Lanny & Others

Across the from the field and the cluttered trailer that had become Conan's home, Lanny was sitting in his bronco on a gravel drive. The lane was out of immediate sight of any houses, with the rolling field to one side, and a short stand of timber and a steep ravine on the other. If any trouble came up, a quick dash through the field would have them back to their vehicles, and hopefully driving off before anyone could spot them.

Killing the headlights, Lanny turned the engine off and checked his watch again. It was just now getting dark, to where they'd have to be careful crossing over the field, but it would at least give them decent cover.

Cassidy

It was a minute or two before Johann's silver truck pulled up alongside the Bronco; it had been decided that, as long as she was pregnant, Cass would have use of this vehicle because it was an old military truck, and bullet-proof, and thus much safer for her than her little car. She'd driven the last mile or so without headlights, knowing the terrain well enough that she didn't need them, and now as she got out of the truck and quietly shut the door, she trained her eyes on the trailer. She was dressed tonight in two shades of gray - not her best color, but easily the most beneficial one, when one was attempting to sneak up on a trailer in the half-light of dusk. And she'd been wise enough to exchange her usual high-heels for a pair of flats, which had no straps or buckles and which she could easily slip off hands-free if she needed to move quickly.

In the trailer itself, Conan was just finishing up the last of the dishes, a task which he'd long ago insisted on taking up. As long as he was staying here sheerly on the Wallock's hospitality, he felt the need to make himself useful, and did so in doing whatever chores he was capable of, including helping Summer to water the many plants that graced the home. His outline was clearly visible in the window that hung over the sink as he turned back and signed something... and then put aside the last of the plates in order to move away from the window; Cassidy checked her watch, and then asked Lanny, "About when does Randy go to sleep at night?" It was kind of putting Lanny on the spot, but he'd spent so much time with the toddler that she figured he would know Raimi's habits.

Lanny & Others

"I bet Johann's a little more approving of this outfit than the last, huh?" Lanny chuckled as he got out of his own vehicle and took a stance near Cassidy. His own clothes were the exact same he'd had on at the Café, with the only difference being that his hood was now up, covering all but his face a the bangs that peeked down as the reached for his eyebrows. Dropping his little jest, Lanny moved into a more serious tone, given the question some thought without letting himself show any sign of emotion just yet, "That depended on Sheryl, mostly... if she wasn't taking him out to the bar, he was usually in bed by eight or so. Hey, there he is... I think..." Lanny squinted his eyes across the distance before nodding, "That's gotta be Conan."

Cassidy*Others

Cass had to offer her own quiet laugh in answer to the joke; certainly, the long sleeves on her top and the thicker materials were better suited to the cold night air than had been her camisole of the night before. But just as quickly, she was all business, and whispering, "Then he's probably getting ready to put him down soon - getting him a bath and what not. They've probably already had supper. Which means that probably... Conan and Randy will be in the bathroom, and Summer and Collin either in the livingroom or bedroom, at this time. And the bathroom's at the other end of the house, between the two smaller bedrooms." Thinking over the floor-plans that she had pulled up while Johann was in the shower, she offered this out, so that they would be aware of where the members of the family likely were, at this point.

And indeed, as he turned away from window, Conan was headed for the living room to collect his brother. The toddler had been playing on the floor with a couple of odds and ends, which consisted of everything from a small board-book on shapes and colors to the box of tissue from the end table, and now his elder brother scooped him up, signing his apologies to Summer as he indicated it was bath time for the toddler.

Lanny & Others

He watched what windows were visible to him, seeing Conan retreat from the kitchen sink, and another slender frame take up his place - Summer was draining water from the sink and starting to put the dishes away after Conan had washed them. She'd turned to sign back to the boy, speaking out loud at the same time to thank him for the help, before she went on with her work. Soon enough, a light at the opposite end of the house went on - Collin was in the master bedroom, leaving the two adults accounted for.

"I think it's dark enough that we can take a closer look." He offered, moving forward through the snow-flattened grasses as he advanced on the house. A scant few trees and leafless bushes along the edge of the field would offer the two enough of a shield from most eyes, especially as the darkness closed in more securely around them. "There we are... the bathroom light's on." He paused at the edge of the fence that separated them from the yard, "If we rush in there, one of us can hold off the Wallocks, and the other can go after Conan."

Cassidy*Others

Cass' eyes were flashing back and forth between the image of the woman at the window, the light in the master bedroom, and the one that suddenly lit in the bathroom. As Cass and Lanny drew closer, they might just barely hear the sound of a low, rumbly hum over the splash of water running into the tub, accounting for Conan, and a high-pitched squeal that was Raimi's delight as his brother plopped him into the water with a small set of toy boats. Revealing nothing as to any feeling about these sounds, Cass whispered to Lanny, "You take weasel-boy... you can meet him on even ground, range-wise. I can hold off the hippies."

Lanny & Others

Feeling entirely safe that Cassidy would come to little or no harm facing off against the adults, his usual grin returned to accompany a nod. "Lets do this." Taking the pistol from it's holster tucked against his side, Lanny stepped with utmost caution over a stretch of the barbed wire fencing that had been partially collapsed by a fallen limb. After clearing that, a quick sprint had him at the door, waiting only long enough to make sure Cassidy was at his side before he barged through the two flimsy doors. Neither of which were locked.

Seeing no sign of the liger at a first glance, he quickly assumed the massive hybrid had been transfered out to the 'bachelor pad' of a house that Greg lived in with his friends. He didn't take any more time than that to dally, as he crossed the living room in two quick strides and charged down the hall. Gun drawn, he made a swift kick at the bathroom door, swinging his gun up into position as he aimed to catch Conan off guard.

