42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 09:58:47
Cerberus: Street Samurai
PAN - Hidden (eyes,earbuds)

As the van pulled to a stop inside the barn Cerberus looked over the others, both Fortunato and Caittie appeared to be sleeping soundly. Cerberus grabbed Caittie's Shoulder and head and gently laid her down on the bench so she wouldnt fall and then got up/crouched into the middle of the van. Reaching down he grabbed the FN HAR assault rifle by the shoulder strap and slung it over his head and shoulder, his massive hands making it look like a childs toy. Luckily it was skinlinked so he didnt need to fit his fat fingers through the trigger gaurd to fire the gun, all he had to do was give the thought. To bad he didnt really know how to use the gun properly but he guessed he could learn pretty damn quick if need be.

Going over to the bench he had previously been sitting on he lifted up the seat and pilfered through the loot he had stowed away and grabbed the 3 throwing knives and added them to the 2 he previously had and then let the seat drop back down. One in each pokcet of his jacket, one in each boot and one in the small of his back hidden under his belt.

Popping the back door of the van open Cerberus looked outside. Things were wet and dismal out and the smells coming into his nose made him think about alot of the fights he had participated in out here in rural area's. He sat on the edge of the van and decided to see what was going on with the rest of the team.

<<@team This is Cerberus. Are you guys alright?? Whats the plan? >>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:00:09

Sledge - Patrol Woman
PAN - Hidden

It wasn't a Sunday morning ride.

For one thing it was Tuesday, the morning had started with an emergency phone call, a visit to a clinic, a storm of falling lead, a high speed vivisection, chaperoning a nervous exchange of contact phone numbers, her jump over a burning wreck, and an other world powered drag race on freeway full of morning rush hour traffic.

It did feature the usual smells of a Sunday ride in the country, natural grass and other animal odors permeating her senses. It was better then burning metal, plastic and metahuman flesh.

Sledge ticked the motor over slowly and went left on her counterclockwise route on the country roads around the safe house Sugar Lips had managed to get them into.

<<@team:: Running perimeter. 5 minute check in cycle.>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:02:30
Mr. Smith - Delivery Man
PAN - Hidden

Johnson continued to help out Gabs and make small-talk while non-challantly typing several messages in AR to his team. He wondered to himself if a sufficently experienced Runner got used to this sort of thing, and learned to read the mimed keystrokes, of those around him, in the way that people learned to read lips when subvocal microphones were the new hotness.

<<@Team:: I'm with Gabs and Rosso. Sledge already checked in. I assume Fort and Angel are still out? Rocky, what's your status?>>

<<@Team:: It looks like we'll be allowed to stay here until Rosso wakes up - at least as long as we don't cause any trouble for our host. So, everyone on their best behavior - I suggest we stay out of the way, and tend to our wounds - especially you two, Rocky and Cerberus. We're going to need Angel and Fort back on their feet, but plan to move out in an hour or so.>>

<<@Team:: After that, we really only have one goal left - and every second spent avoiding it could be our last. It is simply a question of means and opportunity. I know this hasn't been anyone's best day - but I figure that is more reason for us to want to get it over with, quickly.>>

<<@Team:: I'd really like us to be done by lunch - but unless someone can track down our target, we will more than likely have an entire afternoon to prepare, before he arrives at the place we expect him to be. I might suggest that we split up and meet back up for dinner at Rudolpho's, but you guys are welcome to stick together, and plan, or magically heal, or play cards, or whatever.>>

<<@Team:: Consider it an opportunity to impress me.>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:03:01
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

Rocky was watching the front yard and approach to the house, trying to get comfortable and relax some while they had the down time.

<<@Team:: I'm with Gabs and Rosso. Sledge already checked in. I assume Fort and Angel are still out? Rocky, what's your status?>>


<<@Team:: Rocky here, I'm down stairs keeping an eye on the approach so we have a little warning if anyone some how finds us. Let me Know if I can do anything.>>

As he sat there Rocky found his self thinking back over the last few weeks and absent-mindly fiddling with the bottle of pills in his pocket. He wished he had not had to take that pill this morning, but the shit had hit the fan and it was one of those win or lose moments, and he wasn't ready to give up yet. At least he was starting to learn to move like a fighter fighting for his life and not one just putting on a show for a crowd. Over the weeks of fighting for his life his movements has become a little quicker, more compact and more efficent. Now if he could just get some time to work on using his pistol he would not feel like he was wasting his time carrying it.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:06:03
Cerberus: Street Samurai
PAN - Hidden (eyes,earbuds)

<<@team:: Yeah Fortunato and Caittie are still out. I'll stay with the van and try to wake them and let them know how much time we have. >>

Cerberus looked back inside the van and started to move towards Caittie to try and wake her up. As he was about to give her a shake he saw her eyes open and begin to focus. "Johnson says we have around an hour before we head out again. Now would be a good time to stretch your legs if you want to."

Then he proceeded to poke his head through the partition of the van seperating the front from the back and reached an arm through to give fortunatoa shake. "Hey Fortunato sorry to wake you but Johnson says we have around an hour before we head out so if you need to take care of anything or stretch your leg nows the time."

Sliding out the back of the van Cerberus massaged at his aching bullet hole wounds. The holes were still raw but the bruising that had surrounded them had disappeared. Unslinging his borrowed assault rifle he lifted it up to his shoulder and began looking around the property and testing out its different settings. If he was going to have any hope of actually using it he would have to be familiar with the damn thing. What I wouldnt give for an LMG, especially if they were going to attempt to take out Loui "Fishbreathe" Finnegan. I could just stand outside and pour hellfire into the front of Rudolpho's and easily kill everyone inside and pin Loui in his office. A few grenades from the ohers to follow up and it would all be over. But no these crazy mofo's wanna strike at Loui right away with half injured people with little equipment. We might as well drive this van righ through the front of the resteraunt............

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:06:15
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Fortunato was dreaming about her. He didn't do it very oftern; the past couple of weeks had been one long insomniacal blur. But she was there now, sitting next to him physically impossible as that was. He felt her put a hand on his shoulder and hurl him violently toward the dashboard then back into the seat -- the whiplash was agonizing.

Cerberus bellowed in his ear about the farmhouse as the interior of the van swam across his vision. Fort was not a light sleeper and this kind of awakening was invariably terrifying and infuriating. Thankfully, he could neither articulate his emotions nor display them on his face in the semi-stupor that he woke up to.

"I'll be up in a minute... van's fine for now."

He wondered if she would come back when he closed his eyes.

Tuesday 8/19/70 10:26:15

She didn't. He dreamed of sleeping in the palm of a gigantic troll. It was much less pleasant.

Rousing himself slowly from his slumbering meditation, Fortunato noticed that he no longer had a headache, but the burns and cuts that the magic had left all over his body ached and cried as he moved. At least it was getting better. Looking to the rear of the van he noticed that Caittie had curled up in the fetal position in the center of the floor.

He weaved around the front seat, bumping his leg absentmindedly into the driver's side arm rest and crouched next to her. He took off his coat and draped it over her, "Sleep it off kid. It'll be better in the morning."

