Miami Heat (MCU)
- Thread starter Julian84
- Start date
- Superhero
aldersprig
Twisted Twig
- Location
- Finger Lakes
[X] - Jack tells her to focus on the past still. Somebody had to remember the lessons of the past, and those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, right?
We need scholars! People need to understand these things in the context of the world!
We need scholars! People need to understand these things in the context of the world!
- Location
- America
[X] - Jack tells her to focus on the past still. Somebody had to remember the lessons of the past, and those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, right?
Finish your degree
Finish your degree
[X] - Jack tells her to focus on the past still. Somebody had to remember the lessons of the past, and those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, right?
Nightfall, Entry 8
Julian84
A fairly sadistic writer
"I think it's ok for you to feel a bit of anxiety about where you're going with your degree, what career you're going to take. I get it." Jack smiled reassuringly, but adopted a stern, older-brotherly tone. "But you've set a course for yourself, and you should stick it through to the end. You can't be jumping the gun and dropping stuff just because you've got a bad feeling about it. You have to cultivate a work ethic that gets shit done, lil sis."
He leaned forward, clasping his hands around his drink. "There are some people who just let go of the past and act like nothing ever happened, but to me that's kinda bullshit. You've got to remember where you come from, what happened before, or you're bound to fuck up and repeat the same mistakes. Yeah, there's a lot of wild shit happening right now that's exciting and new… And yeah, it's changing how we see the world… But you've got to have people who remind you what it all means. What's the context? How did we get here? So don't give up on your path yet… You may find that you leave your footprint in ways you didn't expect." Jack shrugs, looking off to the side. "And hey, life goes for a long time. You can always start something new, try something different when you're older. I certainly didn't think I'd be in Miami when I was your age."
Jill pauses for a while, chewing on what her brother said. Perhaps she disagreed with him, perhaps she just wasn't sure what to think. But eventually she smiled and nodded, looking up at him with a smile. "Thanks, Jack. I'll keep that in mind."
"Any time," He confirmed with a smile in return and picking up his drink. "It's what I'm here for, after all." He slurps down a gulp of his coke, mind wandering. "So, everything else going ok? Campus life still as fun as freshman year?"
"Pfft…" Jill stifles a laugh, remembering her disastrous first year of university. It had been a total fiasco, and her old roommate's hair still hadn't grown back from the incident. Not that it was Jill's fault, but she hadn't enjoyed being caught up in the fireworks. "Well, things have been getting kind of weird this semester." She admits, thinking about it more seriously.
"Oh?" Jack takes another sip of soda.
She hesitates, looking at him. "Well… Maybe I shouldn't say, I wouldn't want to trigger anything for you. Let's just talk about something else."
"Nah, you're not getting out of it that easy." He crossed his arms in response, exuding authority towards her.
"Jack…" Jill murmurs, already worried. "It… It's not going to be easy for you to talk about."
Jack rolled his eyes, "I'm thirty years old, Jill, I can take care of myself. Now spill."
"Well, they've set a curfew on the dorms, and there's been a crackdown on students going to parties. Apparently some folks have been hospitalized." She comments, stirring the ice in her drink. "It's been kind of annoying, but they're not really authoritative about it, just threaten you with fines and shit."
"What's been going on?" Jack's brow furrows, concern growing. So far, talking about the party lifestyle wasn't causing him too much trouble...
Jill shrugs, but it's clear she knows a little more than she is letting on. "Welllll… From what I know, which isn't much, is that there's some new designer drug that's been getting passed around in the party scene. Not really my thing, so I haven't seen it firsthand, but from what I've heard the people who take it go fucking bananas. Often get themselves or someone else hurt as a result. They call it, 'Madcap'."
"Madcap…" Jack frowns, drumming his fingers on the table. He'd heard rumors about the new drug, but nothing concrete, and hadn't even see it pass hands in front of him. It was supposed to be harmless, he'd thought, just a little high that made you giggly. If people were going to the hospital… Well, it must not interact well with alcohol or some other party drug. "I haven't heard of it," He lies, "It must be pretty dangerous if people are going to the hospital. And these weren't overdoses?"
"I'dunno." She replies, sipping her tea with an apathetic expression. "Like I said, that's not really… My scene." He cringed inwardly, knowing she was referring to his party days.
"Gotcha… Well, even so, you stay safe and clear of it." Jack reminds her sternly. "You've got a great life coming together and I don't want you repeating mine or Tom's mistakes."
