Realistic or Modern The City: 1990s Gangs - IC Thread

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 1: Unnatural Habitat
Sunday 7th September 1997
...12 years later...
London, England: Early Evening - Mild, Cloudy, Breezy
Fort William, Scotland: Early Evening - Cool, Overcast, Windy
Manzanillo, Cuba: Evening - Warm, Clear Skies, Breezy

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Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Ezekiel Carter and Trevor Stewart​

Ezekiel Carter was by now a well-known businessman, not only in London but across the country and internationally. Carter Technologies was a renowned business, inventing and manufacturing a whole range of technologies. Not only had he maintained and built upon the stellar reputation in technologies that his father had created, but he'd expanded the business far greater than his late father could have ever imagined. Ezekiel himself was also known as a philanthropist, donating and supporting all kinds of charities, especially in the medical fields. The man's popularity in London was at its highest and he had no intention of allowing that reputation to slip. The latest show of his charitable nature was closing business operations tomorrow, following Princess Diana's funeral the previous day. All but employees such as security and technicians had been gifted with a paid Monday holiday. Unfortunately for some employees, whilst they may have been given that day off, they'd found themselves being called into the office for various meeting today - a Sunday, of all days!

As there had still been some time before Trevor and Abel were due in the meeting room, Ezekiel had taken the opportunity to talk Reign through the recent updates within the business. With him at his side of the large desk in his modern, stylish office, he has Reign sit at the other side. She was his daughter, but in the confines of his office building, she was his employee and as such he preferred to maintain that professionalism. The panoramic windows behind him gave a perfect view of the city, overlooking the city and the Thames River from the 60th floor. Ezekiel was able to look over his city and appreciate the empire he had built. Focusing on business, he moved on to upcoming affairs, briefing Reign, who he expected to be taking notes, and every so often setting out her part to play in each matter.

"Lance Gledhill will be flying over from New York in the coming weeks and we need to ensure every part of that visit runs like clockwork in order to maintain the favourable terms of the contract. He's too valuable to lose," he reminded her. In an official sense, Lance provided vital parts to pieces of medical equipment Carter Tech manufactured and that was integral to production. Off the records, Lance had key contacts within the arms trade and ensuring that smooth flow continued for Bianca to do her job meant the Carters continued to maintain their weapons shipments. Though for all the wealth and power of the great Lance Gledhill, he was a simple man who was driven by sex and Ezekiel had learned the man had taken a shine to Victoria Cavendish, whose escorting services had proved to win the man over on his last visit. Lance had specifically asked for her services again on his next visit, which was why Ezekiel was now particularly interested to hear she had been steered away from Riley's employment by Daisy. He'd put Zachary and Sloane in charge of resolving that and ensuring everything ran smoothly when Lance came to London.

"And finally, it's been brought to my attention that we've got too many people working in the IT offices. I want you to have a meeting with Will and Xavier to discuss getting rid of some of the dead weight - three low-level employees should do it. Xavier is the Head of IT and has expressed he's keen for more responsibility, so you need to make sure he knows it's on him to do the firing," he informed her. If Xavier thought he was capable of more than Ezekiel was already giving him, then he was going to put his son to the test.

On that note, it was time for the main meeting and Ezekiel led Reign into the adjoining meeting room where Trevor was just being shown to his seat at one side of the large rectangular table. Ezekiel and Reign took their seats directly opposite. "I'm glad you could make it," Ezekiel told Trevor. He wasn't about to apologise for bringing the man into work on a Sunday and he hadn't expected Trevor to refuse.

"It's no trouble. Are you both doing well?" Trevor asked, stretching across the table to shake Ezekiel's and then Reign's hand.

"Before Abel is brought in, I wanted to have a quick word about your sister-in-law," Ezekiel informed him. Trevor maintained a neutral expression, despite wondering what Sarah had done or said this time. "She's meddling again. Showed up here hassling me about my interest in Abel's business and Daisy's club. If she comes into this place mouthing off again, she will be put in her place, Trevor. It's only through good will and your valued reputation that I've been patient with her. But if she crosses the line, I won't hesitate to introduce her to Damian and his merry men. Understood?"

Trevor knew all too well how brutally honest and hard to control Sarah was. If the woman had something on her mind, she wouldn't hesitate to say it, and that extended to confronting dangerous people who she knew full well she had no business standing up against. "I'll have a word with her and Phil. Last thing anyone wants is Damian's hospitality," he remarked.

"Sarah is a fiery woman and I like her courage, but she needs to direct it well away from my business," he reasoned. "I've given her and Daisy plenty of chances, but that generosity is wearing thin. You shouldn't even have to deal with covering their backs when I have enough work for you to do."

*****​

Abel had been called earlier that day and asked to attended a meeting with Ezekiel. The Carters had allowed Slate & Co. Construction to continue doing business in the City of London as long as nothing they built, upgraded, or planned affected Ezekiel's own desires for London. There had been times over the years that Ezekiel had thrown his weight around and had Abel compromise with him. Overall, things had been running smoothly between them. Today, however, Ezekiel did have a concern which he wanted to resolve. He'd invited Trevor along to the meeting on account of them being family and the expectation he'd keep Abel sensible.

Upon entering the 62-storey tower block, Abel was escorted to the private elevator by one of the security guards who swiped his ID card and entered a PIN number into a keypad to gain access. When they finally reached the 60th floor, Abel was led out of the lift into a reception area, where he passed through a metal detector and body scanner before being approached by two further security guards who would need to give him a pat-down search. By the time this was all successfully carried out, the security guards had backed off so Abel could be greeted by the charming Will Roberts.

"Abel Stewart. Glad you could make it," Will greeted him with a firm handshake and a smile. "I hope you didn't have too many Sunday plans," he joked, knowing the man had been called in at short notice. Will walked alongside Abel before reaching the corridor entrance to the meeting room and knocking on the door. Once he heard Ezekiel's command to enter, Will pushed open the door and entered the room, stepping aside to allow Abel to follow.

"Abel. Take a seat," Ezekiel said as he stood to shake the young man's hands and then motion to an empty chair beside Trevor. Before getting started, Ezekiel turned to his daughter. "Reign, could you accompany Will to check how things are going at the conference?" he instructed her.

With Reign and Will gone, Ezekiel was happy to address Trevor and Abel himself. "How are you doing, Abel? Family all okay?" he asked, deciding to start things on a pleasant note. "Your wife, Alice is a teacher, if I recall from when I last met you both together. Is she looking forward to a new school year starting tomorrow?" he curiously asked.

@BasDorcha (Abel)

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Will Roberts​

Will waited on the corridor for Reign to leave the meeting room and join him. On the 10th-floor of the building, the medical conference was taking place. Whilst it wasn't specifically related to the technologies development, it attracted academics and the floorspace was often used for all kinds of conferences and exhibitions. Ezekiel wanted this one to go well as there were always some people in attendance who would later wish to do business with Carter Technologies. Whilst he had every faith in Sophie Lambert, the meeting and events coordinator, Ezekiel still knew it would pay to have a Carter work the room for at least a bit. That Carter this evening was Reign.

As Ezekiel's senior assistant, Will had been checking in with Sophie at the conference frequently to ensure everything was going smoothly. With Reign now accompanying him, his evening took an unexpected turn for the better. As they walked towards the elevator and with nobody in earshot, Will turned his head to look to Reign walking alongside him. "Well, my evening suddenly improved," he commented, flashing her a smile.

When they reached the elevator, he swiped his card and entered his PIN number into the keypad. As the doors opened, he stepped aside to allow Reign to enter the lift before following her inside. As he stood next to her, their reflections staring back at them from all sides of the mirrored interior, Will briefly diverted his eyes upwards before turning back to her. "Here I was planning on slacking off all evening..." he joked, given that Reign was his highest superior below Ezekiel. Of course, Reign would know by now that Will was a hard worker and always carried himself professionally. In the confines of the elevator, stood close to such an attractive woman, it was certainly a challenge to maintain that reputation right now.

@Bella:D (Reign)

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry King, Callum King,
and Christian Brooks​

It had never been officially planned and set in stone, but somehow, every few weeks Alex's and May's families would get together for Sunday dinner. This time is was Kerry's turn to host in her family home. Since first falling for Alex, she'd hadn't looked back and now they had two children together, as well as her stepson, Callum. After most of the Kings were gone, things were hard for them, especially Alex who had lost a lot of his family and was suddenly left in charge of the legal businesses the Kings had owned. Kerry had been there to support him through it all and was even manager of one of the cocktail bars now, which she loved. Balancing life between her children and work had been difficult, but she was able to do it and with the support of their extended family there was always help available. Surprisingly, Trevor had proved to be true to his word, not only sticking around in London but also being a committed grandparent to the children in his life. It was why he was invited to the family dinners along with May's bunch. He'd called ahead already to tell her he'd be running late and to start without him as he'd been called into work at the last minute. Kerry was fully aware of the Carters, especially considering they'd been throwing their weight around London for years now, which included demanding they paid a fee for the pleasure of running their businesses in Ezekiel's supposed city. So whilst Kerry didn't like that Trevor was stuck working at Carter Technologies, she understand the difficult position and that when Ezekiel commanded someone to jump, the only question they should ask is "how high?"

As Kerry was setting the dinner table, she listened as Callum and Harrison spoke nearby. Over recent years, her once perfect relationship with Callum had become a volatile one, with the teenager showing resentment and frankly disrespect towards Kerry. She knew much of it was driven through him losing most of his family at a young age as well as for some reason deciding to blame Kerry for Savannah and Alex not being together. There were still moments where her stepson was an angel to her, but that was often overshadowed by the times he was being unpleasant. At least he was playing nicely with his little brother today, which brought a small smile to Kerry's face as she set out the cutlery.

"Harry. I've got an idea," Callum said, beckoning his little brother to come closer. "When Uncle Christian gets here, I dare you to ask if someone brought bacon," he said, grinning as Harrison smiled and quickly nodded his head.

"Callum!" Kerry spoke firmly as she turned to looked at her two sons. "Do not repeat what your brother just told you, Harrison," she said crouching down to her youngest's level to look him head on. "It's not nice, okay?" she asked, to which the boy quickly nodded.

"Ah, come on, Kerry. Take a chill pill," Callum remarked. "It's not my fault he decided to be a stinking copper. Shouldn't even be letting 'em in our house. Trevor would find it piss funny if Harry did say that to Christian."

"Well, your Grandad will be running late today, so he would miss such a comment anyway. Also, you need to watch your language around your brother and sister," she reminded him. Callum rolled his eyes before walking away so he didn't get roped into helping with dinner. Not wanting another argument today, Kerry let him go and instead focused on Harrison, smoothing out his hair that had been messed up whilst he'd be running around in the garden a short time ago.

