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The Punisher: Marked For Death (Athene & East)


4th September, 2018
New York City, New York
Exact Location: Suki's House
23:09 PM EST

Since his introduction to Suki and telling her to light the candle on her window Frank had made her house a part of his nightly drive through the city. He hit up a number of places that had known connections to the Irish, scanning for trouble and tracking various routes. He found these drives to be a relaxing way to pass the night, he didn't always see anything, but it was a good way to get a map of the city out from his head and explore the road. Whatever the traffickers had done they had clearly done well to clear out their tracks. He sighed as he leaned back in his van.

When he turned his head towards Suki's window though he saw the faint glow of a candle, and sighed. His partner had found something, which was good because he had been getting driven up the wall with his lack of any solid findings on the street. He had a few names, but nothing concrete. He casually circled around the block, driving his van a few blocks past her home, so that he could get out and walk back. If anyone was monitoring her home he didn't want to give away the make and model of what he was driving.

Frank was wearing a joggers outfit. Shorts, and a hoodie, and he made sure to make it look like he was just a jogger walking through the residential neighborhood. Acting like he belonged here. When he got to Suki's place he quickly knocked on the door three times, and stepped back so that she could get a clear view of who it was through the peep hole of the door.

When Suki opened the door he looked her over seeing the bruising and the head wound she had sustained. He took one look at her, and nodded. "I have a first aid kit in my van." He said softly before leaving and retrieving the box coming back a few minutes later with the box. Once he took off his shoes and walked inside he let her guide her to wherever she was comfortable and opened up the first aid kit.

Frank's first aid kit was used to patch himself up mostly, it had just about everything for any situation, soeing needles for stitching, and a lighter for cleansing the needle before use. He had bandages ice packs, one of which he immediately passed to Suki for the bruising along her throat where she had been strangled. "What happened?" He asked as he started too look her over, and treat all of the injuries she had.
 


5th September, 2018
New York City, New York
Exact Location: Suki's House
12:01 AM EST

Even though anyone could have argued the true purpose of her civilian outfit, it really was best. The lack of sleeves ensured she wouldn't move her wrist against the fabric and further irritate her sprain. The midriff would help explain what had happened. Normally, Suki could come up with the right words to use. But tonight?

She had no idea if that would be doable.

At the end of the night, she was calling Frank over because ... well .... they had agreed on this arrangement. It would do her no good to start going back on her word.

After walking out, she stayed beside the candle .... and finally blew the damn thing out after two hours had passed. From what she could tell, he either hadn't seen it, he was in his own crazy mess, or something else arose.

A frustrated groan would pass her lips as she fell asleep a bit after the 21:00 hour rolled around.

.... And very quickly sat up as the three knocks caught her ears. Even though the sounds had been softer than usual, poor Suki was so on edge, it was easy to think she may be full-fledged paranoid. Not completely ... not yet. But she was definitely much more alert than any person should be. Particularly at such an ungodly hour, barely after midnight according to the clock she snuck a peek at while moving to the front door.

A sigh of relief passed as she found Frank outside and unlocked the door.

If the bruises didn't scream that something wrong had happened, her left arm looking rather limp beside her would probably be another giveaway. Bruises had formed all over her upper body. Naturally, it was worse on her left wrist, but even her right hand had taken a beating. Though she'd kept her forehead from being busted open, it had its own out-of-place bruise, as did her abdomen.

"You umm ... you haven't been waiting long, have you?"

Suki weakly nodded her head, glad to hear he had his own kit.

"Thanks. That um ... that's appreciated."

She stayed near the front door, locking it after Castle walked inside and guided him back to the living room. Along the way, she grabbed the file, setting it down atop the table in front of the couch.

"All of the teams as well as who got arrested and even the women who got saved are in there."

And then .... the inevitable question in the form of what happened to Suki arrived. Her head bowed as she weakly chuckled.

"I'd love to say this has just been a shitty week, but .... " Her head shook. "It's worse than that."

Suki's body visibly tensed as Frank reached out to touch her. She even held her right index finger up ... lowering it only when she felt fine for him to proceed and help her out.

"Well ... I guess this would be the 'sending a message' phase of the Italians plan. Which ... wouldn't have been half as painful. Except ... "

It was here that her voice betrayed her emotions and began to quake.

"I don't know whom yet, but someone from the force gave me the warning. So ... "

Her eyes closed as Suki forced her right hand to keep the ice pack held firmly but carefully against her throat.

"I guess ... even work isn't safe anymore. But I can't just .... fuck. Quitting would give them exactly what they wanted. Yet, with this new knowledge ... is there even a point to telling Holland or anyone?"

Tears stung her eyes; not falling, but definitely forming.

"I don't know," Suki weakly answered. "Even in fucking Iraq, I never felt this terrified. Right now? I'm legitimately scared. Only one other person knows - my partner. But I insisted I just needed to get away and would fill them in later on what all happened. I don't know about doing that though. I feel so lost."
 

The big thing that frank had to work on fixing was her wrist creating a splint and wrapping it so that Suki's sprain didn't end up getting worse over time. He worked with her though understanding that a victim needed to set their own pace at least when the injuries were non life threatening. He listened to her, and could tell that she was deeply shaken by what had happened to her, and when she told him that she had been attacked by another officer he sighed. Of course the mafia would have boys in blue working for them.

He groaned for a moment frustrated he hadn't seen that coming. First it was the CIA now even the cops were crooked. What the fuck was it about people in power that immediately made them want to abuse it.

"Do you have any holliday time saved up?" Frank said, knowing that taking a break and calling it in over the phone would be easier than going in the next day for her.

The thing that burned him was that she was supposed to have the safer job of the two of them and this had happened to her at her own job. If that wasn't safe they could at least assume that the mafia now knew who Suki was. Once her hand was set and she was icing the other wounds frank leaned back in his seat. Thinking things over for a long moment.

"Lets go, pack up what you need to survive, and I'll take you back to my place. They know where you are living, and staying here is just going to make you feel unsafe. No one knows who I am in all of this, so they have no reason to look into me or who I am." He looked around. "We will leave the lights on, make it look like someone is still living here. I can come by tomorrow set up a camera to see if anyone breaks in here."

He could also rig her house to explode, but she had said that she had wanted to own this place in a few years, and so that may have been over kill.

"I'm sorry." he looked at Suki, genuinly sorry that this had happened to her. "I thought that you would be less of a target that they would have seen it as you doing your job. But something about this isn't right."

"We will work together to figure that out."
 

Suki quickly nodded when Frank asked his first inquiry.

"A shit ton of it. That's the easy part. It's .... do I go to a hotel come morning? I ... didn't really have a back-up plan. Stupid, I know. Probably should have come up with one sooner."

"But really, who expects something like this to actually happen to them?"

Hell, what were the odds? Not quite one in a million, but rare for sure. This literally could have been anyone else in her shoes. Yet, somehow, it had been specifically Suki that got targeted for this crap. And not just tonight, but the mishap at the docks.

It made her right hand turn into a fist, clenching tightly onto the ice pack, anger mingling in with the already lingering shame Suki had been feeling.

"W-Wait, what?!"

The offer definitely helped snap Suki out of her 'woe is me' mindset as she stared in disbelief. "I-I mean .... I'm grateful for that. Really, I am. But .... the second I start going back .... what happens if they see me leave your place? Then you will get more involved, and .... "

Suki took her turn to elicit a frustrated, defeated sigh as her back fell against the couch. She stared up at the ceiling ... and lowered her chin so it held the ice pack in her stead. With her right hand free, she clasped onto her dog tags, keeping them held tightly whilst simultaneously inhaling and exhaling to calm herself. Odd that symbols such as dog tags - items obtained from war - aided in calming her the best. But it was why they were one of the few things Suki consistently wore every day.

