The Ties That Bind

CanaryCry

CanaryCry

Edgeknight
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As an agent of the Hazardous Entities Division, Maxim had to make it his business to be familiar with the local packs, covens, gangs, and the like, as well as how they intertwined. Unlike many other agents, he did his best to afford each one an opportunity to be familiar with him as well, to know that if they needed assistance navigating a human dominated world in ways that would keep them out of trouble he was the one to call - and at the same time that if they stepped out of line he would also be the one to make sure they faced the consequences. Knowing that stepping on the toes of alphas and coven leaders could lead to consequences of his own, not least of all simply losing their trust, he had become known and respected for giving each a single chance to bring their own in line. If they refused or were unable, he was not one to go back on his word.

The newest problem pushing through the cracks of normal law enforcement and into the H.E.D. was a drug that had begun to go by the callsign Nightshade. It was a chemical that proved more potent to those with more robust constitutions than the average human, giving a 'better' high to the likes of wolves and vampires alike and thus increasing its popularity. The trouble, beyond the usual side effects of overdoses and violent rivalries between suppliers, was that if a human got their hands on it there were high chances they wouldn't survive, and if they did it was only by the skin of their teeth. Maxim was not the only person the H.E.D. had assigned to the case, but he found himself heavily involved, if only to make the city safer for his own.

He and a few others had followed a supplier of nightshade after a stakeout had caught an exchange of the drug, and after finding out where he had returned to had called in reinforcements. It wasn't a large building,

"And who is that?"

Maxim looked up from where he had been getting ready, an earpiece in place and a bulletproof vest in his hands, a frown immediately on his face. "Where?" He leaned closer to the monitor, looking at the view of the back entrance and swearing under his breath. There was a civilian there. "I thought we blocked access to that area," He got out through gritted teeth even as he pulled the vest on faster, strapping it quickly into place. "Change of plans - Greer, take point. There must be some other way in. I'll circle around back with the secondary team, pick up the stray and get her out of the way. Move fast."

He had no idea how someone had gotten into the alley of the property if not through the doors that were being carefully watched, but it was too late for it to matter. They couldn't call off entry into the building for one person, or they might not get another chance. Maxim would just have to grab her as the others got into the building and make sure she was a safe distance from danger until they could figure out what on earth she was doing there.
 
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As she made her way around the back of the house, she found herself wondering once again, how she managed to get herself caught up in this shit show.

Not that she didn't know, she'd been desperate and hadn't really had a choice, especially considering she'd thought it was a legit job at first.

Perhaps she should have been more cautious but her friend had convinced her, or at least she thought he was her friend, and she could admit to herself now that she had been lonely.

She'd wanted to believe she'd found friends, that she finally had a place to belong too again. She'd ignored the warning signs, denied the truth, until it was far too late to escape.

So now here she was, sneaking through back streets, wearing black jeans and a matching black hoodie, the hood up to hide her face and distinctive hair.

Why? So she could go unnoticed and unrecognised as she was forced to commit crimes, such as her current job, delivering a harmful narcotic to an insane bunch of assholes.

Crouching down she began to shift aside a large piece of sheet metal, as hidden entrances go it was pretty basic but they insisted on her using it.

She hadn't decided if they were overly paranoid, or if they just liked making things harder for her, it was probably a mix of both.

She idly shifted her satchel bag, the strap slung across her chest, weighed down with tightly wrapped packages of Nightshade.
 
There was no time to find the way the woman had gotten inside. Rather than look to figure out the mystery immediately, Maxim had to listen to his earpiece and stick to cover as best he could to keep from being seen from inside, moving with speed to be sure he reached her before the entrance team had to be in position. He hardly even had time to look over the fencing shielding the building from view, relying on his other senses to pinpoint her location from the outside.

A quick glance to be sure no one was watching was all the time he had. In one quick motion, Maxim jumped up, grabbed the top of the fence, and vaulted over to the other side. There was only a faint rattle and a very muffled thump as his feet hit the ground, hardly audible even from close up, and he was moving the moment he was on the ground again. As accurate as his estimation had been, she was only a few feet away.

There was no time. The moment he reached her, Maxim wrapped an arm around her middle, trapping her arms at her side, and put a hand over her mouth. "Federal Agent - stay quiet." He hardly waited for a response, simply lifting her feet off the ground and pulling her away closer to the fence even as the four officers meant to be stationed at the back entrance came pouring through the fence into position. "Breach."

