08 - Meeting Mack
05/10/07

Toward the end of their shopping trip, as Mandy twirls back and forth in her empire-waist, deep-blue crushed-velvet minidress for his approval at the final fitting at the dress shop, Daniel gets a Trump call. The dress is perky, pretty, soft to the touch, and quite flattering on her expanding figure. Custom fitted, the dress is more than a few hundred, but it should be just roomy enough to last her last three months, and she clearly loves it.

Daniel nods and smiles in approval. "Well done; I like it!" Then he stands and says, "Excuse me a moment, I have to take this call." He gives Mandy a quick kiss and walks out of the fitting room. Mandy lets him go, any small nervousness spawned by the sudden interruption fairly well hidden.

He drops a several hundreds on the salesgirl and keeps walking to just outside. The distraction is well timed, and she seems very happy as Daniel slips out for the Trump call.

Just slightly too tall and with hair a little too dark to be Random, Daniel slouches in jeans and an incongrously good blue dress shirt, partly untucked. On close inspection the small flecks of blue in his light brown eyes would also give him away. He's outside on a city street in slightly-too-cool, breezy weather. Behind him is the brick wall and the edge of a large window that might front a retail shop of some kind. He has half of an open smile on his face and one eyebrow raised, waiting to see who's on the other end of the call.

The call resolves into a view of a broad-shouldered man in a flawlessly tailored pinstripe suit and fedora, clean shaven and holding a cigar, a diamond-studded ring winking from his pinky finger. He has brown hair that looks like it's trimmed with a straight-razor, blue eyes and a generous smile. He's in an office, mahogany furniture, dark green walls, and a painting of squids playing poker on the wall. "Hello. You must be Daniel. Do you have a moment to chat?"

Daniel's mouth quirks slightly before he replies, "Mm. Sure. I'm with someone, though; can't come through. And you must be... someone who has my Trump." He tilts his head and smiles, amused and only a little wary.

Mack smiles. "Of course. I'll try to make this quick, so you can get back to work. My name is Mack. I'm in Basin City representing some of Our Mutual Family's interests, and your name came up recently, so I thought I should introduce myself. My card;" I hold out a business card with the name "Mack" on it, the title reading "Fixer of Problems." "In any case, I hope you don't mind the intrusion. Hold on to that card; you'll find I know a lot of people in the City, and it never hurts to have Family around when things get interesting."

A shadow passes Daniel's face, followed by a broader smile.

Mack adds, "By the by, I don't suppose you're looking for work?"

"Not particularly, no. If this is an example of things that are 'interesting' for you, and it wouldn't hurt to have family around, feel free to elaborate, however."

"Oh, I don't have a specific need for Family talents just now. I do a lot of Business in the City, though, and it never hurts to have good people around. My father asked me to keep an eye on you and your young friend, so I figured I'd offer. I'd like to buy you two dinner, so we can get caught up on Family gossip and get to know each other better. How does that sound?"

"Sounds fine to me; I'd suggest you come through here sometime for that dinner, though, since you have a Trump. I have no interest in Basin City. And I'd point out that Oshi will probably want to know who your father is."

"My father's Gerard. When would be a goods time to call you back for dinner? Say two, three hours?"

"Can do, if that's a couple hours for us. I don't have a feel for time between here and Basin City right now. Sometimes the differential is pretty extreme. If it doesn't give me time, I'll have to put you off, but it shouldn't be for too long."

Mack figures the time differential is pretty close to even, and Daniel replies, "Sounds like a plan, then."

Before he cuts the contact he adds "Oh, by the way, I'll be bringing my manservant Jimmy along for dinner - part of my job; I never get to travel alone any more."

"No problem by me. Didn't know Basin City was a servant kind of place, but whatever." Daniel shrugs. "What kind of place you want to go? I'll make us some reservations. And do you want Oshi on this? I can reach her easily if you want. Either way."

"People see me out on my own, they think I've gone soft, then it's work, work work... you know how it is. Some place French would be nice. It'd be nice to meet the kid, too."

Daniel's mouth quirks up again. "Sure, I'll sort it out, and I'll see if Oshi wants to join us. Good to meet you, Mack. I look forward to this evening."

