Nothing's Free in the Free Zone (IC), Adventure 1: Broken Star Options

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:43 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Stinger looks up at Grease, then turns his head slightly and spits onto the floor, the blood-streaked phlegm splashing on Grease's shoes.

Sneering, he says, "The minute I talk I'm a dead man either way." His speech has a southern drawl to it, and his cadence is slow and even. "Whether it is you or Lynx, it doesn't matter. I've seen what he does to people who betray him." He rolls his tongue around in his mouth for a moment, clearing it of all traces of blood, and then spits again. "I don't think you even rate a close second."

He looks around the room, taking in Jack, Amy, Overkill, and the spirit, surreptitiously testing the restraints for a moment, and then relaxing as he realizes they are solid. "Let me make you a counteroffer. You let me go, and you leave town. Snooping around town asking questions, isn't healthy and although you don't look the same, exactly, but I would bet you everything from a diddle eyed Joe to a damned if I know, that you were at the rally the other night - and it isn't too much of a stretch to think you are behind why I got called back tonight."

He shakes his head, making a tsking sound with his tongue, "I'd get while the getting is good."

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:44 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Walking casually out of the room, Grease confers with Jack quietly. "We need something to convince him we're his immediate issue."

"What about these?" Jack suggests, providing a plastic baggie filed with the fingers of Truck.

"Uh, that'll work."

After quickly grabbing something from his car, Grease returns, smiling widely.

"I appreciate your fortitude. Frankly, I would have been disappointed had you cracked on the first pass. I don't get to do this often, so I like to savor it as much as possible."

Stinger rolls his eyes, but Grease continues. "What's your poison? You aren't hitting that BTL drekhole for the ambiance. I'm a fan of uppers, myself. Have you ever had a bad chip? I'm partial to chems, but I'm told chips can be quite unpleasant when they turn sour. If, for example, I knew a decker, I'm told, he could modify a mood chip to be fairly uncomfortable. I can always talk tough or rough you up, but I can't quite make you feel like your body is on fire, can I? Or fry that mint of flash-hardware you've got planted somewhere up there?" Grease knocks on his head like a door.

Seeing him squirm slightly, he continues. "Again, where's the fun in that? We need answers, and I have the luxury of spending as much time as I'd like getting you to provide them. But! I am impatient."

Grease produces his L36. He pulls the baggie of fingers out with his free hand. "Remember Truck? He had even worse habits than you. Fortunately, you getting high didn't offend my colleagues sensibilities as much as what he was up to. Which, frankly, was lucky for both of us." He gives Stinger a little wink. He then places the barrel of the gun on his kneecap. "What's it going to be?"

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:44 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Jack watches Grease perform his theatrics and threaten Stinger. Either he's a great bluffer or he really is going to shoot him. Can't say the bastard doesn't deserve it. He crosses his arms and continues to look menacing. Amy stands watching as well, her face unreadable, but making no move to stop the rigger.

Overkill, however, has been growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. As the barrel of the Colt touches Stinger's knee, Overkill crosses over and says, "Mein Freund, I have something you should see, now." The emphatic tone in the older elf's tone causes Grease to pause and look quizzically at him for a split second, before he falls back into character. "You sit tight, we'll be right back" Slowly uncocking his weapon, he puts it behind his back in the waistband of his pants, and follows Overkill into the other room, where they close the door.

Stinger glances at Jack and jokes, "Lover's quarrel?" his voice betraying a slight hint of nervousness. Jack stares back impassively, his only movement to crack his knuckles menacingly.

In the other room, Overkill turns and closes the door behind Grease. The rigger waits patiently for Overkill to speak, and when he does the German elf uses hushed tones. "To be clear, you are only attempting to scare him, ja?" Overkill looks into Grease's eyes, trying to judge his intent. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist on that, I won't be a party to torture, even of murderers."

Grease, partly for Overkill's sake, and partly for Stinger's, raises his voice, "You didn't hesitate when you capped the other guy we were going to talk to at the Lake! I'm just trying to keep the parts on this one that talk bullet free!"

Overkill narrows his eyes a little, and responds, still sotto voce "All of the men that I shot at the lake were done humanely, and to end their suffering. The exception was the man who we had to leave behind to the tribesmen, I think I actually saved him from suffering. You are proposing the deliberate torture of this man, which we don't need to do. We have video evidence of him committing a murder. You can threaten him if you like, but if he won't talk, then we turn him over to Ramirez and see if they can use his impending incarceration to get him to talk. Klar?

