Another payday had come in.
Jackie had thought it was pretty damn entertaining that they had gangsters coming into the bar now days. She'd marveled at just talking to them, although found her amusement with the title dwindled quickly when they laid eyes on her chest and seemed to forget they were supposed to be impressive.
When they spoke to Frank they were all cool and collected – what Jackie expected of infamous men. But turn their eyes on her and watch them become goo.
She left the conversation bitter and disappointed only to later be teased by Frankie for it. Jackie found herself a mere second away from exclaiming 'men!' in exasperation but then Frank had said something more interesting and her irritation gave way to curiosity.
"Rigged boxing matches now?" Jackie mused thinking about that for all of two seconds before grinning. "Well let's see it. How's my favorite little brother done tonight?"
With a grin to rival her own Frank produced what could only be referred to as a shit tone of cash.
Laughing gleefully Jackie hooked an arm around Frank's shoulders. "That's my boy!" She crowed and as a sort of special reward for his efforts Jackie pulled out all of her drink mixing skills to get to work stealing Frank's sobriety from him. He let it slip away without a fuss; Jackie didn't mix drinks all that often so it was a welcome treat.
One that was interrupted by some stiff in a suit.
"We're closed." Frank barked, not bothering to put on any charm for the intruder. "Door's back the way you came."
Jackie had been content to wait for the hick to get a clue then continue the night with her brother but then she noticed the intruder just so happened to have a badge. Not the kind that said he was in charge of checking if they had minors loitering around, more the type that had nearly busted Frank's operation back at the bookmaking gig.
Federal agents…great.
Frank noticed this at the exact same time his sister had and then too recognized the man himself as one of the men that had pried into his business personally. Changing his tune slightly Frank turned to his sister. "Jackie, head upstairs." He instructed, tone adopting a note of concern that he surely did not mean.
The agent likely thought he was simply playing the part of the protective brother but Jackie caught Frank's gaze and got the message. With a slight nod she parted from the bar and scurried off, playing her own part of the nervous, naïve sister.
As she head up the steps she heard Frank saying he didn't want to scare his sister with whatever this guy wanted and scoffed.
The moment she was out of sight Jackie went for the guns.
They didn't like making a mess. Blood was incredibly hard to scrub clean and they didn't need the heat, but if push came to shove neither of them would shy away from what needed to be done. While she was free of the agent's prying eyes Jackie made a quick loop of the upstairs room, looking for anything damming. Besides the large sums of money they had tucked away and a few questionable legal documents they were in the clear.
It was amazing honestly, how clean they'd managed to run their operation for all this time.
Jackie waited, keeping an ear out for the signal that she and Frank agreed on for situations like this. But no sound beyond muffled voices reached her and then after some time had passed, the sound of the front door being shut and locked. Frank was up the stairs before Jackie even set the shotgun down, smiling with that manic glint shinning in his eyes.
"You ain't ever going to guess what a little stupid birdy just told me."
And all Jackie could think was – here we go again. Better start looking for document forgers.
A fortnight passed and Jackie was a little skeptical with the information Frank had scrounged together.
The FBI agent had been wrong to threaten Frank, thinking that he was gathering information for him rather than his own needs. The poor fool had just pointed Frank in the right direction and he was left with barely scraps while the simple crooked bar owner he thought he'd strong armed into helping him was following what could only be thought of as a bread crumb trail made of gold.
Jackie was a firm believer in 'all things that sparkle' ideology but in this case, she was rather dubious of this particular trail.
"So you followed some drunken woman's sob story to the docks, found some rich pricks ship – the Olympian or whatever – scared some sailors," She didn't say how amusing it was that Frank's choice of threat had been to pretend he was the same federal agent that had first set them on this path. "and you find out about…what? Atlantis?"
"Rapture."
He wasn't hearing her cynical tone at all. Too buzzed with what he was beginning to refer to as 'the con of a lifetime'. He'd gone so far as to drag Reggie back into the picture – bless the man's stupid little heart. Jackie was always happy to see the muscle head, thinking him to be the most endearing kind of moron, one with manners and an inbuilt chauvinism that demanded he constantly refer to her like she was his mother.
But if Reggie was back on the payroll, that meant Frank was really pulling out all the stops for what sounded like a fantasy.
