From the moment Gavin showed Jason that video, a lot of things changed.
Actually, he had been working extra hard to make good on his promise to 'raze Sayer's to the fucking ground if Lein ever stepped foot in there ever again'. If he physically could not burn it down, then it only made sense to use every other means at his disposal to destroy the damned place. It was not much of a challenge, Sayer's was just that kind of place, there was always something and somehow he ended up with a State level prosecution.
Caleb had finally hooked his long awaited big fish and now it was time to get to work.
The restaurant Hank had asked Mari to come to was not a place either would visit without significant occasion. It was quiet, carrying a heavy air of affluence and oppression.
Someone was already waiting to guide her. As she walked down the halls, she tried her best not to peek into the rooms along the way until she got to her destination, while her mid tried to come up with a reason for her presence here.
After a few minutes, everyone necessary was present and seated.
The room was quiet and… somewhat grim.
At the round table sat Jason, Hank, Mari, Seth, Caleb, Elaine and Ian, a new face, known famously as a prosecutor second only to Elaine.
"Did you bring it?" Hank asked without explanation.
She nodded before fumbling with her bag with unsteady hands "Here, I brought a charger too."
"Thank you." He impatiently pushed the power button several times, but the device was unresponsive.
Caleb reached out to take both phone and charger "Let me". He scoured the room for a port.
Mari faced her husband with eyes full of questions, but he said nothing, simply taking her hand and giving it a firm squeeze. It is not that he wasn't as nervous or as full of questions either, since he received Jason's call, he had be moving on full instinct.
Elaine flashed the couple a charming smile, propped her elbows on the table and leaned forward "We intend to punish Rosalein's former acquaintances under the full extent of the law. Every single one who can be considered responsible for your son's tragedy..." She explained "...of course, that is just one of my objectives. It falls in line with my current case, but I will handle it just as seriously and with great care. This is Ian…" she gestured to the man beside her "…the other prosecutors are occupied at the moment, but I want to assure you that we are a very capable team."
While she explained Jason had his eyes fixed on the centre of the table, listening quietly.
The pair were stunned silent.
Although, Lein had ultimately broken down and narrated the whole ordeal to them, they had long resigned themselves to helplessness. Pursuing the affair in a legal sense did not exactly benefit them in any way, in fact, they were more convinced that it would simply shove Lein into the limelight, open him up to unnecessary public criticism and even more damnation. It was something they would rather not do but seated here, listening to Elaine's declaration, they were thrust into a state of conflicting emotions.
They wanted the people that hurt their child to pay but was it really worth the cost?
She read their expressions of doubt, repressed anger and hope "This is not out of the blue. This matter is something that has been planned very meticulously for months…" she tapped a well-manicured finger on the table "…a little over a year now, I believe. The opportunity to handle them has presented itself and I intend to take full advantage of it. I..." She placed a hand over her chest "...will bring the matter to light by the end of the week but rest assured, there are several strategies in place to keep Rosalein protected. He will not be dragged through the mud, nor will he suffer in any way, the prosecution will make sure of that." She straightened in her seat and gestured to the man to her right "I'm sure you have at least heard of prosecutor Ian, he will be the one of the prosecutors handling his case. The other is Denise, she too is a force to be reckoned with and I will oversee it. Seth..." She pointed at Seth, who gave a friendly nod to the couple "...is from drug enforcement, he will drop by in a few days to make speak with Rosalein and take his statement. Please make sure he is available and ready at such time. Before the official announcement is made, I will invite Rosalein to give both a witness and victim testimony." She threw a shrewd glance at Jason before rising. She gave another polite smile "I believe I will receive everyone's full cooperation on this matter." She gave Jason another look, longer this time "Wrap it up quickly."
He nodded.
Elaine led Seth and Ian out.
"He is getting better..." Every huffed word was punctuated with her now rising anger "...why would you drag him out… AND MAKE A PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF MY CHILD?!"
"Ma-"
"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO HIM?! HOW DARE YOU?!" she began to claw her way across the table, intending to rip Jason into shreds.
Hank took her by the shoulder and pushed her back into her seat before she could attack him in her fury.
"Mari, please calm down and listen to what they have to say."
She slapped his hands away "WHY ARE YOU LETTING THIS HAPPEN?!"
He held her shoulders firmly "LI-STEN."
She squeezed her small hands into tight trembling fists, casting chilling murderous gazes at everyone in the room including her own husband.
She was very reluctant, but she remained silent.
"If Rosalein is unwilling to be involved with this matter, I will make sure he isn't." Jason finally spoke up "He won't be hurt."
The two stared at each other for a moment, not willing to back down but Mari eventually caved in and looked away.
