Adjusting

Dre sat behind the mahogany desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. He tossed the bottle of aspirin back into the drawer, knowing it wouldn't do any good. The throbbing behind his eyes a constant presence now. Em had been incommunicado for two weeks. Aside from the fact that it put his wife in a mood, never a good thing, it did nothing to ease his growing worry. Over the last few days he'd had time to reflect on Em's behavior of late. It did not bode well. When his office door opened, despite orders to the contrary, he looked up ready to rip the offender a new asshole. Only the fact that it was Proof kept him down to a dull roar. "What the fuck, nigga. What part of do not disturb did your ass not get?"

Proof rolled his eyes not in the least intimidated. He'd dealt with Slim on a rampage. Dre in a pissy mood wasn't even remotely threatening. He'd need to actually pull on him to worry Proof. "Look, I just need Em's number out in the burbs."

"And you're asking me why?" growled Dre.

"Uh, cause you have the number," Proof said, the duh echoing silently.

"I don't have any fucking number," snarled Dre. "I haven't heard from Em's ass in two weeks."

Proof dropped into the chair across from Dre. "You ain't talked to him either?"

"What I just say fucker? Your boy has been AWOL for two weeks without a goddamn word to anybody," snapped Dre. Ready to take it out on someone besides the incompetent bodyguards and lackeys.

Proof frowned. He hadn't thought much about the lack of contact. He'd gotten involved with a pretty groupie and lost track of time. With the odd mood Em had been in he'd just assumed his brother had locked himself away in his home studio. Especially after he'd talked to his mom. Em rarely took off without telling him where he was going. Hell, usually no more than a few days went by without the two of them talking. The only exception being when he'd been with Kim. Proof grimaced at the thought of Em's ex. There was no way that he was with the bitch. Not after what Em had told him about their last conversation. But if Em hadn't talked to anyone....

"Em doesn't lie to mama and she told me he said you had the number. You sure you ain't just missed the message or something?"

"Are you going deaf? I don't have a fucking number," snapped Dre, fingers curling into fists. His patience had been less than stellar of late.

Without another word Proof lifted up the phone and dialed home. The phone was answered after only a few rings. "Hey Ma," said Proof at his mother's familiar warm greeting. "I was wondering if you had the number Em called from. Dre's misplaced his."

Dre shot him a disgruntled look but remained quiet.

"Unknown huh?" Proof's eyes widened, slightly before a flood of assurances poured out of him. "No, Ma. Everything's fine. No, Ma. You don't need to come out here." He relaxed slightly when his mother finally let herself be placated. "Just be sure to get the number when Em call's again. Oh and give him my new cell number." He went through another round of reassurances before finally hanging up. He didn't know why he was suddenly feeling anxious. There wasn't anything to worry about. Em had just taken off for a bit. He was overreacting for no reason. Actually there was he glared over at Dre. "Why are you so worked up? Em's only been gone a week or two. And he's not incommunicado. He called mama last Sunday. She told me he'd been trying to reach my old cell all week. Doesn't sound like anything's wrong."

Dre's gaze narrowed, as his nostrils flared. "Why am I so worked up," he asked, each word clipped sharply. He glared at Proof, sitting there all carefree and headache less. Of course, he was. He wasn't privy to the growing instances of insanity from Em. But it was time someone else started worrying about this shit. "Why? Let me enlighten you to a few tiny details." Dre sat forward. "Detail one, what I like to call 'The Tape'. A tape of nobody and nothing but Slim crushed rather than let me hear."

Proof frown deepened. There wasn't much Em didn't tell Dre and even less he didn't tell him. But damn the man was allowed some privacy. "It could have been nothing," he suggested half-heartedly.

Dre leaned forward, palms flat on the desk. "Oooh, not that lucky. I noticed Em's been a little bugged out. The Shady in him peeking out; so I kept after him about it. Which leads directly to detail two," said Dre, holding up a second finger. "The Television."

Proof's gaze narrowed. When he'd mentioned its absence last Saturday Em had shrugged it off. Said there'd been an accident.

Dre held his gaze as if he knew what he was thinking. "Accident my ass. Em deliberately tipped it over when I started on him about the tape."