Daniel goes back into the shop and helps Mandy finish with her shopping. After checking that she found shoes, and the purchases are sorted out, he waits for them to leave the shop and then tells her about Mack's call.

After a moment to process what she hears, "So... is this how things start... the allies you talked about?"

Daniel nods, still processing. "Whatever this turns out to be, I'll try not to let it spill over onto you. I will have to introduce you at some point, but maybe we can shortcut things a little by introducing you to someone you already know. If you're done shopping, let's get back and we can call Gerard."

Despite her worries, she gives Daniel a hug and kiss for his generosity. "Yup, I'm good. Thank you." She considers a bit and then, "If they were all like him, this would almost be easy, wouldn't it...?"

Daniel opens his mouth as if to respond, then just closes it and kisses her. When they get back he indeed takes Mandy up to his room, sits down and attempts to Trump Gerard.

Gerard answers from the deck of the Horizon. "Daniel! How are you?"

"I'm good," he nods, thinking about it, "and you, Captain?"

"'Tis hard not to be well with the wind behind you," he says, smiling broadly.

After the pleasantries, Daniel says, "I just had the pleasure of meeting your son by Trump; I was curious if you'd given him my card."

"I had. I thought his... interests might overlap with yours, given where you've been lately. Sparse as the help I've been able to offer has been, I thought it better than nothing."

Daniel nods, his expression neutral. "I also wanted to reintroduce you to Mandy Blue." He turns and sits beside her, bringing her into the contact. "She had a happy bit of a surprise for me, and so I thought I should let you know, given your helping her way back."

Mandy waves hello, smiling as sweetly as she can, adding a bit of an 'oops' shrug at the end for bonus cute.

Gerard seems a bit surprised at first, but then he smiles like the top of his head might crack off at any second. "Good news indeed! We'll have to get together to celebrate!"

"We should, indeed." Daniel looks to Mandy for confirmation.

Mandy nods her agreement, still at a loss for words at the moment.

"As I haven't been in touch with Random yet, though, I'd be grateful if you kept the news to yourself until then."

"For the honor of being first to know, you have bought some quiet... but do try to speak to him soon. It's not the kind of secret he might appreciate me having over him for long, especially if it comes to light the wrong way."

Daniel nods. "Is he still away with Caine, do you know?"

Soberly now, "Caine said he would contact me as soon as they were coming back, and I've heard nothing so far."

"Well, you will have to keep our secret a while longer, then. I would rather he found out from me." Daniel forces a smile, covering worry or some other emotion he hasn't named. "I'll let you know how it goes with Mack. And let us know when you get into a port somewhere and have some time. We'd be happy to come through."

"You have my word, on both counts. I'll be in touch once I return to Amber."

Daniel lets the contact close.

Mandy is a little tired, and not particularly talkative, but would certainly like an escort home. At the door, "Can I invite you over for brunch and a nooner tomorrow, or will you be out a while?"

Daniel looks a little glum. "I don't know, frankly. Can I let you know when I finish hearing this Mack guy out?"

In an film noir movie starlet voice, "Call me anytime, Mister Howethorne." She kisses you goodbye fiercely enough to make you feel better... or at least gives it a hell of a try.

Ah, she's a good girl. Grinning, he tips his imaginary hat to her and winks as he departs.

Daniel goes looking for Oshi in the late afternoon at Duncan's. After some poking around, he finds that Oshi has prepared the roof as her practice area. She has apparently been working on it awhile, first clearing away debris and junk. Then sweeping and cleaning as best she can, something she obviously repeats quite often. Finally she has dragged several mats up here for excercises and meditating. Finally she managed somehow, possibly with help, to bring several bay hales up which she has obviously been using for target practice. The area looks like a professional, albeit cheap, dojo.

She is going through sword drills when Daniel finds her.

Daniel sits to one side and watches her with evident pleasure at her skill until her drill comes to a natural close. He stands and brings her water when she stops. "You've done well setting up this place. I hope I haven't intruded on your privacy."

Oshi smiles and bows slightly in thanks as she accepts the water. "Thank you Daniel." She pauses to drink, finishing all the water thirstly but not spilling a drop. "Of course you are not intruding. You are always welcome here, to visit or to work on the skills every warrior should know." She says this last bit with a slight sarcasm to her smile, not mean, just poking gently.

