The Cryptic Muse

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:13 pm**

She'd spent weeks looking for Noah Kennedy on her own. She was as stubborn as any Malone. She didn't want to ask for help, mostly not from her father. So after a bit of research she found one Agent Jack Malone's email address with the FBI and bit the proverbial bullet.

"Jack

I'm not really sure what knowledge you have, but I assume that you don't know anything. Only because Mr. John Michael Malone has never taken any sweet time out of his day to explain to me who exactly you are.

All I know is what I know from my mother, and that's not a lot. My names Kate, and I'm your half sister. I planned on living my life not reaching out to you for a myriad of reasons. But I need help. I'm in New York City and my only other choice is daddy dearest and I'd rather eat rusty nails for breakfast then to ask him for help. If I need to, I have no shame in begging for it. Can you meet. I'm going to assume you are a busy man, but everyone needs lunch. There's a pizza joint around the corner, maybe you can meet me at noon tomorrow. It's on Stevens and 1st."

Sincerely,
Kate."

It was possibly the most awkward email she had ever written. She wanted to make it less formal, but at the same time it almost seemed like a formal request. She spent the day doing a little more digging but spent most of it trying to get a little sleep because she hadn't been doing much of it. When the next day came she had gotten ready around ten am. She pulled on a pair of dark black jeans, and black doc martins. She adorned her top in a black razor back tank top that left her collar bone exposed enough that the 'I refuse to sink.' tattoo with an anchor in front of it was visible, as was the tattoo on her back near her right shoulder blade scrawled was 'Live free' with the silhouette of three birds next to it. She wore a simple silver cross around her neck, it hadn't been hers, it was Hannah's but she'd worn it every second of every day since she'd passed.

It was supposed to go to Rebecca but Rebecca refused and told Kate she should take it. So she had.

She had more, all in black, but those were the only ones at the moment that were visible. She walked, because it was close, and because she didn't have any other mode of transportation. She showed up a little early, made her way to a booth table and ordered a soda before sinking into the booth, looking around, a bit paranoid, before drumming her fingers on the table top waiting for the man she'd never thought she'd meet.

There was a bit of excitement, but mostly dread. She had a feeling he would remind her of their father.

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:20 pm**

There was no real telling just how he managed to get into his email at the bureau, but he had, and that was all that mattered. Junior read the single email waiting in the box, surprisingly untouched by anyone else as of yet, and deleted it just after before letting his head hang forward. Goddamnit. Speak of the devil, and he will appear. Not literally, of course; his mind just trekked back to the talk he and Sage had, had about seeking out his sisters to just establish some sort of family. ..Had he truly meant to do it, though? That was debatable. He'd likely not have, and just egged it on for quite some time.. and now, what choice did he have? He could've easily replied with a hasty 'no.' Or, even forbade her from contacting him-- but.. where there was trouble, Jack was typically already there.

Again, how he managed to get his clothes was of no true importance (was it?) The black distressed jeans, the black fit t-shirt, and the unbuttoned, cuffed-sleeved charcoal colored over-shirt. All the way down to the ever-present steel-toed boots, and the replacement pair of thin-framed sunglasses atop his head.. the only thing missing was the gel to keep his hair in place; though it was still alright, just not styled as it would've or could've been. Nevertheless, Junior was on his way to the pizza place in question to meet this Kate-chick; sister? At least he'd done enough research to know their names-- his father's other kids. His daughters. Otherwise, he might've been more than just a little skeptical of the near-begging email.

He wasn't early. He wasn't late.. hell, no time had been established, other than the mentioning of lunch, and he rarely ate: it just gave him the time. Noon. He showed up, of course, and pushed his way into the establishment by means of both hands that caused the door to give way as if he straight-up owned the place. How he managed to have that air about him, even under such strict circumstance, was unknown. He just did.. because that's who he was; how he was. All the same, he had no clue who he was looking for.. and so, he started with a inconspicuous surveying of everyone seated, enjoying greasy-as-shit pizza for lunch. Most of them were younger, and he chalked it up to the fact that school was out for the summer-- but one was not. And he based his assumption off of that, and headed in her direction.

