Blood Ties - Session 8

Esme went to meet with Phil and do some digging on Lucy and Francisco, while Violet and Daniela when to the Archdiocese offices to meet with the local church.  The diocese brought in their Director of the Department of Communications and Public Relations, Colleen Dolan to mediate the meeting and keep the record clear of anything that might further damage the church.  Father Soto seemed reluctant to explain what he knew at first but eventually Bishop Alberto Rojas and him decided against Colleen Dolan’s advice and told the truth.

Father Soto said that Lucy came to her terrified of her angel who attacked her and referred to himself Legion.  Father Soto explained that he had been hiding Lucy for the past 6 days to keep her safe in a location that only he knows of.  When pressed to reveal Lucy’s location, Father Soto wouldn’t give Lucy up, not even under the threat of arrest.  When Violet showed Father Soto the email she received from Lucy pleading for help, Father Soto revealed that the message could not have been from Lucy because Lucy had lost her phone and was in hiding when the message was sent.  While it was disappointing to Daniela that Lucy could not be reached, it was comforting to Violet to know that she was being kept safe. 

After the meeting Violet and Daniela spoke with Esme and Phil on speaker phone and learned a good deal about Francisco:

• Frankie was transferred to Draper Penitentiary because of its Psychiatric ward
• He was diagnosed as delusional, multiple-personality disorder
• He was reportedly very religious, and never violent
• Two of his cellmates committed suicide, which seemed to add to his mental state
• He served 4 of his 10 years in Draper and was released in May

Phil also made some connections between the victims of the recent Familia murders.  Cesar Torres was the leader of Familia at the time of the Mercado Sawyer fire.  According to testimony from the trial, Torres ordered 3 Familia to harass Violet’s father and intimidate him so that he would stop his pro-community campaign.  Josué, Ramon Perez, and Fransciso were all named at the trial; however Francisco was the only one of the three that was convicted.

Violet called to check in with Benny and see if Rudy had come back yet.  Benny answered his phone and told her that Rudy was back and that they should come to Brothers Pawn.  Violet detected something in his voice, something else was going on.  Esme and Phil weren’t finished with their investigation, so Violet and Daniela borrowed her car to drive back to the barrio and check in on Benny.

Just at the two woman walked in the front door of Brothers Pawn Violet’s phone began to vibrate.  Rudy was calling, but before she could speak with him the door closed behind the both of them and Josué stepped out of the back room with a gun in his hand.  Violet was able to keep Rudy on the line without Josué knowing, but they were trapped in the transaction cage.  Josué stepped up to Benny, who was bound and gagged behind the counter and stuck him with the butt of his handgun, drawing blood.

Josué began to explain that he had been working with Legion to find Lucy, but instead he found Violet snooping around at the warehouse the evening before.  Before Josué could explain anything else Legion’s voice spoke from inside the pawn shop.  Josué was visibly shaken by Legion’s appearance.  He begged for Legion to let him go.  Instead Legion yelled “Silence” and burst all but one of the light strips in the shop.  Legion seemed pleased that he had both Violet and Josué in the same place at the same time.  He explained that there was a lot of unsettled history amongst them.

Legion commanded Josué to help him reenact the events of the night of the fire.  Violet pleaded with Legion to stop, and Legion responded by whispering in her ear that “she had no idea what she had done” 10 years ago when she took the stand as a witness in the trial.  Legion ordered Josué to produce a lighter.  Josué refused at first but Legion was too much of a threat to resist.  Josué removed the lighter and flicked it, holding it with a trembling hand in front of his face.

Legion explained that Benny would play the role of Violet’s father since he was already bound and gagged.  Josué and Violet would play themselves, and Legion said that he would play Frankie. As he explained his role, Frankie stepped out of the back hall and under the one remaining pool of light.  Josué immediately put 3 bullets through Frankie’s chest.  Frankie dissolved into dust and collapsed to the floor.

Legion’s resolve was unphased, he commanded Josué to speak the words he said the night of the fire.  Josué threatened Benny as he had Violet’s father that night.  Just as he finished his threat Frankie stepped out of the shadows and extended his arms as if to stop Josué.  He was too slow.  Josué knew what was coming next and threw the lighter as if it were a live grenade.  The lighter exploded inches from his hand in the form of a supernatural fireball.  Josué was thrown back by the explosion and hit a wall.  The fire spread in an instant all over the area around Benny.  Benny struggled in his bindings to get away from the inferno that instantly surrounded him.  As he struggled he upset the chair he was tied to and fell to the burning ground behind the counter.

Daniela picked up Lucy’s rosary as the flames spread, both women have a choice to make, run for their lives or run to Benny’s rescue and certain peril.