He grins back at her chiding.

"That goes for Mandy as well if she wishes lessons, or even a place for quiet contemplation. Though perhaps lessons should wait until the child is born."

"I think she might like that. And I would be happy to shake the dust out of my bones and train with you; I can put the time in my day, and it's been too long since I've done it."

Oshi nods."I am here each day from lunch until dinner." She pauses for a moment to wipe her face with a towel she has placed nearby. "What can I do for you this day Daniel?"

"Well, actually, I've had a call from a fellow named Mack, one of Admiral Gerard's sons, apparently. He's got himself stationed out in Basin City, and wanted to come through and meet over dinner this evening, face-to-face. I imagine he could Trump you directly, as he did me -- has he already?" Daniel adds a wry twist to his smile, "but in any case he asked if you'd be interested in joining us. It'd be him and his man, and me so far."

"Hmm." She says then pauses for a moment in thought. "I have not been contacted by this man, but I assume my Trump is not as available as yours is. If you wish me to be there I shall be. What is the proper atire for this dinner?"

"It's no push. If you want to beg off, that's cool. If you want to come, attire's whatever you want, really. The place we're headed? I've booked the back room, and it's basically in my network. Not secure against the likes of Caine, but a place where people will back me if something goes down.

"Good food, too." He smiles. "Garcon's is a good place. They serve French-style food. I knows the owner and most of the staff, and we can get a private room there with no odd looks. It's down in Southtown, near where Duncan's used to be."

"I shall be there." Oshi says bowing to Daniel.

He returns her bow, adding. "I'll get a car downstairs for around six, then."

She pauses for a moment to see if he has anything to add, and assuming he doesn't goes to work practicing katas.

Daniel quietly heads back down into the club. When he gets to his room, he tries Random's Trump a short while. He gets virtually nothing from Random's Trump, although the card is clearly active, so he hasn't met some final end. He then tries Caine's and finds it slightly more responsive - a reassuring chill - but Daniel can't push through to make a connection, either due to distance or some other resistance.

He gives up on making direct contact and concentrates on getting pulses of Trump energy to push through, tapping the repeated Morse (Morse-like) pattern for a beginning message. He knows he doesn't have the strength to do the whole thing mentally, so he just has to do it in time to a gentle tap of his finger on the Trump. He taps out the message, "Signal Yes if you need help. Will open contact again daily." He does it all the way through twice, waiting about five minutes between sets and five minutes after. Nothing seems to happen, and he signals the end of the message.

Even just doing that much was taxing, and by the time he's done with the second send, he feels like he needs a drink, but he recovers in a few minutes.

Oshi practices for a spell longer, then heads downstairs to get ready for dinner. She is wearing some of the fancy-type clothes she picked up at the Basin City casino. She has tied her hair back with her 'special' chopsticks, hiding several other small blades about her body and of course, has brought her teddy. She arrives downstairs at around quarter to six to scout the area around the club. She determines that the car that arrives is untampered with, and nothing particularly untoward seems to be about in the neighborhood. The car is a black sedan, basically a town-car type thing, and it seems that Daniel knows the driver.

For the occasion Daniel has whipped out the slouchy, expensive pleated linen Italian trousers and an extraordinarily fine, crisp cotton shirt with a Nehru collar, open, and black pearl buttons. Very thin, understated gold and platinum watch. Polished shoes. He inhabits these clothes with the same comfortable insouciance you are used to from him.

Yes, Oshi, he shines up okay when he tries.

Oshi is pleasantly surprised at Daniel's shinyness. She smiles, saying: "That is a very nice outfit Daniel."

He smiles and gives her a half bow, half nod of the head. "Thank you, Oshi," He replies, formally, and then, unable to not joke a bit, he adds, "You deserve a decent escort who doesn't look like he's just been rolled for change... for a change. I hope we have no call to get blood on my shirt though. Bitch to get that out of white cotton."

Oshi and Daniel make their way to Garcon's. Daniel figures Mack can contact him en route, or when they're settled in the back. The only time he might delay taking the call is right when they're walking through the restaurant. He introduces Oshi to the manager and the chef, and the half of the cooking team he still knows. He sees that the owner's on the floor, and gives him a nod and subtle wave, but doesn't interrupt him.

