dark_fallen_ x Araleid ||private-continued||

[Dark_fallen_]

Pride is not knowing

whose hand to hold

other than your own.

Jaiden wished he could do something to comfort her. Not in public though, and even in private, there was not much he would have been able to do other than hold her. He was worried, and maybe a little concern might keep her alive. How much was healthy though?

The question would have made him sigh heavily if he hadn’t been in the middle of drinking his coffee. Placing the cup back on the table, he shifted a little uncomfortably. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve been struggling with that. I don’t want you to be alone, but if you don’t have a watch like everyone else, that might be suspicious too. Maybe I could send someone with you?” He groaned, frustrated that he didn’t have an answer or know what to do to keep her safe. He didn’t even know if she was really in trouble.

Another long drag. He couldn’t help but think that this was why he didn’t want to be with Adrianna. He could barely protect himself, as the bruises and broken bones under his shirt could attest. How could he possibly think to protect her too?

[xX Araleid Xx]

xxxxxxxxxȺdrianna Ӎarie ℜemire

When Jaiden spoke again, Adrianna nodded. She knew she had promised Mikael and Seneca they could talk, but only if she was allowed to go alone. She didn't know what kind of help they wanted from her, and she wasn't sure how much help she could give in her current situation. If they managed to get themselves in trouble on her watch she'd look all the more suspicious.

He was right about her not going. She would have to go in order to avoid anything looking suspicious. But also, if Jaiden didn't trust her with something as simple as a watch - which was what it would look like to some people - other people would stop trusting her as well. And trust is what kept someone from getting knifed in their sleep sometimes.

"I don't know, Jaiden. You can't forget, anything you do to single me out now is going to make it look like you don't trust me since I was connected to Greg." She wasn't suggesting he send her so she could talk to the two she was supposed to be watching. She was suggesting because suspicion was the last thing she wanted from the people she had already grown to trust with her life. "And you know, it's a dangerous thing to lose trust in a gang."

Ὶ foʉnd ɑ liɳe, anɖ tɧen iț greω. Ȋ fouɴd mɏself stiʟl thinӄing oғ yѳu.xxxxxxxxx

[Dark_fallen_]

"You can only fight to be yourself for so long before you FORGET who yourself is."

Seneca sat on the back of the couch with her feet up on the cushions. She flipped her phone open and closed absent-mindedly as they spoke. They had difficult decisions to make, and the whole time in the back of her mind was Chester’s text. Mikael’s comment brought her back to their conversation though, and she didn’t like the idea. Not because it meant hurting an ally, but because it was not viable.

“No, we do anything to Adrianna, and we’re asking for trouble. If she disappears, you know Jaiden is coming after us. It would be better to not tell her anything, then take out the next person sent to watch us. That still means losing an ally though, because I doubt she’ll like not being told that we plan on killing someone in the gang.” Her phone snapped shut again and again as she still played with it, idly watching the screen light up again and again.

“We could contact the police…try to get them to pull her out of there. That means we won’t have her in there for us anymore though…and we might get her killed if the cops don’t handle it right.” Nothing sounded like a good idea, but they were cornered and didn’t have a choice.

[xX Araleid Xx]

Ӎikael Ģage Ⱥltair


Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

Ϻy loѵe telʅ mɘ: wɧere ɖo ѡe gɵ fɾom hϵre
Oɳ ɑ fɩre τhat iș keeϼing tiϻe?
Mɏ lovε teʅl ɱe: hoщ ʠo wɇ ɠet throʉgh tɦe niɠht?
Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

Her explanation as to why they couldn’t hurt Adrianna frustrated Mikael. This girl was seeming to be more trouble than he would have liked to have to deal with on top of everything else. But he knew Seneca brought up a good point. They didn’t need the police after them as well as Trent, Jaiden, and this unknown enemy that may or may not be Chester. They were already in so deep.