"The messages..." Hank started once he saw her concession "...can you look into them?"
There was a slight, almost unnoticeable shift in Jason's expression "Messages?"
"For some time, Rose… he has been receiving these..." He looked away "...some very unsettling messages. We're always worried that they would evolve into something else."
"No problem." He nodded, glanced at the clock. There was still the other meeting in the next room, he had to be there. His jaw tensed for a second "Tomorrow, Caleb will introduce you to the lawyers. Please, prepare Rosalein accordingly. As for the messages…" his eyes drifted to the phone in the corner "…I will look into them." He gave a humble nod, stood and followed Elaine's path.
Caleb, who had been holding his breath the whole time, finally had the chance to breathe. He never thought the meeting would play out this way. Another punch from Hank was a possibility but Mari actually trying to physically attack Jason?
It was insane.
He escorted the couple out, stating that he and the lawyers would show up at their doors at ten in the morning, not a minute later.
The next morning, Lein saw his parents sitting at the dining table, they often had breakfast together, that wasn't unusual. What was unusual was that Hank and Mari weren't speaking to each other. It had been that way since last night.
When Hank tried to reason with her about how it might be a good thing, she stubbornly refused to listen.
"Rose, you stay home today."
Mari visibly stiffened.
"Why?"
"Important guests will stop by and you need to be here."
"...okay…" He looked from one parent to the other "Who's coming?"
"Your lawyers." Hank answered matter-of-factly.
Mari slammed her hands into the table "He never said he wanted to do it!" Her quiet rage boiled over "Why are you deciding this for him?!"
Lein was shocked, he knew his parents argued but it was never so open and so in his face. He glanced at the door, choosing between broaching the matter cautiously or making an escape "What is happening?"
Hank sighed and put down his cutlery "Yesterday, Jay informed us that those people... That group will be prosecuted for what they did to you. The lawyers he arranged will be here soon."
"If you don't want to do it, then you don't have to." She added frantically "No one will force you or decide for you."
His heart beat so violently against his chest, he thought it would break out of its cage and drop to the floor. He couldn't hear a word that came after over the sound. His breathing shallowed, his chest felt heavy as he was overcome a sense of dread. He jumped to his feet, and the chair fell backward with a thud. Both parents stared at him with growing concern. He ran to his room and slammed the door shut.
"Ro-Rose?" Mari's concerned voice came through the door after a minute.
He could vaguely make out a sound, but he couldn't hear anything. It was like his head had been submerged in his terror. His knees gave way and he sunk to the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees and tucked his chin into his chest, shutting his eyes tightly.
Not this, not like this. This was basically his worst fear brought to light.
Ten in the morning, and not a minute before and not a minute later, the doorbell rang. The lawyers led by Caleb, Hillary and Patrick had arrived.
Hank offered them a seat courteously "He is... The news was a bit sudden. If you don't mind waiting."
Hillary shook her head "Not a problem, we don't mind at all. Take all the time you need."
Hank returned to Lein's room, almost an hour had passed but he still had not recovered.
Mari, who was on her knees, spared a second to throw him a dirty look before guiding Lein to breathe properly. She patted and stroked his back gently "That's it..." She encouraged "...breathe in, count to five and exhale. Slowly."
He crouched by the mother-son pair "Will you be alright? Should I ask them to leave?"" His questions earned him the annoyed look of his wife. He sighed and straightened "I'll tell them to leave." He had hoped Lein would take this step.
"No!" A panicked, shaky voice cried out.
He stared at the still panicked Lein scrambling to his feet, abruptly shaking off Mari's hands .
"I'll go."
He could see his discomfort from his trembling body; hear the sense of dread in his voice; see in his eyes, the apprehension he felt within. A frightened Lein was one he was very unfamiliar with, he could say without doubt that he had seen his son in his most pathetic state but never terrified. He slowly began to regret going along with this.
"I'll… I'll talk to them." If this was something Jason had prepared for him, it was probably worth doing.
Mari came to her feet "You can just say no. Noone can force you to do it."
Hank glanced sideways at her. Technically, he could be compelled to appear in court, but this was not the time to point that out.
Lein took a deep breath "No, I'll go."
The trio emerged, wearily.
Mari thoughtfully laid out refreshments.
Several minutes of uncomfortable silence passed.
Hillary cleared her throat "I'm Hillary and this is Patrick, we are the heads of the legal team that have been assembled to aid you..." She explained as she fished out a business card from her bag "...today, we're just here to speak with you and explain what you can expect during the course of the proceedings."
Lein gave a small nod to indicate he was listening.
