Post by Mikaela Holden on May 27, 2016 8:54:25 GMT
Location: The Dive
Characters: Willow Dunne, Tomas Esteban, Ernesto Morales, Mikaela Holden, Sam Thompson
Daria Daynes: Despite the fact that the Memorial Day Bash did not officially start till the following night, crowds were already gathering. This filled local businesses with customers be it bars, diners, even the stores. Willow attended to some last minute details, made sure that those higher up than her had the information they needed for a successful weekend, and now she was taking a moment off to just turn her brain off. She had several days of being Miss Happy Nice Nice forthcoming, it was bound to be exhausting. Dark hair tied back in a loose knot at the nape of her neck, simple summer dress that moved in the night breeze but, for once, only came to her knees instead of full length as she tended to favor. Short sleeved, button down shirt tied at her middrift. High enough the beginnings of the scar on the right side could be seen cutting upward, vanishing under the skirt. Anyone that knew what they were looking at would know a knife wound when they saw it. Old, healed, still there. She headed toward the Dive to unwind, have a drink, maybe even be social. Possible. Stranger things happened. Hazel eyes glanced about for anyone she knew as she headed in toward a table. -d
malos mares: Due to the fact that missing shipments had meant a whole Hell of a lot more work for him, and a whole Hell of a lot more heat to withstand from his superiors, one of the things Ernesto shouldn't be doing is spending a leisurely evening at the Dive, sampling the awesome food. With part of the usual crew missing, his workload had doubled (although the compensation for said work remained so negligible an amount he may as well have had chains on his ankles-- suffice it to say he's not getting a raise for picking up slack). He did this work without complaint, which tonight had been making deliveries. The truck had been parked behind the building, and he had unloaded many sizeable boxes, cleverly disguised as liquor and food--the sorts of things that were normally delivered regularly to a thriving restaurant. It was a little lighter than the usual loads, given the circumstances, but still took the better part of an hour considering he was alone in this. When everything was stowed safely and secretly away, he locked up the truck and returned inside, casting a troubled sort of look about the place. Ben seemed preoccupied with patrons and so Ernesto lingered near the edge of the bar looking for someone he might have a word with. [d]
Spots on a Peach: ~With another day in the books, Sam was able to officially cross gutting a pig off her imaginary list of things she'd never thought she'd ever be doing, but truth be told...it hadn't been that bad. The trick was to look at things in a mechanical nature, just cut there, twist that, pull here...and while it may have been tolerable from a mental aspect, cutting up Wilbur had left her without much of an appetite...but it was back and in spades. And since she was still trying to happenstance her way into finding Kae to find out if one of those studio rooms was still available, and partially with the hope of running into Molly, either of them, The dive was the place to be. On in through the door, fresh from the eatery, which meant Sam still carried a bit of the work grunge with her, while she was getting better at remembering to wear the damn apron, white v-neck was still spotted with bits of dried blood, as well as the sides of her jeans...which mostly served as handy napkins when things got messy. A quick glance about the room didn't turn up English Molly, and with Ben standing behind the bar, it didn't seem Irish Molly was about either...pout of the bottom lip, but it wasn't gonna stop her from making a Bee line to the bar and claim one of the empty stools for herself, sure there were other people around, but at present Sam's only concern laid with Ben and a drink.~ "Lagunitas, big one. Thanks" ~Quick and to the point, no point in small talk since there were plenty of bar flies already for that.~(D)
Daria Daynes: Willow was actually drinking tea tonight, instead of brandy. The warmth of the day left tea sounding plain good. She watched the people milling about, entering, leaving. Watching people was part of the job to be sure. It was also very entertaining, really! She sipped her tea enjoying the cooler air inside the Dive. Her hazel eyes noticing Sam's arrival. Hey, she did not wrinkle her nose at the bits of blood at least. She nods to Sam should Sam chance to glance her way. Ernesto also caught her attention. She had seen him with Tomas, though Tomas had not introduced them best of her recollection. Maybe he had, she had been pretty wore out that night. Man seemed a bit lost by his expression, or at least ill at ease, so Willow lifted a hand in subtle wave to him. Not some over the top, arm flopping wave either. Willow had more class than that! Just a little lift of hand then drop to the table. Wave accompanied by a smile and nod to him. She was not even sure he was part of the Network, though his talking to Tomas implied he was. They were in..different departments, so to speak, Willow and Ernesto. -
in walks death: Well, hadn't today been unexpected and fruitful. Let's not exactly worry about the particulars, because they were somewhat exhaustive and undermining. There's nothing good to be said about snatching an alleged thief out from under their noses... but that's... kind of exactly what Tomas Esteban did earlier that evening. He'd been waiting to have a meeting with one of his dealers when he had spotted the vice detective who was sticking her nose in places it didn't belong. He followed her into one of those bullshit little gift shops that carry the same crap every gift shop ever carries, and about sixty seconds later, men with guns burst into the shop. Now, long story short, Tomas might not have given a shit if it wasn't for the string of uncommon robberies going about, some of which were very obviously aimed at The Network, and an even longer story short, after letting the cop pursue the second gunman, Tomas ended up bashing one of the men's heads with a door and stuffing him in the bed of his nondescript Chevy. Don't worry, it has a hard-top bed cover for just such occasions. At present, Tomas was jerking the truck to a stop not in the regular parking areas of the Dive -- hell, he typically didn't even drive to the Dive, he was well within walking distance -- and the man hopped out. He was a little keyed up, it showed simply in the tense way he held
in walks death: himself and moved for the back entrance into The Dive. Dark hair and skin was a little slick from having been dragging dead wight around, but it was nothing new, just an inconvenient truth about living in Florida.