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:44 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Grease rolls his eyes, pouting a bit like a child, and hisses, "Fine, fine. Just for show. You should know however that it takes away a lot of what I'm going for here if the whole team doesn't APPEAR to be on board." He scratches his chin. "But we can make that work to our advantage. Do you trust me?"

"No." Overkill responds in a deadpan.

"Too bad, we're doing this thing." He then raises his voice significantly, "You picked a pretty terrible time to get high and mighty! You know what? I think this reward splits better THREE ways." Grease cocks his gun, and fires 2 shots into the wall.

We're inside, so hopefully the sound doesn't reach the street that far. And hopefully the neighborhood we're in is in abandoned enough that the residents generally ignore random gunfire.

He hurriedly gestures at Overkill to fall over, who does so with a reluctant, "Ugggh.. ?", landing with a thump.

Rushing back into the room with Stinger, he points the gun at his chest, talking in a cold tone. "If I wasn't on the clock before, I sure as hell am now. No more messing around. Are you talking, or is this the end of the conversation?!"

[Jack VII]

At the Safe House, 3:44 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Jack flinched at the too close report of the pistol in the other room. He wasn't particularly happy about flinching, but chalked it up to being tired as frag. Drawing his own pistol, he aimed it at the door.

"No honor among thieves, huh?" Stinger nettled Jack.

Smacking him in the head with the butt of his pistol, the ork responded, "Shut the frag up, drekhead."

As Grease re-entered the room, Jack asked, "You got about a second to explain yourself..."

Grease, looking as casual as usual, replied, "You can go see for yourself."

His aim steady and dead-center of Grease's chest, Jack said, "No way I am letting you out of my sights. Amy, can you find out what's going on?"

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:44 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Shifting his eyes over to Jack, Grease hisses, "You wanna get paid or not?!"

At the same time, he sends a message to the team. <<@Team [Grease]: Overkill is fine. Play along.>>

Returning his gaze to Stinger, he adds, "So what's it going to be ace? Do I need to start counting?"

[Chrome Head]

At the Safe House, 3:44 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Amy rushes to the other room to find Overkill lying on the floor, perfectly fine. She notices the two holes in the wall and exchanges a confused glance with Overkill. After a second she understands her part in the scenario, especially now that Jack should have read the message. She crouches next to Overkill and yells angrily. "You shot him in the head!"

She walks back into the room, seemingly furious. "If you can't make him talk, I burn the both of you alive..." Fuming, she adds. "Then I heal you and I do it again."

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:45 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Stinger starts to sweat, and Grease takes a step forward, pressing the muzzle against his forehead.

"One." He clicks the hammer back.

"Two.", he presses it in deeper, his finger aside the trigger guard.

<<@Grease [Overkill] Remember what I said, I'm not kidding.>>

"Three." Grease moves his finger onto the trigger itself, and puts his hand in front of his face as if to shield it from blood spatter.

Stinger lips his lips, and stammers quickly, "Alright, alright, alright! Christ! What do you want to know?"

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:45 AM, August 2nd, 2075

All too easy..

Without de-cocking the hammer, Grease sent a mental command to his Fly-Spy to record the conversation.

"Who. Hired. Lynx?"

[Jack VII]

At the Safe House, 3:45 AM, August 2nd, 2075

<<@Team [JustJack] Now that he's talking, let's try to approach this orderly. Text Grease your questions. I want to know what he knows about people looking into the Lone Star murders>>

Jack holstered his pistol, spat on the ground, and responded to Grease. "I guess a cut's better than a hole in the head. But I ain't working with you again, pendejo..." Placing one hand behind his hand and the other under his chin, the ork cracked his neck audibly.

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:45 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Stinger gives Grease a look of incredulity, but with the barrel pressed against his forehead chooses his words carefully.

"So, just to give you the benefit of the doubt, I'm going to assume you are new at this?" His eyes shift from Grease to Jack to Amy, and then back again. The house is silent except for the faint buzzing of the Fly Spy and the scritch, scritch of small rodents moving behind the sheetrock.

"The guy who hired Lynx is named Johnson. But that ain't exactly going to help you, is it?" Grease leans in and Stinger shrugs apologetically.

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:45 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Rolling his eyes, Grease continues. "I figured a hot shot hacker like you would have put it together by now."

Sneering, he asks, "What are you doing for the Los Mags? And how long have you been following us?"

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:47 AM, August 2nd, 2075

He looks up at Grease and smiles back - a smile that never quite touches his eyes and mimics, "I would have figured you would have put it together by now."