"I guess you're right," Suki gently replied, "Your place probably is the best. I .... thank you."

Light blue eyes slowly came back into view as she looked back over to Frank.

"I really wasn't trying to sound ungrateful. I just ... feel like I should be able to deal with this crap. I somehow got into it. I should be able to get outta it, but .... tonight's proven even if I can, that isn't really gonna happen for a long while."

As Suki stood up, her back popped a few times, making her wince. " ... There's probably a few bruises there, huh? Fucker used a bat. I ... shouldn't be too long."

The only reason it even took a bit over ten - thirteen to be exact - was because Suki packed a few weeks' worth of clothing. He hadn't specified how long this new living arrangement would be, so she decided it'd be better to assume the right answer would be more than a week. The only other things in her dufflebag were her cell phone, car keys, and certain feminine items. Everything else - shampoo and conditioner - she could likely borrow at Frank's place.

"You mind getting the files? I'm trying to keep some pressure off my left side."

Once Frank was ready and had his own things - namely the kit - Suki would walk outside with him. Only after they both exited via the front door would Suki re-lock it once again.

Just like she wouldn't allow anyone to easily get to her car and steal it, the same applied to anyone breaking in her place.

Suki would wait for the headlights to flash and beeps to resound from the van, signaling it was unlocked. When the tell-tale cues arrived, Suki would put her bag in the back, then proceed to get in the passenger's seat. While buckling herself in, she stared out the window ... gazing at her house. What she'd wanted to be that, anyway.

In the span of two - four, technically - days, so much had changed. It honestly was a bit heart breaking she had to feel like she was doing something as cowardly as hiding.

But with how things were going?

Suki had no other choice; none that appealed to her, anyway.
 
"Everyone needs help." Frank said nodding, it wasn't about her not being able to deal with the crap hand they had been dealt, it was that the people they were up against were stronger than either one of them combined. He never had a partner before not for his whole Punisher thing, he only had one bullet proof vest but he had enough guns for two people. Would she even want to go down that road? It was a rather dark one, and not one he recommended to anyone. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

Frank put the files in the glove compartment of his solid black van. The back of which had the seats taken out of it. Allowing for more space. There was a metal grid with a gate separating the driving area from the back of the van with enough room for their stuff, the back of the van though was mostly empty, carpeted, with an area to keep someone locked up hand cuffed to rails that had been installed on the side. There were some stains on the carpet of the van, dark brown stains.

If she hadn't known what frank did, she could have assumed that this was some sort of torture mobile, because she knew what frank did she would know this was some sort of torture mobile.

Driving along the roads he was more than fine taking Suki back to his place. "I can help you, I was special forces, when your wrist heals, I could help teach you a few things." Frank offered.

Driving into the parking lot of his apartment building. He got out of the van and helped Suki down from her seat. His building was a pretty shitty place all things considered. He wondered for a moment if he should have gotten them both a motel, as he was welcoming her into a ramshackle home, one bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom. The lighting all worked, but it was small cramped, and the building probably had a bug problem. Not the camera kind, no there were actual bugs.

"Sorry Maybe I should have gotten us both a hotel." He said locking the door behind them as they entered, he had two different chains on his door, the apartment was cramped, but livable. "You want a drink?"

He supposed that could have sounded like he was offering alcohol but as he opened his fridge he pulled out a jug of apple juice. "I have some cold pizza here if you want it." He looked around. "I don't normally have guests, so for tonight you can take the bed, and I will sleep on the sofa."
 

There were definitely a few moments where Suki quickly had second thoughts. The mere appearance of the van could have easily made anyone - cop or not - fear the interior of Frank's van would be the last thing they may ever see. And ... the concerns were very much valid. The main thing keeping her from freaking out were the past face-to-face talks they'd had. If he really wanted his actions to match the implications this vehicle had?

Well ... he'd passed up a lot of chances.

And if Suki was being completely honest with herself?

It wasn't a fluke. He hadn't acted violently against her because she was more with him than against him. She didn't fit under the types of people he typically killed.

"That ... would be appreciated."

Though her eyes remained locked onto her house until it disappeared from view, a small smile could be seen even as Frank began to drive away.

That too, she reassured herself, nodding slowly to help keep herself calm. And it was true. If he wanted to kill her, one of the very last things he'd do is offer to help her out.

"You know? I would have thought remaining in the Army would have been more challenging. Especially on the mind, if not that plus one's body. But now ... with all that just happened? It almost feels like the opposite is starting to seem like the truth. Loyalty .... "

Her head slowly shook.

"It's ... one of those things that just should be a given, particularly in the certain places. One's the military, one's law enforcement. Yet, I've gotten a hint that I may not be able to trust all my co-workers. And that's .... "

Suki paused briefly, trying to find a good way to finish the sentence. But when she failed to find a more civil reply, she just used the brutally sincere option instead.

"Just fucked up. To a degree I can't explain, comprehend, and barely believe."

Even more so when, before tonight, Suki had never had issues following all of the rules and protocol. But now? Did they even mean anything anymore? For the first time in her life - let alone her career - she had no idea. For the rest of the drive, Suki tried to figure out the answer to her own rhetorical musing. Unfortunately, it was an easier said than done task. There was a good chance she wouldn't be able to conjure a definite answer for a week, or really close to it.

"Thanks," she muttered, accepting Frank's hand as the van came to a halt and she slid out after unbuckling herself. Just like before, she'd grab her dufflebag and walk inside.

... At first, she understood what Frank had meant about questioning if this had been a good idea or not. But then ... a different quip came to her head, one that caused her to shake her head whilst wearing a smirk.

"Nah. You made the right move. You clearly need a woman's touch with this place. Not as badly as other guys I've seen, mind you, but enough. Either way, since I'm probably gonna be stuck doing really mundane tasks, may as well make the best of my vacation."

There was no logical way Holland could refuse. Not when she called and filled him in on the details, anyway. And if he tried to? Well .. that would confirm at least one thing; her assailant from the parking garage wasn't the only dirty cop. Mind you, even now, she was already assuming that. But right at that moment, there was at least a chance Suki could be proven wrong.

Certain actions and responses would help prove her fear was indeed correct.

"And it seems fair enough. If I'm gonna stay here, I may as well help out somehow."

Allowing the bag to slide off her shoulder and be placed near the front door, Suki followed Frank into the kitchen. "Pizza's great. I can warm it up real fast." Her right hand quickly wove dismissively through the air. "I'm not overly used to guests myself. A drink would be great. If that bastard hadn't killed me, the shift would have. Twelve hours, ugh."

Even though she definitely didn't expect to see apple juice of all things, Suki didn't react negatively. If anything, she had to stifle a giggle.

"Sorry, sorry. It's by no means the worst thing I've seen. But it's ... an interesting choice to say the least. Given your history and personality, I wouldn't have thought you to enjoy juice at all. I'm famished and not really picky. Definitely not when I haven't had anything to eat in hours."
 
Frank grabbed some cups, and started to to turn on the oven so that he could reheat the food they would be eating. Pouring the apple juice he saw Suki chuckle. "Sorry I haven't had any alcohol in a long time. I found pretty early on during my one man war, that things like alcohol and pain killers dull the senses they let you make mistakes." He looked at the mug now full of cold juice passing it to Suki. "Plus this stuff is generally cheaper."

