Where The Law Fails

[Altair1303]

-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


Still bound the a hard metal chair, Aaron struggled slowly, trying to minimize his nosebleeding by looking towards the roof, he'd never had a nosebleed before in his life and was highly inexperienced with not bleeding. The truck that Jose piloted was noticeable, modified from a stolen vehicle to have almost everything changed, it was incognito in the police's eyes, which Nathan liked when partnered with the vehicle's large form.


Jose stopped the vehicle, coming into the back from the cab and opening the rolling door, an unpleasant sound for Aaron, who now felt like he was developing a headache. He tossed something that sounded like a large, filled duffel out the back and after a few moments of quiet key-clicking, he closed the door again and returned to the cabin. 


Jose sat down behind the wheel of the truck and drove off, having texted Dave the address of the large bag of explosives. He'd keep driving the two around for a bit, change the plates and pay one of the local mechanics for a few bucket-loads of spray-paint, have the vehicle looking different enough to suspend suspicion, it'd work out and he'd have done as Nathan asked.

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

Anna walked aimlessly around the warehouse, shaking with self doubt. She was weak and useless. "I'm Anna. I'm not Liana, I'm Anna." She kept mumbling to herself. She heard someone call her name and she nodded. "Yes, Anna, that's my name. Anna. Not Liana. Anna." Anna started to shiver in fear of herself. @Altair1303

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Dave Saunders)- @Altair1303


Dave still had no clue that Nathan shot his brother, and that the latter was now in the hospital. The very same hospital he was designated to detonate. But even if he knew, he'd still follow through with the explosion.... He'd just make sure his brother wasn't around for the fireworks. The last words Kain told him before he went dark: that their brotherhood was eternal, and no rivalry could ever change that. And deep down, he still loved his little brother. And no matter what Nathan said, even if his next order would be to murder his brother, Dave would never do it. He'd shoot himself first.


The second text message came through. Showtime. He had a location for the explosives. He stood up from his table in the coffee shop and took to the streets. As a cop, he was familiar enough with the roads to find his way to the given address, even if it meant improvising. But this address wasn't too far from his current location, so he figured a walk wouldn't do him any harm. All this time on the force, and all he really did was gain weight, no matter how much running or walking he did. Strange. Yet becoming a cop made Kain a juggernaut. Something the older brother would oftentimes envy, but nonetheless accept. It took him a good ten to fifteen minutes walking to arrive to the address. He was told to check by a lightpost for the payload. Bingo, right where he was told. A black duffel bag with the Ason logo on it. He looped it through his dominant arm and held it over his back. Next stop: Eve's Memorial. That building was going down before sunrise. He reached for his phone and messaged Nathan once more.


"Got the bag. Give me a few hours to infiltrate and prepare. The hospital will go down by sunrise. I guarantee that."

 

[Altair1303]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Anna, Anna, what's up?" he asks, catching up to the girl and kneeling in front of her, hands on her shoulders to keep her rooted to the spot. "Something wrong, killa?" he asks, normal cockiness returning to his voice as he looked up at her, playing the somewhat worried expression.


-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


Without sight and with only slight noises reaching his ears, Aaron felt sick, letting his body jump against his restraints whenever they hit a bump in the road, his everywhere was hurting, twice they had stopped to be given doses of some drug that made his nerves feel like they were being pressed against a weak flame, he felt like he was going crazy, maybe he'd gone crazy a long time ago, thinking he could tame a psycho like Wells, he thought he would try and play on a hunch, calling out. "Hey, hey, someone here with me?". He figured that the thing that his captor locked down was a person, so maybe they'd have some helpful insight, if they were woken from what sounded like a deadly slumber.

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Kenzie Brookes)- @Altair1303


The bumps would conveniently wake Kenzie up from her slumber prematurely. Her eyes slowly slid open, looking around her in the moving vehicle. She wasn't blindfolded, but she was chained down in shackles by her wrists and legs lying on what seemed to be a bench-type ledge in the van. She could definitely feel they were on the move, and she could hear the sound of another person. Probably a hostage as well. She let her eyes do a bit of browsing and found Aaron. She'd never seen this man before, but her body ached too much to sit upright. She maintained her lying down position, but turned her head in his direction.


