This certainly wasn't his kind of 'scene', but he needed some information. The fact that the Akatsuki recently had surveilence installed was not the matter of question; what Ben needed to know was who installed the set-up. The only thing that Ben could find out was that the person was a kid, had scruffy dark hair, and brown eyes. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Seating himself at a table along the wall, Benjamin began to scope the area for any likely suspects. He was there for less than five minutes before his cell rang.
"Yes?...
And?...
Good. If that isn’t warning enough for them, we will have to resort to plan B...
What? Who allowed that?..." The man's fierce blue eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped lower so that anyone nearby would have a hard time hearing him.
"Do that, and would you please remind Mikhail that all orders go through me first?"

Ben snapped the phone shut, clearly upset about something. Of course, he wasn't nearly as upset as he would be when he found that his execution vitcim wasn't dead. But for now, assured that his darkest secret was safe, the man returned his attention to the multitude of younger people.

This was definitely one of her favorite hangouts, but like Ben, she wasn't here for entertainment, but for information. She was seated clear across the room from the man, an empty glass on the table, but she had been drinking virgin tonight. No, she only drank on her off hours, never when something was important. She was completely sober, not drunk, not high, and QUITE unhappy about it, but none of it showed on her pretty face.

Her left foot tapped to the rhythm of the band that was playing, a soft and sensuous smile on her face. They weren't the best group, but better than the bands that usually played here. As usual, she was perfectly attired, tonight all in black, with a pair of slacks that clung to her nicely-shaped rear, but floated away from the body so that the shape of the dagger she had strapped to her lower leg did not show, not even when she moved in those spike-heeled sandles. The black matching shirt had a wide, almost innocent collar on it, revealing nothing of her chest, which was unusual for her, but allowed to her blend as much into the background as possible. And, if Ben looked closely enough, he might recognize a familiar article of clothing: a blue and green patched silk scarf twined artfully around the neck and shoulders, with a swatch of red running through it like a ribbon. The scarf had originally been only green, blue, and black. The red was blood... blood from Tidus that she hadn't been able to wash out. But, fortunately, it had dried in an attractive shape, and so anyone who hadn't seen the scarf before would never know that the scarf had never before possess that red stripe.

The white hands lifted to shift her chopstick-steadied bun into a more natural position, but the action was actually hiding her checking both of the two-inch blades that the chopsicks ended in, which were hidden in that mass of blood-red hair. The blue eyes were searching the room, and they noticed Ben as they passed, but never hesitated, as though she hadn't seen him. She wanted to wait and see what the man would do before she did anything. So she ordered another martini, virgin, and waited, eyes dreamily on the band.

Here and there, he would spot a kid that matched the vague discription of the one he was after. But there came the problem of figuring out the names of the kids. Ben knew it was more than a little suspicious for a fourty-year old man to approach random young men and ask them their names and professions. The fact that he was in here at all, without any sort of drink, watching everyone else, was enough to bring a few unnerving looks his way. Recent events had gotten him a little rattled, and he had come here without fully thinking things through. And the blaring music did little to help him concentrate.

Benjamin began to commit certain faces to memory, in hopes of recalling the images later to match to possible highschool or college photos and names. It was after several minutes that Ben's icy eyes browsed past a familiar woman. Moreso than that, he damned scarff she was wearing! Hiding his surprise, Ben felt his heart racing a little. Had she told anyone...? No, she couldn't have- she was wearing that bloodstained scarff still.

Though he looked perfectly calm and collected, there was an unsettling anxiety growing in him. He found himself getting more anxious and paranoid in the past few months, struggling to keep a firm hold on not only himself, but his people. He had let too many people see his 'other' side, too many people that could very easily let his secrets out with the slip of a tongue. All hell might break loose when he found that Mike had escaped his burial pit and was now at the hospital. But for now, his concerned lay with Cassidy.

He was sure that his offer of Tidus's car and money would be enough to keep her quite, and in the past, he wouldn't have worried much more about it. Nowadays however, Benjamin just couldn't let it go. Rather then silently leaving the place, he let his eyes linger on the woman, as penetrating as they were cold and murderous. He had to remind her that he was a dangerous person to cross, and give her a reminder of what could happen if she decided to spill the beans.

She felt the weight of his eyes boring into her, but ignored it for several minutes, keeping her eyes on the singer of the group before her, seemingly entranced by it... When she felt she'd left him squirm long enough, she let her gaze casually scan the room again, as if looking for a waiter to refill her now empty drink. When her eyes met Ben's across the room, she gave a start, and her mouth formed into a tiny "o" of surprise, which softened into a smile as though she couldn't see the clearly unfriendly implications his gaze betrayed.

She got up, all fluid grace as she moved across the room toward him, sitting down again across from him, voice soft and... joyful? That wasn't the right word, but there wasn't really a word for the emotion that she saw when she saw Ben. He'd almost killed her the last time they met... almost. She'd talked him out of it, in a way. And yet, somehow she didn't fear him. No... she was curious about him... and strangely glad to see him. Anyway, her voice was soft. Well... I never thought to see you again, Ben. She used the name subtlely, casually, though she knew it would remind him of a slight advantage she had over him. Tidus had spoken Ben's name, but never hers, so they had that obvious advantage. Of course, Ben had probably looked her up, but then the story of her that would appear to Mikhail's skills was just as false as Ben's undoubtedly was, for she of course had asked Johann, her own sourcer, to find out what he could, and he'd found nothing that sounded like Ben to her. Her info was just as false, just as misleading. It had her listed as a student at the local university about twenty miles south of the city, possessing a part-time job at the gas station on the corner of Buncolmbe and Shies. A perfectly sweet, respectable person, which of course she was not. All this was playing through her mind as she spoke that short sentence to Ben, her face completely calm and collected.