Able to leave dinner to cook for a while unattended, Kerry left the kitchen with Harrison running ahead to go play in the living room. Kerry stopped in her tracks when she saw Alex in the hallway. Their lives had got busier the moment Alex was left to look after the remaining King businesses in London and it had only got busier since. With the Carters practically taking over the city, Alex and Kerry found they had even more stress in the lives, especially with the pressure to stay in line and not upset Ezekiel. She was just grateful she had Alex and the kids to remind herself of what they were fighting for. "How's it going? Not working too hard, I hope," she asked, leaning in to kiss his lips. "Dinner's going to be ready soon and I'm expecting May to arrive with the others too. Oh, and Trevor's running late. Carter called him into the office. Surely he has better things to be doing with his evening's than holding business meetings."

@Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

*****​

The last week had been another busy one at work. Christian had made some breakthroughs, but there were other cases that hit a brick wall. Despite being confident in his findings and where the evidence led, it was yet again becoming clear this some of his colleagues' loyalties sat with the Carters rather than the citizens of London. Not a day went by that Christian didn't question if it was worth all of the stress of fighting a losing battle, but he always reminded himself that even being able to help just one victim find justice made it all worthwhile, even if in more cases the bad guys won.

As he drove to Alex's house, with May in the front passenger seat and the kids, Jensen and Chloe, in the back, Christian found himself wishing he could have some time at home to switch off. Of course, he'd always liked Alex and Kerry. However, he wasn't overly fond of Trevor, not to mention that Callum made his life hard work, both when he was on the job and when he was sat around the table for a family dinner. In an ideal world, Trevor wouldn't be there tonight and so Christian wouldn't have to put on false pleasantries.

Due to his erratic shift patterns, this was the first time Christian had chance to speak much with May in the last few days. "How was work this week?" he asked her, briefly glancing away from the road ahead to look at her. "You know you can find better, don't you? Away from the Carters..." he trailed off. It was bad enough Trevor was working close to Ezekiel, but having May working in the company the man owned too was often a sore subject. If Christian had his way, the dangerous Carters would all be arrested and their empire demolished.

"I want to be a detective," Chloe spoke up between the first silence, having always been interested in her father's line of work.

"I think you'd be great at that," Christian said, smiling as he glanced to the rear view mirror to see Chloe and Jensen. "What do you reckon, Jensen? Chloe certainly has an eye for details and not much gets past her. Believe me, I've tried," he teased.

@BasDorcha (May, Jensen)

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Zachary Costa and Daisy Richardson​

Earlier in the day, Zachary had been called into Ezekiel's office his boss could instruct him on an errand he needed him to run. Of course, "errand" was a nicer way of putting it. The two men stood alongside each other by the panoramic window as they looked out across the River Thames. "When you collect the payment from Daisy Richardson this evening, I need you to take an extra 10% from her. The insurance and tax she pays me is to secure my permission for her to conduct business in this city." He turned to look the hitman and security guard in the eyes. "It has been brought to my attention that she's been poaching staff from one of my affiliated clubs," he said, referring to Riley's place. "So she will begin to compensate me for the loss of earnings this has caused. "I need you to have a word with Daisy and tell her to keep her nose out. Victoria's services are required for an important client of mine who will be visiting from America. Warn her to back off and if she doesn't listen, be more persuasive in making sure she does."

"I'm sure I can appeal to her sensible nature," Zachary assured his boss.

*****​

Daisy had invited Cassandra and Alice over to her club that evening for some drinks. As the evening got into the swing of things, Daisy was in high spirits and so when Cassandra arrived, she couldn't hide her excitement, giving the younger woman a hug. The fact she was dating Cassandra's brother, Jakob, made her keen to get to know her more. As they waited for Alice to arrive, Daisy stood at the employees side of the bar as she poured her friend a drink. "I hope Alice makes it tonight," she commented. She knew Alice wasn't always big on socialising, especially since learning she couldn't have children had affected the woman's confidence. Daisy was about to continue the conversation when she noticed Zachary and Maverick entering the club. As nice as the man was, for a Carter employee, Daisy knew that Zachary almost never visited her club if business wasn't involved. "Ugh. Hold that thought," she told Cassandra.

Zachary's usual partner in crime was his close friend, Jake Hunter, but this evening he'd been paired with Maverick as they went on a debt-collecting mission of sorts, showing up in various businesses in London to collect what they owed. Now it was time for Daisy's place and Zachary recalled the specific orders Ezekiel had given where this one was concerned. Ideally, Daisy would be smart and just pay up what was owed without a fuss, then he could go about the rest of his night without having done something unpleasant. "This one might take a bit longer than the others, but the boss was very specific about what he wanted, so I'd rather not leave without what he sent us for."

Approaching the bar, Zachary caught Daisy's eye and cocked his he'd to the side, in the direction of her back office. "Mav, keep an eye on things out here while I sort this. Make sure nobody tries to cause any trouble," he told him. With that, Zachary led Daisy towards her own office, leaving Maverick and Cassandra standing next to each other at the bar.

Once they were both alone in the office, Zachary invited himself to sit in Daisy's seat at her side on the desk, making himself at home as he watched her discreetly open the safe. When she eventually handed him the envelope of cash, Zachary pointed to the chair at the other side of the table to instruct her to sit down. Despite his gesture, Daisy remained standing, rolling her eyes as the man began counting the cash. Once he finished, he slotted the notes back into the envelope. "There isn't enough. The boss has increased your fees by 10%. I'll wait here while you retrieve the shortfall from your safe," he said, sitting back casually in his seat.

"Is he fucking serious?" Daisy snapped, shaking her head. "He's not getting any more than that out of me."

Zachary let out a sigh and sat forward in his seat. Ezekiel had told him to make her listen, but he was a reasonable man and he liked Daisy, so he would rather not have to take the violent approach to getting what he came for. "Daisy. You need to pay what I told you and you also need to back off where Victoria is concerned. Her services are required by the boss soon and if you get in the way of that, it won't be pretty."

"I'm not scared of you. Give it your best shot, Zach," Daisy goaded him.

Standing up, Zachary rounded the table and stood in front of Daisy, highlighting their size difference. "If I'm given the order to break your arm or put a bullet in your head, rest assured I will do it. It's how I earn my living," he darkly warned her, despite preferring not to have to resort to hurting her. "And think about your friends and family. Your cockiness could get any of them hurt or killed. Your brother has been a liability for some time and I'll bet he'd be the first to take a hit - don't push your luck on this one. Or maybe those you care about will be spared but this club will be burned to the ground. You'll be left wishing you'd just paid the 10%." Walking towards the safe, he tapped the locked door and flashed a friendly smile. "Get the rest of the money so things don't have to turn nasty. I don't want us to fall out."

OVER TO YOU TWO: @BasDorcha (Maverick) @neverbackdown (Cassandra)
OPEN FOR INTERACTION: Daisy and/or Zachary. Let me know.

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~

Spencer King (Nathan Miller)
and Logan Thomson​

The Loch Inn Pub had not only become Spencer's new home but also his new beloved business. For the first two years since being moved to Fort Willian in 1985, he hated it. He resented everything about the pub and Scotland as a whole. Neither of them were The Royal Taphouse or London, which was enough for him to not to give his new home a chance in those first couple of years. It hadn't helped that for a time he felt out of place and unwelcome; an Englishman shoved in a place where the majority of his customers and all of his neighbours were Scottish. It had been difficult to break that ice and discover common ground. The first real breakthrough had be the day in the spring of 1987 when he'd finally been told Lottie could go home having spent the first few weeks of her life in intensive care on a neonatal ward. It was only then that he realised that those neighbours and customers he'd been keeping at a distance weren't so bad after all, with the well-wishes and gifts he received upon showing his face with his baby girl that day. Since then, he'd only continued to make friends and business associates. Some the relationships were forced, with him playing along to the life he'd built for Nathan Miller. But many, he genuinely liked and the friendships were important to him. None was more important than the relationship with Logan, who had gone from a new employee he took a gamble on, to a friend and now practically family. London would always be his true home, where his heart belonged, but Fort William had become the next best thing.

Having returned from running some errands in the afternoon, Spencer made the mistake of entering his home through the main entrance of the pub. Before even reaching the bar he'd been accosted for small talk and quiet queries on when he was next hosting one of his off-the-records poker nights. He'd then found himself at the bar, where he asked his bar manager, Fiona, to get him a pint of beer. Looking at his watch, he knew he could spare a few minutes before going upstairs where the private area of his home was located.

Fifteen minutes later and Spencer found himself regretting his decision as he stood at the bar, toying with the empty glass in his hand as Gary stood next to him banging on about whatever trivial chatter entered his thoughts. Something Spencer had learned over the years was that the general community liked Nathan Miller because he was a friendly, helpful and patient man. However, as Gary had been talking at him about his new lawn mower and the rusty hinges on his garden shed, the less patient Spencer in him was keen to be freed. "Rusting, you say?" Spencer asked, turning back to face Gary as he forced himself to look interested. He didn't want to upset him. Gary was boring, but he was a nice bloke and didn't mean any harm. His daughter was good friends with Lottie and his son was on the youth football team Eddie played in & Spencer coached. Still, for years Spencer had suffered from chronic insomnia, but right now, he was sure Gary could cure him and send him off to sleep. "I have the the perfect solution for get rid of the rust," he said as he proceeded to explain what the man needed to do.

"You know a lot about chemicals and all that, Nath," Gary said, nodding his head with approval. "It was only the other week you told me I'd been taking my meds all wrong and I've felt spot on ever since following your advice."

"I told ya, mate. I read a lot of books and I was a science nerd in school," he underplayed his qualifications. Spencer couldn't say that he had a degree in chemistry and biology, nor that his real family, the Kings, had owned a Pharmaceutical company in London. As far as the story went, Nathan Miller didn't have those qualifications and he'd certainly not been a part of King Remedial. That kind of knowledge would lead to more questions to which the answers would jeopordise Spencer's and Shona's freedom to watch their children grow up. "You should try reading more, Gary. I read while Rangers are playing, just to make that boring ninety minutes go by faster," he teased, knowing Gary support the Scottish football team, Rangers F. C.

"Every time you say that, I appreciate the Germans more for thrashing your arse last year," Gary commented back, referring to England being knocked out of Euro 1996 by Germany.

