In The Hearts of Men [Torrid x Rekoj]

[torridsoul]

Up until a few days ago Alohanani Pi had been a typical nineteen year old girl. She was in college studying to be an art teacher, worked at a Java House and she had her family which was large, her friends of which there were many and a love for the small things like her cellphone, good make-up and of course kittens. But all of that was before she walked out the back door of the Java House she worked at which was somehow lovingly nestled into a residential neighboor, muffin in hand to take her break.

At first nothing nothing seemed off to Nani, the alley wasn't her favorite place to take her lunch break but there were too many customers for her to take it inside so she'd had to make due, she'd been peeling away the wrapper of the muffin when the gun shots rang. They seemed to bounce off the buildings and head directly for her ears, her first instinct had been to hide behind a dumpster but what if she was able to help whomever had been shot? What if they weren't dead and she could get them help. She dropped her muffin and headed quietly out towards the street, which housed the back end and garages of a line of row-houses.

Nani heard a car starting and she peeked her head from the side of the building and saw a white van with faded lettering from a dry cleaners that had closed when she was just a little girl. On the ground not to far from the van lay two bodies, a man and a woman. Aside from the blood the first thing she noticed was that the woman had a head full of blond hair that had been silky and beautiful but now it was caked in blood. The combined pool of blood was creeping over the side walk, dripping into grates and into sewer drains it was something she would not soon forget.

But before she could dash out to check the pulses and be a savior, the driver of the van slammed on the breaks and two men got out of the vehicle. One was yelling at the other "Jimmy, the boss said NO witnesses." She'd seen their faces, but she prayed they hadn't seen hers... they couldn't have seen hers. She moved her head back a little, she could still see and what she saw would haunt her for the rest of her life. The man called Jimmy pulled his gun on an elderly man standing near his garbage can, the man tried to plead with him for his life, claiming he'd never tell a soul. But a man who'd seen everything was a dangerous man and apparently Jimmy and the other goon couldn't take that risk "Sorry man, gotta do it" Jimmy said and fired his weapon. The man fell to the ground right in front of her eyes, he was bleeding from a bullet wound to the chest and Nani knew that he was dead. "Lets get the fuck out of here... now man" called the driver as they ran for the van.

All of that had been three days ago, the murder was on the news now and reporters begged daily for any witness to come forward with what they knew about the senseless murders of a highly respected judge, his wife and their neighbor. Nani had gotten to the point where she couldn't live with the knowledge of what she'd seen by herself anymore, she had to come forward and hopefully with what she'd seen she could help bring the couple to justice.

Even knowing that she could help the case she was having a hard time opening the door to the police station, if she did this then that meant everything was real. It wasn't just a nightmare she'd had, it had really happened. Nani glanced back to her car thinking she still had time to get in it and leave, she shook her head lightly knowing she couldn't do that and instead she gripped the handle on the door and stepped in to the police station.

 

[Rekoj]

Be-doop beep ba doop, doop.

The vibrating in his pocket associated with his 8 bit ringtone confirmed that it was his phone ringing in his pocket, and he stopped eating his breakfast to pull it to his ear quickly and answer it, "Hello, Damien here."

The speaker within the earpiece of the cell phone echoed with the vibrations of the chief's voice, saying the words he'd been hoping he wouldn't hear, "Hey Damien... we got a break in the Da Costa case, I'm going to need you to come in early today. Like, come in, now. This... this could be what we've been waiting for."

His mind went blank, too many things to feel and worry about now, it was time to shut them out, time for focus. He spoke strongly, as he always did, "Got it, Chief."

Da Costa, a familiar name... that was the name of the man he knew as Father. Everyone knew him as father, but for him it was a little more personal. Damien had been more the baby of a meth-head mother who was 15 when she had him. The streets were rough on both of them, and she gave it everything she had to get him strong enough to be able to take care of himself when he got old enough. She didn't make it through one particularly cold winter, Damien did. And he never stopped fighting.

At 13, Father noticed him fighting off two men who wanted what food he had scrounged from a dumpster. Bleeding and bruised, Damien had clearly won the fight, and was scavenging down food when he was offered what could only be known as paradise.

He never took it for granted, but it didn't take him very long to figure out exactly who his new 'Father' was. Mysterious late night appearances from bleeding men, muffled gunshots, shady deals... and yet he could not hate this man, regardless of what he did. He made him who he was, and Damien knew why he had always told him to be a good cop. One day he'd have to be the exact opposite.. he'd like to pretend that day would never come to be.