"Sis, Andrew Ryan is building a city under the bleeding ocean." Frank tried again to induce the same excitement in his sister that had him running on fumes for the past week. "And it's full of nothing but pompous, artistic, fat cats. You can't tell me a place like that ain't the most perfect breeding ground for suckers you've ever heard of?"
Averse to ever popping her brother's proverbial bubble, Jackie took a few minutes to mull it over. It was true she hadn't seen Frank this passionate about anything in a good long while. It was almost like his moonlighting days all over again; she hadn't seen that smile in a few years. Crazy as it sounded, Jackie wanted this underwater wonderland to be real. Just to see her brother's delight realized.
With a sigh Jackie relented and it was almost worth it just to see Frank's eyes light up. "So what's the plan?"
"I don't suppose you remember out old friend Harv Merton?" There was that predatory glint to her brother's eyes that had Jackie interested. "We'll need to have a little chat with the poor old boy."
Ah, now she understood the need for Reggie. That extra muscle might just come in handy if things were to get rough. Jackie was not the biggest fan of getting blood on their records, but if they ended up at the bottom of the ocean who cared what the method was? Either they died and ended up as fish food or Frank's utopian city existed and they had a whole new playground at their fingertips.
One way or another the ocean would wash it all away.
…
…
"Christ Frank, really?" Jackie stressed, scowling at the still full suitcase, the fish were beginning to absolutely reek – an achievement considering the state of the rest of the filthy ship. "Always gotta go that extra mile don't ya?"
"Now whatever do you mean?" Frank replied, a wolfish grin on his face.
"Don't be cute." His sister snapped whirling back on him, expression still twisted into one of frustration. "Ya couldn't have just put a bullet in the poor blighter's head. Oh no, no, not my brother. My brother had to be a showman." And still Frank was grinning, leaning back in his seat as though he was without a care in the world while listening to his sister's angry ravings.
Granted his methods might have been a touch overzealous but the job was done wasn't it? "Went off without a hitch." Frank reasoned with a shrug. "Can't let a man have a little fun, can ya?"
The clothes on his back still felt a little bit unnatural.
As though they'd been made for the original Fontaine and did not quite sit right on their new owner's shoulders. It would be little trouble to overcome that feeling given a bit more time. Frank hadn't stolen an identity before. Made plenty of his own – but stealing one? This was a whole new ballgame and admittedly he was excited by the prospects of it.
It was not that he did not understand his sister's exasperation, but what was the point in playing the game if he didn't make a little time to savour each small victory. The expression on the old captains face when he realised he'd been had was a priceless commodity.
"You're having an awful lot of fun." Jackie noted, clearly not nearly as enthusiastic about this endeavor as he was. That or she was still sour over the little fib Frank had fed the old man about her invented best friend being their little snitch.
He was yet to decide if it was the addition of her in his lies without a bit of warning that irked her, or the conjuring of an imaginary friend.
Regardless her mood was remaining fairly stormy where she normally would have at least cracked a smile at the thought of his showmanship. Jackie always had loved a bit of jeering before the job ended.
His focus may have been a little bit single-minded those past few days. Although Jackie was clearly pleased to have Reggie hanging around again, his sister might just need a little bit of incentive herself.
For him it was enough just to know that with every step he took he was that little bit closer to getting under Ryan's nose and stealing everything right out from under him. But Jackie never had shared his desire to take everything the tycoon owned, never really cared much for that massive scale con. But she indulged him all the same and never failed to assist where need be, so it would be only right to give her a little motivator in return.
"You always wanted to be a ship captain didn't ya?" He offered, watching with a smirk as slowly his sister's interest was grabbed.
Begrudgingly Jackie turned back towards him. Her irritation was familiar to him, the sort that gave him the chance to sell his case before Jackie passed further judgment. "You're the one that wanted to be a captain, brother." She reminded him stonily and Frank had to admit that there was a particular novelty to being the master of a ship.
"True." He allowed, confident that he had just the thing to tide her over. "But I know you love the hats." She'd always lit up whenever Frankie would steal one from the prop box backstage at the theater, he hoped the affection carried through the years.
Of course there was no way in hell that Fontaine actually owned one of those ridiculous pirate hats that Jackie had enjoyed. But there was certainly no law against getting her own while this con was playing out.
Jackie's arms uncrossed and there was a fascination gleaming behind her eyes. Just like that Frank knew he had her. Now all he had to do was find her that hat and they'd be even. "Don't let anyone say I never do anything nice for you, sister."
