horror business

TIMOTHY OLYPHANT as Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens in Justified: City Primeval (2023)

TIMOTHY OLYPHANT as Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens in Justified: City Primeval (2023)

TIMOTHY OLYPHANT as Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens in Justified: City Primeval (2023)

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShay's perception of his counterpart isn't a mathematical wonder. He looks directly at Jace and wonders how this man hasn't gotten a bullet lodged between his eyebrows. His eyes narrow as the direction changes and their feet have to pivot to move elsewhere. Shay does not complain. He isn't fatigued by superficial walking. He would like to exist in the company of miserably people, however. It feeds him.

He looks Jace over with a sweep of his gaze as he passes the man, thrusting his hands deeper into the pockets of his simple, brown pants. His short-sleeve button-up sways in the breeze, unveiling black tank underneath. He is dressed like a man who might be picking up cigarettes at a gas station before hopping back on the road to complain about how he hates the State of Arizona. No idea as to why so particular; Shay killed a man just like that before and watched his centipedes eat his brain, or what little of it the man had.

"You gonna steal a ca'? Can you drive?" Shay looks over his shoulder. It's not meant to be a knock because Shay can't get behind the wheel. No one taught him when he was a little boy chasing bicycles in...In...Where? Where was it? He doesn't recall. "Hm, rot-gut works." He also doesn't know Jace means by this bottom shelf atrocity, but the Omen is hardly bothered by it. "I don't get hangove's, but I'd 'ather not drink on an empty stomach." He pauses at the edge of the road when he sees a flash of headlights. Raising his thumb, he pretends to be a stranded hitchhiker. As the vehicle begins to slow, Shay cants his head toward Jace.

"You said you wanted a vehicle? Take this one."

[ he lifts one shoulder in a shrug, his only answer to the question of whether or not he can drive. ]

" --- i'll make sure you get your cheeseburger." [ for some unhinged, unexplored reason, he likes this one. this... not-person. Shay is refreshingly inhuman, and seems content to put up with the wolf's own inhumanness. at least for now. sooner or later Jace has a way of running everyone off. obnoxious, selfish, psychotic, blah blah blah he's heard it all. he won't be surprised if this acquaintanceship ends the same as all the others. ]

[ but he's not focused on that. just now, Shay is thumbing down a car and it's actually working. you said you wanted a vehicle? take this one, Shay says. what is this, a dare? what is he expecting, for Jace to bow out? Jace watches the vehicle slow, joining Shay at the side of the road as the driver's side window begins to lower. it's a young man, younger than either of them (or at least, he's assuming- he doesn't actually know Shay's age) and he looks eager to help. Jace smiles, leans his forearm atop the car door. yeah, this'll do. this'll do just fine. the driver leans away from him, put off either by body odor or energy or some combination of both. Jace doesn't care to speculate too hard on that. ]

" --- you boys alright?" [ Jace flashes a grin and the driver blinks up at him. he's beginning to look a little less enthusiastic. ]

" --- oh we're fine, monsieur. just peachy. but we need a ride. do you mind?" [ the man hesitates, dark gaze flicking between the entity that flagged him down to begin with and the wolf at his door. ]

" --- uh, sure. yeah. where you-" [ but before he can finish his question he finds himself choking on it- and the claws in his throat. a slow flex and they slice upwards to curl into the soft space just under his chin. his unfinished question spills out in crimson gurgles, eyes darting between the two of them- he hadn't even seen Jace move. Jace follows the wide, frantic gaze to his unlikely companion. something sly crosses his face, not quite a smile, not quite a smirk. he frees his claws from the driver's mangled jaw and pops the car door open. ]

" --- snack time." [ it's light work getting the body out of the car and into the woods. just deep enough they won't be noticed from any more passers by. Jace drops him unceremoniously into the peat moss and leaves. he crouches, takes a handful of dirt to scrub some of the blood from his fingers. ]

[But then Theo is talking, and his voice is gentle but his words are not-a scolding that she just sits and absorbs. She knows her reaction was extreme, but they don’t know each other well enough to know why-and she won’t let him-and so his words bounce from her brain until they don’t. And she snaps.]

‘And why is that, exactly? Why should I believe you? Why should I trust you? Actually- [ she shifts in her seat to face him as he drives, the chess pieces finally have fallen into place in her brain and it’s not settling well to be on the losing side]

‘How can I trust you? You fucking froze back there, staring into space like a fucking toddler watching Calliou for the first time! We have a serious problem here, Theo-and it’s not two crayons short of a Crayola box back there-you froze!!! You are gonna get me killed!! Don’t you see?’ 

[she pauses, tucks the file under her arm so she can use her hands to explain the gravity of the situation to him. The panic is there in her tone, fiery and harsh, he needs to know how badly they are fucked.] 

‘They knew, they fucking knew you would freeze. They knew you would be useless-they are counting on you getting me killed! And then they are gonna use that death to justify killing you!! They already want me dead,  that’s a known fact, but they are going to use that excuse to wipe you and your whole pack out, and anyone else you’re associated with! God-‘ 

[Anthea turns away in frustration, fingers pulling at her hair as her mind races. They are so fucked.]

‘This is it, Theo. For me. For you. We are standing at the opposite end of a firing squad right now, and they just need a reason to take all of us out.’ 

[And then she falls quiet again, staring out the window at the passing dark scenery, panic still sitting heavy on her chest. Everything feels so small again and her choices so significant, getting in her own way to the point where she can’t quite figure her way out of it. But hey, maybe that’s the point of this whole rag-tag team…she’ll get in her own way till the very end.] 