Cassidy*Others

Keeping right behind Lanny as the two of them charged toward the house, Cassidy slipped a dagger into each of her hands just as the splintering of wood and the protest of the metal screen indicated that he'd broken his way inside. Instantly, she ducked behind him and swooped around the otherwise, efficiently making her way over to Summer at the sink, blades fixed to hold the older woman at bay as she hissed, "Back up. And be quick about it." And whether the woman complied without protest, or whether Cassidy had to apply a couple of practiced blows with her feet, she began to attempt to steer Summer back toward the master bedroom door, where she would be in Collin's way if he tried to come out and find out the source of the noise. This would also serve the purpose of preventing her from having to fight on two fronts - with Summer at the sink and Collin in the bedroom, one of them would be behind her back if she did not quickly corral them together.

Conan responded almost instantly at the sound of the front door being battered open; without notice, he was on his feet, pulling the shower doors closed in front of Raimi to keep the toddler relatively safe as he scrabbled about the room, looking for a weapon. But all he had time to grab, before Lanny bashed this door open as easily as the first two, was one item... as he quickly stood up and faced off with the younger Zelkovii, his only weapon was a plunger. It took a second or two to calm his racing heart, and when he had, the boy struggled out, "What... you doin' 'ere? Where's... Wallock?"

Lanny & Others

The sound of a plate shattering against the ground as slipped from Summer's grasp added to the burst of noise and drama that suddenly took the tiny home by storm. The woman muffled a shriek of terror, putting a hand to her mouth as her widened eyes shot from Cassidy to Lanny, making his way for the bathroom. "Conan!" Calling out his name in a sharp tone, Summer took a few quick steps back when she was faced with a duel set of blades, leaving no need for her attacker to offer her any persuasive kicks. "We don't want trouble with anyone." She began, her voice a little weak as she continued to back up. Collin was just setting about some clothes when all the ruckus broke out. By the time he'd scrambled around the side of the bed and opened the door, his wife was already being backed towards him. Taking her by the shoulders, he guided Summer hurriedly behind him and stood solidly in the doorway, "If you're looking for money, I can tell you right now you're not going to find much here." Cool brown eyes showed none of the fear that his otherwise paling face revealed, "Mb" Easily accepting the lost of items over the risk of harm to his family, he didn't yet realize that Conan and Raimi were on their list of 'things to take'.

Not wanting to put himself too near Conan yet, Lanny planted himself in the doorway much as Collin was currently doing, blocking off the boy's immediate escape. "We've come to take back what's our." The seriousness in his pose and voice was deflected only by a snort of amusement when he saw what Conan was left for with a weapon, "You're a smart kid, Conan - we can end this with both of you still alive, or... I can do my gang the favor of riding the world of one more Carlyle."

Cassidy

Cassidy didn't protest when Collin guided Summer protectively behind him; they weren't here to hurt either of the Wallocks unless they proved troublesome. Instead of offering any sort of information, she murmured quietly and calmly, "Keep it quiet and don't try anything, and nobody gets hurt." She offered that as she played off of Collin's belief that they were here to rob the home, rather than to take some of the people. "This'll all be over soon enough if the two of you keep it quiet. Sit back and relax - this might take a second." She flicked a blade briefly in Collin's direction, where it collided with the wall a few inches from the man with a dramatic thud that was meant more to frighten than to hurt anyone, and she quickly had another in her palm, eyeing the man up as if to say, 'Want to try me?'

Conan didn't give any ground apparently unfrightened of the pistol that Lanny was pointing at him. He didn't answer the intruder right away, but lifted his voice to call out in answer to Summer's scream. "We're... al-right." He managed, fighting out the latter word with difficulty and having to work past how his voice tried to crack as he raised it. "Stay pu-ut, they... don' want... you." Not seeming to care if Lanny chose to discipline him for this, Conan had his plunger crossed defensively over his body, and lowered his voice to speak to Lanny in a low hiss of hatred. "You can't... have... Raimi."

Lanny & Others

Summer had to stifle another scream when the knife was thrown, bringing to life a serious of fine, almost non-existent little wrinkles about her eyes as they reflected the panic at seeing a knife wielded at her husband. Collin jumped a little too, nostrils flaring slightly as his vitals spiked in response to a new inflow of adrenaline. "It's ok honey, they-" The quiet-spoken man had stopped to hear Conan's voice in the background, and something about the way the red-head spoke triggered a red flag in his mind. "What are you here for?" Though he was in no position to be demanding, his words had a certain flare to them.

"Unless you want to explain to Greg why his parents were shot dead tonight, I'd suggest you shut your mouth!" Laurence hissed back with equal hatred, his face twisting into something ugly and drastically different from how it tended to look. "Put the plunger down before I make you." The hammer was cocked back, still aimed pointedly at Conan.

Cassidy*Others

Taking a step closer to Collin where he stood bravely in the door, Cass offered in a low, pseudo-sweet voice, "I don't believe I gave permission to play parlour-games, dear... enough of twenty questions. I understand you've got a toddler in residence - maybe he could persuade you to play the quiet game." The sneaky threat against Raimi, though goodness knew that Cassidy, of all people, would never carry it out, was meant to further frighten and gain cooperation.