Things turned interesting very quickly, and not in a good way. He had anticipated a look of fear from the lady, and was undoubtably surprised by the smile. What the hell was she up to, anyway?

From their encounter at the Bridge, he knew better than to put any trust in the files that Mikhail had brought up. She was clever- too clever for Ben's likes. It made him nervous, and it made him feel threatened. Very rarely did he have to contend with someone he considered to be at his level of manipulation. Worse yet, he couldn't find any distinct ties she might have with any of the organizations, nor of any family, or any sort of prominent attachements. He just didn't have enough information on this elusive woman to know of any leverage against her. That made her particularly dangerous, as far as he was concerned. The only thing that eased his mind somewhat was that his own personal history had been well concealed by Mikhail. A look into his records would reveal his occupation as the founder of ATHA, as well as the owner of a local mining company.

Her approach warranted imediate suspicion and aggravation from the man, though on the outside she was met with a pleasant smile. "I could say the same, Cassidy." If she were going to play this little game, he felt obliged to take the next move. "That is quite the bold statement, don't you think?" He asked with a hint of pointedness as he glanced to the scarff. The quaint, charming little smile he carried was made subtly more creepy by the array of purple and yellow bruises highlight his face.

She was not in the least surprised to find that he knew her name, but she let a surprised and pleasant smile grow on her face, voice still soft and senuous. Well! I never expected to be paid such attention. I'm flattered, sweet.

His next question also met with her smiling, flippant attitude, fingering the scarf absently and affectionately, though her eyes continued to rest on Ben, smilingly waiting for his reaction. What, this? Why should I throw out my favorite scarf just because it's acquired a little stain? In fact, it's quite attractive, don't you think?

She knew, sure as she was born, that he was on edge about it, though she was not ordinarily adept at reading others. She couldn't read into the slight panic that was forming in his mind, but she could tell that he was nervous over it. But her face hinted nothing of it, only smiling still.

Eyes lifted from the scarff and focused back on Cassidy's. There was some curiousity in his look, but this was far overshadowed by an intense anger that shown through in his pale-blue eyes. To the average person, it looked as though Ben and Cassidy were having a nice conversation; but to each other, it was a twisted mental game at play.

"Don't you think it's a bit of a... liability?" He hedged in a voice that was so casual and pleasant that it seemed more fit to be asking the time of day. "I mean, if someone were to realize that was no mere design, but the blood of a murdered man, why - why you would be the only connection to the murder, wouldn't you? I guess it's a good thing most people around here wouldn't notice such a thing." After he posed the question, Ben took a sip of water and watched carefully for any hint of reaction that would tell him he was on the right track.

Ah, there she got a spark out of him. The intense fury that flared breifly in his eyes told her that she was definitely getting somewhere, but also told her to phrase her next words carefully. She doubted that Ben would let it come to physical violence in a public place, where he would certainly be arrested for battering an innocent girl, but he might get up and walk away, which she didn't want him to do.

So her next words were soft as wind, spoken on a breath as she firmly refused to let her smile grow in victory. A liability? Perhaps... if I hadn't been wired for sound when we met. You wouldn't believe how tiny they can make microphones these days... small enough to fit in a girl's underthings, sweet, and not show a line. And guess whose voice is very soundly recorded on the tape, along with some begging and a couple of loud noises? All vague terminology, but she knew he'd pick up on it.

And, if he should wonder how she'd present that information without being disciplined for unauthorized usage, she could always list the point that she'd recently been recruited by the college as bait to lure men who preyed on women in order to decrease the crime rate on campus. Of course, only selections of that feed went through to the school, for Johann had bugged it, and was filtering this conversation even now so that no one at the school would hear it. But it would definitely be enough to raise suspicion to Ben. Her sweet smile was so contrasting to her words as to be exceedingly discomfiting.

But as the lights dimmed a little, signalling the beginning of what was known as the "dead shift", she caught sight of the purple and yellowed bruises on Ben's face, and for just, just a moment... an old sadness flickered briefly in her eyes, though it did not touch the smile on her face. Just for a moment... and then it was gone. She didn't care whether he'd seen it. It could be in reaction to many things, and she had a cover story for that, too.

Not only did he fail to get the desired reaction, but his threat had backfired in his face! Cassidy was proving to be quite the contendor, and it only made Ben all the more uncertain and uneasy with her. He knew she could could be lying about the whole story, but he wasn't ready to call her bluff when he didn't even know who she had ties with. He and his people weren't in good standing with the mayor as it was, and she would certainly jump at the chance to put him behind bars. No, he couldn't risk scaring Cassidy to the police. Backing off the imposed threat, Ben searched for a different avenue.

"Fair enough." Came his quiet reply, the smile faded a little more while his eyes retained all their previous intensity. And then he caught something - the briefest flash of sadness. Suspicion was picked up in his gaze again as he wondered where that came from. Had he inedvertantly brought up a painful memory from her past? Ah... whether he did or not, that's the new road he needed to travel. If anything, he found that playing upon people's past vices were usually a good way of controlling them.

"I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot." Benjamin took another sip of water before getting on with his next sentance, "I have to admit, you are a decidedly complicated young woman. To be able to conceal your past with such... such thorougness - it's not often I come across a person like that." There, he said it outright. Though, the fact that he had done research on her was not new news. "It makes me wonder what kind of past would cause a person to do such a thing."

