At The Edge of Fear

[Marisol]

Marisol caught on fast. Vega told her to take the woman to the ambulance and get a statement, but she knew what was up. He wanted her away from the man. A statement was necessary, but getting the pair separated was more important. The woman - Ms. Shale - was in distress and clearly confused and disoriented. It was almost as if she were drugged. The witness moved to attack Vega again. Marisol’s hand was already on her sidearm and she almost drew, but Vega quickly had him on the ground. He was good. She went to shale, and spoke softly to Vega as she passed ”Guerrero - let me know if you need me.” she tapped her radio and led Ms. Shale to the ambulance.

EMS personnel quickly got an oxygen mask on her and Ms. Shale agreed to talk. ”Can you tell me your first name?” Marisol asked, kneeling down to be on her level. Anything to make sure she didn’t feel intimidated.

It took a bit for her to respond. ”Rachel…”

”And can you tell me what day it is?”

Rachel looked around and Marisol could see tears starting to form in her confused eyes. It took way too long for her to say ”I don’t know.”

The paramedic was still there and the two shared a look. The paramedic knew what she was doing. Simple questions to ascertain how with it Rachel was. There was more to this story than a heart attack in an alley. Statement first though.

”Can you tell me what happened with the man in the alley. I know it’s scary, but it would help me out a lot.”

Again, the pause. It didn’t seem like she was trying to think of an answer. It seemed like she was trying to understand the question. ”We came out of the movie - and he attacked Lucio. Then he got really scared and let Lucio go. Then he just died.”

Rachel began to cry and hugged Marisol. It wasn’t an odd thing in a situation like this. Especially when she was playing “good cop” Marisol returned the embrace and rubbed her back gently muttering it’s okay and I’m here to help in her ear.

That was the statement. She didn’t need any more, but she had to ask the next question. She was beginning to feel Rachel was in danger and she was certain Vega thought it too.

”I have one more very important question Rachel. And remember I’m here to help you. Are you here against your will?”

Rachel responded immediately, and it surprised her. ”Yes, no, I don’t know.”

Marisol frowned and gave the paramedic a level look that was returned. It wand the first time she had answered without a pause and it was the first time her voice hadn’t held that weird drugged cadence. Her instinct had been to say yes - she was here against her will - and I don’t know usually meant that as well.

”Detective - I’m transporting her. I think we need to run some tests and see if she’s been drugged.”

Marisol nodded. ”Rachel - is there someone we can call - family?”

The pause came back. ”Emily…my sister…or Jared…”

Marisol nodded. Emily shale - CEO of Shale - getting a hold of her should feel fairly easy. She’d call on the way. ”These nice people are going to take you to the hospital- make sure you’re okay.”

The paramedics began to load her into the ambulance. Marisol got on the radio. ”Dispatch, this is Guerrero. EMS is transporting female witness to the hospital. I’ll be following. Requesting uniform assistance at the hospital.” Vega would hear it on his radio.

[Dorian]

Things went down quickly. Dorian had Pirozzi down on the ground before he could do whatever it was he was intending to do. Cuffs on and then it was time to take him in.

"Don't let him touch you or anyone else. Book him at Domovoi, no place else. I'll be calling it in ahead of you so they know what they are potentially dealing with." He handed the sentient off to the uniformed officer to transport. "Don't listen to a thing he says either. He's far more dangerous than he looks." Dorian didn't explain. He had something far more concerning on his mind -- why was Rachel with him?

Rachel was being loaded up into the ambulance and being transported to the hospital. He tapped Guerrero on her shoulder hoping she'd step away from everyone else with him. When they were out of ear shot Dorian offered his hand. "Dorian Vega. Rachel is or was my son's girlfriend. Not sure what she's doing with that man." He nodded his head towards Pirozzi who was being shoved into the back carefully.

"His name is Lucio Pirozzi. His father is um... dangerous. If I'm correct in who his parentage, Rachel has been manipulated and we need to keep them separated. I'll call Emily and have her meet you at the hospital. She needs to know what's going on."

[Marisol]

Vega tapped her on the shoulder and she turned and followed. What he said confirmed what she had thought. She was somehow being manipulated. It seemed as if Vega knew more than she did. Something weird was going on. Lots of weird things were going on. Nightmares were real, vampires existed, and whatever the fuck this was. Her instincts said there was more to it than meets the eye.

"Marisol Guerrero," she took his offered hand. "She says they came out of the movie. The vic attacked Lucio then got scared , put him down, and he died. Right there. She's very disoriented...doesn't even know what day it is. When you ask questions she hesitates - not like she's trying to think of the answer, but like she's trying to understand the question. It's like she's drugged. She speaks with that slow gait of someone who is high. I asked her if she was here against her will. She responded "Yes, no, I don't know." Her instinct is to tell us she doesn't want to be here, but something is forcing her to say something else. That's what it feels like anyways. Lots of weird shit going on." she sighed. ”I'm certain she's being manipulated and I'm certain he's raping her."