As he gathered his senses he noticed Birnhauser's curious necklace sitting on top of the treasure trove Cerberus had dumped in the back seat. Swallowing once to wet his dry throat he grabbed the necklace then walked out of the barn. He let his eyes shift to the astral plane as he breathed the fresh air of the surrounding countryside. Astral space was green and healthy and vibrant compared to the city, the change was like the difference between a John Constable countryside and a thrird grader's scrawled, half-tone pencil cityscape. However, the plants here weren't his primary concern. He stood outside the barn door and carefully scrutinized the necklace.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 09:44:00
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

Just over an hour of rest... That’s all she had after an exhausting morning and it wasn’t even fully over with. Just that little bit of relaxation from the worries of the world did wonders for her body and mind. Still, as she was roused from the darkness of slumber by Rocky moving his arm and standing up, Caittie still felt the aches of a tired body along with a mind of weariness and troubled thought. Rubbing her eyes a bit, she made out the sight of the near dead Rosso being dragged out of the back of the van.
Feeling numerous people moving around to leave the van, she closed her eyes once more and let out a deep breath. As the vehicle rocked back and forth under weight of the moving trolls, the youngest member of the team could hear their desired intentions to take the battered man back to his family.
Adjusting her small frame into a more comfortable position, she let out a small sigh as she was left with more questions and no clear answers. Caittie did know, though, that falling back asleep wouldn’t give her any answers either. Relaxing her body and mind as best she could, the red haired elf felt the jump from the physical world to the digital.


Tuesday 8/19/70 10:06:15
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

The burst of traffic on the team’s network broke her thoughts and daydreams as she lay on the grassy fields of her digital world. A peaceful field with soft sunlight and a calm breeze which whipped the long grass around helped to keep her relaxed as her mind as she thought. Letting out a small groan of annoyance, her mind jumped from the angelic avatar back to her physical self.
Regaining her senses, the first thing Caittie noticed was she was horizontal on the bench instead of leaning against the wall. She quickly dismissed it after hearing movement and not feeling any pain from any injuries. Opening her eyes, she saw Cerberus’ form looming over her with a hand reaching out, but he stopped halfway and pulled it back while saying, "Johnson says we have around an hour before we head out again. Now would be a good time to stretch your legs if you want to."
After that, she heard the troll say something similar to Fortunato in the front and then felt him move out the back door, rocking the vehicle with each step. The teenager just stayed there on the bench, not making any sounds save for that of her breath. The quietness in the back of the van was near-deafening, but it was all she wanted at the moment.

Tuesday 8/19/70 10:26:20
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

The one answer the elven technomancer was actually able to find for her questions was the fact that she couldn’t hope to answer them herself. Just falling on that fact made her heart sink some, as normally she would just talk to Lisa or Alex about whatever was on her mind. Barring that, she could always talk to her father, but none of these people, her friends and family, were available to her anymore.
Caittie knew she could always call Rebecca, but doubted she could help her with this situation. Truthfully, she doubted that anyone but her uncle could even understand what she was going through, even if they were still alive. She curled her body up into a tight ball and shivered as she felt a wave of loneliness wash over her that rivaled almost any other time she could think of.

Not too much later, she heard someone moving around the front of the van and move towards the back. Looking in the direction, she saw the bearded mage move towards and then crouch down beside her. With a knowing look in his eye, he draped his coat across her balled up form and said to her, "Sleep it off kid. It'll be better in the morning." In her mind, she replied with a quiet, ‘Will it?’
Not really knowing if he could read her mind or not, the female elf half waited for a response but he just turned away. She saw him reach into a bin before he left through the same door Cerberus used and was once again assaulted by the silence.
This time though, Caittie had had enough of the quiet and moved herself into a sitting position on the bench. As she moved, she felt the weight of both jackets, the one she wore and the one Fortuanto had draped over her. Folding the elder elf’s gift, she moved from the bench to the door and slowly pushed it open before shielding her eyes to the light.

They quickly adjusted to the change in light and took in a sight that made her think she was on the digital plane. The green grass and trees, farmhouse and cleaner air than back in Renton were a glorious improvement, but she didn’t think it was real until she saw Fortunato looking at a necklace and Cerberus standing to the side with a weapon slung over his shoulder.
Closing the door to the van, the green eyed girl took a seat on the oversized back bumper and watched the two for a bit. They both seemed deep in thought, not unlike how she was, but she had questions to ask that needed answers. Knowing that the two in front of her were what they were, Shadowrunners, she felt she might be able to get some answers from them, but as her mind ran over all the questions she wanted to ask, she couldn’t figure out which one to ask first.
‘What do I do now? How can I go on living a normal life after this? What’s going to happen next? Am I still ‘human’? How do I deal with the fact that I just killed someone?!’, all went though her head at the same time. What came out her mouth filled with confusion, sadness and third tone she couldn’t place but just wasn’t ‘her’, “Why was it so easy?”

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:26:25
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Fortunato was pulled out of his intense concentration by Caittie's question. He hadn't noticed her approach while he was deciphering the deeply layered patterns of mana in the focus he was holding.

He waved a greeting to Cerberus, whom he had also failed to notice, before saying:

"Sorry if I woke you up. You seemed pretty far gone. Any rate, I'd argue that was anything but easy. We got shot up pretty well."

He paused for a moment. Looking toward the horizon and sniffing the air. It was clear on the astral that she wasn't asking about the relative danger of the firefight she'd just endured.

"But I don't think that's what you're asking about."

He opened his mouth to speak but found himself stumped at that point. The first time he'd shot a man, an Irish dwarf snitch descended from a long line of gutter dwellers, he'd done so to get a point across to another prisoner. He'd had work to do and remembered that the only thing he'd felt at the time was a mild annoyance that his shirt was stained. It was a gift from his, at that point, brief courtship with Ana and he had no idea if the stain would come out. Caittie probably didn't want to hear that story.

Not having anything to say he closed his half opened mouth and settled in to listen.

Tanglewood Lane (south and parallel to Rural Route 11), Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:30:00

A truck here, a horse trailer there. An old lady and her dog out for a hike. There had been little to distract Sledge from enjoying the air and scenery, which included green pastures and more than a few ponds and small lakes.

Ahead on her right, a mid-sized sedan was parked on the shoulder of the road against a line of high blackberries - getting closer she could see it was a brown four-door Ares Charger, recent model. ARO tagged it a rental.

She didn't think much of it until she passed it by - and saw that it was up against a narrow break in the blackberry bushes, affording it a perfect view down a narrow slope to the farmhouse two klicks away.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Barn
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:27:00
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

“No…”, she replied in a low voice to the bearded man. Eyes downcast, Caittie tried to think of how to formulate the thoughts and feelings she needed to express. The problem was that she, never in her life, thought that she would have a talk like this. Still…

“It was so easy…”, she started out with the same voice, eyes still looking at the folded jacket she held on her lap. “Why?”, she asked as she looked up to Fortunato. “Why was it so easy? I just thought it and it happened…”, she continued with sound and aura filling with sadness and anger.