"I know." She replied with a tight smile.
The waiter returned with their food and Jack dug into his french dip sandwich with gusto, realizing just how hungry he really was as the savory, broth-soaked french bread, beef, and swiss cheese went past his lips. "Oh, this is so good." He mumbles around a mouthful of the sandwich, his eyes closed as he chewed slowly, savoring the salty flavor.
Jill smiled and shook her head, taking a bite of her shawarma. "Glad you're enjoying yourself over there. Should I let you two have a moment in private?"
"You just don't understand our love." Jack replied, taking another big, broth-soaked bite.
She raises her eyebrows, "Oh, Jack, I think I know exactly how much you love having a big mouthful of meat." She innocently took a sip of her tea as he lobbed a balled-up napkin at her face.
"Thrrs hrmrphrbc." He mumbled around a mouthful of food.
"Not my fault you make it so easy." Jill took another big sip of tea.
He gave her a glare over his sandwich, knowing she'd outfoxed him there. As much as he idolized the renegade anti-heroes who always had a quip at the ready, he wasn't very good at getting the last word.
"So how about you?" She took another bite of her wrap. "How's work going?"
"Oh… I actually got promoted at the garage." He responds, not making eye contact.
Jill beams at him, and just the peripheral sight of her radiant grin makes his gut hurt a little. "That's so great," She gushes proudly. "What'll you be doing?"
"You know how it is… More responsibility, not enough pay." Jack chuckles lamely. "Basically doing more of the same work as Tom, not wasting time fucking around with supply orders and inventory."
"Cool, well I'm happy for you. I know it's not what you wanted, but it's nice it's paying off." She smiled at him again, and again he felt that little pang in his gut.
They continued to eat their lunch, shooting the breeze and discussing small matters from their day to day lives before Jill had to excuse herself and head on to her class. Jack gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug, promising that he would indeed go to the therapist before paying the bill. As he's heading back to his Corolla, he ponders the situation with Madcap… Perhaps Tom had some clues as to what was going on with the new drug on the market?
As he reaches his car, he receives a text from Philip Lyon. Checking it, he finds a perfunctory message.
Albanians suspect us. Watch your back. Get to yacht asap, have a project for you.
He stares at the message for a moment before pocketing his phone and getting into the car. Jack pulls on his shades as he navigates through the university and heads east towards the private marina from which he could reach the Slug's yacht…
Along the way, Jack decides to…
Choose 1
[] - Call Tom and ask about the Madcap drug.
[] - Call Philip and ask about the project…
[] - Call Lupa's office and schedule an appointment.
[] - Focus on watching his own back. Phone calls can wait. (Guile)
The vote is a little anemic this time, admittedly. Couldn't really feel any natural way to extend this segment's lifespan and introduce any other important character choices, and if I went into the next segment this would have been a massive update, which I didn't feel the energy to write. Considering we're meeting the Slug next time, I want to be rested and ready to write a good post, so just bear with me in the meantime.
He leaned forward, clasping his hands around his drink. "There are some people who just let go of the past and act like nothing ever happened, but to me that's kinda bullshit. You've got to remember where you come from, what happened before, or you're bound to fuck up and repeat the same mistakes. Yeah, there's a lot of wild shit happening right now that's exciting and new… And yeah, it's changing how we see the world… But you've got to have people who remind you what it all means. What's the context? How did we get here? So don't give up on your path yet… You may find that you leave your footprint in ways you didn't expect." Jack shrugs, looking off to the side. "And hey, life goes for a long time. You can always start something new, try something different when you're older. I certainly didn't think I'd be in Miami when I was your age."
Jill pauses for a while, chewing on what her brother said. Perhaps she disagreed with him, perhaps she just wasn't sure what to think. But eventually she smiled and nodded, looking up at him with a smile. "Thanks, Jack. I'll keep that in mind."
"Any time," He confirmed with a smile in return and picking up his drink. "It's what I'm here for, after all." He slurps down a gulp of his coke, mind wandering. "So, everything else going ok? Campus life still as fun as freshman year?"
"Pfft…" Jill stifles a laugh, remembering her disastrous first year of university. It had been a total fiasco, and her old roommate's hair still hadn't grown back from the incident. Not that it was Jill's fault, but she hadn't enjoyed being caught up in the fireworks. "Well, things have been getting kind of weird this semester." She admits, thinking about it more seriously.