”I think we’re going to have to let her know what we plan to do, Seneca. She could be dangerous if we pissed her off. I have no idea what she’s capable of herself, but she has Jaiden eating out of the palm of her hand it seems. And he’s definitely dangerous.” He knew she wouldn’t like telling Adrianna, just like he didn’t. Because telling her meant giving her the possibility to stop them from running, and they didn’t exactly have another plan.

”And just what are we going to say to the cops? We can’t tell them who we are or how we know anything that’s going on with her.” All of this was giving Mikael a very large headache and it was only morning. The rest of the day was going to be just as bad if not worse.

{One Oreo Cookie: Sorry it took so long. The weekend was hectic.}

[Dark_fallen_]

Pride is not knowing

whose hand to hold

other than your own.

He could only nod in response to her words. What else was there to say? Nothing seemed like the right answer, and he was playing with fire. Another drag before he flicked the cigarette onto the ground. “You can go on the watch alone, but be careful.” He was obviously hesitant to be sending her at all. What was the point in being careful of Trent taking her though, if he made the entire gang willing to kill her?

Scratching the stubble on his cheek, Jaiden realized that he needed to shave. Of course, of everything he had to do that day, that one would be pretty low on his list. He looked at his phone to see what time it was. Later than he thought considering how early they had been up. “Come on, we should get back.”

He tossed the empty coffee cup into the trash. Pulling out the keys, they went to the car. The drive didn’t take long and would probably be the only part of his day that would be uneventful.

[xX Araleid Xx]

xxxxxxxxxȺdrianna Ӎarie ℜemire

Adrianna was extremely relieved when Jaiden told her she could go alone on the watch. She had to call the chief the second she made it to her apartment to change and get ready, and then she had to talk with Seneca and Mikael. She still wondered in the back of her mind what they thought she could help them with. She couldn’t stop Jaiden from being suspicious and she couldn’t do anything to cast more suspicion back on her. Not after what happened with Greg. His death was a reality that showed her exactly where her life was headed if she didn’t play her cards right.

She followed Jaiden back to his car when he mentioned that they should return to the hideout. ”If you don’t mind, I’m going to go home to freshen up. I don’t have any clean clothes here and I could use a shower where I don’t come out smelling like a guy.” She hated that the only shampoo and body wash there was scented for men. Adrianna had never missed the smell of her cherry blossom soap so much. When he agreed she gave him a quick goodbye, stopping herself from giving him a kiss before she left for her apartment.

Home had never looked so welcoming before. As she let herself in she meticulously went through and made sure everything was where she had left it. Assured that she had had no unwelcomed guests she took a shower, letting the hot water wash over her for much longer than usual, glad she could relax in her own apartment. She stepped from the shower and headed out into her bedroom, her gaze staring longingly at the bed, which looked like heaven at that moment. With a sigh she turned away from it and dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a red tank top. When she was finished getting ready she grabbed up her phone and dialed the chief, not looking forward to the upcoming conversation.

”Tell me you’re not reporting something bad, A. I haven’t been able to get in touch with Greg in two days.”

She hadn’t realized Greg hadn’t reported in the day before either. Taking in a deep breath she told him what had happened. Silence greeted her when she was finished and she was certain the chief was too stunned to speak. So she took the opportunity to get her words in before he demanded she pull out. ”Before you say anything, I’m not leaving. Greg got caught skimming money for you, but I’m not bringing you evidence against anyone but Trent, who I have yet to make contact with. I’m as safe as I can be right now, Jaiden doesn’t suspect me and there is no reason to pull out yet.”

”I’m not sure I can trust your judgment anymore, A. This had become much more dangerous. You have a week to make contact with Trent before I find it impossible and pull you out before you get murdered too. As for now, stay quiet and keep a low profile. We will have revenge for Greg when the time is right.” He hung up and Adrianna was left to stare at her phone. One week? She couldn’t just demand Jaiden take her to Trent. Especially not after everything she had heard about him. Jaiden would never do it anyways.

For now she just had to go to this meeting with Seneca. Maybe they already knew where Trent was and she could get that information in exchange for helping them out. Without further contemplation she grabbed up her car keys and headed to Seneca’s house. She parked her car across the street, glanced around for anyone tailing her, and then headed to the front door, knocking loudly three times. She wasn’t sure what awaited her behind that door, but she was ready to find out if it meant some useful information.

