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

[Pyroclast]

Tatiana Moretti

The tenderness that Tatiana had previously fantasised about finding with Rebel seemed by now to have been completely overpowered by their mutual distrust. Even at the start, knowing that she would have to turn against her, she had done everything she could to form some sort of connection. She could have got straight to the point the moment she had arrived at the hotel - she could have stormed the place, held her at gunpoint while she was still in the bath. But her heart wouldn’t let her. As it turned out, her efforts to form a bond with Rebel had gone to waste and she had ended up stabbing her in the back.

Tatiana watched as the woman struggled against the handcuffs, growing increasingly frustrated. She looked so undignified and Tatiana felt bad for having to put her in such a position. Or perhaps it was simply regret for having to resign all hope of ever winning her heart. Hearing her shorten her name to ‘Tati’ - a nickname used only by those who knew her intimately - drove her to look away with a sigh, and she had to consciously draw her eyes back to the woman as she continued to make her case.

The idea of there being a snake in the Moretti gang wasn’t impossible to believe - after all, it was worth covering all possibilities - but Tatiana didn’t think it likely. Her father was much too powerful; nobody would dare turn up late to a meeting, let alone betray him with a violent attack on his youngest daughter. Rebel seemed oddly firm in her belief that the blame should be pointed towards a Moretti affiliate, though it was hard to tell whether her desperation to be unshackled was playing into it. “I’m sure my father will leave no stone unturned,” she assured her. “But given what’s happening in this city, you can hardly blame us for investigating the mob first. I’m sure your people would have done the same."

After a moment, Tatiana decided she had had enough of watching Rebel struggle. “I’m going to free you, okay?” she announced, slowly migrating towards the bed. “But I should warn you now, I didn’t come to Montauk alone. I have back-up here and my father also knows exactly where I am, so if you so much as lay a hand on me when I release you, you’ll pay for it in ways you can’t even imagine. It's like you said - we work with the worst kinds of people.” There was a pause, and Tatiana’s eyes slowly drifted from Rebel’s hand up to her eyes. “Okay. I’m going to free you.” Her voice softened as she climbed onto the bed. It would be up to Rebel whether she wanted to ignore Tatiana’s warning and take her chances, but Tatiana thought acting calm while making herself vulnerable to attack might encourage Rebel to keep her composure. She gently leaned towards her and unlocked the handcuffs, not moving from where she sat once she was done. “You gave me information to take home, so I have no reason to hurt you,” she reasoned, in a soft but steady voice. “I’m sorry I had to do that.”

Interactions
Bellz Rebel

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Savannah Callahan​

Savannah's date with Danny had gone perfectly, proving to be a major milestone in their relationship. The declarations of love for each other had left the young woman on a high she was sure would take a long while to come down from. It felt amazing to have someone know everything about her, including her family's business, and still have genuine feelings. Before she had met Danny, she wasn't sure if she would ever get the full package - someone who would love her for who she was and without her having to keep any secrets.

When it had become too cold to sit out any longer, the young couple had returned inside her apartment for the rest of their date. Any awkwardness about bumping into her brother wasn't an issue as it seemed he'd gone out with his friends. Savannah was glad in a way as it meant she didn't have to tiptoe around the place with Danny like a schoolgirl sneaking home with her boyfriend. Danny had stayed the night, sharing the bed with Savannah. She fell asleep in his arms and woke the next morning with him still in bed beside her. It was a good feeling not waking up alone, but instead with someone she loved and felt secure around.

There hadn't been much of a rush to get out of bed and when they did, much of the day had been spent relaxing around the apartment. They talked, watched television, played music and Savannah even cooked dinner for them. It had all been so much fun that she didn't want him to have to leave, though with their jobs she knew they wouldn't be able to laze around the apartment forever. That reality came abruptly when the telephone rang and Savannah was asked by her mother to go over to the family home. The Sullivan employed driver soon arrived outside to take her to her parents' house, but not before Savannah placed a long parting kiss on Danny's lips and talked the driver into dropping her boyfriend off at his place along the way.

******​

Sinead sent Aliana a small smile when the woman offered to help her pack. "Did you buy everything for the nursery yet? Because we already built up the crib for my little one and we won't be able to return it to the store," she said. "Maybe I should just let you and Luce come pick what you need for your places from all of the big stuff Petey and I can't take with us." She bit her lip as the reality seemed to hit her. It wasn't that she hadn't thought the decision over in her head a million times already, it was just overwhelming as all the small details and arrangements started to hit her. Whilst it might be a small distraction, it still failed to completely take her mind away from what had happened the night before. Her head was practically spinning.

Sinead let out a brief laugh when Aliana seemed sure they were both having baby girls. "You seem so sure you're having a girl, I think you might be right," she softly encouraged her. She thought of the daughter she and Peter had lost, taking a silent moment of respect. She rested her hand on her growing bump before composing herself. "All I know right now is I want to protect this precious little gift from everything."

Sinead was glad to hear Aliana's firm support of them moving away and she hoped the rest of her family would feel the same. She was about to reply when the front door was heard closing and they were soon joined by a cheerful-looking Savannah. Having not yet been informed of what had happened the night before, she was completely oblivious to the attack and to the decision her parents had made to return to Dublin. "Hey," she pleasantly greeted everyone with a hug. She then sat on the sofa opposite the three of them and noticed the atmosphere wasn't quite what she was expecting. "You wanted me to stay over tonight? Brady didn't get home before I left... What's going on?" she nervously asked her parents and Aliana. "Are the babies both okay?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Bellz (Peter)
Mentioned: Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[RayPurchase]

Johnny Reed


​

And here he was, the quiet evening was a pipe dream now. This piece of shit had made sure of that. Luckily Johnny managed to keep his cool a bit more than Adam who was already spouting expletives at the Moretti goon. Johnny raised a hand in Adam’s direction.

“Lets cool our jets now Adam. I ain’t nothing in not civil to a fault.” He turned towards the gun toting man. “Now you know we’re not going to be able to tell you that. Hell even if we did know, you think they tell the driver and the hired muscle here about who the contacts are? That’s a fair few Gs above my pay grade I’ll tell you that for free,”

Johnny’s smile and cockiness faded however as he spoke. Van Gerwen. The lawyer was dead, or he should have been, probably wishing he was right now if this guy was telling the truth. He’d seen some of the bodies that had emerged from the clutches of the East Harlem and Moretti lot, and took a hell of a lot of investigation just to work out who they were. And then there was Joseph. Jasmine may never have mentioned her father by name, but the surname and mocking backstory being told was more than enough to add it all up. Johnny forced the smile back into place.

“Excuse me for a moment whilst I consult my associate here,” He turned his back on the man, huddled next to Adam. Johnny rapidly shook his head. “Like hell we’re giving the info, that would mean waving goodbye to god knows how much cash, and if that rests on our shoulders we’re fucked, kiss goodbye to our jobs and maybe our knees too. I mean a wild goose chase I’m all for, but if they keep Van Gerwen and keep plugging him, they could track down all our businesses, and that could collapse the whole house of cards right on top of us.” Johnny shrugged, none of the options were good, and it seemed like there was no one way to avoid losses. “If we give them false info, we’re going to have to act fast, find Mitch somehow, and get some loyal guys around Carpenter as fast as possible, I would say get him out but the goddamn lawyer is under his lock and key,”

Johnny's hand then drifted to the interior of his jacket, obscured from the man behind him, but open to Johnny, the handgun revealed. "Or we call this fucker's bluff, peg him, find out where Van Gerwen is and trust in Chase and Jasmine to deal with whoever his accomplice is out there. I mean that would get my vote just to wipe the smug look off of that arsehole's face"

 

[Pyroclast]

Chase Zegarra

Chase had no choice but to look past Lyle’s cocky grin as he listened to his explanation as to what was going on. At least the man didn’t waste time in getting to the point; just one night after blowing up a warehouse and burning down Sinead’s jazz club, they - supposedly the same people - were after information of the mob’s contacts in Cuba, using The Lomax and the hundreds of lives occupying it as bargaining chips. Their enemies were a lot of things, but ‘lazy’ certainly wasn’t one of them. Of course, it wasn’t just the mob’s business that Chase was concerned about - the names they wanted were of people that Chase knew back home, some of them like family to him. Their faces came to the front of his mind and he knew there was no way he was going to put them in danger.

Since he was carrying information valuable to them, Chase deemed it safe to lower the gun he had taken from Lyle and he slotted it in the back of his waistband. With hands now free, he wrapped his arms around Jasmine and carefully helped her to the floor. “Jasmine, I’m going to leave you to look after the kid, okay?” he said, shrugging his jacket off and balling it up to make a support for her bleeding leg. He tied the sleeves tightly around her thigh. “Stay here. I’ll come back for you as soon as I can, I promise.” His eyes were laden with concern for her. He didn’t want to leave her behind, but he knew that she was armed if the man he had knocked out woke up, and as long as she didn’t pass out, he had faith that she would be able to defend both herself and the hostage. He would just have to be quick. After giving her hand a firm squeeze, Chase got to his feet and beckoned the two remaining men towards the door. “You two come backstage with me and we can talk.”

The second he opened the door he was hit by a blast of heavy rock music. He quickly caught sight of their in-house drug dealer, Danny, dancing his way to the bar, apparently completely oblivious to the trouble they were in. Chase jumped out to grab him, causing the younger man to look up to him with a glowing smile. “Hey, man!” he yelled above the music. “Qué bola?”

“Danny, you go into the men’s restroom, lock the door and don’t come out until I get you, okay?” Chase ordered. It was only then that Danny noticed the figures standing behind his colleague. His smile wavered but he didn’t question the strange command, instead backing away and following his curiosity to the restroom as instructed. Since spending the night with Savannah, he had been on cloud nine, his heart soaring with newly declared love - but the moment he entered the room he came crashing back down to earth. “Woah...What the hell happened in here?” he drew out, stepping over the splotches of blood that spoiled the white tiled floor. “Chase sent me to...Sammy, what you doin’ all tied up like that? Jasmine, what happened to your leg?” Sammy rolled his eyes, prompting Danny to quickly lock the door and move to his side to remove the gag from his mouth. “Who’s the dead guy?” Danny asked, poking the unconscious man slumped beneath the sink.


Chase was much less lighthearted in his response to the crisis. He practically stormed through the backstage corridors until he found Adam and Johnny, who were already in the presence of the man Lyle had spoken of. They had their backs turned to them, conferring in hushed tones. “Alright, time’s up,” Jed called out, Chase’s arrival apparently marking the end of his patience. “We got a deal here, or what?”

“Wait,” Chase interrupted. “Let me talk to them.”

The man’s mouth twisted into a toothy smile when he picked up Chase’s accent. “Ah - the Cuban himself.” Jed held out his arm to invite him into the discussion and the two men that had led him backstage went to stand beside him. “I’ve given your friends here more than enough time to make a decision, and now I want to hear it. Give me names, or this little rock show comes to a violent end.”

With a cautious side glance to Johnny and Adam, Chase stepped further into the room. It was difficult to proceed without knowing what his colleagues had already discussed, especially since he hadn't been told of Joseph and Mitch's involvement in the deal. He thought of Jasmine in the restroom and wondered how long he could leave her for. Then he thought of Havana, Pinar del Río, Viñales, and all the people he used to work there with. A few years ago, shortly before his father was killed, the two of them had sat down with Liam Sullivan and agreed to limit their custom to the Irish Mob alone, cutting off trade with all other criminal organisations, including the Morettis. It was a mutually beneficial contract which set in motion a loyal relationship between the Cubans and the Irish, and unfortunately one which his father had paid for with his life. Chase knew that there was no way he could let the Morettis have control over his Cuban brothers and sisters. He couldn’t let his father die for nothing. Moreover, given that the drugs trade was a primary source of income for the mob, he had a strong feeling that Adam and Johnny wouldn’t want to hand the business over either. “We can’t do that,” he told them firmly. “Those names are protected. You won’t find them even if I tell you.” It wasn’t a lie - the identities of those involved in the production of both cocaine and cigars were kept secret, and the sites were all heavily guarded. Jed sighed in response, a hint of a smile appearing on his face as though part of him was looking forward to opening fire on the dancefloor. “But if you come with me now,” Chase went on. “I will fly you to Cuba myself and personally introduce you to the people you want to know. In exchange, everyone in this club is left unharmed, okay?”