He didn't want to say that it reminded him of a time when he was a simple family man. It messed with his perception of himself, as he did miss his old family, but he also didn't keep many traces of them from the old home. Only real thing he had left was a single picture of the three of them, one he kept on his person at all times.

"Military life was easy for me. I never had a problem with pulling the trigger but coming back all I wanted was a boring life. I wanted a desk job somewhere I could spend my time with... My family." He shook his head. "Instead I ended up bringing the war home with me." He shook his head.

Looking back on the various soldiers who had betrayed him over time. "It never feels good when an ally stabs you in the back, and that's why I tend to be selective of the people I work with. It's why I don't trust the costumed folks, they can't even keep their issues from going international." He rolled his eyes referring to an incident with the powered folk in some international airport fight.

"So if we are working together now, and you want to catch this guy, are you comfortable that we are playing by my book?" It was the veritable elephant in the room that he would not hold back if he had to kill a criminal. It wasn't in his nature to let a guilty man walk free so that he could do more harm in this world. "I'm happy to have someone along provided they can take care of themselves, but I also don't want someone by my side if they are gonna get cold feet when a body hits the ground. I saw you when I took down the smugglers that night, you didn't flintch when the sniper shot rang out, I know you have a strong stomach. The issue is if you are actually willing to put it to use."

"I'll let you sleep on that question if you need the time to think about it, before you were just feeding me information you could be held at arms length if I ever got caught, from this point out though it's gonna be different."
 

Suki shrugged as Frank tried to explain his logic behind choosing apple juice over liquor. "I try not to judge, first and foremost. I prefer to let the actual ones in the courthouse do just that. But just as importantly? This is your place. I came here expecting to follow any rules you may or may not enforce here, like how you did with my own home. Plus .... yeah, you're right. Alcohol usually does screw over a person's judgement capabilities, among other things. But ... still, if I ever had to consider indulging in any, tonight would be the night. If only because I don't have to worry about working in the morning."

Regardless, she didn't push her juice away. If anything, she pulled it closer and took a sip, eliciting a sigh of relief. Suki hadn't noticed it before now, but apparently her throat had been really dry. Likely from how long it had been since she'd eaten or drank anything before now.

A sympathetic smile crossed her face as Frank dropped a hint on how his own military experience had gone.

"I ... lost someone also, though it was a lot easier for me. It was another soldier. We knew perfectly well what we signed up for, after all."

Suki stopped, taking a moment to go over her reply. This was one of those times where words had to be chosen very, very carefully. As a fellow veteran herself, she knew some wounds didn't heal nearly as quickly as her own loss. The tone alone implied Frank had suffered far worse than her. Hell, what she endured was probably child's play if she could do an actual compare and contrast sorta thing.

"I'm not gonna say 'I'm sorry'; not because I'm a bitch, but you've probably heard that far too many times. Plus, words alone can only do so much. However ... if you wanna vent ever, feel free to. I may not know perfectly what you've been through, but I'm not completely clueless."

As Suki took another sip, a trace of a grimace could be seen as Frank got to what was likely the real point of bringing Suki here. Oddly, his conditions were very fair. In fact, her main concern wasn't even if she could pull the trigger again or not. Rather ....

"My main .... hesitation, if we wanna call it that, isn't if I can kill again. That's actually the easiest part. I .... don't normally like going against all the rules and protocol I've been taught. Yet ... "

Her frown became more obvious as Suki lowered her glass, letting out a frustrated sigh as she rain her fingers through her hair.

"Considering how tonight went? I doubt I have much of a choice if I wanna keep breathing. Kinda frustrating in some regards, but .... "

Suki shook her head from side to side a few times.

"I'm expecting there to be much more than just one lone, dirty cop. Until I know who I can even truly trust among my colleagues, it's the best thing to do. So ... "

Suki took another breath, slowly nodding as she continued speaking, "Yeah. I'll do everything I need to."

"Now I need to avoid getting screwed over like I did at the docks as well as tonight."

Hopefully, though, the fact she'd kept her thoughts to herself rather than uttering them aloud would help keep her from jinxing herself. Her head turned, staring at the dossier.

"Since we've all but made this partnership official, you got a laptop or computer at all? Because ... the next best way for me to assist you is by looking deeper into those names. Seeing if any dots connect, so to speak. I've never really needed one for myself, so I don't have one in my dufflebag."
 
Suki explained that her main hesitation was that she didn't like going against the rules, but in the end she was kind of dealt a hand where they weren't able to follow a rule book. Not if they both wanted to keep alive and get results that actually dealt with their new found problem then they needed to work outside the law. Hopefully at the end of it the city wouldn't be so damaged that there was no police force and Suki could in tern go back to her job at the end of this. While Frank was fine with staying out of the public view he knew his life was not glamorous or even comfortable.

She also explained her encounter with loss, and told him that if he needed to talk about it he could. Frank nodded, but doubted that he would be able to open up like that. "I've tried the therapy circle, it's not really my scene. A friend of mine hosts a veterans get together every week, I could give you his number if you wanted to do that."

For now though it seemed they were on the same page, if they wanted to stay alive they would be forced to move quickly and hit hard. Frank got to the kitchen and started to get the pizza warmed up from the fridge. As Suki asked if he had a laptop she could use. He pointed her towards the living room. "It's on the table, It's tied into my neighbor's wifi and uses a VPN, so it's not easily traced back to me."

She wouldn't find anything embarrassing on the laptop, his browsing skills were not all that great so he barely used the thing. Frank was more analog, but he did know how to access things like the national archive to get up blue prints of buildings, and his home page was the daily bugles online web page for new york news.

"Truth is I'm not very good at the orginization part of the job. I was a soldier not a detective, I've learned a lot but the digital age isn't that easy for me. I can fly a drone or drive a car, those skills are pretty easy to pick up, but finding someone on the internet or doing a deep dive into cyber crime isn't my field." It was annoying because in todays information age the majority of crime was committed digitally a battle field that frank had little to no way to keep track of. "So if you know how to use that thing, go at it."
 

Suki's head would start to move, but then stopped.

"Hmm. I'll think on it, just in case. I've actually handled my post-war days much better than most others I've met and seen. A small handful I even keep in touch with. But umm ... I had PTSD long before putting my life on the line for this country. And it definitely wasn't from guns or killing people. But I'll certainly keep it in mind. Back-up plans are something I need to work on, apparently."

The last word was murmured in a very soft, barely audible voice. Had Frank been upstairs or in another room altogether, even he may miss hearing it. But with him being in earshot, he'd not only catch it, but realize she was still beating herself up. Proverbially, but nonetheless.

"I hope you don't mind if I bring this along? I won't knock it over or anything. Promise."

Suki would lift the still filled cup of apple juice up, grasping it firmly in her right hand as she stood up. She grabbed the files on her way to the living room and, sure enough, found the laptop easily enough. After setting her drink carefully down - either on a coaster or a substitute of sorts - Suki would check on what Frank did have. An internet browser, Microsoft Word, and even the downgraded Wordpad application.

Good. That was all she really would need.

The file would be set beside her left arm and promptly opened. While Microsoft Word loaded up, she began scanning the long list of names, trying to figure how to go about separating what would inevitably be a huge list.

In the end, she opted to list the cops that had been involved in rescuing the kidnapped women, whom they were partnered with, and where in New York City they had been sent to investigate. After that was done - which wouldn't be for a good ten or so minutes, especially now that Suki had one hand that functioned without any agony irritating her - she'd list the names of the women.

When Frank walked in next, he'd see that she was typing relatively well - and quick - despite her injury. Definitely not as fast as she could be doing, but for having a wound of any kind? One could certainly label it as swift.