Ὶ foʉnd ɑ liɳe, anɖ tɧen iț greω. Ȋ fouɴd mɏself stiʟl thinӄing oғ yѳu.xxxxxxxxx

[Dark_fallen_]

"You can only fight to be yourself for so long before you FORGET who yourself is."

As much as she did not want to admit it, Mikael was right. Of course he was. He had obviously thought through every option they had just like she did. The problem was that they did not have any good options at this point. Seneca simply nodded, wishing that they knew anything more about the situation they were in.

They didn’t though, and all that they could was wait for Adrianna to contact them. Seneca was very distant without meaning to be. She had so much running through her mind though, that all she could do was try to piece the puzzle together. It was only by taking a shower that she managed to stop pacing around the apartment. While in there, she suddenly realized that Chester’s text might be the name of a place. With that thought, she rushed through her shower. Seneca pulled on jeans and was still pulling a white tank top on over her bra even as she stepped out of the bathroom, her mind obviously occupied and not thinking twice about coming out of the bathroom with her shirt barely on. “Mikael, do we have a phonebook somewhere?” She asked, tugging her top down over her stomach.

Getting a hold of the phonebook, Seneca flipped to the ‘G’s, scanning the listings. Finally she found what she was looking for. Golden Annie’s, of course it was a strip club. Her finger traced the line over to the address. “Chester texted me this name. What’s your guess that ‘Annie’ is a nickname for Aldonia?” She asked, a slight smile on her lips at finally having a bit of a lead and some good news. Of course, what that lead might be, she still had no idea.

Just then three sharp knocks sounded at the door. Seneca straightened up, glancing at Mikael before grabbing one of her guns and heading to the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw that it was Adrianna as she figured it would be. So, placing the gun in the back of her pants, she opened the door. “Come on in. Thanks for coming.” She shut the door behind Adrianna. Seneca offered her a drink, obviously not wanting to tell Adrianna what their plan was.

Of course she had to, so she finally just laid their plan out. “I’ll just get to business and not waste your time. We need to get out of here and have a little extra time. We could really use you letting us go right now. The only way to get us enough time and to keep you from getting in trouble though would be if we...took out whoever’s on watch next.” There it was, and all they could do now was see if Adrianna took off to tell Jaiden or not.

[xX Araleid Xx]

Ӎikael Ģage Ⱥltair


Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

Ϻy loѵe telʅ mɘ: wɧere ɖo ѡe gɵ fɾom hϵre
Oɳ ɑ fɩre τhat iș keeϼing tiϻe?
Mɏ lovε teʅl ɱe: hoщ ʠo wɇ ɠet throʉgh tɦe niɠht?
Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

Mikael wasn't bothered that Seneca was extremely distracted. If he was being honest, he wasn't paying very much attention to her either. Instead his mind was working, trying to figure out a way around things without Adrianna having to know their plan. But there was none, and he knew that even as he sat there hopelessly thinking.

When Seneca emerged from the shower asking for the phonebook he got up from the couch and immediately started to search for it, thankful for the distraction. He found it and passed it to Seneca, watching her thumb through it until she found what she had been looking for. "Are you saying we actually just got a lead?" Mikael couldn't keep the smile from his face. But how would Chester have known who Aldonia was?

He wasn't able to dwell on it, since Adrianna showed up just as they were starting to piece things together. He stashed his gun - which had been sitting out in the open - in the waistband of his pants as Seneca went to open the door. She let Adrianna in and Mikael looked her up and down. He didn't see a weapon on her, but he was willing to bet she had one hidden as well. It was obvious no one was certain how this meeting was going to go.


