Day 265 - Friday, September 12th

[papalobo]

[A Chinese man who is definitely a mature adult and not a teenager checks in to the Hyatt, one of their more exclusive rooms, along with his half-white half brother who is also certainly not a teenager and most definitely not the notorious gang leader wanted on suspicion of a September 11th New York City bombing in retaliation for an angry rogue sect of anti-American zealots.

The entire suite floor has been rented out, and it requires a special key card in the elevator and on the stairs to enter that floor. But they can rent one of the still very luxe rooms directly beneath.

A familiar white limo is in the car garage, though the opportunity to gawk or investigate is slim, between the security cameras and live guards.

There's still no contact from Max, but the Department of Homeland Security has become involved, and has begun to enter Ash's territory with intent to arrest any known figures within his gang to bring in for questioning.]

Day 284, Wednesday, Oct 1st

Comments

[babyboss]

I don't even know who that is... All I know is you and Shawn and the old guy and Yausis are all going through a lot, now.

[jadedlynx]

Not because of you. You're just one of the people going through it, too.

[ They're all alive. Ash hurts to his very bones, but he's alive. Sing and Wu and Shawn and Max are all alive. ]

How'd you know about what happened?

[babyboss]

Yausis's told me things from his side. I know it's probably not the whole truth, but...

[jadedlynx]

I mean in lockup.

[ Just so he can predict how many others know. ]

[babyboss]

I mean, you're in the hospital, right?

[jadedlynx]

Was.

[ Then, he doesn't know the details. That's a relief. He'd reacted too strongly before. ]

[babyboss]

You're out now?

[jadedlynx]

I'm driving home now.

[babyboss]

What about your gang? What all has been going on? What did Eiji say?

[Obviously Ash didn't call Sing before Eiji.]

[jadedlynx]

I took care of things before I went in. They can wait a few more minutes.

[ He's tired. ]

Why are you asking about Eiji? Did something happen in Japan?

[ Eiji was safe; Sing hadn't been. ]

[babyboss]

I haven't been able to make myself reach out to him, with how you ended up, not having any answers about how you were... I'm sure after he didn't hear from you for two or three days, he was a wreck.

[jadedlynx]

Two or three days?

[ It'd been almost three weeks. ]

I'll talk to him. [ That isn't a new part of the plan. ] But he worries. He'll have a lot of questions. I'll wait until I'm home.

[babyboss]

That's what I mean! If it was just two days, Eiji would be worried, so all this time...

But. Answering... Talking about what happened... I get wanting to avoid that, too.

[jadedlynx]

[ It sounds like Sing is doing the same thing. ]

How are you holding up?

[babyboss]

I'll know that once I know how much whatever they got me to spit out got you hurt.

[jadedlynx]

I didn't know there was anybody saying anything.

[ It's the truth. ]

They kidnapped Wu and Shawn. That sparked the escalation. And Shawn got drugged with the same stuff and got asked the same questions. Are you going to blame him, too?

[babyboss]

He's not a... He is a boss, but it's in Chicago. You know that's not New York. I've got to be at a higher standard.

[jadedlynx]

I'll let him know it was okay, and he shouldn't feel too bad because he's not you.

[babyboss]

I heard about Mr. Wu, but not him... How is he?

[jadedlynx]

A little bruised up but okay.

How is Wu?

[babyboss]

Heh... He said the guys who had him were dishonoring the Chinese with such bad hospitality.

[jadedlynx]

Yeah, that sounds like him. Let him know I expect more mooncakes now.

I have a lot of work to do. Stay away from the Lings. They're not on your side.

[babyboss]

I still don't understand what happened or why. Yausis's back to babying me, but...

[Well, he's not in a position to argue.]

[jadedlynx]

We're assuming you got tortured.

[ But Sing probably knows that. ]

[babyboss]

Even I remember parts of that.