Jed locked eyes with Chase as he mulled the offer over. “And I’m supposed to just trust that you won’t lead us into a trap?”

“The operations in Cuba are hidden, you would be killed before you found your way in unless you had a guide.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Lyle interjected, taking a step closer to Chase. “You fly us to Cuba right now, and in the meantime, we’ll fix up your lady friend so she’s all better by the time you get back.”

Chase’s heart jumped in his chest. “No,” he firmly replied. “No, you leave her out of this, you leave her alone -”

“Then the deal’s off,” Lyle taunted. “Jed, you want to give the signal? The venue seems full tonight.”

It was clear they were trying to make him sweat to see if he was telling them the truth or not. He had already broken down their options in his head: if he gave them the names, he would be putting the Cuban workers and the mob’s power in danger; if he didn’t give them the names, everyone in the club would be killed; if he sent them on a wild goose chase, they would no doubt return with uninhibited violence and more lives and businesses would be lost. He didn’t want any of that on his conscience - as much as he hated to admit it, it seemed that handing Jasmine over to them was the safest option. If he was quick, he would be able to forewarn his Cuban colleagues of their arrival and have them set up an ambush. He would just have to make sure that they found Jasmine again before the enemy worked out that their men had been killed. “Alright!” Chase shouted, raising his hands. “Okay. You can stay with her until we return. But if you hurt her, I swear to god I'll -"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll kill us all. Don't you worry, Romeo. Just do what you promised."

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam, Jasmine
RayPurchase Johnny

 

[Misty Gray]

Ethan Turner​

Ethan sent Alistair a single nod when his boss pointed out he was 'still alive'. Although the man looked beyond worse for wear, it was a testament to his strength and survival instinct that he was alive at all and thankfully wasn't crying about it. As upsetting as it no doubt was for Alistair, Ethan wasn't emotionally-equipped to provide comfort to a tearful people. His way of trying to lift the spirits in such times was to offer revenge and suffering to those who had crossed them. He would not offer such a thing lightly, but Alistair had long ago earned his loyalty and respect. He was surprised to hear his offer refused, having expected the worst kind of punishment for the person who had left the man in a mess. Ethan caught the moment when Alistair ground his teeth together and was clearly thinking of something uncomfortable, but opted to overlook it, getting the feeling his superior wanted no attention brought to it. "Well, I hope the whore rots in Hell. Hopefully the counsellor is already there waiting for her," he remarked, having no doubts Ani was to blame.

When asked about the lawyer's present fate, Ethan let out a small chuckle, finding it more natural to be revelling in the misery of their enemies. "He's not at the bottom of the river just yet, though there's a spot reserved for him. I've currently got him held at the old empty cop station in East Harlem. I'm sure there's something useful in that head of his to make up for the briefcase he tossed away. I'll see what I can drag out of him before deeming him a complete waste of space."

Alistair agreed with him about getting in touch with Gabriel to throw any nosey cops aware from the EH headquarters. Whilst he didn't accept Moretti's direct authority, he respected the Italian's position of power and ability to keep pests like the cops away. Altogether, the alliance between East Harlem and the Morettis was thriving, with even the likes of Steve, Amato and Tony being able to work well together.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders at Alistair's agitated question about what was going on with the jazz club barmaid. "If they're not finished messing about after tonight and don't have any real use for her, I'll tell them to finish her off. She can warm the river up for Van Gerwen." He sent a confirming nod as Alistair explained what to do with the two kids they had tied up at HQ and then their father. "Would I mind? It's my job," he said, flashing an unsettling, broad smile at the thought of slaughtering the hostages' father. "It'll shake the dust off some of my old equipment."

Pyroclast (Alistair)

 

[Pyroclast]

Alistair Sawyer

Alistair couldn’t remember the last time he had found himself in hospital. As far as he was concerned, it wasn’t much different to being held captive - both served to confine him to a place where he had little to no control and no real protection against enemies looking to take advantage of his immobility. Perhaps if he still had his legs he might be able to escape and return to headquarters where he at least would be at the heart of operations. Lying helpless in his hospital bed, however, he knew he would be the last to hear of any news.

This is what made Ethan’s position so vital to him. Until Alistair was signed out of the hospital, the man would essentially have to do all of his jobs for him, as well as minding his apartment and visiting him at the hospital with updates. He was the key to keeping Alistair involved, guarding whatever power he would manage to maintain in his current state. Confined or not, he was still the boss of the East Harlem gang and regardless of the jobs he delegated to Ethan now, it was still his responsibility to ensure the right decisions were being made.

Despite the intense pain and nausea twisting through him, Alistair still managed a faint smile at the butcher’s enthusiasm to kill. “If your tools are gathering dust, Ethan, I’m clearly not doing my job.” His vision was beginning to blur and warp at the edges, beckoning him to pass out and it took all of his remaining strength to appear unaffected. “Alright. Call Gabriel immediately and get this investigation shut down, then check in with Steve about this girl. Tomorrow, I want you back here with reports on Van Gerwen. Do what you do best and don’t hold back on him. In the meantime…” He trailed off as the fatigue and pain grew more dominant, pushing his focus to the more urgent, physical demands and away from his responsibilities. “In the meantime, let the guards watch the kids for another two days. If their father returns, kill him and then report back to me. And don’t forget to water my plants.” He sent Ethan a particularly serious look then. “I didn’t give you the keys to my apartment just for a view of the city.”

After a moment, Alistair drew a deep breath and sank back into the bed, not feeling like he had to tell the man to leave him alone. “Oh, and Ethan…” he added, just as the man reached the door. “Don’t think you’re doing all this extra work for free. You look after me, I look after you, that’s how this works.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Ethan

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan​

For once, Sinny and Peter were on the same page and Peter couldn't express how relieved he was about that. Nodding his head as Sin said it could be a new life for them, Peter was very much looking forward to it. Hearing that she didn't want her clubs anymore was definitely a little disappointing to him, he loved them just as much as her but understood that this was what had to be done in order to keep their family safe. "We'll have to play around with ideas and figure something out then." He murmured. Aliana confirmed that they were making the right decision and it was their decision alone after joking about them having a girl. "Poor Brady is already far too outnumbered and so am I, as much as I would love another little girl, I wouldn't complain about adding a boy to our team." He chuckled softly.

Peter was glad that Sinead had decided to call the kids over and he was nervous about what they might think but Sinead and Aliana kept light conversation that distracted him up until Savannah arrived. He smiled her way brightly but his smile faded as she said Braden hadn't been home when she left. From his understanding, Braden was almost never home. He wondered what the kid was up to most of the time. He was too quiet about things a lot of the time...

"Everything's fine, love. We just wanted to talk to you about a few things we've been mulling over." He hugged her tightly when she greeted him with one before she moved to sit on the sofa opposite of them. Looking to Sinead, he felt he had the go-ahead to get the conversation started.

"As you know, the club is gone...things are getting a little too familiar for your mother and me with this whole war going on." He paused and wondered if Savannah knew where he was gonna go with this. "I'm getting too freaking old for this stuff and with your sibling on the way, it's just too much for your mother to bear. Now you are an adult, and we can't force you to leave New York. But your mother and I have decided that it's time for us to part from here. For the children, we still have living under our roof."

Looking to Sinead, he took her hand in his and smiled softly at her for a moment before returning to look at his daughter. "Again, we can't force you to come with us. But I will urge you to think of what's going on and the dangers you have been placed in before. New York has never been home to us...at least to me anyway. Chicago, that was different. But Dublin...that's our true home. It's calm there now and we can start over once more. If you are willing to consider it, we would like you to do the same, however, we understand if you would like to stay here."
with: Sinead & Savannah Misty Gray ; Aliana Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Giovanni Biancardi ​

Hearing that her cousin's conscience was clear was comforting, her Uncle clearly didn't have anything more to say it seemed like as he was too busy with Jeanie. It was relieving to know that her family was finally being honest with her about things, but a part of her wished that she could be ignorant of what they had going on in their lives once more. They were asking a lot of her by keeping secrets from Syd and even though she'd only known him for less than a year, she knew him just well enough to know that if he found out about her being dishonest...

She had to stop thinking about it. Things were already rough between them and adding this on just didn't seem fair to their relationship. "Well if your conscience is clear, then I don't have any more things to drill you with. I just..." Roxie paused, wondering if it was even appropriate to talk about her relationship problems with her family at this time. Fuck, she was still sporting a black eye and now understanding that her own family was just as dangerous as Syd's she didn't want to have them on his back about her. "I think I can say I hated my father more than you lot, but...this..." She gestured to the house around her, "I just feel guilty about all of this." Gio looked up from Jeanie. "You know you can always stay at my place in the city, Roxie. if you don't feel safe here-" "No...Uncle, that's not it. I don't feel unsafe here. I just feel guilty. Syd and I haven't even talked about my father since all that happened and to just add this secrecy on top of it." She paused as she looked at Jeanie in her Uncle's arms for a moment before her eyes moved to Jane who was in her rocker, still fast asleep.

"I want this to work for them, you know. I've stopped thinking about myself so whatever happens to me...I don't care, I just want them to be the happiest little babies with parents who love each other. I do love Syd...but I'm afraid of what all of these secrets will do to us. I know what it's like to grow up in a household full of hate and I am doing everything in my power to just let what happened go...but I feel horribly guilty about it."

She wasn't going to say that she loved her father but she just had that connection to him, he was her biological father and nothing would change that. It was that fact that made her feel horrible about it all, even though he brought the situation upon himself. "But never-mind me, I will get over this eventually." Roxie reached for the wine bottle and filled her glass up a little more than she had before. After taking a long sip, Roxie mustered a smile at her relatives. "So, you boys hungry?"

(end scene)

with: Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper and Jasmine Carpenter​

Adam was glad to hear Johnny was on the same page about not giving Jed the information he was demanding. He hadn't got as far as he had in the mob by cowering to the enemy and giving in to their demands. Whilst he hoped they could find a way to help Mitch and Jasmine's father, Adam believed the costs of losing the Cuban business would be far worse. The Morettis would gain more strength and that could result in far more casualties to the Irish. He wouldn't admit it without a few drinks down him first, but he was quite fond of the family and especially had a soft sport for the Callahans, given his friendship with Peter. They had to be protected. "Right now, my priority is all of the people in this club. We need to ensure their safety, then worry about how we're going to help the lawyer and Inmate Carpenter," he gruffly told Johnny. "I'm sure our employers could pull some kind of strings where the prison is concerned. They've certainly got more resources than the two of us, right?"

Adam glanced to his friend's handgun, holding back the urge to grin. "Not gonna lie. Blowing that fucker's brains out is certainly the most tempting option," he admitted. As tempting as it was, he didn't want to risk the man's accomplices opening fire in the club. Not only would there be more lost lives so soon after the jazz club tragedy, but it would also reflect further on the public reputation of the Irish Mob. When Jed impatiently told them time was up, Adam turned to glare at the man and was about to call him something profane. Instead, he saw Chase had arrived with a couple more of Jed's friends.

Adam raised a curious eyebrow as he wondered what his friend had found out in the meantime. Chase spoke up to inform Jed that it wasn't as straightforward as just giving out the names they were demanding. Whilst Adam had no intention of doing so either, he wondered if Chase had a plan as telling Jed they weren't giving him what he wanted wasn't likely to go down well. Chase then offered to fly the men to Cuba and give them a personal introduction to the Cuban contacts. Adam was now certain his friend had something up his sleeve as he doubted he would go ahead and take the enemy straight to his friends in Cuba.

Lyle seemed willing to accept the offer, but only if Jasmine was kept under their watch as insurance. Given it seemed like Chase has a soft spot going on for Jasmine, Adam wasn't sure the man would agree to such terms. When he first refused, Adam was prepared to speak up and try talk his friend into agreeing to Lyle's terms. Like Mitch and Joseph, there was no question that Jasmine had known what they were getting themselves into when they willingly took on employment with the mob. Adam was sure she'd be upset to know those in the club were gunned down so she could spared. He also figured she'd take offence if she suspected they'd refused on account of her being a woman, but he wasn't about to vocalise such a remark. Thankfully, Chase agreed to hand Jasmine over to the enemy as insurance. Seeing the way Chase threatened them if they hurt Jasmine only served to confirm what Adam had suspected about a possible work romance. He sent Johnny a knowing glance, referring back to their earlier conversation about the potential couple.