"Oh?" Jack takes another sip of soda.
She hesitates, looking at him. "Well… Maybe I shouldn't say, I wouldn't want to trigger anything for you. Let's just talk about something else."
"Nah, you're not getting out of it that easy." He crossed his arms in response, exuding authority towards her.
"Jack…" Jill murmurs, already worried. "It… It's not going to be easy for you to talk about."
Jack rolled his eyes, "I'm thirty years old, Jill, I can take care of myself. Now spill."
"Well, they've set a curfew on the dorms, and there's been a crackdown on students going to parties. Apparently some folks have been hospitalized." She comments, stirring the ice in her drink. "It's been kind of annoying, but they're not really authoritative about it, just threaten you with fines and shit."
"What's been going on?" Jack's brow furrows, concern growing. So far, talking about the party lifestyle wasn't causing him too much trouble...
Jill shrugs, but it's clear she knows a little more than she is letting on. "Welllll… From what I know, which isn't much, is that there's some new designer drug that's been getting passed around in the party scene. Not really my thing, so I haven't seen it firsthand, but from what I've heard the people who take it go fucking bananas. Often get themselves or someone else hurt as a result. They call it, 'Madcap'."
"Madcap…" Jack frowns, drumming his fingers on the table. He'd heard rumors about the new drug, but nothing concrete, and hadn't even see it pass hands in front of him. It was supposed to be harmless, he'd thought, just a little high that made you giggly. If people were going to the hospital… Well, it must not interact well with alcohol or some other party drug. "I haven't heard of it," He lies, "It must be pretty dangerous if people are going to the hospital. And these weren't overdoses?"
"I'dunno." She replies, sipping her tea with an apathetic expression. "Like I said, that's not really… My scene." He cringed inwardly, knowing she was referring to his party days.
"Gotcha… Well, even so, you stay safe and clear of it." Jack reminds her sternly. "You've got a great life coming together and I don't want you repeating mine or Tom's mistakes."
"I know." She replied with a tight smile.
The waiter returned with their food and Jack dug into his french dip sandwich with gusto, realizing just how hungry he really was as the savory, broth-soaked french bread, beef, and swiss cheese went past his lips. "Oh, this is so good." He mumbles around a mouthful of the sandwich, his eyes closed as he chewed slowly, savoring the salty flavor.
Jill smiled and shook her head, taking a bite of her shawarma. "Glad you're enjoying yourself over there. Should I let you two have a moment in private?"
"You just don't understand our love." Jack replied, taking another big, broth-soaked bite.
She raises her eyebrows, "Oh, Jack, I think I know exactly how much you love having a big mouthful of meat." She innocently took a sip of her tea as he lobbed a balled-up napkin at her face.
"Thrrs hrmrphrbc." He mumbled around a mouthful of food.
"Not my fault you make it so easy." Jill took another big sip of tea.
He gave her a glare over his sandwich, knowing she'd outfoxed him there. As much as he idolized the renegade anti-heroes who always had a quip at the ready, he wasn't very good at getting the last word.
"So how about you?" She took another bite of her wrap. "How's work going?"
"Oh… I actually got promoted at the garage." He responds, not making eye contact.
Jill beams at him, and just the peripheral sight of her radiant grin makes his gut hurt a little. "That's so great," She gushes proudly. "What'll you be doing?"
"You know how it is… More responsibility, not enough pay." Jack chuckles lamely. "Basically doing more of the same work as Tom, not wasting time fucking around with supply orders and inventory."
"Cool, well I'm happy for you. I know it's not what you wanted, but it's nice it's paying off." She smiled at him again, and again he felt that little pang in his gut.
They continued to eat their lunch, shooting the breeze and discussing small matters from their day to day lives before Jill had to excuse herself and head on to her class. Jack gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug, promising that he would indeed go to the therapist before paying the bill. As he's heading back to his Corolla, he ponders the situation with Madcap… Perhaps Tom had some clues as to what was going on with the new drug on the market?
As he reaches his car, he receives a text from Philip Lyon. Checking it, he finds a perfunctory message.
Albanians suspect us. Watch your back. Get to yacht asap, have a project for you.
He stares at the message for a moment before pocketing his phone and getting into the car. Jack pulls on his shades as he navigates through the university and heads east towards the private marina from which he could reach the Slug's yacht…
Along the way, Jack decides to…
Choose 1
[] - Call Tom and ask about the Madcap drug.
