Meet the Aces and the Jokers

These are the Aces, the Jokers, and their closest allies:

MARK DONOVIN spent the 1990s as a Ranger in Somalia, where he saw Things there he wish he hadn't. Even after years as an Ace, he still can't quite remember what happened to him back then, which suggests it was very, very bad indeed. After his honorable discharge, Mark was a freelance bounty hunter until 2001, when he met George, Ken, and Jonathan, and moved to New York. Thanks to the Aces' benefactor, Demetrius Katsoulakis, Mark became chief of security for the Renaissance Casino & Ballroom as Jonathan was completing its restoration.

Mark turned one of the Renny's meeting rooms into "CentCom," a security office linked to surveillance equipment monitoring the entire block and its surrounding neighborhood. Hidden away behind walls and panels are an impressive arsenal of weapons and a long shelf of notebooks Mark has kept about everything the Aces have done and learned.

When the Aces need local and regional intel, Mark has several contacts in the City, including in the NYPD. He is also still in touch with his former dispatcher, Carla Madajewicz, whose connections allow her to track down almost anyone, given time.

When the Aces first met him, Mark was intense and plagued by horrific nightmares, but in the years since he has gained some measure of control over memories of his violent past. Less a soldier than the trusted "defender" of the Aces and their allies, Mark can be devastatingly lethal, but the fears that used to drive him have been replaced by new and stronger bonds of friendship.

Mark still bears an amulet he received from Tessa DiMarco. He eventually learned it was linked to the Templars, and Vincent Aglie has given Mark permission to wear it. The amulet augments Mark's Gift, and has been known to give him visions that benefit--and sometimes puzzle--him.

Following the Aces' defeat of the powers oppressing Tomnahurich and Ness in 2003, Mark agreed to stay with his friends in Scotland, and he remained there until 2006, when a call from Tamara Westcott drew him and Nemura Kentaro back to New York. The City had changed in many ways, but Mark discovered there was still a place for him in it. He has returned to his post as head of security at the Renaissance, and keeps in touch with Yukio Ohta at the Marble Arch.

GEORGE PHILLAPOUSSIS, a stage magician and taxi driver for the Brooklyn Star Yellow Cab company, had been friends with Jonathan for years. Then in 2001, the two men went to help George's sister in Grand Rapids, where they met Mark and Ken and started off on a very different path. George continued to take fares in his cab, "Lucy," to keep his head straight, and to stay in touch with the City he loves so well. Born in Bed-Stuy, he felt a great responsibility to protect his hometown.

At first George tried to be "a gun-toting cowboy," but after a deadly confrontation in Ann Arbor, George gave up "the way of the gun," and dedicated himself to studying the laws and history of magic. The Aces' patron, Demetrius Katsoulakis, guided his studies, and George was one of the few people in the world to have (almost) unlimited access to his adopted uncle's extraordinary collection of the occult.

George has an uncanny relationship with numbers and luck, and he's learned to focus his Gift by using decks of playing cards. Part of his mind, however, is not entirely his own, thanks to the touch of St Germain, which granted him a spell he badly needed at the time but also, perhaps, left something more. He has also come to the attention of the goddess, Hecate, which has been both a good and a bad thing.

George's fling with Katsoulakis' personal assistant, Alexandra Pappas, was short-lived, and his fascination with the mysterious Tessa DiMarco never quite went where he hoped, but George remains a romantic at heart, and is certain his soulmate is still out there somewhere. After the grueling events of "Red Rain" and Tomnahurich, he decided to stay in Scotland, where he opened a pub and began a new--and much more normal--life for himself.

NEMURA KENTARO ("Call me Ken.") is a brilliant young doctor, who has made his life's goal the quest to find a "unified theory of medicine" that will bring together the traditions of the East and the West.

