Popping into Trouble

[Stephanie Taylor]

Stephanie was enjoying the Saturday afternoon. She’d been on medical leave since the roof incident several weeks ago. It was a chore not to go stir crazy. One thing she hated was being cooped up in the house. At least now that it was the weekend, she wasn’t the only one home. Grace was over at a friend’s house and it was just Stephanie and Zach. Her tea whistled and she headed into the kitchen. She watched Zach over the counter top. Stephanie liked the fact that she could see the living room from the kitchen. It gave her a piece of mind to see what was going on. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her family, it was more she knew they were safe. The more she could see the better.

Stephanie came back from the kitchen with a hot tea in one hand and a root beer in the other. Though she was still walking slowly on her ankle. At least now she was off crutches and in a walking boot. “Again? I just got out!” Stephanie was losing to Zach terribly in Trouble. To be fair, she had given up counting on the number of times that she had been sent back home. She only had one piece safe in the end base. All three of the others were currently sitting at home again. Leave it to her son to be beating her. Not that Stephanie minded. She wasn’t a poor sport when it came to losing. She’d play just about any board game with Zach outside of Monopoly. Monopoly was just annoying and made a mess.

Ben was at work, and Stephanie was still on medical leave. Though she was cleared to go back as soon as she was out of her walking cast. Achilles was laying by the front door as he always did when he was being lazy and guarding the house. Stephanie settled back down on the couch looking at the board before popping the dome around the di. It was a three. Well, she wasn’t going anywhere soon.

SQUAD 3

HOUSE 51

Zach Harris

callmekitty at adoxography

[Zach Harris]

It was just another Saturday afternoon – no homework, no school, and no teachers. Not that Zach minded learning new things, but he enjoyed getting to spend time with his mom more. Even if it had taken an accident at the firehouse to give her some additional time off. She may have been off her crutches, but she was still limping around in a walking boot. "You really should stay off the foot, mom. I could have gotten us the drinks."

Sometimes, Zach wished his mother could be less stubborn, but that would be the day pigs grew wings and flew. In fact, that might actually happen first. Zach knew someone had to look after her – maybe not to the extent of Ben always yelling at her, simply for doing the job she was trained to do, but for the little things around the house. Like this. So Zach had taken on and shouldered that responsibility. He had to remind himself this should be a fun mother and son day, trying to focus on the game instead.

Sipping at his can of root beer, Zach masked the smile that formed over his mom's continued misfortune. Stephanie had the worst luck when it came to board games. If it were possible for her to lose, she would find a way to do it. Just like she was doing now. Setting the can down on the coaster and pressing down on the die sphere, Zach's roll completed a third piece's circuit around the board. Stephanie was falling further behind.

The knock at the door changed everything, putting their game of Trouble on hold. Or, rather, the voice that called out a second later did. Because they had found a different kind of trouble. "FBI. We have a warrant to search the premises."

Zach's head shot up from the board game. What was the FBI doing here? It couldn't have anything to do with… no, Zach dismissed the notion about as quickly as it had popped into his head. He'd covered his tracks better than that, hadn't he? As much as Zach liked to look after things, this was a little outside his realm of expertise. He found his mother's eyes. "Uh… mom?"

Stephanie Taylor

[Stephanie Taylor]

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[attr="class","lost1"]Stephanie Taylor

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Hearing Zach tell her to stay off her foot she gave him a slight glare. “I am not going to turn into a couch potato.” Ben wasn’t here to ground her to the couch, so she was going to get up and walk around when she could. Just for little bits at a time. It wasn’t like it was that far of a walk. The boys were so… well they were boys she was going to leave it there.

Stephanie heard the knock at the door. There was a moment that Stephanie had to take to keep from throwing something as she got up. “Coming!” She yelled through the door so they wouldn’t bust it down. Why did shit always hit the fan when Ben was at work? She glanced over and Zach and gave him a look. One that told him not to say a word. Not that she thought he was going to listen but it was worth a try.

Stephanie opened the door and moved out of the way knowing how fast law enforcement (especially the feds) moved. “Zach come here.” She knew better than for any of them to go wandering off into the house. It was better to remain where they could be seen. Stephanie had tossed a few houses herself looking for things and her OCD habit of having everything in its place was screaming at her on the inside.

Having been in law enforcement herself, she knew better than to interfere with what was going on and having to answer questions. No, she didn’t even have to do that. Stephanie picked up her phone and made a phone call to a certain family member. If there was a warrant, then something had to happen. She didn’t know what but calling James’ wife was hardly out of the cards.