"I understand. I'd probably be just as out of the tech-heavy loop myself. But I do have to sometimes use desktops or laptops at work. Not often, but enough I know what I'm doing right now."

Remembering he'd agreed to sleep on the same couch she was sitting on, Suki looked quickly back up at her host.

"You even tired at all? Because ... this can wait, if needed. I was earlier, but ... heh. Adrenaline's still going through me. I'm not likely gonna fall asleep until three to four, if I had to guess."

Which, according to the clock in the lower right corner of the laptop, was three to four hours later. It'd be one of those really long and annoying evenings, apparently.
 

"actually at this hour I'm usually still running my patrol." Frank said in regards to being tired. For some reason it was always easier to commit crimes during the night rather than the daylight hours. He usually slept from 5am to 1pm, which gave him his usual 8 hours of sleep needed to run the rest of his day. It was an awkward sleeping schedual for most people sure, but it worked wonders for everything he was doing.

Today though he had forgiven the later half of his hours, because of the need to tend to Suki. He was content to go off her need for rest. When the food was warmed he brought the left over pizza slices to the table and sat on the sofa next to her, watching her as she worked on the computer. Not because he thought she would do something evil but rather he was curious about how the technology worked.

He saw how she was breaking down the various locations by heist and the cops assigned to them, and he immediately noticed something odd about the list. Most sting operations called for a lot of officers. "You said you had back up right?"

He pointed to the section that was her heist. Only two cops had been assigned to the pier that night. Her and her partner. Her back up had been pulled away. Frank took the notes for a moment scanning over them and reading the official reason for why the back up had been called off. According to the notes there was a robbery closer by on the other side of the view, and the cops who had been assigned to support her, had broken formation in order to check on it.

The only problem was. "The place they were supposed to be checking out, was in my line of sight from my riffle. I had been scoping out the site for hours, there was no other break in. They abandoned you."

He looked at her for a moment it was more than a little suspicious. "I think we can bet that the cop that attacked you was on the team that was supposed to support you. Do you know any of the names? any of their voices sound familiar or heights that fit the bill?" Frank asked trying to crack down the information a little further. It was something to go off, and if they find the dirty cop who attacked Suki, than they had leads for how high up this would go.
 

Almost as soon as the pizza was put down, Suki reached over and quickly took a piece. Normally, huge amounts of stress or border panic attacks would make Suki forget her appetite - such as the attack in the parking lot. But a combination of adrenaline still surging through her and the fact she'd finished a twelve hour shift with eating next to nothing had kept her desire to eat stronger than usual. It was a bit reluctant, but she ceased typing. Some people could type well enough with one hand. Suki wasn't one of those kinds of people.

She leaned back in the sofa, allowing Frank to see what had been worked on thus far. She'd finished getting sections split up respectively. The first half would be much more complicated. Primarily due to the table Suki had included.


Cop Team Members

Designated Location

Successful Rescues? (Yes/No?)

Kimura, Suki + Booker, Jonathan

Piers

Yes



















Below that were simply the names of the women who had been rescued. Beside their names, Suki would note where they had been rescued and even their age. But otherwise, it was a lot simpler compared to the portion with the cops.

"Yeah. No one was sent out alone. We were all in --- "

But as she turned and looked at what Frank was pointing at, then proceeded to hear his words, she felt her heart sink. The worst part about his logic is it made sense ... mostly.

"My main problem is that doesn't match up with his last words before his ear piece seemed to go out. He said nothing about a robbery. If anything, it sounded like he was trying to warn me."

Her teeth briefly latched onto her lower lip.

"I ... get where your thinking kicks in. But the attacker literally could have been anyone that was sent out that night. Or even someone who wasn't. I did see a few key details and he was dumb enough to speak. I ... probably could identify them in a line-up. But I'm not expecting one to happen anytime -- "

This time, Suki stopped because her phone rang, the sound slightly muffled because it was in her dufflebag. She stood up - a bit too quickly - and hit her leg against the table. "Goddamnit!" she hissed, limping slightly as she forced herself to move. Her head would tilt as she saw the number; that was one she hadn't expected to see until a few more hours. Suki would look back over to Frank and simply mouth the word Boss before clicking down on the green phone icon.

"Hello?"

"Kimura! Why the hell didn't you call me after the accident! Booker told me what he knew!"

Of course he did, Suki thought, rolling her eyes as she slowly walked back to the couch, taking note of her legs feeling very ready to give in at a moment's notice. "Because," she answered calmly, "It became clear that would have to wait. There were other things I had to do first and foremost."

"You're not really still at your own place, are you?"

"No. I decided not to stay home."

"Good. I'm not gonna ask where you are. I know enough to understand why that'd be stupid. So ... do you even know who did this?"

Suki went silent, partly to try to remember. And then, she was analyzing the voice and comparing it with the one she'd heard. No ... definitely not his. But that didn't mean he was safe, either.

"Not really, no. But I can say they were really bold and stupid enough to attack me while still in uniform so ... it was one of us."

" .... Shit. This was in the parking garage, right?"

"Yeah. But if whoever is half as smart as me, the footage won't be there by the time you fix it. It'll be hacked or erased altogether. The next best definite details I can offer are brown eyes and a Caucasian. So ... half the NYPD, give or take. The only ones I can say 'definitely no' to are yourself and Booker. I'd know Booker's voice anywhere with how often we go on missions together."

"Kimura, that's gotta be the stupidest line I've heard from you yet. I'm your damn boss."

"And that makes you all the more dangerous, does that not? You make the end shots. Look ... believe me when I say I'm not overly fond of what I'm about to say, but it really does seem to be the only thing that makes any sense at all. There are some cops working with the mob, and .... I can only surmise we did something to cause them to act. Likely finding and saving all of those women a few days ago."

"That was their trigger?"

"Apparently. They could have acted out at any given time. But they retaliated after the evening of September second. It's not too far-fetched to say those women played a key role somehow. I'd talk with anyone who's been speaking to those we've rescued moreso when doable. See if there's some sorta pattern that can be found or something."

"Will do. Fine. So, what are you gonna do?"

"Well ... I'd say this is the most perfect time to cash some of my vacation days in. You have been pestering me to use them, anyway."

"I suppose so. How long?"

"Week minimum .... two at most. All things considered, they did a shitty job of beating me, but they did get my wrist sprained. I'm not gonna be able to do much, even if assigned to just my desk."

A sigh was heard on the other line before Holland resumed speaking, "Alright ... I'll just give you the whole two. That way, you should be able to come back fine. I'm gonna mail you a report to --- "

"Sorry sir, but I don't know if mailing would be smart. I'm not likely gonna be there during this whole vacation. I'll email you one, though."

"Fair. Probably would be more discreet. Okay. Keep in touch, Kimura."

She couldn't pinpoint why, but Suki could detect that talk had felt ... off. Somehow, it had been wrong. She tried to think a bit more on why ... but failed to pinpoint the exact reasoning. Her head shook in annoyance as she grabbed her half-finished piece of pizza and took another bite.

"Anyway, names and shit? Yeah. Of course I know them. That's partly what the file's for; to remind me in case I forgot. Most of the force, though, I do remember well enough. This .... is gonna be a long night."
 
Hearing the conversation was odd. Why did her boss want to mail her a package. Snail mail was not exactly the most secure way to send anything, not to mention it was slow, even in the same city it would take weeks or days. He wondered if the reasoning behind it was to try and find an address that something could be sent too. As if trying to figure out where she was. That said this was also her boss, he didn't know the man and so he was more or less immediately suspicious of everything that happened after her attack.

