[hr][h1]32 Hours Before...[/h1][hr][hider=Alon Mor - Praise Our Kings][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MngEyCPkrD4&index=3&list=PL4g08z6HM-2ZV7hynv-b8tuDKmgexo7PI[/youtube][/hider][hr]
[b][code]Rosemaple Lake, Roseview_[/code][/b]

Dim lights emitted a red glow on the halls as shadows moved between rooms. CID's back-up generators were on their last reserves as it took a large amount of energy to maintain their servers. A meeting had been called and all personnel were required to attend. Within the main conference room, extra chairs were brought in as spies, couriers, security and techs alike crowded the mahogany table. Those unable to attend in person - like Rhea - stared out from iPads and tablets at one end of the table. 

Hallmark, sitting calm and collected at the table's head, began the meeting. "As you're all aware, the Founding Family went public recently under the pretense of good intentions. What's remained privy to only a select few of you, is that they're all but [i]benevolent.[/i]

"The Family was involved with a number if disasters, including the Beast of Prague. They have a substantial hold on North America, and still look to expand their spheres of influence through intimidation. A third party - Polaris - is also working with them. We have reason to believe the Family's motive for wanting RAVEN's incarcerated people is to speed up their big project - a 'Machine'."

He leaned back in his seat, gesturing to his loyal employees. "Now, where do you come in with all of this? I've decided to change CID's tactics, in light of recent events. We, as an HQ, will retract from Baybridge and relocate to a suburb a half hour out."

Aislin, sitting near the left of Hallmark, raised her hand.

"Yes, CT."

"Are we retreating from the city's Family situation?" Aislin said plainly, cocking an eyebrow.

"No, I wish to cover my assets. We need power to run the servers, by which we're running low. I've already arranged for several copies of our databases to be made, and these will be transported to a temporary HQ. CID's task force will remain active, especially in Baybridge."

Aislin considered his words before she nodded, and Hallmark continued. "Those of you abroad, I would like a portion to go under cover in Asia - see what you can uncover about Polaris. To the agents stationed around the US, keep vigil. I may call you home to help. And to those in Baybridge,"—he looked around the table—"maintain low profiles, and [i]please refrain[/i] from engaging the enemy. We are a secrets enterprise, not a military operation. Any more questions?"

"No, boss." Was the consensus.

"Good. You'll find further details in your personal briefs. To all of you, good luck. We move out within the week."

As the conference dispersed, a single technician tugged at his tie as he paced down the hall. Turning the corner, he waited until it was silent. Pulling out a disposable cellphone, he tapped methodically on the keys.

[quote][code]They know. Planning on moving HQ out of the city.[/code][/quote]

The text was sent to the Foundation Woman.

[hr][i][h1][color=6ecff6]Seraphine Campbell[/color] & [color=BCD6A2]Aislin Rose[/color][/h1][sub]Written in collaboration with [@Nosuchthing][/sub][/i][hr]
[b][code]Location unknown_[/code][/b]

Seraphine had heard of the Founding Family, probably before a great deal of RAVEN. It was not uncommon, the Society dealt in sex and services yes, but their most lucrative trade was, and had always been, information. Men, and women, were too loose with information when sharing a bed with someone, and even the knowledge that they were doing that was an expensive commodity. It was how the Society survived, it had influential members, and control over people in even more influential positions in society.

Seraphine wanted power, and wealth, and above all, influence. She wanted to rule her own life, and control that and those which sought to control her. She was a popular girl in the Society, but that didn't equate to power. If anything, she had less control over her life than many of the other girls she worked with. Most days she was engaged, and it paid well, but it wasn't her choice, it wasn't her decision.

This... this was...

[hr]

She knew that people tended to talk when they were in her company, but she hadn't thought that they might spill something so big so easily. He wasn't a regular of hers, though she had seen him in the halls of the Society before, usually in the company of the cheaper girls. He wasn't bad looking, if a little chubby, but had a bloated sense of entitlement that had probably led to him betraying his employer. He liked to complain that he was under-appreciated, under paid. She'd heard it all from the other girls. Which was why it was such a surprise that he had managed to afford her services.