"Low blow, Gary. Too soon," Spencer said, feigning upset. "On that note. I need to go see Alicia to cheer me up again. Catch you later," he said, seizing his opportunity to escape. As he walked away from the bar and to the employees only area of the pub, Spencer caught Logan's eye as the man finished serving a customer. In the back office and out of earshot of others, Logan joined him, handing him a brown envelope. Spencer peered inside to see the notes and betting slip copies from the punters. He been running books often over the years and the profits from that continued to grow. "Nice one," he praised Logan for collecting the money. "I'll give you your share tonight, mate. I'm arranging a poker night soon, so make sure you're free."

"I'll make sure I'm available. After I cleaned you out last time, I've got a taste for it. Easy money," Logan teased his friend, flashing a mischievous grin.

"Cheeky fucker," Spencer grumbled in return. "Alright, I need to get upstairs and help serve dinner. Give us fifteen minutes to get settled and come join us for your break. Alicia and the kids are expecting you," he told him.

Spencer unlocked the door that led to his family's home and separate areas of the large pub. As he reached the top of the stairs, he could hear Lottie's raised voice. Suspecting she was having one of her tantrums, he shoved the envelope of money in his coat pocket and headed straight towards the sound of his daughter's voice. He reached the doorway just in time to see Lottie about to throw her empty glass at the television. "Hey! You break it, you pay for it," he firmly told her. The girl was caught by surprise but sheepishly set the glass back down on the coffee table before she could do any damage. This kind of thing was a regular occurrence, with the girl often struggling to contain her frustrations and anger. Seeing the his daughter's irritable expression and that she was taking deep breaths, he stepped into the room and beckoned her towards him. "I've missed ya. Give your dad a cuddle, then," Spencer calmly told her, to which Lottie didn't hesitate to do, wrapping her arms tightly around as he did the same and lifted her a little into the air for a brief time. Settling her back down and releasing her, Spencer crouched down to Lottie's eyes level and rested his hands on her shoulders so he could look her head on. "Now. What's upsetting you, love?"

Lottie let out a frustrated breath through her nose before relaxing her tense shoulders. "I was trying to do the maths questions but I don't understand it. I'm rubbish at maths. I don't want to do it any more. Ever."

"You're not going to give up that easily are you?" he rhetorically asked her, lightly shaking his head as he spoke. He then flashed a smile at her before continuing. "It just so happens that your dad here is great at maths and so I'm going to help you figure out those questions later, okay?" Seeing Lottie smile and nod her head, Spencer could see she was already calming down. "For now, you can watch TV until dinner's ready. We'll look at your maths work after. I was also thinking, if you finish all of the work you mum sets you tomorrow, you can come with me to the gym in the afternoon and be my assistant again while I train. What do you think?"

"Yes please!" Lottie excitedly agreed. Spencer would run it past Shona first, but he was keen to try seeing if letting their daughter join a boxing or karate club would help her relieve much of the aggression the child tended to bottle up. The girl tended to hold it in until she no longer could and then they were all faced with the eventual explosion of her verbal and physical anger.

Spencer made his way into the kitchen and dining room area, finally removing his jacket and draping it over the back of one of the chairs for the time-being. Approaching his wife, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her in close and kissing her neck. "Evening, my bonnie lassie," he playfully greeted her in his best Scottish accent. Releasing her so she could turn to face him properly, he then leaned in to kiss her lips. He'd been in and out of their home all day, running various activities and errands, but now he could settle with his family for the remainder of the day. "How's your day been, love?" he asked Shona as he moved to the sink to wash his hands so he could offer to help finish preparing dinner. He leaned against one of the kitchen counters as he dried his hands with a towel. "I told Logan to come up and join us in a bit, just to give us chance to catch up... I'm going to help Lottie with her maths work after dinner and I thought I might let her come to the gym with me tomorrow. Give her chance to blow off some steam, maybe?" he said, looking to his wife to see how she felt about the second idea.

Spencer proceeded to getting out the cutlery and crockery so he could set the table, speaking all the while. "Where's Eddie at? Getting his stuff together ready to start back at school tomorrow?" he curiously asked. "He was spot on at footy training this morning. I wish the opportunities around here were as good as they are in London. He's better than what this place can offer him," he told her.

After setting the table, Spencer returned to Shona, offering her a warm smile as he admired his queen. "Alright, boss. Where do you want me next?" he asked, offering his help with what still needed to be done.

@Pyroclast (Shona, Eddie)

The Harper Family Home
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~

Adam Harper and Jasmine Zegarra
(Julian Santana and Lana Villanueva)​

When he lost his home, his gym and the job he'd been doing for the Sullivans for most of his life, Adam had been shocked at first. He'd never imagined he'd be able to lead a life without the adrenaline the mob brought him. It was no doubt the fact he was an adaptable and resilient man that made it easier to get used to life in Cuba than he'd expected. Of course, it helped having the most important people in his life there with him the whole time. With his daughter, his wife and his best friend, Adam knew he was fortunate to have them all still in his life after Interpol stuck their big noses in. As time went on, his family had grown, with Elena and Thomas marrying then bringing into the world his two grandchildren. Along with his stepson Collin, and his three godchildren, Adam couldn't have asked for more. Living in Cuba was an added bonus, having always considered the country his second home when he was living in New York or Dublin. The weather was certainly a bonus and he'd made the most of the heat, the beaches, and the parties over the last twelve years.

Today was no exception, with the Harpers, Porters and Zegarras all getting together at Adam's place for drinks. Whilst the children played inside and the the 18-20s did their own thing, Adam, Blake, Chase, Jasmine, Elena and Thomas all sat at the patio table in the back garden of Adam's house having drinks and snacks. If Adam was anything to go by, it would be a long night and he was always happy to be drinking into the early hours, so he half-expected his grandchildren would end up having a sleepover tonight. "I hope Safia's keeping the kids in line. Don't think I won't make Enzo and Maria do unpaid labour to compensate for any mess they make," he teased.

"Good luck with that, Adam," Jasmine remarked, taking a sip of of wine as she sat next to Chase with her head rested on his shoulder. "Even you can't handle the selfish, stroppy teenager that Safi has become," Jasmine said, with a laugh. "Although maybe St. Chase here could have a word with her. Her dad can do know wrong," she said, resting a playful hand on her husband's chest. Whilst Safia came to blows with Jasmine lately, she was fine with Chase.

Jasmine had been used to upheavals and having to change her lifestyle over the years, so other than missing the Callahans immensely, she had managed to get used to her new life in Cuba with ease and along the way had grown closer to Blake and Elena. She'd been most concerned about how Michael would have taken the change. Even though it meant they were removed from the criminal acitivites of the mob, which Michael had wanted, she had worried about him being separated from his best friend Liam and even Father Healy who he'd looked up to as a kid. All in all, everyone seemed to have adapted well and Jasmine was enjoying Cuba just as much as she had all of her past homes.

Adam filled his and Blake's glasses before resting his arm around her shoulder and leaning in to kiss her. "How's it going, love?" he asked, with a wink. Since they first became an item in 1985, Adam's love and attraction for Blake had never faltered. She was his first and only true love, so he savoured every moment he spent with his wife at his side.

Someone else he doted on was Elena and although he was concerned about her relationship with Thomas to begin with, due to the man's PTSD battles, he'd soon come to accept him as being right for his daughter and eventually the man he came to call his son-in-law. As long as Elena was happy, Adam was too, and she seemed to be thriving. "How have you both been? Need any jobs doing around the B&B?" he asked Elena and Thomas. Although he didn't work for the mob anymore, Adam often found other things to keep him busy, usually fixing up cars at his garage and training people at the gym, or in more confidential settings dependent on the type of training. Sometimes that meant he lost track of what his wider family needed from him and he always wanted to be able to spare some of his skills to help with his daughter's business.

@Bella:D (Blake, Thomas) @Pyroclast (Elena, Chase)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray @Bella:D @Pyroclast @Melanin-Gxdess @BasDorcha @neverbackdown​

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 2: London's Burning
Monday 22nd September 1997
...15 days later...
London: Early Evening - Cool, Clear Skies

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"The Big House" - Upstairs Study
(Interpol Main Safe House)
~ Tottenham, London ~

Spencer King and Adam Harper
Charlotte King​

The two weeks since Wesley had shown up on their Scottish doorstep had been difficult ones. For Spencer, the decision to return to London was clear cut. For the last 12 years, he'd wanted to return to his real home, to see his family and friends, and now there was a huge possibility that was going to happen, assuming those people he missed had also opted in. He knew it was all only possible under the requirement for him to help Interpol take down the Carters. He knew already such a mission would come with danger and stress, as his life had been up to 1985, but seeing the rest of his surviving family again outweighed it al.

The hardest part of it all was how the upheaval would affect his wife and children, who of course he was considering even if his desire to to see the rest of their family in London made it seem otherwise. Shona was of course anxious and had doubts about the whole thing, concerned Wesley and the rest of Interpol were lying to him and would trap him into fulfilling the mission at hand. It was a concern of his own and as a man who didn't accept orders from anyone, he wasn't going to let his guard down where they were concerned and would maintain the suspicious mindset he tended to carry towards most people. All he knew for sure, was that opting out of the agreement and staying in Scotland could prove more risky if other members of his family had agreed and were then poking the Carters nest. Were any of their enemies to find Spencer and his family lived alone in Fort William, he wasn't sure he could protect everyone by himself. In London, he had more power, ammunition and the strength in number to fight back. Both paths offered risks, but the decision to opt in was the one Spencer believed gave him the most power and control to protect his wife and children. After sleeping on Wesley's proposal, Shona had agreed to sign the contract, keeping them together and giving them chance to see the rest of their family again. Spencer knew Shona had taken a big sacrifice in agreeing to return to London, and so he'd spent the last two weeks reassuring her. Not only that he would still be the husband and father he'd been for the last 12 years, but also that he would be careful. Whilst in 1985 he'd have jumped head first into danger and taken on any enemy no matter how outnumbered he may have been, he assured her he would be approaching things more level-headed and calculated this time around. He would do everything in his power to make sure he always returned home to his wife and children.

After coming to a decision with Shona, it was then time to tell Eddie and Lottie the truth. They'd always told their children that their aunts, uncles, and other family members had died in an accident. It had been a story that had still allowed their children to know the names and faces of their lost loved ones - the siblings and other family members Spencer had been forced apart from. So last week they'd told them the truth, about how their family was still alive but they'd all been separated by Interpol due to their past crimes. Of course, the full nature of the Kings' past crimes had to be sugarcoated for Lottie in particular, telling her how they'd been thieves and got into big fights, but stopping short of going into the murder and drugs. Spencer strongly asserted how bad his actions had been, that the kids should never think it was something to be proud of, and how lucky he was not to be in prison. He explained to them how there was now a very dangerous group of people in London and Interpol needed him to help stop those bad guys - people who were hurting innocents in the city. Spencer had let them get any questions out of the system. Once Lottie had gone off to bed, Spencer had spoken directly with Eddie, knowing his son was smart and more able to handle the truth than Lottie was. He knew at some point the truth could come out and that it would be hard to deny it to Eddie, so he admitted to his son that he had killed people in the past.

