Authors note: For the record Reggie is not an OC he is from the bioshock book Rapture by John Shirley.

December 30th, 1955

Booker sat at his desk, staring out his window into the ocean, with a cigarette between his fingers. It had been almost four weeks and he had tried everything he could. The records department was a bust and he even talked to the supervisors of all construction companies involved in the building of Rapture and all of them said they never had an employee named Frank Gorland. Mina said her father had been a grifter so Booker assumed the man could had just lied to her mother but the construction lead was worth a shot.

Booker let out a sigh and began to wonder how far down the hole he'd go to look for the girl's father. The girl said she'd pay him a pretty sum and he knew how bad he needed the money. His drinking tabs and gambling debts were high enough. But he had a few other financial irons in the fire at the moment so why couldn't he let this go. Maybe it was his hidden paternal instincts driving him to do this. He laughed at the thought. Kids, what a joke. Never wanted them, never cared for them. At that moment Booker's head pulsated and he let the cigarette fall from between his fingers. He felt warm thick blood drip from his nose and he touched it with his fingertips.

"Damned episodes," he cursed, stomping out the cigarette burning on the floor. He quickly got up to clean the blood from his nose and fingers with a wet towel.

Booker thought for a moment and frowned. There was an option he had. He didn't like it but it was there. If her father had been a crook, it may take a crook to find one. He knew that if he did this, he'd owe them something. Maybe a file or two stolen from his friend Sullivan's desk or a piece of evidence goes missing.

He tossed the bloodstained towel on the floor, walked out of his office and headed to the nearest payphone. As he put in his change he began to wonder if he should even try this.

"Yeah, who is it," asked a gruff voice with a slight Bronx accent.

"Reggie it's DeWitt," Booker said. "I need some information on a guy for a case I'm working. I figure you and your boss could help."

"Hang on for a moment," Reggie replied and the line was quiet for a moment. "Alright we'll get you your info but you know the drill. First you got to do something for the boss. All he want's you to do is to get Sullivan out of his office for an evening. Take the guy out drinking or whoring or something."

"That's it," Booker replied. "Just keep him away from his office?"

"That's all," Reggie replied.

"I understand. I'll get him out," Booker replied, knowing better than to ask why.

"Good. We'll get back in touch with you."

Reggie hung up then so did Booker.

Booker felt guilty for tricking Sullivan but he needed the information to break the case. Maybe once he did this he could relax.

XXX

Mina lay on her bed looking out her wide bedroom window at a passing school of fish while Veronica sat on the bed reading a magazine. Veronica had been working with her, waitressing at the bar in Eve's Garden, for the past couple weeks and they had become fast friends. Her father was not happy with the idea at all but he appreciated the help from Veronica and it kept them out of Fontaine's poor house. Evie even bought both girls a few new outfits to replace some of their old clothes. Veronica had on new black pants and a light green blouse and Mina wore a new turquoise dress.

"So," Veronica said without looking up from her magazine. "Are you ready for tomorrow night?"

Mina laid backwards onto the bed. "No, I'm not," she sighed. "It'll be New Year's eve and I can imagine its going to be horribly busy."

"But there'll be a lot of money to be made, especially for the girls on stage. Maybe I'll skip waitressing tomorrow night and make some extra money myself," Veronica joked then attempted to do a seductive dance which ended with both girls bursting into laughter.

"Go ahead," Mina laughed. "I'm sure they'd love you." She heard a sound so she paused to listen for a moment and realized Evie was just starting the record player.

"Oh, hey I've been putting up some money on the side for myself but please don't tell my father," Veronica pleaded.

"I won't. You have plans for it?"

"Yes, I've thought about using it to buy the Sonic Boom plasmid."

"Why the hell would you need that," Mina asked.

"Well anytime the customers start getting fresh with you and me…" She held out her fist and opened it, making a 'woosh' sound with her mouth. "They'll get blasted back on their asses."

They both laughed at that and Mina said, "Smart idea but seriously you shouldn't mess around with that stuff. The last thing you need to do is become a splicer."

"Honey, I'm smarter than that," Veronica said with a grin. "Besides I don't have an addictive personality anyhow."

"Just be careful," Mina said.

"Always am," Veronica smiled.

