Amy's Apartment Building (Ram's apartment), UCAS Sector, 5:00 PM, July 30th, 2075
Amy asked Overkill to stop at Patty's on their way to her apartment, to grab dinner for 2 adults and 4 kids. She selected a juicy slow roasted soychicken and sides of potato salad and coleslaw.
After Overkill had dropped off Amy at her place, she went straight for the first floor apartment claimed by Ram and his 3 kids. Ram was the handyman of the squatters in the building and he was very respected by the others, who regularly paid him for his services. He knew how to get electricity from the city Grid, how to hook up to the matrix when someone needed it, though usually not for very long, how to get water running, sometimes even hot, and how to repair all sorts of things. He was an ork with the unusual feature of having prominent ram-like horns as if he were a troll. His work made it so that he was always around and knew a lot of what was going on in the building with everyone's lives. And with his youngest being only 3, he was busy with his own household too. Sam liked to play with his two oldest kids, Jamie and Tom, who were both close to her in age.
As she climbs up the stairs, Amy's immediately greeted by Tom and Sam who roar at her, with Tom holding a wooden dragon in his hands. "Watch out Aunt Amy, Dunkelzahn is blocking the way!" said Tom menacingly. "Yeah! He can breathe fire on you so don't ever make him mad!" added Sam equally menacingly. "Oh! A dragon! Help me! Help me! I need a brave hero to come and save me!" and Amy pretended to duck to avoid the fire breath. "It's okay Amy, it's okay! We tamed the dragon, he wasn't really going to attack you!" reassured Sam. "Oh good, 'cause I'm afraid of ghosts too." said Amy, smiling. "A ghost? But we're playing dragons..." said 8-year-old Tom, a little confused.
Ram was walking their way, and Amy went to see him. "I gotta talk to your daddy, you guys can keep playing, but we'll have dinner soon." "Roar! Roar!" was the only answer she received.
"Hey Chummer, sorry for leaving Sam for the day. My work has been keeping me very busy and I suspect it might go on for a few more days." "It's all right, what are neighbors for, after all? I see you brought dinner? Nice!" the ork grinned. "Ram, I know you're not into this kind of thing, but Sam really likes spending time with Tom and Jamie. And since you're already looking over them, you think you could add her to the list?" The ork was hesitant, "Well, sure... I guess." Amy saw that he wasn't really happy about the prospect. "Listen, this won't be for very long and I'll soon find someone who wants to do it more than you, but in the mean time it would really help me out a lot. Let's not make a big fuss, I know your time is valuable, I'll add 50 per day that she's with you on top of what I give you each month. That'll only last until I find a more permanent arrangement anyway." Ram wasn't going to refuse good easy money from a neighbor in need. "Sure thing Amy, I don't know what you do out there, but don't forget you have a young kid back home who needs you. Maybe you should at least give her a call once in a while, if you can fit that into your schedule. At one point she asked where you were, and it really pained me not being able to tell her anything that really made sense." Amy sighs. "Yeah, you're right. I've been a really bad mother for the past two days, I guess..." Ram interrupted the thought. "Don't sweat it, let's just enjoy what you brought with you.. do I smell chicken? Hey Jamie! Aunt Amy brought some chicken over! Come! Tom, Sam, the dragon is hungry, isn't he? Come here before he eats you whole!"
Full Version: Nothing's Free in the Free Zone (IC)
Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:05PM, July 30th, 2075
"Violence and smuggling? How shocking!" She puts her hand to her cheek in mock horror. "Moving stuff around this city is dicey at best, and lethal at its worst." She savors a sip of wine before continuing. Between the ZDF on the border, the individual security corporations inside the sectors, the crime syndicates, the t-bird jammers, the Fronts, the Godz, and then all the independent operators, I'm constantly surprised we don't wake up to an even higher body count each morning."
Pushing her plate away, after picking up one last shrimp, she continues, "Fortunately I avoid most of that, dealing with virtual materials. Makes the border crossings much easier." With a wink, she lowers the shrimp into her mouth, and then licks her fingertips. "Every once in a while I get a consignment of physical product, our business tonight is a prime example, and sometimes I get some pharmaceuticals coming over the border - but I try to keep that to a minimum."
Finishing her wine, she holds out her glass for Jack to refill it. "Or did your business with me involve more than just product?"
"Violence and smuggling? How shocking!" She puts her hand to her cheek in mock horror. "Moving stuff around this city is dicey at best, and lethal at its worst." She savors a sip of wine before continuing. Between the ZDF on the border, the individual security corporations inside the sectors, the crime syndicates, the t-bird jammers, the Fronts, the Godz, and then all the independent operators, I'm constantly surprised we don't wake up to an even higher body count each morning."
Pushing her plate away, after picking up one last shrimp, she continues, "Fortunately I avoid most of that, dealing with virtual materials. Makes the border crossings much easier." With a wink, she lowers the shrimp into her mouth, and then licks her fingertips. "Every once in a while I get a consignment of physical product, our business tonight is a prime example, and sometimes I get some pharmaceuticals coming over the border - but I try to keep that to a minimum."
Finishing her wine, she holds out her glass for Jack to refill it. "Or did your business with me involve more than just product?"
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:10PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack began to fill the wine glass, glancing at Honeypot in a silent request for her to say when he should stop. When the glass was half-full, the elf gave a nearly imperceptible nod. Filling his own glass, Jack replied, "While sharing dinner with you is my main purpose here, I did want to touch base with you as you're one of the few people I know who would be pretty familiar with cross-sector smuggling."
Pausing to snag a piece of squid, Jack takes the time to chew and swallow before continuing. "There's something about these incidents I really can't wrap my head around. Given how much smuggling goes on here with the way the city is laid out, it seems like busts would simply be a fairly routine cost of doing business in the Free Zone."
Lowering his voice, Jack leans his head across the table and continues, "Without getting into too many details, the incidents we're looking into involve a number of people officially involved in certain drug-related busts." Confident she can draw her own conclusions, the ork continues, "It seems strange that there would be this level of retailiation. I imagine busts are made every day, how often does that result in expensive, contracted payback? Am I just being naive here?"
Jack began to fill the wine glass, glancing at Honeypot in a silent request for her to say when he should stop. When the glass was half-full, the elf gave a nearly imperceptible nod. Filling his own glass, Jack replied, "While sharing dinner with you is my main purpose here, I did want to touch base with you as you're one of the few people I know who would be pretty familiar with cross-sector smuggling."
Pausing to snag a piece of squid, Jack takes the time to chew and swallow before continuing. "There's something about these incidents I really can't wrap my head around. Given how much smuggling goes on here with the way the city is laid out, it seems like busts would simply be a fairly routine cost of doing business in the Free Zone."
Lowering his voice, Jack leans his head across the table and continues, "Without getting into too many details, the incidents we're looking into involve a number of people officially involved in certain drug-related busts." Confident she can draw her own conclusions, the ork continues, "It seems strange that there would be this level of retailiation. I imagine busts are made every day, how often does that result in expensive, contracted payback? Am I just being naive here?"
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:10PM, July 30th, 2075
Leaning back, and crossing her legs, Jack could see why she was so popular in her original profession. He could feel his heart elevate a bit, as she turned her neck to drink the wine just so, and this was a purely platonic business deal. She would be a force to be reckoned with should she ever put on the charm.
"Money drives this trade, Jack, as it does every other. If people are killing one another over product being smuggled into the UCAS Sector, then whatever is being moved in must be worth a lot of money. That could be in the form of actual individual pieces, or the pipeline itself."
She dabs at her face with a napkin, laying it back on the table. "Since you are talking about drugs, then no one individual item is the issue, but the pipeline itself must be. Let's take it a step further. You are talking drugs, so you must be talking about cross-border smuggling from the Sioux Sector. Their laws against illegal drugs, as well as their standards for pharmaceutical-grade products are draconian compared to UCAS ones."
A sly smile plays across her face. "Now Jack, your two friends from the Warrens, they wouldn't happen to be those two elves poking around about the deaths of the Lone Star officers, would they?"
Leaning back, and crossing her legs, Jack could see why she was so popular in her original profession. He could feel his heart elevate a bit, as she turned her neck to drink the wine just so, and this was a purely platonic business deal. She would be a force to be reckoned with should she ever put on the charm.
"Money drives this trade, Jack, as it does every other. If people are killing one another over product being smuggled into the UCAS Sector, then whatever is being moved in must be worth a lot of money. That could be in the form of actual individual pieces, or the pipeline itself."
She dabs at her face with a napkin, laying it back on the table. "Since you are talking about drugs, then no one individual item is the issue, but the pipeline itself must be. Let's take it a step further. You are talking drugs, so you must be talking about cross-border smuggling from the Sioux Sector. Their laws against illegal drugs, as well as their standards for pharmaceutical-grade products are draconian compared to UCAS ones."
A sly smile plays across her face. "Now Jack, your two friends from the Warrens, they wouldn't happen to be those two elves poking around about the deaths of the Lone Star officers, would they?"
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:10PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack's eyes circumspectly wandered to wherever areas Honeypot chose to highlight. The elf's information about the Sioux Sector was news to him; it certainly explained the cross-border nature of the operation. Contemplating what the elf was saying, Jack's eye-wandering came to an abrupt halt when Honeypot basically described Amy and Overkill.
Well, frag... he thought to himself. With a desultory pout, Jack replied unconvincingly, "Of course I have no clue who you mean..." Lifting his glass, he raised a heavy eyebrow and continued, "With that said, let's toast to fools, lovers, and all the trouble in which they may find themselves. Sounds like the two you described could use it..."
Jack's eyes circumspectly wandered to wherever areas Honeypot chose to highlight. The elf's information about the Sioux Sector was news to him; it certainly explained the cross-border nature of the operation. Contemplating what the elf was saying, Jack's eye-wandering came to an abrupt halt when Honeypot basically described Amy and Overkill.
Well, frag... he thought to himself. With a desultory pout, Jack replied unconvincingly, "Of course I have no clue who you mean..." Lifting his glass, he raised a heavy eyebrow and continued, "With that said, let's toast to fools, lovers, and all the trouble in which they may find themselves. Sounds like the two you described could use it..."