But today was that day, and now Damien was going to go help the Chief with the most important ongoing case they had.. the one to take Father down. He left his breakfast unfinished, stood up and entered the zone in his brain where the only thing that mattered was the case. That was the way it was going to be until he was instructed otherwise, and as he pulled his jacket on and headed for the door... he sprinted down the steps like this case was as important as any other. Because for now, in his mind, the zone he was in... it was. It was just another case.

///

The chief walked to the main lobby and saw her, quickly taking her by the hand and introducing himself to bring her into his office. He locked the door and closed the blinds, peeking out into the chaos of the endless cubicles of the main room to see if he'd notice any eyes looking his way. Thankfully, he saw none. He may have got her into the room without any potentially corrupt officers seeing her face- that would be vital for her safety. He turned around and offered her the comfortable chair on the other side of his desk, there was another empty one seated beside her, but he walked around and sat down in the big chief seat before pulling up to his desk and clearing his throat, scratching his mustache and saying, "Hello .. Al... Aloa... Alahanoni, sorry for the brief introduction but it is absolutely vital that you tell me everything you know... as soon as you can, of course, take however much time you need."

 

[torridsoul]

"Call me Nani, Sir... it's easier" she shifted uncomfortably in the seat he'd offered her. It was probably the cleanest, plushest chair in the entire station but Nani hadn't been comfortable in anyway since the day she'd heard the murder of the judge and his wife and witnessed the murder of their neighbor. She ran her fingers over her jean clad thighs and looked around the tightly closed up room, there were always rumors about the shady police force, but Nani had always assumed they were just that... rumors. But given the actions of the chief of police she was nervous about her choice to come in. What if the room was bugged, they'd know her name now, they'd know her face. She shivered lightly and pulled her sweater tightly around her.

"I was taking my break from lunch when I heard the first two gunshots" the scene flashed through her head "I heard a car start so I thought it would be ok to walk out to the other alley... I hoped I could check on whoever was injured maybe get them help in time or something you know... I thought... if I could have gotten there in time maybe...." she paused a little and skipped the rest of the thought "the car was really a white van, it had faded lettering from the dry cleaner chain that closed a long time ago Dillard's Dry Cleaning" Nani thought that the owners of the company probably sold off all of those vans so it probably wouldn't mean anything but it would give them a place to start.

"I think the license plate was original to the van from the company because it said DIL 0032, I only remember that because it was really really simple." If someone had bought the van for personal use they'd have changed the plates to their own, whoever bought the van never bothered. "Two guys got out of the van and, the guy driving called the other guy Jimmy... but the drivers name was never mentioned. The driver had blond hair, he was too far away for me to see his eyes though... he seemed really tall even from where I was, definitely over 6 feet tall." She was wracking her brain for any other information she could give them about him "he was wearing a black sweater, jeans and work boots. I couldn't see anything like tattoo's cause he was covered up. His voice was really deep and kinda scratchy like he'd chain smoked to many cigarettes he yelled 'Jimmy, The boss said no witness' another mans life meant nothing to him... he was so causal about it" her voice cracked a little and tears swelled behind her eyes.

She leaned forward and sunk her head into her hands a little "I'm sorry can I have a glass of water or something, my nerves are really shot and I'm scared" The chief pulled a bottled water out of his desk and brought it over to her, twisting the cap off before handing her the bottle. "Don't worry, just take your time" he said softly to her before retaking his seat in the chair behind his desk.

Nani took a few gulps of water and then set the bottle down "I remember Jimmy the most, he was tall too but shorter than the driver. His hair was dark and his skin was really reallly tan like he spent a lot of time outdoors or something and he was wearing jeans, work boots and a one of those sweaters with the local sports team on it, he had the sleeves rolled up and I could see a huge tattoo on his right arm but I couldn't make out what it was from where I was." She closed her eyes and fought against the desire to be sick "When the driver told him no witnesses Jimmy grabbed the older man and said to him 'sorry man, i gotta do it' the gun..." she shivered a little "the gun seemed so big, the bullet just.... blew through his chest... i'll never forget that... it's burned into my mind. It just took out his chest... then Jimmy yelled 'lets get the fuck out of here, now man' he sounded like he'd had enough of the killing or something. But I doubt it bothered him that much."

"I think that's it... is any of this going to help?"

