Book's first day turned out to be a waste of time on the social front. The second day went a bit better. He found himself walking down a street in a nicer neighborhood when he saw a Lone Star cruiser pull up near him. The cop - a thick elf - got out and started hassling a bum on the side of the street. For reasons only Snake knew, he walked up to the officer and said, Excuse me, sir. That's my crazy older brother. He got loose from the house about five days ago and we have been worried sick. If you give me a moment, I'll take him home. The cop looks confused and then suspicious for a moment. Then he relaxes and adds, Sure, your brother. Yeah, you take good care of him. In a whisper he adds, I think they pay more for 'em down at the gym on the corner.

The bum smiles at Book and begins walking with him. You jus' saved me bacon back there. Thanks stranger. Name's John Doe but most folk just call me Seven Eleven. How can old John Doe, repay the favor I owes ya?

-----

System Error looks at Tank for a moment as if sizing up the situation and then answers, If you must know, I had a run in with some friends in my neighborhood. The sarcasm drips off the word. Some of this information wasn't easy to come by and I had to ask a favor to get it. More to himself than either of the other two he adds, ... and sometimes favors have hidden costs.

He eats his last rib and opens another bottle of soda and begins to drink it down. Glancing at Tank he adds, That will have to do for now.

A smile creeping back onto his face he asks, So, what's next?

The previous day...

As Book walks with the bum he figures there is more meets the eye... He shifts his gaze to the astral as they walk and looks the man's aura over. "Folks call me Book... My penchant for real books rather than the E variety. As to a favor.. I don't know, what do you do and do you have a com?"

The current day...

Tank gets a very serious look on his face, "Do we need to pay them a little visit? You're with a crew now buddy... Somebody in our squad takes a beating-" he punches into his palm for emphasis, "we rain down hell."

Book raises an eyebrow looking over at the scrawny driver. Perhaps there is something in there besides a drunk who is able to hold it together just long enough to get through a run...? He then looks to the team's hacker. "He's right, though perhaps flamboyant in his espre de corps mentality. We are pretty much a crew now. We pulled a good run together and are getting ready to run the gauntlet with this next one. If you have issues on your home turf, we are here for you. You do the work on our coms and we cover your meat-body.." .. and besides the secret was sending snake into a tizzy.

Previous Day

Well, I'm usually good for the odd piece of information - I hear things ya know. Yeah, I have one of those blasted electronic devices. Can't go nowhere without one anymore. He produces a ratty, first generation comm that looks fairly rough.

-----

Current Day

Book and Tank both get a solid look from the young ork. It is appreciated. I have something that needs doing; however, it will have to wait until after this run. We take this guy down and you get full details. Deal? System Error smiles and adds, Besides, Tank, your comm security is so weak my grandma could hack it.

Previous Day

Book transmits one of the LTG's provided by his shadow-server account to Seven Eleven when they trade codes. "Good luck with avoiding the Star." He finishes with a nod and a hand shake as they reach the bus stop that is Book's ride onward across town.

Current Day

Tank snickers at the innuendo. "I'm not ready to spend more on security software than I spent on the whole damn com." He pauses for a moment, the synapses firing. "Say... Now that you are the team hacker, aren't you supposed to hook your crew up with drek-hot security apps?"

Following System's reply, Book switches the conversation back to the run. "We need to shadow the boy for a few days. Find out what he does... where he goes. Where can we find him today?"

Previous Day

Same to ya. Seven Eleven shuffles mildly along.



-----

Current Day

System Error rests his head against the seat as if sleeping. His eyes flash back and forth behind closed eyelids as if dreaming and then he answers, My sources tell me he is at Tony's, a Southern style joint on the other side of town. They also figure he has a 70% chance of stopping off at Dick's, after that. He adds without waiting for the question, It's a meat packing plant. Or at least that's the front. I'm not sure what is in the back.

He takes a final gulp of soda and looks at Tank. I might know someone who could fix up your comm for you. He pauses and the adds, Course, I could probably get his programs for cheap too. It would keep the circle smaller that way.

