Where: ???
When: May 03, 2012
What: Captives try to work out where they are, and why they are.
It has been a rough couple of days. Since the kidnapping the quartet has been kept under one level of sedation or another, sometimes out entirely, sometimes just a bit tipsy. But they have been taken care of, in a way. A flat of water bottles sits in the room. They've been brought food once or twice. Someone takes them out one at a time for bathroom runs. But for the most part, they're left in a room, empty except for them and the carpet that doesn't much help as far as comfort goes. No windows. One door which is, presumably, left guarded most of the time. There's a bit of music playing, something slow just now. Possibly the worst thing about it is that they haven't bothered to tell them what they're here for. No beatings, no ransom, just a group of people grabbed from a party and tossed into a room.
Rylie groans a bit when she comes to. Unnatural and drug-assisted sleep not sitting well with her, apparently. She shakes her head, trying to clear away the last grasp of sedation. It doesn't help much, though, as she still looks dizzy when she pulls herself up to sit with her back propped against a wall. She takes a moment to straighten her clothes, given that her outfit was never meant to be slept in, before she tries to tame her hair as well. That, too, isn't particularly successful.
Propped in a corner when awareness was available enough to use, Zan stares almost dully down at the floor. The glaze from whatever drugs being used is fading from his gaze. A hand raises slowly to rub across his eyes, breath catching until he's lowered his hand again. It helps, but only a little, the haze from inconsistent sedation a difficult thing to rub off, especially since a couple of days has passed already. His gaze falls on his hands, focusing finally. He can still pick out traces of paint, the rest rubbed off or a quick splash managed during one of the few bathroom trips.
His eyes lift at the sound of further movement, first going to Terri and Nicholas still sleeping soundly before finding Rylie just awakening. Zan remains silent, watching her, a small crease forming as his brows pinch together. He makes little effort to sit up straighter, half slumped as he is, head resting against the wall.
"Haven't partied that hard in… ever," Rylie eventually says, ace turning toward him. Humorous tone and hint of a smile don't do much for hiding the fact that she's scared, but she tries her best. There's a glance toward the others before she closes her eyes and leans her head back as well. Her hands lift to rub over her face before she looks over at Zan again.
"Where are we?" There's little doubt she has endless questions about their current predicament, but she'll start there, even if it's unlikely anyone knows any more than she does. "Sorry. Those parties usually aren't dangerous. Well. Not dangerous like this."
A shrug responds to Rylie's question first. Zan's eyes drop downward, shoulders shifting again to push himself upright some. "They haven't told you anything either," he asks, wincing slightly as his jaw moves. He shakes his head, already guessing at the answer. His gaze rises to look at Rylie again, then past her to the four walls. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. Unless you set us up to wind up here." It's a weak attempt at a joke, though he musters a very faint, short lived grin for the effort. "You okay?"
"You found me out," Rylie says with a brief laugh. It cuts off in favor of a sigh, though. "They haven't told me anything, no. Not very talkative, this bunch. Kinda surly." At the question, she pauses a moment before she nods gently. "Oh, yeah. I'm… fine. I mean, I'm not, actually fine," she says, looking over at him with a slight, crooked smile that looks more sad than anything else, "Never been kidnapped before. But I'm fine. I'll save unfine for later. Oh, the therapy bills this is going to rack up." Her own joke there. "How about you, you okay?" Beyond the effects of getting punched, anyway.
Another grin is managed, still not long in existence though. Zan settles his attention on Rylie, seeing as the walls and door haven't changed any, and there isn't much activity coming from the other two abductees. Not much to glean from them except how to sleep in an unnaturally manifested way. "I'm a little hungry," he admits. And a little afraid, though he tries to keep that hidden. It won't do any good getting worked up even if he could. "Not sure I'd be able to eat if they offered, though."
Rylie doesn't answer right off, but she reaches over to yank out a pair of water bottles from the box and starts to scoot over his way. It takes a bit of time, which seems to frustrate her to a degree, but in the end, she plops next to him and holds one of the bottles out his way.
