Tangled Currents - DES, Stormy Waters subthread Options

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 19:45; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #101

"If I had to guess, I'd say they are the B-Team called in to reinforce the A-Team after the T-Team lost their matrix and drone protection.

I can ask him, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't informed about them." John went to sedated man and had the VM wake him up again, asking after the biker gang and for any passwords or identification he would have had to present at the meeting.

While he waited for the answer he turned back to Rocky: "They look pretty undisciplined. Maybe we can provoke them into abandoning their position."

[adamu]

Friday, 22 November, 1947; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

Drugs or not, it took the man a minute or two to become fully coherent. He kept his eyes closed. He was a dead man with a voice. And now that he knew John spoke Korean, that was all he used. "Those are the Blood Mountain Boys. We use them sometimes. They must have been called in."

To John's questions about passwords or signs, he shook his head. "We are known to each other. I am known. They will not deal with strangers."

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Friday, 22 November, 1947; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

"I'm getting closer in." Jan said as he exited the RV; his rifle remaining in the back. He vanished in the direction of the nearby shops only to emerge 3 minutes later in a padded red/black check shirt and a blue/white trucker baseball cap. He'd shaken the newness out of them, but his filthy jeans and t-shirt complemented the look well. His MP was tucked away inside the shirt, and his comm earbud was pressed into his left ear. He was also eating a sandwich - partly to complement the look but mostly because he was starving. A drop of mustard adorned the new apparel.

He headed out of the shops and across to the gas station, and b-lined for a big rig in truck park near the back. It wasn't a perfect cover, but he wouldn't be here long, it provided him with good temporary cover (both disguise, and from covering fire) and most importantly put him closer to the action if he needed to snatch and grab...

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 19:46; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #102

John needed a few moments to digest the new information
'Situation: 12 highly mobile combatants, used to road combat. 1 cargo truck, slow acceleration but durable. Two KE patrol cruisers with option on additional support.'

'Query: Can we take out 12 ganger before truck appears?
Situation: relatively tight formation ideal for grenade use.
Negation: Guaranteed escalation with KE.
Solution: Stealth approach, distraction necessary -> Use captive.'

John activated smile No. 2 while he spoke to the team channel

<<Alright. Those gangers will probably split up: 4 in front, 4 behind, 1 scout ahead, 1 scout behind once they realize that the Koreans won't appear.

There are three solutions to this problem:
1) We wait until the convoy is out of sight of the KE. If you can distract the gangers I can jump onto the truck and try to capture it. This is the plan with the highest risk of failure, unless one of you can use my Ares Alpha grenade launcher reliably to take out moving targets while I climb.

2) We take the truck here and risk KE involvement. We'd need a distraction so one or two of us can sneak get to the truck while it's stopped or at least slowed down after passing customs. I could remove the tongue of my captive or wire his mouth shut, fit him with a grenade and send him in the direction of the gangers. While he tries to convey the message I can blow him up. KE will call reinforcements, but hopefully they'll deal with the gangers instead of looking for an outside perpetrator. This relies heavily on the truck actually slowing down.

3) Full on assault and trap: I have microwire with me. IF we rig a small pass with it at head height and start shit with the gangers, we could lure some of them away and hopefully make them decapitate themselves, then the rest of us moves in and shoots the remaining forces from ambush before KE can react. Again we use the commotion to capture the truck.