Evie walked into the room, dressed in a white silk dress and with a smile on her face. "Girls come here there's someone I want you to meet," she said and walked back to the hallway. They both looked at each other, shrugged and left the bedroom. As they got nearer, they could hear the song 'Danny Boy' by Mario Lanza playing on the record player. In the living room stood a tall bald man with a thin mustache at the bar with a drink in his hand. His eyes were closed as he listened to the music. As Mina got closer, she felt as if there was something familiar about him.

"Girl's this is Mr. Frank Fontaine," Evie introduced. "Frank this is Mina Binetti and Veronica Perkins. The girls I told you about."

Fontaine opened his eyes and when he saw Mina, he paused only for a moment then smiled and greeted them.

"Hello ladies," he said, lifting his glass to them.

"Hello Mr. Fontaine," Mina politely replied.

"Nice to meet you," Veronica added.

"Well, well, pretty and well mannered. I'm impressed," Fontaine said, taking a drink from his glass. "You trying to run me out of the charity business now Evie?"

Evie chuckled. "You know I can't undermine you Frank even if I tired. Mina needed a place to stay and Veronica stays a few nights. Her father works for you actually."

Fontaine thought for a moment and said, "Oh yeah, Henry Perkins. Your old mans a good guy and a damn hard worker. You should be proud of him."

"Yes, sir I am," Veronica said. "And if it hadn't been for your home for the poor, we wouldn't have had anywhere to go a few months ago."

"I'm assuming you're not still living there are you," Fontaine asked.

"No sir, we are in an apartment now since father began working at the fisheries for you. Thank you for giving him the job."

"No sweat," Fontaine smiled. "Sometimes all a man needs is a helping hand to get him on his feet."

Evie looked up at the clock hanging on here wall, "Frank we'd better get going or well be late. So, girls we are going to be out for the evening. Lock up before you go to bed and don't wait up."

Fontaine downed what was left of his drink and grabbed Evie's fur coat from the coat rack on the wall near the door. "Well, it was nice meeting you ladies," he smiled, putting Evie's fur coat on her.

"I'll see you in the morning girls," Evie said and waved goodbye.

"Oh Evie, I got to run by the fisheries for a short meeting," Fontaine said to her, taking her arm. "I won't take long."

"That's fine," Evie said. "I understand business come's first."

As soon as they had left Veronica said, "You didn't tell me Evie knew Frank Fontaine."

"I had no clue," Mina admitted. There was something still familiar about Fontaine but she knew she had never seen the man before. He also seemed an honest and nice enough man but she sensed something else that she couldn't quiet but her finger on. Something dark and sinister.

XXX

Suckers. This whole city is full of them and Fontaine knew it. He left Evie in his office where she was reapplying her lip stick. Evie was one of several women he had fooled around with but she had always been his favorite and had a nice ass to boot. Fontaine smiled to himself as he headed down to the large freezers where they stored the fish. He had it good down in Rapture but it wasn't enough. He knew he would have to deal with Ryan sooner or later but one thing at a time. He approached the freezer door with the 'Ice Princess' brand and logo on it and it opened for him.

The freezer had been emptied except for two men each tied, bleeding, to a chair. Two of Fontaine's men stood in front of them wearing heavy coats waiting for their boss to arrive. The cold chilled Fontaine to the bone and his breath quickly became fog but he didn't shiver or show any signs of weakness to the cold.

"Russ and Freddy," Fontaine said approaching the two men tied to the chairs. "I figured it was you two."

Russ struggled, bound to the chair, as blood ran out of his broken nose. He was scared and not of death but of Fontaine. He then quickly looked over at his friend Freddy fearing he was dead. Freddy sat slumped over in his chair, unconscious, with a broken jaw and a swollen eye but still breathing. Russ looked up at Fontaine and said, "We were gonna cut yah in boss. I promise."

"I know you were," Fontaine said calmly. "See, Freddy here came to me and told me everything. He was scared Russ and had every right to be. He came clean thinking that if he told me the truth about your little operation and gave me a cut of the money from what you boys had been smuggling that I'd be merciful. Well seeing as how you aren't dead yet this is as merciful as I can be."

Russ pulled on his binds again but they didn't budge from the chair.

"Don't struggle," Fontaine said. "All business is about to be settled right here, right now."

"Look we're sorry. It ain't gonna happen again," Russ pleaded.

"Tell me something," Fontaine said, ignoring Russ's pleas. "Have I not been generous enough. Don't I pay all my smugglers a fair share? So why do I have to worry about two of my best men starting a smuggling operation behind my back just so they can make some extra cash. You boys were creating competition and I don't like competition."