Oshi bows politely to everyone but does not speak unless spoken to.

Daniel catches Mack's call just as he and Oshi are getting settled into the back room of the restaurant. "Hi, Mack. Wanna come on through, then?" The room behind Daniel is wood paneled below the wainscoting with dark green wallpaper above. A table with a Mediteranean print cloth is set for four with plain china and silver.

A broad-shouldered man in a flawlessly tailored pinstripe suit and fedora, clean shaven and holding a cigar, a diamond-studded ring winking from his pinky finger. Brown hair that looks like it's trimmed with a straight-razor, blue eyes and a generous smile. The cigar is currently unlit. Mack removes the fedora as he comes through.

Following Mack is Jimmy Mook, Mack's manservant; a 7" tall Korean man with a shaved head, tattoos and unusually large teeth. Jimmy is wearing a very nice linen suit that's too small for him with a red bow tie.

"Good evening Daniel," Mack begins.

Daniel nods and steps forward to shake his hand. Mack's handshake is firm, but not crushing. Daniel's, similar.

"You must be Oshi - my father asked me to keep an eye on you. This is my manservant, Jimmy Mook. Say 'hello', Jimmy."

Jimmy grunts and nods.

Daniel nods to him as well, giving a small twitch of a smile. "Please, have a seat," he says to Mack, and he watches Oshi a moment.

Oshi will bow deeply to Mack and less so to Mook, she smiles as Mack mentions his father but does not speak. She sits back and holds her teddy in her lap, watching the two new comers.

Mack sits and arranges himself comfortably. Jimmy immediately stations himself behind Mack loomingly with his arms crossed until Mack coughs and points to the chair next to him. Jimmy sits, and looks uncomfortable.

Ignoring the display, Daniel leans out the door and motions to someone. With the door opening and closing it is clear the room is pretty well soundproofed, though an occasional rumble of passing cars gets through the heavily curtained window. Returning to the table, he says, "Laurence will be here in a minute. Wine, or something else?" He looks around the table, including Oshi in the question.

"No wine for me Daniel. I would prefer tea if at all possible."

Jimmy grunts his assent at the mention of tea.

Mack replies "Some wine would be delightful."

A uniformed waiter arrives bringing menus, and Daniel half-stands to shake his hand, briefly breaking the man's formal demeanor. "Laurence, we'd like tea... bring a selection. And a couple of bottles of the Brunello Barbera, '84." He pauses and asks Mack, "Red for you? This is a great Italian, or whatever varietal you'd like."

The menus feature many classics of French cuisine, plus a couple of Mediterranean-influenced dishes (peasant French).

Mack selects a wine like someone who knows more about wine than I do. Red, though. Mack orders a heavy cassoulet for his entree. Jimmy orders "meat", and licks his large teeth unsettlingly. Mack helpfully and subtly indicates a steak on the menu to the waiter.

"The lamb, however they're making it today," Daniel requests.

Once the drinks arrive, Mack leans back slightly and gestures with his glass. "A toast," he says, lifting his glass, "to Family."

Daniel pauses a moment. "To friends," he amends, looking to Mack to acknowledge the change.

"To friends, then." Mack winks. "So, Daniel, you mentioned you had no interest in Basin City. I confess to being a little surprised by that; you two made quite an impression on the city."

"If the sandbox was yours, and I did any damage, I apologize. Apparently our relatives saw fit to stage several... encounters there. I can assure you I would be happy to never return there." Daniel looks to Oshi, "Dunno how Oshi feels."

Oshi responds quietly, scarcely moving in her seat. "If my...business is complete I have no reason to return to that place."

"More of a near miss on an associate of mine's business; like I said, you made an impression on the city. I pay attention to the ripples in the pond, as it were."

"So, how long have you been there?" Daniel asks, "And, what keeps a person in a place like that? I mean, I'm sure we only saw some of the worst the shadow has to offer given the nature of our... tour."

