Atlanta 2070, Hot time in the old town tonight Options

[Redjack]

<<@Tank [System] Step two. Now that the security officer is convincing him it is a false alarm, we need an alert to T-MAP from one of the corps stating one of their junior officers kidnap trace was active in the building. By the time they sort out that its bogus, they should either have him recovered or spring the trap.>>

[ludomastro]

<<@ Team [System] Having trouble punching through the firewall. Let's hope this works.>>

A few minutes later as T-MAP is mopping up the area. One cruiser heads back over to the guard area. Then two more, then a forth. They all get out and begin to slowly head for the door with weapons drawn.

[Redjack]

Book regains his composure.
<<@Team [Book] Ok. Time to prepare for a number of alternatives. They could go in and not find him. They could find him and extract him in a police cruiser. They could extract him in a... who covers medical services around here?>>

<<@Team [Tank] Yea, but those are just the obvious ones. What about a second team? A counter attack on the T-MAP because the bad guys think they are fakes working with us? A helo based extraction? Or how about the entire facility just exploding?>>

Book just winces and continues to watch the scene play out, looking for their opening.

[ludomastro]

The officers knock on the door and the guard answers again. The standoff in the doorway is only temporary as the guard opens fire first. The lead officer goes down and the others begin to open fire. The automated defense system begins to open fire as well. One of the officers makes it back to a car - taking heavy damage - and soon there is a HTR team landing in a helo. For now it is holding back.

<<@ Team [System] We've got an issue. I tried to re-route the data stream to my ghost-com but the HRT boys are using an new encryption key I've never seen before. I think our gig is up soon. What do you want to do?>>

[Redjack]

And again Book curses himself for not having the Magic Fingers spell.

Tank starts up his cruiser and begins easing out of the parking lot.
<<@System [Tank] Probably time to re-spoof and re-route.>>

[ludomastro]

<<@ Team [System] Done and done. By the way, I caught a high-density burst going out from the warehouse. I haven't gotten it decrypted yet but I'll see what I can dig up.>>

The trio is able to slip away without incident despite the police presence. A T-MAP officer does stop the van but seeing that no one is wearing gang colors he waves you through.

The area is dark other than the occasional street light and not all of them are working. The air is heavy with humidity and the far away smell of a rendering plant.

[Redjack]

The cruiser out of the immediate area and the gig now up for the security forces, Book is ready to use the chaos as cover to insure that T-Map is able to recover Digger. "Look. My spirit will continue to conceal me. We need to be ready to go at a moment's notice."

Tank keeps the new combat zone in the visuals of his fly-spy while puts one of his bound air-spirits on stand by. He knows this situation may come apart at the seems any moment now.

[ludomastro]

<<@ Team [System] Hey! Something is happening. I've got signals all over the place. T-MAP is getting a "Stand Down" order from HQ and the defense system just deactivated. We've got a T-bird inbound. Check that. We have a heavily modified T-bird inbound. Luxury model with the executive upgrade package. And more than a few questionable modifications based on the lack of a signature for some of the stuff. Inbound to Digger's location.>>

No sooner does he get the information out than the team hears the whine of engines overhead.

[Redjack]

A myriad of possible scenarios roll through Book's head as System provides his update; Each of those scenarios end in a horrid death for the team. "The trap was set for us. The defenses laid to work against our skills. Our only chance here is to turn the various forces in the area to our own ends." He turns to System. "How are the snipers holding out?"

[ludomastro]

<<[System] . .. ... ....>>

Damn! That hurt. I've got no idea what's going on. Someone kicked me in the virtual groin ... hard. Hey! Where's the 'bird going?

With his words the T-bird slides past the van and sets down at the warehouse. A large troll in a three-piece suit and dark glasses gets out and walks over to the injured officers. He makes some precise hand motions that remind Tank of a former military man. At that, two more people in non-descript suits come out of the bird and begin tending to the wounded.

A huddled figure, too small to be Digger but too large to be human emerges and boards the T-bird.

Nearly as fast as it arrived the bird is gone. T-MAP begins mopping up the gangers as Doc Wagon arrives to tend to the wounded mercs.