Again he watched her, though didn't expect to get any real answers. At least, he could shift the questions away from threats for the time being. Ben was not physically violent person; although poor Conan was one of the few to find out what it took to push Ben to the extreme.

Her barely veiled threat had wrought the effect she'd wanted, and Ben had backed off. But that did not mean that she relaxed; oh no, it put her the more on the alert. He'd tried the obvious thing, now he was going to go subtle. But she kept up the smile, her version of a blank face, listening to him most attentively.

She was silent for a moment, this time giving the sadness permission to blink in her eyes, no more than before, or it would not be believable. Again, it was gone in an instant, and she switched right to her next jab as though she did not realize she'd let him see it. And it would make a girl wonder what sort of man would research so thoroughly into her past as to try to find that information.

She chose not to reveal to him that she'd researched him, at least for the moment. The name, she had picked up at Carver's Bridge, and she'd said nothing else to indicate that she knew more about him, so she chose to keep that weapon for now. She let him consider this, face still smiling, but softer now as the conversation toned down. She'd had her fun toying with him. Now it was down to business.

Again, he caught the glimpse of sadness, and felt sure that he was on the right track now. He just had to find the right nerve and pounce on it. If his mind wasn't preocupide with Aralyn and the need to destroy Michael, he would have listened to the red flag that went up in his head. Benjamin would have found it suspicious that someone so good at concealing their true selves would allow their emotions to faulter twice. But as it was, his racing mind only saw this second faulter as a weakness that he needed to act upon.

Taking a moment to scope the surroundings, Benjamin gave himself a few seconds to collect his thoughts and continue on with trying to uncover what made Cassidy tick. "I suppose it would make one wonder." The smile reappeared in it's fullest, although this time it carried something of a leering smirk. He felt confident that she knew very little of him, and he let this little smirk reflect that. The less one knew of him, the more dangerous he was, and that made him feel more powerful.

"The question returns to you, Cassidy. Why would such a talented young lady as yourself work in such a questionable profession? When you already have a job?" It was abundantly obvious to him what she had been up to with Tidus that night. Whether her decision to become a protitue held any barings on her past or not, he was determined to keep the spotlight off himself and on her.

His reaction was a blessing to her, for she had known that she was taking a risk in letting herself falter twice, knowing that in a man as keen as Ben, it might arouse suspicion. But it had produced some valuable information. He was distracted, too distracted to pay adequate attention to his own instincts. But she smoothly moved to his next question, hedging it deliberately,though making no attempt to deny what she'd been up to with Tidus. He'd been there, and to deny their planned activities was to suggest that she thought Ben stupid, which couldn't have been further from the truth. She was pixying on the spirit of the thing, but still speaking truth while managing to turn the topic back toward him. Well how do you expect a girl to put herself through college and make a living on a part-time, minimum wage job? Come now, Ben, be sensible. If I am a girl with talent, then why do you behave so surreptitiously with me? Riddle me that, sir. If. A word that would allow her to deny that she was a "girl with talent" at a later date, should she need to. Not even the lowest of the CS members would have believed her, and Johann would have slapped her for such obvious manipulation, but she was betting that this would startle him, and possibly distract him a little, though of course she could not expect it to rattle him completely.

His attempts were once more thrown back at him without the benefit of a single faulter from the lady. Not the slightest hint into her past. She had him, and it made him more furious than ever that his question hadn't gotten anywhere. She was matching him, even surprassing him, move for move.

Seeing that she was keeping pace with his questions, Benjamin shifted gears completely. The smile departed from his features as his piercing eyes were envoloped by a chilling, murderous glint. He knew he had to tred carefully now, for her previous threat loomed in the back of his mind still. "I'll cut to the chase then..." Should he do this...? If he missjudged her, it could lead to all sort of problems. But if it worked...

"There is no question that you are very smart." This was said as the casual tone was dropped and a more business-like adopted. Keeping his anger in check as best he could, Benjamin continued on, "In being so, I imagine that you must have some alliances in town. Or that you... use your talents to keep on peoples good side. And to learn what you can from them." He paused again, trying to find just the right words that would lead up to what he wanted to say. He couldn't stand to have someone like Cassidy beating him at his own game.

Her face did not change in the least, the smile remaining completely stationary, though she noted with some satisfaction that he'd done what she'd wanted him to. He'd brought up the topic first. But here, she blanked her face, ignoring the murderous glint as she spoke softly. You might say that. I might even admit it. What of it?

Ah, now he may be getting somewhere. It was time to find out just what she knew of him; if it would be possible to get her to divulge such information. "The thing of the matter is, you have to know who is who in this town if you expect to climb any ladders. Take the mayor for example- while I wouldn't say she's the most powerful figure in the city.." He put a hint of enphasis on this, letting Cassidy mull over the idea that there could be more influencial people in Atroe than the mayor. A faint glint of amusement sparked in his eyes before being consumed by the coldness again, as if to suggest that he considered himself higher than Lauren in Atroe's heirarchy. "...she has all the right connections to be near the top. Judges, laweyers, cops... all the corrupt officals to do her bidding. As such, anyone with ties to her would benefit from her position as mayor."

"Now, admittetly, I don't know what you strive for in this world. But I'd assume with someone with your intelligence would desire to be higher on the ladder... am I right?" Benjamin watched her carefully still, though he didn't expect to obtain any information other than what she choose to give him.