 

[Rekoj]

The chief had been recording every word she had been saying, both with a voice recorder he had active and a log which he kept scribbling things on- mostly the important details, the license plate number, the names... he listened intently but quietly. Once she was finished he nodded and kept his eyes right on the paper. There was a part of him that recognized her cracking voice, her distress... but in his years on the job he had become clinical- dispassionate and disinvolved with the people. He did not reach out to take her hand to offer her a soothing touch, he did not say a calming word. He was focused on the job, writing down every precious bit of info and as she asked if any of this was going to help he finally looked up and noticed her eyes.

He was already standing up and he said, "Thank you so much for coming in with all of this, I assure you... this is all going to help. Now, if you'll stay here a moment I need to run some of this info and if you're OK with working a sketch artist? Actually never mind, I may know who you're talking about, we'll skip right to a lineup." The chief had a habit of thinking out loud, and he was already walking to the door. He backed into the door and said, "I'll be right back in just a few moments with one of my top men. And Nani, I promise we'll keep you safe." He exited the room and turned to the evidence room, his eyes down on his notes so he didn't notice Damien arrive and almost walked right into him.

He looked up with a sigh of relief and smiled at the sight of Damien, "I swear you get here quicker every time, I know you don't live too far away but it astounds me just how quick you make it in when you want. Look, I've got a lineup to run, in there is a witness to the murder of y'know Judge Tenenbaum? The one overseeing the latest murder done by one of the Da Costa brothers?"

Damien looked to the door the chief was talking about quickly and then back to the chief, hands on his hips as he gave a quick curt nod.

"She's in there, I've got her waiting as I print out a quick lineup... I think I may know who pulled off the murder- another person with ties to the Da Costa family, if we nailed the bastard... I think we might be able to make a case for conspiracy to commit." The chief spoke quietly, with a broad smile of genuine hope.

It was an expression Damien hadn't seen on his face in quite some time.

Officer Ramirez quickly walked by their conversation in the hallway and the smile diminished from the Chief's face immediately. He pulled open the door to the evidence room and pulled Damien into it. He closed the door behind them and in the shadows of the dark room the Chief pulled Damien close to speak quietly to him.

"I know I've got men in this department I can't trust, I know just how important this witness is... and I know that she's in danger with us. I'm going to do something off the book here Damien, I'm putting you on a special assignment here. I need to do something special with her to keep her safe, posting an officer at her place won't do anything... they're likely to bomb the apartment once they find out who it is- and what if the officer I assign is corrupt? Look, I know I can trust you Damien, you've been... you've been like an angel to this department, Superstar, and I need you now more than ever. I need to know, are you committed to this case and to this department?" the chief got very serious in his last few words, grabbing Damien by the shoulder and staring deep into his eyes as if to see his intentions.

Damien did what he always did.

He gave a quick nod, and spoke with as few words as possible, "Of course, Chief. Whatever you need, I'm on it."

The chief stared into Damien's eyes at that uncomfortably close distance for a few more seconds before smiling again with relief. "OK, good. I'll be in in a few minutes to explain the plan, you go in there and meet her- get to know her well, you're going to be spending a lot of time with her soon- but I'll explain all that once I'm in there. But go in there and take care of her, and look... if it's not me coming in there, don't trust them, whoever it is."

With a shove to the same shoulder he had a grip on, he pushed Damien towards the door.

Damien swung open the door and quickly walked to the evidence room. His footsteps clearly audible as he assertively walked down the carpeted hallway. His shirt was an athletic T-shirt, with a small nike logo on the chest but nothing more. It showed his toned form beneath it- his body was a temple to him and although his shirt wasn't chosen to show it off there was no way to hide it. He stood a solid 6'3", but his form was incredibly rigid and powerful. He was always slightly tense, as if permanently on guard for something. His blue eyes stared at the door until he got to it and swung it open.

He closed it behind him and walked to the woman on the chair, who had spun around at the noise of his entry. He made eye contact right away, held out his hand and took hers in a handshake- as he did, he took his left hand and clasped it over their hands as they shook. "Good afternoon madam, my name is Damien, Damien Rhodes. The chief will be back in here momentarily, is there anything- coffee, food, water- anything at all I can get you to make you feel more comfortable?" His tone was firm, but his words were spoken with a soft edge. Once he finished their introductory handshake, his hands were back on his hips and he offered her a small smile- an attempt to make her feel at ease as he quickly picked up on the tenseness of her body.

