?
(NPC Macamber)
The security officer was listening
to Kites and then to Brandon with one ear but was also paying attention to the
earpiece feeding her information in her other ear.? After a moment she
turned to address Kites.? "That will not be necessary.?
Certain... precautions... taken by Mister Chord have allowed us to determine
your whereabouts over the last several days as well as any person or persons
you might have had contact with.? Enough so that I can now say that none
of you are under any immediate suspicion.? We will continue to review the
data as we widen our search, but as of now you are all free to go."?
The door to the room clicked as it unlocked and opened just slightly. Looking
the group over as if satisfying herself of something, she finally nodded and
added "Though I do recommend that you stay in the facility for your own
safety.? We finished the security sweep and the building has now been
cleared."
?
Looking to Brandon, Macamber went
on.? "PR is working on a press release but is holding off inquiries
with a generic non-statement for the time being.? We are working as
swiftly as possible to have the will read and processed, but it appears that
the terms your father set out require both you and your brother - Raine? - to
be present.? We are attempting to locate him but unfortunately, we do not
have the same resources to find him that we did for tracking you.? If you
know where he can be found, we would appreciate anything you could tell
us."
?
"That is all for now," she
said, once again addressing the group as a whole.? "I will be in the
Security offices for the time being as we pursue our investigations.? If
you have any further questions, you can contact me there." She hesitated a
moment, then added in a business-like tone "Again, I'm sorry for your
individual losses.? You were important to Mister Chord and the
organization will not forget that."? With that, she turned and exited
the room.
?
(Gen)
Gen relaxed a bit when Kites held
her and assured her that she could stay with him.? "Thank you,"
she whispered, hugging him instinctively.? After a few moments, she
collected herself, wiping her tears away, feeling very self-conscious with the
others in the room around her and Kites.? "Sorry," she mumbled
to no one in particular as she stood up.
The androgyne watched as Macamber
left the room.? The words "hostile intent" kept nipping at the
back of her mind.? There was something there, something important,
something she needed to remember.? Something she'd seen?? Heard??
Sensed somehow?? But what?? If she thought about it long enough,
maybe it'd come to her.
?
"I'll go with you, whenever
you're ready, Kites," she said quietly, staying close to his side.?
"I think I need to lie down for a bit... to try and get my head back
together."? She looked around apologetically for her vagueness.?
"I know I know something.? I just don't know what it is."
?
(Kites)
Kites was glad that Mia was
receptive having realized that he has bit a bit cold towards her, not just
today, but before also.? They can hash out their feelings later
though.? Right now, more than anything, everyone needed some comfort,
maybe even space to process things.? No one was prepared for this, not
even Brandon who so stoically held in his emotions.? It didn't help that
that he now became the defacto leader.? The level of pressure that was
suddenly placed on Brandon's shoulders was not something that Kites could even
begin to sympathize with.? But that was not something he wanted to think
about.? Macamber said that they could go, so Kites twined his hand with
Gen's and pulled her to him as they headed out of the conference room.
?
"Thank you, Ms. Macamber,"
the winged youth said to the security lady, but just before the door shut
behind them, Kites froze when he heard her mention Raine.? It couldn't be,
could it?? How many Raine's were there at this place?? He only knew
of one, the man who was gracious enough to advise Kites in his moment of
need.? Could they be the same person?? The Raine he knew didn't
mention anything about a brother.? Then again, he knew nothing about this
stranger who just so happened to be on the roof same as him.? Curious, but
not something that he felt was so urgent to take his attention away from Gen.
?
When they got to the communal space,
Kites pulled Gen into his embrace as he held her to his chest, then spread his
wings and flew up to the second floor, pressing on the door panel which
recognized him and opened the door.? Once inside, he carried her to the
bed and gently laid her down, placing pillows behind her back and neck for
support.
?
"Can I get you anything??
Would you like some tea, juice or water?? Perhaps a sandwich or two?"
Kites asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand going up to move a
few stray hairs off of Gen's face, then cradled her cheek, his thumb idly
rubbing over her cheek.? "If you prefer, you could just sleep and I
can busy myself with something else...? Unless you want me beside you that
is..."? His cheeks flushed, though he no intention of suggesting
anything remotely beyond just comfort cuddling.
?
