there are prizes all around you if you're wise enough to see

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[praevaricatio]

You didn't choose this. And, I don't care about the balance. You get a second chance. I don't care if you've been alive for twenty four hours or twenty four years, you deserve the chance. If Elena's parents get a do-over, if you do, Mary Winchester... When you get the chance for a do-over. You take it.

( Because he wouldn't have his husband without it. )

As far as I see it, we have one plan. It's good and it's simple. You on a roof, aimed for Hernandez. Me behind you. Them getting to her. The Inner Circle thinks hunters have targeted the Inner Circle - or witches - and that takes the heat off of all of us so we can finish the rest off. As far as I'm concerned, if you weren't forced into this, or them, I wouldn't have made you, or expected you to. And I believe in you. And, Elena's parents. And second chances. That's why I'm putting my own life on the line.

[abad_influence]

[Lucas isn't entirely sure he buys it (8). But that's more his innate hunter skepticism than it is anything Ezra says. He certainly sounds sincere enough, like he believes his words, but he wonders if things would have gone differently if Elena Gilbert wasn't in the picture.

Still, he's here, he might as well pull his own weight.]

I'll text my brother. See if they can start spreading the word around. You are aware that this is going to put a lot of innocent hunters in their crosshairs, though.

[Collateral damage is still collateral damage. Three bodies versus an unknown quantity.]

[praevaricatio]

( He weighs the pros and cons of letting him in on activating the Gauntlet and what it means. )

Spread it vaguely. Don't throw hunters into witch-crosshairs. We need word out, not a calvacade of unprepared amateurs. ( a beat. ) No offense. Think of it as, information is out there. Rumblings.

[abad_influence]

[Lucas nods, before glancing down and starting a text conversation with his brother. Cooper is happy to help if for no other reason than to have something to do, but that's at least a step in the right direction.]

I'll handle this part. You figure out how to get to her.

[praevaricatio]

Okay.

( He leaves Lucas on the balcony. )

His brother is spreading the word to the hunters. Vaguely. We can pin Hernandez on them. ( and then his checks his phone. ) And David's contact is speeding up the timeline of Kirsanov's discovery. He's asking for a few days. When we get to them, the discovery and the rumblings of a hunter network being drawn back out could work in our favor when we make our move against Wallace and Corsair.

[an_honestword]

Having a scapegoat isn't a bad idea.

[He thought that he might have to play that role eventually, but if it doesn't have to be him, that's even better.]

We just have to make sure none of this information gets to her first. It needs to come through us.

[maxxx]

If we find her, why can't Jaq and I approach her? ( Too many cooks. Here's another idea on top of an idea. Like a hat on a hat. ) As long as we finish the job before she fact checks what we're saying, and how can she. We know how long it takes for Colony business to spread.

[tearhiseyesout]

That's the problem. We can't guarantee she's not going to call home and check in with the parents before she actually sees us.

[She leans back in the seat.]

It's not her getting suspicious that's the problem. It's her flipping a switch that has our parents catching on to what we're up to.

[maxxx]

Just brainstorming, sis.

( Okay, time to be more proactive. )

Maybe we do this the mundane way. What's a better way of finding out where a celebrity is?

[an_honestword]

Are you suggesting we make a plan through TMZ?

[Rusty raises an eyebrow.]

We know where she is - we just need to be able to get in.

[maxxx]

Or her publicist. Representative. I can talk my way into anything, even over the phone. But, by all means, be less cagey and tell us where she is, maybe a full-proof plan will formulate itself from actual information being shared.

( Bitchy. Yes. Sassy. Yes. Warranted? Eh. )

[an_honestword]

[Rusty takes a breath, before gesturing to the map.]

She's been holing up in a high rise here. But I don't know where inside.

[maxxx]

( A sigh as Ezra gestures.

"That's somewhere to start." )

Plenty of surrounding buildings.

[an_honestword]

[He nods.]

It shouldn't be hard to get Lucas somewhere nearby, we just need to be able to tell him where to aim.

[maxxx]

If it looks like a plan and it smells like a plan --

( Well, maybe it's actually a plan. )

[tearhiseyesout]

["Then it seems like we have a place to start. We just have to wait for the signal."

Which will come two days from now with a call from Mama Malreaux. Jaqueline takes it and goes to knock alert the rest of the team.]

It's go time. We've been dispatched to inform Hernandez of Kirsanov's untimely death.

[praevaricatio]

( Ezra spent two days shadowing the hunter mixed up in their plan, Max has avoided Rusty, sticking close to his sister. The waiting game was bad enough before, the next two days are interminable.

Their mother calls Jaq, who is out when she takes the call.

Max is just happy to know that there's something to do now.

"Envoy, ahoy," Max says. )

The highrise?

[tearhiseyesout]

That's my thought. Better to catch her by surprise than give her a chance to shore up her defenses.

[They don't need her being suspicious.]

Should we have some kind of signal for when we're in place?

[praevaricatio]

( "I say let it rip when he has a clear shot," Max starts, his and his sister's phones buzzing. Unlike his sister's, Max's connections are tight-knit and if someone is on his phone, it's his family, or someone affiliated. )

I'd rather we get an idea of who else is with her. Lucas is putting himself in their cross-hairs

( Max taps the email sent to him and his sister.

"Are you seeing this?"

The envoy has been requested, but, surprisingly, the details aren't what they expect. There's a new protocol in place, plane tickets, an address in a whole different country -- it looks like someone is now back on location. )

Colony?

[tearhiseyesout]

[Jaqueline picks up her phone and starts scrolling through the details. Sierra being back in the lion's den they planned for, but everything else ...]

Looks like Hernandez skipped town. We're being instructed to meet with her in Puerto Rico where she's on set.

[Rusty raises an eyebrow. "That's good for us. Isn't it?"]

[praevaricatio]

( "Less eyes on us," he suggests. "You," he adds, pointing at Lucas. )

There's more privacy on a - movie? set? ( What is she doing these days? ) Might be an opportunity to insert you. ( Also to Lucas. )

[tearhiseyesout]

["Movie sets have a lot of anonymous faces. Act like you belong, and you can get pretty close."

Lucas raises an eyebrow. "I thought the plan was for a sniper."]

It was. Now we'll have to see what this movie set looks like.

[maxxx]

It just takes one intern dropping off something for wardrobe. Definitely pack your silencer, though.

( He's on the less helpful side of this coin, but, Ezra turns around to face Lucas.

"This is a good thing. It means you and I won't be chased through Mexico City. We could get you in and out. And, delay the discovery. Give you enough time to get away." )

[abad_influence]

[Lucas nods, knowing he doesn't have much of a say in things and is basically along for the ride.]

Alright. Let's go to Puerto Rico, then.

[It's not like he has a choice.]

[praevaricatio]

( Max forwards the flight information as the group gets ready and packs up. They're expected that afternoon, so parts are moving quicker than any of them anticipated, but they've always worked well blind. At least the Malreaux did. Lucas will, too.

As the group returns to the main room, Ezra checks in on Lucas in the second bedroom to the suite, knocking on the door. )

Hey. I had a thought. Do you think anyone connected to the Winchesters, or do your parents know anyone that might be able to add a name to the crew list? I can glamour you an ID, but it would go a step farther if there's a name to match.

( He has another idea, but first, he asks this question. )