Lottie had seemed to grasp that her father had done bad things before she was born, a little like she'd found out last year that Logan had been in prison for a time. She understood that what Spencer had done was wrong and he had been punished for his crimes, learning to be good, as had Logan. She now understood he was going to London to help stop bad guys from hurting people in his family's home, London, and she saw that as him making up for his past crimes. Of course, she'd had to be carefully assured that she should never steal or lie, even if she might be able to make up for it later in life. She knew her father had done some very bad things, even if him killing people had never crossed her mind, but he was her dad and she loved him no matter what. As long as he was good to her and him moving to London to help the police didn't mean he'd stop spending time with her, she was content. Besides that, she was very excited to meet her aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as to see the palaces and other landmarks that up until now she'd only seen in books or on television.

Logan, who had managed to stumble on the truth rather than being told by Spencer and Shona, had initially been angry to learn the people he'd grown to look on as family had been lying to him the whole time. However, after being sat down and had explained to him why Spencer and Shona had to lie to him, he calmed down enough to think about things clearly. He hadn't been too bothered to learn of Spencer's criminal past, given he'd spent time in prison himself and that he'd been fully compliant in helping Spencer with the odd low-level crime over recent years. It was the dishonesty that had hurt, but he soon came to understand they'd had no choice in the matter, that their lives and freedom were at risk if the truth had been known. So after a night to sleep on it, Logan had returned to the pub to speak with Spencer and Shona. Spencer had been glad that the younger man was understanding as the last thing he wanted was to end things on bad terms and to lose someone he now considered family. Even better was that Logan expressed his desire to join them in London. Logan had already expressed his intention to leave Fort William and the bad memories he associated with the place, which had left Spencer and Shona sad to learn he'd be moving away from them. But the move to London would not only ensure Logan could remain with them but he could also have a fresh start away from the place where he'd lost so much and tried to end his own life. Spencer hadn't resisted Logan's request to join them in London, but he had warned him he had to follow the rules and not take any stupid risks, not even to protect him and Shona.

With the decision made, Spencer had to make last minute plans to remove him and his family from Fort William. He'd informed the school, football team, and the gym he helped out at that the family had to return to London for personal, family matters. He'd also left Fiona in charge of the pub, giving her the same reasons. He didn't expect to return to Fort William, but for now, it was easier to say a family emergency had come up and to make things more final later so as to avoid any unwanted questions.

******​

The family had made it to the outskirts of London a couple of days earlier, being put up in a hotel for the time-being, so not going near the city yet. It was there that Spencer and Shona had finally been able to see Bruce, Alex and Billy again. Spencer was even now still trying to convince himself it was all real, that they weren't suddenly about to be torn apart again. It made it difficult to fully open up and commit to feeling emotional about the reunion he'd been waiting 12 years for. He could at least take warmth from seeing Eddie and Lottie finally getting to meet their cousins. Other than Callum and briefly meeting baby Charlie, Spencer found himself having to get used to meeting his nieces and nephews for the first time, and he was aware he had a couple more to meet where May was concerned.

Today, they'd been driven from the hotel to the Interpol safe house on the outskirts of London, where the heads of both the Kings and Porters were to meet, along with other meetings going on between various gang members. There was some time to spare before the meetings began and Spencer spent most of it close to Shona, reassuring her he was going to keep his head switched on and make sure they weren't committing to some kind of suicide mission.

As he was about to head to the meeting room, Lottie approached him, rubbing at her head in an irritated manner. When she reached him, she looked up to him and he could immediately see looked overwhelmed. Despite up until that point being happily working the floor chatting to her various cousins and eagerly trying to find out if any of them liked the same music as she did, it had clearly suddenly caught up to her that a lot was going on. Sitting on the nearby chair so he was more on her level, be beckoned her to standing facing him. "Listen, Lottie. I need to go to an important meeting now. The boring kind," he said, making sure she knew she couldn't join him. "What are you going to do while I'm in the meeting?" he firmly asked her, giving her the chance to decide before he decided for her. Whilst there were times he needed to treat her more gently than he would Eddie, Spencer believed in being firm for the most part.

"I don't know. There's too many people around and it's giving me headache. And you said I couldn't go run around outside," she complained.

"You remember what Bucky looks like, don't you?" Spencer asked, to which she nodded. He then pointed in the direction he'd last seen his nephew in. "If you head that way, I think he found a quiet place to read his book. You could go there and play on your Gameboy. Maybe you'll both even feel like talking. If you go take a break there, I'll come find you after my meeting." When his daughter nodded in understanding, he gently squeezed her shoulder before she headed off to find her cousin. Spencer had spoken with Bucky already, but he'd yet to properly catch up with Jeremy since getting to the safe house. Something about losing Harper during the time the family was split made it seem harder, as if spending time with Jeremy was going to drag up the grief he'd locked away some time ago. That, and perhaps the fact the man was working on Interpol's side of the arrangement created an unspoken barrier too. Would they even know each other at all now?

Spencer had to push aside any personal feelings and put his head back into business as he approached the upstairs study - the makeshift meeting room - slowing down as he noticed Bruce and Alex making their way there too. "Just like old times, huh?" he flatly greeted his uncle and brother as they headed into a business meeting - something they hadn't done together since 1985. When they entered the room, Spencer nodded in Klaus' direction. "Evening," he greeted the meeting's host. As far as Interpol agents went, Klaus was the one Spencer held some respect for, which had been the case since the man first reached out to him when Lottie had been born. Shona had checked into a psychiatric hospital and his premature daughter's life had been hanging in the balance. Klaus had provided Spencer with much needed assistance to get through those tough days.

When the three Porters entered, Spencer studied them for a moment. Shortly before everyone had been shipped off and separated by Interpol. the Kings and Sullivans had formed a truce. That trust would surely work favourably now, especially as Spencer saw Syd entering the room with Adam and Roxie. Before any awkwardness could infect the air, Adam stepped forward and firmly shook Spencer's hand, then moving to do the same with Bruce and Alex. "You're all looking fit and well. And I know which of us have been out in the sun," he commented, pointing to Bruce who was looking the most tanned of the Cockney bunch. "Alex, how's the kid doing? I suppose Callum's not much of a kid by now, though..." he trailed off, having last seen Callum when the boy was four.

"Oh yeah, some of us weren't sent to the beach," Spencer sarcastically joked, as he pointed between Bruce and Adam, who had both been lucky enough to have been living in warm countries for the last decade or so. He then turned to Syd and Roxie, reaching out to shake each of their hands. As far as he was concerned, they'd left on good terms in 1985 and now more than ever they all needed to strengthen that if they were going to be working together against the Carters. "Are you both well?" he asked knowingly asked them, figuring they all had the effects of Interpol in common over the last 12 years. He then moved to take his seat at the table, with Bruce to his left and presumably Alex at sitting at their uncle's other side. Waiting for the Porters to do the same, Spencer wanted to address what was immediately on his mind. "Ain't Conor joining us then?" he asked of the former mob boss. It was said in a curious, perhaps concerned way, rather than in any kind of negative sense. The pair had rarely seen eye-to-eye back in the day, but Spencer had been up for making sure he and Conor had put all of that behind them now they were fighting the same battle.

@Bella:D (Klaus, Roxie) @Pyroclast (Syd, Bruce) @Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

Arthur's Steakhouse
~ Hackney, London ~

Zachary Costa​

The white van, carrying the emblem of an electrical repairs company, pulled up a few buildings before the intended location on the quiet street. The driver remained in the vehicle whilst the five masked and armed figures climbed out from the rear of the vehicle. Amongst the group were Zachary, Jake and Julia, along with two additional gang members - one of which carrying a jerry can whilst the other an holdall containing further ammunition. In the darkness of the evening, they rushed towards the steakhouse that was attached to the three-storey building that housed around 30 hotel rooms. The hotel and restaurant both belonged to Noel Farringdon, the man who was the main target of the night's mission. They'd been given the order to kill Farringdon and all of his family at the table celebrating his birthday that evening. Once the targets were taken out, they'd been told to set fire to the restaurant, to remind any other competitors of the Carters to back down. Posing as one of the regular diners, they'd had a man on the inside who confirmed moments earlier that all targets were in place around a large round table.

As they'd rushed into the restaurant, one of the gang members bolted the exit shut and maintained his position in front of it, whilst the other guard blocked the second exit. Before anyone had even spoken up, fearful screams and chatter began to fill the room. "Everyone! Be quiet and remain in your seats!" Zachary's voice boomed out beneath his mask." All the while, his eyes were fixed at the table, noticing Noel's brother stand up whilst reaching for his own handgun. Without hesitation, Zachary fired two bullets into the Farringdon sibling's skull from his AR-15. This caused more screams, especially from the children in the restaurant. The innocent diners weren't on Zachary's hitlist, so he wasn't about to start gunning them down, not when he had a table ahead of him with 15 members of Farringdon's family and close advisers to put down. As he counted the heads, noting Noel's wife, young adult sons, remaining brother, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and close advisers, it soon became apparent that Noel himself was no longer at the table, with the empty spot being the dead giveaway.

Zachary lightly shook his head before turning to Jake. "Check the kitchen and make sure all of the staff are brought out here where we can see them," he instructed his close friend. He then turned to Julia and nodded for her to prepare to use her own weapon. "For every minute Noel Farringdon doesn't show his face, a member of his family will be killed," Zachary informed everyone, expecting wherever Noel was, he could hear them. He wasn't about to start checking under table for him. Despite the fact all around the table would be getting killed that night, Zachary decided to use them as leverage for the time-being. "His cowardice will cost the lives of his loved ones." He then pointed to the large gold clock on the wall. "It's already been a minute," he added, expecting Julia to take her first shot.

@Bella:D (Julia) @neverbackdown (Jake)

The Laundrette
~ Hackney, London ~

Daisy Richardson and Damian Nicolosi
Justin Richardson​

Since Zachary had visited her two weeks ago and passed on a warning from Ezekiel about not getting in his way, Daisy had refused to back down. Victoria was her friend and she didn't like to think of her as being abused or taken advantage of. Despite her best efforts to give her friend plenty of shifts so she didn't have to sell her body, Victoria had told her it wasn't enough to survive. So when one of Ezekiel's men showed up at the club last night and commanded Victoria to take the job that she'd been requested for, the escort didn't put up a fight. Daisy had protested on her friend's behalf, but in the end had no choice but to back down.