"W-who the hell are you?"


The good thing about being in shackles rather than bound to a chair, if she had an itch or to wipe sweat from her brow, she could. A bit more convenient, but still no escape. Still unusual how they didn't blindfold her like this other man. But no matter. She'd watch over this second man in hopes of a reply. Maybe a friendly conversation from inmate to inmate.

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

"I'm not a killer, I'm not! The blood tries to kill me because I'm not a killer. You're a killer, so it likes you, but it tries to kill me...." Anna didn't realize just how insane she sounded. "Liana wasn't a killer, she was an avenger, I'm not a killer, I'm not Liana, I'm Anna damn it!" @Altair1303

 

[Altair1303]

-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"Name's Aaron. Used to fix computers, the white-haired psycho locked me up. You?" he asks, mixing truth and lie with natural skill, he brings his head down, attempting to wipe the blood from his nose using his shirt, failing. Even though he had been struggling with them for what felt like days, he would continue to thrash against the locks on his wrists, jerking them around with a frustrated sigh.


-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Woah, Woah, Anna." he starts, raising his hands in front of his face and lowering them slowly as if to signal 'calm down'. "That isn't how it works, the blood is just a fickle prick. I don't know why it doesn't like you, but fuck it, eh?" he says, hoping to win her over. "Yeah, you're Anna and that is fucking cool, yeah?" he says, putting up two thumbs with one of his wild smiles, really hoping that it all paid off.

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Kenzie Brookes)- @Altair1303


"Guess we have something in common," Kenzie remarked, referring to the fact Nathan had them both captive. "Kenzie. I'm... I'm a doctor..." she'd lay her two hands over one another. She could feel the gap of her missing digit. Something she'd have to get used to. Moving her arms became easier now. She was regaining the motor skill she was losing before. A relief. She'd remove her wedding ring from the stub left from her finger. Phil. He was gone, thanks to Lociato. No getting him back. Though her marriage was simply to get over Kain, she would never wish ill will upon her husband. Phil was a good man. Overprotective, and didn't know how to set his priorities, but at his core a good man. The wedding band with her life partner's name engraved on the inside was the last part of him she had left. She'd toy with it between her fingers, contemplating her past with this man. Good and bad times. "He has me because of some grudge against the--" She hesitated before saying the father of her child. There probably was no child anymore. "--my foster brother. He has me as some form of motivation... he's been torturing me for the past while too. I have some sort of value to his 'game'. Leverage. You? What value do you have? Or did he just grab you for the sheer hell of it?"


Aaron might be the last friend she gets. Then again, she felt the same way about Ian for a while. This other man onboard seemed like he wasn't used to trauma. In reality, Kenzie half was, half wasn't. As a doctor and from past torture experience, she was. But extreme scenarios with guns and deeper rivalries, that was something she could never get used to completely. She'd get up to remove his blindfold, but her legs still felt very weak. She didn't want to take a risk and stand. Even if she did, she had no clue how far the shackles would allow her to travel. Instead, she simply kept looking back and forth between the ring and her newfound chat buddy.

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"Name's Aaron. Used to fix computers, the white-haired psycho locked me up. You?" he asks, mixing truth and lie with natural skill, he brings his head down, attempting to wipe the blood from his nose using his shirt, failing. Even though he had been struggling with them for what felt like days, he would continue to thrash against the locks on his wrists, jerking them around with a frustrated sigh.


-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Woah, Woah, Anna." he starts, raising his hands in front of his face and lowering them slowly as if to signal 'calm down'. "That isn't how it works, the blood is just a fickle prick. I don't know why it doesn't like you, but fuck it, eh?" he says, hoping to win her over. "Yeah, you're Anna and that is fucking cool, yeah?" he says, putting up two thumbs with one of his wild smiles, really hoping that it all paid off.

"I... I'm Anna and that is cool." Anna said slowly, as if convincing herself. "And it's so cool that the blood is jealous, so it tries to kill me." Anna sounded unconvinced, more like she was asking a question than stating a fact. "Right? That's how it works, right?"

