2019-08-30 - The List

(TXT to Isabella) Byron : (Phone rings)

(TXT to Byron) Isabella : (Isabella picks up, sounding a little winded) "Ronnie?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : (Byron's voice is level and controlled when he speaks) "Hey. I didn't want to text you about this. I asked Captain de la Vega for assistance, mainly to see about protecting some Addingtons. Primarily Erin Addington. He... let's just say he wants to end this right now. And he wants me to gather up people who will side with him."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : (A long pause) "....B, tell it to me straight. What do you mean he wants to end it? As in...?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "You know what I mean. Even though we, de la Vega and I, never came out and said as much. First of all, this was through text. I have a feeling he was baiting me and I didn't want anything on the record, digitally or not."
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : (Byron quickly adds) "I told him that I don't know many who would agree to going in this direction. He told me to, in his words, Start Asking."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Caution is definitely warranted." (Isabella pauses) "Did you tell him about the box?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "Yes, I told him about the box. He doesn't believe we have time for that. Or to find the Three."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Did he say why? Are we on a timetable?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : (There's curiosity in his voice now, though he's sounding a little terse) "Are you saying that after the seance. After Gohl boasted about breaking his record, that he won't immediately go on a murder spree? When do you think the next person is going to die? I expect soon."
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "de la Vega definitely doesn't want another death on our hands. And there's only so much extra security that we can lend."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "I'm..." (Isabella takes a deep breath - the sounds of her walking have stopped and she sounds close to the water. A door shuts) "This is a tall order, Ronnie. You know it is, especially when you know we can just lock him up somewhere without resorting to those methods. Why can't we just escort him to the facility if he was concerned about another death? Make sure he does get sealed?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "Neither I, nor de la Vega know where this Facility is. And Margaret Addington should have sent him there by now. If we can convince her to do so in the next few days, hopefully sooner, then sure. Look, I'm not saying, because he didn't come out and say, that he wants to kill Thomas Addington." (There, he said it), "I am saying that he wants an army to force the Addingtons' hand and in the case that they don't relent, he's willing to do what needs to be done.
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Shit." (The rare curse. Isabella sighs, a thump where she leans against the wall) "I was in this from the start so if it comes to that, you know I'm going to see it through to the very end. If he does this by himself, he's going to get killed, or worse, and I don't want that to happen either. Just..." (She falls quiet) "...we're going to need to step up our efforts, I think, if he's set on doing this." (After another moment of silence, she speaks up again) "What about you? Where are you in all of this?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : (The calm returns to his voice) "It doesn't matter what I think. But I do want this to end. He's not planning on doing this alone, like I said. He wants a group of people. He knows that I know people. He told me to add his name to that list."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Believe me, I think we're all in agreement regarding that. I just don't think all of us agree as to the methodology. You were uncomfortable with the possibility from the start, and Alexander will not have it. Not if there's another way, and we know there's another way, unless the body count escalates so quickly to the point that a delay would be even more unconscionable. Thanks to our little visit, the Addingtons are now fully aware that people are poking into their business, it's in their best interests to lock him up as soon as possible." (She pauses for a very long time) "All our other questions aside as to why they took so long until now to do something about it, I think the situation is bound to shift irrevocably if another victim turns up. If that happens, we're going to have to gird ourselves and commit to a course of action."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "But right now I think we have time. We need to move though. Fast."
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "Who will the next victim be, Bella? Rebecca Carr? Hyacinth or Erin Addington? Andi Johnson?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "Then what is our next plan? I told him what you all intended to do. He, nor I, believe that we'll accomplish that before the next person dies. If we can convince the Addingtons to commit Thomas Addington already-- (a pause) I'll wait to hear what Erin has to say and whether this has already been done."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "I don't know, Byron!" (Isabella's temper rises) "I don't know who he's going after next, at this point, but if we know another way, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't try our fucking damndest to get there while we have the breathing room!" (After a long heavy silence, she takes another breath) "I'm sorry. It's...I wasn't expecting to revisit this point so quickly. It's not as if I wasn't aware of this eventuality, and it's not as if the idea wasn't already in my head when we found out from them what was exactly happening. I want this to end, also, and I want to lend an active hand on it as much as possible. But if we do that and flub it, we're going to have to swallow the consequences of what follows, because you know as well as I that those Addingtons are more than what they seem, so the risk of that happening is tremendous and there will not be any going back after that. I guess the question we ought to be asking ourselves is if we're ready to gamble to that extent. When it comes down to it, I know I am. I have to be. Are you?" (She pauses) "But yeah. We should see what Erin manages to bring back. Hopefully it'll be enough for us to decide. If not..."
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "You know that if someone else dies, we may as well be to blame? At least in de la Vega's eyes, I'm sure. (A pause) Lilith might be willing to do so, but I didn't even give him her name nor mentioned that I'd be putting her on my list. (A pause) If you were to find the Three and have them or someone craft you a box, where do we begin that won't take us weeks to accomplish?"
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "If someone else dies, it would be Thomas and Margaret Addington to blame, not us, for waiting so long to exact measures the moment they realized what was happening." (Isabella's tone is razor sharp here) "And Captain de la Vega as a law enforcement professional should know that best among all of us. You can always get convicted for doing something or not doing something enough, but you can never be convicted for doing nothing to save someone." (After another pause, her voice softens) "Though I acknowledge that technicality doesn't address the burden of having a human conscience. We don't need the rule of law if we're so quick to convict ourselves as it is."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : (Isabella sighs) "I think we should at least wait for Erin to get back to us. I'll talk to Alexander about the box the bones were in, though I don't know if he'd be well enough to try and read it. If he isn't, I'll bring it to you, if you're willing, or the Captain - you said he was a reader?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "I'll do it. I wouldn't go speaking to the Captain unless you're willing to go with the difficult choice."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Alright. If nothing else, I'm all for Lilith being part of the list. She and I had...a long talk a few days ago." (It would probably explain why they're suddenly so supportive and friendly to one another in the hospital) "She'd be a great help if she agrees to it, if we asked her."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "I'm willing to go with the difficult choice. It's just that I don't believe it's the only one we've got at the moment."
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "I'll ask Lilith about it." (A pause) "We've had quite the night. Maybe I'll tell you about it some time."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Yeah? What happened?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "I'll tell you later." (Pause) "How's Clayton?" (The first time that he'd really asked about the guy, though it's possible that he's trying to change the subject)
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "He's in and out of unconsciousness due to the drugs, but he's going to be fine. Like I said earlier, Lilith did very well. Not that I doubted it for a second, honestly. He told me about the box and the Three almost from the moment he woke up."
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "That's good to hear then. And what about you? Have you been getting enough to eat? And enough rest?"
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "I'm..." (There's a long pause) "...I think I'll be better once this is over. But food's definitely not been a problem since the Ring got tossed in the water, and I was just out for a run. I think I'll take a soak before I go back to the hospital. What about you, B? Are you doing okay?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "I've spent much of the day resting. Reminiscing about the past. Before the good Captain interrupted it all."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : (Isabella laughs - it sounds like she relishes it, or finds it a relief that she still can) "That sounds dangerous, but in the best of ways. You should tell me what prompted this trip down memory lane sometime."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Anyway I beter get that soak in. I still have a lot of work to do today and I should head back to the hospital before long. Thanks for the update, Ronnie. Be careful out there, alright?"
(TXT to Isabella) Byron : "You be careful too, Bella. Keep me updated."
(TXT to Byron) Isabella : "Always. Goodnight."