Ah ha! Now they were getting somewhere. This was exactly what she'd been hoping the conversation would end at. Because unless she missed her guess, and she didn't often miss it, Ben was about to offer her an alliance of sorts. That had been her purpose in approaching him, in taunting him to this point. So she unveiled the smile again, but this one did not contain the innocence or taunting that all of her previous ones had. No, this one was a dark pleasure, the same smile that Ben had flicked to Conan not a day hence when the boy had agreed to murder Michael. This one... was the dark and deadly brain behind the seductress, and she let him see it. Now you come to the matter at hand, sweet. Nicely done. Not an answer, but it was enough to suggest to him that she did, indeed, want the power he was offering her.

It had been a touchy game, but the conclusion seemed to a mutually assuring for both parties. Normally, Mikhail's work shed enough light on a potential recruit for Ben to play them right into his hands. A bit of lying here and there to get them in, and once they were in, they were his. Defectors were rare, but not totally unheard of- and always, they had been dealt with properly.

But here was someone that wouldn't be easy to control. This woman didn't seem to be the kind of person like, per say, Mikhail or Tom were. Not devoted loyalists. Nor was she a simpleton, or one that bowed down under threats. This is why Cassidy was dangerous to bring in, and she would be in the group of people that didn't know of his darkest secrets. His best bet for now was to figure out what she wanted and use that until he could possibly dig up any leverage on her.

That is, if she was going to join him. "I'm glad we are on the same page with this." Benjamin replied, "The question remains though- what alliances to you have? Or are you alone in the city?" He knew he couldn't fully trust what came out of her mouth, but it was a neccessary question.

Into the chaos and general bass-incuded rumble of the room came tottering a little man, only about 4' 10" with his shoes on. Though everyone knew, of course, that Ben was a short man, the blue-eyed manipulator looked to be about six feet when compared to this fellow. Though he was only in his middle forties, he appeared nearer sixty-five, sporting a bald crown with a cluster of white hair still barely clinging to the sides and back of his head. A supremely confused look was on his face, and he tripped slowly up to the bar and spent several minutes softly trying to attract the attention of the tender. Um... excuse me? Sir...? Could I...

He gave a jump as the burly bartender suddenly stopped to eye him, and the soft, watery-blue eyes widened a little in fear. I... his voice squeaked, and he stopped to clear it before going on. I was... (ahem) hoping you could give me... directions to the nearest hotel? (cough) My wife and I... we've come to see... my sister's funeral, sir.

And he dabbed at those tiny eyes with a handkerchief, not seeing the grimace that the barkeep made as he pointed a finger as thick as a sausage toward town. Two blocks east, take a right, and there's one on your left hand side. Now get out of my club. The little man jumped again, and started to shuffle away.

All this time, Cassidy's eyes had been weighing Ben, watching, pretending not to listen to the conversation between the old man and the bartender, but as he began to slink away, she made up her mind. She suddenly flourished a smile at Ben, and then turned toward the old man, raising her voice. Uncle! And she hopped from her seat and ran to the little man with all the suddeness and exuberance of a five year old, spontaneously enfolding him in a hug.

Johann looked as though he might jump a mile, but the hard look in his eyes told Cassidy that he was confused, not frightened. But he played the moment cleverly, looking up into her face and hugging her back. Why, Cass! I would have never expected to find you here...

As she began to lead him toward the table where Ben was sitting, she continued to speak to him. Oh, don't worry, Uncle. I was just waiting to meet a few friends.

She pulled up a third chair for the man, and he hopped up into it with a spryness that belied his earlier act, though no one else in the room saw. Once he;d settled himself, Cassidy lowered her voice and spoke to Ben. Ben.. meet my Uncle Johann. Well, he wasn't really her uncle, but hey... he had his uses.

This was a completely unexpected turn of events, though Benjamin believed he may have found a source of leverage. Little did he know how wrong he might turn out to be. As soon as she jumped up and cried uncle, Ben quickly adopted his usual facade of friendliness, with that pleasant little smile of his. He knew he wasn't fooling Cassidy, but this Johann fellow was a new face and a clean slate for him to work on.

"Pleasure to meet you, Johann. I'm Benjamin Linus." To this, he reached a hand forward to shake with the other man, while secretly sizing him up. By all appearances, this little old man didn't look the least bit harmful.

"Your neice and I were just having a little chat. She is a very fascinating young lady." He complimented innocently. Playing on the little scene between the two, it looked like Cassidy and Johann were very close to each other. He could assume that Cassidy might be putting on an act, but then Johann's responding hug affirmed to Ben that the two must be close. If only he knew the truth of the matter, and that Cassidy's Johann was like his Mikhail.

Cassidy called for a refill of Ben's water, which was now looking low, and also ordered a water for herself, adding her Uncle's favorite whiskey to the list of drinks coming. This gave Johann a chance to shake Ben's extended hand, and there was a strength to his grip that was surprising to his appearance. The momentary distraction also allowed Cassidy to glance surreptitiously around the room before turning back to their company.

But Johann's face held a quiet smirk as Ben attempted to make polite conversation, and his voice came out low and rumbling, so different from the tremulous tenor he'd used earlier. My Cass don't have "little chats" with nobody, Benjamin Linus, and I don't think you do 'er justice when you use the word "interesting". Now cut the crap and let the girl tell me what she called me over here so very loudly for. His voice was lightly reprimanding, but Cassidy smiled it away. It was necessary, Uncle.

Now she deliberately withheld from touching Johann at all. It wouldn't do for Ben to know how really fond she was of her Uncle, though the man often reminded her that he had taught her all her knife tricks and had been "in the business" before she'd been a glimmer in her mother's eye. As Ben was with Aralyn, so Johann with Cassidy, though they took care to appear only as business colleages.