"It isn't food, but it's something. Don't want to end up looking all gaunt and pale when we're out of this, right?" She's afraid, too, but having someone to bolster makes it a bit better. She doesn't open hers, but maybe she need a moment after all that moving a second ago.
If he could, Zan would offer help. As it is, he sits, watching Rylie. He takes the water bottle after it's offered, murmuring a thanks. He looks down at it, then works the cap off and offers it back in exchange for the still closed bottle. "We'll get out of it," he agrees, quietly spoken. "People've probably noticed that we're missing. Someone at the party had to see…"
There's a pause before Rylie seems to figure out what he's suggesting and exchanges waters with him. She even takes a drink before her hand and the bottle in it slump back down again. The bottle hits the floor and she seems to be using it as a prop of sorts. "Yeah, can't imagine it'd be too long before our fathers start totally freaking out." That thought doesn't sit well with her, it seems, but she shakes off a frown and looks toward him again. "They'll have to find someone who wasn't blitzed out of their minds," she says with a chuckle, "The bartender might have noticed, they don't usually join in the festivities."
Zan makes some kind of non-committal sound at the idea that his father will do anything. It's hard to believe the mayor would care for anything beyond his own political standing. But as he's trying to keep things from being too nerve wracking. "Someone saw. Someone'll be looking for us. Or we'll find a way out. Find a way to… to fight off whatever they're sticking in us." It's a long shot, even he doesn't sound sure about it, no determination in his expression. His gaze falls away again, going to the unopened bottle now in his hands. The top is worked off slowly and eventually he takes a drink.
"Sure. They can't be totally vigilant all the time, right? They've got to have the one guard that ends up taking a nap, so we can knock him out and steal his clothes and then one of us marches the rest out like we're being transported somewhere. And then we go get the cops and they arrest everyone before they even know we're gone. I've seen the movies." Rylie watches his face for a long moment before she slips her hand into his to give him a squeeze. "We'll be okay. Someone had to see. They're looking for us. And those two have to have people looking for them, too, right?" She nods toward Terri and Nicholas, "I think the chances are good."
A nod follows, eyes angling to Rylie. Zan watches her for a long moment, that crease forming again though he tries to mask it with a grin. Just one corner of his mouth pulls up for a couple of seconds. His hand tightens around hers briefly while his gaze goes to Terri and Nicholas. "She's a detective," he explains. "Not sure why she was there, but she'll definitely be noticed missing. He… works for my dad, apparently. And was there to keep an eye on me. For all the good it did."
"Is she? That's good news. I mean, bad for her, I guess. But the other cops, they'll be on it." Rylie does seem to believe that much, even if she's not entirely sure how good the rest of their acquaintances would be at kidnap-solving, Terri's are sure to be. She looks over at him again, looking, for the moment, amused, "In a place like that? He would have had to find you first. Hard to do in the crush. I could barely keep track of where you were and I had the high ground."
"I didn't even know he was there," Zan says. He can't help but grin a little at that either. "All I know is my dad decided I needed to be tailed, to keep me out of trouble. He." A tip of his head is directed at Nicholas. "Told me as much." Lot of good it did, though. He lets out a long breath, then takes another drink of water. "Sorry you got wrapped up in all this," he says, lowering the bottle again. "Whatever this is."
Rylie laughs, her head shaking, apparently his dad trying to keep him out of trouble is pretty hilarious to her. "God, when your dad's the mayor," she says pushing hair out of her face. When he apologizes, her expression softens. "Hey, it's okay. Not your fault. Whatever this is."
"It's got its merits and flaws," Zan fills in. He puts the cap back onto his bottled water. "Still. Might be my fault. They got a point." They, indicative of the two slumbering on the floor. "Mayor's kid. Trouble turning up when I'm around. Think I might've recognized some people there." He recognized Oz, remembering his face just before finding his own covered in a sickly sweet smelling cloth.
"Doesn't it just," Rylie says, her laugh a little shorter now. "Hey. Even if it is a bunch of people coming after you, doesn't make it your fault. Makes it their fault. As for trouble, well, some people have all the luck. And anyway. Whatever the reason, we're here, yeah? Better to deal with that than to decide which of us got us here. I'm sure there are reasons for taking any one of us."