Conan's face remained almost even as he faced off with Lanny; his features were clear and calm, his stance defensive but not overly-aggressive, his words logical. Only the fire in the back of his eyes and the hiss in his strained words revealed something deeper going on. And though he didn't answer Lanny's words immediately, neither did he put the plunger down. "You can't... have Raimi," he repeated, more firmly as he adjusted his grip on the plunger's wooden handle. "Guns don't... not fear guns," he managed, after trying to produce 'Guns don't frighten me' and failing with the larger word. "Not fear... death," he went on, still squaring up against the armed older man and finishing, "Try... again."

Laurence Zelkovii

"Don't you hurt him!" Summer stepped forward, to be stopped by the wiry arm of her husband before she could get anywhere, "Don't you dare!" Collin continued to stare at Cassidy, even as he dropped his voice in a light whisper to speak with his wife, "She's not going to hurt Raimi. No one is hurting anyone tonight." The last part was offered a little louder, though that's as much as he dared say against Cassidy right now.

"Fear's not going to work with you, is it?" Lanny spat out in a grimly thoughtful sort of way, "Then I guess I'll have to try other methods." Trying to keep the situation escalading too far and getting past his control, Lanny slid forward with little warning, swinging the front of the gun down for Conan's inner shoulder, trying to drop the teen to the ground and catch him by surprise.

Cassidy*Others

Seeing that she got a rise out of Summer was all Cassidy needed to reinforce her feeling of safety; having a definite reaction to her manipulation gave her a feeling of power. So she offered Summer a smile that was pleasant and terrifying at the same time. "Hurt the little guy? Oh heavens, no... did I say that? He's kind of cute, for all of that." She offered that in a sickeningly-sweet tone, while that unsettling smile moved from Collin's passive defensive of his wife to her frantic, mother-like fury over the threat to Raimi.

Cassidy had spoken truly - Conan just sucked at melee. Without his gun, he wasn't defenseless, as he had proven the time Lanny had attacked he and summer at the Night Club when they'd gone in for breakfast, but he wasn't nearly as agile and well-trained as he was in every other area. There was a thunderous crash as Conan tumbled - right into the panes of the shower doors, splintering the glass and sending it crashing down on Conan, who landed sprawled across the edge of the tub. Now Raimi, who'd been quietly whimpering the whole time, screamed with all the volume his tiny lungs could muster, alternately calling for 'Ras-Ras', 'Summmmm' and 'Collie', the three main people in his life that he saw as reassuring. The child was unharmed, but his fear at seeing blood welling on Conan's arms from being smash through the panes made him reflexively ask for someone to look after him. It wasn't until after this that he spotted Lanny, and cut off his cries to cuddle against Conan, who was just beginning to shake his head side to side as he recovered, and began to whine tearfully. "Laneeeeee noooooo..."

Laurence Zelkovii

At this point, Laurence would have moved forward to further assault Conan or at least keep him subdued, but there was on thing that held him at bay - Raimi. Here was one time that emotions did greatly impact him, and to his surprise, he found himself almost frozen in place after he'd turned his gun back on Conan, hammer cocked back again and prepared. "It's alright Randy. Come here, Randy, come see Uncle Lanny..." Trying to provide a sweet tone, Lanny did his best to entice the toddler towards him.

The sound of crashing bodies and screaming from Raimi was too much. Summer lunged forward, breaking out of Collin's hold and doing her best to shove past Cassidy, regardless of whether she had a knife or not. Collin made a hasty attempt to stop her, but was moved just as much by the sound of fighting at the squeal from Raimi. He wasn't about to strike out and punch a girl, so the man did the next best thing - he charged forward a split second later, aiming wildly to grab at Cassidy's knife-arm and keep her from hurting his wife.

Cassidy*Others

At this moment in time, there was nothing that Raimi would have more liked to do than to go see Lanny, where he knew from experience that the young man would hold him and be comforting. But there was the small matter of his brother... torn between wanting to be comforted and wanting to comfort, Raimi quieted his wails, but though he looked longingly toward Lanny and shuffled a little his way, he just as quickly shuffled back toward his brother, obviously unsure what to do, tears still rolling down his cheeks. He was still calling out names, though Lanny had now been added to the mix.

Cass hadn't been prepared for the crashing sound, but before she could call out to be sure that Lanny was okay, Summer was charging forward, and there was a heavy grip on her arm. Reacting out of the kind of reflex that was triggered when anyone touched her arms, Cassidy shifted her weight and her knife abruptly towards Collin, and didn't particularly care whether he simply fell back or got stabbed in the process - her objective was to give herself the needed counterweight to stay upright as she moved to trip Summer. Whether or not this particular move succeeded, she was quickly moving in a violent twist that would hopefully break Collin's grip on her arm and allow her to jump back and get the two of them back under control.

Lanny & Others

With the situation such a delicate one, chiefly because he could afford to hurt Conan and risk losing Raimi's trust in him, Lanny crouched down a little where he stood, "Come on now, Randy, it's ok. Wanna go see Sheryl? And James? That sounds fun, doesn't it?" He continued to entice, while creeping forward and reaching one hand out slowly towards the tub, while the other continued to train the gun on Conan.

"Conan! Raim-" A foot swept her off her balance, sending the woman crashing down before she could rightly finish calling out. Collin fared little better, having flinched back when the knife came at him, and twisted as he did so to miss the blade - mostly luck than anything else. Staggering back from the shove, Collin called out to Conan as tried to right himself, and this time around, he didn't make a second attack against Cassidy just yet.

Cassidy*Others

The poor child was reaching the tipping point now, his breath coming more and more wetly and the tears coming faster as he looked between Conan and Lanny. Finally, he seemed to make up his mind, and took a couple of steps in Lanny's direction... and was cut off short when his brother's bloodied arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him protectively close. Still half-stunned, the elder boy couldn't begin to get up or answer the frantic Wallocks just yet. He only had room in his aching head for one thought - Lanny couldn't take Raimi away from him again.

