A/N: I do not own Twilight. Once again, thanks for the reviews. You guys are awesome!

Adjournment

Chapter 4: Evil Incarnate malum incarnatum

"Masen says that Cullen is untouchable." Johnathan grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on his way into the kitchen.

Sebastian Jamison laughed and looked up from his laptop. He eyed the young man's rumbled t-shirt and cargo shorts in disapproval. "No one is untouchable, Johnny. Haven't I taught you anything? 'Rule number one, Family first. Rule number two, Everyone has a price.' Even an honorable man such as Cullen. Masen was an honorable man – once upon a time. Now, he's as corrupt as they come. Look at this, John," Jamison turned the laptop for him to see. "This is the wire transfer Masen just completed into one of my accounts. This is why we hold power over so called honorable men. Now, maybe Cullen is pristine for the moment. We can start looking into that, but even if Commander Cullen doesn't have any skeletons in the proverbial closet," Jamison gave him a meaningful look. "He has a family. Correct? If we need him to bend to our needs, we ensure his cooperation by whatever means necessary."

"How can I help?" Johnathan knew it was the question his father wanted to hear from him.

"Ah, such a good son. You can help me by utilizing your computer skills. Start a deep background on Cullen. Let me know what you find. I can have Dante help if you want?" Jamison expected the negative shake of Jonathan's head and was not disappointed. He wanted Johnathan to be self-sufficient like he had been at that age. "Son, if you want my business associates to start taking you seriously, you need to dress more like the gentlemen I know you are instead of the slacker that you appear to be."

"Sure, Dad. Have you seen Angel this morning?"

"She is at the shooting range with Felix. You should go with them next time. Get some practice."

"Wong kid, Dad. She's good with guns. I'm good with computers. That's just the way it is."

"Do you think you're going to get any better if you don't practice? Maybe guns aren't your thing. You still need to be able to protect your family as well as yourself."

"I thought that's what the Aikido lessons were for. Even if Angel kicks my ass at that too." Jonathan understood his father's wishes, but didn't know if he would ever be what his father wanted him to be. "I'm going downstairs to start digging into the Cullen situation." John announced before his father could point out more areas where his sister was better than him. That included most things, with the exception of computers. That was truly his domain.

"I will tell your sister you are looking for her."

"Thanks, Dad."

Jamison sighed when he heard someone enter the kitchen where he was still working on his laptop. Felix's voice was expected when it came. The voice was attached to a virtual giant of a man with dark hair and gray eyes. The scar that ran down the left side of his face made him seem even that much more menacing. "That kid of yours is something else."

"Do tell," Sebastian smirked at the man that had been in charge of his personal security for the past eighteen years.

"She's already proficient in all of the guns that you requested she train with, even with moving targets."

"And how's she doing with knives?"

"Getting there. She's a-freaking-mazing with her Glock."

"That's my girl. Where is Angel now?"

"She went for a run."

A flash on panic crossed Jamison's face before he demanded, "Who's with her?"

"Don't worry. Alec and Jane went with her." Felix assured him. "We know the rules, boss. Your kids are well protected."

"Yes. You make sure that doesn't change. Nothing happens to my children. They are to be secure at all costs."

"Like I said, sir. Your kids are well protected. Although I'm pretty sure your oldest can take care of herself."

"Regardless. You make sure they stay safe." Sebastian growled. "I do think you need to spend more time with John. He needs to be able to protect himself when the need arises." Not if the need arose but when. "Now, what's happening with our shipping issue?"

"No longer an issue. There shouldn't be any more problems, sir."

"Good. I need to head over to the club. I'm meeting with Charlie this afternoon. Make sure Angel knows her brother is looking for her when she gets back. - On second thought, tell her I want her to take her brother shopping. The kid needs to stop dressing like a street thug."

"Do you want me to send Tanya with them?"

"Hell no. The less time my children spend with that bitch, the better. Besides, I'm sure she's too busy to be bothered with motherly duties. Where is my wife these days anyway?"

"She just got back from Italy two days ago. I think it was a shopping spree, sir."

"You mean it was a take my boyfriend on vacation and spend my husband's money spree. Just make sure she stays away from Angela and Jonathan as much as possible. I have plans for both of their futures that do not include being corrupted by their 'mother'."

"Of course, sir." Felix nodded before going down to the computer room to check out the video surveillance of the property. Although he had complete trust in Alec and Jane, Felix always felt better when he could lay eyes on the boss' daughter. She had gotten herself into a couple of tough scrapes before, the last time had turned rather ugly. The son was never a problem, but the daughter was very beautiful and men noticed. The last young man that had noticed and had tried to do something about it had ended up as part of the foundation for an apartment building downtown. Forever encased in concrete. His death was violent and ugly. Sebastian Jamison had killed the boy with his bare hands.

Felix walked into what Jamison referred to as his war room. It was a techno geek's fantasy come true with more computers and big screens than most people knew what to do with. This is where Jamison gathered information on his enemies and kept tabs on his business associates. Felix noted that Johnathan was engrossed in something, typing away at one computer and reading from another.

"What's the boss got you working on, kid?" Felix broke John's concentration.

"I'm doing a deep background check on Cullen. Masen says he will be the one to take over and Dad wants to make sure we still have our resources in place."