The vigor of the other man's handshake was the first sign to Ben that he had misjudged the other. And it came to his surprise when the previously meek and humble voice transformed into something drastically different. This time around, a deceptive little smirk grew on his face, "And just when I thought this town was filled with nothing but half-brains. I'm impressed, truely. You had me fooled for a moment, Johann." All bets were off at this point as Johann revealed his own skills and potential. If he wasn't so preoccupied with other things, Ben would have found this to be rather engaging. A nice excercise, of sorts. But as it was, the man was on edge and felt threatened with recent happenings.

Benjamin shifted his sights from Johann to Cassidy trying to figure out how he would handle this. He could definitely see potential in recruiting Cassidy, but he didn't know much about Johann yet. Before he could put out a question, his cell rang again. "Excuse me."

Not hiding his annoyance had being interrupted, Ben dug into his pocket and retrieved the handy little device.
"I'm in the middle of something, can it wait? ...." Frustration.
What? How... where are you? ..." All at once, his demeanor did a 180. Panic and dread flashed as clearly as neon lights in his widened eyes.
"Did he say anything?" Now it was Ben's voice which changed, laden with a mixture of fear and disbelief.
"Did anyone hear him? Did he say anything else?" He regained a slight bit of control, enough to take the edge of panic out of his tone, and to have sense enough to drop his voice lower so that it would be harder for others to hear. His eyes were lost in troubled thought, and he was silent for a few seconds, as though he were searching for the answer to a crucial question.
"I'm thinking!" The man snapped suddenly, irritation now being the highlight of his emotions.
"Send Tom to the hospital to guard Aralyn. I'll get in touch with you later."

The phone was snapped shut and shoved hastily in his pocket. Benjamin looked sharply to Cassidy and Johann. A look that had never encompassed his features before now took a hold of him. There was a dangerous, wild desperation in his troubled eyes, while the rest of his face was drawn taunt with tension. "You want me to cut the crap?" He looked fiercly to Johann, then to Cassidy, "Then here it is - I need help. I need people on my side that have your smarts and capabilities." Well that was certainly not the way he had planned to go about it. He knew so little about either of them! Only months ago, Benjamin would never had been so careless and up-front with people like Cassidy and Johann. He would have never let loose the slightlest bit of emotion without being sure that it was exactly what he wanted them to see. Oh, but look at him now! For the briefest of moments, his vulnerablitiy had been revealed and he had cracked wide open in front of potential enemies. The one saving grace in this situation was that Cassidy and Johann didn't know what it was that had caused such a dramatic reaction in Benjamin.

Cassidy gave a sweet smile as Ben's cell rang, then proceeding to seemingly ignore him as she turned to Johann, dropping into Thieve's Cant. It was a soft and dark-sounding language that spoke of shadows and the barely heard sound of a stockinged foot brushing through a hall. One tended to learn it when they were so often used in "indoor work", as it was known in the trade, and both Johann and Cassidy had been used extensively in that area.

Cassidy's smile showed up again, her voice light and carefree, but soft as she spoke so as not to carry throughout the room. Johann's small countenance held something like cold arrogance: this was his blank face. Vor toh mi naretha, Londine? Well, what do you think of him, Uncle?

The watery blue eyes never even thought to flick to Ben, knowing that this would raise suspicion, and knowing whom Cassidy was speaking of, anyway. Jami kaelar di'vuk, Hwaren. Bey lat forya manu porotis. I think you're right, little sister. There's no truth to those files.

Her face did not move, but her eyes locked with his, and the old man saw the annoyance. Ra vati naretha porotis, Londine. Vati jas meth narepo. I don't mean the files, Uncle. I mean HIM.

The eyes that had before been soft and watery now being two orbs of ice planted in his skull. Naretha merith kahn glofwran, Hwaren. Re tin ygrants moy eranypas. Ty mi regalme quis ban wavutes zixmars. He is like us, little sister. A son of the shadows. One who walks in dark places.

She nodded her sweet, pretty face, voice softer still. Fah naretha may wroth. Ghen wroth frea thi liko madite. Ghen wroth frea tuy piche naretha juk... And he is nervous. More nervous than he was at the bridge. More nervous than he should let himself be...

It was a soft, hurried conversation, with neither glancing at Ben more than could have been considered normal, but not deliberately avoiding him, for that, too, would be suspicious. No, as they heard Ben's conversation coming to a close, they switched back to English, speaking of nothing of importance. Mentally, Cassidy filed away the name Aralyn, knowing that this person had to be important and, judging by his reactions, very special to Ben. But her face still smiled until Ben turned to speak to them.

Johann's eyes looked feirce as Ben suddenly seemed to "attack" them with his eyes, but Cassidy laid a hand on his arm, face now completely cold and calculating, and it drew the blue eyes to her. It was odd... Johann was older, and he'd been in the business longer, but Cassidy was clearly in charge here. She turned to look at him, sending a silent message... and finally, the man nodded. Then both of them turned to Ben, three pairs of blue eyes meeting across the table, but it was again Cassidy who spoke. Very well. What do you need? Calm, cool, and oh-so-collected.

He had to calm himself a little, allow his mind to get back into the swing of things. Somehow, he had come up with a way to silence Mike and whatever stories he might be letting loose - and he had to do this very quickly. Struggling to bring himself back into control after recieving such devastating news as he had, Benjamin picked his response carefully.

