Riley froze, studying Dash carefully.

“Felix Saben?” he repeated carefully. 

“Um, yeah. I take it you've heard of him?” Dash said, shifting his weight from one bare foot to the other.

Felix Saben had been on the Elemental Most Wanted list for the better part of a decade; Riley would have had to been living under a rock not to be aware of him. But before he'd earned his government job, there had been another connection that had brought the criminal mastermind into Riley's awareness.

He measured his next words carefully. “What makes you think Saben has Gabriel?”

“When did you say you knew Gabriel, again?” Dash asked in reply. Riley narrowed his eyes.

“I didn’t. But it was probably about three years ago, now.”

Dash continued to worry his lip ring, and Riley read the conflict in his eyes. In the interest of speeding things along, he decided to give a little.

“Look, I know,” Riley said. “I know how Gabe’s connected to Saben. Last I heard, he was trying to get out.”

“He did get out,” Dash said, his slender hands fisting at his sides. “He bought his way out and he’s been out, ever since. But that old creep never liked it, and Gabriel was always worried he might try to get him back.”

Riley studied Dash carefully as he spoke. That he was scared for his brother was already evident, but there was long simmering anger there, too. 

“Were you ever--”

“No,” Dash said darkly. Riley raised his hands.

“Just asking,” he said. Dash tugged nervously on the black stud he wore in one earlobe. 

“I’m not talented the way Gabriel is,” he said, an edge in his voice. “Saben wouldn’t have any use for me. For which I am glad, because I’d never want to work for such a creep. Not that I judge Gabriel. He didn’t have an easy time of it, you know, and he--”

“You don’t have to defend him to me,” Riley said. 

Dash fell silent, leaning heavily back against the couch. "Sorry," he said at last, tired gray eyes locking with Riley's. “I guess I always just kind of feel like I do.”

Riley nodded as if he understood, though he wasn't entirely sure that he did. His own brother didn't need protecting-- in fact, it turned out that Riley had only ever hurt him. Riley had hurt a lot more people than he'd ever realized. 

Riley’s phone rang loudly then, startling him from his thoughts. He fished it out of his pocket and scowled at the caller ID.

“Not a good time,” he told the caller.

“When has that line ever worked on me?” Taysha shot back, her voice barely audible over the background noise. “Are you still in the city? I’m at Babylon with Darius and Minka. Come meet us for drinks! We want to hear all about your heroics. And use your new celebrity status to get free drinks!"

“I’m not-- I can’t,” Riley said, shooting Dash a look. The young man was perched on the arm of the couch now, studiously pretending not to eavesdrop.

“Riles, do you want to like, talk talk? I can ditch these losers and meet up, just you and me,” Taysha offered, her sincerity only slightly slurred. Riley sighed internally. He wasn't in much of a position to start alienating the friends he had left.

“Tomorrow, OK? Drinks after work tomorrow.”

“Yeah? Sweet, Eddy’s has 2-for-1 night!”

“OK, just-- I gotta go. See you tomorrow.”

Riley hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket, pinching his eyes closed for just a moment. He couldn’t remember anymore why he’d thought coming back wouldn't be stressful.

“Girlfriend doesn’t know you’re here, huh?” Dash said, innocently picking at his fingernails. Riley glowered at him.

“Do you have any proof that Saben took Gabe?” 

“I mean, technically no. But I know that two weeks ago some guy from Saben's crew showed up at a bar where Gabriel was. He slipped out before the guy could make him, but he got super paranoid after. That was the night he gave me your number and made me swear that I would call you if anything ever happened to him.”

"Who was the guy?"

Dash bit his lip, looking frustrated-- for once, not at Riley.

"I'm not sure-- I mean, he might have said, but he was babbling and not making sense at first so I was just trying to calm him down. I didn't-- he's freaked out about his past before, but it never turned into anything, so..."

"What bar was he at? Maybe someone there would know."

Dash chewed on his bottom lip. "I wasn't with him. It was somewhere near where he works, but he works downtown so it could be any of like a million bars."

"I thought you two told each other everything," Riley pointed out. Dash glowered up at him.

"Yeah, but we don't stalk each other. We say shit like 'going out, be home late.'"

Riley exhaled slowly. As far as he could tell, Dash had nothing but brotherly concern to go on. That, and the name of one of the most slippery criminals around. It was still a very big if in Riley's mind, but if Felix Saben was involved, Riley couldn't let Dash go after him. 

“OK,” Riley said at last. “If Saben got to Gabe, then he must want him for a job, right?”

“So, you don’t think he wants to hurt him, then?” Dash asked, his voice suddenly small. “You don’t think he’s out for revenge or something?”

Riley considered this. “If he bought his freedom, what motive is there for revenge?” 

Dash nodded like he wanted to believe, but still wasn't sure he should.

"I mean, I kind of got the impression that he was pissed Gabriel wanted out, but I guess it has been almost three years. That's a long time to wait, right?"

Riley was only partially listening; he'd had an idea for what he could do, and was racking his brain for any other alternatives. Unfortunately, there was only one way he could think of to determine whether or not Felix Saben might be involved. 

"Look, I... know a guy. If Saben's in town, he'll know."

“Seriously?" Dash said, hopping to his feet. "Fuck yeah, let's go!" 

“No way,” Riley said, holding out his arms. “I can’t… this isn’t someone I can talk to until tomorrow. And you aren’t getting anywhere near him. If I find anything out, I’ll call you.”

“Seriously? So I’m supposed to, what, just sit here on my ass and do nothing?” Dash demanded. Riley shrugged.

“You wanted my help, this is it. Take it or leave it.”