much that could occur, so much that usually he wouldn't even be allowed to glance at. Now, it was all at his fingertips. He was convinced that he'd be solving murders, major crimes, busting the big criminals... He was getting ahead of himself, sure, but the bottom line was that he had been waiting far longer than he thought he deserved to. A lot of the old washed up detectives... He knew he could run circles around them, no doubt. He had time to prove it, too.
"Thank you so much, sir. I won't let you down."
"I'm sure you won't, kid. Remember, if you do, it's your loss." He winked. "Your ID card will be with us by tomorrow morning, I imagine. Have a talk with me then and I'll hand it over. Until then, though, find someone to partner up with." He said. "You're on probation for a while, but, I'm sure you'll do just fine. There's a lot of shit to do out there, Hale, and more scumbags than you or I could ever imagine. I have faith that you and the other... 'fine gentlemen' of this department can take care of them, though. Am I wrong in saying that?"
"Definitely not." He chuckled, "The nation's finest."
"Heh. That's the spirit. Now on on, get the fuck outta' here. I'm sure a suit of yours is collecting dust by now." He leaned across the desk and slapped him on the shoulder - Hale needed nothing more said to him. He hopped up and immediately made his way out of the office. The first place he had to check was his locker - Well, not check, but retreive something from. A fancy suit that collected far more dust than it needed to. He moved it here only a couple of weeks ago when he could smell a promotion approaching; now he got to put it on, on the job, for the first time in 4 years, and man it felt good.
So, detective's team, a suit, and the chance to prove himself to not only the department and the city, but also to himself. And finally, after all these years, a chance to fill the gap that had been empty for so very long.
He needed another detective to partner up with, though, that was the only issue.
In the meantime, he decided a cup of coffee was the best bet from here on out. It was shitty coffee in the department's canteen, but, it was still a source of caffeine all the same.
He grinned to himself.
A detective. Detective Frank Hale, of the LAPD. He thought it had a nice ring to it.
August 3rd, 2016
10:15AM
"Been eating properly, Joseph?" The doctor asked, looking over some of the pieces of paper he had in front of him.
"Uh, yeah." The boy smiled and nodded, his hands clasped together in front of him. "Why?"
"You've just lost a little weight since your last appointment here, that's all." The doctor smiled back, "Your average blood glucose has gone up since last time, too. It was 150 last time you were here, but this time it's gone up to a little over 180." He said. "Any idea why?"
Joseph's smile disappeared, and Karin knew the boy had been crushed. It didn't take much to shatter is self-confidence. She put a hand down on his knee and just offered him a smile. He forced one back, then looked at the floor.
"Not sure, really." He shook his head, "I guess it's just... I don't know. It's been kinda' up and down."
"Indeed, your data we downloaded from your handset this time around fluctuated quite a lot. Obviously, as it's the summer we can't expect things to be perfect, so not to worry. I think we can agree that although things could be a lot worse, they could also be a lot better, couldn't they?"
"Yeah."
"Alright... You've had your eye screening and you've seen a podiatrist this year, haven't you?"
"Yeah, they said everything's fine."
"Good. In that case, Joseph, for the next three months I want you to stick with what you're doing, but try more blood tests and more correction doses if you can. It's not easy, I know, but we can get this right, okay?" He smiled at him again. Joseph nodded. "Okay, young man. It's been nice seeing you again." He stuck a hand out to him, which Joseph promptly shook. "You enjoy the rest of your summer, and best of luck in the Fifth Grade." He said.
"Thanks."
Karin sighed, then put a hand on her brother's head. "J, mind stepping outside while I have a word?"
"Sure." He nodded and got up, slowly, and wandered out of the room. As soon as the door was shut, Karin turned back to the doctor and gave him a fake smile.
"I wanted to talk to you about getting an insulin pump for Joseph. He's... Really not all that happy. Not with how restricted things are for him now. He's just turned ten years old, and he's in the prime time of his childhood... He can't deal with having to do three, four, five injections a day."
"I understand that, yes."
"Will his health insurance not help cover it?"
"Not for the pump itself. There is an upfront cost, but the insurance will cover infusion sets and insulin, as it does now."
Karin gulped, "So, how much would it cost?"
"The cheapest the initial cost will be is just under $5,000."
"Five-thousand?" She felt her heart sink a little bit. "Is there really nothing you can do to help him out? Not anything at all?" She asked. "I understand this works for him right now, but it's not that that I'm worried about anymore. What good is all of this if his quality of life is just getting worse?"
"I understand your concern, Miss Held. I would help if I could, but insulin pumps are sold through the companies themselves. Sadly, we don't fund for it. At least not for people like Joseph. It's a very black and white process. He may have his issues, but in the hospital's books, he doesn't fall into the criteria for those suitable for funding, as maintaining his health isn't a direct struggle."
Karin closed her eyes and nodded once. She couldn't help but feel so powerless. It was a matter of leaving now - She couldn't argue anything else. She knew from the start that she was going to lose that fight. She needed that money, but sadly it was money that she didn't have. She went and found Joseph, and off they went. The ride back from the hospital wasn't as chirpy as it usually was. This time Joseph just lied down in the back seat, facing away from the front. She didn't know how long he'd be thinking about it, but all she wanted was for him to say something. He was usually so chatty and joyful - whenever he got like this, it just made her feel miserable. All she wanted to see was his happiness, and with that taken away, she simply didn't have much left.
She didn't have much money, but she had enough to treat Joseph to lunch at the very least. She pulled up at the diner she worked at after a short drive back towards home, parked the car up, and hopped out. Joseph followed in suit, obviously, but she quickly went to him and put an arm around his shoulders, hugging him close and putting on the best fake smile she could manage.
"Hey, we'll get it right, okay? Don't beat yourself up." She said. "I'll treat you to one of those chili dogs you like. Sound good?"
"Yeah." He nodded, glumly, and wandered inside with her. The diner she worked in was okay - small, but not tacky. It was well-decorated and all the staff that worked there were friendly and sophisticated, if not a little financially desparate. The only real issue was some of the people they got in there. When you were a place that served beer out the bottle, alongside other forms of alcohol, you got some unattractive guests towards the evening. Luckily, at this point in the morning, things were relatively quiet. Things were nice, and of course, going inside, Karin not only saw the chef but also another waitress she worked with. She always suspected that the chef had a bit of a thing for her - a man initially from LA but renting a place in Burbank. He was tall, African-American, tattooed, and loud, but he was also in his late thirties now. Not really her type - a nice guy, though, and usually managed to put a smile on anyone's face, even Joseph's.
--
LAPD HQ, Los Angeles
"Welcome to the Detective Bureau, Hale."
The words he'd been waiting to hear for too long now. A grin hit his face - He turned down the chance to be a Sergeant, a field supervisor, to instead take the rank of Detective. There was no higher level of pride in his books. He had to stop himself from screaming out of excitement - he knew he was going to be stepping into a whole new world now. There was so much that could occur, so much that usually he wouldn't even be allowed to glance at. Now, it was all at his fingertips. He was convinced that he'd be solving murders, major crimes, busting the big criminals... He was getting ahead of himself, sure, but the bottom line was that he had been waiting far longer than he thought he deserved to. A lot of the old washed up detectives... He knew he could run circles around them, no doubt. He had time to prove it, too.
"Thank you so much, sir. I won't let you down."
"I'm sure you won't, kid. Remember, if you do, it's your loss." He winked. "Your ID card will be with us by tomorrow morning, I imagine. Have a talk with me then and I'll hand it over. Until then, though, find someone to partner up with." He said. "You're on probation for a while, but, I'm sure you'll do just fine. There's a lot of shit to do out there, Hale, and more scumbags than you or I could ever imagine. I have faith that you and the other... 'fine gentlemen' of this department can take care of them, though. Am I wrong in saying that?"
"Definitely not." He chuckled, "The nation's finest."
"Heh. That's the spirit. Now on on, get the fuck outta' here. I'm sure a suit of yours is collecting dust by now." He leaned across the desk and slapped him on the shoulder - Hale needed nothing more said to him. He hopped up and immediately made his way out of the office. The first place he had to check was his locker - Well, not check, but retreive something from. A fancy suit that collected far more dust than it needed to. He moved it here only a couple of weeks ago when he could smell a promotion approaching; now he got to put it on, on the job, for the first time in 4 years, and man it felt good.
So, detective's team, a suit, and the chance to prove himself to not only the department and the city, but also to himself. And finally, after all these years, a chance to fill the gap that had been empty for so very long.
He needed another detective to partner up with, though, that was the only issue.
In the meantime, he decided a cup of coffee was the best bet from here on out. It was shitty coffee in the department's canteen, but, it was still a source of caffeine all the same.
He grinned to himself.
A detective. Detective Frank Hale, of the LAPD. He thought it had a nice ring to it.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
Burbank, California | July 3rd, 2016 | 10:35 AM
The morning quiet of the streets of Burbank was almost too calm for members of Al-Asheera. Usually by now, they'd have held up a good deal of small stores just to start a panic and scare the people. It's only been a week since the criminal organization moved its base of operations to California, and clan leader Rami, Al-Ra's, felt the overwhelming need to show his superiority from the get-go, even on a small scale. But the serene nature of the streets... It needed to be intruded upon in one way or another. A quick hold-up, a few guns in people's faces, a bit of shooting to inflict fear. Priceless. It'd put a smile on the face of The Head, and teach some new recruits how things are done under the rule of The Clan.
And no better to teach newcomers than Ra's' female underling, Thalia. The little girl he taught to fight like his own daughter, but loved her like something more. Being a direct product of his corrupt thoughts, he felt it was only appropriate for her to head up a few knocks on the streets of Burbank. A simple enough job for a 21 year old runaway. He had enough trust in her.
Rami, Thalia, and three other suntanned, dressed-for-the-beach California men sat in the back of a van, the unknown henchmen staring at the bearded man and pale girl at the front of the back compartment. The female had a laptop in hand, while the older man left the three with a death glare. As if it were a warning to not screw up or he'd exit the van and spill the blood of all three of them in front of innocent bystanders. Thalia knew that glare, and she didn't question his capabilities. She knew he'd live up to his word no matter how gruesome the promise. But she kept her eyes glued to the computer resting on her bare legs. She'd grown accustomed to wearing shorts in California, just not for her superior's amusement, but for her own enjoyment. Her long-sleeved black top with one sleeve drooping to expose her right shoulder also served as a tease. Hell, Rami was spot on when he referred to her as "The Beautiful One." She really was one for seduction.
"We have arrived," the driver of the van announced to the crew in the back.
"Al-Jameela?" the bearded thief then let his glance lower to the girl's device as she typed away on the screen. Her quick finger movements along the keyboard baffled him. He'd never been a wizard at technology, but his old fashioned mind tried its best to comprehend was Thalia was up to. "Well?"
"Hacking the security system of a local diner isn't magic, Ra's," she muttered, emotionless and disinterested in the man's demands. She didn't even give him a peek to acknowledge his words.
"Who taught you such ways? I do not recall you knowing this when we--"
"Vanessa taught me... before you murdered her." The second part of her sentence, cut off by a break, had a shred of anger to it. As if she blamed him for this murder. Displeased, that's how Thalia responded.
"She brought death upon herself. You have no right to blame me--"
Before the Egyptian man could continue blabbering and annoy Thalia with his heavy accent, she slammed the computer screen shut and announced to the entire van, "It's down. Security's blind. On my lead." She didn't even give Rami a look of any sort as the first of the three men opened the back door of the van, letting himself and his two others of equal rank exit. Thalia was close to follow, up until the back of her shirt was grabbed by the man seated in his place like a lazy bum.
"Al-Jameela..."
"Not now." She waited a few moments in her place without rotating her head to look back, until her superior gave up, a snort coming from his mouth, but she couldn't care less as she jumped out of the vehicle with the other three. The morning sun in of the town beat down on the four, standing in a circle behind the van out of view of the diner, each with unsuppressed submachine guns in hand and black bandannas hanging loosely around their necks. This would look suspicious if this were a busy morning, but no. The lack of daytime traffic made this a perfect small score. Ra's knew what he was doing after all. The three underlings were awaiting orders from the young woman as she pulled down on her top to straighten it over her slim figure.
"When do we go in?" one asked, clearly an American judging by his accent.
Thalia lifted her facial scarf from around her neck to cover the majority of her face, except her eyes, darkened by heavy black eyeliner. As she fixed the back of the cloth behind her head, she further explained, "Mask up. Go in there and order everyone to the ground and to empty their belongings on the floor. I will handle the register. But don't kill anyone unless Ra's orders you to. Am I clear?"
The three others nodded, each appropriately adjusting their black masks over their faces. Battle preparations, as Thalia saw them. She lifted her weapon up to head level and peeked from behind the van at the diner. Pointing at the entrance with her tattooed hand, she signaled the three to make their advance... And they did appropriately, storming the entrance of the diner one after the other, holding their guns to the ceiling and emptying a few rounds into the tiles above.
"EVERYONE ON THE GROUND, NOW!"
"Nobody move, and we won't have to kill you."
"Empty your damn pockets, you little shits."
The initial words of the three newcomers to the business. Amateurs, Thalia told herself in her mind. They made it obvious this was their first time. Firing at will, yelling obscenities at the victims. Too textbook. She didn't like it. Time to take the fresh meat to school. As she passed by the opening of the van, she scooped up a second SMG to dual-wield them as she made her way up the steps and through the front doors. Some people had already ducked to the floor, others were still standing with their hands up, panicking or screaming. The three didn't exactly pass at crowd control. It sickened Thalia that Rami was accepting so many recruits that didn't know a thing about the business, but she had to bite her tongue and teach them.
"Quiet, all of you." Thalia's voice came out more dominant, more serious, more menacing, than the other three mediocre burglars. Even they stopped what they were doing when the woman entered, and she didn't even raise her weapons yet. A quick flick of her red locks from her face helped her see the diner in full view. Staff, a few customers, the usual. What wasn't too usual was a young boy. Joseph. The Clan doesn't kill, and Thalia, as a pact to herself, doesn't touch kids. And the sight of a child's innocence caught her eye for longer than it should, probably could be made out by anyone paying attention. But her black-shadowed eyes showed little to no emotion, and the rest of her face was covered by her mask. She took her gaze off the child and moved it to the boy's chaperone: Karin. She wasn't old enough to be the kid's mother. Maybe a sibling? Beats her. But fear seemed to invade every member of the diner, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what this woman would have to tell the child later. God damn it, stop thinking of that! She told herself as she forced her eyes to dart at each direction of the room to cover up her careless stares and continued speaking aloud, "We're not here for blood. We're simply sending a message on behalf of Al-Asheera that we own this street now. Empty your pockets of any and all belongings and remain calm. No, nobody is coming to save you, because you won't need saving. We're going to clean the registers, and we'll leave. Simple as that." She took a few more steps in the direction of the waitress standing at the cash register, walking like a model strutting over the runway, except it was over people ducking and covering from fear. Without even lifting her guns, she repeated her orders, "Unlock the register, place all the money in a garbage bag, and leave it on the ground."
The morning quiet of the streets of Burbank was almost too calm for members of Al-Asheera. Usually by now, they'd have held up a good deal of small stores just to start a panic and scare the people. It's only been a week since the criminal organization moved its base of operations to California, and clan leader Rami, Al-Ra's, felt the overwhelming need to show his superiority from the get-go, even on a small scale. But the serene nature of the streets... It needed to be intruded upon in one way or another. A quick hold-up, a few guns in people's faces, a bit of shooting to inflict fear. Priceless. It'd put a smile on the face of The Head, and teach some new recruits how things are done under the rule of The Clan.
And no better to teach newcomers than Ra's' female underling, Thalia. The little girl he taught to fight like his own daughter, but loved her like something more. Being a direct product of his corrupt thoughts, he felt it was only appropriate for her to head up a few knocks on the streets of Burbank. A simple enough job for a 21 year old runaway. He had enough trust in her.
Rami, Thalia, and three other suntanned, dressed-for-the-beach California men sat in the back of a van, the unknown henchmen staring at the bearded man and pale girl at the front of the back compartment. The female had a laptop in hand, while the older man left the three with a death glare. As if it were a warning to not screw up or he'd exit the van and spill the blood of all three of them in front of innocent bystanders. Thalia knew that glare, and she didn't question his capabilities. She knew he'd live up to his word no matter how gruesome the promise. But she kept her eyes glued to the computer resting on her bare legs. She'd grown accustomed to wearing shorts in California, just not for her superior's amusement, but for her own enjoyment. Her long-sleeved black top with one sleeve drooping to expose her right shoulder also served as a tease. Hell, Rami was spot on when he referred to her as "The Beautiful One." She really was one for seduction.
"We have arrived," the driver of the van announced to the crew in the back.
"Al-Jameela?" the bearded thief then let his glance lower to the girl's device as she typed away on the screen. Her quick finger movements along the keyboard baffled him. He'd never been a wizard at technology, but his old fashioned mind tried its best to comprehend was Thalia was up to. "Well?"
"Hacking the security system of a local diner isn't magic, Ra's," she muttered, emotionless and disinterested in the man's demands. She didn't even give him a peek to acknowledge his words.
"Who taught you such ways? I do not recall you knowing this when we--"
"Vanessa taught me... before you murdered her." The second part of her sentence, cut off by a break, had a shred of anger to it. As if she blamed him for this murder. Displeased, that's how Thalia responded.
"She brought death upon herself. You have no right to blame me--"
Before the Egyptian man could continue blabbering and annoy Thalia with his heavy accent, she slammed the computer screen shut and announced to the entire van, "It's down. Security's blind. On my lead." She didn't even give Rami a look of any sort as the first of the three men opened the back door of the van, letting himself and his two others of equal rank exit. Thalia was close to follow, up until the back of her shirt was grabbed by the man seated in his place like a lazy bum.
"Al-Jameela..."
"Not now." She waited a few moments in her place without rotating her head to look back, until her superior gave up, a snort coming from his mouth, but she couldn't care less as she jumped out of the vehicle with the other three. The morning sun in of the town beat down on the four, standing in a circle behind the van out of view of the diner, each with unsuppressed submachine guns in hand and black bandannas hanging loosely around their necks. This would look suspicious if this were a busy morning, but no. The lack of daytime traffic made this a perfect small score. Ra's knew what he was doing after all. The three underlings were awaiting orders from the young woman as she pulled down on her top to straighten it over her slim figure.
"When do we go in?" one asked, clearly an American judging by his accent.
Thalia lifted her facial scarf from around her neck to cover the majority of her face, except her eyes, darkened by heavy black eyeliner. As she fixed the back of the cloth behind her head, she further explained, "Mask up. Go in there and order everyone to the ground and to empty their belongings on the floor. I will handle the register. But don't kill anyone unless Ra's orders you to. Am I clear?"
The three others nodded, each appropriately adjusting their black masks over their faces. Battle preparations, as Thalia saw them. She lifted her weapon up to head level and peeked from behind the van at the diner. Pointing at the entrance with her tattooed hand, she signaled the three to make their advance... And they did appropriately, storming the entrance of the diner one after the other, holding their guns to the ceiling and emptying a few rounds into the tiles above.
"EVERYONE ON THE GROUND, NOW!"
"Nobody move, and we won't have to kill you."
"Empty your damn pockets, you little shits."
The initial words of the three newcomers to the business. Amateurs, Thalia told herself in her mind. They made it obvious this was their first time. Firing at will, yelling obscenities at the victims. Too textbook. She didn't like it. Time to take the fresh meat to school. As she passed by the opening of the van, she scooped up a second SMG to dual-wield them as she made her way up the steps and through the front doors. Some people had already ducked to the floor, others were still standing with their hands up, panicking or screaming. The three didn't exactly pass at crowd control. It sickened Thalia that Rami was accepting so many recruits that didn't know a thing about the business, but she had to bite her tongue and teach them.
"Quiet, all of you." Thalia's voice came out more dominant, more serious, more menacing, than the other three mediocre burglars. Even they stopped what they were doing when the woman entered, and she didn't even raise her weapons yet. A quick flick of her red locks from her face helped her see the diner in full view. Staff, a few customers, the usual. What wasn't too usual was a young boy. Joseph. The Clan doesn't kill, and Thalia, as a pact to herself, doesn't touch kids. And the sight of a child's innocence caught her eye for longer than it should, probably could be made out by anyone paying attention. But her black-shadowed eyes showed little to no emotion, and the rest of her face was covered by her mask. She took her gaze off the child and moved it to the boy's chaperone: Karin. She wasn't old enough to be the kid's mother. Maybe a sibling? Beats her. But fear seemed to invade every member of the diner, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what this woman would have to tell the child later. God damn it, stop thinking of that! She told herself as she forced her eyes to dart at each direction of the room to cover up her careless stares and continued speaking aloud, "We're not here for blood. We're simply sending a message on behalf of Al-Asheera that we own this street now. Empty your pockets of any and all belongings and remain calm. No, nobody is coming to save you, because you won't need saving. We're going to clean the registers, and we'll leave. Simple as that." She took a few more steps in the direction of the waitress standing at the cash register, walking like a model strutting over the runway, except it was over people ducking and covering from fear. Without even lifting her guns, she repeated her orders, "Unlock the register, place all the money in a garbage bag, and leave it on the ground."
Last edited:
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
Lunch hadn't quite been served yet, but after helping Joseph measure up his insulin, I suppose all that was left to do was wait. Joseph was usually more than capable of doing his shots himself; he did today, too, using his sister as cover from prying eyes. He only ever really injected himself in his arm, thigh, or his stomach. Today it was in the stomach as it was most discreet, but he still couldn't help thinking that people were staring. He always felt like that. Another reason why Karin was so desperate to get him an insulin pump at some point. It'd make life so much easier - regardless, though, that wasn't the main focus after too long. Just after Karin had tucked his insulin pen back into its pouch that read 'Novo Nordisk' on the front, the door flew open, and a group of people armed to the teeth charged in, shouting cursewords and abuse at all of them. Yes, it shook her up, and immediately she felt sweat building up on her, but she couldn't show fear. In a crowded area like this one, chances were there was already someone who had noticed them from outside.
Karin was no upper-league criminal but she knew enough to know that putting a bullet in someone around here wouldn't be convenient for anyone. She just had to hope that that was the case, that killing would be too risky. It was risky for anyone to commit any sort of crime, so she had to admit, it was a brave move, and quite the stupid one as well. Things like this were another reason she wanted to take her brother elsewhere, and she was convinced that as soon as she had the money, she would. Crime was on the rise in LA, and the surrounding towns and cities.
Joseph had already turned and clung to her, tightly. His eyes went shut right away, and he tried to pretend none of this was happening. It all happened so quick, and the boy was trembling but choking on his words. He couldn't speak, couldn't do anything. All he could do was lock his arms around his sister and hope for the best, as the tears forced their way out from behind closed eyes.
She hugged him back, of course, and scanned the armed assailants over a few times. Her eyes met with the woman's, and the woman in question received one hell of a dirty look from her, that was for sure. If looks could kill, she probably would have dropped dead right there. It was that sort of dirty look. Karin was sure she'd heard talks of what the woman said. Al-Asheera? She wasn't sure, it sounded familiar, but not familiar enough for her to put a finger on it. Everyone else may have dove for the floor and put their hands on their heads, but not Karin. Karin had a fire inside her that not many people could put out. Not only that, she was hardly in the position to move. She waited for the woman to stop talking, and she kept her arms around her beloved but terrified brother. There was no way he was letting her go.
"I'm not moving." She spoke, clearly enough for the woman at the very least to hear. If she was faced once more, she did her best to lock eyes. She wasn't trying to be challenging, in a way I suppose she was trying to fish for compassion. She may have been scared, but she did her best to turn her emotion into a fake-sadness. She nodded down at Joseph, once then looked back up. "I can't move." She said. "I'll give you what I have, but there's no way you're getting him on the floor." She said, her tone as serious as her stare. She emptied her pockets, slowly - She had jeans on, and she just put what she could on the table. Phone, and thirty dollars. She hadn't planned on stopping for lunch, so she didn't have much cash on her. The phone was nothing more than an old Sony flip phone. You know the kind, the ones you can buy for $20.00 at your local store. She wasn't done - She wasn't going to just hand it over without at least taking a dig. As she pulled out the money - three ten dollar bills - she waved them around ever so gently.
"Go on, take it. Take a diabetic kid's lunch money, it's all yours." She said, her 'sadness' instead turning into a snarl. Before she put anything down, though, she spat into the center of the three bills, then, with the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she scrunched them up into a ball and dropped them onto the table beside the phone. With one slow sweep of her arm, she knocked all the loose items onto the hard wooden floor. The phone went down with a thud. She looked at the pouch on the table, too, and tapped it with her index finger. "I've got his life-saving medication here, too. Want to take that, as well?" She asked. Obviously, there was a lot of sarcasm and anger in her voice. Just after that the boy let out a muffled sob into his sister's side, and her arms slowly went back around him.
Karin was scared - teriffied, even. But her brother was there, so all bets were off.
Karin was no upper-league criminal but she knew enough to know that putting a bullet in someone around here wouldn't be convenient for anyone. She just had to hope that that was the case, that killing would be too risky. It was risky for anyone to commit any sort of crime, so she had to admit, it was a brave move, and quite the stupid one as well. Things like this were another reason she wanted to take her brother elsewhere, and she was convinced that as soon as she had the money, she would. Crime was on the rise in LA, and the surrounding towns and cities.
Joseph had already turned and clung to her, tightly. His eyes went shut right away, and he tried to pretend none of this was happening. It all happened so quick, and the boy was trembling but choking on his words. He couldn't speak, couldn't do anything. All he could do was lock his arms around his sister and hope for the best, as the tears forced their way out from behind closed eyes.
She hugged him back, of course, and scanned the armed assailants over a few times. Her eyes met with the woman's, and the woman in question received one hell of a dirty look from her, that was for sure. If looks could kill, she probably would have dropped dead right there. It was that sort of dirty look. Karin was sure she'd heard talks of what the woman said. Al-Asheera? She wasn't sure, it sounded familiar, but not familiar enough for her to put a finger on it. Everyone else may have dove for the floor and put their hands on their heads, but not Karin. Karin had a fire inside her that not many people could put out. Not only that, she was hardly in the position to move. She waited for the woman to stop talking, and she kept her arms around her beloved but terrified brother. There was no way he was letting her go.
"I'm not moving." She spoke, clearly enough for the woman at the very least to hear. If she was faced once more, she did her best to lock eyes. She wasn't trying to be challenging, in a way I suppose she was trying to fish for compassion. She may have been scared, but she did her best to turn her emotion into a fake-sadness. She nodded down at Joseph, once then looked back up. "I can't move." She said. "I'll give you what I have, but there's no way you're getting him on the floor." She said, her tone as serious as her stare. She emptied her pockets, slowly - She had jeans on, and she just put what she could on the table. Phone, and thirty dollars. She hadn't planned on stopping for lunch, so she didn't have much cash on her. The phone was nothing more than an old Sony flip phone. You know the kind, the ones you can buy for $20.00 at your local store. She wasn't done - She wasn't going to just hand it over without at least taking a dig. As she pulled out the money - three ten dollar bills - she waved them around ever so gently.
"Go on, take it. Take a diabetic kid's lunch money, it's all yours." She said, her 'sadness' instead turning into a snarl. Before she put anything down, though, she spat into the center of the three bills, then, with the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she scrunched them up into a ball and dropped them onto the table beside the phone. With one slow sweep of her arm, she knocked all the loose items onto the hard wooden floor. The phone went down with a thud. She looked at the pouch on the table, too, and tapped it with her index finger. "I've got his life-saving medication here, too. Want to take that, as well?" She asked. Obviously, there was a lot of sarcasm and anger in her voice. Just after that the boy let out a muffled sob into his sister's side, and her arms slowly went back around him.
Karin was scared - teriffied, even. But her brother was there, so all bets were off.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
As the cashier fearfully nodded in acceptance, the voice of the woman lugging a child with her stung Thalia's eardrums once again. Not only did she refuse to duck to the ground like the rest of the hostages, but she had the nerve to badmouth her in return. It made sense why HER and not the other thugs stomping throughout the diner and waving their guns in people's faces. Thalia exhibited a form of superiority, professionalism, the only one of the four adversaries that actually seemed to be threatening. The only one to know what they were doing. The sound of personal belongings crashing to the floor made her rotate her head back in the direction of this small family. This woman wasn't like any others, guarding the child under her supervision, who was clenching her for dear life and sobbing from the site of a live robbery. There, again, hit the guilt that halted Thalia's actions earlier, contemplating the thought process of this child, probably not more than 10 years old, who probably thought his life was going to end under all the stress. Realizing the cashier had everything under control, cleaning out the cash registers, Thalia spun her body around to face this white-haired woman who had the nerve to talk back at her. She leaned forward, swiping the crumbled, spit-infested bills from the ground between two fingers, still not lifting her SMG's to head level. It seemed like a staring stand-off for Thalia and Karin in that moment. This woman's infuriated eyes meeting Thalia's darkened, shadowed ones. There was little emotion to be shown with most of her face masked, but on close observation, it might've been obvious that she was sympathizing. Something Ra's wouldn't accept.
"Look..." she muttered under the mask, "We're not here to bully some kid. We don't want his medicine or anything like that. We just don't want you getting in our way."
One of the tanned burglars then felt the nerve to approach the siblings from behind, his weapon in hand, pointing directly at the older woman's head. "On the ground, lady. I'd hate to blow your brains out. Or your kid's."
"We're not blowing anything out, dumb ass." Probably too defensive? No, Thalia was just obeying Clan code. No unnecessary bloodshed.
"If she doesn't get down on the floor, I'll consider it necessary to eliminate her!"
"Only Ra's judges who is necessary to kill." In that moment, Thalia took a step away from the brother and sister in a way she could see the thug and lifted her left weapon up to his skull. "Now, leave her and the kid, and go do your job while I clean up your mess. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Ra's will be disappointed. If this were me, I'd be halfway back to the hideout."
The idea of these recruits still bothered Thalia. As she said, their work was sub-par, and compromising too, seeing how one had an itchy trigger finger ready to off a woman in front of an innocent child. Why this child got into her head was beyond her. Maybe because she saw the same child that ran away from home eight years ago? Could be, but she had to shake it off. It was a sign of weakness. She let her eyes scan over the rest of the room, the other two hired guns keeping watch of the hostages, and the cashier frantically stuffing a black plastic garbage bag with the contents of the registers. Grabbing the contents of the people begging for mercy would be a bonus, but waste of time. Without them, she told herself. Her eyes returned to the child hugging his sister in fear of the worst. It didn't get easier to see. Something in her gut was tempting her to put these two at ease. Her eyes shot from left to right to see if anyone was looking. She took a few steps closer to the older woman, who looked around her own age, raised her tattooed right hand, the gun pointing away from the woman, and drew the mask from her face for just a few moments so that Karin could get a glimpse of Thalia's facial complexions: her pale face beyond the dark makeup, the piercing on the left side of her nose, her lips overlapped with black lipstick, though a remorseful expression evident, and a bit of her neck tattoo of a cross showing as well. She stared the woman in the eye and whispered, the aggression in her voice picking up with each sentence, "Al-Asheera would happily kill your child if he got in our way... I wouldn't. This isn't personal or bloodthirsty. It's just business. So just stay out of our way without the attitude, and you and the kid can go home. Got it?" Maybe putting a face to the captor would put these two at ease. A risk, too, considering facial sketches were often popular among the local PD, but with those few seconds? It's unlikely she could describe anything accurate. A quick jolt of her head for a nod finished her statement as she raised the mask back over her nose and returned to her gun-toting position, marching over the bodies of the hostages and returning to the front counter.
"I-It's done... this is all we have," the cashier stuttered. "Now please. Leave us alone."
The lady left the garbage back at the front of the desk. Thalia had no reason to believe they were being deceived, so she nodded and turned to one of the three goons. "Take the bag. We're done here." The closest of the three obeyed and immediately darted out of the diner with their takings. The third, quieter one followed in suit. The first one, who held his weapon to Karin's head earlier, walked alongside Thalia, who took her time to leave. "Tell whoever comes back here to clean up that Al-Asheera, The Clan, did this." It sounded more like a declaration of victory than anything else, her weapons dangling from her fingertips at hip level, pointing to the ground, while the aggressive amateur held his to the sky as if he were a warrior coming back from some gruesome battle. Proud, even though Thalia was anything but proud.
But the last thing the thieves needed was a complication. A male hostage in a suit had the nerve to stand up from his place and charge at the muscular man waving his SMG around as if he didn't know what he was doing. Someone trying to be a hero. The most annoying thing in Thalia's career as a thief. Hearing the footsteps, both turned around, and though Thalia called out "Stop!" with both her weapons raised to his head level, it didn't halt the bold man, but rather, it prompted the trigger happy goon to lower his gun to the man's chest and fire at will. Each bullet spraying from the nozzle entered the man's body, each resulting in a separate blood spatter, some reaching the two adversaries, and jolting his body in the direction of the shots until his bloodied body fell to the ground in a resounding thud. Thalia didn't dare interfere in the shooting as to not risk any further casualties. Not only were the loud, unsuppressed shots from the weapon noticeable to anyone in the area, but the gasps of horror from the other hostages made it even more obvious. So many innocent faces now a witness to a murder. Worse... the child. Everyone's eyes were immediately centered on the deceased, laying in a starfish position with a river of blood trickling from his lips and his eyes frozen on the ceiling. Clenching the handle of her weapon, Thalia lifted her arm and pounded it into the goon's skull at full force, the weapon itself giving quite a blow as well. "You fucking moron! I said no killing! We could've stopped him without spilling blood!"
The other criminal was knocked back by the punch, only arguing back, "It was necessary! I'll talk to Ra's... and damn, bitch, you hit HARD."
He quickly ran out of the diner with his buddies to the van, while Thalia stuck around. There was no cleaning up this mess. A body with a room full of witnesses made things much more difficult for covering their tracks. An investigation would surely be tightened now with a casualty. One last look from the young woman drifted from the dead man's remains to the siblings, probably shaking from the fear of seeing a body go down. This time, not even the darker highlights of Thalia's eyes could hide the guilt within them for what happened. The concern for the well-being of these two. She shook her head in their direction and spoke as if to the two alone, "I'm sorry" before following her underlings out of the location. Quickly, she hopped into the back of the van, which took off into the streets to escape the scene. At this point, it was a necessity.
Why such attachment to a family though in this heist? What made these two so different? Thalia couldn't get over it....
LAPD HQ, Los Angeles
It'd been a shaky week for Detective Tony Walsh. First, he gets word that his partner would be out of service indefinitely after a shootout gone wrong. Poor Richie... But what was worse was the reason it happened: The Clan. They did this to him in a shootout. Once Philly PD released a statement that they were no longer operating on their turf, other major departments, including his own, were put on high alert. A large-scale operation like The Clan doesn't just vanish into thin air or dismantle without cutting off the head of the snake. No, they moved on to HIS turf: LA. Tony was confident that they could quickly corner and apprehend key members of The Clan within the first week of discovery. To his disappointment, that wasn't the case. Instead, once they had an opportunity to invade, it broke into a shootout, and almost got Richard Hart and other officers of the law killed. A reason for revenge. Which is why Tony now wanted to head up the anti-Clan task force. He had more reasons than not to see these sons of bitches facing judgment. It went beyond his vision of justice. It was personal.
Quickly, Philly PD coordinated with LAPD, sending them every file there was on record of The Clan's crimes on the east coast from the beginning of their operations nearly 30 years ago. In a heartbeat, Tony had them all printed out and stacked into a thick folder. There was a lot to go over, but he wasn't going to stop until these crooks were in cuffs or a coffin. But again, being short a partner, the detective needed someone to have his back, to assist him in the investigation. And no better place to look for volunteers than the canteen during coffee-drinking hours. Lugging the beige folder filled with Clan-related paperwork, the grey-haired overcoated man let his eyes scan the room for a potential match. Maybe even someone to start a friendly conversation with. Then, his eyes caught an unfamiliar face sipping on a cup of coffee issued by the department. He'd heard rumors about a new detective in the department, but never met the man nor seen him. But he was well-dressed and had the look of a man who would be a detective, a usual hunch in Tony's gut. Why not take his chances by approaching? Worst case, he was wrong, and would embarrass himself. But it wasn't something he was afraid of. He was friendly enough to cover that up.
"So you're Detective Hale. The new guy, right? Tony Walsh, and may I say, welcome to the investigative department." The older gentleman, with his left hand clinging to the files, his right hand extended forward in the motion for a handshake. "If there's anything you ever need around here, I've been a detective for many years. Feel free to ask."
Maybe this fresh, new blood had potential to be his next partner. Beats him.
"Look..." she muttered under the mask, "We're not here to bully some kid. We don't want his medicine or anything like that. We just don't want you getting in our way."
One of the tanned burglars then felt the nerve to approach the siblings from behind, his weapon in hand, pointing directly at the older woman's head. "On the ground, lady. I'd hate to blow your brains out. Or your kid's."
"We're not blowing anything out, dumb ass." Probably too defensive? No, Thalia was just obeying Clan code. No unnecessary bloodshed.
"If she doesn't get down on the floor, I'll consider it necessary to eliminate her!"
"Only Ra's judges who is necessary to kill." In that moment, Thalia took a step away from the brother and sister in a way she could see the thug and lifted her left weapon up to his skull. "Now, leave her and the kid, and go do your job while I clean up your mess. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Ra's will be disappointed. If this were me, I'd be halfway back to the hideout."
