Who: Nina Clarke and Daniela Diaz Where: Dani's quarters, the UMCB What: Nina catches Dani up on the latest developments When: backdated slightly to 1/6
Nina had no delusions about her behaviors coming off as anything other than dramatic -- even overdramatic -- to someone who wasn't entirely up to speed on everything that had been brewing in Austin over the last few months. But what else was she to do in circumstances such as these? One of her close friends had just been (re-)arrested, another was clearly on the verge of some kind of nervous breakdown as the result of the first, and she was still being forced to walk Olinger's party line every single day.
As it were, she showed up to Dani's room at the UMCB a few minutes later than she'd said. (Playing prosecutor for the Mayor sometimes led to unexpected delays.) She offered an apologetic smile when the door opened, feeling as sorry for all the cloak and daggers talk as she was the lateness. Dani’s expression, as she ushered Nina inside, was deliberately neutral. "I'm sorry I couldn't meet sooner," Nina added, shutting the door behind her. "I know it wasn't fair to drop something like that on you and then be unable to expand on it."
“It wouldn't normally be my preference to wait on bad news this way,” Dani agreed, with a tight-mouthed grimace. It had never been her nature to jump to conclusions without any evidence to back them, so she'd spent the time since Nina dropped the bombshell about this avoiding, as much as possible, any speculation about what might have lead to Demi’s arrest. As much as she liked the other woman, Dani had to admit she knew very little about her, and certainly not enough to form a real hypothesis about her alleged offenses. While it was no secret that Demi didn't fit in at the Capitol, that alone wasn't enough to land her in La Quinta. And beyond that? Dani could only guess.
There was no real place to sit in the small room except for at the makeshift desk shoved into one corner. Gesturing for Nina to take that chair for herself, Dani settled onto her bed before continuing. “However, I understand some things are better explained in person. Can I offer you some water?”
"Water would be nice, thank you." Nina glanced at the closed door, picturing the Capitol personnel she'd seen on her way into the hospital and debating the chance of surveillance, before she gestured for Dani to come closer with the water. She was behaving like a madwoman, she was sure of it, but as much as the woman was due a proper explanation, she also deserved the chance to hear it without being thrown into jail. Like Demi, her mind finished silently.
"There's a couple of things you should know about me," she whispered, once Dani was within reach. "And about Demi. I'll tell you all of it -- it's about time I do, honestly, and I apologize for withholding it all from you until now -- and once you hear it all, I hope you'll understand why I have to keep this quiet."
There was no denying the way that Nina’s words made Dani’s heart kick up into a faster tempo as she was reminded of the last time someone made a confession about something he'd been withholding from her. Her brow wrinkled into a slight frown, but she nodded, waiting for Nina to go on.
Nina allowed herself a brief, wry smile as she reached for her phone, remembering a similar night like this a few months back. She typed out a message, then handed the phone to Dani without hitting send.
I can't recall how much you know, so I'm just going to start at the beginning and move forward from there. I met Demi when she was incarcerated in La Quinta as an accomplice of the Hellhounds.
This covert method of communicating made Dani’s frown deepen, and she shot a quick glance at Nina out of the side of her eye. It took a frustratingly long time for her to reply, fingers fumbling on the unfamiliar keys and tripped up by the sudden tension coursing through her.
This is news to me. I had no idea Demi was connected to the Hellhounds, or that she’d been in jail before.
She lived with them for some time. Nina paused then, wondering how much background was needed here about Demi's former life, before deciding to focus on what really mattered. Still, she kept certain details vague out of respect for the woman. As far as the law is concerned, her arrest was warranted. But the way she was treated in prison ought to have landed the perpetrators in jail, themselves.
Dani stared at the words of the message for the span of several seconds, her brain repeatedly cycling through the key phrases “her arrest was warranted” and “the way she was treated”. It was a shock, suddenly possessing all this information with no time to process any of it. The phone sat loosely in her grip as she wrestled with how best to reply.
And now? Is her association with them completely in the past, or has it continued?
Nina couldn't help but note that Dani's attention to detail would've suited her in a law career. Seeking direct confirmation rather than operating on assumptions: it was a strategy that she couldn't fault. Even though they'd just barely gotten started, though, Nina was aware that what Dani was finding out could likely change the way that she saw both Demi and herself. She watched the woman carefully as she handed back the phone.