(Mia)
Mia was at a loss on what to do
now.? She was currently ¡°alone.¡±? Gen and Kites left the room
together and Brandon was clearly going to have to go and take care of
business.? She looked around and Kat was suddenly gone too.? With a
sigh she just sat there, unsure of what to do or where to go.? Sure, she
could go to her room and do what?? She wasn¡¯t tired, wasn¡¯t hungry, wasn¡¯t
anything.? She was numb¡that¡¯s what she was, numb.? She was trying to
build a friendship and was hoping to become more with Ireland, and now she was
just gone¡like that, gone.? Mia watched everyone else leave the conference
room and she just remained where she had sat down after receiving a hug from
Kites.? Alone and numb.
?
?(Brandon)
Brandon was totally at a loss.?
He had to go and put things together.?
He was not in charge officially but he had to just make things run.? He wanted to go to see Kat, just hold her he
wanted to make sure he checked on Mia.?
He wanted them to be more at first sure, but he wasn¡¯t¡that type.? He got it perhaps he was too thirsty.? He smiled briefly thinking about how
attractive the redheaded woman had been to him and yet.? He wanted her to happy with Ireland.? He was feeling the pain and rage as
everything in the room vibrated going from zero gravity back and forth so
quickly.? ¡°STOP!! I don¡¯t have time for
this Sh¡¡± He breathed as he was going to have to wait for the reading of the
will¡but it was either him or some outsider.?
He had no idea what Mr. Chord¡his father.
?
He was his father, the best-damned father, and mother Harrison there
ever was.? But right now¡in this moment
he needed to be Mr. Chord he couldn¡¯t handle him being his father right now or
he would have to deal with the pain and loss of the moment.?? He moved to look around, he checked the
monitors he could see the conference room still and everyone was gone.? He saw Mia still sitting there.? He had left her to deal with work.?
?
?He called on the phone since she
was still sitting there.? He didn¡¯t want
to put it on the intercom and startle her.?
If she picked up the phone he would respond.? ¡°I need to see in Mr. Chord¡¯s office.¡±? If she didn¡¯t he would send her a text
message.? He was only calling to be more
official.
?
?He breathed blinking back the
tears that he didn¡¯t have the time for.?
He now had to boss up and just do.?
He didn¡¯t have the time for the emotionalness that had up to this point
plagued his life.
?
He hated that he had to lose his family to truly grow into his
own.? He wanted to smile when he thought
of Ireland, she was his first love and his best friend and now she was
gone!? His soul hurt with that knowledge
the chance to never be to her what she had been to him.
?
?He said down at his father¡¯s
computer the password was easy, the man loved his family each of his bad assed
children.? So when he got in he picked up
the phone and called PR and told them to put whatever spin they needed to put
on to things to keep the ship afloat.? He
then had to check that all the contracts were done and in place.? Some of them would have to be closed and
denied.? He wasn¡¯t his father he didn¡¯t
have the grey matter in place and now he couldn¡¯t even fall back on Ireland for
tech know-how.? So somethings would have
to come to an end based on finances.? He
would have to find or hire another head of R&D if he wanted to keep that
leg going.
But in the meantime what was currently working would have to be.? He wanted a life of his own, he never truly
wanted to helm this ship, but he would be damned if he lost or gave up on his
father¡¯s legacy.? He could be the man
they saw in him¡someday!?? Right now he
would simply have to be the man the company and the team needed.? He would deal with the emotional fall out
later.
?
?He looked at the phone once
more, the one in his hand, then the one on the desk.?? He was dreading making the other call, he
honestly didn¡¯t want to do it.
?
He despised Rain for some bullshit reason, being picked on when he was
younger then feeling like he was betraying his father and his legacy.? Now all of that seemed, piss poor on his
part¡sure they were on opposite sides of the law, but he was family and now¡now
he needs to tell him that they were all gone and it was just the two of
them.?? He loved Ireland just as much,
loved Harrison too, but the fallout between him and father was age-old between
Son¡¯s and he could only hope to have them patch up one day.
?
Brandon had hoped it wouldn¡¯t be behind bars but right now¡right now he
knew that it would be never and Rain now had to live with that.? He turned away from the desk phone and put
the other into his pocket.? Not yet, he
wasn¡¯t ready for that conversation, he would call him when they were ready for
the reading of the will¡not before.? He
could only hope he didn¡¯t try to call Ireland before then.
?
?He turned to look at the news
with hopes he caught this all in time.?
He sat on the desk pondering the vultures that would come out.? He was going to go down with this ship!
Tag:? ?Gen, NPC Macamber,
Kites, Mia, Brandon, (Kat-skip)
?
?
?