There was no hesitation from the others, one officer kicking down the door in a signal blow and the others pouring in with weapons drawn, shouting identification and demands to get on the ground. Their job was clear in mind and they needed it all to end fast.

"It isn't safe here," Maxim said quickly, setting the woman on her feet again and allowing her to speak now that it didn't matter, but with a grip on her arm as unbreakable as steel when he began to pull her away. "Quickly, come with me."
 
Her hearing, whilst pretty pathetic in comparison to her other form, was still pretty damn good, it had to be with the life she'd led, was still leading.

So even though she heard the faint noise, she had no tine to react before suddenly being grabbed around the middle. She immediately began to struggle fiercely, doing her best to break free, trying to kick her assailant since he'd pinned her arms.

She thought he was from a rival gang, or perhaps someone trying to rob her, either way she was in great danger. Her heart raced as she began to panic, his strength unbelievable.

However when he identified himself, she stopped struggling immediately, letting him carry her out of the way. Her panic was just as strong, but for an entirely different reason.

As he put her back down, she realised he wasn't arresting her, at least not yet. If she could just keep a cool head, she might still have a chance, she just needed an opening then she could disappear.

She was confident she could out run them and lose them in the back streets and alleys, but it was hard to think straight when her terrified mind could only seem to focus on the fact that she was caught and what was going to happen to her.

There was no way she was going to be able to break out of his grip on her arm, so she simply followed where he pulled her as she scrambled to think of a plan.

"I..." She was trying to appear calm, but her expression and tone betrayed how panicked and afraid she was. "I've got to get out of here." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
 
From an average person Maxim had little to fear without the presence of weapons. The fact that the woman's random flailing caught him across a leg almost hard enough to make him limp was surprising, though not completely out of the ordinary. Desperate people did desperate things and he had snuck up on her - adrenaline fueled strength was nothing to laugh at.

"Come with me, I'll get you somewhere safe," Maxim said quickly, keeping her close and keeping his body between her and the building where shouting could be heard. Gunfire from within had him pressing closer, keeping her shielded with both arms and urging her on faster. "Move, move! Mercer, I've got her, we're coming out the back."

He pressed her to move quickly to get her out of range of the danger, away from the building and around to the street where their vehicles waited and she could be kept shielded. The moment they were safely under cover, listening carefully still for the voices from his earpiece, Maxim turned finally to address her.

"You'll be safe here with me," he reassured first, keeping a hand around her arm still. The fact that she had found a way in without their notice had him suspicious, despite her face not being one they were on the lookout for. "What were you doing back there? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Concern for a 'civilian' was his best angle, in the moment while the danger was still present. If she gave him anything, fine. If not, he would just have to take her back to the office for questioning.
 
As he propelled her forward she kept up with him easily, though she thought she could lag behind and maybe slip away in the chaos, his grip never loosened so she gave up and ran with him.

When they were on the street and shielded by the agents vehicles, she felt dread form in the pit of her stomach. She was out in the open now, even if she did get a chance to run they'd have a clear shot at her. Her hopes of escaping were growing slimmer and slimmer.

She didn't even register what he was saying at first, staring at the building with wide eyes, flinching at the gunfire. There was no way they'd get all of them, most of them wouldn't even be here right now.

Despite what they'd done to her, she had a brief worried thought that Alex was in there and might be caught in the gunfire.

Looking back at the agent still holding her, she shook her head a little. "I.. was looking for my friend, I.. I don't know what's happening." She glanced down at his hand on her arm, "you're.. hurting me."

That was a lie, despite his strength he wasn't causing her any discomfort, at least not physically. Still she needed him to let go if she had any chance of getting away, and she had to get away now.

She was acting like a scared, confused, innocent bystander in shock, which wasn't hard as she was plenty scared and definitely in shock at how quickly things had blown up in her face.
 
The hesitation could be attributed to panic, to adrenaline and shock, but the excuse was a rather weak defense, lacking any sort of detail. Maxim was beginning to think already that he would have to have her come back for a statement no matter what - or an interrogation, if that was what it came to.

When she complained he loosened his grip despite knowing his own strength and having been careful not to hold too tight, but would not fully release her. Until he figured out why she was there and if she was involved, he couldn't let her get away.

"I'm sorry, but you have to stay close right now," he said with a shake of his head, and with his free hand reached into his back pocket and pulled out his ID and badge to show her. "I'm Special Agent Maxim Orwell. I'll keep you safe until the trouble is done and we can get everything straightened out here. Are you hurt? Who were you coming here to see? They directed you to a very dangerous place, Ms. . .?"