[] - Call Philip and ask about the project…
[] - Call Lupa's office and schedule an appointment.
[] - Focus on watching his own back. Phone calls can wait. (Guile)
The vote is a little anemic this time, admittedly. Couldn't really feel any natural way to extend this segment's lifespan and introduce any other important character choices, and if I went into the next segment this would have been a massive update, which I didn't feel the energy to write. Considering we're meeting the Slug next time, I want to be rested and ready to write a good post, so just bear with me in the meantime.
- Location
- America
[X] - Call Lupa's office and schedule an appointment.
- Location
- box under a bridge
Torn between appointment and guile. Hmm.
*coin flip*
Guile it is!
[X] - Focus on watching his own back. Phone calls can wait. (Guile)
*coin flip*
Guile it is!
[X] - Focus on watching his own back. Phone calls can wait. (Guile)
- Location
- nz
[X] - Focus on watching his own back. Phone calls can wait. (Guile)
OfSpaceandTime
Chaotically Inclined
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- Anything non-rude.
[X] - Call Lupa's office and schedule an appointment.
Nightfall, Entry 9
Julian84
A fairly sadistic writer
Tiebreaker Dice Roll Results: ...[X] - Focus on watching his own back. Phone calls can wait. (Guile)
Jack glanced at his cell phone, chewing on the idea of calling Dr. Lupa and setting up the appointment, get it done while his mind was on it… But it could wait, he decided. He needed to focus on the road and Philip's warning. Keeping an eye on his six, Jack methodically made his way over to the marina, making sure he wasn't followed on his way there. Pulling into the parking lot, he locked up the Corolla and headed over to the boathouse.
"Afternoon," A man behind the counter said, scratching his beard idly. "Looking to rent docking space, or are ya here to take a boat out? Weather is good for it today y'know." He looked Jack up and down apathetically, but it was all just an act.
Jack pulled out his ID and approached the counter, sliding the card over to the man. "I need to get to the party." He said casually, glancing over his shoulder. The man paused for a moment and pulled the card close, inspecting it and then perusing over a list. A small measure of security to avoid unwanted guests. "Checks out… Jack. You mind waiting?"
Jack shrugged. "I figure there isn't anyone here yet, still early."
"Come with me." The man leads him behind the counter and out onto the docks, heading towards a pavilion. Pulling a radio from his belt, he called over to the yacht. "This is Rich, over at the marina, we've got one who needs to join the party, over."
"Guest or staff, over?" A voice crackled on the other end.
"Staff, over." The man confirms.
There's silence for a moment. "Copy that, we'll send the speedboat to pick him up, over."
"Roger that."
Jack sat under the pavilion while the man clipped the radio back to his belt. "Should be about fifteen to twenty minutes before they're here to pick you up."
Jack nodded, used to this drill already. "Sounds about right. Thanks."
"Don't mention it." The man responds, heading back to the boathouse while Jack waits for his pickup. Seagulls cawed loudly as they flew overhead, trying to find scraps of food to eat. Jack thought about calling the therapist again, but… Probably not a good idea right now. It wasn't considered kosher to do anything but sit and wait there if you were on the Slug's payroll. Guests might get away with chatting on their cell phone, but staff were expected to be professional at all hours.
Jack idly stared at the ceiling of the pavilion, studying the wooden beams crisscrossing the structure in boredom until finally he heard the roar of the speedboat. Standing to attention, he pulled out his sunglasses and slipped them on, heading out into the glare of the sun to wait for the boat to come alongside him. With practiced ease, he plopped onto the boat alongside Sidney, the tough chick of the enforcers.
"Morning, Sid." He leaned against the windshield of the boat. She didn't even hesitate to gun the engine, speeding back out towards open water with practiced ease.
"It's afternoon, movie star." She replied with a shrug.
"Afternoon, Sid." Jack said in response, grinning slightly. He couldn't see it beneath her opaque shades, but he was certain that she was rolling her eyes at him. They charged across the waters and he was sure she was hitting the swells as hard as she could just to knock him off his balance, but he refused to be cowed by her stand-offish tactics. It could be this was just her personality, it could be hazing of the new guy, but either way he wasn't going to be intimidated.