"Yeah," Zan agrees. His head tips over, to once more rest against the wall. He's propped himself up in one corner, a bottle of water held in a hand. Rylie is sitting beside him, also with a bottle of water, while another couple are held free for the taking in a box of some sort. "Think we should go for burgers when we get out of this," he says, turning a look away from the sleeping bodies to Rylie. "The greasiest, biggest burgers. Steak fries, and chocolate shakes, too."
"Fine time to be asking me on a date," Rylie says with a laugh, teasing. But she looks away from the other two as well, to nod, "I think we might just have to do that. If ever a giant, greasy, terrible, unhealthy meal was called for." She takes a drink from her bottle, which is a poor substitute for hamburgers, really, before setting it back on the ground. "God, I'm hungry now."
Rousing from sleep, Terri finally rolls over, moving to sit up and take stock of things. Still locked up. All four are here, even if Nico is asleep. Glancing to see Rylie is awake now as well, she nods to the woman, gaze taking in the water bottles. "They're safe?" She does asks of them before snagging one she spies for herself.
"Got to take the chance when I can," Zan replies, casual and managing a grin. He watches Rylie, until movement announces one of the others waking up. He looks over when Terri speaks, giving her a nod. "No way to tell if they're not," he answers, his hand opens to settle his water bottle onto the floor beside his hip. "Have to assume they are, because I don't want to think about the alternative."
"I guess if we fall down dead, don't drink them," Rylie says, just a touch of dark humor there. "But I figure, if they were going to kill us, they would have done it already." She shrugs a little there, but lifts a hand a moment later to wave. "I'm Rylie." When she does look back at Zan, she sends a quick wink in his direction.
"Not knowing their wishes, I didn't exactly mean they might drug them to kill, but after already having one dose of their drugs, I wasn't exactly looking for another." Terri does point out quietly to the pair before falling quietly, nodding to Rylie, "Zan filled us in earlier while you were asleep that you work for the mayor and all. Any ideas who these people are, or what they want with all of us?"
A small grin is quirked at Rylie. Then Zan lifts a hand to scrub through his hair, dislodging some flakes of paint. "Told them what I think I saw there," he amends, lowering his hand again. "And that you work for my dad." That parts an echo of sorts. He pushes one shoulder upward to shrug.
"Yeah, he said you're a detective?" Rylie shakes her head at the question, "Never seen them before. Didn't say a word to me." She looks over at Zan, nodding to his explanation before she turns back to look at Terri. "I'm just a secretary, though. I don't really do anything important." That's a bit of wishful thinking there, because if they are after the mayor, she has all the information.
"I am, yeah. Homicide, however. Was there checking up on a tip about a suspect being at the rave." Terri supplies as she unscrews the top from the water, still watching the pair across from her, "Zan recognized some of them to do with a gang he's had a few run ins with. Strange that they picked up him, and the Mayer's secretary? Nicholas here was sent to keep an eye out on Zan by his father, and I have had some dealings with Zan…" Let's just hook it all to poor Zan!
"By the way," Zan says in aside to Rylie, "they also think this has a lot to do with me." He sounds more apologetic than anything, likely still for her getting caught up in whatever trouble this is, his fault or not. "And those dealings were perfectly innocent. I was turning over some evidence and asking for advice in dealing with a couple of run ins with a local gang."
"Yeah, I got that," Rylie says with a pat to his arm. "Still not your fault, though. The things that people do," she says with a light shrug. "If it is them coming after Zan," she says, looking back over to Terri, "what's the point of grabbing all of us? I mean, a place like that, they could have just grabbed him and ran before the rest of us even knew."
"You're a link between us all." Terri points out to Zan, not really blaming him, just pointing out a fact that they have come up with. To Rylie, she shakes her head, "We haven't a clue. We'd hoped you might have some information to offer. It's not like they've come in to talk to us or tell us what's going on yet."
"It's just like running into a wall," Zan small shrug. "None of us know anything and speculation is the same as it's been every other time we've been awake. It's getting be as useful as trying to strike up a conversation with our captives whenever we get to go on walkies for bathroom break." Which, that is to say, hasn't been useful at all. He sighs and sits himself upright. Mostly.