"You know my vice- " Assuming that Cassidy had already confided in Johann about the execution of Tidus, Benjamin did not feel it was neccessary to conceal this from him. Furthermore, if he openly admitted what he had done, he hoped it would make them feel more at ease about discussing their own darker deeds. What he didn't share was the fact that Tidus was number 43 on list of murders, with James Wild being his 44th, and Mike a failed 45th. That being among other things. "I need to know what you two are capable of. And any prominent alliances you have here." No more cryptic, evasive speech; it was all down to the point now, with time being of the essence.

Knowing it was useless to disguise his emotions at this point, Benjamin developed a new tactic. He had already broken under the pressure and he knew that he was more at their mercy than the other way around. Attempting to gain something back from his blunders, Ben didn't fully hide his look of desperation. And in fact, he now forged the hintings of fear into his expression. His breakdown had been brief, though he still maintained the expression of uncertainty in the hopes of making Cassidy and Johann feel more in control than they were. It would be a tough and tricky game to play, but he thought it would be his best move. If they got over confident, he may be able to exploit them at a later time.

The veiled hint that Ben dropped of things darker than thievery brought a new and dark cast to Johann's face. Almost reflexively, he dropped into Blood Cant, the darker tongue of the assassins. Bah mi nath paleran, jek writ troyas mathleer regkna fos. Bayta mil grequin, foh jik? You don't have the look of it about you, but if you know what I'm saying, you're bound by blood to answer. Is this for death or for taking of innocence?

If the soft blue eyes had been hard and cold before, now they were hot and angry, murderous in intent and icy as winter skies as they peirced into Ben's. And the voice... it made Cassidy's blood run cold, made her lift her hand slowly from the older man's arm, eyes riveted on his face, still with the smile, but the eyes hinting at something close to horrified fascination. She managed to retain her control over her features despite her complete and utter shock. She'd known Johann for twenty years, and never had she seen his face contort in that manner, never heard the words that made her spine shudder and spoke of screams in the night come from his kind lips. But, for once, though her face was still smiling and calm, Cassidy was struck wordless.

Benjamin had seen only one other man convey such a forboding, spine-chilling look before - that being Ethan. It was as unsettling as it was fascinating, and it was enough to convice Ben that Johann must indeed have some skeletons hidden in his closet.

Johann's words were analyzed closely, but nothing at all was made from them. There were several of his people that were multilingual - Mikhail being the most talented in this - and on them Ben relied for decyphering. "If you're testing my linguistics, you're wasting time. I only speak English." Benjamin said quickly, allowing a trickle of aggravation seep into his tones. Wide-set eyes still portrayed a sense of urgency, as did his quick-paced words. But by this point, the desperation was put in place for show, as he tried to maintain the idea that he was not in complete control of his emotions.

As Ben analyzed him, Johann's face remained harsh and forbidding, even flashing that ugly glance to Cassidy once as she stroked his left hand, attempting to lighten the mood. It was enough to make her draw her hand back swiftly again as she turned her eyes to meet Ben's, letting them speak calmly. I've never seen this in him before. And I don't understand the words, either.

Even as Johann held Ben's gaze, with both men maintaining a look that screamed for blood, Cassidy watched them both for several tense moments. When she finally spoke, it was to Johann, her voice gaining the light Italian accent that was natural, but that she'd hidden from Ben until just now. Uncle... Uncle. Johann?

He barely heard her speak his name over the sound of his memories rushing through his brain, his heart, and it took him a moment to react to it, turning his wrinkled face to Cassidy, that feirce grimace still on it, wordless. Her face kept its calm demeanor, not letting the pain in her heart leak out through even the eyes. Never before had Johann directed that look of absolute loathing at her, and never before had the little man she'd known all her life been so much a stranger to her than he was at this moment. She'd known about the thieving, she known he'd been a mercenary, that he'd spent all his time from sixteen on fighting for the gang... but this was a side of him she had never seen, and it frightened her. It tested her mettle to keep her mask in place, but she'd worn that smile all her life, and sometimes it felt more natural than her real face, so she managed without a waver.

Johann... pad-brother... Lakik does not run where you travel this moment, and neither can I. The blue eyes tha tmet hers remained cold, unchanged. Finally, in desperation, she spoke softer still, the accent a little thicker. Bucca-Dhu, Bucca-Dhu, what are you there? At first it sounded as though she might have missed a word or two, but she'd said exactly what she meant.

And it was this phrase that had an effect on the old man, softened the craggy face, brought the haunted look out of the eyes. His voice was deep with hatred still, but that hatred was no longer directed at Cass. We'll use Bainidhe Dub, then. And a smile broke across his face. It wasn't really his smile, but it was something closely akin, and Ben wouldn't notice the difference, not having known Johann very long. Then he turned to Ben, the smile falling, but not gaining that scowl in its place. My apologies, brother. Testing your linguistics was not my purpose. Testing your intentions was. I am satisfied.

Now that things seemed to be returning to something she could control, Cassidy answered the question Ben had been asking repeatedly. I have many loose ties in this town, people and groups that I am accepted by, but not expected to maintain the respect through action, and who will not retailiate if ought happens to me. The only ally I have, you see before you. Johann is my ally.

Here was something, as vague as it might be, that Ben could try to work on. The first possible hinting of a fault in Cassidy and Johann. He could not see behind the perfectly maintained mask that the woman retained throughout their conversation, but he picked up on the message spoken through her eyes. Whether these unspoken words were sincere or merely part of her act, Ben made sure to keep note of them.

As the interaction between the two continued, he was more convinced that this was no act. Her face was veiled with the unrelenting smile, but her voice betrayed what Ben was percieved as uncertainty with one she trusted. Alarmed and wishing for him to return to normalcy. But, this was all just his speculations. He'd have to wait and watch, and see what more he could learn before he could begin to pry at it.