Junior didn't sit, nor did he take his hands out of his pockets when he cocked his head down as if to get her attention.

"You th'one sendin' cryptic-as-fuck emails to an estranged half-brother you've never met or been told anything about?"

Yeah, what an opener. Way to break the ice, there, champ. Regardless, he wasn't moving until she confirmed or denied the question.

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:34 pm**

She was watching the door. He wasn't a duplicate of their father, but he was there. John Michael Malone was in that man or she'd be damned. She just kind of sat up a little taller, watched as he observed the room and then carried himself across the resteraunt towards her, standing at the end of the booth and then coming up with that single question.

"How else do you get someones attention but cryptic-as-fuck e-mails? I've been told you're a son of a bitch, but ... I could be considered the daughter of a different bitch so what she has to say doesn't really matter."

She was jealous. She didn't like that she was but she was. How much time had he had with their father? It didn't matter. She rested her arms on the table and leaned forward a bit. Hannah's death was still fresh in her mind, her grave was barely cooling. She drug her hand back through dark hair that matched his, matched their fathers.

Why make small talk? Why try and ease into it? She didn't know anything about him, but no matter of him getting to know her was going to make him want to help her. So she'd just come out with it.

"One of daddy's cases came back to haunt us in the form of a man named Noah Kennedy. He murdered Hannah...my sister...our sister. He's somewhere here, and I want to find him...and I don't have the kinds of connections on the streets here as I do back home. He's not using his name wherever he is."

She was looking up at Jack, hadn't even waited for him to sit down, didn't seem to have any qualms about talking out loud about any of it in a public place.

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:47 pm**

How else? The retort was almost worthy as one of his own, though he didn't admit such, and only watched with mild amusement after she'd rattled that off. Irony at it's finest. His mother hated their mother, and as suspected, she'd been told he was a son of a bitch-- so it was evident that their mother's feelings were quite mutual-- and rightfully so, when it all came crumbling down. He understood that much, at least.. though, in response, he only lifted a shoulder in a faint shrug.

Small talk. Junior didn't do these things, usually. Nor did he up and go meet someone just because of a fucking email that said to do so-- maybe, just maybe there was a hidden part of him that had been curious. When Kate just laid it all out on the table, she probably wouldn't have noted the light, couple of clenches of his jaw before he drew in a deep breath, and while exhaling, slid into the booth across from her. Either arm rested down on the table situated between them, and he slouched. God forbid the boy sit up straight for more than ten minutes.

So. That's what it was about. ..For once, he wasn't sure whether to be more bothered by the fact that he hadn't gotten the chance to meet Hannah, or that she was dead because of one of their father's cases gone awry. Noah Kennedy. He couldn't readily place the name, either, but.. there were ways around that. Once he was able to get back to the certain necessities to do so, and.. when was that going to happen? Hell if he knew.

"Y'talked to th'bastard, or.." he trailed, expecting some sort of verbal response. Hey, he needed to know what ground he needed to take.

And she could be jealous! She could be jealous all she wanted, because she had no fucking clue just yet that he'd been done just the same as she and Hannah had. Born, then left; that asshole couldn't take his eyes away from his work long enough to even spend a day with one of them-- and yet, she couldn't even base an assumption off of that?

"Shouldn't be too hard to find. If he's here. Why d'you think he's here? Weren't you two livin' in Chicago or somethin'?"

Yeah, Jack kept tabs. Sue him.

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:57 pm**

She didn't know what to expect once she'd said it all. She felt a hollow spot in her chest. Hannah had been everything good in her life. Their mother never got over the fact that John didn't make the grand gesture. Didn't drop it all and come running after them, and STAY. No. He just couldn't stop working. And she had never gotten over that. Raising her two children with a chip on her shoulder, and Hannah being the older of the two tended to take care of Kate in ways most people didn't understand.