The words were chosen specifically and if they were not out of earshot, she would have said it. In academy they told her never be certain of anything. "I got uniforms coming down to the hospital. Was planning to put her under 24 hour guard. Me, you, and family through. That's it. Anything else we should have?" there was no uncertainty in her tone, but it was clear to her that Vega had a better idea of what was going on than she did.

[Dorian]

Dorian nodded when she explained Rachel's symptoms "That all tracks with what he is. I work with Domovoi. This has all the trademarks of a Sentient attack. Perp just dropping of heart attack after manhandling the victim. Usually it's an accident. I don't think so in this case. Pirozzi is a family of Sentients, one of them works for us. Her father is a mean bastard. Off the record has killed a good friend of the family. On the record, I can't prove it. But his daughter can't do what he does. I imagine his son can. And if I recall her family history, Lucio is her brother's name.

Rachel's going to come back clean, no drugs. Just the power he wields over her. I don't know if I'd call it rape. They can't make you do things you don't already want to do. They can plant suggestions and increase emotions, but they don't compel you in the magical sense to do things against your will. They make you want to do it.

Don't let him touch you. And you shouldn't touch him, no telling how powerful he is."

Dorian didn't really want to get Nox involved, but he's dealt with sentients before, he's trained with one and against one. "We need someone who knows more about what he is. Though, everyone I know is going to want us to release him so they can put him out of our misery."

[Marisol]

Marisol and Dorian disagreed on whether or not it was rape, but it wasn't worth the argument and they didn't have the time for it.  Dorian was in the "Monster Squad" however, and that's why he seemed to know more than most people with regards to this.  "Shit, wizards, nightmares that are real, vampires, and now people that can manipulate emotions with a touch.  Shit's getting real." she said in the tone of one who had seen some of it.  She had.

Marisol looked at Dorian. "I'll head to the hospital stay with her with the uniforms.  Since you know her, contacting her family would probably be best coming from you.  We can link up after - either after you contact Emily or interview Pirozzi."

Marisol sighed, her expression frustrated. "Only have the guy on assault of an officer - maybe obstruction. Hope you can get more," She offered her hand. "Good luck, Detective."

((OoC: Assuming he has no more reason for her to stay she'll leave after the handshake - she will also give him her contact info - feel free to mod))

[Dorian]

Dorian called Emily and she was ironically with Nox. He could come down to the station let the guy try to take him over, but that was only so good. Dorian was still Atharim at the heart of it and this was not a man you wanted in gen pop, or even in solitary. No idea what a crazed loner sentient might do when he came in contact with someone again.

No, he had to go. But he was still a cop and they still had to do the seemingly right thing.

At least that would be how it looked on paper. Letting him escape? That might work better, a man hunt and finding the dead body. That would be clean. But the Atharim didn't like to leave behind bodies. So disappearing like his father was most likely.

But Lucio Pirozzi never made it to the precinct. Apparently the uniforms thought Dorian was full of shit and while they were taking him out of the squad car he had them on their knees and begging to let him go.

Dorian shook his head and sighed. "Idiots." He proceeded to write them up and make his report but not before sending Nox a text telling him that Pirozzi was at large.

[Anita]

Anita had made the call. The girl goes to the hospital. It was odd. She seemed to be drugged, but hadn’t seemed that out of it when she had checked upon their arrival. Of course her boyfriend had merely let them know they were okay, and truthfully she had seemed that way. A little hooked up of course, but that was normal when you had seen someone die and weren’t used to it. They had had another similar case with another a week or two ago.

But when the woman - Rachel had been the name she’d given the detective - it had all been different. The way Rachel spoke was slow and drawn out. She heard the questions but didn’t respond quickly enough. It almost seemed as if she didn’t get the question right away. She was incredibly disoriented. All signs of having been drugged.

Anita wasn’t sure what to think. The symptoms were there, but it all seemed off. It was intuition. Not the strange intuition that told her a patient would flatline if she didn’t act or the weird way she had known Rachel’s boyfriend was going to grab the detective before he had. This was just her looking at the puzzle and realizing that all the pieces didn’t fit together.

Anita checked her monitor. Rachel’s numbers were mostly good. Her oxygen level was high, but she was using a non-rebreather, so it made sense. The only thing really off was heart heart rate which was high.

”Rachel, honey, I need you to focus on taking deep breaths, okay?” Anita asked gently.

”Ill try,” the girl replied meekly. ”I need him…”

It was things like that that set Anita’s teeth on edge about this. Something unnatural was going on, but they arrived at the hospital. Anita would see if she could find out about Rachel’s case later. Something was off. Really off. The EMS team handed her off to the hospital staff and the detective followed with two other officers. For now, Anita had done all she could. She hoped Rachel would be okay.