"Whoo wee! What is that?"

"That my friend is a candy apple red, 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible. She is a one of a kind."

The red car idled slowly into the parking garage. A contingent of armed guards followed it in. Parked on the street across the block was the security detail assigned to the vehicle.

"Hell man, I haven't seen this much security for a car since the Pres came to town."

The car owner nodded, "well she's special to me, it was a gift from a good man, and I don't want anything happening to it."

"Well," the lot attendant said, "nothings going to happen to it here. Who would be stupid enough to break into LoneStar impound?"

1100 hours March 6th, 2070

In one form or another, cell phone, email, a slipped note of paper, a message is given to each team member.

2000 hours, Club Zero, Lake Eliot, ask for Frost

11:30am March 6th, 2070

Beckett sat quietly in the back of the car searching the latest research notes on various magical studies. He smiled knowingly to himself as he read over an article detailing the effects of magic on various Para zoological animals, half of it was a load of junk the author has sucked out of some or other orifice. Perhaps someday he would publish his various findings but for now that was not an option.

Digging into his large voluminous robes he grabbed hold of his trusty pipe, pausing for a moment he looked up towards the front. "You mind if I take a puff?"

A display screen blinked into existence on Beckett’s glasses display link. Pulling the screen to the front he scanned the list. Marking the relevant item he dismissed the screen.

"Add it to the tab."

Beckett opened the pouch containing his tobacco and carefully pulled out measured amount picking apart the small clumps. The tobacco slowly trickled from between his fingers filling the pipe. With a gently but firm tap the tobacco was tamped down into the pipe before being filled up again. Beckett took a draw from the pipe making sure everything was perfect, before taking a light to the tobacco.

Beckett lent back, relaxing into the comfortable seats, taking a long draw from the pipe. Closing his eyes he sighed softly, 'This was life'. A beep from his earpiece brought him back out of his quiet revelry.

"Incoming message".

A small angel danced into view. Acknowledging the message it opened.

‘2000 hours, Club Zero, Lake Eliot, ask for Frost’
‘And tell Mr. Driver he’s wanted too.’

Beckett’s fired off acknowledgment of receit and returned to his piped but not before forwarding the message.

“I believe you may be interested in this.”

The car pulled up outside the parking area. Beckett climbed from the car. “Seeing as we happen to be heading in the same direction later I could use a lift.”

A distinct ‘Cha-ching’ echoed followed by the Funds Transferred Message.

11:37am March 6th, 2070

Gypsy steps of the monorail onto the Downtown station, already pulling up a map of Lake Elliot on his commlink as he checks the message a second time. Locating the site of the meet, a slight smile crosses his face as he realises he made the right choice 'skipping school' today. Before the night is over, he just might be glad he had the chance to rest now, especially after that all-nighter last night. But the less said about that, the better.

Ambling down the stairs, he scans the street, paying particular attention for any sign of bikers wearing the familiar black and green. Finding none in the immediate vicinity, the elf shrugs his shoulders and sets off along the sidewalk, confident that before long a ride from a 'friend' will make itself available.

Xander takes the plastic container and pops a corner to get a whiff of the contents. He makes an approving sound, and nods. "Nice." He takes a seat. "So how was Morocco?"

11:33am March 6th, 2070

The driver's brows arched at his passenger's words, "I believe you may be interested in this."

He blinked and scanned the message. Frost at Club Zero. A yawn threatens and Nathaniel fights it down. He pulls up to the curb to drop the troll off. Clambering out he walks swiftly around the back of the car to open the door. He opens it just as Beckett does and steps aside, pulling the door wide. He removes his glasses and tucks them into an inside jacket. He cranes his neck to look up and holds a hand out to Beckett, "Nathaniel," he introduces himself and nods at Beckett's return introduction. "I'll be here at 19:15. If you need me to be here earlier, use this number."

He links a number to Beckett and gives a firm nod of farewell. He walks swiftly around the car again, adjusting his pocket, glasses flickering as he sweeps them on and scans the sky and the street before slipping into the car.

Nathan calls the roto-drones back in and parks everyone in his tidy garage. He wrestles the doberman back to its perch where it sits watching with endless mechanical patience. He grabs the scooter and heads home, grabbing something to eat along the way.

At home, he pulls off his suit, hanging it neatly and sighs, stifling another yawn and glancing at his rumpled bed. He shakes his head and sits down in on a rolling stool. Time to do some research. He palms his commlink and jacks it in, leaning against the stool's backrest he begins rummaging around for information - first things first - the dress code at Club Zero. Can't show up inappropriately dressed. Next, any references to a Frost in relation to Club Zero. It was a start.