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:20PM, July 30th, 2075
"Cheers - they'll need it. They've caused enough of a stir that I've heard about it - and I'm not directly involved."
Again, the hint of the smile, "Not that you care, since you don't know who they are, of course." Finishing up, she stands, "Shall we conclude our business my dear?"
"Cheers - they'll need it. They've caused enough of a stir that I've heard about it - and I'm not directly involved."
Again, the hint of the smile, "Not that you care, since you don't know who they are, of course." Finishing up, she stands, "Shall we conclude our business my dear?"
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:20PM, July 30th, 2075
Figuring the elf would play coy, Jack responded, "Yes, best of luck to those two... of course, it sounds like they may be involved in something rather similar to the job my crew is working. Any idea which ant hills they've kicked over at this point? Forwarned is forearmed, after all, in case we're snooping around the same circles..."
Jack checked the ARO of the bill hovering at the end of the table and swiped the shape of a check mark through it with his index finger. As the McCormick's host tabulated the bill, he made a smaller plus sign gesture and drew the number 20 in the air to add on a tip for the wait staff. The ork didn't mind paying, he hoped to further develop his professional relationship with Honeypot and nice dinners was one way to move the needle forward, particularly since she was a self-described foodie. Hell, if he paid taxes, he'd write this off as a business expense. Jack made a mental note to ask Overkill to do a bit of research on foodie-advocated restaurants so he could pick the next place.
Figuring the elf would play coy, Jack responded, "Yes, best of luck to those two... of course, it sounds like they may be involved in something rather similar to the job my crew is working. Any idea which ant hills they've kicked over at this point? Forwarned is forearmed, after all, in case we're snooping around the same circles..."
Jack checked the ARO of the bill hovering at the end of the table and swiped the shape of a check mark through it with his index finger. As the McCormick's host tabulated the bill, he made a smaller plus sign gesture and drew the number 20 in the air to add on a tip for the wait staff. The ork didn't mind paying, he hoped to further develop his professional relationship with Honeypot and nice dinners was one way to move the needle forward, particularly since she was a self-described foodie. Hell, if he paid taxes, he'd write this off as a business expense. Jack made a mental note to ask Overkill to do a bit of research on foodie-advocated restaurants so he could pick the next place.
Overkill's House, 5:10 PM, July 30th, 2075
After dropping Amy off at her house, Overkill hits the throttle on his bike and speeds for home. Arriving at his apartment, he quickly heads upstairs and grabs a beer, and then relaxes for a moment, taking a break from his endeavors of the day. He stays like that for a while, slowly drinking and looking out his window at the Warrens, wondering whether someone else was succumbing to the drug as he sat there.
Focusing, he slipped into the Virtual World transforming into his angel persona.
<<Jumping from grid to grid, Overkill zooms to the Tasty Burger host, a giant, garish manifestation of their Deluxe Burger in neon gold and black, shakes his head in disgust, and enters through the front door, pretending to be yet another customer. A quick stop at the virtual vending machine where orders can be placed ahead of time, he bypasses the security to arrange for the security files to be on the menu instead of the usual soy and meat food ™ products.
Sliding his way through the cracks in security, he retrieves the footage from the camera, downloads it to his deck, and walks back out the front door with no one the wiser.>>
Back in his body, he reflects on his latest escapade. That's how it is supposed to happen - just have to get back into practice.
Reviewing the footage at his leisure, it seems to corroborate the tearful woman's story. The video shows a man that seems to be Lynx enter the Tasty Burger, walk up to the officer and execute him with extreme prejudice at point blank range, spending a few more seconds to empty a clip into the body. Overkill recognizes the weapon as an Ingram Smartgun. I'll have to get this info to the team, but first I think I'll grab some food - anything but Tasty Burger...
On his way to the fridge, he sees Jack's message blinking at him, and takes a look.
After dropping Amy off at her house, Overkill hits the throttle on his bike and speeds for home. Arriving at his apartment, he quickly heads upstairs and grabs a beer, and then relaxes for a moment, taking a break from his endeavors of the day. He stays like that for a while, slowly drinking and looking out his window at the Warrens, wondering whether someone else was succumbing to the drug as he sat there.
Focusing, he slipped into the Virtual World transforming into his angel persona.
<<Jumping from grid to grid, Overkill zooms to the Tasty Burger host, a giant, garish manifestation of their Deluxe Burger in neon gold and black, shakes his head in disgust, and enters through the front door, pretending to be yet another customer. A quick stop at the virtual vending machine where orders can be placed ahead of time, he bypasses the security to arrange for the security files to be on the menu instead of the usual soy and meat food ™ products.
Sliding his way through the cracks in security, he retrieves the footage from the camera, downloads it to his deck, and walks back out the front door with no one the wiser.>>
Back in his body, he reflects on his latest escapade. That's how it is supposed to happen - just have to get back into practice.
Reviewing the footage at his leisure, it seems to corroborate the tearful woman's story. The video shows a man that seems to be Lynx enter the Tasty Burger, walk up to the officer and execute him with extreme prejudice at point blank range, spending a few more seconds to empty a clip into the body. Overkill recognizes the weapon as an Ingram Smartgun. I'll have to get this info to the team, but first I think I'll grab some food - anything but Tasty Burger...
On his way to the fridge, he sees Jack's message blinking at him, and takes a look.
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:20PM, July 30th, 2075
"Thank you for the dinner, Jack, it was delicious." She walks with him out the door, and calls her car to follow them as they walk to the taxi.
She looks askance at the taxi and says, "Interesting car, at least it blends in." Her own, car, a bright red Porsche Aguilar did anything but. She had kept silent on the matter of Overkill and Grease on the walk out of the restaurant, and remained so for now. Popping open the trunk with wave of her hand, she handed jack a couple of clothing boxes marked 'Lord & Taylor'.
"There you go, my dear, wear them well. Inside the second box are your contacts." Closing the trunk she says, "With regards to the two elves we were discussing, I could make certain inquiries, if you would like, but information, as anything else, carries a price."
"Thank you for the dinner, Jack, it was delicious." She walks with him out the door, and calls her car to follow them as they walk to the taxi.
She looks askance at the taxi and says, "Interesting car, at least it blends in." Her own, car, a bright red Porsche Aguilar did anything but. She had kept silent on the matter of Overkill and Grease on the walk out of the restaurant, and remained so for now. Popping open the trunk with wave of her hand, she handed jack a couple of clothing boxes marked 'Lord & Taylor'.
"There you go, my dear, wear them well. Inside the second box are your contacts." Closing the trunk she says, "With regards to the two elves we were discussing, I could make certain inquiries, if you would like, but information, as anything else, carries a price."
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:20PM, July 30th, 2075
"Any time, my dear. It was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time... the food was great too. If you want to do it again, or if you need anything from me, you know where to find me." Jack said to Honeypot with a genuine smile.
"Nice wheels," the ork remarked as he accepted the boxes from the fence. Not wanting to question the elf's integrity, Jack accepted the goods without comment. In response to Honeypot's offer, the ork nodded, "I'd certainly be interested in knowing what may be getting stirred up related to my job... and come on chica, we're professionals here, I'm fully aware that it's pay to play in this world. If you put your ear to the ground and something comes up, just give me a buzz and name your price."
Jack suddenly remembered he had intended to ask Honeypot about something. "Speaking of buzz... can you lay your hands on four clean Meta Links? We need a few burners, no connected SINs. I'm sorry that I forgot to ask you about it earlier, the conversation was so interesting."
"Any time, my dear. It was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time... the food was great too. If you want to do it again, or if you need anything from me, you know where to find me." Jack said to Honeypot with a genuine smile.
"Nice wheels," the ork remarked as he accepted the boxes from the fence. Not wanting to question the elf's integrity, Jack accepted the goods without comment. In response to Honeypot's offer, the ork nodded, "I'd certainly be interested in knowing what may be getting stirred up related to my job... and come on chica, we're professionals here, I'm fully aware that it's pay to play in this world. If you put your ear to the ground and something comes up, just give me a buzz and name your price."
Jack suddenly remembered he had intended to ask Honeypot about something. "Speaking of buzz... can you lay your hands on four clean Meta Links? We need a few burners, no connected SINs. I'm sorry that I forgot to ask you about it earlier, the conversation was so interesting."
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:20PM, July 30th, 2075
"I'll keep that in mind Jack, and I'll see what I can find out." She pops the door on the Porsche, and turns at Jack's final question. "Some clean Metas? No problem. I've got some on hand - should have said something, I would have brought them. I'll have them delivered with the rest of your order tomorrow morning. Just send me the 480
the usual way." Stepping into the car, she puts the top back, throws a pair of sunglasses on against the glare of the sun, and speeds off, leaving Jack alone with Grease's taxi.
"I'll keep that in mind Jack, and I'll see what I can find out." She pops the door on the Porsche, and turns at Jack's final question. "Some clean Metas? No problem. I've got some on hand - should have said something, I would have brought them. I'll have them delivered with the rest of your order tomorrow morning. Just send me the 480
the usual way." Stepping into the car, she puts the top back, throws a pair of sunglasses on against the glare of the sun, and speeds off, leaving Jack alone with Grease's taxi.
New McCormicks's Seafood House, 5:20PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack waved goodbye to Honeypot as she sped off. Lugging the bags over to the Americar, he heard the distinctive sound of the taxi's trunk popping open. Lifting the hatch, Jack stowed the Lords & Taylor bags in the back and closed the trunk and said, "Thanks Taxi, you're not so bad after all."
Walking around to the right rear door, Jack reached for the handle. Before he could get his hand on it, he heard the distinctive sound of the door lock activating and saw the lock mechanism snap down as he pulled the handle. Frowning in annoyance, he tried the right front door but, again, the door lock snapped into place before he could open it. Fuming, he walked around to the left rear door. Before he cleared the trunk, he heard the sound of the two passenger side door locks snap open. Looking through the rear windshield, he confirmed that the car had indeed unlocked the passenger doors. Moving back around to the rear passenger door, he attempted to open it, only to see the lock snap into place once again.
It was at this point in time that the Americar beeped its horn at him.
