[b][center][h2]Paige Kennedy[/h2][/center][/b]

Old Sol Museum was not normally the type of venue that Paige found herself frequenting. Museums in general were just not her cup of tea, but following up on Elvin’s tip had paid off and as she made some calls and spoke with the administrative staff, she found a scheduled time that the museum’s doors would be closed during regular hours for a high-profile visitor. With some coercion and some help from the Mayor’s office, the museum relented and allowed her to enter in ahead of their appointed guests without her having to get too heavy-handed with them. If she had wanted, she could have barged right in, but based on her investigative work and intuition, subtlety felt the most useful option and as she walked the long halls and exhibits alone glancing at the various artifacts and collections she had a sense of foreboding again, much like she had felt when she and Sio had pulled up to Milo’s shop a few weeks ago. Her intuition had again proven right as that day had led her to where she stood.

Warmth steadily returned to her fingers. She’d still neglected to buy any gloves and the short warm spell in Sol hadn’t helped her procrastination. Her upper body was cozy inside a fitted, white thermal jacket that her mother sent her as a “second house-warming” gift and like everything mom sent it was meant to be stylish and most importantly, practical for her job fitting her just right that it didn’t interfere with the pistol holstered on her hip. The morning cold still clung to her legs and feet though. Her standard jeans and sneakers weren’t near enough to ward away the regular weather of Sol’s mornings for very long. She looked at her reflection in a passing antique mirror that was nearly as tall as the ceiling and brushed a few  loose lockes back over her ear. It was loosely braided, a trait she’d taken from Sio as they’d hung out more and it was easier to manage at the gym where she planned to go next. The bruising on her face was nearly gone.

Following the signs through another large corridor led her to a hallway of velvet-roped doors each one showcasing a particularly valuable collection. Paige checked her phone noting she still had some time and stepped around the soft rope. The small display frame simply read [i]Ming Dynasty[/i] and considering her affection for ornate China, it seemed a tempting choice to enjoy for a few moments while she waited. 

The room was a stark, polished white, so clean that she looked behind her to see if she was tracking anything inside as the door gently closed behind. Glancing down at her sneakers she could see her reflection in the meticulously buffed marble floor that made the pillars she’d seen at the downtown Ritz look like outhouse doors by comparison. Not often did she feel underdressed and impressed at the same time, particularly when it came to Sol City. There didn’t seem to be a speck of dust or outside debris [i]anywhere[/i]. The displayed collection, housed under glass on white pedestals lined the room at the perimeter and down the center, perfectly aligned in three equal rows with an exactly measured amount of light designed to bring to life the full inspiration of the display. 

Walking softly, Paige looked inside the first case at something that resembled a headband and a crown arrayed with precious stones in turquoise, sapphire and lily and set in gold. Some of the stones were missing, but the craftsmanship of the piece itself was overwhelmingly exquisite as the tiny gold inlays swooped and dove in regal patterns away from the gems. There were no descriptions accompanying the case and she guessed the curators assumed anyone allowed inside the room would understand their significance without juvenile descriptions. She wasn’t sure, but something told her, with a fantasy of satisfaction, it was the headpiece of an Empress. Her breath fogged the glass as she looked closer and she stepped back. 

A door opened gently on the opposing side of the room as Paige continued to study the display. The woman’s white heels had a dark sole and produced a firm, resonating tap with each casual stride she made across the silent room only competing with the resonate sound of the central heating faintly passing through the air ducts. Her dress was brilliant, unaged-white as well; crisp and form fitting with quarter sleeves and stopping very professionally a few inches above the knee. “That is part of a headpiece worn by Empress Fang,” She said stepping closer. “She saved her husband from assassination…” She continued and looked at the case stopping only a few steps away. Her blonde hair was expertly parted over her left eye and framed her face evenly a few inches past shoulder length. “The Emperor was violent towards the female members of his court and he killed many of them, but Fang remained loyal to him.” She looked at Paige with a haunting crystal-blue gaze from pupils that were nearly absent of pigment. “And in return, he allowed her to burn to death when the palace caught fire… I’m Shannon.” She switched her small, matching clutch to her left hand and extended her right. 

Paige looked at the woman’s hand and the expensive clutch that sported a small, foreign name that she couldn’t pronounce and never heard of before. She didn’t shake and only looked back at the woman, putting one hand on her hip, meeting her gaze and holding it firmly. Shannon Giancana was Sammy’s wife and true to Elvin’s words was apparently an expert on jewelry from the far East. Her athletic frame wrapped in white [i]exuded[/i] class, but her eyes, the firm, piercing shot of her untrying gaze spoke of unrestrained power. Paige looked back at the headpiece conscious that she had allowed herself to look away first. A twinge, nearly microbial in its concious existence, of envy crossed her mind. “It is beautiful...” She said solemnly and looked back, “But I didn’t come here to talk antiquities.”