malos mares: While Ernesto might've been familiar with many faces in and around the Dive, he was not on speaking terms with most. He was almost always exclusively here on business and rarely lingered for more than one drink, if that at all. When Willow lifted a brief, cordial wave to him his lips pressed together in a mechanical smile and he nodded. Were he here under incredibly different circumstances, Willow would have found him to be quite the social butterfly, but over the course of the last six years he had become little more than a diligent little worker bee. He looked on edge, vaguely worried. Green and brown eyes lifted from the woman when movement caught them and he spied Tomas on the way in. The man appeared to be in a similarly agitated mood. Given the current state of affairs amidst the cartel it's no wonder. He's just holding up the bar at the moment.[d]
paradise and sin: From the bellows of the office, where air conditioning and itty bitty living space lived supreme, Mikaela Holden drifted into the bar -- where the air held far more humidity than the artificial above, and the vibe was far more friendlier than four close walls. Doe eyes hurt like a bitch. Computer screens and Kae were not the best of friends, and she'd been squinting at the thing for far too long. Not to mention the crick in her back from leaning over the thing. A break was a welcome thing, but for several moments she'd stood at the railing above the bar, leaning there casually and watching the goings on. It wasn't until Tomas came in, with that brooding face of his and the sheen of perspiration gleaning at his brow, that she moved. Trailing around to the stairs that took her down below, and to the bar. Behind it even; smoothing a hand over Ben's shoulder to signal he could go take a break. The willow tall blonde wore clothes cause JR is fucking busy as hell. brb. -d
Spots on a Peach: "My hero." ~Words were offered to Ben when the beer was set in front of her, not surprisingly, the quip didn't earn so much as even a grunt in response...maybe he was still mad about the chocolate milk? Anyways, off he went to do Ben things, mostly cause Kae had come to relieve him. On to the beer! Both hands secured a hold on the glass, plucking it from its place, seemingly oblivious to all the ongoing's...hell even faces had faded out or surely she would have bounded out of her stool to pester the Aussie with the Joke she ran out of time to tell her last time, not that she probably wanted to hear it then, or now. Cheers anyways, the glass was raised to waiting lips and given a greedy tilt...was there anything more refreshing than the bitter bite of an IPA after a long day? Oh shit, Kae was there! Why it had taken that long to click was beyond her, equate it to being tired.~ "Hey Mikaela, got a second?" ~Sure she'd only talked to the woman for a total of ten minutes since she'd been in town, but there was no point in not being blunt in the name of resolving certain issues.~(D)
Daria Daynes: Tomas' arrival was noticed. His sunny disposition seemed to be dimmer than usual today by the way he was carrying himself. It was not a good sign. She did nod to him if he happened to glance her way. Tea lifted for another drink and when the waitress came her way, she ordered food. Actual, real food. Steak, taters, and if it was fresh, some asparagus. She was hungry. Been a bitch of a day, but per usual, Willow gave little to no outward showing of her own mood. In her line of work, hiding the stress was point one. No one paying her thousands of dollars to arrange an event wanted to see the planner stressed. Ernesto's smile was noticed as well. The smile seemed dull, but he also seemed moody, so she took no offense at all. Her fingers tapped the glass, and when Kae showed up Willow broke her silence. Why? Cause her table was not far from the bar, "Evening." She nodded to Kae. Waved to Ben as he took his break. Man worked hard, at all hours, he deserved a break time to time! Fact he was damn good looking had NOTHING to do with why Willow's eyes followed him. Not one bit! -d
in walks death: The Puerto Rican stalked in through the back entrance of the Dive, and his eyes searched the people around. The man was on a fucking mission. Tomas's version of 'sunny disposition' being, of course 'not breaking any femurs today', and judging by the way black brows sat flat across his eyes and the perpetual little scowl that turned his mouth downward, on the 'sunny' radar, today was something like a Cat 5 hurricane. He spotted Ernesto keeping the bar from flying off and he stalked off in the Belizean man's direction, passing Mikaela on the way. "I'm borrowing the freezer," It wasn't a request, it wasn't a 'hey, you got a sec so I can ask you something?' He was just telling her what was happening. Sure, he noticed other people there, at the bar, taking up spaces and stools, but poor Ernesto Morales was the only person on his radar, which probably made the already nervous kid that much more nervous. Tomas's hand clasped down on the other Latino's shoulder. "Necesito tu ayuda," Whatever assistance Tomas needed, it probably didn't sound like anything Ernesto actually wanted to do, but once the order was given, Tomas was moving back the way he had come.
malos mares: A look was spared for Mikaela when she came wandering in but his attention was taken wholly by Tomas when the man came to him with orders. His relationship with Tomas was tenuous on good days. Today was decidedly not a good day. With that said, his olive complexion blanched a little at the notion of having to follow the man out of the illusion of sanctuary provided by the crowded Dive. Nevertheless, he did remove himself from the bar and follow, swallowing against the lump in his throat. The last time Tomas had singled him out in such a manner had resulted in a few broken bones. His arm still hurts thinking about it. Once they were out of sight and out of earshot he hurried to catch up with Tomas and assured him in his unusual creole lilt, "I didn't have nothing to do wi'da missing shipment--fu chroo." Which is what he can only assume is the purpose of this. Honestly, though Ernesto had more reason than most to do wrong by the Network, for all the wrong that they had done by him, he had never broken ranks, never been caught skimming, double dealing. He was dedicated to working off his debt, which ultimately was to his detriment because good workers are rarely let loose.[d]
paradise and sin: So. Clothes, right? The dress was little more than a bathing suit cover; dark teal in it's color and embroidered with gold thread in an intricate design along the hem, and the deep plunge down the center that bared torso and the connecting string between the triangles of a metallic gold bikini. Too short to wear nothing beneath, she'd slipped on a pair of tattered white denim shorts before coming to the Dive earlier in the night, seen through the sheer of the dressy top, who's hem stopped barely an inch below the shorts. So many voices rose up her way damn near the second she crossed the threshold behind the square bar, and with Sam on first and closest, Mikaela leaned over from the business side of things from where the tattooed femme sat. "What can I do for you, darlin'?" Then there was Willow, and she earned herself a lean back and a drawled out, "Heeeey girl .. " And Tomas? She didn't -- and wouldn't ever -- question his need for her freezer, but she did have one thing to say about it. "Don't you dare touch that Mahi I've got in there on ice, Tomas Esteban." Pretty light browns trailed his approach to Ernesto, and settled on the Belizean for a lingering look that traveled when they moved, but before they were out of the bar, she was already back to Sam; brows raised in curiosity. -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Gaze darted from Kae at the appearance of Tomas, and for half a second she felt like checking her phone to see if she'd missed a text, fuck it...he seemed busy and it was always best to let sleeping dogs lie. Another sip from the beer and focus was right back on the blonde standing behind the bar.~ "I vaguely recall you saying something about having rooms upstairs that you rent out, or was I just imagining things?" ~That night was still mostly just a blur of poor decisions.~(D)
Daria Daynes: The exchange between Ernesto and Tomas was noticed but not paid mind to, at least not that anyone would notice. She knew better than to get too curious. Instead she turned hearing Kae's greeting. Her steak arrived, though, and she went for it eagerly. Ladylike of course! But eagerly. She glanced over, Sam was talking about a room, so Willow would not interrupt, she did however shoot Kae a wink! -d
in walks death: "No promises," Was shouted back over his shoulder at Mikaela's request that he not fuck up her fish or whatever in there. He didn't give a flying fuck right now. The moment they were out of the general presence of the rest of the group, Tomas was turning to walk backwards, ready to say something to Ernesto, but his former processor was already on the defensive. He realized, then, what this may have looked like, and he shook his head at the younger man. "No,no, no," He said quickly to dispel Ernesto's concerns. "Pretty sure you learned your lessons about being a moron," He spoke in haste. Tomas had a pretty vague distrust for everyone, he had little moments of paranoia, they popped up here and there if anyone was observant enough to watch him, he was pretty confident, when it came to Morales, that he wasn't that stupid. The man was too scared to be stupid, most of the time, too focused on getting out, as it were. Tomas kind of knew better, knew it wasn't ever going to work out for him, but he wasn't one of his direct employees, anymore, so it was out of his purview. "You got any twine or rope or zip ties in your truck?" He asked, though, turning back to go to his own vehicle, frowning at the tunk, tunk, tunk emitting from the inside of the covered bed. Looks like Sleeping Beauty is up.