Gnashing his tusks, Jack caught sight of one of the vehicle's sensors. Making sure it could see him, he balled his hand into a fist and placed it solidly against the window of the door. "You wanna try me?"
A few seconds passed in the silent stalemate, a page of plastipaper screamsheet blowing in the wind. Jack was relieved when he heard the lock actuator finally unlock the door. Snatching it open before the taxi's Pilot program had second thoughts, he slid into the backseat. Activating his commlink, he opened a message to the team.
<<@Team [JustJack] Hoi amigos, we need to meet at Nic's ASAP. I got some news, mostly pretty bad, from my meet. Check your six until you get there>>
Jack waved goodbye to Honeypot as she sped off. Lugging the bags over to the Americar, he heard the distinctive sound of the taxi's trunk popping open. Lifting the hatch, Jack stowed the Lords & Taylor bags in the back and closed the trunk and said, "Thanks Taxi, you're not so bad after all."
Walking around to the right rear door, Jack reached for the handle. Before he could get his hand on it, he heard the distinctive sound of the door lock activating and saw the lock mechanism snap down as he pulled the handle. Frowning in annoyance, he tried the right front door but, again, the door lock snapped into place before he could open it. Fuming, he walked around to the left rear door. Before he cleared the trunk, he heard the sound of the two passenger side door locks snap open. Looking through the rear windshield, he confirmed that the car had indeed unlocked the passenger doors. Moving back around to the rear passenger door, he attempted to open it, only to see the lock snap into place once again.
It was at this point in time that the Americar beeped its horn at him.
Gnashing his tusks, Jack caught sight of one of the vehicle's sensors. Making sure it could see him, he balled his hand into a fist and placed it solidly against the window of the door. "You wanna try me?"
A few seconds passed in the silent stalemate, a page of plastipaper screamsheet blowing in the wind. Jack was relieved when he heard the lock actuator finally unlock the door. Snatching it open before the taxi's Pilot program had second thoughts, he slid into the backseat. Activating his commlink, he opened a message to the team.
<<@Team [JustJack] Hoi amigos, we need to meet at Nic's ASAP. I got some news, mostly pretty bad, from my meet. Check your six until you get there>>
Overkill's House, 5:10 PM, July 30th, 2075
As Drave flips through the files from Manuel's sent by Jack, he notices a second message from him, bearing the warning. "Sohn von einem Weibchen", he curses.
He immediately opens a connection to Amy's Link;
<<@Amy: "I am on my way out the door, you should be too. Meet me outside.">>
then responds to Jack;
<<@Justjack: "Thanks for the tip, I will swing by Amy's to pick her up, and meet you at Nic's, schnell">>
As Drave flips through the files from Manuel's sent by Jack, he notices a second message from him, bearing the warning. "Sohn von einem Weibchen", he curses.
He immediately opens a connection to Amy's Link;
<<@Amy: "I am on my way out the door, you should be too. Meet me outside.">>
then responds to Jack;
<<@Justjack: "Thanks for the tip, I will swing by Amy's to pick her up, and meet you at Nic's, schnell">>
Ram's Apartment, Aurora Warrens, 5:20PM, July 30th, 2075
Amy looks down at her commlink and sighs. "I have to get going again. Sorry Ram. Kevin will come by later to pick up Sam and put her to bed."
She hugs Sam emotionally before leaving. "Sam, I'm really sorry my dear, but I have to go back to work. I promise you things will get back to normal soon and I'll have plenty of time to spend with you. I'm ... I'm doing this for you."
As she climbed the stairs to her own apartment, Amy was wondering how true that last bit was. In many ways, it was. The money would allow them to live in a more secure, more comfortable place. They could eat better and take a shower every day. Yes, clearly that would be good for the both of them. Her line of work was dangerous, but it would be worth it down the line.
<<@Team [Amy] I'll be there. Overkill, pick me up whenever you're ready.>>
In front of Amy's apartment building, Aurora Warrens, 5:45PM, July 30th, 2075
Amy waits for Overkill leaning against the wall in front of the building, drinking water from an old plastic bottle. When Overkill arrives she goes towards the bike and hops on behind him. "Let's go."
Amy looks down at her commlink and sighs. "I have to get going again. Sorry Ram. Kevin will come by later to pick up Sam and put her to bed."
She hugs Sam emotionally before leaving. "Sam, I'm really sorry my dear, but I have to go back to work. I promise you things will get back to normal soon and I'll have plenty of time to spend with you. I'm ... I'm doing this for you."
As she climbed the stairs to her own apartment, Amy was wondering how true that last bit was. In many ways, it was. The money would allow them to live in a more secure, more comfortable place. They could eat better and take a shower every day. Yes, clearly that would be good for the both of them. Her line of work was dangerous, but it would be worth it down the line.
<<@Team [Amy] I'll be there. Overkill, pick me up whenever you're ready.>>
In front of Amy's apartment building, Aurora Warrens, 5:45PM, July 30th, 2075
Amy waits for Overkill leaning against the wall in front of the building, drinking water from an old plastic bottle. When Overkill arrives she goes towards the bike and hops on behind him. "Let's go."
[ Spoiler ]
UCAS Sector Outside Warrens, 5:30PM, July 30th, 2075
Driving back to his apartment, Grease's eyes keep wandering over to the glove box of his BMW, where his stash is located. Keep it together two days in a row, you junkie. Speeding up, he darts and weaves through traffic on his way back to the apartment. There were a number of variables in his head about how things were going to go down, and he disliked being as in the dark as he was. He hoped recovering some commlinks from the "victims" of Stingray might break the case open. This run was entirely too complicated, and he was afraid that it was going to go sideways fast. If you can't follow the mark, that means it's probably YOU.
Grease also tried to avoid going into the Warrens whenever he could. You could call it paranoia, snobbery, or whatever. He'd admit to himself that it was because he recognized he was only barely out of those conditions himself, and it wouldn't take much for him to end up there like the rest. At any rate, he wasn't going to go in there without loading for bear. Stopping by his apartment, he loaded the trunk of his BMW with a variety of sundry, highly illegal goods he couldn't take into any respectable part of the city. Let's hope I don't need them.. Finally, he motioned to his Doberman drone to hop in the trunk. "C'mon RHex, get in there. I'll let you stick your head out the window next time." Obligingly RHex lightly hopped into the trunk, sending Grease a variety of emojis indicating pleasure, loyalty, excitement, and hunger. "I just changed your oil this morning!" Closing the trunk, he sped away towards Nick's to meet with the rest of the team.
<<@Team[Grease]: OMW.>>
Gear:
Driving back to his apartment, Grease's eyes keep wandering over to the glove box of his BMW, where his stash is located. Keep it together two days in a row, you junkie. Speeding up, he darts and weaves through traffic on his way back to the apartment. There were a number of variables in his head about how things were going to go down, and he disliked being as in the dark as he was. He hoped recovering some commlinks from the "victims" of Stingray might break the case open. This run was entirely too complicated, and he was afraid that it was going to go sideways fast. If you can't follow the mark, that means it's probably YOU.
Grease also tried to avoid going into the Warrens whenever he could. You could call it paranoia, snobbery, or whatever. He'd admit to himself that it was because he recognized he was only barely out of those conditions himself, and it wouldn't take much for him to end up there like the rest. At any rate, he wasn't going to go in there without loading for bear. Stopping by his apartment, he loaded the trunk of his BMW with a variety of sundry, highly illegal goods he couldn't take into any respectable part of the city. Let's hope I don't need them.. Finally, he motioned to his Doberman drone to hop in the trunk. "C'mon RHex, get in there. I'll let you stick your head out the window next time." Obligingly RHex lightly hopped into the trunk, sending Grease a variety of emojis indicating pleasure, loyalty, excitement, and hunger. "I just changed your oil this morning!" Closing the trunk, he sped away towards Nick's to meet with the rest of the team.
<<@Team[Grease]: OMW.>>
Gear:
[ Spoiler ]
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:38 PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack kept his eyes peeled on his surroundings during the ride back to the Warrens. Truth be told, the tidbit that Honeypot shared unnerved him more than a little bit. The crew had only been working this job for a few days and word had already gotten to the fence about their investigation. He could only assume the woman was referring to Overkill and Amy since he had spent the majority of his time with Grease and no one was going to confuse him for an elf. Hmmm... maybe we ought to pair off differently if we have to split up again? If the shadows were looking for a male and female elf, maybe Grease and I should pair off with Overkill and Amy respectively. Whatever it took to throw off the scent...
Grease's Taxi pulled up to Nic's Knacks in short order. Everything looked quiet around the converted building, although Jack knew not to get too complacent. Popping the trunk remotely, he exited the vehicle, leaving the door open to provide him with cover if he needed it. Slipping back to the trunk, he stood sideways as he retrieved the shopping bags and his worn clothes to reduce his profile. Closing the trunk lid, he moved back to the open door, shut it, and darted toward the building. Quickly entering, he closed the door and activated the maglock. Opening up his Ikon's feed, he quickly instructed the maglock to invite MARKs to the three elves' commlinks when they got within 10 meters of the device. Figuring at least Overkill would know what to do when he received the invitation, he looked around the room and spotted Nic.
"Hola, Nic! How's it going, chum? The team's heading this way in a few for a meeting. You remember Amy, of course. I'm not sure if you've met Overkill before, but he lives in the Warrens as well. The last one is named Grease, he's new to me and isn't a Warren Rat. Oh, they're all elves, so hide all of the flowers and baking sheets."
"Now, you know I don't like putting you in danger, but we needed somewhere that was relatively safe for the time being. I think a few of our inquiries may have been noticed, so I think the heat is on two of the others. The good news is that, as far as I can tell, no one has tagged me yet. The bad news is that the two that were noticed are heading over here right now. I'm not planning on spending much time here, so hopefully nothing comes of it, but I wanted to give you fair warning... not that where we live is all that safe to begin with but I know I would want a bit of warning." Jack did his best to be apologetic about the whole thing, he did feel terrible about putting Nic into the situation. "The maglock is active, but I had it invite MARKs to the others, so don't be too surprised if it opens up."
