2021-01-08 - Stake Out

The 1969 GTO is a beautiful machine. Again. Finally. Thanks to Itzhak and 0 thanks to Joey's cronies who had to run the beautiful machine off the road and shoot it full of holes and LESS help from the asshat that dare steal it. It's glossy and black, with a red leather interior and redwall tires, and a medal of St. Christopher hanging from the rear view mirror on a short chain. it also smells like fries as a bit like BBQ chicken wings that may have a vendetta against the human colon. If they don't make the devil cry from the heat are you really trying? Why kill the bird at all??!

Tonight they have been sitting up staking out the warehouse of one of Reyes' guys to tail them and maybe, just maybe, turn him into a fucking stocking stuffer- if by stocking one takes the gesture to include the trunk. With a sigh Joey murmurs to his snoop-friend passenger, "Every five minutes goes by I resent these assholes a little more, ya know that?"

Alexander doesn't mind hot wings, although he hasn't eaten many of them. The fries are crunched with a methodical sort of enjoyment, though - seriously, if it weren't for August, Alexander would barely eat veggies at all. He's got a notebook open, and is working on something as they watch and wait. His disapproval of the 'stocking stuffer' idea was made clear by his frown, but even Alexander allowed that a little bit of gentle interrogation would be warranted if any of Reyes' men showed up tonight. But for right now, he's content to watch and wait. There's a sidelong look to Joey. "Why?" he asks, sounding genuinely confused.

Joey might have had to make it very clear (because Joey's fucking allergic to lying). Yes he has a gun on him, and no he has no particular plans to make Alexander help him hide a body tonight. Licking his fingers off he gestures idly at the warehouse just down a ways there, "Because we could be at home with our families but no. No, this asshole has to come into our city, set things on fire, and make everyone fucking miserable... also they broke my car, my bike, and they fucking killed Andre. Fuck them. Had these guys not come here and been...them we'd be at homemaking illegal bets on important shit like who the Goat on the Masked Singer is and not be missing one Brawny Sandra Bullock(tm)." Andre was kinda America's Sweetheart.

Alexander just wrinkled his nose a little when told about the gun, but doesn't object. "You have a point," he mutters, narrowing his eyes at the warehouse which has remained stubbornly empty and uncrimey thus far. Luckily, he can be patient when he wants, so he relaxes and smiles. "Not that you're not good company, Kelly." He's pretty silent on the issue of dead Andre, but then, his interactions with the man had been minimal and second hand. He does, at least, agree with, "It'd be nice to get these guys the fuck out of town and somewhere they can't cause any more trouble. Not that I expect them to stay in jail long...maybe we should call ICE." His smile is humorless. "Those fuckers are also assholes, so these and them might deserve each other."

Joey lays out his gratitude across the bed of gravel that is him mumbling, "Thanks. Rather be doing other shit." It's the assessment that Alexander has in front of said woeful uncrimeyness that has the 31 year old underboss sighing, "Not gonna say you're not wrong. Is it weird by thoughts lately are like 'Oh shit if one of em does his Nicole or my dogs where should the fucking body go' and 'man if I bite it cause of some two bit asshole with a lucky shot trying to move up...his ass is so fucking haunted'?" Finally, though, he lets that exhale go. His hand waves it off and grabs a fry. He can destroy it with teeth in effigy.

"Like serious I thought I was so close to walking away from this shit...and then these assholes man.I hate it but it's how it fucking is."

"Right now, my other shit would mostly also involve sitting and watching until something interesting happens," Alexander says, with a faint smile, "so I suppose I'm just as glad for the company. People don't understand that I don't really care who their spouse or lover is fucking." He pauses to take a sip of soda, then another fry. A sidelong look at where should the fucking body go, but then again, Joey's talking about someone hurting Nicole or dogs, and in those cases, Alexander wouldn't try very hard to find evidence of a crime. He just says, "I understand Gray Pond is one of the more popular places. Or has that changed?" Because he just can't help fishing.