malos mares: The wide-eyed, worried look he was giving Tomas was only vaguely dispelled by the reply he had garnered. While he didn't exactly share the stand point that searching for his sister made him a moron, he had in fact toned himself down enough over the years that he was no longer someone worth keeping an eye on. He might just be a rat in a maze at this point but at least he's not the sort that keeps going for the electrified cheese. At any rate, once they got outside he did give the back lot a quick look around for anything suspect. What was suspect turned out to be coming from Tomas' own vehicle. He eyed it up with apprehensive curiosity, no stranger to the sort of business he was involved in but it still never sat well with him. He nodded though and retreated to the large work truck for a moment. He climbed up into the cab and checked the glove box and when that yielded nothing of particular use he strayed around back and lifted the sliding door of the trailer and climbed inside and started unclipping the straps which were used to secure loads and keep them from sliding back and forth on the truck bed. The smuggler slipped back out of the truck, pulled the door down and latched it before walking back to Tomas' truck with about twenty feet or so of blue ratchet lashings. It would have to do. [d]
paradise and sin: Mikaela sighed softly. "He's gonna touch my Mahi," the tone lamented the defilement of her fish, but they lived in a place where there was a bounty of such things. All you needed was patience and a spear! .. Or a boat and a line! Or a net! The casual lean she'd taken lifted with the straightening of her spine, and she edged a little closer to the end of the bar -- ready to dart back into the kitchen when whatever was out there was brought in to help open the freezer should hands be full -- but for the most part Sam had her attention. "I do. I told you the particulars, right? Five hundred a month, including utilities. Has a small kitchen, private bath. Furnished." Hope Sam likes sea-green and coral! -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~No touch da fishy, The defeated little sigh from Kae and subsequent comment she would have been close enough to have heard, and while she'd been on the verge of making a pun just for her own sake, but the moment had passed.~ "Uh, you might have...to be honest, it doesn't really matter. so long as its got four walls and the door locks." ~It wasn't like she was looking for the lap of luxury. Although, a fully furnished studio was certainly a step up from what she was expecting, half having resigned herself to splurging for a cheap blow up pool raft for a bed.~ "Five hundred, security deposit too? does it got an external entrance?" ~Something about traipsing her way through the bar each time didn't seem all that appealing, but for the con...there was a big pro, cause who didn't want a bar for their living room?(D)
Daria Daynes: Willow had zip ties, but no one thought to ask the woman who had to run around hanging up signs and banners as part of her day to day routine. Of course, they were in her trunk, in her work box. Oh well. She laughed a bit hearing Kae's mournful sigh about the Mahi, "At least it is not Chilean Sea Bass. That would be truly tragic." She had no idea why Tomas was going to ruin Mahi, and more to the point, she had no intention of asking! Not her business, and Willow learned a long, long time ago how to stick to her pay grade. She finished her meal, paid for it of course. Tip for her server. "You need to come out earlier, Kae." She waved. It was time for her to head off, sleep up for the big weekend. "See you this weekend." -d
in walks death: Tomas too, gave the area a quick once over. They were prettty in the clear on this side of the resturant and bar -- which was why he parked on the side he chose. Like a good little worker bee, Ernesto wandered off to find something for Tomas to use, and the dealer closed in on his truck, wandering out to the front to yank one of the wooden Louisville sluggers from under the seat -- never aluminum, kids. The head of the bat was slammed somewhat
paradise and sin: Tell that to Molly.
in walks death: forcefully against the bed of the truck nearest the cab, and Tomas dragged it along the side as he wandered lazily towards the tailgate while he waited around for Ernesto to come back. He heard the surprised little gasp on the inside, you dickhead. When the younger man showed up with the tow straps, Tomas's head tilted a little curiously, a thoughtful, "Hmm," Slipped from his lips, and ol' faithful was abandoned for a moment, tossing the bat up onto the truck-bed's hardtop cover and he reached out for the strap, examining the latch -- assuming it's one of those hand pump ones, y'know what I mean? He gave the thing a little swing, not unlike he was about to whip out a grappling hook and a kind of cruel smile split the lips of a man who never should. "Abrir el portón trasero."
malos mares: It was indeed the sort of belts with the metal clasps that he had brought. In a pinch they would serve well enough to tie some one up but apparently the buckles attached to the one end had inspired Tomas. If it were at all possible, Ernesto's face paled a little more while he watched the man swing the belt. He certainly did not want to be hit with that thing and so without any further hesitation, he opened the back of the truck. Inside the man, whom Ernesto does not recognize, immediately tried to get up and get away. Despite the fact that he wanted little to do with whatever grisly business Tomas had in mind, the immigrant still grappled the stranger into submission. Ernesto is not a big man, but he was wily and strong enough from manual labor to wrestle the man's arm behind his back after he got him out of the truck so that he had leverage enoug to break it if need be. One hand had a tight grip on the guy's wrist, the other had the heel of his palm on the guy's elbow. He can only assume that when Tomas informed Mikaela that he was using the freezer it was for this purpose. The guy struggled of course, started spitting curses. The sooner they got out of the parking lot the better.[d]
paradise and sin: Willow's .. suggestion .. had Kae giving a lazy two fingered salute off her temple, with fox-smirk curving up her mouth. "See ya." A view was given to the side of the building, where the two men had disappeared for a brief study, before vision swung it's way back to Sam and her questions. "Half that'll be fine, and it does. Here, tell ya what .. " A pivot on the flat sole of her sandal, and a few buttons pushed on the register popped the thing open and from within she pulled out a single key, with a floaty keychain marked number three. "Take the stairs just at the entrance, that'll take up up to the landing. Go check it out, see if it suits." Her butt bumped the register drawer closed, and simultaneously the key went sailing in the close distance between herself and Sam. "Hey, you heard from Molly?" She'd heard whisper the two were chummy. "She called off this morning." -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Seemed to be that time of the night, not to mention that Sam had just finished off the last little bit of beer, While Kae was busying herself with the register, a hand dug into her left pocket and fished out a crumpled five and pair of ones, all set onto the bar top along side the empty glass as the girl pushed herself up from the stool. Now free hand gave a dismissive wave when the key was presented~ "Nah, its okay. I'm sure it will be fine. Just give me a few days to get the cash together." ~Sight unseen might have been a risk, but anything had to be better than the Sea Dell, fuckin' walls were paper thin and the roaches were bigger than the rats...of course that could have just been a skewed perception of it all. The question about Molly did have her give a bit of a pause...~ "Called out sick? She seemed fine last night." ~Shoulders rose and fell in a half hearted shrug~ "She didn't wanna stick around for drinks though." ~Well, now she had something to do on her walk home, shoot Molly a text!~ "Three days, max. Thanks Mikaela." ~And with that Sam was on her way out the door and into the night, round the other far side of the building away from the shenanigans of Tomas and associate, and into the night.~(D)
in walks death: Black brows popped a little, both surprised and little impressed with Ernesto's can-do attitude! Taking charge! Put that on your resume, kid! He wasn't expecting the Belizean man to tangle with the suspect of the earlier robbery and drag him out of the truck, but he was pleased by it. Tomas quickly shortened the slack he had on the tow strap, and the first curse out of the man's face was met with metal, the Puerto Rican swinging the winch end down to crack across the man's face -- though, kind enough to not hit Ernesto. No doubt, he loosened teeth, if not moreso, but Tomas didn't stop to ask, stepping in and shoving the blue polyester webbing into the man's mouth and jerking the strap around so he could tie it off behind the man's head. "Here," Tomas said, indicating with a pivot of his steps to put the guy down on his face and stomach so he could wrap the strapping around his wrists and arms behind his back, such that if he tried to move them too much, it simply would pull the wrap tighter into his teeth and cut into the corners of his mouth. He didn't need to talk just yet, Tomas wasn't ready to chat. He flickered black eyes to Ernesto and made a nod to pick him up, grabbing the guy on one side and jerking him up to his feet -- he'd tie those off when they got him into the freezer, but it would save them from having to carry him. "Move," He ordered the earlier assailant, now turned victim, shoving him towards the Dive's back entrance.
