~{I don't Remember =Open=}~

[ben]

If things had of gone his way, Ben wouldn't have been held captive. Officials, one thing he despises. Closing his eyes and he impatiently sighed, Ben shifted his body to release the pressure on his wrists. Had he been able to talk his way out of the handcuffs, as well as not being pushed inside the boat, he would still be where he had to be. This wasn't where he had to be, not at all. Time was of the essence, and it was running out. Jacob, of course, had other plans, and Ben was failing to meet his deadline. And if Jacob isn't happy, then Ben is in trouble, and Ben doesn't like to be in trouble, he likes to have everything in order.

'Damn Widmore...' Ben thought, folding his leg over the side of the bed, sliding his handcuffs down the metal post of the bed head. If that stupid boat wasn't in the right place, then he wouldn't have been welcomed into the Officer's arms. What was it that Ben could have done to prevent this stupid holdup in the master plans? Without being boarded onto the boat, Jacob would have told him what the next plans were, Locke and Hurley, he hadn't seen them after he had specifically told them where to go to see to Jacob.

Apart from the paparazzi, Ben hadn’t really seen anyone else. He didn’t know if the survivors of the flight were rescued, if that had been the case, then the plans were getting foiled. As Ben looked out the window, he could see the skyline of other buildings. He hadn’t seen any other place other than the Island in a long long time. Even though his room was quiet enough, his mind did stray to his daughter. He wondered if she had been taken as well, mistaken as a survivor. He didn’t know what to think, was she with Karl, and was she ok? As Ben was a tough man on the outside, the one weakness he had was his daughter.

And Juliet? Was she rescued? Was she hurt? Narrowing his eyes, Ben thought about it for a while, before throwing his legs back up on the bed and maneuvering his handcuffs to a more comfortable position. He had been assigned one Officer, but he hadn’t seen him since he was shackled to the bed, and being around lunch time, he was curious to see if anyone else had the decency to feed him, or at least let him go to the toilet. Rolling his eyes, Ben sighed again, patiently waiting for something to happen.

[Daniel Avery]

"Yes. Yes, sir, I'm making contact now. Well, I assure you, I'll make it quite known. Yes, sir. Of course."

With the click of the phone, Daniel let out a sigh as he walked up the steps to the Roosevelt's main doors. The board members the Foundation had ordered him to go, speak with Ben, gather any information about what had happened on the Island, and Daniel wasn't about to dissapoint them.

Daniel adjusted his tie as he entered the Roosevelt, walking past the desk and towards the elevator. The moment the survivors had docked, Daniel had been bombarded by calls from both coasts and from across the seas. The Foundation, Oceanic Airlines, everyone was abuzz with the fact that the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 were alive and well. Most of them, anyway. As he pressed the button, Daniel mentally went over the files of the survivors that he had read, and of Ben's file.

As he door opened, Daniel stepped in and prepared himself. Linus was a manipulative little shit and everyone knew it. However, Daniel was sure he could take it. The elevator stopped, and Daniel stepped out, running a hand through his hair before he game upon the guard standing by the door to Ben's room. "Officer," Daniel said with a tilt of his head, before he held out his card. "Daniel Avery, head lawyer for Hanso Foundation and Oceanic Airlines. You've been told I was to come?"

"Of course, Mr. Avery. He's in there. Ain't no one's been in there or touched him since they brought him in."

"Good man." Daniel said, and moved into the room as the officer opened the door. He looked over at the man in uniform, nodding to him. "Thank you, Officer Williams. Give us a few moments, if you would."

The door was shut, and Daniel looked at Ben with almost a smirk. "Benjamin Linus. My name is Daniel Avery. Please, don't get up."

[ben]

Ben could hear some sort of chatter behind the closed door of his room. Not that he really cared who was behind it, obviously he wasn't going to be released at all, so there was no need to get himself excited. When the door had opened, Ben teared his eyes away from the window and glanced at the man who had introduced himself. "I wasn't intending on standing." Ben replied indifferently, sarcastic replies were his thing. Ben didn't have to be serious, he wasn't afraid of what was going to happen to him, because he already had something planned.

"I see you've been reading my file," he replied indifferently, the look on his face showing nothing, referring to the fact that Mr Daniel Avery knew his name. But then, almost everyone did know who he was and what he was related to - the survivors was worldwide news. He just happened to be apart of it anyway. "...find anything interesting?" he added with a slight snide smirk on his lips. He let the conversation linger in the air before he wanted to get down to business.

"Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Avery?" Ben then asked, taking into consideration that this man obviously had come to talk about things, he had guessed that much already, even a blithering idiot would have guessed that. Who was the ass in handcuffs? Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, as he had done a few moments ago, he maneuvered the handcuffs back down the metal bedpost, and sat awkwardly looking at Daniel.