"I've been there a while, long enough to get myself set up. As for why I'd stay there? It's got more than a glimmer of Real, and that makes it important. Someone needs to be paying attention to it. Besides, Amber's too full, so if I can make a place for myself in another place with enough Real, I'll do it."

Daniel raises an eyebrow, and shrugs. "Me, I like a place where there is music to be made."

"I run a few clubs in Basin City, but I confess I'm not much of a musician."

"Swimming upstream, musically, there. Again I suppose that could be because of the limits of what we saw." Daniel thinks a moment and then continues. "Can you tell us how our business affected your associate? Coming in from the outside it's certainly hard for us to judge what the 'ripples' as you say might have been."

"The story as I had it was that someone died who had previously been useful. As that usefulness had expired, it was no concern that the individual had as well, but it was a close call. Your names came up as the responsible party at the same time my father mentioned you, so I thought it seemed like an excellent time to introduce myself. "

"Whoa, let's back up. Who exactly is it who died that was associated with us, and who had been finding the person useful, if you can say?"

"I didn't get a name on the first, and I can't really say on the second."

Daniel smiles mildly and looks at Oshi.

Oshi looks at Daniel a moment, then smiles her own smile and grips her bear tighter.

Just as it seems Daniel is about to speak, the meal arrives. He looks back at Mack and nods. "Ah, well, understood. Family and all that." He makes a few small requests of the servers mainly for sauces and condiments of various kinds, and another bottle of wine. "Please, enjoy," he echoes the host. "I've been coming here off and on for... ten years or more, and I still really like it."

"The food really is quite good. How's the steak, Jimmy?" Jimmy grunts around a mouthful of gristle. It looks like he's been eating the bone from his t-bone along with the steak.

"Anyway, enough business. Any news from Amber lately? "

Daniel blinks and laughs. "Uh... no? Well, not since the incident on Basin City that you mentioned. I'm not exactly closely in touch there. I spoke to your father briefly -- he helped me out a little while ago and I was following up on that. Oshi, you heard anything?"

Oshi barely looks up from her food as she shakes her head no.

Daniel looks back at Mack and shrugs. "We're in a bit of a backwater here. Frankly we've only had what, just over a week? to recover from the Basin City thing. I'm sorry."

"No worries. I haven't had much from back home myself, either," Mack replies.

"So tell us about yourself. What do you do in Basin City? Have you got any idea why it... draws Real the way it does? Me, I'm pretty much a man of leisure at the moment. I'm just starting to get back into some work on the music circuit, but I've been out of things for a while. Prior to that I was... pretty much a man of leisure." Daniel laughs, apparently at himself. "Well, I was a con-man-of-leisure-musician-gun-for-hire, to be technically accurate. But it amounted to the same thing."

"I connect people. I find work for people, and connect them with people looking for work. Cleaners, import/export, negotiators, insurance that kind of thing. I'm not sure, yet, why Basin City is as Real as it is. That's part of my long term plan there, to find out what's going on."

"I'd be interested to know if you find anything in that regard, or get to a place where you could use help on it," Daniel admits. "Do you have a talent for those kind of investigations? It's not my area."

"I'm taking a somewhat unconventional tack, but yes, I've got an angle on figuring out what's happening there. I'll let you know if I find anything exciting."

"Yeah, please, I'd like to know." Daniel focuses on the last of his lamb. When he's finished and leaning back from his meal he asks, "We have a small mystery here ourselves. I don't know if it's your area. Just a disturbance, maybe like the back end of a shadow trail, but no coherent line to it and no sightings of its maker. Is that your kind of thing?"

"My area of expertise is Basin City, but it can't hurt to take a look anyway. If we're all done here, do we want to go check it out? Or by "here", do you mean 'in this restaurant'?"

Daniel laughs. "No, not in the restaurant. It's a bit of a drive, actually, but if you're free for the evening I could give you the tour of our shadow's scenic shadow-disturbance-sporting power plant and shopping mall, sure. I don't have to be anywhere until about eleven, which gives a good three hours.

"Oshi, did you want to come along also?"

Oshi nods. "I am as always at your side Daniel."

"Excellent. Did you all want desert, or should we go?"

Oshi places a dainty hand over her mouth to indicate that she is full and says, "No dessert for me thank you."

"I think we're set. Let's go see this thing," Mack agrees.