I think it's fair to say her association's never ended, despite living in the Capitol. And I have ties to them as well, though it's less about supporting what they do (I can't forgive nor forget the crimes they've committed) and more about my complete lack of support for the sham of a mayor we have.
And there it was, in black and white. Dani’s mouth set in a hard line as she read the message a second, and then third time; Nina, in a moment of cowardice, dropped her gaze to her hands as she waited. The Hellhounds were everywhere, the perennial parasites of Austin that now encroached, in some manner, on every friendship she had. But Nina was awaiting a reply, and so Dani quickly tapped one out, her expression going blank as she passed the phone between them.
I’ve admittedly had suspicions. You can understand the many questions this raises, but let's start with the fact that you're being monitored. How much do you think they know?
As the phone was given to her, Nina maintained a careful, mindful lack of eye contact with Dani. The truth of the matter was that until now, she had never once felt apologetic about her connection to the Hellhounds. And as much as she regretted what those had led to, especially back in October, it wasn't a choice she had ever wanted to take back. How could she, when the other option was to support Olinger's regime through inaction?
Now, though, sitting here with the one person in her life who was entirely untouched by the Hellhounds, who had absolutely no reason to see them as anything else than Austin's scourge… Nina felt deeply ashamed of all she had enabled. So though her gaze did lift to the apartment door, imagining the patrolmen who were surely out there, she still kept her eyes averted from Dani's as she passed the phone back.
They know about the connection. But they believe that terminated at the end of November. (It hasn't, but I've been in the most sparing of communication since then.) The Mayor has me working as prosecutor against the Officers, even. And if I don't continue to comply (and I have been complying), I'll be put into jail myself.
It would have taken a person much less observant than Dani to be oblivious to Nina’s discomfort. Not that she blamed her friend for being troubled by the conversation. This was the kind of revelation that destroyed friendships -- as Dani knew all too well, having been down this road before. As disappointed as she was to find out Nina was involved with the raiders, a part of her knew that if she could continue to see Max, continue to feel any attachment to him after all that he’d taken part in, then she could wrap her mind around this too. For all that Nina spoke of not supporting what the Hellhounds did, though, there was no mention of what her relationship with them did entail. It was the obvious follow-up question.
Yet Dani hesitated, thumbs poised above the phone’s screen and ready to type her reply. Turning her head, she studied Nina for a moment before, with the barest of nods, seeming to come to a decision.
Good. The more compliant they think you are, the safer you’ll be. The Hellhounds can’t even keep their own leader out of La Quinta -- I don’t trust them to look out for you. I don’t trust them at all. What exactly is the nature of your involvement with them?
It wasn't the response Nina had expected, though if she was being honest with herself she wasn't entirely sure what she'd thought she would see. Still, there was a palpable sense of relief that hit her as she took the phone and, after erasing Dani's message, began to type her own. It felt good to be able to confess to some of the things that had been weighing on her.
As far as I'm concerned, my allegiance rests solely with James and his sister. I've passed on information about Adelaide's safety and was aware that something would be occurring to break her out, but I've never gone as far as to do their dirty work for them. If he were less concerned about my safety and I were more willing to break the law so regularly, I'm sure they could have used me more than they have.
James. Something -- a memory -- clicked in Dani’s head. Demi had mentioned a James as well, in regards to having an intimate relationship with the man. And given that she had connections to the Hellhounds, there was a logical assumption to be made: Demi had once been involved with James “Rodeo” Hawkins, also known as the Dog King.
Having stayed stock still while she thought the implications through, Dani now leaned her head forward to rub the pad of one thumb against a pressure point at the base of her nose. Rather than waste time getting Nina to confirm her supposition, she continued onward, driven by the nagging sensation that she was still missing valuable data.
Tell me more, if you would, about what the Mayor’s done to lose your support. I’ve seen the disparity between the Capitol and the other shelters firsthand, but there must be more I don’t know.
Where could Nina even begin? The breadth of her irritation felt like it could span an itemized list of thirty years of disagreements. But it was all too much to say aloud at once, let alone text, and there was also a concern about saying too much. Dani wasn't kicking her out just yet, but did Nina really know where her loyalties would lie?