Another fry. "You should, though. Walk away. Hell, take Nicole, get the fuck out of this town, put up a nice gym in another place, teach kids. You're good at those things." A pause. "Not that you're not good at the other things, too. I'm sure you are. Or I would have more evidence on you."

Joey blinks and grins faintly looking to Alexander with a laugh, "That makes two of us who don't give a shit, man." Oh a recc! Flatly he murmurs, "Dunno man, Wasn't ever my job." He's not going to hand Alexander the book but he's not about to disservice his skills when Joey knows Abitha just found paydirt either. It's just elected to not surface. "Truthfully? I would if I fucking could but I can't. One? I'd be the one missing. Or not. As an example. But two?who else is gonna keep all these assholes in check? Crime isn't going to just stop. Best we can do is keep it from hitting anything ...you know... not...crimey." First and last finger point at the warehouse. "This asshole isn't a real person so. Fuck em. I mean we don't have to like the rules of the game but we gotta survive it and keep our people from getting fucking hurt. You got a better idea? I'm all ears, bruh."

Alexander sighs. "But it does pay more than the conspiracy theoriests ever did," he admits. There's a brief snort, but he doesn't argue...at least, not until the end. He scowls out at the darkness. "They're all real people, Kelly. They may be bad people, but they're still real people. And you can't stop crime from hitting people by doing more crime. That junkie mugs tourists to afford the next hit. The gambler who owes you money tries to burn down his house to get insurance payout, and his kid gets trapped inside. It resonates." He rubs at his hair. "The law is an imperfect tool. I'm willing to admit that. But organized crime is no substitute for justice."

And we're back to square one. Joey looks back, away from the warehouse to look at Alexander evenly. "no it ain't. Neither is the law. But if drugs are going to find its way in people lookin to do shit? I feel a lot better when they know where not to shit on. Imagine if these assholes did hit Felix in that garage. Me. You? That was what? Five months ago? Imagine what this place would look like in a year with Reyes doing whatever letting anyone do...whatever. I mean you don' t like it. Good. That makes you the fucking sane one in this madness. Everyone else? They get used to it or stop caring about who gets hurt so long as they get their cut. it matters though." Taking a deep breath he falls silent, after a moment watching the warehouse murmuring, "Can we change that is the question maybe."

Alexander sighs. He meets Joey's look square. "Yeah, it'd suck. Of course, it already sucks. And Monaghan shot me in that garage, and the only reason I'm not dead is because I managed to fling myself aside. It wasn't personal, I know that. He'd have shot anyone who got in his way, man, woman, nun, child. Just because I'm playing nominally on Team Felix in this case, it doesn't mean I think the city's good with him in it, or his organization. Just means that I think he's marginally less shitty because he's so cold blooded that he won't break shit for the hell of it, and I know he hasn't got a spark of abilities to him." Now he looks away, although a muscle in his jaw jumps. "And of course things can change. People, too. There's inertia. There's pushback. But I have to believe that...taking people off the streets and putting them behind bars gives them more of a chance than cutting their throat."

Joey looks away to the steering wheel. "Don't really make it okay." Head rests against the back of the seat. "Occurred to me after we might be able to jam the damn gun." Something he's thought about a lot apparently. Taking a deep breath he murmurs, "You know why I got this job, from Felix?" Eyes shift over to Alexander and his jaw sets at an angle, "He... is like that, yeah. But it's a business. There's a formality and... and nothing to be gained but a deficit hurting people uninvolved. Felix didn't... promiote me cause he likes me. It's because I listen and learned how to contain havoc into a small blast radius so it only hits what no one cares about. No one gives a shit? No one reports shit. Ad I don't exaclty like my work some days, but like I like the idea of assholes like Reyes popping guns off in our town becuase he doesn't give two flying shits a lot less. At least I can say hey asshole maybe don't..."

"No, it doesn't," Alexander mutters. But he sighs, and adds, "But that's not your fault. And yeah. Someone like you probably could have. And I can make people shoot other people, or themselves. But things happen fast in a firefight, and I don't think anyone expected something so," he hums, "blatant. It'd have been brilliant, tactically, if it worked." There's a little nod at Joey's explanation, and his voice softens as he looks towards the warehouse again. "You ever wonder why I insisted you read the dictionary, Kelly?"