Unphased by the lack of return on her gesture, Shannon smirked. “Did you know I was from Florida?”

“Yes, and you went to Alabama,” Paige replied. “Traitor.”

“Ah yes,” Shannon rolled her eyes reminiscing briefly, “I know how to pick a winner.”

“That’s great.” Paige said sarcastically unimpressed. “I didn’t come to talk about college either. Now where’s Sammy?”

Shannon held her slight smirk and shook her head lightly. She had around eight years over Paige. They were about the same height from the floor, but in her heels, Shannon looked down on the younger blonde by a few inches. She sighed a breath of beguilement, “I just have to say, when Elvin first asked me to look into you, I thought [i]damn[/i], you are exactly what this City needs and when I first saw you, I knew I was right.” She looked the younger woman up and down, her smirk coming into a smile, “You should’ve been on the other side with us.”

Paige snorted unamused. 

“Oh, you’d still be able to shoot people and be a cold-hearted bitch…” Shannon shot back anticipating the reaction. “…Your two favorite activities- Except you’d be a [i]rich bitch[/i].” 

“More like dead or in prison.” Paige said bluntly. She was growing impatient, not totally from the conversation, but from the fact that Shannon seemed to know a lot more about her than she did about the mob Princess. There was hardly enough information to cover the file-jacket on Shannon in comparison with the rest of the Giancana Syndicate. How she met Sammy and what she did for the Racket were a complete mystery. 

“No, Paige.” Shannon said. Her tone became more measured as her smile faded. “No, you wouldn’t be because you understand, just like I do, that in order for a woman to survive in this business, on your side or mine, she’s got to be even more ruthless than the men, more calculating and more willing to make the hard decisions the men won’t, just like when you put away that worthless Tommy Peralta back in Delta with a bullet.”

Paige looked her dead in the eye at the mention of the South-American gun-runner. The man she’d killed and ultimately led to her transfer to Sol City. Her anger boiled at the sound of his name and her hand, ever slightly, moved towards the grip of her pistol. Her lips tightened for words to escape: “You don’t know anything about that.” She growled.

“I know you’re not going to arrest Nikki when you find him.” Shannon deftly countered. “You’re going to kill that son of a bitch.” She said darkly. “And I’m going to help you do it.”

The room was quiet between them as they looked at each other momentarily with only the gleaming treasures of the Orient as witnesses.

Paige exhaled a tiny breath: “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“In less than two weeks, Nikki’s men are going to hit all three major banks in Sol...” Shannon began.

Paige instantly smirked a bit, “And I thought I was old fashioned.” 

The older blonde returned the sly grin, “Except they’re going to do all three at the same time. The Millennium, StarBank and First National.”

“And why should I believe you again?”

“You don’t have to believe any of it.” Shannon said raising an eyebrow. “You can go right back to your Chief Deputy like a good girl and we can pretend like this never happened. Except that Nikki will be here in Sol to make sure it goes down without a hitch.”

“And you just want me to take him out for you?” Paige snapped. “Is that as deep as this goes?”

“No, we just have that goal in common.” Shannon replied sharply. 

“Then why don’t you get one of your own assholes to kill him.”

“Like I said, I know how to pick a winner [i]and I know you don’t want me to do that[/i]. You want to put him away after what he did to you and your wild, fire-starting boyfriend.” Shannon said matter-of-factly, her smile returning as she mentioned Milo. “Sol City was going to be Nikki’s power-play until you all showed up… He already had that sleazeball, Jackie, out laying the ground work, thanks for that by the way, but you and the mayor’s little GI-Joe’s made everyone scatter underground, now he’s trying to look like he’s not scared.” There was growing disgust in her tone when describing her husband’s half-brother. 

“So let’s say someone stops him… What happens after that?” Paige asked. Her heart's beat struck harder at the mention of Milo. “You and Sammy consolidate power and wait for the old man to croak?”

“I have my own goals…” Shannon said. She twitched her lips briefly considering her words. “…And Sammy has his… but if Nikki succeeds, things are going to go badly for a lot of people.” Her expression hardened slightly. “You see, he knows the business will always be Sammy’s. He’s not trying to please Frank anymore, [i]he’s ready to take over[/i]. You haven’t been around long enough to see the big picture, but I’m not gonna live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. You understand? If you’re not up to it then I [i]will[/i] take care of it. So you can either let me help you and get to be the hero, maybe even get back to Florida, or you can just keep on shaking down computer hackers and DelleSantos thugs for cut money. Now are you with me or not?”

[@RoccanIronclad]