She brushed her hand lightly over her shoulder without really thinking about it, more then surprised when he sat down. She'd half expected him to do something their father might, shrug his shoulders and walk away with a question of 'what can I do about it'? So him sitting down was a surprise, a relief. She leaned forward just a bit. When he asked if she'd talked to the bastard ... she took a calculated risk on who he was talking about.

"He couldn't even be bothered to come to the funeral and pay his last respects. I don't plan on talking to him anytime soon."

When she said it she ended with an all too sweet smile that dripped with bitter resentment, and the smile? Brought a set of dimples out on those features that screamed so much innocence ... though that was not there in any way shape or form. When he asked his questions she shrugged.

"Chicago. Yep. Everyone knows that John Malone's first two unwanted live in Chicago. Dad's here...if dad's here Noah is here. He bought a gun on the streets ... in Chicago. It's how I know who did it, stupid idiot just... for someone who spent so much time in jail he doesn't have a lot of street smarts.." She sounded flustered and she shook her head just a bit.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't biding his time to try and get to dad. Apparently he was put away for something he didn't do ... spent a lot of years in jail, wants dad to suffer. Didn't realize that dad doesn't give a rats ass about Hannah and I."

Was she surprised that Jack knew where they were? Not really. She knew where he was after all. Seems they were both keeping tabs. Noah wanted their father to suffer, and sad enough once things with Noah were taken care of there was a very real part of Kate that wanted their father to suffer as well.

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 10:14 pm**

So, the old man couldn't even go to the funeral of his own daughter? For whatever reason he saw fit, he snorted back a laugh at that, and moved to twist his watch around his wrist so that he could glance down at the hands on the face of the clock, then Jack clasped his hands together loosely.

"Guess we got that in common," he stated. "Either way, that don't fuckin' surprise me.."

After all, he couldn't be fucked to even be there when he himself had woken up out of a coma not too terribly long ago. That's just how the man operated, he supposed. Even when it came to his own biological creations. But death? Real death? He would've expected him to, at the very least, make a phone call.

The answer concerning how she knew Noah was out and about in New York made sense, but that was where Jack went all smug and even sunk down a bit further with a dip of his head forward. Oh, did that set a mental battle off inside his head! The guy was after Malone.. and all things in his own head said step aside and let it play out. But, contrary to what most thought, Jack did have a conscience - even if it didn't apply to the Supervisory Special Agent in question-- but Hannah? The sister he didn't get a chance to meet? Sure, it was there. Even if it hadn't fully hatched just yet.

"So? So why not sit back and watch him get his brains blown out, or somethin', by someone who ain't me? I ain't got th'fuckin' time to worry about his head when he keeps it so far up 'is ass y'can't even look at 'im without seein' shit."

But he did take a step back, mentally, at least.

"If I find th'guy, then m'gonna put 'im to good use. Then, he can disappear."

Disappear. It didn't quite mean what it sounded, though. Jack's version of 'disappear' clearly meant death. But, everyone had a cause - something they could be used for, at least - and if he found Noah first, then he would most definitely utilize him and his want to make their father suffer.

"So, y'come out here lookin' for 'im.. 'n you're goin' off th'idea that he's gonna follow to wherever Malone is.. don't think he'd have enough sense t'keep just a little bit'a distance after offin' Hannah?"

Valid. Legit. Hey, you couldn't blame him really. He was a cop, even if he didn't act like one. He had to have all the information before he could start the proverbial shake-down.

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 10:30 pm**

His snort of a laugh had her studying him curiously for a moment, and then made the point that they had something in common and that it didn't surprise him that their father hadn't shown up for the funeral. She wasn't sure what to think about that she just kind of shifted and took a sip from the soda even if she wasn't thirsty. It was something to do. When he started in on that question about sitting back and watching she took a deep breath and let it out on a bit of a sigh rubbing her hands without thought over her face.

"I don't like our father ... but I also don't particularly want him ... gone... yet, that's getting close though."

She looked around and then looked back at Jack as he stated that if he found the guy he'd put him to use and then he could disappear she was narrowing her eyes lightly as if she were trying to figure out what kind of disappear he was talking about. She rested her arms on the table top and leaned forward just a bit. His statement had her heart racing. Noah was hers. Though she supposed if she drug Jack into this she couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted to do. But Noah was hers.