Joey nods minutely. Perfect setup really. They could have shot Ruiz too. Huge cover up. The last question has him looking up curiously at, weirdly and arguably best friend, "Because you're tired me me telling people not to use words that don't attain to them?" A valid and honest answer that may even be a bit accurate!

Alexander opens his mouth. Thinks about what he was about to instinctively say. Then he closes it. He rethinks, and finally says, while looking off into the darkness, "Because you're not an asshole. You're a smart guy, and you have a heart, and you're right, you don't try and get collateral damage. And if you're going to be in charge - and don't think I haven't noticed that you are increasingly in charge - you need to be able to project smart, not just tough. Because there's always going to be guys who figure they're smarter than you, especially if you don't sound it, and those guys are going to decide they should be in charge rather than you. Which means you have to put them down, or one day, somebody gets lucky, and a good man dies needlessly." He shrugs. "I've never had the, uh, pleasure of talking to Monaghan, but I know he moves as much in legit business as he does underground, and I'd bet that when he wants to, you can't tell him from someone like Byron. Sharp. Someone who can shake hands with the Mayor, sit down at the table with guys with MBAs. And that means, fewer people think they're smarter than he is. Fewer people make a run at him. I'd like fewer people to make runs at you."

"He's um... he's business. he's all business." It's a lot to process while you're waiting to stuff a guy in a trunk. He listens and replies in earnest, "I don't think he knows no basketball players, but I get the idea." Roughly. He's not fool enough to wave his arms around while on a damn stakeout, but he does slouch a bit in his seat. There's a frown. He looks up, then over to Alexander, and down again. "I think we all need that. . Honestly less worried about being shot. I did things I probably deserve it for. Worried that this," he gestures with a finger, "You're gonna dig a hole too deep snoopin and trying to do some good and th e damn town'll jsut fill it with dirt with you still in it. I don't... like it, but maybe we can midgetgate it." He's getting closer! "I swear to Christ this town wants to make life as difficult as fuckign possible some days."

"Mitigate."

He just can't HELP himself. But Alexander just flashes him a sidelong smile, and says, "You think I don't deserve it, Kelly? We've all got things to regret. Or at least that we're not proud of." He looks away again. "And I'd almost rather get shot by an actual human being than torn apart by some nightmare monster. But," he laughs, softly, "this fucking town has been doing its damnedest to kill me since I was eight years old. It hasn't succeeded yet, and I'm not without defenses." He shrugs. "I like you. We're friends. Doesn't mean that we won't end up on the...wrong sides, from each other, one day. But however that happens, and however that ends, I still like you."

Joey snickers at the rebuttal dimpling a wry grin, "I think...in the current era of our time? No." There' s a pause and his tongue traces the bottom on his lip thoughtfully. "I ain't ever gonna ask you not to do what you do, and... I'm not gonna take it personally. I told... I told De... Javega... whatever the fuck his real name is I wouldn't shoot em and weird thing is like I gave him my word. But I promised em. Even if I'm the only one that means anything to, it means something. Even after all this... bullshit with him lyin to me but, I guess... what I'm tryin to say is you don't gotta worry about me. Like that." There's a pause and he reasons thoughtfully, "I would definitely beat your ass if you did something super dumb, but...whatever this shit is? I want you o win it cause I don't think anyone else is fighting for regular folk anymore. Doesn't feel like it."

