MS - Rav's newest story

[Ravynlee]

Well. I have realised she's been losing the plot.

I know how Nick Stahl is, well, now, and I know now who Ryu is now (well in real your real life allusion), was listening to some FM songs today and I'm like hey! It's that guy from Rav's story. You might've spelt it out for me but it's up to my brain to process it or not. Welcome to my world! I was born in Sydney as well, also lived there for yonks. Okay, I'll stop going off topic and I'll say this to you -

Well. I'm waiting.....*taps fingers on the desk*

Keep waiting, at least for tonight, I just not long got home from work, so it would be a few hours before anything came out anyway!

As for Ryu, you mean you didn't know he was in Fort Minor (and Styles Of Beyond/SOB too I believe)? You don't pay much attention do you, I already explained this like 3 updates ago... but no matter. At least you have a face for the name now, right? Get a good look did you? He's the dude who dressed up as a cop to gain your trust remember, right before he beat the living snot out of you and landed you in ICU. THAT'S the guy! >:o hahaha

No matter.

As for Mr Stahl... yeah... I blame too many episodes of Carnivale that did that to me, bringing him in like that... he always plays a tortured soul in his movies, whether a villain or hero (of sorts) walking that grey area between the two... so why the hell not? (OMG watch Bully, the guy's seriously psycho! haha)

And you were born there too huh? Kewl.

Back to the story (sounds like an Eminem line) if this WERE a movie, how awesome would it be to have the actual people play their parts? I already know who would play me (not me), I see maybe Toni Collete or sth (back before she got famous) because sis and I already had this discussion.

Those that are included in this as characters, amuse me, who would you get to play you, if not you, and why? Just wanna see what cast we'd assemble here... would make for an interesting movie to say the least.

Thanks again.

[woodyloveslinkin]

Yes, I know he's the cop. I just couldn't understand the whole FM concept. I was actually downloading FM stuff cos I wanted to hear Mike rapping away to be all honest, yeah, he's in....is it Remember the Name?

Yeah I've lived everywhere in Sydney/being born there, lived in (I don't know if any of these suburbs ring a bell but anyway) North Sydney, Milsons Point, Cremorne, Baulkham Hills and Castle Hill. I thought you knew that? Lol. I don't really care.

Well, as long as you're the there, typing away on your computer, I'm typing away now, well trying. Lol. Will I be getting an update before bed time?

[Ravynlee]

No, to answer your question, you won't be getting another update tonight. Sorry. Try in the morning, or maybe before work tomorrow. Best I can do

[woodyloveslinkin]

No, to answer your question, you won't be getting another update tonight. Sorry. Try in the morning, or maybe before work tomorrow. Best I can do

 

 

:-P

 

Best emoticon I could find.

[Friðbjörn]

wow heavy stuff, I did not expect that :O

[Pheonix791989]

just woke up...love the update. i loved the arguing between me and bam. yay i get to help him!!! n_n makes me smile see. im not a bad person honestly.... but if you get in my way I kill you... ok ok that was harsh but still. you know what mel's situation reminds me of?? the song 'Almost Easy' by avenged sevenfold. thats what im listening to and it seemed to fit *shrugs* i dunno. i just woke up so forgive me if I seem slighly loopy. work has me so tired when i get off.... im a hostess and my sisters dont realize how much hard work it is. running around and not getting a break or being able to sit down or something...its hell. but i have friends who are doing hostess so when we have a slow down of people we chat to pass the time. its nice to have a job but i gotta mannage to get a day off. but back to the story sorry for the off topic thingy... updare please??? *pulls out stool and sits and stares at the computer waiting for an update.*

[Ravynlee]

Thanks Mel. I feel for you at your job. I work in a kitchen. I understand for the most part. As for the story glad you like. Sorry took so long. Fribs and Sarah, same, happy you liked. Have a little to post tonight, working on more as we speak. Hope to have the rest up in a few hours. See what happens.

Here's some for now.

Thanks again.

 

---

 

“You did that huh?” Frib wondered aloud.

They had been sitting at the same bar for what felt like hours but the young detective and his older counterpart had well lost track of time. They had both been drinking quite heavily, and though Frib was not one to imbibe so much he seemed defenseless against Benji’s repeated insistence to keep up by continually sliding glass after glass in front of him. The more they drank the looser their tongues became and before long Frib found himself in awe of his team mate’s recounted tales of his junior years as an undercover agent in the NEU task force.

“I know this is gonna sound wrong, but… I’m gonna say it anyway,” Frib said, matching Benji’s goading smile, “You don’t strike me as the type to just… blend in. What with all… that.”

With beer in fist he pointed indirectly to the colors pouring out over the other man’s arms. Benji looked down with his smile growing. He chuckled and took a thirsty mouthful of his beer as Frib did the same.

“Ah little brother,” Benji said, “You’d be surprised. Out West, there’s people like me everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Besides, work the streets long enough you learn how to blend in good enough, how to become invisible. In some places that’s the only thing standing between you and a pine box.”

“Great,” Frib muttered.

Benji chuckled again.

“Don’t worry, your time’s coming.”

“What, to get killed or end up looking like some… walking graffiti billboard or something. Look at you, look like you went to sleep on the tracks at Harlem and woke up looking like… well that.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know this shit cost me a lot of money.”

