Cassidy*Others

It had been a long, stressful week for Cassidy, being trapped in the hospital by both the doctor's orders and the worry of her menfolk. The fact that Lanny had stayed had made it easier for her to endure the endless hours of being forced to remain in bed and the zillions of tests and examinations they'd performed to be sure that all was well with both the baby and the progression of the pregnancy itself. But at the end of a week, Dr. Marachek had pronounced her healthy enough to leave the hospital, with a few stipulations. She'd been set up with the iron supplement and a course of prenatal vitamins... and the physician had also given Johann a firm set of diet recommendations, consisting of large amounts of protein and a calorie-intake of at least 3500 calories a day, instead of the typical 2000. Nowadays, the girl felt like she was eating constantly as they strove to fulfill that requirement, though at least the caliber of Johann's cooking made it a little easier.

And it was starting to work - before she'd left the hospital, she'd gained a pound, and in the two days since she'd gotten home, she'd been eating until she thought she'd explode. She'd go to sit down to read a book, having picked up the old pasttime with little else to do, and Johann would put a pregnancy-formulated protein bar in her hand so that she could chew and read at the same time, so it felt like less of a job. He'd begun making her favorite meals on a more regular basis in an attempt to pique her appetite - Cassidy knew he was worried, and she knew why, as well. Her own mother had died during her birth, due to the fact that she had not gained weight, but lost it during her pregnancy. It had been that event that had torn her family apart - her father had never gotten over it, and had later killed himself, and though Johann had been grieved beyond his ability to express, he'd at least been aware enough to understand that someone had to raise Cassidy. That was what Johann feared - he didn't want to raise another child without her mother... and didn't want to lose Cassidy either. It was not brought up between them, but they both knew it.

And today was rather a peaceful day - Johann was up and around, doing things in the house such as tidying and cleaning the small bathroom, and refusing to let Cassidy help him. Her ankles had begun to swell just a bit, and he insisted that she get off of them - so she was seated on the couch, a Stephen King novel in hand.

Benjamin Linus

Going about this would be another tricky path for Benjamin to tread, particularly because it involved two of the people who he was currently playing puppet with - well, more Conan that Cassidy, since the girl was just as adept at manipulation as he was, and had enough support on her side to make her particularly dangerous become too entangled with. Since his involvement with the red-head had to be hidden from Cass, he also had to come up with a reasoning behind knowing that the boy and Lanny had gotten shot - though that would be easily enough done, considering that very few individuals knew just how many people were truly under Benjamin's command, and who his spies were. Putting all the pieces in their place inside his mind, and keeping his set of facts with Cassidy lined up so that he wouldn't trip over one of his own lies, the man stood before room #5 and gave it a few good raps.

Cassidy*Others

Cassidy looked up from her book at the tap on the door, and met eyes cautiously with Johann - they weren't expecting anyone today, and they just weren't the kind to get any random visitors. Even Jehovah's Witness bikers weren't known to venture into this area, because of its shady reputation. But the old man motioned for Cassidy to stay seated and put aside his task, heading for the door. Peering through the eyehole, he tensed just a bit, and turned to mouth to her, 'Linus'. Well - there wasn't very well anything that Cass could do to disguise her pregnancy now. Her belly wasn't huge, but it was noticeable - finally, she just nodded silently, and on that cue, Johann opened the door, and managed to look surprised to see him.
"Ben - we didn't expect you."

Benjamin Linus

For the sake of expressing his confidence, Benjamin held a half-hidden smile and a pleasant little nod to greet Johann when the door was opened, and spoke lightly enough, "Is this a bad time?" Bright, calculating eyes switched from the uncle to the mother-to-be, offering her a greeting as well, "Cassidy." His gaze strayed only momentarily to her midsection, drifted towards the book, then alighted on the elder man again, "I was hoping I could have a few words with the two of you? I promise, I won't take up much of your time." Knowing already, from his infinitely sharp perception, that Johann was so very protective over Cassidy, Ben knew he couldn't dare say or do anything that was remotely threatening towards the girl, so he avoided something so simple as taking a step forward to invite himself in - instead, he waited patiently for Johann to give the orders.