“Something so wrong… To… To kill someone… and I did it with just a thought…”, she stuttered out with increasing emotion. “I didn’t even feel anything! No… I felt happy about it when I saw… I… I’m a monster!!!”, she cried out as her emotions broke though. She sat there, looking at the man before her, eyes searching for answers where there might not be any and face streaked with visible pain and hurt that had leaked out.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:30:09

Sledge - Patrol Woman
PAN - Hidden

<<@team:: If you're outside, DO NOT REACT, till I'm clear. Bogie has farm on visual. ARO Map update in a few.>>

She tried very carefully to cruise without changing a note in her engine, it was going to take time to clear enough distance to let the sound of the hog get out of the area, and then she was going to maybe have to walk back. Idly her free hand twisted around the handle of her hammer tucked under her saddle.

...breathe...

<<@team:: <map>

Clear.

Gonna circle round and see if I can sneak up on them, unless one of you can do something?>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:33:25
Cerberus: Street Samurai
PAN - Hidden (eyes,earbuds)

Cerberus was trying to think of some way to comfort Caittie when the message came over the team comm channel. It was hard not to react and look around for the threat but he brought up the map instead. There they were, a dot on a map on the edge of the farm...

Swinging his assault rifle back over his shoulder he walked over to Fort and Caittie giving a nod to form in response to his wave. He reached out a hand and placed it on Caittie's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. He was hoping his interruption wouldnt cause anyone to freak out. "I dont pretend to understand what your going through Caittie and it probably isnt my place to say anything but it doesnt sound like it was that easy if your still thinking about it. Life is fragile and can be snuffed out at any given moment. I used to work as security for some Doc Wagon EMT's and we saw quite a few lives ended for no reason what so ever. Those guys in the van were trying to kill us. You had a very good reason to kill them. That doesnt make you a monster, that makes you a survivor. They didnt give us any other option. You would only be a monster if you ran around killing people for no reason, like Loui Finnegan."

Cerberus gave her another pat on the shoulder and then moved further back into the barn blocking the line of sight from him to the people watching him...

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:31:28
Mr. Smith - Bearer of Bad News
PAN - Hidden

After about a half-hour of chit-chat, Rosso didn't look any more conscious than he did when they first tossed him onto the bed. His wife, Gabs, was understandably worried, and only half-paying attention to any of the things that Adam was saying to try to break the ice or take her mind off of things.

Then Sledge's warning came in on the network.

"Excuse me. One of my men just informed me that there is an unidentified contact watching the farm. I'm going to assume you don't know anything about it. We would be happy to take care of it, but if you're worried about it drawing attention here, we can move out - and try to draw it away - back towards the city."

"In any case, you and your husband may still be in danger. The man he was working for doesn't like to leave loose ends...."

Adam fully expected Gabs to scream at him. After all, it was probably at least 50% his fault that someone was watching this place, and her husband was really in no condition to be moved around. Still, depending on how commonplace this sort of this was to Shadowrunners... maybe she had a plan.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:27:25
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Fortunato looked at the crying girl for just a moment then moved to sit next to her on the bumper.

"There are a lot of things I could mention which probably wouldn't make you feel much better like, 'it was you or them,' or 'they were trying to kill you first.' There were plenty of good reasons to kill those people, and I've no doubt you can come up with them yourself."

He paused looking out into the farm. He didn't want to tell a lie to her.

"I've killed some people in my day and I don't think that makes me a monster. You're going to have to decide whether what you've done makes you a monster or not; decide how you're going to keep living with yourself now that the fight is over. But even if you feel like you did something wrong, I guarantee that there are worse things in this world to do to people and I guarantee that, out of all of us, you have the most reason to be defending yourself from mobsters."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Barn
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:27:52
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

The teary green eyed girl looked at the profile of the man sitting next to her, his gaze finding something out the huge open doors to look at. She was a little shocked to hear him openly admit his hands also carried blood on them, but in the back of her mind, she knew he and most, of not all, the others performed the same acts at one time or another. Still, his words of advice and comfort weren't totally lost on Caittie, as they slowly filtered their way into her mind and were processed against the feelings she felt.
They sat there a while, the sounds of a peacefull day playing outside the barn, disguising the truth she knew it to be. Breaking her gaze from the brown haired elf, Caittie looked out the door to see whatever he was looking at, but found only the green pastures beyond the threashold. It, too, added more illusion that this day should have been spent laying under the sun, without a care in the world. 'I wouldn't mind that, really... But... There's no one left to share it with...', she thought to herself with bittersweet feelings as she leaned over to rest her head against the mage's arm.

"Why wont they leave me alone?", she asked as Caittie raised a hand to her face. "They've taken everything from me... my home... my friends... my family.", she continued as she wiped at her eyes to no avail. "I've got nothing left... I'm wearing everything I own. They've made my life hell and they still want me dead... Why?", she asked with her voice lowering with each word.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:28:20
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Fortunato winced imperceptibly as she leaned against his manaburnt arm. He used his free hand to smooth the girl's hair as he replied.

"You probably know better than I do. I'm just a contract worker here, don't have the big picture. I assume you hurt them in the past somehow or know something they don't want you to. They're not interested in making your life hell, they're interested in protecting themselves, keeping you quiet or sending a message."

He paused to let the message sink in. It was a harsh truth. He hoped it didn't open the floodgates back up.

"They're dangerous that way. But someone wants you alive, I wouldn't be here otherwise."

Another pause as the breeze carried the faint puttering of a hog in the distance.

"She wouldn't either. You're kind of lucky that way."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Barn
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:29:01
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

Caittie just sat there, leaning on Fortunato, and let everything he said soak in. His words triggering a scene in her mind, one of Beth, blood and fire. She knew why they were after her... But knowing why wasn't going to help her survive... or so she thought to herself. Still, someone wanted her alive, though she had no idea who.
"Thanks...", she said in a low voice as she felt him stroke her hair in a comforting way. "I'm grateful for all your help, though I wish I didn't need it. I wish I still had my family and friends... They were all taken from me, one by one. I never got the chance to say goodbye...", she continued in a solem half absent voice near the end.

"Except for Alex... He woke me up as a ghost, or something, to warn me somehow. He said something about being astral when his body died... If it wasn't for that, I don't think I could have escaped the house in time...", she remembered outloud in a thankful tone mixed with a twinge of sadness.
"Heh. He talked about how he liked me and wanted to ask me out, but never had the courage. The last thing he said before his ghost faded away was, 'I love you'... How cliche is that?", she continued on, her voice ending in a solem tone that tried to have humor play at the edges. Caittie let out a deep sigh and wiped at her eyes before speaking up one last time, "What am I going to do?"

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:29:30
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

She'd struck a chord. "That's not a bad way for him to go. He got what he needed to say off his chest."

His voice took on a different tone as he said "I lost my wife recently ... I know it hurts." He breathed sharply out his nose as he finished the statement. There was hell to pay for this. Birnhauser didn't get much, but he saw Greg's face before he went. He knew why he died and he died scared. Montressor would just have to pay Birnhauser's pound of flesh as well.

His voice returned to normal as he continued. "I imagine that you'll keep on trucking. There's not much choice but to keep living after so many people tried so hard to get you here."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Upstairs Bedroom
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:31:40


It was the first time he felt like he'd really gotten her full attention.