Ken is a native of San Francisco, and while attending medical school there, he once took a class taught by the famed Japanese poet, Yukio Ohta. After the defeat of Mark van Laaden in Grand Rapids, Ken moved to New York, where he teaches at Columbia, and makes rounds at the Columbia Presbyterian and Weill Cornell hospitals. His fellow doctors like and respect him, and residents often seek him out. Ken is not a psychiatrist, but he has helped Mark find peace with his memories of Somalia.

During the crisis at Winfield Hall, Ken allowed the spirit of a woman named Jennie Creighton possess him, and with her help, he was able to defeat the spirit of her former husband, Frank Woolworth. Jennie has stayed with Ken ever since. Their bond has sparked Ken's latent Gift, and found favor with the goddess Brigit. On more than one occasion, Ken has journeyed into the spirit world for direct meetings with Brigit, usually accompanied by Jennie. He also became the wielder of an ancient blade called the Fang of the Jade Serpent, which he recovered during the Aces' adventures in Tomanhurich.

Ken trains at the USA Shaolin Temple in Greenwich Village, where the sifu has taken a special interest in him. The sifu quickly sensed Jennie's spirit, and within months, she found she could manifest physically within the Temple.

Following the Aces' defeat of the powers oppressing Tomnahurich and Ness in 2003, Ken agreed to stay with Mark and George in Scotland for a while. He remained there until 2006, when a call from Tamara Westcott drew him and Mark back to New York. The City had changed in many ways, but his colleagues and patients had missed him, and Ken quickly settled back into his practice, as well as a much larger apartment in the Renny.

JONATHAN WERTHAM is a talented architect, and the scion of a respected English family. He first came to New York to finish his degree, and was already a rising star in the firm of McKendrick & Sloane when he went to Grand Rapids with his friend, George. With some help from Demetrius Katsoulakis, Jonathan won a career-making opportunity to restore Harlem's Renaissance Casino & Ballroom.

Jonathan's mentor in England was Thomas Cartwright, another brilliant architect and the man who first introduced Jonathan to the work of Nikola Tesla, which literally sparked Jonathan's Gift. Cartwright considers Jonathan his greatest student, but did not at first understand how powerful Jonathan's Gift really was. Later, in a crucial meeting at Wardenclyffe, Tesla's abandoned lab on Long Island, Jonathan was the first to learn about Cartwright's discovery that Tesla's "cosmic energy" and Wilhelm Reich's life energy, "Orgone," were one and the same.

Jonathan returned to Manhattan months later, when the Renaissance was complete, and linked himself mystically to the very structure of the building. No one, not even Cartwright or Tamara Westcott, has been able to figure out how Jonathan managed this, but he now seems beyond human contact, and the bond has transformed the "Renny" into a powerful reservoir of life-giving Orgone.

Nonetheless, Jonathan is still an Ace. Thanks to him and the Orgone field he generates, the Aces won a hard-fought victory against their nemesis, Thomas Donnelly, and saved New York during the battle later known as "Red Rain." Jonathan may have succumbed to his obsession, but he is still helping his friends in the only way he can.

YUKIO OHTA was born in Japan in 1929 and expected to die as a kamikaze pilot during WWII. Instead, at the crucial moment, his plane inexplicably slipped from his control and crashed safely on an island. Transformed by the experience, Yukio spent the following decades gaining fame in Japan as a "death poet" and attracted notoriety by becoming one of Mishima's harshest critics (which also earned him a lasting rivalry with politician Hiroshi Tanaka). Yukio made three visits to America, where he taught classes at Berkeley (and once had Ken as a student). Several of his students, both in America and Japan, have gone on to successful careers, including the respected poet Shigeru Yoshida.

Yukio was happily married for many years, but his wife, Aoki, died peacefully some time ago. Since then he has written several books, all of them well promoted by his literary agents, Ruth Steinberg in New York and Mayumi Takahashi in Tokyo. Despite his success, by 2002 he was looking for a change in his life, and so he accepted an invitation from an old acquaintance, Demetrius Katsoulakis, to visit New York. Yukio expected to stay long enough to promote his latest book, but at Katsoulakis' request he befriended the Aces and stayed in the City, becoming an ally and a steadying influence.

