risk

The sound of rain bathed the penthouse in a quiet thrum of noise as Jacqueline found herself sitting up in bed staring at her slumbering husband. She should have joined him hours ago- all of Salvation had been putting in countless hours to pull off massive deals and tend to all the chaos Los Santos was wont to bring but it continued to elude her. It likely had something to do with the names she had written countless times on a piece of paper and burned in the fireplace ad nauseum- the names of those who had been found damned. Corrupt. In need of elimination from the city. No matter which word chosen to describe them, their fate had been sealed the moment they were dropped at Salvation's doorstep. Her legs curled out from underneath where they rested and bare feet found the cool, wooden floor. Hands retrieved a well worn journal from the nightstand's drawer and a small key was retrieved from its hidden location before it was flipped open to an empty page and pen was located. Jacqueline hoped that ridding her mind of her tumbling thoughts would lead to the peace necessary to slip off into dreamland. Her pen hovered over the page as she wrote the last sentence and she realized she was smiling. Hope was a powerful thing, perhaps, but determination was even more so. Come morning, there'd be no stopping what was coming next.

"Some wild shit happened after you flew out last night, Jackie." Rider was filling her in on what she'd missed after calling it a night far earlier than normal the day before and as she drove through the city with eyes scanning the roads for any errant bank trucks or city buses out for blood, a brow quirked more highly with every word that spilled from his lips and into the phone. "Wait," she interrupted him mid-sentence, foot slamming on the break and causing whomever was behind her to erupt into a storm of curses. "Did you just say we're now considering being allies with these people? Do you not remember three days ago they robbed Ladybird and left her stranded? Or that they've attacked nearly all of our friends for no fucking reason? Is that what Salvation is doing now, siding with the biggest guns?" Jacqueline was met with several seconds of silence on the other end of the line as her foot once more found the gas and the Jester crawled forward, making its way into the Grove. They'd been trying for days now to arrange a shipment delivery or three and times just weren't meshing. She had thought perhaps flying into the city sooner in the day would result in good news for Salvation but as the familiar sound of thumping bass began to hum its vibrations through her car, all she could hear was the sound of Rider breathing before he found the right words. "I don't know, Jackie, it was just something Chase mentioned last night but everything was a bit chaotic." She felt a frown curve her lips downwards and Jacqueline rolled her eyes. "I don't like it," words weren't minced as the call came closer to its end. "Salvation isn't your typical street gang. If it was, I never would have joined but I'm willing to hear everyone out." It was all that could be said on the matter as goodbyes were said and her fingers gripped her phone tightly in her lap. The Grove was eerily quiet, save for an LSPD officer patrolling by one block over, and Jacqueline slumped into her seat. It looked as though another day was going to pass where their members were primarily unarmed, where the labs went empty and unprofitable, where they risked doing a job they weren't prepared to do all in the name of staying afloat... Hours passed. Members flew in and out. And still, Jacqueline patrolled the areas she knew they frequented in the hopes of finding the one man she needed all while obsessively checking her phone for a return text. If they could just connect, at least then they'd be better prepared. As more members of high command flew in for the day, she made a decision. Names and numbers had been given during a meeting organized by the Yahweh and they'd provided the members of Salvation an open invitation- if they needed assistance, they only need ask. Was it a legitimate one? Or was she seriously overstepping boundaries as her thumb quickly scrolled over her contact list to find the members of the Rooks that had been so generous all those weeks ago? There was only one way to find out as Ladybird provided her the one number she was missing and Jacqueline hit the dial button. Fifteen minutes later, they were heading to meet at the Observatory to discuss what options they had. Salvation didn't require much- not in the grand scheme of things- but it was the first time they'd ordered something through anyone but the Ballas without the Messiah or Yahweh present. To Donnie, Trevor, and Jackie, the reward outweighed the risk. They needed protection and within the hour, the Rooks had come through. A single crate stored safely away for when it would be inevitably needed. The chaos surrounding the phone calls and texts to make such a thing happen had distracted Jacqueline from the very real possibility of having to meet with some of the most hated persons in the city and as the three members of high command left the safe house with Salvation's newest saviour, she was happy to pretend such things never would. If she was lucky, she wouldn't have to just pretend.

