Cassidy*Others

"Uncle, will you get that?" The phone was ringing off the hook, but with her hands sunk completely in the hot water of the sink, Cass didn't dare reach for it, so she raised her voice to call Johann to see to it. As he scurried over to pick it up, hearing that note in her voice that said she was just about ready to pick it up and throw it, she turned back to the sink and took up her sponge again, going back to her war against the smudge of leftover mashed potato that had hardened to a crisp against the side of a plate. A joyous, high-pitched squeal grabbed her attention, causing her head to turn in a flash of motion that sent her hair, which was bound up tight in a clip in an awkward bundle at the back of her head, flying into one cheek with a sting. She hardly noticed, though - blue eyes were searching the floor in the immediate vicinity, and she quickly spoke up again. "No, Raine. Get your fingers out of there. You know you're not supposed to touch that stuff. Raine..." The crimson-topped, curly headed child ignored the warning note in her mother's voice completely, and continued rummaging through Cass' sewing box, which made the young woman lament that Johann hadn't remembered to put a new catch on the lid, since the fast-growing, now crawling child had learned to open the old one. Getting no response at all from the child, Cass raised her voice again, causing Johann to plug his ear for a moment to hear over the phone. "Lanny, would you get her? She's after the pin cushion again!" Of course, it wasn't the cushion itself that Cass so minded the child playing with, even though it often got tiresome to get into the box and find it missing, and have to go hunting for it; no, her main concern at the moment was that the cushion was full of pins, and thus a very unsafe toy for a child of barely nine months to play with.

Laurence Zelkovii

Having become a regular fixture at the Jones' residence, Lanny did what he could to pull his weight around the place. Since preparing meals was out of the question for him, unless it happened to be carry out, and since he wasn't the most thorough dish-washer around, he tended to help out more with purchasing groceries - and watching Raine, which he'd proved very capable of. Happily stuffed and idly watching television, he was already turning the occasional glance towards the growing infant to see where she was taking herself with her new-found mobility. The co-lead didn't realize she'd gotten close to the sewing box however, not until Cass called it to his attention. Lanny was up in a flash, "Got her." In a few short strides the young man was hovered over Raine and swooping down to pick her up, long over his fear of accidentally harming her. "Ack, that's no place to be sticking little fingers. With the toys you have, and you still go after this thing?"

Cassidy*Others

"Bbbllllbbb," Raine commented to her father, giving him an adorable but mischievous, dimpled grin. She didn't stop reaching for the forbidden items though, even as he picked her up, though thankfully they were quickly out of reach. "Da da da da!" was her next exclamation, as she swiveled about to try and face him, having long since figured out that she could grin her way out of just about anything, particularly if she used that specific sound. She had mastered only a few words by now, with one of her favorites being 'Raaaa', which was what she called Raimi. Cass kept her back turned so that the child wouldn't see her smiling to herself, but Johann didn't bother to hide the slight grin that crept onto his features. He kept muttering on the phone - probably one of his informants, Cass guessed - and in between dishes, the woman peeked over her shoulder, and watched Lanny haul the girl out of the sewing box. "She's got wandering fingers, for sure. Put it up on that shelf until I can pester Johann into fixing that catch."

Laurence Zelkovii

For being the co-lead of the town's most prominent gang, Lanny was a horrible pushover when it came to his daughter, especially now that she'd gotten it worked out how to push his buttons. Spouting out 'Da da!' and grinning at him was too much for the young man to take without grinning back, and generally sidetracked even the slightest bit of chastisement he might intend to give her. One thing was for sure; he was a better parent than his older brother would be, and a lot of that had to do with Cass's help. "Da da da da. If that's all you ever say, that's alright by me." With her small weight, Lanny easily held her in one arm and deftly scooped down to take the kit up to set on the requested shelf. "Just when you think you've got the place baby-proofed, she finds all the things you missed." Lanny was entirely unabashed about grinning broadly back at his daughter, and pulling one of his 'funny' faces for her.

Cassidy*Others

The grin only broadened, and she followed that by thumping his chest with both her tiny hands, making a fun, irregular rhythm and thoroughly enjoying herself. "Thhhhhhhhpt!" Quickly forgetting about her preoccupation with the sewing box in a complete distraction with her father, she kicked her feet and reached up to try to tug at his nose, which was the easiest thing to reach. Cass smiled again, and turned back to take out a last dish and wash it down. Setting it aside and drying her hands on a rag, she moved around the corner into the living room and tugged gently on one of the dark red curls, making the little girl squeal and wriggle about, which gave Cass an opportunity to tweak her nose too. "Maaaaaaaaa," was her next word, which she drew out in a funny way that was really very typical of her. She used a short, quick 'Da' repeatedly, but she always stretched out 'Ma' in a comical way. It melted ice cold Cass in the same way that 'Da da da' could Lanny, and she bent and pecked the child's forehead. "You're gonna take after your Ma after all then, don't you? Know just how to make your Daddy forget all about how he knows that you're not supposed to touch that stuff." She was smiling - but it stiffened after a moment, and if Lanny were quick about it, he'd notice where her gaze went; straight toward Johann, whose eyes had gotten dark, right before he turned for the bedroom door and shut it firmly behind him. Which meant, as Cass knew perfectly well, that he had some news that required his computer... which he didn't really care to share yet.

Laurence Zelkovii

The young man scrunched his face up and lowered his head slightly so that Raine's grasping hand could reach his nose. "Are you gonna take my nose?" To mimic her movements and give her something else to shriek in glee about, he swiped a finger lightly over the top of her own nose, rather than actually grab at it like she'd done to his. This sort of interaction wasn't at all rare for him either; even in the presence of the other guys of the gang, he wasn't bashful about playing with Raine, and none of them were foolish enough to make any more than the lightest of jokes about it. "How can I stay mad at this face?" Lanny glanced to Cass when she joined them in the kitchen, and while his eyes were on her, he saw the way her expression hardened, and followed the direction of her gaze to catch a glimpse of Johann. "That's probably not a good thing."

Cassidy*Others

"Mine!" Raine squeaked, grasping her father's nose with a strong grip that probably wasn't entirely comfortable, but which she thankfully released when he swiped at the feature on her face, getting a sharp giggle out of her, and focusing her roving hands to try and grab hold of the offending finger. And with an exasperated roll of her eyes, Cass quipped, "Laurence Zelkovii - you old pushover," but didn't say anything else because even she couldn't concentrate too much on discipline with the child's cute antics. When she got older, and inevitably got into more trouble than just digging in the sewing box, Cass would be a strict disciplinarian, as Johann had been with her, but for now, she couldn't hold out anything close to an unpleasant expression. Deftly blocking the bar that was ever-present between the child's shoes, which was helping with her twisted leg but could be quite a painful thing to get accidentally whacked with, Cass leaned over and reached quickly around and under Lanny's arm to pull Raine's shirt down a little, where it had started to ride up from all her squirming. The child squealed sharply and swatted at Cass' hand because of the ticklish sensation, but with a grin like that, she wasn't at all upset about it. Her mother was quickly sobering though, her eyes distinctly on the closed door to the bedroom. "He never closes it unless there's something he doesn't want me to hear," she told Lanny, offering him that little note to add to his collection of notes on Johann's behaviors and how to predict what he was thinking.

Laurence Zelkovii

"I don't thing my nose would fit so well on your face. Now wouldn't that be a funny look?" Lanny had learned already how surprisingly sharp the fingernails of babies could be when they weren't regularly trimmed, but he never made a fuss whenever she accidentally scratched him or clenched her fingers harder than was comfortable. If he could deal with bullets, he could deal with Raine's inquisitive fingers no problem. If only he wasn't so easily disarmed by her grins and squeals, he might actually hold to discipline with her on the various occasions she got into things she wasn't suppose to, but when she got older, it was likely that he'd get a little stricter. Though it was also entirely likely that Cass would be taking up more of that slack. "He's a secretive man." Lanny's light eyes were for the moment on Raine, and squinting up to give her another 'silly' face. Keeping with the more serious side of the conversation, this expression gave way to a more serious one as he turned his attention back on Cass, "If it'd make you feel better, I can have a talk with him when he gets done in there, and see what's going on."

Cassidy*Others

Scratches were one thing - the thump of the child's feet and the heavy bar that kept her shoes correctly angled was quite another. They'd already left bruises on Cass several times, though usually across her arms as she was quick enough to block the oncoming threat, after years of experience in melee combat. "She's already got your nose, Lan - it's just smaller," she joked lightly. And even though she shared no genetic material with Lanny, it was certainly true that it was easy to construe some of his features in her tiny face. Charlotte had told them when she was born that Raine favored him through the nose and eyes, and Cass saw the resemblance now, as odd as that sounded. Still, she shook her head when he offered to talk to Johann when he was finished. "You know as well as I do that he'll tell you only what he wants you to know, which will be next to nothing, if he doesn't want me to know about it. And-" "Hey Lanny! Come here a sec!" Completely defying what Cass had been saying, Johann's voice called out from the other room, prompting the younger man to join him... but not the woman.

Laurence Zelkovii

There were a few purpled spots on Lanny's being to account for Raine's braced leg, though he didn't carry as many on his forearms as Cassidy did, mostly since he didn't have the honed reactions she did. "I can't deny that. I forget how handsome you are sometimes, Raine." The infant was graced with one final 'goofy face' from her father as he jested about the similarities between them. The fact that she took on some of his characteristics was a great help in getting people to accept their story without question, and to believe that he was the father - and he was glad for that. "It can't hurt to try; speaking of, I'll be right back." Lanny was surprised to hear his name being beckoned, so without further ado, he carefully handed Raine over to Cass, and gave her a look of 'I wonder what this is about?'. Once the youngster was safely transferred, Lanny crossed into the other room, slipping into the door and moving towards Johann. "What is it?"

Cassidy*Others

Raine's laughter was better than music to Cass; she couldn't ever get enough of it, and with as happy as the child generally was, she certainly got plenty of opportunity to relish in the little girl's joy. Vulnerable as ever to the goofy faces Lanny made, Raine giggled some more, but very nearly fell into a pout when she was handed off to Cass; she liked her mother well enough, but she was definitely a Daddy's girl, as Cass had been before her. The woman knew what to do though - she took to sweeping her back and forth, which eventually got the girl to squealing again, and freed Lanny up to move into the next room.

Unsurprisingly, Johann was seated at his computer, tapping away with a fast-paced efficiency that always marked his work, the phone still propped on his shoulder. "Close the door behind you," he muttered, and waited for the order to be obeyed before he kept on speaking into the phone. "Yeah... one sec, it's running slow. Cripes, but this harddrive needs to be defragged. Okay..." He trailed off, and if Lanny looked over his shoulder, he might see continuous lines of neat white print on the blue-shining screen, all of which named certain persons and addresses, along with a make and model number - this was a record of state license plates, and the persons to whom they were issued. "I got nothin' on this end," he spoke into the phone finally, without yet acknowledging the younger man. "Whatever it was, the license wasn't issued here. It's out of state. Check all the surrounding states - particularly the western border would be my suspicion, since we're so close. Yeah. Yeah. Call me when you find out." Click. With his eyes still on the screen as he scrolled down through the listed information, and shook his head. At long last, he spoke to Lanny in an undertone. "Somebody rammed down the complex mailbox last night. Video footage from the property cameras show a burgundy Deville, '68 or '70 model. No such car on records with the Atroe City License Bureau, and only thirty such in the state - none of which match the license number." He clicked away a little more on the keys, bringing up a new review of information; the records of the local post office. "All the mail was scattered about on the street this morning in random order, but the kid on the bottom floor - that one who's going to become an Eagle scout next week - picked it all up and organized it, and delivered it to each apartment this morning. According to the records of the post office as to what was delivered, there were only three things missing - a package sent to Ms. Miller on the second floor from her sister in Vermont, our phone bill, and a small, unmarked pink envelope that was entered into the post office computers as a 'card', addressed to Penelope Rivera, at our apartment - data, from one of my sources, in disguise. Disregarding Ms. Miller's package, which was likely looted at some point during the night by who knows what sort of person, I find it disturbing that only our mail is missing... and in particular, the sort that is missing."

Laurence Zelkovii

Compared to how he was just moments ago with Raine, completely relaxed, grinning-faced, and carefree, Lanny seamlessly reverted back to a hard, thoughtful look with all traces of light-hearted joy wiped from his being. He had the door closed and was standing at an angle just behind Johann's chair, not trying in the least bit to hide the fact that his eyes were roving the computer screen. "I thought I'd heard something." Unable to make much of the information that Johann was putting into his files, Lanny thought back to the ruckus he'd heard last night, which hadn't been been enough to warrant him getting out of bed to check things out. This end of town wasn't the most quiet anyway, and the stop sign at the end of the block had gotten run down twice as far as Lanny could remember - his quick explanation was that some drunkard had hit that again, or perhaps a trashcan. As it turned out, the noise was far more sinister than he'd realized, and having their mail singled out put him on high alert. "Can you track down that vehicle? I can call James, and see if he or anyone else saw anything suspicious last night. With a car like that, there's a good chance somebody saw him; maybe we can get a description of the driver."

