IC: Striding the Soul's Edge Options

[BishopMcQ]

"Mostly. Though I'm trying to find out what has been going on recently between the Yaks and the Mob. Specifically the Italian take on things. Everything I've heard sounds like they're circling the wagons. I just want to know if I'm supposed to be the cavalry or the indians."

Glancing down at his poc-sec, Jake and sees the icon signalling the incoming call from Moe

"Fixx I have another call coming in. Can you get back to me when you have something?"

Switching lines with the tap of his thumb, Jake sees Moe's features on the screen and the signs of a data connection being formed.

"Heya short stuff, don't make too much noise if you can avoid it. I'll send Loki down to you to see what he can see."

Still on the phone with Moe he walks back inside and feels his stomach lurch as he watches Loki eat.

"Hey, remember to chew first, then swallow--try not to inhale the food. Are you and Katie ready to do some recon? Moe is down at the docks and ready for your astral sweep."

[WinterRat1]

Nameless looks over at Jake, "You got anything for me, or you want me to just sit and chill? I already put the word out, I got maybe one more person I can try, but I don't think it'll get anywhere, so I'm free, pretty much."

[Fenris]

Jake - "No problem, but as long as you're working for Vinnie, you're on the right track. I'll try to get a little more information, and talk to you soon."

Nameless - Your phone beeps a moment later, and the message contains the sultry sounds of everyone's favorite hit-person.

"Business has been booming, hun. Yakuza are taking out so many contracts people are flying in from out of town. They're arranging for a simultaneous hit though, so must of us are just doing the legwork and bidding our time."

[BishopMcQ]

"Nameless, I don't have anything per se yet. Here's the info that Moe sent out. What have you gotten from your contacts?"

Jake forwards the data packet from his poc-sec to the rest of the team. Looking over at Loki and then to Iblis' limp form, he follows up with Nameless.

"Do you have your car with you? I have a few things to grab at my place, in case we get straight to work tonight and they would be a bit flashy on the back of my bike."

[WinterRat1]

Nameless nods. "Yeah, I got my car. I'm going to pick up some stuff too, just a little extra firepower, just in case. I'll take you." He looks over at Loki. "You too, if you need anything."

Everyone who needs to pick stuf up hops in Nameless's car. While they're driving, he tells them what he knows thus far. "I heard that the Oriental crime families are gearing up for an alliance against the Mafia. Specifially, the Triads and the Yakuza are having a meeting sometime real soon. Looks like the Mafia is facing some lousy odds. And the Yaks are hiring so many hitters, they're flying people in from out of town. But they want one simultaneous hit, so when it goes down, it's going down in a big way." He chuckles. "Hell, if it wasn't for this piece of biz, I might try to get a job with them myself."

They cruise the rest of the way, and everyone grabs what they need. Nameless drives slowly and carefully, so as not to attract attention, and to make sure they aren't being followed. After everyone has what they need, he drives back to the safehouse, doubling back a few times just to be sure no one is taking an unhealthy interest in what they're doing.

[BishopMcQ]

"If the syndicates are burying the hatchet to come together on one big hit against the Bigio's we may have a problem. Let's listen to what Vinnie has for us tonight, but if we are are going to stand in between a clash of East and West, it may be time to stay unaffiliated."

Jake tosses a riot shield, painted white with a red cross, into the trunk and gingerly sets a large duffel bag on top of it. He then continues the ride back to the Iblis' place.

[Panzergeist]

Setting down the food, Loki nods and tells Katie the plan. Before doing anything else, he summons a watcher spirit. Lying on the couch, he astrally projects, and together with Katie and the watcher, heads down to the docks.

[Fenris]

Panzergeist - Your trip to the docks is uneventful, but when you arrive at the office you've been giving, based on the information you have, you see two hulking spirits sitting in the astral just outside the building, obviously on guard duty.

[BishopMcQ]

Back at Iblis' place, Jake looks in on his furry friend. Upon seeing her still jacked in, he sits down across from her and closes his eyes. He feels the tendrils of mana from his focii still pressed against his flesh, their touch a comfort. Focussing his will, Jake pulls the mana from the air surrounding him and the ground beneath him and pushes it into the silver necklace underneath his formfit. He opens his eyes briefly to ensure that he can detect the telltale signs of his enchantment--trails of action coalescing around him. His eyes shut again, he presses his will against the jade brooch that Mama Fortuna had provided him for services rendered--the brooch sparks to life as well and Jake feels an almost tangible slowing of the world.

[Buddha72]

4 hours passes...
Iblis gives a sigh and unplugs from the deck. She strolls her finger over the keyboard and the portable printer begins spitting out scream sheets from the various news agencies she was able to surf and grab data from. She stands and works out the kinks from her stiff body.

"This is what I could find. It seems they're getting all twitchy with each other. Hope it helps." She calls over her shoulder as she shuffles to her room to gather gear for the meet.

[Fenris]

April 5th, 2064 11:00pm

All - You arrive at the Tacoma docks a few minutes before meet time. The outside of the office is fairly common, just another storefront in a string of storefronts, no different from the rest on the outside.