Cassidy*Others

Even though it was perfectly natural for someone to linger a moment on the girl's belly to take note of a pregnancy they shouldn't know about, Johann had to take careful control of himself in order to keep from bristling at the way Ben's gaze stayed just a second too long on Cass. But he managed it - and after reminding himself that they couldn't afford to offend Ben, he slowly stepped back out of the way, his gesture inviting the man into the apartment. "Please, have a seat," Cassidy murmured as the man came in, indicating the place across from her where she'd have a good view of his face. Where Johann's voice was carefully neutral, the young woman's was warm and inviting - an act, of course.

Benjamin Linus

He sat himself down where he was directed, continuing the charades of a decent interaction and friendly demeanor. Getting right down to business wasn't the route he chose to go this time, mostly because Ben needed to work into this situation slowly and set a few things out himself, "First off, I would like to say congratulations." How he knew of her pregnancy could be written off with his encounter with Michael, or something as simple as the fact that he could potentially have eyes in the hospital working for him. However they reacted to this offered praise, Benjamin said it in a kindly enough fashion, so that it would sound like any sort of underhanded jab that he knew of things he shouldn't. Particularly something as sensitive as Cassidy's pregnancy.

Cassidy*Others

As the pair carried on conversation, Johann went back to what he was doing - but he was quiet enough that he could hear what was being said. So whatever guarded anger he felt when Ben put out the pleasant-voiced congratulations was hidden as he stayed turned toward the sink, where he was washing the dishes with his back toward them. And Cassidy returned his words with a smile, and a very feminine-looking touch to her belly. "Thank you... a little girl. Due in October. We're slowly making preparations - I think if Johann survives til then, he's going to love having a little one around." That was a light joke, followed by a giggle that was warm and believable - but not the easy, genuine sound that Lanny so often got to hear. So saying, she leaned forward and took a small bit of paper off of the coffee table, sticking it in her book so she wouldn't lose her place, and then placed the book on the table, returning her attention to him. "So - what brings you to the slums?"

Benjamin & Others

For as many eyes as he had around town, Benjamin simply couldn't see everything that went on, especially when it came to subtle interactions and quiet words between individuals. Thus, he didn't have a good feel for Johann's relations with anyone else besides Cassidy, and that hindered him a good deal. He could rule Cassidy out as the unknown shooter, simply because she'd been staying at the hospital for a week during the shooting; but what about Johann? Did he dislike Lanny at all? Did he have anyone under his authority that that he could turn out against Conan and the Silver's co-lead without Cassidy's knowing? There were too many 'ifs' for him to begin to come up with an real answers, though he did keep the uncle on his radar. If anything, Johann had the capacity to orchestrate such an attack, so that left him as a potential suspect on Ben's list. "There's nothing like a little one to brighten a household." Focusing on Cassidy, the man returned a pleasant reply, and keeping to a light voice, went on to answer her question, "As a matter of fact, I was hoping either of you could provide me with an answer. Rumor has it, Laurence Zelkovii was shot last weekend?" He started out slow, first with a casual mention of the young man that, if he were to believe the rumors and what he'd seen himself, was someone very close to the girl.

Cassidy*Others

The young woman's casual demeanor never faltered, even when Ben came up with the little-known fact that Lanny had been shot. Still, her voice indicated that she was analyzing him as she answered, "That is a bit of information that would have been very difficult to come up with, even for you. Dr. Marachek and the two of us are the only ones who could have produced the information - and perhaps Charlotte, but she would not have helped you. But as it is, there is no harm in confirming that the rumor - whatever source you got it from - is true." She offered him no more specifics than that, even to tell him what sort of wound it was. He would make him fish for the details, and carefully decide what she did and did not want him to know.

Benjamin Linus

"So it is true?" Completely brushing past the issue of how he came to the information, and in a casual tone at that, Benjamin nodded slowly and leaned back a little in the chair. "I've also heard that Conan was shot, perhaps around the same time as Laurence." The way that he said this was almost pointed, and given more as a fact than a question seeking validation. He knew perfectly well that the two were shot at the same time, but he wasn't going to throw all of his facts out on the table and leave himself without anything to fall back on, "I'd like to lay claim on the latter incident, but seeing as how the boy's been hanging around so close to the Wallocks, there's not much I can afford to do just yet."