"You heard him!" Adam forcefully told Lyle as the man seemed to mock Chase's concern for Jasmine. "Don't touch a fucking hair on the lady's head. Same goes for her dad and the lawyer," he warned them.

It looked like he and the guys were taking an unexpected trip to Cuba, though it wouldn't be the usual pleasant kind of visit he was used to.

*****​

For one of the first times, Jasmine didn't refuse help. It wasn't just because she was injured. She believed Chase respected her and any help was justified, rather than being patronising as she was used to from her colleagues. With his arms around her, she took some comfort from his warmth as he helped her down onto the floor. When he told her he was leaving her there, she quickly nodded her head. As nice as his presence would be in the situation, she knew he had a job to do and they couldn't put lives on the line just for her own sake. "Okay," she said, encouraging him as he took a moment to help tend to her leg wound. "I'll be okay," she said, looking him in the eyes to urge him to go do what he had to do. She put her hand over her stab wound and used her other hand to firmly grasp her gun. "Go and deal with those arseholes," she said, sending him a smile as she hoped to push aside his reservations about leaving her.

Not long after Chase and the two men had left, the restroom door opened and Danny stepped inside. The young man seemed surprised to have walked in on such a scene though he made it clear Chase had sent him. "This is how all of my nights out end up, Danny," she sarcastically remarked. "You didn't happen to bring a first aid kit, did you?" As the drug dealer locked the door and set about tending to Sammy, Jasmine finally took a moment to assess her wound. Despite the pain, she was sure she would be okay if she wasn't left for long enough to loose too much blood. "Are you sure the guy's dead? I thought he was just sleeping. I was looking forward to doing the honours once Chase and the others dealt with his idiot friends." She took a moment to catch her breath back. "Those guys with Chase are threatening to kill everyone in the club if they don't get what they want. Chase and the others are hopefully diffusing the situation as we speak."

RayPurchase (Johnny)
Pyroclast (Chase, Danny)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Savannah Callahan​

Savannah practically grimaced when Peter said they'd been mulling something over. Despite his reassurance everything was fine, she couldn't help but think the worst when it came to her family. She sat quietly, fidgeting with her silver bracelet as she listened to her father speak. Hearing and thinking about what had happened at the club made her feel sick. She'd once been in the very building when her family was being threatened, but she and her loved ones managed to get out unharmed. To think that so many people hadn't been so fortunate the previous night was horrific. The club was reduced to ash, but it was the human loss that was the most upsetting. Some of the staff she had known quite well through her mother, the odd performance in the club, or nights out with her friends. It was chilling to think about having only been inside the place a couple of days earlier. She understood why Peter said it was feeling familiar. Savannah had already been through a lot in her relatively young life, but her parents and aunt, Aliana, had been going through such heartache for even longer.

Savannah was stunned into silence when she heard her parents, Emery and not yet born sibling were leaving New York. She looked down to her hands as she tried to get her head around things. Peter said they weren't going to force her to go with them and she was glad to be given the choice, even if it was a difficult one. She was about to ask them which state or city they were moving to, perhaps if she got her own car she could still drive into the city for work or she could at least visit her family whenever she had some days off. But then her father revealed they were leaving the country, not just New York. She'd spent her childhood in Dublin, but she didn't look back on it as fondly as she felt she should. She'd been old enough back then to understand; to mourn the losses of Tommy and Skye. Her first few months of high school were tainted by bullies. Although she had soon turned her popularity amongst her peers around for the better, she'd deep down been glad to leave Dublin for New York. She wasn't sure if she was ready to give up on New York yet. The last few months had been difficult, but despite Steve's tormenting and her killing a man who had threatened her, she'd managed to stand up to her fears. She wasn't ready to quit, not after all of the hard work she had put it.

Dublin was now everything she craved for a home: calm and safe, but it lacked two aspects of her life that she'd longed for for so long. Her career was growing by the week; not only was she presently the lead in 'Snow White' but she had a big audition in two days for an opportunity that didn't come around too often. The other aspect was love. She'd finally found someone who loved her as much as she did them. She wasn't sure she could now leave Danny and she knew he was tied into business in New York. She knew she was old enough to decide her own path now.

Savannah looked to her parents, realising the coming future she'd been expecting wasn't going to play out that way. She'd been excited to welcome a new baby brother or sister, to spoil them rotten and spend as much time with them as she could. She'd been looking forward to her family seeing her in bigger shows - ones that wouldn't get ruined again. She'd been promising Emery they'd go out drinking as soon as she turned 18.

"I can't leave," Savannah finally spoke up. Her lip trembled as she looked to those across from her. She'd always figured if her career took off, she'd end up separated from her family for long periods of time, but that would be different. This was so sudden and the circumstances were unpleasant ones. "I don't want to be apart from you all and I love you all so much, but... I.. If I go now, I'll always wonder what could have been. I'm not sure Dublin would give me the opportunities I have right now. Here..." Savannah saw how heartbroken Sinead appeared; she somehow managed to look even more devastated than she already had been about the club massacre. Unable to hold back, Savannah burst into tears of her own, clutching one of the cushions against herself for comfort. "I'm sorry," she whispered over her tears.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Bellz (Peter)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Sullivan

At the mention of the nursery, Aliana internally groaned. She had forgotten how much work went into it when she had Leo and so desperately wanted to hire people to do everything for her. But then it wouldn't have that personal touch to it so she was going to have to suck it up and do it herself. "A little. I didn't think I was going to have another kid since it's been about a decade, so I gave most of Leo's old stuff away. Not very smart on my part. So I will be happy to help you out in that department." Thinking about all the preparations she would have to do was exhausting. She had Leo to help, who was very excited about being a big brother. Because she knew how busy Conor had been lately, she wouldn't put too much on him. Besides, putting together a room for a baby wasn't that hard.

"Well since there were unfortunate events that ruined my plans, I may as well tell you now. I was planning on throwing you a rainbow party for your rainbow baby." Some time ago the two of them were having a heart to heart conversation in which Sinead was about to confide in her about her miscarriage. Though she hadn't said the actual words, the broken and interrupted sentence followed by tears was enough for Ali. "Though I'm sure I can figure something out." She stated, scratching her head in thought.

"Not only do I need someone on my team, I really want to spite Leo for turning out like Conor." She joked, turning her head to the doorway. Savannah came bounding over, giving her aunt and parents a hug. She seemed so happy and energetic and knowing the news her parents were about to share were about to change her mood completely crushed her. Ali offered her a sad smile and reassured her the babies were okay. When Peter began explaining the situation, she watched Savannah's face for any signs of needing comfort. It was quiet in the room for a moment while they allowed Sav to mull it over and when she gave her response, she stood to sit next to her. She informed her parents that she wasn't going with them and that seemed to break her. She understood her reasoning for wanting to stay, her career was taking off. But seeing Sinead just as upset hurt her too. Their family was now going to be split apart after being together for so many years. Ali wrapped her arm around Savannah's shoulders and rubbed her head. "Hey, it's okay. It's gonna be okay you two. We're going to work this out."

​

Sinead, Savannah ( Misty Gray ) Peter ( Bellz )

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

Being careful not to let anyone enter the restroom, Danny quickly dipped into the janitor’s cupboard and retrieved a first aid kit at Jasmine’s request. First aid wasn’t something he was officially trained in, but he had sustained enough minor injuries himself to know how a dressing worked. Once he had locked the door again, he came to kneel at Jasmine’s side to examine the wound. It looked like she had been stabbed, which would have come as more of a surprise to him if it hadn’t been for Sammy being tied up and the serious way in which Chase had spoken to him. Jasmine appeared relatively unfazed by her injury, which helped to keep the atmosphere light. Sammy wasn’t making a fuss, either, though that was maybe because he was so transfixed on the unconscious man lying right next to him, watching for signs that he was waking up. When Jasmine suggested he wasn’t dead, Danny shrugged. “Better stop poking him then, Sammy,” he joked. He didn’t like violence and certainly wasn’t ready to watch somebody die, but if it was between them and the enemy, he wasn’t going to stop Jasmine from shooting the man dead.

Danny concentrated on tending to her wound to allow some time for her words to fully sink in. “I think this needs stitching up,” he mumbled, helplessly shaking his head. “I’ve never done that before…” He took the bottle of iodine solution in his hand. “I know this stuff kinda stings, though. Do you mind, uh...I mean, your pants are gonna have to come down for me to do this...”

Impatient for Danny to ask her questions, Sammy spoke up from where he was still bound. “If those guys are gonna kill everyone in the club, shouldn’t we be, like, getting everyone out?”

“Chase is dealing with it, Sam,” Danny said, echoing what Jasmine had said. “The club will be shut down for good if this gets out. They’re not gonna kill anyone, Chase wouldn’t let that happen.”

“How the hell can you say that?” Sammy snapped, tugging at his restraints. “You’re talkin’ like the club is the biggest thing at stake here. What about the hundreds of people inside?”

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I don’t want anyone to die either, but it’s already being dealt with. If we go out there and try and evacuate the place while the negotiations are going on, they could open fire on everyone the second the music stops. We’re safe in here for now, alright, so chill. If you keep arguing with me I’m gonna put that gag back on you, man. I need to concentrate.”

Lip trembling, Sammy kept his fearful eyes on the man at his feet, every once in a while glancing at the door as if anticipating an explosion of gunfire to come piercing through. Danny trusted his colleague to be an effective watchdog, and instead focused solely on Jasmine. “I’m really sorry about this…” he warned, before piercing the edge of her wound with the suture needle. “I’ve had stitches before so I’ve seen how they do it.” It wasn’t long before his hands were covered in her blood, and despite her nonchalant demeanour, he was a little worried about her. Once the procedure was done, Danny released a heavy exhale and sat back against a cubicle door. “Wow, I should be a surgeon or something,” he smiled, before reaching for the gauze and bandages to finish the job. “How you feelin’, you alright? You want a smoke or somethin'?” His smile didn’t disappear as he dressed the wound. Seeing Jasmine’s exposed thigh didn’t affect him in the slightest, especially in such unpleasant circumstances, but he could only imagine the scene would make Chase blush if he were to walk in on them now. “Chase is gonna come back for us soon,” he told her. “I bet he’s really worried about you right now. You two work pretty close, huh?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Jasmine

 

[Enzyme]

UNKNOWN LOCATION, New York​

Spoiler: Legend

Amato, Dimitri, Rhys

The men had been so rapt up in this maleficent exchange, that the voice from the opened door sent just about everyone in the room jumping out of their socks. If he had a weapon on him, Dimitri would have gone for it. Instead, his hands rose defenselessly by his chest, like a chipmunk after hearing the crackle of a branch. "What the fuck? How'd you get down here?" Dimitri sputtered, his hands still covering his flabby pecks. His fists fell once he realized they weren't cops, but his inquiries remained tall, with 'who's this asshole?' at the top. At Gabriel's request, Dimitri scoffed at the audacity, as if he were some street peddler that had roamed too far off the sidewalk. "And who the hell are you?" Dimitri asked. His line of questioning was cut off as Jameson agreed with a submissive nod. "Where are you going?" Dimitri called out. Jameson spun around, and quickly motioned to the exit with his head. While he was calm and collected, there was a tell in Jameson's eyes, as if he knew who these two were. With that that severe of a stare, Dimitri caught on fast, and whether these two strangers were legit, they were enough to scare a wealthy politician's nephew shitless - and that was good enough for Dimitri. The two Russians hurried out of the room, and while Dimitri's puzzled gaze still fell upon Gabriel, Jameson's didn't dare leave the ground below him.