 

[Altair1303]

-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"As I said, fix computers. The white-haired guy shows up and says I have some files he wants, something I copied that I shouldn't have, has me thrown in here. I don't even know how long i've been here." he says, putting two and two together he realises that this is most likely Kenzie Andrews, he'd fucked up. She wouldn't be here without his part in things, it was his fault. Fuck, way to ruin someone's week.


-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent



"Exactly, you're one of the coolest kids i've ever met, I don't know many that'd help me burn fire stations, that's for sure. Own that shit." he says, lowering his hands and standing up. "I bet Michael started this shit, made you start second-guessing, Am I right?" he asks, he knew the answer. He had plans for the kid, but fuck, he had to go now, bullet in the brain and tossed down a sewage pipe.

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Kenzie Brookes)- @Altair1303


"So the guy's keeping us like trophy pieces until he gets what he wants...." Kenzie decided to attempt to stand, or at least sit up. A light grunt came from her mouth as she rolled from her lying position to sit upright. Her abdomen still ached from the crowbar hit earlier. But she could sit up. Her legs still felt numb. Standing would be difficult. But the van seemed small enough. She extended her arms, bound almost next to each other in metal links, over to Aaron's face. Just enough to reach and pull the blindfold from his eyes. She pulled it up and over his forehead. She wasn't bound the same way as Aaron. Convenient enough. Now looking the man in the eyes, she could have a more coherent, personal conversation with this man. Maybe he'd feel more comfortable putting a face to the name.


"I think you're one of the lucky ones..." she'd add, noticing Aaron was still in one piece. Apart from the two obvious cuts over her cheekbones, her bloodshot eyes, and the sweat dripping down her body, there was more to her story. She would lift her left hand to their eye level to show her now missing ring finger. She no longer felt sick upon looking at the bandaged part of her hand. She would still feel a stinging sensation from where the digit once was, but a feeling she'd overlook. "Odds are... he killed my son too." She'd lower her hands over her stomach, slowly lifting her shirt upward to show the burn mark and a bruise from the swinging rusty bar from earlier. She'd gently rub her other hand in a circle, hopefully giving the impression she was pregnant, despite how it really didn't show much, even if it was her third month. "That's not counting all the drugs he's pumping into me... I still can't feel my legs. Be lucky you got away with a few punches."

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"As I said, fix computers. The white-haired guy shows up and says I have some files he wants, something I copied that I shouldn't have, has me thrown in here. I don't even know how long i've been here." he says, putting two and two together he realises that this is most likely Kenzie Andrews, he'd fucked up. She wouldn't be here without his part in things, it was his fault. Fuck, way to ruin someone's week.


-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent



"Exactly, you're one of the coolest kids i've ever met, I don't know many that'd help me burn fire stations, that's for sure. Own that shit." he says, lowering his hands and standing up. "I bet Michael started this shit, made you start second-guessing, Am I right?" he asks, he knew the answer. He had plans for the kid, but fuck, he had to go now, bullet in the brain and tossed down a sewage pipe.

"No, not really. It wasn't him. It was Liana." Anna lied convincingly. She liked Michael, and she'd hate to see him die. "He just asked me why I think blood wants to kill me, and Liana started filling in the blanks and I lost it." Anna was one hell of an actress, for sure. Liana could never lie this well. "It wasn't his fault."

 

[Altair1303]

-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"Sorry, did I sound that much like I was trying to one-up you?" he asks, he'd seen the woman before, photographs sent and received, CCTV footage filtered for his captor, The most striking thing being her new lack of ring finger, he would think that Nate had wanted to do more, but he guessed that he needed her alive to get Dave on-side. "Does that psycho have any limits?" he asks, pulling his arms closer in a futile attempt to slip his hands under his binds.


-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Kid has balls like a fucking horse, he said something." Nathan says, growling as he turned towards his home, walking off in the direction before finding his door and sliding his key into the lock, kicking the door open after the fine click. "Should have listened." he says, walking towards the kid and pressing him up against the wall, pressing his face close to Michaels' in an effort to make him uncomfortable.

