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Of Kings and Pawns (IC)

Becoming more and more furious with how James was stalling and not agreeing to a meet, Damien clenched his phone tighter and pondered over a potential bite back. For a moment it didn't seem like this man on the other side of the line wanted to risk his own skin over something like this. Not over someone who was such a small scale crook. Plus, at this pointed, Damien might've been leaning more towards a side that wanted to see James dead. Why on earth would he show his face again just to get stabbed? It simply didn't make sense, and having Thalia in his hands simply wasn't enough of a reason for him to play along. Why, though? Did the mystery redhead mean nothing to him? Was she simply a disposable ally? Was her purpose lost now that The Ten was exterminated and The Hidden was nothing more than an enigma to her? With that sort of thought train in mind, it made Damien think of James in an even more shameful light. But was that the truth? Why was James just... waiting? Simply threatening now that both of them had shown their hands in what had become an all-bark-no-bite game while Damien was just waiting to set a trap? No more harm was going to be done to Thalia, and in return, none to his father, so the standstill continued.

Until the last text showed up, detailing a surprise, and Damien didn't like the sound of it as he ticked away at his phone's keyboard to draft a reply. A nastier one, filled with threats, no doubt, considering his now-hostile attitude towards him:

"I will show up at your little place and slit Thalia's throat for you all to see if you don'tcaadfjaidafjpjkcvpjije"

Not a proper message at all, but that is what he'd press send to have delivered, because as he was typing, a sharp pain struck through Damien's shoulder and provoked a scream of agony instantly. He didn't have to look to notice that the blade he was carrying around that he'd left in the car was now lodged into his shoulder. One hand shivered over the screen of his phone and tapped away at the random keys, and eventually the 'send' button. Without even realizing what he'd done from the screams and focus with his other hand to grab where he was being stabbed, he dropped the phone and gripped around the scalpel with both hands, trying to shake off whoever was holding and twisting this blade into his flesh. He could hear the breaths of a person behind him, but no words. Whoever this was must've been ruthless and brutal to pull this off, not to mention trained. The knife had struck in just the right place to slice a muscle clean in two, which he could feel with the blood leaking from his stolen nurse's gown. It didn't take him long with both hands dedicated to spin around and face his assailant...

His decision to leave Thalia unattended while he paced about, waiting for a reply, had come to bite him in the rear. She'd woken up and didn't hesitate to spring into action in his moment of distress. And with the scalpel not far from her, as a trained Al-Asheera clanswoman, it didn't take a genius to tell him that she'd use it as a weapon and attack him. The problem was that behind the hair net and typical nurse outfit, the redhead had no idea who she was stabbing. It wasn't until the now-unmasked Damien turned around that she saw the face and instantly recognized him. A facial expression that was once clenching her teeth from concentration and fury turned into a dropped jaw. Disbelief. She even shivered in her place for a moment as she matched the face to an event from just yesterday.

"Oh my god..." she uttered softly, simply looking back into the man's eyes, eyes she once found irresistible, but now couldn't hate more now that she'd connected the dots. That hot guy she'd met yesterday at breakfast... he was an Al-Asheera sleeper, and was hired to come after her. But why hadn't he killed her yet? Did the new Al-Asheera want something to do with her? It must be a new system since she couldn't recall Damien having the traditional tattoos. She tried her best to hold the knife in place, even if he'd pivoted to face her. "Motherfucker..."

Damien, in an equal state of shock, had just gotten used to the pain in his shoulder as he tried to actually speak rather than scream. "I-I can explain..." But he wouldn't get the chance to, because Thalia wasn't having it. She yanked the scalpel from his flesh and let the sharp end slide across his cheek, causing him to flinch and fall to the ground. A near rerun of what'd happened over half an hour ago: Thalia getting the upper hand before Damien could even consider acting. The only difference? Thalia wasn't going to be the one beaten to unconsciousness this time. She knew what he'd try to do, and was prepared for whatever surprise he may have now that she had an actual weapon. She held the sharp object downward towards the bleeding man who covering the cut on his face and the large wound in hi shoulder. Pain was evident by his facial expression and how tight he was clenching his wounds, and the bloodthirsty psycho in Thalia didn't even care. That thrill she got out of killing that Al-Asheera clansman and almost ending Tony's life came back. And she wasn't going to fight it.

"You sure as hell will. Al-Asheera isn't touching my family. You'll never find Charlie."

She was still under the assumption that Charlie was safe with an FBI agent, though with very little confirmation apart from a photo. Boy, was she out of the loop there. "Listen..." Damien groaned, his eyes clenching tightly shut. "I'm not with Al-Asheera anymore... I don't even have their tattoos..."

"Bullshit!" she barked, lunging the scalpel closer to Damien's face. "Why else did you wanna get so close to me?! Was that girl in the restaurant even your sister? Or some poor girl forced to be exploited? Just like Ra's did to me, because if that is the case, I won't stop until she's safe!"

"Agh, Angie is my sister, damn it! I wouldn't fake something like that! Just listen to me!"

"Oh, I'm all ears. You better say what's going on, or the next hole I leave in you will be through your eye."

"The man you're working for is a killer. The guy that you've been living with to take down Al-Asheera? He murdered another one of their men in full view of Angie after I SPECIFICALLY told him not to."

"Huh," she scoffed, "I know the man I made my bed with, and the way he's treated me at times makes me fear he might do that in front of Charlie. But again, I know who I'm working with, and I think I've built enough trust with him to ensure he won't do that. You must've pissed him off."

"Oh, no," Damien let out a groan of pain in his words, still on his knees, just looking at the end of the blade. "He didn't even care for what she saw."

"Give me one reason to believe you after what you just put me through. You just threw away every last bit of good will I had with the police. My chances at making peace. Damn it, they might rip up an immunity agreement for a friend of mine because of what you just pulled!"

"Look at my phone, you dumb bitch! He attacked my father! An innocent man in a coma! And you think he cares for your family? How do you know he won't surrender the blessed child if it means he can wash his hands of Al-Asheera for good?"

Damien mentioned the phone he had at hand, now dropped in the dirt by his knees. In her quest for the truth, Thalia figured she'd give it a chance. She knelt down to the level of the mobile, keeping the scalpel close to Damien's face. He didn't move a muscle, but if he tried, she'd slice an eye out without hesitation.She scooped it up in her left hand, one that was broken by two bullet wound casted up firmly, but she was able to bend her elbow just enough to bring the phone to view the screen. The struggle of lifting her forearm was evident, but Damien wasn't going to take advantage of it. The phone screen was still on, and right before her eyes was the string of messages between the two. The threats, the pictures, the arguments... Her eyes did widen in shock when she saw James do something she'd never expected from him: attack an innocent person. She knew it was part of his job description, but till now on her journey with him, he seemed to abhor the bloodshed of the innocent. Just seeing their failure at getting Melissa back devastated him. Was this the James she knew to beat an old man in a coma? Or execute an Al-Asheera clanwoman in front of an 11-year-old? She let out a sharp breath as she tried to rationalize everything around her. There were many of threats of her life and well-being in the mix, so it was a good thing she'd woken up and taken control.

"You know I can easily call him back here and have him finish you off, right?"

Thalia had taken James' side once again, and it made Damien panic. "You can't be serious. A man that dangerous, and you'd pick him over the man who knows your pain in Al-Asheera and broke you out of police custody before they came to smother you in your place? He was going to leave you to rot by the looks of it, cupcake!"

Name calling wouldn't be tolerated on her watch as she stepped forward, the scalpel closer to Damien's eye. "If you really know me as well as you do, you should know what I did to Al-Yed. And I won't hesitate to do it to you. You keep talking about breaking me out of the hospital like it was a good thing. I might've gotten a lighter sentence for cooperating and been out in time to still enjoy my life. Now I'm a fugitive, and they're going to do everything they can to crucify me in court. And that's your idea of a genius plan?"

"I'm trying to protect you before your brother gets killed, Thalia! How do you know he hasn't already sold Charlie out?"

"Because Charlie was broken out of the FBI compound by his man. Jon, I think his name was? They might be using that boy to get to Al-Asheera in the most sinister of ways. It might cost him his life."

"He'd never do that."

"But he would order a man to choke out a woman and dump her in the trunk of a car. Because he certainly can't get his hands dirty."

Thalia paused, curious as to what he was talking about. "What woman? What does that have to do with anything?"

"A young woman, maybe your age. Looked pretty gothy. She was resisting the entire time as she was choked out and shoved into the trunk of a vehicle back in Encino. I never saw her again while I was in good ol' James' place. Wanna take a guess what he did to her?"

Encino mansion. Gothy woman. Choked out. Never saw again. Thalia froze at the thought of who that might've been. She couldn't be sure, but who else knows where they were hiding away. "Jenny....?"

"I don't know her name. But he didn't seem to like her."

It was quite a scary reality to digest. Did James... actually kill someone she cares about? Sure, Jenny wasn't the best of friends she could ask, but did she deserve to die? What did she do to deserve this? She shook her head in disbelief. "Liar. That's all you are. You lied about who you were from the beginning, and now, you're trying to get in my head, you monster. If you were once Al-Asheera, you'd know how to lie like a pro. How can I trust a word you are saying?"

"Simple: I'm letting you walk away with that phone right now."

Yet another pause from a bold move by this man. "Um... What?"

"Yeah. Turn around. Go. Get out of this place and find your way home. You won't last now that you're being hailed as a terrorist and a fugitive. You can go back and turn yourself in, sure. Then you'll probably face several years in jail for all of this. Like you said, I threw away every last ounce of good will you have. Or you can find your precious James, the man who killed this Jenny, who seems to mean a lot to you, who might sell your brother out to a psycho like The Hidden. I think I've just left you in a choice of the lesser evil. And seeing how violent you can get, I think it's best you kill James. You can get close enough after all, right?"

Violent... indeed, she was, after seeing what she'd done to an ex-Al-Asheera clansman, and almost to Tony, she had no doubt that her inner psycho could challenge James. But would she? She wanted answers, not blood. Not from him, at least. But how would she achieve that in a way that he'd take her seriously? How could he just... hide this? He told her immediately when her father was murdered, when Tony sold her out. Was he hiding this about Jenny because of how she once felt about her? Once again, it was a quest for answers... but now, Damien was a loose end. As much as she didn't want to do this, she had to get rid of him. She promised she'd never let her darker, uncontrollable side be unleashed again... but one stab to the chest should be enough to leave Damien to bleed out and die, right?

...Which is why she lunged the scalpel in a single swing into a defenseless Damien's chest, lodging it in there, then stepping back. It was the calmest way to go about it. He didn't scream, but let out a groan of pain as he collapsed to his side, gripping where the knife was. She gave him a few final words as she wiped her bloody hand on the hospital gown she was dressed in. "When you get to hell, tell Ra's I said 'fuck yourself.' I hope you're the last of his kind to ever try something like this. And that your sister doesn't end up like me."

It pained Thalia to have to end the life of a man she had a mild crush on, a man who had a little girl depending on him. It was tempting to ask James to look after Angie, but Damien's last words still poked at her mind. Was he lying? Or did James really kill Jenny? And why? She subdued any tears she might've had in the moment as she slowly stepped away from the man bleeding out in the dirt of the construction plant and walked away from the scene of the crime. That was another murder on her belt, which, if discovered, would further destroy her reputation. At least there were no witnesses. But now? The texts being sent to James. There was an awfully long pause between Damien's accidental message and now. She held the phone up with her good arm to the level high enough to show her face, proof that she was awake and up on her feet. She snapped a picture and sent it to him, then texted him.

"This isn't a trick, it's Thalia. That guy broke me out of the hospital, but I took care of him. Come get me, can't go back to the police like this. I'm at a construction site, bring clothing for me too."

Now it was simply a waiting game as she left Damien for death in the middle of the plant, far away from the entrance, while she waited by the entrance, out of sight. She couldn't return to the police with this escape attempt in mind. Who knows if they'll shoot her on sight now? She couldn't risk it, and she had to hope that James knew where she was. She wasn't going to risk walking out and marching around in downtown LA like that. She would stick out with her weak arm, obvious red hair, bloodstains, and hospital gown. But it was time to go home, to see her brother and mother, to speak her mind as she wanted to before she might have to disappear for longer...

Is this how you're gonna live? On the run forever? Not like you can go back to Detective Hart like this...
 
In many cases it was safe to assume that James wasn't the man he said he was. Maybe it was more likely that he had lied about caring for the innocent and truthfully didn't give a shit about anyone. But was that really the most likely thing? Thalia had seen it for herself. She'd seen the affection and care he'd given to her friend, her mother, her little brother, her friend's brother. He'd taken Joseph in as if he was a child of his own without hesitation - in the very first place James had made the call to go and rescue Charlie and Nicole. He called Jon in to save them, and Jon himself had shone as a good man. A man that associated himself directly with James for many years. Was James really a man to be doubted?

In a situation like this one, maybe. He'd shown that he was capable of far more than he first allowed people to see. He may have only done damage to the defenseless man in retaliation, but it was still more than what he was usually capable of. Would they really sell Charlie on to Al-Asheera?

Well, Jon definitely wouldn't.

James wouldn't, either.

As for anyone else in the house? Well, we all know that the majority of them wouldn't even dream of it. Many of them would die before they saw Charlie get taken by Al-Asheera, and Tony had long since buried the hatchet with Thalia, right? They saved each other's lives, really, in one way or another. There was no need to panic. No call for concern, either. Well... Maybe there was, for now, but if James showed up, at least Thalia knew she could get an explanation. If her family was safe and well - which they were - surely things could be talked about.

No more bloodshed. No more violence.

James saw the text she sent her and smiled.

Maybe it was bait. Maybe it was genuine.

'And that's what I was waiting for. I'll see you soon.'

He would indeed see her soon. Soonish. He could be there in a little over an hour if he wanted to be. He knew one thing, though... Even if Damien was dead or subdued, regardless of that, he didn't know who he may have spoken to. He didn't know if he'd called the police, or if he'd gone back to his old leaders and told them where the Chosen One was hiding. He just didn't know what the case was, but before he left, he told Jon that he needed to be ready for anything while he was gone, just in case.

They could lose them in the forest with ease. Kids were small and could hide, adults could hide and get the element of surprise. Jon especially. Detectives were used to sneaking around, so they could do that, too. Women and children could easily duck under some foliage and remain completely hidden. Either that, or the fighters in the group could stall them while the women and kids ran. Ran like they'd never ran before. If Thalia was there when an attack happened (if one actually happened), James imagined she'd want to go down in a blaze of glory. She'd escaped the hospital, and if she couldn't get off the hook easy, who's to say that she wouldn't rather go down fighting to protect those she loved?

The end of a long battle, no doubt.

But did it have to be that way?

If they all got out the back, the guards from The Jackal's mansion call stall them well. It would give them plenty of time to make an escape.

That was just theory, though.

James got suited and booted, he filled a bag with clothes for Thalia, and he dropped her a quick 'on my way' text. He was going to play it safe, though. He drove to where he needed to be. Where Thalia apparently was. He didn't want to waste time. Using the rifle he perched himself somewhere across the street and watched for... Maybe fifteen minutes. No signs of an ambush. No signs of anything, really - but he did see Thalia, eventually. That was no reason to not be careful, but, she looked in rough shape. She was a loyal girl - she wouldn't sell him out, wouldn't betray him the same way Damien had. Damien had gone to a new low, attacking her. She had no part in their feud.

Even so, he left the building across the road and drove into the construction sight. His car came to a solid halt right beside her. Damien was in bad shape, but, he didn't want to be here long.

She no doubt had questions.

Why didn't you come for me?

Why did you let him do this?

And many more, James was sure.

"Get in." James said. "I'll explain everything to you on the way back, but, we need to get you out of here. We don't know who Damien's spoke to. He went against us completely." He said. "If a storm's on the way, I want to get home before it hits us." He said. "It's a bit of a drive. No time to waste. I'll answer whatever questions you have." He said.
 
As time passed and Thalia kept peeking over to check for the arrival of the man she'd called upon, the reality of what she'd been through began to sink in. She didn't think she'd see James again, at least not normally. A man who's spent years off the radar probably wouldn't want to walk into the prison she was going to be held in, even as a visitor, and breaking her out of the high security layer placed over her in the hospital was also a great risk. And she'd made peace with the fact that she and James might just part ways for good; it's in part why she told Karin the very final words she had. What she didn't expect was to be broken out of the somewhat-safety of police custody by a vengeful ex-accomplice of his. All for no better reason than to hurt people. But it wasn't the present that necessarily bothered her, but rather her past actions while surrounded by detectives and members of the force... the things she'd said. True, Thalia didn't give anything about Fritzy's identity; it was the one details he agreed to keep out of her statement. She did put in a good word for him, naming him as a primary reason for this entire takedown, but she didn't so much as give away whether Fritzy was a man or a woman. Would James be afraid that she did, especially because the news was going around saying that she was cooperating? It's not like that, if she did, he couldn't disappear again anyway.

So, did she fear she would be killed once she hopped in? Not at all; she was loyal and has done more than enough to prove it. Did she fear another mouthful from him? Probably. She did screw up by not making it to the bunker in time in Encino, so there might be a debt to pay for that.

More than an hour went by, and Thalia kept looked back at Damien, who appeared motionless in the distance. She was afraid he'd get up as if he were among the living dead and get the drop on her, especially now that she'd left the scalpel in him, leaving her unarmed. It was him having a weapon that landed her kidnapped anyway. She had no weapons besides her fists, and that might not help in a case like her own. She began to breathe a bit heavier at each passing second that James wasn't there, even if he was watching from a distance. Could he see her? She made sure to make herself visible from time to time, but staying hidden more often than not, especially in an instance when a police cruiser passes by. She stuck out, and didn't need another bogey on her tail.