If Yukio isn't quite an Ace, he's as close as anyone can be. He has Power in the spirit world, and his wisdom has helped the Aces many times, but he has also learned much from his younger colleagues, and in time he realized their influence had drawn him into a new and dynamic phase of life. Yukio was, for a time, suspicious of Orgone but eventually came to accept it as a powerful weapon against malevolent forces. Nonetheless, he favors caution when Tamara and others conduct experiments with it.

When he parted ways with the Aces after "Red Rain," he embarked on journeys around the world that included a meeting with Python, the Servant of Gaia at Delphi, and a dangerous confrontation with the dark mage, Kokuyougan, in Ikebukuro, Japan. But his travels also left him on good terms with Vincent Aglie and Maori, Queen of Mannahatta. Jamal Rashid is cautious in dealing with him, but the two have traded information with reasonable cordiality. Ohta has become an American citizen, but in truth considers himself 'a citizen of the world.'

Yukio was present during the pivotal meeting in 2004 at which the Aces decided to part ways. Though he expressed misgivings there about spending any more time in Katsoulakis' sphere of influence, he nonetheless returned to New York and purchased the Seaman-Drake Arch near Inwood Hill Park, rechristened it "The Marble Arch," and remade it into a school for poets which has enjoyed much success. The grounds are kept by Ishida, with security provided by Pwyll and Oison as a show of friendship from Maori.

Since he moved to the Marble Arch, Yukio has held public poetry lectures and readings in the City, and a tour to support a new book of poetry, "falling leaves," which collected his recent work about 9/11. He followed this with a new work, a radical free form verse manuscript tentatively entitled "reflections on the New World," which evolved into 165 commentaries on Walt Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric."

Every six weeks, Yukio joins Katsoulakis for an elaborate dinner at which business is not discussed but many other topics are touched upon. For the dinner they are joined by a small number of prominent New York artists and scholars, who then depart, leaving the two men to enjoy ouzo, cigars and more esoteric conversation late into the evening. Current business is never discussed, but Katsoulakis has shared many tales of New York's mystical history. Katsoulakis has also granted Yukio an almost unprecedented access to his mystical library and collection, which is by far the greatest in New York, and possibly the American continent. Yukio's research has included mystical sites throughout New York; the realms of Geburah and Hod; details of Egyptology; and the secret history of serpent civilizations.

When Michel Borsavin (once "the Emeril of celebrity psychics") reappeared a few months after his traumatic ordeal at Winfield Hall, Yukio took him under his wing, and his counsel helped Michel gain control of his new Gift. Yukio has also been an adopted grandfather to Kaori Kentaro. For a short time, in 2004, Yukio hired Tommy Salamanca, a former member of the NYPD and a man with a Feral heritage, as a bodyguard. He got back in touch with Tommy in 2007, and put him on retainer to investigate low-level occult and mundane phenomena around New York.

Bruce joined the Aces during their struggle to free the Dark Queen of Tomnahurich, and in the months that followed, he and Yukio took a path of their own ("the Jokers") that led to even darker revelations than those discovered by the Aces. When they first met, Bruce was a Mocker, one of those who had faced the horrors of the Mythos and lived to tell about it. Though he survived, his mentor (and love of his life), Lily, was not so fortunate, and it was her loss as much as anything that pushed Bruce deeper into insanity. Like all Mockers, however, Bruce found strength in his madness, and his Tainted powers have been a powerful--if often unsettling--asset to his friends ever since. He has accepted Yukio's offer and joined the community coming together at the Marble Arch, where he made the refurbished carriage-house his own.