Dwight leans back in his chair and a scowl forms on his face.

"Morocco is the same shithole it was 5 years ago. Only this time there was no real money in the deal. Negotiations fell apart after 3 weeks and they pulled our contract. We even had to fly back on our nuyen. So, in a nutshell, I'm broke. I don't suppose you have a line on any work, eh?"

Club Zero - sometime before the meet

The once Nova Hot club has cooled in the last few months. When it opened last spring it was the latest and greatest thing. However it has simply dropped to 'highly successful' not that the owners mind, whoever they are. There is still a line out the door and down the block to get into the place. The bands that play their tend to get signed to album deals, and many Celebes and wannabees hang out at the place.

The building itself sits on a dock that is have over the Lake. The parking lot is wide and has two entrances. It is valet parking only. There is no parking on the street, and nearest parking lot is half a miles a way.

The outside is decorated in flatvid sign showing real-time pictures of the club inside, mostly of the exotically dressed human and elf females. And by exotic they mean 'scantily'.

Club Zero - 7:30pm

Beckett climbed from the car as Nathan came to a halt outside of the club. Ignoring the line of people and the obvious stares he approached the bouncer.

"I'm here to see Frost."

Entering the club Beckett found the nearest empty table and sat down ordering a drink for himself waiting for Nathan to park the car and get inside.

The day of rest had done Gypsy a world of good. Refreshed, he had all but forgotten his failures from the night before, and felt ready to face whatever this new job offer might entail.

Pulling his midnight blue coat tighter around himself, the elf unconsciously shrinks a little deeper into the shadows, despite the concealing spell he is sustaining. Arriving early, Gypsy had taken up a casual surveillance while he waited for the appointed time. From his vantage point half a block down and across the street from Club Zero, he can see the long line of people waiting and hoping for their chance to enter the exclusive looking club.

Dropping the spell while still hidden in the shadows, the young elf steps out into the light, crosses the road and heads straight for the door and the waiting doorman.

The doorman is a big human with a shaved head. Some tattoos creep up his neck and peak out over his collar. All in all he looks like he can handle himself. At the mention of Frost, he nods and waves you in.

Club Zero - 7:45pm

Beckett sat back in his chair closely watching everyone who entered, keeping an eye out on both the physical and astral, scaning over anyone who stood out.

Nodding to the waitress, as she delivered his drink, he cleaned out his pipe before refilling and lighting it.

The inside of the club was as hot as the outside showed. Women of all races were dancing in cages, invisible platforms, and from chains in the ceiling. The place was packed wall to wall, everyone or practically everyone gyrating to the loud beat of the flavor of the week.

A small table and couch area was off to the right of the entrance. A bar and kitchen were behind that. The stage dominated most of the back wall, which was made of some transparent material.

From the entrance, Gypsy scans the crowded room for a familiar face, finally spotting Beckett lounging just off to one side. The elf casually makes his way over to his table, nodding a brief greeting and waving off the waitress as he takes a seat.

Beckett climbed out of the car and sauntered in. They had agreed that Nathan would park the car and follow later.

A valet stood attentively nearby. Nathan rolled down his window and asked, "Where can I park?"

Nathan had done a stint or two as a valet. He knew there was a lot nearby where a half-dozen drivers sat waiting patiently for their employers. The lot wasn't all that nearby, but Nathan had his briefcase scooter.

In a matter of minutes he zoomed back up to the door and stepped off the scooter's running board. With a shake and a command it collapsed almost magically into a small rectangle of black plastic with a handle convenient for carrying. He adjusted his well-cut jacket and stepped up to the bouncer.

The time display in the corner of his vision read 19:53.

Cutting this closer than I like. He stifled a yawn. It had been an early morning. The nap hadn't been long enough.

"I'm here to see Frost."

Club Zero - 7:59pm

Jack broke sharply to bring his white Westwind 3000 to a screeching halt outside Club Zero, he stepped out and let the valet take the car.

Damn Fixer, McAlistair probably had somebody else let him down, "got a job, but the meet's in 30 minutes" he says. Still I made it here in one piece."

Reaching the doorman Jack says, "I'm here to meet Frost."

At some point word was passed to the elf known as Frost. Once he was ready arrangements were made for the team to be led into the back room where stairs led down past the whine cellar into a private office.

Two men stood guard outside the door labeled "management". They give you all a brief once over before letting you in. Inside the room is plush with couches and comfortable looking chairs. It is a large room, probably a quarter the size of the club itself.