Then came a car stopping by her side, and there he was: James, coming to get her out of the area. He did make a point: what if Al-Asheera was coming soon after? What if Damien had struck a deal with them to come kill her? What if they were going to use her to get to Charlie? Before getting in the car, she took one more look into the distance. Damien hadn't moved an inch. That would be another murder on Thalia's belt, if he's ever discovered in time, but she wasn't going to dwell just yet. She'd done far, far worse to people before. She wasn't proud, but for this, she could definitely argue self defense. With that in mind, she climbed into the passenger's seat with James, and instantly threw her head back into the seat, taking a sigh of relief. Finally, she could stop running for a moment.

Indeed, many questions did float to the top of her mind once they took off. But she wasn't going to act like a child and ask "why didn't you come sooner". She was well aware that if they wanted to break her out, they'd need to plan it more strategically. Not some sloppy runaway like Damien had pulled off. Too noisy, too messy.

But the first words out of her lips were not questions.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I ruined everything. I didn't get to the bunker in time when the police showed up. Me and Charlie couldn't make it. Now, I have no idea where he is, and the FBI wouldn't tell me. They just showed me some generic picture of him and made me record a message to him, but they won't let me talk directly or tell me where they're keeping him. Not to mention the agent that confronted me treated me like every other cop out there. And now, I don't even know how you guys are doing... how you got out of the bunker so quick, and I even got Karin arrested for just knowing me. And I don't blame you if you hate me for that, alright? Not to mention that the Damien guy back there knew me and Karin, and probably followed us home just to pull this off. Again, that's my fault because he was flirting with me while we were out in town, and I lost focus. Didn't think he was Al-Asheera cuz he doesn't have tattoos... again, my fuckup, not yours."

The next question was probably one James was wondering about, "I didn't tell them anything about you, either. Nothing about how you look or that you used to work for the CIA... not even that you go by James, okay? You're in the clear, but I did tell the police everything we did. That we took out The Ten, and that Ra's was the main target, who's also dead now. I couldn't say much for the sergeant that's leading them now, but that's only because nobody knows about him. At least Karin is in the clear thanks to my testimony. I just didn't know what kind of sentence I was looking at. I was cooperating just to have them go easy on me and not hurt Charlie. I was so afraid they'd do harm to him just because he's my brother. But after seeing the news, he's not what we have to worry about..."

Now, a bigger problem: Charlie. The blessed child. "Ra's didn't believe in there being a rightful successor to him, all thanks to his god complex, but Roland Simmons insisted that he delegate one. To my knowledge, that discussion ended in Ra's saying that his word was final, and that Roland could go fuck himself. But it seems as if it didn't. They thought that Ra's' brother-in-law-to-be was the man to take up the throne." She looked down, saddened by the realization now that things have calmed down. "I might've ruined Charlie's life all along if he was meant to succeed Ra's after his death. It was just that... when Tony killed him, it only sped up the process. I don't know where Charlie is, and I'm worried Al-Asheera will find him. I just hope.... I-I hope he didn't see Daddy get sawed up on live TV." She tried to calm herself, realizing she was talking far too much for her own good now. James clearly had some things to say. So did Thalia, all of the force-fed words about hurting a poor father and possibly killing Jenny when she was out of the picture. But now now. "Tell me everyone's okay. Tell me Karin found you. What's going on so far?"
 
It seemed that Thalia had a lot to say, which was understandable. It was only natural for her to wonder what was going on, and seeing as James now had the chance to get them both out of there, that's exactly what he did. He leaved Damien as nothing but a speck in the distance. He'd seen his corpse - part of him felt bad for his sister. But his sister would realistically be better off without such a violent man in her life. The idea of Karin taking her in was out the window... Or was it? What if James could convince her that what he'd done was for her safety? Push the whole Special Agent facade onto her? It was certainly a last resort idae, but it was still an idea all the same.

He sped out of the construction yard without a moment of hesitation. He just started cruising the city, and he listened to everything that Thalia said. She wasn't patched in on anything, understandably. James forgot that she didn't know a thing. She even started off with an apology which was very decent of her. But James had already forgiven her - it was him that he thought had fucked things up. He didn't come for her, but all of that could be explained. He needed to be there to protect the kids, to make sure they were all safe. He had to protect everyone when there were only a few of them that were highly-trained, and knowing The Jackal, he'd make a run for it as soon as the going got tough. He wouldn't give a shit about any of them. He'd run and let them fend for themselves. Hence why James wanted to be there.

But now he had a chance to explain everything to her. There was no need to panic. One thing at a time. First and foremost...

"None of this is on you." He said. "None of it. You getting caught isn't something I'm going to hold against you. Thank you for not exposing me." He said, "Even if you did, I'd find a way to hide. InterPol have been after me for years, CIA probably want the world to do with me, FBI have been trying to trace me for god knows how long. As if them having a name and a face is going to help them, right?" He grinned. "I think it's more the proof they need. They'd know people with a lot of money have a lot of enemies - and friends. It's not easy to get accused of things. If you can hide it, though, they can't touch you." He said.

He thought for a second.

"That little bit of advice could help you, actually. Do they actually HAVE any evidence that points directly at you?" He asked. "Either way, look, we'll worry about that later." He said. "Charlie was taken by an old friend of Jon, who, ironically, works for the FBI. Andrew something-or-other. Goodman, or something." He shrugged. "Either way, funniest thing? This guy went to school with Jon. They were best buddies when they were in Elementary." He said. "He's the guy who got Charlie, hid him out in some place in the woods with his daughter and him." He looked at Thalia for a moment and smiled, softly.

"We got Charlie back, Thalia, don't worry. Jon went on a little rescue mission and found him there." He said. "He got him home safe with all of us. Frank, Tony, Jordan, Joseph, Karin, your mom - everyone is there now." He said. He was sure that aws going to be the most wonderful news she'd had since she got arreseted. Her brother and mother were home, safe and sound. And Karin had made it back, by the sounds of it. But he thought he should probably clarify. "Karin made it back to us just fine. It was a long road for her, but, she told me everything you did. Very noble, indeed." He said.

He wanted to get home quick. A family reunion was very much needed - they could worry about formalities later. He was sure Nicole and Charlie would be very thankful. He was looking forward to seeing how they'd react more than anything. How would everyone else be with her?

"Charlie's going to be fine." James assured, "And he didn't see what happened to your father, no." He said. "Right now, tensions must be rising. We've been discussing how much more out of line this new leader is. Surely, from your experience, Ra's was the almighty who everyone admired, right? You can tell me for certain, are the ranks of Al Asheera really going to respect their previous leader's values just being flushed down the toilet? It's like getting a new manager and having them disregard all the work you did under a previous manager. Of course you're not going to be happy." He said. "Who knows, though, right?"

Was there anything else to mention?

"We do have an escape plan, should shit hit the fan." He said. "I know at this point it's likely. Damien's a little fucking rat." He said, "Wouldn't surprise me if he's tried to send police - or worse - to our front door." He sighed. "Which is why I'm driving well over the speed limit now."
 
Apologies aside, it seemed as if this wasn't a one way ticket to an execution. All was forgiven, and Thalia was going home, or at least what could be called 'home' for the time being. She knew they'd be uprooted from this place again, especially if Damien had something to do with it. Once again, changing the very bed she rested her head in each day, changing the scenery around her, and at the heart of all of this? The feud against Al-Asheera. Is this the full life she'd lead from this day forth now that she'd antagonized the authorities in a more permanent manner than just being a young redheaded girl in a mask? Was escaping all the evidence they needed to officially set her fate in stone? Because as James had mentioned, actual hard evidence played a role too. But the truth was, there was nothing solid that stated that Thalia Griffin was the mystery redhead... until she confessed, at least. She shook her head, "No... not that I know of. No evidence I know of that should tie me to Al-Asheera. But the news, the things Tony said about me when he was arrested, things about who I was... and now the fact that I escaped the police is probably enough for them to lock me up and throw away the key if they ever get their hands on me again."

'If' was the crucial word there, but it was true: no DNA could tie Thalia to her past identity, but her confession sealed her fate. Was this the life she'd lead from here on out? It's not like she wasn't already accustomed to running away in the first place.

Charlie was with an FBI agent; that wasn't a lie. It was one with connections with Jon, and that might've been the reason he's back home, as well as everyone else, and Karin got home safely after they'd parted ways. She didn't expect to see her family and best friend this soon after her arrest. Everyone was certainly in for a shock. A bittersweet one for the mystery redhead. "Thank god. I was so scared that the agent was bluffing about Charlie and being with a federal agent. I thought that was an Al-Asheera brute coming to fool me. But he's okay, and so is everyone else. I almost didn't think the police would let Karin just walk away. Thought they wouldn't play fair. I mean, after dealing with someone like Ra's who never plays fair, I can't help but be skeptic. B-But thanks, James. Thank you for keeping everyone I love safe. Not just Karin, but my mom and brother, too. I know, you feel bad that you couldn't do anything for my father, or for what happened on the news, but I know if you could, you wouldn't let that fly. And I trust you enough to know you'll help me see this through. Whatever it may be."

She cleared her throat as she went into what happened in her time in custody. "The SWAT team had no mercy on me. They shot me up and wanted me to suffer. I guess that influenced the whole paranoia that overcame me with the feds and cops. But there was one... I still remember his name and his face, if it'll help. Richard Hart. Tony's partner before Frank came along, the one people were saying I shot. He was heading up my case, which was odd because Tony said he was on some sort of leave from work. But he was leading, and he... um..." she gulped, clearing her hair from her face with her uninjured arm. "I guess he and I talked things out. Reached an agreement that Karin could walk... but I put this behind me and confess to everything I've done. So yeah, they have my own words as proof of what I did, but he went on about... trying to atone. Making things right. And I guess I just gave up. Submitted to their will. I didn't know what else to do in that case, and I'm sorry. I was prepared to give up and spend time in jail, out of hope that it'd end Al-Asheera before they end me. Just... if you go after the LAPD, don't do harm to Detective Hart. He's only been looking out for my best interest, and now that I've betrayed his trust, I don't know if he'll keep sticking his neck out for me."

Maybe Richie would get to the bottom of her escape, very very soon.

What about Ra's' underlings? Thalia couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Many of us joined Al-Asheera because of Ra's. He was, in his own crazy way, convincing. Charismatic to a degree in his youth. Not so much in the end when he walked about with his god complex above all else. People revered him more than the organization, and I'm sure there are many that are still mourning his death. And they have to hold his moral code to a high standard. This Reeves... he's broken everything Ra's stood for. How are the masses just letting this happen after what he did on live TV? The leader we once had would never disrespect the dead, especially not for the public to see. If they've all abandoned their faith for a new one... I don't know. They must be very easy to brainwash. Why do you ask? Has anyone attempted something that... stands out?"

But this wasn't all that Thalia wanted to discuss; there was one last internal conflict, about running. "I've been running for so long, James. Eight years. Ever since I ran from home. Then I began running from cops and angry Asian store owners with Al-Asheera. Even an indirect sense of running away from my past that I should've had with my parents... Then we spent it running from Philly, and now? I feel like I have to continue this cycle, and I hate that I have to drag Charlie and my mom with me. That's never what I wanted. So much wrong has come out of standing up to Ra's, more wrong that right. And now, at the one chance that Detective Hart gave me to make it right, it's been ruined because of Damien..." She sighed, looking over to her injured arm, most of the casts hidden beneath the hospital gown. Could James tell she was patched up this much? "You talked about being off the radar... but what about me? I just wanted a normal life. Can you do that in the position you're in, if I have to fall into those shoes? If my mom and brother do, too, could they be normal, too? Could I just get a job and be normal? My mom could go back to teaching, and Charlie could go to school and make friends like any other kid... is any of that gonna be possible? Because now, I don't think I'll be let back into police custody without a lengthy sentence and a horrible court day."
 
James was driving along listening to her concerns, and all of them rang out as... Well, rather concerning. She was going to struggle to adapt back into society. She was really going to struggle with that, and they were going to have to find a way to do it. They were going to have to find a way to get Thalia more or less off the hook, which... Wasn't going to be possible in the slightest, now that he thought about it. It wasn't something he wanted to admit to her right away, but, what choice did he have? He couldn't lie after all she'd been through. She deserved to know where things stood.

So, while they were speeding along, he just nodded to what she said. He sympathized, he truly did.

"I've met Richard Hart's wife. In return for Richard's help with you, I told her I'd help cover all of his medical bills. I can't exactly go back on my word here, because, in theory... He's still helped you. If it wasn't for him, you never would have really been given the chance to escape." He said, "Even if it was against your will." He shrugged. He thought for a moment more, "Way back when, when I lost Miracle, I was certain that there was no other way life could go. I was destined to lose the only people I cared for, all throughout my life. I could never get out of the game. Just because I was off the radar, it didn't mean I was out." He shook his head.

"You see, that's the problem here." He gulped, "They never knew my face. My name. What I'd done." He said, "That's the issue in your case. They know your face, your name, and now they have a crime you're supposedly guilty of." He said. "I don't know how much they'd understand but I'm not going to send you back there." He said, "It might be possible, Thalia. It might be possible to merge back into a normal life and just live like a Law Abiding Citizen. But at the same time, if things go pear-shaped..." He scratched the back of his head, "If things don't work out, the only way you can protect your mom and Charlie..."

The next part was the hardest part to say.

"The only way would be to vanish like I did." He said, "Fake your death, get a name-change, move to Alaska and start over. Something like that." He said, "I know it's not ideal, really. It's not. You could send hand-written mail to your mom and brother, but, if it comes down to it, I'm afraid that'll be your only option, unless--" He stopped.

"Unless we get Reeves..." He paused again - a lightbulb moment. "How about that? Reeves for your freedom? Premeditate the agreement with the police, get them to sign their names under it - We get Reeves for them, they let you walk." He said, "Could that work? Look at how many murders Reeves is guilty of? He could literally take every single charge of yours. No one cares about The Mystery Redhead anymore. Everyone cares about where Reeves will strike next. So why don't we do that?" He asked. "How do we know we can't turn Al-Asheera on him? No one's behaved strange so far, not that I know of, but what if there are people out there that want to fight back?"
 
The fact that James had offered to help the Harts put a smile on Thalia's face. She liked the fact that he was able to show compassion for a man whose life was radically changed by Al-Asheera, and in a personal manner. All in an effort to hurt Tony. "Don't go back on it. Detective Hart is a good man. You may find it hard to believe, but even if they're partners, he's nothing like Tony. Tony took a swing at me and played hardball the second we crossed roads. Richard... he listened. He looked into my case, used that to relate, get to my level, and have us meet halfway. He understands that I had the best of intentions in mind. Is there much more I can ask for? He didn't deserve to take that bullet, whether it was from me or not. All water under the bridge, and he was doing everything he could to help. He deserves help. From what I've picked up, he's in trouble, financially at least. He has two sons, a family to come back to. I'm just imploring that you don't pull the rug out from underneath him."

Indeed, Thalia's case was very different from James'. She was a public icon now, one that the world wanted to burn at the stake. Everyone knew her name, face, and crimes now, so there was plenty to charge her with. Simply clearing her name wasn't possible. Integrating into society was dangerous and risky. They might just have to fake her death and have her distanced from her family. She was bracing herself for that grim reality day by day. Its why she confessed to Richie, to do things the right way. Not anymore. Any deal or chance for mercy was gone, even if she was taken by force.

Unless...

"I doubt people will ever just stop talking about the mystery redhead," Thalia sighed. "I saw the reports before Reeves shot up the broadcast. They were going around spitting lies just to spin a creative story. Lies about my parents, about me, even thinking Charlie might be a victim to abuse. It's unpleasant, sure... but I'm just wondering if Reeves is a big enough fish to sell to the police. Because he's already made a name for himself after that act he pulled with sawing up my father for all to see. But he's just a dirty cop. We've seen a lot of those. May not make for interesting stories like an innocent Christian redheaded girl turned wicked by a cult leader. You don't even have to watch the news to pick the more interesting headline..."

"...but even if it is, what if the police doesn't want to deal with me anymore after that stunt? God only knows what kinda hell Detective Hart had to go through to get my deal through. I'm just hoping he still trusts me. And if we are gonna deal with the police, I won't talk to anyone but him. I hope you understand that much. We need an inside man in the LAPD we can trust, not some rat that'll back out when the going gets tough. We already learned the hard way with Tony when he got my name out for the police to chase me down with..."

So much talk about what was to come, but questions still loomed in Thalia's mind about her final words with Damien. Did James murder someone in front of a girl not much older than Charlie? Did he order the beating of an old man in a coma just to get to Damien? And worse.... did he kill Jenny after Thalia landed herself in cuffs? She leaned back into her chair, now acclimated to the high speeds in which they were traveling.

"We do what we gotta do, right?" she went on, now looking at him with a suspecting glare. The thoughts were taking over, and the thoughts of an evil, deceiving James were returning to her. "We kill who we have to kill, silence who we have to, even if it ends up in collateral. Some was too much, like how Joseph had to watch one of Al-Asheera's brutes shoot a poor guy trying to be a hero. That must still give him chills. I remember when I saw my first execution, as dark as it sounds... it scars a kid. But I was 14 when I did. Ra's wanted to get me used to what I'd be trained to do, so he had me watch whenever he would behead those who got in his way. I saw... many heads fall off shoulders because of that..." She collected herself before continuing. "Joe is 10. But that guy we left behind, Damien... he had a sister. She's 11. And he says you killed someone for her to see. I-I'm... hoping that's not true. I'm also hoping you didn't just... beat up his father in order to get back at him for taking me. But that's not the worst of what he said..."

Now, the kicker, the one Thalia hoped most of all wasn't true. "H-He told me you had a girl about my age, darker hair and makeup, a sort of goth style... he said you executed her. Or at least shoved her in a truck to be killed off elsewhere. And how many of those do we know that knows where we are that you had the motive to kill?" That didn't even need an answer. What did, though... "Did you kill Jenny after you found out I was gone and probably not coming back? Were you that slimy to kill her off just because she had jealousy issues, and only when I couldn't be there to stop you? I didn't like her the way I used to, but that doesn't justify her having to die. At least give me that peace of mind that Damien was just trying to get in my head. Can you?"
 