Johann*Others

"Cass slept through it; you know how fussy Raine was last night. Once she was down, that was it." Ordinarily, that would be a fond statement on his part, but now it was distracted, since they were dealing with a potential security breach. "That's why I didn't call her in; if it's nothing, there's no point in getting her all riled if she didn't hear the crash. You know how she's been about stuff like this, since they took Randy back." Click, click, and the text on screen changed again as he double-checked to be sure that there were no records for such a car, even though his attention to detail was acute, and there was no way he'd have missed it the first time. Finding that out after a moment, he shook his head, and typed some more, bringing up yet another screen - this one of the video footage of the accident, which showed the vehicle deliberately swerving off the road and ramming the mailbox, writing off any sort of theory of 'accident'. "It couldn't hurt to go down and tell James that we're having a potential security issue; I've already told our friend 'Penelope' to lay low and cease communication until further notice, and he's going to call me when he's done searching the region for that sort of car; my computer just doesn't have the capacity for that right now. It needs more RAM. Anyway, until then, you'd better at least tell him that the communication and the phone bill are missing. It's debatable whether they were stolen - they could have potentially been blown away by all that wind last night - but it's awfully convenient that only our mail is missing."

Laurence Zelkovii

As bad as it sounded for him to think it, Lanny was contemplating whether or not to keep this information from Cassidy or not. Especially after he'd just offered to get Johann to talk on what had bothered him. When it came down to it, he knew he couldn't outright lie to her, but he'd try his best not to get her worried if he could help it. In the next sentence from Johann, Lanny was shuffling his feet and adjusting his stance, the only sign that he was bothered by the reminder of Randy - he'd tried to get the boy back several times, but finding the Wallock's hideout was proving more difficult than he'd anticipated, and he learned that it wasn't just the Wallocks looking out for him. "If you ask me, that's deliberate. And I don't think it's any coincidence that only our mail is missing, and with one letter from your informant, I'd say we're dealing with something serious." His gaze had hardened now, while his mind went to work on the list of enemies they had, and what resources were available to them. "We can always get that one kid, Matt 'whatshisface', to upgrade your computer."

Johann*Others

"Nobody touches this ole computer but me," the man muttered, his tone grumpy and stubborn. "Especially not that upstart, half-spawned Matt somebody-or-other. Just get me some RAM, and I'll set it up myself. Right now, I can only do up to state level - otherwise this old dinosaur freezes. What I really need's a new one, but I can be bothered to set it all up, so I just keep adding." All of that was said without him ever looking up from his screen, where he was sorting this and that and back-referencing a few things. He took up muttering to himself under his breath, in a lightly-accented tone that matched how Cass would often talk to herself when she was particularly troubled about something. But finally he spoke up again, and covered the topic at hand. "There couldn't too much of import in the letter, knowing the instructions that I gave him when last we spoke. What concerns me more is the principle of it; if they are watching the phone lines and the mail, that's of more concern. It makes me wonder what they want of us, and how many resources they have to get what they want." At this point, there was a soft sound in the other room; the doorbell was ringing. Cass' steps could be heard crossing the floor, and the door clicked open. There was the quiet sound of words - and then a raised voice. "Lanny? Johann?" There was a careful tone in Cass' voice, and it finally made the old man glance away from his computer, where nothing yet had accomplished that; he got up and was to the door in only a beat, heading out to the living room.

Laurence Zelkovii

"Yeah, okay." Lanny relented just as quickly as he offered the younger man's name, thinking as an after thought that it may not be such a good idea to have some outside person working on a computer filled with vital information. "They do have new ones nowadays that are a hundred times easier to manage than this old thing. My uncle has one." The young co-lead wasn't exactly an expert on computers, and didn't have one of his own even, but that didn't stop him from giving Johann advice on the matter. "While we're trying to figure out who did this and what their motives are, we've got to be more careful with the mail at the very least. I can have a guard posted at night if this becomes more of a problem." Of all the people crossing his mind, he briefly thought of Conan, yet as much as he despised the teen, he couldn't believe that the red-head would have done such a thing now that he had Raimi back. Before he was able to suggest any further measures they could take, the both of them were summoned out of the room by Cass's voice. Already in an alert mood, Lanny didn't have a merry expression to wear as he followed after Johann towards the door.

Cassidy*Others

"Yeah... I just can't be bothered to spend the time programming one to a way that I like," the old man muttered, shaking his head and scrubbing his day old beard distractedly with one hand, "Taken me fifteen years to get this one set up like I like it, and I don't want to break in a new one, just yet. It's a lot of work to get it to where I can direct the gang's attacks and other affairs efficiently off of it." Two more clicks, and he was on another screen - but about that time, Cass called, and he didn't like the careful tone she used; it spoke of unhappy tidings to him. That was why he got up so suddenly, in the middle of a sentence and without delaying another moment - it took a great deal to unsettle Cass, and it made Johann uneasy to know that a rung doorbell had done so. So his steps were swift and keen as they carried him out of the bedroom and to the front door, where the young woman stood, her dark crimson hair held back from her face in a thick ponytail, and her daughter clutched close and turned partially away from the guest at the door.

He was middle aged, and remarkably average looking; perhaps six foot one or two, with a bit of a pot belly, unremarkable brown eyes and hair, glasses, and a bristly mustache. Brown suit, brown shoes, green and brown tie done in a checkered pattern - utterly and completely boring, and yet Cass turned her gaze to Johann as he entered the room, and though her face was even and untroubled, twenty some years of experience with her showed the old man the fear in her eyes. "Johann, Lanny - this is Mr. Perry Kessler... of the state Child Protectorate Board." Her words were calm and even, but Johann knew different - he needed only that phrase before he stepped between his niece and the suited man, shuffling Cass and Raine backwards into Lanny's circle of protection, and addressing Kessler gruffly. "What do you want?" The suit shifted with a slight shhh sound as the man adjusted his weight, a little uncomfortable with the intense look in Johann's usually-gentle blue eyes, and when he spoke up, his voice was small and mousey. "I've been sent about the child, sir. May I come in?"

Laurence Zelkovii

If their time in the room hadn't been cut short, he might have offered a bit more on the issue of a computer, so far as to seek the Elders for a bit of financial help to purchase a state of the art new machine. With as invaluable as he was to the gang, it was a real possibility that they'd lend that sort of support, but that offer had to wait as the two of them hurried into the living room to see who had cause such alarm in Cassidy. Lanny was initially pacified by the stranger's casual looks, and the fact that he was most definitely not a rival gang member or someone who posed a direct physical threat to Cass or Raine. The moment it was revealed who this man was... well, Lanny stepped a little too briskly forward and placed himself blatantly between Kessler and Cassidy, as if the man might actually try to reach past him and take Raine on the spot. "Who sent you?" Lanny ignored the man's request to come in, and stared the man down as viciously as he would one of his rivals. However, despite the quick change in his attitude, he was cautious not to get physical with the man - even with the mayor in their pocket, he knew he wasn't immune to laws, and assaulting this fellow wasn't going to help anything.

Johann*Others

"You can settle your ass right in the middle of the floor and bloody well explain it right there," Johann answered Kessler, shifting his own weight until he was completely blocking the door with his short but wiry frame. Such blatant foul language was unusual in him, but the fear he could almost feel radiating off of Cass was enough to shift him into hyper-defensive mode, and to bring his less presentable vocabulary into play. The young woman, for her part, drew close behind Lanny, disguising Raine between herself and his back. She leaned forward and rested one temple on his shoulder blades, listening intently to what was being said, but not speaking any longer - as close as she was, Lanny would hear the fast pace of her whisper-quiet breathing. Raine was whimpering quietly, too young to really understand what was going on, but knowing that both Mommy and Daddy were unhappy and fearful right now. At the door however, Johann wasn't being so quiet or revealing anything of fear that might be in him - he was on the offense, and Mr. Kessler, though he was nearly six inches taller than the uncle, was looking a bit intimidated. "I'm afraid the identity of the person who has sent me is protected. You should know there's been a claim laid for custody of the child." No sound followed, but the soft breaths Cass was taking silenced themselves; the shock and horror of that statement took her breath away completely, and Johann squared up his small shoulders, looking like he wanted to sock Kessler. "Lanny - take Cass and the baby in the other room."

Laurence Zelkovii

Every muscle in his body was tensed and coiled, with fury radiating off him in sheets. Behind it all was a keen sense of trepidation, and the fear that this man could be legally more powerful than his gang. As much as he wanted to do away with any threat to Raine, offing this man was not going to help, and his mind was already picking through their possibilities if worse came to worse; find who had made the claim, and pay them a visit. "She's already claimed by her parents." He didn't move when given the order to take Cass in the other room. "She's not leaving." Lanny's eyes were colder than ice as the bore into Kessler, challenging him to say anything to the contrary. He held one hand slightly back, brushing his fingers against Cassidy in a defensive, protective way, responding to the quick, frightened breaths he could hear and feel from her. Raine's whimper only doubled his fury.

Cassidy*Others

With both of the men staring him down as though he were a bug they longed to squash, it wasn't surprising that Mr. Kessler was looking as though he wanted to shrink down and disappear altogether - after all, he was dealing with Lanny and Johann, who were fearsome on a normal basis, and now even moreso with the topic upon Cass and Raine. Still, he was firm as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Mr. Zelkovii, but she is not claimed by her parents. She is claimed by her mother. You are not the child's father, and as such have no power or say in any part of this case." Behind the young man, Cass stiffened, and straightened up suddenly, stepping a little to the side until she could look the man in the eye. "Lanny is Raine's father - he's adopted her legally, and he's all the father she's ever known. He loves her and looks after her, and that's more father than most people have." Moments ago, she'd been hiding behind Lanny, but the accusation against the matter of his fatherhood over Raine came into play, she was quick to step up and correct Kessler, with all the ferocity of a tiger. Matter of fact, she was shaking just a little with fury, and to his credit, the man lowered his voice into something more gentle when he addressed her. "I have already been informed that Mr. Zelkovii signed adoption papers two days after the child's birth; however those documents do not meet legal standard, and are up for debate - until such time as they are solidified, his power as her parental figure is null and void. Which leaves you as the child's only standing parent - and the client has presented fairly solid proof that you are possessed of several neurotic characteristics that make you unfit for parenthood." She'd been angry before - but those words cut deep, and as it always did in her, pain came out as fury, in the form of slightly-trembling hands and a too-quiet voice "Johann, I want this man out of here. Now. I won't listen to him say that."

Laurence Zelkovii

Animosity bubbled up in him something fierce, so that his defined cheeks blushed a light pink, and his fists clenched so soundly that his knuckles paled. "If that birth certificate doesn't hold any legal power, I can guarantee you I've got plenty other sources of power I can present you with." It was a direct threat to Mr. Kessler. Without actually saying anything in specific, he reminded the man that he had a lot of dangerous influence in the town, and he wasn't afraid to us it if he had to. Laws or no laws, Lanny would use intimidation as far as he could... and if that failed to work, he wasn't below ordering hits to ensure Raine stayed with them, whether it be against Kessler or the ones that contacted him, if they could be found. The young man moved his hand again, placing it more firmly against the side of her arm, this time in a gesture to keep her from moving in front of him, "Cass, go in the other room. We'll handle him." Lanny didn't want to see her or Raine any further stirred up about this, even if he wasn't sure she'd listen to his orders or not. "Someone's trying to slander Cass? You tell me who they are, or we'll find out ourselves." Well, he knew full and well that Cass did have her issues, drug addiction having been one of them, but he wasn't going to acknowledge any of that.

Cassidy*Others

"You'd best watch your wording, stranger," Johann snarled, a slightly-milder version of the threat that Lanny had just delivered, but backed up by an equal amount of furious, defensive aggression. It didn't bother him so much that the man was working against them in a legal way - he was rather accustomed to that, with the work that he did - but he was definitely taking offense to how badly Mr. Kessler was upsetting Cass... and strangely enough, the way that the man was trying to deny that Lanny was Raine's father. He might have a lot on a personal level that he didn't agree with Lanny on, but by all that was holy, the young man had proven admirably responsible and caring in looking after Raine, and Johann knew just how attached Cass had become to him, and so he took offense on her part as well. While he was threatening the living daylights out of Kessler with only his tone of voice, Cass allowed Lanny to draw in front of her again, not fighting the grip he'd taken on her arm, but she spoke to him in a hiss as he stepped in front of her. "Would you stop that? I swear, the two of you... I'm not going anywhere while he's trying to take Raine and saying you're not her Daddy. If he thinks he's going to take her away from us, he's got another think coming." He'd feel the muscle in her arm tense as she said that, and had Raine not still been clutched against her, that movement would have dropped a knife into her hand, which she'd have likely put to work in an efficient but counterproductive way. Thus, it was very fortunate that the infant was present and Lanny had her by the arm, or they would have definitely had trouble on their hands. However, Kessler didn't seem to notice that - he kept right on speaking in his dry, clear voice. "The term 'slander' suggests an unreasonably outlandish falsification with no underlying proof, Mr. Zelkovii. We have such proof - a set of medical records from Northpeak." Cass tensed again, harder this time, and her arm jerked a bit, which would force Lanny to tighten down his grip if he wanted to keep a hold of her; she had never told Johann about what had occurred in the hospital at Northpeak, and still wasn't aware that Lanny had learned about it from Dr. Marachek - the jerk of her arm was because her need to put her blades to use against Kessler had just magnified tenfold, with him apparently on the verge of revealing that darkest secret of hers to the men.