"Get up," was Cassidy's brief instruction to Summer as she flipped a second knife into her free hand and directed it toward the woman to impress upon her that she needed to obey. "Move," she told Collin, flicking the point of her blade to indicate that he ought to resume his former position in the door after his wife had moved back into the room. "I told you folks - keep it quiet and keep still, and nobody gets hurt." At the same time she called without turning around, "Got it, Lanny?"

Lanny & Others

Fingers clenched tightly around the gun, turning his knuckles white as he thought about the various paths he could take. Shooting the kid in the shoulder might work, and then grabbing Raimi - but then he'd have a hysterical toddler on his hands, and worse yet, one that might suddenly be afraid of him. Lanny inched a little closer still, switching his eyes from one brother to the other, "Alright, Conan - lets try something different." The young man paused long enough to shout back to Cassidy, "Got it.", and then focused on the teen, "We'll leave you and your little family in peace if you help me with something. All I need is a bit of information - the location of your father."

Trying to hold back a frightened sob, Summer's bravdo fizzled out as she realized she couldn't possibly make it to the other side of the house so long as Cassidy was there to stop her. Nodding her head feebly, the woman backed up and stood, scooting back towards her husband. Collin, who's eyes were fixated on Cassidy, turned his voice to a low whisper, saying something to Summer that even she had to strain to hear.

Cassidy*Others

The moment Conan grabbed him, Raimi had burrowed in against the teen's shirt, hiding his face from view and his tiny arms wrapped tightly around Conan's neck in a way that was likely just a little bit uncomfortable. As Lanny inched closer, the teen seemed to recover a little more, enough so that he shifted til his body was completely blocking Raimi from sight, turning Conan's broad back toward the gun. The toddler was still whimpering quietly, but Conan didn't have the needed attention to devote to soothing the kid... his ears were perked to Lanny's words. Struggling to think around pain and a grudging amount of instinctive fear at knowing that Lanny would like nothing more than to see him dead, Conan had to pause before he could manage to speak, and his words were more strained and slurred than normal. "Dunno w'ere tha'... bas'ard is. Yer... askn the... wron' fella..."

Cassidy wouldn't let her relief at hearing Lanny's voice, strong and unaltered, show on her face; she had known perfectly well that, though the teen was likely to be unarmed, if he was bathing his brother, he was still a fast-thinking fellow, and he stood quite a bit taller and weighed more than the stream-lined Zelkovii, so she'd been a little worried. But her distraction with that didn't keep her from noticing how Collin's lips moved as he murmured to Summer. "Ah-ah-ah... no secrets, now," she murmured, while taking a couple of steps closer and raising her blades to chin-height on each of them. "If you've got something to say, dear, you can share it with the whole class." But her guard was up now, despite her flippant words - now she was thinking that Collin and Summer meant to try a more subtle way of getting past her, and she was ready for it.

Lanny & Others

Patience were starting to wear dangerously thin in the young man, with his clear eyes muddied by the look of deep-seeded loathing. Fingers flexed around the gun a little more, but he still didn't shoot. "That's not the answer I'm after." Not sure if he could call Conan's words a bluff, or whether he was telling the truth, Lanny pressed him for compliance "I'll give you to the count of three to come up with something a little more useful..."

The couple froze, with Summer standing slight in front of her husband's right side. Collin held his breath as he attempted to move his right arm as deftly as possible, reaching fingers for his pocket where he could try his luck with his cellphone. If only he could press the right speed-dial... The woman, holding enough common sense in all of her panic, spoke up as a means of distraction, "Like we said, take what you want here and leave. Please, just don't hurt anyone."

Cassidy*Others

Quickly losing his patience and his control as Raimi kept crying and Lanny kept threatening, Conan allowed his eyes to close, since his back was to Lanny and the older man couldn't see him doing it. He took the space of a breath to calm himself again, and then spoke quietly. "Han' me a tow-l... he'll casssssssh...." His words trailed off into something that was almost impossible to understand, and his frustration showed in how the hand that wasn't holding Raimi clenched tightly before he finished, "...cold."

Summer's words caught Cassidy's attention and her redoubled sneer, but her attention was not completely off of Collin - as she shifted her gaze to the woman, she tilted the point of her blade up and applied pressure with it at the underside and back of Collin's chin, where the tip would dig in painfully, and draw blood if he weren't very careful how he moved. But she didn't notice, just yet, that his hand was moving for his pocket - her eyes were on Summer. "I've explained the rules thoroughly enough, I think. You both know what you have to do to make it so that those boys come out of there alive. So do it!"

Lanny & Others

Almost any other order would have been met with a callous laugh or outright refusal, but Raimi's welfare was pretty high in Lanny's mind. The young man hesitated before giving a low huff of frustrated annoyance, moving cautiously in a side-step so that he could reach for a nearby towel handing on its rack. "Here Randy, come over to Uncle Lanny." Despite the hostility in his eyes, Lanny's voice once again softened to offer the youngster a more assuring tone. "We can get you dried off and dressed up. How's that sound?" Almost taunting Conan, Lanny didn't offer the towel to him, but used it as bait to lure Raimi towards him.

