Tangled Currents - Jan, Stormy Waters subthread Options

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 0115; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Past the door, Jan could see more clearly. The woman was hot. She was naked. Her back was to him. She was kneeling on the bed. His target was under her. Synapses hopped up by synthetic adrenals, he was moving too fast to know if she even paused in her exertions.

But the man under her was somehow even faster. He wasn't a huge man, but looked a lot more impressive with his shirt off than he had with it on. Colorful snakes wound their way across heavily muscled arms and a chiselled torso. Without bothering to come out from behind the woman he grabbed a Cezka Scorpion off the bedside table, slinging a fast burst at the charging elf.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Wednesday, 20 November, 01:15; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

This guy was quick, but not quick enough. The burst flew past Jan as he traversed the gap to the bed with his own unnatural speed. Jan dived through the woman like she wasn't there, sending her sprawling. It looked like she hit her head, but that didn't concern him.

He landed hard on his target and grabbed at his wrists. The Cezka spun away onto the floor. Up close he could see that Jae-geun was a lot stronger than anticipated and damn was he slippery! Jae managed to roll onto his front and squirm away as Jan swung at the back of his head. He'd try to knock him out at least. If that didn't work he'd have to shoot him now and patch him later. May as well put those years of medical training to good use.

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 0115; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Jan felt a bit of skull give way under his fist, and the man dropped to the floor between the bed and his unconscious lover.

Neither had had time to scream. But the Ceska had not been quiet. Jan could hear no response yet, but then only about one-point-two seconds had passed.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Wednesday, 20 November, 01:15; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Damn. It was easy to forget how squishy people can be, or how hard you hit. Jan scooped Jae-geun up onto his right shoulder, his Crusader II extended in his left covering the doorway. Get out of here now, worry about the aftermath later seemed to be the best course of action. He moved over to the balcony, handling Jae-Geun's body much easier than it looked like he should, and vaulted down onto the roof of the car with a thud. He bundled the body, which he hoped wasn't a corpse, into the the passenger seat and followed it in. The engine fired up as soon as he took his seat and he smiled briefly, pleased with his own foresight in planning an exit strategy. "You'd better not be dead, softskull" Jan muttered to Jae. "Befok things right up."

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 0115; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Bullets thudded into the roof and shattered the rear window as Jan sped away.

He made it two blocks before the engine cut out.

Damned remote security overrides.

Glancing back through the ruined window, he saw headlights come on back at the condo. They silhouetted figures running after him on foot.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Wednesday, 20 November, 01:16; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Jan made an inaudible grumbled about 'technology' as the car rolled to a stop. He'd thought having the key fob would be enough, but he was damned if he knew how to block their override.

Surprised they were so keen to shoot at a vehicle containing their boss, Jan gambled that they wouldn't be quite so eager if he was out in plain sight and between them. He slung Jae-geun up onto his shoulder again, making sure that side was facing the Koreans, and covered them with his Crusader squared across his body. The beach didn't seem like a good idea; far too open at this time of night. Instead he headed for the backstreets just off the sea front. If he was careful he might be able to loop around and get back to the hotel, if not at least he could face them all in a nice convenient conga line.

He scarpered over the road, keeping low, and keeping as much of Jae in the way as possible.

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 01:17; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

The shooting did not stop altogether, though it certainly diminished as Jan sprinted for cover with the muscular Korean on his back. The car coming after him closed the distance quickly, but by then Jan was in an alley too narrow for the vehicle. he kept running as it screeched off, doubtless to circle the block. Seconds later he'd turned a corner just before he heard hurried steps enter the first alley. To his left he heard men shouting in Korean, and as he pressed further into access lanes between the condos he started to hear voices to his right. None were too close, and they didn't seem to have spotted him, but there was clearly activity in every direction. And there were now a lot more voices than bodies he'd counted on his recon.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Wednesday, 20 November, 01:17; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Damn, so it seemed like the Koreans had got this whole area locked down. Jan was good at improvisation, but he hadn't planned on it this much. He briefly considered trying to loop back around to his hotel but the volume of voices in that direction made him think twice. With shooters to his left and right he decided to push on into the press of buildings. Hauling Jae further onto his shoulder he broke into a sprint and powered full steam ahead. when there was a bit more distance between them he could re-think his plans...

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 0119; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Even with a full-grown man on his back, Jan's augmented flesh could outpace most foot pursuit, and he penetrated the maze of fences, swimming pools, guard dogs, and startled hot tubbers with relative ease.

Finally stopping to reassess the situation, his closest pursuers now a bit further away, it became clear that despite their numbers, the men after him were hardly a well-coordinated group. Whether because of their earlier partying or because their leader was out cold on his back, they were numerous but random in their efforts. And now sirens were also approaching fast. it was all enough to convince Jan he was better off moving than hiding and waiting for either a lucky band of gangsters or a much more coordinated police unit to find him.