She decided to start slowly. The true source of the Prax could wait, as could the details of what went on with startling regularity in the bowels of La Quinta.
That disparity's certainly a sticking point. It's alleged that the Capitol's Patrolmen tell people that all the unclaimed goods in the city belong to the government, that the only way to legally obtain or use them is to become affiliated with a shelter and take what's rationed to you from their supply. A properly-functioning government doesn't pick and choose the lives they sustain, but that's exactly what was done to the LBJ Library after they chose to solely trade for water.
Dani shifted slightly in her seat, hesitating, aware that this discussion of the government’s proper function was far more Nina’s territory than her own. Austin obviously couldn’t be allowed to devolve into chaos, with shelters warring over the city’s remaining resources -- or raiders stealing supplies as they liked. But in order to substantiate Nina’s claim that the Capitol protected some residents while refusing aid to others, there was no need to look any farther than the limitations placed on who could receive medical care from the UMCB. Dani wet her lips, mouth suddenly dry, and reached for her glass of water.
If what you're saying is true -- and I’ll agree that it likely is -- then more than Olinger must be involved. The whole council would have to be supporting, or at least allowing, his policies.
Nina nodded as she erased the message, her expression grim. Yes. Those policies are all council-approved. But I'd be confident in wagering that there are things that the council doesn't know about.
She paused, again wondering what was appropriate to share and, more importantly, whether Demi would approve her sharing. But what had happened to the woman had been Nina's wake-up call, and Isaac's too -- likely even Cal's. It was important for Dani to know just what they were up against. So she went on.
In my department, they try and they jail people for crimes that would have incurred a slap on the wrist before. And Olinger's man in La Quinta, Warden Reason, believes in using any means necessary to extricate the information they want. Physical and sexual abuse isn't out of the question. The COs are involved, too. It's a mockery of everything the law should represent.
Again, it didn’t take long to put together the pieces: a warden who encouraged his correctional officers to abuse their prisoners in every conceivable manner, and Demi, on her second trip to La Quinta. The implication -- the only reasonable leap of logic -- was horrifying to consider. Dani closed her eyes briefly, steadying herself before she looked back at the phone again. Her mind was blank, however. Or maybe it was too crowded with this new information. Either way, it took her much longer than it should have to compose a reply.
And in the absence of a higher authority than the Mayor, none of these monstrosities and injustices can be stopped. Meanwhile he's got you backed into a corner. Good God, Nina.
"Exactly," Nina said, unable to stop herself from replying out loud. The relief she felt at Dani's reaction, the palpable sense of dismay, made her feel better about the fact that she'd just shared information that, if used incorrectly, could ruin her life and so many others', too. There was so much that was wrong about the whole mess, but it was good to know that she wasn't alone. That even someone like Dani, who didn't have any personal ties to the Hellhounds, could look beyond what she'd done. Even just one more person knowing was a weight off her shoulders.
Of course, all of this didn't mean that everything was suddenly better now that Dani knew. There was still so much to work through, starting with Demi's current state. She reached for the phone, then typed: I don't know what to do. I just knew it wasn't fair to keep Demi's arrest a secret. And now that you know, I hope you also know that I'll do all I can to make sure you never do get wrapped up into this mess.
Without question, Dani knew that Nina had every intention of upholding that vow, but she wondered if it wasn't already too late. The rockslide had begun. Whether the pebbles wished to swept into it or not was irrelevant. And when the struggle between Austin’s factions eventually came to a head, it was becoming clear that people she cared about would be involved, or at least affected. If she hoped to have any control over the impact on her own life, Dani needed to start acting decisively. Olinger was corrupt, but the Dog King wasn't better. In fact, there was only one person in the thick of all of this that she trusted. Lifting her eyes briefly from the phone, Dani sought Nina’s gaze. After a moment, a strained but sympathetic expression crossed her face.
I don't know what to do either. I'm starting to think that if either man was on fire, I'd break out the marshmallows and watch him burn. But if something does come up, some way that I can help YOU out, you only have to ask.
"I know." Nina set her hand on Dani's, squeezing it as she attempted to convey all the gratitude she felt for her friend. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she pursed her lips and tried in vain to come up with the next step. What could she possibly to do fight Demi's incarceration, though? She was helpless just then, with nothing to do but worry and wait and plan.