"Javier Ruiz de la Vega," Alexander says, and as always, there's a certain satisfaction in the way it rolls off his tongue: Ruiz has so many names. It makes him happy, as one with odd beliefs about names and their power over people. But he sighs at the mention of the cop, nonetheless. "The Captain is difficult. I don't know what game he's playing. I tried to help. I fucked it all up, and now we're not...we're probably not really friends anymore. But I don't think he wants to hurt you. Get free of Felix, probably. But not...hurt you." There's a little smile. "And you're a good guy, Joseph Kelly. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Joey just stares at Alexander. After a pause Joey concludes, "He neeeds to just pick one. Having 5 names is cheating." It stings. It might always really but there is an empathetic look given to his PI pal. "We got played man. And that sucks, but... maybe we can at least get Reyes teh fuck out of our town and sort of... reestablish some order even if the rules for it ain't so pretty, you know?" Taking a deep breath he sighs. "Fuck I need to get a suit. I gotta call Byron."

"It's not cheating. It's prudent. Wise. Good." Alexander nods. "The more names, the better. And I do think we need to get Reyes the fuck out of our town. Whatever happens after that, doing that is a good thing." He slides down into the seat a little, still watching the warehouse. Still, there's a flicker of a look towards Joey at the mention of Byron. He opens his mouth. Then closes it, and says, "He'll find you a good one, I'm sure. I think Byron somehow managed to find the magic tailored suit tree, somewhere Over There."

Joey says with a serious expression, "Dude don't even joke about that one. He and pastry guy might back over someone with their damn car to race to that tree." There's a shake of his head and taking a deep breath he murmurs, "Knew em since first grade. I trust him." It really is a big endorsement, though he trusts him with suits and really to be consistent at the very least. You know he was on football with me and Jaime? I loved the aggression of the sport but I think he did it to get laid. Can't be sure. Definitely factored into it I think."

Alexander laughs. It's a startled bark of a laugh, but genuine. "...you're not wrong. God help me, I don't think you're wrong." he flashes a grin, although the mirth fades into a more complicated expression as Joey goes on. He looks down at his hands. "I didn't know him. Not well. A couple of times when he was a kid and I was waiting to pester his dad." There's a long pause. "He's good at lying. He's good at violence. He's utterly ruthless, and perfectly willing to manipulate people he cares about in pursuit of his goals. He can be cruel when he thinks he can get away with it, and he wants to be in control of anything that's important to him." Another pause. "But. When I got tossed out of a Dream with my arm pulped from the shoulder to the hand, he was first on my speed dial." A crooked smile. "I mean, literally, he was first in the line of contacts, and the easiest one to reach. I'm sure it was annoying. But he came out and got me somewhere safe, and didn't even really hesitate, that I saw. And I don't think he even //likes/ me very much." He sighs. "He's complex. So many fucking complex people in this town."

They're on a stake out and here these fools are laughing their ass off. Joey, pinching his eyes just enjoys it because, fuck, there might be a shoot out in a couple house, who knows. Bringing up Byron's dad there's a sobering effect and a grunt acknowledging the presence of him in the conversation but having no love lost for Byron's bully cop of a father.

"Byron.. is complicated and people want to see the flashy casino owner with the world under his belt... because that's what he wants them to see cause it's what he needs them to fucking see." Stretching his back he fishes for another fry but examines it rather than just eats it. "Growing up we spent far too fucking long being pushed down. His dad was pretty fucking relentless and... well we're not here to talk about me. I'd lie if I didn't say growing up Byron miserable made me kinda glad I didn't have a dad. Like...it's all I really had to go by."

It's likely not healthy to take solace that someone else is miserable. He's not proud of this. "He tried so fuckin hard to make his old man happy and the guy wasn't gonna be. I really wasn't friends with em til like... middle school? Early high school but instead of getting the old man's approval he started studying people. Got ours instead and everyone fuckin loved that guy. He has fought harder than any other human being I have ever met and has given up literally everything to do it and he's not going to let anyone push him back again." There's an admiration in the tone, fondness really for the unlikely seeming friend.

"Say what people will about Byron Thorne, but in knowing how people can be used he's protected that and given people a lot of jobs and shit they need because he is really ridiculously good at paying attention. You're surprised he helped you and... I'm not. The day'll come he'll need to understand something and you'll help him. It's not shallow. It's an invest meant of trust. Life's kinda a business that way and he's really good at it. And he's never judged any of us based on where we come from, it's on merit. There's a lot to admire in that I think. he's a different sort."