“Yeah, well more fool you. Can think of better ways to spend my paycheck.”

“Well you know how they say you can’t take it with you when you go? I’m the exception.”

“No offense, man,” Frib asked with uncharacteristic bravado, “aren’t you like usually the exception to most things?”

Together the two men laughed as music continued to warble away from the jukebox on the other side of the room. The bar was still infused by the sound of many conversations being held at once. People were laughing, and though the hour was undoubtedly getting late, and a substantial amount of people had since departed due to being rostered on the graveyard shift and those with early starts in the morning, much to the good-natured ribbing and haranguing from those left behind, the party was still in full swing. Most that remained were familiar faces to Frib, in so much as he saw them in passing in the precinct from time to time, getting paper work, making coffee, or stuck behind their desks like frustrated automatons. He smiled at them now with distant familiarity, not really caring what they thought of him as much as he usually did. After practically half a year in the force his status from greenhorn to valuable member of the Narcotics Enforcement Unit had seen as many changes in him on a personal level too as it had professionally. Though he was still a little reserved, still a little insecure and inherently suspicious, Frib had seen enough of the mean streets already to pare away much of his superficial naivety to take things as they were rather than read too much into them. No doubt having people like Benji in close association helped, but even with a head full of alcohol and semi-diluted thoughts and memories of times past, the young detective could not completely let down his guard. After several hours now he sat smiling and talking with his face flushed with uncharacteristic color, trying to ignore Benji’s apparent amusement at his expense. Half way through speaking Benji looked up and noticed a familiar face entering the bar and Frib’s smile started falling away.

“What is it?” he asked.

He turned his head and surveyed the moving crowd for answers. Catching sight of Captain Goren speaking to another man Frib’s mouthful of beer remained trapped on his tongue a moment before swallowing. He turned and looked to Benji to see a similar reaction on his face.

“This can’t be good,” Benji predicted.

He continued to smile but it was only half it’s previous consistency. Though he remained physically relaxed, slumped back casually watching, the look on his face suggested something else. Frib nodded as the two of them watched the captain take directions until he was led towards them. Both Frib and Benji’s shoulders sank expectantly. Though Bobbie Goren was not a man without a sense of humor the look on his face, and the fact he was still squeezed into his suit, that the task force occasionally joked he never got out of, immediately told them this was not a social visit.

“Gentlemen,” he greeted when he made it to their table.

“Captain. Want a cold one?” Benji offered, protecting his own now between his tattooed fingers. “I would say it’s my shout but let Joel pay for it, it’s his party I figure.”

“No. Thanks,” Goren said.

Though physically intimidating enough behind a paper-choked desk, standing beside Frib now the young detective could only eye his boss over with a fearful kind of acknowledgment and sip from his beer to keep any comments along this vein from slipping out. He too, like Benji, sat huddled forward over his beer as the captain stood between them with his head bowed discreetly. When he apologized for interrupting what was supposed to be a happy familial occasion for at least one of them, they both looked at each other with a sense of foreboding.

“I didn’t want to leave it until morning,” he explained. “I just thought you should know.”

“What is it, cap?”

“About twenty minutes ago I received a phone call,” he started discreetly.

“The entire department’s being called in. We’re doing a sweep. Massive. Probably the biggest this city has ever seen. I know it couldn’t come at a worse possible time,” he said, glimpsed up to where the happy couple stood slowly rocking to some lazy beat through the crowd a few metres away. With a sigh Goren lowered his eyes heavily. “But this comes all the way from the top - this comes straight from the big brass, from Police Commissioner Brown himself. Apparently his good friend Mike Shinoda just lost one of his nearest and dearest and he’s pulling the appropriate strings.”

“You’re kidding, who? We’re not still talking about his wife are we?”

“That’s not important,” Goren told his junior team member, as Frib exchanged a guilty glimpse at Benji before looking down again. Leaning closer with his giant hands on both men’s shoulders, he continued as discreetly as he could manage, “Word on the street was that our favourite celebrity inmate was spotted running from the scene.”

Benji cursed under his breath while Frib just frowned at the tabletop, struggling to process the news with a head full of alcohol.

“Jesus Christ.”

“It gets worse.”

“Is that possible?”

“On the way over I got word of an incident near the village. A local unit went and checked it out. The neighbors reported what sounded like gunshots being fired in an apartment and what they thought was a man and a young girl leaving the scene. There’s no ID yet but there was blood in one of the rooms, and a lot of it.” Glimpsing over his shoulder Goren lowered again discreetly, drawing both men closer, as he cleared his throat and added in his gruff tenor, “Initial reports are sketchy but… they say he matched the description of one of our guys-”

“How? They’re all here?” Benji intercepted.

He gestured around the crowded bar. Goren looked up and met both of their eyes carefully. He sighed.

“They seem to think it was Bourdon.”

[Ravynlee]

Both Benji and Frib gawked back with their mouths open.

“I know what you’re thinking but the bloods don’t lie. Could take a few hours to verify but… so far it looks positive. I wanted to let you know. If it turns out he did what we think he has done you can imagine the repercussions. It will be an embarrassment not just to the city but the rest of us; cop pulls the wool over the force’s eyes, I don’t think that will sit well with anyone, do you?”