- - - - - - -









xxxxxxxxxȺdrianna Ӎarie ℜemire





When Seneca offered her something to drink, Adrianna refused as politely as she could. She didn't feel terribly uncomfortable around Seneca, but the man on the couch, even as he sat there nonchalantly, had her in an uneasy state. She didn't know this man or what he was capable of and if they decided to turn on her she would be outnumbered and out of luck. She was pretty sure though the reason Mikael didn't stand up was so she would feel a bit more relaxed around them. He obviously didn't want her to feel threatened. At least not yet.

Adrianna listened to what Seneca had to say. The only sign that she was not satisfied with this plan was the small frown that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I can't give you a free pass to run out on me. I've been thrown into some hot water myself." She didn't want to elaborate further, not sure how much information she could trust the two with, and so she continued on to discuss the other part of their plan.

"I don't really know the person who's on watch after me. But I can't just condemn him to death. You are sure there's no other way?" But she knew they were. What other option did they have? They couldn't just waltz out there and offer the man drugged coffee. And she couldn't risk letting them do that to her. Jaiden, however nice he had been last night, was still suspicious of her, she knew. And being knocked unconscious on her watch would not make her look any better.

But she wasn't going to run and tell Jaiden their plan either. "I won't tell Jaiden though. Besides, I'm not stupid. If I turned around to go and tattle you'd shoot me dead and take your opportunity to run now. I'm actually a little surprised you hadn't thought about that." She heard the man mutter something that sounded a lot like 'I had', but she ignored it, glad that he had been talked out of being allowed to kill her.







Ὶ foʉnd ɑ liɳe, anɖ tɧen iț greω. Ȋ fouɴd mɏself stiʟl thinӄing oғ yѳu.xxxxxxxxx

[Dark_fallen_]

"You can only fight to be yourself for so long before you FORGET who yourself is."

There was no time to celebrate their discovery, having to deal with Adrianna first. Seneca was trying to keep her comfortable in the situation. After all, she had willingly come in where she was aware two people could easily overpower her. Of course Adrianna would be wary of Mikael. Then again, Seneca couldn’t help but muse that the woman should probably be more scared of either one of them if she was aware of their occupation.

Of course, Mikael’s comment—which Seneca heard quite clearly—would not help to put Adrianna at ease. Casting him a slight glare, Seneca turned her attention back to the other woman. It was obvious that they would have to work something out. After all, the three of them were in hot water that was threatening to kill any one of them if they took one wrong step. Licking her lips, she hoped that there was some deal they could make.

Leaning back against the couch, Seneca crossed her arms over her chest. “We don’t like killing anyone we don’t have to any more than you do,” so maybe that was a lie, “but we have no other choice. We’re being leaned on by our boss pretty hard, and the situation is getting bad. We have to get out of here. Maybe if we could help you with your situation, you could help us out?”

Besides, if they had the extra time, the two of them would be able to take everything they needed, and maybe even go find out where this strip club was. After all, they were now under some unknown time limit, and even if they moved, Jaiden would not leave them alone forever. In fact, he would probably be calling for a meeting the second he realized they were gone.

[xX Araleid Xx]

Ӎikael Ģage Ⱥltair


Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

Ϻy loѵe telʅ mɘ: wɧere ɖo ѡe gɵ fɾom hϵre
Oɳ ɑ fɩre τhat iș keeϼing tiϻe?
Mɏ lovε teʅl ɱe: hoщ ʠo wɇ ɠet throʉgh tɦe niɠht?
Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

Mikael stood the moment Seneca relaxed against the couch. She may have been willing to let her guard down, but he was not. He didn't trust Adrianna, didn't like that she was playing both sides between the police and Jaiden. He wasn't about to let her play them too. At Seneca's words a small smirk touched his lips. "At least she doesn't. I have no qualms about killing you if we're threatened." He didn't want Adrianna to find them weak and trusting. At least not both of them. Let Seneca play the harmless one. She was better at it anyway and way more equipped for the job.

He was not comfortable with this arrangement. The only information they had really was the information they had just gotten and he didn't exactly want to share it. But he trusted Seneca and he knew she wouldn't tell Adrianna anything that would cause her to get in their way. So he kept his mouth shut and waited for the other girl to respond.








xxxxxxxxxȺdrianna Ӎarie ℜemire





Adrianna was really starting to not like Mikael. His words made her uncomfortable when she was certain Seneca's was meant to put her at ease. She did understand, however, that the man was only trying to make her realize how easily he could and would kill her if he had to. She just wasn't going to give him the opportunity to do so.