He worked his way out to the edge of their cordon, and when a delivery van trundled by he caught the side and let it carry him past some Koreans as they argued about what to do next...

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Wednesday, 20 November, 03:20; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

Jae-geun awoke with a groaning sound as Jan loomed over him. His eyes looked like they were struggling to focus, and combined with the drooling and intelligible noises Jan feared he may have ruined the guy for intel. "So, Jae" Jan began "fun night last night. Tried to shoot me didn't yus ya little prick." He pressed his boot against the man's skull a little, before pacing around the room again. "Let's see how interested you are in talking, and I'll see how interested I am in getting you the immediate medical attention you definitely require."

Jan had tried his best to patch the guy's cracked dome, but there's only so much you can do without an operating theatre and a full trauma cart. The journey back had been uneventful. After skipping the manhunt he'd slung Jae's arm over his shoulder like a drunk friend and caught a cab back. A pissed Korean with a bleeding head was nothing to a Seattle cabbie. He'd tried his best to staple the guy's head, enough to get what he wanted out of him. He'd wanted to let Jae heal up a bit before interrogation, and he was about ready for a rest himself, but he feared the man dying before questioning and opted to wake him up. It was gone 3 in the morning. He briefly considered going back to the hotel he'd paid for after this was done for a good sleep. Maybe that wasn't the best idea.

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 03:21; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

When the man spoke, he sounded less groggy and out of it than Jan had expected, which suggested he'd perhaps been awake longer than he'd let on. But his head was split open, and he was still drunk. "Listen, if you're working for those witches, I'll triple what they're paying you."

It was an old line, but he currently had way too little mental capacity to be creative or original.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Wednesday, 20 November, 03:21; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

"I'm not being paid, I do this for fun." Jan said bluntly. It was a lie of course, but the truth was he didn't know who was paying for the job and didn't much care. He owed Know a job and he was getting it done. The day you started double-crossing your fixers was the day you signed your own death warrant.

"So here's how we're going to play it. You tell me all you know about the Choson's practices in child trafficking and if I don't like your answer I start feeding bits of you to the dogs upstairs."

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 03:21; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

Jan's words sobered the Korean up considerably. He glared at his elven captor. Licked his dry lips. His face was already white from trauma and loss of blood. He said one word: "No." And then, restrained though he was, he began thrashing his injured head as hard as he could against the cot.

[mister__joshua]

Jae-Geun
Wednesday, 20 November, 15:35; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

When Jae-Geun awoke Jan was no-where to be seen. He felt like he'd been out for hours. He was hungry, and in a lot of pain. Had he knocked himself out? He'd been bashing his head on the floor. It still felt wet, like he'd bled a lot. He'd been trying to kill himself, it was the honorable thing to do.

...but now here he was, alone, and apparently unrestrained. He tried to stand, but was unable to move. The pain was incredible. He tried again but nothing happened. Not even a flicker. He could turn his head. What had happened? Was it musculature? Skeletal?

"You're paralyzed."

The voice came from behind him, but the South African twang was unmistakable. Jae didn't respond.

"Don't worry though, I'm something of an amateur surgeon. You should still be able to feel everything." Jan sounded menacing, but Jae managed to keep it together and refused to break. "Here's what's going to happen" Jan continued "I'm going to go out for a bit, and when I come back you're going to tell me all you know about the trafficking of children. If you do this I'll shoot you in the head..." It didn't sound like much of a deal. "If you don't, well, there are many ways to kill a paralyzed man. Maybe I'll just throw you into the Sound and watch you drown. Simple, but I hear it's horrific. Maybe I'll get more creative and you can watch the dogs eat you from the legs up. That can't be nice. I'll be back for your decision. Think carefully about it Jae. This call affects the rest of your life..."

[adamu]

Wednesday, 20 November, 2224; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

When Jan came back the Korean mobster was still there. He hadn't moved. He spoke as soon as Jan stood in front of him. He tried to make the words sound smooth, but he was drugged and he was scared. "I'll tell you everything I know in exchange for the bullet...and...I have a stash. You have to get it for me, convert it to cred, and allow me to transfer it to my mother's account. You can keep half for yourself if you want. That's the deal."

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Wednesday, 20 November, 22:24; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

"I don't have to do anything, you'll tell me what you know anyway..." Jan disliked being told what to do "...but I've seen enough people pissing themselves and crying to respect nobility in death."

