WHO:Jakob and Roman WHEN:Backdated August WHERE: Roman’s office WHAT: Checking in WARNINGS: None STATUS:
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Change meant risk. Changing handlers means having to get to know how someone new worked, it could delay plans in place. But if his superiors ordered it, then he couldn’t object. So, Jake has responded to the notification that he’d be meeting with ‘legal council’ in regards to his recent hope to locate his real parents on the mainland. Honestly, Jakob could care less, but it gave him a cover for why he’d be meeting with Roman.
He arrived at the lawyers office and knocked. Dressed in his casual look, a t-shirt with jeans, he had his jacket draped over his arm so much of his ink was visible. Once he heard the invite to enter, he did so. “Hi, I’m Jakob Hale… we had an appointment.” He said, closing the door behind him. “I understand you’re the man to help me?”
—
“Come in,” Roman called.
His glasses had begun to slip down the bridge of his nose by that point, gravity willing them to disobey orders. Eyes were busy scanning over pages of evidence, photographs, things he’d procured using what pull and favors he had at his disposal. When the knock had come his gaze would lift and the folder with the contents of a recent case would be closed.
He surveyed the young man entering his office finding the inked male easier on the eyes than he’d anticipated. Not that they hadn’t seen each other before around the water cooler.
“Please, sit,” Roman offered, hand extending toward the chairs in front of his desk. “I’d be happy to assist with your problem,” Roman stated, offering Jakob a winning smile. Hand would lower to the desk and he waited to see if there was something else on Jake’s mind.
—
Jakob took a seat with a nod as his eyes took a quick inventory of the room. They’d trained him to keep aware of his surroundings. Despite his back to the door, he knew he could see its reflection in one of the frames on the wall. “I assume you were debriefed on everything?” He inquired. “My information assets,” he listed off a few ‘friends’ he’d made, including Kyrie and Hannah. “Well, Kyrie and Hannah aren’t fully cultivated yet. We put Hannah on hold since Kyrie seemed more malleable.” He stated.
“I think my last report was my conversation with her friend, Ben, who basically gave me the ‘big brother’ talk.” Jake informed. “I was waiting for the ‘go’ to take the next step.” The ruse about needing her to help him protect her by listening to the guards conversations because of rumors he heard that one of them had been working with the one who’d attacked her and he was worried they would try something. Getting that to open the door to her sharing gossip with him. “There was talk about maybe claiming to be part of this resistance movement once she was fully turned. ‘Coming out’ so to speak, taking trust to the next level- my former handler was skeptical over whether that would scare her off or not. But I think she’d actually like to believe she’s part of a cause.”
—
Roman had been briefed on the circumstances of Jakob’s case and he found it entirely interesting if he was allowing a bit of honesty. Educated and familiar with the facts and circumstances, he lent Jakob his attention and focus for an update.
He was aware of the Kyrie woman - she was a quiet, cautious yet beautiful specimen. Hannah he knew as well, equally as attractive and usable.
Listening, he nodded. “Well, do you think she is willing to take the next step? I’ve found that with women in her same situation that they are liable to act on pure feeling - even in the sense of rebellion. If she trusts you, I don’t see why she couldn’t be coaxed into taking that next step.” The point was to get close, to gather intel, to be patient. Roman knew this game.
“If you wait for her ‘brother’ type to give you signals you’ll be wasting your time waiting forever. Find a common ground.”
At the point of direction Roman considered the pros and cons. “I think if you gain her trust she would follow you blindly anywhere. That makes you dangerous, and also powerful. What do you think about taking her to that level once she’s turned and usable?”
—
“I meant the go from my handler.” He clarified with a small smile.
Jakob ran his hand through his hair and kept his poise. He tended to be clinical about what he did. It wasn’t that he liked taking advantage of someone. Sure, he liked it when things went well, but he didn’t find joy in deceiving someone. It was part of the job.
“I think she was more of a perfect target than we knew when we picked her. She’s never been in a relationship before. She was very sheltered growing up and despite the strength her mutation gives her, she’s just a princess looking for a fairy tale ending.” Jake deduced. “I’ve used the lighthouse as ‘our special spot’ and she’s already gone outside of her comfort zone and shown she trusts me. I think, she’ll do anything I ask. So long as she thinks it’s to protect her, me or for the good of someone else.”
“Having a shared secret like being part of the resistance together could shore things up as well. Make her more dependent on me, especially if there’s that looming threat that she thinks I can protect her from.” Jake hypothesized.
—
Roman was new to this. He offered a shrug and took things in stride.
There was some betrayal in Jakob’s expression regardless but Roman didn’t give up the ghost and he didn’t address it. He simply leaned backward in his chair and watched the other man.
Listening, Roman nodded. This girl was worse than his own girlfriend, both seemed naive to the world though Daniela had potential. “She might be more than she seems, but then I don’t know her the way that you do.” In this circumstance Jakob was the expert. “As long as you’re there for her I would continue down your path. But be wary of any who might also be protecting her. You don’t have to win her heart, you have to win those of the ones around her if she has any.”
“I like that. What’s your plan to integrate her to the resistance?” He was sure you had to be initiated into that secret faction.
—
“I was thinking of claiming ‘protection’ of her, insisting to keep her at arms distance from the ‘resistance’. That way it would be less likely for her to want to meet anyone else- who, of course, don’t exist.” Since he’d yet to- and not been tasked with- infiltrated the so called ‘Faction’ on the island. He shared any murmurings and rumors he heard, sure. But that had been the extent of it.
Jakob nodded along to with what Roman had to say. “I’m hoping that by playing the part, her friend will warm up to me.” The hard part was trying not to get too comfortable in the role. “I’ve played up part of my past, hard childhood, to appear sympathetic and vulnerable. It seemed to work a little- though not completely swayed on the first meeting. The trick as I see it is to not to try to turn them into the enemy. She seems to be isolated enough, trying to isolate her from the only one she depends on seems like it would backfire. So, I’m going to try to be his friend.”