Tonight, Daisy wanted to switch off from work and from the drama the night before. She and Jakob had gone to her club to start out with before no doubt moving onto a club she didn't own. Standing next to her boyfriend at the bar, she took a drink of her Mojito before setting it down and looking at him. "You're looking hot tonight," she told him before moving in to kiss him. "You know. I was thinking, maybe you could take me for a spin in your car. Get the adrenaline going for the both of us," she suggestively told him. "Plenty more time afterwards for drinking."

Regardless of her answer, Daisy cleared her throat and turned serious for a moment. "Oh, and just a heads up... Your mum and me got into another slanging match today. She got wind that some of the Carter guys had been in and out of this place lately then told me not to go letting Cassie drink here if that's the case. Well, I told her Cassie is old enough to make her own decisions and it kind of blew up from there. She was so pissed off," Daisy admitted, but let out a laugh nonetheless. By now it was nothing new, but she was aware it put Jakob in an uncomfortable position at times. "I swear I won't drag it out too long this time, but it would be great if she apologised first this time."

Before they could do much else, a heavy set man in leather jacket approached them. Daisy recognised him as one of the Carter-affiliated thugs she'd seen around the area many times before. "You two need to come with me." As Daisy defiantly folded her arms, the man drew both of their attention to the gun he had holstered at his waist. "This doesn't have to get messy. It's just to talk and then you're free to continue with the rest of the night. I'll follow you both out of here and you'll both get into the back of the car that's parked out front. No funny business. Are we clear?" he asked, looking to Jakob as he hoped at least one of the couple would be cooperative.

*****​

In the late afternoon, Ezekiel and Abel had met at the construction site where the new research lab was going to be built. He wanted to go through the plans whilst on site. The meeting had gone well, with Ezekiel happy with the paperwork and floorplans so far. Granted, the schedule he had set would have come across as strict to Abel, but Ezekiel was very firm in his timescales and his expectations Abel would make it work.

After the meeting, Ezekiel had Abel join him in the back of his car so they could presumably return to the city centre where their meeting had begun before Ezekiel insisted on conducting their discussions on site. With the driver and a member of security in the front of the vehicle, Ezekiel continued speaking with Abel during the drive. Although it was dark outside, it would soon become apparent that they weren't heading back towards Carter Technologies, but instead into Hackney. The car eventually pulled into an empty parking spot outside a row of small shops and businesses that looked to have closed for the day.

"There's someone inside who I need you to go speak with," he said, pointing to the laundrette. Usually, that business would likely still be open, but this evening the metal shutters were down, covering to front window. Regardless of Abel's response, the guard from the front passenger seat had already climbed out of the car and had opened his door for Abel to get out. "I'll check in with you tomorrow," Ezekiel told the young man, making it clear he had no choice but to accompany the guard into the laundrette.

Entering through the side door, the armed guard motioned for Abel to sit on one of the plastic chairs that was lined up in front of the blocked out window. With the guard standing by the door to keep it secure, a dark-haired man, dressed all in black, stepped into view from the back room. Tapping the round glass window of each washing machine as he passed them by, Damian soon stopped in front of Abel and sent him a bright, yet sinister, smile. "Abel Stewart. I've seen you around but we've never spoken," he said, his voice calm yet calculated. "Have you built anything worthwhile lately?" he said, visibly rolling his eyes as if his own small talk was bothering him. He then made a point of looking at his watch. "Your brother and that girlfriend of his should be here any minute. Then we can get this chat over quickly and I can enjoy the rest of my night."

@Melanin-Gxdess (Jakob) @BasDorcha (Abel)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray @Bella:D @Pyroclast @Melanin-Gxdess @BasDorcha @neverbackdown​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 3: Joining Forces
Friday 3rd October 1997
...11 days later...
London: Afternoon - Dry, Cool, Overcast
Dublin: Afternoon - Dry, Cool, Sunny

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En Route to Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Spencer King​

Since returning to London, Spencer had barely had much time to himself to relax. It was a stark difference from the years spent living in Scotland where he'd been wishing for more excitement and action to keep him on his toes. So whilst he was presently being pulled at from all sides, he wouldn't change it to return to sleepy Fort William. Besides, he was sure once everyone was settled things would become more controlled and opportunities for more breathing room would arise. Although there had been a lot to get through in terms of business and the mission against the Carters, much of Spencer's time had also been taken up on a more personal level. Between catching up with family and friends, he'd also needed to make sure the house was up to scratch for him, Shona and the kids to settle into. He still had his remaining beloved businesses to check in to, but getting his home back and being able to step foot on London soil again had been enough to fill in the piece that had been missing in his heart for so many years.

The last couple of days had given Spencer the opportunity to revisit and once again put away the traumas of his past. He'd visited the cemetery to pay his respects to his mother and to Harper. Of course, they would always have a place in his heart, but he was no longer a man who allowed his grief and trauma to control his emotions. It was also for that reason that he'd been open to speaking with Trevor last night. Although Spencer had agreed to give his father a chance when they last spoke in 1985, he'd never been able to forgive him or really believe the man had changed as he had been made to leave London before he could witness any proof. This time, their talk seem more optimistic and Spencer did now believe Trevor had changed. Not only that, but the man was now on the same side and a crucial part in helping take the Carters down. He wasn't ready to address Trevor as his father, and not quite ready to let the man spend time with the kids, but Spencer was now open to the idea that one day things could be better between them. As long as Trevor didn't fuck things up.

Although even in Scotland Spencer had taken on plenty of jobs and social responsibilities that took him away from the kids, his time away from them since getting to London hadn't gone unnoticed. Weekday evenings in particular had routinely been when Spencer was able to devote some time with his family doing normal things. With so much going on now, that time had become extremely limited and Lottie had expressed her irritation a couple of evenings ago when her father had to cancel training her in boxing again. His daughter wasn't one to hold back on her frustrations, so Spencer got the message loud and clear. Therefore, after some boxing first thing in the morning today, he'd then taken the kids across to Victoria Park, along with Shona and Logan. It was a location he loved as it was where he'd spent much of his outdoor time as a child. As he was for now trying to keep a low profile, he'd kept his head down much of the time in the park and invited Logan along as a newcomer to London so he could put himself in the centre of the action when it came to kicking the football around with Eddie. Soon Spencer's presence would become known to old friends and new enemies alike, but for now, he was happy to cling on to the anonymity for as long as he could. As he sat on the bench in a quiet area of the park, with Shona at his side, he watched as Logan and Eddie played, with Lottie bringing it upon herself to referee and boot the ball back into play whenever the opportunity arose.

Despite everything that awaited them where the Carters was concerned, Spencer absorbed himself into the moment. He had the rest of his family back and was even making progress with Trevor, but more than that, the very sight of his kids playing in his favourite park and with Shona by his side was something he would never tire of seeing and would commit deep into his heart. Of course, that time eventually had to come to an end as after they'd had lunch, Spencer needed to tend to business and Logan had to go train.

If anyone had told him a few weeks ago that he'd be not only leading the King family but also working directly with the Irish Mob, Spencer would have laughed in their face and suggested they seek psychological intervention. Now, however, Spencer was not only in charge of the family business but that afternoon found himself on his way to meet with Syd Porter - the same man who at one point had been an enemy and someone he had been directly at war with. If the two men were going to work well together, they needed to get to know each other and forge a healthy working relationship. Given that Syd wasn't too familiar with London and Spencer needed to reacquaint himself with his home, this seemed like an ideal opportunity to spend some time on the job with the Irishman.

Getting out of the car, Spencer approached Syd and reached out to shake the man's hand. "How's it going?" he asked in a friendly manner. "Are you and your family feeling at all settled?" He looked over his shoulder, noticing the vehicle parked nearby with who he figured was Porter security seated inside. This time around, he knew that security wasn't there to keep him away from the Irish, so he wasn't concerned by their presence.

Before getting into the car, Spencer decided to brief Syd on his plan so the man didn't feel trapped in the situation. "I've got a route around London planned out, where I can show you the locations of the King bases and the safe houses Interpol set up. We will make sure we're clear on the danger zones - the heavy Carter operated areas. There's also some businesses Alex and the Stewart side of my family have held on to, which I can point out to you. A week or so ago, Daisy, my cousin's girlfriend, was attacked and her brother was murdered by the Carters. We've gathered one of Gabriel Moretti's old psychos has joined the Carters and was leading that one. Damian?" he asked, figuring Syd knew the name and possibly the face too. "Daisy has a nightclub in London and therefore it's one considered a protected business under our scope. I'm told she'll be there today, so I figured we should stop by and take a look at the place. Identify how secure we can make it and I hope to reassure her too. I've never met her before, but she's a part of the family now," he reasoned.

After a moment for Syd to take in the information, he looked straight at the man, trying to see how he felt about the afternoon they were about to spend in each others' presence. Even when he was Bruce's second-in-command, Spencer had always found it easy to command and control others, giving out orders and making sure people did as instructed. Given that Syd was his direct counterpart for the Irish Mob, he knew it wasn't as straightforward as commanding him and this needed to be a mutual agreement. "Got any requests or concerns of your own? We ain't exactly worked together before, so I know we need to figure out how to do it now. I wanna make sure we're on the same page and able to work well together," he sincerely told him.

@Pyroclast (Syd)
(Will later join Daisy, @Pyroclast (Dion), @Bella:D (Julia)

Warehouse 0517 (Training Centre)
~ Lower Clapton, London ~

Dermot Murphy and Lucas Sullivan​

Lucas had been thrilled to finally catch up with his cousins and childhood friends. He'd been especially happy to see Collin again. Despite having not seen each other since they were kids, it felt so easy to be around him and he was looking forward to the opportunity to pick up where they left off with their friendship. Of course, he couldn't deny that he felt a strong physical attraction to Collin, which made matters more interesting. Deep down, however, he knew he couldn't follow up on those kinds of feelings. Having not seen Collin for twelve years, he didn’t know his friend was also gay, and whilst he didn’t like to make assumptions, he was sure his friend was attracted to women. Still, those thoughts did little to shut down his feelings for Collin.