"Ple-please boss," Russ stammered in fear. "We-we-we didn't mean-"

"I know you learned your lesson and I get it," Fontaine said. "But I got to look out for my business. You two are just rats in the bread cupboard and you know how I deal with rodents don't you." He then nodded to one of his men who then drew a revolver from his heavy coat and fired a bullet into the top of Freddy's head.

"Bastard," Russ yelled, in anger and sorrow. "You sonofabitch Fontaine!"

Fontaine held out his hand and the other of his men placed an ice pick in it. Fontaine looked down at the pick and said to Russ, "We've done a lot of work together, you and me. Not just here but on the surface then you had to stab me in the back." Fontaine crouched down in front of Russ and held the pick to his neck. "They say never mix business with friendship and you know what Russ…they were right about that."

He stuck the ice pick into Russ's neck and slowly pushed it in up to the handle. Russ struggled and gasped in pain the whole time as blood began to leak out around the embedded handle and out of his mouth. Fontaine watched with a smile as the light began to fade from Russ's eyes. His lifeless body slumped over in the chair with his mouth still open in shock.

"I'd better go get cleaned up fellas," Fontaine said to his two men, looking at the blood on his hands. "I got a lady to attend to."

XXX

Later that evening, Booker and Sullivan sat in the cocktail lounge at Sinclair Spirits not far from his office talking and drinking. Sullivan was complaining about all the investigating Ryan was having him do on Fontaine and his smuggling ring which he had yet to prove exist but now he might have something that'll help. Booker then realized what he was helping Fontaine's men steal. Booker had never been one to stab a friend in the back but he knew this was the only way.

"But that all pretty much sums it up," Sullivan said, looking at Booker with tired eyes. "What have you been up to DeWitt?"

"Working on a case for a girl. She's looking for her father."

"She lost her father? That's a tough break," Sullivan said, taking another sip from his whiskey glass. "Need any help?"

"I got a few leads I'm working on but I appreciate it," Booker lied.

"Well, if you need any help and I got the time give me a call. Hey there's something I've always been meaning to ask you about DeWitt."

"What's that?"

"The Seventh Calvary stuff you got in that box, which one of your relatives was with them?"

Booker thought for a moment but couldn't remember. "I…I don't know. I've just always kept them with me. Whoever it was I wished I could remember."

"Damn shame," Sullivan said. "I always had an interest in the seventh and George Custer. Did you serve during the war DeWitt."

"Yeah, I served," Booker said, knowing he had been in the military but most of his time in action was hazy.

"You fight the krauts or the japs," Sullivan asked.

Booker thought hard and his head began to pound. "I was, um, with the-," he muttered as blood dripped from his nose.

"Jesus, DeWitt are you ok," Sullivan asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Booker said taking several cocktail napkins and wiping the blood from his nose. "I just get these headaches and…but it's nothing. I'm fine."

"If talking about the war is that touchy, I'll just leave it alone. Been too scared to ask about it till now," Sullivan said.

Booker looked at the clock on the wall and it was almost elven. He and Sullivan have been drinking and talking for the past few hours. That had to have been enough time for Fontaine's men to look through Sullivans files. "Well, I think I'm going to call it a night," Booker said. "That headache took a bit out of me."

"Yeah, I should get home too," Sullivan said and they both stood up. "Maybe you should see a doctor about those headaches and nosebleeds, Dewitt. Go to the Medical Pavilion or something."

"I'll be fine Sullivan," Booker reassured him. "I'll see you later." They both said their goodbyes and each man headed home. Booker entered his office and looked at Mina's file lying open on his desk wondering if he made the right call getting Fontaine's people to help him. Too late to back out now that the deed was done and the information he needed would be coming soon. He sat down on his bed and laid on his back.

The emptiness and silence of his office/home bothered him. There were times he wished he had some company to take him mind off the loneliness. He had had flings before but nothing serious. He knew settling down wasn't for him though and what woman would have him? Gambler and drunk. Were the monikers of her husband she'd have to contend with.

He then thought of Annabelle and their small home in New York. There times he had wished he had never left there to come to Rapture but regrets were something he couldn't afford. What would she think of him now if she could see him? He held his right hand up to the light and looked at the A.D. tattoo for a moment. A tear fell from his eye and he whispered into the darkness, "Anna…I'm sorry."