Laurence Zelkovii

When they were threatened with such a thing as this, Lanny could look past the way he and Johann didn't see eye to eye on some things, and how there was that lingering grudge about the shooting incident. Right now, Johann was every bit as much of a teammate as his own brother, and fighting on the same level to defeat a common foe. "You've got no right digging up old files." That he wasn't actually sure about, and in silent question, he darted a look to Johann on the legality to pulling up someone's medical records. "Cass, go in the other room. Take Raine with you." He spoke in almost a hiss, not drawing his malignant eyes from Kessler. He knew what the man was talking about from his heated talk with Marachek several months ago, and also knew how damaging it could be if he decided to spread the word on what he found in the files. It was information that Cass didn't even share with him; having it made public, or at the very least announced to Johann, would be disastrous for her. "Get out, now Kessler. You don't want to push my temper any more."

Cassidy*Others

Johann wasn't looking Lanny's way, so the younger man was left without any answer for the eye-question he'd posed; all of the old man's ferocity and attention was for the suited fellow in the doorway that had thrown what had become their everyday, relatively peaceful life into utter chaos with a mere paragraph of words. And he continued to do so, as he went on. "I did no digging," Mr. Kessler answered, though he was admittedly looking somewhat meek in the face of the two volatile men. "The data was brought to me. Where it was obtained from was not discussed." Cass was tugging back on her arm now, trying to free it from Lanny's grip, and she let her voice fall into a hiss that matched his, turning her temper against him because she felt that otherwise she'd do something unforgivable, like scream or burst into tears. "I'll do no such thing! If I'm going anywhere, it's across over there to give him a piece of my mind and my steel. Fantastic right he's got to show up here, and start giving orders like he owns us! I won't have it - and I won't have him talking as though Raine were some sort of dirty laundry to be shuffled over to someone else just like that!" Blatantly frightened she might be, but Cass was still Cass - she would fight with everything she had and die before she'd reveal to anyone that she was uncomfortable... and leaving the room right now would have displayed openly that she was fearful over this, so it was something she wouldn't and couldn't do. Meanwhile, Kessler was left to deal with the intensifying fury of the younger Zelkovii, and wasn't doing in keeping his face calm. "Look, you've got this all wrong; you're talking like I'm the enemy here. I'm not - I'm just here to inform you that the investigation's been opened, and that it will be required by law that you not leave the city or take up a new residence until the matter is settled in court. It's just tha-oof!" He stumbled back, jarred by the violent shove Johann had given him, and though ordinarily this would have been followed up by another attack by the older man, or perhaps even a gunshot given the threat Mr. Kessler was turning out to be, Johann was no fool, even when he was as defensive and angry as he was right now; he wasn't going to give the man anything else to use against them. "We're done talking, Kessler. You're not welcome here - get out before I call our boys upstairs and have you removed."

Laurence Zelkovii

The more Kessler showed in the way of being intimidated, the more Lanny mustered the unbridled anger into his expression and stance. He was always better at his brother at being level headed in sticky situations, but this was seriously straining that ability of his. "That has no bearing on her parenting skills. Does Raine look in need of help to you? You see so much as a bruise on her?" Kessler could see the child with Lanny standing in front of her like he was, but it was the point of his words that he wanted to get across. "You take care of Raine, we'll take care of him." Lanny reasserted, with a definite edge of warning in his voice for the 'take care of him' part. It was meant as another threat to Kessler, and reminder that he was part of the CrypticSilvers. His grip did lighten a little on her arm, enough that she could tug it away if she really tried, but he would be quick to keep her back if she tried to make good on her threat to Kessler. "We got you wrong? You come in here and threaten to take away my daughter! Get out!" This time he did let go of Cassidy's arm so that he could step forward shortly after Johann pushed the man back. Bristling and carrying the body language of aggression with every stride, he would place himself directly in front of Kessler, not afraid to cross into his personal space to help get the message across - he was no longer tolerated here.

Cassidy*Others

"Actually, that sort of thing does have an effect, and-" In the middle of trying to support his argument, Kessler abruptly went silent, because Lanny had left Cass behind and drawn up intimidatingly close to him. With him occupied there, Johann had turned around and taken a hold on Cass, to keep her from darting out the door and making good on her threat. He had her by the wrist of her free hand, and had his hand closed around it like a steel trap so that she couldn't escape him; it bothered him somewhat that he was effectively holding her against her will, but if there was soon to be an investigation of Cass as to whether she was fit to raise Raine, they couldn't have the slightest mark on the girl's police record. She didn't have any now - mostly because anything she did was basically assassin's work, in which she caught her victim alone, or the kind of employment she pursued at the bridge, which wasn't precisely illegal. In these things, she was never caught - and unlike Lanny's long record of minor arrests for public drunkeness and brawling, as well as several counts of disturbing the peace, Cass had never been prone to that sort of thing. Assaulting a man who'd come to their door, though... that was something that could potentially get her into a heap of trouble, particularly with her 'neurotic characteristics' being the main argument of the opposition. So he held fast to her, even as Lanny put the frosting on the intimidation cake. "A-alright. I've done my job, anyway. I was to inform you the case has been opened, and I've done that." That was Kessler's timid agreement as he picked himself up and pulled himself together again. "Just be warned - they'll be sending other persons up here to interview all of you and ensure that you're still here; it would be inadvisable for you to try to leave the city." And with that final warning, he turned and headed for the stairs, and Johann grunted, "Shut the door, Lan."

Laurence Zelkovii

If there was one thing that Lanny wasn't going to do, it was running away. Hiding was one thing, but he wasn't going to uproot Cassidy and take off in the face of this threat, he would meet it head on with the help of his allies. "Anyone you send will be a waste of time and money. Raine belongs to Cass and me, and that's that." His fiery eyes followed blazingly after the man until he'd reached the stairs. Lanny then shut the door, with enough force to let those in the rooms around them hear it. "What the hell was that all about? Who can stake a claim to her anyway?" And immediately, he was on the offense, ready to figure out who called child services, and what they could do about it. His immediate thought was to put a hit on the unfortunate individual that was seeking Raine, but he couldn't do that without first uncovering who that individual was. The young man looked dangerous and didn't calm down a mite as he stepped towards Cassidy again in unspoken protection and loyalty, where her state of fear fed his scarcely controlled fury.

Cassidy*Others

At the moment, it was Cass' temper that was controlling her actions, and it was very fortunate for Johann that he had been the one to teach her to fight, because he knew how to block all the kicks she was aiming at him in an attempt to get him to let go of her arm. She was fast and lithe, and no pushover in the strength department - but even several inches shorter than her, Johann was stronger, and held tightly to the wrist he'd taken up. For several long seconds, he and Cass were at an impasse, where she wasn't strong enough to overcome the grip he had on her and he wasn't heartless enough to hurt her in his attempt to keeping her from using him for a punching bag - but finally and quite suddenly, the young woman's arm went lax in his grip, and he released her, stepping back to be out of her immediate range. It wasn't that he feared her in any fashion, knowing after all that he was all the family she'd ever had and that she'd never seriously hurt him, but in this state of temper, she was volatile, and he wasn't going to give her an excuse to give him a bruising, either. And fortunately, this seemed the intelligent thing to do, because she immediately raised the released arm to cradle Raine more securely against her, and began to make soft noises to help soothe away the quiet whining the infant had burst into upon the sudden eruption of chaos in the room. As she did this, apparently oblivious to the two men for the moment, Johann spoke up informatively. "I am not sure. With Cass' parents gone, she has no living family outside of me - I've no other siblings aside from her father, and of course our parents died many years ago. That would leave only her mother's family... but Raine was an only child."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny decided to back off a few feet himself while Cassidy was so animated and understandably enraged, and he knew that there was more to her stress right now than just the threat of Raine being taken away. While that was certainly the main factor in it, there was the distinct threat of her closely guarded medical records being made public, records that she didn't know were already known to Lanny. While she briefly put up a struggle against Johann, the co-lead stood back and said nothing more, waiting until the situation had unwound enough that Cass was back in control of herself and actively tending to Raine again. It was only then that he dared to close in the distance between them until he was a meager step away from her. "Do you think any of them would raise such a complaint?" Fire was still in his voice, and by all appearances, he was just as ready to go against Cass's own kin if it meant keeping Raine here. Related to her by blood or not, they were far from immune to the gang's reach in Lanny's eyes, especially if they struck at him.

Cassidy*Others

"Shhhh... it's alright." In the background, Cass' soft voice could be heard as she rocked Raine and slowly got the child calmed, even if she wasn't really very calm herself. Meanwhile, Johann was pitting his brain against this newest problem, and coming up with very little. "I know next to nothing about her mother's family... he retired from the oil field after 35 years, and she works part-time at a local crafts and antiques store. But I can find out - and I can access the records there and in Northpeak to figure out who might have a claim, and what they've got against Cass." The young woman didn't say anything, but she stopped murmuring to Raine and was listening intently - but she kept her back turned toward Johann so as not to reveal whatever she was thinking to him. And he was too busy thinking out what he needed to do to notice her sudden distraction.

Laurence Zelkovii

Suspicion crept into his mind, trying to work intelligently through all the anger that was flooding his mind. "Think the mail incident might have something to do with this? Whoever is after Raine might be looking for more dirt to dig up against us and use to get her." From standing near to Cassidy and facing Johann, Lanny stalked away a short distance, moving towards the livingroom window and peering through the curtains. It was more of a nervous act than anything, and he didn't expect to see anything of significance, and pretty soon he was pacing back towards the two. "Find what you can, and I'll let James know what's going on. I'll have the gang keep their ears out." The man's jaws clenched a little, knowing what Johann would find when he looked up the files at Northpeak, but there was little he could do but act as a support for Cass while that secret of her life was exposed to everyone.

Cassidy*Others

"I'd lay my last cent on it," Johann answered quietly, shaking his head some. "People like that need as much info as they can get; who we're calling, what were doing, what sort of business we're taking care of. Makes me a little more worried about that missive they intercepted. There's nothing particularly vital in it - but nevertheless, it makes me wonder." He turned a furtive glance to Cass, who still had her back turned to the men and was humming quietly to a nearly-drowsing Raine. After a couple of moments, she disappeared almost entirely from view as she sat down on the couch, cradling the child and humming still, and apparently oblivious to what was being said by the men... though Johann was betting on the fact that she was probably still listening. "In any case, it would probably be best to notify James of the issue at hand. And it might be best for me to travel around a bit in the next few days and speak personally to all of my informants to see what I can find out. That way, we can avoid the mail problem."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny didn't like to think that this person was going to such extremes to dig up bad information on them, yet it was a minor relief to think that they were dealing with on attack rather than two separate incidents that might otherwise divide their attention and make tackling one or the other more difficult. "Do what you can to find who this is, and in the meantime, it'd be helpful to get the addresses of all her living relatives. Whether one of them is up to it or not, I want to pay a visit to set things straight." He was going to use his hierarchy in the town as far as he could, and let everyone know that going after Raine was seen as a direct assault against the CrypticSilvers. "Alright, I'll go speak with him in a second. As a precaution, can we redirect our mail, to Jeff or one of them?" He wasn't sure how that would go with Johann, who was already secretive with his information as it was, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

Cassidy*Others

"I'll have to travel quite a bit - it'll take me almost a week to touch base with everyone." That was Johann's quiet warning, as Cass' hum softened and the creak of springs indicated that she'd laid out on the couch to bring Raine horizontal and encourage her to nap. "I'd rather not leave the two of you here alone during that time... ordinarily, it's not a big deal, but with them after Raine, I'd rather have more than just your gun at the door. Can we get the boys back up here in shifts to guard the stairs?" The latter question was one that he gave just as much thought to - he didn't want to divert his private mail to anyone, particularly with all of the sensitive information it contained in relation to the gang, but he knew that it would be better to send it to someone in the gang than to risk it being stolen again. "Alright - have it sent on to Jeff, then; at least we know he's not going to go through it. And I'll speak to my sources while I'm out and make other arrangements for the shipments of information. And one of them's up north in the town where Cass' mother was born; I'll do some checking while I'm up there and see what I can come up with."