It seemed that Suki had the same kind of idea as she silently shook her head after the phone call. He was glad that she didn't give away his address, though he knew she wouldn't. He took a slice of pizza, and regarded her work as she continued. It was all odd, and there were a few cops on the scheduel that the two of them would have a chance to follow up on.

~~~~
8th September, 2018
New York City, New York
Exact Location: Lieberman House
300pm EST

Giving Suki a day or two to rest her hand so that it was better healed, Frank had taken the list and had followed up on the various locations but he couldn't get much more physical evidence and he wasn't exactly a tech expert to get any of the grounded footage. The fact was he needed help, and the only person he really trusted was at this address, blissfully unaware that Frank had survived his various encounters as well.

He turned to Suki as the van parked outside of Lieberman's house. He hadn't told her where the two of them were going, just that he had someone who could do him a favor. "This guy's an old friend, he's not monitored or anything." He remembered David was far too paranoid to be monitored by anyone, not after the risk he had put his family too last time he had been caught up in Franks life

Getting out of the van and walking too the door, he had made sure that only David was home, walking to the door he did a military gesture for Suki to go around to the back door. He knew David, the man was going to run the moment he saw who was at his door. Knocking on the door. Frank listened for a moment as there were foot steps towards the door, a checking of the peephole, and then rapid foot steps away from the door, running to the next logical exit.
 

Suki certainly had raised eyebrows on how the talk with her boss had went. Absolutely. She just .. wasn't ready to even consider accepting that he was in on this. It really was a heart-breaking thought. She'd sacrificed herself in this country's military and now law enforcement field ... only to get betrayed? Even if it wasn't by everybody, the implication it could end up being a very harsh reality hit Suki hard.

By the time she did get a point she was exhausted and ready to take a break from typing, a bit over half of the names had been copied and pasted onto the word pad.

All of the frustrations from earlier that day plus fatigue allowed Suki to rather swiftly cry herself to sleep. The sobs, though muffled courtesy of the pillows, were very likely still heard anyway despite her efforts to hide her emotions. Hands down, tonight had been one of the worst days of her life, particularly as a cop.

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8th September, 2018
New York City, New York
Exact Location: Lieberman House
15: 00 PM EST

"So .... what are we doing, exactly?"

Although the days off - mostly, anyway - had been appreciated, Suki had also been getting a tad restless. The vacation had been practically mandatory, which made the talk she had with Holland that much more annoying. It didn't help that she knew even if she hadn't made the request, he would have done so for her.

Unfortunately, the most she was able to do was complete the lists for Frank.

And while it was a decent enough start, it wasn't much to go off of, least of all for a lead with ... anything. Her assault, why the women seemed so essential to the Italian mafia, nothing. Something would have to give in order for them to have even a half-decent idea on where to start making progress, let alone how to go about handling any information they obtained.

"So ... a friend you said?"

Yet from the way he walked up to the door to signaling her to move to the back, this already sent Suki a lot of mixed signals. He had said friend, right?

Could fool me, she thought, still nodding and hurrying over to the rear part of the house. She felt really odd about this, but ... Frank had yet to give her a reason to not trust him. So, no matter how odd this was looking or feeling, she'd comply.

And when the door opened, Suki quickly spoke to the figure. "Please wait! We came here because we need your help! Me especially ... please."

Maybe he had a soft spot for helping women out?

It'd definitely be more preferred than having to chase and pin him down.

Should words not work? Suki mentally prepared to tackle the poor guy. She wouldn't like it .... not really. But that was why it was just a tackle and nothing huge. She wouldn't use her fists - not unless this 'friend' threw a punch first. Then .... well .... it'd be a different story. Until she could be proven right or wrong on what would happen, though, Suki tried using the more damsel-esque approach. Not that she was truly any such kind of woman in the first place; but if making a white lie about it would help them out? She'd use that approach.
 
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David stumbled as he ran out the backside of his home, he wasn't even sure where he wanted to run too, but he had seen frank at his front door and the man was a plague of bad that just kept happining. He fell onto the ground as he heard a female voice ask him for help, and he turned towards the voice seeing a young woman. The we she spoke with meant she was with Frank. He looked at her, the fear and adraniline passing out of his sistem. "Do you have any idea who you are working with?"

Frank emerged from around the other side of the house, and David pointed at him. "You know who that is?"

"Yes David she knows who I am." Frank walked up to David, grabbing him and putting him back on his feet, but also at the same time cutting off any way the other man had to escape but inside the house.

"The last time I saw Frank Castle I was getting shot at by the CIA. My wife and kids were kidnapped, and lets not forget the two days of time I spent naked tied to a fucking chair!" David looked to Suki. "You are traveling with the single most dangerous man on the planet. If you were smart, you would get away from him, hang around Frank long enough and you will die."

"Good to see you to David." he grabbed the man by the shoulder and pushed him into the house, walking with Suki. "Listen David, I just need a small favor or two from you, and then I will be gone."

David looked at the two of them, and then groaned loudly. "What do you need?"
 

Suki would give her own affirmative nod to prove she did indeed understand whom she was partnering up with. "Me being 'smarter' isn't my issue at the moment. But umm ... I'm not relaying my problems out in the open. So, inside. Please."

The young Asian would be the last person to close the rear door. Even leaned against it as her own precaution. All while glancing towards David.

"On any other given day, I'd be doing what my job entails, which would actually mean arresting him for intervening with a prior mission I did almost a week ago. Sir, I'm a cop within the NYPD. But ... long story short, Frank has actually been the only person not to betray me so far. He's even helped me."

Her head moved from side to side, both in annoyance and disgust at the recent memories.

"We've gotten a bit of a lead regarding a personal, one-on-one attack that happened directly to me rather recently. And this ... is actually where you come in. If you've really had problems with dirty CIA, then this won't be any better if you don't help. But ... I really did come here strictly for help. I'm not even armed."

At this, Suki would raise both her arms beside her head, showing both her badge and gun weren't on her. Granted, she was like Frank in many ways and, as such, didn't technically need either to be competent. But she wasn't going to tell this stranger every single detail. Not until she knew he'd help out.

"Apparently, you're good with technology. I'm .... not horrible, so to speak. But I can't fix security cameras up."

Suki took a few moments to pause, trying to find any words that could be used to strengthen her arguments. She slowly nodded, adding a few more sentences in as they came to her mind, "As someone working among the federal government, I want to apologize. Hopefully you got a more official and proper one from the CIA themselves, but in case they didn't? Consider it your overdue apology. I can only begin to guess what you went through, particularly if the agents were dirty like some of the cops are now. That being said, none of my co-workers or boss even know I'm cooperating with Frank."

Her teeth briefly but firmly latched onto her lower lip.

"And, yes, that information could be found out. But I intend to have a plan should that issue arise. For now, just .... allow me to help history from repeating. We may not be as high up the ranks as the CIA, but this can be as devastating. If you've really had an incident with dirty agents before, you probably have a decent enough idea on what can happen just from the NYPD alone. So .... please. We can do this slowly and discreetly. But I really, really do need help with the security camera footage. I'll even give more details on what exactly is going on. But only if you agree. Do we have a deal?"
 
David looked at Suki as the two people brought him back into the house. He did have a bit of a sweet spot for wanting to help people. He didn't really want to work alongside frank again, the man had put him and his family in danger, but that entire situation had originally been his own fault with the evidence he had found in the first place. He groaned after listening to the story that was given to him. Corruption in the NYPD, was bad. Of course Frank would be one of the people to uncover whatever it was that going on.

"Okay I'll help." David sat back in his chair, his eyes looking up at the cieling for a moment as he tried to think over his life. How did he get to this point where he was at the beck and call of a madman? He looked to Suki for a moment sympathy running across his features. He didn't know what she had done to deserve her new found company but if she was smart she would get away from frank the moment her business was concluded.

He turned towards his computer and stretched his body for a moment. "Okay what do you need me to find? There are over seventy security camera's in the main police head quarters so I need to know time frames, and areas to check over." Even with that information though there were a number of blind spots in that building that if someone wanted to use they could probably get around it.