[attr="class","lying1"]✎ Zach Harris

ulla

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[Zach Harris]

Of course his mom wouldn't listen to him. Being a fourteen year old teenager could be such a curse sometimes. From Zach's own perspective, that did nothing to diminish a valid viewpoint, but adults could be stubborn about certain things. Ben was the same way. Some days, Zach felt they saw him only as a high school student, failing to recognize he was more mature than many adults. He sighed, letting his frustration be known. "I just don't want you to aggravate the injury, mom. Please take it easy?"

Not that the FBI agents on the other side of the door would be as understanding or patient, if someone didn't come to let them in soon. They would likely assume their suspect was trying to escape, perhaps out a window, or by some other means. As Stephanie hobbled over to the door, Zach saw his mother's look, dutifully trailing over to her side. Just as he had been worried about her, she was concerned about him when the FBI came knocking on their door. The game remained unfinished on the table.

The first agent through handed Stephanie the warrant, signed by the judge. Immediately showing the paperwork authorizing the search was proper procedure when the house was occupied. No one in the bureau ever wanted a case dismissed on a technicality. Especially in a situation like this, where the FBI had been hacked. "The warrant, Mrs. Taylor. Do you have any computers in the house?"

Granted, despite what Stephanie said, Zach knew they would be conducting a search, but some level of cooperation might mean they didn't have to tear the entire house apart. He looked down at his mom, trying to get her attention without advertising the fact. This was the part where he wasn't supposed to say anything, right? He was still innocent until proven guilty.

Stephanie Taylor

[Stephanie Taylor]

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[attr="class","lost1"]Stephanie Taylor

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Stephanie caught Zach’s look. “In the bedrooms.” To be fair all of the bedrooms had computers in them. Tiffany picked up on the other end of the line. Stephanie briefly asked her to head over to the house. Tiffany would be joining them shortly. Stephanie knew Zach had done something but she had no idea what he had done.

Stephanie rubbed Zach’s shoulder, it was more of a motherly comfort signal. Though she just hoped he would keep his mouth shut. “Your aunt will be here shortly.” That was her way of saying that now was not the time to talk. Stephanie’s eyes were critical, she was one of those everything in its place types.

She made a mental note to talk to Josh. Not that he had anything to do with this, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t still do her a favor. Though she was trying to avoid that because it wasn’t too long ago that he had done her a favor when Grace had stumbled onto a crime scene.

[attr="class","lying1"]✎ Zach Harris

ulla

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[Zach Harris]

As the agents spread out over the house, conducting their search for evidence that would incriminate him, Zach nervously began to shift his weight from one foot to another. Not even his mother rubbing at his shoulder managed to provide much comfort. In hindsight, hacking the FBI just to prove he could seemed like a really bad idea, but he thought he'd covered his tracks better than this.

"Aunt Tiffany?" Zach perked up. The law was boring – he knew that much. Legal text read drier than Crime and Punishment, but from what he had overheard, civilian law and military law were two very different things. Nonetheless, he would feel better having someone that at least understood the intricacies of both. If Zach were being realistic, she wouldn't be able to make this problem go entirely away, but maybe she could undo some of the damage he'd done.

Okay, so all he needed to do was stay quiet until Aunt Tiffany arrived. Then she could advise them on what the best course of action was. Provided he didn't get arrested before then. Could the FBI just arrest a minor like that? Zach shot his mother another worried glance. He didn't want to get handcuffed and led out of the house like a criminal – even if, he supposed, he technically was one.

That was when Zach saw one of the agents carrying his computer out of the house – the evidence that would be used against him. Yup, I'm screwed, he reasoned. Zach could practically hear Ben in his head right now, scolding him for his language. For once, Ben was right.

Stephanie Taylor

[Stephanie Taylor]

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[attr="class","lost1"]Stephanie Taylor

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Stephanie had hacked federal agencies before but she had also had the backing of the military to command such a thing for information pertinent to a case. So in the way, she had been the government hacking the government. It had been in a totally different context. She read over the warrant which listed the probable cause for the search. She sighed and rubbed her temples.

“Yes Aunt Tiffany.” She confirmed as she looked towards Zach. If anyone knew the context of both it was Tiffany. Only because while they were different laws were laws and the same approach was the same. Military law just added a whole new layer to traditional law. In fact, Tiffany had a track record in Military law and Civilian law that almost spoke for itself.

Stephanie continued the best she could to try and ease Zach’s worry but the more the worry showed on his face the more she knew he probably knew what was up. As long as he didn’t say anything right now, they could buy some time while the evidence was processed. Enough time for Tiffany who was on her way to get here.