The idea of these recruits still bothered Thalia. As she said, their work was sub-par, and compromising too, seeing how one had an itchy trigger finger ready to off a woman in front of an innocent child. Why this child got into her head was beyond her. Maybe because she saw the same child that ran away from home eight years ago? Could be, but she had to shake it off. It was a sign of weakness. She let her eyes scan over the rest of the room, the other two hired guns keeping watch of the hostages, and the cashier frantically stuffing a black plastic garbage bag with the contents of the registers. Grabbing the contents of the people begging for mercy would be a bonus, but waste of time. Without them, she told herself. Her eyes returned to the child hugging his sister in fear of the worst. It didn't get easier to see. Something in her gut was tempting her to put these two at ease. Her eyes shot from left to right to see if anyone was looking. She took a few steps closer to the older woman, who looked around her own age, raised her tattooed right hand, the gun pointing away from the woman, and drew the mask from her face for just a few moments so that Karin could get a glimpse of Thalia's facial complexions: her pale face beyond the dark makeup, the piercing on the left side of her nose, her lips overlapped with black lipstick, though a remorseful expression evident, and a bit of her neck tattoo of a cross showing as well. She stared the woman in the eye and whispered, the aggression in her voice picking up with each sentence, "Al-Asheera would happily kill your child if he got in our way... I wouldn't. This isn't personal or bloodthirsty. It's just business. So just stay out of our way without the attitude, and you and the kid can go home. Got it?" Maybe putting a face to the captor would put these two at ease. A risk, too, considering facial sketches were often popular among the local PD, but with those few seconds? It's unlikely she could describe anything accurate. A quick jolt of her head for a nod finished her statement as she raised the mask back over her nose and returned to her gun-toting position, marching over the bodies of the hostages and returning to the front counter.
"I-It's done... this is all we have," the cashier stuttered. "Now please. Leave us alone."
The lady left the garbage back at the front of the desk. Thalia had no reason to believe they were being deceived, so she nodded and turned to one of the three goons. "Take the bag. We're done here." The closest of the three obeyed and immediately darted out of the diner with their takings. The third, quieter one followed in suit. The first one, who held his weapon to Karin's head earlier, walked alongside Thalia, who took her time to leave. "Tell whoever comes back here to clean up that Al-Asheera, The Clan, did this." It sounded more like a declaration of victory than anything else, her weapons dangling from her fingertips at hip level, pointing to the ground, while the aggressive amateur held his to the sky as if he were a warrior coming back from some gruesome battle. Proud, even though Thalia was anything but proud.
But the last thing the thieves needed was a complication. A male hostage in a suit had the nerve to stand up from his place and charge at the muscular man waving his SMG around as if he didn't know what he was doing. Someone trying to be a hero. The most annoying thing in Thalia's career as a thief. Hearing the footsteps, both turned around, and though Thalia called out "Stop!" with both her weapons raised to his head level, it didn't halt the bold man, but rather, it prompted the trigger happy goon to lower his gun to the man's chest and fire at will. Each bullet spraying from the nozzle entered the man's body, each resulting in a separate blood spatter, some reaching the two adversaries, and jolting his body in the direction of the shots until his bloodied body fell to the ground in a resounding thud. Thalia didn't dare interfere in the shooting as to not risk any further casualties. Not only were the loud, unsuppressed shots from the weapon noticeable to anyone in the area, but the gasps of horror from the other hostages made it even more obvious. So many innocent faces now a witness to a murder. Worse... the child. Everyone's eyes were immediately centered on the deceased, laying in a starfish position with a river of blood trickling from his lips and his eyes frozen on the ceiling. Clenching the handle of her weapon, Thalia lifted her arm and pounded it into the goon's skull at full force, the weapon itself giving quite a blow as well. "You fucking moron! I said no killing! We could've stopped him without spilling blood!"
The other criminal was knocked back by the punch, only arguing back, "It was necessary! I'll talk to Ra's... and damn, bitch, you hit HARD."
He quickly ran out of the diner with his buddies to the van, while Thalia stuck around. There was no cleaning up this mess. A body with a room full of witnesses made things much more difficult for covering their tracks. An investigation would surely be tightened now with a casualty. One last look from the young woman drifted from the dead man's remains to the siblings, probably shaking from the fear of seeing a body go down. This time, not even the darker highlights of Thalia's eyes could hide the guilt within them for what happened. The concern for the well-being of these two. She shook her head in their direction and spoke as if to the two alone, "I'm sorry" before following her underlings out of the location. Quickly, she hopped into the back of the van, which took off into the streets to escape the scene. At this point, it was a necessity.
Why such attachment to a family though in this heist? What made these two so different? Thalia couldn't get over it....
LAPD HQ, Los Angeles
It'd been a shaky week for Detective Tony Walsh. First, he gets word that his partner would be out of service indefinitely after a shootout gone wrong. Poor Richie... But what was worse was the reason it happened: The Clan. They did this to him in a shootout. Once Philly PD released a statement that they were no longer operating on their turf, other major departments, including his own, were put on high alert. A large-scale operation like The Clan doesn't just vanish into thin air or dismantle without cutting off the head of the snake. No, they moved on to HIS turf: LA. Tony was confident that they could quickly corner and apprehend key members of The Clan within the first week of discovery. To his disappointment, that wasn't the case. Instead, once they had an opportunity to invade, it broke into a shootout, and almost got Richard Hart and other officers of the law killed. A reason for revenge. Which is why Tony now wanted to head up the anti-Clan task force. He had more reasons than not to see these sons of bitches facing judgment. It went beyond his vision of justice. It was personal.
Quickly, Philly PD coordinated with LAPD, sending them every file there was on record of The Clan's crimes on the east coast from the beginning of their operations nearly 30 years ago. In a heartbeat, Tony had them all printed out and stacked into a thick folder. There was a lot to go over, but he wasn't going to stop until these crooks were in cuffs or a coffin. But again, being short a partner, the detective needed someone to have his back, to assist him in the investigation. And no better place to look for volunteers than the canteen during coffee-drinking hours. Lugging the beige folder filled with Clan-related paperwork, the grey-haired overcoated man let his eyes scan the room for a potential match. Maybe even someone to start a friendly conversation with. Then, his eyes caught an unfamiliar face sipping on a cup of coffee issued by the department. He'd heard rumors about a new detective in the department, but never met the man nor seen him. But he was well-dressed and had the look of a man who would be a detective, a usual hunch in Tony's gut. Why not take his chances by approaching? Worst case, he was wrong, and would embarrass himself. But it wasn't something he was afraid of. He was friendly enough to cover that up.
"So you're Detective Hale. The new guy, right? Tony Walsh, and may I say, welcome to the investigative department." The older gentleman, with his left hand clinging to the files, his right hand extended forward in the motion for a handshake. "If there's anything you ever need around here, I've been a detective for many years. Feel free to ask."
Maybe this fresh, new blood had potential to be his next partner. Beats him.
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DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
Karin had become less and less frightened of the woman as time went on for the reason that she managed to fish out the sympathetic side. She saw her as more than a brute with a gun, but also less than one, too. It was an odd sensation. She had no doubts that this woman had the nerve to kill a person, but, she didn't do it now, and that was what mattered. The whole time, she held her brother's head close, kept his face hidden, kept his eyes closed. The sound of what was going on was frightening enough - she didn't want him to see anything more traumatizing. You know, in the event of severe trauma, or in the midst of it, some kids supposedly experience a heavy outer-body experience. It's meant to be the one escape from things, even if it's just a projection of the mind. Was Joseph in a place like that? It was more than possible, because he'd gone quiet and fallen still, and every word that was spoken didn't even move him. It was either that, or he was in shock, in a state of shock and refusing to believe that what was going on was actually real.
Still, the sympathy made this woman at least a little more human to her, even if Karin still wanted to grab the nearest steak knife and take some revenge. Obviously, she didn't do that, but you get the picture. Her eyes, her face - It wasn't going to be something she forgot for a while. When the woman's face was revealed, the first thing that Karin thought was that she was pretty, beautiful, attractive - She was far too nice in the face to be doing something like this, and that was all. Karin knew the advantages of winning a genetic lottery - being a pretty woman in the world could get you a lot of things. Friends and money, to say the very least. Karin sailed that ship, of using her beauty to get some extra earnings. She scanned the woman - Thalia, of course - up and down, studied her face for the brief few seconds she had, and made the conclusion that she could have easily gone into a more legal business.
She was sure she had the potential to go into modeling or something. But she guessed it was a little far past that.
When it came to her even defending them from another armed brute, Karin held her tongue. She felt like spitting more abuse at her and the other man who threatened to shoot them both (especially him), but, with one of their own protecting the hostages, I suppose there was no need. Karin stayed quiet and just looked at Thalia, her eyes giving away a brief flicker of a 'thank you' - She put her bitterness just aside for now. As much as she disliked this woman, she'd done them one favor at the very least.
"I appreciate your honesty." Karin choked out in a whisper, "You can tell your pet apes on their way out that they need to work on a few things. They're about as threatening as pig shit."
She couldn't resist but throw in one last thing there, but it wasn't about Thalia this time. This time it was about the reckless guns-for-hire that she had with her. There was still that fire in Karin's eye; even though this scene was new to her, and quite terrifying, she had the eyes of a woman who had been through a lot more than it first seemed.
"As soon as you have what you need, just leave us alone. You've done enough damage as it is, and we don't want any more." She said, then turned away from looking at her and just hugged her brother tight. What more could she do?
When the gunshots went off, though, she quickly turned around but still held her brother close, whose whole body jolted at the sound. Karin was there just in time to watch the man drop, and her eyes were pried wide open. Did that really just happen? It made everything feel so much more real, and it occurred to her that that could have been her lying there. It showed how fragile life could be - and as if it was meant to happen, her eyes slowly wandered away from the body, too, and met perfectly with Thalia's. It was almost as if fate had aligned things to be that way, for them both to have that thought. She clocked the look in her eyes, and this time, instead of shouting abuse, she did one thing only.
She just nodded slowly.
She knew the woman didn't want bloodshed, and she knew this death was out of her control. For that, she forgave her. The death wasn't on her, at least. Sorry didn't mean much, but it meant something.
After they left, one person stepped out and took the initiative to at least hide the body. The chef, doing all he could, threw a fire blanket over the corpse just to hide it from sight. It wasn't much, but, at least Joseph didn't have to see it whenever he finally took a glance up at the chaos.
--
Frank wasn't looking out for anyone in particular, but as soon as the older man walked in, he just had a feeling. The guy had a certain aura to him, a certain level of pride, and the first thought that crossed his mind was Detective. He knew what that smart and proud look looked like because he'd seen it on himself not ten minutes ago. This guy looked respectable, didn't look like a washed up old drunk who still practiced frontier justice. He looked genuine, looked like he was out to get shit done, and make sure it was done right. Frank smiled as he saw him approaching - he knew he was risking looking like an idiot here. This guy might not have even been a detective. He could have been a District Attorney or something, but, he was willing to take the chance. Even more so when he made a beeline right to where he was sat.
"Detective Hale, in the flesh." He replied, a small smile present on his lips as he also put his hand out, thus shaking the older man's one. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tony. Good to be part of the team at long last." He nodded. This guy seemed friendly enough, pleasant, helpful. He'd been a member of the Detective Bureau for a long time? That was even better. He saw the potential for a partner, but he couldn't just assume. He had to ask. Out of who he'd seen so far, this guy seemed like the most attractive person in terms of mannerisms and professionalism, so, that was what it was going to be.
"There is one thing, actually..." Frank mumbled, rising to his feet. He stood only an inch or two shorter than Tony, so, there wasn't much difference at all. "I was wondering if you're available to take a partner. Boss man said I'm on probation and need to ride with someone until I find my feet. You know how it is. Buddy system, and all that." He said. "You might have seen some of the cases I was involved in when working the beat; I was no detective then, but I was given some commendations over the years I've been here. If you want to check my file beforehand, I wouldn't mind providing." He offered.
Meanwhile, though, a call from a small diner reported a robbery and a homicide. That's a Code 3. If it was anything towards a hostage situation still, that would have easily approached a Code 0, alongside the call of 10-43. Not anymore. Now it was just a dead body and a lot of missing money, and one shitload of witnesses. The PD had their work cut out for them today.
Still, the sympathy made this woman at least a little more human to her, even if Karin still wanted to grab the nearest steak knife and take some revenge. Obviously, she didn't do that, but you get the picture. Her eyes, her face - It wasn't going to be something she forgot for a while. When the woman's face was revealed, the first thing that Karin thought was that she was pretty, beautiful, attractive - She was far too nice in the face to be doing something like this, and that was all. Karin knew the advantages of winning a genetic lottery - being a pretty woman in the world could get you a lot of things. Friends and money, to say the very least. Karin sailed that ship, of using her beauty to get some extra earnings. She scanned the woman - Thalia, of course - up and down, studied her face for the brief few seconds she had, and made the conclusion that she could have easily gone into a more legal business.
She was sure she had the potential to go into modeling or something. But she guessed it was a little far past that.
When it came to her even defending them from another armed brute, Karin held her tongue. She felt like spitting more abuse at her and the other man who threatened to shoot them both (especially him), but, with one of their own protecting the hostages, I suppose there was no need. Karin stayed quiet and just looked at Thalia, her eyes giving away a brief flicker of a 'thank you' - She put her bitterness just aside for now. As much as she disliked this woman, she'd done them one favor at the very least.
"I appreciate your honesty." Karin choked out in a whisper, "You can tell your pet apes on their way out that they need to work on a few things. They're about as threatening as pig shit."
She couldn't resist but throw in one last thing there, but it wasn't about Thalia this time. This time it was about the reckless guns-for-hire that she had with her. There was still that fire in Karin's eye; even though this scene was new to her, and quite terrifying, she had the eyes of a woman who had been through a lot more than it first seemed.
"As soon as you have what you need, just leave us alone. You've done enough damage as it is, and we don't want any more." She said, then turned away from looking at her and just hugged her brother tight. What more could she do?
When the gunshots went off, though, she quickly turned around but still held her brother close, whose whole body jolted at the sound. Karin was there just in time to watch the man drop, and her eyes were pried wide open. Did that really just happen? It made everything feel so much more real, and it occurred to her that that could have been her lying there. It showed how fragile life could be - and as if it was meant to happen, her eyes slowly wandered away from the body, too, and met perfectly with Thalia's. It was almost as if fate had aligned things to be that way, for them both to have that thought. She clocked the look in her eyes, and this time, instead of shouting abuse, she did one thing only.
She just nodded slowly.
She knew the woman didn't want bloodshed, and she knew this death was out of her control. For that, she forgave her. The death wasn't on her, at least. Sorry didn't mean much, but it meant something.
After they left, one person stepped out and took the initiative to at least hide the body. The chef, doing all he could, threw a fire blanket over the corpse just to hide it from sight. It wasn't much, but, at least Joseph didn't have to see it whenever he finally took a glance up at the chaos.
--
Frank wasn't looking out for anyone in particular, but as soon as the older man walked in, he just had a feeling. The guy had a certain aura to him, a certain level of pride, and the first thought that crossed his mind was Detective. He knew what that smart and proud look looked like because he'd seen it on himself not ten minutes ago. This guy looked respectable, didn't look like a washed up old drunk who still practiced frontier justice. He looked genuine, looked like he was out to get shit done, and make sure it was done right. Frank smiled as he saw him approaching - he knew he was risking looking like an idiot here. This guy might not have even been a detective. He could have been a District Attorney or something, but, he was willing to take the chance. Even more so when he made a beeline right to where he was sat.
"Detective Hale, in the flesh." He replied, a small smile present on his lips as he also put his hand out, thus shaking the older man's one. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tony. Good to be part of the team at long last." He nodded. This guy seemed friendly enough, pleasant, helpful. He'd been a member of the Detective Bureau for a long time? That was even better. He saw the potential for a partner, but he couldn't just assume. He had to ask. Out of who he'd seen so far, this guy seemed like the most attractive person in terms of mannerisms and professionalism, so, that was what it was going to be.
"There is one thing, actually..." Frank mumbled, rising to his feet. He stood only an inch or two shorter than Tony, so, there wasn't much difference at all. "I was wondering if you're available to take a partner. Boss man said I'm on probation and need to ride with someone until I find my feet. You know how it is. Buddy system, and all that." He said. "You might have seen some of the cases I was involved in when working the beat; I was no detective then, but I was given some commendations over the years I've been here. If you want to check my file beforehand, I wouldn't mind providing." He offered.
Meanwhile, though, a call from a small diner reported a robbery and a homicide. That's a Code 3. If it was anything towards a hostage situation still, that would have easily approached a Code 0, alongside the call of 10-43. Not anymore. Now it was just a dead body and a lot of missing money, and one shitload of witnesses. The PD had their work cut out for them today.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
Fortunately for the four assailants and their leader in the van, the getaway vehicle managed to escape the scene of the crime before any sort of law enforcement arrived. Once inside, the four heisters pulled their masks off and left their weapons to their sides. Time to chill. A clean run, no high speed chasing or panicking over a man left behind. But there were other reasons for The Clan to panic. First, the body. First rule of this criminal syndicate was no unneeded bloodshed, which was blatantly broken by this ragtag team of juniors, particularly the brute who emptied his clip into that hostage. Ra's surely heard the screams and gunshots when there shouldn't have been, and though uneducated, was not an idiot. His look from the get-go screamed disappointment. Though they got their loot, they failed him for a moral standpoint. Rami's morals, at least. But that man's death went beyond Thalia's personal morals, too. It could've been avoided with a simple threat. But no, the hired gunman that her superior placed out there proved he wasn't fit for the business. But that punishment was nothing compared to the second reason to panic: Thalia showed her face to a stranger. Though the henchmen were unaware of this personal encounter and therefore couldn't snitch, if Karin tells the LAPD what she saw, then the last thing the girl will have to worry about is the dead body they left behind. She'd be executed unconditionally for exposing herself. Or exiled with a bounty on top of it all. But then again, Thalia doubted this woman with a child would say anything. By revealing herself, she showed her sympathy, her humanity. Maybe something to soften this woman's words about her later. She still couldn't stop thinking about the back and forth glares to one another throughout the heist. Karin surely caught her curious eye from a physical perspective, but this connection was beyond simple attraction. There was more to it. Would these two women cross paths again? Once more, it was beyond Thalia.
"Yeeeaaaaah, we got it!" The goon who shot up a hostage cheered, throwing his arms in the air in fists in celebration, but he seemed to be partying alone. His other two newbie partners and the two superiors gave him looks of disappointment. After how many times Thalia reiterated no killing, he went off and executed a hostage anyway. The cut across his face from the girl's blow also gave away that he fumbled. And Rami noticed.
"What did I tell you before you joined our organization?" the older man uttered. He didn't expect any sort of reply, because everyone in the van knew the answer.
"Um... uh...."
"We do not kill." The ringmaster reached for his side from his position, holding out one of the SMG's the crew was using for the robbery. Immediately, the assailant's heart sank in its place. In that moment, he realized he screwed up.
"Wait, wait, you don't have to kill me. That won't be...."
"Open the doors," his words noticeably cut through the underling's as the two other new guns immediately obeyed his orders. With back two doors to the van open and the guilty party in the middle, he realized his fate was death.
"NO, WAIT! IT WAS COMPLETELY NECESSARY---" he shrieked in fear, staring down the barrel of the weapon, flailing his arms forward in an attempt to calm the bearded man. But his cries for mercy were too late. The noisy weapon discharged five consecutive shots into the killer, knocking him backwards to fall out from the back of the van and onto the road to be found by some lonely bystander later. Not Ra's' problem anymore. Once the body was disposed of and long behind them, the two remaining henchmen reached outside and shut the doors again to listen to their leader's words, as if he were a prophet of sorts.
"I hope this is a demonstration of what happens when you disobey me," Rami snarled at the trainees. "NEVER disobey me. Because he was never initiated, he did not undergo a tradition execution. But you two will be initiated. And if you fail me after that, you will wish that your fate would be as simple as his."
Thalia remained silent throughout the execution and beyond. She glanced down at her black shirt and bare legs, now stained with the blood of two different men. Her right hand swept over her face to clear any blood from it, as well as her own hair. Sure, the guilty party was punished swiftly and efficiently, but she also knew her leader. He was going to blame this on her later, in private. Her responsibility, she should take the fall. Fortunately, her fate wasn't execution. No, Rami loved her too much to see her die for that reason. Maybe this was just her being paranoid. Being abused by the Head of The Clan did that to her. She ALWAYS feared punishment, even if it was unjust. Maybe her sympathy towards Karin and her younger boy was a sign of something more: a softer side to a stone-cold Thalia that was hardened over eight years of hardships. One person did that to her just by a few nasty glares and words to one another? Or was it the sight of a sick child? Stop it, T! This isn't you! For the remainder of the ride, she remained quiet, keeping her gaze centered at the back of the van. She could care less about her leader and other two underlings counting their winnings. The duel in her head felt more consuming.
--
Tony's initial assumption was true, this stranger was, indeed, the new detective, Frank Hale. News goes around in the department, so surely, with his years of experience, his ears would catch a few words about a new face. The seasoned detective analyzed this man from the top down. New? Clearly. But he showed his respects to a stranger, a man who looked like a superior. But Tony couldn't help that he was aging faster than the rest of the pack. Though only 35, some would say he's pushing 45 or something. It was out of his hand, but nonetheless, Frank showed his share of politeness through a firm handshake and a proper greeting. Then came up another topic that had just been on Tony's mind: a replacement for Richard. A new partner. That on its own piqued his interest.
"Well..." Tony chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I am looking for a replacement for my last partner... He got injured really badly in a shootout a few days ago, and he's out of duty indefinitely. I was going to look into an older dog, try to convince one of them to ride shotgun with me. But why do that when I can experiment with a new detective. I do believe that our youth is our best hope at evolving."
Before the older detective could further his discussion about reviewing Frank's past to vet him, the incoming radio call iterating the details of the diner incident blared on Tony's pocket radio. Quickly toying with it between his free fingers from his belt buckle, he pressed against the talking button and responded, "Copy that, Dispatch. This is Walsh. I'm heading down there." Returning the radio to its place, he redirected his words to Frank. "Well, Detective, there's no time to review your past works, but no better way to assess your skills than in the field, right? Consider me your standing partner. I'm taking you under my wing, effective immediately. We'll discuss it with your superior later. Now come on, duty calls. We've got a crime scene to attend to. Robbery/homicide. You in?" There's no way this new recruit would say no to such a deal. A partner right off the bat, and a case in a matter of seconds. A tap on the younger man's shoulder signaled him to come along with Tony, who turned his back on the man, his Clan files in hand, and heading for the exit of the building to reach his vehicle in the parking lot.
"Yeeeaaaaah, we got it!" The goon who shot up a hostage cheered, throwing his arms in the air in fists in celebration, but he seemed to be partying alone. His other two newbie partners and the two superiors gave him looks of disappointment. After how many times Thalia reiterated no killing, he went off and executed a hostage anyway. The cut across his face from the girl's blow also gave away that he fumbled. And Rami noticed.
"What did I tell you before you joined our organization?" the older man uttered. He didn't expect any sort of reply, because everyone in the van knew the answer.
"Um... uh...."
"We do not kill." The ringmaster reached for his side from his position, holding out one of the SMG's the crew was using for the robbery. Immediately, the assailant's heart sank in its place. In that moment, he realized he screwed up.
"Wait, wait, you don't have to kill me. That won't be...."
"Open the doors," his words noticeably cut through the underling's as the two other new guns immediately obeyed his orders. With back two doors to the van open and the guilty party in the middle, he realized his fate was death.
"NO, WAIT! IT WAS COMPLETELY NECESSARY---" he shrieked in fear, staring down the barrel of the weapon, flailing his arms forward in an attempt to calm the bearded man. But his cries for mercy were too late. The noisy weapon discharged five consecutive shots into the killer, knocking him backwards to fall out from the back of the van and onto the road to be found by some lonely bystander later. Not Ra's' problem anymore. Once the body was disposed of and long behind them, the two remaining henchmen reached outside and shut the doors again to listen to their leader's words, as if he were a prophet of sorts.
"I hope this is a demonstration of what happens when you disobey me," Rami snarled at the trainees. "NEVER disobey me. Because he was never initiated, he did not undergo a tradition execution. But you two will be initiated. And if you fail me after that, you will wish that your fate would be as simple as his."
Thalia remained silent throughout the execution and beyond. She glanced down at her black shirt and bare legs, now stained with the blood of two different men. Her right hand swept over her face to clear any blood from it, as well as her own hair. Sure, the guilty party was punished swiftly and efficiently, but she also knew her leader. He was going to blame this on her later, in private. Her responsibility, she should take the fall. Fortunately, her fate wasn't execution. No, Rami loved her too much to see her die for that reason. Maybe this was just her being paranoid. Being abused by the Head of The Clan did that to her. She ALWAYS feared punishment, even if it was unjust. Maybe her sympathy towards Karin and her younger boy was a sign of something more: a softer side to a stone-cold Thalia that was hardened over eight years of hardships. One person did that to her just by a few nasty glares and words to one another? Or was it the sight of a sick child? Stop it, T! This isn't you! For the remainder of the ride, she remained quiet, keeping her gaze centered at the back of the van. She could care less about her leader and other two underlings counting their winnings. The duel in her head felt more consuming.
--
Tony's initial assumption was true, this stranger was, indeed, the new detective, Frank Hale. News goes around in the department, so surely, with his years of experience, his ears would catch a few words about a new face. The seasoned detective analyzed this man from the top down. New? Clearly. But he showed his respects to a stranger, a man who looked like a superior. But Tony couldn't help that he was aging faster than the rest of the pack. Though only 35, some would say he's pushing 45 or something. It was out of his hand, but nonetheless, Frank showed his share of politeness through a firm handshake and a proper greeting. Then came up another topic that had just been on Tony's mind: a replacement for Richard. A new partner. That on its own piqued his interest.
"Well..." Tony chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I am looking for a replacement for my last partner... He got injured really badly in a shootout a few days ago, and he's out of duty indefinitely. I was going to look into an older dog, try to convince one of them to ride shotgun with me. But why do that when I can experiment with a new detective. I do believe that our youth is our best hope at evolving."
Before the older detective could further his discussion about reviewing Frank's past to vet him, the incoming radio call iterating the details of the diner incident blared on Tony's pocket radio. Quickly toying with it between his free fingers from his belt buckle, he pressed against the talking button and responded, "Copy that, Dispatch. This is Walsh. I'm heading down there." Returning the radio to its place, he redirected his words to Frank. "Well, Detective, there's no time to review your past works, but no better way to assess your skills than in the field, right? Consider me your standing partner. I'm taking you under my wing, effective immediately. We'll discuss it with your superior later. Now come on, duty calls. We've got a crime scene to attend to. Robbery/homicide. You in?" There's no way this new recruit would say no to such a deal. A partner right off the bat, and a case in a matter of seconds. A tap on the younger man's shoulder signaled him to come along with Tony, who turned his back on the man, his Clan files in hand, and heading for the exit of the building to reach his vehicle in the parking lot.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
"Lunch is on me, guys." The waitress whispered as she shakily put two plates down on the table in front of them. One was a chili dog with fries, the other was a simple chicken burger with some fries and side salad. Karin wasn't hungry anymore, not one bit, but she knew that Joseph needed to eat regardless of how hungry he was. She could already see that spacious look in his eyes, and how his skin was gradually turning pale. There was a tremble to him that went outside of fear. He'd done a fairly big shot of fast-acting insulin, and lunch was delayed by almost half an hour in total. More than that, in fact. It had already taken effect and he needed to eat. He didn't want to, but he knew the importance, too, so he just started to eat as quickly as he could. The body had at least been covered by a blanket or two, but he didn't dare look in the direction of it.
The waitress in question gently put a hand down on top of the boy's head and took a shaky sigh. Maria, a woman a little older than Karin, was her best and only friend. She'd worked with her ever since she started in this place, and their friendship grew. They didn't see each other much outside of work without reason, but, they were still close. She was all Karin had other than her brother. Regardless of that, though, she looked down at Karin, and their eyes met for a moment before they shared a hug. Everyone had to stick around while the police and paramedics showed up. Witnesses weren't allowed to leave the scene, after all. Everyone lost a lot today - either a wallet full of cash, a piece of sanity, or both. Karin wasn't sour about the cheap phone and thirty dollars. She could get that back in an hour if she really wanted to - She was worried about her brother. How long was he going to be lost in the dark?
"You okay?" Maria asked.
"I'll be fine." Karin murmured, softly.
"I heard you speak up to that woman. That was a bold move."
"It was stupid."
"Clearly not as stupid as you might think. You're still here."
"I just..." She sighed and looked down at the table, one hand resting on her brother's knee. "She didn't want any of that to happen." She whispered, "The shooting, the chaos, the upset... She didn't want that. She just wanted the money. The guns were just a scaring tactic, and a backup if anything went sour. She didn't want anyone to die."
Maria just sighed again and placed a hand on her shoulder, "There's nothing else you could have done."
"Maybe if I stayed quiet that guy wouldn't have even tried. Maybe I just helped boost his confidence."
"Well, over-confidence is one helluva' flimsy shield, K. It ain't your fault. You stood your ground, and he tried to stand his, but the difference was he didn't have to." She said. "You want a cup of coffee?"
"Coffee would be great." She whispered with a nod, then wiped some tears away from her eyes, "Can you come over later tonight, Maria?"
"Of course, anything." She squeezed Karin's shoulder before stepping back. "I'll get you that coffee."
Joseph had said nothing; he was just slowly eating. He had a face that looked like he was eating rotten meat - he didn't want any of what he was eating, as much as he enjoyed it usually. He just felt sick. He was sat there in silence, but, his big sister was there to protect him, right?
--
A partner and a case to start things off right away? Fantastic.
"You can count me in, anytime." He winked, and after pouring away the ass-tasting coffee, he quickly followed him outside. Once he reached the car, well, he figured he should get them a little more of a scope over the situation at hand. The power of the radio - he had a great partner when he was just a cadet, someone who retired a year later. But he knew everything, practically, after being with the department his whole life. His radio communications seemed otherworldly, how the words just rolled off his tongue, and how he could shout directions down a radio all while pursuing someone at high speed. It was incredible, and Frank had picked up a lot of his technique. He wasn't a master, but he was good enough. He always liked to think he made it look like a movie - but that was just his way of looking at it.
Once he was sat in the car, he grabbed his own radio.
"Detective Hale to Dispatch, how copy?"
"Loud and clear, Detective. Go ahead, over."
"What's the '20 of the robbery-homicide? Over."
"Looking at a Coral Cafe on West Burbank Boulevard, over."
"Copy that. We've got an 11-41 on scene by the sounds of it, Dispatch, what's the status on that? Over."
"Call for ambulance has been made, ETA 3 minutes, over."
"10-4. We'll be arriving on scene shortly, over and out."
So, that was that.
A Short While Later...
"This is the place." Frank said, scanning over it. It was nice enough. Quiet, small - It didn't look like the sort of place that belonged in a hold-up situation. Hale had read the Google reviews of this place, too (a while back now) - It was described as a family-friendly place. He just hoped there wasn't stacks of young kids forced to sit around by a body. It was the middle of the summer, and approaching lunch time. He knew it was likely that there were kids there, but part of him was praying that it wasn't the case. He knew praying wouldn't do anything for him, but, that didn't matter now. Now it was a matter of getting inside and assessing the situation.
An ambulance was already pulled up, and there were medics rushing in and out of the building. One of them was hauling a stretcher with a black bodybag strapped to the top out of the door. That was the stiff in question, one that would be delivered to the morgue for further assessment in due time. One thing Hale knew was that the force always worried that the paramedics would contaminate the scene. He knew they were professionals that went through countless hours of training, but, that was always a fear among people investigating the crime scenes. Forensics were probably already enroute to the locationl, but, the detectives had a while to get inside and take statements. There were already patrol cars there, too, but many of the officers were already awaiting orders, or they were talking to the staff of the diner. Main witnesses with access to CCTV and such, after all.
"Tony, tell me something..." He stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. The place felt tense. "You any good with kids?" He asked. "Because if there's any in here... Christ, I've dealt with kids before, but I ain't the best with 'em. Kids flock to some people. Others, not so much." He made sure his badge was displayed from his jacket pocket, patted himself down to make sure he had his gun, and finally, checked his inner pocket for his notepad and small pen. He liked to keep it traditional. "First thing's first, though... I mean, I'm under your wing, so whatever you need me to do, I'll do it." He nodded at him, and offered a smile. But it wasn't a happy smile, just a polite one. How could anyone be happy in a situation like this?
"Shall we?" He asked.
The waitress in question gently put a hand down on top of the boy's head and took a shaky sigh. Maria, a woman a little older than Karin, was her best and only friend. She'd worked with her ever since she started in this place, and their friendship grew. They didn't see each other much outside of work without reason, but, they were still close. She was all Karin had other than her brother. Regardless of that, though, she looked down at Karin, and their eyes met for a moment before they shared a hug. Everyone had to stick around while the police and paramedics showed up. Witnesses weren't allowed to leave the scene, after all. Everyone lost a lot today - either a wallet full of cash, a piece of sanity, or both. Karin wasn't sour about the cheap phone and thirty dollars. She could get that back in an hour if she really wanted to - She was worried about her brother. How long was he going to be lost in the dark?
"You okay?" Maria asked.
"I'll be fine." Karin murmured, softly.
"I heard you speak up to that woman. That was a bold move."
"It was stupid."
"Clearly not as stupid as you might think. You're still here."
"I just..." She sighed and looked down at the table, one hand resting on her brother's knee. "She didn't want any of that to happen." She whispered, "The shooting, the chaos, the upset... She didn't want that. She just wanted the money. The guns were just a scaring tactic, and a backup if anything went sour. She didn't want anyone to die."
Maria just sighed again and placed a hand on her shoulder, "There's nothing else you could have done."
"Maybe if I stayed quiet that guy wouldn't have even tried. Maybe I just helped boost his confidence."
"Well, over-confidence is one helluva' flimsy shield, K. It ain't your fault. You stood your ground, and he tried to stand his, but the difference was he didn't have to." She said. "You want a cup of coffee?"
"Coffee would be great." She whispered with a nod, then wiped some tears away from her eyes, "Can you come over later tonight, Maria?"
"Of course, anything." She squeezed Karin's shoulder before stepping back. "I'll get you that coffee."
Joseph had said nothing; he was just slowly eating. He had a face that looked like he was eating rotten meat - he didn't want any of what he was eating, as much as he enjoyed it usually. He just felt sick. He was sat there in silence, but, his big sister was there to protect him, right?
--
A partner and a case to start things off right away? Fantastic.
"You can count me in, anytime." He winked, and after pouring away the ass-tasting coffee, he quickly followed him outside. Once he reached the car, well, he figured he should get them a little more of a scope over the situation at hand. The power of the radio - he had a great partner when he was just a cadet, someone who retired a year later. But he knew everything, practically, after being with the department his whole life. His radio communications seemed otherworldly, how the words just rolled off his tongue, and how he could shout directions down a radio all while pursuing someone at high speed. It was incredible, and Frank had picked up a lot of his technique. He wasn't a master, but he was good enough. He always liked to think he made it look like a movie - but that was just his way of looking at it.
Once he was sat in the car, he grabbed his own radio.
"Detective Hale to Dispatch, how copy?"
"Loud and clear, Detective. Go ahead, over."
"What's the '20 of the robbery-homicide? Over."
"Looking at a Coral Cafe on West Burbank Boulevard, over."
"Copy that. We've got an 11-41 on scene by the sounds of it, Dispatch, what's the status on that? Over."
"Call for ambulance has been made, ETA 3 minutes, over."
"10-4. We'll be arriving on scene shortly, over and out."
So, that was that.
A Short While Later...
"This is the place." Frank said, scanning over it. It was nice enough. Quiet, small - It didn't look like the sort of place that belonged in a hold-up situation. Hale had read the Google reviews of this place, too (a while back now) - It was described as a family-friendly place. He just hoped there wasn't stacks of young kids forced to sit around by a body. It was the middle of the summer, and approaching lunch time. He knew it was likely that there were kids there, but part of him was praying that it wasn't the case. He knew praying wouldn't do anything for him, but, that didn't matter now. Now it was a matter of getting inside and assessing the situation.
An ambulance was already pulled up, and there were medics rushing in and out of the building. One of them was hauling a stretcher with a black bodybag strapped to the top out of the door. That was the stiff in question, one that would be delivered to the morgue for further assessment in due time. One thing Hale knew was that the force always worried that the paramedics would contaminate the scene. He knew they were professionals that went through countless hours of training, but, that was always a fear among people investigating the crime scenes. Forensics were probably already enroute to the locationl, but, the detectives had a while to get inside and take statements. There were already patrol cars there, too, but many of the officers were already awaiting orders, or they were talking to the staff of the diner. Main witnesses with access to CCTV and such, after all.
"Tony, tell me something..." He stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. The place felt tense. "You any good with kids?" He asked. "Because if there's any in here... Christ, I've dealt with kids before, but I ain't the best with 'em. Kids flock to some people. Others, not so much." He made sure his badge was displayed from his jacket pocket, patted himself down to make sure he had his gun, and finally, checked his inner pocket for his notepad and small pen. He liked to keep it traditional. "First thing's first, though... I mean, I'm under your wing, so whatever you need me to do, I'll do it." He nodded at him, and offered a smile. But it wasn't a happy smile, just a polite one. How could anyone be happy in a situation like this?
"Shall we?" He asked.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
In just a week's time, The Clan had already established a fair share of real estate across the LA area to recollect and rest after after their operations and/or have a base to fall back to in a worst case scenario. One wasn't all that far away from the diner in Burbank: an older apartment on the 5th floor with a view convenient enough to see the Coral Cafe they'd just hit, if you looked out the right balcony. The balcony that was a part of Thalia's quarters, specifically. Being a privileged member of The Clan and Rami's bride-to-be, she received such a right to have sleeping quarters and a bathroom to herself, courtesy of the Head. She left her boss and underlings to enjoy their earnings alone and trotted to her room without saying a word to anyone. Privacy, can't a girl get that these days? Binding the door with the measly lock on the knob would suffice to say she doesn't want to be disturbed. And nobody had a right to question it. She turned around to face the room, complete with a king sized bed draped in red sheets, white curtains to block out the sun from the glass balcony doors, a single old-fashioned light bulb to light up the room, a dark brown closet for her wardrobe to the right side of her bed, and a door in front of the bed to the master bathroom. These kinds of places. This was home to Thalia, the only kind of home she's had for years.