Cassidy*Others

"I was not there," the girl answered vaguely, "But I understand that Conan's shooter and Lanny's shooter were one and the same - the modus operandi were very similar. That does raise quite the interesting question, however - Lanny and Conan are well-sworn foes. I can think of no enemies that they share that would want to shoot them both." The perfect wording kept much to herself, and never revealed that she knew anything about the fact that Lanny and Conan had been together during the shooting - a typical Cassidy answer, before she offered a snort to Ben's denial of involvement. "And the fact that you still want him alive because he is 'useful' has nothing to do with that, I'm sure."

Benjamin Linus

Benjamin could safely assume, with Conan's testimony and Lanny's closeness with the girl, that she knew very well that both were together when the shooting took place. Part of it had to do with his note, which had gotten exactly the reaction he'd wanted, but which hadn't ended quite like he planned. Very far from it, actually. "There are two possibilities that I see at the moment. One, this is a personal attack against the two - someone has good reason to want both of the men dead. Or this is an enemy of the gang, since they targeted the second rank from the top. Though that would beg the question as to why Conan ended up shot; he's not part of any gang." The smile bared a short-lived smirk when Cassidy called him out again on his failure to kill the Carlyle boy, "There is that, too."

Cassidy*Others

Soft clanks sounded in the kitchenette, where Johann was still busying himself with the dishes as he listened intently to their conversation. He wasn't going to get directly involved - at least not yet. "There aren't many in the city who would blatantly butt heads with the co-head of the CS - present company excepted, I imagine. But somehow I don't think this was a strike against him because of his ranking - it seems that one person has a personal vendetta against each of them, though God only knows why." She pondered for a moment, and then went on, "Johann's been tracking the Wallock's phones for a while - Summer made a frantic call to Collin on the evening that Lanny was shot, something about heading to the summer house. It was tricky, but he traced back the records far enough to find out that they had an old summer cottage out by the marsh; he traveled out there and found large amounts of gauze and bandaging, covered in blood. Type O negative, which would match Conan. Whatever sort of wound he's got, it's a bad one. They got Lanny good - but judging by the amount of blood, it seems like they nearly killed Conan."

Benjamin Linus

With it known that Cassidy was already withhold at least some of what she knew to be true, Benjamin was careful about how he took her following words. For all he knew, they could be a complete fabrication, or the full truth - he just couldn't be sure about most of it aside from what he already knew to be fact. "There are any number of people who might hold a grudge against Lanny, for the simple reason that he's the co-lead of the town's most powerful gang, and has taken part in turf wars. But someone who's also got a grudge against the boy - and a rather significant one considering his injury was far worse?" A thin brow climbed upwards a hair, "Johann, have you any leads in the matter?" He looked calmly to the man at the sink, in an attempt to draw him towards the conversation, since it wasn't Cassidy that was on his list of suspects.

Cassidy*Others

"My thoughts exactly," Cassidy murmured, knowing perfectly well that Ben was taking everything she said with a grain of salt. She fell silent and listened as Benjamin questioned Johann, who shook his head. "I found a bullet - but it's a standard 32, no distinguishing characteristics for me to go by. I ran it through some pretty thorough tests and came up with nothing. It could have come from any 32 in the city - or outside of it." He paused for a moment, and then slowly went on, "I searched for registrations of 32 calibers in Atroe, just out of curiosity; several prominent names came up. One being yours, one being mine, several being just about every member of the CS, several accounting for your people - and one being Michael Carlyle."

Benjamin Linus

In the process of compiling his suspect list, an entirely mental-based sheet of names and backgrounds, Benjamin had scrutinized various members of the CrypticSilvers gang. As far as he could find, there were no individuals who had any known hard feelings towards Lanny, at least not enough to warrant shooting the young man - particularly not when the punishment if caught was so drastic. Mikhail was still finishing some background work on them, as well as a few low-key individuals, but Ben had his primary suspects already plotted out. "Fortunately for us, we can count Michael out of this one." He said it smoothly enough, but for some reason, a tiny notion of alarm pinged in the back of his mind. He'd shot the man well enough, and had him dumped in the pit - but he hadn't made certain that Conan's father was well and truly dead before leaving him there. Banishing the possibility from his mind, Ben continued, "You can count my people out as well. What do we know of Conan's history? Silvers aside, I know of no one else he has crossed paths with in the wrong way."

