Park Slope Studios - Brooke's Apartment
The large studio apartment offers a great deal of open space. The studio has been recently renovated to include walls between the rooms, and though it's only 900 square feet seems much larger due to the open concept.
Two bedrooms can be found in the apartment, though only one is an actual bedroom. The second, which looks out onto Prospect Park, has been set up as a home office for a budding new business. Filled with filing cabinets, a computer, several calendars, extra day planners, the office manages to look both comfortable and busy at the same time. Several client clipboards hang on the wall.
French doors separate the two bedrooms from the main living area, which encompasses both a small living room and a dining nook. The living area has exposed brick wall with a fireplace. The remainder of the walls are a soft cream in color, and all the furniture is black.
The small kitchen is simple and elegant, with hardwood floors, and wooden cabinets to match. The appliances are older, but still in good working condition. There's no balcony, but there is access to the rooftop garden through a stairway that runs alongside the entrance.
Characters
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| Bryn Blackwell | Kayla Martin | Rory Bainbridge |
It has been an extremely long night for Bryn since the call from Kieran came in. He's spoken to the Knights, made a call to the Bishops to let them know that something was going on with Brooke, but that the Priory was handling it, and he's put out feelers to both Gideon and Randall Reynard.
He's also spent a great deal of time in the Undercity, talking to his contact to see if he couldn't get some information from her. From what he managed, the women were being held out of state in a forested area that was blocked to seers, and magic.
Which really isn't going to help much in the rescue.
Now, he's returning to Brooke's apartment to see if anyone else has checked in. He knows he left Kayla and Bainbridge there, and he's hoping the latter has figured out a few things.
Letting himself in, the first thing he smells is food. It reminds him that he never did have dinner, and his stomach makes a slight gurgling noise. Forcing it to settle, he looks around for the two he knows should still be here.
~*~
"Hey Bossman." Kayla is hunched over her laptop, easily identified by the Doctor Who and Star Trek decals. It's found a home on Brooke's desk, along with two other Priory laptops which seem to be running different levels of software scanning into the city's traffic cams. The techie lifts her Tardis coffee mug in a half-salute, bites into a half a salami sandwich and scritches behind the ears of the puppy in her lap. All the while her eyes never leave the screen in front of her.
"Kevin talked sweet to his contact over at the commissioner's office, and I was able to tap into the traffic cams." Legally, this time. She could have managed without Kevin's friends at the NYPD but it's always good to keep things friendly.
~*~
Rory blinks bleary eyes at the screen and drains the last of the coffee from his mug. He hates coffee. It tastes like shite. He hated it when he lived here for two years too, but it's necessary evil. It does help keep him awake, although he has no idea how Kayla can scrutinize those screens the way she does.
He's almost convinced the woman is a robot. He's never seen her sleep and she's fueled by an endless supply of carbohydrates and proteins. Rubbing one eye with the heel of his hand, he taps the space bar on the nearest laptop to freeze the playback.
"Mr. Blackwell." Standing, the newest addition to the team stretches and rubs his shoulder. He flexes his leg a bit, discovering he's been sitting for far too long. "I wasn't able to get anything useful off of Mrs. Donvan's shoes or hand bag, but I did pick up what I think was the last text message from her telephone, and a visual confirmation of the male assailant."
Crossing the room, Rory picks up the pseudo-EMP device. It's in a plastic bag so that he doesn't pick up additional information from it while trying to explain and examine it. "More importantly, I was able to get a reading off of this. I can reconstruct the entire crime scene from arrival to departure."
Rory is still learning the nuances and interactions between the unit here, and he knows that Detective Curtis and Kayla - she insisted from day one that he call her that and 'don't get all uppity and British formal with me, capiche?' - think he's a bit stiff, but it's what he knows professionally. It hasn't escaped him that they are a bit more casual and familiar here, but he's not to that level of comfort yet.
~*~
Even after having been here for a year, Bryn isn't entirely comfortable with the level of casual the New York office has with one another. The women are called by their first names though, because it was beaten into him at the beginning that if he didn't, they'd harass and bother him until he lost that 'stiff upper lip'.
"Perfect. Were you able to find anything, Kayla? Could you follow any vehicle leaving this building and pinpoint which way it went in the city?" More importantly, which way it left the city. The sorcerer doesn't say that though. Instead, he moves to the tray of deli sandwiches and grabs himself one. They're not generally his meal of choice, but he's not being fussy. His stomach is telling him he needs to eat, and to be able to stay awake and handle this? He needs food.
"Good work, Bainbridge. If we set you up with the NYPD's 3D crime scene program, do you think you can play it out so the rest of us can see it?"
~*~
"Yep, no problem." Kayla taps the screen to speed up one view of the cameras, and takes another bite of her sandwich. "I could do a lot better if New York had more traffic cameras, but I created a program that cross-references common routes and creates logical extrapolations from there." She learned a long time ago that getting too technical with her fellow Priory members only results in them giving her glazed eyed stares.
Kayla swaps the sandwich to bite into a pickle. "Gotta remember to thank Donovan for the food."
Beat.