 

[torridsoul]

When the chief left the room Nani curled into herself hoping she didn't make a mistake coming here today. The police in this station were known to be in the mobs pocket and what if she got stuck with a bad one? The thought made her shiver, she wondered if she hadn't come here today and no one ever knew what she saw if she'd be able to live with herself. She was pretty sure that she'd never be able to sleep at night if she never told a soul what she'd seen, if she never tried to help those poor dead people get justice. She'd heard and seen a murder and all she wanted to do was go home, not to her apartment but to her mom and dads and curl up in her old bed with their family cat curled into her maybe then she'd find a little peace.

But when the new officer entered the office "Alohanani Pi... you can call me Nani, it's easier" it was what she always said when she introduced herself to someone. "No... no I'm fine I have some water" she shoved her hands through her black hair and sighed gently "I told him everything I know, am I going to be able to go home soon?" she was nervous about being here, like at any moment one of the cops is going to come through the door and point a gun at her, she was half waiting for Damien Rhodes to do it. But he just stood there, slightly smiling... probably to try and put her at ease, it wasn't working but the effort was nice.

 

[Rekoj]

The Chief entered the room, closing the door behind him quickly before Damien had the chance to speak another word. The chief had a closed file folder in his arm when he entered, and he quickly walked around his large wooden desk as he pointed at the empty chair, grunting for Damien to sit down. He cleared his throat and pulled out the folder, opening it across the table and sliding over documents to the both of them. "Miss... Nani, I'm afraid I've forgotten what your last name was-"

"Pi, sir," Damien answered as he began to sort through the stack of papers and noticed a few passports on the table, as well as what looked like some driver's licenses.

"Pie?" the chief questioned, raising one of his bushy eyebrows in confusion, quickly stammering ahead, "What does Pie have to do with anything?"

Damien looked up, and said, "It's her last name, chief."

"Ohhhh right, I thought that you had noticed somebody bringing in some apple pie behind me or someth-never mind, look, Miss Pi, I want to thank you personally for the risk you took in coming here today. You have seen something which could bring the entire local mafia crumbling to it's knees, and with one simple testimonial. You could not only bring justice to the lovely couple you saw murdered, you'd bring justice to their orphaned children, and many others that this mafia has brought suffering to."

The chief cleared his throat while Damien began to put the pieces together with all of the items on the table. It was false indentification- for both him and Nani. A credit card, in a fake name, driver's licences, hell they even had fake passports. Before the chief continued, Damien knew where the chief was going with this and he wasn't sure if he liked this idea but it was too late to say anything now. He'd said was he was committed- and that he was, but was the most important witness in the case against his family going to be put in his care?

The chief continued, "If you agree to testify, I swear to you that we will keep you safe. I know there are rumours about my department being compromised and I will be honest with you Nani, they are true. I know I have men in this department I cannot trust.. but Damien is not one of them."

He smiled as he stood up, walking around his office to a posterized newspaper front page, with the headline, "Brave Cop receives Medal of Bravery from Mayor," and on the picture there is the proud chief, a humble Damien, standing with his hands behind his back and his back straight and proud- as it always was. The chief smiled as he fondly remembered that moment before continuing, "He's my top man, I know he looks young to be my top man but I have never seen a cop as committed to the safety of citizens as this man. I'd tell you how he got that medal, but he was the one who earned it, I'll let him tell yo-"

Damien had heard enough, cutting the chief off, "Look, I just did my job... I saw people in need and helped them. I wouldn't have received a medal had I not received the second degree burns I did- the media really blew the whole thing out of proportio"

Now it was Damien's turn to be cut off, as the Chief laughed and looked to Nani, "You see how humble he is? Look, he is my best man, I say that to you with confidence after 20 years on the job- he's the best I've ever had. If you agree to testify.. I will get you out of this police headquarters and out of the city- some place far away, on taxpayer's money... where I know he will protect you with his life. I cannot trust my own men, and Nani, these are dangerous men you saw kill the judge. I'm not sure if I can trust just letting you go home from here- they may have found it while you were here. My main goal is to keep you safe Nani Pi, now I need to know... will you testify?"

 

[torridsoul]

Nani watched the interaction of the chief with his officer, he was singing the praises of him so maybe she'd be safe with him. Maybe he was the cop the chief said he was. Or maybe he was in the Mobs pocket, but he seemed young like her so maybe he wasn't yet corrupt. They were going back and forth and all Nani could think was that she wanted to go home, she wanted a bubble bath and maybe since she'd told someone what she'd seen she'd be able to eat. A pepperoni pizza with mushrooms and black olives sounded like heaven to her right now, she could probably eat the whole thing.