Another glance at the disgusting suitcase of fish and Jackie sneered. "And no one is going to say I don't let you get away with murder."
…
…
1948 the year they said goodbye to the surface.
"This Ryan man sounds the right fool." Jackie commented dryly as she stood by her brother's side at the docks, awaiting what would hopefully be an escort.
That or someone to try and put a bullet in Frank's head.
If that was to be the case they had more than enough men ready to fight. Although honestly Jackie would have felt perfectly safe if it was only Reggie there with them. She would have preferred just Reggie to the addition of her brother's new first mate.
This Peach guy gave her all the wrong vibes.
Perhaps that was the kettle calling out a pot, but Jackie knew nasty men. Peach fit the bill and for as terrible as she and her brother might be – that did not mean she was without some level of moral standard.
Well that and Peach just struck her as the lecherous type, and boring to boot. She was still unsure which of these traits was more of an offense.
"Maybe." Frank Fontaine, as he was now known– the name stripped from a corpse at the bottom of the ocean – replied. "But he's the man that extended us an invitation into his lovely city."
After ample ass kissing, Jackie thought bitterly. But her brother's good mood couldn't be trodden on and she had to admit he'd done pretty damn well to get them to this point.
A city…under the fucking ocean. Outstanding.
"It's still ridiculous if you ask me. At best this place has got to be a wreck, some underwater bathtub." If it weren't built like one then it would become a mass grave before long. Water found its way into everything given enough time, if this city sprung a leak they were all as good as drowned.
Jackie liked to think of herself as a practical person.
Perhaps not reasonable and certainly not equitable – but practical nonetheless.
So when this absurd looking brass bubble came bursting out of the water to collect them her doubts only hardened in their resolve.
Lingering back she watched as Fontaine made small talk with the man sent to get them Sullivan if she was hearing the painfully pleasant exchange correctly. Reggie and the boys were loading up the supplies to start Frank's fishing company that would be little more than a front of the real meat of the operation.
It was something of a package deal. If Fontaine went they all went and Jackie was under the distinct impression that had even a single one of them refused to go there would have been bullets exchanged. Apparently secrecy was of the upmost importance to this little underwater colony. As it were, not a soul among them wanted to stay topside. They were all a little bit star struck with the mere idea of Rapture, even Jackie had to admit that behind her cynicism there was a quiet spark of excitement. Just wondering what it might be down there.
Eventually the boys were clambering in, equal parts nervous and excited for this little adventure they were embarking on, until only herself, Fontaine and Sullivan remained on the ship.
Finally her brother turned back to face her. "Come on." He called, still wearing that beaming smile. Holding out his hand, Frank waited until Jackie gathered the last of her nerves and stepped forward, placing her hand in his.
God he had grown up so quickly. Once upon a time his hand had been small in hers, now his fingers effortlessly encased her palm making her feel like a damn child. But she appreciated his small attempt to ease her nerves – more than she god damn deserved surely.
There was a time where she'd done something like this herself.
Pulled a bleary eyed child from his orphanage bed in the dead of night to whisk him off to some marginally better place. He'd gone with her then with minimal complaint, trusted his sister to do what was right by family. Jackie supposed she could do the same for him now.
"All will be well, ma'am." Sullivan said aiming for a tone of kindly civility. Although he missed the mark just a bit and ended up just baring scraping in as curt. "Master Ryan is looking forward to seeing what your crew here is able to accomplish. Rapture is the city for all who make the most of it."
That small attempt at comfort given and Jackie was stepping into the bathysphere. Sullivan was about as aware of her brother's true talents and intentions as Ryan was. Make the most the city he'd said, oh Fontaine would. Jackie might as well start placing bets on how quickly the city would fall into his hands.
Frank did so love bets.
And just like that the sea swallowed up the sky above and they dropped down. So far down. To a place where sunlight would never penetrate and fresh air would be impossible to come by. Frank looked towards Rapture and all Jackie could do was stare upwards.
But as the world grew dark around them with every minute they traveled, the words of Andrew Ryan himself buzzing in their ears, there was light again. Jackie was stunned.
Rapture shone like a hidden jewel amongst the cavernous underwater landscape. It glowed and stretched upwards, more grand than any city on the land, sparkling more beautifully than anything she'd ever seen.