"It's been about seven months since Hannah's death ... her case is unsolved, with no suspects...street mugging."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes lightly.

"Chicago PD isn't very competent in their job..."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned forward just a bit and looked at Jack across the table, looking him in the eyes, maybe a little too intensely.

"I don't know you, you don't owe me any favors... none... but Jack ... he killed my sister, and left my niece and nephew without a mother. I want him."

She tried to make it very clear what she wanted without actually saying it.

"An' if I get caught, so be it ... daddyies reputation suffers for it."

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:07 pm**

Evidently, that was the cause of Junior's own eye roll. She didn't necessarily want him dealt with yet? How long had this broad been one of his? Needless to say, he didn't ask the question aloud, though.. then again.. he highly doubted that Malone had been the type to make the necessary trip to Chicago to scold them on the rare occasion that he learned something that they had done that wasn't quite up to his standards of living.

"Let 'im come tell you how to live. That'll fuckin' change real quick."

But, the topic was getting to the point where he wanted - no, needed - a cigarette. Or, something; no soda or pizza was going to bring him back down when he was clearly on the cusp of seeing red; and the only indicator to that would've been the bit of a wild-eyed expression he took on as she continued, and divulged the details of Hannah's case still being open and unsolved. Give him an hour, he could've cracked it.. or, at least, he would've found and - or - pointed them in the right direction of a suspect to at least question. But, no. He was stuck - right here in New fuckin' York.

"I concur."

Apparently, no, Chicago PD wasn't very competent. He wouldn't argue that.

He pushed out of the booth, and was quick to shove his hands back into his pockets when he did so. Apparently, he was going out to smoke - though he did have the decency to let her finish speaking before he even gestured towards the door. Besides, she'd just said something that left him a bit more curious and - under watch, really, he wasn't going to be saying much else while surrounded by a shit-ton of people. Disappearing people.. whatever.. whichever terminology was coined for it, was sometimes a rather sensitive topic.

"Y'gonna come out here 'n keep talkin', or sit 'n wait while I go smoke? 'Cause, yanno, there's these things called vices.."

Yeah, he was a smart-ass.

"Besides, if y'wanna make Malone suffer, m'pretty fuckin' sure I can help y'with that, without even gettin' to Noah first."

And he could. He just chose not to, because - for some damn reason - he was still in the stage of thinking he could somehow surpass their father and earn some goddamn respect from him. Funny how clever he could be, but still naive at times.

"'n I guess we gotta figure some things out, too."

But, with that, he was shaking his head and heading back towards the door; pizza? No. He hadn't come to eat. Jack was well on his way to pulling his pack of cigarettes out before he'd even exited the joint, and had the stick perched between his lips before pushing the door open. He didn't go far; just off to the side of the building by fifteen feet. Exactly.

Posted: **Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:28 pm**

Let him come tell her how to live. She just kind of shook her head lightly.

"I'm sure he's really interested in that now that I'm in my thirties, especially considering how hands on he was as a kid." She scowled but shrugged her shoulders lightly and then he was getting up and was telling her had vices and she couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head lightly and sliding out of the booth to follow after him. Once they were outside she was pulling her pack of camels out of her front pocket and pulled a cigarette out of the pack to lite it up. She leaned against the wall and took a drag from it before she let out a bit of a sigh.

"Right now I want Noah to suffer more then I want daddy dearest to suffer."

And that was the truth. She had one rage on at a time, and right now she wanted a certain man who pulled a lovely woman out of this world ... dead. She exhaled and just shook her head lightly rubbing lightly at her brow with her thumb gently.

"Only thing I can figure, Hannah was an easy target...or he thought the fact that she was well off ... family...house...picket white fence...that would some how hurt dad the most. I don't know. It's not like it would be fucking surprising if I wound up dead. Could have offed me, it'd have been a tiny bit more difficult but hey ... complete strangers who want revenge on your father...they have an element of surprise."