"Oh, and FYI, Rory knows the Mister."
~*~
Rory gives the man a nod. "That wouldn't be a problem." He's not going to question why because even if there's not a lot that he can 'see,' there may be something that someone else can pick up if they see the scenario play out.
He taps the telephone in its plastic bag. "The last text looks like she was caught mid-text, however, from what I saw, she still had the phone in her hand when the intruders entered. I did see enough that I should be able to add in Miss Bishop and Mrs. Donovan to the re-creation."
Beat.
"Jenna Donovan sent over the food tray," Rory explains Kayla's food reference.
He didn't initially have time to process everything in the file, though the name 'Donovan' was familiar. Of course, it's not an uncommon name, and it was only once he was here and looking over everything that he connected the dots. It takes him a few moments between the late hour and still getting a handle on Kayla's speech patterns to figure out what she's referring to.
"I knew him when I was at MIT. He was a couple of years behind me, and I was his resident advisor."
~*~
"Once you are done, Kayla, take Lady to the guest room and try to get a bit of sleep. The dog seems to like you, and right now that is important. You can just have the printer spit out your findings."
Bryn isn't going to keep Rory up all night either, but there may be more he can get from the young man once Kayla's gone.
"I will send a proper thank you to Miss Donovan once this has all been sorted." And maybe, if he remembers, he'll have Kieran give her a bit of a raise. Biting into the sandwich, he moves to the laptops and leans over one. Pulling up the NYPD program, he glances back at Rory and frowns.
"It is all a little too close to home, I think. I grew up with Brooke Bishop." He's not going to go into all the details, though he's positive that Kayla at least knows them from his file.
~*~
"Will do." Kayla snaps off a salute to Bryn and goes back to her sandwich, the monitors and the puppy. Contrary to Rory's thoughts, she's not a robot. She's just learned to go and keep going on a few hours of sleep and plenty of caffeine. She gives the dog a gentle scratch under the chin. "You're just missing your momma, isn't that right girl? Yes, you are. We will have her home to you in no time. That's right, no time at all."
Beat.
"I'll tell Doris that you're eating, too." It's said completely off-handedly, but it's important to their nurse and resident mother that they all take care of themselves. Especially in the field.
~*~
"He's a good bloke from what I remember," Rory says with a nod. He wasn't married - obviously - when Rory knew him. He doesn't even think Harper was dating anyone, certainly not someone as pretty as his wife. The younger man was a bit of a loner though he was happy to talk about academics or debate things late at night when others were out getting pissed or stumbling home in their cups.
Rory grabs his chair and slides it back over to the laptop when Bryn pulls up the program. "Donovan left the ring on purpose," Rory says as he settles in and begins typing the parameters into the software application. "I think her last text message was meant to be some sort of SOS, but I doubt it was received that way."
~*~
"Bloody right we will," Bryn says with a grin. He's been saying it all along, but to hear Kayla say it so cheerfully and reassuringly to the dog makes him grin. He may even get her a little pet for the offices. It could help if they've got someone that needs help. Animals are the calming sort after all.
"Yes, let Doris know that my stomach absolutely refused to let me do anything else without a spot to eat." Winking at Kayla, he grabs another chair and slides to look at the screen while he eats.
"I think that was the assumption, but it is very good to have it verified." About the ring. Even if it wasn't the assumption, it's what he and Kevin told the Knights. If only to alleviate some of their worries. Remind them that their girl is smart and resourceful.
"Likely not. If it were, I am certain that someone would have received a call from him." From what he's understood from Rhett, there might be a little tension there as well. He doesn't voice that, but Bryn does think that Harper probably let the message slide.
~*~
"Likely better that he doesn't know as of yet," Rory remarks. "Not a whole lot he can do up in Boston except worry and there are plenty enough people who have that covered." Two worried parents, and possibly a set of worried in-laws if the information was shared with them is a good number of people fretting over the missing younger hybrid.
Rory isn't callous, but it's been drilled into him from a young age that professional distance is a must in their line of work. You can care and be sympathetic without being emotionally involved. It's not easy but it's necessary many times.
"A'right. I'm starting up the program now," Rory announces, tapping a few keys. "Our kidnappers pulled up across from the building and parked in a non-descript van. With a little more time, I may be able to track back a little more and see the inside of the van for clues, but I don't make any promises. They didn't leave a lot of impression behind after planting the device, though I was able to pull the rest in from the tea mug, the stove, the phone and the wedding ring."
It's taken Rory years to be able to ignore and/or sift through the information he receives when he touches objects. It's only in the last few years that he's been able to start 'branching' his ability, and finding traces of imagery and 'situational memory' left in places you wouldn't expect like shoes and walls and doorknobs.
~*~
"Four parents, and a group of friends. One of which was kind enough to ensure we were fed." Bryn is positive he'll have to thank Rhett for that later, though he's not at all comfortable with the man.
"I am going to assume white?" There are enough white vans in the city that are unmarked. Most are delivery vehicles, so it would be easy enough to pull up to a building and just wait there. No one would be suspicious of it.