"I can't give you any time on my shift." Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall in the living room. She had to be out of the house and back in her car in thirty minutes, just to give herself enough time to not appear suspicious when the next person showed up for the shift. "The next guy will be here in forty minutes. Our shifts are only an hour long because Jaiden doesn't want to give you more time than he had to if you decide to kill one of us." She wasn't positive on that, but it was her best guess as to why the shifts were that short.

She knew honesty was the only way they would understand she wasn't trying to sneak off and alert Jaiden. "Look, my partner was found out last night. They killed him and now they're very suspicious of me. If I slip up on this I'm dead too. There isn't much I can do for you."







Ὶ foʉnd ɑ liɳe, anɖ tɧen iț greω. Ȋ fouɴd mɏself stiʟl thinӄing oғ yѳu.xxxxxxxxx

[Dark_fallen_]

"You can only fight to be yourself for so long before you FORGET who yourself is."

Seneca watched Mikael, allowing him to be protective. It was not as if she could not easily reach her gun by leaning against the couch. Even then, it did not hurt to remind Adrianna that even though they were in trouble currently, they could be very dangerous people to cross. After he spoke, she reached out and touched his hand to pacify him. It did not hurt to let Adrianna see that she was in charge in the pair either. Not that she was, but then she would not try to cross Seneca any time too soon.

They would not be getting any extra time like they may have hoped, but they were not exactly being told not to take out the next person on watch. Hearing the situation Adrianna found herself, Seneca could only nod in understanding. It seemed that none of them could be much help to anyone at the moment. “I understand. Unless you can find a way to remove the next person watching us, then I’m afraid we have no other choice, and it doesn’t sound like your situation will allow you to do that.” Seneca was not really threatening Adrianna, but there was a note in her tone that warned her that they would do what they had to.

[xX Araleid Xx]

Ӎikael Ģage Ⱥltair


Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

Ϻy loѵe telʅ mɘ: wɧere ɖo ѡe gɵ fɾom hϵre
Oɳ ɑ fɩre τhat iș keeϼing tiϻe?
Mɏ lovε teʅl ɱe: hoщ ʠo wɇ ɠet throʉgh tɦe niɠht?
Myxlovextellxmexxhowxdoxwexgetxthroughxthexnightx

He couldn't help the small smile that formed when Seneca touched his hand, if only briefly. He didn't care what Adrianna thought about it, didn't care if she understood his and Seneca's relationship. He sat on the arm of the couch, letting Adrianna believe the charade Seneca was showing her: that she was in charge. It wouldn't hurt to add a little protection to her this way.

He listened to the conversation, not bothering to speak. Seneca handle it perfectly and Adrianna nodded at her words. "I don't think I need to remind you that we never had this meeting." She told Seneca. Once Seneca agreed Adrianna left and Mikael finally felt at ease. "Looks like we have an hour then. Is it going to be me or you that takes him out? And then what do we do from there, boss?" He flashed her a smile. She would know he just wanted to make sure everything was figured out before Adrianna's shift ended and they had to put their plan into action.

[Dark_fallen_]

Pride is not knowing

whose hand to hold

other than your own.

Of course Jaedon agreed to let her go home. He did have to bite back a comment that he didn’t mind her smelling like a man so long as it was him. Before they parted ways, he did tell her to be careful. Returning to the hideout, he hoped to get everyone ready for the raid. Of course, his hopes were more than he should have thought. After all, the moment he got back to the hideout, he went to grab a beer. Of course he could not drink too much that day, but only that and a couple more cigarettes could calm his nerves while Adrianna was gone.

Only once she returned could he breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe Trent was not even remotely interested in Adrianna. Then again, the bruises all over his torso and the broken ribs told him that Trent was not ready to let this cop situation go just yet. Even with Adrianna back safely, there was not much time to waste.

