Go Directly to Jail {Claudio}

[Rainea Cross]

"I'm not leaving it in me." She said it with a hiss as she used her free hand to moved over her body, she felt the back of her neck, her scalp, she was feeling for bumps, scabs, anything around those lines. If it was deeper, than she was going to have to go someplace else, but for now, this was her only plan. "I'm sorry about your family Chris. I'm sorry you are even involved with this, what happened between us happened a long time ago." She kept feeling around. "I thought about coming back for years. Even spoke to a companion about her thoughts about returning to Leo.." She laughed at herself.

"I really loved him, heck, I still ove the idea of the man, well who he was." She had to pause, she met him by chance, and she left him because she felt she had no choice, she wasn't good enough for him, though now, she was starting to feel something else completely. "You wouldn't be here if I had stayed the first time, now stop playing pitty pile, where is the most likely place he put it?" She looked up at him, she couldn't reach him she didn't understand why he was even worried about her having something to cut herself with.

[Claudio Vinccino]

[[All done with permission]]

Chris simply looked at her for a moment, "Check your shoulder, or your leg..." He said, giving up on trying to get her to accept his apology, or provide any kind of closure. "He would have put it somewhere that would make it hard to get to."

Claudio had been watching through the camera feed, and decided that it was time to make an entrance. He walked in just as Rain was beginning an impromptu surgery on her arm, thinking she could find that tracker most likely. He moved quickly, and the guards opened the cage for him, he spoke in a commanding voice. "STOP!" and raised his cane, pointing it in a threatening manner. Before he could continue, Chris had thrown himself at him, with a cry of pain and rage. "Leave her alone!"

Claudio easily stepped off to the side, catching Chris in the guts, near his wound with his cane, hearing the satisfying whoosh of air being knocked out of him. He then swung his cane higher, and took him in the head. Chris was spun almost completely around, and then fell unconscious to the floor. Claudio merely shook his head, and then returned to Rain, "Stop this foolishness." He said, with a low threatening voice, "I will not allow you to kill yourself." He realized too late what he had said, and simply decided to blow past it, hoping she would miss it.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small device, and touched it to her skin, causing a temporary paralysis. Taking her handcuffs off the wall, he cuffed her hands together behind her back, and then turned and left. "You'll be able to move in a minute or two." He said, and then walked out the door, leaving them alone. The Cell was closed with a clang, and the guards went back to their business.

[Rainea Cross]

Rainea rolled onto her back and looked over to Chris, he was out. She sighed and rolled onto her stomach and struggled to get up, she knew she couldn't assist him, but at the very least she could cover him with the blanket. After covering him she fall onto the bed and looked up at the celling. As she looked at the lines, and the bricks that were there she started to giggle. As she replayed everything that was said in her mind over again her giggle became a laugh.

"Leo," She said after a moment. "Leo, Leo, you have a funny way of showing a woman you care... You should just let me try and finish the job.." She looked at her shoulder, it was bleeding, not enough to kill her, sadly in her own mind. She allowed her eyes to close, there was nothing else she could do for the time being. "Next you will be asking me to dance." She whispered and rolled onto her side, curling into a ball as she felt a shiver come over her body, it was going to be a cold night, but she allowed herself to drift to sleep.

Durning the night she dreamed, the dreams were of days past, dances, movies, dinners, not all with Leo, infact most of them was with her father when she was a girl. Life was easy before the war, and she often wished, that things were different.

At some point she remembered Chris speaking with her:
"Sarge I'm sorry.." She rolled to face him, her eyes still mostly closed, her mind still caught in her dreams. "Soldier what did I tell you about waking me before my shift? Shut up, go to your bunk there will be time enough for your sorries tomorrow." Then he was gone.

Near dawn Rainea startled herself awake. She had to look around, and take in where she was. Since the war, she was always frightened when she first awoke. The blanket was over her body, and when she looked around she found Chris appeared to be sitting in a corner, close to the bars Her eyes moved away from him and toward the outside of their cell. "Chris?" It took her a moment, she took her head and looked at him again. "Hey, listen, I'm sorry that I attacked you... I.... I really need your help.." She moved to sit up, she leaned against the wall and looked around the cell.

"We have both done wrong things in our lives, and we both have a lot to atone for." She looked over at her hands, her left arm was asleep she could feel the pins and needles as the blood returned to it's rightful place. "I want you to remove the tracker." She said quietly. "I don't harbor any hate towards you Chris, but I need you to do this for me.."