The troll had a look that mixed distaste with understanding. "Christ Jack, you gotta do a better job of keeping business seperate from personal stuff. At least the business you're in... it isn't like my shop is really going to cause us problems like this." The servos in his leg whined as he limped his way over to the counter and sat down on a stool. Jack knew the troll was also grabbing the sawn-off Defiance T-250 shotgun he kept there. "Go ahead and get ready for them. I'll watch the door."
Jack nodded thanks to the troll. Before heading back to his room to change, he grabbed his flash-pack and clipped it to a stanchion that was sticking out of a pile of detritus near the front door. He angled the device so it pointed directly at the door and confirmed it was slaved to his commlink. His slapdash preparations complete, Jack bolted to his room.
He tossed his balled-up Actioneer suit on the bed and stripped off his new clothes. Grabbing the two bags of evidence Ramirez had entrusted him with, he hid both of them in the bottom of the bag containing his new disguise clothing. Hastily folding the clothes he just removed. he placed them in the shopping bag with the rest of the clothing and evidence bags and hid them deep in his closet. Already in the closet, Jack reached for his brawling clothes.
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:45 PM, July 30th, 2075
Unsurprisingly, Grease arrived at the meet first. Riggers had that habit, no matter whether they started farther away than everyone else or not. Exiting the vehicle, the elf looked around with a well masked show of distaste. There was a reason he chose not to live in the Warrens after all. He popped the trunk on the BMW so that RHex could train his sensors on the surrounding area to act as an early warning system and fire support if the situation demanded it. As he completed his precautions, Grease noticed the now-familiar sound of a BMW Falke as Overkill and Amy pulled into view. Overkill dismounted the bike and moved to help Amy off. She waved him off, however, gracefully dismounted the bike on her own. It appears that she may have picked up a few things over the last few days of riding on the bike.
As the three elves approached the door, Amy's commlink pinged and the AR displays for Overkill and Grease lit up with a MARKs invitation from the maglock mounted to the front door of Nic's shop. "Achtung," Overkill said, "I'll handle this." Accepting the invitation, Overkill placed three MARKs on the maglock and cycled the lock. As the three elves entered, they noticed Nic sitting behind a counter, looking intently in their direction. The troll's large red cybereye focusing in on each of them in turn.
"Hoi, Nic!" Amy said as she entered, "Where's Jack?"
Before the troll could answer, Jack spoke, "Hey amigos, glad you all made it here." The ork stood in the doorway to his room, his corporate persona discarded. The ork was dressed in a plain black t-shirt, grey urban camoflauged cargo pants, a black web belt, black combat boots, and a stripped down black leather armor jacket. Nearly faded from view, a silver Aztlan logo was printed on the back of the jacket, marking it as one of the many pieces of Aztlaner military equipment that flooded the surplus markets after Ghostwalker booted the nation out of Denver. Interestingly, the black dye of the left cuff of the jacket had largely been stripped away as if heavy industrial cleaners had been used to clean the area on many repeated occasions. Jack carried a black tactical helmet with a visor under his left arm and had a well maintained HK227 SMG slung across his back.
"We've got to talk."
GEAR
Jack kept his eyes peeled on his surroundings during the ride back to the Warrens. Truth be told, the tidbit that Honeypot shared unnerved him more than a little bit. The crew had only been working this job for a few days and word had already gotten to the fence about their investigation. He could only assume the woman was referring to Overkill and Amy since he had spent the majority of his time with Grease and no one was going to confuse him for an elf. Hmmm... maybe we ought to pair off differently if we have to split up again? If the shadows were looking for a male and female elf, maybe Grease and I should pair off with Overkill and Amy respectively. Whatever it took to throw off the scent...
Grease's Taxi pulled up to Nic's Knacks in short order. Everything looked quiet around the converted building, although Jack knew not to get too complacent. Popping the trunk remotely, he exited the vehicle, leaving the door open to provide him with cover if he needed it. Slipping back to the trunk, he stood sideways as he retrieved the shopping bags and his worn clothes to reduce his profile. Closing the trunk lid, he moved back to the open door, shut it, and darted toward the building. Quickly entering, he closed the door and activated the maglock. Opening up his Ikon's feed, he quickly instructed the maglock to invite MARKs to the three elves' commlinks when they got within 10 meters of the device. Figuring at least Overkill would know what to do when he received the invitation, he looked around the room and spotted Nic.
"Hola, Nic! How's it going, chum? The team's heading this way in a few for a meeting. You remember Amy, of course. I'm not sure if you've met Overkill before, but he lives in the Warrens as well. The last one is named Grease, he's new to me and isn't a Warren Rat. Oh, they're all elves, so hide all of the flowers and baking sheets."
"Now, you know I don't like putting you in danger, but we needed somewhere that was relatively safe for the time being. I think a few of our inquiries may have been noticed, so I think the heat is on two of the others. The good news is that, as far as I can tell, no one has tagged me yet. The bad news is that the two that were noticed are heading over here right now. I'm not planning on spending much time here, so hopefully nothing comes of it, but I wanted to give you fair warning... not that where we live is all that safe to begin with but I know I would want a bit of warning." Jack did his best to be apologetic about the whole thing, he did feel terrible about putting Nic into the situation. "The maglock is active, but I had it invite MARKs to the others, so don't be too surprised if it opens up."
The troll had a look that mixed distaste with understanding. "Christ Jack, you gotta do a better job of keeping business seperate from personal stuff. At least the business you're in... it isn't like my shop is really going to cause us problems like this." The servos in his leg whined as he limped his way over to the counter and sat down on a stool. Jack knew the troll was also grabbing the sawn-off Defiance T-250 shotgun he kept there. "Go ahead and get ready for them. I'll watch the door."
Jack nodded thanks to the troll. Before heading back to his room to change, he grabbed his flash-pack and clipped it to a stanchion that was sticking out of a pile of detritus near the front door. He angled the device so it pointed directly at the door and confirmed it was slaved to his commlink. His slapdash preparations complete, Jack bolted to his room.
He tossed his balled-up Actioneer suit on the bed and stripped off his new clothes. Grabbing the two bags of evidence Ramirez had entrusted him with, he hid both of them in the bottom of the bag containing his new disguise clothing. Hastily folding the clothes he just removed. he placed them in the shopping bag with the rest of the clothing and evidence bags and hid them deep in his closet. Already in the closet, Jack reached for his brawling clothes.
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:45 PM, July 30th, 2075
Unsurprisingly, Grease arrived at the meet first. Riggers had that habit, no matter whether they started farther away than everyone else or not. Exiting the vehicle, the elf looked around with a well masked show of distaste. There was a reason he chose not to live in the Warrens after all. He popped the trunk on the BMW so that RHex could train his sensors on the surrounding area to act as an early warning system and fire support if the situation demanded it. As he completed his precautions, Grease noticed the now-familiar sound of a BMW Falke as Overkill and Amy pulled into view. Overkill dismounted the bike and moved to help Amy off. She waved him off, however, gracefully dismounted the bike on her own. It appears that she may have picked up a few things over the last few days of riding on the bike.
As the three elves approached the door, Amy's commlink pinged and the AR displays for Overkill and Grease lit up with a MARKs invitation from the maglock mounted to the front door of Nic's shop. "Achtung," Overkill said, "I'll handle this." Accepting the invitation, Overkill placed three MARKs on the maglock and cycled the lock. As the three elves entered, they noticed Nic sitting behind a counter, looking intently in their direction. The troll's large red cybereye focusing in on each of them in turn.
"Hoi, Nic!" Amy said as she entered, "Where's Jack?"
Before the troll could answer, Jack spoke, "Hey amigos, glad you all made it here." The ork stood in the doorway to his room, his corporate persona discarded. The ork was dressed in a plain black t-shirt, grey urban camoflauged cargo pants, a black web belt, black combat boots, and a stripped down black leather armor jacket. Nearly faded from view, a silver Aztlan logo was printed on the back of the jacket, marking it as one of the many pieces of Aztlaner military equipment that flooded the surplus markets after Ghostwalker booted the nation out of Denver. Interestingly, the black dye of the left cuff of the jacket had largely been stripped away as if heavy industrial cleaners had been used to clean the area on many repeated occasions. Jack carried a black tactical helmet with a visor under his left arm and had a well maintained HK227 SMG slung across his back.
"We've got to talk."
GEAR
[ Spoiler ]
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:38 PM, July 30th, 2075
Grease felt sweat form at the base of his back. He hadn't known Jack that long, and this change was enough to make Grease nervous. Feeling the Ares Light Fire in his concealable holster, his tension relaxed very slightly. Ain't a man alive that can draw down on me first. His tension ratcheted back up when he realized a light pistol probably wasn't enough firepower to make sure he didn't get shot back. Drawing first only matters if you put them down.. I need a bigger gun.
Skillfully and successfully feigning non-nonchalance, Grease smiles. "What's up chummer? Find something interesting in the files?"
Grease felt sweat form at the base of his back. He hadn't known Jack that long, and this change was enough to make Grease nervous. Feeling the Ares Light Fire in his concealable holster, his tension relaxed very slightly. Ain't a man alive that can draw down on me first. His tension ratcheted back up when he realized a light pistol probably wasn't enough firepower to make sure he didn't get shot back. Drawing first only matters if you put them down.. I need a bigger gun.
Skillfully and successfully feigning non-nonchalance, Grease smiles. "What's up chummer? Find something interesting in the files?"
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:40 PM, July 30th, 2075
Good, he seems to be taking it seriously, Jack thought to himself as he registered Grease's question. He decided to take care of the ancillary business before getting down to the hard conversation.
"I sent the team a message of what I found, but any of you are welcome to take a look through the files when you get a chance. I can't be certain that my take on it is totally correct." Jack pulled out a manilla folder of papers from one of the shopping bags and placed it on the counter.
Grabbing the two Lord and Taylor shopping bags, he walked over to Amy and Overkill. Checking the contents of the bags, he handed one to Overkill and the other to Amy. "Compliments of my contact. Armor vests for both of you and AR contact lenses for Amy. Not sure if you've ever used them before Amy, but they turn on and are charged through the body's bioelectric field. Pretty low maintenance. Once they're activated, you can program them through your commlink. You should see a new icon pop up that looks like a pair of eyes." Glancing over at Grease, Jack finished, "Our vests should be in tomorrow morning. I also should have four burner Meta Links in tomorrow's shipment if anyone needs one. They're 120 each. Just let me know, we can settle up when they get arrive."