"Don't get too wrapped up in the computer, John. Your Dad wants Angel to go shopping with you when she gets back from her run." Felix warned him.

A groan escaped before the younger man rolled his eyes. "I don't need my sister to dress me."

Felix laughed, "Maybe you do." He eyed the kid's rumpled shirt, giving him a meaningful look.

"Yeah, just keep point out how inadequate I am next to my perfect sister. I get it. Angela is perfect and I'm not."

"No one thinks you're inadequate, John. Your father just wants the best for you and your sister." Felix assured him.

"My father wants a lot of things. I just wish I could live up to his expectations." John huffed and went back to his research. Felix left the kid alone for a while and started looking over the recent footage from the security cameras on the property. He reviewed everything from sunset the previous day until this morning. "John, your sister just headed toward the library." Felix informed the kid after he had reviewed almost everything from the past twelve hours. "When you two are ready to leave, just text me. I'll meet you in the garage."

"Sure. I'll text you." John saved what he was working on and made his way upstairs to the extensive library that Angela spent most of her free time inside. When he opened the door, she was already engrossed in her reading, lounging inside the window seat where the lighting was the best.

"You're not reading that fifty shades smut are you?"

Angela Jamison, known to most as Angel, looked up from her book and grinned. "It's not smut and no. I finished those last week. This is a biography."

"Angel, can I ask you something?"

"What's going on, Johnny?" She asked as she put her book to the side and sat up to face her brother.

"Do you ever think about maybe, not doing the things that Dad asks us to do? I mean, you've spent all morning at the gun range and running. Those are things he wants you to do. You spent yesterday with me training Aikido. I suck at it, but Dad wants it. What about things we want to do?"

Angel had spent many days during her life thinking about the same thing. "John, do you really think our lives are normal? This isn't how other people live. Do I wish we were a normal family? Sure. But I've long since given up that dream. What I can do is make him happy by applying myself to the things Dad wants me to accomplish. Yes. I spent all day yesterday and this morning doing things that he wants, but now I can spend the rest of the day to do what I want."

"Um, not really. He says I need to dress better and he wants you to take me shopping." John rolled his eyes. "Sorry."

Angel pulled her phone out and started texting someone. "I really don't do shopping. You know this. But what Dad wants, he gets. I'm going to teach you the way of compromise, dear brother. Come on." She put her phone away and lead him to his own room. "Sit." She commanded and pointed to his bed as she entered his walk in closet. After a few minutes, she came back out and tossed a pair of jeans and a button down to him with instructions to change. Johnathan walked into the closet to do as she asked and when he returned, she was sitting at his computer.

"Hey, what are you doing?" He demanded.

"Don't worry. I don't care if you're looking at porn on your computer. As a matter of fact, you're a teenaged guy. It would be weird if you weren't. I'm just finishing up what dear Dad wanted me to do. Take you shopping. Right? He didn't say we couldn't do it online." He watched as she filled up the online shopping cart at three different stores. Less than thirty minutes later she was finished. "Now, be expecting deliveries in the next few days. Also, Dad's tailor will be here at four to fit you for a few suits. Don't argue." She stated as he opened his mouth to do just that. "Now, go meet Felix at the car. He's going to take you to get a haircut. It's called compromise John. Do this now and later, do what you want."

"But what if I want out?" The question came in a whisper.

"What do you mean out?" Angel was startles at the question. Her brother had always seemingly wanted to follow in Sebastian's footsteps.

"I mean. I don't think I can do this. I don't know if I can be the bad guy. Like Dad."

"Dad is a businessman. He trades in the stock market. He comes from old family money, he-"

"He's nothing short of a mobster, Angel. If Dad was so normal, why would he have you training with weapons, hand to hand combat, and why would we have had private tutors instead of going to school like normal kids? Why does he have 'body guards' follow us everywhere? And what the hell is going on with Mom? It's like she doesn't want to be around us anymore."

"Mom is too busy to be bothered with us as usual." Angela snorted. "That's just a fact. And Dad, well, good luck having your way with anything there. He has a plan for his empire, kid. We're it."

"I just want to be normal," Johnathan sighed. "Is that too much to ask?"

"In this household. Yes." Angel whispered her own answer. "Just don't start acting out with Dad. You won't win."

"What did you do?"

"I wanted to go to college. Three years ago. Do you remember the fight?" She watched as her brother shook his head. "It was ugly. He left bruises I thought would never heal. Just, do what he asks, John."

"He had me go meet this guy last night. Edward Masen. To remind this guy to make a payment and to order a meeting with Dad. The guy must have a hell of a secret that Dad knows about. He deposited half a million dollars into one of the accounts this morning."

"Edward Masen. He's the head of one of the federal agencies. Right?"

"Yeah. Some other guy is taking over and Dad wants to make sure he can be bought as well."

"Who's the guy?"

"Carlisle Cullen. I've started running background on him for Dad. I'm only a couple of hours in, so I haven't found much. This Cullen guy had a kid go missing from a Seattle hospital twenty years ago. He's former Navy. Married to the same woman for the past thirty years. So far, this guy is really clean."

"I wonder what it is that dear old Dad has on Masen?"

"It must be huge. I wonder if I did some digging, if I could find out." Johnny was thoughtful.

"Better not. Don't go sneaking around behind his back. I don't want you to get hurt." Angel ordered. "Now go, Felix is waiting for you."