After arriving in London, Lucas had managed to reunite with his sister, Melissa, and be the one to tell her and Robert that their fathers were still very much alive. He wasn't at all surprised Melissa had pursued her career in the medical field and thought he didn’t consider his achievement nearly as big as hers, it was cool to know they’d both followed medical-related careers.. Until he could figure out his own living arrangements, Lucas was glad his sister had offered for him to move in with her for the time-being. Whilst he missed Finn and George greatly, Lucas was loving being around his friends and other family members in London. The only thing he was secretly apprehensive about was his agreement to help out with the mission to take down the Carters. He wanted to support his family as best he could and was up for the risks involved, but at the same time, he couldn't help but take some of what Liam and Michael had said to heart, especially as he remembered clearly how his family had been affected when Sinead had been stabbed.

Lucas was no stranger to intensive training, but that was more along the lines of the fitness and safety training he'd been put through to become a lifeguard. Today, he found himself entering the building to a secret training facility for firearms training. Funnily enough, on the face of it, this was the exact opposite to saving lives. After being led to the underground shooting range, Lucas took a seat on the bench near to where the guns and targets could be seen. When Collin and J.J. arrived, he rushed to his feet, smiling brightly at them. "Long way from toy guns and water pistols, right?" he cheerfully told them, remembering the games they played as kids. Once again, his thoughts were drawn back to Liam and how as a kid his cousin had even been against playing with toy guns. Shaking off those unwanted negative thoughts, he made a point of looking over his shoulder to the nearby weapons. "Are you both looking forward to this?" he asked.

Soon enough, the three of them were joined by the familiar man, Dermot. After spending the last twelve years working underground and dodging the radar of cops and Interpol alike, he was glad to be back in the centre of some real excitement. Granted, he hadn't been overly keen with the idea of working for Interpol, wondering if it went against his own chosen set of morals. Interpol surely belonged in the same shitlist as cops and politicians. Soon enough, he reasoned that if it meant he was supporting the Irish Mob and his old comrades, he was willing to throw aside what little morals he bothered to have anyway. If any of his friends were to die in this war, he’d rather have been fighting by their side and putting his all into supporting them.

With Adam having taken on the role as Syd's right-hand man now, and the Zegarras busy elsewhere, Dermot had stepped in to deliver firearms training to some of the recruits. When he entered the shooting range, he was surprised to see the three young men there. He was aware of who he was training in advance, but it was more of a shock to see the three lads all grown up now. "Shit. Now I do feel bloody old. Weren't you lot still pissin’ in potties when I last saw you?" he exaggerated. He then went on to give each of them a firm handshake. "It's good to see you all again," he told them.

Once the introductions were over, he instructed them to follow him to where various types and sizes of firearms were hanging on the wall. Stopping and turning to face the group, he carried a serious expression. "Before we start. Have any of you lads fired a real gun before?" he asked, first looking at J.J. for an answer, then to Collin and Lucas.

@Bella:D (J.J., Collin)

Warehouse 0517 (Training Centre)
~ Lower Clapton, London ~

Hendrik Janssen
ft. Olivia McKinsley​

Since moving to London with Billy and Charlie, time had flown by in something of a blur. Hendrik had met so many new people over the last two weeks that he'd started to struggle a little to remember everyone's names and if they were with Billy's family or the Irish family. Despite his introverted nature, he felt he had been able to keep up with all of the interactions and be confident around so many new people, especially as he wanted to make things go smoothly for Billy's sake. Of the names and faces he made sure to remember, he had by now at least become familiar with Billy's siblings and their partners. One of the stranger introductions had been to Billy's ex, Erik, but again, Hendrik made the effort for Billy's and Charlie's sake. Although he was certain he didn't need to be concerned about Erik's presence, Hendrik would be lying if he said he hadn't felt out of place and overlooked on occasions where Billy and Charlie were concerned. Given that they were catching up with their loved ones after so many years, Hendrik reassured himself that he had nothing to worry about and his boyfriend just had a lot going on at the moment.

As it happened, Hendrik somehow ended up with plenty going on for himself in London. It had been during an introduction to Alex and Kerry that he'd ended up being offered some shifts as a chef of one of their restaurants. He had yet to start that job, but was excited to put his culinary skills to work again, having been worried he'd have to leave that behind when he moved to London. That wasn't the only work he'd agreed to. Although he hadn't intended to move to London to help with any criminal activities, Hendrik had somehow found himself accepting the offer of working with the gangs and Interpol to deliver training to their members and their allies. He wasn't actively going out breaking any laws and he knew Billy, along with his family and friends, needed to be in good physical shape if they were going to help take the Carters down.

Hendrik had arrived at the facility earlier than the sessions had been planned for, wanting to finish setting up the equipment and get in some workouts of his own given that his routine had been disrupted over the last couple of weeks. It was during that time that he met Olivia McKinsley, a fitness instructor related to the Sullivans. It wasn't just being in the same professional field they had in common as he soon learned she was half Dutch. As she helped him set out the equipment and he then assisted her with some weight training, Hendrik enjoyed being able to have natural conversations with her in his native tongue.

As time drew in for them to deliver training to the groups they'd been assigned, Hendrik brought their own impromptu training session to an end. "Ik zie je later, Olivia," he said, smiling at her as she left him alone to go find the group she would be training in self-defence. As he turned away from the blonde woman, he saw Billy approaching. When his lover reached him, he placed his hand on his shoulder and moved in to kiss him, taking advantage of what little time they may have alone. "Are you ready for your training, Billy?" he playfully asked him. "I think I should be treating everyone in the group equally. But you'll be my favourite student today, let's keep that as our secret," he teased. Despite being fully aware Erik was one of the others joining them, Hendrik wasn't dwelling on that fact. That part of Billy's life had been a long time ago and this was all professional. He would treat Erik as he would Raphael or any other person he was being paid to train.


@Pyroclast (Billy, Raphael) @Melanin-Gxdess (Erik)

The Brooks' House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

As supportive as Interpol had been over the years, Trevor couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and greater hope now that Spencer and the others, along with the Irish Mob, were back and on board with the mission to take down the Carters. Things had seemed desperate before two weeks ago, but after Daisy's brother, Justin, had been murdered and the attack on the Farringdon's the same night, the urgency had shot up. Trevor had been unable to provide the Stewarts with enough in terms of reassurance he could protect them, but now he felt like there was an extra level of protection. He was experienced enough to know things were going to get more dangerous, people were going to keep getting hurt, but now be believed his family had a fighting chance against Ezekiel in the long run.

Over the last few days, he'd managed to have constructive talks with but Bruce and Spencer, which was certainly a boost. He wasn't about to get ahead of himself, but he had a feeling that one day his eldest son would let him back into his life and then he could finally get to know more of his grandchildren.

One relationship that showed no sign of improving was the one he had with his son-in-law, Christian. Things were at an all-time low between them and presently, Trevor didn't believe he was the driving force behind the latest tensions. Christian was clearly irritated with his father-in-law and did little to hide that fact. Although he didn't want to cause waves for May and the kids, Trevor was honestly past caring about what Christian thought.

When Chloe had been sent home from school early the previous day due to illness, Trevor offered to look after her today whilst May and Christian were at work. Having worked overtime during the week, Trevor had already been granted the day off work by Ezekiel. Although it had been May who he'd seen when he went over to the house to stay with Chloe that morning, it was Christian who returned home first that afternoon, having finished his shift at work. Other than Trevor updating Christian on how Chloe was feeling, the conversation had been blunt and abrupt. The fact the child was sleeping soundly on the sofa was likely partly the reason why no frosty words were exchanged between the two men.

Trevor had been happy to get out of the Brooks' house once Christian was home, with too much on his mind to get into any debates with his son-in-law. As he reached the bottom of the driveway where his car was parked, he saw a woman approaching the Brooks' home. It took a moment for him to realise the woman looked familiar and even longer to piece together why. He hadn't seen her since the day he'd walked out and left over 30 years ago. He wasn't quite sure how he felt in that moment. With everything else going on around him, he wasn't quite sure how much more drama or chaos he could take. Regardless, the woman was there in front of him and was clearly heading to see their daughter. He knew he couldn't just walk away this time. "Kathleen?" he asked, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here? I mean... how are you doing?" he asked. After him ditching her all of those years ago, but it being many many years ago, he wasn't quite sure how she was going to react to him now.

@BasDorcha (Kathleen)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray @Bella:D @Pyroclast @Melanin-Gxdess @BasDorcha @neverbackdown​

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 4: We Are Not the Same
Monday 13th October1997
...10 days later...
London - Most Scenes: Evening - Cold, Dry, Clear
London - King Remedial: Late Afternoon - Cold, Dry, Clear

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INSERT BANNER IMAGE
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King Remedial
~ City of London, London ~
​

Ezekiel Carter and Spencer King

The news about the Kings and the Porters apparently rising from the dead to show up in London had been quite the surprise to Ezekiel. The development didn’t scare or worry him, but he was wise enough to know he needed to step up his game and tighten his regime. One of the first people he’d turned his attention on was Trevor. Even after Spencer had as good as severed ties with Trevor and roughed him up as a bonus, Ezekiel still had to wonder if Trevor had known Spencer, Bruce, and the others had been alive all along. After enough of an interrogation, Ezekiel believed Trevor had only just learned the truth too. After the man had convinced him of his loyalty to the Carters, Ezekiel had assigned him some full-time security around his home. Whether it was for Trevor’s security or so he could keep a close eye on the man, Ezekiel hadn’t completely decided just yet. He knew better than to fully trust anyone, especially a man who was blood-related to his newest opposition.

Whilst Damian was on a job to secure Abel’s loyalty and Trevor sent out to give Christian his final warning, Ezekiel was preparing to pay a visit to Spencer himself. He’d been made aware of Syd’s presence at Daisy’s club over a week ago and knew the man’s place in the Irish Mob. For now, he was focused on scoping out Spencer and where he stood with the Kings. Given that he’d taken almost all of the business the Kings had left behind, along with asserting his control over members of Spencer’s own family, he had no doubts the meeting would be anything but agreeable. Besides, he intended to make sure Spencer knew his place in London now was no longer anywhere near the top!

Ezekiel wasn’t afraid to step into the Kings’ property to conduct his meeting, but he also wasn’t stupid enough to give Spencer time to prepare for his arrival. He would afford him the comfort of being in his own office, but was going to even out the playing field with the element of surprise.

Walking with Reign at his side, Ezekiel strode into King Remedial with a strong sense of confidence. “It’s showtime,” he told his daughter, flashing her a smile. He had no doubts she would thrive in such a meeting and she’d been his first choice to accompany him. When he reached the reception desk, he smiled at the familiar young woman who greeted him. When he told her he was there for a meeting with Spencer, she informed him he was about to start another meeting so was busy. “We’re the ones meeting with Mr. King, I can assure you.” There was something commanding in his tone, accompanied by the fact she already knew who he was, that compelled the receptionist to be agreeable. Of course, Ezekiel had been in attendance of meetings here before, but they had usually been arranged in his own name and official. “Take us to his office,” he told her, his tone oddly encouraging.