After a few minutes of silence, he began to spot the glittering jewel out at sea, the 3rd Avenue. It was an odd name for a ship, but apparently it spoke to the Slug's New York City roots. It was a 315 ft. luxury yacht with six decks, a dining room and fully-equipped galley, eight guest cabins, a VIP cabin for the Slug, an outdoor pool on the deck, an outdoor cinema, a small helipad, and docking for three smaller boats to be carried along with it. Anchored three miles off the coast of Miami, it was the Slug's base of operations, a security measure taken to avoid being targeted by the Cubans or the other two syndicates under their umbrella, the Albanians and the El Salvadorians. After last night, Jack expected the security would be extra tight for the next few weeks, at least until things settled down.
The speedboat came alongside the 3rd Avenue, a panel opening up on the side of the yacht to allow the smaller craft to dock. Jack didn't wait for them to secure the boat, hopping across the gap and landing on the yacht quickly. He passed by the crew and took the elevator up to the Slug's VIP suite, where Philip was waiting for him outside.
"Took your sweet time getting here, movie star." Philip raised an eyebrow at Jack's apparent tardiness.
"Sorry, had to stop by your sister's place on my way here." Jack replied with a blank face, walking quickly by his boss - not quick enough, as Lyon grabbed him by the arm with a cold look.
"Don't forget your place around here, Jack." Philip said tonelessly. "I don't care if you're Tom's brother, I don't care if you're the second coming of Jesus Christ. Piss me off and I will gut you from dick to throat and toss you into the water."
Jack paused, glad his sunglasses could hide his alarm. "Right, sorry. That was in poor taste." He agreed, backing down. Philip released him and opened the door to the VIP suite, leading Jack in towards the lounge. There they found Ulysses Xydakis, the gangster known as the Slug… And to Jack's revulsion, the man certainly lived up to his name. He was over 600 lbs, an absolutely massive specimen of adipose. He too wore sunglasses like his enforcers, hiding whatever beady eyes were sunken into his pudgy face. His hair was pure white, and his skin was extremely pale too. He held a martini glass delicately between his finger and thumb, swirling the contents from time to time. Beside the gangster were two bodyguards, members of his enforcers, who both carried AK-47s at their hips. Several of his advisors, lawyers, and other attendants were in the lounge as well, minding their own business and ignoring the actions about to happen… And kneeling in front of the Slug was the man they had captured last night, his mouth gagged and wrists bound. They had placed him down on a fabric tarp that would absorb fluids and also decompose on the ocean floor, if necessary…
"Ah, Philip." The Slug smirked as his chief lieutenant came in, followed by Jack. "There we are… About to start the festivities, I cannot wait. I'm so pleased with your success last night, so, so pleased… Only one casualty! Most excellent."
Philip stopped short beside the prisoner, nodding his head in acceptance of the praise… Jack even got the feeling that perhaps Lyon felt a bit of pride for a job well done. "Thank you, sir. Our intelligence from within the Albanians' organization proved accurate. What we found, though, was not what we were expecting."
"Do tell, do tell." The Slug responded with mock gravitas. All of this was theater, meant to prolong the prisoner's anxiety.
"Well, sir, we determined that the Albanians were not the sellers of the drug… They were being paid to transport it and distribute it across the region." Philip said. "We were able to capture this one, the payment, and a briefcase full of the drug in question."
The Slug raised an eyebrow dramatically. "And?"
"It was Madcap, sir. A much more potent variety than what we've seen before." Philip confirmed. "It's possible the Cubans might be producing it, but that's outside their normal scope… If the Albanians were bringing it in from overseas, we'd expect them to ship it in on one of their freighters."
Jack paused, glancing around the room. So the Albanians were working with whoever produced the Madcap? It seemed like a lot of hooplah over a harmless little party drug… But then he remembered Jill's story about people being hospitalized…
"Ungag him." The Slug ordered, and Jack quickly complied by pulling the gag from the prisoner's mouth. Continuing smoothly, the Slug leaned forward slightly, "I'm presuming you don't work for the Cubans, now do you?"
The man licked his dry lips for a moment before glaring up at Xydakis. "You have no idea what you've done here, Slug. I have powerful friends."
"Hm." The Slug flicks his fingers, and Philip belts the prisoner across the mouth. No one, no one, called Ulysses Xydakis by his nickname in person. "Now, I'm sure you do have powerful friends. I'd be quite interested to meet them." He holds up the golden hexagon lapel pin to the light, admiring it. "Advanced Idea Mechanics." The Slug turned the pin in his fat fingers, ignoring the man's somewhat surprised reaction. "I had heard that they went under after their idiot boss decided going toe-to-toe with Iron Man was a good idea. That even happened here, in sunny, beautiful Miami. But your activities last night make me think that perhaps, just perhaps…" He clenches the lapel pin in his fist. "AIM has not disappeared entirely, has it?"