Previous Day

Current Day

The duo listen as System Error lays out the details about the Captain's Son. It is Book who follows up with a reply, "Meat packing plant? Who owns that? We gotta be careful about who else we potentially cross here. We should also look for a fall guy for when the kid takes a tumble."

Tank raises an eyebrow, "What are you thinking?"

Book replies, "As to the meat pack plant, probably organized crime. The fall guy should be somebody close and in deep as well. I don't want someone innocent getting pulled down."

Tank smirks.

Book retorts, "I mean relatively."

The duo look back to System for additional information about Dick's.

Previous Day


-----

Current Day

System Error rests his head again - he looks tired - and lets his eye drift back and forth. He answers as if from somewhere far away, I can't tell you who the actual owner is. I hit a good firewall after I left City Hall. I can tell you the owner listed on the deed for Dick's is Susan Kyles. Give me a minute. After about five minutes he smiles and adds, Nice choice of name. There are 427 Susan Kyles in Atlanta and none of them have lived at the address recorded on the deed. I'll have to get back to you on the owner. Maybe we can run some meat contacts to ground on that one too.

Previous Day
Book shakes his head in disbelief. Nah.... Couldn't have been. He settles back in the seat, musing how curious a day today has become.

Current Day

While Book looks on concerned for the team's hacker, Tank is focusing on the information. "I think I have some contacts we can run that by." He starts up the vehicle and heads towards the Fire Cracker.

His attention back on the run Book continues the conversation. "Ok. Back to the fall guy. We need to find out more about the kid, but we gotta keep from asking too many questions. Can't have any avenues of inquiry lead back to us." He pauses a moment, thinking. "Ok. Let's talk to your contacts, but keep it low profile. Don't mention the kid. Let's start with the meat packing plant. Let's talk in generalizations about cops.. not mention the father specifically."

The duo sit quietly as they continue the drive. When they arrive, Book casts physical mask on himself to change his appearance to something more suitable for the Irish pub. His focus, more on his team-mate and the run, the strain of the spell would be evident on his face... were it not covered by a masking spell.

He follows Tank into the bar, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of his, slowly returning his breathing to normal.

Once in the pub, Tank heads straight for the bar. "Jimmy! A brew for me and my friend."

Oh, there boy. Would ye be looking for me own home brew? Jimmy smiles and asks, Will ye be wanting it hot like a good Irishman or cold some some damn American fool.

At the mention of home brew, Book's ears perk up. This may be more than just an information run after all.

Tank smiles, "Well since I've an allergy to fools, you best to fix us up two warm.

The duo pull themselves up to the bar and Tank leads in small talk with the bartender. He works himself around to the meat packing plant. "Say, I got some biz that may take me around Dick's Meat Packing Plant.... Am I gonna run astray of any... family complications if it does?"

Well now, let's be supposin' that I can part with that kind of information. Can yer friend their be trusted? An what type o' business will ye be havin'?

Tank takes a draw from the pint, "He's covered my back in a place or two where the heat was pretty high. He's tight-lipped and instantly forgets where he hears things. As to our business... Well, we ain't looking to cause a scene. We're really just looking to get the scoop on Dick's before we step into the proverbial lion's den."

Book nurses his pint as well, deciding that tonight might be best for him to play the strong silent type.

Jimmy eyes Book with some concern but seems to accept Tank's explanation. Well, ye won't be treading on any family business if that's your concern. There's this copper who's been muscling in on family business. Seems to have an understanding with ... someone. I can't say that I approve; however, it's not me decision. What would ye like to know about Dick's?

Tank takes a draw from the pint mulling the new information. As he does, a text scrolls in AR from Book.
<<@Tank [Book] We should inquire about the cop and try to get an angle there.>>
Tank continues talking to Jimmy without missing a beat. "What's the real scan on Dick's? Obviously more than the sign says. And a cop you say? I know several of them are pretty dirty. Which one is making waves with the families?"