*****​

Spencer had continued to familiarise himself with present day London and getting up to speed on everything he needed to know about a city under Ezekiel’s control. He was learning a lot of things he didn’t like, much of which about how the Carters had been directly attacking and intimidating members of his family. Despite this, Spencer had maintained a low profile, not ready yet to pick fights and battles with the Carters. One person he had made waves with was Trevor. Although it was all planned in advance, it had been surprisingly difficult to inflict significant damage on his father. But after he thought about it, Spencer knew it was that he’d moved on from his mother’s death over the years which made his desire to beat the crap out of Trevor less of a natural desire. He did, however, find himself unable to do anything but respect the sacrifices his father was willing to make to support their shared cause. Maybe the old man really had turned over a new leaf!

With Billy taking on an active role in the mission, Spencer had dedicated the day to spending time with his youngest brother. He’d been introducing him to some of the more dangerous gang members as well as having him accompany him on various visits to their premises. This evening, he planned to take to one of their bases and get him familiar with the surveillance and dispatching procedures. Even if Interpol had shown him some of that already, Spencer wanted to show him from the angle of how the Kings got shit done!

Between the underground sides of their business, Spencer had to make a stop at the family-owned pharmaceutical company for a more legitimate kind of meeting. Now the Kings were back in business, they needed to reclaim the reins they’d handed over to the shareholders just before they’d had to leave in 1985. Spencer was grateful to their business partners for maintaining King Remedial in all of those years, so was keen to maintain their working relationship even if he now did now need to claim his role at the top - the position Bruce had now retired from.

Inside his office, Spencer was quickly changing out of his casual clothes and into a formal suit. He stood in front of the mirror as he dealt with his tie. He’d let Billy relax in the office until Edgar Whitworth, the shareholder he was meeting with, arrived to talk business. Taking a moment away from the serious subjects of the day, he spoke to his brother as he continued to look in the mirror. “How are things with Hendrik since moving to London?” he curiously asked him. Leaning forward to smooth his hair over to appear something more formal, he couldn’t help but grin. “Kerry says he’s popular with the customers… especially the women,” he commented, letting out a small laugh. Whilst Hendrik was being roped into helping out with some of the Interpol training, he’d also been keen to find some work as a chef alongside it. A good word had soon been put in with Kerry who was looking for a chef who actually knew how to cook!

Spencer had finished getting ready just as there was a knock at the door. He turned to Billy. “Are you good to hang around in here whilst I get this meeting out of the way?” he asked, not expecting the financial reporting of the pharmaceutical company to be too enthralling. Regardless of the response, Spencer pulled open the door to see the young lady from the downstairs reception standing at his door. His eyes soon moved from her to land on Ezekiel Carter himself. He then looked at the familiar young woman at his side. Reign had been a young adult already when he last saw her, but now she had clearly grown a lot and he didn’t need to look hard to find a strong confidence about her. Despite his shock at seeing the two Carters standing in the hallway, he was able to compose himself. “Thank you, Erica. I can take it from here,” he said, excusing the young receptionist from being caught in the middle of anything uncomfortable.

“I saw to it that your meeting with Edgar was rescheduled for next week. I believe it’s more important for us to meet first, wouldn’t you agree?” Ezekiel asked, flashing a charming smile at Spencer. “Reign, this is Spencer King. Spencer, this is my daughter, Reign,” he introduced them.

Spencer couldn’t help but let out a scoff, but it then turned to a smile and he slowly nodded his head. The most irritating part of it all was that Ezekiel had done this before he’d had a chance to do it to him. “It’s been a while, Ezekiel,” he said, loud enough for Billy to hear, as he reached out to shake the man’s hand that was offered. “And Reign, you too,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand as Ezekiel made it clear they should. Turning to look back at Billy, Spencer beckoned his brother closer. “Billy, you can join us in this meeting.” When his brother got to the door, he stepped aside to let Billy and the Carters greet each other. “You know, Ezekiel. You could have just arranged a meeting the normal way,” he commented as he began leading them all to the meeting room.

“I afforded you the comfort of this taking place on your own playground. Let’s not pretend we wouldn’t have had a less warm welcome had you been warned in advance.”

@Bella:D (Reign) @Pyroclast (Billy)

The Brooks' House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
​

Trevor Stewart and Christian Brooks

It had been over a week since Trevor had last been able to freely see his family. As soon as Ezekiel had learned Spencer was back in London, Trevor knew it was his cue to take steps to prove his loyalties were with the Carters. As expected, the knowledge of the Kings being back had put the Carters on high alert and it only took a day for Trevor to realise he was under surveillance. That was when the plan he’d made with Klaus and Spencer was put into action.

Seven days ago, Trevor had recognised the nearby vehicle parked across from his house as one belonging to Ezekiel’s spies. After giving Spencer the heads up, his eldest son had shown up at the house and given a very public display in Trevor’s front garden. The altercation had led to the two men throwing fists, albeit with Trevor ending up much worse off, as planned. The message had been sent loud and clear for Ezekiel’s henchmen; that Trevor wasn’t welcome anywhere near his family, including Alex’s bunch, who he’d grown close to over the last 12 years. Despite it being planned and ultimately his decision, Trevor had struggled with that. On a similar subject of difficult actions, there had been a brief moment during the planned fight that Trevor had caught something subtle in Spencer, that perhaps his eldest hadn't found it so natural to beat the shit out of him like he might have in the past. After a few words chosen to hit a nerve, however, Trevor had been able to coax the deep aggression out of his son.

The results of the fight had meant that when he was called to Ezekiel’s office a couple of days later, there was no need to exaggerate the back eye and bruising to his face. Ezekiel had been given every detail of what Spencer had done from the men he’d put on surveillance around Trevor’s house. Ezekiel had offered to deal with Spencer, which Trevor was quick to decline, pointing out that it was nothing to do with business and considering their history - which Ezekiel by now knew all about - he couldn’t blame his son for making him stay away from the family. One thing Trevor hadn’t been able to decline was Ezekiel’s offer of protection. Trevor wasn't sure how much of it was protection and how much was surveillance, but he had no choice but to accept it without argument.

Ezekiel wasn’t a man easily swayed and now the Kings were back, he’d stepped things up in making Trevor prove his loyalties to the Carters. Whilst he’d hadn’t got messy yet, Trevor feared it wouldn’t be long before he’d have to make some difficult decisions and more sacrifices. For now, everything that had been asked of him had been straightforward enough to do. Nothing yet that would add to the many actions he’d committed as a double-agent that weighed heavy on his conscience.

Today’s task was a mixed bag for Trevor. Whilst it meant he had to sever ties with May and the children for the foreseeable, the words he had for Christian were going to be easy ones. Admittedly, many of them would come from the part of him that was sick of the Detective, but some were to do the man a favour. Christian had flagged up on Ezekiel’s radar, which put him in a very dangerous position.

When Trevor got to the house, he was glad to hear that Jensen and Chloe were at a neighbour's house playing with some friends. It meant he didn’t have to hold back or speak in hushed tones. He was still sporting some bruising from a week ago, but by now any discomfort was gone. He’d sat himself at the dining table, asking May and Christian to join him.

“The reasons I’m here to talk to you both aren’t good ones, I’m afraid,” he began to inform them. “The first reason is that I need to give you a warning to back off,” Trevor addressed Christian.

“Oh Jesus. What are you talking about?” Christian asked, the irritation clear in his voice. Things with May hadn’t been great for some time and now more than ever was he feeling it. To have her father now there attacking him just added to the barrier between them. “May, what’s going on?” he asked, looking directly at his wife.

“This isn’t anything to do with May,” Trevor said, quickly shaking his head. “You’re the problem, Christian. Since Spencer made it crystal clear to me I’m not safe or welcome around my family, I picked a side. Ezekiel has always been respectful and trusting of me, which made it a bloody easy choice,” he said, pointing to his face as evidence of how the Kings treated him in comparison.

“Don’t pretend Spencer giving you what you deserved is what pushed you towards the Carters. I called it months ago, only you made out like I was talking shit. May. What did I say about Trevor getting close to the very people who have been hurting your family for years?!”

Trevor shook his head. He hated that he now had to let Christian believe he’d been right all along, that he didn’t care about his own family. It was because he cared for his family that Trevor was going this far. “I’m not here to argue. Listen to what I have to say, because your actions are putting May and the kids at risk. Christian, you need to back off and stop sticking your nose into the Carters’ business. You have next to no support from your colleagues and the Kings won’t want anything to do with you now you’re a stinking cop. Nobody is going to protect you from the Carters. So I’m here to tell you, on behalf of Ezekiel, to back the fuck off.” Trevor let out a deep sigh. “The pair of you need to start putting your kids first. May, what I’m saying here, is if Christian continues to get in Ezekiel’s way, he will take action.”

@BasDorcha (May)

Construction Site
~ Limehouse, London ~
​

Damian Nicolosi

Abel had been asked to meet with Damian once the site had closed for the day and the workers had left. Granted, “asked” may not have been the correct word to use considering when Ezekiel was involved it was more of an order than a request.

Damian climbed out of the back of the car, leaving Zachary and Jake in the front seats for the time-being. “Stay sharp, lads,” he calmly told them. The area around the sealed construction site was quiet and as Damian approached the temporary cabin office where Abel was waiting for him, he couldn’t help but appreciate the darkness and the silence. Some might find it to be an uncomfortable atmosphere, but Damian found it inspiring more than anything.

Once inside the office, Damian removed his leather gloves and placed them into his coat pockets. “Good evening, Abel,” he greeted the young man. “Don’t you just love this time of year? There’s something comforting about these days getting shorter and darker,” he commented. Inviting himself to sit down, he faced Abel directly. “Now, how are things going over here? Running on schedule I hope,” he asked, though it was clear he had little interest in the development of the new laboratory. That was Ezekiel’s area to care about.

It soon became apparent that Damian didn’t care about the building works and had other reasons for the meeting. “I’m here on account of recent developments surrounding the return of your cousins. Your family being back in London gives us good reason to question loyalties, especially given that Daisy has been seen getting cosy with Spencer King. Your Uncle Trevor has proved himself, but you remain an anomaly, Abel. I need to leave here tonight believing that your loyalty is with Ezekiel and not with the Kings. Do you think that’s a reasonable thing for me to expect?”

