<div class="floatright">(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/jotunusmc/36827_421832359861_518524861_4822950_3819136_n.jpg)</div><br/><hr/><hr/><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Taras Ivan Markovski<strong>  -  Name           </strong><br/>The Muscle<strong>  -  Title              </strong><br/> Westpoint Lighthouse, Discovery Park - Downtown<strong>  -  Location     </strong><br/> Cori, Allison, Natalie, Adriano<strong>  -  Tagged         </strong></span></span></div><hr/><hr/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: justify;">     It had been years - a decade, shit make that two decades - since Taras had been called a "kid" it almost stunned him for a moment. That is, until he realized that Cori was talking about Adriano and Alison. She must have hit her head pretty hard. He didn't want to point out the mistake though, so he instead smoothly shifted the plans in his normal passive-aggressive manner <strong>"If we're going to tell Mr. Kwan you're dead; I should be the one to do it."</strong> He stated with a firm nod - a simple motion which simply implied the idea would not be questioned. <br/><br/>     The crew was quite familiar with Taras, most of them having grown up with him. He generally didn't take the lead in such a bold manner very often; but then, this night had been full of the unexpected. He was angry, he was emotional, but he was at least calming down. And lying straight to Mr.Kwan's face was a good way for him to enact at least some vengeance - since the man was virtually untouchable. Besides all that, he wouldn't dare risk any of the others to whatever fate that may be drawn from such a deception. He wouldn't put Adriano - who worked closely with the Asians - in the line of fire; and he certainly wouldn't let Allison tread even more dangerous ground than she already was... a fact still unknown to any in the crew besides himself.<br/><br/>     She was supposed to come clean tonight - at least to Cori... but the night seemed to have other plans for them. They just had to go with the flow. If any could appreciate that - it was Taras. He tended to keep himself under control most of the time - but he was also the most likely to act on his emotions than any other in the crew. He was like a volcano, quiet, still - and then a violent, destructive eruption. He was pretty confident he would keep his calm tonight at the meeting. Any negative action he took would likely put the crew in even more danger. He'd already made enough stupid decisions tonight; no need to add to the laundry list.<br/><br/>    <strong>"If that's the plan, then let's do it - we don't have any time to waste."</strong> It had already taken them nearly two hours to drive around the bay, since they couldn't use the convenient ferries that the cops were closely watching. They only had about twenty minutes to make the meeting. A meeting they definitely didn't want to be late for. <strong>"Cori and Natalie can ride with Adriano, stay far out of sight, he's got lots of eyes..."</strong> His tone was serious, with no small amount of concern laced in it. <strong>"Our humble victor can escort me into the 'Dragon's Lair'."</strong> Taras' tone was much lighter for that second sentence - trying to break the heavy mood that had seemed to settle on the group.<br/><br/>    After all, they'd won the race. They were all alive and well - for the most part. And they were going to toy around with the the puppeteer - something they'd all no doubt been craving to do, but probably never knew it. The stranglehold the Triad had established over their humble operation was no doubt uncomfortable for them all. Even for Natalie, who wasn't as directly involved in the thefts. Calling Chow's Chow the 'Dragon's Lair' was Taras' small way of making fun of the wily Taiwanese man, who'd been labeled 'The Dragon' by his allies and enemies alike.<br/><br/>    Taras didn't wait for any arguments. He lingered just long enough to make sure everyone understood their part before he strode over to Allison's car and hopped in the passenger side. The short ride there wasn't really enough time to break into the tough topic that was no-doubt lingering over the younger girl's mind... so Taras left it well alone, focusing on the most immediate worry. <strong>"I've only met with Kwan twice before. He's pleasant, charming, and very well mannered... which is why I don't trust a fucking word he says. There's no way you get that kind of power and influence by being a nice guy. Be careful Ally. The less we both say, the better."</strong><br/><br/>    He said it all in a confident and calm tone, and he did his best to help her feel safe and secure - but of course they weren't. Although it would it would seem quaint and pleasant, this would likely be the most dangerous night of both their lives. He would do everything in his power to ensure that Ally came out the otherside unscathed... but realistically, if Mr.Kwan had sinister intentions, there was little he could do besides die trying to prevent the inevitable. He mentally cursed himself for even letting Allison join the crew when she came back from abroad. It was something a responsible "older brother" would never have done... but then, maybe she wasn't just his "kid sister" any more. <br/><br/>    He glanced over at her as she drove after his brief thought - taking notice of her womanly qualities. Though her body didn't suggest she was a mature woman - her clothing and her attitude surely did. And if that could possibly fail, the intelligent and thoughtful mind he knew she possessed - learned from the many hours they'd spent together - was more than enough to give him a reason to be attracted to her. She wasn't just a little girl anymore, and Taras wasn't exactly sure if he liked that or not... simply because he didn't know what to do about it, or what to do about the feelings he realized he was starting to have for her. It wasn't unlike the situation with the triads. It was unpredictable, he couldn't control it, and he sure as hell was afraid of where it could all lead. <br/><br/>    Like any other fears or worries he'd had in his life, he swallowed them and buckled in for the ride. There was no sense fighting it.</div>