[Redjack]

Book moves over to System to insure that his friend was not injured by what ever just happened. He wasn't sure how the matrix all worked, but he tried to equate it to the astral as best he could.

Tank focuses on his surveillance. "It appears everyone is bugging out... Including the security forces." He focuses on his team mates for a moment. "I think I should run a physical recon."

Book considers the situation for a moment. "If they truly just mopped up, then the creator of the ward will have dropped the ward and scrubbed astral - otherwise it is a hard link back to him. Let me insure that is the case." Book shifts his perception to the astral, where he pulls a watcher out of the fluff that makes up the astral. A quasi-cartoonish bloodhound in a Sherlock Holmes coat, with a magnifying glass appears. Book looks off towards the facility. "Go there and look for Digger. If there is a ward, report back immediately."

[ludomastro]

System waves the mage off. "Hell of a headache but I'll be OK. Damn! I want to get a closer look at the code that did that to me. Here I thought I was pretty well covered."

-----

On the astral the bloodhound bends over and begins trotting away with the magnifying glass. A few moments later it is back with the overcoat slung over one shoulder and the glass tucked into a pocket. "Unfortunately, Watson. There does not appear to be a single usable clue in this miserable area. I shall retire to the apartment and play the violin for a bit. Otherwise it appears quite safe."

[Redjack]

Book listens to the watcher. His morale drops with the news. He turns to Tank, "Get us home." As Tank puts the cruiser into gear and heads back for Atlanta, Book leans back to get some rest; It had been a long, stressful night.

[ludomastro]

The ride back is a solitary almost simple affair. As the kilometer markers file past in orderly rows, the team has time to think. System stretches out in the back and promptly falls asleep. Based on the low groans that occasionally escape him, it would appear that his headache is worse than he let on. Other than a brief stop where an automated truck hit a winged deer of some kind the trip is without anything memorable.

[Redjack]

Tank selects Bolo's shop as the autopilot's destination then sits back and looks out the window, watching the miles pass.

Taking no chances, Book casts a healing spell on their hacker before he sulks back and slips into a fitful nap. We've been played. Either someone is just jacking with us or this was a test. In either case, the unknown fate of Digger and the feeling of being powerless both weighed heavily on him.

[ludomastro]

As the trio travels through the city streets the filth and beauty of the city reveals itself. The small victories and major defeats seem open to them as they drive through. They arrive at Bolo's shop without incident - unless they count the, "Your SIN appears to have an error." ticket Tank or rather his current SIN would have received save for a "small donation" to the officer's benefit bash. The trio sees the Eastern horizon beginning to lighten as they find a parking space.

Book is uneasy with something. Snake whispers that secrets are out there and he doesn't possess them when he should. Tank catches a glimpse of what appears to be a coyote out of the corner of his vision but when he looks for it, it is gone.

Stomachs rumbling, the crew sits in silence.

[Redjack]

A quick pass by Bolo's to insure that all is well and Tank continues to the closets McHugh's for a soy-based confection of the line-produced kind.

Book awakens to the incessant whispers of snake. I know. I know. The events of the night before still fresh in his mind.

The plan for the team is to now deal with Bolo's issue and then get back to making money.

[ludomastro]

The McHugh's is alreay moving this morning. The soy-caf is hot and tastes better for some reason. Perhaps a night without much restful sleep is to blame. Either way, the smell of grease (both real and artificial) wakes up the sleeping ork who orders a beer to go with the soybacon and eggs.

Book gets a text from Bolo: <<@ Book [Bolo] I'm going to open the store today. If you're around, drop in on me.>>

An ad passes by McHugh's screen: Now reopening under new management. The Cube is back with hot drink deals and a new DJ and dance floor.

[Redjack]

Tank speaks into the order ARO. "Soykaf, black. Sausage-egg biscuit."

Book also orders, "Mocha-soykaf. Breakfast burrito and parfait." The note from Bolo almost makes him choke on his burrito. He turns to Tank, "Better get back over to the shop. It appears Bolo is opening for business."

The sign is missed by neither of them as they head towards Bolo's. For now, Book muses, we need to shore up our resources and tie up our loose ends.

Tank sends the cruiser back towards the shop. He takes a second to focus on the feed from the doberman's video feed.