Bruce has a knack for building criminal networks, and he immediately began to construct one upon returning to America. The core of his network are five "droogs," who have shown a proven ability to handle the stranger and more dangerous assignments. Around them is a large and steadily growing web of operatives, informants, and consultants. Katsoulakis is, of course, very aware of Bruce's empire building, but he seems to accept to accept it so far, perhaps due to his trust in Yukio's good judgment.

Bruce's stay at the Marble Arch has largely been a time of healing for him. While he still has visions of the Rending Shadow and other threats faced by the Mockers, Yukio has gone to great lengths to make Bruce's environment more therapeutic. Yukio and Cassandra have both mastered the calming technique the Mockers use to calm themselves and others. Bruce's recovery was complicated, however, by the rescue of Miranda Kale from the Dreamlands. Due to a combination of her appearance and her circumstance, Miranda appeared to Bruce very much like his lost Lilly, and his confusion deepened disastrously upon their return to the Marble Arch. Miranda has other succumbed to the delusion herself or is playing along with it for her own reasons, which suggests it will not be ending anytime soon.

Bruce has established an ongoing understanding with the Comte de Saint-Germain, a feat unique among the Aces and Jokers. He seems to have provided enough information over time to the Comte that he can now count on regular and valuable intelligence in return. Though both sides benefit, one has to imagine Saint-Germain has reasons of his own for continuing the arrangement. (First appearance: Episode 26)

Cassandra Moon has become one of the Aces' closest allies. She was a child psychologist in Chicago when one of her patients, Luther Miles, told her he was being followed by "shadows." Though she had her doubts at first, Luther was all too correct, and the two soon found themselves under attack. Cassandra helped Luther flee to New York, where the Aces helped them find Luther's father, Alex Abel. Abel was the head of "The New Inquisition," a hard-edged group with a reputation for bullying New York's Occult Underground. Cassandra joined TNI to watch over Luther, but Abel also made her his liaison to the Aces, and his violent methods soon drove her to become their loyal and valuable ally. Ironically, she is now the sole, surviving member of TNI.

Cassandra was a fledgling Wicca when she first came to New York, but once she joined the Aces her Gift grew stronger, and her journeys with Yukio have raised her Gift to a formidable degree. She is passionate about helping the helpless, and she believes in the Aces--perhaps more than they do in themselves.

After Nemura Kentaro become bonded to the spirit of Jennie Creighton, the goddess Brigit chose Cassandra to be the channel by which she meets with them in Arcadia.. For Cassandra, this honor is so great she can barely talk about it. She was almost as moved to meet Python, the Servant of Gaia at Delphi, during her journeys with Yukio, and was quite overwhelmed by their encounters with Ness, the Servant of Gaia in Scotland.

Cassandra divides her time between the Renaissance and at the Marble Arch, though she now spends most of her time at the latter location. Tamara Westcott remains her best friend, however, and the two always find time to spend together around town, no matter how busy they might be. Cassandra also keeps in touch with Daria Zannakis, and she wears a necklace Daria specially enchanted for her as a birthday present. Now that Ken lives at the Renaissance, Cassandra and Jennie Creighton have also been able to forge a friendship. They are also joined by Kaori Kentaro, whenever she visits from Mannahatta, and Cassandra often visits the Faerie Court in return.

During the Aces' adventures in Scotland, a bizarre discrepancy occurred in which Cassandra was present both with them and in New York. Yukio Ohta decided to investigate the mystery and when he asked Maori about it, she surmised that the Cassandra who was with the Aces in Tomnahurich had, in fact, been Hecate. The goddess may have been doing her part to keep the Aces from getting themselves killed while also taking direct action to free her former charge, the Dark Queen.