Laurence Zelkovii

The creak of springs caught Lanny's attention enough to direct his eyes her way. For a split second, his mind was distracted with thoughts of what could happen if Raine were taken away, and it brought a fresh chill to his gut. Lanny was a little delayed in responded to Johann as he tried to clear his mind of that, "There'll be guards stationed 24-7. Go do what you need to do, I can take care of keeping Cass and Raine safe here." Time alone would also give him the opportunity to bring up what their mystery enemy had searched for at the hospital, and finally inform her that he already knew of those problems. "I'll give him a call after I speak with my brother. While you're out, I'll have the gang do some work around here as well." Spending his life in the gang had taught him not to put all his eggs in one basket - they could focus on Cass's relatives, but he was cautious to keep his eyes and ears out for other possibilities, and would exhaust all his resources to find out who this was.

Cassidy*Others

Already, Johann was moving away from Lanny, toward the kitchen to reach up onto a high shelf, from which he fetched down a small handgun and several spare rounds of ammunition. As he loaded the gun, he listened to all that the younger man had to say, and also kept his eyes on the back of the couch where Cass had lain down with the baby. He was keen enough in that task that he noticed how the young woman's humming slowly faded out into silence, and yet didn't miss a word of what Lanny said as he came back into the living room and rummaged in a closet for an overnight bag. "You've got my number if you need it; if you can't get me on the cell, there's a list of phone numbers of my various people behind that baby picture of Cass that sits beside my computer. Use those only if it's an emergency; it costs money for those guys to get their numbers changed, after that, and then there's the hassle of getting a hold of their new digits." It took him only a moment to enter the bedroom and pack a few essentials into the bag - apparently, he was preparing to leave immediately, knowing he had no time to lose in setting out on his journey if he wanted to get to his sources before the police did. When he came back into the living room again, he had a pair of small silver keys in his hand. "Cass has the only other one to the apartment - you better take this one, while I'm out of town. The smaller one's the key to the safety-deposit box, where I've got Cass and Raine's birth certificates, along with a few other important documents - living will, and things like that. If aught happens to any of us, you'll need that stuff. Box number 3028B." Last but not least, he crossed the living room, and bent over the back of the couch to say goodbye to Cass - the way his expression softened confirmed what her silence had already suggested; her eyes were closed, and she'd apparently joined Raine in a nap. He reached down and petted her hair briefly, and then moved for the door. "Look after my girls, Lan. I know I can trust you to that."

Laurence Zelkovii

Now Lanny was listening to all that Johann was explaining, and following the man about with his eyes as he fetched this thing and that in preparation for an immediate trip. He put the location of the numbers in the back of his mind, bringing forth the mental image of the particular picture that the older man described. Next he was being given a set of keys that gave him more control of the apartment's security, and access to crucial information - he wasted no time digging into his pocket to pull out his own keychain and fasten them onto it. Lanny couldn't afford to lose them. "30-28-B, got it." The information was cycled through his head again to better print it to his memory. He didn't have anything further to say to Johann, not even a 'stay safe', but he did give the man a knowing look and a nod before he went for the door. After he left, Lanny would have plenty of people to call and things to discuss, and he would do it all from this room. There was no way he'd leave the apartment now and have Cass and Raine left by themselves, even if he knew the young mother was very capable of defending herself.

Cassidy*Others

Lanny was offered a quiet nod in return for his glance, and then Johann zipped his bag, and left the room without so much as glancing behind him. The door clicked softly as he closed it, and a few moments later, there would be the distinct sound of a vehicle starting in the parking lot several levels below them; he was wasting no time. There was a long pause where the apartment was silent and still, with only the sound of soft breathing to indicate life, and then finally, a low, stony voice broke the quiet. "Is he gone, then?" Still laid out on the couch, eyes closed and not moving, Cass asked that question in a whisper, trying not to wake Raine with the query that she already knew the answer to; she'd heard Johann leave perfectly well. This was just a way for her to break the ice and start up a private conversation with Lanny, where she hadn't had the courage to talk to her uncle before he'd left. She'd hated playing possum with him, particularly as she wasn't going to see him for over a week, but she just wasn't ready to face him with all that had just happened. She didn't want to face Lanny with it either... but she couldn't very well play possum for a whole week alone in the apartment with him. It just wouldn't work.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny waited a few moments after the door closed, listening for the expected steps to fade away and the engine to start up. While he did that, his mind was working a mile a minute, drawing together which cops he could talk to, which lawyers might be able to help them, and who he dared to call in from out of town if things got too out of hand. A lot of it would depend on what James had to say, and he wasn't all too sure about what support he could expect from the Elders... he still hadn't officially discussed his 'situation' with them regarding Cassidy and his adoption of Raine, and wasn't sure if they'd support him at all in this fight. Halfway into this frantic thoughts, he was jarred to attention by Cass's low voice, and found himself moving towards the couch automatically. "Yeah... he's gone." The young man sighed and let his shoulders drop, feeling the stiff tension that had built in them. "Whatever we have to do Cass, you know Raine is staying with us."

Cassidy*Others

Raine was asleep, so Cass kept her voice very low, and didn't dare sit up for fear of waking the child, but she was still very tense against the couch, not able to force herself to relax at this moment, with so much on her mind. "We don't have our immunity state-wide, Lanny... it's limited to the city, and that only when the Elders choose to extend it to us. You know that. And Johann knows it too... that's why he's so scared." The old man hadn't behaved fearfully in any way, but she'd heard the quiet clicks as he'd pushed the bullets home into the gun, and knew just by that sound that he was very much disturbed. "If the state comes against us and wants Raine, we won't be able to do anything to stop it. Not with them having the information they've already gotten. I'll wager they know all about the delivery, and every bump and bruise she's gotten - and the common knowledge that were part of a gang won't do us any favors, either. They've got all the cards, and they know it. That's why they sent him here." She hadn't mentioned Northpeak yet, but her tones were whisper-soft and eerily even, which pretty well suggested that she was using her greatest measure of control to keep from letting her voice waver. Because she hadn't yet opened her eyes though, she didn't realize that Lanny could see her from where he'd drawn near to her; she was clutching the side of the couch so tightly with one hand that her knuckles were white, and her arm shaking subtly from the way the muscles were bunching under the skin. "I've never seen him scared before. Angry, violent, drunk, nervous... but never dead scared like that."

Laurence Zelkovii

The young man walked around the front of the couch and slowly eased himself down on the edge of it, where he could fit without disturbing Cassidy. "Even if we don't have as great a reach past this city, we can still take whoever is making this claim out of the picture." He felt frighteningly helpless to see how true her words were though. Outside of Atroe City, their influence was very little, and they had next to no on their payroll as they did with several of the local cops here. Still, he wasn't going to let himself sound at all defeated or worried that they couldn't overcome this hurdle. Lanny moved a hand to lay over the one of Cass's that was clutching so tightly against the cushion of the couch. "He may be scared, but you can bet that's going to be more fuel for him to work by. Between him and I, they'll have a fight on their hands that they're going to regret." He wasn't going to deny that the other man was scared, just as he was, but he could at least make that one promise to her. Whatever the outcome of this was, he and Lanny were going to fight it tooth and claw.

Cassidy*Others

Her head turned a little toward him as she felt him sit down beside her, but she didn't open her eyes yet; she was using the lids to hide behind, and didn't dare let them come open just now, for fear of the expression they might be harboring. She tensed briefly when he lay his hand over hers, but because she knew who it was and why he was doing it, she didn't go further than that, and he thankfully retained all of his innards. At long last, she relaxed just a smidge, and her hand unballed itself from the couch material, laying more smoothly beneath his. "You're not getting this, are you? Three people against the state government? Not good odds. We don't send three people when we strike against our rivals, and there's a damned good reason for that. Not to mention the fact that there's one person in this town that has as much if not more power than we do, and he hates my guts. You better believe he's going to do all he can to support this person, because it'll serve his own ends." She was speaking, of course, of the infamous Mr. Linus, because she knew that, while he was intrigued by her ability to shift through moods in the same manner that he did, he also saw her as a threat... as well he should, but that point was moot right now. The problem was that if and when he got wind of this, Cass believed that he would be likely to use his influence to aid whoever it was that was working against her, if only to apply pressure on her in an attempt to break her. "Johann knows it too, and that's why he's left already. My hands are tied because I have to stay here, and can't very well go gallivanting about with Raine, so he's going to try and find out as much as he can about this so he's got information to work from. But by the time he gets there, there may not be any information to be got; he's racing against the clock."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny knew it was always a gamble to offer touch when Cassidy wasn't expecting it, and he took the gamble anyway. It was too stressful a time not to give her even that simple touch, which thankfully paid off as she relaxed her hand. "I'm not going to stand back and admit defeat." Fear aside, his resolve was unshakable, and his confidence high, no matter how steep of a fight this would be. "And if Linus thinks he can interfere with this, he's going to find himself in the same firing range as whoever was deadbrained enough to call child services!" His voice rose a little with spite, overruling the new alarm that rose up. He'd almost forgot about that man. Recalling the conversation with Johann in the hospital, he was forced to acknowledge that the older man could be just as dangerous as those from the state. "I've still got my brother to call, and I'm having guards established for at least the next week. We're not down and out yet Cass, this has only just started."

Cassidy*Others

There was a long pause, and then a short sigh, and she took a moment to lift her hand and rub it over her eyes. Raine didn't so much as stir, and after a moment, Cass opened her eyes so that she could stroke the tiny crimson ringlets that were now sprouting all over the child's head. "She's ours Lanny... yours and mine." Her tone was difficult to pin down, but it was part fondness, part protectiveness... and part something a little darker, that was a powerful reminder that she wasn't just a Lanny's friend and Raine's mother - she'd been raised in this gang as much as he had, and she had bloodshed instilled deep in her. When there was a threat to those she cared for, she had the impulse to put her blades to work. "And my knives aren't any good against the state. I can't kill the government." Now that was the edge of fear... something she wouldn't have revealed had anyone else been in the room.

Laurence Zelkovii

For the first time in the conversation, something almost cynical came to his words, "Far as they're concerned, she's not mine." Lanny used that bitter statement to vent his frustration and express what was digging at him right now, aside the obvious fact that Raine might be taken away from him. To have the privilege and power of being a father stripped away from him like that, and by a stranger no less, was a serious affront to the young man. "We're just going to have to fight this a different way." Lanny drifted back into his forward thinking mentality, but a distracted scrub at his eyebrows was a sign that his mind was elsewhere. And sure enough, the next words brought up an entirely different topic. "Cass... about Northpeak- I know about those files already."

Cassidy*Others

She'd been very quiet and still against the couch up until now, seeming to have already had the realization that this situation was hopeless. But the bitter tone in his voice snapped her attention to him, and her face gained a little life. "As far as I'm concerned, they can all drop off the planet. You're her Daddy, and that's that, whatever the papers and snooty lawyers say." She'd defended Lanny to Mr. Kessler earlier, and she didn't so much as think before she defended him now; Lanny was all the father Raine had ever known, and in Cass' eyes, that was more powerful than any paperwork the state could throw at them. In the next second though, the fire had faded in her gaze, flickered, and died. Northpeak was another matter altogether. It represented not only the place where she'd lost her son - but the singular and only time that she'd completely lost control, as well. "Oh?" She questioned lightly, but her eyes turned away, focused on the child's curls again. "Now who's babysitting who?" was her next comment, along the lines of how he frequently accused her of looking after him, when she'd gone to fetch him from one of his benders. That in itself said a couple of things - first, it indicated a bitter tone in herself, and perhaps most importantly... it said that she suspected that Johann had helped him find that information, instead of the more innocent way he'd come across it.

Laurence Zelkovii

Part of him wanted to remain bitter, in the helpless, dejected way that overcame him when he gave into one too many drinks. Being second in command of the CrypticSilvers however, Lanny possessed a strong drive to achieve and an enduring attitude that compelled him to keep fighting despite the odds set against them. The light in his sharp eyes continued to burn hotly, "Then one way or another, we're going to have to set that straight." Either by legal matters, or by force. The set look in his face only shifted when the tone of the conversation dropped, leading them into a much more personal issue that Lanny wasn't entirely sure how to handle. "I didn't go looking for it Cass, you've got to understand that. It was brought up while you were at the hospital with Raine."

Cassidy*Others

She'd gotten uncomfortably quiet when the subject was broached, and even now, she continued to focus on Raine, and refused to look at Lanny. Part of that was because she felt a little betrayed on the thought that he'd been researching such personal information, and part was for something more frightening still; the knowledge that he was aware of just what had happened in Northpeak - all of it. His assurance that he hadn't looked it up helped to calm her some... but still didn't take away all of the insecurities of it. Finally, she murmured, "This from the fellow who's asked me how many times where I've been?" She paused, and shook her head, and her gaze softened. "Sorry... that was uncalled for."