She took only a moment to answer, obviously having made a decision about him: "Listen, I have no idea who you are talking about or if we're in more danger here or away, with you here or with you gone. I don't know anything that's happening here except that my husband's run went bad, and now he's here with me...alive...barely. And whoever you are, whatever you want, you brought him here to me. So I'm going to trust you to do whatever you think is right regarding whoever you say is out there now."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Upstairs Bedroom
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:32:30
Mr. Smith - Bearer of Bad News
PAN - Hidden

Johnson tried to put on a reassuring smile. He had hoped she would have had a plan - or at least considered that something like this was bound to happen one day when you marry a Shadowrunner. He really didn't like her telling him that he was basically responsible for both of their lives. But, he wasn't about to tell her she was on her own, and really would have liked to see the two of them come out of this alive, so Johnson smiled, hoping to make her feel more at ease. "I'll have my people take care of it. If it turns out we've been found, we will need to get moving - but you and Rosso are welcome to come with us. You know, until the heat cools down." Johnson glanced at the time in AR. "Should be about 8 hours."

He typed up another response to his team, which had been eerily silent since the alert. He hoped this meant that either things had already been taken care of, or that they were waiting for his order... but he doubted either of those were the case.

<<@Team:: Okay, we have to find out who or what the bogie is. Sledge, you're closest, so its your call how to proceed with that. If you can get me visual, that would be great. Everyone else, be prepared to move. If that's one of Louie's men watching us, this vacation just got cut short. If its not, we don't want to draw undo attention to ourselves - but I want to know why its watching this place, one way or the other.>>

<<@Team:: Oh yeah, and lets make this quick - like, before reinforcements show up. Any questions?>>

Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:33:03
Sledge - Patrol Woman
PAN - Hidden

The motor thumped deeper and slower as she slowed the hog and made a slight lean to the left. The lean shifted the bike slightly over, and the smaller outer circumference of the wheels amplified the effect of the lean on the slow left turn. As she made the quarter turn she straightened up and let the machine drift to a stop. She was quite a distance away down the road, around the corner, which was as natural as she could make it. Getting back was going to take a while, if Sledge didn't want to be seen.

She updated her ARO map and keyed some routing highlights.

<<@team:: Map update.

15.. maybe 20 minutes to get into position to eyeball or disable without being seen. Can go fast and hard, but they'll see me coming. Angel you got the range to kill their engines or control systems?>>

...breathe... need a gun, 12 gauge keep them parked..

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:30:45
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Caittie was still easing her mind when Sledge's message came through to the team. Even though he was in the barn, Fort froze. He then tried to look nonchalant to counteract his jump. Already being in cover was a good thing for him.

He waited tensely for Sledge's confirmation message.

Tuesday 8/19/70 10:33:45

As the map was updated the message

<<Sledge@Team: 15.. maybe 20 minutes to get into position to eyeball or disable without being seen. Can go fast and hard, but they'll see me coming. Angel you got the range to kill their engines or control systems?>>

Echoed in Fortunato's ears. He thought for a moment then started typing quickly.

<<@Team: I can do an astral flyby of the Sedan. See what we're looking at. Give me a few seconds.>>

Fort eased himself to the ground, leaning his back against the bumper. "Watch my shoes, if you don't mind." He then closed his eyes and floated into the vivid astral paradise he'd been watching.

After a careful scan of the surrounding area through the barn wall Fortunato prepared to glide through the underbrush towards the car.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:33:55
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden

Swooping low through some kind of bushes Fortunato approached the car. He slid through some thick grass between the street and the undercarriage the he rolled his ghostly head through the insubstantial frame. He found himself below a radiant ball of energy which was spinning a pair of spotlight eyes slowly around the car's interior. Avoiding the watcher, Fortunato scrutinized the car's occupants and returned the way he came.

His eyes popped open and he sucked in air as his body jump started itself. He typed quickly: <<@Team: Car has two occupants. Human and dwarf. The human is awakened and has some cyberware, probably a mage. Happy about something (I'd guess finding us) and annoyed about something. The dwarf is mundane and probably has combat experience -- he's on edge but familiar with the current situation.>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:34:02
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

Rocky had kinda lost track of time as he sat there looking out the window and quietly listened to the first couple communications about the new bogey, not having anything useful to add. It was Fort's indication that their was a dwarf in the car that caught his attention, he wasn't sure why but it had.

He glanced out the window one last time, then stood up and started to explore the first floor of the house, as he walked he chimed in on the team channel.

<<@Team: Just a heads up guys, I'm going to look around the house and see if their is a back door that may let some of us slip out and circle around to support Sledge.>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Barn
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:33:36
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

The long haired girl pulled her hand away from her face and looked up at Fortunato as he started talking again. His voice was different than before, more understanding and sorrowful of something he must have gone through, or so she thought. Caittie’s guess was confirmed when she saw his face steel up as he told her of how he lost his wife, something which caused pain and anger to wash over his face for a few seconds after.
It never really went back to normal even after his voice did when he said,”I imagine that you'll keep on trucking. There's not much choice but to keep living after so many people tried so hard to get you here." The green eyed girl thought at that moment, he was talking to himself as well as her, some sort of advice that they both needed to hear.
It sorta shook her out of it, listening of someone else’s loss, instead of having them hear of hers. The teenager felt a wave of shame flow over her for a second for all the thoughts of solitude in her pain and suffering, as if she was the only one ever to feel this way. She finished clearing her face of the lines of tears as she let out a truly felt, “I… I’m sorry…”

Then Sledge’s message broke through like a bulldozer crashing through a two by four framed house. The mood was broken, shattered remnants of the comfort fell to the floor like so many broken pieces of glass. More people had come to try and kill her, more and more… “Why wont they just leave me alone?”, Caittie asked as her shoulders slumped in defeat to the inevitable continued struggle. ‘Because that idiot isn’t dead yet, duh!’, came a small reply in the back of her mind.
This shook Caittie some but really all it did set her up to truly unnerve her when someone placed one of his huge hands on her shoulder. She jumped at bit and jerked her head around to see Cerberus standing there with his eyes glowing with that eerie inhuman green color, a giant among men and even more so to the young elf sitting down. He tried to do the same thing as Fortunato and try to comfort her, but instead of making her feel better it really just made her uncomfortable as the tension in the air made it an awkward scene. Still, she knew he was trying, for what it was worth, and replied with a weak smile before saying, “Thanks…”
The bald troll gave the girl a pat on the shoulder with his huge hand before moving farther into the barn with his glowing green eyes. As she followed him with her gaze, she thought about what he said and guessed there was some truth to what he said, it was just harder to swallow than Fortuanto’s words of wisdom even though they might be the same overall message.