Daniel will cover the bill and call for the car, and then have the driver take them all by the area near the power plant where the disturbances were.

They use a local map to draw the points at which the anomalies occurred and the order in which they were recorded. Daniel's happy to take Mack through in whatever order he prefers, but since Daniel's familiar with two of the sites and Oshi with the others, it'll changes who is "leading the tour" at different points. There are four sites: a public library, an arboretum, a strip mall, and a factory.

"Let's start at the factory." Mack suggests.

Daniel takes the lead for this part. "Oshi and I checked traffic camera junction boxes at these four sites; small failures in those were how we got onto the anomalies in the first place. We didn't find anything physically wrong in any of them.

"So, here at the factory I worked over there," he points. "That was the first place it was detected. I had walked here from the arboretum site. We can retrace my route, and maybe you can sense... what I sensed. It was strongest here, and then I picked it up a couple more times in that alley we'll get to, and finally very very faintly over by the arboretum."

He leads Oshi, Mack and Mack's "assistant" along the route, watching as Mack does... whatever he does

Mack sniffs the air, licks his finger and holds it up, and squints.

Daniel laughs good-naturedly.

Mack says, "From what I can tell; there was a lot of power applied here, slowly, so it looks like someone just passed through. I think it's more likely someone invested a lot of time in doing... whatever it is they did here. I might be able to get a better bead on it when we visit the other sites."

"Sure, we can walk there from here. Oshi did the initial investigation on those, though, so she may have more details."

Oshi nods to Daniel and then after a moment Mack. She then turns and leads the group towards the mall.

"Hmm. Similar. Someone's doing something here with a lot of power, and trying to be real quiet about it. This place has more... Real to it. In spots, coming close to Basin City. Maybe that's what all this power's doing, or maybe it's a side effect of something else."

"Is this a Pattern based power?" Daniel asks.

"I can't be certain. I think so, but with all the layers of redirection, it could be something else. If I had to bet what did it, I'd put most of my money on Pattern."

"I take it from what you're saying you have no idea who... or what their long-term intention was with this effort?"

Mack's quiet for a minute, kneeling and staring at the ground. "It's Family. Pattern, yes, and something... more. Something darker mixed in. So we can narrow down the culprits to anyone who's walked the Pattern and either knows more advanced magic, or has access to someone who does. I can state with some confidence that it wasn't me, " Mack adds helpfully.

Daniel spreads his hands. "That is something... and definitely way more than I would have got from it." He stands staring at the spot Mack was looking at for a good minute. "Damn. I do get tired of them." He gives a slight huff, like a tired laugh. "Sorry for the downer. Thanks, man." He offers Mack a hand up.

Oshi waits for the adults to stop talking before she quietly says, "Brand." She pauses for a moment and then adds.
"I should wait for him. Hide and be ready when he appears." She turns to Mack and asks, "Can you tell me is there any spot he seems to be favoring? He comes into these four the most, but is there one he chooses above all others?"

"Why would you say Brand? This doesn't seem quite like his style, metaphysically speaking."

"It is just a...feeling. As Daniel would say it feels hinky."

Daniel raises an eyebrow.

Mack responds, "My 'hink' disagrees, but I suppose we don't have much evidence either way so far. As for a favoured spot? We've only seen two of the four so far, and that seems to be where whoever this is is focussing. If you're worried, I have some associates I could bring here to keep an eye on things. They may not be able to take out whoever this is, but they can at least keep an eye out."

Oshi bows in thanks but then rises and shakes her head. "I would not dare risk the lives of your associates in such a matter as this. If it is indeed Brand making these trails, or any of his people, I would prefer to handle it myself."

"It's pretty much their job, but it's your call."

So saying she walks off towards the next hot spot.

Daniel watches Oshi with some concern as they proceed, but doesn't voice it.

When they've arrived at the third spot, Mack studies it and responds, "Similar to the last spot, stuff's been done here. I think there might be something to the connection between points, but I'll need to get to the last spot to check it out." And at the last one, he blinks and says "Oh." After a moment, he expands "This is... a circuit. The four spots define an area that's set up to map somehow to somewhere else. Possibly Basin City. I can't tell what it's supposed to do, but it's definitely a connection between some 'there' and 'here'."