"With that out of the way, we need to talk. My meeting with my contact was... interesting to say the least. I didn't learn an awful lot about our case save for a few bits of information. Apparently, drug smuggling from the Sioux to the UCAS sector is pretty commonplace. I guess the Sioux have a lot more lenient regulations related to drugs and their manufacture." Jack paused, mentally connecting the dots that Honeypot had provided. "Because of that, my contact thinks that the drugs may not necessarily be the important part of the equation, but rather whatever pipleine they've setup to move the product. I'll take my contact's word as they have a lot of experience in moving illicit goods around the Free Zone."
"While that was all interesting, it wasn't really the most important part. During our conversation, my contact flat out asked if I was working with two elves who had been looking into the deaths of a few Lone Star officers. Now, unless that is a major coincidence, I think someone is keeping tabs on us. My contact is only on the periphery of this deal and already has heard things. I asked if they would keep their ear to the ground and let me know if anything was making the rounds in the shadows. The information might cost us some cash, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. My best guess, someone took note of Amy and Overkill since I doubt I would get confused for an elf."
Pausing briefly, Jack unslung his SMG and gave it a proper systems check. Glancing up, he continued, "We've got an idea that the folks involved in this thing aren't playing around. I think we all remember that Mary Jane Kelly is missing and I don't give her survival great odds at this point. I'm not sure where we stand at this point, but I would suggest that you stay away from your homes if you can. While we probably have an advantage living off the grid as much as we do, spreading nuyen around can loosen tongues."
Good, he seems to be taking it seriously, Jack thought to himself as he registered Grease's question. He decided to take care of the ancillary business before getting down to the hard conversation.
"I sent the team a message of what I found, but any of you are welcome to take a look through the files when you get a chance. I can't be certain that my take on it is totally correct." Jack pulled out a manilla folder of papers from one of the shopping bags and placed it on the counter.
Grabbing the two Lord and Taylor shopping bags, he walked over to Amy and Overkill. Checking the contents of the bags, he handed one to Overkill and the other to Amy. "Compliments of my contact. Armor vests for both of you and AR contact lenses for Amy. Not sure if you've ever used them before Amy, but they turn on and are charged through the body's bioelectric field. Pretty low maintenance. Once they're activated, you can program them through your commlink. You should see a new icon pop up that looks like a pair of eyes." Glancing over at Grease, Jack finished, "Our vests should be in tomorrow morning. I also should have four burner Meta Links in tomorrow's shipment if anyone needs one. They're 120
each. Just let me know, we can settle up when they get arrive.""With that out of the way, we need to talk. My meeting with my contact was... interesting to say the least. I didn't learn an awful lot about our case save for a few bits of information. Apparently, drug smuggling from the Sioux to the UCAS sector is pretty commonplace. I guess the Sioux have a lot more lenient regulations related to drugs and their manufacture." Jack paused, mentally connecting the dots that Honeypot had provided. "Because of that, my contact thinks that the drugs may not necessarily be the important part of the equation, but rather whatever pipleine they've setup to move the product. I'll take my contact's word as they have a lot of experience in moving illicit goods around the Free Zone."
"While that was all interesting, it wasn't really the most important part. During our conversation, my contact flat out asked if I was working with two elves who had been looking into the deaths of a few Lone Star officers. Now, unless that is a major coincidence, I think someone is keeping tabs on us. My contact is only on the periphery of this deal and already has heard things. I asked if they would keep their ear to the ground and let me know if anything was making the rounds in the shadows. The information might cost us some cash, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. My best guess, someone took note of Amy and Overkill since I doubt I would get confused for an elf."
Pausing briefly, Jack unslung his SMG and gave it a proper systems check. Glancing up, he continued, "We've got an idea that the folks involved in this thing aren't playing around. I think we all remember that Mary Jane Kelly is missing and I don't give her survival great odds at this point. I'm not sure where we stand at this point, but I would suggest that you stay away from your homes if you can. While we probably have an advantage living off the grid as much as we do, spreading nuyen around can loosen tongues."
Amy is shocked, as if the reality of running the shadows just hit her square in the face. "My home!? ... Are you saying my home is compromised right now?"
Sam!
Sam!
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:40 PM, July 30th, 2075
"We don't know how much they know about us at this point in time. Hopefully I'll hear something more from my contact soon and get a better handle on the situation, but I wanted to warn everyone that we've at least been noticed and you may want to take whatever precautions you think are most cost-eff- I mean, appropriate."
Jack paused as he considered the business slip he caught himself from saying.
"I hope that living off the grid as much as most of us do will make it a bit harder for someone to track us down. With that said, we probably should be a lot more cautious if we visit the remaining crime scenes. If someone has been able to determine where we've poked around so far, they could set up an ambush at the places we haven't been yet by process of elimination, assuming the people who are aware of us are the same ones who are behind the conspiracy."
"We don't know how much they know about us at this point in time. Hopefully I'll hear something more from my contact soon and get a better handle on the situation, but I wanted to warn everyone that we've at least been noticed and you may want to take whatever precautions you think are most cost-eff- I mean, appropriate."
Jack paused as he considered the business slip he caught himself from saying.
"I hope that living off the grid as much as most of us do will make it a bit harder for someone to track us down. With that said, we probably should be a lot more cautious if we visit the remaining crime scenes. If someone has been able to determine where we've poked around so far, they could set up an ambush at the places we haven't been yet by process of elimination, assuming the people who are aware of us are the same ones who are behind the conspiracy."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:40 PM, July 30th, 2075
Grease shrugs at Jack. "Well, if they're already setting up ambushes, I'm glad our vests are showing up tomorrow, neh?"
He goes over to the counter to start perusing the files. "I know a couple of smugglers, I may pick up something you didn't catch."
Turning to Amy, Grease tries to reassure her. "I wouldn't worry too much- price of doing business. What do they know? A pair of elves are asking questions. Lots of elves in this town. I wouldn't necessarily jump to the conclusion your home is compromised. You just have to be careful, as always. Take a different route home; make sure no one is tailing you. Keep an eye on your 6 and trust nobody; especially criminals." He smiles at that last sentence.
Grease shrugs at Jack. "Well, if they're already setting up ambushes, I'm glad our vests are showing up tomorrow, neh?"
He goes over to the counter to start perusing the files. "I know a couple of smugglers, I may pick up something you didn't catch."
Turning to Amy, Grease tries to reassure her. "I wouldn't worry too much- price of doing business. What do they know? A pair of elves are asking questions. Lots of elves in this town. I wouldn't necessarily jump to the conclusion your home is compromised. You just have to be careful, as always. Take a different route home; make sure no one is tailing you. Keep an eye on your 6 and trust nobody; especially criminals." He smiles at that last sentence.
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:40 PM, July 30th, 2075
Although she listens to Grease intently, Amy shakes her head."I have to go back to my house, I can't leave Sam and Kevin home alone there if there is even a chance that they might get hurt by retaliation aimed at me. I don't know where to put them, but I'll figure something out."
Nic grumbles something under his breath, and those with sharp ears pick up the end of it "...damn boy is gonna' get me killed." He then speaks up and says, "Amy, bring the kids here, anyone that wants to get at them is going to have to go through me first." He then frowns and says, "But you make sure and tell Kevin if he messes with my damn tech again, he's on his own!" His tone is joking, but only slightly.
Amy seems visibly relieved, "Grease, I hate to ask, but do you mind lending me your car - or coming with me? I shouldn't be gone more than 30 minutes."
Although she listens to Grease intently, Amy shakes her head."I have to go back to my house, I can't leave Sam and Kevin home alone there if there is even a chance that they might get hurt by retaliation aimed at me. I don't know where to put them, but I'll figure something out."
Nic grumbles something under his breath, and those with sharp ears pick up the end of it "...damn boy is gonna' get me killed." He then speaks up and says, "Amy, bring the kids here, anyone that wants to get at them is going to have to go through me first." He then frowns and says, "But you make sure and tell Kevin if he messes with my damn tech again, he's on his own!" His tone is joking, but only slightly.
Amy seems visibly relieved, "Grease, I hate to ask, but do you mind lending me your car - or coming with me? I shouldn't be gone more than 30 minutes."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:41 PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack was a little surprised that Nic offered up his place so readily. The troll was a grump most of the time, but then Jack had never really seen him around kids. Kids tended to be inquisitive and so was the troll, so maybe they matched up well.
Walking over to Nic, Jack patted him on the shoulder and said in a lowered voice, "I appreciate it, old trogg. I owe you one."
As Amy prepared to leave and Grease and Overkill started to pour over the files, Jack flipped open his commlink's screen to access the keyboard. While his combat outfit was solid, he lost his image link unless he wore his helmet, so entering text was done old school. It was only a small problem, but a pretty major annoyance.
Shooting a quick message to Honeypot, the ork flipped the commlink's screen back down and took a position near one of the windows facing the park.
Jack was a little surprised that Nic offered up his place so readily. The troll was a grump most of the time, but then Jack had never really seen him around kids. Kids tended to be inquisitive and so was the troll, so maybe they matched up well.
Walking over to Nic, Jack patted him on the shoulder and said in a lowered voice, "I appreciate it, old trogg. I owe you one."
As Amy prepared to leave and Grease and Overkill started to pour over the files, Jack flipped open his commlink's screen to access the keyboard. While his combat outfit was solid, he lost his image link unless he wore his helmet, so entering text was done old school. It was only a small problem, but a pretty major annoyance.
Shooting a quick message to Honeypot, the ork flipped the commlink's screen back down and took a position near one of the windows facing the park.
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:41 PM, July 30th, 2075
Grease waves a dismissive hand. "Sure, take the cab. It'll go anywhere you need to go. That goes for all of you- we work together, we need to be able to travel. The cab let's us go places anonymously; that's part of the value I bring here. Nobody is going to be able to recognize one cab from another. A souped up BMW bike though.." He lets the sentence trail off with a grin. Man, that's starting to get annoying.
Grease returns his attention to the files, reading through them quickly and flipping back and forth to check different files he's already looked at.