She tried to smile and she looked up at him, he didn't move, she moved off the bed and stood up and crossed the small room and kneelt down. "Chris?" That was the first time she saw the belt. She looked down at her waist, her belt was missing. "You idiot!" She turned around and tried to pick up the belt, she barely managed to get it unlatch it, his body fell over with a loud thud. She moved over to him in a panic and felt for a pulse, nothing, though his body, in her mind, felt warm. She stood up and kicked the door. "HEY!!!!! I NEED SOME HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, she repeated this process until she saw the guards running her way.

"He needs CPR get in here!" She backed away from the door her body trembling, not only from the cold, but with fear.

[Claudio Vinccino]

Eric was on guard duty, and he was bored out of his mind. All that had happened all night was that Chris had moved into a corner not too long ago, and sat there. All of a sudden he was accosted by screams. He took off at a run, and found her kneeling over the man, who seemed to be dead or dying. He saw a belt, and swore. Pressing a button on the radio, he spoke. "We have a situation, Chr....the prisoner seems to have committed suicide." He opened the door to the cell, and kneeled down next to him. "I'm not a ruttin medic," He said, looking at her, "If I let you go, and you try anything I swear I will shoot you." He said, freeing her hands and then standing up to get out of the way.

[Rainea Cross]

The moment he free her hands, two thoughts crossed her mind, attack him, and run, though she knew she wouldn't get far, or try and save Chris. Before her mind had completely decided what to do she began CPR. "Come on, come on, I never took the easy way out why the heck should you?" She said as she pumped his chest, then three more breaths. She kept it up for several endless moments until Chris took his first breath on his own.

Rainea smiled and almost started to laugh as he opened his eyes. She touched the sides of his face gently and looked down into his eyes, and in that moment, they kissed. Their kiss broke slowly, and her eyes opened and she looked into his. "Don't you ever do that to me again." She said softly to him as she ran her hands through his hair.

[Claudio Vinccino]

Claudio had been watching the cell for most of the night. He had seen the idiot of a boy fall apart over the course of the night, at one point he had even been shaking the bars. Claudio had been incredibly amused by his antics, but he hadn't been truly engaged until just a few minutes ago. The boy had taken her belt, and apparently killed himself. But then one of the guards was there, releasing Rain. She began CPR, and much to Claudio's annoyance, she seemed to have saved him. He was about to leave when he saw her kiss the little hero, and something inside him snapped. Grabbing his cane, and his hat he stormed out of the room.

Chris coughed, and took a deep gasp, looking up at Rain. He didn't know what to say, he was embarrassed, and he knew she should hit him again. "Sorry Sarge," He said, with a weak smile, "Awfully selfish of me you know, as usual." He was about to say more when she kissed him. He lay there in silence for a good minute, trying to piece together what had just happened. "So," He croaked, his throat soar, and his mouth dry, "If i end up almost dying, you kiss me?" He had a playful smile on his face, but before he could say more a shadow loomed over them. Chris sat up, and put an arm out between Rain and the new figure, the one he least wanted to see.

"Bravo, good show." Said Claudio, clapping slowly. "Get out of here, NOW." He said to the guard, and the man hurried to obey. Turning back to the two prisoners. "I thought you had actually done it." He said, indicating Chris. "I was impressed that you could be so totally consumed by grief, that you gave up on all rational thought, for God sake, put your arm down, you look like a bird or something. I am not going to try and hurt her, yet." He sighed, "I have to say she was disappointed, you couldn't even kill yourself." He clicked his tongue. "But you," He said pointing at Rain, "You were marvelous, throwing yourself into the act of saving him." He smiled, a wicked smile. "Congratulations Sergeant, you have now actually saved someone." He leaned against the wall, and waited.

[Rainea Cross]

((Using Maroon for Claudio, I wanted to add what she did while he spoke so this made it a little easier))

Rainea had been scared she lost him, but the first few moments, until after the kiss, she wasn't sure what she was doing. She had felt numb, and lost. Kissing him brought her back into her own reality, so to speak. "You would you rather I slap you?" A smile crept across her lips, then almost like an invading nightmare, she felt a presence behind her. It was only confirmed by Chris sitting up, and seemed to try and protect her. She looked over at the figure, at Claudio.

Her smile faded as the man's hands clapped together. Though it returned slightly with the 'running of the guard'. "I thought you had actually done it." Rainea put her hand on Chris' shoulder, he glanced back at her. "I was impressed that you could be so totally consumed by grief, that you gave up on all rational thought, for God sake, put your arm down, you look like a bird or something. I am not going to try and hurt her, yet."