Oshi is silent for a moment, studying the ground at her feet as if it will give her an answer, as if she will be able to see her path. Finally she looks up. "Can we follow it? This circuit? Can we follow it to its creator?"

"I don't think so. I can't tell for sure where it goes, let alone who did it, though I might ahve a ebtter idea if I run into the creator or more of her handiwork."

"You have a guess who it is, then?" Daniel asks. "And perhaps we could find the corresponding location in Basin City... if they have any kind of centralized electronic monitoring, Duncan can run it and try to detect what he detected here when he brought the spots to our attention."

"Not really. Who's Duncan?"

"Friend of mine, a local. Works tech."

"Well, if your friend can produce devices to detect this sort of disturbance, I can have my People search Basin City in fairly short order. "

Daniel shakes his head. "Actually what he did was a real-time comparison of the camera feeds from local security in all these areas, and detected brief, unexplained blanks. As I understand it, it's entirely mundane... except he is better at pattern detection than... just about anyone.

"So like I said... he'd need access to something that would give him that kind of overall view."

"Hmm. I can get access to the casino camera feeds, and probably a few other sources. It wouldn't be comprehensive, but it'd be a good start," Mack offers.

"When I get home I can ask him if he thinks that would be sufficient. Let me talk this one through with Duncan, see what he wants. Then perhaps we can get together again tomorrow or whenever your schedule allows. Obviously you have my Trump." Daniel shrugs.

"Okay, then. Do me a favour? If you're back in Basin City, get ahold of me as soon as possible; you two made an impression of the scene there, and if I know you're there, I can make sure there are no misunderstandings. I know you can take care of yourselves, but it could be... distracting."

"We have no real way to reach you unless you have extra Trump cards."

"My cell phone number is on the business card I gave you. I don't anticipate being out of town any time soon, so it should work just fine once you get into Basin City."

"I should get back for my gig in any case. Good to meet you - and good timing. I appreciate your weighing in on our mystery." Daniel offers his hand again to Mack and to his assistant. "Oshi, you coming back now, or...?"

"I will indeed be returning with you Daniel."

Mack shakes Daniel's hand, and bows to Oshi. Jimmy grunts and nods, completely missing the offered hand.

"Give us a call in the next day or two, if you have the time. We can see what's what with this connection." Daniel waves his hand in the general direction of the sites. "You all need a ride anywhere, or are you heading back direct from here?"

"No, but thank you. We've got a route back. I'll be in touch." Mack takes hold of Jimmy and stares at a trump card from his pocket. The two of them disappear in rainbows.

Daniel's planning taking the car directly back to Duncan's, unless Oshi has any stops. On the drive he asks Oshi, "So, what do you think?"

"I do not know. I fear my emotions are clouding my judgement. Perhaps it would be best if I spent some time on my own, to reflect and center myself."

"If you need to, of course. I will be here for you anytime you ask me, you know that.

"I may bug you for some workouts. But feel free to send me packing if you're not ready."

Oshi bows (as much as she can inside the car.) "I am as always there anytime you require my aid."

"I know." Daniel smiles a little and sits back, thinking quietly for the rest of the drive.

As they get out at the club, Daniel holds the door for her and heads inside, looking for Duncan. He asks him about Mack's idea and about whether he'd be able to do anything with the relatively limited feeds there, and then if he'd be at all willing to travel there for a couple of days. Daniel's not so keen on it; he hates to involve his real family with his biological family, but he's not going to make that call for Duncan. Plus frankly he has no intention of traveling to Basin City unless and until Mack calls or Oshi expresses a desire to get moving.

"A limited something beats nothing, and I can get blood from a stone if I can just squeeze hard enough for long enough. Thing is, the crappier the tapes, the more I'm going to want my own machinery to process them. Are you brining things to me, or am I building my own net on site? If it's my cameras, I don't need much more than a suitcase. Wouldn't mind a bodyguard and a courier, though, if I have to go to the Basin City Mandy's spoken so 'highly' of."

"I'm hoping to bring things to you, but if for whatever reason that won't work out, and you have to go there? I'll see to it you won't be alone for a second. The place is fucking poison. I wouldn't even be asking if it weren't touching here."