[Daniel Avery]

"Quite the contrary, Mr. Linus." Daniel said, watching as Ben moved awkwardly on the bed. If it had been any other person, he would have consitered letting Ben go. Not Ben Linus, though. Letting him go would mean the end of Daniel's life. "You're a very wanted man, Mr. Linus. A very wanted man. People are willing to fight over you like cats and dogs, and I believe the same people wouldn't bat an eye if you were to turn up dead."

Daniel moved, setting his briefcase down by the door before looking at Ben once more. "Surely you know of my associates, Mr. Linus? I work for Hanso and most recently Oceanic Airlines." he told the man, glancing at his handcuffs. "However, there seems to be quite a struggle for you in our little circle. Some members wish to kill you, others wish to gain your knowledge of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Wait, I take that back. MOST members want to kill you."

Daniel watched Ben with a slight smile. "I take it you know of Charles Widmore, Benjamin?"

[ben]

"Please, call me Mr. Linus." Ben replied when Daniel had mentioned of Charles, his voice cold. Of course, Ben knew when to talk and when not to, and while Daniel had said how much of a wanted man Ben was, he didn't show any sign that he was happy or angry to hear that news. Ben already knew how much everyone wanted to kill him, get back at him for one reason or another. He just never gave them the satisfaction. Charles, he wasn't a had man to forget, not that Ben had to say anything, majority of the population knows or works for Charles Widmore. And primarily, the reason for Ben's captive.

"I'm quite aware of my situation," Ben replied smoothly, his head lifting somewhat as he watched Daniel place his briefcase down, "I have information to which others wouldn't have an inclining of an idea. But I wouldn't say my life is so destitute at the moment, from where I see it, Mr. Avery, I'm in the perfect position." he replied, still his voice cold like ice, just as his eyes were staring at the other man. Ben nodded, "I know of Charles, how is he, still playing by his own rules?" He inquired leaning his head back using a false interest in what the old bastard was up to.

Ben wasn't about to ask Daniel for anything, seeing as his knowledge of the flight and the Hanso project was on his side. Reaching over, he picked up a takeaway coffee cup full off water and quietly sipped it. No pleading for his freedom, he wasn't that desperate, although, he wasn't above groveling.

[Daniel Avery]

A smirk spread on Daniel's face, and he moved, grabbing one of the chairs to sit in front of Ben. "And we fully agree, Mr. Linus. You have information that we would pay an upteen price for. In fact, that is why I am here." He moved into his briefcase, taking out a notepad. "Mr. Widmore is fully willing to strike a deal with you, Mr. Linus. All we wish to know is about that Island." Silently, Daniel knew that he was probably going to get shit for an answer from Ben, but it was worth a try to be gentle and polite before switching tactics.

"Mr. Widmore simply wants to know about the Island and it's location. Give us barings. Give us an area." Daniel knew that the Freighter scientists had failed, and he hadn't even been on that boat but he hadn't heard the end of it. He feared for those people; the simple fact that they could be killed both made Daniel sick, however it also made him certain that if he stayed on this side, no matter what the cost, he would survive. "It's simple, Mr. Linus. All you need to do to make this go away, to get your life back is give us a location." he told the handcuffed man. "Don't you think you owe it to your daughter to be a free man, not a man with a mark over his head?"

[ben]

Ben watched as Daniel pulled out a chair, Ben smirked a little. Mr. Avery was getting right down to business, and he wasn't going via a secenic route either. Straight to the point. Ben wasn't stupid, despite what he allowed others to think of him. He knew that even though Daniel was going to be sweet as pie to him, he knew that Ben wasn't going to give him any information.

"My daughter has nothing to do with my being captive," Ben replied icily, "... and I highly doubt, guilt tripping me into doing as you asked will get you anywhere." he finished, blinking lazily as he turned his head to glance out the window, perhaps showing that he wasn't interested would put a hold in the investigation, if not, piss Daniel off - either one, Ben was enjoying himself (as usual).

"As for the bearings to the Island, I wouldn't know," Ben said flippantly, lying through a wall of blankness. After all, he wasn't a navigator, well, as far as he let people be believe. "and we both know that if I did, I still wouldn't tell you." There is so many details to Ben, that no one can see. He's a hard egg to crack, and he wouldn't ever damage his pride to break. He knew things others didn't, and he was damn good at lying. Glancing back at Daniel, he lifted his head slightly, "I may not know where the Island is, but I have something else that is just as good." he smirked.

[Daniel Avery]

"I don't mean to guilt trip you, as you said, into doing anything." Daniel retorted, folding his hands in front of him as he watched Ben. "I'm merely stating facts. Facts that I know you cannot ignore, and you're a wise man not to."

When Ben said he didn't know where the Island was, Daniel found himself actually scoffing. "Please, Mr. Linus. Don't insult our intelligance. Mr. Widmore understands that you're a very smart man. Misguided as it may be, but still, very smart. However, don't insult everyone, including yourself, by lying as pathetically as you are." However, Ben spoke of something else, something that was just as good, and Daniel felt his eyebrow arch only slightly. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to wait on pins and needles for you to tell me some highly important information about said Island, only to find out that you're telling me absolutly jack shit about everything?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "Because, by all means. I'm waiting."