Jennie Creighton was the wife of Frank Woolworth, a man obsessed with ancient Egypt and the dark side of the occult. Traumatized by his abuse and terrified by the strange architecture of his new mansion, Jennie burned the first Winfield Hall to the ground, destroying whatever plans Woolworth had for it. Furious, Woolworth built a second Winfield Hall with a second-floor room that would be his wife's prison for the rest of her life. Heavily sedated by drugs, Jennie was forbidden to see her children, or to speak with anyone except her husband and the guards he hired to watch over her. Even after their deaths, Woolworth's spirit reigned over Winfield Hall and cruelly oppressed her spirit most of all. Then, decades later, Jennie had her revenge, thanks to the Aces. By allowing her to possess him, Ken was able to strike Woolworth physically and defeat him at last. Jennie could have passed on to the afterlife, but she was entranced by the promise and wonder of the modern age. Born in the nineteenth century, Jennie has embraced the twenty-first.

Soon after the crisis at Winfield Hall, Ken returned to his training at USA Shaolin Temple in Greenwich Village. He and Jennie were stunned to discover the sifu easily sensed her presence, and within weeks she found herself manifesting physically whenever Ken came into the Temple. She has since become a student of the sifu in her own right, which suggests that a spirit's development does not necessarily end at death.

Over time, Jennie learned how to manifest in almost any area subject to a strong mystical aura. Even when such an aura is not present, she was often able to manifest when night had fallen and Ken was nearby. By 2006, when Ken was at the Renny or the Marble Arch, she could appear anywhere she wished elsewhere in the building or its surrounding grounds. This soon led her to forge friendships with Cassandra Moon and Tamara Westcott. Over the course of the following year, Jennie became increasingly independent of Ken. While the two continue to share a bond, by 2007 Jennie found herself able to manifest almost anywhere in New York that had a strong mystic aura (which these days includes most of the Five Boroughs). It is possible she could even venture into Arcadia now on her own, though she has not tried to do so.

Jennie once again appears as she did in her youth, a strong, beautiful, and independent Scotswoman. In most circumstances, she appears dressed in whatever fashion is popular that season (apparently inspired by women she observes as Ken moves around the City), but when faced with a threat--particularly a spirit--she will appear dressed in her gi and ready for a fight.

Tamara Westcott was a student of Thomas Cartwright, just like Jonathan. Tamara's affinity for Orgone was not as strong as Jonathan's, but she has made up for that by her focus and dedication as a scientist and inventor. She has deciphered and annotated Tesla's lost journals, which the Aces found at Wardenclyffe, and has made several breakthroughs in Orgone technology, including a series of prototypes for an 'Orgone Gun' an "Orgone taser," and dramatically improved designs for portable, Orgone-field generators. In recent years she has gained he ability to generate small Orgone arcs similar to those which Jonathan Wertham created on a much larger scale.

Tamara had a thing for Mark Donovin from the moment she saw him, but she was too shy to show it. Then Jonathan merged into the Renaissance with a ritual that--just for a moment--overwhelmed everybody's inhibitions. After 'Red Rain', Mark and Tamara started to date, a relationship they renewed following Mark's long-delayed return from Scotland.

During the Aces' long stay in Scotland, Tamara took charge of the Renny, with Latrell Dupree assuming command of the building's defense. Tamara proved to be an exceptional executive, and under her stewardship, the Renny has become an important landmark in New York as a frequent venue for charitable events and community group meetings. She is a regular collaborator with scientists at the Reich Institute, and files regular reports with the DK Imports' office that has financed all activities at the Renny ever since its restoration. While Mark has re-assumed his duties as chief of security since his and Ken's return from Scotland, Tamara remains in charge of all executive matters. Because Katsoulakis continues to rely on the architecture firm McKendrick & Sloane as a front to cover his support of the Renaissance, Tamara stays in regular contact with Laurie Kopp, the firm's public relations officer.

With so many duties and passions, Tamara has a definite need for downtime, and she always makes time for Cassandra Moon, who has become her best friend; Kaori Kentaro, when she visits; and thanks to Ken's return, Jennie Creighton as well.