Laurence Zelkovii

His demeanor shifted again, becoming something less certain and more uncomfortable too, because this was an issue with Cassidy and one that he figured she was very sensitive about. Lanny's eyes stayed away from her's and transfixed on various things in the room, from the window to the floor. "This isn't about me." Lanny rebuffed lightly, yet without the defiant tones from earlier, "That doctor brought it up. Marachek. Listen-" He turned his eyes to her at last, "That's all been in the past, and I wouldn't have even brought it up if Kessler hadn't - it's not my business, and it's not theirs, either. But you can guarantee that they'll be bringing it up now, so it's something we might as well face and acknowledge."

Cassidy*Others

"Anything that involves Raine involves you... and don't you let that Mr. Kessler convince you otherwise." Whatever else she felt, Cass was very determined on that topic, and not at all bashful of being vocal about it. She went quiet again after that, and turned her eyes away again, and the tension was thick in the air - it seemed as though she felt she was sitting under a glass ceiling, just waiting for it to all fall in on her. It didn't let up too much when he spoke up either... she listened quietly, and when he'd finished, she broke into the silence with a whisper. "Well... let me have it. What all did she have to say?" And what did you think of it? She didn't, couldn't ask it... but it was there, hovering silently and keeping the air about them thick. Raine huffed out a low breath of air, and swung one fist against her mother with a soft thump.

Laurence Zelkovii

Though he didn't make any further remark to what Cassidy said, Lanny's thoughts on his status of being a parent were very certain to him. He couldn't hide his frustration at the legality of the matter, but if it got right down to it, he was prepared to do anything, no matter how foolish, to protect the child and her mother. And as difficult as that would be, the issue at hand now was an ever harder one for him to grapple with. "The basics of it." Lanny tried to pass off a voice that was vaguely nonchalant, in an attempt to downplay the seriousness of it for Cass's sake. In reality, it frightened him something fierce. "You were in a psych ward for a night, and they let you go the next morning." His eyes were not meeting hers this time, as he clearly spoke without going into detail, either to spare her, or to spare himself, as he was known for ignoring problems if he could.

Cassidy*Others

"Being afraid doesn't do anything for your poor lying skills," the young woman whispered, shifting her weight just a little and then laying still once more. She was manipulative enough, and had been around Lanny long enough, that she knew perfectly well that he was significantly bothered, even though he did his best to downplay it all. But her tone wasn't condescending or sly as it might have been with others; it was quiet, and accepting... and most worrying of all, it was a little sad. "She didn't really hold back, did she?" The soft voice was neutral again, not revealing her thoughts about the fact that Marachek had told Lanny about the incident. She couldn't resent the physician too much, because after all she owed both her own life and Raine's to the doctor's skill... but she still wasn't exactly excited that she'd seen fit to share such personal information with Lanny. Cass let out a long sigh, and ran a hand over her eyes again. "Now you know everything about me."

Laurence Zelkovii

He still did not look at her, not wanting to betray any look that was less than assured and confident, and also unable to fess up the the fact that he was very much afraid. Only the way he clenched and unclenched his fist once showed that he'd even heard her whispered statement. "I don't really care what she had to say, it doesn't make you a bad mother. Not by a long shot." In a way, he admitted to hearing more than he would have liked to know, and at the same time, again brought up some defiance in his voice to declare that he didn't view Cassidy any different because of it... well, at least not in her mothering skills. "What happened back then-" Lanny stopped himself, abruptly realizing that it probably wasn't a good idea to bring up old memories like those, "You know what? If they want to play those kind of games, we can do the same thing. Whoever it is, they can't hide their past from Johann." That was one thing he could steadily rely on about the uncle - his ability to retrieve information.

Cassidy*Others

"She told you all about it then." It was a statement, not a question, and made as she shifted her weight and turned a little away from him, putting her eyes on the couch back. It wasn't an effort to push him away, though... it was a reaction to a curious sensation that was moving through her. For once in her word-perfect, manipulative life, Cass knew she'd screwed up... and didn't have any pretty words to say to excuse it or make it better. She sighed, and Raine wriggled in reaction to the change in position, making a small noise of protest, furthering Cass' cause to turn her eyes away from Lanny and keep them focused on the infant. If she could just keep him from seeing the look in her eyes - that dark, secluded feeling hiding at the back of the blue depths that clearly announced the fear and uncertainty she was trying to hide - maybe they could write all this off and go on just as always. At last, she spoke up again, and countered, "If they're in the state government, depending upon their position and whether or not they are a part of the government or whether they contacted the government, he may or may not be able to identify them. People like that usually have their pasts written over; you'll find pretty, acceptable biographies about kids who grew up in church-going, decent homes where a single mother strove to raise her children right and taught them some time-tried, corny value or another, and you'll learn about all the honest, clean business dealings they had that brought them to the top - all planted by an informational stat specialist like Johann. From there, he can trace it back to who rewrote it and how much they were paid... but the original info has been destroyed, and he won't find anything."

Laurence Zelkovii

Something deep in his gut was telling him to pursue the topic, and not let it sit and fester as he allowed some of his more personal problems to do. Yet the fear of confronting these demons in Cassidy almost frightened him, and he was afraid not only how she would react to it, but what else he might uncover about her that he didn't know. Ignore it. The other half of him was demanding, and that's the way he wanted to lean, and might have if only the other side of his feelings were picking at him so sharply. "Cass, it's not something you can just hide from us." Rather than being accusing, the way he spoke was softer than usual, perhaps because he knew what sort of a struggle it was to hide the things that hurt the most, and didn't want Cassidy to bear her problems on her own. "Does Johann know about it?" That issue almost predominated the next one, but not enough that Lanny could afford not to answer to it too. "If they've got someone to cover their tracks for them, I'll bet you Johann can just as easily fabricate something against them. We can find whoever might be helping them, and I'll guarantee we can do some negotiating." Playing dirty was definitely in the game for Lanny.

Cassidy*Others

"Coming from you, Lanny... that doesn't mean a whole lot." Her tone was low and cynical, and this time she didn't apologize. She wasn't angry at him really... but she'd never been so frightened, and since she wouldn't let herself express the fear, it came out in sarcasm and a less-than-gentle set of words. "You've made a life out of keeping secrets - you and he both. Why is it so different when it's me who's got the secret?" She shook her head some, and dragged then changed the subject abruptly, reaching her hand to Lanny and prompting, "Hand me her blanket... her feet are cold."

Laurence Zelkovii

Deny it as much as he wanted, he knew she was dead on in her accusation, and it ate at him bitterly. How could he expect her to open when he never did about his darkest demons? The young man was lost for a few moments on how to challenge her words, and feeling a sting of guilt now that he was on the other side of the situation. But after a moment, he returned a lighter voice to her, and held her eyes unwaveringly, "We've got a daughter to look after now, and this isn't an issue that's just about you. It affects her too, and.. it affects me, too. I care about you, Cass." He only looked away to pinpoint the blanket that was requested, before turning back to her and spreading the cloth out over the youngster.

Cassidy*Others

"Yeah, and if the government had never gotten involved, it wouldn't have involved her. That was my intention, why I chose not to share it with anyone, and to delete all evidence that could be linked to Isaiah's birth." She shook her head bitterly, and made a huffing sound under her breath that indicating she was very frustrated, and finally went on, "I wiped his birth out of any and all records - as far as this nation was concerned, he was never born. I wanted it that way, because I never wanted the topic brought up again. I... buried him... in an unmarked grave a few miles into the woods on the edge of Northpeak, so that when the paper reported the incident, it would note only his sitter as being present in the apartment. I did all that Johann's training gave me access to in order to ensure that his birth - and his death - would remain unknown to any and all... and yet somehow, it's followed me." Other young women would have been brought to tears with the sharing of this information, and the slight shimmer to her eyes indicated that Cass was struggling with it, but had the strength of mind to hold it back, even though in Lanny's presence, it wasn't necessary, since he already knew how dramatically the child's death had effected her. At last, she took up words again, and she sounded very tired. "That works two ways, Lanny..." Which of course was her way of pointing out that his little issues impacted her and Raine too, just as he was accusing her of - but also might be reasonably construed as an agreement, that the way he cared for her was something that went both ways as well.

Can't you see what your gentle insanities do to me?
Rob me of hatred and give me despair!
Blows and abuse I can take and give back again -
But tenderness, I cannot bear.

Laurence Zelkovii

In light of her talking about Isaiah, the very mention of which made him anxious because of how much he knew it meant to her, all traces of frustration melted away from his face and vacated his tones. As hard as she tried to keep her own emotions controlled, there was no hiding the reflection of growing moisture in her eyes. It broke down the last of Lanny's temper and found him giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "Now that it's out there, it's something that we can work together to deal with. It would help if Johann were let in on it too, better by you than by his own investigations." It took a lot for him to willingly bring Johann into an issue that he'd rather keep to himself and Cassidy, but that in itself spoke on the level of concern he felt over it. While all that was said in true concern for her emotional health, there was another very real threat that went along with it... the rest of the gang, and in particular the Elders, could not find out about Isaiah. At least not of his father. Of course, when she prodded at him about his own habit of hiding personal issues, he wanted to drop his gaze and mutter some deflecting comment or another, but stopped himself before he fell into that old habit. Instead he took in a deep breath and nodded, "I know."

Cassidy*Others

"Lanny, I have spent me life ensuring that he doesn't know!" He'd feel her hand tense under his, and if it hadn't been for Raine settled across her just, she have been up on her feet, and judging by the bunching muscles in her arm, she'd have later had a knife to dig out of the wall, as she had a tendency to throw them at any inanimate object when she was this stirred up. "I have spent my life erasing everything that happened the first time I disappeared. So that he couldn't come up with that information. He's never found out where I went and he doesn't know that Raine isn't my first child. He doesn't know who Isaiah's father was... you can't ask me to rewrite all that now. I've spent three years obliterating it." Her eyes had snapped closed, and a slight shaking had come to the arm that wasn't holding Raine - unable to work out her tension in a physical way, she had to send that energy somewhere, and Lanny might feel the deep, tight balling of her muscles where her nails were digging into her palm. She let out a low, long breath, and shook her head. "Three years I've spent protecting him from that information... I can't drop it in his lap now. Particularly not since he'll know that I went to such lengths to keep it away from him."

Laurence Zelkovii

As much as he didn't like this sort of tension in Cassidy, and wanted to avoid putting her through it at all costs, he'd knew he couldn't back out now, or his efforts would be all for naught. His hold on her hand remained in place, as a physical reminder that he was their to support her, "Cass, one way or the other... he's going to find out." Lanny attempted to be gentle with this approach, for he feared that if he pushed too much, she would get up and leave the couch, even if it meant handing Raine off to him or taking her with while she vented her frustration in her typical way. The young man's mind raced for a solution to it, something to make it easier to deal with, until the only thing he could think of was to employ one of his own tactics. Buckling to her stress, Lanny offered an alternative way to deal with the problem, whether it was the smartest thing to do or not, "If you'd rather keep it from him, you know I won't breath a word of it. But there's still the matter of our enemy. We don't know what all they managed to dig up, or whether they even know about Isaiah." Lanny's free hand roamed up to scratch at the side of his head, even when there was no itch.

Cassidy*Others

Well that at least got to her; she couldn't very well keep the medical records from Johann forever - not now that the government had gotten a hold on it. It had been possible before, when no one knew what had happened but her, but with other hands in the pot, she knew she couldn't keep it silent much longer. She sighed heavily, and lay still, letting her muscles slowly uncoil until finally all of that tension that had been crammed inside her had disappeared. She still wasn't calm... but she was resigned. "Alright... he won't be back for at least a week. That'll give me time to think of how I can tell him I've been lying to him for three years." She moved her hand from Raine's back upward toward her face, where she ran her fingers a little shakily over her eyes. There were no tears to wipe away, but only her years of control and manipulation had made it so, and clearly her hand, at least, expected there to be tears. At last, she lay the hand back against her daughter, and spoke in a calmer, more level-headed fashion that was typical of her. "I know the name of the nurse that was given charge of me in Northpeak - the one I spoke to. If anyone could have squealed, it would have been her. But she couldn't have done so unless someone sought her out - HIPAA forbids the release of patient information without their permission unless they have a warrant giving them the right to seize such information. So if we can get a hold of the nurse, we may be able to track down who asked her for that information."

Laurence Zelkovii

When Cassidy seemed to let go of some of her pent up tension, Lanny too felt the stress hesitantly ease out of him. It didn't leave him in a relaxed mood however, not by a longshot, especially since they now had an ordeal on their hands if they expected to keep this secret hidden from Johann and the rest of the world. If Johann found out about it, well... he could deal with that, but things would be out of his hands the second anyone with higher ranking in his gang found out, and that's what really drove him to see this information covered up. "Lets get what information we can on her and get in contact with this nurse. If she won't give up the person she dealt the information to, I'll take matters into my own hands." Generally, the gang's moral code was to keep refrain from violence against woman, but that was null and void the second someone became their enemy. Whatever it took to preserve Cassidy's safety, whether it be blackmailing the nurse or otherwise, Lanny was determined to get the name of the one after Raine.