"Why would I have any more information than you guys?" Rylie spreads her hands, helplessly. "People don't usually tell me if they've got some nefarious scheme up their sleeve. As useful as that might be." She nods, though, to Zan's observation. "Walkies, my god. at least there are no leashes yet, yeah?"
"As said, didn't know what you might know. If you recognized anyone, or.. whatever." Terri frowns as the pair gang up against her comments, and in the end, just shuts up and drinks her water slowly, listening to the pair talk.
"Sorry." Zan glances toward Terri, directing his apology to her this time. "We're all stressed and hungry and…" Scared? He lets out a breath, turning a glance to Rylie next. "Instead of why's, maybe trying to come up with a way out would be more productive. And it could be worse, they've pretty much ignored us so far." He taps a finger against the bruise left on his face by Oz's fist.
"I didn't really see anyone. Just the guy that hit Zan. The one that got me stayed behind me." Rylie shakes her head, not terribly helpful. "But it's a good point. We won't figure out why just sitting here talking to each other. And we won't figure our way out if all we talk about is their motivation." She looks over at Zan, frowning at the bruise there, "Yeah, small favors."
Terri speaks up then, "Escape? Unless you got a key for the door.." She motions towards it, "So far, we haven't found a way out of this room. And without them coming here to check in or give us any clues there.." She glances to them, "Suggestions?"
"Walkies," Zan suggests, though his tone lilts the word into a question. "They take us out for potty breaks. They bring us food and sedation." He looks at the door, as if trying to focus his mind into puzzling out rhyme and reason to when they come by. "Everything's still blurred together," he says after a few seconds. "Between waking and sleeping. I don't know what day it is anymore, and I can't guess how often or infrequently they come by." He grins, ill humored. "We're in such a bad horror movie right now."
"We really are. Oh my god, I'm the useless one that's going to trip over a tree branch and die first," Rylie hits the realization with something between genuine fright and a sort of mocking humor. "When they take us out, it's a good time to get a look. At least at some of this place outside of this room. It also might be a good time to make a break for it. If there's a time when we're all awake at the same time, anyway."
"I'm the blond, though I hope to not trip and sprang my ankle.." Terri points out, a wry smile to touch her lips after a moment. "True. Trying to make a break for it would work best if we're all taken out at the same time. Otherwise, unknown what they would do to those left behind." She's a cop, she should be for sticking there. Or something. "Between the mayor's office, and my partner, here's hoping that there's a search already being conducted for all of us. "
"If anyone gets instructions to kill one of the others in sixty minutes…" Though Zan's joking, it's poorly timed. He shakes his head and looks at the door. "We leave together," he states after a beat. "Try to get whatever hints you can about what's happening, but don't act alone." He looks at Terri for a moment, seeking confirmation, then looks to Rylie. "We'll get out of this," is said for her benefit. And a little for his own too.
Rylie pulls down a strand of her own hair, which is currently covered with any number of colors of paint. But she dismisses it with a shrug and a flip over her shoulder again. "Yeah, we were figuring people are probably looking. But, even so, I don't think I could just sit here and wait around. Might drive me out of my mind." When she looks over to Zan, though, she smiles and nods at his encouragement. "We will. You owe me a burger."
"I agree. Would be handy to be able to get away.." Terri does glance to the sleeping Nicholas for a moment and then away again, thoughtful for a moment. "Burger. Damnit.." She suddenly remembers something and curses. "I was supposed to meet a friend for dinner.. guess I missed that date." A sigh, "And I'm hungry now." As if she wasn't before.
Zan sinks back into his corner, head sliding along the wall until it finds the adjoining one. He fishes at his side until his fingers find the bottle of water again. "Definitely getting us burgers if we get out of this," he says, twisting the cap off. He's hungry, too, stating as much not too long ago. But lacking food at the moment, water will have to suffice. He takes another drink from the bottle.
"Let's hope they're all understanding when we get back. His dad is probably missing every meeting." Rylie's laugh is a little nervous there, actually. As if it just occurred to her that the mayor might be genuinely lost without her handling things. "Sorry," she says, as far as the hunger. And she must be feeling a bit steadier, because it only takes a bit of awkward finagling to get her up to her feet and over to the door. To pound on it.