A quick downward glance back at a shirt she once found cute brought back the memories of the bodies dropped over the past hour. And the black, baggy shirt was bloodstained, ruined. Fuck... she growled to herself in her head, quickly grabbing the ends of it in a cross-like manner and pulling it over her head. She tossed it to the ground without a care in the world and marched to her closet, throwing the doors open to an assortment of hanged jackets and quick-to-grab folded tops and pants on the left side. Ignoring the sight of herself undressed to her bra in the door's inside mirror, she grabbed a plain burgundy tank top off the top of the folded stack and quickly fixed it over her slim body. Fortunately, that black shirt she discarded was the only piece of clothing stained by someone else's blood today. Usually things didn't end up that way. But all thanks to Ra's' idea to recruit new clansmen, they had to let a reckless wannabe tag along and ruin everything. That man's death, though not directly, was on her. So was that child who was scarred by the sight. Karin had a point that the goons were mediocre, but their actions still had weight. Careless. And they were her responsibility. Why are you suddenly caring so much? You don't care. You never did. Get over it! Not like you'll see this woman ever again. Except part of Thalia did. To at least give a genuine apology to the boy. Kids were off-limits to her, and for a good reason she only noticed in hindsight: She had a brother, one roughly Joseph's age, one she never knew since her mother was three months pregnant with this boy when she ran away from home. She has no idea what Charlie looks like today, and it always bothered her. He was just a kid who will never know his sister. Worse, she didn't want him to know her. Not like this. Seeing Joseph might've come as a revelation for the gravity of her actions. A sign to be more careful.
Behind the devious, evil looks, there was a girly half of her banging on the closet door. That being said, despite looking scary, she also cared about looking like an actual girl as well. A side of her she couldn't rip apart no matter how hard she tried. In the poorly-illuminated bathroom, she approached the white sink and let the water fall from the faucet at its maximum capacity. She let the water gather in her palms scooped together like a bowl, and once they were full, she bent her head into the sink and soaked her face in the fluid, drowning herself from the eyes down to her lips to wipe away the dark make-up and remnants of blood. She never saw herself as beautiful, and the choice of heavy eyeliner and lipstick were specifically to highlight the absence of beauty. The look of a monster, because that's what she'd become over the past eight years. But behind closed doors, she couldn't help but want to see what she really looked like, especially after that stunt she just pulled at the diner. None of her victims have ever seen her face unmasked. Karin was now an exception, and she kept pestering herself: why? This was a total stranger, for Christ's sake. A few repetitions of the cycle, wiping away the black and red spots from her face, she eventually lifted her face and stared directly at her reflection: a clear face, wet and without make-up or blemishes. Sure, she was naturally pretty. If she were to see someone of her identical physical attributes, she'd definitely date her, even with the risk of getting caught by Rami. But she didn't want to be beautiful in the eyes of others. She reached to her right for a white towel to dry off the water on her face and the edges of her curls. Her glimpses at the mirror almost made her want to shed a tear. It made her imagine how she'd be if she never left home. Though she'd have a silver spoon in her mouth, she'd be much more well-kept than she is now. After a few brushes to even out her hair, she could only look at the young lady staring back at her with a mix of awe and distaste. A quick toy with the tips of her hair and a forced smile over her lips joined forces to try and cheer her up. And it sort of did to see herself like this, a light giggle coming from her as well. Pretty, an adjective she hated but knew was true to a degree. But the remorse for the dead man, the child, his chaperone... It wouldn't go away and took the smile off her face instantly.
Part of her wanted to go back, so badly. But no doubt someone from the heist would recognize her. The bright color of her hair, her tattoo on her hand and neck, her eyes, all red flags that someone is bound to recognize. Plus, there'd be cops roaming the area. God damn your guilt! Just go back and spy on the scene, then come back before Ra's finds out! Someone needs to stake out anyway! She swiped the curtains from the balcony and glanced from the view. There were police swarming the place. Walking in there would be a death sentence. But... recon would be necessary. So she felt it a must. She HAD to go back. Tell this boy she was sorry. He wasn't Charlie. But she saw him in his fear. Maybe atoning for this sin would help her seem more... tolerable, next time she sees herself in the mirror.
--
Certainly, over his many years as a detective, Tony became less and less orthodox. He rarely used standard California police code on the radio, and his office and desk were a jungle from paperwork and notes. Qualities of the older man that Frank would soon discover. Not necessarily ones of an ideal detective, but his methods gave results, and that's all that mattered to his superiors. Richard didn't mind, and maybe Frank wouldn't either. Through the trip to the scene of the robbery/homicide, Tony let Frank do the talking on the radio, examining how textbook he was in his wording. Very precise. Impressive. He nodded with each response and remained quiet on the trip until their arrival.
Coral Cafe. Usually this area was rather serene to Tony's knowledge. Not today. Today it was the scene of a crime. A body bag being hauled away from the scene. At least the bystanders would not have such a horrid display in front of them anymore. Quick response, thankfully. The witnesses were inside, and with only a few patrol officers on scene, it seemed like the two detectives were going to be the first to take initial statements. As he dismounted the vehicle with his partner, he heard the question about dealing with children. Boy, did he have several tales comforting children in his ten years as a detective. It might've been his older appearance. Kids would see him as a grandpa-like figure, and feel especially comfortable. He also had quite a way with words, even with kids. It kind of made him wish that he'd married Melissa sooner, started a family. He's 35, not getting any younger. "Kids are a unique kind of witness, Frank. You can't just throw the heavy questions at them oneshot, as you probably know. You need to relate to them. Get their trust. Let them open up naturally without make it look like an interrogation. Sometimes in my experience, they can be more helpful than adults, if they trust you enough, that is."
The two entered the cafe one after the other, Tony leading the way inside and scanning the room for who to interview first. The staff were covered by the patrol officers who arrived first. The customers were who remained, and were certainly traumatized. Someone just died in front of them, it's only natural, and the chalk outline and blood stains were still present on the wooden floors beneath. But the thought of children highlighted one pair of witnesses that Tony locked eyes on: Karin and Joseph. Keeping his eye contact, he spoke to Frank between the two of them, leaning his head closer. "How about this, your first test on your first day of the job. The white-haired woman with the little boy. You can lead, introduce the both of us, and handle the girl, and I'll ease in with the kid, if you really don't feel up to dealing with the young ones. I'll get a feel for how you operate on the floor, and at the same time, we can teach each other a thing or two about each other. What do you say?" It would feel good for Frank to feel like he was doing something during his time, and if he ever felt like he was struggling, Tony would quickly back him up. A fair opportunity to prove himself. This man couldn't refuse.
A quick downward glance back at a shirt she once found cute brought back the memories of the bodies dropped over the past hour. And the black, baggy shirt was bloodstained, ruined. Fuck... she growled to herself in her head, quickly grabbing the ends of it in a cross-like manner and pulling it over her head. She tossed it to the ground without a care in the world and marched to her closet, throwing the doors open to an assortment of hanged jackets and quick-to-grab folded tops and pants on the left side. Ignoring the sight of herself undressed to her bra in the door's inside mirror, she grabbed a plain burgundy tank top off the top of the folded stack and quickly fixed it over her slim body. Fortunately, that black shirt she discarded was the only piece of clothing stained by someone else's blood today. Usually things didn't end up that way. But all thanks to Ra's' idea to recruit new clansmen, they had to let a reckless wannabe tag along and ruin everything. That man's death, though not directly, was on her. So was that child who was scarred by the sight. Karin had a point that the goons were mediocre, but their actions still had weight. Careless. And they were her responsibility. Why are you suddenly caring so much? You don't care. You never did. Get over it! Not like you'll see this woman ever again. Except part of Thalia did. To at least give a genuine apology to the boy. Kids were off-limits to her, and for a good reason she only noticed in hindsight: She had a brother, one roughly Joseph's age, one she never knew since her mother was three months pregnant with this boy when she ran away from home. She has no idea what Charlie looks like today, and it always bothered her. He was just a kid who will never know his sister. Worse, she didn't want him to know her. Not like this. Seeing Joseph might've come as a revelation for the gravity of her actions. A sign to be more careful.
Behind the devious, evil looks, there was a girly half of her banging on the closet door. That being said, despite looking scary, she also cared about looking like an actual girl as well. A side of her she couldn't rip apart no matter how hard she tried. In the poorly-illuminated bathroom, she approached the white sink and let the water fall from the faucet at its maximum capacity. She let the water gather in her palms scooped together like a bowl, and once they were full, she bent her head into the sink and soaked her face in the fluid, drowning herself from the eyes down to her lips to wipe away the dark make-up and remnants of blood. She never saw herself as beautiful, and the choice of heavy eyeliner and lipstick were specifically to highlight the absence of beauty. The look of a monster, because that's what she'd become over the past eight years. But behind closed doors, she couldn't help but want to see what she really looked like, especially after that stunt she just pulled at the diner. None of her victims have ever seen her face unmasked. Karin was now an exception, and she kept pestering herself: why? This was a total stranger, for Christ's sake. A few repetitions of the cycle, wiping away the black and red spots from her face, she eventually lifted her face and stared directly at her reflection: a clear face, wet and without make-up or blemishes. Sure, she was naturally pretty. If she were to see someone of her identical physical attributes, she'd definitely date her, even with the risk of getting caught by Rami. But she didn't want to be beautiful in the eyes of others. She reached to her right for a white towel to dry off the water on her face and the edges of her curls. Her glimpses at the mirror almost made her want to shed a tear. It made her imagine how she'd be if she never left home. Though she'd have a silver spoon in her mouth, she'd be much more well-kept than she is now. After a few brushes to even out her hair, she could only look at the young lady staring back at her with a mix of awe and distaste. A quick toy with the tips of her hair and a forced smile over her lips joined forces to try and cheer her up. And it sort of did to see herself like this, a light giggle coming from her as well. Pretty, an adjective she hated but knew was true to a degree. But the remorse for the dead man, the child, his chaperone... It wouldn't go away and took the smile off her face instantly.
Part of her wanted to go back, so badly. But no doubt someone from the heist would recognize her. The bright color of her hair, her tattoo on her hand and neck, her eyes, all red flags that someone is bound to recognize. Plus, there'd be cops roaming the area. God damn your guilt! Just go back and spy on the scene, then come back before Ra's finds out! Someone needs to stake out anyway! She swiped the curtains from the balcony and glanced from the view. There were police swarming the place. Walking in there would be a death sentence. But... recon would be necessary. So she felt it a must. She HAD to go back. Tell this boy she was sorry. He wasn't Charlie. But she saw him in his fear. Maybe atoning for this sin would help her seem more... tolerable, next time she sees herself in the mirror.
--
Certainly, over his many years as a detective, Tony became less and less orthodox. He rarely used standard California police code on the radio, and his office and desk were a jungle from paperwork and notes. Qualities of the older man that Frank would soon discover. Not necessarily ones of an ideal detective, but his methods gave results, and that's all that mattered to his superiors. Richard didn't mind, and maybe Frank wouldn't either. Through the trip to the scene of the robbery/homicide, Tony let Frank do the talking on the radio, examining how textbook he was in his wording. Very precise. Impressive. He nodded with each response and remained quiet on the trip until their arrival.
Coral Cafe. Usually this area was rather serene to Tony's knowledge. Not today. Today it was the scene of a crime. A body bag being hauled away from the scene. At least the bystanders would not have such a horrid display in front of them anymore. Quick response, thankfully. The witnesses were inside, and with only a few patrol officers on scene, it seemed like the two detectives were going to be the first to take initial statements. As he dismounted the vehicle with his partner, he heard the question about dealing with children. Boy, did he have several tales comforting children in his ten years as a detective. It might've been his older appearance. Kids would see him as a grandpa-like figure, and feel especially comfortable. He also had quite a way with words, even with kids. It kind of made him wish that he'd married Melissa sooner, started a family. He's 35, not getting any younger. "Kids are a unique kind of witness, Frank. You can't just throw the heavy questions at them oneshot, as you probably know. You need to relate to them. Get their trust. Let them open up naturally without make it look like an interrogation. Sometimes in my experience, they can be more helpful than adults, if they trust you enough, that is."
The two entered the cafe one after the other, Tony leading the way inside and scanning the room for who to interview first. The staff were covered by the patrol officers who arrived first. The customers were who remained, and were certainly traumatized. Someone just died in front of them, it's only natural, and the chalk outline and blood stains were still present on the wooden floors beneath. But the thought of children highlighted one pair of witnesses that Tony locked eyes on: Karin and Joseph. Keeping his eye contact, he spoke to Frank between the two of them, leaning his head closer. "How about this, your first test on your first day of the job. The white-haired woman with the little boy. You can lead, introduce the both of us, and handle the girl, and I'll ease in with the kid, if you really don't feel up to dealing with the young ones. I'll get a feel for how you operate on the floor, and at the same time, we can teach each other a thing or two about each other. What do you say?" It would feel good for Frank to feel like he was doing something during his time, and if he ever felt like he was struggling, Tony would quickly back him up. A fair opportunity to prove himself. This man couldn't refuse.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
"Mhm, I understand what you mean, Tony. I do." He said. "Kids are... Kids have a lot more room up here." He tapped the side of his head, "A lot more than people like us. They don't have to worry about rent, about any obligations other than friends and school, basically. Their minds are young but active, they remember things far better. Not to say I've never spoken to kids on the job before. Grizzly case not too far back now, one I'll have to tell you about sometime, but, I had to take care of two kids during all of that." He sighed, "It's not so much working with them that's the problem. Once again, it's a long story, one that would take far too long to explain here and now. Maybe some other time." He winked once at him and sent him a nod, and, well, he figured the most important thing now would be to call in and let everyone know they were arriving.
"Dispatch, DELTA-2 is on-scene at Coral Cafe, over."
"10-4, DELTA-2. Be on standby, over."
He put his radio away.
"Anyway, as I was saying... I don't know. I always trust a kid's judgment. Sadly their judgment is that I'm not always the guy to talk to. Guess I'm too sincere. Always have been, ever since I was a kid myself. All in good time, I'm sure." He shrugged. Anyway, as he wandered into the diner, the first people that caught his eye were the woman and the boy sat near the entrance in one of the booths. The boy was shakily eating a hotdog with fries, pale-faced, very shaken. There were textbook signs of shock there - the woman looked sad rather than anything else, but Frank couldn't help but notice that little bit of fury in her eyes. She was bitter over the situation - if she had a young boy with her, there was no surprise there. He immediately started making an analysis on her and just about everyone else in his line of sight. She was far too young to be his mother - adoptive mother, maybe, but more likely a sibling, cousin, or even possibly his older brother's girlfriend. He was just going to take the nearest assumption, or most likely, and guess she was a sister. They looked somewhat similar in appearance, though.
The chef - sincere. Waitress - worried. Many of the customers - thankful.
It always seemed to be the same, always the three or four different emotions on every scene like this one.
He looked at Tony and nodded, "Your plan sounds fair to me." He said. "I'll see how the pro does it." And with a small smile, he quickly gave him a wink. "Yeah, sounds like a good plan." He confirmed, and as he started to approach the woman and child, he unbuttoned his jacket and made sure his gun was well and truly concealed. No need to shake the kid up, and no need to look too serious either. As he made his way to them he looked at the bullet casings that riddled the floor. ACP, they had to be. He didn't know which one exactly, but any small pistol or submachine gun was likely to have an ACP ammunition type. Cheap, loud, and damaging.
Karin looked up to meet eyes with him as they both approached, and Frank came to a slow stop.
He felt like he was in the spotlight now. What did he do? Casual? Businessman? Serious? Nah, she had a kid with her. Casual was the best way to go about this, no doubt.
"Hey, guys..." He greeted, quietly. He noticed the boy look up for just a split-second before his eyes went straight back to his plate. "I'm Detective Frank Hale with the LAPD, this is my partner, Detective Tony Walsh. We were wondering if you'd be okay to talk to us for a little while?"
Karin forced a smile and nodded, "Of course." She whispered, "Would you mind sitting down?" She asked, nodding to the seat opposite her and her brother.
"Sure." Frank nodded, first motioning for Tony to sit down so that he could be sat across from Joseph. Once he'd taken his seat, he placed himself down beside him. "Sorry, my manners. I never actually asked for your name." He said to Karin, alongside a soft look and slight smile.
"I'm Karin. Karin Held." She gulped, then placed a hand down on her brother's shoulder. "This is Joseph. He's my younger brother. Forgive the food... Before everything happened he had a shot of insulin. He needs to eat."
"No problem at all." He replied, "Well, pleasure to meet you both. As I said, we were just looking to have a talk, see if we can find out a little more about what's been going on. I'm sure you both want to get home, so, I assure you we won't take up too much of your time." He explained. Karin just nodded. He didn't know what she was thinking about everything, about them sitting with them like this. He knew she probably just wanted to get her now-confirmed brother home safe, but, all of this was necessary. He just hoped that she understood that. "Joseph, right?" He looked over at the boy, whose head immediately shot up at the mention of his name. He nodded in response. "Think you'd be happy to have a chat with my partner here?"
Joseph's eyes went from Frank to Tony a few times over, but he nodded again, "Sure." He whimpered, softly, then slid his plate of food into the middle. "Karin, I'm really not hungry." He whispered.
"That's fine, don't worry."
Joseph crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on top of them; he didn't mean Tony's eyes, he just stared down at the table. He still looked scared, understandably, and he was being as quiet as he could manage, and moving around as little as possible. He was almost frozen in time.
So, it was now time for the questions to be flung around. Frank thought of a way he could do it, a way to approach it. He had to remember he was in the presence of the child, too, so he couldn't be too blunt. He doubted the pair of them wanted to part ways from each other, either, even if it was just for a minute.
"Dispatch, DELTA-2 is on-scene at Coral Cafe, over."
"10-4, DELTA-2. Be on standby, over."
He put his radio away.
"Anyway, as I was saying... I don't know. I always trust a kid's judgment. Sadly their judgment is that I'm not always the guy to talk to. Guess I'm too sincere. Always have been, ever since I was a kid myself. All in good time, I'm sure." He shrugged. Anyway, as he wandered into the diner, the first people that caught his eye were the woman and the boy sat near the entrance in one of the booths. The boy was shakily eating a hotdog with fries, pale-faced, very shaken. There were textbook signs of shock there - the woman looked sad rather than anything else, but Frank couldn't help but notice that little bit of fury in her eyes. She was bitter over the situation - if she had a young boy with her, there was no surprise there. He immediately started making an analysis on her and just about everyone else in his line of sight. She was far too young to be his mother - adoptive mother, maybe, but more likely a sibling, cousin, or even possibly his older brother's girlfriend. He was just going to take the nearest assumption, or most likely, and guess she was a sister. They looked somewhat similar in appearance, though.
The chef - sincere. Waitress - worried. Many of the customers - thankful.
It always seemed to be the same, always the three or four different emotions on every scene like this one.
He looked at Tony and nodded, "Your plan sounds fair to me." He said. "I'll see how the pro does it." And with a small smile, he quickly gave him a wink. "Yeah, sounds like a good plan." He confirmed, and as he started to approach the woman and child, he unbuttoned his jacket and made sure his gun was well and truly concealed. No need to shake the kid up, and no need to look too serious either. As he made his way to them he looked at the bullet casings that riddled the floor. ACP, they had to be. He didn't know which one exactly, but any small pistol or submachine gun was likely to have an ACP ammunition type. Cheap, loud, and damaging.
Karin looked up to meet eyes with him as they both approached, and Frank came to a slow stop.
He felt like he was in the spotlight now. What did he do? Casual? Businessman? Serious? Nah, she had a kid with her. Casual was the best way to go about this, no doubt.
"Hey, guys..." He greeted, quietly. He noticed the boy look up for just a split-second before his eyes went straight back to his plate. "I'm Detective Frank Hale with the LAPD, this is my partner, Detective Tony Walsh. We were wondering if you'd be okay to talk to us for a little while?"
Karin forced a smile and nodded, "Of course." She whispered, "Would you mind sitting down?" She asked, nodding to the seat opposite her and her brother.
"Sure." Frank nodded, first motioning for Tony to sit down so that he could be sat across from Joseph. Once he'd taken his seat, he placed himself down beside him. "Sorry, my manners. I never actually asked for your name." He said to Karin, alongside a soft look and slight smile.
"I'm Karin. Karin Held." She gulped, then placed a hand down on her brother's shoulder. "This is Joseph. He's my younger brother. Forgive the food... Before everything happened he had a shot of insulin. He needs to eat."
"No problem at all." He replied, "Well, pleasure to meet you both. As I said, we were just looking to have a talk, see if we can find out a little more about what's been going on. I'm sure you both want to get home, so, I assure you we won't take up too much of your time." He explained. Karin just nodded. He didn't know what she was thinking about everything, about them sitting with them like this. He knew she probably just wanted to get her now-confirmed brother home safe, but, all of this was necessary. He just hoped that she understood that. "Joseph, right?" He looked over at the boy, whose head immediately shot up at the mention of his name. He nodded in response. "Think you'd be happy to have a chat with my partner here?"
Joseph's eyes went from Frank to Tony a few times over, but he nodded again, "Sure." He whimpered, softly, then slid his plate of food into the middle. "Karin, I'm really not hungry." He whispered.
"That's fine, don't worry."
Joseph crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on top of them; he didn't mean Tony's eyes, he just stared down at the table. He still looked scared, understandably, and he was being as quiet as he could manage, and moving around as little as possible. He was almost frozen in time.
So, it was now time for the questions to be flung around. Frank thought of a way he could do it, a way to approach it. He had to remember he was in the presence of the child, too, so he couldn't be too blunt. He doubted the pair of them wanted to part ways from each other, either, even if it was just for a minute.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
So a plan was in motion: a two-on-two interview. Tony taking the child, Frank taking the older woman. Watching a young blood lead the way was amusing in its own way to Tony. He'd been doing this for so long, and oftentimes with Richard, he felt overly-dominant. Once he was out of the job, he promised he'd share his spotlight with his next partner. Frank. And he was already starting off on the right foot with this partner. The significantly younger detective seemed seasoned in his own right, maybe not in the bureau he'd been in for a decade, but in general. Quite a partner he chose, and literally at the last minute. Fate worked in strange ways, indeed. A world of mystery lied ahead for Tony and Frank. Only time could tell, but it all started with this case. There was plenty of time for them to catch up, talk about their pasts and lives as officers of the law, stories Tony would happily open up about.
Much like Frank, Tony also paid attention to the details left behind in the scene. Bullet holes could be found on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Probably from relatively small bullets, and firing in a spraying-type manner. Maybe an automatic pistol or a submachine gun? Certainly wasn't anything larger, judging by the holes. The locations of the bullet spread seemed moreso intimidating than trying to kill. But there was a casualty, and judging by the blood spatter, it was probably someone on their feet. Forensics would probably be able to tell more. He knew his way around the general atmosphere, but certainly no specifics. He wish he could, if it weren't for his damn colorblindness. But detective work was a more than satisfactory alternative for him. The two that Tony pointed to, judging by their faces, had to have a familial connection. Probably not mother/son. Maybe cousins? Siblings? They'd find out soon enough, now that his newly-appointed partner was onboard and leading the way. He followed as a spectator and, simultaneously, a judge of sorts. Analyzing Frank's skills as a fresh detective.
As for greetings? All was in order, and the girl, Karin Held, was more than willing to talk and let her brother participate as well. That was Tony's cue. He took a seat across from the little boy he'd be questioning. His face told so much about what was going on in his little head: fear, shock, sadness. As he and Frank discussed, the mind of a child was certainly an amazing device, capacities beyond those of their matured mind. Storing information unlike others, though suppressing it as well. It was his job to try and reach out to this boy. "Joseph? Hey there...." He spoke in a voice appropriate and varying in pitch, accustomed for a child. He scooted his chair closer to Joseph's. Proximity to a trustworthy face would help. He hoped that his older appearances helped in making him more approachable. "My name's Tony. You know... you and your sister, Karin? You two are very brave. I know you were scared, but at the same time, as a police officer, we love people like you who can be brave and stand with their sisters." He gave the boy a brief pause to process his words. He took a glance at Joseph's unfinished plate, then at the boy again. "It's scary, I know. And I promise you, I'm going to find the mean people who did this. Who scared you. And I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt or scare anyone else, okay?"
Tony was no psychologist. All of his attempts could be for nothing and just box Joseph in further. He didn't even ask for anything. Maybe he would respond in his shocked state with words related to the crime. Maybe he wouldn't. It was up in the air. He tapped the boy's shoulder in a gentle way as he listened in to Frank's half of the interrogation. Hearing his sister talk, that might help young Joseph.
--
The traditional yellow police tape rolled from street posts and randomly parked patrol cars served as a barrier between pedestrians and the crime scene. Obviously, the local PD couldn't have people walking back and forth, or even walking into the diner as usual. The more contained the situation, the better. It shouldn't have surprised Thalia when she arrived. Escaping her sleeping quarters wasn't difficult. Her agility served as her greatest asset, using the gutter descending from the side of the building as a sliding pole, like the ones in a kid's playground. Her light, slender figure prevented it from falling apart on her. And knowing her own capabilities, she might be able to scale it back up when she returns. When would that be? Not until she finds Karin. A bit of a change in appearance was in order. She did clean off the make-up she had on before, but that wasn't enough. Covering her tattooed hand was a slim, black, fingerless glove, with another on her left hand to match. Over her tank top, she wore a black leather jacket, and on her head, she wore a black beanie to cover up her hair as best as possible. With the rest of her flowing curly locks, she fastened the longer ends of her hair into a braid behind her head. Maybe nobody would suspect that was her from the witnesses?
Her short walk to the Coral Cafe was halted by a guarding patrol officer. "Sorry, ma'am, the cafe is closed at the moment. You'll have to come back later."
"I-I know," Thalia attempted to play innocent, a cover story already in mind. This cop didn't red-flag her on the spot. Either they haven't taken statements yet, or he simply didn't recognize her. "My friend's in there. She called me to comfort her."
"You can see your friend when she gives her statement. Until then, nobody leaves or goes in without our approval. So run along, little lady."
A pouty, disappointed facial expression came across Thalia, playing the role of the distressed friend, when in reality, she had no friends beyond the tape. Just victims to her sloppy crime. She just wanted to apologize to the girl and her boy, then let them both move on with their lives. But that had to wait now with the ongoing investigation. Damn, local PD is fast around here. In Philly, they'd need waaaaay longer. But this wasn't Philly. LA was a different turf. One she intended to master. "Thank you, Officer." Those were her last words before turning her back on the scene and walking away at a moderate pace. She couldn't draw any attention onto herself. Ra's would have her head. Literally. But she wasn't leaving without making peace with the guilty sensation gnawing at her heart. She kept looking back at the windows of the diner. Maybe this girl would see her from a distance? Maybe not. With how close they were in the stand-off, they can't possibly forget each others' faces. Thalia surely didn't.
Much like Frank, Tony also paid attention to the details left behind in the scene. Bullet holes could be found on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Probably from relatively small bullets, and firing in a spraying-type manner. Maybe an automatic pistol or a submachine gun? Certainly wasn't anything larger, judging by the holes. The locations of the bullet spread seemed moreso intimidating than trying to kill. But there was a casualty, and judging by the blood spatter, it was probably someone on their feet. Forensics would probably be able to tell more. He knew his way around the general atmosphere, but certainly no specifics. He wish he could, if it weren't for his damn colorblindness. But detective work was a more than satisfactory alternative for him. The two that Tony pointed to, judging by their faces, had to have a familial connection. Probably not mother/son. Maybe cousins? Siblings? They'd find out soon enough, now that his newly-appointed partner was onboard and leading the way. He followed as a spectator and, simultaneously, a judge of sorts. Analyzing Frank's skills as a fresh detective.
As for greetings? All was in order, and the girl, Karin Held, was more than willing to talk and let her brother participate as well. That was Tony's cue. He took a seat across from the little boy he'd be questioning. His face told so much about what was going on in his little head: fear, shock, sadness. As he and Frank discussed, the mind of a child was certainly an amazing device, capacities beyond those of their matured mind. Storing information unlike others, though suppressing it as well. It was his job to try and reach out to this boy. "Joseph? Hey there...." He spoke in a voice appropriate and varying in pitch, accustomed for a child. He scooted his chair closer to Joseph's. Proximity to a trustworthy face would help. He hoped that his older appearances helped in making him more approachable. "My name's Tony. You know... you and your sister, Karin? You two are very brave. I know you were scared, but at the same time, as a police officer, we love people like you who can be brave and stand with their sisters." He gave the boy a brief pause to process his words. He took a glance at Joseph's unfinished plate, then at the boy again. "It's scary, I know. And I promise you, I'm going to find the mean people who did this. Who scared you. And I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt or scare anyone else, okay?"
Tony was no psychologist. All of his attempts could be for nothing and just box Joseph in further. He didn't even ask for anything. Maybe he would respond in his shocked state with words related to the crime. Maybe he wouldn't. It was up in the air. He tapped the boy's shoulder in a gentle way as he listened in to Frank's half of the interrogation. Hearing his sister talk, that might help young Joseph.
--
The traditional yellow police tape rolled from street posts and randomly parked patrol cars served as a barrier between pedestrians and the crime scene. Obviously, the local PD couldn't have people walking back and forth, or even walking into the diner as usual. The more contained the situation, the better. It shouldn't have surprised Thalia when she arrived. Escaping her sleeping quarters wasn't difficult. Her agility served as her greatest asset, using the gutter descending from the side of the building as a sliding pole, like the ones in a kid's playground. Her light, slender figure prevented it from falling apart on her. And knowing her own capabilities, she might be able to scale it back up when she returns. When would that be? Not until she finds Karin. A bit of a change in appearance was in order. She did clean off the make-up she had on before, but that wasn't enough. Covering her tattooed hand was a slim, black, fingerless glove, with another on her left hand to match. Over her tank top, she wore a black leather jacket, and on her head, she wore a black beanie to cover up her hair as best as possible. With the rest of her flowing curly locks, she fastened the longer ends of her hair into a braid behind her head. Maybe nobody would suspect that was her from the witnesses?
Her short walk to the Coral Cafe was halted by a guarding patrol officer. "Sorry, ma'am, the cafe is closed at the moment. You'll have to come back later."
"I-I know," Thalia attempted to play innocent, a cover story already in mind. This cop didn't red-flag her on the spot. Either they haven't taken statements yet, or he simply didn't recognize her. "My friend's in there. She called me to comfort her."
"You can see your friend when she gives her statement. Until then, nobody leaves or goes in without our approval. So run along, little lady."
A pouty, disappointed facial expression came across Thalia, playing the role of the distressed friend, when in reality, she had no friends beyond the tape. Just victims to her sloppy crime. She just wanted to apologize to the girl and her boy, then let them both move on with their lives. But that had to wait now with the ongoing investigation. Damn, local PD is fast around here. In Philly, they'd need waaaaay longer. But this wasn't Philly. LA was a different turf. One she intended to master. "Thank you, Officer." Those were her last words before turning her back on the scene and walking away at a moderate pace. She couldn't draw any attention onto herself. Ra's would have her head. Literally. But she wasn't leaving without making peace with the guilty sensation gnawing at her heart. She kept looking back at the windows of the diner. Maybe this girl would see her from a distance? Maybe not. With how close they were in the stand-off, they can't possibly forget each others' faces. Thalia surely didn't.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
So, both the detectives were working a two-way job here - not only were they listening and learning from each other in little ways, but they were also listening to both Joseph and Karin. Three-way job, I guess. Either way, Frank kept himself calm, didn't give Karin anything other than a gentle smile. The first point of concern is Joseph, though, who still sat there in silence. As Tony started started to talk he reached out onto the table and grabbed his little pouch that held the insulin pens. He started to flick the zip around. Just something to fiddle with while he spoke to the officer. I suppose it was a comfort thing - it was something to focus on to help take his mind off of everything that happened. Frank, although he already knew that the boy was diabetic, he quickly clocked onto the 'Novo Nordisk' printed on the front of the pouch. He knew that even with health insurance, life as a diabetic wasn't cheap. He wasn't in the place to make assumptions, but he did need to find out more. He wanted to know if there was more than just concern for her brother behind this woman's bitterness.
Still, Joseph listened to Tony, even if it looked like he wasn't. His eyes became more alert, and even though he wasn't looking at Tony, it was clear that he was paying attention.
"She." Joseph choked out as a correction to what Tony said. "It was a she, at least one of them." He said, then took a glance out of the window. He kept his head low still - the idea of having someone spot him, the idea of anyone other than the police officers and his sister looking at him was a scary thought at the minute. He just wanted to stay hidden from the world. "There were... I think there were four. Three guys and the girl, too." He said. "I didn't... I didn't see much, but..." He gulped. "They had guns, the smaller ones, but, um... I don't know, they were kinda' like the ones you see on TV, and in video games, y'know, like GTA?" He asked, briefly glancing up at him for a second. "They're the automatic ones, but they were holding them in one hand. I don't really know the names of the guns, but, y'know what I mean?" He asked, then shrugged and sighed shakily. "The woman was here at our table for a while. I think she was young, like my sister. I didn't see her face all that well, but... Yeah." He said. "They all came in wearing masks, the woman had two guns, though. She wasn't... She wasn't the one who..." He closed his eyes and inhaled a shaky breath. "She wasn't the one who shot the guy, though." He managed to choke out, before quickly wiping his closed eyes with his forearm. The tears were flowing yet again, and the boy's body adopted a slight tremble once more.
Meanwhile with Frank and Karin, things were on a... Straight-forward level, I suppose.
"Do you want me to contact your parents, Karin?" He asked.
"No. I mean, I'd let you if they were still alive." She shrugged.
"I'm sorry."
"It's been a long time. It's just me and my brother."
"I see." He nodded, "I'm sorry the two of you had to go through this. I imagine things aren't very easy as it is." He nodded down to the pouch holding his insulin pens and such.
"It's not." She shook her head and sighed, "I was the only one who stood up to them in the slightest. At least the only one who did it and got out alive." She shook her head again.
"Alright. You had a bit of a face-off with one of them, then?"
"Yep. The woman, I started throwing guilt." She said, "Spat on the money she forced me to hand over, got more sarcastic than I probably should have. But I did it."
"Do you remember what she looked like? Or what any of them looked like?"
"She..." She paused for a minute. The woman had no control over the killing, but if they got to her, she'd have the murder pinned on her right away, and she'd serve 20 years and up in a cell. As much as she disliked the woman, she didn't deserve to get imprisoned for something that she didn't do. She could let her slip this time - she had a selective memory when she wanted to have one. "She was beautiful." She said. "The guys, they were brutes, loud, reckless." She said, "The woman was pretty, though, dark hair, and that's about all I can tell you."
"How were they dressed?"
"Aside from the masks?" She sighed, "Aside from the masks, they were dressed like a million other Californians. Shorts, summer clothes, the usual. I work here, you know. I work here and I could tell you if I'd ever seen any of them before just by their voices. From what I can remember, none of them were ever here scoping it out, or anything. It was just one of those jobs, I suppose. Just a snatch-and-grab. But the woman didn't want anyone to die."
"You know that for a fact?"
"Yeah, I do." She sighed, "She came in, said we all had to stay calm, no one would get hurt. When the guy blasted the man that ran at him, she... Wasn't happy. Even gave me a look, whispered a sorry, all the rest of it."
"Alright. Is there anything else you can remember? Did they use any names?"
"Not that I can remember, but they said something... Said this street now belonged to... Al-Asheera?" She pronounced it shakily.
"Al-Asheera, huh." Frank nodded, then slowly looked over to Tony with a sigh. While that happened, though, Karin glanced out of the window, and it didn't take long for her to notice the woman. Karin didn't have bad eyesight, either, and she knew one thing right away. It was her, wasn't it? It must have been her. She had to confirm it, she just had to. She needed to know, and if it was her, she was going to make sure she knew just what damage she'd caused. As said before, when it came to her brother, all bets were off. She could be brutal, ruthless, even cruel to people if it involved him. Honesty wasn't something that she struggled with.
"Sorry, can you excuse me for a minute? I need to step outside."
"What?" Joseph turned to her.
"Hey." She gently squeezed his hand, "I just need some air, okay? You wait here with the detectives. You'll be fine. You're doing great." She leaned forward and gently pecked him on the forehead.
"That's fine." Frank nodded. He was curious as to why she suddenly wanted to leave. Either way, leaving Joseph (much to his displeasure) with the detectives, she got up and quickly made her way outside and onto the street. As she got closer, it was confirmed - It was definitely her.
But she didn't talk to her immediately. She went out of the line of sight of her brother and the detectives, just around a corner, and she stood there. She waited. If this woman was back for a reason, she wanted to know what it was. She didn't want to leave her brother alone for too long.
Still, Joseph listened to Tony, even if it looked like he wasn't. His eyes became more alert, and even though he wasn't looking at Tony, it was clear that he was paying attention.
"She." Joseph choked out as a correction to what Tony said. "It was a she, at least one of them." He said, then took a glance out of the window. He kept his head low still - the idea of having someone spot him, the idea of anyone other than the police officers and his sister looking at him was a scary thought at the minute. He just wanted to stay hidden from the world. "There were... I think there were four. Three guys and the girl, too." He said. "I didn't... I didn't see much, but..." He gulped. "They had guns, the smaller ones, but, um... I don't know, they were kinda' like the ones you see on TV, and in video games, y'know, like GTA?" He asked, briefly glancing up at him for a second. "They're the automatic ones, but they were holding them in one hand. I don't really know the names of the guns, but, y'know what I mean?" He asked, then shrugged and sighed shakily. "The woman was here at our table for a while. I think she was young, like my sister. I didn't see her face all that well, but... Yeah." He said. "They all came in wearing masks, the woman had two guns, though. She wasn't... She wasn't the one who..." He closed his eyes and inhaled a shaky breath. "She wasn't the one who shot the guy, though." He managed to choke out, before quickly wiping his closed eyes with his forearm. The tears were flowing yet again, and the boy's body adopted a slight tremble once more.
