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

[papalobo]

[Max stands back to let him]

You don't gotta, when it's just us at home.

[jadedlynx]

If I don't, you'll have to meet with the delivery man.

[ Max seeing is one thing. Strange men? That's too much for Ash. ]

[papalobo]

You do the shopping while I just carry stuff to and from the car. Sounds right.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash keeps walking, but he raises his voice to compensate. ]

How is the healing?!

[ Max didn't just sit down and play the good boy. ]

[papalobo]

Healy!

[He calls back, plopping back into the office chair and looking at the computer screen again, as if he'd just woken up from a dream and is still disoriented.]

[jadedlynx]

I don't know where to go from that!

[ That could mean so many different things.

The sound of water starts from the downstairs bathroom. ]

[papalobo]

[Max doesn't know what it means either. It's just something he said to make Ash not worry about him for now.

He does turn his hand over, flex his fingers a few times. It's painful. His face hurts too, if he stops to think about it. But there's no time or room for that now. Parts of his brain just have to be shut down. Ash needs him now.

Blanca never showed up to help him. For whatever reason he's not smart enough to understand, Ash won't take Eiji. He'll deal with that later too.]

[jadedlynx]

[ When Ash appears, it's with some medicine and a glass of water. It probably would have come up by now if it happened, but as he washed red eyes, it kept nagging at him, mostly because of the pills. ]

They really didn't do anything like that to you?

[papalobo]

[By then, he's writing off an e-mail to Peter. Any follow up on The Unit or where that story's going or has gone can wait.]

If they did, it'd be easier to use that than try 'n handle your identity and privacy here...

[jadedlynx]

No kind of abuse? Hitting?

[papalobo]

Nothin' as hard as you can throw.

[jadedlynx]

[ Ash passes over the medicine. ]

And I bet they wouldn't even give you pain medication after.

[papalobo]

Some part of me figured I was holding out for you, like the more it hurt, the better I was doing for you, so it worked out.

[But he will take it now.]

[jadedlynx]

The world doesn't work that way. I'm taking mine, too.

[ And Ash didn't want Max to hurt.

His phone rang; the caller I.D. showed it to be Peter. ]

[papalobo]

Hold up, gotta take this. [Max picks up the phone.] Hey, I was just writing you.

[jadedlynx]

[ First, he checked in on him, asked how he was. He'd heard about the release and wanted to give him time to make it home.

Then for the bad news. The story, with Ash included, had leaked. His own lawyers had estimated that it would be weeks before Max himself would be released, so Peter brought in Jessica Randy. It was the next closest reporter to Ash that he could find since Max was locked up, and it was better that they tell his story than someone who cared more about the scoop.

Ash himself went to finish ordering groceries. ]

[papalobo]

[She what? Max is pissed, though not at Peter. Peter made the right choice; honestly, Jessica getting the ball rolling even one day sooner was better for Ash... Ash will hear Jessica's name dropped a few times, but for someone prone to outbursts, he's calm. It makes sense. It's right. And they need to ride this momentum. He mentions to Peter a desire to gather up multiple victims, to try to make it less a case of "one rich guy is fucking a journalist and has money so he gets justice," as well as to try to buy Ash some privacy, not make any one person the face of the matter. The goal's to expose crimes, not victims. Max will work with or let anyone else take the credit on any of it, as long as it sets a fire under some asses to get moving on the punishment.

He'll mention, despite Ash listening, having meds and food withheld and some brutality, but he doesn't think he'll make a very sympathetic frontman, and none of his was sexualized, but he'll get some pictures and qualifies as a 'disabled' victim at the moment.

Even while busy, as it may be a long call, he drifts eventually to the front door, ready to meet the delivery man for Ash.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Homeland security suspects aren't as easy as usual victims to investigate, and many would likely jump on board or claim mistreatment to garner sympathy. It's important they don't dilute the story with lies.

That said, a lot of people not involved were quick to cooperate to prove they aren't involved. The doctors that treated Ash for the tearing and infection at least acted sympathetic and possibly really were. He could see if any of them could talk about other patients that came in for treatment during their captivity. Apparently, Ash's infection had spread throughout his body to a near-lethal level; even then, only a chance to see his lawyer saw him medical treatment.

On a brighter note, Peter will assign Max a team of four up-and-coming journalists since his own movement is limited. Jessica would be the point, but since it's not about fighting for the lead, he doubts she'll care if he finds any information for her.

He understands wanting to take heat from Ash, and they'll do what they can, but if all other points fail, it's unlikely they'll go free. Even when so feverish he was hallucinating, Ash was consistent in his story. The physical evidence was all documented and impossible to ignore. ]

[papalobo]

[Jessica can have it. And the cred, the awards.

He'll regret that about an hour after the phone call, but for now, that something Ash sparked in him with his sobs is still demanding action, is still calling for blood, and anyone giving him a plan and resources is an ally, in a world otherwise made up of enemies.]

[jadedlynx]

[ It doesn't really need to be said, but it's probably best if he's the one to take Ash's statement. ]

[papalobo]

[He'll kick anyone else's ass who tries including his ex-wife's.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Peter strongly suggests he not do that.

Then, he'll let Jessica know of the change and leave that to him. ]

[papalobo]

[After getting the delivery, then, Max has work to do. Unless Ash asks, he won't bother him with details. Ash has thought about what happened enough. The adults should step in and take care of it now.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He has a few hours before Ash comes knocking. Literally. ]

Hey. I made dinner.

[papalobo]

[The office door's been left open, and there are several print outs, more for his organization purposes than necessity, trying to find connections, trying to see who he can get to sell out who, perhaps to save their own ass. Even an internal investigation getting them is fine, he'll worry about public exposure later. But he wants the suspects suffering in a cell, and being aggressively questioned.]

Huh? You did?