Amato's smile had dropped faster than a led balloon, and before he could plead for the buyers to stay, the footsteps on the stairs were distant patters. "Gabriel, Gabriel, no... Please," Amato began to implore, falling to the door before it slammed shut against the concrete. "Come back! You're missin' the gal' of a life time!" As Amato called out for them, Gabriel had already slipped behind him and begun examining the girl. "Why... Why... Why?" Was all that could escape his pudgy lips. Even at the offering of reinbursments for their lossed deal, it fell on deaf ears. Amato knew he'd never get that compensation, at least not the amount he was about to score. "Out of all the broads, you gotta' bust our balls over this one? She's just a fuckin' barmaid! She's a nobody! You just cost us 50 fuckin' Gs!" Amato spat, furiously slapping his palm with the back of his hand.

"Well, you see, that's where you're wrong, Rooster." Rhys butted in from the shadows, a soldem, undisturbed string of smoke rising from his Nat Sherman cigarette. "She's not a nobody,"

"She's a Porter employee, and the sole survivor of one of the most herendous massacres this city's ever seen." Rhys slowly stepped to her beside Gabriel, every drop of his foot accentuating his words like a period. He looked at her, not like a tool in a shed or a pig in a slaughter house like the rest of the men, but like a prize, a telling gift from the Universe. "But most importantly, she's the final nail," Rhys whispered an intoxicating cloud of smoke into her lacerated face, a clarivoyant glimmer shimmering in his souless pupils.

Misty Gray (Gabriel/Kerry) Pyroclast (Steve)

 

[Pyroclast]

Steve Kelly

The cousin that Jameson and Dmitri were buying Kerry for was of course completely irrelevant to the transaction, but the way he was described piqued Steve’s interest nonetheless. He sounded like some sort of wild animal, infantile yet deadly, the kind to run not too far from Steve’s own tracks. He smiled towards Kerry as the exchange was made, dollar signs gleaming in his eyes. 50,000. Adrenaline exploded through him like a firework when Amato shook the man’s hand, and he almost felt an urge to kiss his colleague for making them so rich.

Before he could do anything to embarrass himself, however, the sound of heavy footsteps rang out from the stairwell beyond the door and the adrenaline transformed into panic. When Gabriel and Rhys stepped out from the shadows, Steve released a heavy exhale and let his proud smile return to him. Their intimidating aura was undeniable, but Steve was so sure that they would be happy with the transaction that he didn’t sweat a drop. “Sir, you won’t believe what we just -”

Gabriel was so quick to cut him off that Steve wasn’t sure the man had even understood what he was dismissing. “Woah, h-hey, slow down, there!” he stammered, holding out his hands. “You don’t know what you just did, man! We were gonna be rich! I mean, sleepin’ on a bed of dead presidents rich!” His hands flew to his head as the heavy door swung shut, with Jameson, Dmitri and the money in their wallets lost to the other side. He could have burst into tears right there and then, but Amato was already working to test the limits of their tolerance and he knew throwing a tantrum wouldn’t get them anywhere. The best he could do was to channel it into anger. Breathing furiously, he scowled at Rhys as the consigliere moved to Gabriel’s side. “The final nail, huh? In whose coffin?” he pouted. “What could possibly be better than what we almost had just now?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel, Kerry
Enzyme Rhys

 

[Misty Gray]

Jasmine Carpenter​

Jasmine already knew her leg wound was going to need stitches, yet it still seemed like a revelation when Danny told her as much. "Well, that's just great, huh?" she sarcastically remarked. Whilst Danny vocalised he hadn't stitched someone up before, Jasmine had a reasonable enough idea from seeing injuries of her colleagues and father being tended to. Still, she was trying to put most of her focus on being alert enough to pull the trigger if something suddenly went down, so she let Danny deal with the stitches. However, when Danny said she would have to pull her trousers down so he could get to her wound, she couldn't help the small smirk that appeared on her face. "Does that chat up line usually work this well?" she lightly teased as she unfastened the trousers. She briefly struggled to avoid scraping the stab wound as she pushed her trousers down to her knee, making sure enough of her thigh was accessible to be stitched up and then dressed. She'd been through enough in her life to not feel the slightest bit embarrassed by the situation.

Jasmine tightened her jaw and let out a small hiss as Danny poured the iodine solution onto her wound, but overall managed to inhibit any discomfort. She'd been trained by her father to hold back any pain so she didn't look weak to the enemy. In this case, she was more motivated to stay in control so Sammy didn't start to behave erratically. "Pipe down, Sam," Jasmine spoke up to echo Danny. "We're staying put so we don't put all of those people in danger," she asserted.

Jasmine quickly nodded as Danny apologised in advance about sticking the needle through her skin, her action urging him to just get it over with. "Motherfu--" she muttered under her breath as she started stitching up the wound. She briefly watched him tend to her leg, out of curiosity more than anything, but then brought her attention back to watching their surroundings so she was ready to shoot if needed. She was starting to feel a little exhaustion from the effects of the pain and bloodloss, but she was determined to keep her mind engaged. When Danny commended his own work, Jasmine nodded along. "That's it. You're an artist!" she exaggerated along with him.

"I'd love a smoke right about now," she confirmed as Danny finished dressing the wound. When the young man turned the conversation onto Chase, Jasmine fondly smiled at the thought of the man before straightening her face. "Ah, I'm sure he's mildly concerned," she replied, downplaying how close she really felt to Chase. She wasn't sure if Chase would appreciate her talking about him on a personal level in case he wanted to keep things professional. "He knows what he's doing, so I don't doubt he'll be back here soon." She shuffled on the spot as she pulled her trousers back up, once again trying to avoid knocking the leg wound. She flashed a playful smile at Danny. "Thank you, Loverboy. I'm glad to see Savvy found herself a good guy," she knowingly remarked.

Pyroclast (Danny, Chase)

 

[Misty Gray]

Gabriel Moretti​

Gabriel wasn't surprised that Amato and Steve had protested when he'd turned the two men away. Hell, when he heard the two employees had stood to gain $50,000, he understood why they were suddenly behaving like a couple of children who had been deprived of ice-cream. To Gabriel, that amount of money wasn't so much of a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but to them it was like all of their Christmases had come early. Regardless, he forced himself to hold his tongue when Amato was practically pleading for him to let the deal go ahead and Steve was trying to convince him he was making a mistake.

Rhys took the cue to explain to the two men why Kerry was more than just a barmaid. While listening to his consigliere, Gabriel kept his eyes on the young woman as he studied her. He was practically staring into her soul, seeing the torment in her eyes from the horrors she had already suffered through. He was sure she could go through a little more and prove herself just as significant as Rhys was indicating. The barmaid stood trembling and once again asked for some kind of mercy. "It'll all be over soon," he ominously replied to her. Gabriel turned on his heels, motioning for Amato and Steve to walk with him to stand at the bottom of the stairs.

"You men lack patience. Do not sour the pride I have in your successful completion of the task you were set. The destruction of the club was executed well and I thank you for that." Gabriel's calm demeanour remained but there was a venom in his voice and a darkness in his eyes as he spoke his next words. "Do you think I would waste my time in this shithole to stop your seedy little deal if I didn't have good reason to? When the Irish are defeated and we're running this city, those '50 fuckin' Gs' will feel like pocket money to you boys and any others who prove their loyalty in these times." He softened his glare and flashed a brief, crooked smirk. "Patience."

Enzyme (Amato, Rhys) Pyroclast (Steve)

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 17: Confinement
Wednesday 23rd February 1972
...3 days later...
Early Evening - Cold, Dry, Windy
******************************

******************************


NYPD Midtown Precinct
~ Midtown, Manhattan ~
​

Conor Sullivan

Conor's birthday weekend hadn't been as enjoyable as he'd hoped and he'd returned home with an altogether bitter taste in his mouth. How James and Liam had kept up an alliance with the Scottish cowards for so long was beyond comprehension, but with enough on his mind he'd spared himself from getting into a war of words with James about it. The fact was, he'd nearly been killed three nights ago by some jumped up little piss-ant whose family was in bed with the Morettis. Once the opportunity became apparent, Conor intended on paying the Corleones back for that mistake.

Conor hadn't been able to tell Aliana exactly how close he'd come to being killed in New Jersey, but he'd likely said enough to give her some idea, especially when it came to him singing the praises of Jackson's and Syd's quick reactions. Between spending time with his wife and son, Conor had also pushed himself through some gruelling workouts in hopes of burning off the anger that was building inside of him. Gone were the days of being able to let out his aggression by beating the shit out of any man who got in his way. Now he had to let the employees he paid to do the dirty work do it for him whilst he focused on keeping the business afloat.

Some feelings he could display in their natural form were his sadness and upset about what had happened at his youngest sister's jazz club. On a more personal level, hearing Sinead, Peter and Emery were leaving New York was heart-breaking to him. Throughout her life, Sinead had always stayed wherever the family was, but to see she'd finally given in showed how devastated she was. He understood and knew it would be wrong to try talk the Callahans into staying, but having always been so close to his sisters it felt like another piece of him was being stripped away.

Conor had spent today with Aliana and Leo, wanting to make up for being away over the weekend and generally being so busy. After being treated to some junk food and ice-skating, Leo was dropped off at the Porters' house to have a sleepover with his cousins. Conor's intention had been to spend time alone with Aliana, which had been going well until they received a telephone call from the police station. The Detective had informed Conor that they had a young woman there who had survived the attack at All That Jazz. In her current state of depression, Conor knew Sinead wouldn't be up to accompanying him to police station, but with Aliana often checking up on the jazz club on Sinead's behalf, it turned out she'd met Kerry on the young barmaid's first day. It wasn't just the fact Aliana could verify Kerry's identity, but from the Detective's words, it seemed like a female presence might be appreciated by the shaken young woman. Conor didn't consider his appearance scary and he knew he could be reassuring when needed, but to someone who had never met him and was already terrified, he was sure he could appear very intimidating.

Once they were both ready to leave the house, Conor embraced Aliana in his arms and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "I'm sorry, love. We'll get some time to relax together soon. I promise," he softly reassured her. He reluctantly let go of her and let out an apprehensive sigh. "Come on, let's go get Syd and then then we'll all pray I don't punch any coppers tonight," he half-joked.

*****​

Although he had no intention of interrogating Kerry, the fact she was present inside the jazz club during the attack that wiped everyone else out, made Conor hopeful she would be able to provide them with some useful information. As such, he'd asked Syd to join him and Aliana, to make sure none of them missed any details or descriptions of assailants that would prove familiar or at least useful.

As they walked towards the entrance of the police station, Conor tried to distract himself from overthinking about how much the places grated on him. "How's Roxie and the lil girls doing?" Conor asked Syd, sending his nephew a warm smile. After the brief conversation, they were approached by Detective Randall who clearly didn't need any introduction to Conor, but he still introduced himself to both Syd and Aliana.

"The girl's in a bit of a state, physically and mentally. The doctor has patched her up, but it's still clear as day she's been dragged through hell," the middle-aged, balding Detective informed them as they walked down the corridor. He stopped before reaching the relevant door to finish briefing Conor and the others. "We were called this morning when some workers at the docks in Hell's Kitchen heard Kerry Patrick calling out for help in a locked shipping container. The officers found her tied up on the floor in the corner, covered in blood and shaking." He tightened his jaw, clearly frustrated by his next words. "She told us what happened inside the club, but said she couldn't identify any of the assailants. She said she wanted to talk to your lot, though. Why do I think she will suddenly remember more information when she talks to you? The sooner the people of this city learn you lot aren't the law, the better," he bitterly remarked.

The Detective led them to the interview room and pushed the door open to reveal the clearly traumatised young woman sat trembling at the table. Between the bruising and cuts, her skin looked pale and dehydrated, along with her eyes red raw through no doubt prolonged amounts of crying. Conor felt sorry for the poor girl, but at the same time he still hoped she'd be able to tell them something they could use. He took a step aside, inviting Aliana to step in front to provide more reassurance. He then turned to Detective Randall. "Nah, mate. No. We're not talking in there with you nosey bastards listening in. You're going to take the four of us to a private room and one that will feel less like a bloody interrogation," he commanded.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Pyroclast (Syd)

Moretti's Office
~ Murray Hill, Manhattan ~
​

Riccardo Biancardi

Ricky was a confident man who was rarely afraid to speak his mind or make himself the centre of attention. He was an extrovert and a talker for sure. So it was surprising to himself that he'd been feeling some apprehension about meeting with Moretti. Gabriel's reputation was once that made it clear he didn't like to be disappointed and that those who opposed him were often made to suffer for it. Ricky knew that now more than ever he would have to be very careful about the words that would leave his mouth when talking with Gabriel. What really piled on the pressure what the fact that Roxie was involved with Syd Porter - one of Moretti Family's greatest rivals. It was no fun being stuck in the middle and trying to make the wisest business decisions whilst trying to avoid upsetting his dear cousin, Roxie.