"That's the thing, you see." He said, "Reeves will tear this city apart trying to find you. People care about what's happening 'in the now'. They don't care about old news. You may as well not exist now that Reeves had been pulling these little stunts on national television." He said, "You've got the conspiracy theorists that'll discuss you and your family and make it out to sound like you're al a bunch of troubled ruffians, but that's not it. Now, if we let Reeves run riot, yes, innocent people are going to die, but if you're on the down-low people are going to see Reeves as the bigger and badder criminal than you. Simple as that." He said. "He'll become a terrorist. He already is one. He'll break himself down looking for you, he'll shut down Al-Asheera all by himself without us having to do anything. That sounds great, right?" He said.

Then it went quiet for a moment.

Then he looked at her, briefly, and noticed her look.

He listened, closely, then he slowly shook his head. He bit his lower lip and squinted at the road ahead of them.

"Thalia, please don't prove to me that the statement 'birds of a feather flock together' is true. Please." He said, "You're smarter than to be brainwashed by that sap. What is it? I do hope you're not looking for reasons to see the precious Damien as the good guy here." He said, "Look, for one, his sister. Damien fucked me on that one. He sat in the back of a van like a little pussy while I went in and did his dirty work. That babysitter was an Al-Asheera sleeper who was probably going to kill his sister. But Damien lied about it, said that she was just threatening to call the cops."

"You have to ask what she was really threatening. You have to ask what she wanted. Did she want Damien to lead them to Charlie? To your mom? To you? Did she want him to go back to your family and butcher everyone in sight? To kill all your friends, cut their throats and then fall back into the ranks of Al-Asheera?" He asked. "The sister didn't see me kill anyone. She saw her at the bottom of the stairs after she'd been killed, and a box was covering her injuries. The kid was clueless. She didn't know she'd been shot - just looked like a bad accident. Damien flipped the switch on me, threatened to kill me, threatened a lot of things - So I left and I started a chain of 'don't fuck with me' texts."

"Damien is a filthy liar, and as much as you might not want to believe it, he's still batting for a bunch of fucking terrorists, no matter how sweet and innocent he might have seemed. He doesn't care about his sister, dammit, he wants revenge. He cared more about getting back at me than actually helping his sister - Why do you think he came after you?" He asked. "And what else did he have planned if I didn't show up, huh? What if I showed up and he shot me? You think he'd just let you go? Shit no. He'd probably hand you to Reeves. Or he'd kill you. He can't go back on the decision he made." He said, "So yes, his sister saw the dead body - but that's only because Damien decided to let me go in instead of helping. He didn't stop me. It was only until things went slightly wrong that he changed his mind on it all." He said.

"And too many people care about your ass to just let some dipshit kill you, Thalia. You've got too much of a life ahead of you, and a little brother that wants you back, a mom who wants to make up for lost time. You really wanted me to take chances? Yes, I had his father beaten a bit. But he was alive. They made it look a lot worse than it was. I wanted Damien to know that whatever he did to you was going to be equalled - I didn't like making that call, but the fact is that I did. I made that call for you, for your family." He said, firmly. "And Jenny, don't even get me started on her - I'm not slimy by any means. Has Damien really fucked with your head this much in the space of an hour? Jesus H Christ." He shook his head.

"Jenny threatened to go public, for fuck's sakes. She threatened to go to the police with me, who I was, who was with me, who was working with me - she threatened that after you went missing. Good timing, isn't it? How she came back to threaten us after you were gone, and not there to talk her out of being an idiot?" He asked. "So yes, she's dead." He said. "I'm sorry, Thalia, and I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but we had no choice. It was nothing to do with jealousy or taking advantage of you being gone. It was her playing it tough and telling us she'd rat everyone out, and for the sake of self-preservation and protecting all of you, I couldn't take that risk. I'm sorry."

"Damien's lied to you. You know me. You know I don't kill without good reason - Damien just wants you to turn on me because he knows that we work closely together. Don't trust him. If I had any ill intentions, you know I would have carried them out by now. You'll see, your family is safe, and you will be, too. If I wanted you gone I would have never risked my ass coming to find you today in the first place, would I?"
 
James had done exactly what Thalia expected: justifying the evil he had to do. Sure, a lot of it did have a reason, and a lot of them were because Damien had forced his hand. The lies lying behind why Angie saw a dead body, the reason James had retaliated with an assault on an older man... it did bother her to know that those measures had to be taken, but they sure as hell weren't enough to get a reaction out of her. The girl seeing her babysitter dropped dead seemed like an accident in the way it was described, and though the father thing was uncalled for, she'd seen Ra's do much, much worse to someone's father - after all, he had hers killed. Did she think that James would even attempt to hurt her family now? Definitely not, and at this point, he had no reason to believe that Thalia would double-cross them and get in contact with Reeves or Al-Asheera. He showed that he actually cared and that her and her family's safety were paramount, which was well-appreciated, in all honesty. Never did she ever think that James would care beyond his girlfriend's out-of-the-blue best friend, but instead, he risked resources to bring her family somewhere safe and protect them. What was she thinking, doubting him like that. Perhaps she did want to try and see the good in Damien, even if it was very slight. Her reaction to it all was contained with no other expression than a glare from the corner of her eye as she waited for the last part....

Jenny. Damien was on the nose, even though he didn't confirm names. He had her killed in the time that Thalia was arrested, but it wasn't entirely because she wasn't there. Who knows; maybe if Thalia was there, she could've talked some sense into Jenny instead of her barking threats to go to the police and getting herself killed. Why did she feel partially to blame for all of this? Had she not been arrested, maybe she could've saved Jenny. Now, it was no longer a question of whether Damien was lying or not, but more of a question if killing her was as necessary as James made it out to be. Going to the police? A low blow, but did it merit an early grave?

If her left arm weren't broken in two places, she'd slap James right now, but instead, she looked away, trying not to let the death of a friend get to her. He tried to soften the blow by reminding her about her mom and brother being safe, which was fine to hear, but didn't make up for him killing a friend, no matter how hostile she was. "You know you didn't have to kill her, you know?" she sniffled, just gazing out the window opposite to him. "Stop trying to butter me up. You can have an accident happen like what happened to Damien's sister, and hurt someone's father to get revenge, but you... I thought you wouldn't touch the people I cared about." Her eye squinted shut, turning to face him now. "How could you? She was a pain, sure, but harmless. Call the police and tell them everything? You just said you could easy evade the police. So why were you so afraid of her calling them, hm?"

Thalia wasn't going to get physical, but verbal? By all means, she wasn't holding back. "You may have seen me kill a man, and brutally torture another, but that's because they deserved it. I don't punish other people for their loved one's mistakes, and I DEFINITELY make sure that if I have to hurt someone, its because they deserved it. You saw Jenny. She's as harmless as they become, and she's more bark than bite. Did you really think she was going to call the cops, or did you just overreact in the heat of the situation? Or just acting as the judge, jury, and executioner because you wanted to swing your dick around like the cocky son of a bitch you are?" She wasn't even concerned about pushing boundaries anymore, because to her, James had already crossed the line by killing Jenny.

"You know why I kept walking out on you whenever the going got tough with you? Because I was afraid you'd hurt someone I care about. The problem was, at first I thought it was going to be Karin. Or my family back in Philly. Guess I was wrong. You did hurt someone and now you're trying to justify it. I may also do whatever is necessary to get what I want, but I stay away from the innocent. If anything, I now realize that Ra's was right about one thing, that family and friends of victims are sacred. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from his loony moral code, because even if he was full of himself and thought he was a god, he at least would've spared Jenny. Threats are one thing. Actions are another. You were so afraid of someone like Jenny throwing words around? Huh. Don't make me laugh."

Anger is what drove her words, up until now, when the tears came back down her eyes and her voice was shaky and uneasy. "She was a human being, no matter how morally indecent. You keep going on that my family is nice and safe? Well, she was practically family to me at one point of my life. Does that part of my past just not matter now? And I don't defend her because Damien is getting to me. I'm defending her because I've seen people I love get killed right in front of me while I can't do anything about it. First Vanessa, then my father, then I end up killing a little girl's caregiver... now you took Jenny from this world. All else aside, I never wanted her dead, even if she threatened you like that. Because it was just threats. You couldn't know if she was... s-serious..." Her words became indistinguishable as her face fell into her right palm and broke into full-on tears. No hesitation. Every last bit of cruelty and authority she could've had had faded away in her own emotions. Her gasps for air and shaky breaths among weeps were all she could do. Did she hate James? Only slightly. She didn't believe Jenny deserved death, even with threats in mind. Her teary face turned away to gaze out the window at the passing sights, all in an attempt to get over her sorrows, even if there was plenty more she wanted to say.

I never wanna see you again. Don't come near my family. If you dare to harm Karin, I'll find you, behead you, then find your family and send your head in a box like Reeves did to Tony's father.

All hateful and cruel, but she couldn't make an enemy out of him just yet. He was too dangerous. But she could take her family elsewhere at another time. Instead, she slipped a few remorseful words out of her lips, regretting even stepping up to James in the first place.

"I'm sorry, it's just... She died thinking everyone hated her, even me. She died alone, and I didn't even get to say good-bye..."
 
"It's not me that I had to be scared for, Thalia, are you not realizing that? She could have revealed my face and what I looked like and where I lived and what I did - that doesn't matter." He said, "But what about your mother? Your brother? Karin? Joseph? Frank? Jordan? What about all of them?" He asked. "I can't turn them all into cyber criminals. I can't make them all vanish the same way I do. I wouldn't be able to do it quick enough if she leaked all of them, which was something she was willing to do." He said. "Don't think that this is some big personal thing of mine, or me trying to assert dominance. It's not. You know I'd treat anyone else the same way if they threatened to rat all of us out." He said.

"You know as well as I do that when we play a game like this, we're forced to make difficult decisions. We don't get to just... Have it the way we want it all the time. Keeping her alive would be ideal, but she caused nothing but trouble for all of us, day in, day out. Her threatning to call the police was one step too far - because if she did, how would I protect your mother? Charlie? I can't save everyone, Thalia, and we almost lost your brother once. You really think I wanted to risk losing him again?"

"At the end of the day, I chose everyone else's life over hers. If you want the truth, there it is. She may have cared about you, and I understand that once upon a time she meant a lot to you. But that once upon a time doesn't exist anymore. 'At one point' doesn't count for anything. You need to understand that. She made a big part of your life enjoyable and at the same time she ruined part of it, too. The past is the past, and that's all it's ever going to be. She hated your mother, too - You can deny it as much as you like, but, I saw her hit her. Ask Jon. She slapped your mother in the face because she didn't give her money to go shopping with you and Karin."

He sighed, "Is that really the sort of person you want around your little brother? Someone who was willing to physically harm your mom over something so menial?" He asked.

"But go ahead. Compare me to Ra's. Fucking praise the almighty all you like. Tell me how many lessons I could learn from some filthy terrorist. Go ahead." He said.

Things calmed down. James went quiet.

Thalia apologised.

He shook his head.

"You don't have to be sorry." He said, "You can if you want, but... I'm sorry, too." He said, "At the end of the day, keeping you safe, and Karin, and Joseph, and your brother, your mom - All of those people matter more to me. I hope you can appreciate that." He said, "I've got a crosshair on my back all the time, Thalia, but it's not me that needs to worry. I could vanish off to Cuba and forget all about this by tomorrow if I wanted to. But it's not about that for me anymore, okay?" He said. "Right now it's about you. It's about Karin. Joseph. Charlie. It's about the people that matter more than me." He said. "And I'm not just saying that to get your approval. I mean it. I'll do whatever it takes to protect all of you."

"I didn't do this to hurt you, Thalia. I'm sorry if that's what I did. You don't have to forgive me straight away - if at all. But please understand I'm not doing this to try and put you in a bad spot." He said. "All of my actions so far have been for the preservation of all of you, in one way or another. I'm not an unreasonable man, and if I ever am, there are good reasons behind it." He explained.

"Why don't we just get you back home? We can talk about this more then."
 
Thalia's right hand clenched the front of the hair falling over her forehead after hearing James repeat words she'd already been fed. "Shut up about that, will you?" she whimpered. "You keep going on about my family and Karin and Frank and the kids and trying to remind me that they're okay. It's good, but I can't stop thinking about the people who DIED. It's all I've been thinking about while I was chained up in that hospital bed. For fuck's sake, STOP. I'm glad we saved people, sure, but stop trying to bribe me to sit with my hands folded and accept that Jenny is dead. You barely even let me cry for my dad when I heard he was gone, and I'm not going to let you do that anymore. Forget that she was manipulative and hurt people, including me. Forget that she threatened to go public with all of this, because if I know her, she doesn't have the balls to do it. Like I said, more bark than bite...."

"...Not to mention..." Something else from James' word stuck out that made Thalia fear for the ones she loved even more. "What if it were my mom pushing you to go to the police for help? Sure, she wouldn't word it like snitching, but she has a high respect for police, and trusts them, unlike us. What if she spoke with honesty to a cop and revealed more than she should? She's a woman of honesty and integrity and wouldn't lie for some cyber crook. What, you'd kill my mom, too? And why stop there: what if my brother told that Fed too much about you? Would you kill an eight-year-old boy out of punishment? Huh?!"

Her demeanor returned to one targeting him, barking more attacks with her mind clouded with grief and anger. Part of her even wanted to jump out of the car, call 911 on Damien's phone, get back in contact with Richard Hart, and tell him everything about Fritzy. Just to honor Jenny... but would she ever go as low as Jenny? It's what stopped her: her own integrity. She already knew that Jenny had attacked her mother, and brushed it off. "STOP!" she screamed in tears, clenching her good hand over her face harder. "Just stop, okay?! Stop using my family and Karin against me! She's a bitch but she was still human, and you didn't have the right take her life! She wasn't worth it!"

They came out as words of denial more than truths. But even after the apologies and sympathetic words, Thalia only redirected her gaze out the window, not looking back at James. She'd said everything she wanted to, and she was far too broken to make any sense in words. She had nothing to argue about if James was only going to keep bringing up whoever was live and forgetting whoever was dead. She was happy her family and friends were okay, but none of them could bring back an important part of her past back. That was gone, and it seemed like she was the only one crying about it. Not even her mother had shed much of a tear for Jenny. Perhaps Thalia wasn't like the rest of the criminals in that pack: she felt guilt, and it was stopping her from functioning for a greater good. All she did was curl up, facing away from James and letting her tears out into her hand. Go home? Sure, why not, whatever home they were in now. It wasn't going to be permanent; nothing would be anymore.

Moreover, what was the plan? Sit on their hands and wait for Al-Asheera to implode? Or actually do something? She didn't like it, wasn't comfortable with it in the slightest, and she still doubted James' theory that all the attention shift to Reeves. People were still going to talk about the mystery redhead, but alongside another madman. It's like after spending a while with a cop like Richie, James wasn't... convincing anymore. Especially now that he'd announced that he'd killed her childhood best friend, no matter how he justified it.

...

And soon enough, they arrived at some remote location away from the city. She lifted the hand from her face once the car came to a full stop from the high speeds and noticed the trees around her and a highly-guarded mansion right before her eyes. Yet another one of this criminal mastermind's spoils, she told herself. Unaware this was a favor from another criminal, and without even caring who was waiting for her, she stood from the car and took to the backseat - her sack of replacement clothing. She was still in not much more than a hospital gown, and James had lived up to his end of the deal. At least he offered that up. She opened the door and grabbed the bag, looking back to the mansion, then over at James. He probably expected her to turn over to the complex and go say hello to her mom and brother, catch back up with Karin, maybe tell everyone what she wanted to say, the messages she'd passed along with Karin. But all she could think about is that one person was never going to receive her message. And just looking at a forest in the opposite direction gave one simple impression: she might be in there. Her Jenny, that she'd hated and loved in some twisted equilibrium... all she wanted to do was say good-bye. And she didn't have the nerve to ask James if she was buried in there. She had to go for herself.

So instead of going inside? Even if she wasn't properly dressed, she turned her back on the mansion, glared at James in a suspicious, slightly angry manner, and walked into the forest without a word. Another cooldown walk, especially because she was still in tears. She might get changed in the forest, too, somewhere out of sight. She just needed to be away from them for a while. And she didn't want her mother to see her crying over Jenny. Not with the broken bond between the families.

She wouldn't call the cops or do anything to betray James. But she just didn't want to look at him or see him for the time being.

But when the car pulled up, the remaining members of the Griffin family were waiting for the longlost daughter to return once again. Charlie and Nicole, not far from the mansion, who saw a car park nearby, and a glimpse of a redheaded girl nearby. How could the news not reach them? And the mom and brother couldn't be more excited to be reunited once again. Seemed like Nicole didn't have to call that lawyer, at least not yet. Her coming home like this did raise other complications, but she'd ask later, just waiting for what was going to happen next for the innocent, apart from hiding and changing homes every few days. Young Charlie couldn't help but escape his mother's held hand and run over to hug his sister. The sister that worked to protect him just yesterday from the men with guns charging in. The sister that loved him so much even if they were apart for so long...

"Thalia!" he cheered as he ran through the path to the car, not paying much attention to where she was. But she was gone, and when Charlie realized that it was only James near the car, he paused, his smile still there for a moment as he looked around the car... but no big sister. The smile quickly faded as he looked at James, confused. "Mr. James... where's Thalia?"

Not far away from him was his mother, following him to the car in case his excitement caused him to trip by accident; she wouldn't put it passed him, it's happened before back home in Philly. But when she got there, Nicole was equally confused. Charlie was standing there without Thalia... just James. Wasn't this a trip to go get her? She stepped closer to her son, placing both of her hands on Charlie's shoulders in comfort, just looking over at James, now equally puzzled.