Michel Borsavin was once the "Emeril of celebrity psychics," a loud, fast-talking fraud who frequently made New York's Occult Underground collectively roll their eyes. But then came the crisis at Winfield Hall. The Aces would never have defeated Woolworth if Borsavin had not agreed to be the medium for a dangerous séance in the very heart of the mansion.

That act of heroism surprised Borsavin more than anyone, but he paid a heavy price for it. He left Winfield truly Gifted, and utterly vulnerable to the spirits that now assailed him nonstop. For the next several months, he stayed locked away in his apartment, suffering one traumatic possession after another. Finally, Yukio Ohta, hearing about his plight, offered to teach Michel how to control his new sensitivity. Grateful for the help, Michel eventually mastered his Gift and became a loyal ally of the Aces. They, in turn, respected him as a guy who was not afraid to take one for the team.

When the Aces departed for Scotland, Michel accepted Tamara's invitation to join the little community that stayed behind in the Renaissance. Michel was grateful for the offer because, thanks to the presence of Art, the spirit world was quieter within the Renaissance than the rest of the City. Most nights one could find him in the Grand Ballroom, talking to Art as the spirit played from his seemingly inexhaustible playbook of jazz (throwing in the occasional classical piece for variety). When Yukio established the Marble Arch, Michel also accepted a room there, and he now divides his time between both locations as the mood moves him or depending on where he is needed.

Despite the wards around both locations, Michel is sometimes subject to external impressions when powerful mystical forces are in play. While they cannot force him to act against his will (not anymore, anyway), they can sometimes induce fugue states in which he will sleepwalk, spirit write, or manifest some other psychic behavior.

Kaori Kentaro, Ken's kid sister, came to New York in 2002 to become a freshman at Columbia, where she seemed major in bad boys. This meant no end of stress for Ken, especially when he agreed to let her stay in his apartment and had to put up with an endless parade of jocks, actors, musicians, and performance artists, including the lamentable Rico Steele.

Kaori was one of several Columbia students who were lured to the Faerie realm of Mannahatta when the barrier fell between Arcadia and mundane Manhattan. The Faerie Queen of Mannahatta fell in love with Kaori, and hoped she would stay with her forever, but the Aces were able to convince her that this would not be good for a mortal. Since then the Queen not only made sure Kaori did not dwell overlong in her kingdom (though limits do get pushed), but also ensured other mortals do not either. Kaori's closest friends from college--Terri MacIntyre, Jhena Webster, and Jessica Park--are also still regular visitors to Mannahatta.

During the battle for New York that was 'Red Rain,' however, Kaori was cut off from the Aces, and Ken told her to take refuge with the Queen. That led Kaori to move more or less permanently to Mannahatta, and that has had a lasting influence on her. She has since become Gifted in a profoundly Faerie way, and the exact nature of this Gift remains unknown the Aces and Jokers, though perhaps not to the Queen herself.

During the raid on Tomnahurich, Kaori was instrumental in defeating the Champion wielding the Fang of the Obsidian Serpent by allowing herself to become a channel for Maori, Queen of Mannahatta. Kaori has also, occasionally joined Ken and Jennie in their meetings with the goddess Brigit in the spirit realm.

Though she dwells in Mannahatta, Kaori does make frequent visits to the mortal world, and she will often spend that time in the company of Cassandra Moon, Tamara Westcott, and Jennie Creighton. (First appearance: Episode 11)

Miranda Kale (b.1971) is a "pyro" or "firestarter." She is the daughter of two prominent New York mages, Gareth Kale and Clarissa Bart, who were disappeared by the Sleepers at the suggestion of Alex Abel in retaliation for their opposition to the New Inquisition. At the time, Miranda was a student at Berkeley and learning how to control her ability with the help of the Bay Area mystical community. When she learned of her parents' disappearance, she returned to New York and became part of the Occult Underground, planning revenge against TNI. Despite its reputation, TNI's security protocols were never as tight as they should have been, and Miranda eventually succeeded in her quest to find the organization's vulnerabilities. In 1996, she made her move and managed to inflict serious harm on TNI until she was cornered by a hit squad at her refuge in Long Island.