Collin swallowed faintly, not daring to do much more than that as he tilted his head back a smidgen to try and ease the pressure of the blade against his skin. "We're not going against you, lady. We're complying." He breathed out tensely, as fingers slid carefully across the top of the phone and struggled to flip it open. Hoping their captor didn't hear the muffled tone of the phone turning on, Collin felt along the keys, mentally drawing to mind their placement as he poked at the ones that would send an instant call to their police friend.

Cassidy*Others

Conan's arm tightened a little more around the child as Lanny spoke to him, a silent message that he didn't want the little guy to leave. But again the poor kid was lost between two choices - bathtime with Conan and bathtime with Lanny were equally fun, and he trusted them equally... and at the moment, Lanny had a nice, warm, fluffy towel. After looking again between the two young men, Raimi turned his gaze to Lanny - the little brown eyes held more wisdom than his two years should have allowed him as he told the gun-wielding man firmly, "No hurt my Ras-Ras," and, after pausing to be certain that Lanny understood - stepped over to him. Conan was stunned, and woudned to the heart that Raimi had apparently chosen Lanny over him... he was wordless.

In the living area, Cass didn't offer Collin much breathing room, continuing to press subtly up on the blade to force him to tilt his head back even further, seeming to enjoy how he instinctively backed away from the blade's point. She didn't understand the sound of the phone powering up at first, but it got her eyes moving - and then they caught Collin's hand in his pocket. Moving with a blinding speed, she dropped the blade from the man's throat down to his arm, putting as much pressure as she could into the slash she aimed at the offending forearm and wrist while keeping her other blade pointed at Summer and moving the point just a little closer. As she did this, she hollered, "Lanny! Forget the kid's and let's go! Happy boy's dialed the enforcement!"

Lanny & Others

He had to struggle to adopt his facade into a more friendly one, and it was made even easier when Raimi took up his offer and headed his way. Beating back the leering grin that wanted to spread at his victory over Conan, Lanny instead crouched down to the boy's height as he draped the blanket over Raimi, then hauled the kid up in one arm as best as he could. "I won't hurt Ras-Ras. We're just going to visit Sheryl and James for a while." Talking gently to the boy, Lanny tilted his next words towards mockery as he spoke, "I'll be in contact, Conan. You'd be wise to figure out more about your father in that time." He didn't have the space to say much more, for Cassidy was hollering at him, earning a hearty curse from the young man. "Let's go!" Shouting this back, he stepped back out of the bathroom and bolted the short distance towards the front door, all but leaping through the busted frame, and waiting just outside to make sure Cassidy was following.

Giving a howl of alarm and pain, Collin staggered back and reached instinctively for his bleeding arm, while Summer screamed in terror at seeing the red swell from her husband's arm. "Collin!" Driven back to mindless panic, she grabbed the man and tried to guide him backwards in a few sharp tugs, not bothering to account for the blade, and not seeing Lanny dart by in the background with his precious cargo.

Cassidy*Others

For the space of the time it took Lanny to scoop the child up and get him settled, Conan seemed to be frozen in time. He didn't dare turn around and try to catch his brother's eye, not because he feared being shot but because he didn't think he could bear to see the toddler as he cuddled his eyes and face against Lanny. The older brother kept his face turned away so that the older man couldn't see the pain, more emotional than physical, that flooded his face - it wasn't until Summer screamed again that he seemed to come out of his stupor and realize that Lanny had gone, and taken the toddler with him. And it was then that he managed to stagger to his feet, despite his newly-bloodied arms and bruised mid-section, his only thought being to head for the living room and stop whatever was causing that sort of terror in Summer.

Cassidy remained guarded as she felt more than saw Lanny pass behind her - she didn't try to stop Summer from dragging Collin backward, since their attention was decently occupied. And her attention was soon occupied as Conan barrelled into the room; all he saw was Cassidy, whom he hated, pointing weapons at Collin and Summer, whom he was slowly learning to care about, and that was all the information he needed. In one swipe of a kick, he had one blade out of Cassidy's hand, and in another quick move, had himself between the pair and their attacker. He was fuming - but his pacifist leanings wouldn't let him hurt the young woman any more than Collin or Lanny would have. But that didn't keep his voice from being a frightening rumble of hatred as he spat, "Get... out." Faintly surprised at Conan's guts, when she had always known him to be a submissive, quiet boy, Cassidy decided not to take him up on the challenge he was making by standing between her and her prey - she simply grabbed up her knives and backed off out into the night. "Let's go, Lanny... we're done here."

Conan didn't relax, even when he heard the rumble of Cassidy's truck-engine turning over - he remained stiff and wordless with his back to Collin and Summer, his eyes following the shadow of Lanny and the smaller one of his little brother as they moved away from him.

Lanny & Others

Once Cassidy was outside, that's all Lanny needed to see before he took off running for the field, stuffing the pistol back in its holster so that he could devote two arms in holding Raimi. In all their haste to get away before the cops showed up, there was no time to get the boy anything but the towel he was already wrapped in. Springing over the fence and staggering wildly before catching his balance on the other side, Lanny bolted across the snowy terrain, until he'd reached the bronco and hastily stuffed Raimi in the passenger's seat. Shedding his bunnyhug, leaving just a plain white T underneath, Lanny draped this over the toddler next, to help keep him warm until they could get proper clothes for him. "You wanna follow me back to my place?" After starting his own vehicle, he leaned through the window to question Cassidy, trying to set a rendezvous before he went anywhere.

"Ryan's coming." Collin breathed out, more than a little shaken by the attack and the suddenness of it all. Sheryl had gone from wrapping a length of dish towel around her husband's arm to setting a badly shaking hand on Conan's shoulder, watching faintly as the intruders made a get away. "Are you hurt at all- oh sweety..." The blood made it quiet apparent that Conan was hurt as well, but before Summer could begin to react to all of these things, her mind flickered to thoughts of Raimi, "Where's he? Where's Raimi?" Wisping past the men, she sprinted towards the bathroom.