[ludomastro]

The doberman's feed shows a darkened shop. The vibration, heat and other sensors are active and all displays are within normal limits.

Shortly before the cruiser arrives at the shop, the doberman shows a pair of legs at the door. A sign is covering the upper torso and face. A moment later, Bolo opens the door and steps into the shop. She turns on the lights and begins activating the AR system as the cruiser finds a parking space.

"Thanks for coming. I have a group meeting today and I'm expecting a client to pick up an order. I really need the money."

[Redjack]

Tank replies over the doberman's speaker, "No problem-o. It would be best if we moved the doggie to a less visible location. If you can't control the time, then at least control the ground."

<<@Team [Tank] We should anticipate a pipe-bomb if these fools somehow think Bolo was involved in the sting.>>

Book nods.
<<@Team [Book] You two stay here and I go inside.>>
Book casts a physical mask on himself. His form shifts to a small ork in a nondescript maitenance uniform. He exits the cruiser, walking away from the shop, down the street around the block and into an alley. He reemerges looking like Bolo . This out to throw a wrinkle into surveillance. He walks directly to the shop and inside moving towards the back and out of sight before dropping the mask. "I will stay out of the way. We will no doubtingly have a visit sometime today. We will use the video footage to hopefully change the scene from confrontational to positive. It may be a little rude up until then."

[Redjack]

Book sits back in a old, sturdy, wooden chair in Bolo's back office. He took a moment to admire the natural wood of the chair; The arm rest is thin, but sturdy, round and smooth. The back consists of four planks cut nicely and meeting at the ornate top cross bar. He sat up straight in the chair and activated his com's AR interface. Immediately, the old world charm of Bolo's office is suddenly accented with the control interface from the com. The shaman reaches out, grabbing the floating video feeds from the drone, the vehicle and Tank's cameras inside and outside the shop. He then reaches out to the icon that represents the TeamNet, turning it slightly so that it glows, denoting it is active. "I have a plan."

The shaman's words lit into Dalton's ear like a splash of rum hitting a glass of fuzzy cola causing the adept to smile. Sitting in the seat behind the driver's seat in his cruiser, caddy-corner across from the ork hacker, he had been waiting for that melody. Finally.

Book continued. He had had quite some time to ponder this; He now hoped he had got the counter forces correctly figured out. "The motivation of the sharks was to start by getting a foot in the door - the loan - and use that to expand their ground. The reporters and cops have thrown a wrinkle into that; A bit wrinkle. Problem is right now they probably think Bolo had a part in that. We have to convince them they were wrong about that." He had walked across the room to the water dispenser while he talked and fetched himself a drink before continuing. "They will have to set an example. We have to stop that. They probably won't talk to us until we prove ourselves worthy of sitting at the table; Stopping them will buy that seat.
Tank - I need eyes 360. When they get here, you're gonna have to talk to them about a trade. We have a secret they want."

Tank activates the camera on the doggie and the camera facing the door in the shop as well as the two cameras outside the door showing both directions approaching the door. He moves his fly-spy to the rear exit. In all cases, he establishes angles that show the rooftop as well as the street.

Book continues, "System - Where are you with the trace on the monitors that are on her account? And any luck on a TeamNet from the coms of the thugs from yesterday?"

[ludomastro]

System's response is a little slow, "You looking for the thugs with guns, the thugs with colors, or the thugs with badges from yesterday? Or are you looking for the thugs from ... how long ago that were trying to tear up Bolo's shop? Man, I need a nap."

[Redjack]

Book replies, "That would be the thugs who are monitoring Bolo's bank accounts. You know, the sharks who lent her money?"

[ludomastro]

System seems to come out of the fog he has been in. "Yeah, I did get a little bit on that ... then hit a brick wall. All the standard tricks - disposable comms, rotating servers, masking programs - just very well done. Now that I think about it. Too well done. Let me check something and get back with you."

As the young ork finishes his thought the bonafide Bolo comes walking in the front door.

"Glad to see you. I hope we don't have any trouble today. I've got to get ready for my client. Do you guys mind acting like security for a bit?"

She bites her lip in a way that shows she is not nearly as confident as she sounds.