@BasDorcha (Abel)

***********​

Zachary Costa

From the driver’s seat of the car, Zachary watched Damian walking into the distance, slightly shaking his head as he observed the man walking with a spring in his step. Anyone would think Damian was heading into some kind of a party. “How many mental disorders do you think he has?” he asked, turning to Jake as he awaited his response. “Being in this line of work, I know I can’t be all that sane myself. And my son’s mother would certainly argue I’m not right in the head, but Damian’s a whole other kettle of fish.”

Zachary fell silent for a moment as he heard the faint thudding and the muffled male voice coming from in the boot of their car. He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Looks like he’s getting restless again,” he remarked, in reference to the man they had tied up in the car boot. They didn’t know who exactly he was, but given what they did know about the nature of the visit to Abel and Spencer King recently returning, he figured the captured man was linked to the Kings.

After taking some time to check the area around them, he was content there wasn’t anyone around they needed to be concerned with. “Damian had better make this quick, it’s bloody cold sitting in here with the engine off. I fucking hate this time of year,” he complained. Figuring they would have to wait a little while longer, he turned back to Jake. “Come on then, have you any interesting updates for me since we last spoke? Found a girlfriend yet?” he teased.

@neverbackdown (Jake)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray @Bella:D @Pyroclast @Melanin-Gxdess @BasDorcha @neverbackdown​

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[Misty Gray]

Chapter 5: Silk and Subterfuge
Saturday 15th November 1997
...One month later...
London: Evening - Cold, Dry, Windy

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BANNER IMAGE COMING SOON
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The Ballroom
~ Covent Garden, London ~
​

Lucas Sullivan

Lucas was excited about the fashion show for so many reasons. He loved parties, shows, and anything of the nature. Bustling atmospheres were certainly his thing. He also enjoyed being around so many friends and family at one time. But the real bonus? The main event was being able to support Collin and cheer for him when he took to the stage. Support... and admire. He wasn't sure how his friend would take it knowing he was attracted to him, but that was a bridge he'd have to cross later. For now, he just wanted to be there to support and encourage Collin with whatever he chose to do.

As he sat next to J.J., with Michael to the other side of J.J., he couldn't help but think about at least one absent party. "It's a shame Liam couldn't make it. I was looking forward to us all hanging out. Do you speak with him much these days?" he asked Michael, given the two were best friends back in the 80s.

When more models walked along the runway, his focus quickly shifted to watch them. However, when none of them were Collin or anyone else he cared about, his interest dipped. He found himself looking around the room, aware of how much security was involved tonight. It didn't worry him that his family and the Kings were all together whilst in the midst of a potential war with the Carters, If anything, he was motivated to do his part and defend his loved ones. He just didn't want that time to be now. Tonight was going to be a fun one, he just knew it!

Turning back to face forward, he continued to watch the models but soon focused back to Michael and J.J. to see how they were doing. "I wonder how long until Collin does his thing," he commented, flashing a playful smile.

@Pyroclast (Michael) @Bellz (J.J.)

The Ballroom
~ Covent Garden, London ~
​

Spencer King

Spencer knew tonight was for charity and also served as a way to not only lighten spirits but also get the Kings and Porters together. If they were fighting together then it made sense they all bonded and got along with each other. Regardless, it didn't make him feel any better about the event, no matter how much of theirs and the venue's security were on duty. After his unexpected meeting with Ezekiel last month, he couldn't help but be on high alert.

He wasn't very interested in the fashion show itself, so he didn't mind being seated at a cocktail table a little away from the main event. This gave him a better observation point, where he could closely watch those coming and going on a much wider scale. The sight of one particular couple caught his attention. As the pair walked a short distance away, he was quick to avert his eyes from the busty and leggy dark-haired female of the two who clearly had a resistance to the cold October weather. "Jesus Christ..." he muttered as he turned to Klaus and Wesley with a knowing smirk on his face. "She's making me feel overdressed," he remarked, for a moment tugging at the front of his suit jacket to highlight his point.

Spencer hadn't been too impressed with sitting at a table with the two Interpol men, and he hoped Alex would join them or Shona would return to the table soon. As they were all on the same side on this occasion, he chose to be approachable and agreeable towards them tonight. It was easy to do with Klaus, given how much he'd supported him during his struggles when Lottie was first born and Shona was in hospital. Klaus had listened to him with genuine concern and had helped him manage during those difficult times. Wesley was a different case. The last time they'd been so close it had ended up with Spencer gripping the man's throat and in a roundabout way threatening to throw him out of the window. Things had improved since then, but the two hadn't spoken to see how either of them felt about that particular exchange! Plus, Harper was still dead, so it wasn't exactly like circumstances had changed, was it?

Spencer wasn't good at small talk and forced pleasantries. He tended to be to the point with people, which was likely why his next words weren't out of the ordinary. "Have you lads had any useful tip-offs from Trevor I should know about? Or anything useful at all from him, for that matter?" he drily remarked. As part of the plan, any communication with his father was to be kept to a minimum, if at all. It wasn't something that bothered Spencer, but he knew other family members had been able to grow close to the former waste of space to miss the old man.

Interaction: @Bellz (Klaus, Wesley)
Mention: @Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

The Ballroom
~ Covent Garden, London ~
​

Zachary Costa

Under the guise of being a representative for an Italian fashion label, Zachary approached the entrance of the venue with an attractive woman hooked onto his arm. Ezekiel had pulled out all of the stops and put his influence into play to ensure the two were on the guest list for the charity event. Zachary was aware of the way the security guard's eyes had gravitated towards him, but it wasn't him that was being stared at. Instead, it was Gia the attention was on, given the raven-haired woman's noticeable cleavage and long legs were on show. Still, he knew not to be overconfident and to remain hyper-aware of his surroundings.

"Dario Marinelli and Gia Russo." After checking his and Gia's names from the guest list, the host requested for Zachary to hold out his arms so the security guard could give him a pat down to check for any weapons. "This is..." he began, putting on his thick Italian accent, stripping it of any Cockney influence his upbringing with Italian and English parents had resulted in. In reality, his normal accent was naturally Cockney more than anything, but he could put on many accents with little effort by this point. Italian being his rightful speciality. "This suit is expensive. Be careful," he told them, adding an entitled spice to his tone. Of course, there was nothing of any concern to be found on him as he knew full well the Kings would be in overdrive with security tonight so had no weapons on him.

Once they were inside the venue, the couple took to their designated table amongst others from the industry. However, before taking his seat, Zachary excused himself, telling Gia that he was going to use the bathroom and then speak with an acquaintance. Upon entering the male toilets, he glanced to the cubicles, noticing all ten were currently unoccupied. Despite this he walked along to the 8th cubicle and stepped inside, locking the door behind him. Carefully lifting the toilet cistern lid, he found an allen key taped underneath it. Retrieving the tool and placing the lid back down, he then crouched down to the wooden panelling that housed the pipes and plumbing system. Carefully, he loosened the bolts to allow him the remove a wooden panel to the right side of the toilet. This revealed the black bin liner he'd expected to see.

Zachary carefully removed the contents of the bin liner; a black blazer, black trousers, security badge, earpiece, walkie-talkie, and handgun. Quickly, he removed his own trousers and blazer, shoving them into the bag, along with his sunglasses, so he could dress up in the unform of the venue's security.

Interactions: None yet. Just us lot watching him undress.

Philip and Sarah Stewart's House
~ Finsbury Park, London ~
​

Liam Callahan

Liam had been sat at the dining table with Sarah Stewart for the last hour. He had a meeting with her boss at the estate agency the following Monday where he was going to pitch his proposal to take on the business of designing and implementing ideas for their new logo & rebranding. Having already met the woman through Callum and the Kings, she'd offered to look over his ideas to offer any constructive feedback in advance of his important meeting.

Whilst the woman was being helpful and had given overall positive feedback, Liam couldn't help but feel intimidated by her at times. In his lifetime, he'd met a lot of scary and dangerous people, so she was nothing new and certainly less concerning than they had been. However, the fact he was attracted to her daughter, Cassandra, and was heading out on a date with her that very evening certainly added pressure. Still, at least if something did develop between the young pair, Liam had already checked off having to meet her parents! That aspect of a relationship was never an issue at his end, as he knew he could bring just about anyone home and Sinead would be happy... happy and extremely excited.

"I think you're going to be fine!" Sarah concluded, closing the portfolio file and sliding it across the table back to Liam. She sent him a look that indicated she wasn't finished with him yet. As he anticipated some kind of warning to look after Cassie, he was somewhat relieved when she addressed a different matter. "When you next see Callum, tell him not to bother wasting his time on his dodgy old Grandad Trevor," she began, a scathing tone to her voice now. "The man is notorious for ditching his family, so it's no surprise he's turned his back on his kids and grandchildren. Let Callum know he's still welcome at this house any time."

"Sure. Will do," Liam replied with a nod. He'd heard about Trevor severing ties with the Kings and knew it had affected Callum not being able to see him. As much as he was there for his nephew, Liam didn't wanted to get involved in any King-Stewart family dramas. Part of the reason he'd moved to London was to avoid his own family dramas and dangers. Yet, somehow it always managed to find him, with both his family and the Kings now settled in London to take on another apparent war. Liam loved his family and as annoying as she could be, he enjoyed having Emery crashing at his place until she moved into her own. He'd even been happy to have Savannah in London for the fashion show. Despite that, he'd told his sister he couldn't attend the show. Whilst his date with Cassie was part of the reason, it was also the knowledge so many of his family and the Kings would be in the same building together. If he'd learned anything from being a Callahan, it was that he would avoid large gatherings at all costs. Seeing his own mother be stabbed had been hard enough. But what happened to his family at the Halloween party 12 years ago would never leave his mind - watching Savannah and Danny spend years in recovery, as well as losing his Uncle James, was enough to deter Liam from large family gatherings. It was probably the fashion show that was making him more nervous than his date with Cassie was.

"You're a quiet one, aren't you?" Sarah asked, using what time was left before Cassie joined them to make Liam feel at least a little awkward. "How does that happen coming from the family you have?" she asked, knowing more than enough about the Sullivan bloodline.

Liam's cheeks naturally reddened at being put on the spot by the outspoken woman. In his head, he was urging Cassie to enter the room and end his suffering. "Well.." he began, letting out a low laugh. "My mother and sister, Emmy, they talk a lot. Growing up, I couldn't get a word in edgeways. So maybe that's just stuck with me," he half-joked.

When Cassie did enter the room, Sarah stood up, prompting Liam to do the same. The woman directed her attention to her daughter. "I was just telling Liam here that if he messes you around, he'll have me to answer to..."

@neverbackdown (Cassie)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray @Bella:D @Pyroclast @Melanin-Gxdess @BasDorcha @neverbackdown​

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