There wasn’t that much time for thought, though, as Sledge’s next message came rambling through the digital stream that consisted of the team’s comm network. Truthfully, the message itself was a godsend for the technomancer, even if the situation was one of the causes of her worries. It gave her something to focus on other than the emotions and tribulations of the day. “I’ll see what I can do”, she sent out her reply with a small smile of relief as she flexed her digital wings.
Concentrating on the hidden world in plain sight, she could immediately feel the ARO on the vehicle indicating that it was a rental of some sort. The agency information was imbedded in it and she could have easily searched for the company of origin online but didn’t. She had more important things to look for, the things she couldn’t see right off the bat, the hidden connections that she knew was out there, could feel it in the very fibers of the airwaves.
Angel wasn’t disappointed as she waited those long seconds, combing through the endless signals burning their way through the atmosphere, though it wasn’t satisfying either. While she had found the ARO as if it were child’s play, which it was, she couldn’t seem to find any true node for the vehicle itself. She did find a pair of hidden nodes within the vehicle though, which she could assume were the commlinks of any occupants with strong enough signal strength. It had her wondering, ‘Is there something there but it just isn’t strong enough, or is there truly nothing there?’ She couldn’t be sure, but it would be truly odd to have a vehicle devoid of any control system, one of the odd archaic things in the world, but not unexpected she felt.

All things considered though, Angel had found something and that meant the time was worth it. She couldn’t help but try and think up other ways to find that node which should be there as she spoke out her status to the team over the network.
<<@Team :: “I couldn’t find the vehicle’s node on the first try, but I did find two hidden commlinks in it. I’m going to start hacking those as I try something else to find that vehicle node.”>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Upstairs Bedroom
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:34:34
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Johnson was pleasantly surprised at the quick response his team made to the possible threat. Sledge, Fortunato, and Cattie were all checking things out, in whatever ways their specialties suggested, Rocky was already on the task of finding an exit-route, and, although he wasn't certain what Cerberus was up to - Johnson suspected it involved that big gun in the van. He was all over damage control in the house - but that turned out to be a little easier than he expected. Mrs. Rosso really hadn't planned for the day when her hubby brought work home with him, and rather than being angry at Adam for being mixed up in it, she was looking towards him for help and guidance.

I wish either of us knew what to do, Lady...

He decided, for her benefit as much as his own, to act like he knew what the hell he was doing, and pretend that this sort of thing was fairly routine for Shadowrunners. "Okay, the team is doing recon and securing us a way out of here. If the people we tangled with earlier were stupid enough to follow us here - they are going to regret it. But, if it comes to that, for your own safety, I would like to help you and Rosso get out of here for a while. Let's let him rest until we have reason to leave, but, in the mean time, I suggest you gather up anything you absolutely can't live without."

"Do you or your husband keep any firearms in the house? And do you have your own transportation?" Johnson couldn't help but think that someone like Rosso would have his home secured somehow - at least have a cache of weapons and a getaway plan. Then he remembered he didn't have any of those things, himself. Rosso probably felt as safe at home as Adam did when he went home at night. And, if Gabs did have a gun on hand, Adam would have expected she would have come out holding that instead of a towel when the team first arrived.

Still, it didn't hurt to ask.

While he waited for her answer he typed a few quick keys and sent the message to the team. <<@Team:: Very good. Keep up communication.>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Upstairs Bedroom
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:34:40


"Do what you have to do, but we're not leaving. If his enemies find this place, then we'll NEVER be able to come back and be safe - and this is all we've been working for. We die here or they do. Follow me."

She led him down the stairs and into the kitchen. She pointed to the refrigerator.

"Behind the refrigerator there's a door leading to his basement workshop. I'm sure there are weapons down there. But I have no way to open it. He used his commlink, but I know the code is not on the comm itself. He input it manually every time."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Kitchen
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:35:52
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

"I respect your determination, Gabs. Let me and my men take care of this one, at least - you should stay with your husband." He turned and looked at the refrigerator, "I'll see what I can do about this thing, and let you know if I get it open. If you're going to stand your ground, you'll want to be armed.... Does, uh, the 'frige move itself when the command is given, or do I need to get one of the trolls to move it? And does he do it wirelessly, or is there an access panel somewhere?" Adam felt a little stupid asking these questions, but with his background in computers and digital security, he could think of a small mountain of things Rosso might have done to make this task impractically difficult for someone who didn't know exactly what to do.

In his AR vision, Smith saw the output from his commlink's scan program, which was busy searching for nearby nodes. A number of public and private ids were populating his list, and Smith knew he was in for another needle-in-a-haystack situation. Luckily he had a couple of programs that might help him narrow down the possibilities. He was pretty certain he wouldn't find "Secret Armory" on the list of self-identifying wireless nodes, but he thought it wouldn't be unusual to fine a public refrigerator node. Of course, then, the question becomes whether or not Rosso gave the secret door its own separate wireless antenna, or had it piggy-back on the 'frige's.

While the search continued he started up his agent program, and began loading in the necessary software. After being warned that there were potentially enemy hackers nearby, he definatly didn't want to risk going hot-sim VR just to access a refridgerator.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Kitchen
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:35:54


"He just does something with his comm - enters a code on the keypad or with his glove - and the fridge swings out and there's a stairway going down. That's all I know...Um, I'm sorry, I have to get back to him."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Barn
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:34:30
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

‘Oh, no…’, went through Angel’s head as she felt Shadow scream in pain. It was the first time she had ever heard one of her sprites perform such an act through the mental connection she shared with all of them. “Get out of there! Both of you!”, she yelled over the mindlink to the digital beings as her mind raced over the past half minute as she tried to figure out how things had come to this.

Her efforts to perform the digital surveillance against the unknown targets had commenced when Angel called forth into the Resonance realm hidden deep within the Matrix and compiled a form for the entity known as Shadow. The woman dressed in dark ninja gear gave the young angel a look of annoyance that seemed to be common any time she called on the crack sprite. Not a word was truly said between the two females as they shared each other’s feelings and thoughts with no difficulties in the shared node, but in an instant only the pink glowing technomancer was there, floating just off the ground.
Wasting no time, the six winged girl continued with her efforts by calling upon another known entity from the realm of pure data and wandering sprites. The roguish looking man before her she knew went by the name Locke, but unlike with Shadow, she smiled weakly as she gazed upon his image. “I’m sorry, but I need you to do something for me.”, she said to the man of brown hair and ever present smile.
Like with the sprite before him, nothing else was further said between the two as he knew what she wanted done without her actually saying such and was gone in an instant. By this time, she could feel the fact that Shadow knew that the system she was working on was about to go into alarm, but continued on. Caittie couldn’t think fast enough on her feet to decide on what to do because just seconds later she heard… no, felt the pain that Shadow was enduring and instantly acted on it in fear.

She breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw both of the sprites reform back into their respective forms in Sledge’s commlink, but had to continue with her assigned task. Reaching into the Resonance once more, she called out to another of the sprites she had worked with before. In seconds, she saw a shorter man than Locke form out of the glowing motes and flash into virtual existence. Zidane ran a quick hand through his long hair with a smile as he looked over at the floating avatar of the person who compiled his current form.
Looking around quickly, the new comer quickly noticed the other sprites who also occupied the node, lingering his gaze on the woman in black garb who was clutching her side. Smirking a bit, he offhandedly remarked, “Damn, Shadow. What happened to you? You look like hell!” The injured sprite’s only reply was a growl and a snappy, “Bite me, monkey boy!”
Angel had no time to wait on the two sprites to continue sending remarks sent back and forth with each other. With an annoyed cough, the sprites all turned to the floating tech-angel and saw her looking directly at Zidane. “I need you to scan out there for a hidden vehicle node or whatever else is out there while I try to think up what to do next. This is important!”, the young technomancer said with an imperative tone. With only a grim look on his face, the monkey tailed man nodded and got to work on his task at hand.