Testifying had never dawned on her, telling her story and going home was all she'd expected to do and maybe she'd have to look through some books of known offenders or be called in to look at a line-up of men. But she'd never thought so far ahead as testifying, people who testify against the mob tended up dead in an alley, floating in the river or buried in a football field. Nani didn't want any of those things to happen to her. She looked back and forth between the men, if she testified could they really keep her safe? She doubt it, she highly highly doubted it.

"I'm sure Officer Rhodes is a talented cop but... I don't know if testifying is the best option for me. I know what happens to people who testify against the mob, with or without protection." She ran her hands nervously over her thighs and stood, grabbing her purse she made her way to the door. "I'm sorry I just don't think I can do it."

 

[Rekoj]

Damien watched her reaction quietly, hiding his intense internal debate perfectly, the image of calm and stoic as two voices nattered at each other within his mind. He should just let her go- let her not testify, let the only lead in the Da Costa case go. And yet... he was in the zone. Where nothing mattered but the case, his mind was racing and as she stood up he calmly stood up and brought his hand to her shoulder. His grip was not tight, not restraining, but still had strength behind it. His voice was calm and steady as he began to speak, "Nani. You made the right decision in coming here for help- but do not take this new decision lightly. You're going on instinct, get yourself to someplace safe- just go home. But I cannot assure you that home is safe."

He stepped in front of her, his strong blue eyes looking for hers as he remained back straight, voice calm but spoken with some volume, leaving no room for misinterpretation. His eyes finally noticed hers, if only for a brief second and he felt something click in the back of his mind. It was the first time had ever looked at her as she was- a woman, a beautiful young woman, and not just his client. She was nearly trembling she was so scared, she was so unsure, and the urge to protect her right now was more than just his job- there was something primal that activated within him.

He didn't know what to feel or how to feel it, but him and his voice remained steady, undistracted by this sudden revelation, "The chief failed to explain all of his plan. We would leave today, in a matter of hours, taking an undercover car and get the hell out of this city. Using the funds we have you'd get to get yourself a new wardrobe, new personal items, whatever you need. I want you to think really hard about this, that's all, I'm not binding you into a decision but when something is this important we go back to instinct, we trust it- and that could get you killed. If you go home without accepting our protection, without testifying and putting these people away, you may never feel safe in your own home again. You may never know if they saw you when you came in here to us- you may never know if they're coming for you because of what you know- you may be robbed of the security of home forever. Sit down Nani, take as much time as you need- but make sure that your decision is logical, not instinctual."

 

[torridsoul]

Nani had her hand on the doorknob and was getting ready to walk out when the cop stepped in front of her, there was something in the way he looked at her that had her listening to him. She moved back to the seat and curled up into it, she knew that he had a point that however did not mean that she wanted to listen to it. Nani wanted to rely on her gut, and her gut told her that she should get the hell out of the police station and hide herself away somewhere. Who needed common sense? If she had any of it, instead of coming here she'd have packed up her small apartment and got the hell out of the state, changed her name and completely disappeared.

But here she was and if she'd gone this far hadn't she? if she could come here and tell them her story shouldn't she be brave enough to testify against the people who'd murdered three innocent people? She was the only witness, she had duty didn't she to bring them justice? That was a heavy duty for a scared nineteen year old girl. "I don't think I can do it... they'll kill me I know they will... I just wanted someone to know what I saw."

Nani pulled her feet up on the chair not caring that she was not at home, that the chair was not her own she wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her head on them. "I'm not brave enough to face the mob in court, you could maybe keep me safe until I have to go to court sure, but I'd be the one who would have to get up there on the stand and point the finger, to relive everything I saw... again and we all know they'd probably get off on some... some... technicality and then I'd be dead. As the judge his wife and their neighbor." She sobbed into her knees. "You can't keep me safe forever."

 

[Rekoj]

"The justice system knows how to deal with the mafia now- what are you basing your opinion on? Law dramas on the television and movies you've seen- we have closed door witness testimonies, where they'll never get to see your face. I will be with you until the trial is over to make sure you stay breathing. Nani, look at me, Nani," he repeated her name to get her attention as he swooped forward and took her hand with both of his. His clench was not desperate or frightened, his aim was to soothe. He was surprised with himself, with how natural this was all feeling, even as he gently took a finger to her nodded chin to tilt her eyes up to look at him.

"Nani, this is when you need to trust me. You need not worry about your safety while you with me, I will keep you alive and unharmed, this I promise," his words were fearlessly bold but not spoken with ego or bravado, he was stating the facts as he knew them in his own mind. He knew what he was capable of, he knew he would keep her safe at all costs.