"Charlie... how about you go wait inside for me? I think Thalia will be a bit later than expected..." It was as if mother's intuition had kicked in big time, feeling as if her daughter was here... just going to take a while. Whatever had gone down, she didn't want Charlie around to see it. And it would've been a good idea, too. She noticed Charlie looking back up, clearly upset at this new disappointment.

"Is Thalia okay?"

"Yes, yes, darling," his mother reassured him with a tap to his head of hair. "She'll just be a minute. You go wait inside. Maybe she'd like to see that game you and the boys were playing on the computer, hm?"

Charlie shrugged, pretty much giving up at this point. "Okay, Mommy..." he sighed, gloomily separating himself from his mother's grasp and walking in the opposite direction and back to the mansion. He wasn't pleased with the absence of his sister, and Nicole had noticed this. She just hoped Thalia would come soon... wherever she was now...

And now that it was just two full-grown adults, Nicole could face James properly and ask a mature question: "I saw Thalia a moment ago, but only the back of her head. Where did she go? If this is some dirty surprise, Charlie wasn't quite... impressed." She wasn't attacking like her daughter, but she did have a stern overtone to her voice, almost sure something had gone wrong on the ride back home; a fight, perhaps. She could tell from the get-go.

--

News about the surrender of the Al-Asheera royal guard was already buzzing on news outlets everywhere, and the eight men and women who'd turned themselves in in the hospital lobby were processed and being interrogated on the spot. Because simply put... what was this madness? Why would Al-Asheera higher-ups walk up to a high-security location and give themselves up like that? And willing to testify against Reeves, too? Insanity, simply put. It left the heads of what was left of the task force, Richie and Heather... deeply confused. Was this the beginning of the end for Al-Asheera if their members were just giving up? If they were going to hand themselves in against the will of their leader, then his approval ratings must be tanked. As Clovis had mentioned, Reeves seems to have taken the throne that Ra's once held 'by force'. Al-Asheera had no system of succession, and no heir to the throne... so who made Reeves leader? No one other than himself. Top that off with their moral code going out the window, and you get an unhappy clan of thieves looking to seek justice for their god among men in the heavens.

And no better way to inquire information than leader-to-leader. Richie and Clovis, the latter handcuffed with his hands behind his back and seated in one of the chairs in the lobby. The royal guard members were separated and interviewed individually, with Richie taking the lead on the man who headed up the conversation. The man with the most information about Reeves. Heather was taking one of the female members in the meantime, while other police officers were managing the rest.

"Don't give me bullshit about your moral code Mr. Al-Hariri," the injured detective sighed after having heard a long list of crimes against Al-Asheera committed by Reeves. "As far as I'm concerned, your leader has violated some more serious 'moral code' than than. Something you can't just leave to a self-proclaimed god to punish for."

Clovis replied, "Detective, I am not asking you to believe in the glory and light of Al-Ra's. I am simply asking you to take it upon your form of justice to right the wrongs that our blasphemous excuse for a leader is implementing. It is not as he would've willed it to be, and he is not here to correct for it himself."

Richie scoffed. In the midst of the insanity, Clovis had the right idea in mind. Ra's had a method to the madness. What was Reeves' method? Chaos? Terror? Thalia even corroborated that things were different now. "You don't realize how crazy you seem to sound. You truly believe that Rami Younes is a god who walked among men, and you're not going back on that."

"Not just me, Detective Hart. Thousands believe in this god just as I do. And you have no legal control in what we believe. That much, I know is true under your law."

He wasn't quite wrong, and Richie knew that. He couldn't sway Clovis in beliefs, but he could play on said beliefs to get information out of him. "So, Reeves is going on a terror spree with bombs and mass shootings, going on national television and causing chaos. What is his endgame?"

"Simple. Al-Mohakkik has murdered our lord and savior, and Reeves wishes to take revenge. We have already murdered his father and sent his head in a box to the doorstep he has in Encino, but according to the word of Al-Ra's, that should be enough. But Reeves doesn't think so. He wishes to ruin the city Al-Mohakkik once protected..."

"Whoa whoa, slow down, partner," Richie halted him, holding his hand forward in a pausing manner. "Who's Al-Mohakkik?"

Snickering at Richie's imperfect Arabic, Clovis got a better look at his interrogator's face and winked. "I believe you know who that is. Al-Mohakkik translates to 'The Detective'. And as far as I know, he is one that you know very well. One by the real name Anthony Walsh."

That alone was enough to make him think back. Tony... part of Al-Asheera? Or was this some crazy label they'd put on an enemy of theirs? They'd never heard of such names when they'd worked the case together, so this was new. His eyebrows crossed as he continued to ask questions. "What did Detective Walsh do?"

"He turned the likes of Al-Jameela against her husband-to-be. She was destined to be the bride of Al-Ra's, praised be his name, and ascend to immortality with him. But she was manipulated and turned away from righteousness and is now a lost cause. This is his retribution: suffering."

"Huh. But if Al-Jameela was just 'turned', then why are you going after her family? The 'blessed child' as he's being called?"

"Because Charles Griffin is the only rightful heir to the throne of Al-Asheera. His sister might be guilty of crimes, but he may still be taken on a righteous path. He is young, and can still be guided properly."

More lunacy from this man, but he certainly was getting them somewhere. His mind seemed to immediately memorize this details as he pushed forward, "After Reeves gets back at Walsh and acquire the blessed child, what's their next play?"

"Simple. Get out of here. Reeves has not specified to me a location, but we says he cannot stay in Los Angeles for much longer now that the police know more about us, all because of Al-Jameela and Al-Mohakkik. He is only asserting dominance while he can so that nobody touches him in his escape. That is why he is resorting to explosives and attacks on media outlets, even so far as to show his face. Each are sins against Al-Ra's, which is why the royal guard as unanimously decided that we want nothing to do with him, and encourage the masses of Al-Asheera to follow in our footsteps..."

Little did Richie and Heather know that Clovis and the royal guard had begun a massive rebellion, especially since Clovis' speech was now trending all across social media. Small-time thieves in the lower branches of the hierarchy were marching into precincts across the LA area, laying down their weapons and surrendering themselves and giving information, and more than they could ever anticipate. All those people that Al-Asheera was recruiting? All gone now that their god was proven mortal and his successor breaking all of their past morals. It simply wasn't worth it anymore to stand by a man like Reeves.
 
It was all silence. Let her let the anger out. She'd come around soon enough - she'd come around to know that James wasn't going to just kill her mom or her brother if they talked about the police. They'd talked about it before, and he'd, as it was known, had talked them out of it. At least Nicole. He'd explained why going to the police was a bad idea - why they couldn't help. The circumstances were completely different. When someone came forward with threats of 'I'm going to the police unless you do this for me', a decision had to be made. Most the other group? No. They wouldn't die, and that was a moral code that most of them knew of with James. People had pushed his luck (Tony and Thalia combined had put him on edge more than Jenny originally had) and they'd lived to tell the tale.

But after losing Thalia, nearly losing Karin, losing Charlie? No, it was a bad time. It was a bad time for anyone to push their luck - and even someone as placid as Frank would have taken a bullet if he made the effort to annoy James too much. If he came forward and said he was withdrawing and telling the police everything, he'd be lying in a shallow grave somewhere, too. There was no special treatment for anyone other than the kids. In some senses, everyone else was disposable. Everyone could be killed or spared if they really pushed their luck too much. What people had to stand was that James had been a lone wolf for many years - even more lonesome after the death of Miracle.

Death was just something he was desensitized to. He did sit on a roof and gun down a dozen men at an Al-Asheera meet-up. He tortured others for the sake of getting information, and brutalized one innocent man for Thalia's sake.

Violence and death weren't tough topics. But morals still played in.

So he just stayed quiet. The more he retaliated, the more he'd fuel the fire, and the more he fueled the fire, the harder it was going to be for Thalia to see the bigger picture and the reasons behind why Jenny had gotten the bullet, and why Damien had been cut from the crew and left to die a rather grizzly death. He still planned to do good with the information he had access to, as well. It just wasn't an overnight process.

He sat in silence, looking off at nothing as Thalia got out the car and wandered off.

He eventually got out to meet with Charlie.

"Don't worry, kid. She's just taking a couple of minutes to think about something, that's all. She's had a stressful few days." He said. "She'll be with you real soon. She's fine, I promise." He gently ruffled his hair and watched as Nicole came over and gave him some reassurance.

"She's fine, it's no surprise." James said, "But I think you should know the opinion that seems to have surfaced." He said, "I've done absolutely nothing to help you and everything I've done so far has been selfish and inconsiderate. My choice to protect the masses doesn't outweigh the satisfaction of being able to say goodbye to someone, despite the risks attached. I've given no one any choice and, as the way things are now, it's probably thought that it'd be more profitable and much easier to shoot everyone under this roof and call it a day, maybe go back to mid-America and spend the rest of my days in a basment - My efforts at protecting those I care about are nothing more than illusions and elaborate lies to gain people's trust, and realistically I'm nothing more than a no-good terrorist who would rather see people die than see them live and thrive."

He nodded a few times, "My reasons are just lies and blackmail, emotional manipulation to get people to accept the cold hard truth. Oh, and of course, as I'm the only one being left to make the hard, big-boy decisions, that makes me a pretty lousy person, too."

He rubbed his forehead, "So, to cut a long story short, she's found out about Jenny. I told her the truth. Jenny threatened to expose everyone and endanger the lives of us and all the children, she threatened to crack this thing straight down the middle and expose everything we've done. She was going to bring the risk of letting a bunch of pedophile terrorists get their hands on all of the kids and take them away for whatever god-awful purpose they may have. But yet, I appear to be the bad guy for taking the necessary steps to prevent that from happening. Empty threats or not." He said. "Because how dare I drive across California for a random text message that could have been a trap, right? How dare I do something so evil and outrageous to help a friend, to risk losing everything, to risk throwing away all I may have to live for?"

"And that's it in the flesh - the great summary of another fucking high school drama that's occurred in the ranks of our little ragtag team. Another drama that everyone's just going to cry over when everything blows up in their fucking face," He slammed the car door shut. "And then, as per usual, it'll be me that's left to mop up the mess and reassure everyone that victory is still some big golden possibility. Because that's just the way this functions now. Someone gets upset, someone pulls the 'I want this' card, it all goes wrong and someone has to take the blame. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few fucking eggs, Nicole, and you might be one of the few people in this fucked up purgatory that might actually realize that."

"But what would I know, right? If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and study the works of our Lord and savior Al-Ra's, as there's apparently quite a lot I could learn from him now."

Hey, they both had a right to be upset here, and that seemed to be the case. And when the two front-runners for the whole show were off in tears, someone had to pick up the pieces, somehow. Otherwise, it was going to impact everyone, it was going to damage friendships and cause stress between families, provoke upset from a group that were more similar than most of them cared to admit. It was just one of those things.
 
The moment James replied, Nicole could already sense the passionate bitterness and sarcasm in his words, his tone, his actions alongside it all. And it wasn't the sort of grouchy behavior that comes from a long drive home; more like a fight that'd happened that left her daughter angry enough to stomp away and not even say hi. Not a word, not a message, but an angry man in the dust behind her. It left Charlie upset and Nicole disappointed. Yet, with her knowledge of psychology thanks to her minor in college, she had an understanding of Thalia's thought process, and it was something she thought these people she'd befriended would understand, particularly James - why else would he recruit someone so unstable with such a troubled past? But even with understanding comes hurt feelings and arguments, which seemed to happen here as the master criminal ranted to the older woman, though hyperbole in his descriptions, she tried to listen from an objective stance. She wouldn't go to her daughter's defense entirely - the overreacting and childish behavior had to stop at some point - but she wasn't going to let him throw her under the bus either, but she wouldn't use death threats or anything like that. Nicole had a calmer, more rational demeanor, one of diplomacy and good intentions, which she planned to reflect on James once he finished.

She took a deep breath, though startled at sudden, harsh movements like slamming the car door, and stepped forward slightly. "I understand," she sighed. "Thalia was never an easy child to raise. And judging by what you're saying, she seems to be going off the rails once again. She was a brilliant student, one of the best in the state, but the one thing that really came to be her fatal flaw has always been her emotions. That, you must've observed. The outbursts of anger, the quickness to reduce to tears, the overattachment to an individual who came to be nice to her... I'm sure you must've seen that. She wasn't very adaptable to social situations and especially not good at handling opposition or trauma. I heard it firsthand when you allowed me to talk to her before we left Philadelphia. She was broken by her father's death, especially because she wasn't able to see him in his final hours. It was a situation she couldn't handle alone, and it wasn't the first time. She broke similarly when her friend Jennifer abandoned their companionship in middle school. True, it was much deeper than just a simple conflict, but she had trouble deal with her feelings and translating it to a proper, mature healing process..."

"...And seeing her today, nothing has changed. Yes, I am aware of what Jennifer had in mind when she stormed back into your home and made bold threats. Sadly, I haven't a clue whether she was capable of living up to that, and couldn't give any input even if I'd been asked. Though I believe her punishment is not with me or you or with anyone for her behavior. That is up to her and God, as far as I believe." Nicole wasn't sure about James being religious or not, but she could only guess that he wasn't, given his skepticism and overall stance on several issues discussed before. "Not that I condone murder, but I owe you far too much than to oppose you in this matter. Believe it or not, I did give her a prayer before I slept last night, only hoping that she could find some sort of peace in the end, that when faced with her maker, she could realize the gravity of her actions. It... pains me to know that I couldn't do anything to help her as a teacher or a lifelong neighborhood friend. Who knows; maybe had both of the girls come forward about their feelings properly, even with my faith, I'd come to accept it and everything would be okay. Alas, we'll never know."

Nicole stepped closer to James in an attempt to comfort him. "I'm only asking that you don't react so negatively to whatever Thalia told you. I can tell by your words that she must've hurt you in one way or another. She might've come off as ungrateful or rude, but she's hurting. She may not have wanted to admit it, but Jennifer had significance to her. It was a strange form of love, a secret one, one I never understood, but now? After we spoke about it, I see how much that lost friendship damaged her. Not to mention her time with a band of delinquents and criminals must've hindered her development and prevented her from dealing with her feelings properly. It's post-traumatic stress disorder, which I'm sure you're aware of. I only ask.... don't punish her for an outburst as this one. Don't take her words to heart, don't take offense. I can speak with her when she comes back, but I only ask of two things...

"First, try not to be so harsh with her. I've noticed that she takes opposition very personally, and I'm assuming you very bluntly came forward with what happened to Jennifer. That doesn't work with someone like Thalia. She deals with her problems no differently than a young teenager, emotionally at least. She had no chance to grow out of it, and she's clearly not as... seasoned, as you. A situation like this calls for compassion, not a shrill attitude. It may not be your strong suit, and I'm not asking for it to be. I just think... it shouldn't have been you to tell her about Jennifer. If it were me or possibly Karin? It's very possible she wouldn't have reacted so angrily. It's nothing personal, but it's how she views different figures in her life. She just... doesn't see you as a compassionate face to accept bad news like that from, and just... see the reason behind it."

She took a breath before continuing, her gaze now focused on the forest behind them. "And the second... do you have any idea where she's going? I know she might come back but... I've lost her twice. I don't want to let that happen again. She's broken, and needs her family more than ever."

Nicole really wasn't afraid of her just walking away from her family again, especially if she walked away with just the clothing on her back. But she at least wanted to know where she was off to. If she took too long, at least the mother could go after her eldest child. It must've been refreshing to see the face of reason that'd birthed Thalia and tried to meet halfway.
 
The voice of reason, at long last.

James stood there and listened to her, and in all reality, he was ready to go into the house and just lock himself away - which was something he'd probably still do. But he at least had someone trying to reason with him, and that's what mattered. It was still a gesture that would be appreciated in one way or another, wasn't it? He couldn't remain angry forever. Neither of them could. He scanned her over as she spoke, this time avoiding eye contact. Not out of spite but more out of... Discomfort. He was almost fidgeting in that respect. He wasn't angry at Nicole, though. She was doing her best here, and that much became evident after just a minute of her speaking.

"I respect that things like this are harder for her. I understand what it's like." He rubbed his face with both hands, "I know how it feels to gain quick attachments, to not know how to deal with emotions properly. I've been an outcast all my life, Nicole - I had my own family abandon me after I left for college. I faked my death and I don't think they ever once held a funeral for me, a memorial service - as far as my parents were concerned, I was dead and gone and it was better off that way. They could cut me out of all the family photographs and act like I was never there in the first place. Act like I was nothing more than a bad dream which was all over the following morning." He shook his head, "And as much as I try not to take it out on people, I've spent a long time being a recluse." He explained, "So, I suppose there's always the chance my own problems do get escalated to others."

"And then I lost my fiancé. My unborn child." He shook his head, slowly, and stared off at the house. "Maybe all of this does come out at points. I don't know." He whispered. "Maybe I'm just delusional - I might not know a thing but here I am. I do what I can." He said. "I suppose I could only expect conflict, really, inviting all these people into my life when I was so used to being a lone wolf." He said. "I'm no Christian man but I know that we all die alone. I think realizing that is the hardest part of life." He said, "Some of us die peacefully, others die trying to prove a point. There's no in between. Even those who are deathly ill still fight, still try and prove that they can overcome, adapt, survive. And more often than not it doesn't do them a lot of good."

He cleared his throat, "I appreciate you taking the time to try and talk to me reasonably." He said, "Thalia's probably gone off either looking for a body - which she won't find - or she's just gone to cool off." He said. "The woods go on for quite some time, but, I'm sure she'll be alright. As long as she doesn't decide to run circles around herself, she won't get lost out there." He said. "I won't take her words to heart - for now. But if that's going to stick, I need to hear it from her." He said. "As you said, you'll talk to her. Tell her to come and see me. Because as much as I respect the situation, I don't like being compared to a terrorist, and you have to understand that when someone frequently brings up the moral code of a leader of a life they've apparently left behind, I have to start asking questions."

"I believe in Thalia. I do. But if you want me to put those words under the bridge, that's something for her to come to me about."