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Kenzie Brookes)- @Altair1303


"Evidently not..." Kenzie glanced to her hands. She'd use her more ranged hand movement to sweep her hair from her face at long last. Rather than its usual smooth, straight texture, it would frizz and curl in a way she wasn't used to. She had no idea how to continue the conversation with this total stranger, on the topic of Nathan at least. She would talk about other matters. More personal. Seeing she was still in the same clothing as before, she'd slip her cuffed hands into her front pocket. She'd pull out a photograph and hold it forward so that the man before her could see. A recent picture of her and Kain together. A happier, simpler time. Taken a month ago through Kain's camera phase for the magazine. They'd taken a lot of pictures together that night, and like how the little brother kept the one of her with the rose in her hair, Kenzie kept one of the two together once they returned to her place. She really felt Kain was getting better from his alcohol problem, from all of his problems. Moving on with his life. Becoming the best man he'd been in all his life. She was proud of him. "This isn't my husband. But I've always loved him more... and I regret never telling him sooner. His name is Kain. Y-You might've seen him on the news. Be it 15 years ago, one year ago... or just last night..... But whatever people say about him isn't true. Kain isn't a criminal. He's a troubled man. He's been wronged, dishonored, abandoned. I never judged him. On the contrary... I developed feelings for him. People would think it's because I pitied him. But the reality is I knew the good inside him. And I loved that more than anything. Every minute I've been under Nathan's custody, I wonder if I'll ever see him again. Even just once. He's all I have left........ And I'm just rambling. I'm sorry........." She'd retreat to her place and take a look at the image herself. Talking about the man she loved made her mind cloud from her emotions. She resisted the urge to cry for him. Not now at least. She'd lift her head and ask, "Do you have a family, Aaron? Siblings? Parents? Loved ones? Anything? Something you can go home to?"

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"Sorry, did I sound that much like I was trying to one-up you?" he asks, he'd seen the woman before, photographs sent and received, CCTV footage filtered for his captor, The most striking thing being her new lack of ring finger, he would think that Nate had wanted to do more, but he guessed that he needed her alive to get Dave on-side. "Does that psycho have any limits?" he asks, pulling his arms closer in a futile attempt to slip his hands under his binds.


-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Kid has balls like a fucking horse, he said something." Nathan says, growling as he turned towards his home, walking off in the direction before finding his door and sliding his key into the lock, kicking the door open after the fine click. "Should have listened." he says, walking towards the kid and pressing him up against the wall, pressing his face close to Michaels' in an effort to make him uncomfortable.

Michael grinned. "Should have listened to what?" Michael asked coldly, not afraid of Nathan in the least. 

 

[Altair1303]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


Nathan growls, tossing the boy to the floor and pulling out his gun, aiming at the boy's legs and emptying his entire fifteen bullet clip into the direction of the boy's lower body. "Should have listened, no. mind. games." he barks,  kneeling down, knee on the kid's throat. "This is your last chance, do this to me again and I'll skin you, I don't care what you do." he says in a low tone.


-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"I have a family, yeah. not the most tight-nit group though." he says truthfully, neglecting to mention the political war zone he would enter every day as he arrived home. "Dad did politics, wasn't happy when I went into PC repair." he admits, sighing in defeat, trying to sit as comfortably as possible in the metal chair.

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


Nathan growls, tossing the boy to the floor and pulling out his gun, aiming at the boy's legs and emptying his entire fifteen bullet clip into the direction of the boy's lower body. "Should have listened, no. mind. games." he barks,  kneeling down, knee on the kid's throat. "This is your last chance, do this to me again and I'll skin you, I don't care what you do." he says in a low tone.


-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"I have a family, yeah. not the most tight-nit group though." he says truthfully, neglecting to mention the political war zone he would enter every day as he arrived home. "Dad did politics, wasn't happy when I went into PC repair." he admits, sighing in defeat, trying to sit as comfortably as possible in the metal chair.