Meanwhile with Frank and Karin, things were on a... Straight-forward level, I suppose.
"Do you want me to contact your parents, Karin?" He asked.
"No. I mean, I'd let you if they were still alive." She shrugged.
"I'm sorry."
"It's been a long time. It's just me and my brother."
"I see." He nodded, "I'm sorry the two of you had to go through this. I imagine things aren't very easy as it is." He nodded down to the pouch holding his insulin pens and such.
"It's not." She shook her head and sighed, "I was the only one who stood up to them in the slightest. At least the only one who did it and got out alive." She shook her head again.
"Alright. You had a bit of a face-off with one of them, then?"
"Yep. The woman, I started throwing guilt." She said, "Spat on the money she forced me to hand over, got more sarcastic than I probably should have. But I did it."
"Do you remember what she looked like? Or what any of them looked like?"
"She..." She paused for a minute. The woman had no control over the killing, but if they got to her, she'd have the murder pinned on her right away, and she'd serve 20 years and up in a cell. As much as she disliked the woman, she didn't deserve to get imprisoned for something that she didn't do. She could let her slip this time - she had a selective memory when she wanted to have one. "She was beautiful." She said. "The guys, they were brutes, loud, reckless." She said, "The woman was pretty, though, dark hair, and that's about all I can tell you."
"How were they dressed?"
"Aside from the masks?" She sighed, "Aside from the masks, they were dressed like a million other Californians. Shorts, summer clothes, the usual. I work here, you know. I work here and I could tell you if I'd ever seen any of them before just by their voices. From what I can remember, none of them were ever here scoping it out, or anything. It was just one of those jobs, I suppose. Just a snatch-and-grab. But the woman didn't want anyone to die."
"You know that for a fact?"
"Yeah, I do." She sighed, "She came in, said we all had to stay calm, no one would get hurt. When the guy blasted the man that ran at him, she... Wasn't happy. Even gave me a look, whispered a sorry, all the rest of it."
"Alright. Is there anything else you can remember? Did they use any names?"
"Not that I can remember, but they said something... Said this street now belonged to... Al-Asheera?" She pronounced it shakily.
"Al-Asheera, huh." Frank nodded, then slowly looked over to Tony with a sigh. While that happened, though, Karin glanced out of the window, and it didn't take long for her to notice the woman. Karin didn't have bad eyesight, either, and she knew one thing right away. It was her, wasn't it? It must have been her. She had to confirm it, she just had to. She needed to know, and if it was her, she was going to make sure she knew just what damage she'd caused. As said before, when it came to her brother, all bets were off. She could be brutal, ruthless, even cruel to people if it involved him. Honesty wasn't something that she struggled with.
"Sorry, can you excuse me for a minute? I need to step outside."
"What?" Joseph turned to her.
"Hey." She gently squeezed his hand, "I just need some air, okay? You wait here with the detectives. You'll be fine. You're doing great." She leaned forward and gently pecked him on the forehead.
"That's fine." Frank nodded. He was curious as to why she suddenly wanted to leave. Either way, leaving Joseph (much to his displeasure) with the detectives, she got up and quickly made her way outside and onto the street. As she got closer, it was confirmed - It was definitely her.
But she didn't talk to her immediately. She went out of the line of sight of her brother and the detectives, just around a corner, and she stood there. She waited. If this woman was back for a reason, she wanted to know what it was. She didn't want to leave her brother alone for too long.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
Thalia had learned never to walk with keeping all-seeing eye behind her head. She could tell when she was being tailed by the sounds of distant footsteps or uneasy breaths. Karin was no stealth expert, and her creeping advance behind her was caught without the slightest of struggles. Light steps, but they were caught by the young thief. Once she had reassurance than the two were alone behind a street corner, she spun her body around to face this girl. She was, indeed, alone. No cops, not even her brother. They had a fair two or three meters apart. Not stabbing distance, fortunately. Not that Thalia wanted to assault her. Warning her not to scream or cry for help would've been a good idea if she didn't come willingly. No, this time, this was a consenting meeting? What did SHE want? The mere curiosity to know why the criminal is revisiting the scene of her own crime? You're getting careless, T. All for what? Some girl you just robbed? If anything, she's already ratted your dumbass by telling the cops how you look. Maybe this is a sting. Run, you stupid bitch! The voice in her head kept tempting her, but she resisted. She wasn't going anywhere. Not yet. Both of her hands were hidden away in her jacket pockets. Her left one emerged from its place and cleared her red bangs from her eyes, then returned to its place.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone," she clarified almost immediately, seeing their last encounter was bitter to say the least, and resulted in more people harmed than not. Her words came out with the shrill, dominating tone of voice she manifested at the beginning of the takeover. She couldn't show weakness to a stranger. Though, arguably, she was dressed in a significantly less hostile manner, and not toting weapons, opening room for more peaceful talks between the two women. She had a switchblade hidden away in her jacket pocket, by her buried hands. She let herself step closer to Karin, staying light on her feet in case she tried to assault her. Thalia would only respond with equal force. "But stab me in the back, and I swear to God, I'll shank you right here in the middle of the street without a second thought." Though she would have second thoughts. Deep down, she didn't want to kill Karin. Not when a little boy with a medical condition depended on her. "I'm here on recon duty. Things got... messy, earlier." After the word 'messy', her voice became shaky. A quality she didn't show in the heist. "We're not killers." Hah. Not something believable after their little performance in the cafe. "Well, at least I'm not. That man shouldn't have died, and those three pitbulls I brought along were first time recruits. Not even Al-Asheera, and probably never will be. But if it helps you sleep, the moron who killed the man was punished. I'm here to make sure nothing goes against our Head's wishes, especially in the event of an unwarranted death .... But enough about me. Why are YOU here? Coming back to the bitch who held a gun close to your little boy?" Perhaps too shrill for their negotiations. So, she let a soft side break free momentarily. "... I mean, he is okay, right?" You're going to regret this. Stupid. Maybe she was stupid. But she came to make sure the boy wasn't harmed in any way. She left out her desire to apologize for now. She wanted to hear what Karin had to say first. She didn't know this girl's name, but just by the look in her eyes, she had a burning flame in her. One to be let out in some way. Hell, this could break out into a fight just by her look. But Thalia fought back with her usual death glare. Part of it was analyzing her physical appearance, reading body language and admiring looks. The other half? Intimidation. And it was double-sided.
--
Tony did not expect the boy to start talking so quickly. And opening up to such an extent. He knew what he saw, and heard, and gave a fair stretch of details about the events this past hour. Incredible. The details of genders, a girl and three men. The vague description of their weapons, but partnered with the bullet holes spread about, it narrowed the search for a murder weapon down. Definitely an SMG of sorts. He also specified that the female assailant wasn't the killer. Such small crumbs, but certainly a big deal for Tony. Gripping the boy's hand, he left him a genuine smile and told him, "You did really great, Joseph. I bet your sister is proud of you. If you remember anything else... tell your sister you need to talk to Tony or Frank, and she will bring us. Okay?"
On top of the child's description came the straightforward words of Karin, the older sister. She could give a more concrete answer for the motives and methods of the four criminals involved. Though she specifically spoke about the girl, enduring a face-to-face stand-off with her, taunting her with guilt and sarcasm. Dangerous. She was fortunate to survive unharmed with all of the badmouthing she supposedly did. It was no surprise that she couldn't give any helpful description of the girl. Shock does that to people. They remember some details, but others remain a blur. Masks, very textbook for a group of thieves. What isn't textbook is shooting a man the way the victim suffered. Apart from the masks, they were dressed like any other Californians, and the three men were more of hired thugs than anything else. The way the woman was told as made her seem like the ringmaster. Unusual, but Tony could believe it. What caught his eye further was that the woman didn't want any bloodshed. The victim's death was not her doing, probably one of her three brutes she brought in. And she wasn't happy about the death.
But the final detail that Karin gave away stuck out more than anything. The female assailant mentioned Al-Asheera. The organization that maimed his former partner. The organization he swore to get back at. The one he was looking in to. He didn't want to tell Frank about his personal grudge with The Clan just yet, but now was the time to tell Frank about them. He wasn't entirely sure of how much he knew about them, but he was prepared to explain it from top to bottom. Once Karin excused herself, leaving her brother in their hands, Tony turned back to the boy, giving him the grin of comfort from before, and told him, "Listen, Joseph, me and Frank are going to be right here next to you. We're just going to be talking about the men and woman who hurt these people. Okay? We'll find them. I promise."
With that promise, he directed his attention to Frank, leaned his head forward, and reduced his words to whispers, "Al-Asheera. They're a legion of thieves from the east coast that relocated here in LA not long ago. They have some middle eastern heritage, from what I know. The name of the organization means 'The Clan', as far as I know. They've been responsible for several large-scale robberies in Philadelphia, holding up everything from convenience stores to high-value museum artifacts. Not much is known about the inner circle, but we know that they are heartless brutes. But they don't kill unless necessary. Dishonest crooks, hypocrites, leaving this body behind. That's all I can say. Philly PD sent us everything they know about The Clan. We can review their track record back at the office. But we know one thing for sure: they're here in LA, and they're going to make a statement and bring the city to its knees... just like they did to Philly." He couldn't tell Frank about Richard. Not yet. It was far too personal for a man he just met. Maybe in time. "You know anything I haven't mentioned yet?"
"I'm not here to hurt anyone," she clarified almost immediately, seeing their last encounter was bitter to say the least, and resulted in more people harmed than not. Her words came out with the shrill, dominating tone of voice she manifested at the beginning of the takeover. She couldn't show weakness to a stranger. Though, arguably, she was dressed in a significantly less hostile manner, and not toting weapons, opening room for more peaceful talks between the two women. She had a switchblade hidden away in her jacket pocket, by her buried hands. She let herself step closer to Karin, staying light on her feet in case she tried to assault her. Thalia would only respond with equal force. "But stab me in the back, and I swear to God, I'll shank you right here in the middle of the street without a second thought." Though she would have second thoughts. Deep down, she didn't want to kill Karin. Not when a little boy with a medical condition depended on her. "I'm here on recon duty. Things got... messy, earlier." After the word 'messy', her voice became shaky. A quality she didn't show in the heist. "We're not killers." Hah. Not something believable after their little performance in the cafe. "Well, at least I'm not. That man shouldn't have died, and those three pitbulls I brought along were first time recruits. Not even Al-Asheera, and probably never will be. But if it helps you sleep, the moron who killed the man was punished. I'm here to make sure nothing goes against our Head's wishes, especially in the event of an unwarranted death .... But enough about me. Why are YOU here? Coming back to the bitch who held a gun close to your little boy?" Perhaps too shrill for their negotiations. So, she let a soft side break free momentarily. "... I mean, he is okay, right?" You're going to regret this. Stupid. Maybe she was stupid. But she came to make sure the boy wasn't harmed in any way. She left out her desire to apologize for now. She wanted to hear what Karin had to say first. She didn't know this girl's name, but just by the look in her eyes, she had a burning flame in her. One to be let out in some way. Hell, this could break out into a fight just by her look. But Thalia fought back with her usual death glare. Part of it was analyzing her physical appearance, reading body language and admiring looks. The other half? Intimidation. And it was double-sided.
--
Tony did not expect the boy to start talking so quickly. And opening up to such an extent. He knew what he saw, and heard, and gave a fair stretch of details about the events this past hour. Incredible. The details of genders, a girl and three men. The vague description of their weapons, but partnered with the bullet holes spread about, it narrowed the search for a murder weapon down. Definitely an SMG of sorts. He also specified that the female assailant wasn't the killer. Such small crumbs, but certainly a big deal for Tony. Gripping the boy's hand, he left him a genuine smile and told him, "You did really great, Joseph. I bet your sister is proud of you. If you remember anything else... tell your sister you need to talk to Tony or Frank, and she will bring us. Okay?"
On top of the child's description came the straightforward words of Karin, the older sister. She could give a more concrete answer for the motives and methods of the four criminals involved. Though she specifically spoke about the girl, enduring a face-to-face stand-off with her, taunting her with guilt and sarcasm. Dangerous. She was fortunate to survive unharmed with all of the badmouthing she supposedly did. It was no surprise that she couldn't give any helpful description of the girl. Shock does that to people. They remember some details, but others remain a blur. Masks, very textbook for a group of thieves. What isn't textbook is shooting a man the way the victim suffered. Apart from the masks, they were dressed like any other Californians, and the three men were more of hired thugs than anything else. The way the woman was told as made her seem like the ringmaster. Unusual, but Tony could believe it. What caught his eye further was that the woman didn't want any bloodshed. The victim's death was not her doing, probably one of her three brutes she brought in. And she wasn't happy about the death.
But the final detail that Karin gave away stuck out more than anything. The female assailant mentioned Al-Asheera. The organization that maimed his former partner. The organization he swore to get back at. The one he was looking in to. He didn't want to tell Frank about his personal grudge with The Clan just yet, but now was the time to tell Frank about them. He wasn't entirely sure of how much he knew about them, but he was prepared to explain it from top to bottom. Once Karin excused herself, leaving her brother in their hands, Tony turned back to the boy, giving him the grin of comfort from before, and told him, "Listen, Joseph, me and Frank are going to be right here next to you. We're just going to be talking about the men and woman who hurt these people. Okay? We'll find them. I promise."
With that promise, he directed his attention to Frank, leaned his head forward, and reduced his words to whispers, "Al-Asheera. They're a legion of thieves from the east coast that relocated here in LA not long ago. They have some middle eastern heritage, from what I know. The name of the organization means 'The Clan', as far as I know. They've been responsible for several large-scale robberies in Philadelphia, holding up everything from convenience stores to high-value museum artifacts. Not much is known about the inner circle, but we know that they are heartless brutes. But they don't kill unless necessary. Dishonest crooks, hypocrites, leaving this body behind. That's all I can say. Philly PD sent us everything they know about The Clan. We can review their track record back at the office. But we know one thing for sure: they're here in LA, and they're going to make a statement and bring the city to its knees... just like they did to Philly." He couldn't tell Frank about Richard. Not yet. It was far too personal for a man he just met. Maybe in time. "You know anything I haven't mentioned yet?"
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
She couldn't believe that she was metaphorically sleeping with the enemy here. She already knew two people that would pry the details of this woman right from her head if they could.
"You're in no position to threaten me." She quickly cut her off at the threat of being 'shanked', and she slowly shook her head. "You're not killers, you say?" She asked, and then even let out a single laugh. "You're not killers but you'd happily stab me if I do something against you? Sorry, but that seems a little contradictive, don't you think?" She asked, simply. "I know what your intentions were. I know what you wanted from that place - chances are I could have pushed you even further and you wouldn't have done a thing. But the thing is, that's not how things work. You may not have meant for anyone to die, but the fact is that someone did. One of your apes gunned down an innocent man in front of everyone. I don't know what sort of things you believe in, but, I believe that everything has a butterfly effect. And things like this? Things like this swing back around eventually, they always do."
She listened to what she had to say, though, but eventually she just smiled and looked away, her head shaking in shame.
"You talk about it like you're so proud." She said with a weak voice. "Al-Asheera doesn't do that. Al-Asheera doesn't do this. As if it's something to be so proud of." She said, the last part said with a bitter tone. "It doesn't make what you do any better. It doesn't make you or your organization in any way 'noble' or anything like that. All you are is some glorified bounty hunters, and instead of ending lives, you ruin them. You shatter them and leave whoever was in the way to pick up the pieces, but I guess Al-Asheera doesn't think about that, do they?"
"Why am I here?" She repeated Thalia's question. "I'm here because I wanted to look you in the eye again. I wanted to see your face, I wanted to see you without the mask and all the rough makeup. And... I come out here, and you somehow have the audacity to ask me if my brother is okay?!" She asked, almost shocked. "Let's see.... He had a gun waved in his face, he had four armed people rush in on his lunch and hold everyone up, and better yet, he heard a man get shot down only a few feet away from him, and then he had to sit there for god knows how long until someone came to take the body away." She closed her eyes, "So is he okay? No. No, he's not okay - You and your people are the one reason why he's not even going to be able to walk down the street on his own anymore." She snarled, but, her anger quickly faded towards sadness.
There was a long silence; even though Karin was quiet, it was obvious she wasn't done talking.
"You know..." She glanced down the street. "We don't have much." She whispered, "Our parents passed away when my brother was five. Not long after that, he was diagnosed with diabetes, type one. Since then, we've been on our own. You and me... As much as I hate to be a hypocrite, but you and I are more alike than you think." She said. "I have done things I'm not proud of, but that boy in that diner? The one who had a gun in his face not long ago? That's why I do those things. But today you took more than thirty bucks and a cheap phone. The moment you walked into that place you took a little piece of the one thing that still means something to me." She gulped, then glanced down at the floor. "And now you're here asking me if he's okay. You're here telling me that you don't want to hurt anyone, that you don't kill. But what about everything else?" She asked. "What about all the damage you do? You know, I work in that place. Now? Now I'll be lucky if I can get out the house to go there without my brother panicking. I would ask you if you know how hard it is to find a job around here, but, I don't think you do, do you? No job, no money. No money, no health insurance. No health insurance, no insulin, no healthcare, no clinics, no support..." She closed her eyes. "And that's all she wrote, sister. That's all she wrote." She explained.
Her eyes went back to meet Thalia's with a glare, but a softer one this time.
"I believe that you're not a killer." She said, "But that does not change my opinion on your organization's 'moral grounds'." She added on, quickly. "If you ask me... I don't know who you are, but I know what guilt is. I've been there more than once. You risked your ass to come out here and ask me about a boy you know damn well is traumatized, and I know, you're going to lie in bed every night thinking about him, thinking about everything your friends put him through. And you know something? You're not in a good place." She said, "Look at yourself. Look at everything they make you give." She sighed, and her gaze turned to one of sympathy. "Do you even know why you're meant to be doing this? Why you're meant to be robbing places and holding people up? Do you really know why? I gave you a second chance, you know. All I told the detectives was that you were a beautiful woman, and that was all. I told them you looked like a million other Californians, because... There was something about you. Something that made me think differently, something that stopped me from ratting you out on the spot."
She turned around. "I shouldn't be gone too long. People will get worried." She said. "My name is Karin, by the way... The boy you came out here to talk to me about... His name is Joseph. He turned ten years old two weeks ago." She whispered. "Whoever you are... All I ask for you to do is drop the tough-girl act and think about what we've talked about today. Trust me... I've lived here all my life. LA? Burbank? These are not the kind of places you want to push boundaries in. These streets have eyes and ears on every corner, and this place will swallow you whole. I don't know what your situation's like, but, if I were you, I'd take the chance to live your life while this place gives you the chance. Because the police aren't the only ones you're gonna' have to worry about." She explained, "And that's not a threat, just advice."
"I have one final question, though..." She sucked in a deep breath. "Why do you care so much to risk getting caught like this?" She asked.
--
Joseph managed a smile back at Tony, but it was a weak one. "I'll make sure to tell her if I remember anything, I promise." He said, simply. "I just hope you catch 'em. I don't want them to do this to anyone else." He said. Frank had to admire the kid's enthusiasm, honestly, or at the very least his simplicity. He noticed how Joseph leaned towards the window to look for his sister, and there was worry that went across his face when he noticed she wasn't there. Honestly, Frank was already beginning to second-guess the sister. She didn't seem that terrified for someone who had a gun in her face, and the fact that she went face-to-face with one of them? It was almost too good to be true. She took off and left suddenly, too. It was a big surprise, honestly. He didn't think she'd get up and leave her brother so suddenly. That was his job, though, right? Question everything?
Frank turned to Tony and listened to him, nodding along as he spoke. He'd done his research on Al-Asheera. He knew a fair bit, but Tony seemed to know a lot more about it. The two of them both knew one thing, though - LA was different to Philly. Much different.
"I know most of what you've said, but I'll have to take a look at those files whenever we get a chance to go over them." He said, "Al-Asheera... I can't tell you much myself, not anything you haven't told me already, but they're stepping on dangerous territory." He said. "Rival gangs. You've got the Irish, The Bikers, The Chinese, Kosovans, Russian - You name it, we got it." He said. "They're not invincible, no matter how secretive they try and be. They're going to step on a few shoes in all of this, I reckon, and recently... You've seen what's been going on with your average street gangs, I assume? A lot of their names are popping up all over the place. Someone's exposing names. A hacker, people think."
"I read about that." Joseph spoke, suddenly, looking between the two. "My friends from school talk about one of the hackers a lot. Fritzy?" He questioned. It was unlikely that they'd heard the name, but, there was also the possibility they knew the name well. At least Tony would have. One of the power grids crashed in the city four years back, and it was believed that this so-called 'Fritzy' had involvement. "Do you think they'd help you guys find the people from today?" He asked. He was still speaking quietly, but it was clear he felt safe around them.
"It's... We're stepping on thin ice, Joe." Frank said. "That stuff, that's FBI-league. But... Who knows what might happen, eh, Tony? " He turned to his partner and smiled. The kid may not have been talking about anything entirely relevant, but, he was talking. If they could keep him comfortable until his sister came back, even give him a bit of hope, that was better than nothing.
"You're in no position to threaten me." She quickly cut her off at the threat of being 'shanked', and she slowly shook her head. "You're not killers, you say?" She asked, and then even let out a single laugh. "You're not killers but you'd happily stab me if I do something against you? Sorry, but that seems a little contradictive, don't you think?" She asked, simply. "I know what your intentions were. I know what you wanted from that place - chances are I could have pushed you even further and you wouldn't have done a thing. But the thing is, that's not how things work. You may not have meant for anyone to die, but the fact is that someone did. One of your apes gunned down an innocent man in front of everyone. I don't know what sort of things you believe in, but, I believe that everything has a butterfly effect. And things like this? Things like this swing back around eventually, they always do."
She listened to what she had to say, though, but eventually she just smiled and looked away, her head shaking in shame.
"You talk about it like you're so proud." She said with a weak voice. "Al-Asheera doesn't do that. Al-Asheera doesn't do this. As if it's something to be so proud of." She said, the last part said with a bitter tone. "It doesn't make what you do any better. It doesn't make you or your organization in any way 'noble' or anything like that. All you are is some glorified bounty hunters, and instead of ending lives, you ruin them. You shatter them and leave whoever was in the way to pick up the pieces, but I guess Al-Asheera doesn't think about that, do they?"
"Why am I here?" She repeated Thalia's question. "I'm here because I wanted to look you in the eye again. I wanted to see your face, I wanted to see you without the mask and all the rough makeup. And... I come out here, and you somehow have the audacity to ask me if my brother is okay?!" She asked, almost shocked. "Let's see.... He had a gun waved in his face, he had four armed people rush in on his lunch and hold everyone up, and better yet, he heard a man get shot down only a few feet away from him, and then he had to sit there for god knows how long until someone came to take the body away." She closed her eyes, "So is he okay? No. No, he's not okay - You and your people are the one reason why he's not even going to be able to walk down the street on his own anymore." She snarled, but, her anger quickly faded towards sadness.
There was a long silence; even though Karin was quiet, it was obvious she wasn't done talking.
"You know..." She glanced down the street. "We don't have much." She whispered, "Our parents passed away when my brother was five. Not long after that, he was diagnosed with diabetes, type one. Since then, we've been on our own. You and me... As much as I hate to be a hypocrite, but you and I are more alike than you think." She said. "I have done things I'm not proud of, but that boy in that diner? The one who had a gun in his face not long ago? That's why I do those things. But today you took more than thirty bucks and a cheap phone. The moment you walked into that place you took a little piece of the one thing that still means something to me." She gulped, then glanced down at the floor. "And now you're here asking me if he's okay. You're here telling me that you don't want to hurt anyone, that you don't kill. But what about everything else?" She asked. "What about all the damage you do? You know, I work in that place. Now? Now I'll be lucky if I can get out the house to go there without my brother panicking. I would ask you if you know how hard it is to find a job around here, but, I don't think you do, do you? No job, no money. No money, no health insurance. No health insurance, no insulin, no healthcare, no clinics, no support..." She closed her eyes. "And that's all she wrote, sister. That's all she wrote." She explained.
Her eyes went back to meet Thalia's with a glare, but a softer one this time.
"I believe that you're not a killer." She said, "But that does not change my opinion on your organization's 'moral grounds'." She added on, quickly. "If you ask me... I don't know who you are, but I know what guilt is. I've been there more than once. You risked your ass to come out here and ask me about a boy you know damn well is traumatized, and I know, you're going to lie in bed every night thinking about him, thinking about everything your friends put him through. And you know something? You're not in a good place." She said, "Look at yourself. Look at everything they make you give." She sighed, and her gaze turned to one of sympathy. "Do you even know why you're meant to be doing this? Why you're meant to be robbing places and holding people up? Do you really know why? I gave you a second chance, you know. All I told the detectives was that you were a beautiful woman, and that was all. I told them you looked like a million other Californians, because... There was something about you. Something that made me think differently, something that stopped me from ratting you out on the spot."
She turned around. "I shouldn't be gone too long. People will get worried." She said. "My name is Karin, by the way... The boy you came out here to talk to me about... His name is Joseph. He turned ten years old two weeks ago." She whispered. "Whoever you are... All I ask for you to do is drop the tough-girl act and think about what we've talked about today. Trust me... I've lived here all my life. LA? Burbank? These are not the kind of places you want to push boundaries in. These streets have eyes and ears on every corner, and this place will swallow you whole. I don't know what your situation's like, but, if I were you, I'd take the chance to live your life while this place gives you the chance. Because the police aren't the only ones you're gonna' have to worry about." She explained, "And that's not a threat, just advice."
"I have one final question, though..." She sucked in a deep breath. "Why do you care so much to risk getting caught like this?" She asked.
--
Joseph managed a smile back at Tony, but it was a weak one. "I'll make sure to tell her if I remember anything, I promise." He said, simply. "I just hope you catch 'em. I don't want them to do this to anyone else." He said. Frank had to admire the kid's enthusiasm, honestly, or at the very least his simplicity. He noticed how Joseph leaned towards the window to look for his sister, and there was worry that went across his face when he noticed she wasn't there. Honestly, Frank was already beginning to second-guess the sister. She didn't seem that terrified for someone who had a gun in her face, and the fact that she went face-to-face with one of them? It was almost too good to be true. She took off and left suddenly, too. It was a big surprise, honestly. He didn't think she'd get up and leave her brother so suddenly. That was his job, though, right? Question everything?
Frank turned to Tony and listened to him, nodding along as he spoke. He'd done his research on Al-Asheera. He knew a fair bit, but Tony seemed to know a lot more about it. The two of them both knew one thing, though - LA was different to Philly. Much different.
"I know most of what you've said, but I'll have to take a look at those files whenever we get a chance to go over them." He said, "Al-Asheera... I can't tell you much myself, not anything you haven't told me already, but they're stepping on dangerous territory." He said. "Rival gangs. You've got the Irish, The Bikers, The Chinese, Kosovans, Russian - You name it, we got it." He said. "They're not invincible, no matter how secretive they try and be. They're going to step on a few shoes in all of this, I reckon, and recently... You've seen what's been going on with your average street gangs, I assume? A lot of their names are popping up all over the place. Someone's exposing names. A hacker, people think."
"I read about that." Joseph spoke, suddenly, looking between the two. "My friends from school talk about one of the hackers a lot. Fritzy?" He questioned. It was unlikely that they'd heard the name, but, there was also the possibility they knew the name well. At least Tony would have. One of the power grids crashed in the city four years back, and it was believed that this so-called 'Fritzy' had involvement. "Do you think they'd help you guys find the people from today?" He asked. He was still speaking quietly, but it was clear he felt safe around them.
"It's... We're stepping on thin ice, Joe." Frank said. "That stuff, that's FBI-league. But... Who knows what might happen, eh, Tony? " He turned to his partner and smiled. The kid may not have been talking about anything entirely relevant, but, he was talking. If they could keep him comfortable until his sister came back, even give him a bit of hope, that was better than nothing.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
There was clearly a lot to discuss with this woman. Karin, as she caught her name. Nice name, she reckoned. Better than Thalia, as the redhead thought to herself. She bit her tongue and listened, because clearly, this woman wasn't going to shut up about this, droning on and on, lecturing Thalia about her actions like she were a student getting a talk from her grade school teacher. She remained polite and listened, though, despite how tempting it was to shut her out completely. But something stopped her. A desire to actually hear the other side? Possibly. Like I said. STUPID.
"Shanking doesn't mean killing, so you know," she reassured. "If you were here to snitch, I'd just stab you and run. But do know, much like I'm doing now, I'd return to the scene of the crime, just like I am now, to make sure nothing went the way I didn't want. And that means making sure you don't die." She was called out as a hypocrite as well, and called out for her intentions. "Well, what do you want me to say? I told you, it's just business. Would I have wished that the guy didn't get killed? Of course. But that wasn't my fault. Blame the ape that ended his life, not me. It's out of my hands. If I could change it, believe me I would." Karin mentioned that if she had more time, she could've talked Thalia out of the entire heist. To leave empty-handed. Scarily, enough, she believed her. But if that happened, THAT would've been her fault. "If I'd left without our loot, I probably wouldn't be here, by the way. Our Head would've killed me before I got back in the getaway vehicle."
She proceeded to mention the intentions and beliefs of her organization, almost in a mocking sense. This unnerved Thalia. She doesn't get it... her mind snarled. She removed her hands from her pocket and slipped off the fingerless glove covering her dragon tattoo. She lifted it vertically so to see it in all of its detail. Her first tattoo for The Clan. "You sound like my damn priest back home... Don't talk about a belief you don't understand. I was 13 when I ran away from home, out alone in the cold streets of Philly, and I thought nobody wanted me. I couldn't stand my parents, just some goodie-two-shoes Jesus freaks who wanted me to be what THEY wanted. Not what I wanted to be. But Al-Asheera... they gave me a chance to change that. Be someone else. It may not be the most respectable way of life, and you may find me brainwashed by their beliefs and their standards that other crime circles don't have, but trust me. I owe my life to this organization. I COMMITTED myself to it. These tattoos aren't for show. It's a symbol of promise to the thing that saved my life." Perhaps that came out too desperate. But she was defending her own. Karin saw her organization as pathetic. She just wanted to clarify for her without going into details. "We aren't good with collateral, sure. But we need to survive in the only way we know how."
It came as a surprise that this woman WANTED to face her assailant again. At least this time, she was more presentable. "I can't have a heart? You know, under all the dark clothing and make-up, I can show compassion. I don't hurt kids. We stormed the diner at the time we did because we didn't expect any kids to be around before lunch. At least... I convinced our Head to do that. Because aside from Al-Asheera? I don't hurt kids... it's a long story, probably one you don't want to know. It's just a personal.... fear." A poor choice of words. Fear wasn't something she wanted to show, even though it made her legs shake just thinking back at the boy scared out of his mind earlier. "I'm... I'm really sorry about your brother. And I know that doesn't fix shit. But when we came in, I didn't expect there to be any children. And I was wrong. I should've retreated the second I saw him. Hurts to know that I can't make it up to him... or at least tell him sorry to his face or something. It's been gnawing at my mind since we left, you know that? Like I said. A heart."
Emotion was leaking through Thalia's voice. And not the fake kind. It was actually genuine. She slipped her glove back onto her bare hand and crossed her arms over her chest, bowing her head in shame, rightfully so. The guilt treatment was working. Maybe she shouldn't have returned. But there was no running away from this now. Then Karin told her story about her parents, and raising Joseph, we caught Thalia's attention. "So you know what it's like to be desperate. We just have different ways of curing it. You probably did the unthinkable a couple of times. I've been doing it for eight years. But your reason... for him... At least you have some honor in your actions..." Karin mentioned the cell phone and money stolen earlier. Thalia reached into her shorts pocket, retrieving the wadded bills she swiped and the older flip phone. She exhaled deeply, got closer to Karin, and placed them in her hands, then reached for her pocket once more. "I don't usually give things back, but I shouldn't have taken these. We just wanted the registers. Not pocket money. I-I was just angry in the moment. I'm sorry." Her hand returned from her pocket with a hundred dollar bill, giving that to the woman, too. "Money doesn't buy happiness; it doesn't fix the damages I've done, and definitely doesn't make me a good person, but at least it can help with that boy's treatment. He doesn't even have to know it came from me. God... do you think I don't remember the faces of the people I rob? Wrong. I've learned to suppress the guilt. But it's there. Somewhere."
Karin was right about how Joseph's well being was bothering Thalia so much. She cared enough to go back to the scene of her own crime to check on him. A rash decision, but one she willfully chose. At least the two were on a similar page now, though not agreeing on the morals of her organization. She never asked her too anyway. Ra's' morals are complicated. From a psycho who claims they don't kill, but breaks his own rules when he sees fit. Don't doubt him! He's going to be your husband someday, like it or not! "I'm in a very... very dark place." The softness in her voice began to show, rather than the assertion from earlier. Guilt never took this kind of a toll on her. Then again, going back to the scene was a new experience for her, and she'd never been so drawn to a victim. "I owed Al-Asheera a debt for taking me off the streets, giving me a home. And now I can't back out. It's a life I had to choose. Pick it, or die. Now it's stay in or die. What do you think I'm going to pick? No, I don't enjoy traumatizing people, and a dead man makes this even worse. But try to understand that I have no way out. And even if I did, what would I do?" A light smirk escaped her mouth. "I never went to high school. If I could change my life, who is going to accept a girl who's been robbing people for the past eight years? People don't believe in forgiveness these days like they used to. Once a thief, always a thief, they say. And unfortunately, that might just be me." Karin also didn't rat Thalia out, despite having a clear image of her face to give away to the police. Her pale face immediately began to turn red at the description she gave, even smiling from the embarrassment. A beauty she always denied and masked away, but nonetheless existed. "You... you really said that?" She lowered her head down to avoid being accused of blushing. "I mean... you're pretty good-looking yourself, but you couldn't find any... less flattering way of describing me for the cops?" At least THAT made her day.
She scratched her forehead, as if to distract herself with something, before answering again, "I'm... not from here. I lived in Philadelphia most of my life. Al-Ashe..... I mean, I came here just a week or two ago. LA's new to me. All I'm doing is my job. Again, it isn't really like I have a choice. Pushing boundaries is the duty of the Head, not me. But stealing. It's the life I chose, right? No one to blame but me." Names. Then came the point of picking: her Clan name or her birth one? It was enough that this girl saw her face. Literally, all she was missing was a name. A name she hated... The tough girl persona she once stood for vanished in return for the shy, insecure girl she knew she was deep down. "Um... Thalia. My name. I appreciate all this, Karin, really. That you came here, and you're hearing me out... just.." She reached forward frantically before Karin could walk away, grabbing her arm in an attempt for her to stay. Like she ENJOYED the company. "Like I said. I came here for recon originally. But I wouldn't risk my life and show my face for just anyone. Something wanted me to risk everything and come back here. It's creepy, sure. But that's just me... Why do I care? I don't know. Maybe it's Joseph? Beats me. But I care. I have a heart, as much as you may not believe it." She paused for a moment, looking at Karin in the eye, but this time, not to intimidate her, but to show her remorse. Was she going to cry? No, not to a stranger. But Karin brought out every ounce of guilt in Thalia. Maybe she could've indeed stopped her from taking the loot. "You can go back to your brother... and, thank you." She slowly took her hands off the girl's arm and stepped back, not turning back just yet. Maybe Karin had a few last words before the two had to split.
--
Leaving the scene so suddenly as Karin did wouldn't have been such a red flag if she didn't take long... and if she didn't just refer to the female assailant as "beautiful." Not quite the adjective to use for the woman who had a gun to her brother's head. And she did paint her in a better light than the other three thugs. Maybe there was something deeper to this dark-haired attractive female. But that was a brief thought in Tony's head that he'd look into later at his office.
Frank knew his fair share about Al-Asheera as well, but moreso its external affairs, its possible enemies and competitors. Tony knew more about their internal operations. What a powerhouse they'd be together going after The Clan. Their minds together? They could narrow them down, anticipate their actions, corner them once again, but this time, come prepared. Tony could already imagine the map of the streets that Al-Asheera claimed ownership of in Burbank. It was systematic, a street-by-street spread, one he'd have to see under closer examination on a map. On top of that came the idea of exposing names, and the hacker, Fritzy. Tony nodded at hearing the name. "His name's come up in some office chatter. Nobody knows much about him. Or her. Really, it's a shot in the dark...." He leaned closer to Frank, continuing his more serious talk about the case. "Fritzy might be an option, but not without going through the higher-ups in the department. For all we know, he's just a grey-hat who could expose us just as well as he could expose Al-Asheera." He returned his look to young Joseph, who was seemingly more comfortable with the two detectives. "You're doing great, Joe. Thank you, truly." A few taps on the boy's shoulder showed his gratitude further.
As he let his mind drift away, Tony looked back out the window of the cafe. Where in the hell was Karin? At least she'd be within the police tape. But no, she wasn't. He had half a mind to get up and go find her. Or at least tell Frank to. Or flip a coin over it. Depends. He looked back to Frank, his look telling the whole story: the girl. Where the hell is she?