He paused for a moment.

"Thank you, Nicole. You can let her know I'll be inside." He whispered.

The basement was a good place to go. Put on some music, pour a drink, relax for a while.

Karin came out front just as James entered, and the look in James' eyes said it all, really. No Thalia, just Nicole - Nicole wasn't crying, though, so it couldn't have been anything too sinister. She knew that Thalia was at least alive. It was just drama of some sort.
 
The story about a past lover, a fiance, to James was new to Nicole, still rather new to this man's cryptic past. Before she could even ask and further show compassion for the aching man, he simply walked off, leaving her with his words to have Thalia talk to him in private to get over the hurtful words she'd passed along, ones comparing him to her past lunatic for a leader. Nicole nodded in acceptance, and even agreed that a talk was in order, but it did burden her to know that he wasn't even in the mood to talk. She worried for his mental state and capabilities to lead in such a depressive, infuriated state, and even wanted to urge him to avoid drinking in this desperate time. Words of advice wouldn't reach him as she saw him march inside. She let out a sigh of disappointment as her eyes noticed Thalia's friend come outside as James returned in. The mother turned her attention back to the forest where her daughter had walked off to. Searching for the body, or isolating herself in a form of self-healing, the latter not being a stretch since Nicole could clearly remember Thalia's habits of keeping to herself when she's sad. Unfortunately, she had no idea of she was out to hurt herself with no one to help her. But walking blind into the forest was foolish, so she refrained and stood at the front entry, watching as if Thalia would return in a flash. An illogical possibility, but it helped her be at peace to look at where her daughter had gone off to. She did that for many months in her pregnancy with Charlie - watching over the window where Thalia had climbed out of to run away. It was a way of coping, after all...

"Karin..." she spoke, giving her a quick glance and neutral facial expression. The white-haired girl could already guess what had happened, as this wasn't the first time Thalia and James had fought. "Thalia has returned. How she escaped the police isn't quite clear to me, but I do wish to ask her about it when she returns. I would normally never condone such behavior under normal circumstances, but if she truly claims that being in police custody is fatal to her, then... I'm not sure what to think. Quite honestly, the circumstances here in this place have broken much of the morals I've stood by for years. I have no room to criticize the actions of your boyfriend, especially after hearing about his past and how he brought me and Charlie back to Thalia. But from a woman who's never had so much as a littering fine, you must understand how this is strange to me..."

"But as you can determine, there was conflict between the two, and it centers around Jennifer. Had this been eight years ago, I would've never seen Thalia cry over her so much, or even speak so strongly on her behalf, considering how troubled their past was. There might've been a time where they'd cry for each other, but today? I wasn't quite sure anymore. Now I know for sure. It's not like I could stop him from killing her, and I'm not even sure if Thalia could, either. I assume she just wants to say good-bye, but it came out in a very hateful manner to James. She... said a slew of words I'm sure she didn't mean, but slipped in the moment. I... I don't know if anyone has discussed this with her, but I am recommending she sees a therapist when this is all over. She already suffered from depression when we were in Philadelphia, and I'm sure there's some post-traumatic stress after hearing about her ordeals with the scoundrel she once lived with. After all, part of moving on is to get over her past burdens, only then can she live a normal life. Get a job, find someone she loves, raise a family... every mother's dream I suppose."

The last part of the dream would probably never happen unless she adopts, but Thalia wasn't sure if she'd tell that tale quite yet.

"But perhaps therapy will help her show her emotions more properly, rather than displacing or misinterpreting them, letting them explode and slip in places where she shouldn't. But that's just my unprofessional perspective, something I've seen in the children in my classrooms on a smaller scale. But enough about me for now..." She stepped over to face Karin, her arms falling from crossed over her chest to her sides, a warmer, more welcoming expression over her face. "So, what have you been up to? Have you come for anything apart seeing Thalia? It still saddens me to see Charlie walk away after being so excited to see her."

--

Encino Medical Center - The Service Elevator

Interviewing the members of the royal guard was a hassle and a hindrance, considering the escape of the mystery redhead was a far greater priority than a few grunts who'd just laid down their weapons and turned themselves in. But with a title like 'royal guard', showing up armed to the teeth in the first place at a high-security location couldn't just be overlooked; it could've been a shootout, after all. But clearly, Al-Asheera, or at least the believers of its former state, had other tricks up its sleeve, and its loyalty to their god among men remained intact, even after he was proven to be nothing more than any other mortal man. And now that a false god has taken the throne, the most loyal of the remaining brutes were retaliating in the only way they knew how: surrender. Exposure. Everything the clan had avoided for so many years. Although it wasn't like they said much that was new because of Thalia's statement earlier that day, but it was a good way to confirm her stories...

But now, back to priorities. The lower ranks of the police force were handling the transfer of the royal guard, and it left the lead detectives to return to their initial concern: an escaped convict. Quite a disaster for a day. The death of the right-hand man, the arrival of more higher ups, then the escape of the most infamous of them all. With those duties out of the way and the captain apprised, Richie and Heather met up in the private service elevator so that they wouldn't be hounded by the swarms of reporters asking about the royal guard; the more they kept the lid on this, the better. There was already enough spread with the press in the lobby, but with dangerous armed criminals in the lobby, they were all herded outside, not to be let back in until the royal guard were transferred to federal custody. Best not be let in at all, but with a reporter sneaking onto Thalia's floor in the first place, so nowhere was quite so safe from a reporter and his curiosity.

Heather was first to talk: "That was nearly a disaster."

Richie scoffed. "Huh. Tell me about it. Those men remind me of when I first interviewed Griffin, before she chose to cooperate. But at least Griffin came to her senses and didn't talk like a brainwashed slave in her statement. Clovis Al-Hariri might as well be a Rami Younes Junior with the way he was talking, kind of like Roland Simmons in the few seconds I got with him."

"So was the chick I had to talk to. It's like they really believe their dead guy is a god among men and has places for them in heaven because they were betraying Reeves."

"People have scary motives for surrendering, and it's not always from the goodness of their hearts. When you have psychos like Al-Asheera, you can't predict anything. I learned that from my time with my ex-partner in our investigation."

Heather nodded very slightly, noticing how Richie had brought up Tony without explicitly saying his name. And it was, in fact, Tony that needed a mouthful from her. Part of her blamed him for the death of his fiance - her sister. She extended her arm forward to hit the button of the service elevator to bring it to an emergency halt, catching the attention of the aging detective to her right. "What ever happened between you and your partner? You don't seem so serious about defending him, even if he is formally considered rogue and was even in federal custody at one point."

Richie froze, glaring at her, caught off guard. Why was this relevant? But of course; Tony succeeded the lead position of the case after his injury, and now he was long gone, MIA. "Who ever said I wasn't?"

"Well, wouldn't that be your first priority?"

"Thalia Griffin was my first priority. She was a gateway to everyone she's been working with. Too many heads weren't found in the Encino mansion, ones that the anonymous tip gave, Griffin confirmed, and are still missing. Had she not escaped, I would've pressured her to continue to fork up information. Details about Fritzy, the whereabouts and crimes of Detectives Walsh and Hale... but she was adamant for proof of life of her brother, and the Feds took him into protective custody. Won't let me anywhere near him, not even a direct phone call."

"Still doesn't justify how you aren't white-knighting Detective Walsh."

"Because I'm an objective man, Kane," he sighed in almost a growl. "Some detectives lose track of that perspective and let a badge be your immunity from the law. And Tony had crossed the line many, many times in our partnership, each time successfully covering his own ass in the paperwork when I had kept urging him to come clean, even if it meant demotion."

It was hard to process a detective throwing his partner under the bus like that, but Heather followed as best as she could. "I see. Why didn't you report him? You do realize the amount of scrutiny you'd be under if his misconduct is brought forward."

"Probably very little now that he's fucked up on his own. Sad to know he's brought in a fresh detective like Frank Hale. Now all they are gonna be known as is kidnappers, co-conspirators with the mystery redhead... among other things. And don't think I'm happy about that. All I'm trying to do is keep my nose clean."

"So that's your philosophy. He's bent the law a few times as a means to an end, and you're not going to support him?"

The seasoned detective stood in front of the younger woman, now becoming more aggressive towards her attacking demeanor. "You don't tell me how to treat a dirty cop, kid. I've been doing this for well over a decade, and even had the sergeant's exam ahead of me. I wanted to pursue a proper career keeping this city safe. Tony just wanted to be the hero. Sadly, he's lived long enough to see himself become the villain, and if that means I have to bind him in cuffs and haul him back to the precinct, then so fucking be it. I respect his heroism at times, but you need to stay out of it. But since you seem so keen on the details of my past, how about I throw a shot at you. Where's this itchy curiosity for Tony Walsh even coming from out of you? From the very beginning, you seemed to want to know about him, especially that document found with Vicky Morris. It's like he's the focus of your entire business with me, probably because of our partnership. Now tell me who's being selfish?"

Heather froze, not out of intimidation that he might attack her... but because he was getting close to her intentions. Revenge.

...Then grew a smile of confidence over Richie's face. "You looked me up. Don't think I wouldn't do the same. You've been a detective for two years, and have a handful of arrests to your name. You're a rising star, as some would say. But I don't think you're a fame junkie. Your intentions in your cases, the ones you take... You have the purest of interests at heart, and I saw that with Angie Romanos. But that last name... Kane. Like Melissa Kane, on the list of the deceased from the port massacre.... Melissa Kane is Tony Walsh's fiance. Detective, you're not after the spotlight, or a paycheck. You want to face the man that let your sister die, because he couldn't save her in time."

Cleverness was nothing but expected from Richie in Heather's eyes. He saw right through her, read her like a book. She didn't answer him, only a determined stare from her eyes to his.

"I want to bring Tony in for his crimes as recorded. Now, I don't know if you'll just shoot him when we find him."

Emotion flooded from her voice as she blurted, "Mel didn't even know I was her sister, okay? We were half sisters, from our father's side. Tony put it together when he saw me get recruited to detective. He asked, he got his answer. He promised not to tell until I was ready to come forward. She had a career in medicine, and I was just a bootleg detective. I wanted to be something great for her, and now she's gone because your partner wasn't doing his job!" Her voice was indeed being raised, fortunately unheard from outside the elevator. Was she going to cry? No, she'd been hanging in there ever since she saw the body. She could go a bit longer. "I saw a few excerpts from Thalia Griffin's testimony. Tony was given multiple opportunities to save her, and all he'd do was fuck up his chances by poking bears he shouldn't even get near! He could've saved her! It's not fair that he gets to play god and be a hero and just get a pass when he royally screws up! How have you not seen that yet? Do you think he'll serve time if he's ever caught?" She took a breath to collect herself before continuing, lowering her voice from the passionate fury she was expressing before. "It's not fair, Detective. Can't you see that? He's going to get away with letting her die, may never even visit her grave when they release her from the morgue, especially after seeing what Al-Asheera did to her before killing her..."

The aggression transformed into compassion. Heather was motivated by the motivation of her family, which is why Richie himself had Karin take his somewhere safe and have them just barely escape a brutal death. He knew very well what a person would do for family. Seeing the female detective in an emotional wreck, he was glad they stopped the elevator and held her close to his chest, a gentle embrace. "Hey... you can let it out. But I can give you a few facts that Thalia Griffin spoke of that you might've missed." He paused for a moment, keeping her close with her eyes buried into his suit jacket. "When Tony found out that Melissa was killed, and the way it happened, he grew depressed, demotivated, destroyed. He was working to save her, and she was his primary objective this whole time, and everything he did was so he could get her out of their clutches. And it didn't help when Al-Asheera began to target him personally... they blame him for the death of Ra's. They.... they beheaded his father and sent the head in a box to his doorstep, along with a video of the execution sequence. And Griffin mentioned how she saw him digging a shallow grave in the backyard of the Encino mansion as a resting place for that head. So don't think for one second Tony hates or disrespects family. And take it out of your mind that he also deserves death. Punishment for his wrongdoings, but I'm not going to kill him. It's not because he was my partner. It's because I have faith that he'll seek justice. A bit naive, but I do think he will sit a fair trial and face his crimes like a man, at long last."

Words like Richie's served to calm Heather down and prevent a breakdown - nothing more than a few leaked tears into his shoulder, which she cleared up as she parted from the embrace. "I-I want to see this till the end. I at least want to look him in the eye, just as a reminder of who's gone because he was too late."

"You'll get that chance to talk to him, I can promise you that. I have to say, even if you didn't have me here, you might've gotten to Tony alone. You picked up quite quickly on a lot of details at the Romanos residence, and what you've told me in the car."

"I do my job, nothing less."

"I admire that... which is why I want to take you under my wing."

Heather looked up to Richie's eyes, almost in shock. "W-What?"

"I missed the sergeant's exam, so it looks like I have a bit of waiting before I can give that another shot. I can talk to Bradshaw about instating you as my official partner with my return to the LAPD from medical leave. I'd like a new, fresh, clever like yours by my seasoned, wise, and perceptive one. We already sort of clicked in the past few hours. And now that I know your story, I can take you in as my partner and know how to bring you up like I was. Maybe it'll be you leading a case as big as the Al-Asheera one, as I have this past month. And I'll tell you, with my reputation, we'll get that fancy office that me and Tony used to share back in the day." He grinned with the moment of comic relief before him. "I won't make you pick now, but the offer is on the table. I'll have you think about it as things go on, but for now..." He looked back over to his side to the line of buttons to the elevator, pressing the emergency stop button again to have the elevator continue upward.

"We've got an escaped convict to get behind. Let's get behind that."

At this point, Heather didn't know what to say, but could only agree to the fact that they had a common short term goal: figuring out what exactly happened upstairs in their absence.

--

The Construction Lot in Downtown LA

To Thalia and James's knowledge, Damien had been left for dead with a practically fatal stab to the abdomen. Top that off with the added blood loss from the painful wound in his shoulder, he should be a goner. Not a pleasant way to go out, but certainly out in no time. His plans the entire trip were as unclear as they get. Starting as a valiant hero trying to save Thalia but evolving into an anti-hero in her favor, and only turning into an agent of chaos bringing ruin to the people he loves... His father's condition had taken a turn, and his sister was taken into police custody, hidden away in some cop's home. She was safe, but he didn't find comfort in her trauma. What James called an 'everyday accident', he assumed was a terrible tragedy to Angie, only 11 years old. No one could really give a good answer for Angie's mental state, but she was calming down.

All in all, it was Damien's behavior that made him come off as a traitor. And there was only one way he could further solidify his turned state and his desired vengeance against the cyber criminal: turn to a powerful force in LA that he still had contact with.

Al-Asheera.

His damaged bleeding body laid there in the lot, curled into a ball, gripping his stomach wound, but with a blocky cell phone sitting by his mouth, a call actively running, although he was slipping out of consciousness. The phone that was to be used for Nicole to arrange the relinquishment of the blessed child from her arms into those of Al-Asheera. She'd never do it, happily ready to sacrifice herself before ever giving them Charlie. Which made it opportune for Damien to take it and use in case of a rainy day. And it couldn't get any rainier than near death, and the need of an army. Al-Asheera had strength in numbers, which he planned to use in his favor, but not the same way Tony's betraying words to Roland snowballed into something tragic. He wasn't planning on exposing the location of the Jackal's mansion, not just yet. Hell, he hadn't revealed anything on the phone but a few words, enough for the leader of Al-Asheera himself to make a detour...

And as he saw the shadows of the shady new leaders of Al-Asheera, a newly assembled inner circle it seemed, he knew he might just live, and he'd have them by the balls. Could he trust them after what Ra's did to his family? Would this only solidify what James would call him, nothing more than a man following a false god?

That didn't matter as much as his vengeance. He was barely hanging on as he heard the voice of Reeves barking orders.

"It's the Betrayer. Al-Kha'in. Take him. We need him alive. He has a way to acquire the blessed child and his family for execution."
 
"No one has room to criticize anyone anymore, I don't think." Karin sighed, "It's just all a mess, Nicole. Realistically at this point we should be taking the kids and making a run for it. All of us." She said, "This fight? This fight isn't for me and you, for the children. I've done all that I can to help Thalia now, now things have progressed to a point where none of us can really be of much more use. We're literally here for moral support and I'm just panicked that one day things are going to go seriously wrong." She said. "I know we're protected to some extent, but, things can't go right forever. We've already been exposed once and it's bound to happen again." She rubbed her forehead. "I've got Joseph to look after. He comes first, before anyone else, and that's just the rule I've been following. I'm sure you're the same with Charlie." She said.

"I'm just a little tired of all the drama, Nicole. It's been happening since the start - if it's not Thalia and Tony, it's Thalia and James. If it's not them, it's Frank and Jenny, Jenny and me, Jenny and you, Thalia and Frank, Frank and Tony - There's always something going on. Always." She said. "And I don't know how much more I'm going to be able to just 'accept'. Dare I say it, but I'm beginning to lose faith in a lot of this. Most of it, in fact. We've been beaten and abused, locked up, stressed out. The kids are suffering for it in one way or another, and now this? I just... Don't feel capable of looking after anyone or contributing to anything when things are the way they are now. How can we help anyone when we can't even help ourselves?" She quickly rubbed her face with both hands and slowly shook her head.

"Oh, dear." She murmured, simply.

Emotions would probably heighten a lot with her now, considering she was pregnant.

"Thalia needs to see a therapist as soon as she's done with this. It's a surprise she hasn't tried to chase that up already, to be honest." She said, "She lacks in some departments, socially and emotionally - that's all because those bastards never let her have a life. They kept her as some sort of... Brainwashed pet, and now look where we're at. She doesn't deserve the suffering she's going through, and she doesn't deserve to go through it for years more while she tries to sort it out. If I could help her more, I could, it's just..."