Five of the fifteen bullets drilled into Michael's legs, the others barely grazed his skin. Michael was in the worst pain of his life, and he couldn't cry out because his throat was being crushed by Nathan's knee. Michael gasped for breath, tears of agony in his eyes. He couldn't stop anything from happening to him now. 

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Kenzie Brookes)- @Altair1303


"Join the club," Kenzie could easily related to a disappointing relationship with her late father, as well as the aspect of politics in the household. "My father is.......... was, the police chief. I don't know how much of the news you've been watching, but he's dead now. Killed himself on live TV." She'd explain the situation with a lower tone of voice. She still couldn't believe her father even considered doing that. Couldn't believe he was gone as a whole. "But his politics and career would always find their way to my doorstep, no matter how much I'd distance myself. Oftentimes I'd be forced into it, just to make him look good in front of a camera. But believe me, I bet your father wouldn't want this to be your fate, whether you and him have a standard relationship or not.... believe me, when I saw my dad after he...." She stopped talking and looked back down, trying to erase the mental image of her father hanging by the noose on TV. It's one that would stay with her forever, and one that burdened her to know was a grim reality.

 

[Altair1303]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"You gonna be cool?" he mocks, standing up from his position and dragging the boy up. "You don't hold any cards here, kid" he says in a low, menacing tone. Reaching into his pockets and retrieving a small, but incredibly sharp blade, tinted red from use. "You're going to listen, or you're going to die. And if I have to kill you, I pay your family a visit." he says, pressing the blade against Michael's forehead.


-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"Fuck man, that's... I'm sorry... for your loss, I mean." he says, second-guessing himself for the first time in what felt like forever. "Your dad was police chief? So your foster brothers are Kain and Dave Saunders? that whole mess was fucked up." he says, referring to the recent news of the Saunders conspiracy, he was only just able to watch the reveal before being hauled off.

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Luca Varundar)- (Milus gave me permission to use him for this post, just so the record shows. Will be illustrating Sesler's movements and thoughts for the moments he wasn't around) @Milus


Noticing the evacuation measures in play, Sesler would step away from the door. Creeping behind a corner with his firearm at his side, he'd watch as Jose, with Kenzie hoisted over his shoulder, would walk in the opposite direction. Following him directly would be dangerous. This place was armed with men everywhere. One wrong move could land him a place in the chair the doctor was just in moments ago. He didn't have to be up close to know this woman was in poor health. Kain warned him that she was being tortured. The sight of her didn't affect him. There'd definitely been worse. But she's an innocent woman tied into a world of problems. Was it his fault? Or was this particular situation on Dave? Even he couldn't tell anymore.


Whichever it was, Nathan was transporting Kenzie now. Not good. He could tail the convoy in hopes of not being made, but the risk of being caught might be detrimental to the hostage's well being. At the same time, he wasn't going to leave her out of his sights. Strange how these people, the Saunders/Brookes family, turned out to be the one he was aiding and risking his life for. Yet he had his reasons. Dave and Edward might have served more as thorns in his side, but he owed Kain and Kenzie a debt. Kain's tactical advice on police protocol, as well as the money he willingly gave for the cause, and Kenzie's discreet medical expertise came as lifesavers. Hell, he wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for their assistance, starting from the lead on Anderson and even up till the blueprints. Though they had nothing to do with his soulmate, these people helped Luca get closer. All from the goodness of their hearts. Now Kain's motives might be different, knowing that Lociato was the man who ordered his parents' deaths. But with his emotionless strife to right the wrong, it was reassuring to have someone watching his back.