If anyone has a better idea, please say so.>>

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Friday, 22 November, 1947; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

<<@All: I have a better idea. We don't need a truck. We only need this Audric kid. I say we blow a hole in the side of the truck, herd the kids out, grab the one we want and bolt. KE will be occupied with the screaming kids, the Koreans will be trying to protect their income. We could be free and clear in minutes.>> The plan seemed obvious to Jan. Harsh? Possibly. Effective? Certainly. As soon as they got hung up on trying to 'save the children' they were all in the shit.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 19:47; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #103

<<Normally I'd be all over such a simple solution, but you neglect to consider what happens if we blow a hole at the place where our target just happens to be. Also we'd need to apply cutting tamped cutting charges for something approximating a clean opening where the hostages can run out without slicing their legs to ribbons - if they aren't all lying drugged and chained on the floor to keep them silent.>>

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Friday, 22 November, 1947; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

<<@All: I aren't neglecting shit. Your robot eyes can't see through that thing? I figure the kids will be huddled together. They've had to come through the border so they won't be at the back. They'll have boxes or some shit stacked there in case they get pulled. We can blow the doors pretty safe. If not and they're chained to the floor we just aim high. They aren't very tall...>> Jan seemed slightly pissed off at the implication he hadn't thought this through. He was a cruel fucker, but he certainly wasn't half-cocked. In this team of wannabe party kids he reckoned he was about as professional as they came.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1947; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #104
<<We don't have time to argue about this, but you are still going to chuck burning slag inside the container without knowing who'll get hit and if they even can use the opening. Cutting of the locks on the back to open the doors would seem to be the safer option - not to mention more silent.

Also you haven't mentioned how you want to get close to the truck to do all this. That's the real concern from my point of view - especially with trigger happy gangers around.>>

John didn't have teeth to grit, or adrenal glands to make him angry, but he certainly felt the time pressure. So far this whole teamwork thing didn't really convince him.
He wanted to reply more but Rave cut in with her message:

<<Just for your info about these KE Cruisers: These guys are probably tasked to deal with any border-related stuff that gets past the border guards themselves (since those can't leave their post). Like, if someone blows past them and on into the plex, that's what these guys are for. They would have discretion, of course, to deal with any nearby problems they see.

But if a call at another location went out, these guys at the border would not likely be dispatched there.

But a call on an "explosives threat" on that specific truck once it clears customs/the border might get them to isolated it KE and we could manage to attempt to plant something on it to validate the presence of explosives and then force them to open the truck, free ALL the kids and then create a diversion and smuggle Auric away from the scene?>>

John read the message and replied:
<<That could work. We would have to content with the bomb squad, but at least the gangers wouldn't be in the picture. If we call in Acetonperoxid, better known as "Mother of Satan" they'll have to isolate it quickly and open it up with drones for visual inspection since that stuff is really hard to detect by chemsniffers (and incredibly unstable).>>

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Friday, 22 November, 1947; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

<<I'll duck and run>> Jan said, as if that's how everyone should approach a truck under armed guard. <<I'm already close. They won't be ready for it. I'll be on it before too many have reacted>>

<<Blowing the doors off is a figure speech. Cut them, drill them, fokking magic them off and spirit them away all I care. Explosives is quickest though. I'm gon file this under Plan B for when our elaborate scheme is truly befok. Calling in law seems bad news to me, where I'm from you don't do that, and if you did the cops are as bad as the criminals. Maybe it's different here>> Jan adjusted his cap and moved around the truck, getting the best visual angle and shortest distance to where he imagined the target would stop.

A little exasperated, he continued. <<I'm in position when you heroes have decided what you're doing. Til then, out>>

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1947; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #105

<<Be my guest, I'll supply the distraction. Time for the Korean to repay me for the ride and the free medical care since there aren't any other ideas how we should do this. But be ready for the truck to start moving suddenly.>>

John checked that the Korean was just conscious enough to be able to walk - if not in a straight line and then went about rigging a mini-grenade for remote detonation and hit it in one of the tactical pockets of the Korean's vest.

[adamu]

Friday, 22 November, 1949; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

Rave had left the RV and made her way over to the parking lot of the Buds & Blooms franchise where the K-E pawns were stationed. Now dressed down from the night at the club, she still filled out her street clothes nicely and was having no trouble playing curious cop-groupie. She was going to keep the team apprised of their reaction, and be ready to pull her badge and try to steer their response as neeeded.