"Were you able to pull the plates from anything? I think, right now, that would be our biggest help. The resources I have pooled have just managed to say it would be out of the city. One believes out of state, but barring Alaska and Hawaii, they could be on their way anywhere that has trees."
~*~
"I'll see what I can do." Rory sits back, allowing the software to run through the scenario. It plays almost exactly like what he 'sees' when he zeroes in on the various items that Miss Bishop and Mrs. Donovan came into contact with during the altercation. If one can call it an altercation.
"It was white, yes. Unmarked, but that's not always unusual. They also gained easy access to the building. Some of the tenants forget what secured building means and open the door for anyone who looks like they have a purpose."
Crossing the room again, Rory picks up the device and slides it out of the bag. He wraps it in his hand and sets the other hand to the back of the door. He closes his eyes and goes into the left behind imagery. From the outside it looks as though he's entered into a trance state, and in a sense, he has. His inner mental eyes is focused, shifting through the scene. Eyes move rapidly beneath closed lids and sometimes his head will turn or tilt. Every few moments he frowns in concentration.
Internally, Rory is inside the imagery. It's as though he's placed himself into a movie or virtual environment. He's able to pause and change angles, mentally circling around the objects and places in the picture. His eyes are a camera lens zooming in and out; not always successfully, but he gives it a good attempt.
"Maine plates …" Rory frowns, mentally stepping around to the back of the van. He slowly lists off the license plate, reciting it back to Bryn.
~*~
Bryn finishes his sandwich as he watches the scenario play out on the screen. There's a slight frown when he sees Brooke try to get Siobhan out of there and failing at it. He may not be able to see the magic, but he can tell from the way Siobhan simply stops that there is some in play; witch magic by the looks of it.
"Yes, well I do have a feeling that once Miss Bishop is found she will no longer be in residence here." Kieran isn't likely to let the woman out of his sight for at least a few weeks. Which means Brooke will be moving up exactly when she'll be moving in with the vampire.
The plate numbers are jotted down, and sent off in a text to Kevin. He will follow it up with a call shortly, just to ensure Kevin is still awake and can run the plates at this late an hour.
"Good work, Bainbridge. You should grab the couch and a few hours sleep as well. I know that trying to read so much in a short period of time is likely extremely tiring."
Clapping the younger man on the shoulder, he grins. The plates, and the vehicle may be stolen, but it is a good place to start. To correlate this particular data with anything Kieran and Serafine have found out. Cross reference with material from the Priory main office. See if there is a Sect group anywhere near where the owner of the van can be found.
~*~
"It's part of the job, yeah?" Rory asks. He stretches arms behind his back and rolls his shoulders. He's not going to lie that he is tired, and it's not just from the late hour. He did tax his pyschometric reading and could use with some sleep to recharge.
"What happens when we find them, Mr. Blackwell?" Rory settles on the couch, but doesn't stretch out yet. It's not going be as simple as charging in and snatching the women up.
~*~
"Depends how bad of a situation they are in, Bainbridge."
Beat.
"And do please call me Bryn. I am not that much older than you." Winking at the younger man, he drops back down into a chair by one of the computers. He can run through several theories and connect with the head of the Priory office in Maine.
"I would like to extract them without any fighting, but we all know that it is not a good probability that we will be able to do that. Especially when there are two sorcerer families, a Coven, and several vampires involved at this point."
That isn't even counting the 'younger' generation, who might want to take matters into their own hands.
"So I suppose we either take an hour or two to come up with a plan, or we let Collins go to town on whomever took his girlfriend, and allow the sorcerers to help."
"We won't know that until we find out who took them and why." Rory frowns as he considers. He doesn't know the lay of the land in the States as well as he does across the pond, and the motivations are plenty. "A warning, a message, revenge or an escalation in plans which brings us back to the original missing supernaturals."
As for warnings or revenge, then to whom? Collins? The Coven? It's clear from what he's seen that Siobhan Donovan was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Brooke Bishop was the original target. They've checked out Bishop's client list and can't find anything that tracks her to having enemies; she was either grabbed because she's a hybrid or as a move against Collins or the Coven.
It's like a dog chasing its tail and they're getting nowhere fast.
Rory hasn't questioned working with the vampires, since Collins has a vested interest in Bishop and he's smart enough to know that he shouldn't stir that pot. He also hasn't remarked on Blackwell's relationship with Roche, though he did speak to Detective Curtis and Colonel Ashford about it.
"I should go over those personal affects we collected from the other missing victims after I kip off for a bit. There may be something there I've missed that makes sense now."
As for letting a vampire have free reign over the kidnappers? Rory isn't sure how he feels about that, and he won't be certain until he learns whom they are and why they acted as they did.
~*~
"Precisely. No matter what plan we make now for extraction could change upon finding the location as well as who has taken them." Bryn really could care less about the why of it, except to decide how to handle the kidnappers.
"Brilliant idea, Rory. Though do, please, try to get some sleep. You may be taking a trip to Maine with me, and God knows when we will be able to get decent sleep once that happens."
The sorcerer has no such qualms in giving Kieran free reign. If it means rescuing the women, as well as anyone else who might still be alive? Then he's definitely all for it.