"Think about it, but we can speak with your employers to let them know what's happening, we can provide you with a whole new wardrobe, you can be on an SUV with me on the highway getting away from this city to safety. You need to make the right decision here, because if you choose to return home unprotected, you may never get a chance to regret it," he finished, his voice incredibly calm the whole time before he took the seat once again and sat back, leaning back to not pressure her and make her away she had plenty of time to give him a response.

 

[torridsoul]

Nani raised her face from her knees and looked up at him, she couldn't help herself. His aim was to soothe her and it was working, she hoped everything he said was true. That the government really did know how to deal with the mob now, but the feeling at the center of her heart told her that he was wrong that there were as in the dark as they'd always been and that they always would be. But he seemed so sincere, so straight forward she couldn't imagine that he'd ever lie to her when he spoke to her like that.

She couldn't understand how he could be so sure of his ability to keep her safe, to keep her alive. Sure there were good cops, and great cops but that didn't mean they'd always succeed. She knew that he was right though, that if she went home without protection and tried to pretend as if nothing had ever happened she'd been in an extreme amount of danger, it was a freighting thought and it left her feeling as if she only had one choice and that was to agree to testify and then let them whisk her away until the trail, and god only knew how long it could take for it to come to trial.

"I hope you're both right about this" she sniffled gently and rubbed at her eyes "I don't want to die and I don't want to live in fear for the rest of my life, so I'll do it" as soon as she said the words she prayed that she wouldn't live to regret the choice she was making. Nani slid her feet from the chair and looked between the two men. She looked Damien in the eye and said "My life is your hands, I desperately hope you're right."

 

[Rekoj]

"OK. Chief, make the call to get the car ready, Nani, within an hour we're going to be leaving the city. I'd reccomend phoning your family and letting them know you'll be gone. Tell them you're doing this for your safety, but make sure you don't give them too many details. Let them know you're in safe hands, they'll be worried about you," Damien said, his hand still remaining on Nani's shoulder, to offer his comfort. His eyes met hers for a glance, just for a moment. There was compassion in his glaze, as well as... maybe something more. But his gaze averted quickly, and he spun for the door. He stopped in the doorway, looked to the chief, "I'm going to get the car ready. You make the necessary calls to her work or anything else she needs. I'm going to knock on this door exactly four times, then once more after a quick pause. If the knock isn't that, it isn't me, and I want everything hidden. No one knows we go, got it Chief?"

It was very rare the Chief would allow anyone to speak to him in such a blunt manner, such a firm tone. It was the Chief's job to give orders, not follow them. But there was something in the way Damien spoke, something in the way he stood, that the Chief dare not challenge them. Plus, he had no reason to. The chief gave a curt nod, "Of course. Now go, get the car ready, Nani... if you'll come with me and have your picture taken, we need to print off some pieces of identification to go by. What would you like your fake name to be?" he questioned, as Damien disappeared behind the closed door.

< [ In your next reply feel free to skip forward to Damien's return after Nani is prepared by the Chief ] >

 

[torridsoul]

Nani watched Damien with the Chief and thought it must be rare for an officer to speak to his superior in such a way but the Chief didn't seem to mind at all, the Chief was obviously secure in his position and knew what the officer could do given they way he'd sung his praises and the way he was entrusting her safety to him. She watched him leave the room and then walked to the desk, the Chief showed her how to call out and she called her parents she was extremely vague when talking to her father but since she'd always been a bit of a daddy's girl and he'd always been so protective over her she didn't want him out on the hunt for them when she hung up the phone.

She went with the Chief and they worked up a bunch of fake identification for her, when he asked what she wanted her fake name to be she felt as if she'd been hit by a shovel to the gut. Knowing she'd have to go with something plain, her name had always been the one thing that had set her apart from everyone else. How many Alohanani Pi's could there possibly be out there and so far as she'd found so far it was just her. "Jane Parker.. I probably don't look like a Jane" she rubbed her eyes after the flash indicating her picture had been taken.

The Chief rushed her through a few more steps and then they were ready and waiting for Damien's return, Nani was back in the chair she'd been sitting in curled up and listening for the knocks on the door. She knew that it had not taken that terribly long but given the situation she was in right now, everything seemed to take hours on end. She was lost in her head when four knocks jolted her, she turned towards the door and so did the Chief, quickly after the four knocks came another and they both knew that he'd returned and things in Nani's life were about to change drastically.