Cassidy*Others

Raimi had made a choice... and he wasn't sure he was happy with it. Even at two years of age, the little guy had seen enough - between living with a gang for four months and having been twice kidnapped, not to mention watching Conan frequently come home injured - to have a greater knowledge of the world than any child his age had reason to have. He'd chosen to go with Lanny on two sets of grounds - one, he liked Lanny, and missed 'Shay-Shay' and 'Jaaaaasssss', and two - he understood, in his own, child-like way, that if he went with Lanny, Conan wouldn't get hurt anymore. The concept wasn't concrete in the toddler's mind, but those were his reasons - but still they didn't keep him from cuddling into the bunnyhug Lanny popped over his head and filling the fabric with his silent little tears. Cassidy didn't seem to notice that though, as she nodded to indicate she'd follow Lanny home and moved to turn the truck around.

Conan might have answered Summer's intial question, but when her understandably over-sensitive mothering instincts made her ask after Raimi, the teen closed down completely. He turned partially away from Collin and fought back another expression of grief and anguish as Summer darted past him for the bathroom... it was a moment or two before he mastered himself and headed for his bag back in his room, wherein lay what remained of his stores of his and Aralyn's medical supplies. Coming back into the room with this, Conan disregarded his own moderate wounds and knelt down beside Collin, initiating touch with the man for the first time since he'd come to stay here as he began to stop the bleeding and clean up the wound with an expertise that would have been surprising to them - he'd never told them about his work with Aralyn in treating the wolves and dogs that came frequently to the farm while the Lady had been alive. But even as he worked over Collin's arm, he was wordless, both in speech and in his fingers - he didn't offer anything, nor did he respond if Collin tried to protest treatment. He just kept on working.

Summer & Collin

Summer was just coming to realize that Raimi was taken, while Collin was sitting patiently and doing what he could to quell the negative feelings rising in him. There was a great urgency that told him to get up and chase after the two, once he realized by his wife's anguished calling that Raimi was taken - but he was smart enough to know that he would be shot or gunned down before he ever got Raimi back on his own. The safest route to take was to wait for Ryan to arrive, and have his assistance in solving the matter. In the meantime, he allowed for Conan's treatment, while trying to call Summer over to them both, so that he might try to talk her down from her panic.

Conan

Now that Raimi was gone and the immediate threat vanished from the home, a strange calm had worked its way over Conan - he knew half of it was a subtle form of shock, but the other half was a cold feeling that was descending over him. Raimi had abandoned him, it seemed... Conan's family was disbanded, now. His face leveled out and stayed even as he finished up mending Collin's wound as best he could, and then he abruptly left the man, heading back toward the bathroom to fetch Summer, feeling not only that they would do well to wait together for Ryan's arrival, but also feeling that her husband would best be able to comfort her, and he needed to bring the woman to Collin. So with that in mind, he stopped briefly by his room again and fetched one of his smaller guns, tucking that into the waistband of his jeans before ducking into the bathroom and reaching one hand out for Summer. He still didn't say anything in either of his languages, and he seemed to have forgotten his own cuts, but as he had broken the touch barrier with Collin, so he did now with Summer as he reached for her shoulder with a soft touch. He'd learned to accept her touches, over the past few months - a brush of fingers here and there over his arm as he handed Raimi off to her, or a soft press against his shoulder as they finished with one of their many hash-out sessions. But this marked the first time he'd reached out for her - apparently, he was full of first steps today.

Summer & Collin

Collin was a little too lost in thought to make immediate note of Conan's unheard of touch, but he'd likely come around later to see just how profound a move it was from the scarred and touchy teen. Summer was likewise in a state where she didn't initially see the touch as the profound step it was, but enough of her usual self was intact so that she reacted gently to it. Even panicked as she was, she didn't flinch away or spin around sharply; she turned her head vaguely and gave a weak smile, seeming to understand what he wanted whether or not he said anything at all. The blood further drew her back to reality as she stepped from the bathroom, talking in a voice that would have been entirely soothing if not for the way it quaked and broke, "Lets get a look at those cuts, honey. Ryan will be here soon I know-" A look to her husband confirmed that the call had gone through and she went on, "Sit over here, why don't you?"

Conan

As soon as he had Summer's attention, he let his hand fall away til it lay harmlessly at his side, as if to emphasize to her that he was a friend and not going to hurt her, as he knew her half-panicked mind had briefly told her he might, even if it was a thought that was disregarded the moment it was formed. With her successfully collected and brought down from the edge of her fear, he turned to follow her back to the kitchen. But rather than seat himself and allow her to look at his arms, which still remained the farthest thing from his mind, he moved forward into the open doorway and looked out into the night, one hand on the gun he'd tucked into his pants as he made to make sure that neither of their attackers had remained behind to pick them off.

Summer & Collin

"Come on inside, Conan." Summer tried gently, not moving to touch him right now, but just as worried about his safety as she was of Raimi's. "We'll get everything figured out, and we'll get him back. We know they won't hurt him." She was mostly trying to calm him down, speaking on what sketchy details she knew about the boy's last capture. From what she'd been given from Greg and Nadeem, the Zelkovii treated Raimi like their own, and that's what she held onto for hope.

Curring through the outlines of trees and homes, the colorful flash of police lights sparkled in the distance, accompanied by the wail of sirens. Ryan was not far off.