"HEY! What's a girl got to do for a pizza around here?" It's a pretty loud demand, apparently deciding to battle fear with brazenness.
"Oh boy.. missed meetings." That sucks! Terri does laugh, "At least I don't have to hear my captain yelling at me right now." There's a silver lining though she will get it when she returns, no doubt. As Rylie decides to bang onthe door, she begins to get her to stop, but figures, what the hell. Maybe they will get some food out of her pounding?
"Hard to imagine my dad missing a meeting," Zan says with a grin. "He'll find a way to make them. Or reschedule until you get back." His gaze lifts when Rylie moves, following her to the door. Brows tick upward at the attempt to gain attention from the outside. He glances toward Terri, then gets himself upright and to his feet. Though he doesn't go so far as to cross after the younger woman, he keeps a shoulder leaned as casually as he can against the wall.
At first, it seems like her banging around is going to be ignored. But it turns out to just be a delay, as the door opens suddenly enough to have Rylie all but jumping back. A gun is the first thing to enter, but the person attached to it follows, a gruff looking kid that sometimes takes them to the facilities. But with him is Ophelia, bright red hair and a smile. No gun on her.
"Hi, pretty boy," she singsongs over to Zan, which has Rylie putting her hands on her hips. But the red head pops out to carry in a tray of sandwiches. The gunman stays where he is, watching the captives.
Likewise, Terri moves to her feet, likely wishing Nicholas was awake as well. But as the door pops open, she seems to almost hold her breath as the young kid steps in with gun in hand. The woman with red hair is given a once over, likely seeing if she is recognized, though it is the tray of sandwiches that gains most of her attention, "You mind telling us what is up?" She asks even as she watches the sandwiches.
Zan makes himself stand straighter when the door opens, however the gun gives him pause in approaching. He eyes the kid like one would a venomous snake, his eventual approach cautious and offering nothing in the way of sudden movement. He keeps a wary eye on the gun and gunman, ignoring the jab from Ophelia while reaching out to take the tray from her.
Stepping back, Rylie finds a place to sit, a bit dizzy, it seems. But Ophelia just grins when she hands the tray over. It's makeshift, cardboard rather than metal or even plastic. Trust issues, maybe. She turns to look at Terri, stepping over to sling an arm over Zan's shoulders. It's a bit awkward, since he's plenty taller than her, but she does it anyway. "Um… Lunch?" It's a helpful answer.
Frowning as it seems Rylie gets dizzy, Terri steps away from the wall, careful to not move too quick, likely to try and help the other woman if need be. Still, the answer from Ophelia makes her snort, "Oh, good one. But why are we here, exactly? We're all sort of curious."
Zan shrugs away from Ophelia's arm, giving her a look. "Don't touch me," he says, shaking his head. The tray is offered to Rylie first, actually set nearer to her, concern touching his expression while he's turned away from the two captors. As he straightens again, movements still careful, he looks at the red-head and the gun wielding kid again. "Better have a good reason," he adds to Terri's question.
"It's okay, I'm okay," Rylie says to the both of them, smiling lightly, "Just wobbly." She reaches out to touch Zan's arm, just briefly, as if to prove it. Ophelia, meanwhile, laughs a bit as she's shrugged off, and moves to stand next to her friend with the gun. "Oh, we have good reasons, promise," she says, her smile still cute even as her tone is more snarky than anything. "You guys not enjoying yourselves?"
"Oh, no.. the hospitality has been great.. kidnapping the four of us, holding us against our will, drugging us.." Terri lists the things they have had done to them, Ophelia's cuteness just not phasing her at the moment, a brief concern to show at Rylie's answer and how it's given. "Just hopnig for answers as to why we were taken and all. Even terrorists give their captives that much."
"Care to share those reasons," Zan asks, still keeping himself standing. He folds his arms over his chest, for whatever good it might do. His gaze lingers on the kid with the gun, wondering at his chances of getting that weapon. If he had that, the door, the way out might be feasible even if they had to drag Nicholas out.
