The Plan - Ian Dawn
Cassie had texted me to come up and meet her at her desk, I suspected that she might want to go over a couple of case related questions before we headed out. I was walking in to the main office area, when I noticed that Joe had just walked up to Cassie. He was talking to her and he looked nervous. I’d been keeping an eye on him for some time now and I knew that he clearly cared for her as more than a colleague.
I arrived to her desk just as Joe was asking her out.
“No I meant, I would like to take you out for drinks as a date…,” as Joe spoke those words, it was like Cassie froze. I could see how a million thoughts were rushing through her head. I noticed Joe looking at her intently, not even noticing the fact that I had just walked up next to them.
I heard myself speak, “I don’t think that’s something that is appropriate to ask Joe.” He stared at me, daggers were thrown from his eyes. If he hadn’t been such a mild mannered guy, who believe in a sort of black and white ethical view of right and wrong, he would have definitely punched me at this point. I looked at Cassie, she was staring back at me. She still looked unable to speak. I know this is not a situation for me to get involved in. But I also know that Joe’s view on life is entirely different from the way we do things in The Society. Stern has already sent Jennifer to Alaska because he felt that she was a threat. What would he do to Joe, if he found out that he was dating her daughter?
“You see Joe, I don’t mean to be rude but Cassie is actually still dealing with her breakup from Duncan. I don’t think she’s ready to start dating again. Are you?” I directed my question to Cassie, who gently shook her head. I could see that her eyes were filled with questions that she would undoubtedly ask me later. Joe stared at us both, he had just revealed his feelings and been turned down. He looked as if he was in physical pain.
I grabbed Cassie gently at the elbow, “Are you ready to go?” She nodded still mute, still with eyes staring at me. I could tell that we would have a conversation about this later. But right now all I cared about was clearing her away from this situation. She’s still a baby to The Society, she doesn’t understand how deep it runs or how careful you have to be with who you involve yourself with. I couldn’t let her walk into another situation as the one with Jennifer or the one with Duncan…
She grabbed her bag and I quickly walked with her towards the elevators.
Cassie looked at me as we walked out of the building, she looked both shocked and numb. She simply said, “Let go around to park.” She started to lead the way and I quickly followed her.
As we reached the park, she sat down on a park bench and stared out in to space.
“Why did you do that?” her voice was flat.
“I’m sorry. I know I completely took over that situation but I had to. Even if you really like Joe, which I suspect that you don’t…” I looked at her, she shrugged her shoulders passively. “You can’t date him now. We are so close to the trial.”
She looked up at me, her shock seemed to have subsided and she looked angry, “What does that have to do with anything? I’m not saying that I want to go on a date with him, but if I did what would that have to do with the trial?” her voice was rising, she was standing up now. Not quite shouting but definitively getting there. I knew she would be angry, but I just couldn’t see any other way out of this. “How come you know about Duncan? We have never talked about it!” she was shouting now. Standing by the park bench, in the relative darkness of the park.
“I’m sorry Cassie. It’s just we are so close to the trial. Stern and the fellows would have to be involved if you started dating Joe. He already sent Jennifer to Alaska, so what do you think would happen if you grew really close to Joe.”
She sunk down on the bench again, looking defeated. I could tell that she was thinking about something but I found it hard to sense what it was. “And what about Duncan, how did you know about that?” she added absentmindedly. I can’t tell her what I did, I just can’t tell her what I know. It’s all over and he’s gone from her life. Knowing about it now would just hurt her, it wouldn’t do anything to help her.
“We were issued to do some research on you. Looking in to all aspects of your life, making sure that you were ready to be involved in the Broffman and Lieberman cases,” my voice felt flat. When I looked at all of the things Cassie had to endure during the last few months, I found it hard to not look at the injustice of it all. She had not asked for any of this and being Stern’s daughter made her more closely monitored than any other member of The Society.
“And this was Stern’s idea? Looking into my life and background?” I nodded feeling completely void of any replies. She stared into the distance for a while, the silence filled the space between us, I could tell that she was thinking about something, “And everyone just agrees with whatever Stern says because he’s the leader? I thought the fellow meetings were some sort of democracy?”
“Well, we all have a vote. But as a leader Stern is respected greatly. The way he votes will swing those on the board that aren’t as interested and involved.”