Cassidy*Others

"And what are you going to tell Them?" 'Them' was, of course, the Elders, and ever the largest issue with their growing relationship. If ever they got a hold of this information, Cass would be sunk. "Let's face it, Lanny... if I can't keep it from Johann, you definitely can't keep it from them. They've got dozens out there doing just the same job that he does. We're going to have to talk to them... and what are we going to say?" She sighed, and shifted her weight up. "Here... take her." She waited only for him to reach and get Raine from her before she got up from the couch and circled around to the kitchen, beginning to put the dishes away because it gave her something to do with her hands, to disguise the shaking. "I can deal with the nurse - she's a soft one with big eyes that believes anything said to her, and I'm in my element there. But what about Them?"

Laurence Zelkovii

The true ruling powers of the gang and the orders they could enact brought a cold sweat to the young man. He delayed for a response at first, and took his time to grab a hold of Raine and idly trail after Cassidy into the kitchen so that they wouldn't have to raise their voices to continue to communicate with one another. "As long as they don't find out who the father was, there's nothing about it that'll concern them." Lanny spoke rather quickly with that, both because of knowing what would happen if they found out, and because that was still a sore point for him to acknowledge. "And as far as you being at Northpeak, it shouldn't be a big issue for them anyway. Our best bet is to talk with them and set things straight about us and Raine." Which of course, meant lying and declaring himself as the father... which may not work so well, if it got out that he was only the adoptive father. "I can arrange a meeting with them. We get on their good side, and we will have more to back us up with this custody fight." And if not... we'll have two things to worry about. He didn't say that part, but he sure felt it. Cass's life would be at stake, and by extension, Lanny's too as he wouldn't let her be killed without standing in the way first.

Cassidy*Others

"Watch your head." She prompted that quietly, while reaching up to swing open a cupboard to put the clean plates away. She was using all this movement to help keep herself calm, and to avoid the amount of nervousness that the idea of a meeting with the Elders stirred in her. But after several long moments of this, and a neglect to answer anything he'd said, she paused, dish in mid-air, and whispered, "It's not particularly that which has my most concern. Isaiah's birth isn't on record, and even so, it's not under his father's name. They can't link it back to that - you're the only living person who knows that, aside from me. There are other things that have my attention more strictly than that." Like what's going to happen if we address the Elders, and they don't want you to be Raine's dad. That had always been an unhappy thought of course, but with a confrontation with the Elders now inevitable, it was more directly concerning... and frightening. She hefted the dish up into the cupboard now, and closed it softly, turning to face him at last, and meeting his eyes. "You know we're going to have to talk to them... but what on earth can we say, Lanny?"

Laurence Zelkovii

While Cassidy had the plates to busy her hands with and hide the faint tremor that had taken them, Lanny had the infant in his hold to keep some of his attention. He took a wide step back to avoid the opening cupboard, and since Cass wasn't facing him at the moment, he was looking down at Raine and brushing some of her curls aside from one ear. "I don't know..." The young man sighed at length, going unusually quite for someone like him. He'd recalled as a young child going to see the Elders, but it was mostly for big events, and he'd never had to face them directly about anything, at least nothing as life-changing as this was. They had always been intimidating when he was younger, and now that he was older... he found them every bit as frightening still. "I really don't know what they're going to ask, besides the obvious questions. It'll mostly come down to you, and what they think of your loyalty to the gang." Considering Cassidy's past, where she'd skipped out of town without warning, that was a potentially troublesome issue to be addressed. "And whether they think we're a good enough 'match'." The other big problem was Cassidy's status in the gang, and her previous profession. It was a big question as to whether they would be willing to overlook that or not.

Cassidy*Others

With the baby asleep, the two of them were left to discuss the matter in relative peace - or at least silence, because peace was the furthest thing from Cass' heart and mind at the moment. "If my lifetime's worth of service to this gang hasn't displayed loyalty, I don't know what does," she told him, but she knew just as well as he that it wasn't her service that would be called to question. The Elders would ask the same sort of questions that Johann and Lanny had been asking for years... only they were the Elders, and Cass wasn't comfortable with them, and didn't trust them. Her entire life would be placed before them like a court; it was a frightening scenario that had a high likelihood of totally destroying her life. She didn't turn to face him yet though... she was struck intently by his latter words, and brought back to a morning only a few months back where she'd woken up beside him and done something that mildly embarrassed both of them. It hadn't been mentioned since then, because Cass wasn't going to bring it up, but she hadn't forgotten, and his words reminded her more intensely of it. Finally, she smiled very sadly to herself, and whispered, "Last call, Lanny - final chance to get off the crazy train before it crashes and burns. If you walk away now, it'll all be okay for you, and they'll never be the wiser. Life will go back to the way it was, and they'll never say a word." Her voice was soft and solemn, and she kept her back carefully turned to him; contrary to her words, she didn't want him to leave, but she knew what trouble it would cause for him, if the Elders disapproved of the relationship between them that had just grown too far to be swept under the rug any longer - and because she cared about him, she did want him to leave... to spare him from what might be ahead.

Laurence Zelkovii

"They'll want to know why you disappeared for a while." Lanny didn't like to bring it up, and he didn't do it to give her anymore to stress about, though that's likely just what it was going to do. He said it because he wanted her to be prepared for the hard questions. "Whatever you come up with, we've both got to keep the same story." Obviously, telling them the truth was out of the question; any hint that she had gone with one of their enemies, and her life would be snuffed out unless she fled. Coming up with solid explanations that would appease the Elders was almost easier than dealing with what he'd brought up next, but deal with it they must. "You really think I can do that? Walk away after all of this?" The young man moved a step closer to Cassidy, speaking quietly as if he was afraid of being overheard by anyone other than her. "I told you, we're in this together. You, me, Raine." The issue was a decidedly tough one for either of them to openly acknowledge, but he was deadset in his commitment now.

Cassidy*Others

"If we're going to ask for their support for this matter of her custody, we're going to have to tell some of the truth. Very, very carefully." With the government having access to the information that she'd given to the nurse at the hospital, Cass closed her eyes to pour over that conversation that had occurred so long ago, trying to remember just what all she'd told the girl. Of course, it didn't really help that she'd been completely wasted at the time, either. Resolving to look up the record on the computer the next time she got a spare second, the young woman went on, "We're going to have to at least tell them part of the truth," she repeated, "Up until the point of who his father was. With my reputation in this town, it shouldn't be too difficult to guide them off onto a much more neutral idea." Of course, they'd tried that with Johann when she'd come up pregnant with Raine, to no avail - he'd known perfectly well that it hadn't been an 'accident' with a customer. But he knew her, better than anybody - she was betting that the Elders would be satisfied with such an answer. "We'll have to acknowledge that I had a son, and that he's dead... but past that, we can afford to edit details. Any discrepancies there, any questions you can't answer, you can make the excuse that I didn't tell you everything about it." All of that was said in a cold, clear voice, which indicated that she was doing her best to say it all in a detached fashion in order to keep from getting emotional over it. That tone faded out though, toward the latter end of the conversation, and she let go of a breath she'd been holding. "Gods, but I was hoping you'd say that," she whispered, and her voice had softened and warmed with the relief that had flooded her. She took a step back to meet him and leaned back against him, arranging herself carefully so that she wasn't squashing Raine, and yet could lean her head on his shoulder. "Just don't say I didn't warn you, and give you the opportunity to get away from it all."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny was going to leave it up to Cassidy to decide what she wanted to tell them, and what she was going to keep hidden. With the Elders already knowing what her profession was - or use to be - Lanny was hopeful that they'd buy into the idea that she'd gotten pregnant on accident, or perhaps with some individual of no real concern. "They should accept that without much questioning. Are you positive that no one else who who his father was?" His mind flagged with worry for even asking it, hating to draw out this part of the conversation, but if they really wanted to keep this secret, he had to be absolutely sure. "What of Raine? Can Johann do some editing so I'm made out to be her biological father?" That would be the ideal track for him, and give them a better shot at appeasing the Elders. If not, they would have to do some more clever story telling to get around who her real father was. With Cassidy leaning back against him as he spoke, Lanny found it only natural to wrap a free arm around her, further bringing in the concept that he meant what he said, and that he was there to protect her and his daughter. "Once we get past things, everything will work out."

Cassidy*Others

This time, Cass nodded her head with great certainty. "The only others who knew were Raven, Ratri, and Michael... and of course all of them are dead now. You're the only person I've ever told." Her voice quieted there instinctively, even though they were alone in the apartment - that was a piece of information that she didn't want overheard by anyone. Strangely enough, it was the next question that was more complicated for her to answer. "He can do it," she ventured slowly, her eyes studying her fingernails in order to give them something to do. "Marachek and Charlotte wouldn't squeal, and the whole rest of the town thinks she's yours anyway. Heck, most of the gang thinks that. There's only one problem with that... James knows the difference, and I suspect Sheryl might. If we're going to falsify that information, we're going to have to be very sure that both of them are going to support it." James probably wouldn't be too much of a problem in that department, she suspected, as he'd probably go along with it with enough persuasion from Lanny... but Cass was still wary of his fiancee, particularly as her own 'son' had been stolen away from her, and hadn't been recovered. Whenever she'd been forced to meet up with the other young woman when she had Raine with her, Cass had held the child very close to her and been carefully polite, but hadn't even made the attempt at being friendly, because part of her had the irrational thought that Sher would try to take Raine from her. She might not have done that... but there was a very real potential for her refusing to go along with this plan, just in order to get back at Cass. She leaned into his hold, letting him comfort that fear in her - but it didn't sink away completely, because in her mind it was very, very real.

Laurence Zelkovii

He tried to let her words about that assure him, that all those besides himself and Cassidy knew of Raine's real father. But something still raised a red flag in the back of his mind, something that he couldn't quite nail down. It made him feel uneasy and suspicious, but Lanny forced his thoughts away from that before they could grow too large. "I'll have to talk with her and Marachek anyway, just to be sure." After already speaking with them multiple times while Cassidy was in the hospital, Lanny knew that they wouldn't leech any information like that, but he still felt better addressing them directly about it. "I've still got to talk with James. Sheryl's been asking, and I've been putting it off." Both knew that Raine wasn't his, and he'd made it very clear that they weren't to spread the word on it- but he hadn't yet divulged who the father was, and angrily deflected the question whenever either of them brought it up, until James finally decided that his little brother simply didn't know who the real father was. "James will stick with what I tell him-" As long as I don't tell him the truth "Sheryl... she will too." And yet, he didn't sound as certain about that as he was about James.

Cassidy*Others

Her eyes were closed now, taking a great amount of peace and security in the embrace of their little family - for a family they had become, in the last several months that had tied them together. She breathed easier with the knowledge that Lanny was with her, and that he wasn't going to abandon her to the wrath of the Elders alone, even though moments ago she'd been prepared to accept that fate, if he'd decided that he didn't want to risk offending them by sticking with her. But there was still the matter of Sheryl... she wasn't nearly as sure as Lanny that the woman could be made to stick with the information given to her, and even he wasn't completely certain. "I don't trust her, Lanny," she whispered, breaking the silence she'd kept for so long about the tension between herself and the other woman. "She's always considered me competition for James' affections, and she's made it abundantly clear that she would strike at me in any way she could get away with. She would have already done so, if she didn't fear making him angry over it. She never did quite get that I wasn't interested in James, and frankly I still don't think she gets it. She probably thinks I'm trying to use you to make him jealous or something... that's the way her mind works." She shook her head some, and the eyes flicked briefly open, so that she could raise one hand and stroke it protectively over the side of the infant's face. "And I don't think she'd hesitate to stoop to going against me in order to have Raine taken away from me, just for spite. "

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny was learning things now that he'd never had the eye to catch before. He knew there was some tension between the two young women, but he didn't dig around and try to understand what the cause of it was, and certainly didn't know it was as deep as this. "Wait, you're saying that she sees you as a threat? To take James from her?" His face and voice both reflected mild disbelief, "You want me to talk to her or something, and set her straight on that?" That was the wrong thing to ask, as it would begin to solve the problem between the two, and would more than likely make it worse before it helped anything. "I know she has a tendancy to get jealous sometimes, but I'm not going to let that have any impact on us. Especially not to interfere with us speaking to the Elders - James knows that, and she's smart enough to keep her mouth shut."

Cassidy*Others

"It's being going on as long as she's dated him," Cass confirmed, nodding her head slowly and closing her eyes again. "I used to think that maybe she was just wary of me because I'd known the two of you so long, but I've never done anything to suggest I was interested in James... and it hasn't really gotten any better. Matter of fact, if anything it's gotten worse. Particularly since they took Randy." She didn't relish bringing up the topic of the red-headed toddler, knowing how much Lanny missed him and what a sore subject it was, but she had to point that out to ensure that he thoroughly understood just how bad things were getting, recently. She shook her head again, not sure herself what she was trying to dismiss with the gesture, and went on, "I thought it might quiet down some, when the rumors started about you and I, and when you kind of moved in here, but it hasn't, really." And as might have been expected, she definitely had a negative answer for him on his offer to talk to Sheryl for her. "No, Lan - we women don't do things the way you men do. You try talking to her, and you'll only make her more suspicious. She'll come up with an idea like me using you to try and turn James against her, or something."