Though all believed her dead, she survived, thanks to Lesek Czernin. Unfortunately, Czernin's limited options led him to forge a deal with Lle-Khor, the Rending Shadow. To Czernin's horror, Miranda was allowed to travel physically into the Dreamlands, but only at the cost of being delivered into enslavement by the Mad God. Fortunately, Bruce and Yukio were able to rescue Miranda and return her from the Dreamlands.

But while the rescue was successful, Bruce fell under the impression that Miranda was, in fact, his lost love, Lilly, and Miranda, traumatized by her long enslavement, seemed to buy into the delusion. She remains safe within the Marble Arch, but her imposed identity as Lilly has greatly complicated her slow recovery. Having said that, Miranda's pyrotechnic ability is as formidable as ever, and the Jokers and Aces have sometimes cautiously relied on her Gift, most notably during the raid on Castle Glamis, where she was critical to that mission's success.

Cassandra Moon has tried her best to draw Miranda out, and has even invited Miranda to join her and Tamara Westcott for fun around town. To date, Miranda hasn't accepted, but she is slowly growing more open to the idea, and will probably accept when she is ready for it. Until then, she remains close--perhaps too close--to Bruce. (Episode 4, 32, 34, 36)

Jeff Bradshaw joined the Aces as a technical support expert, at the recommendation of Seema Mukharji, soon after the night of "Red Rain." Bradshaw had already seen evidence of the paranormal at the Reich Institute, which made him a good candidate for working with the Aces. Bradshaw's obsession for porn could be distracting, but he had notable skill in electronic warfare, and he added several electronic defense systems to the Renaissance prior to his departure with the Aces for Scotland, where he met an untimely end.

These systems were later reviewed by Latrell Dupree at Yukio Ohta's suggestion to ensure that Bradshaw's porn obsession had not influenced the security cameras' data collection in any way.

Latrell, Hakim, Stu, and Zeke are Mark Donovin's hand-picked guards for the Renaissance. Latrell Dupree is Mark's lieutenant, a streetwise guy who stays professional even when things go strange. Latrell is in charge of security at the Renaissance when Mark is away, though he will defer to an Ace (including Yukio) when he can. The other three guards may get rattled when the weirdness is intense, but even they have seen enough to keep it together when it counts.

The four men played a critical part in the defense of the Renaissance during the night of "Red Rain," and when the Aces departed for Scotland, Latrell stepped easily into the role of chief of security and kept the Renny safe for the next two years. He stepped down just as easily when Mark and Ken returned, but takes a much more assertive role than he has in the past.

None of the men have anything to say about Santa Ogre. Not anything good, anyway.

Lucy and Officer James Oleson are the oddest members of the Aces' entourage (which is really saying something). Jim was a beat cop in the 32nd Precinct when he made one bad mistake and ended up eaten alive by rats in the passenger seat of an abandoned taxi cab. A few weeks later, George found that cab, fixed it up, and bought his own medallion, which gives him the right to take fares in the City. George was very surprised indeed to find out that his new but already beloved "Lucy" was haunted by one of New York's Finest.

Jim was still getting the hang of his new post-life, but he remembered everything he knew as a cop, and that knowledge was a powerful complement to George's own about New York. (Fortunately, Jim did not seem to remember how he died.) Jim's incredible control over Lucy allowed George to get around the City in ways that impressed even the most jaded New York hacks. (Jim could not, however, drive Lucy himself.) During the night of "Red Rain," Lucy was heavily damaged, forcing Oleson to withdraw from contact. George had planned to restore Lucy following his return from Scotland, but with his decision to remain overseas, Lucy remains in storage within the Renaissance.

Next: Read the Recaps, and see what the Aces have been doing all this time.