Cassidy*Others

"That's just the trouble," Cassidy answered, taking up the conversation again. "We don't know all that much about him. Before the bug decided to shoot me with an arrow, I barely knew he was on the planet, other than to know that the Carlyle boys had a younger brother with an odd first name." What she couldn't know, of course, was that Conan had definitely betrayed her to Ben in one aspect - he'd told the secret that she didn't know he knew, and revealed to someone else the identity of the father of Cassidy's first child, a fact which she hadn't even shared with Johann. But since she didn't know this, she kept right on, very calmly. "So I did some research - the kid ran away from home at twelve years old, and was reported missing by his mother three days after she first noticed he hadn't come home from school. From there, he lived many places, sometimes in homes for runaway boys, sometimes on the streets, never staying in one place for long. He moved quickly and supposedly paid for his meals with odd jobs - several of the older couples around town know him by sight as 'the boy who mended the fence' or 'that kid that mucked the stable'. He moved in with Aralyn Sanchez - coincidentally, a prominent friend of yours, Mr. Linus - at the age of fifteen, and lived there for nearly a year before the CS caught up with him. From there, he disappeared off of the radar for a while - and then came back, when he moved in with the Wallocks. And from there, you know."

Benjamin Linus

Benjamin was already toying with the idea of mentioning Isaiah, but originally decided to hold of on account of Johann's presence. He had no clue whether the man knew of Cassidy's secret or not, but mentioning it could very easily be seen for an underhanded threat, or in the least, make the duo too leery of his ability to obtain information to risk dealing with him any more. His mind was changed when Cassidy brought Aralyn into the conversation, and study her tones and expression as powerfully as he might, Ben just didn't know whether she was implying anything or not with that connection. "That mostly compliments the research that I've done. Of course, from what I've heard, there was a fifth son in there somewhere-" The man was careful to keep his tones entirely free from pointedness, "-but he's said to have died at an early age."

Cassidy*Others

"A fifth son?" Johann's voice was confused as he finally turned away from the sink to shoot a look of befuddlement at Ben - if he knew about Cass' first child, he wasn't telling or reacting to the man's casual reference. "I seriously doubt Mikhail would make such a mistake - I do not know him well, but I know his work well enough. Mrs. Carlyle had one miscarriage - a boy - and one daughter who died in infancy. The woman never set foot outside the valley in her lifetime, and no other live offspring are on any of the birth registries of any hospital within twenty miles of the city border." Cassidy, on the other hand, was quiet as her uncle spoke, suspecting already what Ben was touching on, but not altogether certain must how much he knew about it. So for the moment, she feigned ignorance. "That's something we never heard of - I wonder if Lanny and James know about it, Johann?"

Benjamin Linus

"A son, or a grandson- that part Mikhail couldn't clarify." Benjamin responded casually, flipping his hand in a physical act of dismissing the importance of the terms - though he knew precisely how important the term was to Cassidy, for it was her own son he was speaking about. Still looking entirely calm, with a smidgen of intentness that fit well with the sort of discussion they were having, Ben was watching and gaging the reactions of both people. Johann's response was a difficult one to anaylze... but if Ben had to guess, and that's all he really could do at this point, he was leaning towards the fact that Johann didn't know about Cassidy's son. With as personal of a topic as it was, he was sure there would have been some subtle showing of tension, or even guarded anger in the old man, "As far as I know, it's not a widely known fact. I could do some further investigations myself to see what I can dig up, though again, I don't think it might be a trivial thing at this point."