"Appology accepted." Ben replied lightly, subduing the sounds of irritation, though it still shown clear in his expressive eyes. Ah, now on to business. "Good, good. That's what I hoped to hear." The man responded, not hiding any lies in his words as he turned to Cassidy. "Before we take this any further, I need to know what you are capable of." He pressed the question again, his eyes narrowing faintly. He question was posed directly for Cassidy, while leaving Johann without so much as a glance.

She was intensely relieved to see Johann smiling again, but allowed her face to blank again as though it meant nothing to her. Her hand left Johann's arm with all the suddeness of summer lightning as the voice became sharp and business-like once more. Well, you know of my more obvious talents. If it's male and still breathing, I can generally seduce it into telling me what I want to know. If that does not work, I can manipulate them into it. I'm not a bad hand with guns, but blades are my best, particularly daggers and short-swords. And Johann can find out anything about anybody, given five minutes and decent technology, in addition to his... other talents. She did not need to name Johann's other talents, for Ben was certainly not an idiot. He could make his own assumptions from their discussion, and draw the conclusion that Johann was very good at making people... disappear.

Perfect. Pulling his mind from the haze of panic and near-despair, Ben thought swiftly on the next plan of attack. First and foremost, Mike had to be silenced. He had caused enough damage already just showing up alive when Ben's previous story marked him as dead.

The intense gaze flashed to Johann now, "I need someone to dissapear, permanently. I'm sure you've heard of it on the news - the tragic death of officer Wild and his son." Benjamin began, pausing only an instant to be sure he had his own fabricated story straight before he spun it out, "...I just recieved news that the son isn't dead afterall. And this is a huge problem for me..." He would not implicate himslef in the execution of James Wild, nor the attempted execution of Mike Wild, but he needed a convincing story for Cassidy and Johann. "...you see, a friend of mine could be in serious trouble if Mike tells a different story than the one that I gave to the police." This was his only addmittance to his own involvement with the murder, though he was careful not to be specific with anything. "My colleauges and I are far too conspicuous to be anywhere near Mike at this point, if anything... unfortunate were to happen to him. And that's where you two come into play."

Cassidy's face remained blank, Johann's cold and arrogant. The "friend of mine" story was a little to typical to believe, but she tossed that thought aside and focused on the task at hand. Her eyes held something dark in them as she exchanged glances with Johann. That darkness carried through in her voice as she replied to Ben. Are you suggesting that we have him assassinated? Her voice was soft so as not to carry, but her tone and the set to her body were blunt. There was none of the usual mask on her face, none of the teasing in her voice, but she had a purpose to being perfectly open and honest with that statement.

In contrast to their colder faces, a twisted smirk grew on Ben's face, though it lasted for only a moment, "Like I said, you are a smart one." Then he too adopted the more serious facade, "Of course, I expect that you expect a return in favor. If you do the job quickly and efficiently, me and my people are obliged to help you whenever you may need it."

Johann remained silent through the entire recital, his eyes flicking between the two of them and seeming to absorb everything like a sponge. Cassidy would have spoken in response to Ben, but the tiny man beat her to it. You would do well to remember her intelligence, brother. The girl collects and hoards favors... and she never, ever forgets. There, a slight tone of dissention in the rough voice, as though he knew all too well how very inconveinient Cassidy's memory could sometimes be.

Cassidy laughed the tone in his voice away, as if she thought it was ridiculous. But it was an act within an act: she had discovered that Ben's mind was so duplicitous that speaking the stark truth often worked to one's advantage, because he was so liable not to believe anything she said. The dissention in Johann's voice was fake; the amusement in Cassidy's laugh, real. It was a good laugh, the kind that made one want to join her in it, and that spoke of a more innocent, sweet side in the girl that almost no one ever saw. As the laugh turned to soft, infrequent giggles, she spoke again. And so what has this fellow done that you are so keen to be rid of him, Ben? And that you cannot accomplish it yourself? The teasing was back, mocking him again, but keeping to the unspoken rule of not going too far.

Another noteworthy bit of information on Cassidy? A keen memory made her just as useful as it did dangerous, and he knew he had to be on top of his game, or she could very well catch the slightest slip of the tounge. Not that he stumbled over his own lies very often; the problem came with cases like this, were supposedly dead persons were not so dead afterall. "Lets just say that I look down on some of the deeds that he has done." Benjamin replied with a little scoff, as if the young man was not fit to waste his breath on. "He's rash and impulsive, not thinking about the consequences of his actions. And not caring about the consequences. That makes him dangerous... and a distinct threat to some people I care very much about." Purposely using the plural form, just to keep them thinking. All he really cared about was keeping Aralyn safe.

"I would handle this on my own, but if some unfortunate accident were to take Mike's life while I were around, it would not look so much like an accident, I fear." He had to be careful here, "In any case, if I get anywhere near him, he's likely to raise an alarm. That's why I need fresh faces."

She caught the protective note in his voice as he spoke of those he "cared about", and for the first time today, he actually fooled her. She already had a hunch that Aralyn was very special to him, but now she believed there were others. She made a note of this mentally, but only out of reflex. Despite the fact that Ben hadn't exactly been at his best today... he'd somehow gained something close to the tiniest bit of respect from the girl. He'd been thinking earlier of how to control her, of course, but she was willing to bet that Ben would never think that he might win her loyality just by earning her respect. Very well, then... what plans do you have already laid out? She didn't know if he did in fact have plans, but she wanted to probe his mind a little further.