The man's scowl disappeared as he studied the Slug more closely. This was clearly becoming a situation where he wasn't dealing with some up-jumped street thug. Jack frowned, recalling the event that Xydakis described… That had been Christmas, 2014, getting close to four years prior. He was still in LA at the time, recovering from his self-destructive behaviors, so he hadn't paid a great deal of attention at the time…
"I wonder if the Cubans know that the Albanians were making deals with AIM. Of course, I have to wonder why AIM is producing and distributing hallucinogens at all? Has the stock market dried up for investors?" The Slug chuckled at his own joke as the man from AIM quietly held his tongue. "Ah, giving us the silent treatment. I guess this is where the cliche comes out to bite us all, doesn't it?"
Jack puts a hand on the man's shoulder, squeezing it gently, "We have ways of making you talk." He said with grim determination, squeeing slightly on the inside at being able to use the line. Part of him, though, called out that they were about to torture this man… But he was also a criminal, right? So it was all ok.
"Yes, thank you." The Slug nodded with a weary tone. "Mr. Lyon, Mr… Whoever you are, please convince our guest that self-preservation far outweighs whatever loyalty he has to his superiors."
Philip nodded, stepping to glare down at their prisoner. Jack assessed the situation… The man had already lost a hand, which provided some pros and cons for their approach. On one, mangled hand, he had already lost a hand. There wouldn't be much shock if he started losing other appendages. They had no family members or friends with which to squeeze him, and if they wanted to get information before the Albanians retaliated they couldn't starve him or deprive him of sleep. It'd take too long. On the other, whole, hand… He'd already lost a hand. He might be of the mind that it was time to cut his losses and start to cooperate. He glanced up at Philip, a small signal that communicated…
Choose 1:
[] - Jack was going to play Bad Cop. (Machismo)
[] - Jack was going to play Good Cop. (Guile)
[] - Jack was going to defer to Philip's experience.
[] - Jack was going to go full ape-shit psycho on this guy. Maybe beating him to an inch of his life would loosen his lips. It'd certainly leave an impression on everyone else.
[] - Jack threatens to drug the man from AIM with Madcap. Perhaps he might be more willing to talk then. It might also give them some sense for what the drug's purpose was, depending on his reaction.
[] - Jack threatens to feed the man to the Slug.
Jack glanced at his cell phone, chewing on the idea of calling Dr. Lupa and setting up the appointment, get it done while his mind was on it… But it could wait, he decided. He needed to focus on the road and Philip's warning. Keeping an eye on his six, Jack methodically made his way over to the marina, making sure he wasn't followed on his way there. Pulling into the parking lot, he locked up the Corolla and headed over to the boathouse.
"Afternoon," A man behind the counter said, scratching his beard idly. "Looking to rent docking space, or are ya here to take a boat out? Weather is good for it today y'know." He looked Jack up and down apathetically, but it was all just an act.
Jack pulled out his ID and approached the counter, sliding the card over to the man. "I need to get to the party." He said casually, glancing over his shoulder. The man paused for a moment and pulled the card close, inspecting it and then perusing over a list. A small measure of security to avoid unwanted guests. "Checks out… Jack. You mind waiting?"
Jack shrugged. "I figure there isn't anyone here yet, still early."
"Come with me." The man leads him behind the counter and out onto the docks, heading towards a pavilion. Pulling a radio from his belt, he called over to the yacht. "This is Rich, over at the marina, we've got one who needs to join the party, over."
"Guest or staff, over?" A voice crackled on the other end.
"Staff, over." The man confirms.
There's silence for a moment. "Copy that, we'll send the speedboat to pick him up, over."
"Roger that."
Jack sat under the pavilion while the man clipped the radio back to his belt. "Should be about fifteen to twenty minutes before they're here to pick you up."
Jack nodded, used to this drill already. "Sounds about right. Thanks."
"Don't mention it." The man responds, heading back to the boathouse while Jack waits for his pickup. Seagulls cawed loudly as they flew overhead, trying to find scraps of food to eat. Jack thought about calling the therapist again, but… Probably not a good idea right now. It wasn't considered kosher to do anything but sit and wait there if you were on the Slug's payroll. Guests might get away with chatting on their cell phone, but staff were expected to be professional at all hours.