Cassidy*Others

Cassidy felt her heart jump a beat or two - she lay a hand suddenly against her stomach, as if the baby had kicked. That gave her a decent excuse to turn her eyes downward so that Ben wouldn't be able to see the fear, anger... and open pain... in the blue depths. She kept her face turned down, her hair serving to disguise her expression for a moment as she breathed slowly and steadily, pretending to combat the non-existent pressure of the imaginary kick, and when her face turned up again, it was with a smile - she'd recovered her neutrality. "I swear, Johann, this great-niece of yours kicks like a horse!" It was unclear whether Johann had seen her disguise her face, but he offered a soft chuckle, and told Ben, "Typical - the kid isn't even here yet, and already when she's behaving, she's Cass' daughter, and when she's not, she's my great-niece." Neither one of them ventured an answer to Ben's question at first, but after a moment, the other man murmured, "If this fifth son - or grandson - is already dead, what's the point? He can't serve any purpose now."

Benjamin Linus

Here again, Benjamin couldn't be certain whether Cassidy was reacting to a kick, or the words that he had spoken. What he did know was that she knew precisely what he was talking about, even if Johann may or may not. And with that, he kept an open mind about how his words might have just hit a very tender nerve in the girl. He didn't pursue it any further just now however, unwilling to blow his cover by beating the proverbial dead horse on a topic that held little relevance to what they'd initially been talking about. "I don't suppose it means anything either way. I just like to have all the facts; I'm sure you understand." Seeing another potential channel to after Cassidy, Benjamin slyly brought up a more friendly facade and took up a comment to the baby, "You must be excited about being a first-time mother."

Cassidy*Others

"I can understand that," the young woman answered, reaching for her water glass on the table and taking a few sips before setting it down again. And where Johann missed the connection, Cassidy clearly noted the way that Ben subtly connected her current pregnancy with the first one; the one that he obviously knew about. That put her very much on her guard, enough that she was determined to stick on the lighter end of the subject that Ben had brought up. "Yes, I'm starting to get there," she answered him pleasantly, smiling a little and continuing to hold a hand over the growing bump in a way that could have been fond and eager - or a subtle, unconscious gesture to protect her infant from Ben. "I'd be more excited if she wasn't quite so intent upon battering me to pieces before she gets here."

Benjamin Linus

He'd planted the seed at least, and that's where Benjamin backed off the comments for the final time during this visit. He strove to be in control, and thrived off the ability to make others his puppets, or to shake them up when they rivaled him in mental prowess. If he kept them on their feet, they'd to focus more on keeping their balance rather than trying to take advantage of his few and far between weaknesses. "She sounds like an active one." Benjamin smiled again, and it might have been a sincere thing, if he wasn't working so hard to uncover information at the moment, "What of Lanny? Can I assume he'll have a role in her upbringing? I don't mean to pry... but I'm sure you're aware of the rumors being spread."

Cassidy*Others

"She'll be raised in the gang, if that's what you mean," Cassidy answered, her tone dismissive, as if she hadn't entirely understood his suggestion. When he brought up the rumors, she smiled a little, and flipped her had a bit to indicate that she'd heard the rumors, and had decided they were unimportant. "Lanny and I have had several in-gang jobs recently that have required us to be together frequently in a convincingly-social sense; naturally, the rumors spread as I began to show. We've heard them of course; and after discussing it with him, we decided not to correct the public view. It's easier to deal with than publicizing my profession. The rumors aren't true, of course - but I've known Lanny since we were little, and the general populace likes to think of little stories like that to amuse themselves. It serves our purposes, for certain."

Benjamin Linus

Isaiah was one way that Benjamin could try to undermine some of Cassidy's cunning wit, and here was a potential second nerve that could be picked at. If he could find any suggestion that she and the co-lead were more than just good friends and worked together only on a gang-related basis, then he could definitely exploit that. Cassidy was a great challenge for him, but Lanny had enough general weaknesses to make him an easy target. He wasn't as gullible as Nadeem, and certainly not as vulnerable as Conan was with his lack of allies, but he had his faults. "But of course, there's no deep feelings involved." He said this just as dismissively as she had spoke, though... it was almost a taunt, in a way, "Well then, I suppose it would be in your interest that his shooter in uncovered before he comes back for round two. Boyfriend, friend, or otherwise, Laurence can't help raise your daughter if he's dead."