She took in the information, staring out in to space again, “I’m not angry at you Ian. You’re intervention when Joe asked me out was shocking at first. It was rather clumsy, but I understand that with Stern as the leader and me as his daughter Joe’s interest in spending more time with me would have been problematic.” She got up from the park bench again and looked at me, “I’m sorry Ian, but after all of this. I think I just need to go home and have an early night. Can we reschedule to some other time?”
“Sure.”
She gave me a light and quick hug. I watched her as she walked off across the small park, steering her steps towards Midtown.
It was about a week later, when I met her at that same bench in Collect Pond Park. She was wearing a big, woolly grey scarf and her red coat. I handed her a cup of coffee, the heat from the takeaway paper cup radiating through to my fingers.
“How are you?” I was hesitant in my question, the first one I’ve asked her in a week. Since our heated discussion after Joe attempt to ask her out she hadn't been too responsive and we have both been working on the Broffman case in our separate offices.
She looked over at me, “You know I’m not upset with you.” She flashed me a look, almost as a little unspoken mockery. Immediately I felt warmed and revealed. I did act instinctively and even if I was just trying to protect her and make things simpler, I guess it wasn’t my place to step in… “I’ve just been thinking over the last few days.” She looked back at me, the weak sunlight is finding it’s way through the unruly strands of her blonde hair making it touch towards golden when the rays fall through it.
“Okay, what about?”
“How long has Stern been the leader for?” I knew that she would eventually ask this question and I had thought about how to answer it, “He took over as leader after your mother died.”
She gasped, “So that means… So my mother was the original leader?”
“Yes, but in a looser sense of the term. When she died Stern stepped in and created a more well organised structure. He’s the one that everyone tributes to the success and power of The Society.”
She frowned slightly, “I feel like he’s becoming to controlling in a sense. I understand that there needs to be a leader. But I feel like sometimes he is too careless with the lives of ordinary people. It’s almost like protecting The Society has become such a default position of his, he doesn’t even question how his power impacts others.”
I didn't know how to respond her statement, so I simply said, “I think that the trial has had everyone a little bit on edge lately.”
“Well I hope that he doesn’t pull any new stunts because frankly, I feel like there are probably other people who could handle the situation better…” I can see what she is thinking, I didn’t think that she would arrive at this point so soon. But then again she has really received a crash course in The Society and unfortunately she has managed to see so many of its bad sides already…
I knocked quickly on the door to Mr. Rosenthal’s study and stepped in, I found him sitting reclined in one of the cream armchairs reading the paper. He slightly tilted his head around to see who has walked in. When his eyes meet mine, he could tell that I have something to discuss.
“Please, Ian sit down and make yourself comfortable," he nodded towards the sofa and folded up the newspaper.
I sat down opposite him and tried to figure out in which end to start this conversation, “As you know, Cassie and I have become close friends. She confides in me and lately she has started to bring up a subject that we both knew was going to arise sooner or later.”
“Yes?” Mr. Rosenthal was sitting at the edge of the armchair, as if he was sitting on pins and needles. He knew where I was going with this, yet he didn't want to assume.
“She asked for how long Stern has been the leader. I obviously had to tell her about how her mother used to be the leader.”
He looked at me, analysing my facial expressions. I understand, we both need to be certain before we do anything about this.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. But I don’t know if she’s ready for it yet.”
“Yes, we need to make sure that she’s ready,” he hummed to himself and added, almost as if he was talking to himself, “I think that she trusts and confides in me now, sometimes she almost looks at me as if she wished I was her father. When the Jennifer situation arose she came to me first. I would assume and hope that when she’s ready she will come to me for advice and to ask for my support.” Yes, this is what I suspect that she will do. She knows where she has me, but she would probably need someone else to support her as well. “When she comes to me and talks about this. I will let you know. When she does you should talk to Stern.” I nodded in agreement. “When she is ready, he needs to know. He needs to be well prepared so that he’s not blindsided when it happens,” Mr. Rosenthal concluded. Yes, this is the way that it has to be.
We both leant back, the plan had been laid out. All we could do now was to wait.
What are Mr. Rosenthal and Ian planning?
Next Chapter: Cassie experiences an unpleasant surprise & she makes a big decision...
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