Proof scowled, he didn't like how this sounded. He too had been watching his boy and yeah there'd been increasing instances of pissy Em. But distracted or not Slim shouldn't have been able to get by him. And what Dre was describing sound like Slim. He'd known Marshall a long time. They were as close, closer in some cases, as blood. If something was wrong with Em, he should have been privy to it long before this.

"Oh, but the best part. The most damning bit," continued Dre. "Is your boy abducted someone from the Viper room according to the bodyguards. No one's seen hide nor hair of his ass since!" Dre bellowed the last word as he shoved to his feet.

Proof froze. Not good. Not good at all. "What the fuck do you mean abducted someone?" he asked, mind all ready running through all the hideouts he and Em had set up. If something this serious was going down he'd need to hit each one. Fuck he should have made sure his damn cell was working. He'd never forgive himself if Em were in trouble.

"After the incident with the tape I added extra security," muttered Dre pacing. Part of him vindicated by Proof's increasing worry. "V-day. I sent him out in hopes of getting him to calm down, loosen up. Around midnight I get a call from the guards. Em gave them the slip, they'd caught up with him just as he jacked some guy for his cab and shoved a reluctant stranger inside." He paused mid-step.

Proof's thoughts flashed to the call from Dre last week. "That's why you wanted to know where the house in the burbs was."

Dre nodded. Not that that line of questioning had panned out. Proof had been too high when they'd driven out there to remember where it was. Proof forced himself to calm down. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this. He was letting Dre's paranoia egg him on. He sat quietly, going over the last few months in his mind. Dre muttering beneath his breath as he paced. "The friend," he said suddenly.

"Huh?" said Dre, turning to him.

"Mama said Em was helping out a friend," Proof offered slowly. "Maybe that's who this guy is."

Dre scowled and thought about it. After a moment he spoke. "Doesn't work. 'Cause what friend don't you know?"

Proof sighed, he had to give Dre that one. There weren't any friends he didn't know. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Where's Hail?" If she was with Dre then he'd panic.

"The night guard said she was with him," muttered Dre, resuming his pacing.

"Night guard," asked Proof, confused.

"Yeah. Thomas, the gate guy, said ten or so minutes after Em came home in the cab with the guy, he left again with Hailie and the guy unconscious in the back."

Proof let out a sigh of relief. The growing panic slowly subsiding. Em wasn't doing anything even vaguely illegal in Hailie's vicinity. "A'ight, Dre. I need you to lay it out for me," said Proof. "Don't leave anything out this time."

Dre sighed but settled onto the edge of his desk then began his tale.

Proof let Dre talk, only stopping him once or twice to clarify a point or two. When he finished, Proof sat back. The incidents Dre mentioned were slightly worrying and if Dre hadn't said Hailie had been in the car with the stranger he might have been inclined to panic. As it was he knew Slim wasn't loose, despite what it looked like. Em wouldn't let that happen near Hailie. However, the simple fact that Slim was so close to he surface was telling. Something, more likely someone was setting Em off. Enough that he'd let slip that part of him. He had a very good hunch it had something to do with Dre's tape. Either way it had been going on at least since December. Em had been behaving like he was on the rag since then. He'd obviously not been trying to go incommunicado. Not if he'd called mama. Still, when he finally got in touch with Em he was reaming him a new asshole. "Listen, Dre. Calm down. I don't think things are as bad as all that."

Dre snorted.

"No, really. Em's tried to check in. Hell. He called Ma when he couldn't reach me. He obviously thought you had his number. He couldn't know I'd forgotten how to get out to the house," said Proof leaning forward elbows on knees. "He's got Hailie. Whoever this guy is Em's not gonna do anything with Hail there. Besides he's only been gone a couple weeks. He'll probably check in again soon. Give it another week. There's nothing solid to actually be bugging over."

Dre met Proof's steady gaze. His eyes while not unconcerned weren't overly worried either. If anyone knew Em it was Proof. The two had been friends since grade school. He didn't think there was a person alive who knew Em better. "A'ight. I'm taking your word on this Proof. If there are bodies needing to be buried, I'ma kick yo ass then make you help."