“She will handle things.” She whispered in her son’s ear. Stephanie knew anything that was spoken was well within the ears of the agents. Comforting her son was not something they needed to be concerned with but she knew how this went. Maybe she could also make a call to Josh and Esau. It couldn’t hurt, though she wanted to ask Tiffany about that first. Though she had a feeling that the defense lawyer would be against it.

[attr="class","lying1"]✎ Zach Harris

ulla

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[Zach Harris]

As much as his mom tried to protect him, Zach knew there were some things she just couldn't do. If the FBI pressed charges, for example, even Aunt Tiffany might not be able to help him. It would, however, be a mess entirely of his own making and he would have no one to blame but himself – a valuable lesson. Zach would just be learning it behind bars. In a prison jumpsuit. Orange wasn't a great color for him. Fourteen years old and already doing hard time. That was a career killer.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Zach scolded himself. For someone who prided himself on making such adult decisions, this went completely against the grain. Worst of all, Zach couldn't confide in his mother, even if she had a pretty good idea what was going on by now. Maybe confessing – admitting it had been a huge mistake – wouldn't be as bad as his mom thought. It could have been a guilty conscience gnawing at him. Or maybe it really was just the fear of the coming consequences.

The lead agent on the case approached Stephanie, as Zach continued to watch warily. All the reassurances in the world wouldn't fully ease the fears running rampant through his mind. "Mrs. Taylor," the man began, as the rest of the team continued collecting the necessary evidence. "Agent Thurman. You're welcome to contact an attorney, if you haven't already, but I have some questions for you. We have strong reason to believe that a computer in this house was used to hack the FBI. I looked into your background: you certainly have the skills to carry out this kind of breach, but I cannot ignore your service to this country. Is there anyone outside of this household that would have access to one of your computers?"

Stephanie Taylor

[Stephanie Taylor]

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[attr="class","lost1"]Stephanie Taylor

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Stephanie was protective, sometimes overprotective and would fight just about anything tooth and nail. Even if she knew it was a losing battle, that didn’t stop her from trying. That was just the sort of woman she was. Sometimes against her better judgment, she would do things that she was able to justify over time.

Well Stephanie knew she hadn’t done anything wrong but she was hardly going to do anything wrong. “My attorney is on her way over. I have done nothing of the sort but I will answer any questions you have when she arrives.” She knew if she answered the question about anyone outside of the house, it was going to point to one of two places… herself or Zach. Stephanie kept a calm demeanor. Though she was anything but calm. Knowing how to handle things, she was hardly going to explain to them that her skills they were talking about were in service FOR the country. White hats were far different from black hats.

There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched her son. She knew what he was capable of. Her expression, she tried to keep it neutral. There was so much she needed to say and wanted to say but couldn’t risk it with agents here.

[attr="class","lying1"]✎ Zach Harris

ulla

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[Zach Harris]

Zach listened to his mother tell Agent Thurman off – at least until Aunt Tiffany arrived, but who knew when that would be. He knew the decision not to say anything was meant to protect him. In the meantime, the FBI man gave a curt nod, moving off to check on the progress of the investigation, no doubt recognizing he wouldn't get any answers for now. Zach supposed the FBI could bring both of them down to the local field office, but what point would that serve? If his mom wasn't willing to talk, then she wasn't willing to talk. The only thing that would change that was an attorney she trusted.

The small knock on the door couldn't have been better timed. What could have served merely as a distraction would hopefully prove to be more than that. If Aunt Tiffany had arrived – with her legal input – Zach's stomach might stop doing cartwheels. Trying to keep his mom with her bad ankle from moving around too much and overexerting herself, hurrying over to see who it was. Opening the door, he found himself face-to-face with his aunt. Or, he would have, if she wasn't a few inches shorter than he was. So maybe he was just a little excited to see his aunt, pulling her into a hug. "Aunt Tiffany!"

Stephanie Taylor

[Xiao "Tiffany" Vukovic]

Tiffany Harris

Tiffany came over as soon as she could shuffle her schedule around for the day. If it was one thing that Tiffany wasn't it was a push over, and she wasn't going to let Stephanie say a word. She found herself in a hug with Zach as soon as the door opened. She looked up towards him. He seemed a little eager to see her, though she didn't blame him given what she knew. After all with all the FBI poking around no one was ever comfortable.

Tiffany looked towards Zach and Stephanie. "Once I can secure us a place to talk, we can talk." She needed to know everything about what was going on. Sure she was a military lawyer but that didn't mean she had never kept her from going to federal or state court.
She'd noticed that Stephanie was still nursing an injury. She looked up at Zach again and sighed. Stephanie had been a military cop, what kind of trouble would she honestly be finding. The woman was almost a saint when it came to keeping within the confines of the law. Ironically, almost brilliantly enough she could have been a lawyer.