For Book, the wheels are silently turning. Perhaps there might be an opportunity for Don Venedicia to become a little indebted...

Well Dick's actually does what the sign says. They slaughter and butcher real meat - 'though it's not always beef or lamb or even pork - and package it for sale. If you want to see the front o' th' store, ye jest 'ave to walk in and order a kilo or so. Just be prepared with some yen for their trouble though. Now, in the back with all those electronic forms for the various shipments, their might or might not be some extra payments that pass through the business. And all the crate labeled "meat" may or may not actually contain meat. Drones won't, and bored dock workers don't generally, go openin' 'em for fun.

He lowers both his head and his voice a bit and adds, I here tell that their be other kinds o' meat for sale there too if you know what I mean.

Standing up again he continues, I ain't never laid eye on the cop in question but I'd be glad to ask around should you like to know. Now, I'd be obliged if you was to return the favor and let me know what you are plannin'.

The duo listens as Jimmy lays out the details he knows. The mask spell hides Book's dismay at the information. The shaman locks the details away though. One never knows when little secrets like that may come in handy.

Tank smiles. "Well right now we're not planning anything. Just feeling out that if we make a scene there who might be upset with us." He raises the glass, "Here's hoping that we avoid any scenes." He drinks down the rest, sets the glass down and changes the subject. "As to the cop, just trying to figure out who to steer clear of. No sense mixing it up with Johnny-Law if I don't need to, right?" Gesturing to the glass, "Set me up again my friend."

Book considers the additional detail a little deeper. Perhaps I should pay Don Venedicia a visit after all. He begins to run various permutations of a conversation with the Don through his head. He also considers what Seven-Eleven might know as well... Decisions, decisions.

As he pours another round, Well, now sonny. I can't be disagreeing with a right minded notion like that. As I said, I don't know him personally seeing as how I've never met 'im, nor seen 'im but I hear he might be a Captain with the Star.

The door opens and a confused little girl walks in. Jimmy begins wiping the bar as she walks up to him and without a word holds out an evelope. He takes it, opens it and reads the note. He diggs in a box without saying a word before producing a two gold colored coins and gives them to the girl. She smiles, pocketing one of them before unwrapping the other and eating it. Then she leaves.

He turns back to the bar and grabs some whiskey. He doses the note with it before setting it on fire. I dona wish to be rude; however, I must close early today. The rounds on me. This time. With that, he begins to pick up around the bar.

"I understand. Thanks" is Tank's reply. The duo finish their drinks quickly and turn towards the door.

Reaching the doorway, the two see the form a little girl skipping down the street.

The two continue out the door and into Dalton's ride. Book looks over, "They're cannibals?"

Dalton looks at him, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The meat packing plant."

Dalton erupts into laughter. "No.... Whores. They also sell flesh."

Book grimaces. He wasn't used to missing the obvious. "What the hell was with the double talk then?"

Dalton replies, "Jimmy fancies himself a mobster too. Though its really his brother Tommy that runs things." He looks back at the sleeping hacker and starts the vehicle.

Book lays a hand on his arm. "There's no rush... and Snake doesn't like not knowing secrets."

Their patience is rewarded, even if the relative quiet of the vehicle is broken by little snores coming from System Error. They see five people enter the bar with muscle in tow. Tow of them set up a table out front a start a game of some kind. Perhaps dominoes, perhaps backgammon, it's hard to tell from here.



-----

After moving on, they are able to locate Dick's easily enough. It is in a run down area of town but one with pride still left in it. There are several grandmothers out scrubbing the graffiti off the walls. The troll up high and the dwarf down low. Not surprisingly, the elves aren't getting their hands dirty. However, one of them is hunched over an outdated comm working on something. The housing units near the plant are as clean as any and the street is still well lit. The group of teens and pre-teens on the sidewalk is too neat to fall into the "gang" category; however, too organized to be a "play group" either. They must be the "neighborhood watch" or a group of "concerned citizens". The meat packing plant sits off the street in a large lot that was obviously used more when large groups of chattel were brought in at once rather than one or two at a time. There is a well dressed man supervising the unloading of two cows when the group pulls up.