The air is foggy, with the condesation rolling off of the bay, and the docks are empty. Deserted, the space is almost eerily still, only a slight wind rustling the occasional paper wrapper across the parking lot. Those of you with astral perception will note that there is a solid ward around the office, and two fire elementals, looking suspiciously like solid looking humans with no necks in leisure suits standing guard outside.

Vinnie's office is the only storefront still lighted up. Transinternational Shipping The front door is unlocked, and the interior of the office is simply, with only a few plastic chairs and plants out in front of a receptionist station. Behind the receptionist station is a single door.

A few seconds after the group first opens the front door the rear door opens, and a short figure comes strolling out. He's about 5'6", dressed in a rumpled looking suit, unbutton, with collar undone and sleeves rolled up. Slightly balding, he runs a hand through his hair, finishing off a slice of pizza as he waves everyone in. He raises both brows when he sees Iblis, but he grins at Steel in a rather familiar way and waves the group into the backroom.

The backroom is a single room that obviously serves as an office and a conference room. There's a large, round white table set up in one corner, and a desktop with a laptop off in a seperate corner, and a few metal fire filing cabinents to round out the room.

As everyone files in, Vinnie paces back and forth, wringing his hands.

"Alright, look everybody." A faint Italian accent comes through as he speaks.

"I called all ya'll to do some work for me. I'm sure any of you who've bothered knows what's going on, so I won't bother dragging it out in the open. There's a boat coming into harbor in 4 nights, on Pier 96. We need you to make sure that the cargo comes to us. We need it within a week of it coming into town. We can pay 20k a piece. You in?" He looks expectantly at the group.

[WinterRat1]

Nameless typically stands in the rear of the group, off to one side, watching the situation carefully, covering the team's back. Tonight is no different. Unobtrusively, he glances at Jake and Steel, following their lead for now.

[Medesha]

Steel takes a seat, draping her arms over the back of the chair and stretching her legs out in front of her. "What sort of resistance we looking at on the boat, Vinnie?"

[Joker9125]

Diesel Stands next to Jake looking as menacing as he can Diesel is watching the scene keeping a careful eye for anything suspicious. All the whille keeping his hand on the grenade launcher under his jacket waiting for Jake to give to word to make a move.

[Buddha72]

Iblis gives Vinnie the once over and then lounges against a wall near the door with her hands laced together behind her head. "I like the early American wise guy thing you have going on here. The pizza was a nice touch."

[Panzergeist]

Loki glances around furtively. Get to the point, get to the point! He doesn't like meets. Loki much prefers getting down to business. Using Katie's sense-link power, he takes a quick glance through her eyes to see if the two elementals are in the room with them.

[WinterRat1]

Nameless checks out Vinnie carefully, memorizing his scent, appearance, aura. Working for a syndicate was always risky, and he wasn't taking any chances.

[Blitz]

:: Moe, choosing to remain out in the van to keep the overwatch, she listens in through whoever was willing to go in with an open mic. ::

[Fenris]

Vinnie arches a brow at Iblis' comment. "Of all people yammering on about appearances, toots, I'd have thought you'd be the last to criticize."

"Anyway, I've got no clue what kind of resistance you're dealing with on the boat. Whatever they decide to pack on, most likely. If you're in, I can pass on a little more info about the storage location. Yay or nay, kiddies, I've got business to attend to."

[Buddha72]

Iblis winks and smiles at Vinnie's comment. "Love a man with a spine, they always make that snapping sound when you break them." Her tone is light and playful. You getting all this Mee-Moe? She locks eyes with Jake and gives a nod, indicating her throwing in for the run.

[Panzergeist]

Loki knows better than to broadcast this conversation over the airwaves to Moe, regardless of how good his encryption is. Before deciding whether or not to take the job, he assenses Vinnie, looking for any sign of deception.

[Blitz]

:: Sitting in the van and she chewing on sour licorice strips as she listens, she shrugs, though no one can see it. ::

"Eh...decen' money fer a snatch an' grab...butcha know you're no' gettin' tha full monty, an' wif his affiliations, I doub' ya will. No 'uge alarm bewlls though. If'n you an' JJ are in, color me pink."

[BishopMcQ]

Jake has been silently watching this conversation from behind Medesha's chair. He gently places his hand on her shoulder and squeezes in assent.

Short-stuff can you run a once over to make sure our line is secure, then everyone switch to C

[Medesha]

Steel tilts her head slightly in confirmation of Jake's squeeze. "Sounds good to me," she says lazily, "I assume you're leaving methods up to our own discretion?" She grins. "You know subtlety isn't my strong suit."

[Fenris]

"Heh, no kidding. You destroy more property then any other chick I know, including my ex. Don't really care what you do with everything else, I just need the cargo intact." He tugs a cigar out of the suit pocket, drawing an old fashioned Zippo from a pants pocket and lighting it. He takes a long drag as he tucks the lighter away, and exhales a cloud of noxious blue smoke towards the ceiling.

"Alright, so, everybody's in. Glad to hear it. Woulda hate to have had to kill ya'll," he jokes, stepping over to the laptop on the desk. He taps a few buttons, and grabs the paper that spits out of the flat printer, tossing it on the table for the group.

"There's all the information we have on the boat, the dock, the pier, and the warehouse. There's a number for a decent driver with a couple of boats in there too, name's Schnell. Just in case you decide to hit the boat. Anything else?"