"Well, we're not terrorists, if that makes you feel better." Ophelia nudges the gunman, as if he should share in her joke. He doesn't. She lets out a longsuffering sigh and turns her attention to them. "Look, like… you all will be here for a little while, is all. Mostly until the lesson sinks in. Hopefully without anymore fighting because I think he's a lot cuter without the bruise. Although, you know, it works for some people, I don't know. Might have to poll the girls, see what they think."
Terri dares to look at Zan then. Lesson? Somehow, the way Ophelia keeps homing in on him, she's figuring out who the lesson is meant for. "Lesson? For who, exactly? Honestly, how are we to know what you're trying to teach us, if you don't give us more than that to go on?"
"Think it matters to me what your opinion is," Zan asks, chin coming up a fraction. "Screw you. And let us out of here now." Not that he's got much to back up his demands. Still, that gun is tempting. If only he trusted himself to go for it. "You're not going to get anything you demand, and whatever lessons you're thinking of teaching, your failing at."
"Oop. Sorry, can't do that. Cute or not," Ophelia says, her hand moving to the door handle. Rylie rolls her eyes there, unimpressed as well. But the redhead looks over at Terri, lifting a shoulder in a shrug as she explains. "It's for all of you, really. Stay out of our business. See ya!" She even waves cheerfully before she and the guy with the gun step out again, the door locking behind them.
Stay out of their business? Terri begins to say something, but just shuts up, leaving Ophelia and the gun kid to leave. Only then does she move from the wall closer now, to set aside a sandwich or two if such is availbel for Nicholas with the bottle of water. "Well. With those cryptic words, I do have to wonder if it doesn't have something to do with the fact you have ticked them off, Zan. " The guy has managed to interrupt the gang a few times, right?
Just as the door is closing, Zan makes a grab for it. Not that he's the strength at the moment to do much, but frustration fuels futile attempts. He hammers a fist against it once before turning and sliding down it to sit on the floor. "Wonder if it has anything to do with you passing it off to your buddy who works gangs," he retorts, directing a look at Terri. "If I hadn't gotten in the way, that guy could have died."
Rylie winces at Zan's bang against the door, and she looks over at Terri for a moment. "Look, they're just… being bitches, frankly," she says, gaze flicking between the two. "Whatever you stopped them doing, it was obviously pretty good, or they wouldn't be so pissed. And it must have been important, too, because look at all this," she adds with a wave of her hand around their little room.
"Perhaps, but that would mean then, that they have someone inside the department." Terri puts out there as she looks to Zan, "I think it might be the fact you got between them and that guy.. twice. I'm not syaing you shouldn't have done what you did, but…" Now they're kidnapped. "Still makes me wonder why they took us. If they actually knew of our connections."
"Whatever connection they've pinned between us," Zan says, half getting to his feet again. It takes a second, a hand steadying himself against the wall before he's upright fully. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you all got tied up in something, even if I don't know what that something is. Nicholas was right about me being trouble." He follows the walls back to his original corner, only too eagerly sinking down again.
"Oh, shut up," Rylie says, a smile coming to her face, "A life without trouble is boring. And if it's you in trouble, it's better for you to have some friends in the trenches with you. Plus, this isn't so bad. There's sandwiches." Putting a brave face on it, sure. But she's apparently appointed herself as the cheerful one of the group.
Terri blinks a few times, then snorts, "Who better to have in your corner than a cop and a bodyguard?" She motions to the sleeping Nicholas. "We'll figure out something. For now.." She chuckles, "We should eat and just chill out a little."
Zan looks at Rylie, nearly frowning for a second. It takes that second for him to gather himself again and muster a grin. "I know," he says, a flick of his gaze including Terri. "I know. Just… those guys piss me off." And scare him. A lot. He looks at the sandwiches, stomach giving a rather audible protest. He doesn't look up at the two, though his ears turn a slightly deeper shade of pink, as he stretches enough to grab one off the tray.
"They seems to be pretty good at that." Rylie grabs a sandwich for herself, too, and comes over to drop down next to Zan. Escape plans will have to come later, when they're all coherent. In the meantime, they'll have to settle for plain food and frustrating hosts.