DES had put a surveillance drone up high, and now reported: <<The quarry approaches. Rave?>>

Any of them could have matched the image relayed from the drone with the stills provided by Rave, but she confirmed it herself. <<That's the truck.>>

It was travelling with what looked like a Salish go-gang, but they peeled off into the service area on that side about a klick from the crossing.

The truck would hit the crossing in about one minute, and there wasn't much of a queue.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1949; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #106

John had finished the preparations and opened the Valkyrie Module. The Korean looked like 10 miles of bad road. His face still puffy from the pp as well as the crying - despite the applied anti-histamine. By now the worst burning would have gone, but his lungs were still not recovered completely, according to the readout. John put the man's shoes back on his feet, taking moderate care not to jostle the bandage on his left foot.
"Rise and shine my friend.
Good news. You have a chance to live after all. All you have to do is walk over there to the gangers and tell their leader to send out his main force , because there is an ambush waiting behind the bend five miles down the road. If you do that I won't shoot your head of with my shiny Ares Alpha.
I tell, you that is the best deal you are going to get. I might even feel generous enough to help you crossing over into Salish territory afterwards in a way that you don't have to worry about money or the Seoulpa.

Now let me just make you a bit more presentable and once the truck comes in, just walk over there and do your best.
I'm counting on you, Buddy."

John finished that sentence with cheerful grin no.3. while helping the man back into his vest and coat.

[adamu]

Friday, 22 November, 1949; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

The man made no reply. His head hung.

Once his coat was on he began his unsteady, weaving journey to two blocks to his assigned destination, zombielike.

DES: <<They're at the checkpoint.>>

[JDragon]

Friday, 22 November, 19:49; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

Rocky was unsure what he could do to help until the drek hit the fan, so he kept his eyes and ears open. Listening to the updates on the comm and watching for any signs of other trouble, ready to take off at a sprint to back someone up.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1949; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #107

Like his erstwhile prisoner, John moved into position, keeping an eye on the Korean. His rifle was inside his bag, ready to be brought forth if the situation required another grenade.

He didn't really care what the Korean told the bikers, just that they were for the most part in the explosion radius.

<<Alright, any minute now. As soon as the truck has stopped I'll start the distraction. Keep your mouths open and your dampers on for the boom.>>

[adamu]

Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

The feed from DES's drone showed the tractor trailer practically fly through the checkpoint, the guards giving the exterior the most cursory of checks as they waved it through. It was already passing Rave - playing with her hair and asking the Knight-Errant cops about their guns - when the Korean stumbled into the parking lot. With the truck just signalling its turn into the service area's parking area, waiting for an opening in oncoming traffic to hang the left, the bikers noticed the Seoulpa man, who was waving his arms vaguely at both them and the truck. Three burly bikers spurred their steeds forward a few meters to talk to him.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1949; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #108

John gave the truck time to enter the service area and come to a stop. He didn't need to see the bikers faces to know that they didn't buy what the Seoulpa was saying. Just as they were turning back towards their comrades on wheels, John decided to start the party.

<<This is it. 3,2,1... Party>>
And with that he sent the command to the small rifle grenade in the Korean's pocket, which obediently detonated in a shockwave that made all windows in the nearer area vibrate and scattered the Korean and the four gangers into all directions.

'Told you I'd help you cross the border...'

[adamu]

Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

Fortunately for those that cared, and whatever for those that didn't, the arrival of the Blood Mountain Boys had sent all the other citizens in the parking lot scattering, so that none were hurt by the brutal explosion that dismembered the Korean and killed the gang's leader outright. Other bikers were hit by the blast as well, weathering it better or worse depending on proximity to the explosion.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #109

John didn't waste any time: While chaos just began to reign and body parts to rain, he grabbed the rifle from his bag brought it up to his shoulder and sent one precise shot into the part of the truck where his infrared sensor indicated that the engine sat.
With satisfaction John noted the spraying oil and steam escaping from the newly formed hole.