"Full of suckers you said?" She breathed, awed by the sheer scale of the place. Honestly it was a touch ludicrous, the whole city reeked of self-indulgence and vanity. But it was a breath taking sight.
"Every single one of them." Her brother confirmed and judging by the distant awe in his voice he was as enraptured by the city as she was.
Perhaps for him it was the thought of every arrogant, self assured, narcissistic sap that it housed and how easily he'd be able to have them turning out their pockets to him. But for Jackie she was simply looking at the city itself. The light cutting through the oppressive darkness of the ocean floor like a well-sharpened knife. It's massive structures glittering like diamonds.
That old thought returned to her. 'All things that sparkle…'
With a quiet breath of disbelief Jackie chuckled, wrapping her head around the sight ahead of her. "I take it back, Frank." She mused quietly, able to feel her brother's eyes on her. It wasn't every day she relented in such a way. "This is quite the lovely city Mr. Ryan whipped up."
Glancing up to catch her brother's gaze, Jackie sneered. "And I reckon you could do it one better."
Her brother's smile was vicious and Jackie very nearly pitied the poor fool that had invited Fontaine into his city, even as the man's voice spoke of the weak yielding to the strong. Every word a mockery of what Frank would do to Rapture, ever word an invitation to steal it right out from under Ryan.
"…and with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well." The automated voice urged and Jackie scoffed.
They never had been the type of people to share things outside the family.
…
…
"Easy with that Reggie! You great oaf, can't you just be careful!" Peach was harping on Reggie again.
He's that sort, one of the 'hard workers' that complains about all the other hard workers. Clambers for Fontaine's approval; gleeful in the self-righteous in spite of the greedy way he looks upon her brother.
'One of us' he thinks and then in the same breath dismisses every person Fontaine hired along with him. Thought himself the grandest of the fleas that Peach did.
"Not worth the money to keep you, I swear."
For all the things Reggie may just deserve, Peach's bitching was not among them. Reggie might have been a right moron with more bite than brain to bark, but he was also perhaps one of the gentlest souls Jackie had ever tolerated for more than five minutes in any one sitting.
A real mother's boy with a frankly unholy level of loyalty to the pair of them. Loyalty that Peach Wilkins couldn't muster up in even a fraction of Reggie's ferocity. Reggie had more honour in his little toe than Peach had in his whole body.
Which was precisely why the man's incessant nagging and degrading of the other workers began to crawl on Jackie's nerves.
She was no mother hen, no patron saint there to defend the workingmen from their overseers. Honestly Jackie had kicked down her fair share of good men just to bring a smile to her own face. But on this day as she watched Reggie and Wilkin's boys unload the first wave of cargo for their fishing operation, Jackie began to disapprove of Peach's nagging.
No more than three hours earlier she had seen her brother off. Smiling as she likened him to the ten year old boy that had left with an excited bounce in his step the first time he went to play a con – unable to resist making the comparison in her own head. It was the curse of any guardian watching the little one they raised growing older, remnants of the child they'd been echoed in the adult they became.
Off he went to meet with their new lord and master, Ryan.
Fontaine had scoffed and reminded her that Ryan advocated freedom and she'd do well not to talk too foul of him while they were getting situated. There'd be time to throw nasty words and plenty more than that in due time – that time was not when Ryan could still evict them with a word.
Patience her brother said and Jackie heeded him because for all her gifts – he was the one that played this scene best.
But this left her with the boys. Left her to listen to Peach increasingly irksome string of berating remarks of their work. Two hours of this she tolerated, two hours she bit her tongue and watched Peach do barely a thing while snarling at the workers as they saw to all the heavy lifting. On the third hour Jackie decided she might as well stop keeping her peace, seeing as Peach clearly had no such inclination to bite his own tongue.
"Reg." Jackie's deceptively gently croon cut across Peach's howling words. "Oh sweet thing, is old Peach giving you a rough time? When you've been working so hard, don't seem fair do it?" Those words were spoken with a purposeful glance in Wilkin's direction, sharp as a knife and a stark contrast to her honey sweet voice.
Where he stood, Wilkin's stiffened and that subtle shift in posture was nearly enough to satisfy Jackie as she glided over to Reggie's side, fingers dancing across his scarred forearm. Not for the first time she was amused by how sturdy the hulking man's muscles were, they certainly knew how to pick them.
"Nuthin' I can't handle, ma'am." Reggie responded dutifully and wasn't that just the most charming thing the old knucklehead had ever said?