The drive into Midtown had been relatively quiet, considering Ricky was in attendance. With the driver and Giovanni in the front, Ricky had sat in the back taking any opportunity to make the odd joke or remark about something he'd spotted during the journey. They'd already discussed the situation enough and knew it was difficult to completely predict how the meeting would go with Gabriel involved. Once the driver parked up the car in the reserved spot in the underground parking lot, Ricky cleared his throat and suddenly had a rush of energy overcome him. "Too late to back out now, kids," he remarked.

With the driver waiting in the car until the end of the meeting, the three Biancardis entered the elevator where they were briefly scrutinised by the eyes of a security guard. Once the elevator doors were closed, Ricky pushed the button for Moretti-owned 50th floor of the skyscraper. "Fiftieth floor, huh? Hello, god complex," Ricky joked to try break out of the perceived tension.

As soon a the "ping" sounded to alert them they'd reached the desired level, the elevator doors automatically opened. The three Biacandi's were greeted by a handful of armed guards who proceeded to frisk search each of them in turn. "Steady on. That's not a gun down there," Ricky sarcastically remarked to try put off the big guy who was patting him down. He had toyed with the idea of keeping his gun on him but decided it wasn't worth the trouble, so had left it in the car.

Gabriel Moretti

Since the night of the auction, Gabriel's days had been long and busy, yet he was still standing with his face as stern and determined as ever. Although it had felt somewhat cathartic inflicting suffering onto Isac, it hadn't done much to ease the fury within him that was set alight when Valentina had been attacked. He suspected that raging fire wouldn't be extinguished until he found the second man who had dared to lay a hand on his daughter. Only when that man was rotting in hell would he feel a sense of satisfaction. Marcus and Teddy had done well three nights ago, with Gabriel content with how they'd carried out their duties. What had come as a surprise where Teddy was concerned was what Elvian had discussed with him a couple of days ago. She'd made Gabriel aware that Valentina had feelings for Teddy and there was a chance those feelings were mutual. Of course, Gabriel's immediate reaction had been one of disagreement; vocalising a need to stop such a relationship before it had chance to even begin. However, with Elvian's persuasion and Valentina's recent demands for him to stop suffocating his offspring, Gabriel had decided to back off for the time-being. With any luck, Teddy wouldn't share Valentina's feelings or at the very least would be too afraid to complicate his own life by following up on them. What was certain, was that Gabriel would be keeping a close eye on the man who had a reputation for being a womaniser. He would not allow his own daughter to be messed around by Teddy nor be another notch on the man's bedpost.

Personal life aside, business was going great for Gabriel. The biggest challenge to his goals was the Irish Mob and he believed any threat they posed was being weakened by the day. Along with the attacks on Sullivan businesses over recent days, the trembling gift that was Kerry had come into his possession. From her broken and defeated eyes, Gabriel's faith was only strengthened.

Today, Gabriel was meeting with members of the Biancardi family. Stefano's death had left a hole in his plans and that was a flaw that needed to be quickly resolved. He was aware Roxie would be joining Giovanni and Ricky. Given her relationship with Syd Porter, Gabriel found it more than intriguing that she was willing to meet with him. One of the guards standing by the door on the side of the office alerted Gabriel to his guests arrival. The Italian boss stood from the couch and approached the door as it was pulled open. He smiled to the Biancardis as he stopped opposite them.

"It's good to see you again, Giovanni," he said, firmly shaking the man's hand. He then looked to Ricky, having seen or heard passing mentions of him in the past, but nothing more. "Riccardo, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said, with another firm handshake. He then turned his attention to Roxie, expecting her reaction to be the most interesting. He studied her body language to gauge if shaking her hand was appropriate before doing so. "Roxanne, I've heard much about you, so it's a pleasure to finally meet. I hope you are coping well following the terrible death of your father. Stefano was a great ally and an exceptional businessman." He outstretched his arm towards the comfortable seating area, comprising of couches and a large coffee table in the centre. "Take a seat and help yourselves to drinks..."

Bellz (Roxie, Giovanni)

Former East Harlem Police Station
~ East Harlem, Manhattan ~
​

Jasmine Carpenter & Ethan Turner

A few hours earlier...
The old police station had shutdown a couple of years ago, abandoned for a time before being claimed by the scum of East Harlem. More accurately, the likes of Ethan Turner, as Jasmine had learned. The entrance to the boarded up station still had a grotty old desk and worn out chairs and benches around, with a single lightbulb illuminating the area where a couple of guards had been stationed since Jasmine had been 'incarcerated' three days earlier. There were two cells were at the end of the dark corridor, only lit by the distant light from the reception area and the small square window high up in the cell that let in some moonlight. The only occupied cell was the one Jasmine was in. It still had a small metal bedframe and grubby old mattress on top for her to rest on. There was a toilet and sink, though no working plumbing to make them at all useful. Instead, two buckets of water had been left in the cell, presumably to compensate for the lack of plumbing in the cold, damp room.

Jasmine had understood why Chase had agreed to her being kept as insurance whilst he flew Jed and Lyle out to Cuba. She was certain he would have had some kind of plan and had no intention of giving the enemy what they were demanding. Three days in of being confined in almost darkness and with some pretty vulgar men guarding her, she had to admit things were starting to get to her. She was considering how long she should sit patiently before deciding something had gone wrong and she needed to figure her own way out of her confinement. She'd been given water and minimal food - enough to replenish the energy she'd lost through bloodloss. She'd spent a lot of time pacing the short length of the cell and exercising her legs, wanting to make sure she could push through the pain of her injury if she needed to.

As she sat in the cell, Jasmine heard the male voices speaking and it was clear the two goons sat around in the reception had been joined by someone else. Footsteps were soon heard approaching and the corridor light switch had been flicked on, the old strip light on the ceiling flickering due to the poorly maintained electrical circuits. A familiar face soon came into view as Ethan stood on the other side of the cell bars, displaying a broad smile before it suddenly dropped to a more sinister, cold expression. There was still some bruising in the inside corner of the man's eyes and a cut on his noise from when Chase had broken it a week earlier. Jasmine could see the malice in the man's eyes and though she did a good job at masking any apprehension, her undeniably vulnerable position couldn't be ignored, it broke through her façade to reflect in her eyes.

"This isn't too different from Joseph's home, is it?" he asked, making a clear reference to her jailed father. "I haven't forgotten that night in the parking lot," Ethan said, as if anyone would forget after just a few days. "Thought you were pretty fucking clever, didn't you?"

Jasmine shrugged her shoulders and scoffed at the man. "What do you want? Will an apology help your balls grow back?"

Ethan chuckled along with Jasmine's comment, though inside he was weighing up unlocking the cell gate and shutting her up. Deciding that would feed into her taunts, he kept a creepily calm demeanour as he addressed her in a low voice. "I hope for your sake your friends come back for you soon. I hope for my sake the one who broke my nose... Chase, wasn't it?" He tapped his fingernails on the metal bars. "I have no intention of letting you out of this cell alive. For being a cocky little bitch, I will make sure you suffer in here. Even after Chase has given the details that were asked of him, I'm going to make the bastard watch." Considering the Cuban was the one who broke his nose, Ethan was clearly out for his blood.

Before any more threats could be made, one of the men walked down the corridor and Ethan approached him to meet halfway. "The guys are waiting for you outside. Said you're all heading to your butchers shop? Need a hand?" Shane asked.

"With the lawyer? Have you seen the guy?" Ethan mockingly asked, shaking his head. He then turned to point to Jasmine's cell. "You keep your eyes on that bitch. If she gives you any lips, shut her up for the night," he said. It didn't matter to them that Jasmine could hear their conversation, on account there was no intention of her getting out of the station alive.

Mention: RayPurchase (Mitch, Johnny) Pyroclast (Chase)

Turner's Butchers
~ East Harlem, Manhattan ~
​

Ethan Turner

For the last week, Mitch had been kept in the basement of Ethan's butchers shop, where the lawyer had been taken to after a heavy beating from Jed on the same backstreet he'd been cornered on. Mitch had been further beaten by Jed and Lyle upon first arriving at the butchers shop and since then had been locked in the small storage room. After the first night, Mitch had been oddly left alone for the week, other than being visited once a day to be given minimal drinking water. The room dimly lit by the staircase lighting that had crept in through the doorframe proved to be very isolating, no doubt giving Mitch plenty of time alone with his own thoughts.

This evening was different. Mitch had been dragged upstairs out of the basement and tied to a metal chair in the blinding bright back room of the butchers. The room was like a refrigerator. Hanging on the walls and rested on the work surfaces were various large knives and cutting tools. If the smell hadn't already made it clear days ago, Mitch would realise he was in a butchers shop. Likely not the most comforting place to be held captive.

The two armed men who had brought Mitch up to the room remained silent as they stood by the door. Soon enough, Ethan entered the room with blood-stained overalls and gloves over his relatively smart clothes. The white shirt had red patches on where the apron had failed to protect the fabric, but he didn't seem to care much. "Good evening, Mr. Van Gerwen. I hope you haven't been missing me too much," Ethan greeted the bruised and restrained lawyer. He walked straight past him to the walk-in freezer and for a short time it sounded like he was pottering around out of Mitch's view. One of the armed men pushed a small square table a few feet in front of Mitch before Ethan returned into view, holding a severed pig's head in his hands, which he casually place on the table in front of the lawyer, the slaughtered animal's face positioned to 'look' in his direction. Ethan stood behind the small table, looking down at Mitch as he patted the top of the pig's head with his right hand.

"I've given you plenty of time to think," Ethan began, his face deeply serious. "I should have slaughtered you the minute you tossed the briefcase out of my reach, but I'm a reasonable man," he remarked, though was aware of the irony in his owns words. "One way or another, that head of yours will make its way back to Conor Sullivan. The question is, will it be still attached to your body or will I have it delivered in a fancy gift box?" Once again, Ethan allow a wide smile to creep onto his face. "You might have thrown the paperwork aside, but there's still plenty of knowledge in that head of yours. The Sullivans have some important investors involved in their empire. I have no doubts you have some of their names stored away. Start giving me those names or you'll end up like this poor swine."

​

RayPurchase (Mitch)

Moretti Family Home
~ Staten Island, NYC ~
​

Valentina Moretti

It had been a week since Valentina had been attacked. Knowing her father, brother and Teddy had dealt with Isac brought some comfort to her, though she knew the worst of the two men was still out there. She could see how much it was eating at Gabriel, Tatiana and Marcus to know they hadn't been able to find the second attacker yet. She understood that because it was getting to her too, knowing the bastard was probably still free to roam, unpunished.

Though the nightmares continued, she had managed to get plenty of sleep since being discharged from the hospital. She also found herself able to walk about more as the pain was wearing off. Sick of sitting up in her bedroom, she had forced herself to get dressed and make some effort to look nice despite the lingering bruising. With her broken wrist still bandaged and healing, it was tricky for her to do the kinds of things she would usually do to fill free time at home, such as baking or gardening.

In the end, she'd settled on sitting in the conservatory that afternoon to read through one of her university textbooks. She wasn't sure if it was because of her recent trauma or something that had been going on in her mind since before it, but she was having trouble focusing. No matter how hard she tried, she felt no motivation to focus on her studies. There were doubts she'd been having since moving to New York. Added to her feelings for Teddy now sitting at the front of her mind, she knew trying to study was a lost cause.

When the sun had started to set, Valentina left the darkening conservatory and instead laid herself across the sofa in the main lounge. With both Gabriel and Marcus out on separate jobs, the house seemed quiet. In reality, members of the family were often busy, but Valentina was feeling it more today as she was stuck inside without much to occupy her mind. As she thought about her family working hard to find her attackers, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to Teddy. The fact he had helped her brother and father deal with Isac, no matter how brutal the act, only served to make her appreciate the man even more.