"Shanking doesn't mean killing, so you know," she reassured. "If you were here to snitch, I'd just stab you and run. But do know, much like I'm doing now, I'd return to the scene of the crime, just like I am now, to make sure nothing went the way I didn't want. And that means making sure you don't die." She was called out as a hypocrite as well, and called out for her intentions. "Well, what do you want me to say? I told you, it's just business. Would I have wished that the guy didn't get killed? Of course. But that wasn't my fault. Blame the ape that ended his life, not me. It's out of my hands. If I could change it, believe me I would." Karin mentioned that if she had more time, she could've talked Thalia out of the entire heist. To leave empty-handed. Scarily, enough, she believed her. But if that happened, THAT would've been her fault. "If I'd left without our loot, I probably wouldn't be here, by the way. Our Head would've killed me before I got back in the getaway vehicle."
She proceeded to mention the intentions and beliefs of her organization, almost in a mocking sense. This unnerved Thalia. She doesn't get it... her mind snarled. She removed her hands from her pocket and slipped off the fingerless glove covering her dragon tattoo. She lifted it vertically so to see it in all of its detail. Her first tattoo for The Clan. "You sound like my damn priest back home... Don't talk about a belief you don't understand. I was 13 when I ran away from home, out alone in the cold streets of Philly, and I thought nobody wanted me. I couldn't stand my parents, just some goodie-two-shoes Jesus freaks who wanted me to be what THEY wanted. Not what I wanted to be. But Al-Asheera... they gave me a chance to change that. Be someone else. It may not be the most respectable way of life, and you may find me brainwashed by their beliefs and their standards that other crime circles don't have, but trust me. I owe my life to this organization. I COMMITTED myself to it. These tattoos aren't for show. It's a symbol of promise to the thing that saved my life." Perhaps that came out too desperate. But she was defending her own. Karin saw her organization as pathetic. She just wanted to clarify for her without going into details. "We aren't good with collateral, sure. But we need to survive in the only way we know how."
It came as a surprise that this woman WANTED to face her assailant again. At least this time, she was more presentable. "I can't have a heart? You know, under all the dark clothing and make-up, I can show compassion. I don't hurt kids. We stormed the diner at the time we did because we didn't expect any kids to be around before lunch. At least... I convinced our Head to do that. Because aside from Al-Asheera? I don't hurt kids... it's a long story, probably one you don't want to know. It's just a personal.... fear." A poor choice of words. Fear wasn't something she wanted to show, even though it made her legs shake just thinking back at the boy scared out of his mind earlier. "I'm... I'm really sorry about your brother. And I know that doesn't fix shit. But when we came in, I didn't expect there to be any children. And I was wrong. I should've retreated the second I saw him. Hurts to know that I can't make it up to him... or at least tell him sorry to his face or something. It's been gnawing at my mind since we left, you know that? Like I said. A heart."
Emotion was leaking through Thalia's voice. And not the fake kind. It was actually genuine. She slipped her glove back onto her bare hand and crossed her arms over her chest, bowing her head in shame, rightfully so. The guilt treatment was working. Maybe she shouldn't have returned. But there was no running away from this now. Then Karin told her story about her parents, and raising Joseph, we caught Thalia's attention. "So you know what it's like to be desperate. We just have different ways of curing it. You probably did the unthinkable a couple of times. I've been doing it for eight years. But your reason... for him... At least you have some honor in your actions..." Karin mentioned the cell phone and money stolen earlier. Thalia reached into her shorts pocket, retrieving the wadded bills she swiped and the older flip phone. She exhaled deeply, got closer to Karin, and placed them in her hands, then reached for her pocket once more. "I don't usually give things back, but I shouldn't have taken these. We just wanted the registers. Not pocket money. I-I was just angry in the moment. I'm sorry." Her hand returned from her pocket with a hundred dollar bill, giving that to the woman, too. "Money doesn't buy happiness; it doesn't fix the damages I've done, and definitely doesn't make me a good person, but at least it can help with that boy's treatment. He doesn't even have to know it came from me. God... do you think I don't remember the faces of the people I rob? Wrong. I've learned to suppress the guilt. But it's there. Somewhere."
Karin was right about how Joseph's well being was bothering Thalia so much. She cared enough to go back to the scene of her own crime to check on him. A rash decision, but one she willfully chose. At least the two were on a similar page now, though not agreeing on the morals of her organization. She never asked her too anyway. Ra's' morals are complicated. From a psycho who claims they don't kill, but breaks his own rules when he sees fit. Don't doubt him! He's going to be your husband someday, like it or not! "I'm in a very... very dark place." The softness in her voice began to show, rather than the assertion from earlier. Guilt never took this kind of a toll on her. Then again, going back to the scene was a new experience for her, and she'd never been so drawn to a victim. "I owed Al-Asheera a debt for taking me off the streets, giving me a home. And now I can't back out. It's a life I had to choose. Pick it, or die. Now it's stay in or die. What do you think I'm going to pick? No, I don't enjoy traumatizing people, and a dead man makes this even worse. But try to understand that I have no way out. And even if I did, what would I do?" A light smirk escaped her mouth. "I never went to high school. If I could change my life, who is going to accept a girl who's been robbing people for the past eight years? People don't believe in forgiveness these days like they used to. Once a thief, always a thief, they say. And unfortunately, that might just be me." Karin also didn't rat Thalia out, despite having a clear image of her face to give away to the police. Her pale face immediately began to turn red at the description she gave, even smiling from the embarrassment. A beauty she always denied and masked away, but nonetheless existed. "You... you really said that?" She lowered her head down to avoid being accused of blushing. "I mean... you're pretty good-looking yourself, but you couldn't find any... less flattering way of describing me for the cops?" At least THAT made her day.
She scratched her forehead, as if to distract herself with something, before answering again, "I'm... not from here. I lived in Philadelphia most of my life. Al-Ashe..... I mean, I came here just a week or two ago. LA's new to me. All I'm doing is my job. Again, it isn't really like I have a choice. Pushing boundaries is the duty of the Head, not me. But stealing. It's the life I chose, right? No one to blame but me." Names. Then came the point of picking: her Clan name or her birth one? It was enough that this girl saw her face. Literally, all she was missing was a name. A name she hated... The tough girl persona she once stood for vanished in return for the shy, insecure girl she knew she was deep down. "Um... Thalia. My name. I appreciate all this, Karin, really. That you came here, and you're hearing me out... just.." She reached forward frantically before Karin could walk away, grabbing her arm in an attempt for her to stay. Like she ENJOYED the company. "Like I said. I came here for recon originally. But I wouldn't risk my life and show my face for just anyone. Something wanted me to risk everything and come back here. It's creepy, sure. But that's just me... Why do I care? I don't know. Maybe it's Joseph? Beats me. But I care. I have a heart, as much as you may not believe it." She paused for a moment, looking at Karin in the eye, but this time, not to intimidate her, but to show her remorse. Was she going to cry? No, not to a stranger. But Karin brought out every ounce of guilt in Thalia. Maybe she could've indeed stopped her from taking the loot. "You can go back to your brother... and, thank you." She slowly took her hands off the girl's arm and stepped back, not turning back just yet. Maybe Karin had a few last words before the two had to split.
--
Leaving the scene so suddenly as Karin did wouldn't have been such a red flag if she didn't take long... and if she didn't just refer to the female assailant as "beautiful." Not quite the adjective to use for the woman who had a gun to her brother's head. And she did paint her in a better light than the other three thugs. Maybe there was something deeper to this dark-haired attractive female. But that was a brief thought in Tony's head that he'd look into later at his office.
Frank knew his fair share about Al-Asheera as well, but moreso its external affairs, its possible enemies and competitors. Tony knew more about their internal operations. What a powerhouse they'd be together going after The Clan. Their minds together? They could narrow them down, anticipate their actions, corner them once again, but this time, come prepared. Tony could already imagine the map of the streets that Al-Asheera claimed ownership of in Burbank. It was systematic, a street-by-street spread, one he'd have to see under closer examination on a map. On top of that came the idea of exposing names, and the hacker, Fritzy. Tony nodded at hearing the name. "His name's come up in some office chatter. Nobody knows much about him. Or her. Really, it's a shot in the dark...." He leaned closer to Frank, continuing his more serious talk about the case. "Fritzy might be an option, but not without going through the higher-ups in the department. For all we know, he's just a grey-hat who could expose us just as well as he could expose Al-Asheera." He returned his look to young Joseph, who was seemingly more comfortable with the two detectives. "You're doing great, Joe. Thank you, truly." A few taps on the boy's shoulder showed his gratitude further.
As he let his mind drift away, Tony looked back out the window of the cafe. Where in the hell was Karin? At least she'd be within the police tape. But no, she wasn't. He had half a mind to get up and go find her. Or at least tell Frank to. Or flip a coin over it. Depends. He looked back to Frank, his look telling the whole story: the girl. Where the hell is she?
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
"What can I say? I guess the diner was an easy hitch." She sighed, then ran her hands through her pale hair. "This is America, land of the free, all of that... Bullshit they try and feed you on the TV. Gotta' make a living somehow. After all, this is the land of opportunity, they say. You know something? Something I said a minute ago about us two being alike? Well." She paused again and turned back to face her. "A year after my parents died, I'd gotten too desperate. I'd burned through all the inherited savings, and there was no way I could ever take out a second mortgage on the house. It was getting to the point where I was close to not being able to put food on the table anymore. If that was the case, Joseph would end up in protective custody eventually, no doubt." She sighed, "I was an adult then, like I am now. They wouldn't have had no sympathy. But, my point is, that night I left J with my neighbor and I went out to a bar, tricked a guy to thinking I was going to jump on him first chance I got, and while he was so busy telling me about how brilliant he was, I slipped a Rolex straight from his wrist." She laughed once, but the laugh had some anger to it.
"You've stolen things, you must know the pressure trick." She said, "Apply enough pressure to one point of the body, be it a hand or an arm, and people don't tend to notice very slight movement or fiddling with another part of the body, making stealing rings and watches an easy job. It's what the kids in those... I don't know where it is, but kids in countries that get a lot of tourists, the ones that take photos with them so they can take home a picture of them in a part of a culture they never quite understood. They steal phones, watches, rings, and the people don't realize because of a pressure trick. By the time they do realize, it's too late. Their diamonds have been cut and sold." She glanced down at the floor, "The Rolex I stole was worth $15,000. And you know what the bastard I sold it to did to me?" She laughed and shook her head a few times over, quickly.
"The fucker tricked me into thinking it wasn't worth that much at all. I didn't know anything. I took three-hundred for something that could have gotten me god knows how long in prison if I was caught." She said, "All I've learned is a lot of people in this country, in this city, are lying sons of bitches. Not me. Not my brother." She quickly said, "If there's one thing I've taught him, it's to be honest, be genuine. Because I... Don't want him to make the same mistakes I did. Not him." Now it was her voice that gradually shifted to an emotional one.
When she was handed the phone, the money, plus extra, her jaw dropped a little and her eyes shifted to meet with Thalia's. She tucked the phone and the money away.
After listening to everything she had to say, she nodded to her. "Thalia." She whispered, quietly. "That's... A pretty name. One that suits you, no doubt." She managed a small smile, "The saddest thing is, though, the way you speak of this organization..." She sighed. "Although you're part of it, and you know it's a big part of life... The way you talk of it can't help but make me feel like there's something going on, something inching you furhter and further into that dark place you spoke of." She paused, "I believe in fate, Thalia. If I'd chosen to book my brother's diabetic clinic appointment even ten minutes later, I would have missed you, you would have missed me. Now we've ran into each other twice. Face-to-face, out in the open. Yet neither of us have any bruises, and neither of us have been at each other's throats. I'm no genius, but things like this happen for a reason." She explained, "But believe me in saying that there's always a way out. Sometimes we find that way out in other people, sometimes books, and sometimes big old bottles of whiskey. It really depends on who you are."
There was another brief moment of silence before she spoke again.
"You might think there's no place for a girl like you anymore. You might think that even if somehow you got out of the place you're in, that no one would accept you... You're wrong." She shook her head, "Those people in that diner, the people that work there. They took me in even though I knew next to nothing. Never worked a job in my life, but, there I am now. Money's shitty but it's money at the end of the day, and they treat me like family." She explained, "Just remember, in a city like this, there are some very strange, and very dangerous people. And there's also a lot of places, and a lot of ways, to hide." She said. "Don't think I'm trying to direct your life, Thalia, but, you're not someone who deserves to be stuck doing the dirty-work of brutes and thugs. From how you've acted today, you're more than that, and you deserve much, much better." She nodded firmly, sure and confident in her words.
Before she took her hand away, though, Karin did something she never thought she'd be capable of with this Thalia. She lifted her own hand and placed it on top of it, slowly, and of course gently. She didn't want to startle the girl. Just for a few seconds she gave the hand a squeeze, just a friendly gesture, a sign of affection, I suppose. After that, she released her hand and allowed it to be pulled away.
"I best be going. There were detectives waiting for me to get back, last thing I need is them getting suspicious." She said, "And I wouldn't want them asking about a certain meeting between you and me that I don't recall happening, right?" A half-grin hit her face and she winked at Thalia, quickly and smoothly. "I suppose I owe you both a thank you and an apology. You're a cut from a different cloth compared to those you work with. I realize that now. I'm sure you're taking risks to be here, so you better get going, too." She said. "Just... If we never cross paths again, remember what I've said. Don't forget. I know I won't." She nodded to her, slowly, then gave a small wave as she took a few steps backwards, then turned around to make her way back.
Back in the diner, however, tension was definitely on the rise, and Frank was finding it hard to mask his concern. Just keep talking to the kid. Don't worry about the sister. He wasn't sure what he was so panicked about - what if his sister had gone off looking for answers? She left so suddenly. Did something spook her? Was she an informant? Something crazy like that? He didn't like to picture what would happen with her brother if something happened to her. He could already tell the brother was very fond of her.
"Exactly, Tony..." Frank sighed, "The problem is, Joe, with these hackers and all that..." He sighed, "We don't know what they're going to do. If your friends talk about Fritzy and anyone like him, you know how good they are. They can make it look like there in China, Barbados, Florida, and New York all in one day if they want to. The simple fact is, even if we did go to one of them, we'd have to go onto a website that deals in illegal stuff, contact him, then pray they don't go to channel six news and tell them about how the cops are asking for help from a... Vigilante, I suppose. I wish there were ways around it, but, it makes it complicated because of some of the stuff some of these guys are supposdely involved in. Plus, a lot of them are all up for keeping their identity safe. We don't know a single thing about half of them."
Joseph shrugged, "Yeah, I guess so." He said, "I bet Fritzy's a girl."
"You do?" Frank chuckled once, "And why's that?"
"I don't know." He shrugged again, then buried himself in thought, "I just get that feeling, y'know?"
Frank had a smile slowly grow on his face, "I guess I do."
In that moment, though, the door flew open to the diner, causing Joseph's head to shoot up. There she was, the white-haired woman, his sister. A grin hit his face, a relieved one, and Karin smiled straight back. As she walked by, though, Frank caught a glimpse of something that made his heart sink a little. A bulge in the pocket of her skinny jeans. The bulge of what could have only been a cell phone. He looked at Tony for a moment, wondering if he had also noticed the same thing. Why was it suspicious? Well...
"Welcome back. Karin. Everything okay?"
"Perfect, yeah." She sat back down beside her brother and dropped an arm around his shoulders.
"I was wondering one thing, actually. Something that might help us track things quite a lot." He said. "Did they take any personal belongings from anyone?"
"Yeah. Cash, watches, rings, phones. Anything we had on us."
Frank went silent and nodded a few times, then pulled out his notebook and discreetly scribbled 'Karin's phone(?)' down onto one of the lines. "Alright." He said, simply. "Speaking of which..." He grabbed a napkin from the holder on the table, then wrote his phone number with his name next to it on the surface, then shifted the pen and napkin over to Tony. "We'll hand you our numbers. If you remember any details, please call. Same to you, kid." He winked at Joseph and put on a smile. "As for me, I've asked what I need to. Tony?" He asked. He figured it'd be best to double check with his partner, just to see if he had anything else he needed to ask. He personally felt confronting Karin would be wrong without further thought on things, but, hey, who knows.
"You've stolen things, you must know the pressure trick." She said, "Apply enough pressure to one point of the body, be it a hand or an arm, and people don't tend to notice very slight movement or fiddling with another part of the body, making stealing rings and watches an easy job. It's what the kids in those... I don't know where it is, but kids in countries that get a lot of tourists, the ones that take photos with them so they can take home a picture of them in a part of a culture they never quite understood. They steal phones, watches, rings, and the people don't realize because of a pressure trick. By the time they do realize, it's too late. Their diamonds have been cut and sold." She glanced down at the floor, "The Rolex I stole was worth $15,000. And you know what the bastard I sold it to did to me?" She laughed and shook her head a few times over, quickly.
"The fucker tricked me into thinking it wasn't worth that much at all. I didn't know anything. I took three-hundred for something that could have gotten me god knows how long in prison if I was caught." She said, "All I've learned is a lot of people in this country, in this city, are lying sons of bitches. Not me. Not my brother." She quickly said, "If there's one thing I've taught him, it's to be honest, be genuine. Because I... Don't want him to make the same mistakes I did. Not him." Now it was her voice that gradually shifted to an emotional one.
When she was handed the phone, the money, plus extra, her jaw dropped a little and her eyes shifted to meet with Thalia's. She tucked the phone and the money away.
After listening to everything she had to say, she nodded to her. "Thalia." She whispered, quietly. "That's... A pretty name. One that suits you, no doubt." She managed a small smile, "The saddest thing is, though, the way you speak of this organization..." She sighed. "Although you're part of it, and you know it's a big part of life... The way you talk of it can't help but make me feel like there's something going on, something inching you furhter and further into that dark place you spoke of." She paused, "I believe in fate, Thalia. If I'd chosen to book my brother's diabetic clinic appointment even ten minutes later, I would have missed you, you would have missed me. Now we've ran into each other twice. Face-to-face, out in the open. Yet neither of us have any bruises, and neither of us have been at each other's throats. I'm no genius, but things like this happen for a reason." She explained, "But believe me in saying that there's always a way out. Sometimes we find that way out in other people, sometimes books, and sometimes big old bottles of whiskey. It really depends on who you are."
There was another brief moment of silence before she spoke again.
"You might think there's no place for a girl like you anymore. You might think that even if somehow you got out of the place you're in, that no one would accept you... You're wrong." She shook her head, "Those people in that diner, the people that work there. They took me in even though I knew next to nothing. Never worked a job in my life, but, there I am now. Money's shitty but it's money at the end of the day, and they treat me like family." She explained, "Just remember, in a city like this, there are some very strange, and very dangerous people. And there's also a lot of places, and a lot of ways, to hide." She said. "Don't think I'm trying to direct your life, Thalia, but, you're not someone who deserves to be stuck doing the dirty-work of brutes and thugs. From how you've acted today, you're more than that, and you deserve much, much better." She nodded firmly, sure and confident in her words.
Before she took her hand away, though, Karin did something she never thought she'd be capable of with this Thalia. She lifted her own hand and placed it on top of it, slowly, and of course gently. She didn't want to startle the girl. Just for a few seconds she gave the hand a squeeze, just a friendly gesture, a sign of affection, I suppose. After that, she released her hand and allowed it to be pulled away.
"I best be going. There were detectives waiting for me to get back, last thing I need is them getting suspicious." She said, "And I wouldn't want them asking about a certain meeting between you and me that I don't recall happening, right?" A half-grin hit her face and she winked at Thalia, quickly and smoothly. "I suppose I owe you both a thank you and an apology. You're a cut from a different cloth compared to those you work with. I realize that now. I'm sure you're taking risks to be here, so you better get going, too." She said. "Just... If we never cross paths again, remember what I've said. Don't forget. I know I won't." She nodded to her, slowly, then gave a small wave as she took a few steps backwards, then turned around to make her way back.
Back in the diner, however, tension was definitely on the rise, and Frank was finding it hard to mask his concern. Just keep talking to the kid. Don't worry about the sister. He wasn't sure what he was so panicked about - what if his sister had gone off looking for answers? She left so suddenly. Did something spook her? Was she an informant? Something crazy like that? He didn't like to picture what would happen with her brother if something happened to her. He could already tell the brother was very fond of her.
"Exactly, Tony..." Frank sighed, "The problem is, Joe, with these hackers and all that..." He sighed, "We don't know what they're going to do. If your friends talk about Fritzy and anyone like him, you know how good they are. They can make it look like there in China, Barbados, Florida, and New York all in one day if they want to. The simple fact is, even if we did go to one of them, we'd have to go onto a website that deals in illegal stuff, contact him, then pray they don't go to channel six news and tell them about how the cops are asking for help from a... Vigilante, I suppose. I wish there were ways around it, but, it makes it complicated because of some of the stuff some of these guys are supposdely involved in. Plus, a lot of them are all up for keeping their identity safe. We don't know a single thing about half of them."
Joseph shrugged, "Yeah, I guess so." He said, "I bet Fritzy's a girl."
"You do?" Frank chuckled once, "And why's that?"
"I don't know." He shrugged again, then buried himself in thought, "I just get that feeling, y'know?"
Frank had a smile slowly grow on his face, "I guess I do."
In that moment, though, the door flew open to the diner, causing Joseph's head to shoot up. There she was, the white-haired woman, his sister. A grin hit his face, a relieved one, and Karin smiled straight back. As she walked by, though, Frank caught a glimpse of something that made his heart sink a little. A bulge in the pocket of her skinny jeans. The bulge of what could have only been a cell phone. He looked at Tony for a moment, wondering if he had also noticed the same thing. Why was it suspicious? Well...
"Welcome back. Karin. Everything okay?"
"Perfect, yeah." She sat back down beside her brother and dropped an arm around his shoulders.
"I was wondering one thing, actually. Something that might help us track things quite a lot." He said. "Did they take any personal belongings from anyone?"
"Yeah. Cash, watches, rings, phones. Anything we had on us."
Frank went silent and nodded a few times, then pulled out his notebook and discreetly scribbled 'Karin's phone(?)' down onto one of the lines. "Alright." He said, simply. "Speaking of which..." He grabbed a napkin from the holder on the table, then wrote his phone number with his name next to it on the surface, then shifted the pen and napkin over to Tony. "We'll hand you our numbers. If you remember any details, please call. Same to you, kid." He winked at Joseph and put on a smile. "As for me, I've asked what I need to. Tony?" He asked. He figured it'd be best to double check with his partner, just to see if he had anything else he needed to ask. He personally felt confronting Karin would be wrong without further thought on things, but, hey, who knows.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
Karin made valid points from her analysis. The diner was an easy job. Quick, too, almost in and out. Maybe the reckless nature of the new dogs she brought in made driving fear more seamless. America is a dog-eat-dog world, another fact Thalia knew all too well. And in a place where the food chain is a huge deal, Al-Asheera knew how to dominate. Thalia always thought she was on the winning side. Today, she realized that there really were no absolute winners. What came as a shock was that this girl she'd met was more similar than she thought. Sure, she had the look of a desperate girl willing to do anything for her family, but she was also skilled. Pretty, too. She, herself was stricken by Karin's looks, and no doubt other men would be, too, leaving seduction as an option for herself. She knew the tactics about slipping watches or cell phones from people, the pressure tactic that she'd mastered since the age of 14. But Karin didn't seem to know much about pawning. The worth of her ill-gotten gains. Thalia developed an eye for measuring worth with time. It was tempting to offer up her services, as a sign of goodwill, but she didn't get a chance, nor did she want to be scolded for her ill-knowledge. After living this life for eight years, the least she could do is master it. Kind of an embarrassing skill.
Fate. Was that the reason behind why these two women butted heads twice in such a short time? There was something deeper to it, sure. Karin didn't rat her out, and also didn't intend to doing it later. Likewise, Thalia had no plans to stab her in the back for knowing too much. Some sort of invisible tie was binding them and preventing them from hurting each other. Enough to reveal her real name and face. Furthermore, Karin expressed her concern for how The Clan was sucking Thalia into some dark corner of the universe. A dark corner that was catching up to her. She couldn't leave. Something within her didn't WANT to leave... But something else did. To be free of the chains her organization left on her. Free of her engagement to a psychopathic kingpin. A sense of freedom. Would she steal as a freelancer? Maybe. Would she be happier? Also a maybe. Too many unknowns. But Karin's words of there existing an out. There probably was. One that Thalia kept refusing to get near.
In the silence, Thalia couldn't stop looking into Karin's eyes. She's been right about a lot so far, and she's actually really cute... STOP! You said you wouldn't get close to someone else! Remember what happened last time you were close to someone other than your betrothed? How could she forget the girl she mentioned to Rami in the van, Vanessa... A dark secret that made her fear getting close to someone else. A secret she didn't feel comfortable telling Karin just yet. Too personal. Too painful. The silence was broken when this white-haired girl expressed her belief that there was a place for people like her in this world. A simple life. But better than the life she lead. More righteous. Damn, had it been a while since she'd tasted the feeling of doing good. Coming to check on Joseph was a start. Sure, she had a reason, but it still felt good in her heart. A remedy of sorts for the guilt. Karin showed so much faith in Thalia, faith in how she was different from other brutes. Was she, really? This girl believed so. And it lifted her spirits. Her shy, schoolgirl-type feelings showed in a nervous smile on her face, still keeping eye contact with the woman. Then she took her hand. Her heart skipped a beat. The two who were throwing verbal insults at each other moments ago. Now this sort of trust? Unreal. Her touch felt so soft, so gentle, like she actually cared for a miserable lowlife like herself, much like Thalia cared for her to a degree. To respond in a similar way, Thalia squeezed back, slightly but noticeably. Pulling away was difficult. She didn't want to let go, but she knew it was necessary with all the police attention, plus whatever was waiting for her back at the hideaway. She may never see Karin again, but her words left a mark, and even a more lasting feeling of happiness than the one she forced upon herself in the mirror.
With Karin gone beyond the corner and beyond the police barricade, Thalia was now alone on the streets. It would've put her at ease to see the boy again, but she doubted he'd be happy to see the girl who scared him just moments ago. Maybe it was for the best that she never sees them again. She turned away from the scene, pulling the beanie from her head, and walking back home. Odds are, she'd be stealing again sometime in the afternoon. But she'd be doing so with a different mindset than the one she once had. Th-Thank you, Karin... Thank you for forgiving me. Understanding me.
--
Frank's explanation of why going to a vigilante hacker was a huge risk was all-too perfect. Tony was giving Frank a lot of room to grow, get the feel for the detective field, and connect further with the child. All went well, and the boy understood, thankfully. It didn't seem like Joseph had anything more to say about the incident. Everything would probably fall back to the girl, Karin, who finally came back from her trip outside. He noticed the bulge in her jeans from what he could guess to be a cell phone, but he couldn't remember if it were there when she left as well. Didn't really cross his mind. Then Frank brought up the question of stolen personal belongings. If Al-Asheera took their phones and money, why would she still have her phone? Suspicions grew, but clearly Karin wouldn't budge at this time, and this wasn't grounds to bring her to the station. Taking the napkin, Tony jotted his number down just under Frank's.
"I think we've got what we need. Thank you for your time, Karin. Like we were saying, if you or your brother have anything you happen to remember when you go home, just give one of us a call, and we can come over and talk about it. Alright? Have a great day. We're greatly sorry for your losses, and we will get to the bottom of this." One last look to Joseph left him time for some last words: "Take care, Joe. You're a strong kid. Don't lose that part of you."
MOMENTS LATER
A few more interviews with some of the witnesses gave similar testimonies. Tony, with his great memory, had all of the details memorized about the case. Now all he had to do was put them together and recreate the scene on paper back at the office. Some details from forensics would also be a great help to know about the guns they were using. But now alone with Frank in his car, before he even started it up, he had some man-to-man questions about some of the intel they picked up off Karin.
"Am I the only one who smelled bullshit on Karin Held? I mean, I don't question what her brother said. Despite being afraid, he knew what he saw. But her? Kinda blurry. And the whole leaving thing wasn't exactly normal from someone in shock. Too suspicious. And I could tell she still had her phone with her. Did The Clan forget to swipe that off of her? I doubt. I've read up about these thieves. They're thorough. Don't leave a penny behind that they want. Why would they leave her alone?" A theory in Tony's head was that Karin was the mysterious girl that lead the ambush, and she was leading them on a wild goose chase. But Joseph and other witnesses spoke up about a good-looking red-haired girl who seemed to take control of the situation better than the three men. But that didn't mean Karin wasn't helping this hostile woman. "Maybe we can find out more when they send us the CCTV footage from the time of the robbery. But until then... your thoughts?"
Fate. Was that the reason behind why these two women butted heads twice in such a short time? There was something deeper to it, sure. Karin didn't rat her out, and also didn't intend to doing it later. Likewise, Thalia had no plans to stab her in the back for knowing too much. Some sort of invisible tie was binding them and preventing them from hurting each other. Enough to reveal her real name and face. Furthermore, Karin expressed her concern for how The Clan was sucking Thalia into some dark corner of the universe. A dark corner that was catching up to her. She couldn't leave. Something within her didn't WANT to leave... But something else did. To be free of the chains her organization left on her. Free of her engagement to a psychopathic kingpin. A sense of freedom. Would she steal as a freelancer? Maybe. Would she be happier? Also a maybe. Too many unknowns. But Karin's words of there existing an out. There probably was. One that Thalia kept refusing to get near.
In the silence, Thalia couldn't stop looking into Karin's eyes. She's been right about a lot so far, and she's actually really cute... STOP! You said you wouldn't get close to someone else! Remember what happened last time you were close to someone other than your betrothed? How could she forget the girl she mentioned to Rami in the van, Vanessa... A dark secret that made her fear getting close to someone else. A secret she didn't feel comfortable telling Karin just yet. Too personal. Too painful. The silence was broken when this white-haired girl expressed her belief that there was a place for people like her in this world. A simple life. But better than the life she lead. More righteous. Damn, had it been a while since she'd tasted the feeling of doing good. Coming to check on Joseph was a start. Sure, she had a reason, but it still felt good in her heart. A remedy of sorts for the guilt. Karin showed so much faith in Thalia, faith in how she was different from other brutes. Was she, really? This girl believed so. And it lifted her spirits. Her shy, schoolgirl-type feelings showed in a nervous smile on her face, still keeping eye contact with the woman. Then she took her hand. Her heart skipped a beat. The two who were throwing verbal insults at each other moments ago. Now this sort of trust? Unreal. Her touch felt so soft, so gentle, like she actually cared for a miserable lowlife like herself, much like Thalia cared for her to a degree. To respond in a similar way, Thalia squeezed back, slightly but noticeably. Pulling away was difficult. She didn't want to let go, but she knew it was necessary with all the police attention, plus whatever was waiting for her back at the hideaway. She may never see Karin again, but her words left a mark, and even a more lasting feeling of happiness than the one she forced upon herself in the mirror.
With Karin gone beyond the corner and beyond the police barricade, Thalia was now alone on the streets. It would've put her at ease to see the boy again, but she doubted he'd be happy to see the girl who scared him just moments ago. Maybe it was for the best that she never sees them again. She turned away from the scene, pulling the beanie from her head, and walking back home. Odds are, she'd be stealing again sometime in the afternoon. But she'd be doing so with a different mindset than the one she once had. Th-Thank you, Karin... Thank you for forgiving me. Understanding me.
--
Frank's explanation of why going to a vigilante hacker was a huge risk was all-too perfect. Tony was giving Frank a lot of room to grow, get the feel for the detective field, and connect further with the child. All went well, and the boy understood, thankfully. It didn't seem like Joseph had anything more to say about the incident. Everything would probably fall back to the girl, Karin, who finally came back from her trip outside. He noticed the bulge in her jeans from what he could guess to be a cell phone, but he couldn't remember if it were there when she left as well. Didn't really cross his mind. Then Frank brought up the question of stolen personal belongings. If Al-Asheera took their phones and money, why would she still have her phone? Suspicions grew, but clearly Karin wouldn't budge at this time, and this wasn't grounds to bring her to the station. Taking the napkin, Tony jotted his number down just under Frank's.
"I think we've got what we need. Thank you for your time, Karin. Like we were saying, if you or your brother have anything you happen to remember when you go home, just give one of us a call, and we can come over and talk about it. Alright? Have a great day. We're greatly sorry for your losses, and we will get to the bottom of this." One last look to Joseph left him time for some last words: "Take care, Joe. You're a strong kid. Don't lose that part of you."
MOMENTS LATER
A few more interviews with some of the witnesses gave similar testimonies. Tony, with his great memory, had all of the details memorized about the case. Now all he had to do was put them together and recreate the scene on paper back at the office. Some details from forensics would also be a great help to know about the guns they were using. But now alone with Frank in his car, before he even started it up, he had some man-to-man questions about some of the intel they picked up off Karin.
"Am I the only one who smelled bullshit on Karin Held? I mean, I don't question what her brother said. Despite being afraid, he knew what he saw. But her? Kinda blurry. And the whole leaving thing wasn't exactly normal from someone in shock. Too suspicious. And I could tell she still had her phone with her. Did The Clan forget to swipe that off of her? I doubt. I've read up about these thieves. They're thorough. Don't leave a penny behind that they want. Why would they leave her alone?" A theory in Tony's head was that Karin was the mysterious girl that lead the ambush, and she was leading them on a wild goose chase. But Joseph and other witnesses spoke up about a good-looking red-haired girl who seemed to take control of the situation better than the three men. But that didn't mean Karin wasn't helping this hostile woman. "Maybe we can find out more when they send us the CCTV footage from the time of the robbery. But until then... your thoughts?"
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
There was only so much Karin could do for Thalia in her position. She wanted to do more - She was half-tempted to say 'leave it all behind, there's a spare room at our house that you can hole up in for a while' - but she didn't quite trust her enough for that, and not only that, she knew just how serious the organization she was part of was. They'd find her eventually, and they'd all get strung up for it. That was if the police didn't get to them first, arrest Thalia, and then herself for aiding and abetting a fugitive. It was all complicated, but, Karin wanted a friend at the very least. Why she felt inclined to be friendly with this girl all of a sudden was a mystery far beyond what she was capable of solving. There was nothing else outside of wanting to be friendly with her, but Karin still couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was loneliness finally beginning to stick a knife in her gut. All she knew was that she'd be lying awake tonight for various reasons. Not only because of what she and Joseph saw, but also because of the worry of Thalia getting in deep shit for sneaking out and associating with someone who was a victim in the robbery. It was a string of worry she couldn't afford to have.
"We'll definitely give you a call if we remember anything." She said, staring blankly down at the napkin .She was a little bit spaced out, a little lost in thought. She was buried deep in thought about the dark-haired girl, the only armed assailant that showed compassion and, in her own way, care. It was a ballsy and particularly stupid move on her part, and Karin was just trying to wrap her head around it. Frank looked at her for a few moments, up and down, and finally spoke out.
"Is everything alright, Miss Held?" He asked.
She was silent for a moment, but then nodded, "Just... Processing everything, I suppose."
"Understandable. Take this fella' here back home, make yourselves some tea and relax. It's been a stressful day." He nodded to Joseph as he spoke, then smiled at the two of them. "Thanks for your time." He held a hand out to Karin, who took it weakly and gave it a simple shake. "Joe, you too." He said, also offering him a hand. "Good job keeping it together today. Maybe once this case is all over, your sister can bring you down to the station, you can see how the detectives really figure stuff out." He winked at him, and it did prompt a smile, and maybe even a little glimmer of hope in his fearful eyes.
"Awesome." The boy grinned, "Thanks."
Frank just nodded, and obviously, Joseph shook Tony's hand too, if he was offered the opportunity. When they were off questioning other people, eventually, Joseph was itching to go home and just chill out where he was safe. It was a short drive, but Karin didn't mind. The whole time, though, she was still lost in thought about everything that occurred. The shock of everything that happened today had caught up with her, and driving home, she was trembling. There were a lot of emotions all thrown up in the air - anger, gratitude, sadness, worry. It wasn't the best thing to have. Joseph had calmed down, but she could see that he was still shaken by everything that had occurred.
They arrived home, though, and home was... Simple, but nice.
Karin turned the car off in the driveway, and she just sat back in her seat and closed her eyes.
"Karin?" Joseph said.
After a few moments, she replied, "Yeah, J?"
"Can we please just go inside? I really gotta' use the bathroom."
She frowned, "What? How long have you been waiting?"
"Since, like, we got to the diner."
"Oh, you fool." She put a hand on his head and sighed, "You should have said something. Come on, let's go inside." She nodded, and with that, climbed out of the car. She lead Joseph in through the door, who of course made a beeline for the bathroom. She figured the last thing to do now was sit with her brother and make sure everything was okay. Tea, maybe some TV, and a nap. At least for Joseph. She knew he was exhausted from everything that had occurred.
--
At The Station...
Frank sighed and slid one of the two cups of coffee he'd grabbed from the canteen over to Tony, then sat there in silence. He listened to what he said, but at first he didn't respond, just seemed to stare into space. He was thinking, much like Karin was when she was staring at the table in the diner. He was putting it all together, compiling every single mental and physical note that he took down. Eventually, his eyes worked their way up to meet with Tony's, and he shook his head.
"It adds up so perfectly that it makes me sad to say it." He said, quietly. "Let's go over the facts we have. Karin Held is a single, full-time carer of ten-year-old Joseph, a Type 1 Diabetic. It's been that way for years now." He sat up straight and sipped at his coffee, "Karin, I could see something in her. There was a lot more behind her anger and her bitterness - She was angry about that alone. The moment I started speaking about all of that, parents, Joseph, something clicked in her, and that fire in her eyes? It just got bigger. Joseph to her is a family treasure, the only family she has left. But at the same time, if she was involved, what would Joseph be? He'd be the perfect cover-up." He said, then rose to his feet and started pacing around.