malos mares: He had told Ernesto he needed his help. The young man just assumed that this is what he meant by that. Violence is not something he's especially fond of or prone to, but if it's a job that has to be done, he'd do it. Besides, Tomas, while in his estimation was a pretty terrible human being, did not promise pain to those that did not deserve it in some capacity. And of those people, most of them were usually terrible human beings as well. Ernesto is under no delusions that the man they have in custody right now is a good person. Still, he had turned his head to look away when the blow was dealt and cringed a little at the sound of metal smashing against mandible. There was silence in the wake of that hit. Once the belts were secured on their captive, he escorted him with Tomas back into the Dive and to the freezer. He shot an apprehensive look towards the noise from the bar but from where they were could see nothing of it, nor could anyone see them unless Mikaela had come back to check on the state of her mahi in the freezer.[d]
paradise and sin: It was preeeettty lucky that most of that noise that was coming from the bar was music. A good group of people had just all taken off, and the majority of them had gone by way of a big boat that had come in to the small harbor created so long ago for the Dive itself. There were only a few tried and true regulars, including the ever-salty Ed Raines, seated at the bar. Locals who knew the connections this bar had, and knew to keep their lips zipped on certain things they spied. Mikaela watched the key she tossed land on the bar with a resounding clink when Sam failed to catch it, and opted instead to trust what she was getting by word of mouth alone. Giving the same double finger goodbye to Sam as she had Willow, Kae stood there another moment or so, but she'd be damned if her curiosity didn't get the better of her. A shifty glance to Ed and his companions, a shifty glance to the entrance Tomas had lead Ernesto out of, and then she bolted on those gazelle legs of hers, with every intention to go see what the hell they were up to! -d
in walks death: There was a little bit of enjoyment that Tomas got out of breaking bones. He's got problems. Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid. Tomas was sure to position himself between the captive and the bar, flickering black eyes in that direction to spy whomever might be looking their way before they pushed their way deeper into the back area of the restaurant. No big deal. Just got some Soylent Green in. (Look, JR!! A joke came full circle!) The Puerto Rican running this show let Ernesto hold the man's arms while he undid the latch for the freezer and pulled it open. Boy! Sure was chilly in there! And look at that Mahi! Tomas stepped back, grabbed the thief's arm again and tripped him into the walk-in before he knelt and dragged his legs up to wrap a few tight loops around the man's ankles, essentially doing a poor-man's hog-tie. "Ernesto, you have somewhere to be tonight?" He inquired, standing and swiping his hands together in an 'all clean' kind of manner. He didn't wait for Morales to tell him 'yes' or 'no', before he continued. "Because now your plans are here." Without warning or really reason, Tomas swung a swift, harsh kick into the man's ribs, pleased with the muffled groan he got in response before he was stepping out of the freezer, shutting it as Mikaela came bounding up. "I didn't touch your fish," He stated, slamming the door shut.
malos mares: Ernesto sort of stood watch while Tomas wrangled his captive into the freezer. He would hate to be that guy right about now. He looked the guy over a bit while Tomas tied his legs. "No--" He had started though was promptly cut off by Tomas' orders. He should have figured as much. A hand rose to awkwardly rub the back of his neck but he nodded. The idea of not returning to the marina, especially while Max was gone did not exactly set him at ease but hesupposed that Tomas cover for him if it became an issue. He turned suddenly when Mikaela joined them, stood straighter, dropped his hand. As if to corroborate with Tomas he shook his head. Nope, definitely did not touch the fish. While the Puerto Rican might usually be a tough read, Ernesto's face was an open book and goddamn if it didn't look like he was up to something. Though he was rarely afforded a moment to speak long with the owner of the bar, he did rather wish to keep her out of this, if it were possible. [d]
paradise and sin: Gazelle legs turned into clumsy giraffe legs when they came around the corner with the bloody fella in tow; a hand grasping the back of a chair to steady herself. Surprise most definitely found a home on that lush prettiness her features had aged into after so many many awkward pubescent years. They passed her, and she kicked into gear; lingering a bit in the kitchen -- where they were totally alone, the cook had left already for the night, and just so. It wasn't possible to keep her out of it, nor had it been for the last decade since this bar and this woman had become indebted to the Network. Kept herself quiet. Most women might get in the way, freak out, ask a barrage of questions, but Mikaela simply waited, and when they came out of the freezer, there she was; arms crossed in a lean against the metal prep counter. "Well, good then. I don't have to kill you," the dry manner of which she spoke made it unclear if she were joking or not -- but the plausibility that she would, or could, actually do such a thing ensured that she was. Vision bounced between the both of them, back and forth, and back again to remain on Ernesto. "There is coffee, just here." A tick of her tawny crown in the direction of the simple brew station. "Just gotta dump in the grounds, and push start. Fruit, and sandwich makings in the cooler." Which was next to the freezer. She pushed off from the counter, moving to brush in between the two of them as they remained still in front of the heavy freezer door, and nonchalantly she snagged the long pin that hung from a chain off the handle of the door, and slipped it into the hole on top of the handle, making the door ineffective until the pin was easily taken out from the outside. "Stay out from behind the bar." A scrape of teeth along full bottom lip, and she pivoted back to head back into the bar. -d-
in walks death: Black eyes rolled. Mikaela seemed to be the only one to get such a reaction out of him, a kind of 'can you believe the shit I put up with' look upon his face was tossed to poor Ernesto, who just looked like a deer in the headlights. Don't worry, Errnie, Tomas will cover for you with the docks. This was a bit of a priority. He let Mikaela tell Ernesto -- whether she realized she was just telling him, but, truthfully, Tomas already knew the information. "I got some shit I have to take care of. Do not --" He stepped back to leave room for Mikaela to latch the door further. "-- let him stay in there longer than two hours. If I'm not back, toss his ass in the cooler." Dark eyes flickered to the freezer door. "Really don't need him keeling over dead before we can ask him questions," Assuming you didn't break his jaw, Tomas. "Nobody goes in there except you or me until I get back, comprende?" He waited for the man to confirm -- I'm assuming he's going to, cause this is going to be my last post. XD -- and he clapped him on the shoulder, as close as a 'that'll do pig' as he was going to get out of Tomas before he was following Mikaela. "I'll be back in a few hours," He told the blonde, starting back towards the exit, pausing at the bar near her. "Do me a favor, let Mederos know he's here, I don't know who's picking up the slack on the docks, but I don't want his legs getting busted because I commandeered him." Nodding his head back towards the kitchen. "Gonna pick up some necessities and see if they didn't pick the other guy up, yet." As yet, nobody knows what you're talking about, Tomas, since you haven't said where the guy came from, but it is what it is. "Thanks." He tapped the bar and pointed at Mikaela before he was taking his leave. Busy busy night!