Daniel took in a breath and released it in a sigh.

"Mr. Linus, you and I both know that whatever you tell me, I'm taking it with a grain of salt. However, my employeers feel that somehow, someway we can come to a possible comprimise." Comprimise was not the exact words they had used, and Daniel was sure that in the end, if Widmore had his way, Ben would end up dead at the bottom of the ocean. However, the longer Daniel stayed, the more interested he became in the Island.

"It would be so easy to make all of this go away. Everything would go away with just a few simple words. All of the pain and suffering that everyone has gone through would be easily erased."

[ben]

Ben would have folded his arms, if he was able to. Instead, the indifferent expression on his face showed no signs of breaking. It amused Ben, however, that Daniel was word playing just as much as Ben was, was this man perhaps of good competition? Closing his eyes, he listened to everything that Daniel spoke of, how things would just go away if Ben cooperated, how he was 'fooling' himself as well as making an idiot of himself. Ben didn't care about that, he didn't really care about anything, if he was making a fool of himself, then there was a reason for it.

Every reaction has a reason behind it. That was just how things worked with Ben.

"Comprimise? I highly doubt there will be any comprimise that would match up with keeping my life, as well as my daughter's." Ben scoffed slightly, tilting his head to the side as he looked at Daniel. It was true, even if he gave Widmore what he wanted, he'd not only kill Ben, but his daughter. The both of them still knew things about the Island, and Widmore wouldn't want anyone to know. The chances of Ben's tongue slipping any sort of secret which Widmore wanted kept hidden, would come to the conclusion of his annihilation. And to play dirty, would go after Alex as well.

However, Ben weighed it up in his head. Not to tell, would result in him being killed. To tell, he'd end up being free for a moment, but either being monitored or hunted for the rest of his life - so really, either way, Ben wasn't going to ever get what he wanted. As the silence rang through the air for a moment, Ben's eyes never strayed from Daniel, "I'm sorry, Mr. Avery, I can't give you what you want."

[Daniel Avery]

A sigh escaped Daniel's lips, and he moved, folding his hands on the file he held. He looked down at them, and then back to Ben. "I was afraid of that. My employeers were also afraid of that." Daniel tilted his head slightly. "Mr. Widmore does want to make very clear, Benjamin, that he is willing to do everything in his power to get to that Island. Everything and anything to get to that Island." He blinked, watching Ben. "It's obveious, Benjamin, that you care deeply for your daughter. Alexandra, is it?"

In the back of his mind, displeasure corsed through Daniel's veins, spreading to his stomach as he mentioned Ben's daughter. He had, for a brief moment, gotten into such a mode, of loving and caring for a child of his own, and it had been all quickly and swiftly taken away. Pushing the thought from his brain, he swallowed, looking at Ben. "Believe me, Benjamin, that I would like nothing more than to see you and your daughter reunited. To give your daughter a normal life, peaceful and away from the terror of the Island." he told Ben. "I can make that happen for you, Benjamin. I can insure her safety if only you'd tell me anything."

[ben]

((sorry, I've had to change my tactics with Alex... so I hope this thread will still make sense!))

There was one thing that Ben knew which Daniel didn't. And Ben believed that it gave him a leg up in this interrogation of information for Widmore. Ben continued to have a face so hard and emotionless, and as Daniel spoke of reuniting him with his daughter, he knew now, that Daniel really hadn't a leg to stand on. Really, the other man had know idea of what Ben was playing at and that pleased Ben.

"Oh, Mr Avery, I'm terribly sorry, but even with the protection you've offered for my daughter, I still can't tell you anything. Of course I care deeply for Alex, but what Widmore wants, I can't give to him." Ben replied, moving his handcuffs slightly as he spoke, the clanging on the metal posts echoed through the room.

"You don't know where my daughter is, Mr Avery, do you?" Ben turned it back around to the interrogator. "I suspect that it'd be quite a step up, if you did know where she was. Quite a hefty promotion, I'd believe." Ben teased, a snide smile forming on his thin lips. "By all means, go find her, because I have nothing to tell you."

[Daniel Avery]

He didn't expect it to be easy. Ben was a stubborn bastard, that much was true, and yet, he knew that whether Daniel liked it or not, Ben was picking him apart. He was, h owever, used to it. He kept his face a mask of stone, only arching an eyebrow as Ben asked if he knew where Alex was. Truthfully, he hadn't a clue. If Widmore knew, he wasn't telling Danny. The smirk that crossed Ben's face made Daniel want to beat it off, however, Daniel merely smiled slightly.

"Well, Mr. Linus, now that we have your permission...but I assure you something, and I want you to listen to me very carefully. Even if you don't believe it...you do not want Charles Widmore to find your daughter. Because if he does..." Danny didn't even want to think about what would happen. "You'll have to bury peices of her in every country on the planet. And believe me...she'll still be alive when he starts."