“But- how?” was all Frib could manage.

Goren shrugged, his hand still gripped to each man’s shoulder reaffirming control with a firm squeeze of his fingers.

“We don’t know. But naturally… we have to keep this to ourselves. If word gets out and it is true…” he sighed. “I realize it couldn’t come at a worse possible time…”

Together they all seemed to visually gravitate across the room to where Joel and Joanna could be seen through the shifting crowd still locked in each other’s arms swaying to the lazy beat as they had been most of the night. Even beneath the dim atmospheric lights and the smoke and half obscured from view behind the crowd the looks on their faces made the men drop their eyes to the bar heavily.

“I’m sorry,” Goren uttered.

“So, who was the girl?”

“Kidnap?”

“We don’t know, but we think it could be Ava, Chester’s daughter.”

“What the hell?”

“I know, I know-”

“Then where’s her mother?”

“What you think he broke in and took her and got shot in the process?”

“Why? Why would he bother to come back just to take someone else’s kid? Doesn’t make sense does it?”

“Man, how do you kill someone who’s already dead?”

“No,” Goren intercepted, trying to keep the conversation low and discreet and remain on topic as he quickly assessed the faces of those around them. “He didn’t take her from there. We don’t know how she got there, but her mother’s in protective custody. Has been for a few days. It doesn’t matter how or why we just need to make sure it is him before we put out an APB-”

“Oh Jesus,” Frib murmured unbelievably over his beer.

He sat rubbing his brow struggling to absorb it all as Goren gave his shoulder another firm squeeze again that bordered on consoling. He explained in his typical blunt manner that he had only been following orders and only told them to beat the rumor mill that was already starting to circulate the wires.

“So what now?” Benji asked. He was looking over his shoulder again at his brother and beaming fiancé. “What do we tell them?”

“That’s your call,” Goren said with professional gravity. “But one way or the other, whether this does turn out to be founded or not, he’s going to find out,” he said of Benji’s twin. “It’s probably better coming from one of you than someone else.”

Benji nodded and after affording a second cursory look at the couple in question, he cursed under his breath again and turned back to scull thirstily from his glass. Frib sat poised to drink then decided it was better not to. When he set the glass down he could feel a sick heavy sensation stirring in his stomach that wasn’t totally due to his half drunken state. In his mind, as dizzy and heavy as it suddenly felt, he couldn’t help but consider the implications of what this all meant. If Rob really was alive…

“Hey, Captain, here to celebrate?” Karl asked, appearing behind the big man’s shoulder a moment later.

As Goren recounted his news again, Frib sat unable to tear his eyes away now from Joel and Joanna talking discreetly between themselves blissfully unawares on the other side of the room. Over the din of the music, and the sudden pounding of his pulse in his temples, Frib stared intently, concentrating harder on appearing coherent more than actually listening to what was being said. He didn’t need to hear anything else though to know the outcome was still the same. Just like that the party was over and one of them now had the arduous task of going over there to break it to their team leader.

“Of all the shitty luck,” Karl lamented.

He drained the last of his glass too and set it down atop the bar with a thud. Goren clapped him on the back, nodding at them all and the few familiar faces that passed still blissfully unawares but were uttering the usual high-spirited greetings. When he turned back to Frib and Benji in front of him the previous jovialities had been well and truly quashed and a brooding sense of dread had settled in its place.

“I know, it’s a bad time,” he said, trying to sound consoling and coming off partially unsettling for it, “but we’ve got a job to do. I suggest you get out of here and get yourselves ready. I’ll see you all at the station at 01:00.”

The trio nodded as Goren dismissed himself and sat in silence as the party continued on in a kind of surreal bubble around them. None of them could talk as they struggled to process the news, exchanging awkward eye contact in place of actual words. The scenario was made worse when several minutes later a tattooed arm draped itself over his brother’s shoulder to ask with stirring glee what was wrong with his friends.

“Hey, it’s meant to be a party, what’s up?” Joel smiled as Joanna cuddled into his side contentedly.

Draining his glass Benji slid his eyes aside at them as both Frib and Karl dropped their eyes to the floor.

“What is it? Who died?” Joel prompted.

When he met Benji’s eyes his lopsided smile fell away. Joanna expectantly tensed up in his arms.

“What is it? What’s wrong? Joel?” she asked.

No one could face her let alone utter so much as a word in explanation. It wasn’t until Joel sat upright and Benji put his empty glass down that Benji finally lifted the dark shades from his eyes to face his sibling.

“I just got some bad news,” he uttered seriously as Joanna and Joel stared at him. “And you’re not gonna like it. They think your old man’s alive. And he’s somewhere in the city right now with Chester’s missing kid.”

“I don’t… understand,” Joanna said meekly.

She lowered her eyes to Joel whose arms had tightened around her diminutive waist.

“Joel, what are they… talking about? Old man? My father’s not even…”

Joel’s incredulous grin faltered when he realized that the grave faces of his companions weren’t easing as he expected them to. This wasn’t a joke, as much as they all wished it were. The sound of the music continued on, some energetic beat against the backdrop of conversation and laughter, but for those few seconds no one in that little huddle seemed to hear it. Turning to his fiancé Joel studied her face a moment and forced a smile. It was so wrong for the moment it scared her more than comforted her as Joanna gasped for bad news she knew now was coming.