Characters: Willow Dunne, Tomas Esteban, Ernesto Morales, Mikaela Holden, Sam Thompson
Daria Daynes: Despite the fact that the Memorial Day Bash did not officially start till the following night, crowds were already gathering. This filled local businesses with customers be it bars, diners, even the stores. Willow attended to some last minute details, made sure that those higher up than her had the information they needed for a successful weekend, and now she was taking a moment off to just turn her brain off. She had several days of being Miss Happy Nice Nice forthcoming, it was bound to be exhausting. Dark hair tied back in a loose knot at the nape of her neck, simple summer dress that moved in the night breeze but, for once, only came to her knees instead of full length as she tended to favor. Short sleeved, button down shirt tied at her middrift. High enough the beginnings of the scar on the right side could be seen cutting upward, vanishing under the skirt. Anyone that knew what they were looking at would know a knife wound when they saw it. Old, healed, still there. She headed toward the Dive to unwind, have a drink, maybe even be social. Possible. Stranger things happened. Hazel eyes glanced about for anyone she knew as she headed in toward a table. -d
malos mares: Due to the fact that missing shipments had meant a whole Hell of a lot more work for him, and a whole Hell of a lot more heat to withstand from his superiors, one of the things Ernesto shouldn't be doing is spending a leisurely evening at the Dive, sampling the awesome food. With part of the usual crew missing, his workload had doubled (although the compensation for said work remained so negligible an amount he may as well have had chains on his ankles-- suffice it to say he's not getting a raise for picking up slack). He did this work without complaint, which tonight had been making deliveries. The truck had been parked behind the building, and he had unloaded many sizeable boxes, cleverly disguised as liquor and food--the sorts of things that were normally delivered regularly to a thriving restaurant. It was a little lighter than the usual loads, given the circumstances, but still took the better part of an hour considering he was alone in this. When everything was stowed safely and secretly away, he locked up the truck and returned inside, casting a troubled sort of look about the place. Ben seemed preoccupied with patrons and so Ernesto lingered near the edge of the bar looking for someone he might have a word with. [d]
Spots on a Peach: ~With another day in the books, Sam was able to officially cross gutting a pig off her imaginary list of things she'd never thought she'd ever be doing, but truth be told...it hadn't been that bad. The trick was to look at things in a mechanical nature, just cut there, twist that, pull here...and while it may have been tolerable from a mental aspect, cutting up Wilbur had left her without much of an appetite...but it was back and in spades. And since she was still trying to happenstance her way into finding Kae to find out if one of those studio rooms was still available, and partially with the hope of running into Molly, either of them, The dive was the place to be. On in through the door, fresh from the eatery, which meant Sam still carried a bit of the work grunge with her, while she was getting better at remembering to wear the damn apron, white v-neck was still spotted with bits of dried blood, as well as the sides of her jeans...which mostly served as handy napkins when things got messy. A quick glance about the room didn't turn up English Molly, and with Ben standing behind the bar, it didn't seem Irish Molly was about either...pout of the bottom lip, but it wasn't gonna stop her from making a Bee line to the bar and claim one of the empty stools for herself, sure there were other people around, but at present Sam's only concern laid with Ben and a drink.~ "Lagunitas, big one. Thanks" ~Quick and to the point, no point in small talk since there were plenty of bar flies already for that.~(D)
Daria Daynes: Willow was actually drinking tea tonight, instead of brandy. The warmth of the day left tea sounding plain good. She watched the people milling about, entering, leaving. Watching people was part of the job to be sure. It was also very entertaining, really! She sipped her tea enjoying the cooler air inside the Dive. Her hazel eyes noticing Sam's arrival. Hey, she did not wrinkle her nose at the bits of blood at least. She nods to Sam should Sam chance to glance her way. Ernesto also caught her attention. She had seen him with Tomas, though Tomas had not introduced them best of her recollection. Maybe he had, she had been pretty wore out that night. Man seemed a bit lost by his expression, or at least ill at ease, so Willow lifted a hand in subtle wave to him. Not some over the top, arm flopping wave either. Willow had more class than that! Just a little lift of hand then drop to the table. Wave accompanied by a smile and nod to him. She was not even sure he was part of the Network, though his talking to Tomas implied he was. They were in..different departments, so to speak, Willow and Ernesto. -
in walks death: Well, hadn't today been unexpected and fruitful. Let's not exactly worry about the particulars, because they were somewhat exhaustive and undermining. There's nothing good to be said about snatching an alleged thief out from under their noses... but that's... kind of exactly what Tomas Esteban did earlier that evening. He'd been waiting to have a meeting with one of his dealers when he had spotted the vice detective who was sticking her nose in places it didn't belong. He followed her into one of those bullshit little gift shops that carry the same crap every gift shop ever carries, and about sixty seconds later, men with guns burst into the shop. Now, long story short, Tomas might not have given a shit if it wasn't for the string of uncommon robberies going about, some of which were very obviously aimed at The Network, and an even longer story short, after letting the cop pursue the second gunman, Tomas ended up bashing one of the men's heads with a door and stuffing him in the bed of his nondescript Chevy. Don't worry, it has a hard-top bed cover for just such occasions. At present, Tomas was jerking the truck to a stop not in the regular parking areas of the Dive -- hell, he typically didn't even drive to the Dive, he was well within walking distance -- and the man hopped out. He was a little keyed up, it showed simply in the tense way he held
in walks death: himself and moved for the back entrance into The Dive. Dark hair and skin was a little slick from having been dragging dead wight around, but it was nothing new, just an inconvenient truth about living in Florida.