Rainea watched Claudio, she knew, even with Chris trying to protect her, there was nothing to be done, they were at his mercy, he could kill both or either of them on a whim. She put a little pressure on his arm with her hand and it went down, their fingers intertwined for a moment before she stood letting go of his hand. "I have to say she was disappointed, you couldn't even kill yourself." Rainea glanced at Chris and sat down on the bed, only a little ways away from him. Showing any affection towards him would only put him more at danger, and Rainea suddenly started to wonder if Claudio saw the kiss.

"But you," Rainea jumped as he pointed the cane at her, half expecting him to hit her again. She watched his eyes as he spoke, there was something behind them, she couldn't put her finger on it. "Congratulations Sergeant, you have now actually saved someone." She knew she had missed the first part of what he was saying, but she ran her hand though her hair and smirked at Claudio in return. "I have saved many lives over the years, Leo. Not enough to balance my card, but enough to make life livable."

[Claudio Vinccino]

Claudio's eyes flashed when she moved away from Chris, a cold smile breaking on his face, as a plan formed in his mind. She spoke about saving lives, and he took on a pensive look, as if he was deep in thought. "You are right," He said, putting a hand on his chin as he looked them both over. "Although, you saved him twice now, that has to count for something." His eyes took on a light of dark humor. "But I wonder," He took a step back, taking in the whole scene. The guards that had gathered around the cell tensed slightly. "If you are just doing your job, why the concern for this one man?"

In a quick swooping movement, he stepped forward and grabbed Chris by the throat, lifting him up and pushing him against the wall, his other hand producing the same silver dagger he had taken from her earlier. "So I have to ask myself." He said, his voice icy cold, and the anger in his eyes shining. "What could make him so important? What makes you want to keep him around? It can't just be the fact that he is one of your boys.... No, there is something more." He put the blade of the knife against Chris' neck, and a thin trickle of blood flowed out, as the blade cut into him. "Is it perhaps his seemingly miraculous ability to cheat death? He has done it twice now." Claudio pressed a little harder, hearing Chris muffled whimper and intake of breatake of breath.

"What difference does it make if I kill him right now?" he asked, his rage and volume building. "You were willing to give anything to save him before, WHY?" He pulled the knife away from Chris' neck, and then delivered a blow to his stomach with a closed fist. As Chris reacted to the blow by trying to go fetal, Claudio brought his fist up and took him in the face, before returning the knife to his neck. "I would hurry up and decide what you have to say for yourself sergeant, or I will make sure he dies for good this time." He gave a sad smile, "There will be no coming back from this one boy."

[Rainea Cross]

Rainea had only been half listening until she actually heard the tone of his voice. She looked up at him and raised a brow. "What?" Concern for one man? He was the only man she had to worry about wasn't he?

When Claudio grabbed Chris, Rainea stood and rushed towards him, but only thing she got for her trouble was a guard hitting her in the stomach with the but of his rifle. She fell foward onto all fours and coughed her arm wrapped around her stomach she could only look up and listen.

"Leo!" She said almost pleading with him. "Do you remember that story, about the fox whole. We were trapped down there for days, and that soldier that I fell in love with, that I thought died when the Alliance came.. That was him Leo, please.." She went to move towards them and the guard grabbed her by the hair throwing her back against the wall. She sat there for a moment trying her best to plead with him. "Leo, please..."

When Rainea tried to move towards them again she saw the guard point the gun at her, she stayed put.

[Claudio Vinccino]

"You fell in love with him?" Asked Claudio, in mock surprise, "This is the man? I never knew, no it must have been coincidence that I tried to use him to aid you in an escape" He gave her a sarcastic look, shaking his head, "You never were the brightest, one of your few flaws." He gave her a sad look, "But you are right, I shouldn't kill him." He smiled a wicked smile.

"What use is a broken woman, when she is all alone?" He pulled the knife away from Chris' neck, and threw him over against the wall near Rain. He collapsed, his breath coming in painful gasps. "No, I think what we need here is a broken man for the broken woman." He nodded at the guards, and two of them went over, taking a firm grip on Rain, a third put his foot on Chris' chest, pointing a gun at him.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before," He said, with disappointment. "It was so simple," He looked at one of the guards, "Bring the girl." The man nodded and walked away. "Hard as it may be to believe," Claudio said, turning back to Rain. "Your long lost lover didin't want to provide me with the names of certain rebel holdouts who were getting in the way of my plans."

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from the dagger away. "So i was forced to provide motivation for him." He smiled, as if enjoying the thought. "He just so happened to have a family, and they suffered for his insolence." Claudio paused, a mocking moment of silence. "But his little girl, she managed to hide from the men who I sent, and survived."