"Detective Thorne was an asshole," Alexander says, flatly. Then hesitates. He adds, somewhat softer, "But at the time, he was the only one who'd listen to a crazy out of his mind kid, even just a little, even if reluctantly. So I followed him around like a puppy. A deranged stalker puppy. And I didn't do everything that maybe I could have done, because...because having that one thing, that one person who would listen even just a little? Pretty much the only thing that kept me from walking around the town with a shotgun just to make the things in my head shut up. I understand it got worse after I skipped town, went to college. I like to think that if I'd been here, I'd have...stepped up." A pause. "But I don't know. Because I wasn't here. And sometimes I'm a coward."

His voice hardens. "But Byron is a good kid." He says it like he'll MAKE it be true, even if a part of him knows the truth is a lot more complex to that. "He's a good kid. He survived. He didn't let this town beat him him down. He's good."

Joey arches an eyebrow and looks to Alexander. Well. He and Byron do get into a phenomenal amount of illicit shit, however he can say truthfully to assuage Alexander's concerns, "He tries the best he can with what he's got. Coulda turned out a lot worse, but he's on his feet making shit happen. Pretty proud of em. Won't lie, man." There'a long pause with a sigh, "Dude, sorry, fuck his old man tho. Might have been a good cop but he was a shit father. Then again I dunno if there are really any good ones." A longer pause and his head tilts to the side, "Jaime. My brother's pretty fucking good at it. Maybe there's hope."

Alexander sets his jaw stubbornly at that arched eyebrow, but he doesn't argue. Just nods at the proud of him. Then winces and looks away. "I wasn't saying he was a good father. Or even a good cop. Just that--" he shakes his head. "Never mind. It's not important. And there are good fathers. Jaime seems like one, yeah. Although he has help from a pretty damned good uncle," he adds, with a slanted smile towards Joey. "I think Jessie has a great future as a marauding dinosaur ahead of her. We'll have to update the costume once she hits the growth spurt, of course."

Joey will always have issues trusting proverbial 'grownups'. He, like many, got hurt pretty damn bad in a way one can discern from the stances on things he chooses to fill in the details he really feels no need to rehash. The assured compliment, though, gets a small smile from him. "We can only try to not become the things we hate. If she wants to be a marauding dino? Shit we can build her a tiny theme park and stuff. So long...as she doesn't become a cop I'm good." There's a wry grin with a shake of his head, "When she gets to high school I'm going to have to remember I can't launch minors from a catapult aren't I?"

Alexander hesitates, then nods. "Yes. Trying not to become the things we hate seems like a worthy goal, all things considered." Although he does frown a little. "There's nothing wrong with being a cop, Kelly. It'd make family gatherings a bit inconvenient, but it's not bad." Whatever rant he might want to go off on, though, is interrupted by reluctant amusement at the last. "Maybe. I think the traditional route is to invite them inside to wait while you clean your guns in a meaningful way towards them. Catapults do seem to be more fun, though."

Joey dimples a wry grin and pulls a look to Alexander sucking in one cheek. His hand fishes around in the loose change in his cupholder and he pulls out a quarter. Holding it up his eyes roll up like he's guilty of some magic trick, "Mycfavourite was always not to say nothin. Watch some tough guy run his mouth. Ya don't ever look directly at him. let the little shit think he's got the upper hand and it's kidna great cause I'm capable but like not the biggest guy out there. I'm no fuckin Andre." At 5'10" his expectations are pretty real about that. The amusement doesn't fade, "You pull out a quarter, a washer works, and... ya hold it and just squeeze it enough that it bends and sloooowly just fold it in half. hand it to em and tell them 'this is how it's gonna be' and watch them try not to shit themselves."

Yeah, he's a bit of a bastard. "You know i broke my thumb twice trying to learn to do that. My grandfather did that in front of Jaime and me when we were 8 and fucking around with the gym being dumb. He did that and maaaaan The old man didn't have to ask us twice. We ran home so fast!" There's a deep breath there. "Jaime'll keep her safer han anyone did for us that's for damn sure. Just... I want this shit to be over. Shit was weird enough without help. You and I can get broken without their help I mean... Goddamn why are criminals so fucking stupid." The irony, he knows.