In once corner two white Jaguars are chained to the wall. Near them sit a pair of platinum haired twins, dressed revealing enough for any b horror flick. Whatever Frost was, he was showy. The temperature in the room was uncomfortably cold. Just warm enough that you couldn't see your breath.

Frost sat behind a large oval desk looking over folders of who knows what. The white haired elf smiled as the team entered. He stood and gestured to the couch, "please, have a seat."

Beckett slowly ambled in after him, one set of eyes on the Jaguards in the corner, his other eyes scaning the astral. Moving to the middle of the couch the troll, checked its strength before easeing his large frame onto it.

Beckett gave the newcomer Jack a quick onceover before returning his attention to Frost.

Once the team filtered in and sat down Frost stood up. He crossed in front of his desk and leaned on the front of it. He nodded to his arm candy by the cats. They closed there eyes for a moment and spoke together, "the room is clean. The wards are holding." Their musical voice is sweet to the ear, with a resonance that a single person couldn't accomplish.

"Excellent, thank you ladies."

Frost turns to the team.

"What I need from you is a car. A very specific car. I have an address for where it is at, which will be high security. And I have an address for where I want it delivered. Make no mistake; this will be very, very hard. Ten-Kay each, yes or no?"

Watching with interest as the twins make their report, Gypsy was taken by surprise afterwards though by Frost's blunt proposition. In his experience, Johnsons usually tended to indulge in a lot more beating around the bush. The young elf looks around at the others, trying to guage their reactions.

On the way down the stairs Jack introduces himself to the others, "Names Rapier, pleased to meet you all."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack casts an admiring eye over the office, the cats... and the girls.

"And what kind of high security are we talking?"

"The car is being kept in a secure parking garage designed for short and long term storage. There is a team of professional guards who monitor the place 24-7. There is an alert 15 team on call at night. As far as I know they have a CCSS network, at least one mage, and buckets of matrix security. The car will be on the fourth floor and nigh un-steal able. That answer your question?"

A grin appears on Gypsy's face, growing broader as Frost goes on to outline the job.

"Sounds like a piece of cake."

(Rapier)

"Yeah, that answers my question."

Jack laughs at Gypsy's comment, "It sure does, count me in."

Nathan paused at the door, taking in both sets of beautiful creatures in Frost's office. He'd seen beautiful women aplenty - but never jaguars. He kept stealing glances at the chained and almost certainly sedated animals.

The room seemed to fit the elf. Cold and exotic. He looked at Frost, a glory of thermographic warmth viewed against the chill of the room. He listens to the off-hand description of the job. Extraction. Vehicle extraction. From an air-tight facility with Matrix and magical security. And drones.

"Ten thousand?" Nathan blinks once and calculates the risk versus the reward. "And you want it stolen from a secure location under tight security?"

Ten thousand doesn't even begin to cover. And these crazies are chomping at the bit. Still... No. "No." He stands up and scratches at his left temple. "I'd like to leave before more particulars are discussed."

He glances at the women and back at Frost.

"I see your point, how about 5 up front and ten on the back end. With a bonus ten if you get the job done in the next 7 days."

Gypsy shrugs his shoulders in response to Nathan's outburst, and the Johnson's counter-offer. The elf's wide smile is reduced to a slight grin, but the glimmer in his lavender eyes betrays his shallow attempts to hide his merriment.

He'd have done it for ten. But of course, the elven mage will gladly accept more. At least the job sounded interesting.

Nathan checked his turn to leave. 15,000. He swallowed and thought hard, he didn't like the rush on the job, but that kind of money was hard to walk away from. He remained standing, not yet sure of the job, but curious enough to ask, "Why the hurry?"

"No particular hurry, if you can get me the car in a week, I can more easily relocate it somewhere private. After next week that becomes more difficult."

Beckett sat quietly watching the interchange between Frost and Nathan. The increased offer made it worth while. Though it would be tough if Nathan left and they were stuck without a professional driver when trying to steal a vehicle if they had to drive it.

A couple ideas flitted around in his head, he would bring them up later.

"So, are you in?"

Gypsy takes a quick look around at the rest of the group before responding.

"I don't know about the rest, but you can count me in."

Nathan takes a deep breath and considers Frost levelly. He cocks his head, deeply thoughtful. Coming to some acceptable conclusion he nods to himself and sits back down, focusing intently on the showy elf.

Beckett sighs inwardly as Nathan takes his seat.

"I'm in." he replied.

"Excellent, I think the 3 of you wll make a fine team. Here is the location of the car, here is where I want it taken, and here is the key to the safety deposit box where your money is. Any other questions?"

"None from me."

"If we're done here and Mr Frost has nothing more to add, prehaps we should retire somewhere quieter to discuss our plans."