"I understand. I'll minimize my vulnerability every way I can think of for you." [waiting to see how and how soon Mack delivers the tapes]

Mandy is always happy to see him, and she's particularly perky from their day out. There's a 'will I see you later?' on her lips as Daniel's about to dash away.

"Mm, if you're still awake. I don't know how late the gigs run at this place, but we're not even starting until eleven."

"Wake me when you get home... I mean, when you come by; even if it's late."

"I will." He puts a hand behind his neck and stretches side to side, rubbing the muscles there. "'Bout... three or four, I'm guessing." He leans in for another quick kiss, and heads upstairs to pack his gear.

[Did you need details on this gig?]

[Nah, just his first out with some of the people he's been getting re-acquainted with -- guest headliner kind of thing, covering bass and viola.]

It went quite well.

About four in the morning, completely played out but revved with energy from the music and the synergy of the band working together, Daniel checks in at Duncan's to see if Mandy's still working - though he doubts it -- and put his stuff away and shower off the cigarette stink. If she wasn't, he dresses again after his shower. Then he heads over to her place to let himself in and sneak into bed behind her a while.

Mandy is indeed asleep, though fairly lightly. After resettling with Daniel's arms around her, she does go back to sleep for a few hours. He finds himself a little uncomfortable in his slumber... almost feeling watched when he wakes up.

He spends a still minute trying to pinpoint the feeling, whether it has an "actual observer" feel or a Trump feel or something else again. If he gets nothing other than the feeling continuing, He gets up quietly so as not to wake Mandy if he can, and drags on his clothes.

It feels vaguely like Trump, but no connection seems to manifest for him to 'answer' properly. By the time he is out of her bed and dressed, the feeling has passed.

He didn't feel any... timed rhythm to it, like Caine perhaps trying to respond to his message of yesterday?

No, no rhythm... more of a sense like a film over a bowl or oil spreading in water.

Crap. He knows nothing about what that could mean.

Anyway, now the feeling has passed he is in less of a hurry. Daniel has checked this room for any lines of sight. The curtains and blinds are drawn and he feels reasonably confident in that. So he heads to the bathroom a moment, brushes his teeth and so on. When he comes out he sits down a long time in the chair with his feet up by the small table. He watches Mandy sleep and desperately wishes he had a cigarette -- and if he had one, that he was someplace he would smoke it.

Daniel has perhaps an hour of quiet before Mandy stirs. Looking at him with a playful forlorn, "Why didn't you wake me?"

He looks at her fondly, "You were very peaceful. It was nice to just watch you."

"Did it go all right tonight? I see you smiling, but your thinking face is lurking under there." She sits up and moves so there is room for you on the bed, rearranging her groupie nightshirt a bit as she shifts. She artlessly leaves herself with a fine hint of shoulder and a good turn of leg; neither putting you off from moving closer nor giving you a too easy distraction not to answer.

He doesn't answer. Instead he takes his feet down and slides into the bed alongside her, running his hand up from her ankle, along her leg and under the nightshirt onto her hip and belly, ending spooned up against her with his face in the hollow of her neck.

"Do you want me to shut up now?" she asks softly, a giggle in her voice before she purrs at Daniel's touch. "I could do that for you, Mr. Howethorne...."

He still does not answer. He runs his hand up to the underside of her heavy breasts and pulls her tightly back against him. He presses one knee between her legs from the back, nudging her a quarter turn away from him, into the bed. His lips trace the back of her neckline as he moves against her rear; between his will and the feeling of her against him, he stirs erect.

Still not speaking, he takes his hand from her breast to zip out of his trousers. He doesn't bother to undress all the way but simply guides himself into her, gently, slowly, losing himself in the simple mechanics of this pleasure. He holds her quietly while he makes love to her, moving his hand around the front to tease her in rhythm with his own slow build. He holds for a time, full inside her, bringing her close with his fingers until the music of her moans and the pulse of her tightening around him is enough to take him along.

He rests, then, against her, the smell of their sex rising around them, holding her tight as though they could continue to be one person forever.

Gods, he wished that he loved her; the absence of that love pounds in his gut like a sin.