He smiled dumbly in her direction and Jackie found this just as endearing because his eyes were on her face, not her breast. That was a good boy.
Humming thoughtfully Jackie slid away from Reggie and back in Peach's direction. The tense man broke from his statuesque state to take an uncertain step back. Previously airy footsteps turned to a near predatory stalk as Jackie passed by the gulping man, pausing only long enough to ponder aloud. "If you say so Reg. I'd hate to have to do something about Peach's treatment of you fine young lads."
Then just to see the man nearly leap out of his skin, Jackie brushed over the clammy skin of the back of his neck with the nails of her fingers. "It would be such a darn shame."
Peach might be a boor of a man, but he was not thick enough to miss a blatant threat. He remained stonily silent as the woman left him in her wake, waving lazily over her shoulder at the remaining men that had paused to watch the show. All these years and she still adored the spotlight of a part well played, it just so happened this audience was far more invested in her performance than the usual lot.
"You boys behave while I'm gone, won't you?" Jackie called to the men before stepping away from the fisheries import area and made for the little office that Frank had set up to meet them.
Under his breath Peach was brave enough to utter a quiet curse with her name attached. Bold enough to whisper, coward enough to try and keep it to himself. "Fucking crazy broads." He groused bitterly. "Thinks she's tough shit because she's the bosses bitch." Jackie nearly turned back to teach ol' Peach a thing or two about crazy broads, but instead calmed herself enough to let the insult wash over her.
Besides if she really broke that insult down, it was little more than a statement of fact. She was indeed female and she might just be crazy. It was the other implications of his cursing that had Jackie seeing red for a moment.
Unfortunately if she kicked up too much of a fuss with Wilkin's so early Frank was going to be missing a few men that he'd been rather pleased to have gotten in the first place. Furthermore, Jackie could wait. Patience was not her particular virtue, but a girl could appreciate the anticipation of retribution well earned.
So Peach got to keep to his mutterings and Jackie began to drive a nice little wedge between him and his men.
They were loyal to Wilkins and by extension her brother. Loyalty built from greed, respect and no small amount of fear. Jackie thought this all well and good but she thought loyalty of a different kind could be better suited to her needs.
It was there in the way Reggie had smiled and called her "ma'am". Devotion through affection might just last where greed died out. Besides, if grouchy old Peach pushed his men too hard and she was there to offer up a pleasant smile and compassionate word, soon there'd be animosity brewing between the workers and their proprietor.
Holding to that thought Jackie rekindled her good mood, shutting the office door behind her with a little click.
Their base of operations for the time being was incredibly small but Fontaine was already talking of expansion. The fisheries would grow quickly enough, a little more quickly than they ought to when he started bringing in the real goods. The smugglers were playing it safe under the original owner, but her brother had bigger ambitions than some fish and the occasional shipment of alcohol.
Flicking on the dingy little light the office provided Jackie let out a hefty sigh, looking over the unloaded boxes. Half the room was unpacked boxes, half of that was documents and at least half of those were forged. The rest of the boxes consisted of weapons, tools and a few other trade goods. When it boiled down to personal belongings, there was really only what they'd brought in their own bags. Jackie knew herself to be an extraordinarily material driven person, but for a woman that was so infatuated with all material things– she had an alarmingly limited amount of personal belongings.
Clothes were mostly abandoned topside, allowing only for a few spare changes to be brought down. Everything else would be bought within Rapture, so as not to offend the sensibilities of the residents. Apparently high fashion in Rapture was dictated very carefully and clothes from the surface mostly scorned. Barely a week into this city and Jackie was already catching people murmuring designer names. Apparently there was something of a monopoly forming over clothing design in Rapture. It seemed the citizens had wasted no time digging into the gossip coming out of the art industry.
Were it not for the rather frivolous promise of new clothes Jackie might have kicked up more of a fuss about leaving behind most of her closet. But her brother had always known just how to play her for a right fool when it came to material items. No matter how much she liked the one she already had, Jackie would always bite for the one she didn't have.
She would never doubt Frank's skill in talking his way into whatever he wanted. Although she probably ought to have at least try not to let it work on her every damn time. "Little shit." Jackie muttered under her breath, with a fond smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Besides their limited clothes, Jackie hadn't much else to bring. There'd be ample supplies of booze, cigars and a few heavier pleasures in Rapture, so no need to smuggle any of their own. What few pieces of jewelry Jackie did bring were being worn and even then she felt the need to remove them fairly quickly.