malos mares: While Ernesto might've been familiar with many faces in and around the Dive, he was not on speaking terms with most. He was almost always exclusively here on business and rarely lingered for more than one drink, if that at all. When Willow lifted a brief, cordial wave to him his lips pressed together in a mechanical smile and he nodded. Were he here under incredibly different circumstances, Willow would have found him to be quite the social butterfly, but over the course of the last six years he had become little more than a diligent little worker bee. He looked on edge, vaguely worried. Green and brown eyes lifted from the woman when movement caught them and he spied Tomas on the way in. The man appeared to be in a similarly agitated mood. Given the current state of affairs amidst the cartel it's no wonder. He's just holding up the bar at the moment.[d]
paradise and sin: From the bellows of the office, where air conditioning and itty bitty living space lived supreme, Mikaela Holden drifted into the bar -- where the air held far more humidity than the artificial above, and the vibe was far more friendlier than four close walls. Doe eyes hurt like a bitch. Computer screens and Kae were not the best of friends, and she'd been squinting at the thing for far too long. Not to mention the crick in her back from leaning over the thing. A break was a welcome thing, but for several moments she'd stood at the railing above the bar, leaning there casually and watching the goings on. It wasn't until Tomas came in, with that brooding face of his and the sheen of perspiration gleaning at his brow, that she moved. Trailing around to the stairs that took her down below, and to the bar. Behind it even; smoothing a hand over Ben's shoulder to signal he could go take a break. The willow tall blonde wore clothes cause JR is fucking busy as hell. brb. -d
Spots on a Peach: "My hero." ~Words were offered to Ben when the beer was set in front of her, not surprisingly, the quip didn't earn so much as even a grunt in response...maybe he was still mad about the chocolate milk? Anyways, off he went to do Ben things, mostly cause Kae had come to relieve him. On to the beer! Both hands secured a hold on the glass, plucking it from its place, seemingly oblivious to all the ongoing's...hell even faces had faded out or surely she would have bounded out of her stool to pester the Aussie with the Joke she ran out of time to tell her last time, not that she probably wanted to hear it then, or now. Cheers anyways, the glass was raised to waiting lips and given a greedy tilt...was there anything more refreshing than the bitter bite of an IPA after a long day? Oh shit, Kae was there! Why it had taken that long to click was beyond her, equate it to being tired.~ "Hey Mikaela, got a second?" ~Sure she'd only talked to the woman for a total of ten minutes since she'd been in town, but there was no point in not being blunt in the name of resolving certain issues.~(D)
Daria Daynes: Tomas' arrival was noticed. His sunny disposition seemed to be dimmer than usual today by the way he was carrying himself. It was not a good sign. She did nod to him if he happened to glance her way. Tea lifted for another drink and when the waitress came her way, she ordered food. Actual, real food. Steak, taters, and if it was fresh, some asparagus. She was hungry. Been a bitch of a day, but per usual, Willow gave little to no outward showing of her own mood. In her line of work, hiding the stress was point one. No one paying her thousands of dollars to arrange an event wanted to see the planner stressed. Ernesto's smile was noticed as well. The smile seemed dull, but he also seemed moody, so she took no offense at all. Her fingers tapped the glass, and when Kae showed up Willow broke her silence. Why? Cause her table was not far from the bar, "Evening." She nodded to Kae. Waved to Ben as he took his break. Man worked hard, at all hours, he deserved a break time to time! Fact he was damn good looking had NOTHING to do with why Willow's eyes followed him. Not one bit! -d
in walks death: The Puerto Rican stalked in through the back entrance of the Dive, and his eyes searched the people around. The man was on a fucking mission. Tomas's version of 'sunny disposition' being, of course 'not breaking any femurs today', and judging by the way black brows sat flat across his eyes and the perpetual little scowl that turned his mouth downward, on the 'sunny' radar, today was something like a Cat 5 hurricane. He spotted Ernesto keeping the bar from flying off and he stalked off in the Belizean man's direction, passing Mikaela on the way. "I'm borrowing the freezer," It wasn't a request, it wasn't a 'hey, you got a sec so I can ask you something?' He was just telling her what was happening. Sure, he noticed other people there, at the bar, taking up spaces and stools, but poor Ernesto Morales was the only person on his radar, which probably made the already nervous kid that much more nervous. Tomas's hand clasped down on the other Latino's shoulder. "Necesito tu ayuda," Whatever assistance Tomas needed, it probably didn't sound like anything Ernesto actually wanted to do, but once the order was given, Tomas was moving back the way he had come.
malos mares: A look was spared for Mikaela when she came wandering in but his attention was taken wholly by Tomas when the man came to him with orders. His relationship with Tomas was tenuous on good days. Today was decidedly not a good day. With that said, his olive complexion blanched a little at the notion of having to follow the man out of the illusion of sanctuary provided by the crowded Dive. Nevertheless, he did remove himself from the bar and follow, swallowing against the lump in his throat. The last time Tomas had singled him out in such a manner had resulted in a few broken bones. His arm still hurts thinking about it. Once they were out of sight and out of earshot he hurried to catch up with Tomas and assured him in his unusual creole lilt, "I didn't have nothing to do wi'da missing shipment--fu chroo." Which is what he can only assume is the purpose of this. Honestly, though Ernesto had more reason than most to do wrong by the Network, for all the wrong that they had done by him, he had never broken ranks, never been caught skimming, double dealing. He was dedicated to working off his debt, which ultimately was to his detriment because good workers are rarely let loose.[d]
paradise and sin: So. Clothes, right? The dress was little more than a bathing suit cover; dark teal in it's color and embroidered with gold thread in an intricate design along the hem, and the deep plunge down the center that bared torso and the connecting string between the triangles of a metallic gold bikini. Too short to wear nothing beneath, she'd slipped on a pair of tattered white denim shorts before coming to the Dive earlier in the night, seen through the sheer of the dressy top, who's hem stopped barely an inch below the shorts. So many voices rose up her way damn near the second she crossed the threshold behind the square bar, and with Sam on first and closest, Mikaela leaned over from the business side of things from where the tattooed femme sat. "What can I do for you, darlin'?" Then there was Willow, and she earned herself a lean back and a drawled out, "Heeeey girl .. " And Tomas? She didn't -- and wouldn't ever -- question his need for her freezer, but she did have one thing to say about it. "Don't you dare touch that Mahi I've got in there on ice, Tomas Esteban." Pretty light browns trailed his approach to Ernesto, and settled on the Belizean for a lingering look that traveled when they moved, but before they were out of the bar, she was already back to Sam; brows raised in curiosity. -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Gaze darted from Kae at the appearance of Tomas, and for half a second she felt like checking her phone to see if she'd missed a text, fuck it...he seemed busy and it was always best to let sleeping dogs lie. Another sip from the beer and focus was right back on the blonde standing behind the bar.~ "I vaguely recall you saying something about having rooms upstairs that you rent out, or was I just imagining things?" ~That night was still mostly just a blur of poor decisions.~(D)
Daria Daynes: The exchange between Ernesto and Tomas was noticed but not paid mind to, at least not that anyone would notice. She knew better than to get too curious. Instead she turned hearing Kae's greeting. Her steak arrived, though, and she went for it eagerly. Ladylike of course! But eagerly. She glanced over, Sam was talking about a room, so Willow would not interrupt, she did however shoot Kae a wink! -d
in walks death: "No promises," Was shouted back over his shoulder at Mikaela's request that he not fuck up her fish or whatever in there. He didn't give a flying fuck right now. The moment they were out of the general presence of the rest of the group, Tomas was turning to walk backwards, ready to say something to Ernesto, but his former processor was already on the defensive. He realized, then, what this may have looked like, and he shook his head at the younger man. "No,no, no," He said quickly to dispel Ernesto's concerns. "Pretty sure you learned your lessons about being a moron," He spoke in haste. Tomas had a pretty vague distrust for everyone, he had little moments of paranoia, they popped up here and there if anyone was observant enough to watch him, he was pretty confident, when it came to Morales, that he wasn't that stupid. The man was too scared to be stupid, most of the time, too focused on getting out, as it were. Tomas kind of knew better, knew it wasn't ever going to work out for him, but he wasn't one of his direct employees, anymore, so it was out of his purview. "You got any twine or rope or zip ties in your truck?" He asked, though, turning back to go to his own vehicle, frowning at the tunk, tunk, tunk emitting from the inside of the covered bed. Looks like Sleeping Beauty is up.