Conan

In response to Summer's quiet words, the teen did back up just a bit - he didn't come away from the door, but at least he was entirely back in the house again. He seemed set on keeping the two of them safe until Ryan got here, and even Summer's worry couldn't draw him away from that; particularly not as she returned to the subject of Raimi. They hadn't seen the toddler turn to Lanny back in the bathroom. He knew that Summer didn't understand that it wasn't fear for Raimi's safety that kept him at the door, but he couldn't help feeling a stab of sorrow as she referenced his brother. He couldn't come back in just yet, nor would he answer her - he kept his face pointed out into the darkness of the yard, mastering himself once again as he waited for Ryan.

Summer & Collin

Summer eventually gave up, resigning herself to the edge of the couch that was but an arm's reach from the door. Collin transfered himself to the couch next, sitting beside his wife and holding tightly to one of her hands. They spoke quietly for a moment, and whether or not they noticed the outline of the gun under Conan's clothes or not, neither one remarked on it yet.

The sirens cut off shortly before Ryan reached the lane and stepped out, leaving the lights flashing as he jogged to the house. "What happened here? Ok, Conan, you'll need to take a step back inside and let me clear the perimeter. Mr. Wall-"

"They've taken Raimi. It was the CS, I'm fairly certain." The man stood up, planting himself just behind and to the side of Conan to make himself visible to Ryan.

Conan

Conan felt a little better the moment Ryan showed up - over the months he'd stayed here, the young man had also begun to trust Officer Sohmers a little, though his natural suspicion of policemen and just men in general had kept him from growing as trusting of the other young man as he had of the Wallocks. Still, when Ryan began to hand out instructions, Conan obeyed, moving back into the house as Collin spoke to the young officer. His fingers were twitching a little as he turned away from the door and seated himself on the couch, on the opposite end from where Summer was seated, but they didn't form any words; this, more than anything, spoke of intense emotion in the teen, if he was fighting the words his fingers wanted to form.

Summer & Others

Collin and Ryan soon started trading over information, leading the police officer to contact headquarters and report the abduction; which of course would be met with flaws and delays, and no arrests as the corrupt force responded as they usually did to the CrypticSilvers. To do more than put them behind bars for a night was to ask for trouble, and to loose a significant source of money and protection from the gang.

Back inside, Summer scooted over a little closer to Conan, "Conan, honey, won't you let me look at those cuts?" She wasn't going to force him into treatment, and she certainly wasn't going to frighten him any by suggesting he go to the hospital, but she couldn't stand to sit back and leave him without treatment.

Conan*Others

By now, the flow of blood had begun to slow and dry, leaving Conan's arms a truly disturbing sight - there were tiny slivers of glass buried here and there in the wounds, along with a little dirt and some soap. He hadn't really noticed it yet - but now that the house was quieter and calmer, Summer's voice reached him, and he actually turned to look at her in confusion. It took a moment or two before her words seemed to hit home, and it was only then that he felt the sting of those slices. After a moment's pause, he shrugged indifferently and didn't move, which might have been an agreement to let her do as she pleased, but which likely was an indication of lack of interest either way.

Summer & Others

Leaving Ryan and her husband to talk, Summer moved off towards a kitchen cabinet, lingering only long enough to take up some bandages and first aid-type equipment before she was returning towards the couch. Her eyes passed briefly over the supplies that Conan already had gotten out from his own supplies, and kept her surprise to herself - and she didn't want to intrude into his stuff when she had her own. "I'll take that as a yes." Her voice was soft and quiet again, sounding far more like her normal self than might be expected. On the inside, her heart was twisted and her nerves frayed with all that had happened, with an acute worry set in for Raimi - but on the outside, she had a unique quality of projecting her more peaceful nature even when in all but the worst of turmoil. Working with skill and a deft touch, Summer began the work of gingerly removing bits of glass, and getting the arm cleaned up and ready for the bandages.

Conan

Conan held still as Summer worked over his arms, not flinching when she had to use a bit more pressure than was comfortable to get one over-stubborn shard out of one slice. It was as if he was only halfway aware of the world around him... but he came back to reality when he saw Summer's gaze drift to his own medical supplies. My sister has a talent with herbal medications, came the words as his fingers finally moved to sign again. She taught me all I know about wound care. We used to heal the injured wolves that came in at the Lady's house. I think Kate does that now. Offering out that small bit of information, the teen was silent again for a long while as she bound up each wound. It wasn't until she was almost finished that he ventured, When Collin is finished with Ryan, I need to speak to our him. He didn't say why - just that he wanted to talk to the young officer. He knew pretty well that Summer would use her influence to get Ryan to speak to him.

Summer & Others

Once satisfied that the myriad of cuts were free of glass and grit and thoroughly covered with antibiotics, the woman wrapped the arm with bits of bandages and gauze to keep the area clean. 'Listening' to his explanation, Summer's mind filtered through what second-hand information came from her own son, which had in turn come from Nadeem. This 'sister' of his was not a blood relation, but a girl that was very close to him. Yes, she knew of her - never met her personally, but had heard plenty of Aralyn from the Lady Charlene. "I've heard some about your sister, from Greg and Nadeem. Haven't met the child myself, but she sounds like a very caring girl."

Signing along with her hands as she spoke, Summer stood and returned a wordless reply, choosing instead to use just the silent language before stepping outside, 'I'll have him come inside to speak with you.' True to her words, both men were back inside within a minute, wrapping up their conversation in due time. Ryan stepped towards the couch, where he'd surely be sleeping again tonight, and stood as he spoke to the boy. "Mrs. Wallock says you wanted to speak with me?"