“They’re not talking about your father, they’re talking about your husband.”

“But you’re going to be my husband. That’s what we’re doing here, remember, that’s what-”

“No, babe, you’re not hearing me,” Joel said with great difficulty. “Your husband, before me, before… now. It’s Rob… they think he’s still alive.”

 

---

 

On a side note, happy birthday sis <3

[woodyloveslinkin]

Well it's about freakin' time you updated. Lol. Nah jk. All's cool. I have to say I don't know if you did this deliberately but the way you placed "They seem to seem to think it was Bourdon" at the end of the first post of this chapter, it added a real shocker to the chapter. I found that amusing the way that you placed it. I was like "you did that on purpose didn't you?". Not good while I'm slowly sinking off my bed reading this. At one stage, I think it was at the end of the first post, that I did fall off my bed and landed uncomfortably on my shoes on the floor. So other than the pain my ass is going through right now, congrads and I must say Joanna's going to have a heart attack or a stroke when she sees that Rob's still alive. I mean, I would've had a heart attack just at the news that my deceased husband was still alive.

 

:thumbsup:

[Friðbjörn]

haha shocker! wow this is gonna be exciting

[crazy robster]

OMFGOODNESS!!! Poor poor me, just as I was thinking everything was slowly getting back to normal HERE comes the bomb!!! (I'm talking about me-the character not me-me lol) Poor Joanna, poor Joel, poor Robbie who got shot (I can't believe you did this sis!!!!! My Robbie...*sniffle* first f**ked now shot thank you very much for taking care of my husband :-P) I'm just so curious about what's coming...Hmm...Really this is great! Keep it up! Oh and <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 thanks for the birthday wish <3 <3 <3 <3

[Pheonix791989]

ABOUT TIME YOU UPDATED!!! i swear people who come into resturants are stoopid. i mean we had one lady who said her salad was too cold and asked us to microwave it. ><* the update is a nice change of pace. im working on a doozy of an update myself. im just glad i have the time to read. but i will be working part time as a hostess and by night i will be a ninja!! lol jk jk, most likely it will be a serving assistant. yay two jobs.... not really. good update though really catching.

[Ravynlee]

Aww Mel, I hear ya, I hear ya You have my sympathies.

Fribs, thanks. I hope so!

Sis, yes, sucks being a character in my stories, just when things look good - POW! Haha. Might be too harsh for real life but makes for good reading, I hope so anyway. Thanks again.

Sarah, yes, deliberate it was! Have to keep you reading don't I? You should know me by now :-P

Everyone else reading this; thanks! We're getting there slowly...

 

SO! I have two chappies tonight, working on a third as we speak. I have to say that I procrastinated about adding this second part, only because it seems like even to me all I am doing is the Hollywood style and taking the easy way out by killing everyone off, the truth is I wrote two versions of this latter chapter last night before bed, I slept on my decision, and when you read the end of that you'll know what I mean. It seems harsh, and I had honestly intended for that character to sort of walk away at the end so to speak as a survivor. The truth was I had no viable way of getting past not doing this - I had to add fuel to the already burning fire. Like I said, may seem unbelievably harsh, but I had to. I had to. This is a war, people ultimately have to die. Sorry for what's coming.

Hope it makes sense... feeling a little... tipsy still... y'get that

 

Enjoy! More later... if there's anyone left to write about that is... :spiteful:

 

---

 

Sitting in the dark with the lights turned off both Mel and Bam stared across the street at the apartment, waiting for signs of Ryu to walk out. Stealing a glimpse at his wristwatch Bam groaned impatiently. Mel shook her head as she continued to stare out the windscreen, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“What if he’s left already?”

“He hasn’t.”

“But what if-?”

“Bam,” Mel warned and slid her eyes aside to face him. “Relax, would you? You’re making me nervous.”

It was a lie of course and the look she gave him was more of a mother reprimanding her misbehaving offspring, but guiltily Bam huffed and sunk lower into his seat. The car rocked a little before it settled back to stillness. Music warbled from the stereo, something angry and heavy but turned down low. There was enough visual distraction going on around them in the bustling street, they couldn’t afford to add to it with noise.

“Wait, there he is.”

“I see him. Let’s go.”

Together the two of them climbed out and weaving their way through streams of oncoming traffic stepped up on to the curb just outside Ryu’s apartment building. It was fancy with it’s white marble, polished brass and red carpet rolling from the top step, but in his usual baggy ensemble Mike’s henchman just looked like any one else with too much money at his disposal and an aptitude for mischief that littered the district, and the doorman nodded at him agreeably as the bigger man made his way outside to wait beneath the canvas canopy for his ride. Under his breath Bam whistled making fun at the other man’s choice of abode. It wasn’t like Mike hadn’t spread his wealth to all of his companions, but at least to Bam, Ryu looked more like someone who had just wandered off on a tour and got himself lost – or had just pulled a knife on someone outside the elevators – but Ryu didn’t see them at first as he sauntered up to the curb’s edge to peer over the hoods of parked cars eying traffic with an air of impatience.

“Hey, there he is,” Bam said deliberately too loud.