Grease waves a dismissive hand. "Sure, take the cab. It'll go anywhere you need to go. That goes for all of you- we work together, we need to be able to travel. The cab let's us go places anonymously; that's part of the value I bring here. Nobody is going to be able to recognize one cab from another. A souped up BMW bike though.." He lets the sentence trail off with a grin. Man, that's starting to get annoying.
Grease returns his attention to the files, reading through them quickly and flipping back and forth to check different files he's already looked at.
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 5:40 PM, July 30th, 2075
Unlike most of his comrades, Drave appeared thoroughly un-phased by any of the news that had just been laid bare. He had been staring into the gaping muzzles of his opponent's cannons for a long time; the tension it raised was nothing new to him, and it got filed away along with so many other feelings. He reached into his duffel and pulled out the SCK Model 100 in his bag, bringing up a status menu in his AR from the weapon's Smartlink, checking the ammo, and readying it with a strap as he began to put on the Armor Vest he had just received from Jack. As he did this he looked over at Amy, who looked more terrified now than she had seeing the Lone Star Patrol near the Wright murder scene. She grew up on some of the roughest streets there were, but this was likely the first time she had someone out to do her harm specifically. It was a different feeling and he knew it. Now she had to worry about Sam and Kevin, and as Drave realized this, he noticed a strange sense of dread he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Auch Meine Kameraden, I have been expecteing heat like this ever since we met the Johnson," Drave began as he and Grease poured over the files from the Manuel case, "but honestly, I thought it would take a bit longer before we drew this much unwanted attention. But our path is clear, hold up, lay low, and conduct our investigation using a measure more caution and stealth than before. If we stay on guard and remember to watch each others backs, we can get this job done." He made sure to keep his voice confident, hoping to bolster the spirits of his shaken friends.
Unlike most of his comrades, Drave appeared thoroughly un-phased by any of the news that had just been laid bare. He had been staring into the gaping muzzles of his opponent's cannons for a long time; the tension it raised was nothing new to him, and it got filed away along with so many other feelings. He reached into his duffel and pulled out the SCK Model 100 in his bag, bringing up a status menu in his AR from the weapon's Smartlink, checking the ammo, and readying it with a strap as he began to put on the Armor Vest he had just received from Jack. As he did this he looked over at Amy, who looked more terrified now than she had seeing the Lone Star Patrol near the Wright murder scene. She grew up on some of the roughest streets there were, but this was likely the first time she had someone out to do her harm specifically. It was a different feeling and he knew it. Now she had to worry about Sam and Kevin, and as Drave realized this, he noticed a strange sense of dread he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Auch Meine Kameraden, I have been expecteing heat like this ever since we met the Johnson," Drave began as he and Grease poured over the files from the Manuel case, "but honestly, I thought it would take a bit longer before we drew this much unwanted attention. But our path is clear, hold up, lay low, and conduct our investigation using a measure more caution and stealth than before. If we stay on guard and remember to watch each others backs, we can get this job done." He made sure to keep his voice confident, hoping to bolster the spirits of his shaken friends.
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
As Grease and Overkill finish their reading, Jack sees Grease's taxi turning the corner. As it turns, its lights sweep over the window where Jack is sitting, and their light intensifies, as if the car was high-beaming him. He tenses, wondering if it was a signal that they were being followed, but after the car pulls into the driveway, and Amy, Sam, and Kevin pile out of the car, seemingly more concerned with grabbing their bags than with being followed, he realizes it was the taxi messing with him again.
Jack cycles the lock and opens the door for the the trio, and they come inside. Kevin, fascinated with all the bits of tech lying around, reaches for a piece on one of the shelves until a cough from Nic makes him stop. Sam looks at everyone, trying to see where she would fit in, until a mock growl from Nic makes her giggle and hide behind Amy, playing hide and seek with the big troll.
Amy says, "Nic, do you have somewhere the kids can play while we talk?" The troll nods, and says, "Alright now, down that hallway to the left. Rule number 1, no running. Rule number 2, no touching Uncle Nic's stuff." As he recedes down the hallway with the pitter-patter of Sam's feet, you can hear his voice fading, "Rule number 3....."
Amy smiles at Kevin as he shuffles along after Nic, and then turns back to the others. "Ok, what did I miss?"
As Grease and Overkill finish their reading, Jack sees Grease's taxi turning the corner. As it turns, its lights sweep over the window where Jack is sitting, and their light intensifies, as if the car was high-beaming him. He tenses, wondering if it was a signal that they were being followed, but after the car pulls into the driveway, and Amy, Sam, and Kevin pile out of the car, seemingly more concerned with grabbing their bags than with being followed, he realizes it was the taxi messing with him again.
Jack cycles the lock and opens the door for the the trio, and they come inside. Kevin, fascinated with all the bits of tech lying around, reaches for a piece on one of the shelves until a cough from Nic makes him stop. Sam looks at everyone, trying to see where she would fit in, until a mock growl from Nic makes her giggle and hide behind Amy, playing hide and seek with the big troll.
Amy says, "Nic, do you have somewhere the kids can play while we talk?" The troll nods, and says, "Alright now, down that hallway to the left. Rule number 1, no running. Rule number 2, no touching Uncle Nic's stuff." As he recedes down the hallway with the pitter-patter of Sam's feet, you can hear his voice fading, "Rule number 3....."
Amy smiles at Kevin as he shuffles along after Nic, and then turns back to the others. "Ok, what did I miss?"
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
"Not too much." Grease squeezes his nose between his eyes, strained from all the reading. "I didn't catch much that Jack missed in his read through. One odd thing is that the Yakuza don't come up at all; which seems odd to me. They've got their fingers in a lot of different enterprises around the city."
Standing to stretch, he addresses the group. "I've still got the bug at the Manuel place. I can have that report back what it's heard, but my guess is not much. She seemed pissed her husband was dead, but not hiding anything beyond that. I think our best lead is these Yak boys in the ground. We pull a commcode, anything, we might figure out who hired them. What do you all think?"
"Not too much." Grease squeezes his nose between his eyes, strained from all the reading. "I didn't catch much that Jack missed in his read through. One odd thing is that the Yakuza don't come up at all; which seems odd to me. They've got their fingers in a lot of different enterprises around the city."
Standing to stretch, he addresses the group. "I've still got the bug at the Manuel place. I can have that report back what it's heard, but my guess is not much. She seemed pissed her husband was dead, but not hiding anything beyond that. I think our best lead is these Yak boys in the ground. We pull a commcode, anything, we might figure out who hired them. What do you all think?"
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Finishing his most recent circuit of the windows, Jack pushed the curtain back in place and turned back to the group.
"I'm not particularly high on the Yak linkage, but I'm not opposed to checking out the bodies. If nothing else, we probably should get pictures of them for our Johnson and the commlinks might turn something up." The ork massaged his temples as he pondered. "Grease had suggested earlier that we do this one in the dead of night and I have to agree with him there. Much less likely that we're going to be spotted, plus we should all be able to see in the dark pretty well."
Scratching his chin, the ork continued, "I think we should recall the drone from Manuel's house and see if it heard anything worthwhile. It's been a few hours, if she was going to say something or call someone, she's already done it. Let's go swing by the murder site we haven't yet visited in the Warrens. If we get there before it gets too late, we might have a chance of talking to someone. If nothing else, we might be able to insert a drone in there. Then we can head back here and grab some shut-eye before heading out tonight. I'd hate to try operating in Yak territory without being fully rested."
Finishing his most recent circuit of the windows, Jack pushed the curtain back in place and turned back to the group.
"I'm not particularly high on the Yak linkage, but I'm not opposed to checking out the bodies. If nothing else, we probably should get pictures of them for our Johnson and the commlinks might turn something up." The ork massaged his temples as he pondered. "Grease had suggested earlier that we do this one in the dead of night and I have to agree with him there. Much less likely that we're going to be spotted, plus we should all be able to see in the dark pretty well."
Scratching his chin, the ork continued, "I think we should recall the drone from Manuel's house and see if it heard anything worthwhile. It's been a few hours, if she was going to say something or call someone, she's already done it. Let's go swing by the murder site we haven't yet visited in the Warrens. If we get there before it gets too late, we might have a chance of talking to someone. If nothing else, we might be able to insert a drone in there. Then we can head back here and grab some shut-eye before heading out tonight. I'd hate to try operating in Yak territory without being fully rested."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
"Honestly, I'd prefer to leave the drone at the Manuel house there 'til much later this evening. It'll be a lot easier to sneak out once everyone is asleep. Those things are crazy expensive. We can pull it before we go on out to Sagebrush though."
"Honestly, I'd prefer to leave the drone at the Manuel house there 'til much later this evening. It'll be a lot easier to sneak out once everyone is asleep. Those things are crazy expensive. We can pull it before we go on out to Sagebrush though."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack nods, "Whatever you think is best."
Looking around the group, he asks, "Anyone else?"
Jack nods, "Whatever you think is best."
Looking around the group, he asks, "Anyone else?"
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Drave considered the team's next move and responded to Jack, "We can check out the Murder site, but we need to go in cautiously; they know this is our home turf."
Drave paused for a moment, considering the case, "I think you may have had something with this Lt. Bradshere, Jack. As it turns out, he was promoted just before Manuel began to run into problems. That was 3 months ago, which puts him right in place as the chain of events leading to all these murders began to unfold. A new wave of drugs hits the streets in that time, and all the officers who have stumbled upon the case have wound up dead, the investigations into their deaths stopped in their tracks before they could gain any momentum. Those kind of orders could only come from above, and he is our best lead."
Drave considered the team's next move and responded to Jack, "We can check out the Murder site, but we need to go in cautiously; they know this is our home turf."
Drave paused for a moment, considering the case, "I think you may have had something with this Lt. Bradshere, Jack. As it turns out, he was promoted just before Manuel began to run into problems. That was 3 months ago, which puts him right in place as the chain of events leading to all these murders began to unfold. A new wave of drugs hits the streets in that time, and all the officers who have stumbled upon the case have wound up dead, the investigations into their deaths stopped in their tracks before they could gain any momentum. Those kind of orders could only come from above, and he is our best lead."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Responding to Overkill, Jack replied, "So how do we tackle Bradshere? Should we notify the Johnson that we suspect he may have something to do with the murders? On one hand, he'd probably be our best and safest source of information on Bradshere. On the other hand, he's the guy paying us and I'd rather not look like we're going to him without anything to corroborate it beyond some notes I stole from one of the deceased officers..."