malos mares: The wide-eyed, worried look he was giving Tomas was only vaguely dispelled by the reply he had garnered. While he didn't exactly share the stand point that searching for his sister made him a moron, he had in fact toned himself down enough over the years that he was no longer someone worth keeping an eye on. He might just be a rat in a maze at this point but at least he's not the sort that keeps going for the electrified cheese. At any rate, once they got outside he did give the back lot a quick look around for anything suspect. What was suspect turned out to be coming from Tomas' own vehicle. He eyed it up with apprehensive curiosity, no stranger to the sort of business he was involved in but it still never sat well with him. He nodded though and retreated to the large work truck for a moment. He climbed up into the cab and checked the glove box and when that yielded nothing of particular use he strayed around back and lifted the sliding door of the trailer and climbed inside and started unclipping the straps which were used to secure loads and keep them from sliding back and forth on the truck bed. The smuggler slipped back out of the truck, pulled the door down and latched it before walking back to Tomas' truck with about twenty feet or so of blue ratchet lashings. It would have to do. [d]
paradise and sin: Mikaela sighed softly. "He's gonna touch my Mahi," the tone lamented the defilement of her fish, but they lived in a place where there was a bounty of such things. All you needed was patience and a spear! .. Or a boat and a line! Or a net! The casual lean she'd taken lifted with the straightening of her spine, and she edged a little closer to the end of the bar -- ready to dart back into the kitchen when whatever was out there was brought in to help open the freezer should hands be full -- but for the most part Sam had her attention. "I do. I told you the particulars, right? Five hundred a month, including utilities. Has a small kitchen, private bath. Furnished." Hope Sam likes sea-green and coral! -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~No touch da fishy, The defeated little sigh from Kae and subsequent comment she would have been close enough to have heard, and while she'd been on the verge of making a pun just for her own sake, but the moment had passed.~ "Uh, you might have...to be honest, it doesn't really matter. so long as its got four walls and the door locks." ~It wasn't like she was looking for the lap of luxury. Although, a fully furnished studio was certainly a step up from what she was expecting, half having resigned herself to splurging for a cheap blow up pool raft for a bed.~ "Five hundred, security deposit too? does it got an external entrance?" ~Something about traipsing her way through the bar each time didn't seem all that appealing, but for the con...there was a big pro, cause who didn't want a bar for their living room?(D)
Daria Daynes: Willow had zip ties, but no one thought to ask the woman who had to run around hanging up signs and banners as part of her day to day routine. Of course, they were in her trunk, in her work box. Oh well. She laughed a bit hearing Kae's mournful sigh about the Mahi, "At least it is not Chilean Sea Bass. That would be truly tragic." She had no idea why Tomas was going to ruin Mahi, and more to the point, she had no intention of asking! Not her business, and Willow learned a long, long time ago how to stick to her pay grade. She finished her meal, paid for it of course. Tip for her server. "You need to come out earlier, Kae." She waved. It was time for her to head off, sleep up for the big weekend. "See you this weekend." -d
in walks death: Tomas too, gave the area a quick once over. They were prettty in the clear on this side of the resturant and bar -- which was why he parked on the side he chose. Like a good little worker bee, Ernesto wandered off to find something for Tomas to use, and the dealer closed in on his truck, wandering out to the front to yank one of the wooden Louisville sluggers from under the seat -- never aluminum, kids. The head of the bat was slammed somewhat
paradise and sin: Tell that to Molly.
in walks death: forcefully against the bed of the truck nearest the cab, and Tomas dragged it along the side as he wandered lazily towards the tailgate while he waited around for Ernesto to come back. He heard the surprised little gasp on the inside, you dickhead. When the younger man showed up with the tow straps, Tomas's head tilted a little curiously, a thoughtful, "Hmm," Slipped from his lips, and ol' faithful was abandoned for a moment, tossing the bat up onto the truck-bed's hardtop cover and he reached out for the strap, examining the latch -- assuming it's one of those hand pump ones, y'know what I mean? He gave the thing a little swing, not unlike he was about to whip out a grappling hook and a kind of cruel smile split the lips of a man who never should. "Abrir el portón trasero."
malos mares: It was indeed the sort of belts with the metal clasps that he had brought. In a pinch they would serve well enough to tie some one up but apparently the buckles attached to the one end had inspired Tomas. If it were at all possible, Ernesto's face paled a little more while he watched the man swing the belt. He certainly did not want to be hit with that thing and so without any further hesitation, he opened the back of the truck. Inside the man, whom Ernesto does not recognize, immediately tried to get up and get away. Despite the fact that he wanted little to do with whatever grisly business Tomas had in mind, the immigrant still grappled the stranger into submission. Ernesto is not a big man, but he was wily and strong enough from manual labor to wrestle the man's arm behind his back after he got him out of the truck so that he had leverage enoug to break it if need be. One hand had a tight grip on the guy's wrist, the other had the heel of his palm on the guy's elbow. He can only assume that when Tomas informed Mikaela that he was using the freezer it was for this purpose. The guy struggled of course, started spitting curses. The sooner they got out of the parking lot the better.[d]
paradise and sin: Willow's .. suggestion .. had Kae giving a lazy two fingered salute off her temple, with fox-smirk curving up her mouth. "See ya." A view was given to the side of the building, where the two men had disappeared for a brief study, before vision swung it's way back to Sam and her questions. "Half that'll be fine, and it does. Here, tell ya what .. " A pivot on the flat sole of her sandal, and a few buttons pushed on the register popped the thing open and from within she pulled out a single key, with a floaty keychain marked number three. "Take the stairs just at the entrance, that'll take up up to the landing. Go check it out, see if it suits." Her butt bumped the register drawer closed, and simultaneously the key went sailing in the close distance between herself and Sam. "Hey, you heard from Molly?" She'd heard whisper the two were chummy. "She called off this morning." -d-
Spots on a Peach: ~Seemed to be that time of the night, not to mention that Sam had just finished off the last little bit of beer, While Kae was busying herself with the register, a hand dug into her left pocket and fished out a crumpled five and pair of ones, all set onto the bar top along side the empty glass as the girl pushed herself up from the stool. Now free hand gave a dismissive wave when the key was presented~ "Nah, its okay. I'm sure it will be fine. Just give me a few days to get the cash together." ~Sight unseen might have been a risk, but anything had to be better than the Sea Dell, fuckin' walls were paper thin and the roaches were bigger than the rats...of course that could have just been a skewed perception of it all. The question about Molly did have her give a bit of a pause...~ "Called out sick? She seemed fine last night." ~Shoulders rose and fell in a half hearted shrug~ "She didn't wanna stick around for drinks though." ~Well, now she had something to do on her walk home, shoot Molly a text!~ "Three days, max. Thanks Mikaela." ~And with that Sam was on her way out the door and into the night, round the other far side of the building away from the shenanigans of Tomas and associate, and into the night.~(D)
in walks death: Black brows popped a little, both surprised and little impressed with Ernesto's can-do attitude! Taking charge! Put that on your resume, kid! He wasn't expecting the Belizean man to tangle with the suspect of the earlier robbery and drag him out of the truck, but he was pleased by it. Tomas quickly shortened the slack he had on the tow strap, and the first curse out of the man's face was met with metal, the Puerto Rican swinging the winch end down to crack across the man's face -- though, kind enough to not hit Ernesto. No doubt, he loosened teeth, if not moreso, but Tomas didn't stop to ask, stepping in and shoving the blue polyester webbing into the man's mouth and jerking the strap around so he could tie it off behind the man's head. "Here," Tomas said, indicating with a pivot of his steps to put the guy down on his face and stomach so he could wrap the strapping around his wrists and arms behind his back, such that if he tried to move them too much, it simply would pull the wrap tighter into his teeth and cut into the corners of his mouth. He didn't need to talk just yet, Tomas wasn't ready to chat. He flickered black eyes to Ernesto and made a nod to pick him up, grabbing the guy on one side and jerking him up to his feet -- he'd tie those off when they got him into the freezer, but it would save them from having to carry him. "Move," He ordered the earlier assailant, now turned victim, shoving him towards the Dive's back entrance.