But there was still a solid lead on the woman: her wedding band. Edward mentioned in his personalized farewell note to Sesler that her ring was fitted with a tracker. That's how he got the GPS hit on the warehouse. Assuming nobody had confiscated the ring to this point, it's probably still on her finger. A potential lead, the only issue: how and where could he intercept the signal? Besides the computer. There was no time to go back to Little Italy to check if the late police chief had any other process open on his laptop that could give any hints. By that time, Kenzie could be long gone. And time was of the essence. But one thing Luca did grab without even knowing it's significance until now could save the operation: the old man's cell phone. Now alone in the almost pitch dark hallway, he'd holster his weapons in exchange for the mobile device, open the phone, and scroll through the contents on the menu. A lot of the applications seemed very standard and little to come by. Eddy was an older gentleman. He had very little use for a phone besides its primary purpose of calls and texts. Then came a few applications that didn't seem very orthodox. Probably related to his status as chief. He recognized a few from Kain's phone. They probably have something to do with why their lines were untraceable and secure. Complex technology, something Luca wasn't entirely familiar with. Kain seemed to know more about the technical protocols within the department.


But one application did stick out. The icon was that of a radio signal, and it was only entitled Ring. Something that wasn't on Kain's phone. Curious, Sesler opened the program. The screen faded to black for a few seconds until it returned to a yellow-trimmed radar for visuals. There was a single dot in the middle, and another red dot blinking towards the top right of the screen. To test how this works, he turned 180 degrees to get an idea of what he's looking at. The dot repositioned to the bottom left with the inverted movement. This dot lead somewhere. And it was moving ever so slightly. This radar clearly wasn't accurate for long distances, but it lead somewhere. He'd follow the direction of the light towards the entrance he came from. Keeping himself hidden within the veil of the shadows and out of sight, he'd watch as an inconspicuous van traversed by him. As it did, the red dot on screen passed by the center accordingly and in the same direction. Facing the van's path, the dot was right in front of his position, at the end of the screen and flashing.


Ring. Edward could track Kenzie's general location via the tracker. And clearly it's still with her. Finding her would be difficult, seeing the radar was only accurate in close range, but it was better than nothing. He now knew how the van looks, and can tell in what general direction it's going. All he'd need now is a vehicle.


-(Kain Saunders)-


The operation in itself didn't take long. Kain was lucky. The flesh wound to his arm was nothing serious and not life threatening. The bruises in his chest were not broken ribs, and would ease over with time. His most serious injury was the shot to his kneecap. In fact, it grazed by the kneecap, cracking the bone but not shattering it. It would hurt like hell, apparent by his reaction back at the station, but it could've been so much worse. His leg was in a very fragile state, but the doctors did their best to keep him as stable as possible. Kain might even walk once he's awake. But walk enough to continue the war on Lociato? He'd have to see. His bed would be taken to recovery until his anesthetic wore off. His arms and legs were unbound and left with a gas mask over his face in case of complications. He felt the bliss of relaxation and the lack of feeling, but it's one he didn't want to get used to. Both as a thrillseeker and for the sake of getting justice for his parents.


Justice for his parents.... that's where this all started. Because the police wouldn't give it to him. Instead they gave him a stab in the back for the attempt. That's why he tookthe pseudonym Kasper. Why he killed those three on-scene cops for information. But would murdering Lociato give him the closure he desired so badly for his parents' death?

He could hear sounds. The beeping of an EKG. The sounds of doctors conversing in the same room. But he couldn't open his eyes or speak. No energy. But he could hear voices. He was coming to.


-(Dave Saunders)-


On board a bus to Eve's Memorial, Dave would think over his actions. Try to find some form of retribution for it all. What are the odds he'd get Kenzie back anyway? His actions would be for nothing but for bloodlust. His actions today? Previous Dave would've considered them unthinkable. Out of the question entirely. But his own desperation, the threat to his family, were all motives for his sudden change of character. But what if there was no going back once Nathan was out of the question? By shooting up the station, did he just seal his fate? There certainly was no going back to the force. And if Kenzie lives, could she even look at him the same way? Would she want their son around such a monster of a father?


Indirectly, by breaking his word to Luca and going to the station, he'd given Nathan exactly what he wanted. David Saunders. Cop gone criminal. But not the same way as his brother. Kain was framed more times than not. Dave however..... his actions were on him and him alone. Only himself to blame. All he could do now is wait till he arrives at the hospital. Little did he know his brother was there. And soon, more familiar faces.