He paused for a moment in thought. "You know if this is a deception you'll starve to death lying here. I want to make sure you understand that part." Though Jan was untrusting in nature, Jae hasn't got a lot of cards in play at the moment so a double-cross felt unlikely. "What's the stash?"

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0010; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

The stash was close, and Jan fetched and converted it to cred in no time. After making sure the transfer was sterile and rewording his captive's personal message to his mother to avoid any possibility of a coded signal, he sat down next to the man expectantly.

Eyes closed, the doomed Korean gangster spoke. "The Komun'go have channels for procuring children. I don't know them, they are complex. But they acquire about a hundred a month. Not street kids. Healthy, educated children, mostly white, mostly human or elf. All attractive. They fetch a very high price, unsullied children like that. They also carry great risk, for they are the sort of children people come looking for, children that are very much missed, and by peopel with means. Thus our secrecy and security in this thing are formidable. I am Choson, and we provide protection for the transfer to the buyers, who are the Shotozumi scum. I am in charge of security at both sites. We have two exchange sites lined up and I will not know which is used until I get the call to go to one or the other. I do not know when that call will come. I don't even know who knows which site or when, or how they select it. But it is probably too late for the sites to be changed now, even though they must assume I am compromised." He reeled off two addresses.

"Security was tight before. Then it was doubled because we have been targeted recently by some sort of coven of witches. We do not think this is related to the children, as there have been no demands, no communications at all. Now, with my disappearance, security is bound to be tripled. That is what I know."

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Thursday, 21 November, 00:10; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

100 a month? That's a large operation to have flown under the radar for this long. Surely if 100 downtown brat kids went missing the whole city would be in uproar about it. Maybe he was exaggerating, making the operation sound bigger than it was? Anyway, their operation - no matter how grim it sounded - wasn't really Jan's concern.

"If any of your information turns out to be inaccurate or false, I know where your mother lives...." It'd sounded too good to be true when he first mentioned it, but Jae had handed Jan a perfect amount of rope. A way to threaten him beyond his own death. He probably didn't need this extra intimidation, but Jan enjoyed delivering it anyway.

"Now, I don't care so much about your operation. It sounds super fun and friendly. I'm after a kid named Audric." Jan brought up the child's image on the screen of his 'link and showed Jae-Geun. "It's important I get him back to his rich folks who miss him terribly and are willing to pay a sizable sum to see him again."

[Mercy]

(Posting for Adamu)


Jan could tell from the doomed man's expression that his threat was meaningful. He answered readily and clearly.

"I don't know names, nor have I seen the shipment. Is your target from the CAS? The current shipment originates from Atlanta, Mobile, Nashville, and Memphis, and satellites thereof. It will be the first and last from that region. If the boy is from there, you may be in luck."

The information fit the dossier - no city of origin had been listed, but no one had taken the time to sterilize the school records or other details, and Jan was pretty sure the boy was indeed from the CAS.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Thursday, 21 November, 00:10; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

He was hoping for more, but Jan had done his part. He could only pass on what he knew.

<<@Dr.Know: Have info. Meet or send?>>

As his message vanished into the matrix Jan had a feeling he was about to get dragged along a path he'd rather avoid...

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 00:20; abandoned basement, burned out tenement, International District, Downtown Seattle

It took Dr. Know an uncharacteristic ten minutes to respond.

<<Neither. Need you to be debriefed personally by client. Call her now to arrange immediate meet. She is trustworthy.>>

A commcode was attached, and when Jan called it he got a female voice with a slight Russian accent.

<<Yes, thank you for calling. We must meet. I am on the road now. I'll call text you back once I've confirmed our destination.>>

The line went dead, and five minutes later an address flashed on Jan's comm.

[mister__joshua]

Jan
Thursday, 21 November, 01:23; rundown house, working-class suburb, Tacoma

Jan wandered down the pretty barren looking street, duffel slung over his shoulder containing all his worldly possessions. This place looked ideal, if a little stereotypical. Urban decay at it's most apparent.

He'd shot Jae-Geun about an hour ago, then packed his things while the dogs cleaned up the mess. He didn't plan on going back there so they'd need a good meal, he thought.

He glanced around him as he approached the meet, but there wasn't any apparent danger. He thought briefly about what he might be getting himself into, but he needed to finish off this part of the job at least.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0124; 38th Avenue NE, Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, Seattle Metroplex

Jan was approaching the house when he saw a big RV's running lights - no headlamps - turn into the north end of the street. He quickly faded from view, intending to wait for it to pass. But it seemed he'd been the first to the party. From his hiding place, he watched three women, all dressed for clubbing, and a functionally dressed Amerind male climb out of the RV, only to be joined by a youngish looking guy in a white tux and on a rice rocket. After a careful scan of their perimeter, they all went into the house.