02-14-2018, 11:54 AM
The place was comfortable and Alex seemed known here. A good thing, to have your own bar.
And of course he was stalling. He trusted her. He looked around and lowered his voice. "Have you ever heard of the Syndicate?"
Alex shook her head. "No. Sounds ominous."
He wanted to smile. Any other time, he would have. But this wasn't a joking thing. Not with the image of his family with guns to their head still fresh in his mind. The knowledge pops had been shot for no other reason than a warning, with no consideration of the consequences. He sighed. "I would've said the same thing. But they are not a joke. It's a collection of cops, people in law enforcement, the judicial system...prison guards. Everywhere."
He took a shot, felt the burn go down his throat. Now that he was talking it just wanted to come out. "They took my family, Alex. Made me watch from another location. Had guns to their head. My mom and dad. My baby brother and sister. I could have killed all of them right then and there. But my family would have been killed. I felt so.....fucking impotent! Told me that if I didn't work for them, they'd kill them."
Alex listened. She almost thought it a joke, but the look and feel of Ivan said it wasn't. She didn't know what to say. She remembered all too clearly the day her sister had died at the hands of Atharim scum. She nodded. "What are you going to do?"
She'd have done something if she hadn't been away. But what could you do against a secret organization with all sorts of power. The Syndicate, the Atharim it didn't matter, they were large and it was just a few. It would take a lot of work. "I'll help however I can."
Ivan shrugged, helplessly. "Well, I had to tell someone. Someone who....I don't know. You have your ability. You might be able to tell me who we can trust. I think the cap- Captain Drayson- is probably one. I've worked with him. It's hard to see him as part of this. If he gets a whiff....I don't know."
He looked at her, concerned. "Look. I know this is dangerous. And if you want to stay out of it, I understand."
He touched her hand, held it. "But if you're willing...maybe we can do something about this. You know what I can do. They do too. I can't work for them. You know what they will have me doing for them. I can't let that happen."
God damn Brandon! He knew the man probably didn't know. He oversaw the whole Dominion. But that didn't make it any less his responsibility. These were his men, doing things in his name. In his city. If he didn't know, then he should. And if he found out, maybe he'd get off his ass and do something about it.
Maybe there was someone else he could talk to. Maybe a way to get word to him.
And of course he was stalling. He trusted her. He looked around and lowered his voice. "Have you ever heard of the Syndicate?"
Alex shook her head. "No. Sounds ominous."
He wanted to smile. Any other time, he would have. But this wasn't a joking thing. Not with the image of his family with guns to their head still fresh in his mind. The knowledge pops had been shot for no other reason than a warning, with no consideration of the consequences. He sighed. "I would've said the same thing. But they are not a joke. It's a collection of cops, people in law enforcement, the judicial system...prison guards. Everywhere."
He took a shot, felt the burn go down his throat. Now that he was talking it just wanted to come out. "They took my family, Alex. Made me watch from another location. Had guns to their head. My mom and dad. My baby brother and sister. I could have killed all of them right then and there. But my family would have been killed. I felt so.....fucking impotent! Told me that if I didn't work for them, they'd kill them."
Alex listened. She almost thought it a joke, but the look and feel of Ivan said it wasn't. She didn't know what to say. She remembered all too clearly the day her sister had died at the hands of Atharim scum. She nodded. "What are you going to do?"
She'd have done something if she hadn't been away. But what could you do against a secret organization with all sorts of power. The Syndicate, the Atharim it didn't matter, they were large and it was just a few. It would take a lot of work. "I'll help however I can."
Ivan shrugged, helplessly. "Well, I had to tell someone. Someone who....I don't know. You have your ability. You might be able to tell me who we can trust. I think the cap- Captain Drayson- is probably one. I've worked with him. It's hard to see him as part of this. If he gets a whiff....I don't know."
He looked at her, concerned. "Look. I know this is dangerous. And if you want to stay out of it, I understand."
He touched her hand, held it. "But if you're willing...maybe we can do something about this. You know what I can do. They do too. I can't work for them. You know what they will have me doing for them. I can't let that happen."
God damn Brandon! He knew the man probably didn't know. He oversaw the whole Dominion. But that didn't make it any less his responsibility. These were his men, doing things in his name. In his city. If he didn't know, then he should. And if he found out, maybe he'd get off his ass and do something about it.
Maybe there was someone else he could talk to. Maybe a way to get word to him.