In the real world, Caittie took a deep breath to steady herself before mentally talking onto the team’s comm net with a concerned voice, <<@Team :: “Something’s wrong here! These guys have some really high quality equipment on them and to make matters worse, they know something’s up now. I got into one of them, but not before they found me and spawned three agents.”>>
Taking a quick break from the update, she looked over to Zidane as he concentrated on the lines of data which weaved its way around him. He noticed her gaze, frowned and shook his head at her. Sighing, Caittie continued on with the bad news, <<@Team :: What’s more, I can’t seem to find any node for that car they're in. It’s like one doesn’t exist. I’ll keep trying, but I don’t think there is anything there other than the occupant’s commlinks.”>>

Her mind was still churning out plans of what do to next while Zidane continued his search of the airwaves. She quickly settled on two things, self preservation and trying to help out her injured sprite. The first was easy enough, she just concentrated on her matrix signature and scrambled it into a completely different jumble of alphanumeric and symbolic characters.
With that taken care of, her avatar on the digital realm lightly landed on her feet and then slowly walked over to the injured Shadow. Reaching out with both hands, she took a deep breath and a thick light blue glow surrounded them both before she placed them on the sprite’s side where she clutched herself. “I’m sorry about this… I didn’t think it would be this tough…”, she apologized to the sprite as she tried to heal the damaged wrought by the unknown agents.

[B]42398 Rural Route 11, Everett(in the barn)
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:35:46
Cerberus: Street Samurai
PAN - Hidden (earbuds only

At the mere mention of a possable hacker Cerberus went into "silent running mode". He killed the connection between his commlink and his cybernetic eyes which also made him lose the map and positions of his fellow runners and the new threat but he had a pretty good idea of where things were. With a second mental command he made sure the wifi on the assault rifle was off. He knew with all the technology crammed into his body he would be a regular playground if he left any of his vital systems open to attack.

Cerberus looked around at the barn noting its structure and how well it might hold up in a firefight. He didnt know whether they are were going to run or stay and fight but he did know he wated to survive.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Kitchen
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:36:50


Johnson turned his agent loose on the refrigerator-secret door, and then occupied himself trying to beat the knowbot using his own skills - he lost. In under a minute, the agent reported that it had confirmed the alphanumeric access code for the door.

Entering the digits, Johnson was rewarded with the sight of the big white appliance swinging gently outward, revealing a stairway leading downward. It was well enough lit, and at the bottom appeared to open up into a wider area.

Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:35:03
Sledge - Recon Patrol
PAN - Hidden

The slick grass and weeds, and flowers, all the same to her, though she had heard most flowers were really weeds to most farmers, made it slow going. Sledge had to be careful with her footing, as well as guiding the heavy hog along as even ground as possible. It was going to need a serious cleanup after today's work. But nothing was going to stop the hogs motor from running, at least not anything that wouldn't stop her first. She was a lot more vulnerable then the hundred kilos of cold milled steel block that made up the engine.

The chatter made her pause, and the implications sank in. The ork woman leaned against her hog and stopped in her slow advance. Eyes shut she reviewed the situation, none of the options were good, and the best chances indicated a level of coordination between the team she knew they hadn't even come close to yet.

<<@team:: I read bogeys confirmed hostile and alert. Vut...

Right, listen up. In 15 I will be in position to disable the vehicle. At that time I will be OFFLINE. I can't talk to you, you can't talk to me. Options, I disable vehicle undetected, then we deal with occupants. Disable vehicle first in case handling occupants goes sour, gives a better chance of getting away. If I'm detected disabling vehicle, I'd appreciate some support till that task is done. If I disable the vehicle without being detected, then I will be in position to support any action to handle the occupants. I will await your signal to initiate action. If you do not signal to initiate action after one minute, then I will withdraw.

2 minute discussion period before I go offline.

If someone can send me the commcodes for the tractor and get it running out this way it would be really useful. Get it within half a klick or better.>>

Grimly she resumed pushing her way forward, recalculating her eta and adding the appropriate cushions for the change in mode. At some point she was going to have start crawling.

gotta crawl before you can run

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Kitchen
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:36:56
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Sledge's message had distracted him, but he had a feeling that the hacker-in-a-box would have finsihed first. Adam didn't have the convenience of VR to even hope to compare to an agent at most tasks. As the doors swung open, he reviewed her message, and wished he had gotten to it sooner.

As he walked down the stairs, he spoke silently into his mic.

<<@Team:: "Good work, Sledge. If you can disable the vehicle undetected, I say go for it - but if you're going to engage the enemy, wait until we can give you backup. Everyone else, I just found Rosso's weapon-cache in the kitchen. Anyone moving out to support Sledge may want to stock up. I'm moving in now, and I'll relay what I see, in a moment.

When you get a chance to breathe, I'd like details on what this bogey is, and how we know its hostile - besides having top-of-the-line tech. But for now, I trust your judgement, and we can't afford to take chances. We need to disable them, and cut off communications. Then we need to be prepared to evacuate.">>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Barn
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:37:15
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

It took some time to heal up Shadow’s wounds, but not nearly as much time as it would had she been flesh and bone. Angel had stayed quiet during the entire procedure, but she truly felt sorry for the sprite. In her mind, she remembered what Rebecca had told her before, ‘Even though these sprites don’t have physical bodies, it doesn’t mean they are less real than you and me. They feel pain, joy, anger and happiness just like us. Treat them more or less like you would another person and you can’t go wrong.’
With Shadow fully recovered, the angel avatar stepped back a few feet and looked at both the ninja woman and the roguish man. Letting out a soft sigh, the pink haired angel looked down at the ground for a second while playing with a few strands of hair nervously. With a truly apologetic voice, Angel said to them, “I’m sorry for that. I didn’t know they would be that powerful and ready. I release you from my service to go back to the resonance. Again, I’m sorry.”
After watching her sprites fade away into the motes of light whence they came, she turned to Zidane and gave an expectant look to the sandy haired male. All he could do was shrug back at the avatar and say, “Nothing new.” Nodding, Angel told him, “Ok, keep me informed if anything changes with those two or you find anything new.”

With that, she proceeded to jump into all the commlinks on the team’s network she access to and went through the process of scrambling their commcodes. She felt this would be one of the few things she could do, since her sprites couldn’t make it into the enemies’ commlinks. While doing this, she received and read Sledge’s message about her going fully off soon.
Johnson’s message came a bit later, but halfway through it Zidane broke her concentration with an urgent message of his own. “Boss! I have something!”, his voice called over the mindlink. Expecting that he found the hidden node, she asked, “You found it?” His reply though was something else, but more important than that, all things considered, “Those two nodes are on the move!”
“Where?!”, Caittie called out both over her mindlink and in real life, an error of the moment. “Headed west! They are… now out of range. I can’t see them anymore.”, he replied as his voice started to show disappointment. “Ok, thanks for the update… I’m releasing you to the resonance.”, Angel said back to the sprite, to which she felt gratitude coming over the connection before it broke.