Across the street is a closed store front for rent. It looks to have been furniture at one time or another. The upper floors still appear to have apartments in them.

Amid the snores from the back the duo watch as the various mobsters enter the bar. After a few minutes, Book nudges Tank. "Best we don't linger too long."

Tank lazily pulls away out of the parking spot and down the street.

-----------

As the duo drive through the neighborhood, Book is glad at least for the polarized windows. Looking through them at the sights, he wonders where the plethora of cameras that surely are around are. He turns to Tank, "The graffiti is a telling sign."

"How so?" Inquires the driver.

"That tells me that they do not control the neighborhood with an iron fist. Random youth at worst, a gang at best are pressing for the territory." Book rubs his chin. "There will be a way to use that."

Tank looked at the shaman for a moment. He didn't have the slightest idea how they were gonna pull this job off.

"First thing we gotta do is latch onto the kid. Once we do that, then we can figure out what he's up to. If he's not into mischief, we can surely invent some. We may not even need this neighborhood." Book smiles, "You gonna let out your fly-spy so we can start our stake-out?"

Tank releases his small drone, sending it out a window rolled down just a crack towards building for rent as the van makes its way down the street and around the corner. As he looks for a spot a few blocks away, out of the sight of the building and the kids, he sends the fly-spy to awning of the building. "I hate stake outs." he grumbles looking over to the shaman's unconscious body.

Book is quickly able to orient himself on the astral. The building is not hard to find - it is the only one with a ward on it. A pretty good one too. There are remnants of pain and suspicion around the entrance where the cows are being driven. One of the youth is magically active - probably an adept.

-----

Tank is able to land on the awning and watch the cows be loaded into the chute. An ork is standing there with a large gun - or at least something that resembles one. He pulls the trigger and the cow drops to the waiting conveyor belt below the chute. The next cow walks into the same chute and the process is repeated. The ork retrieves the two pieces of metal and drops them in a liquid filled bucket.

You're pretty good with them bolts, boy, says the man with the cows. The ork just looks at him for a second and then walks away. A few moments later a human walks out with a smile plastered on his face. The troll behind him is smiling as well. Another man - short and balding walks out and greets the cowboy.

Right this way. We have an excellent suggestion for you to consider.

Book moves cautiously through the astral. The gray of the buildings provide little cover for his projected form.

-------


Tank steers clear of the elven women. No since taking a chance on them running com scans. He takes a moment to switch the com channel for the drone and change encryption keys. He tries to pick up some additional details from the conversation, wary of the elven women.

Book sees everything on the Astral in the vicinity. When the ancients spoke of opening the third eye and Seeing, this must have been what they were talking about.

The young man - the adept - appears to be unaware of his own potential having only recently tapped into it. The group of grandmothers seem to be in a good mood, if a little tired of having to do this again.

There is life all over the upper floors of the building across from the meat plant. The bottom floor does indeed appear to be empty. The building where the grandmothers are working is full of pride and optimism, even a little hope. There is even a warded area near the ground floor.

In a rare twist, Book is able to see into the ground and although fuzzy, he can make out lust and misery from an area under the meat packing plant. The ward around the meat packing plant was created by

Book's eyes are drawn to a luminous snake standing off to the side. You See. Enjoy it. Savor the secrets. Look there.

Book sees the astral form of a coyote near the warded area in the grandma's building.

-----

Tank is able to follow the two into the area but loose some control of the drone due to a water curtain designed to keep out flies.

The cowboys breaks into a belly laugh, Show me what you got. I have some time on my hands and now how I want to spend it. The short, balding man asks him to turn his PAN to active so that he can access the AR menu. The cowboy looks for a minute and then says, That one. She'll do nicely.

The short man bows slightly, An excellent choice.

Another man walks out - staggers really - from a hidden door which apparently leads to a basement. The short man seems annoyed at the young man - the mark!

Carlos! Calming himself, he adds, Please escort our guest to see Kitty would you?