-(Jeffrey Henrikson)-


The board of names in Henrikson's office only became bigger and bigger, more cluttered. All starting with Dave, Kenzie, Kain, and Edward. Now expanding further with names of everyone in this conspiracy. Nathan. Sierra. Trish. Lociato. Sesler. And newly added names: William and Samantha Saunders before their deaths in 2001, and Angela. More pieces of the puzzle.


"Who would've thought Angela was playing us," Cooper shook his head in disbelief.


"Eddy was too," Hernikson reminded his partner. "Literally any one of us could be dirty. Money and power, Coop. It does that to people."


Cooper turned his head to his partner, "You know I'd never turn on you, Jeff, right? I know Angela was close and all, and it might inflict a sense of paranoia..."


"If there's anyone on the force I know would never turn on me, it's you," the director would reassure his friend/partner. They had a long, genuine relationship for the past 10 years. Clean. No outside influence, and a concept of justice that was directly in line. The director would proceed to change the subject. "Arrest warrants for the guilty?"


"Issued and we have men picking them up, as per your request. You're right. We can't keep this waiting till sunrise. These men might be long gone. Traitors. Snakes. Damn..."


The director would ignore the emotional reaction from Cooper and think aloud, "So Eddy murders the Saunders parents for Lociato so he can climb up the ranks as Chief. So previous Chief Kennedy was probably bought out of the job."


"Wish we could ask. Chief Kennedy died five years ago of a heart attack. I think it's safe to assume it's not Lociato related, otherwise he'd be killed on the spot."


"Mmm...." A downer, but Henrikson wasn't assuming anything yet. "Eddy also claimed that Kenzie was somewhere far, far away. But when Kain crashed Nathan Wells' broadcast, he kept going on that he had Kenzie hostage."


"My guess, Brookes doesn't know the whereabouts of his daughter, and he was fibbing to throw Lociato off."


"I'm with you there. How about Seattle PD?"


"Well, two days ago, they were significantly understaffed and overzealous in their methods. After the attack on the Ason building and the siege at Lockhart yesterday, they were reduced further. After Dave's rampage and the betrayal of the chief, the force is down to about 10 men. Maybe less. No leader or competent commanding officer, and all comms are down indefinitely. As of now, Seattle PD is no more. Completely decommissioned. The remaining manpower are now to be reassigned by Homeland Security, who will work on reinstating and reconstructing the department once Nathan Wells and Demetri Lociato are out of the equation. Until then, all operations have been rerouted to us and Homeland. At least we can hold ourselves up."


Henrikson nodded, listening to everything his partner said, connecting more dots in his head on his famous board. "Besides Angela, any other agents in the bureau who were working against us?"


"Thankfully it was just Angela, but she had high security clearance. God knows what she was leaking, sir."


"And finally.... Kain." Henrikson took a few more steps to the pardoned felon. Was giving the man his freedom the right call?


"He should be in recovery by now. His injuries weren't as grave as initially anticipated. Shall we head down to the hospital? He should be awake by the time we arrive. Lockdown protocol's been overridden too. You can leave your office."


A relief. The director had grown bored of being confined to four walls with no window to marvel at the city or anything aside his colleagues. He turned back on the board, reached for a nearby coat hanger, and grabbed a black overcoat from the the top of the hook. "What are we still standing here for, Coop? Let's go."


-(Kenzie Brookes)- @Altair1303


"Believe me, my family's a mess," Kenzie continued, lifting her head once more. "My dad ruined their lives. But the brothers are all I have left. I love them as if they really were blood. And now Nathan is using Dave for whatever sick plans he has. And I have no clue if Kain is okay.... The things we do for family, right? Mine just got way out of hand. But all I want to do is see my brothers again and get away from all of this." Opening up to a total stranger could be either her saving grace or her deathwish. Perhaps Aaron could do the same. Show he could be trusted, even though the fact that they are both victims in this was clearly enough. "Maybe I know your father. Who is he?"

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"You gonna be cool?" he mocks, standing up from his position and dragging the boy up. "You don't hold any cards here, kid" he says in a low, menacing tone. Reaching into his pockets and retrieving a small, but incredibly sharp blade, tinted red from use. "You're going to listen, or you're going to die. And if I have to kill you, I pay your family a visit." he says, pressing the blade against Michael's forehead.