Claudio glanced over to the side, as the guard returned, a little girl with him. "I decided that i simply had to meet such a clever girl," He knelt down, taking her hand as the guard pushed the terrified girl into the cell. "Hello My dear," He said with a laugh, "So sergeant, how do you think it would affect your loverboy, to see her die in front of him. In your expert medical opinion." He looked over at her, his eyes gleaming, "Howwould it affect YOU?"

[Rainea Cross]

"Killing a little girl is under you, Leo.." She felt her defenses kick in, she calmed. Her breathing slowed and she closed her eyes for a moment, her screaming wouldn't help that little girl, only scare her, she had to stay strong for that child. "You want to break a man, you know how I have never doubted that, not once since I got here Leo. The man is already broken." Rainea nodded towards the belt, she had no doubts, someone who tried it once, was going to try it again. If his daughter died, he will be dead by morning.

"Killing her, not worth your time, you already ruined him. If you are trying to hurt me, well, you already know I will do anything you ask." She just looked at him, her hands behind her back, she didn't fight or struggle she just looked at him. "Besides Leo, you are just as broken as I am." She just looked at him, the calm still washed over her for the time being, she was in sarge mode, and part of her hated that.

[Claudio Vinccino]

Chris was experiencing a strange separation from his body. Whether it was the pain or the fear or both, he wasn't aware of much. Then he heard the Sergeant talking about killing girls, and breaking him. Instantly he was brought back to the real world. Lifting his head, he saw Sarah, and Claudio, and the knife. "Let her go, you piece of..." He threw all his remaing strength against the man who was holding him down. Catching the guard off balance, he managed to get free. The guard fell into the two that were holding the sergeant, and they lost their grip on her. Chris nodded, and he grabbed the man's rifle, pointing it at Claudio.

Claudio was about to respond to Rain's words about being broken, when Chris came to life and managed to get a hold of a weapon. The other guards moved to fire on him, but Claudio held up a hand. "HOLD!" He called out, in a commanding voice, pulling the girl to him, and picking her up. "Well now," He said, amused. "This is quite the situation we have here. I would appear to be at your mercy." He looked at Sarah, and then back at Chris. "You do know what will happen if you fire that gun don't you?" He glanced at Rain,

"You have no faith in your own, he isn't broken. In fact this moment could be what turns him into a real man, instead of a boy who has outgrown his own emotions." He laughed, tracing Sarah's hair with his finger. "She looks just like her mother..." His eyes flashed, "I would hate to see the resemblance continue to what her mother looks like now..." His voice trailed off, and he left the words to hang in the air.

[Rainea Cross]

Rainea put up her arms, and looked from one to the other. This was not going to end well, at least she didn't think it would. She glanced at Chris then back at Claudio. "Let's try doing this without killing each other huh?" She looked at them again, each one in turn, she was scared, she was most likely going to lose at least one of them. Carefully she stepped between them, Chris, a good deal taller than still tried his best to look around to and at Claudio, she turned her back on Chris and looked at Claudio.

"We all know this isn't my strong suit, and that I'm.. words have never been my thing... Claudio, let them go, I'll give you what you asked for.. I'll give you Ryder, no bomb required." She looked over at Chris, "If he is willing to give up your daughter, you leave, run..."

[Claudio Vinccino]

Claudio was amused by the way things had developed. He had expected some sort of bargain, but no the kind she was proposing. It was almost too easy. The guards who had fallen over were now on their feet again, and behind Chris and Rain. Claudio nodded, and one of them hit Chris in the back, knocking the gun from his hands, while the other two restrained Rain once more. Picking up his gun, the guard dragged Chris over to kneel in front of Claudio, and then pointed his gun at him, itching for a chance to use it. "Well," He said, with a wicked smile, "I think we have an agreement, with a few modifications." He eyed her carefully, "Since you are bringing me Ryder, I am going to free one of these two." He smiled, "So choose, who goes free?"

"Think carefully." He said, looking her in the eyes, "Choose who goes. I promise they will be allowed to leave, but the other one will be locked back up." He sighed, "So..... Who?"

[Rainea Cross]

"No, both of them." She just looked into his eyes. "She would be dead on her own and you know that, and she would be dead in here. They both need to get out of here Leo. I am already breaking one promise for you, what else do you want?" She watched his reaction, she hated herself, it showed in her eyes and in the way she stood. She was so close to the edge now, she was in danger of allowing her self to fall over that edge.