Responding to Overkill, Jack replied, "So how do we tackle Bradshere? Should we notify the Johnson that we suspect he may have something to do with the murders? On one hand, he'd probably be our best and safest source of information on Bradshere. On the other hand, he's the guy paying us and I'd rather not look like we're going to him without anything to corroborate it beyond some notes I stole from one of the deceased officers..."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Amy helped set up Sam in a room at the back. "Thanks Nic, this means a lot to me. I.. I dunno how to repay you." Amy takes some paper and pencils out of the box of Sam's things and offers them to Sam who's happy to start a new drawing. "And you'll see, she's a very good girl. I don't think she'll cause any trouble at all."
Turning to Kevin, "And this one just decided to come because he likes it here. It's more comfortable than just being out on the streets. That means you owe Nic one too, Kevin, so better behave. He can kick you out if he feels like it. Now I gotta go back to work."
She sighs. This was a lot more eventful than she was truly prepared for, but it was par for the course of being a shadowrunner. Always checking your back, and especially the backs of everyone you hold dear.
Joining the conversation the others were having, Amy agrees that Ramirez should be contacted. "I think it's fine to talk to Ramirez. I wouldn't give him specifics, just that we have some suspicions on Bradshere and we'd like to get more information on him. No?"
Amy helped set up Sam in a room at the back. "Thanks Nic, this means a lot to me. I.. I dunno how to repay you." Amy takes some paper and pencils out of the box of Sam's things and offers them to Sam who's happy to start a new drawing. "And you'll see, she's a very good girl. I don't think she'll cause any trouble at all."
Turning to Kevin, "And this one just decided to come because he likes it here. It's more comfortable than just being out on the streets. That means you owe Nic one too, Kevin, so better behave. He can kick you out if he feels like it. Now I gotta go back to work."
She sighs. This was a lot more eventful than she was truly prepared for, but it was par for the course of being a shadowrunner. Always checking your back, and especially the backs of everyone you hold dear.
Joining the conversation the others were having, Amy agrees that Ramirez should be contacted. "I think it's fine to talk to Ramirez. I wouldn't give him specifics, just that we have some suspicions on Bradshere and we'd like to get more information on him. No?"
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Drave nodded in agreement with Amy, "Ramirez should be able to give some basic intel on him, and he should know he is a lead we will be following. But I believe our next move after getting these comm-links off the Yaks in Sagebrush should be to track Bradshere down and begin surveillance on him. He just made Lieutenant, but we should check the public record; the press and datafeeds, maybe he has a history, admirers or detractors we could inquire from. If I can track down his code, I can hack his comm-link and find any recent contact he has made with anyone connected to the investigation. As soon as we locate him, Grease should put a drone on tailing him. At this point, anyone he is in contact with is a person of interest for us."
Drave nodded in agreement with Amy, "Ramirez should be able to give some basic intel on him, and he should know he is a lead we will be following. But I believe our next move after getting these comm-links off the Yaks in Sagebrush should be to track Bradshere down and begin surveillance on him. He just made Lieutenant, but we should check the public record; the press and datafeeds, maybe he has a history, admirers or detractors we could inquire from. If I can track down his code, I can hack his comm-link and find any recent contact he has made with anyone connected to the investigation. As soon as we locate him, Grease should put a drone on tailing him. At this point, anyone he is in contact with is a person of interest for us."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Frowning, Jack replied to Overkill, "I don't disagree that Bradshere is possibly involved, but that seems like a lot of resources to devote to a guy whose only crime, as far as we have evidence to suggest, was being disliked by one of our victims. We still have two murders we haven't even cracked the book on yet. I think those should be our priority until we clear them."
Frowning, Jack replied to Overkill, "I don't disagree that Bradshere is possibly involved, but that seems like a lot of resources to devote to a guy whose only crime, as far as we have evidence to suggest, was being disliked by one of our victims. We still have two murders we haven't even cracked the book on yet. I think those should be our priority until we clear them."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
"Alright, then we work the last two on the books and see if we get any more substantial leads before we go for a push on Bradshere. He is still our best lead on who I think Ramirez is really after; someone wearing brass."
"Alright, then we work the last two on the books and see if we get any more substantial leads before we go for a push on Bradshere. He is still our best lead on who I think Ramirez is really after; someone wearing brass."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack gave Overkill a thumb's up. "We have a few leads that we still haven't followed-up on, but we might be able to work those in conjunction with our digging on Bradshere. What was the name of the guy in lock-up? Threeman? I'm not sure how we can get in to talk to him, but he seems like he would be a solid lead to flesh out the Crimson Fire part of the investigation."
Jack walked over to the counter and sat down. "If Overkill can hack us a pass to visit him in lockup, maybe we could convince him we are part of the conspiracy. Weave a little truth and fiction together to make a plausible story and see what he spills."
Jack gave Overkill a thumb's up. "We have a few leads that we still haven't followed-up on, but we might be able to work those in conjunction with our digging on Bradshere. What was the name of the guy in lock-up? Threeman? I'm not sure how we can get in to talk to him, but he seems like he would be a solid lead to flesh out the Crimson Fire part of the investigation."
Jack walked over to the counter and sat down. "If Overkill can hack us a pass to visit him in lockup, maybe we could convince him we are part of the conspiracy. Weave a little truth and fiction together to make a plausible story and see what he spills."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Leaning back, Grease wrinkles his nose. "I don't know. If he's a drug dealer he's used to lying for a living. It might be tough to come in there and convince him we're "in the know" unless we have more information to back it up. Can we find out if he's seen a lawyer yet? We could pose as "new counsel" provided to him by his "benefactor", and see if he spills anything he shouldn't." Grease wipes his hands on his suit, which is getting a bit wrinkled. "I'll need to get this thing pressed, first."
Leaning back, Grease wrinkles his nose. "I don't know. If he's a drug dealer he's used to lying for a living. It might be tough to come in there and convince him we're "in the know" unless we have more information to back it up. Can we find out if he's seen a lawyer yet? We could pose as "new counsel" provided to him by his "benefactor", and see if he spills anything he shouldn't." Grease wipes his hands on his suit, which is getting a bit wrinkled. "I'll need to get this thing pressed, first."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
"Maybe Ramirez can help with getting us inside the prison without exposing himself, I dunno. He wants us to succeed so he might help us even if he's the one paying us to do the job. For getting Twoman to talk, my abilities can loosen his lips, but I dunno how safe it is to use magic inside a prison."
"Maybe Ramirez can help with getting us inside the prison without exposing himself, I dunno. He wants us to succeed so he might help us even if he's the one paying us to do the job. For getting Twoman to talk, my abilities can loosen his lips, but I dunno how safe it is to use magic inside a prison."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:20 PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack grimaces at Amy's suggestion, his tusks poking out even more. "Not so sure about that one, Amy. I figure they probably have some way to detect spellcasting, particularly in the visiting booth area."
Jack unslung his SMG and dropped the magazine on the counter. Locking back the charging handle, he snatched the round out of the air and placed it next to the magazine. Pushing on the retaining pin, he seperated the upper and lower receivers of the weapon and pulled out the bolt. Holding the bolt in his hand, he started examining it for signs of wear.
"It sounds like getting a hold of Ramirez is going to be a critical next step for us. Let's try and set up a meet with him for tomorrow. The Thomas murder site seems like it would be a pretty easy next step. The one I am not so sure about is the Taylor murder. Granted, we have ballistics that ties it to the Newton murder, but I still would like to do a little digging. Based on Manuel's records, they used to be partners, which means that Taylor might have been transferred out of smuggling as well."
Jack paused to blow into the bolt to make sure it wasn't blocked. Satisfied with the state of his gear, the ork squinted his eyes for a moment. "Say, have we tried searching the news feeds for information on these murders? The details on the Taylor case are really vague. It might be helpful to pinpoint it further."
Reassembling his SMG, Jack concluded, "Honestly, we could also be looking at this all wrong. While his personal notes point toward a different conclusion, maybe it was Manuel and Taylor who were dirty and Bradshere picked up on it. They jump ship before he catches them and then are both killed by the conspirators to tie up loose ends. Not saying I'm going that direction, but it's a possibility. We just need more information."
Jack grimaces at Amy's suggestion, his tusks poking out even more. "Not so sure about that one, Amy. I figure they probably have some way to detect spellcasting, particularly in the visiting booth area."
Jack unslung his SMG and dropped the magazine on the counter. Locking back the charging handle, he snatched the round out of the air and placed it next to the magazine. Pushing on the retaining pin, he seperated the upper and lower receivers of the weapon and pulled out the bolt. Holding the bolt in his hand, he started examining it for signs of wear.
"It sounds like getting a hold of Ramirez is going to be a critical next step for us. Let's try and set up a meet with him for tomorrow. The Thomas murder site seems like it would be a pretty easy next step. The one I am not so sure about is the Taylor murder. Granted, we have ballistics that ties it to the Newton murder, but I still would like to do a little digging. Based on Manuel's records, they used to be partners, which means that Taylor might have been transferred out of smuggling as well."
Jack paused to blow into the bolt to make sure it wasn't blocked. Satisfied with the state of his gear, the ork squinted his eyes for a moment. "Say, have we tried searching the news feeds for information on these murders? The details on the Taylor case are really vague. It might be helpful to pinpoint it further."
Reassembling his SMG, Jack concluded, "Honestly, we could also be looking at this all wrong. While his personal notes point toward a different conclusion, maybe it was Manuel and Taylor who were dirty and Bradshere picked up on it. They jump ship before he catches them and then are both killed by the conspirators to tie up loose ends. Not saying I'm going that direction, but it's a possibility. We just need more information."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:20 PM, July 30th, 2075
In answer to Jack's last comment, Amy proposes "Can't we ask Ramirez to give us the details on that case that caused trouble between Bradshere and Manuel? I know I keep bringing him up but he's on the inside and we have no one else."