The youth replies, Sure thing.

Book sits on the roof of the building across the street moving his gaze across the various auras and forms he sees with his astral eye. He sees the snake egging him on, then the coyote. For now, his gaze stops at the coyote. There he studies the aura.
---
Seeing the mark, Tank withdraws his drone. Time to check all the entrances & exits. After a wide swath around the building, he withdraws across the street to watch for the youth.

Book is able to determine that the wolf is a beast spirit guarding the warded area in the building.

-----

Tank pulls the drone back to the perimeter of the lot watching the exits and entrances. However, all is quiet for several minutes from the outside.

The magical protects confirm for Book that the meat packing plant is more that just that. He returns to his body and provides the additional details to Tank who in turn provides the good news about their mark. As they talk, Tank's drone sits across the street, watching the parking lot of Dick's.

"How we gonna do this?" Tank asks.

"It's gotta be something that takes down Daddy... Something that implicates him...."

"A nice string of burglaries?" Tank asks.

"No. He'll deflect, redirect... Come up with reasonable doubt. Needs to be a much stricter jury... A jury of his peers.." Book says with a big smile. "A jury who give few second chances and usually require a harsh penalty."

"Aztlan?"

Book smiles even wider, glad that this time he is the one in the know. "The Family."

"Oh yea. How you... I mean we. How are we gonna pull this off?"

Book's face returns to a calm, calculating demeanor. "Still working out the details. Step one requires that we figure out the kid's schedule. I think we need a rental. We've already used your ride too much for my comfort." He turns to the hacker, jostling him to consciousness. "We need another vehicle. Rental or fleet, small van or mid-sized wagon or hatchback will work. Have it back in twenty-four hours at which time we'll need a replacement like same. How long till you can have it? "

Huh, wah? System Error struggles to wake up and reaches for another soda. Ok, I'm awake, what do we need? Once he waits for Book to repeat himself, he replies OK, how about an auto-taxi for now. That will only take about half an hour. I'll work out the rest of the details later. System Error then slips back into what appears to be sleep - or at least it would if his eyes would quit twitching.

------

After twenty minutes the cowboy comes out of Dick's with a smile on his face. He jumps in his truck and starts the engine. Carlos pops out of the front of the store with a dolly and two boxes of what is labeled meat. He loads it into the back of the cowboy's truck before heading back inside. The cowboy pulls away.

-----

A few minutes later, the cab pulls up and opens the doors.

Dalton chills, maintaining his surveillance. Book on the other hand shakes his head at the hacker's humor. He makes a quick astral check around the van to check for anyone having taken interest in them.
-----
Dalton records Carlos at work. Never know when that will come in handy.
-----
When the cab actually pulls up, Book's humor is lost on it for the moment. This is not gonna work for a stake out and we've no idea how long until Carlos take his leave. "I think its time we changed our location. We've been here over half an hour..."

"Now is one of those times I wish I had a second fly-spy... Guess that's gonna have to be one of my next purchases.." says Tank.

Book concentrates a moment then casts physical mask upon himself. For the moment, he wants to look like a hardened man in his late 50's. His clothes the drab, nondescript clothes of a laborer. Once his transformation is complete, he exits the van and climbs into the cab. His destination a slow drive around the neighborhood. Time to find a new parking spot for the van.

Book is quickly able to find a good spot to the east of the lot. There is a parking lot for a small strip mall with a Stuffer Shack and a McHughes.

An older hatchback pulls up beside Book with no driver behind the wheel. The image of a car with a cheshire-cat-like smile in place of a grill appears in Books AR view. Will this do a little better than the cab?

-----

A Lone Star cruiser pulls up to Dick's

The parking lot of a McHughes perfect place to hide out in the open. Book smiles and replies to the hacker, "Actually yes. Though the cab will be perfect for following the mark... Who may be leaving in moments. And a second vehicle will aid in alternating tails. Why don't you load into it System?"

Plenty of tail vehicles, the team need now just wait for the mark to head out.