He pulls his head back as Grease pushes the gun forward again, his neck straining a little. "We work as a cleanup crew. The Los Mags ID Lone Star officers who get in their way and we take 'em out. Wetwork pure and simple."

Grease pulls back a little on the gun, and Stinger straightens his head. "We picked up some chatter there were people snooping around at the old crime scenes a couple of days ago. Caught the fragger you shot and the chippie here on video at a couple of the scenes - but nothing to go on to track you down. Lucky for you, cause Lynx doesn't like anyone interfering in his work."

[Jack VII]

At the Safe House, 3:47 AM, August 2nd, 2075

<<@Grease [JustJack] Sounds like they played a roll in the attack at the Rally. Maybe press him on that and the Lone Star connection will pop up?>>

So far, Stinger had basically confirmed most of what they believed. It was good to know they didn't really have any solid leads on their friends... assuming Stinger was telling the truth.

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:47 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Smiling at Stinger's glib remark, Grease continues to press him as he gives up details. Hopefully accurate ones.

"The Los Mags are icing cops; but no one seems to give a drek. What are they up to with the pills? And how are they wired into the department, that your crew can kill a dozen officers without anyone batting an eye?"

Grease mentally sends a command to his Rotodrone to patrol high above the safe house; with Overkill "dead" and the other two in the room he didn't want his conversation interrupted again.

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:49 AM, August 2nd, 2075

That same predator smile, crosses his face. "How do you think? Nuyen. Grease enough palms and anything is possible. Someone wants the Los Mags to keep dealing those pills. They don't have the kind of cash to hire us and grease the Bronze, so my guess is the Johnson is working for whoever makes those pills."

With his imminent death seemingly averted or at least delayed, he seems to be getting his confidence back. "Alright, you've got the tip of the iceberg, but my guess is you aren't doing this out of curiosity, or because you are good citizens. You're on someone's tit, and if you don't produce that is going to dry up real fast. So let's talk business."

He straightens up in his chair. "I've got more info stuff you aren't going to find out any other way - at least none that I see. You need it, so if you kill me, you are back at square one. So I can talk more, but I want out of here."

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:49 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Grease frowns, and scratches his head with his gun. "It's good to see you come around.. I mean, we're getting there, certainly." He grins, frowns, grins. A slight twitch. "I dunno. I dunno. I think you may have graduated from "tortured to death" to "murdered alone in an abandoned house", but I'm not quite sure you're to "get off scott free" just yet." He pauses. "You spit on my shoes. I didn't like that." He scratches the fake beard a little, apparently weighing it over. "I think you need to volunteer something real juicy real soon, or we've got to split. It's not a great neighborhood, but there is a body in the other room and I'd prefer not to be here when the cops show."

[Jack VII]

At the Safe House, 3:49 AM, August 2nd, 2075

"Sounds like what we really need to do is get Lynx. I don't see how this puta would be worth anything to us. He probably never even met with the Johnson in the first place. We probably should just be done with it." Jack said aloud, playing along with Grease.

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:51 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Stinger looks over at Jack. "Its true Lynx has more info than me, but you ain't going to get it out of him. He's got balls the size of a dragon's."

"If you want the information, you are going to have to deal with me."

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:51 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Turning away from Stinger, Grease addresses Jack. "Did you remember to get the Lye? It's not like anyone is going to miss him, but I'd prefer not to be sloppy." Stinger's eyes go back and forth between Jack and Grease, whose back is now completely turned."Alternatively, we could chop it up, distribute the parts across town. That'd probably be better for us from an forensics standpoint."

[Jack VII]

At the Safe House, 3:51 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Jack flexed his left forearm causing his vicious hand-blade to pop out. "Cutting's easier, we can just mix in whatever's left over with that animal carcass in the bedroom. The devil rats will probably take care of everything before anyone else finds the bodies here."

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:51 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Stinger blanches at the sight of the viciously serrated blade, and says, "Hold on, hold on, hold on!"

"What else do you want to know?!"

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:51 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Grease continues, ignoring Stinger's pleas. "Sounds good. Be sure to be careful around the head, he's got some nice 'ware in there we can probably make bank on. I'll go get some gloves."

[Lobo0705]

At the Safe House, 3:51 AM, August 2nd, 2075


"What if I give you a dirty cop? The one who we were supposed to contact if drek went wrong?" He is sweating, and looking around frantically.

"What do I get for that?"

[DrZaius]

At the Safe House, 3:51 AM, August 2nd, 2075

Grease turns, as if he realized that Stinger was still in the room with them.

"Oh yeah? Well.. What's their name?"