​

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian, Teddy)

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

 

[Pyroclast]

Chapter 17: Confinement
Wednesday 23rd February 1972
...3 Days Later…
Early Evening - Cold, Dry, Windy

******************************

******************************

East Harlem
Driving aimlessly through the streets...​

Chase Zegarra

It was a bold operation to pull off. The plan had been made up on the spot and so was liable to fall apart in a myriad of ways, which would no doubt have resulted in genocide. And if by that time he wasn’t already dead, Chase knew Conor would have been well within his right to kill him for it. It hadn’t taken a huge amount of organisation on Chase’s part to set up an ambush down in Cuba, as the riskiest part of his job was done as soon as he managed to get the message out without being overheard by Lyle or Jed. With little time to communicate before take off, however, he had had to put the logistics of the operation - as well as all the lives at stake - in the hands of his Cuban friends and simply hope that they would manage to arrange an effective trap in the few hours that it would take him to fly Lyle and Jed into the country.

Without knowing the rest of the plan, Chase had had to follow lead of his colleagues, all while keeping up the pretence that his offer to introduce the enemy to the key figures in the business was genuine. In the end, it wasn’t an immediate attack. After getting off the plane, they were greeted by his old friend Jerón, who drove the group from the private landing site deep into the heart of the Sierra del Rosario rainforest. Only somebody who had driven the track several times before would know the way in, which perhaps would have been an advantage to them if they had actually intended to hand leadership over to their guests. But Jerón didn’t even drive them the whole way, claiming to stop outside of the site so as not to “contaminate with auto gases.” Stationed from afar were three marksmen, and as soon as Lyle and Jed got out of the car, they instantly dropped dead, a projectile fountain of blood raining down over their lifeless bodies. Despite not quite expecting the sudden attack, Chase remained unmoved. From the moment they had landed on Cuban ground, he had been impatient to get back to New York to collect Jasmine from the nightclub where he had left the enemy to watch over her.

The first glimmer of sunlight was beginning to spill out from between New York City's skyscrapers by the time he and Adam returned to the club, which was still earlier than the enemy would be expecting. Yet, Jasmine was nowhere to be found. It shouldn’t have surprised him that the man would have lied to him - perhaps he was keeping her hostage still, but not in the location that they had agreed upon. Now, it was up to him to find her before Lyle and Jed’s disappearance came to their attention.

Having not admitted his blossoming feelings for Jasmine, Chase didn’t feel able to verbally express the extent of his concern to Adam. As far as he was aware, nobody besides himself knew of the connection the two had surreptitiously built - perhaps not even Jasmine, though he pained himself in believing that she had spent the last several days thinking that he had betrayed her. The worst thing was that, in a way, he had. He hadn’t come back for her or Danny or the hostage like he had promised. He had chosen to put her life in enemy hands without her consent.

Three days had since passed and he had still heard nothing of her whereabouts or received contact from the enemy with whom he had made the deal. Chase had transferred as many of his regular duties onto his colleagues and made it his primary mission to bring Jasmine home, with Adam working to help him. He had no intention of giving up any time soon, but three days was late, and the exchange was by now well overdue… The worst case scenario was constantly there in his mind, the guilt a catalyst to drive him onwards. His beat-up blue and white Chevy Corvair became more familiar with the streets of New York City in those three days than it had in the past five years. The car’s interior was littered with empty coffee cups - moments of rest had been few and far between ever since he first left the club with Lyle and Jed, let alone a decent sleep. Still, Chase persevered, keeping his emotions in check to the best of his ability.

Temperatures had dropped to that which a Cuban would consider freezing and since his car had no functional heating, Chase sat bundled in five layers and a pair of driving gloves to defend himself from the cold. “You don’t think they would keep her outdoors in this weather, right?” he asked Adam as he cruised down the backstreets of East Harlem, peering up at rooftops for signs of any sort of struggle. While out looking for Jasmine, he had also taken it upon himself to extend the search to Mitchell Van Gerwen, who had now been missing for six whole days. He was so tired of finding nothing, of getting nowhere. He had run out of ideas of where either of them might be kept and still they didn’t have a single lead. “Adam?” Chase wrung the steering wheel in his hands with a tight grip when they stopped at a red light. “Do you think…” He stopped himself, suddenly changing his mind. Adam would have no idea if Jasmine was okay or even alive, so there was no point in asking him. Instead, he reached for his most recent coffee, which was already lukewarm verging on cold. It brought him no comfort, warmth or energy - he was even starting to get sick of the taste. For some reason when he tried to place it back in the cup holder he couldn't get it to fit. He tried slamming it in a few times, growing increasingly frustrated as the cup crumpled in his grip. A cacophony of car horns alerted him to the changing traffic lights and he violently tossed the cup into the backseat, decorating the ceiling with the remainder of his coffee. "Jodido café sabe a tierra!" he grumbled, before slamming his foot on the accelerator. It was only a matter of seconds before his temper simmered down and his focus returned to the passing streets, keeping his eye out for anything suspicious. Chase suddenly felt the length of the search “You know this whole thing...I chose it to happen, Adam,” he drew out, his voice hollow as if fighting back tears. Maybe he had been fighting something back for several days. “Do you think I made a mistake? What if...What if there was a better way, you know?”

Misty Gray

Moretti Base - Basement
~ Tribeca, Manhattan ~​

Steve Kelly

As an East Harlem affiliate, Steve couldn’t care less about Gabriel Moretti’s family. He had no idea nor interest in how close they were, but whether it was a matter of love or of pride, Gabriel had made it clear that he wanted to find out the identities of his youngest daughter’s attackers. Isac had already fallen prey to his violent revenge, something Steve only hoped he would never have to endure. He had volunteered to join Marcus in torturing a couple of Isac’s friends, believed to have been involved in the attack, not because he cared about Valentina but because he wanted the investigation closed as soon as possible. To him, it felt like a waste of time going after her attackers when there were business related matters to attend to. What's more, he was still sulking after Gabriel cruelly denied him and Amato their grand earnings from trying to sell Kerry. The assault on Alistair had thrown the East Harlem gang in an unfamiliar direction that they were still having to adjust to; without their leader at headquarters, and with delays in communication, thinking independently and on one’s feet had become more important than ever. Ethan was already taking on more duties and Steve was eager to do his part, too - he just had to get Valentina’s situation out of the way first.

It was easy to decide on a suspect. Isac had friends within the gang, and having never heard of their names until now, Steve didn’t reckon the family had much sentimental attachment to them. Using the same dingy basement that Isac had been killed in, Steve and Marcus had brought Arturo and Bogdan in to be “questioned” - by which, of course, they really meant beaten into submission. The men had been bound to chairs since the previous night, their bloodied, swollen faces highlighted by the fluorescent light that hung from the ceiling.

At first glance, Arturo looked to be unconscious, his head hanging down over his bare chest. When Steve crouched down beside him, however, he could hear some low Italian whispers tumbling from between his busted lips. “Reduced to prayers, already, huh?” Steve softly murmured. Arturo winced just from hearing his voice. “Look at Marcus over there. You see him?” The Italian’s eyes remained shut as if it pained him to open them, so Steve grabbed his face with a vicious grip and turned it in Marcus’ direction. “Looks like his dad, don’t he? Got that same, murderous glint in his eye. All the spunk of a true Moretti.” The floor beneath them was off-colour, still stained from Isac’s blood. Steve smirked and got to his feet, grabbing a fistful of Arturo’s curly hair on his way up and yanking his head straight. “Your buddy Isac died in that chair you’re sittin’ in, did you know that?” he taunted, in a drawn out, apathetic tone. “Got beaten, slashed, stabbed, burned until his body just couldn’t keep up anymore and he curled up and croaked right there.” Squeezing Arturo’s shoulder, Steve cast a mischievous grin in Marcus’ direction. Honestly, he was making it all up. He had no idea what exactly had been done to Isac in the lead up to his death, but he knew it must have been fairly gruesome. “Or was it your chair, Boggy?”

The Romanian suspect was so large that Steve couldn’t even see the edges of the seat he was slumped on - it looked as though one small shove to the shoulders would snap the wooden legs that supported his weight. Unlike Marcus, Steve had no such murderous expression on his face - instead, his eyes carried their usual glimmer of excitement. As much as he’d rather be doing Alistair’s work than Gabriel’s, he did love this part of the job. The metal table over on the table side of the room had a spread of shiny weapons, like a buffet for a sadist. It was telling that Steve drew a sharp gasp at the sight of it, his eyes feasting on the selection before landing on a beautiful Italian stiletto. He released his grip on Arturo with such vigour that his head flung forward and seconds later he would hear the slow scraping of metal as Steve proceeded to sharpen the blade for no reason other than dramatic effect. “So, you’re gay for Jesus, huh?” he teased, a spring in his step as he rounded Arturo’s chair. The harsh fluorescent light bounced off the multifaceted blade as Steve twirled the stiletto between his fingers, before crouching between Arturo’s legs. He parted the man’s swollen jaw, enough to stick the blade inside his mouth. “Time for your confession, church boy.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Arturo, Bogdan
RayPurchase Marcus

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen

​

How long had it been? That frantic chase through the evening streets of the city seemed like a lifetime ago now, some half forgotten film Mitch had watched years ago. Days, weeks, months, years. They were all just words without meaning in the squalid darkness of this place, he assumed it was a basement from the lack of natural light, the 4 close confined walls had become his world. Of course Mitch had known that there was going to be pain, and suffering, and that had come quickly. The first night (Or was it longer) had been the longest of his life. The blows had been steady and unrelenting, from the truck to the basement. Even now he still ached. Beneath his ruined suit he could feel a patchwork of bruises, a landscape of blues, yellows and deep purples decorating his flesh. He felt confident that nothing was broken, or at least too badly. Whilst he was tied to the chair from the little movement he could achieve everything still appeared to work. His nose was another question though, he had felt that pop under a leather shoe tip, waves of pain and warm salty blood flowing down him, he still stunk of it now. There was something wrong with his left eye as well, the light may not be brilliant, but he was having trouble making out anything, and with his hands tied and a lack of a mirror he couldn't exactly do a thorough examination. Once a day he got human contact, if you could call a bowl of water being shoved his way contact, like some mongrel chained in the basement. He'd pleaded the first few nights, for mercy or news, or anything really, just a voice. But all he had received was silence, and the grating of the door as it swung shut once more. Left scrabbling in the darkness alone. Mitch had never really thought about death. Far too busy to allow himself to think of the end, far too invested in the present and the future that lay ahead as opposed to the final chapter, but it had been forced upon him now as he lay in his hole. What sort of man was he? He'd been good hadn't he? Done his best? Even in this line of work. How would that marry up at the Pearly Gates. Patient, Diligent, Hard Working, but all in the name of crime.... guess it would all depend on how St Peter was feeling, what side of the bed he'd woken up that day. He was under no illusion though that this was the end. No one knew where he'd been picked up, and he could be anywhere right now, 5 minutes from the office or 500 miles away. And it didn't make any difference at all.

As soon as the door opened, Mitch knew that something was different at this time. Two pairs of feet this time as opposed to the solitary one. He raised his head, struggling to peer through the burning light of the stairway at the pair that emerged through the door. Both of them were armed, that he took as something of a compliment, even if it was somewhat over the top, right now just one of them would have been able to overpower him, let alone a pair, as was clear as they dragged him to his feet, having to support nearly all his weight as the maneuvered him out of the basement. What were they planning to do with him now? He assumed his attempt to keep the papers from them had failed, that they'd just broken down one of the doors eventually, why did they still have him then? To be let go seemed out of the question given everything that had happened between the Morettis and Porters, but they'd just left him alone for the most part, aside from the initial beating. The smell hit him first as he entered/was dragged into the room. The overwhelming smell of blood and flesh, down in the basement it had always lingered on the edge of the periphery, he had through that it was just himself to be honest, but now it was clear that it permeated this entire place. At least it told him where he was, even if the answer didn't exactly fill him with joy. A Butchery. Home to meat and butchers, and he was too tired to kid himself that he didn't fall into the former category here. The cold metal of the chair bit into him through his clothes, it was cold, deathly so here, and for a moment he almost missed the basement. At least it was light though, and he rapidly blinked his right eye, a few tears streaming from it as it got used to even the relatively gentle light in the room he now found himself in. The Butcher soon entered. Clearly he was a showman, the bloodstained overalls and gloves covering the suit underneath, and then of course there was the Pig's head dropped onto the table in front of him. Mitch cocked an eyebrow at that, or at least he tried to, but the swollen flesh of his face wasn't the most co-operative and it turned into more of a non-committal spasm.

