Day 264 - Thursday, September 11th

[papalobo]

[Max sleeps; has as he'd thought, he achieves nothing, and he's not even a small-talk source of comfort or somebody to soothe Ash's nerves before his two AM meeting with yet another Chinese teenager. Something about Chinese teenagers seems to always spell trouble for Ash, and now he's in a mess involving no less than four of them.

But Max doesn't move. If Ash comes to see him, setting that pill counter and the note about the smoothie, he may notice he hasn't so much as shifted a finger. Ash has had to turn to painting, but there's no need to lock that room before, or even for a long while after. The only one in this house besides him is a breathing corpse.

But Shawn's ready and waiting for him at one, prepared to be decked out a wires that Ling's likely to hang him with if he finds out about them.]

Comments

[papalobo]

[He continues talking as he approaches; Ash can't look at the translator at the same time he watches, but his words come to an awkward, stunned stop as he sees him. Ash can already hear the other end talking, likely asking what the sudden silence is about.]

[jadedlynx]

[ No, but he has it close by. When the man actually stops, Ash raises it up a bit. ]

Make an excuse to hang up.

[ It's so quite that it might even be difficult for him to hear. ]

[papalobo]

She shi zhengzai yong qiang zhizhe wo, rang wo gua dianhua...

[He speaks, tone as even as possible, eyes on Ash's. Ash can't hear the answer on the phone.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He can look at the translation app. He's a fast reader, and Ash was sure to stop the guy out of reaching distance of the gun. ]

[papalobo]

["The lynx is pointing a gun at me, telling me to hang up."]

[jadedlynx]

None of you are very good at instructions, are you? Give me the phone while you have the chance to save your neck.

[papalobo]

[He grits his teeth and stares, debating his options.]

[jadedlynx]

You have three seconds before I take it anyway.

[ Ash isn't going to let him buy time. ]

[papalobo]

[He hangs up, hands raising slowly.]

[jadedlynx]

That was a stupid move. You could have gotten out of this a lot easier if you just used your brain from the start.

I'm giving you one last chance. My goal is hostage rescue, not leaving a trail of bodies behind, but you've seen I'm willing to do it. So, call them back, and tell them I ran when you wouldn't obey. Ask if they want you to pursue. Then, we get the hostages, and you can do whatever the hell you want.

[papalobo]

You already got the hostage. What do you want?

[jadedlynx]

The panda and whatever you call Sing.

[ And Max, but Ash worries that news hasn't traveled far enough yet. ]

[papalobo]

Look around the place. You think we got room for anyone else here?

[jadedlynx]

You think I killed your buddy from outside? I've been in there, I know you don't have room for anybody else. Your beds suggest you did, or you'll all into some bloodletting thing, but I don't care. You're going to take me to where they are.

[papalobo]

[The fresh dead body and the flippant reminder of who made it causes him to eye that gun more pointedly.]

Sorry to break it to you, but I don't know. I wasn't with the team that came from the mansion.

[jadedlynx]

You guys have bad communication skills, huh? That would be easy to believe, but my friend came from the mansion, and you knew right where he was.

[papalobo]

We got him delivered to us. We expected Master Ling to be with him.

[jadedlynx]

You gave him up way too easy to have any reasonable expectation of that. I know his family treat him like his namesake, but it must have stung to put your life on the line and then be dumped the second he took any effort to keep.

Call somebody who does.

[papalobo]

You think I'm calling the shots no what happens with him? It makes sense, he's not the heir. You're a boss, how many of your underlings just follow orders without asking questions? All the ones you keep alive, right?

[jadedlynx]

Like hell it makes sense. My men are annoying enough to come in after me even after I tell them to get their asses out. Shawn's not in my gang. Wu would stop drug deals to offer them tea if he somehow got into one. You're not going to relate to me there.

Do you guys have Sing?

[papalobo]

They keep me out the loop. If you think I'm lying, I got something useful for you, but I want some guarantee I'm not gonna die or get crippled if I turn coat now.

[jadedlynx]

I've been really open about wanting my people back from the start. I only started taking yours when I had to.

They're on their way. Don't buy them time.

[papalobo]

Xaio En can confirm it. We used it on him. We got a drug, forces the truth out of you.

[jadedlynx]

It's what I was coming back to get.

I want it tested on you. [ They could be willing to kill Ling. ] That and your phone. If it checks out, I'll give the phone back and make arrangements to give you enough money to get away without worrying about them coming after you.

[papalobo]

Hn... So it's true you keep rabbits.