"The messages from your phone are still being analysed..." She trailed off when she saw the look of confusion that crossed his face as he stared at his parents. They both averted their gazes "...your phone has been admitted into evidence. Were you not aware?"
The idea that those messages would probably be seen by Jason almost made him have another panic attack.
Mari immediately handed him a glass of water.
He accepted but didn't drink, he was overcome with nausea, he couldn't even swallow his own saliva.
"Is this too much for you?" Patrick asked with concern.
The water in the glass slipped over slightly, Lein quickly placed it on the coffee table and wiped his hands on his pants "Those messages, did he see them?"
The two lawyers exchanged a look, they were very aware of who the 'he' was.
"Nevermind, it doesn't matter anymore." He whispered. That was the worst of it.
Hillary shifted in her seat "I believe there are a few things you should be made aware of. There are ongoing civil lawsuits, concerning the matter of the videos that were illegally filmed and distributed."
"There was only one video." Lein corrected.
"No, there are several videos of you and Mr. Nolte…" Hillary struggled a little "...pictures, too."
"I-I didn't know there were any others..." He said in a lifeless voice.
Patrick nodded "Given the nature of... the investigation into the origin of one video led to the discovery of the others. Mr. Nolte's current civil lawsuit will be put on hold and everything we have gathered will be handed over to the prosecution."
"Nolte?" Hank asked "Who is that?"
"Jay…" Lein scratched his temple "Jason Nolte, it's not…" he huffed "…I'll explain later."
Mari was fuming "He filed a lawsuit in a matter involving Lein, without telling him?"
"No, no, no..." Hillary answered quickly "...it was just to make the evidence admissible for the prosecution. We can't really divulge much but please trust that we are operating with the full intention of getting the best possible outcome for both Lein and Mr. Nolte."
Hank hummed in understanding.
"We... Is it possible for you to make yourself available for the rest of the week?" Patrick asked "We have to prep you for-"
"What if he doesn't want to do it?" Mari blurted out.
The two lawyers exchanged another look.
"That is... Even if he doesn't want to, he will be compelled to do so."
She looked to Hank with eyes full of questions and resentment "What do they mean compelled to do so?"
Hank looked away.
Hillary stepped forward to offer an explanation "This is a state level case. If the Prosecutor's office summons him, given the nature of his last job as well as his relationship with persons of interest and the incident that put him in the hospital, he will have to answer, and it would be very difficult to guide him then." She cautiously rose and approached Mari, crouching beside her "I assure you, our primary goal..." She placed a calm firm hand over the petite woman's clenched fist "...this whole affair is to ensure your son will not be made a victim another time and to make every one of them pay." She wasn't just speaking for Mari's benefit, she was speaking as one who understood the extent and the sheer volume of the malice that had been directed at Lein.
When they left, the family of three wallowed in the looming sense of dread of what was to come. Lunch was forgotten but dinner was not. Although, no one could stomach a morsel.
Hank looked at Lein "So? Nolte?"
Lein slumped in the chair, gazing at the stack of papers the lawyers had left behind "That's his name."
"You said he was…" he looked to Mari "Why did we think he was Jay Rockwell? We've met his family at Ethan's wedding."
She ignored him and cleared the table. Clearly, she was still upset with him.
This identity was entirely engineered, intentionally or not, by Alexei, who just went about introducing the person, Jason Nolte, as his brother Jay.
Was it done with malice?
Yes… but just a little. Alexei seemed to enjoy it but being the person, he was, Jason simply went along with it. Encountering few occasions where he actually had to use his real name, one of which was the time he had showed Lein his health report and later handed him business card, only for it to be casually tossed aside. He mused at the memory, he couldn't believe that he had thought Jason was one of them.
"It's just… it doesn't matter. He was adopted, he doesn't really talk about it."
"Oh… I see."
The house quietened for a few hours.
"Should we close down the cafe and gym?" Mari asked, it wasn't a sudden question.
They had all been thinking about how this new wave would impact them.
"Should... Should I stop going to school?" Lein asked with uneasiness.
Hank looked up to face them "No." He said firmly "We will remain as we always have."
The next day, Hillary and Patrick returned, this time to help Lein prepare Seth's impending arrival.
"I'm sure you have been informed about this, but I will explain again..." Patrick explained to the trio, who were listening with full attention "...this is essentially a state prosecution against drug distributors and suppliers, especially those involved with Rush II. There will be multiple trials running parallel to each other. In this way, the focus will not solely be on you but on the activities of the group, of which, you are a direct victim. You will also have to testify to what you witnessed while you worked at the bar because the institution is also being brought to court. Do you understand?"
Lein scratched the back of his neck "…I guess?"