Already there were sirens in the distance, coming in close with backup and medical personnel now that the operation had begun. If there were shots fired, there might be injured officers or criminals inside. He wouldn't know until it was clear to investigate.
 
Throughout her life she'd had to develop a number of skills in order to survive, the latest mess she was in had given her a lot of practice to hone those skills.

One of then was reading people and judging by the agents expression, and the slightly looser but still steady grip on her arm, he didn't buy her status as an unlucky civilian that had just so happened to stumble into this bust.

She glanced at his id, but didn't answer him, distracted by the wails of the approaching sirens. She was out of time, she had to get away now or she never would.

Despite his reassurances she didn't trust him, with good reason, due to her past experiences. Even if he truly did have good intentions, he couldn't protect her from them, they were too powerful.

Her heart racing as she tensed just a little, "there is no safety for me." She said softly, before suddenly yanking her arm back as hard as she could, trying desperately to get loose so she could turn and run.
 
The timing was what got him. Maxim was already making assumptions in his head, wary of her lack of answers and pushed even further towards suspicion when she also refused to give her name. The gunfire had stopped, and Maxim's eyes shifted towards the approaching vehicles even as he listened to an officer give the all clear and report on injuries. It was in that moment that the young woman before him made her move, yanking back quickly enough to break his grip.

If she hadn't drawn his attention by speaking up just before the motion she might have made it further.

As it was, Maxim surged forward in response to her pull, caught off guard but quick enough to react that she only made it a few steps before he had her again, an arm around her waist like a steel band to get her feet off the ground and keep her from running off.

"You're not going anywhere!" He hissed, pulling her back and shoving her down against the hood of the nearest vehicle, his body weight keeping her down as he wrestled with her arms to get her in cuffs. "Hands behind your back!"

It was as he got the cuffs in place that the criminals began to brought out, four in handcuffs and one on a gurney. One in particular raised his head, eyes locking on to them from some distance away across the street and immediately let out a cry so enraged Maxim shifted his body further between them.

"You!" The man cried, a snarl in his throat and such strength behind his sudden lunge towards them that it took two officers to fight him back. "You ran your whore mouth to the cops and look at the thanks you got! This isn't over! You're dead! Dead!"

Maxim's grip tightened marginally around her arm, a scowl on his face even as the man was shoved unceremoniously into a squad car to be read his rights. "Friends of yours?" He prompted when he looked at her again, and gave her a tug to pull her with him back towards the surveillance van he had come out of. "Resist again and I'll add it to accessory to drug trafficking. For the time being, you are under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

Trying to run had only made him more certain she was involved, but given the hostility between them she would not be transported with the others. He would interrogate her himself as the scene was fully cleared, and decide what to do with her afterwards.
 
For a brief moment she felt a surge of triumphant adrenaline as she pulled free, but before she could get more than a few steps he was on her.

Once again she was lifted off her feet like she weighed nothing, caught in his bear like grip. The breath was knocked out of her when he shoved her against the car, his weight ensuring she was going nowhere.

With the cuffs on and his vice like grip on her arm, her hope of escape faded away. Before she could really absorb her postion, they began to exit the building.

She struggled to see who had been caught, and more importantly, who was on the gurnney, she didnt get a chance to make them out as suddenly Slam spotted her.

She flinched back from his screaming, for a moment thinking he was going to cross the street and kill her where she stood. She shook her head at his accusation but knew it was pointless, they'd never believe her.

As Maxim pulled her along, she didn't resist, meekly going where he wanted her. Her shoulders were slumped and her face visiblely pale, it was clear all the fight had gone out of her, she'd given up.

"You might as well shoot me right here" Her voice was soft and defeated, "I'm dead anyway." It didn't matter where they sent her, word would get back to him, he'd give the order and that would be it.

It might look like an accident, maybe not, it didn't matter, she was a loose end now, and he didn't leave loose ends.
 
Given how she had tried to escape once already, Maxim didn't let his guard down as he read her her rights and led her around the side of the van, out of view of the men who had been shoved into police cars. Still, the complete change in demeanor didn't escape him. Given what had been shouted and the fact that they hadn't seen her around yet, he had a sneaking suspicion that something more complicated was going on than a simple accessory to their crimes.