She pointed a finger to Jack as if to say there was no doubting that statement. She was messed up to say the least. She wasn't handling the loss of her sister very well. This little mission had been the only thing keeping her even remotely together. And at that point she was talking to talk, say something about what was going on so it was out there, in the world, and someone else knew about it. She took another drag from her cigarette, it was only evident then that she was a little shaky. She was past mad to this point where she almost felt nothing. Sorrow. Anger. But not to the raging point she thought she should feel it anymore, and that bothered her. Like she was a bit numb, a bit dead to it.

She didn't even think as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out the wallet she carried pulling out the little flip of pictures, didn't look the type to have em but she did she handed it to Jack without thought. There were about five pictures, one of her and Hannah, one of Hannah and her husband on their wedding day, one of each of her niece and nephew...Jack's niece and nephew, and one of Hannah, Steve, Rebecca and Josh.

"Rebecca...she likes to be called Bec's and Josh. They're fourteen and ten..."

Posted: **Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:27 pm**

By the time Kate was outside also, Jack had already lit his own cigarette, and had taken to surveying the people flowing down the sidewalk. Of course he was cautious; it wasn't something that could be helped much more when he didn't really know who was figuratively breathing down the back of his neck by means of wanting him dead.

"Guess he likes th'more cock down approach; let someone else raise ya', then come in 'n try'n tell ya' what to do later."

Or, that was his experience. Raised by sitters, then their father rolls in with all his do's, and do not's, that Jack didn't feel applied at all. Not out-side of work, and hell, he hadn't been in days-- talk about an itch you just couldn't scratch. Maybe he should just resign; straight up quit the bureau, the police department, and find something else to occupy his time with; don't think he hadn't thought about it, recently. That'd definitely put some fuel to the fire, in a sense.

"Can do that too. Just gotta find 'im.. and get a few things. So what're you wantin', exactly? Me to find 'em, and you to pull th'trigger?"

The latter would be the more difficult part, however. Thus far, he hadn't even attempted a trip to his apartment-- no further than his car, that hell, he didn't even have the keys to. Of course, he'd obtained most everything he needed from it, save for the weapon, and now? Now, he was second-guessing that. Nevertheless, he'd proved it a good dozen times over now; he wasn't afraid of pulling a trigger once, twice, however many times it took.. but, if Kate wanted that part - considering she knew Hannah - then, he wouldn't deprive her of it.

"Trust me. Easy targets are always th'first down. Y'slowly work your way up to th'bigger ones. Til then, it's'a game." He paused long enough to take a sharp pull from his cigarette, then reached up to scratch his jaw with his thumbnail. People who wanted revenge on your father had an element of surprise? Jack only smirked at that and shook his head. "If you let 'em, I guess they kinda do." Though, he could honestly count on one hand the times he'd been caught off-guard thus far..

Wait, was he comparing himself to someone who wanted their father to suffer? ... Hah!

He did go quiet, however, when she moved and only glanced over at first, when she pulled the pictures out. Skeptical. Without a doubt, he was. But he took it and tilted his head so the smoke would drift up and not interfere with his eyes, and he flipped through them slowly. Funny how you could definitely see the resemblance in all of them-- knew who's genes were more dominant, that was for sure.

Two people he didn't even know existed. While he might've kept tabs, he didn't dig.

"Keep 'em far away from Malone. Maybe they won't get th'bright idea to go joinin' th'force, when they're old enough."

Yep. It was code. Maybe Jack wasn't quite ready to deal with the whole.. extended.. family.. bit. Just because he didn't quite know how. Shouldn't have been a real surprise, though-- and yet, he still didn't hand the pictures back. He flipped back to the one of Hannah and her husband.

"What was she like? Y'know. No one ever even told me 'bout you two. Found out when I was diggin' through his shit.." He paused, and smirked around the filter of the cigarette before training those puppy-dog-like eyes of his on Kate. "Guess when you're th'accident, you don't get to know certain things unless you're ready to snoop."

The Cryptic Muse

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