Laurence Zelkovii

By the way his face had continued to contort into an incredulous look, he was having a hard time processing all that she was saying. Could the rift between them have really been that bad without he or James having known about it? Lanny held off with any smart remarks, mostly because he wasn't in a mood to be saying anything 'witty' or funny right now. "I had no idea. I figured she's just always had an attitude." Lanny expressed his amazement in a low, short whistle, after which he nodded a little to acknowledge that the tension had gotten worse with Randy gone. "That's one thing we can set straight at least. You know, that might even make things better between you two, you helping to get Randy back to her." What they didn't need right now was to continue on the warpath against Conan and the Wallocks, but it reminded strongly on his mind. "If she says anything to the effect that threatens you or Raine, I'll put a quick end to it. I don't think she'll cross the line though, not with something like that."

Cassidy*Others

She smiled a little there finally, and whispered, "You know that if there's anything I can do to bring Randy back, I'll do it. But I wouldn't be doing it for her." With that said, it wasn't really necessary for her to name just who it was she'd be doing it for - she'd already made it clear that she was troubled by how much Lanny missed the child, and would do just about anything to restore the toddler to him. "Besides... I've already helped you bring him back to her once," she went on, referring to the fateful night they'd stormed the Wallock's house and taken Raimi back by force. "And that didn't really help any. She laid off for a little while, but went straight back at it, particularly after word got out that I was pregnant." She sighed, and ran a hand tiredly over her eyes. "I dunno, Lanny... I just don't think it'll make a whole heck of a lot of difference. But you know her better than I do. If you say James'll keep her in line, I believe you. But that doesn't mean I'm taking our emergency bag out of the truck, either. I don't trust James to choose loyalty to me over her, if it comes down to that."

Laurence Zelkovii

The idea that Randy had been stolen away again was one that settled on him heavily, but he didn't let that cloud encroach on his mind too much. The more he thought about that, and the more he was left to think about the Elders, the more tempting a good drink sounded. "Maybe you're right... maybe it'd be best to just let her have space and not give her any more reason to think you're after James." Not that she'd ever given any reason for Sheryl to think she was after his brother in the first place. No matter what Cassidy did, the grudge and jealous was likely to remain for a very long time, until the other young woman matured a little, or finally figured out that Cass really held no affection for her fiance. "He will choose loyalty for her over you-" It was a little awkward for Lanny to admit that, and he tried to make up for it by adding on a slightly more positive note, "But when it comes to me, he's got my back. By extension, yours too; I honestly don't think there's anything to worry about between the two of them."

Cassidy*Others

Lanny might have felt awkward saying that his brother would choose Sheryl over her if it came down to it, but Cass frankly wasn't all that stunned. She shook her head some, and answered, "Doesn't surprise me at all, Lanny... if I was in a situation where I had to choose loyalty between you or James, I'd pick you - hands down." Not that she believed it was likely to ever happen - that was, unless the truth about Isaiah's father got out - but it showed how her attachment to him had grown, in the last several months. The only thing that still haunted her mind, but which she wasn't about to bring up, was whether James' loyalty to Lanny would overpower his loyalty to Sheryl. Of course, the elder brother had displayed any number of times a great concern and need to look out for his younger brother, but in her profession, Cass had seen even such close siblings forced apart by a woman - and usually, she had been the woman. So she knew what it could do. She was just hoping that it wouldn't be the case, with these brothers. She might be closer to Lanny - okay, much closer - but she'd been raised with James, and he was important to her too. Just not in the way that Sheryl thought.

Laurence Zelkovii

With all that had happened this morning, Lanny finally crack the edge of a smile. It was far from his usual show of amusement or lightheartedness, but it was an improvement, and a slight departure from the heaviness that had fallen over their tone of conversation up until now. "It's only too bad that Sheryl doesn't know that." When it came to his brother and Cassidy... Lanny knew in his heart that he'd defend Cass and Raine above anyone else. How his brother might react, he wasn't sure, and he prayed that it would never come to that point, because he could never strike against his own brother. But if it came to it, he'd stand between her and everyone else, James, Sheryl, and the Elders combined.

Cassidy*Others

"If she knew, there probably wouldn't be a problem," the young woman answered, quietly and indirectly acknowledging the very thing that both of them had avoided discussing for far too long a time. She didn't touch on it more directly than that, though, and instead finally drew away from him, ending the more tender moment between them. "Here... I better get her down in her crib; don't want to get her in the habit of sleeping on one of us, or we'll never see another solid night of sleep again. Of course, that bit was Johann's fault." She shook her head some, referring to a near month-long time where Raine had screamed bloody murder every time she'd been put in her crib, all because her uncle had gotten into the habit of napping with her every afternoon, and letting her sleep across his chest - sometimes even at night. "Whatever else happens - or whatever else is said - she's ours. Yours and mine. That's not going to change, no matter what Sheryl does." That statement was spoken with a little more resolve, and then she turned away, moving for the bedroom with the infant.

Laurence Zelkovii

With Cassidy drawing away from him and the arm he'd placed around her side now free, he used it to run absently through his sandy-brown hair. It was a gesture reflecting the stress he was trying to brush away, as if it were a physical thing that he could do away with. "With time, she'll see things how they really are." It was all he could say for the end of the conversation, even if he didn't really know it would work that simply. Sheryl's jealousy was sharp, and her ongoing addiction to cocaine wasn't helping her personality any bit either. "Now about our enemy - you think you can get a hold of that nurse from Northpeak?" Lanny had followed Cass to the bedroom after handing over Raine, and now stood leaned against the door frame.

Cassidy*Others

Finally, the smallest of smiles cracked on Cass' face. "I won't hold my breath," she murmured, and turned away, but she didn't try to prevent the young man from following her as she moved for the bedroom, even though that was pretty well understood as mostly Cass' and Johann's territory. She took her time about adjusting Raine in her arms and shifting her down toward the crib, freezing dead for a second or two when the infant briefly stirred and made an annoyed noise for being suddenly moved away from the warmth of her mother. "Lanny... turn the pad on, would you? I don't have enough hands." Knowing Raine's preference for sleeping against warm things, even though it was quickly getting blistering hot outside with the summer months, Cass had installed a heating pad underneath the crib's mattress over the wintertime, and when it was turned on low - with the cord kept carefully out of reach of little fingers - it heated up the mattress to a cozy temperature that was the next best thing to being cuddled against one of her parents. The young woman had noticed that her child slept better and longer whenever the pad was turned on, and since it looked like she and Lanny would have a lot of telephoning and such to do this morning, it would be better if the baby was down most of that time. Her face solemnified though, as the unhappy topic was broached again, and she focused her eyes upon Raine as she stroked the child's back to settle her into a firmer sleep. At last, she answered, "The nurse's name was Kendra - short, dark hair and those sort of big, dark eyes that seem to take in the world with all the amazement of a child. Middle twenties then, so she's probably in her elder twenties now, or maybe early thirties."

Laurence Zelkovii

The young man moved away from where he'd been all but blocking the doorway with his frame, and stepped quietly into the room after Cassidy's ask for assistance. He stooped down next to the side of the crib and turned the knob a ways, setting the temperature to a lower setting that would keep the child comfortably warm without risk of overheating. "We'll need all the information we can on her. Family, friends - those too." Lanny suggested. He was hoping that speaking to her would be all that was needed to get the name of the individual who'd sought out Cassidy's records, but if there was any trouble, Lanny would resort to blackmail as the next step, and direct threats to her family and friends was usually good enough to get most to comply.

Cassidy*Others

"It shouldn't be too hard to find her," the red head answered, as she remained a few moments by the cribside until Raine finally settled in more thoroughly. "Northpeak's a small town, and the hospital's small too. There can't be too many Kendras there. I bet I can find her from here." So saying, she finally turned around, and moved to the computer, seating herself and doing something that all of the CS usually associated with her uncle - beginning to click away on the keys in a fast, efficient manner to try and come up with the data she required. "Once I locate her, I can find out any organizations she's a member of, her address - neighbors, nearby relatives, etcetera." The bright blue of the screen lit her face in color as she bent close to the screen and began her search, lighting up a few lines at the corners of her eyes that hadn't been there, before all the stress related to Raine's birth. She wasn't by any means looking old - but it highlighted the strain that she'd been under for some time, in the constant worry that something just like the would happen to take her daughter away from her.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny moved in and looked over the crib when Cassidy moved away for the computer, watching Raine for a few moments with eyes that weren't all that focused. The threat of losing her was sinking in more, keeping lit the fire in his heart and the vicious ends he would go to to keep the child with her rightful parents. Lanny was lost in his thoughts for a few seconds, failing to reply to Cass until her voice registered and snapped him from his thinking. Belatedly, he turned from the crib and moved towards the computer to watch as she worked. "Good. I'll need a list of names and addresses, and anything at all you can find on her and the people she's connected to."

Cassidy*Others

Fortunately for Lanny, Cass' back was turned, and so she didn't see the unfocused gaze that he'd turned upon Raine, and didn't quite tap into the fact that he was more worried over this than he was letting on. Instead, her eyes were on the screen, and the information that she was quickly pulling up. She wasn't nearly as quick or deft at it as her uncle was, but she could find out what she needed to know. "Okay, let's see here... Kendra, Kendra... ah. There's only two in the hospital, and..." Three keys and a couple clicks later, a pair of pictures were on the screen - photos from the ID cards of the two Kendras, with the official seal of Northpeak Charity Hospital on them. From there, it was an obvious match - one of the two ladies was large and stout, and African American. Her counterpart, the petite, bob-haired Kendra, was definitely the one they were looking for. "Yup... that's her. Kendra... Collinson. Age thirty three, married, no children; just celebrated her twelfth anniversary, and received a pin last year for her five-year service at the hospital."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny was fluent enough with using a computer, but when it came to tracking down information like this, he was at a complete loss and entirely dependent on those like Johann or Cassidy. And the red-head proved just as efficient as her uncle in bringing up the information that they needed, quickly drawing forth the person they were looking for, along with the start of some information on her. The lack of children took out that obvious route of blackmail, but she did have a spouse, and whether or not they'd even need to sink to lower tactics to get her to talk, his mind was going over this knowledge already. "Think you can get her work schedule drawn up? How about searching for other Collinson's in town, see what other relatives she might have there."

Cassidy*Others

"Work schedule?" It took a few seconds, and a muttered curse from the young woman as she fought with the computer, but finally, the screen blanked, and a new set of text appeared. "There - looks like... she's an overnighter. Twelve on, twelve off. Not the best of shifts - that kind of schedule wears on you after a while. Numbs the mind, dulls the reflexes." Two more taps and another muttered curse, and a birth certificate popped onto the screen. "Mother Janet Gavins Jasper, father Mark Steven Jasper." Click, click. "Married 12th of December, 1998 - in an old Scottish castle only a few miles from Dundrennan. Huh - unique. She can't make much at a nurse's job in such a small hospital, so her husband must be well-to-do, to afford such a location wedding." It took another few seconds for her to pull up the arrangements of that, and then she went on, "Husband, Patrick James Collinson - yes, definitely old money in that family. His father owns a fleet of trading vessels that sail all over the world; the family's got a few billion at their beck and call, and are loan-worthy for much more."

Laurence Zelkovii

"That works good for us." Lanny commented thoughtfully, "If we pick the late hours, there'll be less people around, and it'll be easier to get her alone for a conversation." If they were going to do this, going for the least amount of conflict was always better, especially since they couldn't afford to be found harassing the nurse when they - and especially Cassidy - were under the scrutiny of child services. "A lot of money, does he...?" That led the young man to thinking about slightly other things, particularly the part about trading vessels. With Atroe's seaport being a vital means of shipping goods to and fro the city, there was a definite prospect of trying to lure the man their way for a share of profits. "He's of interest... I'll definitely want to talk with him."

Cassidy*Others

Click, click... click. "Yeah... that's what I was thinking, too. I do best in darkness, anyway. I've got a blacksuit, and I'd bet Johann's would fit you - it's always been a bit large on him." She glanced briefly away from the computer screen, giving an obsessive glance to the crib just to be sure that Raine was safely asleep where she'd last seen her. Without taking on any facial expression that might have indicated anything at all, she confirmed the baby's presence, and turned back to what she was doing. "Let's see... Patrick Collinson. Wow - quite a well-born life. West Point, upper ten percent of his class, four years service, honorable discharge. Specialty in hand-to-hand combat... no records of disciplinary action." She shook her head some. "He'd be the one, more than her, that I'd be concerned with."