malos mares: He had told Ernesto he needed his help. The young man just assumed that this is what he meant by that. Violence is not something he's especially fond of or prone to, but if it's a job that has to be done, he'd do it. Besides, Tomas, while in his estimation was a pretty terrible human being, did not promise pain to those that did not deserve it in some capacity. And of those people, most of them were usually terrible human beings as well. Ernesto is under no delusions that the man they have in custody right now is a good person. Still, he had turned his head to look away when the blow was dealt and cringed a little at the sound of metal smashing against mandible. There was silence in the wake of that hit. Once the belts were secured on their captive, he escorted him with Tomas back into the Dive and to the freezer. He shot an apprehensive look towards the noise from the bar but from where they were could see nothing of it, nor could anyone see them unless Mikaela had come back to check on the state of her mahi in the freezer.[d]
paradise and sin: It was preeeettty lucky that most of that noise that was coming from the bar was music. A good group of people had just all taken off, and the majority of them had gone by way of a big boat that had come in to the small harbor created so long ago for the Dive itself. There were only a few tried and true regulars, including the ever-salty Ed Raines, seated at the bar. Locals who knew the connections this bar had, and knew to keep their lips zipped on certain things they spied. Mikaela watched the key she tossed land on the bar with a resounding clink when Sam failed to catch it, and opted instead to trust what she was getting by word of mouth alone. Giving the same double finger goodbye to Sam as she had Willow, Kae stood there another moment or so, but she'd be damned if her curiosity didn't get the better of her. A shifty glance to Ed and his companions, a shifty glance to the entrance Tomas had lead Ernesto out of, and then she bolted on those gazelle legs of hers, with every intention to go see what the hell they were up to! -d
in walks death: There was a little bit of enjoyment that Tomas got out of breaking bones. He's got problems. Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid. Tomas was sure to position himself between the captive and the bar, flickering black eyes in that direction to spy whomever might be looking their way before they pushed their way deeper into the back area of the restaurant. No big deal. Just got some Soylent Green in. (Look, JR!! A joke came full circle!) The Puerto Rican running this show let Ernesto hold the man's arms while he undid the latch for the freezer and pulled it open. Boy! Sure was chilly in there! And look at that Mahi! Tomas stepped back, grabbed the thief's arm again and tripped him into the walk-in before he knelt and dragged his legs up to wrap a few tight loops around the man's ankles, essentially doing a poor-man's hog-tie. "Ernesto, you have somewhere to be tonight?" He inquired, standing and swiping his hands together in an 'all clean' kind of manner. He didn't wait for Morales to tell him 'yes' or 'no', before he continued. "Because now your plans are here." Without warning or really reason, Tomas swung a swift, harsh kick into the man's ribs, pleased with the muffled groan he got in response before he was stepping out of the freezer, shutting it as Mikaela came bounding up. "I didn't touch your fish," He stated, slamming the door shut.
malos mares: Ernesto sort of stood watch while Tomas wrangled his captive into the freezer. He would hate to be that guy right about now. He looked the guy over a bit while Tomas tied his legs. "No--" He had started though was promptly cut off by Tomas' orders. He should have figured as much. A hand rose to awkwardly rub the back of his neck but he nodded. The idea of not returning to the marina, especially while Max was gone did not exactly set him at ease but hesupposed that Tomas cover for him if it became an issue. He turned suddenly when Mikaela joined them, stood straighter, dropped his hand. As if to corroborate with Tomas he shook his head. Nope, definitely did not touch the fish. While the Puerto Rican might usually be a tough read, Ernesto's face was an open book and goddamn if it didn't look like he was up to something. Though he was rarely afforded a moment to speak long with the owner of the bar, he did rather wish to keep her out of this, if it were possible. [d]
paradise and sin: Gazelle legs turned into clumsy giraffe legs when they came around the corner with the bloody fella in tow; a hand grasping the back of a chair to steady herself. Surprise most definitely found a home on that lush prettiness her features had aged into after so many many awkward pubescent years. They passed her, and she kicked into gear; lingering a bit in the kitchen -- where they were totally alone, the cook had left already for the night, and just so. It wasn't possible to keep her out of it, nor had it been for the last decade since this bar and this woman had become indebted to the Network. Kept herself quiet. Most women might get in the way, freak out, ask a barrage of questions, but Mikaela simply waited, and when they came out of the freezer, there she was; arms crossed in a lean against the metal prep counter. "Well, good then. I don't have to kill you," the dry manner of which she spoke made it unclear if she were joking or not -- but the plausibility that she would, or could, actually do such a thing ensured that she was. Vision bounced between the both of them, back and forth, and back again to remain on Ernesto. "There is coffee, just here." A tick of her tawny crown in the direction of the simple brew station. "Just gotta dump in the grounds, and push start. Fruit, and sandwich makings in the cooler." Which was next to the freezer. She pushed off from the counter, moving to brush in between the two of them as they remained still in front of the heavy freezer door, and nonchalantly she snagged the long pin that hung from a chain off the handle of the door, and slipped it into the hole on top of the handle, making the door ineffective until the pin was easily taken out from the outside. "Stay out from behind the bar." A scrape of teeth along full bottom lip, and she pivoted back to head back into the bar. -d-
in walks death: Black eyes rolled. Mikaela seemed to be the only one to get such a reaction out of him, a kind of 'can you believe the shit I put up with' look upon his face was tossed to poor Ernesto, who just looked like a deer in the headlights. Don't worry, Errnie, Tomas will cover for you with the docks. This was a bit of a priority. He let Mikaela tell Ernesto -- whether she realized she was just telling him, but, truthfully, Tomas already knew the information. "I got some shit I have to take care of. Do not --" He stepped back to leave room for Mikaela to latch the door further. "-- let him stay in there longer than two hours. If I'm not back, toss his ass in the cooler." Dark eyes flickered to the freezer door. "Really don't need him keeling over dead before we can ask him questions," Assuming you didn't break his jaw, Tomas. "Nobody goes in there except you or me until I get back, comprende?" He waited for the man to confirm -- I'm assuming he's going to, cause this is going to be my last post. XD -- and he clapped him on the shoulder, as close as a 'that'll do pig' as he was going to get out of Tomas before he was following Mikaela. "I'll be back in a few hours," He told the blonde, starting back towards the exit, pausing at the bar near her. "Do me a favor, let Mederos know he's here, I don't know who's picking up the slack on the docks, but I don't want his legs getting busted because I commandeered him." Nodding his head back towards the kitchen. "Gonna pick up some necessities and see if they didn't pick the other guy up, yet." As yet, nobody knows what you're talking about, Tomas, since you haven't said where the guy came from, but it is what it is. "Thanks." He tapped the bar and pointed at Mikaela before he was taking his leave. Busy busy night!