As she spoke this simple question, Johann's eyes bored into Ben's, not letting Cassidy see the look he was projecting to the other man. Cassidy had known him forever, but there were still many things about him that she didn't know, which meant that he was one of the few people on the planet that could fool her. His hard gaze said, Watch your phrasing here. He wouldn't say that the entire long-term future of this business relationship could depend on how Ben chose his next words. So many men had treated Cass only as a whore, as a body that was to be used for their pleasure, comepletely disregarding not only the keen mind, but the soft pride in her. Though even the girl herself did not know it, she really had very little confidence in herself, very little pride, but if Ben said the wrong thing and offended her sense of pride, she'd be sure Ben paid for it, and she'd never trust him again.

As they got right down to it, Benjamin had to peice together the plan quickly. It had only been a few minutes since he recieved the news, but it didn't take long for the wheels of his mind to churn out a possible solution. Just as he was opening his mouth to speak on it, he caught sight of the foreboding look that Johann cast him. While he didn't have much respect for most men, his view and morals surrounding women were in stark contrast when it came down to to certain aspects. "Please, don't insult me." Benjamin replied in a short voice, though his statement seemed mocking of what he had previously admitted to. He would murder without hesitation, true- be it man or woman. But to force a woman to preform a physically degrading ploy as a way to achieve his own goals... he would never do that. It was one side of the man that was more honorable. And it was the main reason he had attempted to execute Mike. Those very few that he had trusted and cared for in his life had been woman, and it had a profound impact on him.

Benjamin gave the other man a long look before going back to Cassidy, "You only need to play as the sympathetic girlfriend, and the nurses should let you in. Once you are in his room..." Benjamin trailed off for a few seconds, drawing on all that Mikhail had found about Mike and the Wild family. "...you present yourself as an old friend of his father's, coming to pay your respects and sympathy. You have-" Ben's eyes shifted to the side, narrowing in concentration, "-you have a card that you insist he reads. Something about his father, or, or something. I'm sure you can think of an adequate reason." His words were quick now, "The letter will have nothing written on it of course, but that won't matter after he touches it." Yes, he had it all mapped out now. All he needed was to get the poison, and to apply it to all but a small portion of the card, where Cassidy would be holding it. "When his hands go numb, he will drop the letter and you can quickly dispose of it. And then when his heart stops beating shortly thereafter, it can only be assumed that it gave out to the stress of all his trauma. There will be no poison to trace in his blood, and no suspicious puncture wounds or tainted food. No evidence at all to point the finger back at you."

As Benjamin spoke out loud in response to Johann's eye-warning, Cassidy's gaze shifted vaguely to Ben, voice soft. Insult you? Never. She let a slight edge of confusion be seen in her eyes, but she went immediately toward the subject at hand, nodding. I like it. So subtle.

Johann also listened to the details of the plan, and when Ben was done explaining, a tiny measure of respect that hadn't been there before was present in the gaze. Apparently, the younger man still had some morals, if not many. His cold face changed softly into a smile, and despite the topic of the conversation and his darkening thoughts, it was a good smile. Not happy, but... satisfied. And I suppose I'm to serve as backup. Play the concerned uncle of the girlfriend to the nurse and then finish him off in a different way if all else fails? Now the voice was hard again as he offered Ben his services as... well, an assassin. It stood to Johann's credit that, in the tiny, shriveled core of a soul he still possessed, he cared enough about Cassidy that he did not want her to knife Mike if the plan somehow didn't work out. Cassidy had killed, yes... but only ever in self-defense, never in assassination. But he did not speak it, and did not let Ben see it. His offer was a simple, business-like one.

A simple nod was directed towards Johann's proposal, "If plan A were to fail, a back-up would definitely be needed. I'll leave it to you to cover the details if it should come to that." Noting the change in features of the other man, Ben allowed his own harsh eyes to lighten a degree, if only to ease to previous tension between them all. Now that they had each devulged a vauge level of criminal activities about each other, Ben knew it was best too keep from getting on their bad side.

"I will meet you forty minutes from now, in the west parking lot. Look for an old tan cadillac." That would give him enough time to get the poison and prepare the card. Benjamin stood up at this point, looking from Johann to Cassidy, waiting to see whether they held any objections to the directions, or whether they were ready.

Johann and Cassidy both nodded their understanding, and the man turned to the teen, voice soft. You realize you'll have to disarm, all but the hair. Can't have any silver flashing on you, or it'll raise suspicions. They'd never let you past the nurse's station. I'll hold your toys.

Cassidy scowled at him, but proceeded to fish around herself, removing the blade from its sheath on her lower leg, pulling two out of quick-releases on each arm, one out of the small of her back, and yet another out of her bra. None had shown even a seam on her person, and she handed all but the one that came out of her bra to Johann. This one, she put into the top of her shoe, completely concealing it between the long leg of the slacks and the shoe leather. That one never left her person, no matter what.

Johann quickly arranged the blades on his own person, with several slipping down into his jeans and a few into his shirt. Counting the blades he carried on himself, he now had about ten blades on him, though none showed and it did not affect the way he moved.

This done, Cassidy turned to Ben, signalling that she was ready. Meet you there in forty.

With a touch of fascination, Ben watched as a myriad of weapons were dispatched. He instantly thought of the Akatsuki, but just as quickly dispelled the notion. They were a new gang, for one, and Cassidy just didn't seem like the type of person that fit into such a group. "I never would have guessed." He mused aloud, watching now as the knives were replaced on Johann.

With everything set to go, Benjamin gave a nod to Cassidy and Johann. "I'll be waiting." Then he turned from the two and made his exit from the noisy club.