Step one, step two, step three. The days had become a blur of predictable meetings and chores but this particular Sunday had brought with it an unexpected turn of events no one in Salvation could have possibly seen coming: the alleged disbanding of an organization they highly respected. It started simply enough. Five members of command met with the Ballas to order another shipment. From there it should have been simple. Secure the deliveries, keep everyone safe, and get the hell out of dodge to begin cooking for a tidy little profit while other branches of Salvation took to their own duties and the groundwork to expand continued. Jacqueline should have known better; nothing thus far has proved to be quite so simple. Unable to place the necessary orders, the five of them took to tending to another piece of the puzzle leading to success: training. A sixth member of the council was "kidnapped" and brought on a roadtrip all while calling out their location to the best of their ability. Those on frequency were given a simple task: find him utilizing the details you have and save him. Follow proper radio protocol. You have 10 minutes or he dies. It was a success- High Command's pseudo hostage was found in time and rescued. Plans were made to do something similar every day until all members of Salvation understood the importance of situational awareness and how to best utilize their one lifeline: the radio. Step four, step five, step six. Alone and without anything to do for the first time in days, Jacqueline and Donnie holed away to begin stockpiling Salvation's biggest source of income. Locked away in a lab with nothing but a mask and some suits to keep them alive, the lines of communication began to explode. One of their own had been robbed at sealabs by the same group they'd heard causing chaos all over the city. Friends in a different organization had been kidnapped by another and said organization was likely going to disband. Information was flowing freely and before they'd even had a chance to really breathe, the Drakks were heading to meet with others to debrief and discuss what happens next. The weight of all that had transpired was heavy. Friends were left roaming and threats of what lay beyond the horizon continued to loom over the members of Salvation. How did they achieve their goal when every hour brought with it a fire in desperate need of extinguishing? The answer came as they ended their day at the beach. They'd achieve it through persistence. They'd achieve it through clinging to that silver thread of hope for a brighter future that had wound its way around all of them and pulled them close to one another. They'd achieve it because to fail meant to give up on the belief Los Santos could be cleansed of its seemingly endless corruption. Failure wasn't an option. Despite everything, as the sun set on the beach by the pier, they knew in their hearts that they'd achieve it. Together.

Some say in order to learn to swim, one must be thrown into the water and face the fear of sinking before their limbs will do what needs to be done and for Jacqueline, her first week as a member of command for Salvation was a testament to the adage. Sink or swim, she thought to herself as she stood before a room filled with members looking utterly confused as to why they sat there upon her request. It wasn’t two hours ago she was buried in supplies to cook a shipment purchased through the Ballas and now she stood surrounded by those she’d come to adore, dressed in colors, with nothing more than a simple command from the Yahweh: bring them together and figure out what to do tonight. If you can’t, I’ll step in. New members had brought with them unique challenges. Changes in structure had brought with them confusion. Unfamiliarity with the city and the criminal life in general left many feeling lost. The other members of the council sat at her side, the figureheads watched her from across the room. It felt dangerously close to a test. After all, she’d barely joined Salvation before being appointed to her position and she knew well there were eyes on her to determine whether or not she was deserving. Sink or swim. Her gaze landed on her husband before she took a deep breath and began. Jacqueline had no idea how long she spoke before the floor was passed to her counterparts but by the time they all finished speaking, plans were in place. The members of Salvation were ready. Whether or not they managed to succeed, in that moment, was irrelevant to her. One does not build an empire in a day and as the family began to trickle out, excited and chattering, she found herself hanging back with wide eyes just to watch them go. The Yahweh had mentioned during their meeting a storm was coming and to be prepared for the chaos about to come. His words had sent a shot of fear down her spine when he’d spoken them but there in headquarters, surrounded by smiling faces and voices she’d recognize from across a crowded room, Jacqueline couldn’t help but smile. If there was a storm coming, it felt for the first time as though Salvation was preparing itself to be the lightning that split across the sky to chase away the darkness.

Jacqueline Drakk When she arrived in the city of Los Santos, Jacqueline Perinneau could have been called many things but one above all was certain: she was determined to find a place she could call home among the citizens in a city that never seemed to sleep. It became evident rather quickly those she had believed were lifelong friends found greener pastures elsewhere to graze, leaving her behind to find her own footing. She could have lived the legal life- continuing on at the Department of Corrections, making acquaintances who seemed to know her name wherever she went, living every day watching the injustices found around every corner helpless to stop it. Perhaps, had she never met the man in the mask, her life would have taken her down a different path but Jacqueline was never one to say no to adventure and his very existence promised her just that. Through him she found everything she didn’t even realize she had been missing: companionship, love, and above all… family. Through him she met a group of men and women who felt all the things she’d never been able to coherently express: the city of Los Santos was broken. The system designed to keep its citizens safe was flawed and red tape was bound around nearly avenue leading to justice. For months she found herself pulled more deeply into a life of danger, the man in the mask protecting her at all costs. For months, she watched the men and women of Salvation circle around her, welcoming her with open arms the day she finally joined and stepping out together as one to succeed where the city’s protectors had failed. There was nothing that could have prepared Jacqueline for the whirlwind of chaos that came days after joining. Leadership changes, structural redesigns, attacks from bitter ex-members, meetings with countless others to both repair and rebuild burned bridges… it seemed Salvation was nearly about to tear itself apart from the inside out before it ever had a chance to truly thrive. Between it all, there was him. There was the promise of a future she never dared dream in the form of a diamond ring and of a family who all wanted the same thing: justice. Together, they voiced their concerns. Together, they repaved the foundation of all that Salvation was and all that Salvation could be. Together, they made the changes they hoped would lead them down the path they all felt destined to walk. The man she’d left it all behind to be with was appointed as a member of High Command with her at his side. Six others were placed on the council to work hand in hand, guiding the members of Salvation back to where they belonged. There was only one thing left to do: seal the promise of a diamond ring with vows and a kiss and Jacqueline didn’t want another day to pass without his name. Together, they’d begun to rebuild Salvation and together, they met at the vineyard as she swore to love the man in the mask until the end of her days in front of them all. By the time night fell, she found herself no longer Jacqueline Perinneau but Mrs. Donnie Drakk. No longer was she determined to find a home within Los Santos- those dreams had long ago been recognized. Now, with a new last name and her new position within the organization, she was determined to help Salvation fulfill its destiny.