"Let's play this scene out. Karin arrives in the diner with her brother for lunch, they take a seat at the second place in from the front door, both of them facing the door, both of them having a clear view of more or less all the staff, and, most importantly, sitting away from everyone else in there. Now, that's pretty normal when you're out having lunch, right? Wanting to sit away from everyone else? Yeah, nothing strange there. The only strange thing is this: She works there." He paused, "She's worked there for a while now, a couple of years, the chef said. Now, the chef spilt the beans on one thing when I spoke to him. He said he wasn't quite sure how she supported herself and her brother on the money she was on. Him, Maria, the other waiters and waitresses, all said she's a 'strong girl' with a 'big heart' - A big heart and no money."
"Your standard robbers are in and out of a place in as little as three minutes. When we got there, Joseph was just eating food, food that was served fresh. That leads me to assume that they served that up after the robbery, not before, meaning that Karin and her brother couldn't have actually ordered it all that long before. If the CCTV shows us anything, we're going to find one thing out, and it'll be one step closer to finding out whether or not Karin's in on this. You saw it yourself, the way she talked about the guys compared to how she talked about the girl was just... It was a complete shift. Feminine intuition? Who knows. All I know is, after we spoke to her coworkers, Karin's a very secluded woman, not many friends. As I was saying, though, the CCTV will tell us exactly when she walked into the place. If she walks in only a few minutes before it happens, it's either sheer bad luck, or she's in on the whole thing right under our noses. The phone, for example... I swear to you, she did not have that bulge in her pocket when she walked out. Obviously, there's no evidence of this, but, as soon as I saw that I knew something wasn't right. In all my years on the force, I've never seen someone get up and leave like that mid-statement. At first I thought she was spooked by something, but... I don't know. She disappeared out of sight, so there's no way of us knowing where she went unless we ask her ourselves." He scratched his chin.
"You know why else it'd make sense, Tony?" He asked, simply. "Think Al-Asheera. They're tough as shit. All of them. A bunch of stone-cold, ruthless motherfuckers." He took in a deep breath and held it there for a second, then looked down at him. He slowly lowered himself back into his seat. "And what's Karin?" He asked. "Karin is an angry, strong-headed, strong-spirited, fire-in-the-eyes woman who didn't take shit. Not even from them." He cracked a smile, "Now that, that was impressive." He said. "Most people know not to say a word - They killed a guy for, what, getting up from his seat? Why didn't they shoot her for talking all that smack?" He questioned, "And why did she recall so very little about the woman she was apparently face-to-face with? If she is in on this, and I mean if, the situation ends like this: Karin gets hailed as a brave soul by friends and family, when really she was just putting on an act. She gets paid, and that money helps pay for her brother's overly-expensive healthcare."
"All the theoretical pieces are there, Tony, but that's just it, isn't it? It's just a theory. I want to trust Karin, but..." He sipped his coffee again. "I don't."
"We'll definitely give you a call if we remember anything." She said, staring blankly down at the napkin .She was a little bit spaced out, a little lost in thought. She was buried deep in thought about the dark-haired girl, the only armed assailant that showed compassion and, in her own way, care. It was a ballsy and particularly stupid move on her part, and Karin was just trying to wrap her head around it. Frank looked at her for a few moments, up and down, and finally spoke out.
"Is everything alright, Miss Held?" He asked.
She was silent for a moment, but then nodded, "Just... Processing everything, I suppose."
"Understandable. Take this fella' here back home, make yourselves some tea and relax. It's been a stressful day." He nodded to Joseph as he spoke, then smiled at the two of them. "Thanks for your time." He held a hand out to Karin, who took it weakly and gave it a simple shake. "Joe, you too." He said, also offering him a hand. "Good job keeping it together today. Maybe once this case is all over, your sister can bring you down to the station, you can see how the detectives really figure stuff out." He winked at him, and it did prompt a smile, and maybe even a little glimmer of hope in his fearful eyes.
"Awesome." The boy grinned, "Thanks."
Frank just nodded, and obviously, Joseph shook Tony's hand too, if he was offered the opportunity. When they were off questioning other people, eventually, Joseph was itching to go home and just chill out where he was safe. It was a short drive, but Karin didn't mind. The whole time, though, she was still lost in thought about everything that occurred. The shock of everything that happened today had caught up with her, and driving home, she was trembling. There were a lot of emotions all thrown up in the air - anger, gratitude, sadness, worry. It wasn't the best thing to have. Joseph had calmed down, but she could see that he was still shaken by everything that had occurred.
They arrived home, though, and home was... Simple, but nice.
Karin turned the car off in the driveway, and she just sat back in her seat and closed her eyes.
"Karin?" Joseph said.
After a few moments, she replied, "Yeah, J?"
"Can we please just go inside? I really gotta' use the bathroom."
She frowned, "What? How long have you been waiting?"
"Since, like, we got to the diner."
"Oh, you fool." She put a hand on his head and sighed, "You should have said something. Come on, let's go inside." She nodded, and with that, climbed out of the car. She lead Joseph in through the door, who of course made a beeline for the bathroom. She figured the last thing to do now was sit with her brother and make sure everything was okay. Tea, maybe some TV, and a nap. At least for Joseph. She knew he was exhausted from everything that had occurred.
--
At The Station...
Frank sighed and slid one of the two cups of coffee he'd grabbed from the canteen over to Tony, then sat there in silence. He listened to what he said, but at first he didn't respond, just seemed to stare into space. He was thinking, much like Karin was when she was staring at the table in the diner. He was putting it all together, compiling every single mental and physical note that he took down. Eventually, his eyes worked their way up to meet with Tony's, and he shook his head.
"It adds up so perfectly that it makes me sad to say it." He said, quietly. "Let's go over the facts we have. Karin Held is a single, full-time carer of ten-year-old Joseph, a Type 1 Diabetic. It's been that way for years now." He sat up straight and sipped at his coffee, "Karin, I could see something in her. There was a lot more behind her anger and her bitterness - She was angry about that alone. The moment I started speaking about all of that, parents, Joseph, something clicked in her, and that fire in her eyes? It just got bigger. Joseph to her is a family treasure, the only family she has left. But at the same time, if she was involved, what would Joseph be? He'd be the perfect cover-up." He said, then rose to his feet and started pacing around.
"Let's play this scene out. Karin arrives in the diner with her brother for lunch, they take a seat at the second place in from the front door, both of them facing the door, both of them having a clear view of more or less all the staff, and, most importantly, sitting away from everyone else in there. Now, that's pretty normal when you're out having lunch, right? Wanting to sit away from everyone else? Yeah, nothing strange there. The only strange thing is this: She works there." He paused, "She's worked there for a while now, a couple of years, the chef said. Now, the chef spilt the beans on one thing when I spoke to him. He said he wasn't quite sure how she supported herself and her brother on the money she was on. Him, Maria, the other waiters and waitresses, all said she's a 'strong girl' with a 'big heart' - A big heart and no money."
"Your standard robbers are in and out of a place in as little as three minutes. When we got there, Joseph was just eating food, food that was served fresh. That leads me to assume that they served that up after the robbery, not before, meaning that Karin and her brother couldn't have actually ordered it all that long before. If the CCTV shows us anything, we're going to find one thing out, and it'll be one step closer to finding out whether or not Karin's in on this. You saw it yourself, the way she talked about the guys compared to how she talked about the girl was just... It was a complete shift. Feminine intuition? Who knows. All I know is, after we spoke to her coworkers, Karin's a very secluded woman, not many friends. As I was saying, though, the CCTV will tell us exactly when she walked into the place. If she walks in only a few minutes before it happens, it's either sheer bad luck, or she's in on the whole thing right under our noses. The phone, for example... I swear to you, she did not have that bulge in her pocket when she walked out. Obviously, there's no evidence of this, but, as soon as I saw that I knew something wasn't right. In all my years on the force, I've never seen someone get up and leave like that mid-statement. At first I thought she was spooked by something, but... I don't know. She disappeared out of sight, so there's no way of us knowing where she went unless we ask her ourselves." He scratched his chin.
"You know why else it'd make sense, Tony?" He asked, simply. "Think Al-Asheera. They're tough as shit. All of them. A bunch of stone-cold, ruthless motherfuckers." He took in a deep breath and held it there for a second, then looked down at him. He slowly lowered himself back into his seat. "And what's Karin?" He asked. "Karin is an angry, strong-headed, strong-spirited, fire-in-the-eyes woman who didn't take shit. Not even from them." He cracked a smile, "Now that, that was impressive." He said. "Most people know not to say a word - They killed a guy for, what, getting up from his seat? Why didn't they shoot her for talking all that smack?" He questioned, "And why did she recall so very little about the woman she was apparently face-to-face with? If she is in on this, and I mean if, the situation ends like this: Karin gets hailed as a brave soul by friends and family, when really she was just putting on an act. She gets paid, and that money helps pay for her brother's overly-expensive healthcare."
"All the theoretical pieces are there, Tony, but that's just it, isn't it? It's just a theory. I want to trust Karin, but..." He sipped his coffee again. "I don't."
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
Home was a distant word for the apartment claimed by The Clan in Burbank, but in all honesty, Thalia's 'home' was simply wherever her organization was. Not defined by a physical property where she could feel comfortable and alone, let herself drown in thought and rest for once. Rest was an illusion. Stability was non-existent. Being alone? Only a luxury given to her recently when she was given separate quarters. Lately she'd been taking more time alone, locking the doors behind her, and remaining secluded for as long as she was allowed to. Then there was Rami, her husband-to-be. Not like it was her decision to marry him. He fell in love with her from the day she joined, and made a vow to marry her once she was of age. Fortunately, setbacks with Al-Asheera's standing in Philly delayed that. But LA? Once that was taken over, nothing would stop her from getting married to a man she didn't necessarily love. Loyal? Yes. But their history goes farther back than just their fun in the bedroom. She didn't love this man. Not conventionally, not at all. She didn't feel comfortable with him. She couldn't confide in him without being abused or scolded for it. But most importantly, though this might've been true in the first year or two, she never felt any sort of connection to him. Not even as a father figure. Nothing at all. And yet, she was forced into a marriage she didn't want.
Once she arrived, she tore her jacket and gloves off of her body, kicked her converse shoes off, and let herself collapse onto her bed. Cozy. She hadn't slept in the Burbank location yet, not even tried the bed, but this wasn't all that bad in comparison to before. Her beds in Philadelphia were rough and unpleasant, unless she spent the night in the Head's bed, in which the mattress was not too bad. Sleeping next to a savage well off his rocker? Frightening, even for someone as bold as her. Whenever he wasn't crawling all over her, she kept her distance out of fear he'd attack her. Not like he never did it before. It was his way of training the little puppy-dog he grabbed off the streets to be obedient. It still showed, even as a young adult. She feared Ra's, but it was the same fear that resulted in respect for a master. Where was he now? She didn't know, and didn't care. She locked the door for a reason. And she intended to be alone for a long time, escaping reality through an array of thoughts in her mind. Thoughts provoked by Karin. A way out. Perhaps someone, like this girl, would open their arms to a broken, misguided youth like herself. Give her a new start after making a stupid decision when she was so young. Just once, she wanted to taste what it was like to live the life of a normal girl. Unlike other teenagers spending their time dating and partying, going to high school, worrying for college, Thalia was forced to the will of a master criminal. A fate she'd accepted before, but a prison she felt trapped in for too long. Maybe she could still repair it, get an honest job, sustain herself, get a place to live, even if it's shit. A way out. Hopefully not going to prison for it, or hunted for life.
Another thing 13 year old girls use that Thalia never got a chance to try: diaries. She kept one for when she wanted to vent about her time in The Clan. It wasn't a daily thing, something she was trying since she was 18. Embarrassing, a sign of weakness, a secret kept from Rami. But after her little encounter with Karin, now seemed like a time to let out what she was thinking. Or else it might eat her alive. In case it was ever found, she kept her entries written in her second, co-dominant language, French. Finally, thankful for a skill she acquired from her previous life to keep her secrets in case the book was ever found. She rolled over onto her stomach and reached into the pillow casing to retrieve a small, pink notebook with a pen pinned into the spiral. She hated the color pink immensely, but she wanted to try this out three years ago, and pink was the only color she could find. Besides, all of her entries from when she turned 18 were here and she couldn't just throw them out. Childish? Sure. But she was always a child at heart. A lost, perverted one, but still a child. Flipping to the first page, she tapped the end of the pen to unleash the inked end, and began writing. Translated, her words read:
"So it's been awhile, and I know I still suck at writing this stuff, but I'm trying my best. We've been moving these past few weeks. Relocating, as Ra's called it. Goodbye, Philly; hello, LA! I've always wanted to travel, see somewhere other than the city I've known for 21 years. Guess that's why people go to college. I never even got into high school, so go figure. But LA's exciting. Lots of sun, lots of places to explore, beaches, sights to see, PLENTY of cute guys and girls too. Kind of wish I had the time for that sort of fun, though. This past week has been nothing but claiming streets, one at a time in some systematic way. Conquering LA and its surrounding suburbs. Thrilling? Sure, I've had my fun of that sort. But today... things changed. I came across someone, a victim to a heist strangely, someone really nice, who understood where I came from. Why I am who I am in a way. I may never see her again, but I can't help but want to... Her name was Karin. It's like she wanted me to do everything I always dreamed of, that it wasn't too late. Not only that, but she had a little brother with her. It only made me think about Charlie. I wonder what he thinks of his big sister who ran away... I don't even know how he looks, but he's probably seen me when I was 13 (yuck). I've always wanted to call home, just to figure out how he sounds. Test my luck.... You know, that girl, Karin, taught me that I can still turn this around for myself. Maybe I'll call now."
And that's exactly what the girl did. She quickly shut the small notebook and stored it and her pen away where she found them, then reached over for her cell phone on the other side of the bed. An iPhone from a few generations ago. Something she snagged from someone, liked the black and white skull-and-crossbones cover on, and took as her own. She had the number of her old home phone saved as a contact. Her parents never changed it, never left the house, never had a need to change. Closing her eyes and sighing deeply, she pressed 'call' on the screen. She held the phone to her ear. Nobody could hear who she was calling. A few dials rang in her eardrums. The number was still active. Boy, was she scared. Charlie would be eight at the time. Kids don't usually answer the phone. Would it be her shrill, demanding mother treating her like her students and enforcing discipline from the random stranger on the phone? Would it be her more peaceful but strict father who wanted her to become an exemplary Christian girl with various talents beyond words? Moments later, someone answered:
"Hello?"
But it wasn't her mother or her father. It was a child, a boy. Thalia froze in her place, trying to avoid becoming emotional. She covered her mouth in shock as her jaw dropped, frantically trying to find the words to say to this boy without scaring him away. "Ch-Charlie?"
"Who is this?" No confirmation, but she didn't need it. She knew who this was even by a hunch, and it stung her heart like a wretched bee sting to hear her little brother's voice. But she couldn't expose herself. It would compromise The Clan and her freedom. "Hello?"
She couldn't listen to his innocent boyish voice anymore. She hung up the line and dropped the phone to the bed in front of her instantly, frightened of what was going on in her head. The guilt of not getting to tell this boy she was his longlost sister. She sniffled and buried her face in the sheets, her fists curled into the comforter, still in disbelief at what she heard. Just a few words, ones she could barely listen to without it getting to her where it hurt. She didn't want to cry, but she felt the tears coming from her eyes. She kept her head in the blanket in front of her like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand, waiting for herself to calm down. A few muffled whimpers came from her, unable to determine if it was the aftermath of an emotional breakdown or a chuckle of satisfaction. Maybe a bit of both. Why the sudden slew of emotions? Was she really more normal than she thought? Well, that was the closest taste she got to a brother. Seeing the attachment between Karin and Joseph made her want to feel that. And just hearing his voice spoke a number for her. She wanted to change so that one day, this boy could see her in a better light.
Oh, how she wished she could've told Karin. Thanked her.
--
The station's canteen served as a makeshift planning room for Tony and Frank, running down everything they could from their interviews, trying to make sense of the scenes. They were told that CCTV footage would reach them soon enough, so why not a coffee break to kill time and discuss the issues? As his listened to Frank's theory, Tony took occasional sips from cup he'd been given. Tasted like shit, sure, but it was a gross taste he'd grown to accept. Enjoy, at times. Guess he could polish his turds. Frank spoke of a lot of background on the Held family, the most peculiar of the witnesses they'd talked to. Details about Karin, where exactly they were in regards to the rest during the robbery. Seemed normal enough, and natural. Then came her financials, and statements from friends. Strong girl, big heart, no money. Three phrases that stood out the most, as well as how she was the sole caretaker for her brother. It must've been tough, raising a kid alone. His father went through that struggle. It's truly hell to go through, especially without a college degree. But how was she keeping the lights on and her kid medicated with no money? Red flag, right there.
Suspicions remained on Miss Held, and the possibilities were endless, but until they see the footage, it was still up in the air as to what Karin's involvement truly was. And a greater mystery: what happened outside? She leaves and comes back with a phone in her pocket. Hers? Or another. Maybe if they had more evidence other than their own eyes, they could ask her such a question. But at this point, there was no grounds for it. What DID have grounds for questioning is how she stood up to Al-Asheera members, heartless brutes who would kill someone for moving in a way they didn't like. Sure, The Clan claims they don't kill, but times are changing. After being ousted fro Philly, they might be changing their methods. They ruined Richie's life after all. The conspiracy about a quick payday for Karin made sense to Tony. Frank really knew how to connect the dots. He nodded and smiled, ruffling the facial under his chin in approval.
"It's all plausible," he let the coffee cup rest on the table, laying his palms flat down, then giving his take, "Gotta say, your theory about her as a co-conspirator sounds pretty damn convincing. We just need the evidence. A money trail. A confirmed instance where Karin Held met with Al-Asheera members prior to this date. That, we can dig up from her workplace with the footage. There's a few other things I've noticed throughout conducting our interviews. The three men in question were missing a crucial part of Al-Asheera: tattoos. All of the other witnesses except for the Helds claimed the woman had a tattoo of a dragon across her right hand. That's the trademark of The Clan. All official members have it in the same place, the right hand, and proudly show it off. They like to make their presence known, that's why they announced that 'they own the street'. The big thing: the three other men, none of our witnesses said anything about a dragon tattoo on any of them. That makes me think one of two things: either these other guys were not Al-Asheera, or they're recruiting. Damn, these guys are really marking their territory and inducting California's own to join them. Sons of bitches..."
He took a sip of coffee once more before he continued his analysis. "But the girl? She's definitely an official member. And given previous cases here, this same redhead headed up at least a dozen other robberies in Burbank. I've seen a few previous cases to pick that up, probably should've mentioned that sooner. A previous witness from a recent bank hit mentioned that she saw a tattoo on the left side of the girl's neck. A tattoo of a concaved cross. The left side of the neck, the second mark of Al-Asheera. While the right hand is meant as a symbol of pride and promise, the left side of the neck is their barcode, a symbol of their father's profession. Makes each one individual, alongside their given names. We don't know the real name or alias of our girl, but judging by her tattoo? I can guess that her father is a faithful Christian. A priest or pastor of sorts. I'll give a few calls to Philly PD later to ask around if there are any potential hits there. But that's certainly a topic for later. Moreover? If Al-Asheera is recruiting? They certainly haven't accepted Karin Held. She didn't have the neck or the hand tattoo. Maybe this was a test. Who knows."
Rolling through the images in his head, Tony tried to recall any sort of facts that Frank hadn't mentioned yet. "The bullet markings around the cafe. I'm thinking an SMG. Maybe the bullet casings laying around there will tell us what guns, that could point us to a distributor. Also a lead. But what's more concerning was their plans for a hostile takeover. Frank, these guys had Philly under siege for nearly two decades until local PD finally caught on to them. They're taking the city one street at a time. We better not let them get half as close as they did over there down here."
Once she arrived, she tore her jacket and gloves off of her body, kicked her converse shoes off, and let herself collapse onto her bed. Cozy. She hadn't slept in the Burbank location yet, not even tried the bed, but this wasn't all that bad in comparison to before. Her beds in Philadelphia were rough and unpleasant, unless she spent the night in the Head's bed, in which the mattress was not too bad. Sleeping next to a savage well off his rocker? Frightening, even for someone as bold as her. Whenever he wasn't crawling all over her, she kept her distance out of fear he'd attack her. Not like he never did it before. It was his way of training the little puppy-dog he grabbed off the streets to be obedient. It still showed, even as a young adult. She feared Ra's, but it was the same fear that resulted in respect for a master. Where was he now? She didn't know, and didn't care. She locked the door for a reason. And she intended to be alone for a long time, escaping reality through an array of thoughts in her mind. Thoughts provoked by Karin. A way out. Perhaps someone, like this girl, would open their arms to a broken, misguided youth like herself. Give her a new start after making a stupid decision when she was so young. Just once, she wanted to taste what it was like to live the life of a normal girl. Unlike other teenagers spending their time dating and partying, going to high school, worrying for college, Thalia was forced to the will of a master criminal. A fate she'd accepted before, but a prison she felt trapped in for too long. Maybe she could still repair it, get an honest job, sustain herself, get a place to live, even if it's shit. A way out. Hopefully not going to prison for it, or hunted for life.
Another thing 13 year old girls use that Thalia never got a chance to try: diaries. She kept one for when she wanted to vent about her time in The Clan. It wasn't a daily thing, something she was trying since she was 18. Embarrassing, a sign of weakness, a secret kept from Rami. But after her little encounter with Karin, now seemed like a time to let out what she was thinking. Or else it might eat her alive. In case it was ever found, she kept her entries written in her second, co-dominant language, French. Finally, thankful for a skill she acquired from her previous life to keep her secrets in case the book was ever found. She rolled over onto her stomach and reached into the pillow casing to retrieve a small, pink notebook with a pen pinned into the spiral. She hated the color pink immensely, but she wanted to try this out three years ago, and pink was the only color she could find. Besides, all of her entries from when she turned 18 were here and she couldn't just throw them out. Childish? Sure. But she was always a child at heart. A lost, perverted one, but still a child. Flipping to the first page, she tapped the end of the pen to unleash the inked end, and began writing. Translated, her words read:
"So it's been awhile, and I know I still suck at writing this stuff, but I'm trying my best. We've been moving these past few weeks. Relocating, as Ra's called it. Goodbye, Philly; hello, LA! I've always wanted to travel, see somewhere other than the city I've known for 21 years. Guess that's why people go to college. I never even got into high school, so go figure. But LA's exciting. Lots of sun, lots of places to explore, beaches, sights to see, PLENTY of cute guys and girls too. Kind of wish I had the time for that sort of fun, though. This past week has been nothing but claiming streets, one at a time in some systematic way. Conquering LA and its surrounding suburbs. Thrilling? Sure, I've had my fun of that sort. But today... things changed. I came across someone, a victim to a heist strangely, someone really nice, who understood where I came from. Why I am who I am in a way. I may never see her again, but I can't help but want to... Her name was Karin. It's like she wanted me to do everything I always dreamed of, that it wasn't too late. Not only that, but she had a little brother with her. It only made me think about Charlie. I wonder what he thinks of his big sister who ran away... I don't even know how he looks, but he's probably seen me when I was 13 (yuck). I've always wanted to call home, just to figure out how he sounds. Test my luck.... You know, that girl, Karin, taught me that I can still turn this around for myself. Maybe I'll call now."
And that's exactly what the girl did. She quickly shut the small notebook and stored it and her pen away where she found them, then reached over for her cell phone on the other side of the bed. An iPhone from a few generations ago. Something she snagged from someone, liked the black and white skull-and-crossbones cover on, and took as her own. She had the number of her old home phone saved as a contact. Her parents never changed it, never left the house, never had a need to change. Closing her eyes and sighing deeply, she pressed 'call' on the screen. She held the phone to her ear. Nobody could hear who she was calling. A few dials rang in her eardrums. The number was still active. Boy, was she scared. Charlie would be eight at the time. Kids don't usually answer the phone. Would it be her shrill, demanding mother treating her like her students and enforcing discipline from the random stranger on the phone? Would it be her more peaceful but strict father who wanted her to become an exemplary Christian girl with various talents beyond words? Moments later, someone answered:
"Hello?"
But it wasn't her mother or her father. It was a child, a boy. Thalia froze in her place, trying to avoid becoming emotional. She covered her mouth in shock as her jaw dropped, frantically trying to find the words to say to this boy without scaring him away. "Ch-Charlie?"
"Who is this?" No confirmation, but she didn't need it. She knew who this was even by a hunch, and it stung her heart like a wretched bee sting to hear her little brother's voice. But she couldn't expose herself. It would compromise The Clan and her freedom. "Hello?"
She couldn't listen to his innocent boyish voice anymore. She hung up the line and dropped the phone to the bed in front of her instantly, frightened of what was going on in her head. The guilt of not getting to tell this boy she was his longlost sister. She sniffled and buried her face in the sheets, her fists curled into the comforter, still in disbelief at what she heard. Just a few words, ones she could barely listen to without it getting to her where it hurt. She didn't want to cry, but she felt the tears coming from her eyes. She kept her head in the blanket in front of her like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand, waiting for herself to calm down. A few muffled whimpers came from her, unable to determine if it was the aftermath of an emotional breakdown or a chuckle of satisfaction. Maybe a bit of both. Why the sudden slew of emotions? Was she really more normal than she thought? Well, that was the closest taste she got to a brother. Seeing the attachment between Karin and Joseph made her want to feel that. And just hearing his voice spoke a number for her. She wanted to change so that one day, this boy could see her in a better light.
Oh, how she wished she could've told Karin. Thanked her.
--
The station's canteen served as a makeshift planning room for Tony and Frank, running down everything they could from their interviews, trying to make sense of the scenes. They were told that CCTV footage would reach them soon enough, so why not a coffee break to kill time and discuss the issues? As his listened to Frank's theory, Tony took occasional sips from cup he'd been given. Tasted like shit, sure, but it was a gross taste he'd grown to accept. Enjoy, at times. Guess he could polish his turds. Frank spoke of a lot of background on the Held family, the most peculiar of the witnesses they'd talked to. Details about Karin, where exactly they were in regards to the rest during the robbery. Seemed normal enough, and natural. Then came her financials, and statements from friends. Strong girl, big heart, no money. Three phrases that stood out the most, as well as how she was the sole caretaker for her brother. It must've been tough, raising a kid alone. His father went through that struggle. It's truly hell to go through, especially without a college degree. But how was she keeping the lights on and her kid medicated with no money? Red flag, right there.
Suspicions remained on Miss Held, and the possibilities were endless, but until they see the footage, it was still up in the air as to what Karin's involvement truly was. And a greater mystery: what happened outside? She leaves and comes back with a phone in her pocket. Hers? Or another. Maybe if they had more evidence other than their own eyes, they could ask her such a question. But at this point, there was no grounds for it. What DID have grounds for questioning is how she stood up to Al-Asheera members, heartless brutes who would kill someone for moving in a way they didn't like. Sure, The Clan claims they don't kill, but times are changing. After being ousted fro Philly, they might be changing their methods. They ruined Richie's life after all. The conspiracy about a quick payday for Karin made sense to Tony. Frank really knew how to connect the dots. He nodded and smiled, ruffling the facial under his chin in approval.
"It's all plausible," he let the coffee cup rest on the table, laying his palms flat down, then giving his take, "Gotta say, your theory about her as a co-conspirator sounds pretty damn convincing. We just need the evidence. A money trail. A confirmed instance where Karin Held met with Al-Asheera members prior to this date. That, we can dig up from her workplace with the footage. There's a few other things I've noticed throughout conducting our interviews. The three men in question were missing a crucial part of Al-Asheera: tattoos. All of the other witnesses except for the Helds claimed the woman had a tattoo of a dragon across her right hand. That's the trademark of The Clan. All official members have it in the same place, the right hand, and proudly show it off. They like to make their presence known, that's why they announced that 'they own the street'. The big thing: the three other men, none of our witnesses said anything about a dragon tattoo on any of them. That makes me think one of two things: either these other guys were not Al-Asheera, or they're recruiting. Damn, these guys are really marking their territory and inducting California's own to join them. Sons of bitches..."
He took a sip of coffee once more before he continued his analysis. "But the girl? She's definitely an official member. And given previous cases here, this same redhead headed up at least a dozen other robberies in Burbank. I've seen a few previous cases to pick that up, probably should've mentioned that sooner. A previous witness from a recent bank hit mentioned that she saw a tattoo on the left side of the girl's neck. A tattoo of a concaved cross. The left side of the neck, the second mark of Al-Asheera. While the right hand is meant as a symbol of pride and promise, the left side of the neck is their barcode, a symbol of their father's profession. Makes each one individual, alongside their given names. We don't know the real name or alias of our girl, but judging by her tattoo? I can guess that her father is a faithful Christian. A priest or pastor of sorts. I'll give a few calls to Philly PD later to ask around if there are any potential hits there. But that's certainly a topic for later. Moreover? If Al-Asheera is recruiting? They certainly haven't accepted Karin Held. She didn't have the neck or the hand tattoo. Maybe this was a test. Who knows."
Rolling through the images in his head, Tony tried to recall any sort of facts that Frank hadn't mentioned yet. "The bullet markings around the cafe. I'm thinking an SMG. Maybe the bullet casings laying around there will tell us what guns, that could point us to a distributor. Also a lead. But what's more concerning was their plans for a hostile takeover. Frank, these guys had Philly under siege for nearly two decades until local PD finally caught on to them. They're taking the city one street at a time. We better not let them get half as close as they did over there down here."
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
"Karin?" Joseph was sat on the couch with her in their little living room. Small, but nice. It had taken some time, but Karin had always been one for keeping it clean.
The TV was in the corner opposite the chairs, right by the front window. The TV was on, but only on low volume. Joseph and Karin were just trying to relax now, just trying to unwind, but Joseph hadn't left her side since she'd made tea of them. She was hoping Maria would arrive sooner rather than later, because Joseph needed a little more security in his life at the present time. She'd already assured him that the doors were locked and windows were bolted, and regardless, they lived in a quiet area. They lived in a residential area, with nothing more than tiny convenience stores that sold fresh oranges and all of that shit. It was nothing worth having a gunfight over, to say the least, but Joseph was having none of it. To put things simply, he was terrified.
"Yeah, cutie, what's up?" She replied after a few moments.
"You always wanted to go to college, right?" He shuffled over and set his head on her shoulder.
"Heh, yeah." She smiled at the now vague memory of filling out college applications and waiting on the edge of her seat for an acceptance letter. "I got accepted for The University of Cali, you know, over in San Diego." She said, "Was gonna' shoot off there and study Law."
"Law?" Joseph was surprised; his sister's past wasn't something he knew much about. "That's... Amazing." He said, but his voice gave away, and his eyes went straight to the floor. Karin frowned and placing a hand on his head.
"Hey... What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry." He choked out.
"Joseph, what are you talking about?" She turned to him, lifting her legs up onto the couch and crossing them.
"I stopped you." He sniffled, "I ruined everything for you. If I was never here you wouldn't have to look after me, you could have gone to college and done what you wanted. If I wasn't here we wouldn't have been in that place today, and maybe-- maybe that guy would still be alive."
It was only another second before he completely broke down into a mess of tears, and Karin couldn't hold back either. What he'd said had hit her hard - the last thing she ever wanted him to think was that he was a burden to her. She couldn't let things settle that way.
"Joseph, look at me." She said, but Joseph's head didn't move. "Look at me." She said again, this time placing her index finger under his chin and forcing his head up. His tear-filled deep blue eyes met with hers, and she gulped away the sadness she felt when she saw the heartbreak in his face. "Listen to me, alright, don't say a word." She moved the finger from his chin and gently placed it against his lips. "You didn't stop me. You didn't ruin anything. I stopped me. I stopped me because I still had you, I had something far more important to worry about rather than my name on a piece of paper. What's a piece of paper with my name on it compared to you, huh?" She asked. "It ain't anything compared to you." She whispered, shakily. "What happened to mom and dad wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. And what happened to that man today wasn't on you, you understand?"
He was still sobbing, but he quickly nodded.
"Come here, sweetheart." She said, shakily, and the two of them fell into a hug. Karin didn't have a proper shoulder to cry on, but all she wanted to do was give her shoulder to someone else, and this time it was Joseph, like it had been many other times. She held him close, and she rubbed his back ever so gently and slowly, performing her best feeble attempt to soothe his tears and fears. She closed her eyes and hushed him softly. "You mean more to me than anyone or anything. You are my world, and you always will be." She sniffled, "You just remember that. If you weren't here, J, I don't think I'd be here either. I love you."
"I love you too." He whimpered.
--
"You know what the main giveaway is in a questioning or interrogation? When people leave out obvious details. That's at least one of the main giveaways. Same for the other things like people referring to themselves and their relationships with someone in the past-tense. Things likes that." He shook his head, "She didn't mention it, the tattoos. If anything, that would give away exactly who we're looking for, especially if she has a unique tattoo in any way." He explained, "It's why it all seems so suspicious. Even if she isn't trying out to be a part of them, why would she withhold information? That's what wouldn't make any sense at all." He put his coffee down and crossed his arms on the table, then looked up at Tony as he spoke. He nodded to what he said, and when he was done, he nodded, smiled, and gently slammed a hand on the table.
"And that's exactly what it is, Tony. That's what'll bite them on the ass." He said. "What you said, about them showing it off so proudly - They're getting cocky. I mean, Philly-to-fuckin'-LA? It's a big change. A big big change. They don't understand what they're getting into in this area of California. They're going to get cocky, and they're going to break themselves down. They're going to end up pissing everyone off, and with that, they're gonna' piss off the new generations of their recruits and thugs; I guarantee you, half the thugs there would rather walk away than take a bullet from a gang out here in LA. Maybe not the old bastards, but, the younger ones... They'll piss their pants at the mere thought of some of the shit the gangs in these areas can pull. And that's where we'll catch 'em." He said, thinking for a moment.
"If they're recruiting, that gives them as many vulnerabilities as well as it does strengths. New people can be great, or they can be terrible. Even the brightest students can be the rotten apple. But this is LA. I've got a feeling a few of them are in for a nasty surprise." He said, simply; he swept up his coffee and took a gulp. "And our way in? I've got a feeling that our way into all of this, our claws in the zebra, is Karin Held. Even if she's not rolling with 'em, I'm willing to bet she knows a few things." He nodded, "As for the guns, Joseph said something about the guns you see in movies and videogames? I'm going to place a bet - MAC-10s, or MAC-11s. At least in the woman's case if she had two. They're small, discreet, compact, and they're in high supply. You heard what the witnesses said - guy ran at them, they popped him. We'll wait for forensics, once they tell us the ammo types we can narrow it down, and it'll make searching for the perps a little easier. We go from searching for just the possibility of a needle existing to searching for a needle in an ocean. A longshot, but there's always the chance. We'll get 'em, don't you worry."
Then the canteen door opened up, and in walked one of the administration members of the buildings.
"Detectives." The young man nodded, "I've been told to hand this to you. Not the CCTV you asked for, but this is from a CCTV feed just down the street from the diner that was held up." He said, then walked to the table and placed the folder down in front of them both. Frank arched an eyebrow, but, without further ado, he opened it up and slipped the printed screenshots out onto the table. Immediately, his eyes widened, and his mouth hung open just a tiny bit.
"Bradan-fucking-Cabhan."
Bradan Cabhan, a man constantly under the police's eye. He was the suspected leader of a potentially illegal organization. One that accepted nothing but Irishmen and women. Bradan Cabhan had been in court more times than anyone could count over the past six years, but there was never enough evidence to put him away. The most he ever got was some fines to pay, why? Because the guy was rich, too. He had the best lawyers, but the difference between him and Al-Asheera was that he wasn't someone who went around holding places up. He had his people collecting protection money from the businesses he controlled, but other than that, it was suspected he was big on the illegal weapons and narcotics trade, hence his wealth. He owned a bar in downtown LA - his little group's favorite watering hole.
Tony had probably seen this guy in dozens of cases. Another guy that they'd been trying to put away for years - he brought crime to the area, he owned places, and he was without a doubt linked to several murders, but, the main problem here...
"Fuck. This isn't normal." Frank said, "This is out of character. He wouldn't usually be out on the street without friends - He's walking his dog." He shook his head, but as he flicked through the pictures, showing them all to Tony of course, things got worse. Eventually, the man, Bradan, in question... He looked right up at the camera, and in the final picture, he was smiling. Or smirking, rather. "Tony, this ain't good. You know that as well as I do. The cafe was smack-bang in the center of some of his territory. He controls a few places around there, has guys on every corner, practically. This..." He slammed his finger on the paper a few times. "This is a taunt. He wants us to know that he's not going to stand by and let this happen. We need more people around in Burbank for a while, because if you've seen Bradan's work, shit, you know he'll be out for blood if this keeps up."
Just what they needed. A war between gangs - How long would it take before more of them joined in?
The TV was in the corner opposite the chairs, right by the front window. The TV was on, but only on low volume. Joseph and Karin were just trying to relax now, just trying to unwind, but Joseph hadn't left her side since she'd made tea of them. She was hoping Maria would arrive sooner rather than later, because Joseph needed a little more security in his life at the present time. She'd already assured him that the doors were locked and windows were bolted, and regardless, they lived in a quiet area. They lived in a residential area, with nothing more than tiny convenience stores that sold fresh oranges and all of that shit. It was nothing worth having a gunfight over, to say the least, but Joseph was having none of it. To put things simply, he was terrified.
"Yeah, cutie, what's up?" She replied after a few moments.
"You always wanted to go to college, right?" He shuffled over and set his head on her shoulder.
"Heh, yeah." She smiled at the now vague memory of filling out college applications and waiting on the edge of her seat for an acceptance letter. "I got accepted for The University of Cali, you know, over in San Diego." She said, "Was gonna' shoot off there and study Law."
"Law?" Joseph was surprised; his sister's past wasn't something he knew much about. "That's... Amazing." He said, but his voice gave away, and his eyes went straight to the floor. Karin frowned and placing a hand on his head.
"Hey... What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry." He choked out.
"Joseph, what are you talking about?" She turned to him, lifting her legs up onto the couch and crossing them.