Jack idly stared at the ceiling of the pavilion, studying the wooden beams crisscrossing the structure in boredom until finally he heard the roar of the speedboat. Standing to attention, he pulled out his sunglasses and slipped them on, heading out into the glare of the sun to wait for the boat to come alongside him. With practiced ease, he plopped onto the boat alongside Sidney, the tough chick of the enforcers.
"Morning, Sid." He leaned against the windshield of the boat. She didn't even hesitate to gun the engine, speeding back out towards open water with practiced ease.
"It's afternoon, movie star." She replied with a shrug.
"Afternoon, Sid." Jack said in response, grinning slightly. He couldn't see it beneath her opaque shades, but he was certain that she was rolling her eyes at him. They charged across the waters and he was sure she was hitting the swells as hard as she could just to knock him off his balance, but he refused to be cowed by her stand-offish tactics. It could be this was just her personality, it could be hazing of the new guy, but either way he wasn't going to be intimidated.
After a few minutes of silence, he began to spot the glittering jewel out at sea, the 3rd Avenue. It was an odd name for a ship, but apparently it spoke to the Slug's New York City roots. It was a 315 ft. luxury yacht with six decks, a dining room and fully-equipped galley, eight guest cabins, a VIP cabin for the Slug, an outdoor pool on the deck, an outdoor cinema, a small helipad, and docking for three smaller boats to be carried along with it. Anchored three miles off the coast of Miami, it was the Slug's base of operations, a security measure taken to avoid being targeted by the Cubans or the other two syndicates under their umbrella, the Albanians and the El Salvadorians. After last night, Jack expected the security would be extra tight for the next few weeks, at least until things settled down.
The speedboat came alongside the 3rd Avenue, a panel opening up on the side of the yacht to allow the smaller craft to dock. Jack didn't wait for them to secure the boat, hopping across the gap and landing on the yacht quickly. He passed by the crew and took the elevator up to the Slug's VIP suite, where Philip was waiting for him outside.
"Took your sweet time getting here, movie star." Philip raised an eyebrow at Jack's apparent tardiness.
"Sorry, had to stop by your sister's place on my way here." Jack replied with a blank face, walking quickly by his boss - not quick enough, as Lyon grabbed him by the arm with a cold look.
"Don't forget your place around here, Jack." Philip said tonelessly. "I don't care if you're Tom's brother, I don't care if you're the second coming of Jesus Christ. Piss me off and I will gut you from dick to throat and toss you into the water."
Jack paused, glad his sunglasses could hide his alarm. "Right, sorry. That was in poor taste." He agreed, backing down. Philip released him and opened the door to the VIP suite, leading Jack in towards the lounge. There they found Ulysses Xydakis, the gangster known as the Slug… And to Jack's revulsion, the man certainly lived up to his name. He was over 600 lbs, an absolutely massive specimen of adipose. He too wore sunglasses like his enforcers, hiding whatever beady eyes were sunken into his pudgy face. His hair was pure white, and his skin was extremely pale too. He held a martini glass delicately between his finger and thumb, swirling the contents from time to time. Beside the gangster were two bodyguards, members of his enforcers, who both carried AK-47s at their hips. Several of his advisors, lawyers, and other attendants were in the lounge as well, minding their own business and ignoring the actions about to happen… And kneeling in front of the Slug was the man they had captured last night, his mouth gagged and wrists bound. They had placed him down on a fabric tarp that would absorb fluids and also decompose on the ocean floor, if necessary…
"Ah, Philip." The Slug smirked as his chief lieutenant came in, followed by Jack. "There we are… About to start the festivities, I cannot wait. I'm so pleased with your success last night, so, so pleased… Only one casualty! Most excellent."
Philip stopped short beside the prisoner, nodding his head in acceptance of the praise… Jack even got the feeling that perhaps Lyon felt a bit of pride for a job well done. "Thank you, sir. Our intelligence from within the Albanians' organization proved accurate. What we found, though, was not what we were expecting."
"Do tell, do tell." The Slug responded with mock gravitas. All of this was theater, meant to prolong the prisoner's anxiety.
"Well, sir, we determined that the Albanians were not the sellers of the drug… They were being paid to transport it and distribute it across the region." Philip said. "We were able to capture this one, the payment, and a briefcase full of the drug in question."