Whatever happened, the smuggling truck wouldn't escape from this scene anytime soon.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

With the bikers distracted, Jan broke from his cover and sprinted, head down, for the back of the truck. He'd slid John's micro-welder from inside his shirt and started heating it as he approached, his MP gripped firmly in the other hand. 'Who carries a micro-welder?' Jan though to himself. 'Maybe this was a droid's first aid kit? Creepy fucker.'

[adamu]

Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

As hissing steam billowed around the tractor and ears rang from the blast, the air was immediately filled with gunfire. Many of the gangers were reeling from the attack or coming the realization that something had gone down, but the more seasoned among them had been well on their guard, and immediately directed effective fire in John's direction.

With all eyes that were facing anywhere facing the guy at the corner of the building with the assault rifle, no one seemed to see Jan has he took a line behind them and climbed onto the tail of the trailer.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #110

John just stepped aside for the return fire, having it hit only brick and concrete.
'Thanks for playing, but no dice'

It was moments like this that brought back clear memories from his past as part of MET2000's drone strike group. Everything was just like a matrix shooter in an UV host. Actually, he often wondered if he wasn't in fact still in an UV host that only simulated his experiences.
But in any case he wasn't going to lose this match, although he had to draw it out to give Jan time to do his breaking and entering thing.
So instead of returning fire with expensive APDS he just switched to the grenade launcher mode and shot a cheap pepperpunch grenade in the midst of the three organized gangers for a bit of added chaos.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

He arrived at the truck seconds later. No-one had seen him - a combination of a reasonably simple disguise and a carefully planned route. Welder primed, he pinged the locks off the box in seconds and swung the door open a few feet. Boxes, as he'd suspected. He pulled himself up into the back maneuvered through the gap in the boxes. Even his enhanced elven eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness as he scanned the faces in the back.

[Jack_Spade]

Friday, 22 November, 1950; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex #111

The return fire was withering although the grenade dispensed its fog exactly where John wanted it. He was forced to step back around the corner as he noticed to bikes charging towards him and Rocky. Swing their clubs at him had little effect on the chassis beneath his armor.

John saw with great satisfaction how Rocky punched one of the gangers clear of his bike, making the other lose control and slide across the asphalt. More as an after thought than anything else, John put a bullet through the head of the fallen one before he took of at speed, rounding the building and reappearing behind cover in the next alley, ready to hurt the gangers some more.
During all that he found the time to send a message to Jan: <<What's your status? I can confirm that the bikers are well and truly distracted and in a few seconds probably crying as well.>>

[JDragon]

Friday, 22 November, 19:50; near service area just inside the 164 border crossing, Auburn, Seattle Metroplex

The wait for the other shoe to drop and the drek hit the fan didn't take long. The truck they had been waiting for had made it through the check point and was heading for the parking lot where the bikers were waiting. As the truck pulled to a stop the guy John had captured headed for it and the bikers, waving his hands and probably saying something to them. Then he was gone in a cloud of bloody mist and chunks.

Rocky winced and then figured he should help keep the bikers distracted since Jan was making the move on the truck, or at least that’s what he thought he had heard. He took off at a sprint moving as fast as huge legs would carry him toward the truck, gripping a smoke grenade in one hand and a frag in the other, waiting to see what happened and to get closer before tossing one or both of them.

He had covered about a quarter of the distance to the truck when two bikes came out of the smoke John's grenade had spewed and were headed straight for him. As he got to the halfway point they closed with him, luckily they opted not to adjust or couldn't react fast enough as he altered his direction slightly to pass next to only one of them, instead of between them. This mistake gave Rocky the room he needed to try something a little crazy. As the closer biker passed him, Rocky used his long reach to punch the rider and catch him at an angle that launched the now unconscious rider at his partner.

Rocky never stopped running but heard the first bike go down and then a fraction of a second later the second one went down as well. Which was then quickly followed by a single shoot from what Rocky guessed was John's rifle. These bikers handled Rocky looked ahead to see what was coming next.