Cassidy*Others

Cassidy stuck her tongue out briefly at Ben, choosing to take the reference to any feelings between herself and Lanny as a ridiculous tease - after all, whatever she personally felt about the young man, she didn't think he thought of her as more than a sister. Johann, of course, understood the reference, and turned his carefully-neutral gaze briefly to Ben, but didn't say anything, and finally turned back around to finish drying the dishes. "Johann and I are working on discovering just who it might be. Whoever it is has some daring - if they get caught, they'd have the CS and more than half the town's officials against them."

Benjamin Linus

He gave a grin in good-natured response to Cassidy's reaction, and pretended not to notice the way that Johann was now casting a look his way. It was another little hint that Cass and Lanny were more than just close members of a gang, "So, they're either incredibly brave, or extremely stupid. And unless you have any defectors in your rank, I think it's safe to assume this is someone outside of the gang." Johann was still on his radar just now, but Ben was having a nagging urge to check out the pit again and make sure his latest contribution to the pile was still there. On the other hand, there were still plenty of names he needed to check off, "You have my number; if you find anything, can I expect cooperation? As such, you can count on hearing from me if I come across anything."

Cassidy*Others

Whatever else Johann was thinking, he was not about to reveal it to Ben - he kept his back turned as the other two talked, the soft clanking of the dishes accenting their words now and then. "Essentially, yes - and I know enough about gang politics to know that none of our current members are stupid enough to try something like this. And the few who might be daring enough are too loyal - none of the CS are responsible for it, that I am sure. Which reminds me," she murmured, turning her gaze to encompass him more fully, "Why are you so interested in this little event, anyway? None of your people were involved or effected. What possible advantage could you wrangle from this?" She honestly didn't expect a truthful answer from him, but she would expect some sort of excuse before she would agree to inform him of any changes or developments.

Benjamin Linus

What he was willing to tell Cassidy was only half of the truth, so in that aspect at least, he didn't have to put up so much of a front to make his words believable, "It's not such a big deal for me as it is you, I know. However, when there's a potential maniac lose in my city-" The man was bold enough to proclaim the town as his, and did so in a quiet but definite matter, "-I'd like to know who it is, and who all they pose a danger too. They may be after Conan and Laurence, but who's to say they don't have others on their list?" What he didn't tell her was his more potent fear of Arayln's safety, and how she could very easily become a target if this mystery shooter was so keen to get Conan that he brazenly ransacked the houses of his few friends.

Cassidy*Others

That was a decent-enough excuse. Cassidy knew it wasn't all of the truth, of course, but it had the element of truth in it, so she was satisfied. "Fair enough, Ben," she murmured, making no comment as to his professed 'ownership' of the city other than to joke quietly, "I don't think Spelts would quite agree with you on that," and then letting the topic slide. Instead, she switched back to the earlier topic. "If we come up with anything, I'll let you know," she promised, though he knew her well enough to know that any facts she might offer him could very well be altered to serve her purposes, just as any facts he gave her would be. That was just an understanding between them by now. She smiled - with her life so limited recently in being forced to rest and relax because of the baby, she quite enjoyed the mental stimulation of fencing with Ben.

Benjamin Linus

"Then I guess it's a good thing I didn't ask for her permission first." Benjamin quipped back with hint of a smug grin, clearly showing just how much - or rather, how little - he thought of the city's long time mayor. "Well now, I don't mean to interrupt your quiet time." The man didn't make a move to get up just yet, despite his words, "I've got quite a few people I need to visit today." Blue eyes turned from Cassidy to her uncle, still busy over the sink in cleaning dishes.

Cassidy*Others

Cassidy chuckled a little, and murmured, "That's right - I forgot you and she have a personality-clash issue - no matter. As a figure of power, she is useful, but on a personal level she is irritating at best." She offered that out frankly, and this was something that could definitely be taken as true, coming from her - she had little respect for the mayor, other than to be wary about how much power Spelts had. "Fortunately, I'm in such a position that I rarely have to deal with her," she told him, and then allowed the conversation to come to a close. She held out her hand toward him, so that he could help her up and she could see him to the door. "A shame - our talk had only just begun. But I won't keep you from your work."