The group going to raid the enemy gang was already set, and they had been briefed on the plan. It was nothing too complicated. Hit their weapons stores, grab what they could, and set fire to what they could not. After all, the point was to show this smaller gang exactly who was boss after the stunts they were pulling.

It was time to get going. Three people were left watching the hideout—one of them being Adrianna—and one man was watching Mikael and Seneca. Jaiden could do nothing but glance over at Adrianna before leaving with the group. Normally he would not go on this hit, but he could not risk anything going wrong with Trent already on his back. At least now he figured that Adrianna would be okay.

[xX Araleid Xx]

xxxxxxxxxȺdrianna Ӎarie ℜemire

Adrianna tried her hardest not to think about the man Mikael and Seneca were going to kill to escape. She spent the rest of her shift in her car, toying with the idea of calling Jaiden anyway. But she couldn't do that. They knew her secret and they would expose her. The third time someone told him she was a cop he may actually believe them and she might not be able to smooth talk her way out of it again. And so she kept the plan to herself, even as the unlucky man showed up and took his shift, dismissing her with a small smile. She couldn't help the feeling of sadness in the pit of her stomach as she drove off though, knowing this man was going to die.

She returned to the hideout in time to see Jaiden for a brief moment before the raid. She wished she could kiss him goodbye, but instead she flashed him a small half smile when he glanced back at her, knowing she would see him again when he returned. Maybe that night she could convince him to stay with her. Those thoughts kept a semi-permanent smile on her face. It was just her and two others left in the hideout and she spent her time on one of the couches, curled up alone with a book in her hands. The other two were playing a game of poker, cussing and shouting violently at one another.

All too soon the door to the hideout opened and Adrianna looked up from her book, expecting to see Jaiden returning. She was shocked when a man she didn't recognize entered, followed by two others. The other two in the hideout glanced up from their card game. "Get lost." The man barked at them coldly. They followed his command without question and Adrianna was suddenly very uneasy. She saw, now that she looked at him harder, the small similarities between the older man and Jaiden and she knew that this was Trent.

Fear seized her as he ordered the two men with him to grab her. They approached her and she couldn't move, not that fighting them would have done any good. She was overpowered, and she was well enough aware of that to not resist when the men grabbed her arms. Their grip was tight, much tighter than it needed to be, but she walked with them, trying to show Trent that she wasn't going to cause any trouble. This had been exactly what Jaiden had been worried about and if what she had seen and heard about the things Trent did, she didn't want to cross him. If he beat the s**t out of his own brother he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

He said nothing to her as they left the hideout and got into a car. She was tossed into the backseat, one of the guys sitting next to her. She didn't know exactly where they were going but she was certain it was only a matter of time until Jaiden found out she was missing and showed up to help her.

Ὶ foʉnd ɑ liɳe, anɖ tɧen iț greω. Ȋ fouɴd mɏself stiʟl thinӄing oғ yѳu.xxxxxxxxx

[Dark_fallen_]

"You can only fight to be yourself for so long before you FORGET who yourself is."

The meeting never happened. Adrianna did not even have to ask. If anyone in the gang found out, then it would not benefit any of them. Seneca nodded her agreement though, watching as Adrianna let herself out. “Well that was unproductive.” She commented, not yet moving from the couch even though they would have a lot to do in the next hour.

Hearing Mikael’s new title for her, Seneca laughed. “Cute. You’d better remember I’m in charge.” She joked, straightening up from the couch. Tugging at her hair idly in thought, She eventually answered his question, “Well, are you better at shooting people or hotwiring cars?” She could do both, and they would need a car other than the flashy one sitting in the garage. After all, the last thing they would need is for one of the gang members just hanging around town to see them drive by on their way to their new place.

“Other than that, we get what we can in the car and go where Chester told us to. That alone will take most of our time. Anything else you can think of that we have to do…and can do?” Glancing out the window, Seneca saw another car driving up to Adrianna’s. “If so, we better figure it out fast.”