"Been missing you like a hole in the head," Mitch managed to rasp out of his parched throat. He frowned, staring into the pig's eyes as The Butcher yammered away, threats flowing from him like leaves in a breeze. His right eye meeting the cold black ones of the pig. Poor guy, hopefully he had a quick way out, hopefully Mitch could count on the same, as long as the end was quick, but he assumed it wouldn't be, whether or not he squealed like that proverbial pig. He still wasn't really listening to Ethan's diatribe, he was still focusing on that damn pig head his frown deepening. "A pig...? I mean that's a police officer, you've got your slang all mixed up, now a bucket of leeches, that would of been a better metaphor." For some reason that was sticking with him. Not the fear or pain, but that damn pig's head. "Maybe a weasel..." Mitch forcefully shook his head, clearing through the pervasive and pedantic thoughts and looked up, staring at Ethan. "Trust me, I'd tell you everything, all the sordid little details, every receipt stub and address, names, lists, numbers... the whole lot. Only two problems, firstly I've left my wallet and home, had everything in it, all those little IOUs and little scraps of paper you really mean to throw out. And secondly Client confidentiality, and whilst we could get around that by signing you up, I'm afraid I also don't have my calendar on hand, and I'm pretty sure I'm a bit tied up at the moment," Defiance, probably the last of it before the end. He wasn't a fighter or a scrapper, someone to stay strong until the end. Mitch was in a world that he had thought that he was better than, more intelligent than, but it had all caught up and overtaken him now. Connor would give him a proper send off at least, decent funeral, give the flat and the possessions over to Rachel, maybe even take Rex in too, someone would have been looking after him during all this. He'd always said that bloody dog would outlast him, but that had always been in jest until now. Mitch looked back up at Ethan, the fire that had momentarily surged was gone again now, the weariness returning. "Look you're going to do what you're going to have to do. But I'm not going to kid you, I'm going to beg for my life, I'm going to cry and I'm going to ask to be let go or given a quick death. You're not going to promise me any of those, and you're probably not going to give me any of those options. But I'm not going to tell you what you want. I'm not going to take my punishment quietly or without tears, but at the same time, my lips are sealed."

(Interaction: Misty Gray Ethan)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
- Lucy Porter -​

The rest of the time she had spent with her Uncle Gio and Ricky had gone well. She had been dreading Syd coming home from New Jersey as she wasn't the most skilled liar. But she'd managed to keep her composure though things between them were awkward and tense. Roxie dressed casually despite knowing that she was heading to a business meeting, wanting to keep the illusion that she was just going to sort out her father's belonging like she'd told Syd, she was dressed in jeans and a long sleeve knit sweater. It had been quiet in the house until a knock on the door sounded and the dogs began to bark. Roxie was slightly relieved by a distraction, not wanting Syd to clarify once again where she was going and what she would be doing. It was almost as if he was waiting for her to slip up. Roxie smiled widely at Lucy as she opened the door for her to come in, "Hi, Luce." Roxie murmured and moved to give her a light hug before shutting the door behind her. Lucy hugged Syd as well before looking at the pair for a long moment. Roxie's shoulders tensed, wondering if it was that obvious that the couple was clearly in a rough place. "We really appreciate you doing this for us, I really wish I didn't have to go do this right now but...it must be done." Lucy nodded her head gently in understanding. "It's no problem at all, you know how much I love those girls already. Any time I get to spend with them is a blessing." Roxie smiled sweetly before gesturing to the kitchen. "I've got a few bottles for them in the fridge, though I just fed them like 10 minutes ago. If they get antsy I'm sure a warm bottle will calm them right down. I shouldn't be more than a few hours at least, so unless they fall asleep early...which would be a miracle considering their track record. I'll be home to put them to sleep." Lucy nodded her head once again before looking towards the living room where the girls were sitting in their rockers. "They are getting so big already! My goodness!"

Roxie had been noticing that as well, the doctors had told her that the girls would start doubling in size fairly quickly but she was amazed that they were growing right before her very eyes. They were fussy more often than not, so she was sure the poor dears had growing pains. Lucy hurried to the twins in the living room, leaving Roxie with Syd in the entryway. Knowing she needed to say something to him, Roxie reached her arms out to hug him gently, holding him for a long moment as she buried her face into his chest.

"I love you." She mumbled against his chest before pulling away slightly to kiss his lips. "You stay safe tonight okay? I mean it, you got 3 girls who will be anxiously waiting for you to return home." Roxie had been developing anxiety that he wouldn't return home during one of his business outings for a while but this was the first time she'd said anything about it. Maybe it was because she was going to face an equally tense situation with his family enemy. A shiver rocked her body and Roxie shook her head gently as she tried to come up with a reason for why she'd done that. "I think it's starting to get too cold for me around here." She explained before hearing a honk outside. It was time for her to leave.

"I'll see you later okay?" She murmured before hugging Syd one last time. After giving the girls a quick kiss on their foreheads, Roxie thanked Lucy again before hurrying out the door without another word to Syd.
with: Syd Pyroclast

***

Roxie Carriveau
Giovanni Biancardi ​

The car ride into the city had been surprisingly quiet given her cousin was normally such a talker but she guessed that it was the seriousness of the situation they were headed into that kept him silent.

The city passed her by as she stared out the car window, wondering if she was way over her head in this situation. Syd was clearly onto her and if he found out she was lying to him...what would she be able to do? More importantly, what would he do? Despite everything, her boyfriend was still very unpredictable, scarily so.

Once it was time to get out of the car, Roxie noticed that she was shaking slightly. In the past, she'd never been one to give into her nerves but it seemed like the situation with her father had changed her and not for the better. Ricky tried to make light of the situation in the elevator but Giovanni was the only one to laugh. "Guess that was something your father and Gabriel had in common." Gio said to Roxie who only stared openly at him as the elevator made it's way up the skyscraper.

Not sure what to expect at least on Roxie's end, the elevator doors revealed a group of armed guards, who didn't make an effort to conceal their weapons in a lady's presence. Gio looked over Roxie once before stepping forward to be frisked. Clearly, this had happened to him before. Roxie had to fight the urge to snap at the guard who seemed to be a little too handsy with her, breathing heavily through her nose as she kept her composure.

To her understanding, her Uncle had met Gabriel a few times before so when the man said it was nice to see him again, Roxie wasn't surprised. The two of them shook hands with Gio smiling kindly at the fellow Italian, "You as well, Gabriel." He said before allowing Gabriel to get familiar with Riccardo and Roxie.

Roxie's palms were sweating heavily by the time Gabriel turned to her. His words about hearing so much about her made her eyebrows raise. She was sure whatever he heard hadn't been good given it was her father's words he had been hearing."[/b] Willing herself to shake the man's hand, she made sure it was as firm as it could be, not wanting to reveal just how anxious she was feeling about being there.

His words about her father made her want to laugh. But in all honesty, she wasn't coping well. "It really was tragic." That was all she had to say before Gabriel outstretched his arms to the seating area that looked comfortable enough. Roxie moved to sit down next to her Uncle, wanting to be as close to him as possible, feeling like he was the only protection against Gabriel.

Giovanni had noticed and reached out his hand to her arm, holding it a moment before squeezing and letting go. "I see you have taken our beautiful city by storm, Gabriel. I must say, I truly admire the work you have put in to shake things up around here." Roxie's face was neutral but she was disgusted by her Uncle's words. Did he really admire the destruction that this man was causing? He didn't say that when they met a few days ago. Maybe he was just kissing up to him before getting into the dirty details.

"As you know, the loss of my brother-in-law is a devastating blow to my family. We have had to move around our business plans and we are trying to recover. So let me get to the point since I know you are a busy man." Roxie wondered where her Uncle was going to go with this.

"Our beautiful city is in turmoil. We have been here for a very long time, as I'm sure you understand. My family settled here ages ago and helped make New York the amazing place it is today. So you could understand my despair at the destruction of this war between you and the Irish mob has caused." Pausing a moment, he reached out to pour himself a stiff drink before taking a small sip.

"My family and I would like to help your family out, we have some territories that I think would be useful to you as you may know and we are willing to trade some of it off if you are willing to compromise with us. We can help you with your rat problem and help get you what you want in exchange for peace."
with: Gabriel & Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

The bright sun cut through the tall buildings like a caleidoscope, narrowly illuminating the sidewalk through the smallest slivers of brick. The cold February winds had picked up from a seemingly warm winter - as if Jack Frost had been waylaid for the past few months. Wrapped comfortably in a rather bubbly jacket and a scarf bound around his neck, Jackson's warm smile melted the frost that had begun to form on his beard. With his hand comfortably tucked around the small of Blake's back, and Natasha's legs nuzzled upon his shoulders, Jackson had enough heat to marsh through Antarctica. "What're we thinking today? Maybe some..." Jackson's head shot up to where his eye line could make out Natasha's bright orbs. "Hot chocolate?" He asked in a wide, exaggerated gasp. At her excitement, his expression relented to a natural, toothy smile. His gaze met Blakes, to where his grin fell to a soft, sincere smirk. "What about you, McCarthy?" He asked, his wool gloves falling from her back to grip around her tiny hand. "How does some lunch at Carney's sound?" He raised a brow, his tongue tracing across his teeth.

The family trekked to the crosswalk, passing through the crowd with Natasha on Jackson's shoulders like a sailor on a lighthouse, overlooking the sea of faces. As they approached the intersection, Jackson pressed his toes to the slippery concrete and extended his heels off the ground. "Can ya' reach?" Jackson asked, stretching Natasha up to the red hand on the crosswalk indicator. "Give 'em a slap, luv'. It's good luck."

His moment of serenity was broken as the back of three familiar heads wandered across the street opposite of them. Through the passing bodies, Jackson saw the sliver of Syd's face, and for a moment he stopped in his tracks. Conor's towering figure appeared next to Syd, and he wore the same serious expression he held for every job. For a moment, he considered greeting them to see if they needed a hand. As the thought arrived, he found his feet stiff to the ground, as his body seemed to refuse the order from his brain - almost as if his heart knew something his mind didn't. His eyes wandered back down to Blake as the crosswalk sign shifted. His smile reappeared and a small squeeze from his hand assured her he was all there. He didn't know what it was, but something told him that today was for family. His hand returned to her back as they walked onto the road, a small skip in his step as he bounced Natasha on his broad shoulders.

"Ahhh! Here we are!" Jackson groaned as he lifted Natasha off of him. "Can your legs make it to the booth this time, Missy?" Jackson asked with a cocked brow, looking down at his daughter. As they rounded the tall windows and pressed open the wooden doors, the smell of banana cream pie hit them instantaneously. "Oh look, Tash!" Jackson squatted down to Natasha, pointing just over the register. "Looks like the pies just came out the oven!" He turned to face his daughter, rubbing her belly in excitement. "How yummy does that look?"

Bellz (Blake/Natasha)

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper​

It had been a great pleasure for Adam to lead Jed and Lyle into a trap, to watch both men drop dead in a pool of their own dead. The only thing that would have made it more satisfying would have been if he'd pulled the trigger himself, rather than the clearly skilled marksmen. However it happened, Adam was just glad to finally have the smile wiped off of Jed's smug face. He'd have bought the three marksmen drinks, had it been at all appropriate. The fact was, he and Chase needed to rush back to New York as soon as the deed was done. The oblivious Lomax customers had all gotten out of the place alive. In his opinion, he and Chase were going to be hard pressed to do anything to change Mitch's and Joseph's fates. There was no guarantee Jed would have let Mitch go. There was no control over what happened to Joseph as long as he continued to be locked in the same prison. Jasmine was the reason they needed to rush back. They at least believed they knew where she was being held and with fast action, they could save her before anyone realised Jed and Lyle were dead.