He had been more concerned with her body and her less savoury skills than her company, but her carefully shaped questions and feigned interest, along with several bottles of champagne, had eventually led to the revelation that he was informing on the CID. He'd earned a bonus, and blown it all on a night with her.

[hr][h1]Present Time...[/h1][hr][hider=Creep Crawl Flash - Riviera][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP2O6e2RfPQ[/youtube][/hider][hr]
[b][code]Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills_[/code][/b]

Aislin was surprised when Hallmark called her about a delicate matter. Evidently, a young employee within the White Spider Society held information critical to CID's security. The less people who knew, the better — that was the reason given on why she approached CID on an individual level.

"Seraphine Campbell, a Caucasian woman with auburn hair, green eyes," Hallmark said. "I've arranged a meeting at the Roasted Bean in Hailey Boulevard, one of the few places with working power."

So, Aislin found herself in the back of a taxi and soon walking up to the coffee shop. With her leather jacket zipped up and a scarf wrapped around her neck to stave off the autumn chill, Aislin stepped into the warm and aromatic Roasted Bean.

The pale redhead resisted the urge to stand anxiously as the person she was to meet walked into the coffee shop. It had been difficult to organise this meeting without the help of the Society, but she didn't want them to control this exchange. If she'd told her superiors what she now knew, then one of them would be sitting here - not her.

The woman who entered was older than her, though from the youthful cast of her face Seraphine guessed that she was older than she looked. The scar on her chin drew the eye however, it looked like someone had gone for her throat with a knife. Seraphine looked away, she already sat in the spot they had agreed, if this was her contact, then she would know to come over.

As Aislin walked past the 'Please Seat Yourself' sign, she grinned. Out of all the people enjoying their hot drinks, Seraphine was the most beautiful. Very easy to pick out from the crowd. Sitting across from the young lady, Aislin folded her aviators and set them on the table by her purse.

"Ah, Seraphine, right?" Aislin asked. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm CT. I was told you'd be here."

The redhead looked up, smiling, clearly this was her contact. It would have been easy to appear nervous, but she'd long since moved past being concerned about the impression she made on people. After all, it was how she made her living, and the Society had ensured she knew how to mask her nerves when meeting a new client, this was hardly any different.

"I am... it's lovely to meet you..."

A blonde waiter walked up to their table, notebook in hand. "Can I get you ladies anything to drink?" Evidently no one taught him the art of being subtle with the way he gawked at Seraphine.

"A London Fog for me, thanks." Aislin said, snickering. She nodded to Seraphine, "Get whatever you like - I'll foot the bill today."

It was not uncommon for people to react in such a way, particularly young men, Seraphine normally enjoyed the attention, but had no time for it now. She ordered an espresso, then ignored the waiter until he realised he was still staring and left sheepishly. She waited a moment, then turned back to CT.

"Sorry, that happens a lot, I wonder if his eyes would pop if I told him what I can do."

She smirked, displaying a far dirtier smile than her otherwise innocent appearance would suggest. Aislin mirrored the smile, knowing more-or-less what Seraphine was referring to.

"I thought secret meetings in coffee shops only happened in movies, won't people be able to hear us?"

"Not necessarily," Aislin said, glancing at the cafe around them. It was a quaint, hand-crafted place. Dark wood table sets lined a portion of the floor, with mismatched sofas on a raised platform to the side. Glass partitions ran through the cafe, giving the tables more of an 'island' feel.

"Notice how everyone here is so engrossed with their own conversations?" Aislin nodded to the couple two tables down. "It takes a certain intent to eavesdrop, one that's not hard to detect in a cafe. As far I can tell, no one but that waiter cares we're here."

She chuckled, resting her arms on the table. "Besides, as I'm sure you're well aware - it's hard to find a discreet, comfortable area since there's been a lack of power in Baybridge."