The Slug raised an eyebrow dramatically. "And?"
"It was Madcap, sir. A much more potent variety than what we've seen before." Philip confirmed. "It's possible the Cubans might be producing it, but that's outside their normal scope… If the Albanians were bringing it in from overseas, we'd expect them to ship it in on one of their freighters."
Jack paused, glancing around the room. So the Albanians were working with whoever produced the Madcap? It seemed like a lot of hooplah over a harmless little party drug… But then he remembered Jill's story about people being hospitalized…
"Ungag him." The Slug ordered, and Jack quickly complied by pulling the gag from the prisoner's mouth. Continuing smoothly, the Slug leaned forward slightly, "I'm presuming you don't work for the Cubans, now do you?"
The man licked his dry lips for a moment before glaring up at Xydakis. "You have no idea what you've done here, Slug. I have powerful friends."
"Hm." The Slug flicks his fingers, and Philip belts the prisoner across the mouth. No one, no one, called Ulysses Xydakis by his nickname in person. "Now, I'm sure you do have powerful friends. I'd be quite interested to meet them." He holds up the golden hexagon lapel pin to the light, admiring it. "Advanced Idea Mechanics." The Slug turned the pin in his fat fingers, ignoring the man's somewhat surprised reaction. "I had heard that they went under after their idiot boss decided going toe-to-toe with Iron Man was a good idea. That even happened here, in sunny, beautiful Miami. But your activities last night make me think that perhaps, just perhaps…" He clenches the lapel pin in his fist. "AIM has not disappeared entirely, has it?"
The man's scowl disappeared as he studied the Slug more closely. This was clearly becoming a situation where he wasn't dealing with some up-jumped street thug. Jack frowned, recalling the event that Xydakis described… That had been Christmas, 2014, getting close to four years prior. He was still in LA at the time, recovering from his self-destructive behaviors, so he hadn't paid a great deal of attention at the time…
"I wonder if the Cubans know that the Albanians were making deals with AIM. Of course, I have to wonder why AIM is producing and distributing hallucinogens at all? Has the stock market dried up for investors?" The Slug chuckled at his own joke as the man from AIM quietly held his tongue. "Ah, giving us the silent treatment. I guess this is where the cliche comes out to bite us all, doesn't it?"
Jack puts a hand on the man's shoulder, squeezing it gently, "We have ways of making you talk." He said with grim determination, squeeing slightly on the inside at being able to use the line. Part of him, though, called out that they were about to torture this man… But he was also a criminal, right? So it was all ok.
"Yes, thank you." The Slug nodded with a weary tone. "Mr. Lyon, Mr… Whoever you are, please convince our guest that self-preservation far outweighs whatever loyalty he has to his superiors."
Philip nodded, stepping to glare down at their prisoner. Jack assessed the situation… The man had already lost a hand, which provided some pros and cons for their approach. On one, mangled hand, he had already lost a hand. There wouldn't be much shock if he started losing other appendages. They had no family members or friends with which to squeeze him, and if they wanted to get information before the Albanians retaliated they couldn't starve him or deprive him of sleep. It'd take too long. On the other, whole, hand… He'd already lost a hand. He might be of the mind that it was time to cut his losses and start to cooperate. He glanced up at Philip, a small signal that communicated…
Choose 1:
[] - Jack was going to play Bad Cop. (Machismo)
[] - Jack was going to play Good Cop. (Guile)
[] - Jack was going to defer to Philip's experience.
[] - Jack was going to go full ape-shit psycho on this guy. Maybe beating him to an inch of his life would loosen his lips. It'd certainly leave an impression on everyone else.
[] - Jack threatens to drug the man from AIM with Madcap. Perhaps he might be more willing to talk then. It might also give them some sense for what the drug's purpose was, depending on his reaction.
[] - Jack threatens to feed the man to the Slug.
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- Location
- box under a bridge
[x] Threaten to drug the man from aim.
Between this and guile for me but I think this edges out just slightly.
This feels like a gamble but it's very anti-hero and honestly might backfire but I think it's fitting
our characteristics and general vibe thus far.
Plus it's very Jack Bauer so...
Between this and guile for me but I think this edges out just slightly.
This feels like a gamble but it's very anti-hero and honestly might backfire but I think it's fitting
our characteristics and general vibe thus far.
Plus it's very Jack Bauer so...
- Location
- nz
[X] - Jack was going to play Good Cop. (Guile)