Frank for his part was standing behind David as he worked. He didn't really understand how the man got into the video feeds, and explaining it probably would have taken the man longer than Frank had an attention span for, but once he saw the feeds on the computer monitor he slapped Micro on the back. "See it's a lot easier to just ask a person for help." He said with a small smile. "No paranoia, and no rope required this time. We get what we need to do our investigation and we get out of your hair."
 

A long exhale that Suki didn't realize she'd been holding back finally passed her lips as David agreed to help her out. She bowed her head quickly in appreciation, walking behind the two other guys and entering what was more or less the man's work space. "Thank you .... thank you."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she briefly thought. What did he need to look for? This was a good question, particularly since she didn't know all of the answers herself.

Suki took a few moments to pull her cell phone out, first pulling the calendar up.

"Look at the feed for the evening of September fourth. Should be a bit before seven at night."

As a new idea came to her mind, Suki hastily snapped her fingers.

"Actually ... this guy was dumb enough to come out in his own uniform. So maybe ... if you can find him before he entered the parking garage, perhaps? I was on the third floor, area E. So between six to seven at night, in and outside of that area? By the time he actually snuck up behind me, he was smart enough to use gloves as well as a ski mask and a goddamn bat, so ... any ability to see him before he put his lame disguise on would be incredibly helpful."

And at that, Suki turned around on her feet, the gesture alone all but spelling out she didn't really want to watch her attack again. Frank had been kept in the dark about the implied rape that she barely escaped. Knowing he was about to see that was bad enough.

Suffice to say, Suki did not want to have to view that once again.

.... Except .... she had to. She was the only one between the three people that got even a glimpse of her assailant and, unfortunately, this meant she would be the only person who could verify if the feed was the right one or not.

So, with a defeated sigh, she looked back towards the screens. Her arms crossed over her chest as she waited ... knowing the next few minutes would be painful yet helpful simultaneously. Finally, they would get a lead. With this, they would be able to make progress and better understand this damn case.

Assuming, of course, the correct footage was still able to be found.

It'd just be my shitty luck that they'd erase it, huh?

If the cameras failing to work had been a constant issue, though, then Suki was praying like mad no one had taken those kinds of measures. But .... only time would tell. All she knew is if she were the attacker, she'd try to get rid of the evidence. But then, she was smart. Given the guy had been foolish enough to walk and hit her while still in his uniform, it was a fair assumption to bet he wasn't half as intelligent as herself.
 
David listened to her request, and nodded taking in the information he needed, he turned towards the cameras, and started to go through them. "This could take a minute, there are a lot of cameras to go over." He said looking through the archived footage was easy enough, nowadays most security systems stored their information on the cloud so it was easier to view and recall certain areas. Searching the time code of a bit before seven was a bit harder to narrow down so his first step was to find the incident.

He found the footage of Suki entering the elivator from the fifth floor, following her down to the parking lot, which lead to the first blank spot. Unfortunitely the security cameras in the basement didn't fully cover section the full attack was not on video. As he couldn't actually see directly behind her car where she and her assaliant had been. "He wasn't in the elevator that you used, or the staircase along side it. His approach seemed to come from the other direction." He checked the footage of the other starwell and elevator in the building and nothing seemed to line up with the fight.

Frank tapped his foot for a moment. "Maybe he came in from the outside? is there a feed for where the cars leave from?"

David paused for a moment nodding, he checked the external cameras around the time code of the attack, and that was when he found something. A young blond officer outside the building he was carrying an equipment bag, the type one would get for going to the gym or a sports bag. "Oh... hello."

He followed the man as best he could, watching him load the bag into the back of his own car, before opening it, and pulling a baseball bat from the back.

"This is about fifteen minutes before your shift ended, he was already in the basement waiting for you at that point."

"Do you recognize him?" Frank asked looking at the blond, but at the same time it didn't matter. "P3X, T1Z." He said more under his breath than anything else, looking at the liscence plate of the car that he had loaded the bag into.

"Think you can run the plate?"

David, chewed on his thumb for a moment. "Yeah, might take me a bit though, the DMV has better security than the NYPD."
 

"Y-yeah. That's fine, just ... try. That's all we're asking, so you're already ten steps ahead of us."

Suki held her wrists behind her back, moving back and forth. Her eyes remained locked - somewhat begrudgingly, but still - onto the screen. It was going to be hard to re-watch that cursed scene. She'd already known that from the moment David gave a hint he had the capability to hack into cameras. But now that Suki was watching with her own eyes, she was beginning to tremble a bit. It was taking every ounce of will power to keep her from throwing her hands up and exiting the house, all while declaring 'Nope, never mind me! Done!'.

Sure, she wanted to. Some portion of her did, anyway.

But she wouldn't. Not even at the expense of her pride or risking looking more weak and incompetent than she may have at the pier.

"Z-Zoom up ... if you can ... "

Regardless of whether Lieberman could manage that or not, she leaned closer. Her shaking only strengthened as she gave a quick nod.

"Seth Sutherland. I .... "

She held her hand up and moved away. However, unlike her original instincts, she wasn't bailing like either of the men may have expected. Instead, she got out of earshot and pulled her phone out. A quick browsing through her contacts and pushing down on Booker's number resulted in her usual partner picking up mere seconds later.

"Suki! Hey, how are you? Boss hinted you'd be away for a bit."

That in itself made Suki's eyebrows narrow. There were certain policies that were supposed to be followed. One of which involved giving away the location and identity of other cops, particularly when they were forced out of action like she had been. While it was true he could have made that assumption due to finding her at the end of the incident, it was hearing that Holland mentioned she wouldn't be back anytime soon that made her on edge.

And if she could do so without seeming too weird, she'd hang up right then and there. Sadly, there had been something she remembered .... something that almost slipped her mind until Suki watched the footage.

"He's right. But if you don't mind, that's not why I called. You said Sutherland was arguing a lot before we went out to the pier, yeah?"

"Oh, Seth? Yeah."

"What about?"

"Now you're interested?" Booker tried to tease, implied by the chuckling. When he didn't hear Suki join him, he cleared his throat. "Okay, okay. I can read the mood. Hear it, rather. Yeah, he did. Specifically about wanting to take my spot and be your partner. He was really adamant on that. No idea why. Obviously, Holland said no because the change was too last minute."

That's not the only reason ...

Still, this was valuable in its own rights. If he was working with the mafia and had tried to find a way to get close to her ... it made a shiver trail down her spine.

"Seriously though, Suki, why? What's up?"

"Let's just say ... I'm pretty sure he was the reason you found me battered and bruised in the parking garage."

"What, him? Come on, Suki. He's one of our newest rookies. No way he could get to you."

"Not if I were in peak physical condition and not exhausted as all hell, no. Hence why the assailant arrived with a bat. And waited for me to have a really, really long day. Twelve hours long, in fact. Still gonna argue with me on this?"

" .... Okay, but how are you certain it's him?"

" ... I've been ... I suppose to put it nicely haunted in my sleep by that evening. Little by little, that flashback has been getting more vivid. Including details I didn't pay much notice to, like the hair color."

"Jesus, Suki. That's fucked up."

"The fact it was a cop at all is fucked up."

A defeated sigh echoed over the phone as Booker murmured, "Fair enough. Take care, okay, Kimura?"

"I'll try."

"So what are you gonna do about this, by the way?"

That was her cue to hang up and shut her phone off. The give-and-take exchange had been very helpful. But Suki wasn't stupid. She heard and noticed a few times that she put herself at risk for revealing her own set of sensitive information. Like the real reason she felt so certain Sutherland was her assailant. This was another time the Army and her time there came in handy. Any other person could have cracked and said the wrong words.

Not to say Suki enjoyed lying.

But she'd already seen for herself at least one cop was rogue. Now, there was a good chance it was a decent chunk of the NYPD, including both Holland and Jonathan. The thought pained her ... but she couldn't shut her eyes. Literally or figuratively. The truth was all but in front of her and even if she didn't like what her blue orbs were seeing, Kimura knew she at least had to accept it.

"So," she slowly began to dictate upon rejoining the two, "That umm ... yeah. That should come up under a Seth Sutherland when you get the plates."

Her head slowly moved from side to side.

"I noticed. It wasn't like I didn't see or take heed of the few times he'd stared at me, but I ... didn't think he'd .... "