The waiter returned, flourishing a metal tray with two china cups. With a delicate grip on the saucer, he set out the steaming drinks in front of them. Evidently, he was attempting to show off for Seraphine.

"Is there anything else I can get for you two lovely ladies?"

Aislin's eyes squinted in amusement. "Mm, nothing for now, thanks."

The escort smiled innocently at the waiter, "Thank you, that's all, we'll let you know if we need you."

At the same time her eyes flicked up and down his form, as though she were making her own private judgement, and she turned away before he could gather his own thoughts and begin to walk away.

Blowing on the foam of her drink, Aislin paused a couple moments before fixing her gaze on Seraphine. "What was it you wished to discuss?"

Leaning forward, Seraphine resisted the urge to whisper conspiratorially. Judging by Aislin's response it would only look as if she were trying to have a secret conversation.

"CID... has a mole..."

She sat back, trying her best not to look smug, "and I know who it is."

"Mhmm, that's quite a bold claim," Aislin said, eyes twinkling.

In the back of her mind, she didn't feel so good. [i]A mole in CID?[/i] With the tireless labour Hallmark took to know his team, Aislin's concern about their internal security was very low on the list. Knowing her boss, he had a plan for such a case, but if this claim was true... they were in trouble . And not only that, but [i]who[/i] did the mole report to? How bad of a security issue was on the table? If that French gang from New Raygate was stirring trouble again, she'd have to tear their leader a new one - maybe pull out some blackmail files. Or... Maybe it was the Society itself that the mole took orders from — that would explain why Seraphine came on her own. But that would also denote some amount of generosity, which was rare in their line of work.

"Would you, by chance, have any evidence to back up such a claim?"

Seraphine almost answered immediately, but caught herself, she couldn't simply blurt it out, if she did that, then she had no bargaining chip, no way to negotiate. She sipped from her espresso, taking advantage of the pause to gather her thoughts. She took a moment to examine Aislin, though if the news had truly worried the CID agent she hadn't let anything show upon her face.

"I thought this was a negotiation. This information is not free..."

Aislin snorted. [i]Well, then. May as well cut to the chase, eh?[/i] She leaned forward, resting her chin on overlapped hands. “Very well, what was it you wanted in return?"

Here the redhead seemed lost. She hadn't planned this far ahead, or rather she had, but now that she was here she wasn't sure if she could go through with it. She was playing a game that she didn't fully understand and for the first time she realised just how out of her depth she was now. For a moment, just a brief fraction of a second, the facade that she normally maintained slipped, and a frightened, confused girl shone through.

"I want out..."

Aislin’s brow furrowed. “Mm, if it’s the Society you refer to, I wasn’t aware they had policies against employees leaving.” 

"I cost more per night than most people earn in a year. The Society spent a lot of money training me, and they won't want to let their investment go so easily..."

"Understandable," Aislin said, bobbing her head. She unzipped her purse and fished out a tablet. Setting it up so they could both see the screen, Aislin found a PDF with client service packages. As it was, CID had a knack for almost any kind of falsified work. Passports, work visas, birth certificates - you name it.

“We do offer options in such cases, and I’d be willing to exchange some for your intel. We got disappearance acts, new identities, fabricated documents. Even 24 hour security watch in case your past catches up with you.” Aislin said, keeping a calm, even tone in her voice. Seraphine appeared a little over her head, but Aislin had to commend her. This kind of situation required no small amount of courage.

Disappearance, a new identity, new documents. Seraphine hadn't thought what this would entail, she wouldn't just be leaving the Society, she would be hiding from them. The Croquetaigne sisters terrified her, in truth, and she didn't want to cross them, or to earn their enmity. She was tired of this though, perhaps it hadn't been very long, three years wasn't that much time, but she couldn't keep it up. The thoughts of those difficulties were hard enough to shake off, but she still wanted to do, she wanted, needed to escape the control they had over her life. She wanted to ask this woman for her advice, to ask anyone for help, but this was the most she could do, she had to bargain from a position of power here, at least for as long as she could hold onto it.