With his cap askew on his head and a roll of the eyes Ryu turned to see his two colleagues approach with a less than impressed pout. His big shoulders fell as he uttered a noise and turned around, turning his back on them. Unfazed Bam and Mel approached from either side.

“What do you want?” Ryu uttered.

He spoke to the street, not facing anyone, not out of fear but with that constant sense of arrogance, as though they weren’t worth his time. He shoved his fists into his pockets and with a toe of his giant white pumps kicked at the ground. A loose pebble skittered across the cement and rolled across the carpet. When Bam strode around him to get in his face Ryu stopped and frowned down over him.

“Don’t you like have a hydrant to go piss on or something?”

Bam smiled, feigning insult. Mel smirked. She would have to remember that one for next time.

“We wanted to know if you wanted a ride. You know Mike called, right?”

Ryu scoffed. It was as close to a laugh as someone so cynical was likely to rouse, especially at this hour of night.

“Yeah. You wish. I’ve got something for you to ride right here,” Ryu smiled, grabbing at his crotch to Bam’s amusement, “but your bitch might get jealous.”

Feeling both sets of eyes fall on her Mel smiled. It wasn’t genuine. If she had a knife she would have run it across his lower face, widening that stupid leer permanently. She s******ed and looked across at Bam.

“I don’t know. He can hold his own,” Mel said.

She nodded at Bam. Ryu turned to face him. Mel slid backwards a half step. Faced with the wall of his back she dug a hand into her hip pocket. Carefully she readied the needle between her fingers. The lid slipped off and fell to the cement, the sound swallowed up by the bustle and congestion of inner-city traffic. Bam was talking, in usual Bam style it was loud, abrasive, and meant to cause a reaction. When Ryu stepped forward Mel reached up on her toes and stabbed him in the back of the neck. She pushed hard on the plunger. Ryu cried out and reached up over his shoulder reactively to grab at her. Bam lept forward and grabbed the bigger man in his arms. He kissed him on the lips dramatically. Suddenly Ryu was pushing Bam off howling indignantly in insult and disgust. The sound of Bam’s loud and raucous laughter echoed out across the busy street. People who had been watching laughed and gave the trio a side berth, thinking it was just an act. It wasn’t. The insult on Ryu’s face and the rage in his voice, as he barked at Bam for being such a dick and a fag and a queer among other things, was real. But it didn’t matter anyway. He made a move to strike Bam but didn’t follow through as Bam signaled acquiescence and backed away. He was still laughing but Ryu wasn’t. The big man slapped a hand to the back of his neck and glimpsed at his fingers as if checking for signs of blood. He glared at Mel.

“What did you do you little bitch? Did you just stick me?”

“Yeah,” Mel agreed, glaring back into Ryu’s scowling face. “Of course I did, you paranoid fuck. Why would I do that? You need to get your head checked-”

[Ravynlee]

Ryu grumbled back at her still slapping at his neck and checking his hand as if unconvinced. He didn’t seem appeased when Mel told him it could have been a bee sting or a wasp and Bam added something unsavory about his living conditions, a sexually transmitted disease, or even the possibility of a conjoined twin sprouting, among other things as a possible cause, but they shut up as he motioned to hit them and laughed back in unison. To anyone else that might have been watching they would have thought they were three young rebels having imbibed too much alcohol and jumping all over each other and making a scene, and that’s just what they were meant to think. Leaving Ryu behind to utter guttural grievances to himself Mel and Bam turned their backs and walked away again, crossed the road, and slipped back inside her car. Once inside they closed their doors with a slam and sat waiting, pushing out sounds of relief it was over.

“Did you get him?” Bam asked.

Staring out across the street Mel watched a familiar black car slide past and arc towards the curb. She watched as Ryu surveyed the street before he strode over, opened a door, and slid inside. She waited until the car’s tail lights pulled away into dissipating traffic before she reached into her pocket and withdrew the empty syringe to show him. The very tip was still tainted red with Ryu’s blood.

“What do you think?” she smiled.

Looking down at the needle Bam blinked up and smiled into her eyes. It was the first time she had seen him genuinely happy all night, and now, so close to midnight, was when he needed to relax the most.

“How long does this shit take to work anyway?” she asked, carefully pulling out the bag in the dashboard to lay the dirty needle inside. She closed it up and dusted her hands on her thighs. Bam shrugged back nonchalantly.

“Valo said it was pretty fast.”

“I hope for his sake he’s right.”

“Yeah,” Bam grunted in agreement. He sunk his head back against the cushioned rest of the seat and expelled a heavy sigh. “Do you think he’s gonna buy it? Mike, I mean.”

“Soon find out,” Mel said.

Though she had meant it to be encouraging she heard her words resound around the vehicle’s interior and turned back to face him. She smiled when Bam met her eyes.

“He will,” she said. “He trusts me.”

“Yeah. But do you think he trusts you more than them? Ryu and Tak. They’re tight.”

“You’re tight,” Mel teased.

Bam frowned at her. He smirked.

“You’re tighter than a horse’s constipated ass. No, than like my uncle Vito’s fat ass-”

“Only you’d know about that.”