She couldn't get the words out. Then again, when the footage got to the right parts she was about to bring up, no words would be needed. All Frank or David would need to do was watch to fill the blanks in pretty well. Disgusted as she was to re-watch that section of the footage, Suki refused to avert her gaze. But she certainly did clench her fists tightly; enough to almost draw blood from her own palms.

Definitely hard enough to make her knuckles turn a bright white hue, though.

"That's so fucking sad, but ... you're right. Slowly but surely, we're decreasing in how much security we really have around NYPD headquarters. Sad to even consider admitting the goddamn DMV is doing better than the job I should be able to do."

Her head shook from side to side again, a disdainful scoff passing her lips.

Fuck my life some days ... Suki thought, shaking as she crossed her arms over her chest.
 
Frank watched Suki for her reactions, as she said the name he assumed this was because she knew the man they were watching. He looked at her, a soft caring coming across his features for a moment as he did. He didn't like what had happened to her, and wanted to try and help her. However as she went to grab her phone this time it was his own nuckles that clenched along with his jaw. Some part of him really wanted to break her phone, or at least tell her that was a bad idea, but she was seeking out her own answers to this problem. Still the glare he gave her would tell her that he disapproved of her contacting anyone outside of the room with extra information.

He could figure out from the context of her side of the conversation that she was talking to her partner. Frank didn't think the best in people anymore, though she may have trusted her partner enough to give Seth's name he wouldn't have done that. It had been her partner that had found her beaten after the attack, it was reasonable to think that it was because their shift ended at the same moment in time. As david worked on finding the plate numbers through the DMV, Frank looked over the screens for a moment.

Frank tried to be quiet with his next question. "Can we find out what her partner was up too? the guy who came to see her after the fact, where was he before the attack?" He didn't think he would get to fully avoid the conversation with Suki, David for his part rolled his eyes viewing it as Frank Castle being Frank fucking Castle, the paranoid nut job.

Pulling up video of the guy after his and Suki's shared shift had ended the man had gone to the male locker room where there had been no cameras, and came back out wearing his civilian clothing, he answered a phone call, walking down the stairs towards the parking garage.

Completely normal activities for a police officer after his shift change.

Frank wasn't really satisfied, but the evidence in front of him didn't have anything wrong with it.

a moment after that, there was a ping from the computer, frank pulling up the file he had been trying to get. "Close, actually it seems the car is actually registered under Anna Sutherland, it seems Seth has a wife to whom the car is registered too." He leans back in the chair as he turned towards the two vigilantes.

"If that's everything than you are now free to get out of my house before my family gets home." David said looking at the two of them. "For what it's worth Suki... I'm sorry, both for what happened to you, and that you have to work with a nutcase like frank. Take care of yourself. People don't tend to last long when they are around Castle."
 

Suki would give her own irritated look back at Frank, not backing down from her decision to make the call.

I appreciate the concern, but I'm not a child. I can do shit on my own.

There was a more specific addition to her thoughts, really, but those could wait.

A weak smile appeared on her face as she gave David a small nod. "Well ... considering what we found, I'm gonna apologize in advance now. I don't think this'll be the last time I'll need your help. Hopefully, though, we won't have to return for a few weeks, if not longer. I'm not typically a gambling woman, but I'm pretty sure Seth isn't the first or last cop that's gonna pull that sorta shit on me. And as for Frank?"

Suki looked up over to her new 'partner' of sorts before glancing back over at Lieberman.

"Well ... I'm in a damned if I do and damned if I don't situation. The more I learn about everything going on in headquarters? The more I'd rather take my chances being beside Frank than with the people I thought would help me enforce the law. But I'll keep it in mind anyway, even if just to humor you somehow. Thanks again."

Only after both herself and Frank got into his van did Suki begin to speak, putting her seat belt on while directing her words over to the man beside her.

"I haven't forgotten. Hell, I'm ready - but not at all happy - to assume both Booker and Holland are likely dirty themselves. Your friend is at least sorta right with one thing though."

Suki sighed, leaning her head against the head rest behind her.

"I should at least be able to take full control over this at some point. Most of this crap is mine and the other cops' issue. Supposed to be anyway, but ... " Suki halted, realizing how she was almost beginning to sound for a few moments.

"Lemme backtrack; I'm not saying give up on this. I don't need to know you for long to realize how dumb that'd be. But I am trying to reassure that you shouldn't need to intervene, because this can be handled. Should, anyway. And yet .... I can't deny that even if that ends up happening, I'm finding the mere thought of going back as a cop less than appealing."

It was pretty disheartening to think that going back into the military would be better, even if that may hold a higher risk of death than being beside Castle. But ... it actually was sounding better to Suki.

Has the world been this depressing and I just have never realized it? she wondered, closing her eyes and sneaking a brief nap in. She'd need to be wide awake for when they met up with Seth.

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8th September, 2018
New York City, New York
Exact Location: Outside the 24 Hour Fitness at 153 E 53rd
20: 43 PM EST

Suki wasn't looking it, but deep down? She was nervous. What she and Frank had agreed upon was very, very, very against protocol. But at the same time? It was an equally necessary evil.

Besides, Seth pulled this shit on you. You can finally get pay back.

That had been the mantra she'd been echoing in her head the past ten to twenty minutes. However long it had been since she got back in the van with Frank.

This time, however, she wasn't vacating the passenger seat. Rather, she was laying down in the back. Not quite the very way back, but the seats immediately behind the passenger and driver's side.

You're really gonna do this, huh?

.... Well, it wasn't like she could change her mind. Reaching back, she gently patted her pockets, feeling the tools Frank had insisted she have with her. Namely several pairs of zip-ties. In her rear pocket, however, Suki did have her pistol on her. The immediate tools that would be needed were under the 'grab and go' sorta category.

"I'm not asleep," she reassured Frank, knowing Suki had been silent for a good period of time by now. Enough that it could have caused some worry. "I'm ... I'm ready. Really, I am."

The unfortunate truth was a good chunk of her co-workers knew what Suki's car looked like. If anyone saw her driving this van, she'd immediately stand out, and not in the best of ways. That had been the main reason she agreed to do the 'grabbing' while Frank stayed behind the wheel. Plus .... it wasn't like he'd only be driving. They were eventually gonna find a place to park the van.

Well, he is, she corrected herself, shaking her head and dismissing the internal argument. She knew what she meant and by this point? It really wasn't the main thing that Suki was worried about. In the end, it came down to if she could be fast and strong enough to succeed in this task.

You have to be. There's literally no room to fuck up.

Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath to calm herself. Slowly, she pushed herself up so she was kneeling. Thankfully, her height plus the cover from the outside darkness made it easy to hide despite technically being in otherwise plain sight. Suki quietly guided her hand to the door, readying her muscles so when they found Seth, she could pull it open and grab and jerk him in the van as swiftly as humanly possible.
 
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Frank took a breath and let her speak as they both got back in the van. He was angry with her over the phone call to her partner, but he kind of understood it. She knew these people, he did not. He wasn't a cop, and didn't know what it was like, she was. He had military partners, but most of them had betrayed him for one reason or another, then again that was also in special forces where the risks and oddities of the orders were higher in number.

Still the fact that she had told someone who they were after makes her liable. "You shouldn't have told him that. It doesn't matter if he's clean or dirty, now he knows your going after him, if he disappears or dies than your partner can connect it to that phone call. If he's dirty he can warn the guy, if he's clean he can report you."

Frank rubbed his face with a hand for a moment. Letting out a groan. "There are ways to go about your life in this. Keeping everything in house is one of the ways that you keep others safe." Of course that was easy to say when he had no friends or family. He could write off any interaction he so pleased because those close to him were long gone.

"This isn't an investigation, this is a fight for survival, and the way you keep alive is that you realize that we are not in control here. That we are out numbered and that we have to take every measure in keeping ourselves and the people we care about safe. Say something happens tonight, and this guy, Seth doesn't come into work the next day. Killing a cop puts every single cop on the force at high alert. Do you think you can handle it if he talks? You know what that is? conspiracy to commit murder. You're the cop what sentence does that hold? You wanna put your friend through that?"

"My life is easy, I don't have people that I need to protect. My job right now is keeping you safe, and the more people you talk too while you are with me the harder that will get."