"That... could be acceptable, but I would need more than just a description, I need assurances."

Aislin scoffed, flicking over to a testimonial page filled with five stars. "Then you must not know CID too well - of course, no one really does. We have a 95% success rate in our client relocation services, and have 20 years experience behind us."

She took a sip of her latte, admiring the china cup. "Hm, I could quote the facts for you all day," Aislin tilted her head thoughtfully. "But I wonder, what kind of assurance do you need? I can take point in your safety myself, if you'd like. Introduce you to our finest security chap - Brucie. Or..."

Aislin leaned in close, lowering her voice. "It's not for the faint of heart, but if you wanted a place within CID akin to that of your aptitude... I may have an opportunity for you."

Of her aptitude? Seraphine wasn't entirely sure what that meant, nor was she entirely happy with the potential implications, but it was a concrete offer. Right now she didn't really have many other options. She could accept this offer, or she could go back to the Society and hope they didn't find out about the deal she had tried to make behind their back. She swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded, "I'm listening."

"Gee, it's really not as horrible as you're imagining." Aislin said, giggling. "I'm merely suggesting CID could use an extra pair of hands, and you could use a steady job. We need those who are subtle, who can ask the right questions, uncover information. Along with the protection of a new identity and and new place to call home, you could also become a Private Investigator. Well, in-training, of course. The professional training would have to wait until this Family bullshit is done and over with."

She waved her hands in a dismissive manner. "Of course, I'm only suggesting this."

"Now, I believe I've been more than fair in regards to my part of the deal. What I offer is easily in the hundreds of thousands - but don't worry about that." Aislin said, her voice light. [i]Money seems to be her language; if I must, I'll push that again.[/i] She thought, keeping a smile on her face. [i]She must tell me what she knows...[/i]

With a nod, Seraphine expressed her continued interest, "How do I know I can trust you to uphold your side of the bargain?"

She must sound paranoid, but she was afraid that if she didn't get assurances now, then she might be hung out to dry when she handed over what she knew. She was afraid enough that any moment the twins might walk in, she dreaded to think what they might do if they caught her after the fact, let alone red handed.

"C'mon, sweet pea." Aislin winked. "We didn't become a multi-million dollar company by going back on our promises or throwing potential clients to the dogs. What I've laid on the table, I'm 100% serious."

Seraphine smiled faintly, then leaned forward, "One of your techs, I don't have pictures, but I can identify him. Early thirties, 6 feet tall, about 200 pounds, brunette."

Here she frowned, "Proof is a little harder, he went from the standard rate girls to me in one night, that's not something a normal bonus covers, and he bragged to me that he was informing. You could check his phone but I'm willing to bet it's a burner, he doesn't seem thaaat stupid..."

Aislin bit her lip, scanning through the gallery on her tablet before pulling up a photo. Standing in front of a black curtain was Miss Admin, radiant and focused — a smile was absent from her face. Surrounding her was the tech team, dressed in the usual white shirt and tie. Most were photogenic; some gave the impression they wished to be elsewhere.

"Do you see him here?" she asked.

Seraphine nodded, laying a slender finger on a figure a little to the left of the apparent boss. He actually seemed to be the most photogenic of the group, if a little bored.

Aislin nodded, clicking her tongue. "Well, you've made this much easier. Did you happen to catch [i]who[/i] the traitor was informing?"

Seraphine looked even more uncomfortable here, this was her last chance, once she told, there was no going back. They'd only just gone public now, and their first appearance had shown they were not to be trifled with, "The Founding Family..."

[i]The... Family?[/i] Aislin stared wordlessly, eyes wide. How long? How much did they know? Who was at risk: the company itself, or the individuals? From her knowledge, they had almost total control of the West, but she had no idea they were so damn close. A listening ear in her home, in CID. And with the recent events... Aislin gasped. [i]The meeting![/i] Hallmark went public in the company about the Family's existence. And the mole likely told the very same about their plan of getting CID's assets out of dodge. Their illusion of an advantage against the terrorists was promptly shattered.