Alexander watches the coin, his eyebrows going up as Joey explains. "Well, that'd do it," he says, with an echo of that amusement. "I was never good at that." A pause. "The posturing." Another pause. "I don't mean 'posturing' in a bad way. It's normal. Itzhak once told me why he got the tattoos on the knuckles that he did - because having 'STAY DOWN' marked him as someone who was not to messed with, and that meant he got in fewer fights." He shakes his head. "I could never do that. People just poked me, and I'd get angry, and the next thing I'd know, either they'd be on the ground in a bleeding heap, or I would be. Sometimes they didn't do anything to poke me," he admits, with a grimace, "it was just what they were carrying around in their heads."

There are reasons Alexander walks alone on Elm, and does what he does, and yet most times out of ten, nobody gets in his way unless they have to - he's not considered one of the town's 'tough guys', but more one of the town's 'unstable menaces', who might cringe away from bullying, or beat someone down for doing nothing. After a moment, he says, "It's gotten better, though. Since I started making friends again. They, you, remind me that it's not all threats out there, and that I can wait the few minutes to determine if someone's really gunning for me, or if they just tripped." He clears his throat. "But it will be over." He nods towards the warehouse. "If we don't get them here, you'll get them somewhere. This guy, this outsider, he doesn't understand the town, and he's trying to rule by fear. But Gray Harbor? Gray Harbor lives by fear. And he's small fish where that's concerned."

There is little to be gained in crossing the path of a man that may yell at squirrels to interrogate them. "Funny enough you reminded me of the same thing." The eyebrow arches and his head tilts admitting as much. Joey's not exactly an 'emotional guy' but he's been appreciating things a little more since the shift over the last year and a half. "Serious. I don't... do friends. Not a lot. Most guys I know it's more, hmmm, business convenience? Maybe. People always want somethin. You? Shit you jsut wnat answers and want... things to make sense. Some sort of honesty to believe in?" THere's a pause and a slow nod, "You aint' alone man."

Rolling his head to look at the warehouse he takes in teh assessment and nods with a slow certainty. It's still a lot to take on, truthfully. "Trying to figure out how to do it with getting the fewest number of people hurt. Growing up I thought, you know whatever. It sucks and everything's going to so let's do this. I don't want shit to go down like it did at the parking garage. But this place... Fuuuuuck, Darryl. You run a real shithole ya know that." There's a pause and he squints at the warehouse complex. "My parking lot's better too." Take that asshole! You are being warehouse judged!

Alexander only did that once, and it was a super suspicious squirrel, okay? He smiles, though. "I'm glad. It's nice to have friends." He snorts at the commentary. "It's not supposed to be inviting, Kelly. It's supposed to be secret." With that, though, he settles in for a bit, closing his eyes. His mind is still active, scanning the shadowed buildings for life beyond the rats. "You should turn the guy over to the police, you know. Once he's told you what you need to know."

Joey quietly stews. "It's still shitty. Enough rust on there to give his whole crew tetanus....bet they don't have medical like we do." He's not going to lie about 'not being in crime' in front of Alexander. It's insulting. There's a long pause and Alexander's... right in an idea world. "Were this situation normal? I'd agree." He pauses and looks back to Clayton and doens't know... how to break it to him. "You know Reyes has people bought off in teh police department right? Liu is not the first or only. It's like sending a little snot-nosed entitled kid back to their parents that taught them to be that way to say 'discipline this' so they go good job son?"