As it turned out, Adam and Chase had returned to New York to find out Jasmine had been taken away from the club. It wasn't exactly surprising the enemy would cross them, but it was frustrating nonetheless. Three days had now passed with Adam and Chase continuing to search for Jasmine. Added to some of his unshakable responsibilities, Adam had only been home once to grab a change of clothing. Any sleep he'd had was the odd nap whilst it was his turn to be the passenger. Sleep deprivation wasn't new to Adam, but staying awake was aided by not only his concern for jasmine but also the clear stress Chase was going through. Even without his friend's restlessness and heavy coffee consumption, Adam already knew why Chase was so determined. He'd suspected the man had feelings for Jasmine some time before she was left behind at the club

Three nights later, Adam was in the passenger seat keeping a watchful eye on the city around them as Chase controlled the wheel. When Chase asked him if he thought Jasmine would be kept outside, Adam lightly shrugged his shoulders. If he had the enemy in his clutches, he knew he wouldn't give a shit if they were cold, especially if he wanted them to suffer. Truth was, there were dozens of place in East Harlem alone where she could be. They'd asked around, searched the obvious locations and got others keeping their ears to the ground. So far, nothing had shown up. But Adam was a relentless man and as long as Chase wanted to keep the search going, he was going to be there with him. It was certainly more proactive than sitting back and waiting for news.

Chase had gripped the steering wheel and stopped himself partway through asking a question. Adam raised a curious eyebrow as he turned to look at Chase. He was sure the man was, in some roundabout way, going to ask for reassurance. It was times like this that Adam knew his straightforward attitude didn't work in anyone's favour, not when it was reassurance and encouragement he was meant to display. Adam watched on as Chase got frustrated with his coffee cup, eventually tossing it into the back of the car with the rest. The sounding horns belonging to the impatient drivers behind pissed Adam off enough to the point where he wanted to go outside and smash in their windscreens. Even though Chase soon calmed himself down, Adam felt his friend was losing it and he knew his intervention was needed. But Chase returned to asking questions, the ones that were clearly demanding Adam gave his friend reassurance and hope about Jasmine. "Alright... Pull over," he said, pointing to an empty parking space ahead on the street. "Stop the car and switch places. I'm driving now," he firmly ordered his friend.

Once they had switched seats, Adam kept the engine running but didn't set off for the time-being. "You didn't fucking choose shit," he firmly assured his friend, looking directly to him. "I've been thinking about this for days too and I don't know what else we could have done. Any choice would have brought risk to someone's life. You made the decision to ensure hundreds of innocent lives could be saved and I'm pretty damn sure Jasmine would have wanted you to do whatever it took to keep those people alive. I consider her a friend and I am worried about her too, but when it boils down to it, this is the life she chose." He paused to study Chase, now more than ever certain his friend considered Jasmine as more than a friend. "Every time each of us goes out to work, there's a risk we won't return home. That goes for Jasmine too. Whatever happens, you can't blame yourself for this, mate," he firmly told him. He then let out a sigh, realising it was time to stop skirting around the subject and get personal for a moment. "I know you have feelings for her. Not the same ones I have, for a friend and colleague, but more. You've got the hots for her, right?" he said, managing a small, encouraging smile. "That's why this is so difficult for you. Does she know how you feel?"

Pyroclast (Chase)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Aliana Sullivan

Aliana was sad that her friend was leaving, but she knew this would be a good thing for her to do. If anyone had been through a lot it was Sinead, so a fresh start was very much deserved. Breaking the news to her husband and the other members of their family was going to be rough. Their family had moved to the same places for decades making this the first time they would be separate. She would have to remind him that even though it would suck not to have her around that this decision wasn't an easy one to make, to begin with. It was mulled over through tears and exhaustion and was carefully thought about. Her time was split between Sinead, who had been upset that Savannah had chosen not to accompany her parents, and Savannah who was feeling down about it. Both parties were valid in the way they felt and her job was to make sure they left with no ill feelings.

It was after she had shown her softer side that she was updated about his time in Jersey. He hadn't directly said it, but she knew what he meant when he praised how fast the guys' reactions were. Her eyes had grown wide in the realization that there could've been the possibility that he wouldn't be here having this conversation. It worried her that now instead of worrying about him getting arrested, he was more likely to get shot. It came with the territory, she reminded herself. All she could hope for was that he wouldn't have to be put in that predicament again, but with this line of work who knew?

Conor had planned a family outing today with promises of ice skating to their son. There was also the mention of junk food, to which Ali tried to object but gave in at the end. She enjoyed times like these with the three of them, especially when he left on risky business. Once they had gotten their fill of junk and skating, he informed Leo he was sleeping at his cousin's. Seemed like her kid was getting the better end of the stick until she was promised mommy and daddy alone time. It was her turn to be excited about the things they were going to be able to do without the kid around. She had been grabbing a bowl of grapes and chocolate when they received a phone call, Conor answering it before she had a chance to tell him to ignore it. She slightly pouted when he had, but when she was told of the situation she grew serious.

Having heard about the destruction of her friend's business, she was under the impression everyone had been killed. The name Kerry stuck out in her memory, remembering the young barmaid. She often spoke with her when she visited Sinead and hearing something awful had happened to her concerned her. When asked if she would accompany him to the police station to see her, she quickly agreed and went to put on comfortable clothes. When she was ready, her husband embraced her and she smiled returning his kiss. "It's okay. This time it's for a good reason. Besides, whenever we're interrupted you make it up to me in very interesting ways..." She gave him a wink before the two of them set out.

When the three of them arrived at the police station, they were briefed on Kerry's conditions and how they had found her. She felt for the girl, even if she hadn't been in a predicament like hers before. She remembered how bubbly and happy Kerry had been when they first met and knew this would no doubt change her pissed her off. Once they were allowed to see her, she immediately wanted to hug her. There was an internal debate of whether or not she would accept her hug and warmth so she hesitated as she looked at her then the three men behind her. "Your pissing contest can wait." She stated before walking into the room and over to the younger female. She kneeled in front of her and took her hands in hers, trying her best to be very gentle. "Hey Kerry, it's Ali. You remember me right?"

​

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy ​

It had been a while since her family had been able to enjoy their surroundings. With all of the action last year since Jackson arrived, they barely had time for each other let alone a family outing. The icy February winds cut through Blake's coat like a knife and she scuttled closer to Jackson as her head turned to look up at Natasha, who was on top of the world both figuratively and literally given she was on Jackson's shoulders. He asked their daughter if she'd like some hot chocolate and the young girl gasped as he did. She bounced her head, her whole body bouncing with it as Jackson turned to look at Blake asking her how lunch sounded. Blake smiled widely at her husband, "That sounds perfect!" She said enthusiastically.

The reached the crosswalk and Jackson told Natasha to slap the red hand indicator, causing Blake to laugh as the little girl reached up clumsily, slapping it as hard as she could. Watching her a moment longer, her eyes then turned back to Jackson as he seemed to notice something, causing her to turn in the direction he was looking. Seeing their friends walking across the street opposite of them, Blake wondered if Jackson was going to initiate a greeting. But surprisingly, he turned away and looked to her once more, his smile that had faded for only a moment reappearing.

The anxiety Blake had felt about their date being possibly ruined was restored when he continued on with her towards the restaurant. Natasha protested as her father lifted her off his shoulders but nodded her head anyway when asked if she could make it to the booth. "I know how to walk, dad!" She said with a bit of a tone before the three of them walked into the place. The sickening sweet smell of pie reminded Blake all too well that she was a few weeks along in her pregnancy now, as a wave of nausea hit her. Natasha and Jackson seemed fixated on the pies though and as they stared at them over at the register, Blake tried not to show the distaste she had for them on her features.

"You'll have to wait until you've had a proper meal, you two. But as long as you have room for dessert, we can get some!" Natasha looked at her mother with a disappointed face. "Why can't we have dessert for lunch?" She protested to which Blake laughed. "Because mummy said so, you can ask your old man, my word is the law." She murmured to which the girl then looked at Jackson with wide begging eyes. Rolling her own eyes, a waitress looked to them and asked how many were in their party. Blake told them it was just the three of them and they were soon led to a booth.

Natasha seemed keen on sitting next to her father, so Blake sat across from them. The girl was handed a piece of paper and crayons, and for the moment she was preoccupied. The blonde looked to Jackson as he looked over his menu and wondered if now was the right time to say something about her pregnancy. A small smile played on her lips as her eyes traced every feature of his face and she honestly couldn't believe to this day how lucky she was to have him all to herself. They had talked about expanding their family before, but the conversation hadn't gone anywhere in particular. A small part of her wondered if he would be upset but then she was reminded that this was Jackson. He rarely got upset about anything especially with her.

"Mumm? Mum!" Blake blinked suddenly, realizing she was caught in the act of staring at her husband by their daughter. "Why are you staring at dad like that! It's weird!" Natasha complained and Blake let out a breathless laugh, her cheeks turning red as she caught Jackson's eyes. "Because I love him so much!" She told her daughter to which the girl made a disturbed face. "Ewwww." She said and Blake rolled her eyes.

Blake wanted to tell him, she was so excited about the news...but as much as she loved her daughter, she figured it would be best to tell Jackson in private about their new little gift wanting to make sure they could break the news to Natasha together.
with: Jackson Enzyme

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy​

With Jackson's attention on his daughter, the nausea that struck Blake slipped by unnoticed. Now was the time he could sneak his foot in the door, and get Natasha that piece of pie on the bounds of an established promise. Blake was one step ahead of him, however, and laid down the rule before he could make his move. His defeated smirk met Natasha, as if she had been in on the plan as well. It wasn't their first time sneaking treats through mock-guilt, but Blake had seemingly caught on. The moment she caught them in the act, Jackson dropped his defense entirely. When Blake stated that her word was law, Natasha's eyes found Jackson, hoping he'd protest. Jackson chuckled to his daughter, adjusting the trimmings of her coat. "Hah. It's cute that you think I'd disagree." He placed a teasing kiss upon his daughters head, just as the feet of the waitress stepped down in front of them.

As Jackson stepped into the booth, he quickly scooted to the wall as Natasha practically threw herself beside him. "Oofa!" He expelled as she collapsed against his side. His smile widened as Natasha sat up straight in the booth and his hand fell around her naturally. Just as he was wondering how they'd keep their energetic daughter entertained, the waitress dropped down the coloring set as if she had his prayers volume on speed dial. "Woah! Would you look at that!" Jackson exclaimed, using the hand around Natasha's shoulder to pull the coloring pad forward. "What'd we got?" He asked, inspecting the sheet. "Looks like you got a horsie, a big ol' bear, and a mean lookin' lion," he chuckled, looking down to his daughter. "But lemme' show you a secret," Jackson began, grabbing for the red crayon. "If you take one of these, and draw 'em out like this," he slowly drew out, drawing four intersecting lines on top of each other. "We can play Tik Tac Toe!"

As he looked up with a bright smile, he felt Blake's deep blue eyes connect with his. With Natasha's comment, Jackson chuckled, nodding his head in agreement. "Oh, go easy on your mother, Tash. I don't make it easy for her," he winked to Blake, his hand trailing across the table to hers. "You both make my life so much easier. I mean it," he said, his tone turning a little more serious. "What kinda' family would drop what they were doin' and move halfway across the world to spend time with their daddy?" He looked to both of them with a tender smile. "Best in the world, I tell you that," He said without the slightly uncertainty.

His expression quickly shifted, as a realization had hit him. "Oh, speakin' of, if I'm not mistaken - I think we're heading home in the next few week," Jackson said with a confident nod. While it was certainly news to Natasha, Blake would've been made aware once Jackson had been. Still, it wasn't talked about much in the following weeks, and so the resurfacing was quiet jarring, at least to Jackson. "What'd you guys think about that?" He asked, his eyes fixed on Blake. He gave her a genuine shrug, as he hadn't thought about it much.

Bellz (Blake/Natasha)