Joel Kulseth (aviatorshades) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-05-29 15:10:00 |
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Entry tags: | # 2019 [05] may, jane rusten, joel kulseth, mina kulseth |
Who: Joel & Mina
Where: Unknown + Austin
What: a phone call
When: May 9th, 9:15AM
Joel: [he holds his breath while he listens to the phone ring. If Mina doesn’t answer after a few she’s probably not going to.] Mina: [eyes the phone, wide-eyed, until she realizes if she doesn’t pick up she’ll miss the call] Daddy? Joel: [exhales] Yeah, it’s me. How you doing, baby girl? Mina: Better now. [her voice was thick, clearly on the edge of tears] Where are you? Are you hurt? Are you coming home? I thought you were-- [her words were cut short by her crying] Joel: [his chest constricts with the sound of Mina’s tears. His voice cracks when he answers] I’m fine, not even any bumps or bruises. I… I don’t know where I’m at, but they aren’t keeping me here permanently, I don’t think. I’ll be home soon, I’ll be back. [his voice constricts] I promise. Mina: [sniffles] Are you sure you're okay? Jane said they almost killed her but that they also just wanted to talk? That makes no sense, dad. What happened? Joel: [there’s still a hitch in his voice] I’m fine, Min. Not a scratch on me. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but they just want some questions answered, and I don’t know why they hauled me far away to do it. Or why it was me they picked up. Mina: Okay. [her voice is quiet and meek] I saw Cherry last night. She was really sad to hear that you’d been taken. I’m glad I’ll have good news for her the next time we speak. Joel: [he scrubs a hand over his face, frustrated and then surprised] Got the impression Cherry wasn’t in the Capitol last time you mentioned her. [he’s quiet for a long pause] You know I wouldn’t be here still if I had another choice, baby girl. I miss all of you. Mina: You’re right, dad, she’s not. I’m sorry, I just… She used to be my best friend and I was kind of falling apart and needed her. [sniffles] Do you know when they’ll let you come home? They will, won’t they? They have to. They can’t just--just keep you there. Joel: [a sigh] Don’t apologize, that’s on me, kid. You should be able to see her, I just want you safe. [a pause. He glances at the man in the room with him] Far as I know they’ll cut me loose. Don’t know when, wish I did. Soon I hope. After I answer their questions they don’t have a lot of reasons to keep me. Mina: Then just answer their questions. Okay, dad? Please? Just come home. [sniffles again as a fresh wave of tears start] I love you. Joel: That's the plan. [his voice is tight at the idea of the emotional trauma this has put on his family] I love you too, more than anything. Give Kaisha a kiss from me, okay? Mina: I will, dad. [hesitance in her voice] Do you have to hang up now? Joel: [glances up to notice the person in the room with him is in fact giving him the ‘finish it up’ gesture] Yeah, Min, they’re telling me I do. Be careful, baby girl. I’ll be home soon. |
Joel: [he raked his hand through his hair while he listened to the phone ring for the second time] Jane: [her tone is brusque and businesslike. The sound of papers rustling can be heard in the background. She didn’t look at the name that popped up on her phone before answering, there’s just too much to do and not enough time to do it in] Rusten. Joel: [he laughed under his breath] That all I’m gonna get? [he wasn’t successful at coming off flippant] Jane: [several seconds of astonished silence] ...fuck me running, it is you. [sound became muffled, as if the receiver was covered. Jane spoke to someone off speaker, her tone urgent and clipped. Commands were given, but the specific words are unable to be deciphered due to the phone being held against her chest.] Jesus, Joel, are you okay? Where are you? If you don’t have an exact location, give me landmarks. Give me something, anything, so I can come and get you. Joel: Don’t risk yourself for me, Rusten. They’re not keeping me indefinitely. But I don’t know where I’m at. Out of Texas maybe, with as far as they drove. Unless they were running circles to throw me off. I’m serious, don’t start a chase. I need you in Austin. [his tone wasn’t anywhere near as gruff as it would have been] I need to know you’re safe. That my family is safe. Jane: Mariah and the girls are safe. They are some tough broads and you have to know I’m taking care of them as best I can. And don’t worry, I’m not being stupid about it but you have to know I wouldn’t rest until I see your old ass again. You know you’d be doing the same if it was me. [a pause]. Out of Texas? You gotta be shitting me. Joel: [a muffled snort] Yeah, yeah, I know. [a pause] Or in Texas, and they drove me in circle a couple times. Either way, I doubt they’re keeping me just around the corner. Doesn’t feel like I need a rescue either. Jane: [there is a muffled sigh as Jane rubs her face] You know I trust your judgement more than my own, partner. It just doesn’t feel right sitting around with my thumb up my ass, just hoping and praying that they’ll keep their word and deliver you back whenever they’re done with you. [a beat passes] What do they want? Joel: Don’t know yet, we haven’t gotten to the talking things out part of it. They have questions, but won’t tell me what. [a pause] The calls they’re letting me make are a sign of good faith I’m guessing. I know sitting on your ass is hard, but I can’t have you driving to Nebraska just ‘cause you think I might be there. Jane: I’d drive to East Bumblefuck, Nebraska and back again if I honestly thought I’d find you there. If these heros that are holding you hostage are so goddamn great and honorable, working on ‘good faith’ and all, do they have specifics on when they are going to bring you home? I want to believe they’re gonna drop your old ass back at the Capitol but, call me crazy, guys who kidnap a cop, a Congressman’s daughter and a shelter leader don’t sound like stand up citizens whose word I can trust. Joel: [he made a noise that was somewhere between frustrated and fond] Not like I trust them, Jane. I’ll work out a contingency if they screw me over. Even if they drop me halfway between where i’m at and Austin, I’ll hope they leave me with my fucking phone. Then you’ll get to do all the rescuing you want. [he paused] You know I wish there were a timeline of when they’d set me loose. It would have been easier talking to Mina if I’d known that, but all I know is we’re going to have a chat and sometime after that they’ll send me back on my way. Jane: It better be only a little chat...[Jane trailed off, then exhaled. Even if she’s still upset by the situation, she is slightly relieved that Joel was able to speak to Mina] I’m glad you got to talk to Mina. Trying to explain to her what happened on the bridge, not having any answers...shit, that was the worst. She’s a tough cookie but I can’t tell how she’s taking it. If she’d just...[Jane stopped. Talking about Mina and feelings knocked her off track, off point. She knows she can’t have long to speak with Joel so Jane backpedaled.] Joel, you can’t give me anything else to work with? I know they probably have your balls in a vice but I wouldn’t be doing my job as a cop and as your friend, if I didn’t ask. Joel: [he sighed, frustrated at the lack of information he was given] I’ve got nothing, Rusten. I’m lucky they’re letting me make phone calls at all... [he glanced at the person in the room with him] If they give me another chance I might have more. Just stay safe, alright? Jane: As much as it pains me not to be able to bust in there, guns a-blazin’...I promise. Oh, and I’m keeping those stupid aviator sunglasses of yours safe, too. Oh, and the girls. Them, too, obviously. Keep your head on a swivel, partner. Joel: I’m sleeping with one eye open, promise. You break those shades, and you’ll be scavenging a new set for me. [he glanced over to the person keeping an eye on him, who gave him a ‘wrap it up’ hand gesture] I’ve got to go, see you soon. |