Owning gorgeous things was wonderful, but she had little desire to wear them. Perhaps that was counterproductive of her; Frank had pointed it out in the past that jewelry only truly became stunning when on her person. Flattering maybe, and just like her brother to say, but ultimately pointless.
Jackie loved beautiful things, she loved being beautiful herself – but she harbour no desires to make herself just the same as those jewels. A pretty thing to be owned and worn on someone's arm.
Even the simple weight of a necklace around her neck felt as heavy as though it were a real chain under the scrutiny of other's eyes. So jewelry was collected and adored but not worn unless the goal was to shine, to steal someone's eye for a specific purpose.
Her brother never really understood this habit of hers. Likely thinking it was an effort to make herself less appealing – something he would never appreciate himself. She would not be the one to sit down and explain such trivial things to him.
But for now the chain still hung around her throat, little crystals from her ears and tight rings around her fingers. Rapture was a new playground, a new place to leave impressions and capture people's eyes. So for the time being, Jackie ignored the uncomfortable weight of the jewels and just smiled whenever meeting a new person. Dazzling those she could and mocking those she could not. Making plans for both.
Rapture was not nearly as decrepit or leaky as she'd expected. Instead it was actually a dryer place than half the places they'd dwelled in topside. She could not decide if this was impressive for the underwater city or simply a poor reflection of the surface. Either way, things worked just a little different in Rapture.
She'd been right to think that the city was dripping with self-satisfaction and arrogance. It was on the face of every single person she'd seen thus far. Dressed to the highest fashion, carrying themselves around as though their every step was some great service to the earth. This may have been why these…audio diaries were so popular.
What better than to validate a bunch of bored oligarchs than to hear their own voices and think they were saying something worth listening to?
The bulky thing sat heavy on the office desk. Scowling Jackie pulled it into her hands, holding up the mechanical box to the light as if she might be better able to see the exact thing about it that was so appealing. But no matter what angle she observed the thing at – it was just as obnoxious as the first.
Dropping it back down with a scoff Jackie turned away, content to pick about the rest of the office. Perhaps she'd being to set things up for real. Frank wouldn't like that much, determined to get into a larger base of operation before they really had the chance to settle into this one. But as always Jackie let her brother be the visionary while she remained practical. They'd need to unpack at least a little bit.
Jackie had taken no more than a step when a horrendous sound tore out of the box she'd let fall back to the table. It coiled something inside of itself tight with a high wail before beginning to roll and no doubt recording just long enough to hear Jackie curse lowly. "How do I turn this damn thing-…oh christ." She muttered angrily, fingers plucking the thing back up off the desk to look for a way to stop it.
It didn't' have the most elaborate design, and Jackie had little trouble figuring it out once she calmed from the initial surprise of the impromptu recording. Except…Jackie didn't immediately turn it off. Instead she hesitated, finger hovering over the button to end its recording.
"Must be a loon." She cursed herself before sitting down with the diary in hand, staring at it with distaste. "So this is what the greatest minds in the world do for fun is it?" Pondering aloud, Jackie felt a little thrill knowing her voice would be kept inside this queer little device. Then immediately felt foolish for finding that to be amusing in the first place.
But still she spoke. "Suppose they don't got much else do they? Spend all day and night waltzing around under the sea thinking they're the head honcho. Call me a pessimist if ya like, but hell…least I know when you're at the bottom of the ocean you sure as hell ain't walking on water. You're drowning."
Jackie's thumb brushed the stop button but then she reconsidered and with an impish grin added. "Still, gotta hand it to the saps – they make one hell of a splash as they go."
Clicking off the diary Jackie leant back in the office chair, eyeing the device with a renewed affection. It was a novelty, one she hadn't had on the surface and while it still curled unpleasantly in her gut knowing most of these things would be used to sing one's own praises into the voice – that didn't mean she couldn't have a bit 'o fun with her own.
There was something calming about being able to talk normally as well. No slight lilt to her words, not need to poise herself or conduct herself. Able to indulge in every little bad habit, coarse tone and colloquialism she liked. That was…nice. Grudgingly Jackie considered using it more frequently – just a way to remember what her real voice sounded like before the Rapture performance swallowed it up.