Rather than take her to a squad car, he opened the door to the surveillance van with all its equipment inside and helped her up the steps and onto one of the two small stools meant for personnel before closing the door behind them. There was another agent inside already, a comparatively small fox shifter who looked at them boggle-eyed but after meeting Maxim's steady stare only turned away and put his headset back on like he wanted nothing to do with them.

"Would you like to tell me who exactly 'he' is?" Maxim prompted, leaning against an unused console rather than asking the other agent to give up his seat, arms loosely crossed and sure to keep himself between her and the door regardless of her newfound meek nature. "And who you are?"
 
As he lead her towards the van her heart started to race again, why wasn't he putting her in the back of the squad car? She hesitated for a brief moment as he opened the door, but it's not like she could resist, so she climbed up and stepped in.

Despite her arms being cuffed behind her, she still moved with a graceful balance, reluctantly sitting down on the stool. She glanced at the other agent warily, liking this situation less and less.

She turned her gaze back to Maxim as he began speaking, at first she remained silent as she studied his face. She was clearly tense, and mistrustful.

Maybe he was in Farkas's pocket, maybe not but really how much worse could it get? She was marked for death regardless, if she didn't talk to him they'd just assume she had anyway.

Sighing softly she shrugged a little, before reluctantly speaking. "You mean Slam?" "He's one of the higher ups, though he's deluded himself into thinking he's more important than he really is."

He's also a prick, she thought bitterly to herself, not that the others weren't."It's Madeline." She said quietly in answer to his question, "Madeline Jones."
 
Maxim nodded along, posture loose but arms crossed as he ran over the facts in his mind. Something about it all didn't sit well with him, and as a creature that had rather strong instincts he was often inclined to listen to them. Still. Caution always came first.

"Does this 'Slam' have a real name?" He asked with an eyebrow raised, unimpressed by the title. "Rest assured, he's in custody now and won't be coming near you again. Is there some reason you think his threats have any weight? I'd be very interested to know what you were doing at this building, Ms. Jones."

He would search her, eventually, but he wanted to get her talking first. If there was a threat to her life they would have to move cautiously. Most of all, he wanted to know how she was involved, how deeply entrenched she was in the crimes they had tracked the others down for, and if she were human or not. Being mixed up in a gang of wolves he had to imagine not, but her scent was wrong to be one herself. The other agents would handle everything else, while he took on the mystery of Madeline Jones.
 
She shrugged again, or as much as she could with her wrists cuffed behind her. "It is his real name for all I know, I never heard him called anything else."

Shaking her head a little, she laughed softly but it was bitter and more like a scoff. "It wasn't a threat Agent Orwell, it was a promise."

Her voice was oddly calm, as she spoke with complete sincerity. "Once the order is given, I'm dead, no matter where I am." "Besides, it's not Slam I'm worried about."

She said cryptically, before nodding her head to her bag still resting against her hip, perhaps trying to change the subject. "I was making deliveries, I'm sure you can guess what."

She met his gaze unflinchingly, "I know you won't believe me, but I never wanted to be a part of this, I had no choice." There was no hint of guile in her eyes, just a tired, sad, sense of shame and regret.
 
Maxim was unconvinced that Slam had an actual name, but it was telling enough that she had no clue what it was. A mule, convenient and small and unsuspicious under the right circumstances. It was something that would have been easy to lie about, but again his suspicion was that she was telling the truth. The way that she had accepted death after initially trying to flee was equal parts worrisome and reaffirming, even if a plea of innocence was one he had heard many times before. He was going to have to make a difficult choice and hope for the best. But that was his job.

"Mercer." He said rather than address her, turning and holding a hand out to the other agent who only blinked at him for a moment before realizing what it was he needed and handing off a pair of gloves. Once he had pulled them on, Maxim kneeled beside her to open her bag, rather than attempt to get it off of her while her hands were still cuffed. "And who is it, exactly, that is giving these orders? Do they have a name? Have you met them in person before?"

When he pulled the package free, he handed it off to Mercer to be inspected, the fox shifter giving a low whistle at the small vials of deep purple liquid held within. "An easy 2k, I'd say." He said with a shake of his head, standing and shifting aside to retrieve an evidence bag to drop it in. "Looks professional."

"Were you aware of just how much you were carrying?" Maxim asked, standing up again and seemingly unfazed by the presence of the drug. "Or were you handed the bag and told to deliver it without looking inside?"
 
She was quiet as she watched him approach, tensing without even realising it as he knelt beside her and reached towards her to open her bag.

She glanced at the vials as he handed them off to the other agent, but with no real interest, she was just delaying answering his questions about Farkas.