" --- oh, fuck you! for fuck's sake-"

" --- Rowan, stop. both of you, please just- i need to think." [ he doesn't know what Caillou is, but the insult still did its job, stinging his pride. he pulls to a careful stop at a stop sign, turns on the blinker, turns right. her words echo, biting at him, goading him. how can i trust you? you're gonna get me killed- they fucking knew you would freeze. They knew you would be useless-they are counting on you getting me killed! And then they are gonna use that death to justify killing you. and she's absolutely fucking right. ]

[ he hadn't seen it, before. hadn't wanted to. he'd only agreed to all this in the first place because they made him promises- not that he'd believed them, but he'd wanted to. that they'd help him find his brother. that they'd leave his family alone if he could prove it wasn't them causing harm to humans in the area. she's right. and he'd been too blinded by his own pain, his own naivety to see it. he looks at her then, swallows hard and shakes his head. ]

" --- look. you weren't in danger, and you- i wasn't expecting-" [ but he shakes his head, reconsidering his words. ]

" --- no. i'm sorry, Anthea. i'm sorry i froze. there's no excuse for it. it happened, and it shouldn't have, and i'm sorry. let's just get through this. one thing at a time." [ it won't happen again. but he knows to tell her would not be good enough. he'll have to show her. and he questions then, what he feels he has to prove to her- why he feels this sense of loyalty to her, partner or not. it isn't his fault she's found herself here. now isn't the time to remind her of that fact. ]

" --- whatever this is, we're in it. together. i'll do better. but i need you to do better, too. my people are off limits. everyone knows not to disrespect you. Rowan just doesn't care. he had it coming." [ he looks at her again. he means it. ]

" --- Roe, call Arlo. tell him we're almost there."

" --- i text him alrea-"

" --- Rowan. fucking call him. do it now. make sure he's there when we get there." [ it's important, if only for the fact Theo needs him there to help handle Roe while he and Anthea speak with Elmira. he has to lock in. he can't do that if he's worrying about a wounded packmate. ]

" --- you're not going to die out here, Agent Jones. you'll see."

[ when the reach Elmira's, she sitting on her porch, waiting for them. the driveway is lined with small colorful solar lights, mushroom shaped. they sit among the herbs and flowers planted each side of the yard emitting a comforting glow as they pull in to park. ]

[ Arlo stands on the bottom porch step, arms crossed but biting back a grin. he greets Anthea with a tip of his hatted head and quick, evenin', Miss Jones, and none of that sets well with Rowan. he cusses out everyone but Elmira as Arlo scoops him out of the backseat, practically carrying him to the front door. Elmira doesn't stand until Anthea and Theo reach the top of her porch steps. she watches them both, how they move with each other, watches them as if measuring something- looks over Anthea with a keen eye, expression unreadable. then she smiles. ]

" --- Agent Jones. you look stressed, honey. it's alright. though i can't honestly say the worst is done with. come in, please. Othello can make you tea, or coffee if you'd like, while i tend to Rowan. won't take long."

[ her smile warms past the initial cordial expression as she gestures for Anthea to enter her home. no chiding for having been the one to wound him, in the first place, for bringing this mess to her door, no fuss at all. Arlo filled her in. Rowan had it coming. ]

[And she was right-as she often is- and Anthea sits up, are they really having serious conversation at seven in the morning? Apparently so. She has a hard time taking anything serious, but she can tell he is, and so her attention turns-zeroing in to read his body language and tone to gauge the best response.] 

“I have, yes. But I also know that files tell watered down versions of events. Half truths.” 

[She’s staring at him intently, hoping he can read between the lines. She has read his file, multiple times, just as he would have read hers. It’s kind to her, the version of events that led to Mycroft’s demise, but her placement here is much more telling. The same could be said of him, though she doubts it. But then again, she could be wrong, she’s been wrong about him before.] 

“They are in the morgue, still there yes. I can go by myself, I’ll write in the report you came with me. It’s not a problem.” 

[ in the morgue. not on scene. her gaze is cool, and he holds it, breathes deep. how she's able to steady him with merely a look- he just accepts it. he needs it now, especially. his shoulders relax just a bit. ]

" --- no, that's... that won't be necessary. i'll go." [ i'll be fine, he almost adds- but he doesn't want to lie to her. for a long moment he stands there, leaning against the bathroom doorway just... looking at her. he hadn't bothered to read his own file. he was briefed on the contents, and watered down as the events therein may be, it's still more than he wanted to relive. even speaking of them is difficult enough. ]

[ he's made his peace with their deaths as best he can. day by day, moment by moment. that's all he can do. but it's not something he likes to think about, regardless. having Anthea here, this new job, the cases- it all helps. reminds him that he's here, that he's real and that the past is gone. laid to rest. he blinks at her, realizing then he's been staring for a quite a while. ]

" --- sorry. got... got lost in thought. let me get a quick shower. ten minutes tops, i'll be ready to go."

[ he's true to his word. comes out toweling his hair dry five minutes later, dressed only in fresh boxer briefs. ]

" --- so these- these heartless children. stabbed, chemically burned. it's either torture or experimentation, right? hardly sounds religious." [ he tosses the towel to the bed and glances at her as he grabs a shirt, expression sardonic. ]

" --- might've been made to look like an exorcism, but... i doubt that. my gut tells me they were dumped at the church but not kept there. church probably had nothing to do with it. we'll have to take a look at any buildings nearby that could've been used for... whatever the fuck they were doing to those kids. if they were kids at all. they could be aliens. at this point i wouldn't be surprised."

[ he doesn't know anything for sure except for the fact that it's no demonic fucking werewolf behind something like this. ]

" --- demonic werewolf," [ he mutters with a shake of his head, tugging on a pair of jeans. ]