She looked into the treeline. "What if something happened while she was gone?" She asked, "What if this keeps happening and one day things go bad while she's not here? What if something happens to me, to you, to Charlie? It's just going to make everything worse for her and that's not something I want her to go through." She said, "I guess other than seeing Thalia, I just came to talk. if James is pissed off then he's not going to speak to me. I fear for him, too." She said, "He's not used to dealing with people and recently he's behaved a little... Different to usual. I'm worried something's going to happen, or he's going to act up and do something stupid."

Well he was already in the basement listening to music, using his laptop, and drinking. So Karin wasn't wrong.

"It's just bad." She said, "When you think about it, he's lost everything." She bit down on one of her nails. "He's lost his house, his equipment, his family. All he's really got left is... Well, us."
 
Nicole nodded after being reminded of Jon's proposal a few hours ago. "I've already been spoken to about the potential for us to be on the move again. Nowhere is safe anymore, and I'm quite aware, especially now that those men have made their intentions clear: that they have ruined the life of one of my children, and now wish to do the same to my second. And it was a very tempting proposition, but I left it unanswered, only so that I could stay for Thalia, so that he could see that she's okay. I don't know if he's told you or you overheard, but he hasn't seen her since she was shot and escorted away. He's only seen a picture, and he's still worried that the police are hurting her. I can't blame him, after years of telling him the police are friendly trustworthy people, after seeing them shoot his sister so mercilessly, it has changed his entire perspective. A more... realistic one I wanted to shield him from. No child deserves to see anyone get shot like that. Let alone killed..." A faint throwback to the brute tagging along with Thalia at the cafe heist that shot a man, all in front of a 10 year old boy, with no regard for the fact he heard the shots and hid his face from the bloody body.

Many of the strings of drama mentioned, Nicole was already quite aware of, only because in one of them, she'd found herself entangled in it as well. And although she was quite the problem solver on a social level, an excess of drama becomes exhausting, and that showed on Karin. "I suppose that's what you get when you take people from different worlds and place them in the same room together. When I was teaching younger classes like kindergarten, I recall that very same level of conflict between students who were far too different to be compatible. It wasn't a situation we chose, quite honestly. And it's like you said, at this point, there isn't much we can do anymore. If you're asking me, there isn't much any of us can do at this point, now that you, Charlie, and Thalia are back. United once again, but it seems as if nobody is sure how to proceed apart from preparing for the worse case in which we need to escape again...."

"...and if you ask me," she sighed, becoming a bit more uncomfortable with her next words before she even uttered them. "Maybe retreat is our best resort. If not for the fighters of our small team, at least for the caregivers, like you and me. Jon has already given me the option to have the children moved out of California, however, I didn't accept just yet. I wanted to wait a little bit longer for Thalia just so she wouldn't have to be alone. I was simply worried for her, in her mental state and physical condition. She needs help, and I didn't want to simply abandon her with therapists and doctors, unsure of what to make of her feelings without a mother's guidance. It's like you said, if she were to be left to her own devices, I feared she might do something to harm herself while in custody. I wasn't going to let that happen, and for that, I decided to stay. But now... when she returns, I'd like to talk to her about a large-scale retreat. I can't speak on behalf of the detectives inside, but I'm sure that you'd like to take your brother somewhere to forget this tragic week ever happened. I'd like to convince Thalia to come along with us. Her work is done. The man who inflicted abuse upon her is no longer a problem, but our family is in trouble more than it once was. I won't let that man in the mask that invaded the broadcast get a hold of my children any longer. I would like to talk to Thalia, ask her to stop fighting, come to wherever Jon had in mind, so we may all settle down. Hopefully, James can find her proper counseling that can be done ever so discreetly, and I'll be there to assist in her recovery. I'm sure that wherever we're off to, you and Joseph wouldn't mind tagging along, right? A friend for Thalia would do her some good as well, especially because she's heavily grieving over Jennifer. Same for Charlie. I've seen the boys are very fond of each other as well."

As Nicole listened in to Karin discussing her take on James' mental state, the uneasiness she'd experienced from contemplating their own resignation from this adventure didn't go away. Perhaps it wasn't her words putting her in this sort of state but rather something biological. She began to feel faint, weaker to the legs, trying to keep them in motion by pivoting in Karin's direction, but she could only feel herself growing weaker, and that weakness showed in her arms unfolding and one leaning against the wall nearby her. Her eyes felt heavier, and she felt a brief spike of sensation in her body. What was this? "K-Karin, I'm not feeling so well..." She managed to let escape from her lips before falling forward into Karin's arms, unconscious.

What caused this? The stress of her family's potential to fall apart again? The pain it was to see her daughter so upset? Or was it for something... happier?
 
"And you see, that's just where things get even more complicated." Karin said with a sigh. "We could run, we could hide, we could... We could just abandon ship forever and hope that our raft stays afloat, but, how do we know that?" She asked. "I know Frank's in the spot where he wants revenge but wants Jordan out of here at the same time. Him and Jordan is going to be a massive court battle, too, and they're holding off on the funeral for Redgrave until Jordan's found, last I heard. Frank isn't going to want to run. He's not going to want to take Jordan away from here just yet - he hasn't had his revenge and Jordan hasn't said goodbye." She said.

"I'll leave with Joseph first chance I get, but, he's getting to that age where he needs security in his life. He needs to settle. He needs to have a place he feels he can relax in. He's got Fifth Grade right around the corner and I don't think that he wants to be ripped away from the school he's been in for so long. Making new friends can be hard for a kid - I don't want to put him through all of that but now I just don't feel I have much of a choice." She said. "It's all good if we run but the problem with that is that if we leave James and Jon and anyone capable of running the show behind, they're going to end up dead, and with a little one on the way I can't... I can't go through that. I can't lose James. I'm sure you don't want to lose Jon, either." She said.

She took in a deep breath.

"I'm not sure what Thalia would want to do either." She said. "It's a nice thought to think that she'd be up for running and retreating, living in hiding and trying to cover our tracks... But how do we know that's what she'd want to do? Yes, the man responsible for what she went through is dead, but in his place is a man equally if not more dangerous. It's just a matter of how long they're going to try and find her, how long they're going to try and find us. Temporary safety isn't something any of us deserve. We deserve something permanent - if... Maybe if we can get the kids out of here without them knowing about it, things will be okay. But where would they go? Where would they hide?" She asked.

She was about to continue her little venting session when suddenly Nicole had a funny turn. The color washed from her face and she went weak at the knees.

"Nicole?" She said. She reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but as soon as she did, she literally passed out in her arms. She caught her to stop her from hitting the floor - Karin was a strong enough woman to hold her up, but not strong enough to hold her up for long or carry her or anything like that. She looked towards the door.

"Jon!" She yelled out.

Would Jon come running? She hoped so.

And yes, he did.

He came running out in a flash, and as soon as he saw Nicole passed out in Karin's arms, he snatched her away and sat down on the step, cradling her. He didn't want Charlie to see this. Oh, Jesus Christ, what if this was something serious? It was safe to say that he was panicking.

"Nicole?" He gently stroked her cheek, "God, Nicole... Come on, wake up." He gently squeezed one of her hands.

"She just passed out." Karin said.

Jon looked from her and back to Nicole again.

Please wake up.
 
Fortunately, Charlie wasn't around for the moment in which his mother had fainted ever so suddenly. With his worries over Thalia and the loss of his father in the back of his mind, he didn't need his mother to have a medical issue that would hold her back and take her away from him. He was too preoccupied with is friends anyway, under the impression their caregivers were okay. Well, Karin was okay aside a moment of panic. Nicole? That was a different story. What caused her to faint? Was she unknowingly sick? Was it a result of the stress she had endured, her body physically giving out? It was all so sudden and out of her control, and in a flash, she was rushed out of the front yard and back inside, continuously being asked if she were okay. She had a pulse, for sure, but she was in a deep sleep, one she'd have to wake up from in time. So no better way to take that nap than in the bed she'd woken up in. Comfortable, safe, out of sight, and seemingly innocent in case her son comes along to check on her. They could easily say that his mom was taking a nap.

Which it very much seemed like as she awoke from her slumber, slowly cracking her eyes open, laying on her back in bed. She was surprised and rather confused. How did she get here? What happened before she blacked out? She could only remember feeling faint and weak, talking to Karin, then it all became a blur. She didn't even recall much in the way of the voices around her as she fell unconscious. She was now in the bed she and Jon shared last night, her heels taken off and her body covered in a blanket. Definitely, if Charlie were to walk in, he'd easily assume nothing was wrong. Everyone takes naps, even the tough-as-nails Nicole Griffin. And like anyone other napper, she came to, looking back and forth trying to recall the string of events that lead to this.

She recalled that she was discussing the future of the young ones with Karin, the possibility for bringing them all out of the state, while Karin gave her take on the matter, and that was when she grew weak to the knees. She didn't see the young woman in the room, but she did see the man she'd grown feelings for: Jon, waiting for her to show signs of improvement. She gave him a smile and maneuvered herself to sit up properly against the pillow. She felt safe and secure, even with the stress of Thalia from just moments ago, how she'd just stormed off without even saying hi. For a moment, she was going to trust her daughter to return once again. Because there was another thought on her mind, the reason she'd fainted.

She had a hunch, a very strange one. She'd been down this road twice before, and she'd seen plenty of women go through the same sort of process, especially in her work at school as a teacher.

But was it too early to make this sort of prediction or assumption? She hated to jump to conclusions, and she definitely wanted to be more certain. But she knew the feeling. Once with Thalia, and again with Charlie.

Did Nicole, in the first time she'd had sex since Charlie was conceived, fall pregnant from Jon?

She sure as hell wasn't going to tell the man himself right now. "Jon... What happened?" she questioned, a bit groggy, but recovering. "I don't recall much before I just... blacked out all of a sudden. I was outside, discussing your proposition about leaving California with Karin. I'm still taking it into consideration, but I would like to extend the offer to Thalia. Then I will give you a final answer."

--

With an escaped convict, the two leading Al-Asheera detectives were the first and only ones allowed in Thalia's hospital room to investigate the scene. No tampering, no unauthorized personnel unless they were personally escorted in and supervised by Richie or Heather. The only outsider allowed around the area, by Richie's orders, was Officer Van Dyke, the man responsible for watching over her. As suspicious as it was that she slipped away while the injured detective wasn't present, he didn't have any distrust for the subordinate officer. Because just by hearing the story, he knew something wasn't right. An escape wouldn't be so... messy. Unless it was a ruse, but if it were, it had to be the most poorly executed he'd ever seen. It was too real for that, especially after seeing the bathroom.

So he emerged from the bathroom, and his female companion stepped to his side, each prepared to brief each other. Heather began, "So, is it an escape plan like they were saying?"

Richie shook his head. "People are so quick to jump the gun on escape, especially with someone as dangerous as Thalia Griffin. They realized she was missing in a flash after a bathroom break with a nurse that we don't even know, so they cry escape. But why do it with a scream and blood on the floor? You'd think they'd be cleaner than that?"

"Blood? No one ever said anything about blood."

"Indeed, it was a surprise for me, too. I sent it out for DNA testing, just to see if it's Griffin or the mystery nurse."

"So if it's not an escape, what are you thinking?"

"Kidnapping. Why else would there be blood and resistance?"

"But why does Al-Asheera want to kidnap their loose end? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill her then and there?"

"Unless they have bigger plans for a traitor like her. She confessed everything, and if Reeves is going to follow in Rami Younes' footsteps, he probably has a large-scale execution in mind. She already told me that the execution of Tony Walsh's father was video taped and sent in a box along with the severed head straight to his doorstep."

"Is that to say we'll be expecting a package?"

"Perhaps not to us. But I don't think that letting her die is a way to return the favor for blowing the Al-Asheera case wide open. The girl's got a family she wants to make amends with, and even a woman as vengeful as yourself can probably relate."

Heather sighed, burdened by the reminder of family, especially after her partial breakdown. "Very much so. The problem is, what leads do we have on her? Where might this execution take place?"

"Well, as far as I've been told, the locations Thalia Griffin gave me have been invaded and are being thoroughly searched, so I doubt the bastards will try to go back there. They've gotta be setting up shop elsewhere. That's a problem for us, because we have no idea where that could be. And Clovis Al-Hariri has already said that Al-Asheera has been staying in random hotels inconspicuously under a variety of aliases. Too many to remember, he claims."

"Typical... but that's what you get when a band like Al-Asheera boasts strength in numbers."

As they discussed the very strength the gang of thieves once possessed, a voice from their right came to contribute... one they'd heard before. "And it's just that strength that they might be losing."

Heather and Richie turned to the source of the sound. The male detective began, "Van Dyke? What do you have?"

"Big news. Almost scary if you understand the implications," he gulped. "Ever since the incident with the royal guard and the call to arms for surrender, precincts all across the LA area have been receiving members of Al-Asheera, calling out by their real names, identifying themselves as Al-Asheera, and laying down their weapons. They're turning themselves in, and it's not a humble few."

Richie remained calm throughout it, though confused at how quick it had taken for the masses to respond to Clovis' call. Heather's eyes, however, shot out. "The hell? Some lunatic like Clovis Al-Hariri is convincing the masses to stop playing for Reeves?"

Van Dyke shrugged. "The common notion is that Reeves is a sinner who perverts the words of their lord and savior. He isn't worth their breath it seems."

"How many arrests have been made?"

"As of five minutes ago? 107 in total. But I wouldn't be surprised if that number jumped up since then. It's getting out of hand, and I don't think we can keep holding them without overpopulating. It's a dangerous game to play. The mighty Al-Asheera exodus. And what's worse? What if this is some sort of distraction to hide something greater that Reeves is plotting?"

Richie shook his head. "This is no ploy, Van Dyke. I think the masses are flat out fed up, starting with the royal guard. And without them, there's no intermediary rank between Reeves and the underling grunts. I think all those who speculated the gradual decline of an empire were more than right."

"Yeah, sure..." Heather contributed, "But what about the loyal nutjobs who firmly believe in what Reeves says? Those guys have gotta be there. And losing all of his followers won't stop him from hacking the body of Jacob Griffin to pieces until he gets this 'blessed child' he talks about."

"No, it won't stop him, but it will hurt his agenda. We're looking for a dent, not a complete stop. Because if he gets dented, he'll screw up. He screws up, we can book him. The question is, how do we keep this up."

Without much time to think, an idea came to Heather. A true Eureka moment. She grinned and nodded to the two men. "That woman I interviewed from the royal guard... she told me the reason that they surrendered themselves in the first place."

"Hm?"

"Reeves murdered a man with opposing opinions, called him a speaker of blasphemy, and executed him without a second thought. And Al-Hariri didn't take it too lightly, nor did he like the idea of disrespecting the dead and going after an 8 year old boy, so he convinced the royal guard that it wasn't the path of righteousness. It was a crime against the holy code of this Al-Ra's that started this."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting we keep painting the ugly picture of Jordan Reeves for the press. We pin crimes on him that he hasn't been confirmed to commit yet. We slander him until the rest of his pathetic army realize he's not worth it, until he's left alone. No army, no Al-Asheera. I don't think the masses want a man that'll just keep breaking the moral code of their sacred lord and savior."

"That's sketchy," he shook his head. "The captain won't sign off on that."

"He doesn't have to. Does it matter who the press get the information from?"

"You're suggesting a slew of anonymous tips. Food for the press to eat alive and spread like wildfire."

"Precisely. No moral guilt, no trouble from Bradshaw, cuz he won't know it's us to begin with. And most importantly, it'll be a circumstance we can manipulate to get to Reeves and stop Al-Asheera."

Now more than ever did Richie seem to... like the unorthodox nature of Heather's thinking. A wild, almost devious idea, but one they could definitely take advantage of. An idea to truly end the gang once and for all. Feed the exodus. They'd have to deal with the overcrowding later... but this could work. He glared at the younger detective and officer and nodded, leaning back against the wall to his side, feeling a tad tired from the excessive standing.

"Your call, Detective Kane... quite literally. Make the tips. Your idea, you should be the one putting it into action."
 
Jon had sat by her for quite some time now, because he didn't want to leave her side. He did check her vitals - and she was breathing fine, her pulse was normal. Had she just passed out from stress? He didn't know. He wouldn't put it past one of them nowadays. Things were getting intense, and the idea of leaving had never been stronger. At this point, though, if most of them were leaving, why didn't all of them? It would only make the most sense. The kids would leave without their carers (at least Jordan would, most likely) and that was a hard thought to process. Did they really want to put the kids through such hassle? He was trying to think of alternatives, but at the same time, it was getting hard to do. What alternatives did they have? Running felt like the only option. The kids needed to be protected.

Perhaps they could find an opposing force to ally with. The police? Who knew.

The police would probably just arrest them all and get them all killed.

Or would they? It was at that point in time where everyone had a gun pointed at each other's heads. Even people in their own allied force. James and Thalia? Well, maybe not so much Thalia, but James was one of those people that knew how to hold a grudge. Currently, he was 50/50. He was thinking about all of this while he was doing some light drinking, working, and listening to some music. He was pretty sure he shot a gun better after he'd had a drink, anyway, so... He wasn't too concerned.

James was still waiting on her. If she was ever going to come in, that is - maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened and it wouldn't be the last. Well. Maybe it would be the last. Hopefully.

Jon, however, found himself feeling rather happy as Nicole came around. He quickly went over to her side and took hold of her hand. He smiled. "All I remember is Karin yelling out for me to come and help." He said. "You were unconscious in her arms. I was worried." He said, "I'm glad you're okay, though... And yeah, the kids are fine. Charlie didn't see you pass out so he's not making himself sick with worry, or anything." He said. He knew that was one thing she'd eventually ask about, so it was probably best that he brought that up to her now before she had the chance to panic herself again.

He didn't know what caused her to pass out but he was definitely worried. It could be an underlying issue.

You're not entirely wrong there, Jon. It's just not what you think.