"I didn't know exactly, but I knew it was a decent amount, though I've had to deliver a hell of a lot more than that before." "They don't care if I know now, but in the beginning, no, I didn't know."

Lowering her gaze, she stared at her feet, unable to meet his eye when talking about him. "Yes, I've met him before." That was certainly an understatement.

"Farkas." She said his name with a fearful awe, "he's the alp.... boss." She corrected quickly, "and once he hears about this, me and a bunch of the others are dead." "If I'm lucky." She muttered without thinking.
 
It may have appeared that Maxim was indifferent, standing back with very little change in expression, but he was listening carefully to her words and her tone, watching the way her expression and body language shifted here and there. Given the type of work he did, he could often take far greater liberties than a regular officer of the law, and yet that only meant that he had to weight his decisions very carefully. He should know more before he decided, he knew, but from the way she talked, he didn't believe she would have much time. Especially not if he was the one she was working for.

"And how willing would you be to testify against this man?" He asked, as if he had no clue who she was talking about, when in fact he was rather certain he had met the man himself before. Farkas was no longer someone that was deserving of negotiation. If one of his pack or his network fell out of line, they did not get second chances. "Do you think these 'others' would be brave enough to roll on him?"

He didn't think the answer would be yes, but there was no harm in asking. He was relatively certain that some day, as things came to a head, the only way to be rid of Farkas was going to be in a fight.
 
She raised an eyebrow, raising her head and looking at him skeptically. She found it almost impossible that he didn't know about him, Farkas's power and influence was vast.

Did he not know who he was arresting? Or had they just stumbled on to the drugs by accident? She guessed they hadn't been watching for very long, eiether that or he was just lying to her, which she thought more likely.

"You've got to be joking, he's got half the police force on his payroll, and more than a few of the prosecutors and judges as well." She said solemnly, "I've tried to turn him in before, when I first found out who he really was, but they...."

She looked away for a moment, trailing off as she was unable to finish, it was hard to talk about, and she still wasn't convinced he and his partner weren't under Farkas's thumb like the others.

She fell silent as she considered his question, finally she shook her head. "It depends on who it is but no, I dont think so." "It's not about bravery anyway, if you talk, you die, after this mistake they're dead anyway but they'll cling to the belief that he'll spare them if they keep their mouths shut."
 
Maxim couldn't say he thought she was wrong. Farkas had lost out on his second chance rather quickly after being brought to Maxim's attention. But he could be difficult to find, and a fight to the death wasn't something human courts would appreciate. Wolf justice would have the man face his victims' families and packs, to be crushed beneath their heels like a bug. If only their society wasn't one so dominated by humans that they couldn't arrange it. Maxim thought it would be a fitting end for the man.

"Well," the wolf murmured quietly, a thoughtful hand resting over his mouth as he considered the tangled web before them. "Can't save everyone." After a pause, he turned his head aside with a vague wave of his hand. "Mercer."

"On it." The younger man said with a nod, turning away from them to pull the mic of his headset in front of his mouth once more. "Message from Max - we're gonna 276 this. Keep it contained."

"Good." Maxim sighed, rubbing briefly at the space between his brows as if staving off a headache, then finally looked at Madeline once more, something far more intense in his gaze now that he had begun gathering as many facts as he thought he needed, a more rigid set to his shoulders. "Now, Ms. Jones, I'm going to ask you a question I'd like you to think hard about before you answer. Farkas doesn't pull in just anyone foolish enough to fall into his hands off the street. He picked you for a reason. So?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone, posture and voice holding all the weight and authority of an alpha rather than an officer of the law, daring her to lie to him.

"What are you?"
 
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Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at his words, tensing a little, as if she could even defend herself if this was it. Still she wouldn't just sit there, if she was going to die, she was at least going to go down fighting, hopefully inflicting some damage herself.

She relaxed a little as he merely gave an order for quiet, it made her wonder how much power he had. It seemed he was at least the senior agent on this case.

His sudden intensity got her heart racing again, as his whole demeanour changed, revealing who he truly was, what he truly was. A wolf, of course he was, and an alpha to boot.

She was surprised she hadn't noticed earlier, she probably would have if she didn't have more pressing matters on her mind. Meeting his gaze, she shrugged a little. "I'm nothing Agent Orwell, nothing and nobody."

"But if you're asking what I think you're asking.... I'm a shifter, just like yourself." She said this calmly, it wasn't a question as she knew it was true.
 
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