Benjamin Linus

To avoid any suspicion of being seen with Conan in a blatantly public area, Benjamin choose a more secluded location, where during the early evening hours, he didn't expect much of any gang activity in the area yet. He'd briefly thought about simply offing the teen right here and now, and avoid getting caught in his own tangled web if things got out of his ability to manage. It was purely for the sake of Aralyn that he refrained from making good on his bargain so soon. With his pistol tucked away in its sheath at his side, Benjamin parked his vehicle a few spaces down from the bridge and waited, wondering to himself how he'd even begin to handle this situation.

Conan

Ben didn't have long to wait - in fact it was almost a question as to whether Conan had been waiting for him, because after only a few minutes had gone by, the teen simply walked right out of the woods and up to the bridge. And my, but he looked haggard, and maybe even a little ill. His face was more drawn and pale than it usually was, his gaze tired - and he moved like an aged thing. Even Raimi being gone could not account for such a profound change for the worse in the young man - there had to be something more to this.

He had again snuck away from the Wallocks', not wanting to involve them in all of the mayhem of his life, though goodness knew that when Summer saw him when inevitably he had to head back, she would be very concerned. But his mind at least was still intact, and as he moved close to Ben, he was mindful enough to disguise the rumble of his voice by keeping his tones low. "I almost.. thought you w-would no-ot come," he murmured, and even his voice sounded tired. It was unusual for him to display such a great amount of weakness in front of Ben, but then it was clear that something significant had happened to alarm or disturb him. "I have news that may yet serve to remove the threat the CrypticSilvers pose to Aralyn, in the form of giving them something more prominent to concentrate upon."

Benjamin Linus

The thing that Benjamin was dreaded the most in this confrontation, what he wasn't sure he could quite pull off, was if Conan requested the killing of Cassidy and Lanny for their abduction of Raimi. It was bad enough that he hadn't done anything with Conan yet, and he was running the real risk of getting Cassidy suspicious - it would be near impossible to keep both of them happy and still on his side if he continuously shirked his side of their bargains. Fortunately for Ben and while wily schemes, Conan didn't outright request a hit.

"I said I'd be here." Benjamin stated lightly, and a little pointedly. He'd noticed right away that haggard appearance of the boy, but he didn't mention anything of it yet. To him, it was another source of weakness that could make the boy all that more easy to puppet, "I'm listening."

Conan

The teen made no note of how Ben was sizing him up, though he knew for a fact the man was looking for vulnerabilities to exploit. If he heard the pointed tone in Ben's voice, he never reacted to it - he listened quietly to his words and then answered softly, "I kn-know that ev'rythin' you do is based u-pon the se-ecrets and little-known inf'rmation of your targ-ets, so li-sten well. There is one weakne-ess among the off'cers of the CS. Sarah Cass'y Jones bore my elder br'ther a son... just ov-er a year 'go. She called him... Isaiah. And... he looked so like... Raven that... my brovvvsss-" He faded off a moment, understanding perfectly that using so many words at once was putting his still-returning voice to a grim test. But finally he went on, "They had the baby... killed. And now... Cass'y is pregn't again... and I know who the... father is."

Benjamin Linus

Contrary to his earlier fear, easily suppressed and controlled as it was, this was more than he could have hoped for. It didn't exactly make his lies any easier to maintain between the two parties, but now he had what he was sure was a source of control over Cassidy. For so long he'd been searching quietly for any way to get the upperhand over the girl, and now he had two vital sources of information that could allow him that. IF he played his cards right.

Stamping out the shadow of a grin that tried to work its way across the edge of his mouth, Benjamin used the earlier conversation between he and Cassidy to reply with confidence, "Michael Carlyle? This should prove quiet interesting indeed."

Conan

If Conan was surprised to hear the man immediately spout out with his father's name, it didn't show, either because he still had more control than he appeared to in his worn state, or because he was simply too tired to take up an expression. Instead, he nodded quietly. "Mind you... sssstriking against... Cass'y will get you... now'ere. She is... smart eno-ugh to... dodge such at-tacks and... provide clev-ver lies to keep her... people in line. But there is ano-" He had to pause, to let out a wracking cough, because so much use of his tormented voice was taking a toll on his throat and lungs. But he went on just as determinedly. "...ano-ttthher way. Di-rect... your efffffforts to... Laurence. Zelko-ovii. He is not... as keenly minded... as she. Through hi-im... you can... get to her."

Benjamin Linus

Much like the way he choose not to assassinate Conan yet because of the teen's connection with Aralyn, so too did he choose not to blatantly go after Cassidy with the new secrets he had. She was far too valuable to lose, and considering her and Johann's skills, he didn't want to make them enemies. "That boy will be easily enough to handle." It was muttered almost more to himself than to Conan. With his informants around town, it had been noted just how close the kid seemed to be getting with Cassidy, and combined that with his tendencies for drinking and a lack of the keen skills that Cassidy possessed, it would be a walk in the park to manipulate Lanny. As an idea quickly formulated in his mind, the man finally let that edge of a grin show up, "I think this'll work just nicely. Coincidence as it may be, my own people have some new information on your father, and if all goes as planned, he'll be six feet under before dawn." It was partly a lie, but considering that no one really knew how many 'people' worked for Benjamin, it was an easy enough fib to pull off.

Conan

The weary blue eyes snapped to Ben's face when he mentioned that Michael's death was imminent, reflexively looking up to read the face even though he knew his efforts would find nothing. Sure enough, all that was there to greet him was the shadow of a satisfied grin, but at least the boy did know one thing... Ben would do anything to put an end to the first of two men that had hurt Aralyn so badly - and by rote, Ben would also be eliminating one of the main persons who held Conan's own life in bondage. But despite the hope that wanted to break in him, the teen could not muster a smile in return. Rather, he answered quietly, and in a neutral tone, "I spoke with hi-im... this mornin'. And he knows... e-nough that... if y-you tell him I have... told you, and do not... manage to ki-kill him, then... I will... never ssssee to-mor-row. I pu-ut... my trust f-or tha-at tassssk... in you." He didn't sound eager to hear that his father would die, or frightened of the death that would await him if Ben failed. He didn't even sound confident in the man's ability to do what he did best; he only sounded very, very tired.

Benjamin Linus

There was no look of concern or apprehension over what would happen if somehow the man got away, but under it all, Benjamin did feel a certain urgency nipping at him, and it had everything to do with Aralyn. He understood how easily Michael could target the girl again if he understood just how deeply it would affect him and Conan, and that he simply couldn't let happen. No, Michael would not be getting away scott free a second time. "Mr. Caryle's as good as gone, as far as I'm concerned." Speaking that on his confidence in the issue, and showing none of the concern and care that Summer and Collin would to Conan's condition, Benjamin ended the conversation by rolling up his window and driving off.