Conan

Now there was one surefire way to bring something resembling life back to Conan's face - talking about Aralyn. She is... he answered, and his fingers paused before he went on, You remind me of her, sometimes. In a less desperate sort of way. He admitted that freely enough as she finished wrapping up the cuts, and then fell 'silent' until Ryan came back into the room. Looking up to Summer in a wordless request for her to translate, he began moving his fingers slowly as he worked over the topic he had in mind. The lady that was here tonight - her name is Sarah Cassidy Jones. She's been with the CS for a long time. But I know her very well - for a long time, she was my brother's girlfriend. She was over at the house a lot... she has a sneaky way about her that I never liked. She can lie to you so well that you'll not only believe her words, but think her to be the most upright, innocent, sweet-natured person ever born. He was saying this, of course, without the knowledge that Ryan had earlier had contact with the girl, when the Akatsukis had attacked Ben.

At that time, Cassidy had fooled Officer Sohmers into believing that she was in shock from the attack, and gotten him to behave so gently and sweetly to her that she'd laughed over it later. He didn't realize that, in telling Ryan this, the officer would soon put two and two together. I know why they were here tonight, said the moving fingers. Lanny wanted me to tell him where my father was. I do not know where he is, but I do know why they wanted to know that. Because three years ago, Cassidy became pregnant and bore my brother Raven a son, and child she named Isaiah. He was a Carlyle, through and through. Red hair, blue eyes - looked just like Raven in the face. And because he looked so much like him, and it would have never been accepted that a member of the CS had gotten a child with one of the co-heads of Brushfire... Raven had the child murdered at three months of age. Cassidy has great reason to hate my family - and I think they mean to target my father next. I could not tell them where he is - but they will come asking again. He didn't really sound concerned about his father's safety - after how he'd treated Conan as a boy and how he'd later treated Aralyn, the teen hated him. But he was concerned that they would come back and again ask him, which would put the Wallocks in a more permanent danger.

Summer & Others

Summer obliged willingly, returning to the couch as soon as she had a moment longer to speak with her husband and ensure that he was really alright. There wasn't a moment in the following translation that she faltered or stopped, even as the information that she was receiving and in turn offering to Ryan was more than a little stunning. Every flash of his fingers and twist of the hand revealed more of a background of the boy they'd come to shelter, and it stirred a greater sense of motherly protectiveness in Summer. None of this showed right away, unless one noted the way in which the woman's light eyes turned just a little less soft in expression.

Ryan was taking notes as the information was offered, but he stopped midway through his report as his thoughts traveled back to the ordeal at Barracks street. Why was Cassidy at Ben's place, and who was that other man... he stated he was the uncle, hadn't he? Ryan's dark eyes drifted this way and that as he thought, recalling another bizarre incident with Ben and Conan... a red flag rose prominently in the officer's mind, but it was too much for him to connect all the dots at the moment. He had to be sure he was getting all the information he could, and sort out just what was going on here, "Do you have any reason to believe the CS know of this? Do you have any ideas where your father might be?"

Conan

No one else might have noticed Summer's alteration in attitude as she went on translating, but Conan saw the tightness settle in around her eyes and the corners of her mouth, indicating that there was more to what she was feeling than she was revealing. He didn't comment on it, just yet - but he did notice. After all, he was now revealing to Summer, by virtue of asking her to translate, more than he'd ever told either she or Collin about himself or his family.

So it might be a little surprising, considering how his defensive walls of silence were suddenly falling down, that Conan suddenly looked a little awkward when Ryan asked his questions. He paused a moment, and answered slowly, If the CS knew about it, I would not be alive to tell you the tale. As you know, they have a historical dislike for the Carlyle family, and would willingly enact the punishment for that upon whatever of those of us are alive. He offered that willingly enough, but there was a long pause before he hesitatingly told Ryan, My father and I... get along better long distance. Meaning indirectly of course, 'my father hates me and isn't shy about letting me know it'.

Summer & Others

The frustrating thing about the entire situation for Ryan was that the CrypticSilvers had and iron-tight hold on the city's government, and there was very little that he alone could do against them. Expressive eyes twinged in thought and bottled fury, letting expression be seen as clear as day. "You are not affiliated with the gang?" From previous files, he could be pretty sure of this much, but duty implored him to ask.

"No, he's not." Summer put her voice in, quietly but in a way that was almost forceful.

Recognizing the rise of protectiveness in the woman, Ryan backed away from this line of questioning, nodding his head as he flipped through his notepad, "Right, moving on." A notable pause ensued where he looked over his papers, and finally back to Conan, "My hands are a little tied as far as what I can do here, but I want you folks to keep a sharp eye out. If you get any new information - any idea, even the faintest, as to where your father could be or tips to CS activity, I need to know straight away."

Conan

It was unclear whether Conan would have been offended by Ryan's question or not; he didn't get the chance to harbor any sort of expression before Summer spoke up in his defense. Nor did he seem surprised that she took up that defense so quickly. Rather he accepted it without flinching or appearing to react in any way... he was apparently past feeling much else tonight. All that was setting in right now was exhaustion, for this had been an emotionally-trying hour, and a lack of will to transport himself to his bedroom, where he knew he'd be unlikely to find sleep, since he was accustomed to sleeping with the toddler curled up on his chest. He ran one hand briefly over his face in a subtle expression of how worn-out he was before he managed to nod to tell Ryan that he would inform him if he thought of anything. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to curl up and ignore the world... and maybe get some sleep.