Bam opened his mouth to answer and then decided against it. He grinned. Mel found herself smiling back. There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Mel found herself staring into his face. She wasn’t staring at him so much as she was thinking of Benji. Clearing her throat Mel reached down and keyed the ignition. Bam sunk into his seat, that previous sense of anxiety creeping back upon his face yet again. She wanted to say something but she didn’t, she couldn’t, in truth there was nothing more that could be said between them. The clock on the dashboard read 11:48. Less than twenty minutes until midnight. Less than twenty minutes until they had to face Mike. Less than twenty minutes until Mel had her retribution. She didn’t want to think about what she had just done or the wheels she had deliberately set in motion. She didn’t want to think about what Mike would do if he found out, she didn’t want to think at all, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Pushing the car forward they merged with traffic and crawled along 8th Avenue towards the heart of Midtown where Mike Shinoda was waiting.

They didn’t say another word to each other the rest of the way.

 

---

[Ravynlee]

(This is the one I wrote twice, literally. I'm still not thrilled but could do more with it than doing it the other way. I'm almost expecting backlash on this one, again, sorry in advance, but we have to end this sometime and to do that some people have to go, so, here's another )

 

---

 

“Thanks man. See you soon.”

Tapping the roof of the cab Frib waved, watching it pull away and merge with the steady flow of traffic.

Though he knew he should have been hurrying to get inside he didn’t. He was content just to stand there in the shadows and think, allowing himself time to adjust, not just to his surrounds, that after the noise of the club seemed almost alien now, but to the night’s revelations, the bombshell that his ex partner might still be alive.

Rob was alive.

He didn’t want to believe it. It had to be a mistake or a joke or a case of mistaken identity at best, he thought to himself. It was nothing but a subconscious and barely coherent continuation of what he and his colleagues had been repeating once the news had been delivered just a short time ago. When Goren had told him Frib had almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but something inside of him stopped it from slipping out. Had it been anyone else to deliver the news Frib might not have been ready to believe it – even now he had his doubts, they all did, it was natural, but the captain wasn’t the kind of man to spread such rumors especially at the scene of his team leader’s engagement party – the fact that he had chosen that time and place to deliver his news made something intrinsic inside the young detective perk up immediately and pay attention, because it meant on some level it had to be true.

Frib scoffed and turned his back on the city as he made his way inside. His footfalls echoed loudly in the foyer. They were slow and heavy and lonely. No, it had to be a misunderstanding of some sort, he reasoned, and with a jangle of keys fished them out of his pocket. He inserted one into the lock and twisted it. He scoffed again as he opened the door and stepped inside, shaking loose his over shirt and cares and thoughts burdened now of a party left smoldering behind him. He was thinking of Joel now and the look on the young man’s face as he reached out and pushed the door to a close. It’s resounding slam echoed through the empty apartment with appropriate gravity.

“Poor guy,” he muttered to himself.

He snapped on a light and waited, giving his eyes a moment to adjust to this new bright level of light. His shoulders sank to the depressing reality that nothing at all had changed since he’s left it. Part of him had almost been expecting Rob to show up here, he wondered dismally, kicking off his shoes, not that he really wanted it. Lost thinking of the last conversation he had shared with him at New Calvary all those months ago, Frib strode through the hall towards the bathroom to sober himself up in a quick cold shower. On top of everything else he could feel adrenalin rolling in on waves with each rhythmic pounding of his pulse. In a few hours he would be out there on the street holding a loaded firearm in his hand along with dozens of his buddies, doing what he was best at; taking down the bad guys. Smirking ruefully Frib reached in on the way past and snapped on the bathroom light. A step ahead he came to an abrupt stop and drew backwards, gripping to the wood of the doorway to guide himself. There, in his peripheral vision, he saw smears of red and knew it to be blood. His hand instinctively lowered to his hip but he cursed when he realized he had left his holster at work. He could smell it; it hung so thick in the air that with each breath Frib could practically taste it.

Seeing shoes peering from behind the drawn shower curtain Frib froze and quickly considered his options.

He opened his mouth to speak then stopped and slowly lowered to crouch just outside the opened door. His head was dizzy, his heart was suddenly racing and his mouth felt numb, the words he routinely said now locked like a fist at the back of his throat.

What if it’s Rob? What if it’s not Rob? What would Rob be doing here of all places and if it was him how did he get in? What did he want? What was he doing here, and what-?

“NYPD,” he said lowly, carefully, hoping he sounded more controlled than his drunken speech eluded. “If you have any weapons I want you to put them on the floor and slide them out to me okay? No one’s going to hurt you. I just want to talk, okay?”

Frib waited.

He rubbed at his mouth in nervous anticipation.

He counted to three under his breath and stole a quick peek in. Then he drew back and slammed himself hard against the wall. He was taking the Lord’s name in vain under his breath at least a dozen times before he realized he was rambling. When he steadied himself Frib lowered to all fours and crawled back towards the doorway. He was sick now, feeling the full force of too much alcohol and adrenalin making it’s way like lightening through his system.

“Rob?” he croaked.

He winced, not wanting any form of positive acknowledgment. When he heard nothing he crawled in closer and reached out, taking the corner of the shower curtain bloodied and smeared between his fingers. He quickly surveyed the room panicked about the possibility of calling for back up. He should have gone out and called Benji at least to let him know what was happening, but with a squeak the rings of the curtain slid back across the bar. Fribs saw legs, knees, a torso spread out before him, slumped in a corner surrounded on three sides by off-white walls of tiles.