In answer to Jack's last comment, Amy proposes "Can't we ask Ramirez to give us the details on that case that caused trouble between Bradshere and Manuel? I know I keep bringing him up but he's on the inside and we have no one else."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:20 PM, July 30th, 2075
Nodding his head, Jack replied, "That could work, although we asked him for additional help during the meet and he seemed concerned that his digging might attract attention. Still, this might be important enough for him to do it."
Nodding his head, Jack replied, "That could work, although we asked him for additional help during the meet and he seemed concerned that his digging might attract attention. Still, this might be important enough for him to do it."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:15 PM, July 30th, 2075
Drave scanned some basic info on Twoman's jail in his AR while he listened to the teams thoughts. When Amy brought up Ramirez, he mentioned; "We should ask him to see if he can help get Twoman's SIN. We are going to need it to get onto the visitor's list at Twoman's holding facility. Whoever we send in will also need a verifiable SIN in order to even get on the list. Perhaps going the legal route and finding info from his lawyer would be our best option. I am a bit skeptical about hacking a prison host, I would need to go in and access it direct; and I don't think we want to stop and plan to break into a Lone Star Holding Facility."
Drave scanned some basic info on Twoman's jail in his AR while he listened to the teams thoughts. When Amy brought up Ramirez, he mentioned; "We should ask him to see if he can help get Twoman's SIN. We are going to need it to get onto the visitor's list at Twoman's holding facility. Whoever we send in will also need a verifiable SIN in order to even get on the list. Perhaps going the legal route and finding info from his lawyer would be our best option. I am a bit skeptical about hacking a prison host, I would need to go in and access it direct; and I don't think we want to stop and plan to break into a Lone Star Holding Facility."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:20 PM, July 30th, 2075
Grease nods in agreement with Overkill. "Yeah- that seems almost suicidal. It's hard enough to smuggle commlinks into those places, much less trying to sneak an entire person in. We'd either need to go the legitimate route, or think up something else entirely."
Swiping his AR display to review the information on the murder, Grease turns towards Overkill. "If we can't get in, why not get him out? He's in holding, what for? Is there a bail set? We could jump him after he gets out. Ramirez could probably get him cut loose, if we wanted."
Grease nods in agreement with Overkill. "Yeah- that seems almost suicidal. It's hard enough to smuggle commlinks into those places, much less trying to sneak an entire person in. We'd either need to go the legitimate route, or think up something else entirely."
Swiping his AR display to review the information on the murder, Grease turns towards Overkill. "If we can't get in, why not get him out? He's in holding, what for? Is there a bail set? We could jump him after he gets out. Ramirez could probably get him cut loose, if we wanted."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:20 PM, July 30th, 2075
"Yeah if he gets out we have more options. We might not be the only ones waiting to ambush him though."
"So at this point someone should just call up Ramirez, right? We can check what he knows and what he can or is willing to provide."
"Yeah if he gets out we have more options. We might not be the only ones waiting to ambush him though."
"So at this point someone should just call up Ramirez, right? We can check what he knows and what he can or is willing to provide."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:20 PM, July 30th, 2075
Jack looked at the German elf and said, "Overkill, you've still go that burner commlink that Ramirez gave us, right? If you want to keep watch in the Matrix, one of us can give him a call."
Looking to everyone else, he continued, ""Before we do that, how do we want to meet up with him? We could just talk to him on the phone, but do we have a way to make sure the lines aren't being monitored? We're about to ask him for help with our sole Lone Star lead. We'd be fragged if anyone was listening in on either end of the line."
Pondering, Jack's eyes lit up with a spark as they searched out Grease. "You know... you pretty much have the perfect method of holding a discrete meeting with someone. Just pick Ramirez up as a taxi fare, drive him around a bit, and then drop him off. I've ridden with you, so I know anyone following is probably going to have a Hell of a time keeping up. As long as we scan the taxi for bugs before you leave and scan it again when Ramirez gets in, we should have a pretty good chance for a clean meet. You up for it?"
Jack looked at the German elf and said, "Overkill, you've still go that burner commlink that Ramirez gave us, right? If you want to keep watch in the Matrix, one of us can give him a call."
Looking to everyone else, he continued, ""Before we do that, how do we want to meet up with him? We could just talk to him on the phone, but do we have a way to make sure the lines aren't being monitored? We're about to ask him for help with our sole Lone Star lead. We'd be fragged if anyone was listening in on either end of the line."
Pondering, Jack's eyes lit up with a spark as they searched out Grease. "You know... you pretty much have the perfect method of holding a discrete meeting with someone. Just pick Ramirez up as a taxi fare, drive him around a bit, and then drop him off. I've ridden with you, so I know anyone following is probably going to have a Hell of a time keeping up. As long as we scan the taxi for bugs before you leave and scan it again when Ramirez gets in, we should have a pretty good chance for a clean meet. You up for it?"
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:20 PM, July 30th, 2075
Nodding to Jack, Grease says, "That works fine for me. I know that Overkill can use his deck as a jammer. It'll be a bit crowded in the cab if all four of us go; who do you think should attend? We may want Overkill and Amy to stick around here and lay low for a while, if we're concerned about them being followed."
Grease raises his hands in a defensive manner. "I'm not trying to exclude anyone, mind you. We all can go, if that's what we want."
Nodding to Jack, Grease says, "That works fine for me. I know that Overkill can use his deck as a jammer. It'll be a bit crowded in the cab if all four of us go; who do you think should attend? We may want Overkill and Amy to stick around here and lay low for a while, if we're concerned about them being followed."
Grease raises his hands in a defensive manner. "I'm not trying to exclude anyone, mind you. We all can go, if that's what we want."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:25 PM, July 30th, 2075
"No, I think you're right, Grease. As far as inside the cab, there should only be one person in the driver's seat, probably either you or me. The whole point is for it to look like a typical fare pick-up rather than a meeting in a taxi. With Amy and Overkill having a bit of heat on them, I think the last thing we want to do is risk burning the Johnson."
Raising a hand to forestall objections, he continued, "But that's not to say we shouldn't have a trail vehicle. While the BMW sticks out a bit, any eyes should be on the Americar if Ramirez is under watch. If bad drek goes down, the trail car could come to the rescue with the rest of the team."
"We might be putting the cart in front of the horse though, let's give Ramirez a call and see if he's agreeable to a meet."
"No, I think you're right, Grease. As far as inside the cab, there should only be one person in the driver's seat, probably either you or me. The whole point is for it to look like a typical fare pick-up rather than a meeting in a taxi. With Amy and Overkill having a bit of heat on them, I think the last thing we want to do is risk burning the Johnson."
Raising a hand to forestall objections, he continued, "But that's not to say we shouldn't have a trail vehicle. While the BMW sticks out a bit, any eyes should be on the Americar if Ramirez is under watch. If bad drek goes down, the trail car could come to the rescue with the rest of the team."
"We might be putting the cart in front of the horse though, let's give Ramirez a call and see if he's agreeable to a meet."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:25 PM, July 30th, 2075
"Well, it's my cab, and I've got the papers for it, so I should drive it. That said, I'm not too comfortable trying to juggle two vehicles at once. And, no offense," This he addresses to Overkill, "I don't like anyone driving the BMW but me. I'm sure you can understand." He rubs his chin in thought. "Well, we've got some time to hash out the details. I'll message Ramirez and see if he can meet."
Grease taps out a message on a burner commlink to the commcode that Ramirez provided at the beginning of the run.
<<@Ramirez [Blocked] Hello. I have some new information on the case related to the Motel 6 on Smoky Hill Road in Aurora. I can arrange a safe locale to discuss it. Message back with your availability over the next 24 hours.>>
"Really, the four of us could all ride in the cab pretty easily along with Ramirez. We just have you three wait at a taxi stand where we're going to meet Ramirez, and then decide to share the ride with him; just say you're all going to the same place. That seems less suspicious to me than a cab picking someone up with three passengers already inside."
"Well, it's my cab, and I've got the papers for it, so I should drive it. That said, I'm not too comfortable trying to juggle two vehicles at once. And, no offense," This he addresses to Overkill, "I don't like anyone driving the BMW but me. I'm sure you can understand." He rubs his chin in thought. "Well, we've got some time to hash out the details. I'll message Ramirez and see if he can meet."
Grease taps out a message on a burner commlink to the commcode that Ramirez provided at the beginning of the run.
<<@Ramirez [Blocked] Hello. I have some new information on the case related to the Motel 6 on Smoky Hill Road in Aurora. I can arrange a safe locale to discuss it. Message back with your availability over the next 24 hours.>>
"Really, the four of us could all ride in the cab pretty easily along with Ramirez. We just have you three wait at a taxi stand where we're going to meet Ramirez, and then decide to share the ride with him; just say you're all going to the same place. That seems less suspicious to me than a cab picking someone up with three passengers already inside."
Nic's Knacks, Aurora Warrens, 6:25 PM, July 30th, 2075
Frowning, Jack said, "I don't think we should all be in the car. If any of us or Ramirez are being followed and we don't pick it up, we're all going to at least be considered possible contacts. Grease can get away with being in the same vicinity for professional reasons. Like Overkill said, we could park the Falke nearby. If the route stays close to the Falke's location, we should be able to act as backup if needed. That should probably be a last resort, I would guess the Falke has as much heat as Amy and Overkill do right now."
The ork was more than a little worried about putting Grease and Ramirez alone in a car together, but if the elf wanted to drive his own taxi there wasn't much to be done about it. It made sense, if the car were pulled over by the Star for some reason, at least Grease had a fake SIN to cover it.
Frowning, Jack said, "I don't think we should all be in the car. If any of us or Ramirez are being followed and we don't pick it up, we're all going to at least be considered possible contacts. Grease can get away with being in the same vicinity for professional reasons. Like Overkill said, we could park the Falke nearby. If the route stays close to the Falke's location, we should be able to act as backup if needed. That should probably be a last resort, I would guess the Falke has as much heat as Amy and Overkill do right now."
The ork was more than a little worried about putting Grease and Ramirez alone in a car together, but if the elf wanted to drive his own taxi there wasn't much to be done about it. It made sense, if the car were pulled over by the Star for some reason, at least Grease had a fake SIN to cover it.
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