OOC: blah blah blah

TAGS: Zach Harris

template by Magpie of Adoxography

[Zach Harris]

Zach had gotten into trouble before: the hazards of being a kid discovering how they fit into the world. No matter how mature he acted, he was still fourteen. He would make mistakes, but he had been taught to come clean when he did. Except now everyone kept telling him not to talk when that's all he felt like doing. Zach knew his aunt was right, as his mom was: two trusted sources providing the same logical advice. Of all the things Zach wished he could go back and undo, this might top the list. Because this was the first time said trouble required an attorney. He pointed out one of the men to his aunt and, while he didn't speak loudly, it would have been audible to Tiffany. "That's Agent Thurman. He's the agent heading up the investigation."

No doubt Aunt Tiffany would want to speak with the agent to arrange a secure room with which to hold that discussion she wanted to have. So Zach stepped aside, going to stand beside his mom. He still wasn't convinced things were going to be okay, but at least he had family here with him. The rest would come.

Stephanie Taylor , Xiao "Tiffany" Vukovic

[Xiao "Tiffany" Vukovic]

Tiffany Harris

Tiffany gave Zach a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and watched as he headed towards Stephanie. Whatever the hell was going on here, she wanted to figure it out as much as the FBI did. Though she was fairly certain that she would find out much more much sooner. Tiffany approached the group of agents. "Agent Thurman? I am Tiffany Harris, defense attorney. I would like a moment with my clients if you would please." No, she wasn't here to make friends, she was here to do her job and so be it if she stepped on toes. Tiffany handed him her card. Everyone knew that was code for her clients were not to be contacted directly.

Tiffany knew she could get Stephanie's copy of the warrant so she didn't bother asking to see it. In fact, she had seen Stephanie crumbling it up in her fists earlier. Tiffany knew criminal law but she was used to practicing it in a military setting. Not that things changed too much other than the politics. Here she had a better chance of getting lip and push back since there wasn't a clean chain of command in the legal world. It was all politics and not even hand fed, one that Tiffany was willing to play, for family. That bothered her just a bit, that she was still unaware of the circumstances of the search; but that was all in due time.

OOC: blah blah blah

TAGS: Zach Harris

template by Magpie of Adoxography

[Zach Harris]

Agent Thurman had been expecting this conversation when Mrs. Taylor had refused to talk earlier. Even suspects accused of hacking the FBI deserved to have legal representation. That didn't mean he always had to like dealing with said attorneys. For right now, at least, he just had to give this one and her client space to have a private conversation. "Of course. I can have my men clear out of one of the bedrooms. Just be aware: your client could be facing serious charges. The FBI doesn't appreciate being personally targeted."

Zach had never been the type to be overly clingy; the fact he continued to be so now probably spoke more loudly than words to his own family. From what he could gather from the muted conversation between Aunt Tiffany and Agent Thurman happening across the room, she had secured them a bedroom to talk. At least, shortly, he would be able to come clean with both his mother and aunt. Their advice on how to proceed with this mess would be invaluable, though he strongly suspected his mother already had some idea what had happened.

Agent Thurman found himself glancing at Stephanie. This warrant, signed by the judge, granted permission for the search, based on probable cause. If, in fact, she was responsible for this, as the bureau's eclectic group of computer experts had determined, he would be slapping his cuffs on her personally. Former military or not, an individual's prior service to this country didn't grant them immunity from the law. His eyes darted back to Tiffany, focusing intently on the lawyer. "Let me be clear. If I find evidence she was responsible for this, I am arresting her."

Xiao "Tiffany" Vukovic

[Xiao "Tiffany" Vukovic]

Tiffany Harris

FBI Agents were so full of crap sometimes. They didn't have an arrest warrant and Tiffany knew damn well getting one of those would take some time. If they were only just now collecting the computers. There were four people living in this house, they would have to prove who was where when. Tiffany however was cordial and professional with the agent in thanking him before making sure the room wasn't being bugged. It was kind of a thing with her. Attorney client privilege and she'd seen it all before.

"Who wants to explain what's going on?" Tiffany shot a look at Stephanie who had this somewhat confused look on her face. "You'd have to ask Zach, I've been gone a lot for doctor's appointments and on more pain meds than I care to admit to them." Tiffany sighed. "Anything said in this room right now is inadmissible in court, but I need the truth. Otherwise, I can't help." There wasn't much she could do with things right now. She took the paper from Stephanie and she read over the search warrant. Great it was computer related. That narrowed things down to the two people sitting in this room. Though she'd hope that Stephanie would have enough sense to know better than to hack the FBI without the protection of her old job.

OOC: blah blah blah

TAGS: Zach Harris

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