"Leaving California with the kids is doable, but I'd never let you go on your own." He said. "I'd come with you. I don't know if Thalia would want to attempt to run like that again. Would she find peace in things knowing that the organization is still looking for her?" He said. "I know I won't sleep easy knowing that they're looking for Charlie. I can't bear the thought." He said. "The only option we'd really have is running north of the border, crossing into Canada. It's nice up there." He said. "It's just a matter of what's best for everyone. And if it's actually doable. It sounds great in practice but it's getting there that can be the problem." He said.

He just squeezed her hand again, "I'm just glad you're okay." He said, "What do you think caused it? Are you feeling alright now? Do you need me to get you anything?" He asked.

He'd care for her if she needed it, definitely.

But she was awake. He was focusing on the most important things first.
 
Nicole felt Jon taking her hand as she became more awake, smiling a much brighter one than before, no longer giving the impression of being unwell. She really wasn't unwell at all. After waking up, she only felt a bit tired, just as anyone would after just waking up. Any doctor could confirm that she's okay... and then some, too. And Nicole already had a hunch of that extra detail, but no way was she going to tell Jon just yet, not with the internal turmoil with this crew. Thalia out acting on her own accord, as dangerous as it was, and James in a horrid mood. Indeed, everyone had guns at each other's heads. It wasn't just Al-Asheera getting restless, but also themselves. They were on their nerves, some people just wanted it all to be over, and it was showing in how quick they were to react to one another. Maybe getting Charlie out of here was a good idea, and getting Thalia away from this fight even better, so she wouldn't impede James' less biased view on this situation. She'd have to take it up with her later, as she'd mentioned before.

And Jon didn't need a potential pregnancy scare in the mix. He's already got a weak relationship with his other two children, but Nicole had already seen his soft touch with Charlie and his dedication to the Griffins. Perhaps this son or daughter of his would be a chance for redemption, to be there and raise this child. There was no need to lie about whose child it was, or say that it's from Jacob - she hadn't told him that she'd been celibate since Charlie after all.. Jon had the right to know, just not now. Maybe when it all blows over and they officially relocate to a safer place. Which may be sooner if Thalia accepts.

"Yes, I do recall Karin with me, but it's the events leading up there were rather... unclear," she sighed as she pulled herself to sit upright, side by side with Jon on the bed, and still hand-in-hand. Her movement was slow, but that was to be expected. "Thank heavens. I don't know what Charlie would do if he saw me faint like that. Poor child has already seen enough for one lifetime. I am just hoping that he isn't looking anything up online in his time with Joseph that he probably shouldn't have to lay eyes on. After all, with all of the deaths and gang violence, and his father's body on the news like it was and..." she gulped, "Eviscerated, like he was some sort of meat puppet. It was horrific to have to see that as his wife. I don't know how I'd explain to him if he were to stumble upon that video. No doubt it's gone viral. I've learned that through helping children through bullying and harassment in this day and age - once it's on the internet, it's there forever."

Maybe not ENTIRELY true, but to her experience, it was.

"Indeed, I'm considering this escape route more now, after seeing the condition Thalia had returned in, after some further thought into our situation, but I'd rather it be as collective as possible. As few of us getting left behind as possible. I would like to take Karin and Joseph along, hopefully Thalia... and I will talk to Detective Hale about him and Jordan. I understand the two of them have a daunting uphill battle to work out their affairs and for the boy to have closure with his family, but I do believe that it's in his best favor to be away from California for the time being. The detective might be harder to convince, but I will do my best when I talk to him. As for the rest... I'm not quite sure. James will want to stay to ensure that this ends well, and Detective Walsh told me he wanted to stay to bury his deceased fiancee. I just hope he doesn't become a serious target from this point onward."

She cleared the hair from her bangs as the thought of telling Jon what was going on with her came up again. And she wasn't planning on telling just yet. How can she talk around it? Lying wasn't quite her strong suit... "I think I was just stressed, dehydrated. I think all I need to do is go eat something, get something into my system. I should also prepare something for Charlie as well. It's been a while since he's eaten with you. Would you like to accompany us? You've been without food just as long as Charlie, so you could use a bite as well."

Nice save. Not to mention that Charlie had yet to tell his mother about their little detour on the way home. A house here in California, and a nice one, too. Looks like both Jon and Nicole both have secrets brewing. It was only a matter of time before they got out.

--

Reeves' Van in his elite convoy

With Damien being worked on in one vehicle in the convoy, Reeves and his closest servant were talking about the future in another one. A deep conversation, and a part with deep, treacherous implications.

"Any guarantee that the Betrayer's words are accurate? That he can lead us to the blessed child?"

"So he claimed on the phone call," the servant shrugged. "We'll have to see when he's awake. If he doesn't, we will acquire the little sister and behead her for him to see. Then we will put a bullet in his head."

Reeves grinned maniacally, hands folded in his lap. "Excellent. You're picking up on my new methods. Ones that the previous Head refused to go to."

"Anything for the next prophet in a line of greatness, Your Highness."

"Perfect. We shall obtain the blessed child, execute his family, then train him to ascend above the masses as the next true god among men, a proper successor to Al-Ra's the First. But before we can leave and let our young seed grow, we have one more matter to attend to here in LA. Bradan Cabhan. The Clover Boys."

The servant grew pale for a moment now that that incident had returned to light. "Your Highness, they've cut contact with us. They refuse to negotiate with you after what you did to Jacob Griffin."

The sergeant froze, eyes bugged out. "What? What makes that execution any different than what they do?"

He shrugged. "Disrespect for a man of the cloth, I suppose. I never took them as religious, but they found that a line you didn't need to cross. They consider you savage and don't want to deal with you."

Reeves growled to himself, eyebrows crossed and shaking his head in dismay. "They have left us with no other choice but to cut them loose, too. They don't want to deal peacefully, so we won't give peace any longer."

"I don't follow, Your Highness."

"Where is Mister Cabhan hiding?"

"Um... The Lucky Jack, downtown."

"Assemble everyone we can. All those who are not following the disgraced path of Clovis Al-Hariri, that son of a bitch. How dare he betray me... We don't need Al-Ra's the First's royal guard. We still have his strength in numbers. We will surround the Lucky Jack and kill everyone in sight except Mister Cabhan. He shall be left alive as we destroy his empire."

The servant's face showed that he was overwhelmed by that order. "B-But... that's taking on an entire gang single-handedly. We can't possibly do that. It's their turf, so they'll have the advantage. We don't know what security he has. And why on earth would we keep that sinner alive?"

"Because we will set up a live video feed in his office and behead him for the world to see that we, Al-Asheera, have exterminated The Clover Boys. It's a show of superiority, eliminating an enemy and telling others not to come close."

"But The Clover Boys have ties and alliances with several other gangs that could also prove to be threats. The Chinese, the Italians..."

"They will be bugs that we will merely squash."

"Even if hundreds of us are turning their back on Al-Asheera?"

"They can't kill us, slave. Now, are you with me..." All Reeves had to do was let his hand hover over his holster to make the servant look like he was going to shit himself. "Or do I have to find another man to do this for you?"

All the servant could do was nod. This was dangerous, and he had no choice but to go along with it. Al-Asheera versus The Clovers. This wasn't going to end well.

"Once the masses are dead, you will signal me to come inside in the ram's mask, and we will set up his office for the beheading. Got it?"

He nodded hesitantly and fearfully. If Jacob Griffin wasn't enough to make the masses run for the hills, this might be the nail in the coffin.
 
"Joseph won't expose him to anything inappropriate." He said, "They've been playing nice, don't worry. Plus, they've got Jordan with them and they both know about what he's been through, so, I don't think either of them are going to do anything extreme online or elsewhere." He said, "Most they'll be doing is playing games online, but, they've been playing a lot of board games, too, and sometimes just chatting and doing other things. They're being harmless, don't worry." He squeezed her hand. He was doing his best to comfort her, obviously. There was a lot going on right now. "With that being on the internet, don't worry... Things like that don't stay there for long anymore. It's too grizzly. The courts will decide to have it removed. It will take time but they'll stomp out any traces of it that they can find." He said.

"We can all get out of here if we need to. For now, that might be the safest option we have." He said. "It depends on how things unfold." He said, "I'm not sure if we'll be here long but hopefully, wherever we end up, all of us are safe."

He definitely wanted to go with them. All of this time he'd spent with Charlie... Well...

Charlie was a son to him, no doubt. And Nicole was the sort of woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He wasn't going to just give that up. He wanted it to be a reality. He didn't need Charlie for redemption - he needed him because... He loved him, really. He had that attachment, that bond. He and the boy had clicked so well and been through so much together. It couldn't stop here. Life had to go on for them. They had to open Jon's business again, and Charlie had to help them. It was all part of what Jon had told him. He could be part of the business on weekends and during vacation periods, he could learn an honest trade and develop important skills for when he was older.

Yeah. That was the dream.

Other than that, though... Food.

Food sounded good.

"That's a good idea." He said. "Maybe we could eat together, just as the three of us, and talk to Charlie about the future and what might be happening." He said, "Once this mess is cleared up... There's no reason for us not to come back."

Yeah, he definitely had the house in mind.

--

They may not have been expecting an attack, but they were ready for one. In the ganglands, if you refused to meet with a leader, if you refused to have an allegiance, to many of them that meant 'we've got a war in mind so fuck off out of here'. Bradan didn't have a war in mind initially - they could do what they wanted in this town as long as they stayed off of his turf. All properties he owned were heavily guarded by both his men and his allies - they scratched each other's backs, in that sense. Today was your standard day, really. More business to take care of - more drugs being pushed up and down the Californian coast, more businesses being harassed in numerous towns and cities, new members being sought out.

It was a standard day.

As for security, though? The prize headpiece was well-guarded. You had snipers on certain rooftops, you had men inside that potentially went into the hudreds, all armed with anything from TEC-9 submachine guns to fully automatic M4A1s. They had weapons that were military-grade. When you had connections that ran all the way to Europe, the black market was like your second home. Getting hold of these was basically childs' play.

With a war on the horizon? It was going to be an all out bloodbath.

And then the Chinese were going to get involved.

And the Italian.

The Chinese had methods of extracting information just as, if not more, brutal than Bradan.

The Italians had the most lethal and violent methods of execution out there.

.. And it's probably best not to piss off the Russians too much, as well.

All that can be said is this: Good luck.

Getting even through the front doors of The Lucky Jack was going to be a challenge. That whole district of the city just wasn't ready for the hell that was about to be unleashed. It would make worldwide headlines.
 
A Few Blocks Away from The Lucky Jack - 9:00 PM

A war was about to begin in downtown, already declared by Bradan when he refused to meet with Reeves, but soon to be solidified by a brutish move by the leader of Al-Asheera. A full on attack? If shredding an already-dead priest's body on national television and the backlash of the royal guard wasn't enough to line up the members of Al-Asheera to quit or turn themselves in, this certainly would. And already, the masses have been lining up to run while they still could. The numbers of people that Ra's had garnered before, now gone because of the new leadership. Nobody was buying that he was the destined successor, and they weren't willing to try their luck with an 8 year old boy either, it seems. Those hundred reported by the police before had quadrupled so much to the point the precincts were collaborating to equal out the load. This might've been the save of a lifetime: the legions of Al-Asheera turning themselves in en masse. It left police scratching their heads, anti-Al-Asheera vigilantes relieved, and Reeves infuriated. But there wasn't much he could do now. Killing off over 400 people in prison was too difficult. It wasn't like the three men that were held in prison in Philly that Ra's could easily snuff out by paying off a guard. No, this time, he had to assert his authority with the remaining members still prepared to die for him.

And oddly enough, he found the most opportune way to do it was to take a massive dump on the doorstep of Al-Asheera's biggest competition as the dominant gang in the area. Execute the leader, cut off the head of the snake for all to see, even if it incurs the wrath of his successor or his allies. Sure, Ra's wasn't any more innocent and also pissed off Bradan and the Clover Boys, but he never had one of them killed. Hell, the closest he'd ever come to stepping up to Bradan was taking his property for himself, and that included the bombed 7-11/brothel and the street with the Coral Cafe. Kill off the other leader? Ra's wouldn't have deemed that necessary just yet. No, Reeves was going out of his way to make an enemy and ensue chaos for chaos' sake. The question was... how long would it take for him to exhaust every last resource passed down from Ra's to him? Manpower and capital, that is.

He was right: Al-Asheera was changing, and not in the way anyone liked.

Reeves was aware, due to his involvement with the police, that the Lucky Jack was a heavily guarded location. The door itself probably had considerable security, the surrounding buildings probably had either lookout or snipers, and inside was anyone's guess as to what kind of firepower they could expect. Inside was his greatest fear, but the outside was something he could recon and predict how an ambush could go down. And that, he did, and he'd gathered as much of the remainder of Al-Asheera as possible for good measure. They had strength in numbers, but he knew the Clover Boys had the advantage of heavier firepower and this being their own turf. They had to go in quick and strong, take out the resistance - as improbable as it sounds - and capture Bradan alive so he may be beheaded by Reeves. Simple enough?

Not quite. Even the pregame talk with his personal servant proved to show that.

"Y-Your Highness?"

"What, slave?" They spoke in one of 5 other vans on this side of the street, four more waiting on the other side of club. They'd be coming in from both directions of the street to block off the front door. The slave wasn't armed, but Reeves was in his Kevlar suit with a M16 strapped to his chest, but without the ram mask. That was sitting to his left side on the bench to put on when he exits the van. Many other Al-Asheera men were standing a bit closer, but still keeping their distance to advance on foot. He truly was bringing all the power he's got to this fight.

"You sure you don't want to withdraw? Leave Bradan to his peace? He's going to have all of Los Angeles anyway when we leave. Are you sure you want to risk a power vacuum in here caused by your hand? Especially with the bad press surrounding your true face?"

"Heh... the masses shall not see my face, slave. There can be no peace in this city, and after they withdrew from the meet, they've declared war. And we are going to strike first and put an end to it before they even have a chance to consider making a move. Once that happens, we will only wait for the blessed child, and in the execution. I will make it clear to Nicole Griffin that it is in her best interest to surrender her son to our custody. The woman probably doesn't want others to suffer because she was being selfish and wouldn't offer up a sacrifice to let her son ascend to become a god, am I right?"

"Sir, nobody seems to agree. We've lost many men as of today because of what the royal guard have done."

"But we still have many more, no?"

"Eh...." he shivered in his place. "Not as many as under His Majesty Al-Ra's the First."

"We will recruit more in Portland."

"....Maybe. But we are hemorrhaging money and resources more than ever because of your demands. Haven't you considered this will have detrimental consequences for further business? This life... It feels as if Al-Asheera is on life support."

Furious at this form of rebellion, Reeves lifted the barrel of his rife at the slave's face. He instantly froze and threw his arms up to head level. "Would you like to repeat that sentence?"

He shook his head fearfully. "We just have to be careful, Your Highness. This operation... it might kill you."

"At least we will go down making a statement. We won't leave until Bradan Cabhan's head is hanging over the front door of the Lucky Jack by a rusty hook. Am I clear?"

The slave nodded again, then noticed the M16 lower. His hands did the same.

"Good... no more hesitation. The attack vans... they're armored, yes?"

"Plated up with the material we purchased, yes. You said it's bullet resistant."

"Yes. If there are snipers, we'll be able to take a few shots before we get showered. Some of our men will go down as martyrs, but others will make it inside to restrain Mr. Cabhan. Most, I hope. Those snipers... they can pick a few of us off, but we'll be going in with many at once. They won't be able to kill us all."

"And inside?"

"We'll be well armed and many in numbers, so we should be fine. They can strike one, but not all."

Another shaky nod came from the slave. "We're waiting on your orders, Your Highness."

Reeves nodded with a confident grin of his face as he reached by the ram's head and picked up a radio. "Move in."

Showtime...

Four vans from the right side of the Lucky Jack, four from the left, each a few blocks away and around the corner, soon crept out of their resting positions, each plated with bullet-resistant armor, some over the windows, too, and slowly came closer and closer to the club. No going back on what was about to be the most violent shooting this part of town had ever seen. The streets were mostly vacant, but there was an occasional car passing by, and they'd definitely be seen by some bystander watching and calling 911. Not like the police would dare come down here, after all. If Bradan shutting out Reeves wasn't enough of an official declaration of war, eight vans coming up to the front door of the Lucky Jack, cornering and blocking the entrance with each of their vans pulling up over the sidewalk, one van running over one of the guards and sending him over the windshield and over the van, and bullets from MAC-11's coming from the thin lining for windows left over from the armored plates, bullets flying towards the guards, and others back. Men inside the vans felt bullets firing around the vans from more powerful bullets - snipers. How many? They couldn't tell from their position. But this was now or never. They managed to murder a guard on-sight, and bullets were flying. The extra men on foot were coming out of their hiding places and charging for the front door, firing in the directions of the sniper fire, though unable to see the shooters. The cover fire would serve to be enough for some of the members in the vans to crawl out and make a beeline for the club. Hell awaited inside, unbeknownst to Reeves.

...And the leader himself was watching from afar with his slave, driver, and a co-driver/extra gun. Through his binoculars, he could see Bradan's men and his own battling it out, bodies dropping on both sides of the battlefield, and men from the vans crawling out of the doors and the back, climbing over the vans, and making their way inside while the others on foot swarmed and fired aimlessly at the sniper perches and around the entrance and the signs for the Lucky Jack. Breaking windows, shooting at will... screams of the innocent could be heard from those few blocks away Reeves was safely watching from. He wanted chaos? Here it was. It would soon reach the news that a gunfight had broken out between rival gangs, and soon enough, Richie and Heather would know. Tony and Frank would know. Pretty much anyone pursuing either case was going to pay attention.

But this was chaos he'd soon regret. And it all started with the concerns of that one slave by his side. But all Reeves could do at the bloodbath up ahead... was smile.