"Writing in your diary were you, sis?"
About time he turned up, how long could one man spend jawing with her little brother?
Jackie snorted at the familiar drawl of her brother's voice. He'd tweaked it just a bit since they left the surface, heavier, sharper and when need be – just a touch more charming than he truly was.
Craning her spine back Jackie peered at her brother, the view flipped on its head from the angle she watched him at.
In the doorway Frank stood, looking caught between amusement with his sister's antics and holding onto whatever foul mood he'd come in with. The result a borderline unimpressed stare. Jackie had a guess as to why he'd be in such a rotten state when returning to the office. "Mr. Ryan not the most amicable man you've ever met, huh?" She suggested and could practically feel the answer in Frank's resulting snarl of frustration.
Shutting the door with more force than was strictly necessary, Frank stalked into the office, pulling at his tie and coat with the same excessive level of force. All the while being perfectly aware of his sister's eyes following him with a notable lack of sympathy. If anything she was goading him into further displays of anger with her silent smug stare.
He knew that look. Had seen it countless times. "You ain't right." He snapped in response to the unspoken declaration dancing in her eyes. "Ryan's no half-wit, but the geezer sure as hell thinks we're a bunch of spooks, thinks our boys are triggermen. Spent the last two hours needling me about my intentions for the business, about who I talk to topside, what I'm bringing in to his city." There was a pause in Frank's ranting and Jackie frowned, a bit unsettled by the quiet chuckle of disbelief he produced.
"Saw the old bastard's fingers twitch for his gun at one point back there. Thought for sure he…"
Jackie was out of the office chair in record time. The cheap wood creaking in protest as she smoothly slipped off its surface. Her hands were at her brother's shoulders an instant later, guiding him back into the seat she'd just abandoned. Frank went without complaint, falling into the offered seat at Jackie's behest.
Her brother was hardly a skittish man, certainly not weak stomached. He'd dished out some of the most horrendous things a man could muster, taken almost as bad himself – but this did nothing to ease Jackie's instinctual reaction to his quiet words. Frank might think of a bullet as a set back in business, but for Jackie a bullet could spell the end of her only good thing. The only thing she might have cared about more than herself.
Fontaine might posture himself as though nothing could scratch his hide but her Frankie was not invincible.
"Don't mother me, Jackie." Frank spat irritably in her direction only to be completely ignored. A moment later whatever pride driven complaints he had were wiped away as her hands settled on his shoulders once again. For all his bellyaching, Frank never had turned away the offer of a massage from his sister.
Nearly snarling herself when she felt knots that had not been in her brother's muscles earlier that week, Jackie set to work remedying the situation. That would not do. The first knot was stubborn enough that when she pressed the pads of her thumbs against it, Frank let out a little hiss of discomfort. Only a week and he'd wound himself up this tightly? Worse still, was this a result of his visit to Ryan's abode?
Taking the time to properly work out the kinks Jackie distracted her brother with idle conversation. "Clearly he didn't shoot you, what clever little thing did you say to avoid that, hm?"
"What goes on in that crackpots head is anyone's guess." Now that didn't sound like her brother, whom seemed so positive he knew everything. "He's suspicious, that's for sure. Don't like outsiders. But he's clever, Jackie." Frank muttered begrudgingly. "Far more than we gave him credit for."
"I called him a fool not a week ago." She reminded offhandedly and Frank laughed. The sound less tightly wound than the last and a welcome relief. Easing off Jackie's fingers became less focused on their mission and instead kneaded into her brother's shoulders. Just urging him to relax now that he was out of the game, she'd taught him never to drop the act unless he was positive he was safe and alone. They needed to establish this as that place, because every other inch of Rapture was not.
The change was well received and as her brother spoke he seemed unaware of how he turned lax against the back of the chair. "He's sharp." Frank admitted once again, only marginally less bitter in the acknowledgment. "Didn't trust me as far as his spindly arms could toss me. But he's got one limitation, a white underbelly he ain't even trying to hide."
"And just what might that be?"
Tilting his head up Frank tossed his sister one of those knowing smirks. "He thinks his 'Great Chain' is infallible."
Smiling faintly Jackie's fingers stilled on her brother's shoulders as she bent over to peer directly down into her brother's face. "And what do we say about men who know it all and broads who have seen it all?"
"The smart marks are the best marks."
So the long con begins in earnest.