~~~~

8th September, 2018
New York City, New York
Exact Location: Outside the 24 Hour Fitness at 153 E 53rd
20: 43 PM EST

Frank looked out through the mirror on his van. He had parked right next to the cops car on the exit side of the gym. In short the guy had to walk past the car door to get close to his own. He kept the lights off which made seeing into the window difficult thanks to their slight low light tint. "You want a granola bar?" He offered when she said she wasn't asleep. The two of them had been staking out the place for a little while, movement had been scarce. He almost thought about going into the gym, but the fewer places he went into the less cameras would see them.

When Seth walked out of the building, frank let out a sigh of relief. He started timing foot steps. "Okay he's out of the gym, get ready."

His hand was on the keys ready to turn on the van to get them out of here a moment after they had the guy in the van. "Now."

He turned on the van as she opened the door and grabbed him, driving backwards out of the parking spot forcing him into the back of the van easily the doors shutting and locking as he turned the car around and started to drive away.

"What the fuck!?" Seth was sweaty, tired, he had just had a decent work out, and so his arms were in pain, more so now that he had just been rushed into a car. He looked around trying to see in the dim light of the van. "Wait, Suki? What the fuck are you doing?"

He could feel his hands being tied up, and instantly he knew what was going on. "Awh, shit."
 

"Please."

A swift movement of her hand helped rip the plastic apart, allowing Suki to raise the bar to her lips and take a rather eager bite into the granola bar. It was no accident she easily finished off about half of it in the first try. Her emotions were racing, and it only got faster as time continued to tick away. It wouldn't be much longer now until she had to move, and it would need to be not just quick, but precise.

"Frank? You're ... you were right. And ... I did agree to follow your rules, so ... I'm sorry about earlier. This is just ... not at all what I signed up for. I'm frustrated, I'm pissed, and I'm oddly more fine than I should be with this plan. I think it's gonna help me out in some ways."

Her head nodded as she took another bite, tucking the wrapper away into an empty pocket and only uttering a small handful of words after swallowing the bar. "Mhm, ready. Very much so."

The door swung open. Were this anything but a van, there would likely be a much higher concern on Suki damaging the door. Seth would be met with a furious glare, though she didn't immediately speak.

To help create an illusion that looked as if he tripped or even stumbled in, Suki grabbed onto Seth's shoulders and rammed her knee into his forehead. This was her way of dazing him, much like he'd done with the baseball bat.

Only after the door was shut did she angrily snarl, "Thought you were untouchable back in the garage, huh? Sure. Courtesy of using the coward's way out, you could be. My turn now, yaro."

After securing his wrists behind Seth's back with the zip-ties, Suki pulled him into the far back, helping the two of them lay low. More out of habit, though the extra precaution wasn't by any means a bad idea.

"You .... you're married and yet, you were going to .... "

Suki drove her knee into Seth again, this time into his spine.

"Actually, no. Married or not, it wouldn't have excused you. But the fact you've got a wife makes knowing your original intentions all the more worse. You disgusting prick! I should shoot you now. Maybe in a few minutes. Depends how this all goes."

Her hands trembled, fueled by rage and anger as the flashback haunted her mind. Unfortunately, this wasn't the kind of shaking that weakened her, something he'd feel as her grip tightened. It likely wasn't nearly as stern as Frank's, but it wasn't weak compared to what one would assume either. Both her military and law enforcement experiences had aided Suki in acquiring some pure physical strength. Most in her upper body ... something Seth was quickly beginning to feel as she continued to squeeze on his arms, keeping him still should he struggle.

If he was actually being still?

Well ... this was the part where she purposely found ways to vent her still lingering wrath out. It was all being done non-lethally, so why not? And hell, she needed to ensure that when Frank parked the van, Seth was still here, so all more the reason to indulge herself slightly.
 

Seth felt his body go numb when he hit the ground, he groaned as he felt her knee hit his spine and he felt his hands get bound behind his back. he couldn't move except in directions that Suki wanted him too. He groaned as he felt the ground swerve and sway under him as the van drove down the streets. He looked at Suki as she threatened to shoot him, and he actually cracked a smile, and when she mentioned his wife, he actually chuckled.

Seth was trying to struggle against his bindings for a moment till he felt pressure on his arm and he groaned in pain again going limp against her. "Ah Suki, glad to see your wrist is doing better." He chuckled, but then coughed from the damage done to his spine, he felt kinda winded, his head a little light at the moment from the pressure on his body and the inability to move making his breathing heavier he could feel the car moving under him, that meant someone was in the front of the van driving away from his car.

She kept the pressure on his arms causing Seth to groan in pain as he winced and his eyes closed. "Fuck you and shoot me." He said with a small cough. As he struggled to take in air due to being forced to the ground. "I ain't saying shit to you." She brought up his wife and he tried to laugh. "How the fuck you think I treat her? You women love having the shit beat out of you."

Frank winced when Seth spoke, he knew the man was probably not gonna leave this situation alive, still he was going to find a place where he could park the car, and probably hide a body as he doubted that Seth was going to be able to go home at the end of the night, certainly not to a 'loving' wife. He wouldn't let the scum of the earth hurt another person. Not again, and spouse abuse was one of those things that Frank couldn't let stand.

"So what, you gonna try and torture me? fuck you, that shit only works in the movies and you know it. You're a cop, and the fact that your already hurting me means you fucking lost this interrogation. But I tell you what... I'll tell you everything you want to know if you bend over and suck some cock." He felt her hit him when he made his suggestion, which got another sharp gasp of pain from the man. "You fucked up Suki."

Frank was driving through the night roads, and New York traffic though he was avoiding major streets as he drove, finally he pulled the van over, and got out of the van. Walking around to open the back door to show where they were. Back on the docks of New York, though a different defunct peer than the one where they had started.
 
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