"I stopped you." He sniffled, "I ruined everything for you. If I was never here you wouldn't have to look after me, you could have gone to college and done what you wanted. If I wasn't here we wouldn't have been in that place today, and maybe-- maybe that guy would still be alive."
It was only another second before he completely broke down into a mess of tears, and Karin couldn't hold back either. What he'd said had hit her hard - the last thing she ever wanted him to think was that he was a burden to her. She couldn't let things settle that way.
"Joseph, look at me." She said, but Joseph's head didn't move. "Look at me." She said again, this time placing her index finger under his chin and forcing his head up. His tear-filled deep blue eyes met with hers, and she gulped away the sadness she felt when she saw the heartbreak in his face. "Listen to me, alright, don't say a word." She moved the finger from his chin and gently placed it against his lips. "You didn't stop me. You didn't ruin anything. I stopped me. I stopped me because I still had you, I had something far more important to worry about rather than my name on a piece of paper. What's a piece of paper with my name on it compared to you, huh?" She asked. "It ain't anything compared to you." She whispered, shakily. "What happened to mom and dad wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. And what happened to that man today wasn't on you, you understand?"
He was still sobbing, but he quickly nodded.
"Come here, sweetheart." She said, shakily, and the two of them fell into a hug. Karin didn't have a proper shoulder to cry on, but all she wanted to do was give her shoulder to someone else, and this time it was Joseph, like it had been many other times. She held him close, and she rubbed his back ever so gently and slowly, performing her best feeble attempt to soothe his tears and fears. She closed her eyes and hushed him softly. "You mean more to me than anyone or anything. You are my world, and you always will be." She sniffled, "You just remember that. If you weren't here, J, I don't think I'd be here either. I love you."
"I love you too." He whimpered.
--
"You know what the main giveaway is in a questioning or interrogation? When people leave out obvious details. That's at least one of the main giveaways. Same for the other things like people referring to themselves and their relationships with someone in the past-tense. Things likes that." He shook his head, "She didn't mention it, the tattoos. If anything, that would give away exactly who we're looking for, especially if she has a unique tattoo in any way." He explained, "It's why it all seems so suspicious. Even if she isn't trying out to be a part of them, why would she withhold information? That's what wouldn't make any sense at all." He put his coffee down and crossed his arms on the table, then looked up at Tony as he spoke. He nodded to what he said, and when he was done, he nodded, smiled, and gently slammed a hand on the table.
"And that's exactly what it is, Tony. That's what'll bite them on the ass." He said. "What you said, about them showing it off so proudly - They're getting cocky. I mean, Philly-to-fuckin'-LA? It's a big change. A big big change. They don't understand what they're getting into in this area of California. They're going to get cocky, and they're going to break themselves down. They're going to end up pissing everyone off, and with that, they're gonna' piss off the new generations of their recruits and thugs; I guarantee you, half the thugs there would rather walk away than take a bullet from a gang out here in LA. Maybe not the old bastards, but, the younger ones... They'll piss their pants at the mere thought of some of the shit the gangs in these areas can pull. And that's where we'll catch 'em." He said, thinking for a moment.
"If they're recruiting, that gives them as many vulnerabilities as well as it does strengths. New people can be great, or they can be terrible. Even the brightest students can be the rotten apple. But this is LA. I've got a feeling a few of them are in for a nasty surprise." He said, simply; he swept up his coffee and took a gulp. "And our way in? I've got a feeling that our way into all of this, our claws in the zebra, is Karin Held. Even if she's not rolling with 'em, I'm willing to bet she knows a few things." He nodded, "As for the guns, Joseph said something about the guns you see in movies and videogames? I'm going to place a bet - MAC-10s, or MAC-11s. At least in the woman's case if she had two. They're small, discreet, compact, and they're in high supply. You heard what the witnesses said - guy ran at them, they popped him. We'll wait for forensics, once they tell us the ammo types we can narrow it down, and it'll make searching for the perps a little easier. We go from searching for just the possibility of a needle existing to searching for a needle in an ocean. A longshot, but there's always the chance. We'll get 'em, don't you worry."
Then the canteen door opened up, and in walked one of the administration members of the buildings.
"Detectives." The young man nodded, "I've been told to hand this to you. Not the CCTV you asked for, but this is from a CCTV feed just down the street from the diner that was held up." He said, then walked to the table and placed the folder down in front of them both. Frank arched an eyebrow, but, without further ado, he opened it up and slipped the printed screenshots out onto the table. Immediately, his eyes widened, and his mouth hung open just a tiny bit.
"Bradan-fucking-Cabhan."
Bradan Cabhan, a man constantly under the police's eye. He was the suspected leader of a potentially illegal organization. One that accepted nothing but Irishmen and women. Bradan Cabhan had been in court more times than anyone could count over the past six years, but there was never enough evidence to put him away. The most he ever got was some fines to pay, why? Because the guy was rich, too. He had the best lawyers, but the difference between him and Al-Asheera was that he wasn't someone who went around holding places up. He had his people collecting protection money from the businesses he controlled, but other than that, it was suspected he was big on the illegal weapons and narcotics trade, hence his wealth. He owned a bar in downtown LA - his little group's favorite watering hole.
Tony had probably seen this guy in dozens of cases. Another guy that they'd been trying to put away for years - he brought crime to the area, he owned places, and he was without a doubt linked to several murders, but, the main problem here...
"Fuck. This isn't normal." Frank said, "This is out of character. He wouldn't usually be out on the street without friends - He's walking his dog." He shook his head, but as he flicked through the pictures, showing them all to Tony of course, things got worse. Eventually, the man, Bradan, in question... He looked right up at the camera, and in the final picture, he was smiling. Or smirking, rather. "Tony, this ain't good. You know that as well as I do. The cafe was smack-bang in the center of some of his territory. He controls a few places around there, has guys on every corner, practically. This..." He slammed his finger on the paper a few times. "This is a taunt. He wants us to know that he's not going to stand by and let this happen. We need more people around in Burbank for a while, because if you've seen Bradan's work, shit, you know he'll be out for blood if this keeps up."
Just what they needed. A war between gangs - How long would it take before more of them joined in?
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
In the middle of the day, it would be nearly impossible for Thalia to take a nap, or rest at all for that matter. But she had other pastimes to get over her personal problems and not start a duel in her mind. Habits that got her through the hardest of times with Al-Asheera. Hidden away at the first drawer of her bedside stand were several packs of cigarettes. Maybe a year's worth for a moderate smoker. As for Thalia? All depends on her mood. If she's depressed, she can burn through a whole pack by sundown easily. If not, she may only take one the whole day just to ease her nerves. Today was somewhere in the middle. She told herself she'd take it easy. Smoking is bad for your health, you wanna die early? they'd tell you as a kid. But since when did this girl obey the rules? Sure, it was a nasty addiction, but one nobody seemed to mind in The Clan. So she indulged in it regularly. With a pack of smokes sitting in front of her crossed legs in the bed, she huffed at the stick of nicotine in her mouth while scrolling through the contents of the phone she'd been using. Hell, she never factory reset it. But she got a kick out of seeing what the previous owner had saved on it. Some emo girl who would post pictures of herself taking terrible selfies in the mirror and with some baby-faced boyfriend from back before she stole the phone. Taking pleasure at another person's expense. It's what she was lectured about earlier, but there was no going back to give this phone back. She brought it with her from Philly, and even if she decided to collect this girl's personal information to send it back, it would incriminate her. Why do you have some girl's cell phone? they'd ask. Thalia didn't need the drama. She took the phone as her own and used it for whatever came to mind. Whatever girls use it for. Social media. Pictures. She'd bring up messaging, but she had no friends to text, unfortunately.
But... she took a chance with another phone she had in her hands not long ago to start messaging someone... Karin's flip phone. Before she returned it, she entered her current phone number under the contact name of just THALIA, in hopes she doesn't know anyone with the same name as her. Regardless of how well their conversation went outside the diner, she only did that so she could, hopefully, find her again and show how sorry she really was after the events of the robbery, maybe make it up to Joseph. It was a guilt-curing mechanism, and it helped to know her number was there, whether or not Karin would discover it, let alone use it. But all that was on her mind? Just giving in to her habit. It, accompanied by the sounds of the phone in her hand playing fast, hardcore punk music, would calm herself down, stop the tears, get her mind over her problems, in and out of The Clan.
Then came a series of furious pounds against her bedroom door, followed by the booming voice of an angry man shouting obscenities in Arabic. Quickly, Thalia's eyes widened; she put out the cigarette in the ashtray on her bedside, stopped the music playing, climbed out of her cross-legged sitting position, and stood up to unlock the door. Slowly, she clicked the lock open and allowed entry for whoever was on the other side, her face showing she knew who it was and was afraid judging by his actions. It was no other than her husband-to-be, Ra's. Instantly, he extended his chunky right hand out to Thalia's neck, gripped it at full force, shut the door behind him, and pinned her up against it, with no regard for the woman's well-being. Oddly enough, Thalia knew the drill and did not resist or stop him. This was normal to her. She developed a tolerance for such manhandling and abuse. She could handle it.
"Sharmoota, that is what you are, you know that?!" he barked at her.
That word was the one thing she couldn't stand from Ra's: sharmoota. Translates to 'whore' in his native tongue. "Why is that?" she grunted under the constraints of his grip.
Ra's responded with a charged spit into her face, causing Thalia to squint from the liquid in her eyes. "The death of a man. THAT IS ON YOU!"
Her mouth opened into a large O in shock that she was going to be the fall guy. "I didn't kill that guy! You already punished the wrongdoer! What do I have to do with this?"
He instantly smacked the shocked expression off her face with the palm of his left hand, furthering his abusive approach to this woman. "He was your responsibility, and your other two trainees claim that you did not teach them anything. And that you did not tell them about no killing."
"Those lying little pricks... You know I fucking told them!"
"I do not care who is the liar! They were your responsibility, so it is you who will be punished!" His burly hand tossed the significantly smaller woman onto her bed, almost causing her to fly off her feet for a moment, falling back almost defenseless as her Head slowly crawled over her in a predator-style position. "If you want to be my wife, you must have my strength!"
"Well, why don't you get your head out of your ass and realize that it wasn't my fault?!" She didn't even try to fight back with force, her palms up against the bearded man's shoulders in a futile attempt to keep distance. "When will you realize that we don't need more members of Al-Asheera, that we are fine on our own? We don't need these useless Californians to slow us down and risk our operations?"
"In my eyes, it was all your fault... sharmoota. But you don't seem to respond to whipping, or rape. So, your punishment will be different this time: you are responsible for two things: compensating the death of a man, and finding a third recruit to carry under your wing, a replacement for the one I rejected."
"H-How much is the compensation?" This was only routine for The Clan. His demands were no surprise to Thalia.
"One million in United State currency. By the end of next week, or I will have no more use for you. And you can only use your two recruits and the third one appointed by yourself to acquire the money."
"Are you insane? That's not possible!"
"Then think big, sharmoota! Rob a jewelry store! Sell your body for money! I do not care! If I do not have the money, I will find a new bride and have you killed! Am I clear?!" No answer from Thalia. Just a death glare in his direction at the impossible task. He made her angry every time he confronted her, for more reasons than just his livid outbursts such as these. "AM I CLEAR?!"
Just a light nod came from the dominated woman beneath. He ascended to his knees, bringing the girl up with him by the straps of her tank top in his fists.
"Good... now, I have other matters to attend to. You get to work on expanding our territory and paying your debts... Al-Jameela." Finally, he stopped using that sickening word to describe her. "Kiss me..." As his eyelids dropped shut, he advanced his head forward and pecked a kiss on the woman's lips. She hardly responded to it, just her usual unamused face gazing back at him in dissatisfaction. Ra's seemed to be having more fun with it, even wanted to go further at the woman he just screamed at and insulted. Hurt, even. "Have fun, my love."
Ra's' work was finished. He stood up from her bed and exited the room, shutting the door behind him. Thalia had more reason to fear, this time, for her life. She knew the task was impossible. A million in a matter of about a week. It wasn't enough for her and the two know-nothing brutes she had to work with. Getting over the tirade, she let herself fall back into the bed comfortably, reaching for her box once more. Just one more, she would say in her head. But why lie to herself when she'd intake much, much more after what she just heard.
--
As if the presence of Al-Asheera in LA wasn't enough to cause a panic, the news about Bradan Cabhan worsened the blow to Tony. He knew the name from different other detectives in the bureau. However, he wasn't fortunate to ever get a case centered around the man. Now with his proximity to Al-Asheera, it might be his chance to finally get a taste of the man. He was an elusive son of a bitch. Whenever the police seemed to get close, he'd lawyer up or buy his way out of trouble. No one's been able to nail him. But now, it seemed like he was attempting to be out in the open. After all, he's been trespassed. As Frank said, the cafe was on his turf, and Al-Asheera just claimed it theirs. This might blow up into a full-on gang war. The citizens are in a panic enough with one proud criminal organization marching the streets. A war of two would be chaos on both fronts.
"Damn it, Frank, this is going to get ugly really fast... how long have Al-Asheera been in town? A week? And they've already pissed off a large head in the criminal underworld. And Cabhan's not being subtle about this either. Undoubtedly, he's pissed at all this, and coming after his newfound enemy. Glad to know these Middle Eastern pricks have more than one enemy now. But still, this can't blow out of proportion. Cabhan's probably out for blood now, and with Al-Asheera expanding, I'm sure they're going to butt heads with Cabhan's organization VERY soon. And you and I aren't going to let that happen. We could be looking at a small scale war in our back yard. We know both of these guys are gonna be armed to the teeth, and it WILL get messy the second one of them is at the wrong place at the wrong time. When we go up to my office, we're hitting the map, finding a pattern in how Al-Asheera is picking targets, claiming streets. If we can anticipate their next movement, we can probably catch the clash in motion, and maybe prevent a serious firefight resulting in collateral damage. What do you say?"
But... she took a chance with another phone she had in her hands not long ago to start messaging someone... Karin's flip phone. Before she returned it, she entered her current phone number under the contact name of just THALIA, in hopes she doesn't know anyone with the same name as her. Regardless of how well their conversation went outside the diner, she only did that so she could, hopefully, find her again and show how sorry she really was after the events of the robbery, maybe make it up to Joseph. It was a guilt-curing mechanism, and it helped to know her number was there, whether or not Karin would discover it, let alone use it. But all that was on her mind? Just giving in to her habit. It, accompanied by the sounds of the phone in her hand playing fast, hardcore punk music, would calm herself down, stop the tears, get her mind over her problems, in and out of The Clan.
Then came a series of furious pounds against her bedroom door, followed by the booming voice of an angry man shouting obscenities in Arabic. Quickly, Thalia's eyes widened; she put out the cigarette in the ashtray on her bedside, stopped the music playing, climbed out of her cross-legged sitting position, and stood up to unlock the door. Slowly, she clicked the lock open and allowed entry for whoever was on the other side, her face showing she knew who it was and was afraid judging by his actions. It was no other than her husband-to-be, Ra's. Instantly, he extended his chunky right hand out to Thalia's neck, gripped it at full force, shut the door behind him, and pinned her up against it, with no regard for the woman's well-being. Oddly enough, Thalia knew the drill and did not resist or stop him. This was normal to her. She developed a tolerance for such manhandling and abuse. She could handle it.
"Sharmoota, that is what you are, you know that?!" he barked at her.
That word was the one thing she couldn't stand from Ra's: sharmoota. Translates to 'whore' in his native tongue. "Why is that?" she grunted under the constraints of his grip.
Ra's responded with a charged spit into her face, causing Thalia to squint from the liquid in her eyes. "The death of a man. THAT IS ON YOU!"
Her mouth opened into a large O in shock that she was going to be the fall guy. "I didn't kill that guy! You already punished the wrongdoer! What do I have to do with this?"
He instantly smacked the shocked expression off her face with the palm of his left hand, furthering his abusive approach to this woman. "He was your responsibility, and your other two trainees claim that you did not teach them anything. And that you did not tell them about no killing."
"Those lying little pricks... You know I fucking told them!"
"I do not care who is the liar! They were your responsibility, so it is you who will be punished!" His burly hand tossed the significantly smaller woman onto her bed, almost causing her to fly off her feet for a moment, falling back almost defenseless as her Head slowly crawled over her in a predator-style position. "If you want to be my wife, you must have my strength!"
"Well, why don't you get your head out of your ass and realize that it wasn't my fault?!" She didn't even try to fight back with force, her palms up against the bearded man's shoulders in a futile attempt to keep distance. "When will you realize that we don't need more members of Al-Asheera, that we are fine on our own? We don't need these useless Californians to slow us down and risk our operations?"
"In my eyes, it was all your fault... sharmoota. But you don't seem to respond to whipping, or rape. So, your punishment will be different this time: you are responsible for two things: compensating the death of a man, and finding a third recruit to carry under your wing, a replacement for the one I rejected."
"H-How much is the compensation?" This was only routine for The Clan. His demands were no surprise to Thalia.
"One million in United State currency. By the end of next week, or I will have no more use for you. And you can only use your two recruits and the third one appointed by yourself to acquire the money."
"Are you insane? That's not possible!"
"Then think big, sharmoota! Rob a jewelry store! Sell your body for money! I do not care! If I do not have the money, I will find a new bride and have you killed! Am I clear?!" No answer from Thalia. Just a death glare in his direction at the impossible task. He made her angry every time he confronted her, for more reasons than just his livid outbursts such as these. "AM I CLEAR?!"
Just a light nod came from the dominated woman beneath. He ascended to his knees, bringing the girl up with him by the straps of her tank top in his fists.
"Good... now, I have other matters to attend to. You get to work on expanding our territory and paying your debts... Al-Jameela." Finally, he stopped using that sickening word to describe her. "Kiss me..." As his eyelids dropped shut, he advanced his head forward and pecked a kiss on the woman's lips. She hardly responded to it, just her usual unamused face gazing back at him in dissatisfaction. Ra's seemed to be having more fun with it, even wanted to go further at the woman he just screamed at and insulted. Hurt, even. "Have fun, my love."
Ra's' work was finished. He stood up from her bed and exited the room, shutting the door behind him. Thalia had more reason to fear, this time, for her life. She knew the task was impossible. A million in a matter of about a week. It wasn't enough for her and the two know-nothing brutes she had to work with. Getting over the tirade, she let herself fall back into the bed comfortably, reaching for her box once more. Just one more, she would say in her head. But why lie to herself when she'd intake much, much more after what she just heard.
--
As if the presence of Al-Asheera in LA wasn't enough to cause a panic, the news about Bradan Cabhan worsened the blow to Tony. He knew the name from different other detectives in the bureau. However, he wasn't fortunate to ever get a case centered around the man. Now with his proximity to Al-Asheera, it might be his chance to finally get a taste of the man. He was an elusive son of a bitch. Whenever the police seemed to get close, he'd lawyer up or buy his way out of trouble. No one's been able to nail him. But now, it seemed like he was attempting to be out in the open. After all, he's been trespassed. As Frank said, the cafe was on his turf, and Al-Asheera just claimed it theirs. This might blow up into a full-on gang war. The citizens are in a panic enough with one proud criminal organization marching the streets. A war of two would be chaos on both fronts.
"Damn it, Frank, this is going to get ugly really fast... how long have Al-Asheera been in town? A week? And they've already pissed off a large head in the criminal underworld. And Cabhan's not being subtle about this either. Undoubtedly, he's pissed at all this, and coming after his newfound enemy. Glad to know these Middle Eastern pricks have more than one enemy now. But still, this can't blow out of proportion. Cabhan's probably out for blood now, and with Al-Asheera expanding, I'm sure they're going to butt heads with Cabhan's organization VERY soon. And you and I aren't going to let that happen. We could be looking at a small scale war in our back yard. We know both of these guys are gonna be armed to the teeth, and it WILL get messy the second one of them is at the wrong place at the wrong time. When we go up to my office, we're hitting the map, finding a pattern in how Al-Asheera is picking targets, claiming streets. If we can anticipate their next movement, we can probably catch the clash in motion, and maybe prevent a serious firefight resulting in collateral damage. What do you say?"
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
"Maria, thank you so much for coming over so soon."
"Not as if I can go back to work anytime soon, sweetheart. It's closed for forensics." She sighed, "Bossman reckons it's going to be closed longer than that."
Karin's heart sunk as she pulled the woman into a hug, "How long?"
"Indefinitely, for now. I don't know what's going to happen."
"Shit." She whispered, briskly. "Shit, Maria. I need that money. You don't..." She sighed.
"I know, I know." She quickly cut her off, "Look, I've got some money saved up, I'll give you my week's wages and you can pay me back some other time."
"No, no, no... No. It's fine." She said. "Look, I need to run down the store later this evening, pick some stuff up. I'd appreciate if you could stay here and keep an eye on Joseph."
"As long as he's okay with that." She replied, sounding quite unsure.
"He'll be fine. I won't be gone more than an hour, okay?" She said. She had her plans. She really did. She didn't know what she was going to do, but the plan was last-minute. The plan was there as soon as she heard the place was closed for an indefinite amount of time. She was going to go into town, makeup and dress at the ready, and she was going to unleash her not-so-cunning plan. She didn't quite know what she was going to do - if she really had to, she'd do what she'd done more than a few times, with her rules of 'No kissing, and no weird shit'. It wasn't something she took pleasure in, but at times, it had been absolutely necessary. She may have known she was an attractive woman, but because of everything that had happened, she certainly didn't feel like it.
"How are you guys holding up?" Maria asked, finally pulling away from her.
"Come, I'll make some tea for you." Karin smiled. Joseph was still on the couch, but the only thing was he was now fast asleep. He needed the rest. As Karin was walking towards to the kitchen, Maria spoke.
"You know, it's funny, before I came over here I almost..." Her voice slowly disappeared, just as she noticed the bulge in Karin's pocket. Her smile vanished, but she knew she had to pick it up. ".. Hit a guy in the street on the way over here." She gulped.
"Really?" Karin let out a single laugh, "What happened there?"
"Just... Spaced out, I suppose."
Karin was slowly becoming everyone's prime suspect.
--
Frank nodded, "They haven't just pissed off a head in the criminal underworld. They've pissed off Bradan Cabhan." He shook his head, "I worked on a case that dealt with something he did. Street gang that pissed him off, pissed on the toilet seat, I guess you could say. Let's just say he gave them a lesson on why it's important to clean up." He ran a hand through his hair. "Call it luck of the Irish if you want to, but he knows what he's doing, and he knows how to do it. The worst part is bloodshed's inevitable, and this." He slammed a finger back down on the picture of Cabhan smiling at the camera. "This is him spitting in our faces. He wants us to know he's going to react - Another leader that's getting too cocky for his own good." He said, but, after being buried in thought, a smile slowly came to his face.
"We can get them both." He said. "It's possible. If we play this smart, we can nail the two of them. Al-Asheera, and Cabnan's... What's it... The Clover Boys?" He asked, "If we could get the both of them in one operation, that'd improve LA and Burbank by tenfold, and it'd put any expansions out of action. And hey, we haven't even asked half the hackers to expose gang associate names, but they're doing it, piece by piece. If we're careful, we can collect everything we can get, compile it, and it might point in the direction that this department's needed for years now." He quickly held up a hand, "No offense intended there." He quickly clarified.
"As for your map plan, that's the best idea I've heard. First thing we can assume is that Cabhan won't attack in the same area Al-Asheera robbed the cafe. They'll look elsewhere, somewhere small, somewhere that'll send a message without putting them at too much risk." He explained. "But, lead the way. We'll plot this out carefully, work our way around things. As soon as we find a trend, we can maybe get a big leap ahead. Time to do justice for everyone's that suffered under either of these sons of bitches." He seemed sure of himself, confident that they'd make progress.
He rose to his feet.
"Let's go. Time to show these guys that the PD in LA aren't a force to be reckoned with, ain't that right?" He gave his partner a slap on the shoulder alongside a wink, and with his shitty cup of coffee, he made his way towards the door.
"Not as if I can go back to work anytime soon, sweetheart. It's closed for forensics." She sighed, "Bossman reckons it's going to be closed longer than that."
Karin's heart sunk as she pulled the woman into a hug, "How long?"
"Indefinitely, for now. I don't know what's going to happen."
"Shit." She whispered, briskly. "Shit, Maria. I need that money. You don't..." She sighed.
"I know, I know." She quickly cut her off, "Look, I've got some money saved up, I'll give you my week's wages and you can pay me back some other time."
"No, no, no... No. It's fine." She said. "Look, I need to run down the store later this evening, pick some stuff up. I'd appreciate if you could stay here and keep an eye on Joseph."
"As long as he's okay with that." She replied, sounding quite unsure.
"He'll be fine. I won't be gone more than an hour, okay?" She said. She had her plans. She really did. She didn't know what she was going to do, but the plan was last-minute. The plan was there as soon as she heard the place was closed for an indefinite amount of time. She was going to go into town, makeup and dress at the ready, and she was going to unleash her not-so-cunning plan. She didn't quite know what she was going to do - if she really had to, she'd do what she'd done more than a few times, with her rules of 'No kissing, and no weird shit'. It wasn't something she took pleasure in, but at times, it had been absolutely necessary. She may have known she was an attractive woman, but because of everything that had happened, she certainly didn't feel like it.
"How are you guys holding up?" Maria asked, finally pulling away from her.
"Come, I'll make some tea for you." Karin smiled. Joseph was still on the couch, but the only thing was he was now fast asleep. He needed the rest. As Karin was walking towards to the kitchen, Maria spoke.
"You know, it's funny, before I came over here I almost..." Her voice slowly disappeared, just as she noticed the bulge in Karin's pocket. Her smile vanished, but she knew she had to pick it up. ".. Hit a guy in the street on the way over here." She gulped.
"Really?" Karin let out a single laugh, "What happened there?"
"Just... Spaced out, I suppose."
Karin was slowly becoming everyone's prime suspect.
--
Frank nodded, "They haven't just pissed off a head in the criminal underworld. They've pissed off Bradan Cabhan." He shook his head, "I worked on a case that dealt with something he did. Street gang that pissed him off, pissed on the toilet seat, I guess you could say. Let's just say he gave them a lesson on why it's important to clean up." He ran a hand through his hair. "Call it luck of the Irish if you want to, but he knows what he's doing, and he knows how to do it. The worst part is bloodshed's inevitable, and this." He slammed a finger back down on the picture of Cabhan smiling at the camera. "This is him spitting in our faces. He wants us to know he's going to react - Another leader that's getting too cocky for his own good." He said, but, after being buried in thought, a smile slowly came to his face.
"We can get them both." He said. "It's possible. If we play this smart, we can nail the two of them. Al-Asheera, and Cabnan's... What's it... The Clover Boys?" He asked, "If we could get the both of them in one operation, that'd improve LA and Burbank by tenfold, and it'd put any expansions out of action. And hey, we haven't even asked half the hackers to expose gang associate names, but they're doing it, piece by piece. If we're careful, we can collect everything we can get, compile it, and it might point in the direction that this department's needed for years now." He quickly held up a hand, "No offense intended there." He quickly clarified.
"As for your map plan, that's the best idea I've heard. First thing we can assume is that Cabhan won't attack in the same area Al-Asheera robbed the cafe. They'll look elsewhere, somewhere small, somewhere that'll send a message without putting them at too much risk." He explained. "But, lead the way. We'll plot this out carefully, work our way around things. As soon as we find a trend, we can maybe get a big leap ahead. Time to do justice for everyone's that suffered under either of these sons of bitches." He seemed sure of himself, confident that they'd make progress.
He rose to his feet.
"Let's go. Time to show these guys that the PD in LA aren't a force to be reckoned with, ain't that right?" He gave his partner a slap on the shoulder alongside a wink, and with his shitty cup of coffee, he made his way towards the door.
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
One million bucks in stolen goods to be acquired in one week, or she'd be offed. It's funny how Thalia's life had a price, one she'd have to pay herself with the help of two men she hardly knew, let alone trusted. Thalia never worked well with new faces, people forced to work with her. It was a lack of chemistry that caused failures of such. Coming to think of it, chemistry was something she lacked with many. Very few had a spark to communicate with her so openly. It brought her back to Karin, how they connected so quickly. Perhaps they were cut from the same cloth. And fate: maybe it would bring them together again. She just wished she could find the girl by her will. She needed someone she could trust. Karin was a thief, after all. Thalia could teach her a thing or two beyond watch snatching. She took a deep breath, looking over to the door of the bathroom, wide open so she could see herself curled up in bed with a gloomy, hopeless look on her face. One million wasn't a one night thing, unless she went big, and fast. She wasn't going to do it alone, or that would quite literally be her suicide. Her eyes stuck to the distant mirror. A faint redness remained from when she cried over her brother's voice. Her hair had been ruffled from the back, uneven after Ra's attacked her. A strap of her top dangled from her shoulder after being pulled by it so roughly. But she couldn't be bothered to fix herself now. That pretty girl she smiled at in the same mirror before, now miserable.
She needed to consider options, and fast. Luck wasn't something she could depend on by ransacking someone off the street and praying they are dripping in valuables. And gambling wasn't an option. Thalia could never pull it off, neither at a card game nor the classy look. She looked too much like a street girl anyway. She'd hit a few jewelry stores back in Philly, but the prices could fluctuate depending on how lucky she could get. Ra's mentioned prostitution. Thalia was low, but not that low to sell her body for cash. Seduction? Sure. Pay for sex? Not her forte. At this rate, home invasions seemed like a good idea. Find a wealthy neighborhood, knock on some doors, trash the house, claim the street. Win-win. Some families around here are bound to carry something crazy expensive. Something she could pawn and pay for her survival. A sliver of hope remaining. She wouldn't take her thugs along. This was a job she could do alone. It'd also give her some time to get used to the roads. She knew Philly so well that its map became second nature to her. Time to do the same for LA.
From there, she rolled off the bed and onto her feet. After putting out her next cigarette like before, she quickly leaned to the door and locked it like it was before. No more games, she meant business this time. She didn't want to go back out in the jacket again. It's LA in the summer, for God's sake, what was she thinking? But she couldn't simply expose her arms and hands, waving around that she's a part of Al-Asheera. She returned to the cabinet from earlier and grabbed a thin, long sleeved, black shirt. She quickly replaced her top, then dug further into the closet. The shorts bored her, so her indecisive mind swapped those out for a pair of torn jeans, something normal for a girl of her age, possibly? How would she know. She was dressed in rags most of the time anyway. With her change of outfit, Thalia walked back to the mirror in the bathroom, undoing the carefully done braid in her hair to let it flow down to the middle of her arms. With her fingers, she adjusted the rough ends of her hair that her boss made uneasy. A few strokes with her nails, then a few from a traditional hairbrush restored her red locks to the way they were at the first heist. Slight curls, let loose down her head, and her bangs danging down her face, approaching her right eye. Pretty enough, she told herself. For once, the voice in her head was one she could agree with. She gave herself a reassuring smile and quickly laced her shoes from earlier back on. Go time now. She scooped up her cell phone she's been meddling with and the mask from the diner stick-up, then made her way to the door. Time for the sight-seeing she wanted so badly. About time she has some personal fun in LA.
"Ra's, I'm going to get your money. And then we can get married. Maybe use the million for the honeymoon." Not a wedding she was excited for. But whatever kept the hotheaded psycho in his right mind.
--
Tony shook his head in a mix of disappointment and fear at the potential for a small war erupting in Burbank. Two cocky leaders that needed to be put down. At least they knew the name of one of them: Cabhan. The identity of Al-Asheera's leader was still unknown to both Philly and LAPD. Clever sons of bitches. But at this rate, Frank and Tony can't be wasting time on coffee breaks. The CCTV footage was recent, so Cabhan was plotting revenge soon, and giving the department the middle finger to put the icing on the cake. The older man stood up from his place, leaving his coffee behind, and nodded. "It's best we make haste, Frank. Al-Asheera's mugging two or three locations a day. So odds are, they aren't stopping at the Coral Cafe. No, they have something else in mind. We need to figure out where their next target is, and show that nobody's gang can mess with us."
If Ra's and Cabhan can be cocky, then so could Tony. He marched out of the canteen and up the stairs of the department building up to his personal office. Ten years working for the investigative bureau, and it earned him quite a few luxuries. A full office, desk, massive white board on one side of the room, and a printed large-scale map of the LA and Burbank area. It was that impressive map that tony planned on drawing the progression of Al-Asheera's hostile takeover. "Take a seat, anywhere you can find," Tony instructed, waving his hand to the two cushioned chairs in front of his desk. "Excuse the mess, and clutter. I tend to be a bit of a pack rat. But whatever gets the job done, am I right?" He seemed to say this with a smile. His main desk was literally a sea of papers; not even Tony knew if they were trash or overdue reports. But it seemed like he was able to immediately pinpoint a red marker off the top. With it in hand, he uncapped it and stepped up to the map. Like a child connecting the dots or filling in the colorless picture on a kid's menu of a restaurant, Tony began drawing lines over marked out roads and locations in Burbank. He didn't even look back at the case files he was getting them from. They were all locked and loaded in his head. The final red line he drew was over the road along where the ransacked diner was.
"So... the red signifies what Al-Asheera has claimed their own. And we know that he's intruded on Cabhan's turf by doing so through the Coral Cafe..." He pointed to the approximate location of the cafe on the map. "Anything further to the north would be bad news, a firefight waiting to happen. They'd be walking right into our Irish buddy's hands. Let's hope these thieves aren't THAT hot-headed to go straight to war. They could also spread to the east. Thing is, their pattern is inconsistent. Somedays, they've spread north, others south, another day they pushed a bit to the west. How the hell can we anticipate their next hit? Almost like a shot in the dark..." His head rotated to his new partner. "Unless you see something that I don't. We don't have enough manpower to cover the entire perimeter of their 'lands'. Damn, did they spread well, and unpredictably. We tried to corner them when it was just a few roads, and they got the drop on us. Killed a few good cops, too...." His partner... He rubbed the middle of his eyes and continued, recomposing himself. "We need weak points. Probable locations they'd hit. Confrontation points with the Clover Boys. Targets that Cabhan could hit for revenge. Clover Boys or Al-Asheera. If we can cut off the head of either snake, it'd be a win in my books."
She needed to consider options, and fast. Luck wasn't something she could depend on by ransacking someone off the street and praying they are dripping in valuables. And gambling wasn't an option. Thalia could never pull it off, neither at a card game nor the classy look. She looked too much like a street girl anyway. She'd hit a few jewelry stores back in Philly, but the prices could fluctuate depending on how lucky she could get. Ra's mentioned prostitution. Thalia was low, but not that low to sell her body for cash. Seduction? Sure. Pay for sex? Not her forte. At this rate, home invasions seemed like a good idea. Find a wealthy neighborhood, knock on some doors, trash the house, claim the street. Win-win. Some families around here are bound to carry something crazy expensive. Something she could pawn and pay for her survival. A sliver of hope remaining. She wouldn't take her thugs along. This was a job she could do alone. It'd also give her some time to get used to the roads. She knew Philly so well that its map became second nature to her. Time to do the same for LA.
From there, she rolled off the bed and onto her feet. After putting out her next cigarette like before, she quickly leaned to the door and locked it like it was before. No more games, she meant business this time. She didn't want to go back out in the jacket again. It's LA in the summer, for God's sake, what was she thinking? But she couldn't simply expose her arms and hands, waving around that she's a part of Al-Asheera. She returned to the cabinet from earlier and grabbed a thin, long sleeved, black shirt. She quickly replaced her top, then dug further into the closet. The shorts bored her, so her indecisive mind swapped those out for a pair of torn jeans, something normal for a girl of her age, possibly? How would she know. She was dressed in rags most of the time anyway. With her change of outfit, Thalia walked back to the mirror in the bathroom, undoing the carefully done braid in her hair to let it flow down to the middle of her arms. With her fingers, she adjusted the rough ends of her hair that her boss made uneasy. A few strokes with her nails, then a few from a traditional hairbrush restored her red locks to the way they were at the first heist. Slight curls, let loose down her head, and her bangs danging down her face, approaching her right eye. Pretty enough, she told herself. For once, the voice in her head was one she could agree with. She gave herself a reassuring smile and quickly laced her shoes from earlier back on. Go time now. She scooped up her cell phone she's been meddling with and the mask from the diner stick-up, then made her way to the door. Time for the sight-seeing she wanted so badly. About time she has some personal fun in LA.
"Ra's, I'm going to get your money. And then we can get married. Maybe use the million for the honeymoon." Not a wedding she was excited for. But whatever kept the hotheaded psycho in his right mind.
--
Tony shook his head in a mix of disappointment and fear at the potential for a small war erupting in Burbank. Two cocky leaders that needed to be put down. At least they knew the name of one of them: Cabhan. The identity of Al-Asheera's leader was still unknown to both Philly and LAPD. Clever sons of bitches. But at this rate, Frank and Tony can't be wasting time on coffee breaks. The CCTV footage was recent, so Cabhan was plotting revenge soon, and giving the department the middle finger to put the icing on the cake. The older man stood up from his place, leaving his coffee behind, and nodded. "It's best we make haste, Frank. Al-Asheera's mugging two or three locations a day. So odds are, they aren't stopping at the Coral Cafe. No, they have something else in mind. We need to figure out where their next target is, and show that nobody's gang can mess with us."
If Ra's and Cabhan can be cocky, then so could Tony. He marched out of the canteen and up the stairs of the department building up to his personal office. Ten years working for the investigative bureau, and it earned him quite a few luxuries. A full office, desk, massive white board on one side of the room, and a printed large-scale map of the LA and Burbank area. It was that impressive map that tony planned on drawing the progression of Al-Asheera's hostile takeover. "Take a seat, anywhere you can find," Tony instructed, waving his hand to the two cushioned chairs in front of his desk. "Excuse the mess, and clutter. I tend to be a bit of a pack rat. But whatever gets the job done, am I right?" He seemed to say this with a smile. His main desk was literally a sea of papers; not even Tony knew if they were trash or overdue reports. But it seemed like he was able to immediately pinpoint a red marker off the top. With it in hand, he uncapped it and stepped up to the map. Like a child connecting the dots or filling in the colorless picture on a kid's menu of a restaurant, Tony began drawing lines over marked out roads and locations in Burbank. He didn't even look back at the case files he was getting them from. They were all locked and loaded in his head. The final red line he drew was over the road along where the ransacked diner was.