By that time, Johnson had just finished his long speech and Caittie guessed Sledge would be about to turn off her commlink. In an imperative voice, the young elf woman practically yelled over the team’s network, <<@Team :: “Wait! Don’t go offline! Those guys are on the move! They’re headed west and are already beyond my range!>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Safe Room
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:38:20
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

As Johnson entered the secret room, he was disappointed to find that it was built more for practicality than to impress guests. It looked more like a bomb-shelter than a secret-agent's weapon cache. In fact, at first glance, Johnson didn't see any weapons at all. Rounding a corner, he came across a small workbench with a disassembled pistol (the barrel seemed to be missing), and a number of tools. A lot of other half-finished products lay scattered around, but Johnson didn't really know enough about home-made weapons to tell what they were. They certainly didn't seem to be of any use in defending the farm. The goal, here, seemed to be to outlive it.

<<@Team:: "Looks like we have a moment to replan. Just as well. Weapons cache is mostly empty - just some homemade junk down here... and food and water. More of a bomb shelter really.">>

With that, he turned and headed back upstairs, leaving the refridgerator door open behind him. Once he reached Rosso's room, he peeked inside and nodded to Gabs. "Got the thing open - looks like kind of a hiding place. Food, water, that sort of thing. If you want to move down there, I can help you with Rosso, but the people watching the farm got spooked and took off."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Kitchen
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:38:30

"Okay - leave it open and I'll start setting up a bed down there - but I don't want to move him unless I have to. And...listen, I appreciate all you're doing, and I know he would, too. So just take whatever you need to, umm...to do whatever you have to do." And with a nod that seemed to indicate she didn't know what else might need to be said, she headed back upstairs."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:38:41
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

As the others were ching on things Rocky did a quick look around downstairs, ending at the back door. He slowly cracked the door and looked around, seeing that the closest buildings were a good distance away, he scanned the rest of the area. Nothing jumped out to him, being from the city it was all just open land to him. He was fairly certian something specific was being grown on purpose, but he wouldn't even guess at it.

As he stood there he had an idea and opened his comm to talk to the team, <<@Team:: "Team, Rocky here. Back looks clear, lots of open terrain looks like another farm house a klick or so out. I'm going to keep an eye out here for a minute. By the way boss, I had an idea, maybe we could borrow that drone Russo's wife had, so one of you computer chummer's can get an over watch going?">>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Safe Room
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:38:50
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

"Let me help you get things set up." Replied Johnson as he ascended the stairs behind Gabs. As they walked he responded to Rocky's suggestion.

<<@Team:: "Oh yeah, I forgot about that drone. Good idea, Rocky. I'll see if I can get it, for us.">>

"Well, it would help if we could use that little drone you used earlier when we approached - to help with surveillance outside."

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Safe Room
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:40:00
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Johnson messed around in AR as Gabs gathered some things and returned them to the secret room. She stopped to send him the access codes to the drone, but warned him it was a bit old. After connecting to the thing, he agreed - but it looked like it would get the job done. WIth a few more commands, he sent it in a patrolling circle around the farm, and slightly up. From there, its view would be less obstructed by trees and whatnot. A number of large dots appeared on its radar, but Johnson didn't really have the time or desire to investigate them all. They were probably things like passing cars, automated farm equipment. Somewhere amung those blinking dots, though, might be thier runaway bogey.

<<@Team:: Okay, passing out the access codes for the drone. Currently have it patrolling, set to warn us of incoming vehicles. Feel free to retask it as needed. I assume we lost our bogey? Would you guys rather stay here, or split before it returns with reinforcements?>>

After his message, he turned to Gabs who was currently fussing with her make-shift bed in the secret room. "Oh yeah, and you'll probably want this." He tossed Rosso's commlink onto the bed. "I put my contact information on there in case I don't see him again after he wakes up."

Realising he hasn't been very helpful, thus far, he waves his hand to clear away his AR controls, and helps Gabs with the blankets she was fussing with.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett - Barn
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:37:15
Angel – Technomancer - Hidden
PAN – Hidden

Caittie had been on edge for the past few minutes, which was slightly controlled by how disinterested in the info Johnson seemed to be. Only slightly though, as she nervously played with her long red hair as a crutch while she listened to the comm traffic. There was talk about it being clear out back, something that did help her nerves some, and then talk about getting access to a drone for surveillance, which also helped out. What really got her attention though was when Johnson asked if the team wanted to stay or leave.
At that moment, flashes of camera feeds showing a rainy scene of men in black trench coats and black glasses in the night along with too many black SUV’s and other vehicles at one building came to her mind. Then the gunfire, explosions and screams came forward as her mind painfully replayed all the things that had taken place which involved Louie in some way or another.

Speaking up onto the team’s network with a truly pleading voice, she said, “Can we please just leave this place? I really don’t want to be here when they come back.” As the young technomancer continued her voice took a more solemn tone, “We… we might not escape next time…”

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett(in the barn)
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:40:15:36
Cerberus: Street Samurai
PAN - Hidden (earbuds only)

Cerbeus walked around the inner walls of the barn looking for hidden doors or rooms and any tactically advantageous position that could be had if things turned to that. After giving things the once over with his normal vision he performed the search again in low light and thermal. Nohing stood out except the cow milking drones and the hay, just a regular barn on a farm. The walls were solid but they sure as heck wouldnt stop bullets or anything else of that nature. Up in the loft there were metal doors that slid apart on either end to bring up bales of hay to keep them dry for the animals. He imagined he could get up there and snipe at stuff if he needed to but he would be easy to spot.

Walking back to the rear of the van where the others were he focused in on the conversation over the comms.

<<@team: "Well i just looked around the barn and its not a very good place to try and fight off these mob guys so I would have to agree with Caittie. If we dont find a place to crash soon though your going to have to lug around an 800+ pound troll. I've been shot, injected with drugs, woke up with drugs, and have been up for around 30 hours. Im about to pass out from exaustion any second now. >>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:40:30
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden (Contacts, Earbuds, Smartlink)
Astrally Inactive

Fortunato followed Caittie's message with one of his own: <<@Team: I agree. We don't owe Rosso anything and staying here is only going to get us shot.>>

Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:41:03
Sledge - Advance Scout
PAN - Hidden

<<@Team:: Keep moving or die.>>

In the meantime she'd motored back to the road, the prickly hedge of blackberries wasn't even an irritant to the steel of her hog, and her leathers kept most of the barbs out. Slow acelleration kept the slips to a minimum, and she'd stopped as soon as she hit the paved road.

Kickstand out, she started clearing the debris from the undercarriage, nothing the hog couldn't run fine with, but you never knew what would get fouled if you didn't keep it in good care.

<<@Team:: Keep rolling. If they keep tagging the van, we ditch it, but that makes it all much harder to support each other. Enough of us to keep switching off shifts for rests. Any paint in the farm? Strip what we need and move.

And Sugar Lips honey, if you made all this effort for Rosso, but you don't tell his woman what's coming after us... not very nice. Don't matter they know nothing but the pair of them are going to end up in some meatballs.

I'm checking the roads ahead.>>

Sledge got back into her saddle and took off.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:41:06
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

Rocky stood at the back door for a couple of minutes watching the back to see if he could catch some sign of movement. But other than a few birds flying by it was quite. He listened to the team voice their thoughts on the next step.