Mari raised a hand "I don't really... Why is this happening suddenly? Why now?"
Patrick nodded "Are you aware of the actors with the recent drug scandal where a few people ended up in the ICU?"
She nodded eagerly.
"That was because of Rush II, although the incident wasn't contained and became public knowledge, drug enforcement was already looking into them at the time..." He looked at her expectantly, continuing only after he was certain she understood "...this led to a series of events that exposed several distribution chains. They are the part of the people facing criminal charges."
She leaned forward and whispered "How does this affect Rose?"
"A few supply and distribution channels actually run through the bar Sayer's, and some members of the Bohemians are persons of interest. Over the course of the investigation, the group itself eventually evolved into an object of interest as well. If Lein testifies, it will be both a direct victim and a witness as he was persecuted viciously by the group and did work at the bar. He has knowledge of the operations of both entities. The prosecution would regard him as a very valuable asset." He looked at Mari "The group also had quite a few things that sparked the prosecution's interest."
She nodded "I understand." She exhaled audibly through her mouth "…what of the person that fed him the drug?"
"Eddie? He was actually apprehended shortly after the incident. He too will be put on trial, along with the actors."
Mari gave a satisfied nod "About the trials..." This was the first of the many... many questions that Patrick patiently answered. This session lasted almost two hours. He was already parched when Hank decided it was best to interrupt her.
At this time, Hillary took over.
"We have been informed that tomorrow afternoon, you will be invited to drug enforcement. We don't have enough time but I'm sure we can handle it."
Lein readily gave her all his attention.
And Patrick was dragged into another Q&A session with Mari.
#The Bohemians #
XXX users
Online: XX
#B9: shit's bn real dead lately.
#A2: crack down and stuff
#B13: yea
#B13: those actors fucked up big time.
#O14: ooh I saw that. It was crazy. Exactly what did they use?
#A8: heard it was r2
#B2: that messed up shit? Fuck! That's insane.
#B2: there company apparently threw them under the bus and then a lot of people got implicated. 🤣.
#B2: those rich fuckers had it coming.
#B9: Bluestar is so cold🥶🥶🥶
#A7:...
#A7: heard some people are still in the ICU
#O9: dat shit is diabolical
#O9: glad we dont use it. Nasty stuff 🤮
#B12: does that mean Lein was in the hospital for a long time?
...
#A9: @#O2 is usually the one with all the gossip
#A9: ask him
#O1: he ghosted us. ddnt u notice??
#O7: he's still on here tho
#B9: that dude hasnt been active for months
#B9: how did u just notice
#B15: oh... abt dat…
#B15: y'all won't believe this shit
#B15: apparently….. he was getting his ass sued 😂
##:🤣
##:😂😂
##:😂🤣
#O7: but serious business
#O7: y?
#B15: dunno c
#B15: couldnt be bothered to ask
#O6: legal trouble? There's been a lot of that going around
#O6: I've got the gist
#O6: so…. #O10 and #O13 got into a fight
#O6: like an actual serious physical combat fight...
#O6: #O10 was actually sent to the hospital.
#O6: when she came back she tried to sue him, he broke her nose and sent her to the hospital again
#B8: that is actually fucking HILARIOUS!
#B9: aren't they like besties?
#O15: nah... #O10 is really just a bitch. Happy she got her face reset
#A13: lol. Why were they fighting?
#B13: probably an alpha 🙄🙁
#B10: always acting like they're in heat😒
#A12: lol. That's hilarious
#A19: I don't get it.
#A19: they didn't have to fight
#A19: there's lots of alphas to go around
#A19: they can even pair up... Like a two for one deal
#A12: 🤣🤣🤣 you bastard!
#B13: what's so special about alphas anyway
#A14: someone's feeling jelly
#B19: don't.
#B13: heh.
....
....
#B3: actz, #O13 is gettn sued too. dtz prbbly y
#B15: by #O10?
#B3: no
#B3: chill...
…
#B3: Remember those videos of Lein that everyone kept sharing?
#B3: those somehow ended up with his boyfriend
#B3: so... yea.
#A16: fxxk that's wild
#O6: but why is he the one getting sued?
#B3: they're both getting sued but like on different levels
#B3: couldn't get the full details
#O9: if they're getting sued because of those videos, then... What of #O2?
#A11: how did no one know about any of this
#B2: isn't his boyfriend… like super rich?
#B2: guess life's good when you have money
#A7: if things are getting legal, do we also get in trouble?