Laurence Zelkovii

"Wait..." An important thought struck the co-lead, "Think it'd be best if we both go? We'd have to have someone watch Raine for the night.. I don't think it'd be best to take her with." If they intended on doing this soon, Johann was out of the picture, but Lanny already had a trustworthy couple in mind; of course, it all depended on what Cass said on the matter. "That could be an issue with him, but I'd still like to talk with him. There's nothing like money to change people's minds." It never hurt to try and expand their business a little, but even if it was worthwhile trying to get Patrick in on their lucrative hold of the city, his foremost concern was for getting the information they needed.

Cassidy*Others

Cass hadn't even considered the fact that someone would have to watch Raine - Johann had always been around, and willing to babysit at the least notice. So she actually did look up with a start of surprise at the realization that Lanny was right; they'd have to find someone to watch the child, if both of them were going to be involved. But her jawline tightened, and she answered, "Whoever this is Lanny, they're threatening Raine, and they're also trying to bring up a period in my life that I've gone to all human lengths to erase. I'm not staying behind." Iron was at the bottom of her tones, and she wasn't going to budge from that. She cast a lingering look at Raine, not liking the idea of leaving the child with someone else - but her protective instincts were roiling in her, and could not be denied.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny nodded slowly, not about to deny Cassidy the choice of being actively involved and solving their problem, since it was her life that they were trying to expose to the world. "And I'll be going with you. I don't think Kendra will be any problem, what her husband I'll want to deal with." This wasn't someone like Collin, who he had absolutely no fear of - Patrick was trained and seasoned in defending himself if the records were to be believed, and he didn't feel safe letting Cass go down their by herself. "Jeff and Mary won't mind watching Raine while we're gone. They're about as trustworthy as they come, and they've got experience raising kids."

Cassidy*Others

"I'm not a delicate flower, Lanny," the girl answered, a little snap in her tone not because she minded him trying to protect her, but simply because she was beyond riled that someone had dared try to bring up her painful past. "I can look after myself, military training or no; I've been fighting longer than this dude, I promise. Don't think that you have to challenge him yourself just because he's male and been in the military." She shook her head some, still clicking away and seeking out any and every bit of information she could possibly pick up on from the computer. When she spoke up again though, it was on a more neutral topic. "Raine likes them... Jeff in particular, she's fond of. Since we can't take her with us, they're our best second option." If things had gone like they used to when all of them were kids, Cass would have thought nothing of leaving the child with her older 'brother', as frequently as she had been dropped off at their house to be sat for - but with the tension with Sheryl, the young woman didn't even consider that an option.

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny didn't challenge the snap in her voice or her warning against him about Williams. He knew that she had plenty to be worked up about as it was, between the threat to Raine, the meeting with the Elders, and the revelation of her hidden life to the public, and he didn't want to give her anything else to fret about. "I know, I'd just prefer you stick to talking with Kendra, and I'll see about having a chat with her husband. If they'll cooperate and if we play our cards right, this can all go down without much if any conflict." On a lighter note, there was some relief to be felt that she agreed with the choice in babysitters. It wasn't just the presence of Sheryl that had made him skip over the obvious choice of his brother as a temporary guardian... it was also their habit of getting into verbal fights, and the young woman's abuse of drugs and alcohol that bothered him. Oddly enough, while it was alright with him for Randy to stay in their care, he felt more hesitant to have the younger Raine in the same situation.

Cassidy*Others

"We'll discuss it when we get to it," the young woman finally answered, indicating that she wasn't fully prepared to let this slide, just yet. But at least she was going to let the topic go silent for now, as she continued to work her way through the computer with careful selections of keys and clicking. "The only thing that puzzles me is-" She was interrupted by the loud and startling ring of the phone, which made Raine stir briefly in her crib, and Cass curse softly - she made a quick motion with her hand to indicate that she wanted Lanny to move across and tend to the infant and hopefully soothe her back to sleep, and at the same time took up the phone and paced a little away, picking up the line with a beep of buttons. "Hello?" She was trying to keep her voice low to avoid waking Raine even more, but as she listened to the phone, she stopped in her tracks, which was odd, because she often wandered the entire apartment while she was talking on the phone. "What?" There was tension, and it was accompanied by the way that her face blanked. "Where?" Another long pause, and she finally nodded sharply. "We'll be right there." Another beep, and up went the phone, and she bent over the crib to scoop up her daughter. "Get Raine's stuff together - we're headed to the hospital. Johann's in the trauma center."

Laurence Zelkovii

Laurence was glad to let the topic come to a temporary end with Cassidy's final words. He settled himself for watching her work on the computer, and picking up whatever information crossed his eyes as she clicked through this and that. He was just turning his head to Cass when she started a new question, only to be cut off by the ring of the phone, and the threat of it waking up their daughter. The young 'father' hardly needed to be signaled as he left off with the computer and leaned over Raine's crib to rub a soothing hand along her side and arm, hoping to keep her sleeping. Only the slightest of attention was diverted to the conversation Cassidy was having, until her tones sparked immediate alarm - something bad had gone down. "What happened?" Again he wasted no time before snapping into action, going to work gathering up Raine's baby bag and seeking out a few items to put in it, all while wearing a knit-browed expression and a starkly concerned expression that was turned fleetingly to Cassidy in between gathering this and that.

Cassidy*Others

Once she'd hung up the phone, Cass broke into a pattern of slightly frenzied but nevertheless tightly-controlled action, moving quickly to the closet and taking down a bag, packing it quickly and efficiently with several comfortable, loose fitting outfits of her own and a couple of Johann's, even though she knew it might be a while before he'd be permitted to wear his own things. That done, she moved for the dresser, where they'd long ago assigned Lanny a drawer for some of his basic things when it had become clear that his stay was becoming long term, and hefted out a couple of sets of his beloved t-shirts and jeans, as well as the gray and purple gang hoodie, with the mind that it might be cold at the hospital. This might have been a little overkill, but she didn't know how long they would be at the hospital, and she suspected with the threat to Raine that Lanny would not leave the two of them alone to stay with Johann, so she at least wanted to have some clean clothes for him to change into. That done, she grabbed a few bath essentials, and after packing those neatly into a ziploc bag and tossing them in on top, she moved for the living room, picking up a few small toys and Raine's blanket, for the purpose of keeping the infant entertained while they stayed in the hospital. It wasn't until she had bent to pick up a small stuffed elephant that she seemed to hear Lanny, and answered quietly, "Car wreck. He'd just barely gotten into downtown. Not really sure all the details yet, because he'd just arrived and Charlotte knew to call me before anything else, but for one thing, some part of the steering column's gone straight through one of his shoulders." She paused, and zipped the bag, laying it unceremoniously on the couch and bending to take up the car seat and unbuckle all the restraints, which she usually kept buckled to keep Raine from messing with them and getting various parts of her trapped in them. "Is her diaper bag in there?"

Laurence Zelkovii

Once Lanny had finished helping Cassidy with packing enough belongings, he was back at Raine crib and gently scooping the infant up. "I'll let James know." Lanny let out a low breath of surprise, trying to keep quiet as he was manuvering Raine in his arms as deftly as possible, wanting to let her sleep as long as he could. Lanny knelt down beside the carseat and worked on getting her settled into it and fastened in, "Yeah, I got it." The young man's voice was a murmur. "So they don't know what happened?" It hadn't yet crossed his mind that this was any more than an accident.

Cassidy*Others

She was far enough into her nap now that ordinarily Raine would have been a limp thing in his arm, fully enthralled in the hold of sleep, but the ringing of the telephone had disturbed her some, despite her father's best efforts to soothe her and Cass' prompt action to silence the noise itself, and so she wasn't as still as she might have been. She didn't wake - but she certainly stirred with a frown and a whine, and offered him a small fist to connect with his chest in an ever-strengthening thump before she waved her other hand erratically in a groping motion, and finally lay still again in his embrace. For her part, Cass barely heard Lanny's assurance that he'd call and let his brother know about the accident, which would inevitably see the usual security detail set up at the hospital - she hadn't even had time to dread the thought of going willingly to that hated place, after having been released from there only a few months ago; she was focused upon only one thing - her uncle, her father-figure, was injured, and she had to get to him. Finished with her quick packing, she scooted back into the bedroom long enough to take up her key ring and confirm that Lanny had Raine before she headed for the door, explaining, "Charlotte was on her way to surgery with him when she called - I wasn't going to press her for details. But you better believe that the first thing on my list after getting there will be getting some answers. If he's-" With heavily-disguised fear to drive her, it hadn't taken her long to reach the bottom flight of the stairs and open the door to the parking lot, but there she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the silver truck in the lot in front of the complex - and the very prominently-empty space directly next to it. "Dammit," she swore, quietly and first, and then louder, "Dammit! That old bastard lied to me! Promises he's gonna look after himself, and then takes my car, deliberately!" If Lanny hadn't been just behind her with the sleeping infant, this would have been the point where she would have thrown one of her blades to vent some of her temper, but with them in the area, she wasn't going to risk hitting them, even if she was a good enough hand at it that there was absolutely no risk of either of them getting the least bit injured. "He knew this was going to happen, and so he deliberately takes my car; dammit, he knows not to draw fire like that!"

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny went about speaking in quiet, hushing words to the infant when she stirred, trying to get her calmed again and doing a fairly good job of being soothing despite the adrenalin and high emotions that were being re-worked through him. It didn't take too long to get her safely fastened, and with the infant carseat carried in one hand, he had the diaper bag in the other and was following Cassidy out into the hallway and down the flights of stairs to go outside. "If he was worried about an attack, he should have at least told me! We could have had backup for him." The young man was caught up enough in surprise and worry that the anger didn't sound very loudly in his voice, but he was still dismayed enough to speak in the same sort of frustration that Cassidy was. After looking fleetingly around at the parking lot, he flashed his eyes between the silver truck and his bronco. "We can take his car or mine. And if this a deliberate attack, I'm not leaving without getting another weapon." He knew guns wouldn't be permitted in the hospital, but for the car ride there, he'd at least feel safer with one.

Cassidy*Others

Cass shook her head and swore again, more quietly but still more intently under her breath. "You know how he is about those sources of his... he would have never let you send anyone with him. And if you'd ordered him into it, he'dve lost 'em quick on the roads; he was born and raised around here, and ran with the gang actively for years in his youth - he knows these lands and hills better than most of our boys, I promise you. He'd have shaken them." She didn't sound happy about that, but it was a fact that had to be acknowledged, since her own vehicle - a small jeep that a certain blue eyed manipulator had once presented her with in exchange for her silence - was distinctly gone from the parking lot. "The strike wasn't meant for him; it was meant for me and Raine. And the other thing too is that the Jeep's steering wheel sits lower - if he'dve taken his own truck, the bit of steering column would have likely missed him completely." She hesitated now, thinking over whether it would be wiser to take Lanny's car or her uncle's; if, theoretically, she was the target, then taking her uncle's car could be a definite temptation for whomever had wrecked into Johann, who had undoubtedly discovered by now that it hadn't been Cass in the vehicle... but on the other hand, there was an equal chance that they expected Lanny to be driving her, since it was pretty general knowledge that they'd been going everywhere together, lately. Finally, she decided, "I'll drive," and hefted the keys, headed for the silver truck. "At least this one's armored - your Bronco can't say that."

Laurence Zelkovii

"It would have been better than him going alone. At least until he was outo of town." Lanny protested, but didn't attempt to pursue the issue since it was a moot point at this time, and he could appreciate the fact that Cassidy was in no mood or state of mind to argue about things now. The young man stood where he was while scanning the area still, instinctively looking for anything out of the ordinary, and in particular, any suspicious people he might spot. These new events made him feel suddenly vulnerable, and greatly heightened his fear of Raine and Cassidy's welbeing. "If that's really the case, then you're going to be doing as little traveling as possible until we hunt down these people. I'll have Tyler go downtown and speak with the police, see what information they've got from the crash, and see if that leads us to anyone." And giving in to her choice of vehicles, Lanny adjusted his hold on Raine's carseat and headed towards the silver truck. As much as he preferred to drive, a pair of free hands would give him better aim of a gun.

Cassidy*Others

"When I get there," Cass hissed between clenched teeth as she tossed the bags in the back of the truck and moved to hop into the driver's seat, "The first thing he's getting, aside from his check over, is a good piece of my mind, I promise you that." She shook her head emphatically, and let out a few low curse words, which were partially muffled by the crank of the engine as she started the vehicle. "We'll discuss my wanderings later - right now, we've got hospital duty." And, waiting only for Lanny to secure Raine's seat and get himself into place, she backed out and tore away with a squeal of abused rubber, driving with great care because the infant was in the car, but also very fast because of her worry.

Laurence Zelkovii

Practiced enough with the carseat by this point, it didn't take him too long to get it fastened in to the passenger seat, facing backwards. That meant that he had to squeeze in over the carseat and fit himself in the center between her and Cassidy, but it was the only way to get the seat safely secured. "I'll call James on the way, and let him know what's going on. We'll get a guard or two stationed." Lanny braced himself against the quick acceleration, and as promised, flipped the phone out of his pocket and went about dialing numbers.