It seemed that they were all at least on the same page. He took one last look and then pulled the door closed and made sure all the locks that were there were secure. Then as he headed to the front door sent a message to the team.

<<@Team:: Back still clear, back door locked down. Ready to roll.>>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:42:15
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Adam was a bit surprised by Sledge's comment. He had no clue how she knew what he had or had not told Gabs. Chances were, she was just guess - but, in any case, she was right. He hadn't told them who was after them.

He didn't suspect that knowing it was the Seattle mob that was poking around their house was going to help them out much at all, but as he made his way towards the stairs again, he decided he might as well let her know.

"Okay, it looks like we're moving out. Hopefully that will draw away whoever was snooping around. Rosso's last job was for the mob, so that's who we think it was. Two of the people with me have done work for the mob, too, and when they changed their minds, the mob came after them."

"Anyways, here's the combination to the door upstairs. You can use Rosso's commlink to use it if you need to get out. I'll shut it on my way up. I'll leave the drone outside, so you'll have eyes on the area. Give Rosso my best when he wakes up." He felt a little cold, leaving her like this - but he couldn't shake the thought that she knew the kind of danger her husband's job must involve. Plus, if the mob was snooping around the farm, he suspected it had more to do with his van full of fugitives than it did with the Shadowrunner the 'enemy' let live. So the best thing he could do for them was to leave, and take his friends with him.

As he walked back up the stairs, he mouthed a message to the team. <<@Team:: "Got me bugged, already, Sledge? I've told Gabs what she needs to know to keep her head down until Rosso comes to. I made it my buisness to save his life, not babysit him all day while he rests up from the ass-kicking he brought upon himself. My job here is done.">>

<<@Team:: "Speaking of which, I am heading out to the barn. Let's get moving before any reinforcements arrive. We'll head back into the city, and I'll take first-shift at the wheel. From here on out, you guys are pretty much in charge of this mission - although I would be pleased to help, as needed.">>

<<@Team:: "Unfortunately, as much as I would like to see that you guys stay safe, this mission isn't my only responsibility. So, if we're planning our counter-attack later in the day, that is fine, but I will have to take more of a supervisory postion, and meet back up with you, then. I would be happy to maintain matrix-communication, throughout the day, but I won't be able to physically joyride with you guys, for a lot longer.">>

<<@Team:: "Any questions?">>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:47:20
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden (Contacts, Earbuds, Smartlink)
Astrally Perceiving

Astral space was crackling faintly as sparks of irritates lightning spouted out of the vortical air spirit.

Our contract held that I should shroud your escape and hasten you on your way. That was completed and I further concealed this lump of metal after the flight had ceased. If anything I should be demanding more from you.

It was little use to explain to the spirit that there was no value concealing a van which was inside a barn. That said, it was understandably irritable; the violently turbulent puff of air had been promised a short term of service when Fortunato first summoned it -- one of the reasons it had so willingly signed on to help -- and now, hours later, it was being pressed into work for the balance of the day.

This would require a delicate touch.

I understand that your freedom is of great importance, but I never dictated that our escape was complete. Further you failed to complete the service as specified when you failed conceal both of our vehicles and did not consult me when that was no longer a possibility...

...But I understand no harm has been done and I am understanding of your desire for quick freedom. I'll generously exchange the final task you owe me for a continuation of the services you provided during our escape. In return I expect the freedom to specify whom you are covering and when until such time as you are released from your services. If all goes smoothly that time should be soon.

The spirit narrowed its eyes.

The monotony will be overwhelming, but the exchange is fair. Your shrewdness equals your skill at recruitment. I hope your cunning extends to whatever task you seek to accomplish that I may depart more quickly.

The discussion was the first of a long line of precautions Fortunato had up his sleeve in order to make the somewhat distinctive, tanklike, van less visible. Next up was the paint job, in case someone pierced the spirit's cover. He waved his hands in broad strokes over the side of the vehicle, as if sponging off paint. A thin shell of mana coalesced around the vehicle creating a tiny, intricate electric field intended to change the urban destroyer into a standard plumber's van.

He stepped back to admire his handiwork and noticed that Cerberus and Caittie had resumed their seats in the rear of the van. Bringing his sight back to the physical plane he weaved his way to his usual position in the front seat. The van was loaded with a tense, pre-fight edgieness even though there was no immediate threat; just being on the run again was enough to raise hackles and start nerves jingling. It reminded him of the covert operations he'd been on -- extensive nervous waiting and the endless fear of getting caught punctuated by light spellcasting.

Soon, Rocky stealthily entered the rear of the barn and re-entered the vehicle and finally Johnson wound his way from the house to the van. As the novice criminals rolled away from the farmstead Fortunato spoke to Johnson:

"I've pulled a few tricks that make us very hard to spot on the physical plane, but we're glowing on the astral. I'm going to follow the van in the astral and leave a spirit here to talk to you if things go wrong."

He grabbed a hunk of the nearby mana and quickly rolled it into a ball. "This glob of magic is a watcher spirit. He'll be relaying messages for me. Talk to him and I'll hear it, he'll talk to you if I have something to say." And with that, Fortunato closed his eyes and slowed his breathing as his body drifted into a trancelike state and his mind floated into the great shadowy expanses of the spirit plane.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:47:25
Mr. Smith - Johnson
PAN - Hidden

Mr. Johnson seemed amused by the little puff of spiritual energy that hovered around the now-limp body of the team's mage-for-hire. He didn't waste a beat in trying out this new toy.

"How's it look, Fort? Too bad this little thing can't wear a pair of headphones so you can keep in touch with network chatter."

Johnson thought it was pretty amazing that Fortunato could provide an invisible lookout while also letting his body rest, but that was just one example of why Franco must have insisted that the team need a mage. Adam was generally pretty good at anything he put his mind to, but he would never be able to summon a spirit, or manipulate mana. It just wasn't in his genes.

Backing the van out of the barn carefully, he gathered speed as he opened out into the long driveway.

<<@Team:: Okay, Sledge, we're back on the road. Closing in on your location. >>

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:47:28
Fortunato - Support Mage
PAN - Hidden (Contacts, Earbuds, Smartlink)
Astrally Projecting

"He says it looks fine fine, and I think it looks totally awesome. What is this thing anyway." the spirit cheerily stated. The ball of mana was whipping back and forth in a gleeful, confused state, trying to take in everything around it.

Astral space looked clear, which was a relief. Their superhuman speed and near invisibility wouldn't be helpful here. Fortunato had never really cared for the process of projectiion, astral always seemed large, intimidating and even vaguely menacing. However, he appreciated that there were times when being in his body just wasn't as useful as being out of it, whatever hiis personal qualms were. Being an astral outrider was one of those times.

42398 Rural Route 11, Everett
Tuesday 8/19/70 10:47:35
Rocky - physical adept
PAN: Hidden

Rocky made a quick walk through of the house, making sure they had not left anything behind. He locked the front door before closing it, and then walked over to the barn looking around casually to see if he saw anything out of place.

Slipping in to the barn he headed for the van and climbed in nodding at the others and looking at bit confused at the spirt floating inside. "Insides clean and doors are locked. So where are we headed now?"