Alexander picks at his bag of Stakeout Snacks, pulls out a package of beef jerky, hands it to Joey. "Stop fretting. Chew on this." He listens, and a hint of amusement flickers into his dark eyes as Joey tries to break the state of the local department to him. "I'm aware. I'm also aware that not every bought police officer in the local force answers to Reyes. You can't truly toss him out of town until your guys in the force can leverage out his guys. So," a gesture at the warehouse, "give them a witness prepared to sing like a fucking canary, so the cops can do the mopping up. Reyes' dirty cops will come back in line as soon as they realize he's lost, and whichever of them survive the...cleanup... will be grateful for whatever mercy they're offered, and twice as eager to do a good job, and turn over Reyes' other operations." His eyes flick back to the darkness. "Don't waste an asset if you don't have to."

Joey scowls just a bit but stops because... well beef jerky is kinda excellent. Clayton does have a point though a minor correction is in order, "I don't have guys in the force. I have a guy in the force that won't eat ribs with me no more." There's a pause and Joey considers the suggestion. "You know in five hours of sitting in this car we went to Alvin and the Chipmunks played backwards may be delivering coded messages from people trapped in the Veil to 'maybe send him home in one piece and offer him a job."

Alexander arches an eyebrow. "Is Felix holding out on you, then? Because he definitely has guys in the force, and I don't mean," his expression flickers pained, "I don't mean the Captain. And I never said offer Daryl a fucking job. Do not offer Daryl a fucking job, Kelly. Just make his continued survival contingent on turning over every piece of intel he on Reyes to you and the cops. Whichever non-crooked, or your-kind-of-crooked cops you can scrounge up. As far as I know, the DA isn't entirely compromised. Although if I'm wrong about that," his voice is very dry, "do be a bro and let me know." He sighs. "And no competent conspiracy would ever encode things in Alvin and the Chipmunks, because they're entirely too annoying."

Joey eats his Slim Jim neither confirming nor denying... which is sort of confirmation enough. Not formally. There's a long deep breath and he says "Means that much to you?" It's really an honest question. Looking to his buddy there the curiosity settles in, "Why Not the chipmunks, why you so eager to get this into the DA"s office? This about me or this about jsut needing to see the system not such for once?"

Alexander falls silent. His face sets into a stubborn sort of blankness - but let's face it, Alexander is rubbish at hiding his feelings, so that only lasts until he grimaces with some internal pain and rubs at his face with one hand. "It's not about what it means to me, Kelly. It's not...I'm not asking for a favor. I'm just pointing out a path that has a lot of benefits for everyone at the end of it. And I don't think people should be killed if they don't have to be. I don't," he stops, takes a breath, "It's not good for people. To be in the business of ending lives. Anyway," he gives an uncomfortable shrug, "it's just a suggestion. That's all."

Joey snorts, "Damn good cause I wasn't offering a favor. I'm curious as to the 'why'." Bitterly he opines, "Yeah well these assholes did not get that memo when they rolled in hot trying to turn us all into a colander." He pauses and waves the snack around going on to inform, "It's like a sieve but it's the whole thing that stands alone. The sieve is a trainer that goes over an existing pot. It's in your book. I was trying to figure out why the damn thing was in there twice." There's a pause, "It ain't turns out." Elm Street raises the very best at uncomfortable pauses. Still he's mulling it over. "If he plays ball and doesn't get shitty on people? Cool. You find me a DA that ain't no Addington bought fucking politician? They can have em. I'll... wait to hear back from ya. Cool?" His eyes squint, "Again, not a favor, just..."

Alexander chuckles under his breath, but he's serious when he says, "They did not get that memo, and that's why I'm sitting in this car with you, and not just letting this shit play out however it's going to, and try to uproot whoever survives while they're weak. Felix is the lesser of two evils, and to be completely honest, he only is because he's got you and a couple of the others on his side." And there's a hesitation, then a nod. "All right. I'll let you know. I think there's at least one."

Joey sits there silently mulling that over. "I seriously cannot really can't tell if you just called me a weakness and a liability or a moral asset. Either way? That's kinda messed up." And not lacking in amusement. "A"ight, find me a name. Doesn't hurt to have options... be nice to see them do their damn job for a living... and if he goes away and causes problems they won't be long term problems." Because Felix has guys in the system too, but Kelly's willing to hear it out. If it happens or not remains to be seen, but he's willing to consider it.