--

The Jackal's Mansion

And pay attention, the masses would soon do. With the panicked state everyone was in, one of the ways Tony could cope with the guilt and horrid feelings within was focusing on the big picture: Al-Asheera. Sure, they were pretty much a ticking time bomb, but he was one to not take his eyes off the ball. Al-Asheera was prepared to take his life away, as well as his old partner's, and that much he found unforgivable. He had to at least watch them collapse beneath themselves. Especially because Reeves was an old friend... how did this happen? Sam, Reeves... the most wholesome of people could easily be corrupted just like that. He wasn't taking his eyes off the big-screen TV, just watching to see what events would unfold. He'd already been made aware of the royal guard's outburst and the 100+ men who'd turned themselves in a few hours ago. That tally had now increased to over 400, and it only put a smile on Tony's face.

But now... the news shifted to an ongoing incident. Breaking news... Gang activity involving Clover Boys and rival, possibly Al-Asheera, the headline said. He instantly stood up from his cross-legged position and got closer to the TV to watch a bystander's cell phone recording of the incident: the Al-Asheera van running over a Clover Boy guard and beginning the blockade of vans, and a shootout soon after. What was this madness? What was Reeves trying to accomplish by going after Bradan? Was this revenge? But for what? From what he'd seen, Ra's hated his competition but not enough to do this. Reeves, though? What motivation did he have?

Sons of bitches... He told himself as he turned over to his phone. The mansion was far too large for him to go off and try to find Frank, and he was probably tucking Jordan in. Rather than bother the boy with his scarier figure, he figured he'd continue to use those secure phones given so long ago.

"Living room, ASAP. It's about the Clovers, maybe Al-Asheera, too."

That should've been appealing enough for Frank to come running. Al-Asheera might just be beating Frank to his vengeance. Fortunately, the kids were far away from this TV, and Nicole was in the kitchen doing dishes to pass the time. Thalia hadn't come back yet, and he wasn't sure where Karin had gone off to. James...? He didn't even want to bother the man after his little argument with Thalia. That, he left for them to solve.

But it might be his problem soon. Thalia reacted rather overdramatically to Jenny's death. What if she finds out that Tony had executed her? Or that she'd died for his sins?

--

It wasn't just Tony concerned with the coming events. Nathan Hart, Richie's son, against his mother's will, was still watching the news ever so attentively while watching over his little brother, Jonas. Sure, the younger boy wasn't paying attention, but every detail from the royal guard to the shootout? The 14 year old boy saw it all, and had questions. He remembered that stream of numbers given to him in that word document from that James character, and knew he had to learn more. And not just learn, but ask a favor, too.

He called that string of numbers and waited for a reply before his young, panicked, innocent voice began to throw a series of questions at James with no hesitation.

"What's going on? The Clover Boys are being attacked by a rival gang? Is it Al-Asheera? I know they're enemies and all, but this much, to go to war? Does this have anything to do with the royal guard showing up at the hospital earlier? And is my dad going to go after the shooting? He's already hurt.... I... I don't wanna see him get hurt again. Mom said he shouldn't be around a shootout, and she's right. He almost died in that other one... Please don't let him go to the Lucky Jack and try to stop this. Just tell him to call the normal police, please?"

James did give Nathan a solid warning about this life, as a hero. But he refused to accept that. He saw a news report about an attack on a known Clover Boy location by men yelling out chants in Arabic and bearing Al-Asheera tattoos... he couldn't help but pay attention.
 
The Lucky Jack

"What the fuck?" Bradan listened to all the gunshots. It didn't take very long to figure out that they were being attacked, and a quick dive away from the windows was necessary there. He always walked around strapped with armor, but, in his office he had more than just a Kevlar vest and a pistol. He had a whole arsenal of combat shotguns and automatic weapons all tucked away in a closet for a rainy day, and that rainy day was now, it seemed. He quickly opened it up as soon as he was close enough and pulled out his own weapon. He'd picked an MP5. It had a tactical stock, a scope, an extended magazine and AP rounds. The stock allowed for shooting at more of a distance. The gun itself? Capable of shooting 800 rounds p/minute. That's a lot of bullets.

He only had to peek to see that it was Al-Asheera, the people of the almighty, the ones who had now come to find him and presumably hang him up from a streetlight somewhere. Not on his fucking watch.

He looked at Sammy. Sammy who was cowering in the corner, practically.

"Sammy."

No response.

"Sammy! You fuckin'- Listen to me, damn it!"

"What- what, Bradan?" He shakily drew his gun from his shirt.

"Call Chang Bao, let him know we're being attacked." He said, "They've got military grade shit of their own. But they've got better than us. They've got an M60." He said, "Ask them to roll out their armored van. They have the gun in the back, they'll be able to provide something. They'll give these fuckers a taste of their own."

And the shootout began. Chang Boa was the leader of the Chinese Mafia they had operating practically a few blocks away, who was also allied with the Italians, and then the Chinese fella' was allied with a group of Albanians, too. So this was going to be all-out messy. It was going to be a gang war to rival some of the most famous in US History, and the police? The police weren't going to touch it. They'd have to call in the national guard.

But by the time they arrived, it would be all over.

Opening the door to The Lucky Jack would be the biggest mistake anyone could make, though, because as soon as those doors opened, there was a firing squad waiting from all different angles. Fully automatic weapons, an M249 LMG mounted up on the bar in the first room - you had close-range guys with shotguns, you had others who had access to flashbangs and teargas. It was a complete fucking mess.

Bradan, he was into the battle himself, too, and he went around to some of the side doors. He was a fearless man, contrary to belief. It wasn't him that would run off in battle. He got involved, he sprayed and prayed but he could also shoot with near enough pinpoint accuracy. It would be a bloodbath, but, with all the allied forces and Al-Asheera turning basically every gang in the city against them...

It was perhaps obvious who would come out on top.

--

The Mansion

Frank ran through to the living room just as soon as he got that text from Tony. He only had to take one look at the TV to know that it was likely his revenge plans were going straight out the fucking window. He didn't even know that Thalia had gotten him and young Jordan immunity from The Clover Boys. Part of this made him angry. He saw that there was shooting, and a lot of it, and he knew straight away that there was a high chance that the people he was looking for were going to end up dead there. His blood boiled, in fact, but maybe this was a blessing rather than a curse. Maybe he could find out if they did die there, and maybe then he could live a peaceful life with Jordan. Jordan only. He could get out of here and raise him as his own, look after him, protect him. The little guy deserved at least that, didn't he?

"Jesus Christ." Frank said.

He fell onto the couch and leaned back in his seat. "With a bit of luck... This ends here. Today." He said, "Or at least for the most part. Maybe it'll weaken them enough for someone to go in and just finish off the leader, right?" He asked.

Shit.

It was going to be a bloodbath.

"What the hell is Reeves thinking? He's basically gone in there to shit on God's doorstep with... Next to nothing, right?" He said. "Under their old workforce, with Ra's. They could pull this off." He said, "But not now. This is going to be a disaster." He said.

--

James' phone rang.

He answered it.

What the fuck? Nathan?

He rubbed his forehead and listened to the questions. Best to just... Answer whatever it is he had to say. He did say he could call, after all. He thought for a moment and ran all the questions by in his head, and eventually he spoke out.

"No one's going to go near that." He said. "No one's even going to touch it, especially not anyone from the police." He said, "They'll conveniently come by once the shootout's over. Gang wars never end pretty because their allies get involved, too. If the allies of Bradan come in and get into an even bigger shootout, that place is going to be famous." He said. "It's going to go down in history as the most violent gang war to ever take place in the United States. Your dad won't be allowed to go near it. He wouldn't even dream of it." He said. "Don't worry, son. Things are going to be fine." He said.

"With a bit of luck, this will cripple Al-Asheera and you guys can go back to your own house soon. But sit tight. This isn't over yet. I'm going to keep an eye on it and see how much damage Bradan's people can do to Al-Asheera, and from there, the next plan of action can be decided." He said. "Your dad will be home soon, I'm sure. He knows where you are, so, don't worry. He won't throw himself into a warzone like that. The other cops won't let him."
 
A bloodbath, indeed, it was, with the leader of Al-Asheera watching over a few blocks away from a safe distance while his legion of men who weren't as loyal as they were to their past leader fought for their perverted past beliefs. Most had questions in mind about the motives behind this attack... Would Ra's want this? Why would Ra's want this? Why would he want to get a reaction out of their rivals, which he once wanted peace with? A rival he wanted to surrender the spoils of LA to? More importantly, why poke at an enemy with far more allies and far more firepower than them? They might have had them outnumbered, but Al-Asheera was still outmatched. And Reeves saw this from his truck not far away. Many of the underlings were getting picked off before they even crossed the street to the front door. And those that actually made it through the front doors of the Lucky Jack were quick to meet their maker, met with armed men at the door they couldn't tactically and efficiently take down without drawing them out. The fighters on the front lines knew one thing: they'd be dying martyrs for Reeves' perverted agenda... and not a death for their lord and savior.

Then there was the enemy troops from the Chinese coming in and wiping out the on-foot men, shredding them like paper in the form of flesh. The bodies were piling up, mostly Al-Asheera ones, but still getting in the way of the incoming troops. It became a struggle to run and step over the bloodied bodies and getting to the front lines was even more annoying and ran the risk of getting sniped. Al-Asheera was greatly depending on their numbers to serve as a distraction. And in some ways, it worked, as some men had made it by the van blockade and into the Lucky Jack. They went in shooting, but it didn't help too much as they were surrounded either way. Likewise, the bodies were piling up on Bradan's dance floor. Quite a mess to clean up later, but at least none of the brutes were getting far, not even close to capturing the leader and beheading him for some sort of creepy sense of pride, keeping the severed head as a prize and hanging it around as a warning sign.

No reason to fight, no god to fight for, and slim chances of success if they continue... what to do?

"RETREAT! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

That was the sound of one of the van drivers that blockaded the front entrance shouting out to on-foot soldiers charging from their hideouts to the club doorstep. His car was still functional, albeit barely with three out of four tires popped by bullets and the engine sustaining a significant deal of damage and clearly smoking. He was able to begin to back out from his position, thus opening the blockade, and tried to drive away only to be met with a bullet to the chest through the crack in the bullet shields. He was a goner, but he was able to call out for retreat, and the blockade was weakened with one less barrier in the way. The question was, would the fledglings heed his call and escape while they still could? They knew that if they even tried to defy Reeves, they'd face dead... but only if they're caught.

While some were less fortunate, others were lucky enough to still be standing after that getaway driver's life was ended. That... along with the royal guard's surrender... It's not worth it. That was the common thought going through most of their minds. And while some stubbornly persisted and used the opening to the Lucky Jack as a convenience, others... dropped their weapons and ran for the hills like headless chickens. Cowards? More like, smart choice. But these attempts for retreat weren't undiscovered. Surely, the snipers saw a good number of them giving up and making a run for it. So did the onlookers filming and streaming from their cell phones and tablets. Al-Asheera members, on footage, chickening out of a fight. One reason Ra's would've never attempted something like this: it would look bad in the longrun in a situation like this. Another step to Reeves' downfall.

And those running away would never come back to Al-Asheera again. They'd go back home to their families to return to some sort of normality. Go home, get a real job, earn honest money, fall in love, enjoy life... not live on the edge fighting for a false god. At last, the masses were beginning to see the light. And Reeves could do nothing to stop it as he helplessly watched over and grew furious at how he was watching his army of guns turn their backs on him right before his eyes, while he was a few blocks away, too. Inconceivable. Punishments were in order, but unlike Ra's, he didn't know much about any of his underlings... and therefore, he couldn't go after them. This was the dead end he was hoping would never happen. The baby Ra's had raised for two decades... dying in a matter of two days. All those who claimed it wouldn't last under new leadership were right. Al-Asheera was about to go on life support at this rate.

The infuriated leader assembled the ram mask over his face once again, the M16 around his body, and stepped out of the van against his servant's orders, watching as his underlings dashed by his own van running for their lives. And without blinking at all.... He opened fire on his own men. Traitors. He dropped them like flies if they dared get close to him. It didn't entirely halt the exodus from the battlefield, but some of them did turn back to try and fight after seeing their own brothers in arms shot down so mercilessly by the man in a mask from TV. Indeed, Reeves was seen in costume on camera, and it was also about to be made public knowledge that the leader of Al-Asheera was opening fire on his own men.

It wasn't until one confused fellow in the crowd, torn between death and doom, removed his glock from the belt holster, stuck it in his mouth, and ended his own life - not far from Reeves, and also caught on someone's cell phone - that the servant stood from his seat, fed up with the new orders of Reeves, and attempted to stop the madman leader from continuing his rampage before all of his men were completely wiped out. He lifted the similar heavy weapon in his arms and swung at the back of the head of the brute, sending him face-first into the pavement. Before the ex-sergeant could stand up and get revenge, already pissed off beyond reason, the servant looked back and forth and turned his back on the van, likewise, making a run for it. At this point, everyone associated with Reeves and Al-Asheera wanted nothing to do with them any longer. Even the most loyal of servants, making a break while they still could.

Reeves wasn't knocked out, but the blow was enough of a distraction to give the runaways enough time to get out of the firing range and to hide somewhere safe. "Son of a bitch!" Reeves growled as he took to his feet, waving his M16 around to find the man who'd swung at him. Long gone, though. No trace of him, but his slave was no longer in the back of the van. He could also tell the driver was long gone. He must've bolted as well. "DAMN IT! FUCK!" he cursed out loud, aware he was now in the public eye. With that, he had to retreat, but for his own safety. Those most loyal would continue to fight. The cowards would continue to flee, and at this point, Reeves only had one choice left if he planned on getting out of this alive. He scampered to his feet and towards the front door of the van, still intact, hopped in the driver's seat, turned the keys in the ignition, and floored it.

The battle continued, bodies on both sides piling up, men from Al-Asheera fighting to the death and the Clover Boys protecting their turf. This would, indeed, be a historic battle. One Al-Asheera would lose, but the street might just end up a memorial sight at the end of all of this. Two of the bad boys in LA, breaking out into war. Ra's taking a dump on Bradan's doorstep with a simple coffee shop was one thing. This pushed both sides over the edge...

...And Reeves was going to come out of it literally empty. At the end of this, there might just be no more Al-Asheera, but just a renegade Jordan Reeves.

--

Tony nodded as Frank assessed what they were viewing on the television, laying back in his seat. "Old Al-Asheera might've had some success. They had a pack mentality and a sort of loyalty to one another. They'd stay together no matter what in an attempt to worship their leader like a god. But they don't see Reeves as a god. This is a war with no backbone and no purpose besides to shit on their doorstep, and if the whole royal guard incident doesn't throw those sons of bitches off the Al-Asheera bandwagon, this will. Just look. I mean, sure, they're clearly getting inside, but it's a bloodbath on that street. Sickening... fortunately, the only casualties seem to be gang ones, not civilians. Good thing nobody's on the streets at this hour. Guess they planned this way. No killing the innocent, but it's not like Reeves cared at the studio. Oh well...."

The reports on-screen were actively changing with the situation. The fleeing gang members. The footage of Reeves on the streets shooting his own men... the poor guy who killed himself after being torn between two sides. And the news was airing it all as if it were nothing. It left Tony's jaw dropped at how desensitized they'd become. Sure, it was all pixelated at the more gruesome parts, but it was still pretty clear what was going on, and even if it wasn't, the headlines were doing a good job at creating a mental image of the bloodbath.

"No way," Tony scoffed. "The high and almighty Al-Asheera... their masses are making a run for it. They don't wanna fight anymore. They're that done with Reeves that they just don't want to serve him. They're bolting faster than I expected. It may be rather... evil to come off this way, but it seems like the majority of Al-Asheera is gonna end up in a cell, in hiding, or in a body bag at this rate. It's odd saying this, but it's good to know that the old fuck Ra's is probably rolling over in his grave because of this madness. I doubt things would go this far if he were alive."

But the news wasn't just going to stop at the shootout and the madness that was ensuing from it, because the two detectives leading the manhunt for Reeves still had another trick up their sleeves: the smear campaign. While the headlines below continued to speak about the events in Downtown, the anchors shifted to yet another breaking report, one to catch their eyes too. If Al-Asheera wasn't being pinned to the wall by the news before, they'd sure feel the heat with what the reporters had to say...

"We've just received a 911 call from 45 minutes ago from a young woman whose identity is still unknown claiming to see a man in a ram's mask very similar to the one used by Sergeant Reeves earlier today, and seen again with in the shooting. We do warn that viewer discretion is advised, as this recording is very graphic, and the details of the aftermath have yet to be released by the LAPD, but they are making an effort to get to the bottom of it."

And there it was, the very fake phone call Heather had planned out, now in action:
"911, what is your emergency?"
"Ah... Ugh, I just saw the horrible man with the ram's mask on the news. He wasn't in the mask, but they were showing his portrait... H-H approached me in the grocery store a-and..."
"Ma'am, please calm down, tell me what he did. Where is he? What did he do?"
"H-He seemed normal at first, until he began to follow me into the parking lot, and that's when I recognized his face. I-I tried to run... and he started chasing me.."
"Can you tell us where you are? I can assure you, we'll have men there as soon as possible to pick you up."
"He caught me and told me he wanted to lay with me until the end of time. H-He tried to get my pants off... he was getting his own off..."
"We can help you, just tell us where you are."
"I'm... I ran to... I don't know where I am. I just know I was able to break away and keep running."
"Describe your surroundings. That should give us an idea of where you are."
"I see... OH MY GOD HE'S HERE! AAAAAAAAAHH--"

That concluded the call as the dialtone went off. Though completely staged, very few people knew that it was nothing but an attempt to slander Reeves. Tony and Frank could only watch in shock that Reeves had attempted to sexually assault a random woman for whatever sick purposes he had in mind. Whatever it was for motive was yet to be determined, but it did give the impression that just before going after the Clover Boys, Reeves had the intent of abusing a young woman. It only destroyed the imagine Tony had of the sergeant even further. But one thing about the call did irk him...

"That woman's voice, Frank... Doesn't it ring a bell?" He raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I've heard it around at HQ, just not sure where. Maybe one of those secretaries or ladies at the front desk? I have no clue. Just seems familiar."
 
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