Michael cried out in pain when his throat was no longer being crushed. He was sobbing in agony, and the sobs didn't cease when the blade was pressed against his forehead. "L-leave my family outta this." Michael pleaded, knowing that there was nothing he could do. 

 

[Altair1303]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Kid, if you want them to be left alone, you listen to me and only me, no hidden agendas and no heroic persuasion."  he continues ranting, pulling the boy off the wall before slamming him back into it, shaking the structure to it's bones. "Got it?" he says, tapping the blade against the top of the boy's head repeatedly. He hoped that Anna would be spared sight of the display, he knew already that she weakened him, gave him something to lose, he wanted to postpone the day he'd need to kill her, but try as he might, he knew the day would come eventually.


-(Aaron Stilinski) @Shaba7


"Last name is Stilinski, if the name rings any bells you'd know that my father wasn't the most... law-abiding candidate, buying votes, burning the voices of those undesirable." he says, resting his head back in the chair, sighing before the truck lurches to a stop and Jose unlocks the door. "You fuckers aren't supposed to be talking." he snarls, pulling the blindfold over Aaron's eyes once more, bathing his world in darkness as he turns his rifle on Kenzie, dropping a basket on the floor. 

 

[KasperXIII]

-(Kenzie Brookes)- @Altair1303


Kenzie maintained her cool through Jose's angry entrance. Not even a tiny glare in his direction. "I talk when I feel like it, padre. You don't like it? Cut my tongue out."


Her foul language only continued, in a continued attempt to provoke Nathan and his men. She did an exceptional job with Ian, but not all of these men were going to be as easy to sway. And Jose seemed like a challenge. The barrel of the rifle in her direction, she daringly extended her chained hands to Aaron, gripping the blindfold from just over his nose, and yanking it down his face, over his nose, and around his neck like a collar. "And he gets to see me when I talk to him. It's dark outside anyway. He's not going to see anything he shouldn't...." She turned her head to Jose, clearly not afraid of him. If this day did anything to this woman, it made her braver. Stronger. Daunting. Maybe too much for her own good. "So if you're not happy with that, suck it up."


She also knew Jose couldn't kill her. He could shoot her non fatally, but again, enough had been done to her for one day. A bullet would make no difference.

 

[Quiet Is Violent]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Kid, if you want them to be left alone, you listen to me and only me, no hidden agendas and no heroic persuasion."  he continues ranting, pulling the boy off the wall before slamming him back into it, shaking the structure to it's bones. "Got it?" he says, tapping the blade against the top of the boy's head repeatedly. He hoped that Anna would be spared sight of the display, he knew already that she weakened him, gave him something to lose, he wanted to postpone the day he'd need to kill her, but try as he might, he knew the day would come eventually.

"Got it," Michael whimpered, in complete agony. Anna was outside and could hear the sobs of pain and the ranting. She heard the gunshots as well. Anna hugged herself tightly as she paced outside the door, terrified.

 

[Altair1303]

-(Nathan Wells)- @Quiet Is Violent


"Good, next time I wont be so forgiving." he says, letting the boy go, he turns his back and fishes a large bag from underneath his bed, unzipping it and pulling out several fistfuls of cash, setting them out messily on the floor between them. "That should be enough to get you a good suit..." he says, more to himself. "I shouldn't need to tell you what will happen if it looks like you've taken the money and ran away." he glares, pulling out Jose's phone and texting a few words to another one of the guards, within five minutes, the man would arrive with a wheelchair.


-(Aaron Stilinski)- @Shaba7


"Fair enough. your choice, lady." Jose says, unlatching her binds and dragging over a small backpack. "These are your new clothes." he says, tossing it onto the floor by the basket. "Everything, clothes, piercings, jewellery, all of it. Nate's orders." he explains, visibly moving the automatic rifle around in his arms to make it's presence known. "I'm not as weak as your father, don't call me father." he says, seeming to be more annoyed by the comparison than her use of Spanish.