"Goddamn it..." Aislin swore in a low voice. She tossed back the remainder of her drink, thankful it was cooled. She needed to report this 20 minutes ago. But as soon as possible would work too.

A number was speed-dialed as Aislin brought a phone to her ear. "... Mel? It's CT; this is a high priority request. I need Brucie to chauffeur a bit - I'm at the Roasted Bean with a client. Schedule out a safe house, text me the address. And I need a meeting with Hallmark in 40 minutes. Also, lock-down the technology division."

"Lock-down, miss?" Mel said, confusion in her voice. "Under who's authority?"

"Mine." Aislin said, chin up. "Don't worry, I'll deal with the boss.~☆"

"...Very well. I'll pass it along."

"Thanks." Aislin said, and ended the call. Seraphine was looking at her with an amount of concern. "And now for my end of the deal, Seraphine. We're going to stop by your house, you'll pack a suitcase, and we'll bring you to a temporary safe house until a more permanent residence is organized. In the next 32 hours, you'll have a new identity, and perhaps, a new career."

Aislin waved over the waiter and pulled out her debit. He almost seemed sad to have them leave as he swiped it, and was bold enough to ask what Seraphine was doing after his shift.

Five minutes later, a black Audi rolled up to the cafe. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Aislin led them out of the Roasted Bean. Brucie, a well-dressed man with narrow shades over his eyes, rolled down the passenger window. "Hey gals, need a lift?"

Aislin smirked, opening the back door for Seraphine, "After you, sweet pea."

[hr][i][h1][color=ffe0bd]Rhea Harlow[/color][/h1][/i][hr]
[b][code]Lower South Royer Town, Prince Ed-Field_[/code][/b]

Rhea found herself surprisingly comfortable in her new establishments. Along with fresh clothes and a gifted arsenal of batteries and batons, almost everyone - especially Aislin - stayed out of her hair. Not bad, seeing as she’d hit a rough patch with the whole ‘laying low’ deal.


Aislin’s luxury suite became the ‘wild card’ group’s base — which started looking like a shared home rather quick. In the themes of modern and chic with a few threads of futurist, the suite was [url=http://imagesme.net/tuvie/w-style-apartments-in-the-sky6.jpg]certainly of pleasant design[/url]. In light of recent events, however, [url=http://raredelights.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Luxurious-Apartment-by-Archikron-Interior-Design-Studio-15.jpg]the bathroom[/url] had been converted into a water storage area. The tubs were to the brim with clean water with filled dispenser bottles lining the wall.


As for resting spaces, Aislin opened the spare room and den to her company. Sofas were laid with blankets and sleeping bags set out on the living room carpet. A battery-powered heat generator stood in the centre of the room and a propane camp stove sat on the kitchen counter. In the effort of sanitation, the city had set up portable washrooms in the tower’s lobby - so that was a relief.


Aislin usually spent hours brooding over the maps and diagrams laid out on the dining room table, but was currently out on business. Urgent call from Hallmark, apparently, so she missed the shenanigans involving Holly, Shizu and Ryu.


After Rhea attended CID’s emergency meeting via video chat, she found herself on the tower’s rooftop. From this height it was easy to feel the stronger winds - perfect for her practices. After a light body workout Rhea rolled into a perfect handstand, eyes closed and breath slow. Eventually she shifted to one hand, taking care to keep herself perfectly poised against the breeze.


There appeared to be a great contrast between her stillness and the sounds of the city. Every few minutes a siren would move around in the streets, or a chopper cut the sky overhead. And recently… the subtle rat-tat-tat of gunfire - far, far away. 


[i]Not far enough...[/i] Rhea’s brow furrowed, causing her stance to wobble. With a sigh, she cartwheeled back on her feet. From her view over the ledge, Rhea watched the growing storm in Baybridge.