Nathan belatedly realizes that his misgivings about the job had parleyed themselves into a legitimate and real increase in cold, hard cash. He stored that tidbit away, a new tool in his toolbox. Nathan wondered fleetingly about that expression. Cold, hard cash. It didn't make a lot of sense, he'd have to ask his grandparents about it. They were a treasure trove of explanations of meaningless common phrases.

He nods at Beckett's suggestion. I know just the place we can talk, he thinks to himself. At the first opportunity, he sends a mental command to his sedan so it can begin sensor sweeps of its immediate environs and also activates his cleaner drones to crawl across the inside of the back looking for trash and suspicious electronics.

He looks at Frost, waiting to see if there are any more details forthcoming.

Satisfied that they have all they need, Nathan stands and makes a somewhat rigid nod from his waist, a trace of a bow, really. An inclination of the head. It's a gesture he learned as a driver, where shaking your employer's hand wasn't often the right thing to do. "We'll be in touch."

He stows the two addresses and the key and turns to leave the room, eyes lingering on the eerie beautiful women and the cats. He braces for the noise of the club and weaves through the writhing crowd.

Out front he waits for the others.

Beckett slowly eased himself to his feet. Nodding to Frost he turned and followed Nathan from the room.

Rapier followed Nathan and Beckett out of the meeting saying, "So what's our plan? I've got a Westwind, so I can drive shotgun for Nathan, I presume you'll be driving the target vehicle?"

Having quitely followed the others from the room, Gypsy leans casually against the wall of the club and clears his throat. When he gains their attention, he raises his eyebrows dramatically and examines their surroundings exaggeratedly.

"So, we gonna discuss this here?"

Nathan had simply been waiting and his own eyebrows had climbed when Rapier had spoken so freely of their highly illegal job, "Sir, I'll bring the car," Nathan gestures at Beckett. He knows the troll's name, but doesn't want to share it with the others.

He presses a key on the briefcase he carries and has in moments assembled it into the small scooter he rides. He disappears off around the building to where his car waits, sending it the cue to turn the engine over. It makes his chest tight to hear the purring engine and he smiles while collapsing the scooter. Nathan thumbs the security pad and gets in. In moments he has pulled around the the front and hops out, running around to open the rear door for Beckett. "Sir." He looks up at Gypsy and Rapier, including them in the invitation to get in. If more than two accept he will sit the third in the front with himself.

Beckett nodded in thanks and climbed in via the offered door.

"I presume someone has somewhere we can go discuss this further?"

Nathan looks at Beckett in the rearview mirror, "The intent was that we could discuss things here as we drive." A tiny spider-like drone skitters past Beckett's right shoulder and settles itself on a rechaging station. Nathan continues, "This vehicle is designed for absolute discretion." As he speaks he checks a number of readouts in his head's up display of the sedan's various electronics. A slight buzz whirs as the counter-surveillance systems come on line.

Rapier climb into Nathan's car after Beckett, as he does so he sends a wireless command to his Westwind's autopilot to follow the Nightsky.

An AR Window automatically opened in the corner of Rapier's vision, displaying the video feed from his sports car, as it's powerful engine roared into life.

As he settled into the back of Nathan's car, Rapier glances around, nodding at the sophisticated electronic systems, "Nice car Nathan."

Gypsy eyes Nathan's car approvingly as it pulls up to the club. The elf nods once at the driver's invitation, secretly pleased that he didn't have to think about transportation for now, then eases himself into the shotgun seat.

"Thanks. Nice ride."

The car purs along as Nathan takes it off the Eliot bay road and on to the major roads of Seattle. An uncomfortable silence settles in over the riders, waiting to be broken.

Nathan's eyes glance at the rear-view mirror, "Yours isn't so bad either," Nathan said over his shoulder at Rapier.

They ride in silence for a while and Nathan enjoys driving for no purpose other than to keep moving, it feels like purpose. "So, as you might have guessed, I've got some misgivings about this job. I do a lot of legit work. Mostly legit. This is the first totally illegal job I've taken.

"So you'll pardon me if I'm not bringing a lot of ideas to the table. I'm still feeling this out." He plots a course to the bank where they would find their advance. A small voice in the back of his head squeaked at him to take the money and run. It was a tiny voice that liked to bug him to do things like sleep in and sit on his couch watching the trid or playing games. He told it to shut up.

"So, lets discuss our plans and swing by this bank. Any precautions we should take going in to get our downpayment? Like not all of us dogpiling in to check the box?"

"Lets see what this box holds before we make any plans. Who knows what other curveball might be waiting there."