Frib winced again and slapped a hand to his brow struggling to dredge his eyes up from the floor.

“Help me,” Rob murmured.

His bearded face was ghastly pale, almost grey, and his eyes were dull and listless and unfocused. The form of a child lay draped across his lap, like a physical homage to iconographic Madonna and Child only set in reverse. There was blood oozing from behind his red-slicked arm. His eyes were wet and shimmering.

“I tried to stop her. I grabbed the gun, but she pulled it away… it went off,” he sniffed. His lips quivered.

Frib blinked up into the child’s tiny ashen face and fought hard not to lose the drunken content of his stomach. He coughed weakly and sunk back on his knees.

There, lying in his arms, Chester’s four-year-old daughter looked as if she were sleeping. She wasn’t. Little Ava, the daughter he had fought so hard to find and had yet to even lay eyes on, would never fall asleep again.

She was dead.

 

---

 

:scary: :'(

 

Okay, fire away... :shoot:

[woodyloveslinkin]

HOLY FUCK.....

 

*inserts disturbed silence here*

 

What? Oh...I think I'm going have to edit this comment out when I can describe what I just read at the end. I'm going to have to. Just telling you that I read it, and I have to find the words to describe what I just wrote.

Fuck.

I'm still not over it......Ava's dead.......

Oh wait. My heart is beating still irregular from shock. I yelled at the computer the screen the words I highlighted and paragraphed in the centre up above. That's what my initial reaction was and still is (*presses Ctrl F to see how many times I've said the work fuck in my comments to your story* nah I'll do that one later.). Omfg. Omfg. Omfg. Omfg. Omfg. Omfg. I came from laughing at one of Bam's comments to swearing at my screen and I don't think my landlady likes to hear me swearing at an almost-inanimate (man I'm using that word alot for some reason lately...lol) object at ungodly hours of the morning,.

Yep you've done it again, well, you didn't make me fall off my bed like you did last time you updated, but you've managed to cause irregular heart beat again due to over-consumption of suspense and shock. Congrads. Lol. I didn't see that one coming. I'm going to fucking kill that SOB Ravyn now, oh...did I say poor Rob as well? Lol. Between our two stories, he's been given so much shit (I think I'm starting to see a trend here....), I am really starting to feel so god damn sorry for that guy. He gets beaten up for trying to do the right thing, well, in this case, he got shot for trying to do the right thing. You know when you said you'll send me your therapy bill in DS? Guess what. I'll send you mine now.

 

:thumbsup:

Overrall very very very well done. My poor heart it's still beating away too fast because of the shock you gave it.

[Ravynlee]

:o Aww thanks, I totally dug that reaction - that's what I was HOPING for!! :yahoo: About time damnit! Haha - sounds mean I know, but... well... I'm a meanie at heart apparently

 

I know, I know, no one expected her to go. We were all (even me) thinking Sarah would considering what that family has been through, and I wanted them (Sarah and kid) united at the end in a kind of fairytale way, but the truth of the matter was I needed Chester to get mad - as mad as Mike is for what happened to Brad and Rashell and of course Jason. At this point Chester has been lamenting on the fact he accidentally shot Jason and paid for his mistake, since he got out of jail his one driving focus has been finding Ava to settle down and start a new life for himself - what I wanted was for him to really face what he did, that in the life he led, regardless the person he is now, sometimes you just cant turn your back on the past. Mike hasn't been able to move on and neither has Rave with her son, nor Rob etc. They were two seemingly random accidents we read or hear about everyday on the news and we are all guilty in real life of seeing it and going 'oh how terrible' and a minute later it's forgotten and we change the channel.

 

In real life the horror and pain just doesn't end. That's what's driving everyone.

 

Chester might be a changed man now but in the life he once led his decisions affected so many people around him. Sarah's a prime example. Her and Ava really never had a chance at a normal life thanks to him, whether inadvertent or not, and his past (and hers in a small way) kind of caught up with them. It's tragic Ava had to pay the ultimate price but... it was kind of inevitable, AND I have been trying my hardest to make it somewhat believable - As they say, truth really is stranger than fiction...

 

Thrilled at your response. Will grin like an idiot all day at work tomorrow. Hope to have more for you soon. Thanks again. :yes:

 

Edit: BTW, just recapping on your comment, I probably didn't make it clear enough, but Rob WASN'T the one that was shot, he's merely covered in her blood from holding her all that time. Sorry, didn't want to just come right out and say it, I had to build to that chapter-ending sentence without completely giving it away, and I know I made it SOUND like I shot him last update, but he explained what happened... maybe it was shock... defeat... something...

So no, he wasn't the one that copped the bullet. Ava did. And yes I split the scene and ran. Bad me. What can I say in my defense? Nothing really, I can't. But guess that makes Chas and I allies in one more way now huh? Uh oh... silly idjit... haha.

More later.

[woodyloveslinkin]

I've concluded what you give out to your readers when you pull heart attack-causing-updates like this. It's a form shell shock. It's called MS shock.

My poor heart still hurts....I've resorted to listening to soothing music (like Pearl Jam) to try and slow my heart beat down..again, expect my therapy bill in your mailbox, just like I got yours in mine.