#A19: 😂 it's time to lawyer up
#B10: @A7 we didn't make the videos
#B10: so why would we get in trouble
#B11: 🤣 how could Lein be with someone so stuck up. It was just a video
#O16: they were getting hot and bothered in the parking lot
#O16: isn't that on them?😒
#O6: I checked online, we might get in trouble
#A14: what is he going to do? Sue everyone?
#A14: lol. Is his middle name money?
#A18: mine is… I'm going to sue everyone 🤧
#A23: well if he could settle with a wretched slut like Lein
#A23: what was he expecting to happen
#O16: I hope we dont get dragged into this.
##: same
##: same
##: same
...
In another chatroom…
#A2: y'all know about the subpoena, don't you?
#A3: yup
#A4: yup
#A1: heard some serious shit is going down at the prosecution. People getting fried
#B1: yo! Has anyone seen that shithead?
#B3: he just disappeared
#A4: he was arrested before all this started
#A1: seriously?
#A4: tried to run
#A4: dude didn't even make it far
#A2: but the crackdown hadn't started then
#A4: Lein's boyfriend is a crazy scary dude.
#A4: A few years ago family was at an event where the dude showed up with his brother
#A4: had everyone quaking in their boots like they were about to shit themselves
#A4: my bro was all if you wanna get completely fucked just cross them
#A4: my guess is, this whole thing started long before
#A4: so basically, Bohemians and Sayer's are fucked
#B3: why now??
#B3: the Lein thing was over a year ago
#A4: guess that's just how he is, my case is settled. I'm taking #O8 and #O3 with me
#A4: was only in this for them and the easy juice anyway
#A4: I hope y'all have your own plans
#A2: why didn't you say anything?
#A2: if you knew who his bf was, you should have said something
#A4: I did
#A4: remember telling y'all to back down a couple of times though
#A1: you could have just said who he was
#A4: and get a beatdown for those shitheads?
#A4: No thanks. I tried my best, told y'all to shut up and delete the videos
#A4: not my fault no one listened 🤷♂️
#B3: how did you get yourself sorted out?
#A4; dude, when my bro told me shit was going down, I hightailed it to the Prosecutor's office with my babies
#B1: that's not cool.
#A4: dude, the bloodhound is heading the case.
#A4: u know how she is
#A4: u must be fucking insane
...
#A2: if I go in voluntarily, I can cut a deal right?
After the Prosecutor General finished his address he stepped aside for Elaine.
She took the stage, her usual polished and well-groomed appearance bore little signs of casual carelessness. Her hair which was usually combed, styled and pinned with a near-sniper like precision was loosely bundled into a ponytail which swung freely with each step; the sleeves of her blouse had been rolled up, just above her elbows with a few buttons undone; her face mostly bare, minimal make-up; though she was a tall woman with a commanding presence, she still wore heels making her tower even more above the crowd of excited reporters. She stopped not behind the podium but at the side, presenting a picture of power with the state flag as backdrop. She propped an elbow on the edge of the podium, leaning her temple heavily into her fingers, watching quietly, the agitated crowd below her.
Ten seconds, the crowd fell into a tense hush.
She let out an audible exhale before speaking in a calm steady tone, ignoring the mic "Some eight- nine years ago, I cleaned up the mess that was Rush II. Perhaps, I was not thorough enough..." She stood taller, lowered her hand onto the podium, drumming her well-manicured fingers against the hard wood, one after the other in rapid succession, appearing to be in a deep state on contemplation as she observed the faces of those below her. She spoke again after a few seconds, only this time, with a cold chill-inducing voice tinged with underlying burning fury "...I will fulfill my duty this time. That thing, Rush II, is a scourge. Something to be eradicated. No more victims will be made. I will hunt down every chemist, every supplier and every distribution channel. If I get, even just a whiff of the residue on your hands I will come after you. This marks the beginning of the end of the terror that is of Rush II. For those concerned, reconcile with your friends and families, you will not be seeing them for a long time..." Her demeanour shifted suddenly, softening as she stared directly into the cameras "As for those who have been victimized, I apologize. On behalf of the state and myself, we have failed you once, it will not happen again. You will be vindicated, your assaulters will be punished, and you will receive justice. I swear on my name and the very power my office holds that not only will your voice be heard but you will be protected. Do not be afraid to step forward and point out those who have hurt you." She gave a nod of acknowledgement to the journalists, ignoring their calls and questions and began to walk away stopping just a few from the stairs, she returned her focus to the crowd once more. She tapped her forefinger against her temple, as though she just remembered something "While I was investigating, particular groups caught my eye. The Bohemians, Dionys and the likes? Not sure if anyone is familiar with such an organization..." She stated casually "...if you are, please feel free to visit my office or await my summons." She gave another curt nod and walked away.