"So... the red signifies what Al-Asheera has claimed their own. And we know that he's intruded on Cabhan's turf by doing so through the Coral Cafe..." He pointed to the approximate location of the cafe on the map. "Anything further to the north would be bad news, a firefight waiting to happen. They'd be walking right into our Irish buddy's hands. Let's hope these thieves aren't THAT hot-headed to go straight to war. They could also spread to the east. Thing is, their pattern is inconsistent. Somedays, they've spread north, others south, another day they pushed a bit to the west. How the hell can we anticipate their next hit? Almost like a shot in the dark..." His head rotated to his new partner. "Unless you see something that I don't. We don't have enough manpower to cover the entire perimeter of their 'lands'. Damn, did they spread well, and unpredictably. We tried to corner them when it was just a few roads, and they got the drop on us. Killed a few good cops, too...." His partner... He rubbed the middle of his eyes and continued, recomposing himself. "We need weak points. Probable locations they'd hit. Confrontation points with the Clover Boys. Targets that Cabhan could hit for revenge. Clover Boys or Al-Asheera. If we can cut off the head of either snake, it'd be a win in my books."
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
Fate would indeed bring them together again. Fate had a funny way of working, and it was working right now. In the house, Maria was literally a step away from stepping outside and calling the detectives again. Would she honestly rat a close friend out like that? Yes. Only out of anger, because she felt so lied to. She was making false assumptions, and was going by the means of shoot first and ask questions later. Not the best approach, but even so, it was the one she was choosing to take. She was there drinking tea with Karin, and she just kept scanning her over, to the point where Karin began to feel uncomfortable. If only she asked, then she could find out the false-truth. Karin had to buy another phone on the way home, so that whenever she left Joseph with the neighbor or with a sitter when she went to work, she had a line for them to contact her on. That was the false-truth, but, there was no such thing now. Before the detectives even knew it, in the evening, right as clocking off seemed possible, they were going to get a call that would at least grant them the right to ask her a few more questions.
"How's Joseph taking all of this?" She asked.
"He's terrified." Karin shook her head, "Usually he'd be okay to wait here on his own with the doors locked while I went to the store, but, not anymore. I won't be surprised if he doesn't want to sleep in his own bed tonight." She explained, "I just wish there was something else that I could have done. Something anyone could have done. I can't get the image of that man out of my head - I'm glad Joseph didn't see it happen, but he heard it all. I just... I thought those guys weren't killers."
"I guess everyone has their secrets." Maria replied, quietly.
Karin looked up at her, then gave a slow nod. "I suppose they do."
There was a bit of an awkward silence after the two of them met eyes, but Maria could never beat Karin in a stare-off. Her eyes eventually fell down to stare into her cup of tea. Karin knew something was off, though. She knew something wasn't quite right.
"When I go out, I..." She gulped, "I might ask my neighbor to stop by for a little while, help take care of Joseph while I'm gone. Don't get me wrong, Joseph trusts you as much as I do, but... I think having a man in the house might be a little more of a comfort for him."
Maria looked back up at her, then nodded a few times, "I agree. I'm happy with that." She said. "Maybe it'd be worth going now while he's asleep? I'll hold the fort while you're gone." She offered, and Karin couldn't resist. She wanted to get out of there as quick as she could. She knew that something wasn't quite right - Maria definitely shifted in the way she was acting, and it was standing out like a match in a fireworks factory. Karin needed out of there, she needed to get into town and assess her situation while she had a chance to do so. For some reason she felt like the world was going to come down on her shoulders ever since she'd gone outside to talk to Thalia. She couldn't take her mind off of her, though. She needed to see her again, but how? How would she ever manage it? She couldn't help but feel like the girl was also in some element of danger. Especially after a man was killed by a man under her command. Just how much shit would she be in for that?
Karin didn't know where exactly Thalia stood in her organization - for all she knew, she was just an upper-class compassionate 'brute' that was equivalent to a sergeant or something. For all she knew, Thalia could be dead already. The thought of that made her feel slightly ill - if she'd never guilt-tripped her, would she even be in this position? Fuck. She had to get out of there, though, so leaving Joseph asleep, she went and got her neighbor. She wanted him in the house, too, just in case, just in case Maria snuck out and didn't come back. She didn't know why, but she had a hunch that that was what Maria was going to do.
As she got into her car, she pulled out her phone. She just needed to make sure everything was still where it needed to be. There wasn't much, but there were certain details she'd noted there. Joseph's medical card details, just in case they ever misplaced the physical copy. It was still there where she left it - She checked her messages, nothing new, then her contacts to see if there were any missed calls, and--
'THALIA'...?
Holy. Shit.
What did she say?
She opened up a new text and decided one thing: Play it smart.
'Hello.
So sorry to bring this up so short-notice but I'm afraid there's been a change of plans. I'd like to reschedule your appointment. Are you free around seven o'clock tonight? You remember where my office is, right? Just in case you've lost my details, the location is 3516 W Victory Blvd. I hate to change your consultancy session like this, but, I'm afraid some other customers have come into the equation and they're beginning to ask questions. Hopefully I'll see you soon.
Kind regards,
Karin, Head of Customer Inquiries.'
She just hoped that Thalia knew one thing: 3156 W Victory Blvd was no office. It was a bar and grill, open from 9am-2am. There were a lot of people too drunk to know anything, and that was the perfect place to talk. Families were too busy watching their kids, and everyone else? There was no reason for any of them to care about who came in through the doors.
She started driving and gulped. She just hoped that Thalia was alive to see the message.
--
Frank followed him to the office and nodded. Nice. He hoped to have an office of his own one day - until then, he hoped Tony didn't mind sharing. From what he could tell, Tony and himself were more or less a perfect match for partnering up. They both thought and acted in similar ways, and the two of them were still professional. It was brilliant. It felt like something that belonged in a TV show - God, Frank could spend all night at the station, he was sure. Finally he was fulfilling something he'd came so far to do. Funnily enough, though, the empty space didn't feel full quite yet - He just hoped it'd happen soon, because he was sick of that empty space growing bigger and bigger as time went on. He was sick of it eating away at him. That wasn't the main concern here, though. The main problem now was pinpointing any possible locations that either gang could hit first.
"Mess and clutter? Man, you have an office. This is good. This is what a detective's office is meant to look like." He grinned, pulling up a chair so that he could sit down. He watched Tony work his magic, though, with the pen and the map, and he sat there with his head in one hand and his brow furrowed, watching everything get drawn out. It was nice to see it all in perspective. He could understand why Tony didn't understand a next possible location, and for a moment, neither did he. He stared at it, scanning it up and down, before finally speaking out.
"Maybe that's why they came here." He said. "Maybe money isn't in their complete interest anymore. Philly? Philly had everything it needed. No gang risks packing up and moving to a new city when they have a stable income. What if these fuckers want war? What if they want bloodshed? For all we know, this could be a power-play. Knock out the heaviest gangs first. The Clover Boys, then the Russians, followed by the Chinese." He said. "If they took out them, then they'd control more or less everything. The Clover Boys are without a doubt the most powerful out of the ones we already had here - And what does every boss want? More power." He said. "I think... I think that this..." He stepped up and pointed at the Coral Cafe's mark. "I think this was more than just an in and out job
a few times, "I think this was planned. I think this place was chosen specifically - look at it. It's in a quiet area, low number of cops, not the prime area of operations for the Clovers." He scratched his chin. "Yes... Yeah, okay." He quickly turned back to the desk and rustled through the stuff until he found a green marker pen - or a pen of any different color than red, basically. He quickly returned to the map and popped the cap off.
"Okay, so, the throne rests right here." He said, drawing a small circle in the center of downtown LA. "The club, the watering hole, the main place of evil plans and sin, right? Now, Al-Asheera are brave, but they're not that stupid. No one has the balls to hit a place like this. It's their prize possession, their most heavily-guarded building. You don't have ID to prove you're someone worth knowing, you don't get in. You've got guns on every street corner for three blocks waiting for the wrong people to roll in. A floor in an office across from the club is bought out by The Clovers. That much was discovered in a failed sting operation two years ago. Shit only knows what they have in that building, but I imagine there's a lot of security." He said. "Now, over in Burbank, things get a little complicated. You've got the two quieter areas that the Clovers operate on. You've got the more western area, where the Coral Cafe is. Around there you've got other small businesses that pay protection money to the goons, right? Now, that's got some assets there, some of the buildings are even owned by the boss himself. There's some security, but not much." He said. "Central Burbank, further North, as you said... That's where things really get ugly. A lot of security, tapped cameras, illegal operations taking place... This place is a fucking hotbox for the Clovers. So, I don't think they're going to hit there. There's a warehouse owned by The Clovers. Once again, a failed sting operation which resulted in a hefty lawsuit against us discovered that they'll ship anything and everything out of that place. Security is almost as tight as their bar downtown." He explained. "Now, we go over East, and this is where things begin to get a little quieter." He smiled, and after circling the rough location of where the said warehouse was, he moved over.
"Now, East Side. Quiet, very few cops, mainly surrounded by residential properties. And, better yet, very little Clover security. Why? The East side is the side that ours truly decided to first make advancements on. It was easy money for him - he gets his protection cash, but not much else. This was where the Clover gang started off." He turned and looked at Tony. "You know, I think they're going to hit the East. There's no way they'd try West again, that place is crawling with the LAPD, and Central is too risky. East is easy money, easy time, and little to worry about. The Clovers would never get there on time, at least not enough of them." He said. "And I hate to say this, Tony, but we need to make a priority here - We lock people up that we have shitloads of intel on already, or we lock people up whose leader we don't even know the name of yet. If you ask me, the priority is pretty obvious." He said, then gave him a nod. "What I've said might not be true, and just like you said, they seem pretty random, right? What if they want us to think that? What if they're dotting themselves about as a tactic, so that they can ultimately achieve what they want?" He asked.
"Now, you know a lot more about Al-Asheera than I do, I won't doubt that for a minute." He said, then handed him the green pen. "Let's go over the locations that we know Al-Asheera definitely control, and we're going to figure out the most likely place that Cabnan would hit. He won't shoot up any place that he used to own - he's materialistic. He'll target something he never owned in the first place, something they took over without them knowing about it. We know already that Cabnan's looking to send a message, and I think he's going to make one hell of a fucking mess doing it."
"How's Joseph taking all of this?" She asked.
"He's terrified." Karin shook her head, "Usually he'd be okay to wait here on his own with the doors locked while I went to the store, but, not anymore. I won't be surprised if he doesn't want to sleep in his own bed tonight." She explained, "I just wish there was something else that I could have done. Something anyone could have done. I can't get the image of that man out of my head - I'm glad Joseph didn't see it happen, but he heard it all. I just... I thought those guys weren't killers."
"I guess everyone has their secrets." Maria replied, quietly.
Karin looked up at her, then gave a slow nod. "I suppose they do."
There was a bit of an awkward silence after the two of them met eyes, but Maria could never beat Karin in a stare-off. Her eyes eventually fell down to stare into her cup of tea. Karin knew something was off, though. She knew something wasn't quite right.
"When I go out, I..." She gulped, "I might ask my neighbor to stop by for a little while, help take care of Joseph while I'm gone. Don't get me wrong, Joseph trusts you as much as I do, but... I think having a man in the house might be a little more of a comfort for him."
Maria looked back up at her, then nodded a few times, "I agree. I'm happy with that." She said. "Maybe it'd be worth going now while he's asleep? I'll hold the fort while you're gone." She offered, and Karin couldn't resist. She wanted to get out of there as quick as she could. She knew that something wasn't quite right - Maria definitely shifted in the way she was acting, and it was standing out like a match in a fireworks factory. Karin needed out of there, she needed to get into town and assess her situation while she had a chance to do so. For some reason she felt like the world was going to come down on her shoulders ever since she'd gone outside to talk to Thalia. She couldn't take her mind off of her, though. She needed to see her again, but how? How would she ever manage it? She couldn't help but feel like the girl was also in some element of danger. Especially after a man was killed by a man under her command. Just how much shit would she be in for that?
Karin didn't know where exactly Thalia stood in her organization - for all she knew, she was just an upper-class compassionate 'brute' that was equivalent to a sergeant or something. For all she knew, Thalia could be dead already. The thought of that made her feel slightly ill - if she'd never guilt-tripped her, would she even be in this position? Fuck. She had to get out of there, though, so leaving Joseph asleep, she went and got her neighbor. She wanted him in the house, too, just in case, just in case Maria snuck out and didn't come back. She didn't know why, but she had a hunch that that was what Maria was going to do.
As she got into her car, she pulled out her phone. She just needed to make sure everything was still where it needed to be. There wasn't much, but there were certain details she'd noted there. Joseph's medical card details, just in case they ever misplaced the physical copy. It was still there where she left it - She checked her messages, nothing new, then her contacts to see if there were any missed calls, and--
'THALIA'...?
Holy. Shit.
What did she say?
She opened up a new text and decided one thing: Play it smart.
'Hello.
So sorry to bring this up so short-notice but I'm afraid there's been a change of plans. I'd like to reschedule your appointment. Are you free around seven o'clock tonight? You remember where my office is, right? Just in case you've lost my details, the location is 3516 W Victory Blvd. I hate to change your consultancy session like this, but, I'm afraid some other customers have come into the equation and they're beginning to ask questions. Hopefully I'll see you soon.
Kind regards,
Karin, Head of Customer Inquiries.'
She just hoped that Thalia knew one thing: 3156 W Victory Blvd was no office. It was a bar and grill, open from 9am-2am. There were a lot of people too drunk to know anything, and that was the perfect place to talk. Families were too busy watching their kids, and everyone else? There was no reason for any of them to care about who came in through the doors.
She started driving and gulped. She just hoped that Thalia was alive to see the message.
--
Frank followed him to the office and nodded. Nice. He hoped to have an office of his own one day - until then, he hoped Tony didn't mind sharing. From what he could tell, Tony and himself were more or less a perfect match for partnering up. They both thought and acted in similar ways, and the two of them were still professional. It was brilliant. It felt like something that belonged in a TV show - God, Frank could spend all night at the station, he was sure. Finally he was fulfilling something he'd came so far to do. Funnily enough, though, the empty space didn't feel full quite yet - He just hoped it'd happen soon, because he was sick of that empty space growing bigger and bigger as time went on. He was sick of it eating away at him. That wasn't the main concern here, though. The main problem now was pinpointing any possible locations that either gang could hit first.
"Mess and clutter? Man, you have an office. This is good. This is what a detective's office is meant to look like." He grinned, pulling up a chair so that he could sit down. He watched Tony work his magic, though, with the pen and the map, and he sat there with his head in one hand and his brow furrowed, watching everything get drawn out. It was nice to see it all in perspective. He could understand why Tony didn't understand a next possible location, and for a moment, neither did he. He stared at it, scanning it up and down, before finally speaking out.
"Maybe that's why they came here." He said. "Maybe money isn't in their complete interest anymore. Philly? Philly had everything it needed. No gang risks packing up and moving to a new city when they have a stable income. What if these fuckers want war? What if they want bloodshed? For all we know, this could be a power-play. Knock out the heaviest gangs first. The Clover Boys, then the Russians, followed by the Chinese." He said. "If they took out them, then they'd control more or less everything. The Clover Boys are without a doubt the most powerful out of the ones we already had here - And what does every boss want? More power." He said. "I think... I think that this..." He stepped up and pointed at the Coral Cafe's mark. "I think this was more than just an in and out job
a few times, "I think this was planned. I think this place was chosen specifically - look at it. It's in a quiet area, low number of cops, not the prime area of operations for the Clovers." He scratched his chin. "Yes... Yeah, okay." He quickly turned back to the desk and rustled through the stuff until he found a green marker pen - or a pen of any different color than red, basically. He quickly returned to the map and popped the cap off.
"Okay, so, the throne rests right here." He said, drawing a small circle in the center of downtown LA. "The club, the watering hole, the main place of evil plans and sin, right? Now, Al-Asheera are brave, but they're not that stupid. No one has the balls to hit a place like this. It's their prize possession, their most heavily-guarded building. You don't have ID to prove you're someone worth knowing, you don't get in. You've got guns on every street corner for three blocks waiting for the wrong people to roll in. A floor in an office across from the club is bought out by The Clovers. That much was discovered in a failed sting operation two years ago. Shit only knows what they have in that building, but I imagine there's a lot of security." He said. "Now, over in Burbank, things get a little complicated. You've got the two quieter areas that the Clovers operate on. You've got the more western area, where the Coral Cafe is. Around there you've got other small businesses that pay protection money to the goons, right? Now, that's got some assets there, some of the buildings are even owned by the boss himself. There's some security, but not much." He said. "Central Burbank, further North, as you said... That's where things really get ugly. A lot of security, tapped cameras, illegal operations taking place... This place is a fucking hotbox for the Clovers. So, I don't think they're going to hit there. There's a warehouse owned by The Clovers. Once again, a failed sting operation which resulted in a hefty lawsuit against us discovered that they'll ship anything and everything out of that place. Security is almost as tight as their bar downtown." He explained. "Now, we go over East, and this is where things begin to get a little quieter." He smiled, and after circling the rough location of where the said warehouse was, he moved over.
"Now, East Side. Quiet, very few cops, mainly surrounded by residential properties. And, better yet, very little Clover security. Why? The East side is the side that ours truly decided to first make advancements on. It was easy money for him - he gets his protection cash, but not much else. This was where the Clover gang started off." He turned and looked at Tony. "You know, I think they're going to hit the East. There's no way they'd try West again, that place is crawling with the LAPD, and Central is too risky. East is easy money, easy time, and little to worry about. The Clovers would never get there on time, at least not enough of them." He said. "And I hate to say this, Tony, but we need to make a priority here - We lock people up that we have shitloads of intel on already, or we lock people up whose leader we don't even know the name of yet. If you ask me, the priority is pretty obvious." He said, then gave him a nod. "What I've said might not be true, and just like you said, they seem pretty random, right? What if they want us to think that? What if they're dotting themselves about as a tactic, so that they can ultimately achieve what they want?" He asked.
"Now, you know a lot more about Al-Asheera than I do, I won't doubt that for a minute." He said, then handed him the green pen. "Let's go over the locations that we know Al-Asheera definitely control, and we're going to figure out the most likely place that Cabnan would hit. He won't shoot up any place that he used to own - he's materialistic. He'll target something he never owned in the first place, something they took over without them knowing about it. We know already that Cabnan's looking to send a message, and I think he's going to make one hell of a fucking mess doing it."
KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
The afternoon roads were not as noisy as Thalia anticipated, especially with a diner hold-up getting as much attention as it did. Usually, there'd be traffic, people lined up to see the catastrophe unfold. Not in this time. It was too calm, as if a robbery didn't even happen. Perhaps the operation was smoother than she expected, despite how she saw it as an utter failure. Now that failure was coming back to haunt her, and for a mistake that wasn't even her own. A million in a week with a line of small-time jobs would never work. And going big needs a team, at least a second man, one she can trust. And she didn't trust the trainees. Not to mention she had to find a new trainee on her own time. So much pressure placed on her, all because Ra's wants to expand. The safest thing she could do in day one was scope out. Find a big place, maybe a bank of sorts, gather a partner, and give it all she's got. It was in that moment that she wished Karin were there. Sure, she barely knows the girl, but she trusted her beyond any trainee Al-Asheera has had. Plus, she has experience as a thief and needs the money, too. Maybe she could offer her a place in The Clan when it's all over. If she wants, of course. She didn't seem too amused by the idea earlier, mocking how her organization judges morality. Then again, Thalia couldn't blame her. It's scale of morals is what got her into this life-or-death matter, and the worry of failure was catching up to her.
Still, Karin's words left a trace on Thalia, about starting clean. She could always run, change her name, appearance, make sure Al-Asheera doesn't find her again, and get an honest job and small home in some quiet neighborhood. Why did that suddenly seem appealing? Living her life the right way and leaving it all behind? No, if she were to do this, she needed to settle her debt first. As she walked, she finally saw someone: an old lady in a furry overcoat, purse in hand, probably had a lot of money, too, standing at a bus stop. Thalia could use a bus, so she stopped at the sign next to the lady. Her gloved hands fiddled with each other in front of her stomach, her legs twisting nervously beneath her. Social interaction without dominating her opposition was alien to her. On a normal day, she'd push the old lady to the ground, snatch her purse, and run for it. Easy payday. Cash, credit cards, maybe jewelry. Cha-Ching. Not today. This woman didn't deserve to get mugged. She was up in that age, probably had grandchildren... The hell is wrong with you?! That could be your first step to paying your debts! Just push the damn lady down and run! It's easy money, maybe even pay for a nice lunch, too! But none of that temptation was appealing in the slightest to Thalia. Stealing from a company or business was one thing. Stealing from an individual? It felt... different. Personal. She didn't want to go there. So, rotating her body side, to side, she peeked at the wealthy-looking old woman from the side of her eye as the two waited for a bus. Soon, the lady noticed the redhead staring at her, and she quickly looked away, nervously. There, again was her anti-social behavior kicking in.
"You need something, ma'am?" the woman asked her.
A bit startled at first, Thalia turned around, stepping to face the aging woman. "W-What? No? Why? Just... um..."
"Well, I just couldn't help but wonder... You were looking at me, then I noticed you, and I'm just wondering, have we met somewhere?"
Thalia's heart sank. She didn't recognize this person, but the lady might recognize her. But from where? No doubt she saw the neck tattoo, so to quickly cover, she fondled with her hair in a way to cover the tattoo from plain sight. "N-No? I think you're... mistaken?"
"Well... it's always possible. I just couldn't help it. You look just like my granddaughter, so adorable!" The old lady reached forward to Thalia's face, grabbed her left cheek, and squeezed it like any grandmother would do to a grandchild. It unnerved the young woman, flinching at first, but then adapting. Worse things had been done to her face. "Your parents must be so proud of the little lady they've raised."
A brief chuckle, trying to fake a reaction. Her parents would not be proud of her actions. She couldn't tell them. "You don't know the half of it..."
Saved by the bus. Finally. Once it arrived, the lady bid her farewells. "Well, little lady, it was good talking to you!"
Thalia crossed her arms over her chest and tried to replicate a smile back. "Same... same." If this complete stranger could show a dishonest thief kindness, maybe she had some hope in the world. As she boarded the bus, she felt a vibration in the back of her pants. She reached for the cell phone she brought along to notice it was a text. A number she didn't recognize, but the text itself got her attention...
Karin. Thalia couldn't believe it. An almost happy expression came over her face. She noticed her contact. With her left hand, she covered her mouth to avoid the unusual grin and giggle on her face showing for all these people on board. Karin was talking in code, obviously. She was smart enough to know she was talking to a criminal, for crying out loud. But she wanted to meet tonight at 7. The place was unfamiliar to her, but she'd find her way somehow, someway. She also mentioned something about other customers coming into the equation. Was she a suspect now? But she had nothing to do with it. Maybe she shouldn't have come back to the scene. Someone might've seen the two together. But nothing ties the name Thalia Griffin to Al-Asheera. She wore gloves to cover the tattoo, and made sure her neck ink wasn't out in the open. It was also a bit off that Karin, a girl who could barely keep the lights on, had an office. Something told her this wasn't an office she was going to meet at.
Finally. A friend to go meet in LA. She turned to her left on her window seat of the bus to see the same old lady from the stop. "Excuse me... um... I'm kind of new in town. What's on West Victory Boulevard that might be... well... a gathering place?"
The old woman smiled in Thalia's direction and instantly replied. "Well, I know there's a bar and grill there. Pretty hot spot for kids like you. Why, got a party over there? Maybe a cute date?"
Thalia looked out the wind at the houses passing by to her right, feeling all fuzzy on the inside from this invitation. That last accusation, of a date. Thalia only did one-night stands for the most part, and her Head wasn't one for taking her out to nice dinners. That wasn't their relationship. And her only other intimate relationship, though short lived, was kept so in the dark that the two never had any time to date. "A date... S-Something like that, I guess."
"I can see it in your eyes, kid. You look excited." Thalia didn't answer, clearly caught in a corner, and didn't want to admit she was looking forward to the meeting, even if it wasn't what this old lady thought it was. She simply kept looking out the window, as if she were impressed with what was outside. "Well, let me say, he's quite a lucky guy to find a gem like you."
These random compliments from a stranger were almost overwhelming. Were all people this nice? Or just the older ones? Ra's surely wasn't. But this was a different. She blushed at the onslaught of nice things being told, twisting the ends of her curls in her fingers as she answered, "Maybe he is..."
--
Tony attentively listened through Frank's theory about the potential movements and advancements of their two rival gangs, making sense of it all. Yes, Central would be far too risky, and there West is already a cop infestation after the cafe heist. They needed to prioritize something before one of them gets the drop on them. Another highlight was the club in downtown. Yet another potential target, and somewhere the PD might find themselves at in some future, but certainly not now. Not while the Clovers are stepping up their game, and Al-Asheera wouldn't risk it this early in their reign.
"I think you're right, Frank. Al-Asheera aren't the same as they were in Philly. Sure, they might have the same core elements and methods, but things are changing with their execution. 'We don't kill'. That's what every arrested Clan member has argued. Yet, they opened fire on LAPD officers earlier this week and killed a civilian just now. This might be simply a show of power, taking the land. They're wealthy beyond their wildest dreams with all of their ill-gotten gains. Hell, they could all retire now and live happily ever after. But it doesn't end that simply. It never does. Al-Asheera wants something more: power, control, superiority. They want to bring LA to its knees just like they did to Philly for so long. Sure, their greed is still there, but now it's beyond financial. It's going political. Criminal politics, that is. And their first takedown? The Clovers."
He took a look at the places Frank was marking on the map. No problem there. This new partner seemed to know what he was doing. "We can worry about the Clovers' base of operations later. Right now, it's probably too hot to even drive by. And the West is covered enough to scare any sort of crooks off. That leaves us with the East. We need to set up patrol officers on all the streets adjacent to the east end of their claimed territory, as well as enforce people to stay in their homes tonight and lock their doors. Warn them of a potential threat. Sure, that might start a panic, but it's surely not going to be as bad as the panic if they hit something bigger than a small neighborhood." He sighed rubbed his eyes briefly from being so drowned in thoughts. "To understand Al-Asheera, we need to think like them. Their picks aren't random. Are there any locations in the East that have gang significance? Not necessarily for the Clovers. It could be the Chinese or the Russians or something, anyone. If they're trying to piss people off, that might tell us where the next target is."
As the two detectives brainstormed, the open door to Tony's office revealed another suited man entering the room with a photo in his hand. He approached the older man and placed it in his hands. "Sorry to disturb, detectives, but we've got a hit on one of our gunmen at the cafe robbery/homicide. He was found dead half a mile away from the scene. Shot with the same kind of bullets that killed our victim. We asked a few witnesses, they confirmed that our John Doe was the guy who emptied a clip into our victim. Al-Asheera didn't appreciate the innocent bloodshed, punished the bastard, and dumped his body on their way home."
The sight of a dead body on the side of the road might not be anything worth seeing, but it spoke a number for Tony. He quickly marched over to Frank and let him take a look. "This probably confirms my suspicion about recruiting. If he weren't at least working for The Clan, he wouldn't be killed. He has no tattoos to show his membership, but he was punished for the crime of breaking their golden rule: no innocent bloodshed. He clearly failed his test. But who's to say that all of them are failing? Al-Asheera's expanding. And considering how they're poking at the Irish, it might seem like they're amassing an army of suicide soldiers. Look at this guy. Bulky, muscular? Sure. But he's nothing special. Young, too. Maybe 20 years old. Probably dropped out of college or something to join this up and coming gang. Easy payday, but clearly couldn't follow orders. Hence why he was shunned. Odds are, many of their recruits are like that. Young, inexperienced, that's why they're at small-time hits. And if they marginally meet the requirements, they're getting in. Not all of them are as professional or as clever as our redheaded mystery woman. From her record, she knows what she's doing, gets the job done efficiently and quickly. A true clanswoman loyal to her cause. She's not the kind that they'd want to throw out into downtown to siege the club on her own. That's a suicide mission for even the most professional assassin. No, the leader wouldn't do that to his best. He'd throw the weaker ones out as bait, then send out his best for the kill. Al-Asheera has a hierarchy. And they're working to populate the bottom."
As the third man left the room and Tony left the newfound picture for Frank, he spoke again, "These guys aren't terrorists, unlike their name makes them out to be. But they sure are spreading fear. And they're proud of what they do. Which is why they need to be stopped before they gain any sort of ground.
Still, Karin's words left a trace on Thalia, about starting clean. She could always run, change her name, appearance, make sure Al-Asheera doesn't find her again, and get an honest job and small home in some quiet neighborhood. Why did that suddenly seem appealing? Living her life the right way and leaving it all behind? No, if she were to do this, she needed to settle her debt first. As she walked, she finally saw someone: an old lady in a furry overcoat, purse in hand, probably had a lot of money, too, standing at a bus stop. Thalia could use a bus, so she stopped at the sign next to the lady. Her gloved hands fiddled with each other in front of her stomach, her legs twisting nervously beneath her. Social interaction without dominating her opposition was alien to her. On a normal day, she'd push the old lady to the ground, snatch her purse, and run for it. Easy payday. Cash, credit cards, maybe jewelry. Cha-Ching. Not today. This woman didn't deserve to get mugged. She was up in that age, probably had grandchildren... The hell is wrong with you?! That could be your first step to paying your debts! Just push the damn lady down and run! It's easy money, maybe even pay for a nice lunch, too! But none of that temptation was appealing in the slightest to Thalia. Stealing from a company or business was one thing. Stealing from an individual? It felt... different. Personal. She didn't want to go there. So, rotating her body side, to side, she peeked at the wealthy-looking old woman from the side of her eye as the two waited for a bus. Soon, the lady noticed the redhead staring at her, and she quickly looked away, nervously. There, again was her anti-social behavior kicking in.
"You need something, ma'am?" the woman asked her.
A bit startled at first, Thalia turned around, stepping to face the aging woman. "W-What? No? Why? Just... um..."
"Well, I just couldn't help but wonder... You were looking at me, then I noticed you, and I'm just wondering, have we met somewhere?"
Thalia's heart sank. She didn't recognize this person, but the lady might recognize her. But from where? No doubt she saw the neck tattoo, so to quickly cover, she fondled with her hair in a way to cover the tattoo from plain sight. "N-No? I think you're... mistaken?"
"Well... it's always possible. I just couldn't help it. You look just like my granddaughter, so adorable!" The old lady reached forward to Thalia's face, grabbed her left cheek, and squeezed it like any grandmother would do to a grandchild. It unnerved the young woman, flinching at first, but then adapting. Worse things had been done to her face. "Your parents must be so proud of the little lady they've raised."
A brief chuckle, trying to fake a reaction. Her parents would not be proud of her actions. She couldn't tell them. "You don't know the half of it..."
Saved by the bus. Finally. Once it arrived, the lady bid her farewells. "Well, little lady, it was good talking to you!"
Thalia crossed her arms over her chest and tried to replicate a smile back. "Same... same." If this complete stranger could show a dishonest thief kindness, maybe she had some hope in the world. As she boarded the bus, she felt a vibration in the back of her pants. She reached for the cell phone she brought along to notice it was a text. A number she didn't recognize, but the text itself got her attention...
Karin. Thalia couldn't believe it. An almost happy expression came over her face. She noticed her contact. With her left hand, she covered her mouth to avoid the unusual grin and giggle on her face showing for all these people on board. Karin was talking in code, obviously. She was smart enough to know she was talking to a criminal, for crying out loud. But she wanted to meet tonight at 7. The place was unfamiliar to her, but she'd find her way somehow, someway. She also mentioned something about other customers coming into the equation. Was she a suspect now? But she had nothing to do with it. Maybe she shouldn't have come back to the scene. Someone might've seen the two together. But nothing ties the name Thalia Griffin to Al-Asheera. She wore gloves to cover the tattoo, and made sure her neck ink wasn't out in the open. It was also a bit off that Karin, a girl who could barely keep the lights on, had an office. Something told her this wasn't an office she was going to meet at.
Finally. A friend to go meet in LA. She turned to her left on her window seat of the bus to see the same old lady from the stop. "Excuse me... um... I'm kind of new in town. What's on West Victory Boulevard that might be... well... a gathering place?"
The old woman smiled in Thalia's direction and instantly replied. "Well, I know there's a bar and grill there. Pretty hot spot for kids like you. Why, got a party over there? Maybe a cute date?"
Thalia looked out the wind at the houses passing by to her right, feeling all fuzzy on the inside from this invitation. That last accusation, of a date. Thalia only did one-night stands for the most part, and her Head wasn't one for taking her out to nice dinners. That wasn't their relationship. And her only other intimate relationship, though short lived, was kept so in the dark that the two never had any time to date. "A date... S-Something like that, I guess."
"I can see it in your eyes, kid. You look excited." Thalia didn't answer, clearly caught in a corner, and didn't want to admit she was looking forward to the meeting, even if it wasn't what this old lady thought it was. She simply kept looking out the window, as if she were impressed with what was outside. "Well, let me say, he's quite a lucky guy to find a gem like you."
These random compliments from a stranger were almost overwhelming. Were all people this nice? Or just the older ones? Ra's surely wasn't. But this was a different. She blushed at the onslaught of nice things being told, twisting the ends of her curls in her fingers as she answered, "Maybe he is..."
--
Tony attentively listened through Frank's theory about the potential movements and advancements of their two rival gangs, making sense of it all. Yes, Central would be far too risky, and there West is already a cop infestation after the cafe heist. They needed to prioritize something before one of them gets the drop on them. Another highlight was the club in downtown. Yet another potential target, and somewhere the PD might find themselves at in some future, but certainly not now. Not while the Clovers are stepping up their game, and Al-Asheera wouldn't risk it this early in their reign.
"I think you're right, Frank. Al-Asheera aren't the same as they were in Philly. Sure, they might have the same core elements and methods, but things are changing with their execution. 'We don't kill'. That's what every arrested Clan member has argued. Yet, they opened fire on LAPD officers earlier this week and killed a civilian just now. This might be simply a show of power, taking the land. They're wealthy beyond their wildest dreams with all of their ill-gotten gains. Hell, they could all retire now and live happily ever after. But it doesn't end that simply. It never does. Al-Asheera wants something more: power, control, superiority. They want to bring LA to its knees just like they did to Philly for so long. Sure, their greed is still there, but now it's beyond financial. It's going political. Criminal politics, that is. And their first takedown? The Clovers."
He took a look at the places Frank was marking on the map. No problem there. This new partner seemed to know what he was doing. "We can worry about the Clovers' base of operations later. Right now, it's probably too hot to even drive by. And the West is covered enough to scare any sort of crooks off. That leaves us with the East. We need to set up patrol officers on all the streets adjacent to the east end of their claimed territory, as well as enforce people to stay in their homes tonight and lock their doors. Warn them of a potential threat. Sure, that might start a panic, but it's surely not going to be as bad as the panic if they hit something bigger than a small neighborhood." He sighed rubbed his eyes briefly from being so drowned in thoughts. "To understand Al-Asheera, we need to think like them. Their picks aren't random. Are there any locations in the East that have gang significance? Not necessarily for the Clovers. It could be the Chinese or the Russians or something, anyone. If they're trying to piss people off, that might tell us where the next target is."
As the two detectives brainstormed, the open door to Tony's office revealed another suited man entering the room with a photo in his hand. He approached the older man and placed it in his hands. "Sorry to disturb, detectives, but we've got a hit on one of our gunmen at the cafe robbery/homicide. He was found dead half a mile away from the scene. Shot with the same kind of bullets that killed our victim. We asked a few witnesses, they confirmed that our John Doe was the guy who emptied a clip into our victim. Al-Asheera didn't appreciate the innocent bloodshed, punished the bastard, and dumped his body on their way home."
The sight of a dead body on the side of the road might not be anything worth seeing, but it spoke a number for Tony. He quickly marched over to Frank and let him take a look. "This probably confirms my suspicion about recruiting. If he weren't at least working for The Clan, he wouldn't be killed. He has no tattoos to show his membership, but he was punished for the crime of breaking their golden rule: no innocent bloodshed. He clearly failed his test. But who's to say that all of them are failing? Al-Asheera's expanding. And considering how they're poking at the Irish, it might seem like they're amassing an army of suicide soldiers. Look at this guy. Bulky, muscular? Sure. But he's nothing special. Young, too. Maybe 20 years old. Probably dropped out of college or something to join this up and coming gang. Easy payday, but clearly couldn't follow orders. Hence why he was shunned. Odds are, many of their recruits are like that. Young, inexperienced, that's why they're at small-time hits. And if they marginally meet the requirements, they're getting in. Not all of them are as professional or as clever as our redheaded mystery woman. From her record, she knows what she's doing, gets the job done efficiently and quickly. A true clanswoman loyal to her cause. She's not the kind that they'd want to throw out into downtown to siege the club on her own. That's a suicide mission for even the most professional assassin. No, the leader wouldn't do that to his best. He'd throw the weaker ones out as bait, then send out his best for the kill. Al-Asheera has a hierarchy. And they're working to populate the bottom."
As the third man left the room and Tony left the newfound picture for Frank, he spoke again, "These guys aren't terrorists, unlike their name makes them out to be. But they sure are spreading fear. And they're proud of what they do. Which is why they need to be stopped before they gain any sort of ground.