 

edit. Just saw your edit. Yeah I should learn to shut up with my Freudal slips. Just realised I just did. That part reminded me of something that's coming in DS and I accidentally let it slip and got it confused. I'm going to shut up now.

 

 

 

 

*motherf%#$#r* that idea's a goner grrrr:-|

[Ravynlee]

I've concluded what you give out to your readers when you pull heart attack-causing-updates like this. It's a form shell shock. It's called MS shock.

My poor heart still hurts....I've resorted to listening to soothing music (like Pearl Jam) to try and slow my heart beat down..again, expect my therapy bill in your mailbox, just like I got yours in mine.

Haha okay, will do... just don't listen to 'Black' by PJ, you might bawl your eyes out :'(

For the record I am listening to Disturbed, (of course, what else?) Shout! [:-} Rawk awn!!

 

As for the MS Shock... sorry... wasn't intentional. But my mah will be proud. I've left my mark on the world, even if it is a few people and in literary terms, by killing fictional children and such... yeah... I see what you mean... and this story isn't even over yet! haha

[Friðbjörn]

:O *gasp* wow

 

first after a few lines of the chapter I thought it was my character getting killed haha

but yeah...grave grave news...

 

I have nothing against this storywise though, I mean you write what you write, and this came out pretty well, if you know what I mean =)

[Pheonix791989]

I'm with Fribby... at first i thought oh shit dead fribby....then I was like *cries* aww dead ava. gotta love the bit with bam being well....bam. i just got done watching Bam's Unholy Union, hilarious. but great updates mum. today was a sucky ass day at work so the update was well welcomed. i was the only hostess working on a payday!! but good update you gotta write more soon. love it

[Ravynlee]

Aww thanks guys!

Glad you liked. More maybe tonight after work?

As for Unholy Union, yeah, that IS funny chit. I'm a bit of a Bam vid collector, so I have enough for inspiration if you catch my drift

And thanks Fribs, honestly I hadn't considered you would be the next one to go, well, there ya go. Maybe I should start thinking outside the box a little? *insert ominous laughter here* No... I pretty much have an idea for everyone now... all except the ultimate two being Chas and Mike. Dagnammit!

Oh well, am sure like everything else it will write itself. Just had an intense Dave Draiman dream though so... look out, inspiration comes from all different forms...

[Pheonix791989]

NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!! dont kill fribby!! i beg of you not him!! if I gotta get on my hands and knees to not have you not kill him I will do it.

[crazy robster]

News bulletin: "A sudden raise of the death toll among toddlers has been noticed after some Australian girl decided that DRAMA is the way to go!! So far, three young children named Anthea, Nicky and Ava have lost their lives at the sweet age of 3 and the number of victims is bound to increase as the creative fever of the aforementioned lady continues. Stay tuned! The more you read the more kids die! We'll just make sure you don't lose count! We'll keep you up to date ladies and gentlemen..."

 

Sis... my sweet... isn't this a bit too much? I mean, ok, I know, Anthea was in a previous story but don't you think you've killed enough kids already? I know reality is harsh, I know life ain't all lovey dovey but what's with all the killing of toddlers? I'm being honest with you. One death (Nicky) was already enough, I think killing two little kids in ONE story is somewhat TOO much. Reality is harsh but like too much happiness can make a story unrealistic, TOO much killing, especially of this kind, can have a negative effect as well I think. It just didn't sit right with me. You could have killed Rob, Chaz, Fox, anyone out of the people who are involved in the underworld that would be more plausible to me PLUS it would help you end the role of some characters because, as you very well put it in one of our chats the other day, you can't keep ALL the characters till the very end. Just some key characters make it to the end. I know it may sound too romantic again but this is my honest opinion and I never wanna lie to you my sweet. Other than that, the update was impressive and breathtaking as always. Can't wait for the next one!

[Ravynlee]

Oh sis, I knew you wouldn't agree. But I'm not out to kill everyone. You really ought to know me better by now. I could argue that I wanted Rob to 'relive' his trauma with Nicky, have Chester now grieve and relate to Rob now who before that was his sworn enemy, I could even say I did it just to get a reaction, but bottom line is shit happens. And unfortunately having kids in this kind of environment it's gonna happen more freuqently. In some ways it was inevitable, if not by accident then maybe by Mike in his blood lust, maybe not.

The problem is as a writer as you know you usually end up bringing your own personal shit to the table under the barely disguised cloak of fiction, and you know the incidents I keep referring to in this story. It's by no extreme an autobiography but when I write sometimes it isn't until after I've penned something that I see the connection. Ava was not deliberate, I didn't plan on killing her from the start (truth be told it was going to be Sarah ) but to suit my selfish purposes to link Chester to Rob, and Rob to Mike, and now in that fatal shot Mike to Chester, I did what I had to do. One death now touches all three instead of just all these minor incidences... But like I said, I can justify it til I'm blue in the face, bottom line is it suited the story better. Heaven forbid sis after the general dark tone of this story someone actually gets out of this alive and lives any semblance of 'happily ever after'. They might in your story. They wont in mine.

Thanks again.

Regardless how it sounds there I actually do appreciate the feedback. It's healthy to reevaluate my thoughts, keep me in line so to speak. Thanks my sweet.

More later.

 

Oh and btw, don't think i didn't notice, but it appears sarcasm is definately a family trait