System Error smiles and in his far-off voice replies, Done.

-----

An older, uniformed officer gets out of the cruiser and heads toward the door. A few minutes later, Carlos comes outside with a small box and places it in the passenger side of the cruiser. He gives the officer a hug and then he heads for a motorcycle in the parking lot.

And that smile brings a smile to Book's face. He connects his PAN to the now wide open interface of the cab and heads out. Time to follow junior.

The trio is able to follow Carlos easily enough. They end up switching tails about five times over the course of two hours. His route takes them to a dry cleaners, for a bite to eat in a dive that doesn't seem sanitary for devil rats and to a gated community. He stops long enough to punch in the entry code and head inside. Tank's drone follows him to a house near the wall. A few minutes later he is on the move again with an older Jackrabbit. It seems out of place in this neighborhood. He has a girl in t he car with him. She doesn't appear to be any older than 16. They stop at a club named Bliss; however, the club is closed at this time of day.

They each get out and head for the back.

Tank stops his ride a little over a block away from the club and sends his fly-spy on its newest mission. How in the world did people do surveillance fifty years ago?
--------
Book passes the club in the cab and directs the cab a block over where Tank parks his cruiser. The shaman then exits the cab, climbs into the van and promptly steps out of the shell of his mortal body and speeds back toward the back of the pub.

Tank spots several cameras on his way around the building. The pair is hunched down in the alley behind the club. Carlos appears to be pulling watch ... poorly. The unnamed girl is hunched over her comm. A devil rat passes over her foot and she jerks backwards. There is something familiar about her.

-----

Book is quickly able to locate the area in question. There is a weak ward around a room at the back of the club. THe two auras he spots are neither healthy nor free of cyberware; however, both are mundane.

Book makes his sweep and returns to Dalton's vehicle. "Low grade ward on the club... Everyone seems to think they're gonna get spied on astrally..."

Tank looks over as the shaman sits up and begins talking. "Several cameras and Carlos acts like he's on watch.. What the hell is he watching for? He just strolled up.." Tank lands the fly-spy on a ledge and zooms in on the girl, hoping he didn't see her earlier today and the Fire Cracker.
<<@Team [Tank] Any idea what she's doing on her com System?>>

A bored, computerized voice comes back over the comm, She is trying to hack the cameras on the inside and edit the ones on the outside ... badly.

-----

Tank notices that the girl with Carlos was in the Cube when he and Book found companionship for the evening. She wasn't with either one.

When System Error replies with the details Book just shakes his head.
<<@Team [Book] This kid is a bad, bad boy.... And he's gonna help us here. Ok. System - Can you help her along? Make her think she's hacked it and make sure no alarms go off? We also need to find out whose bar this is. Quick.>>

Tank looks over at the shaman. "This is a little off the cuff for you.."

Book replies, "Yea. But this just might work."

It is the face's turn to be cautious. "We haven't finished the leg work. We need more details. We need to set a trap and then spring it."

Book smirks, "Listen. This just might work. Let's find out who owns the bar. We need to get Daddy tied up in it, but not the grieving father. We help the kid along and try to put the pieces together as we go. If it starts to unravel we dump any evidence and come back at a different angle."

Dalton frowns. "You're the one always pushing to make sure we have a well laid out plan. I hope your gut is good on this one."

System Error replies, Working on it.

-----

A few minutes later the girls smiles and Tank is able to see her mouth, Yes, we got it.

The two of them make for the back door in a hurry.

-----

System pipes up again, this time in a light, female voice with an elven accent. A Mr. Dwayne Dumont owns Bliss. Shall I give him a call?

<<@Team [Book] Not yet. We need to know who Mr. Dwayne Dumont is first. Go ahead and scratch all the video footage in the alley except one camera. Time it to her attack, edit the logs if needed... and we should have a copy of the external video as well. Start piping over internal video as well. We need to see what those two are up to.>>

<<@Team [Tank] So the plan is watch them, get some video and figure out who Dumont is. Then make a decision whether to hold this in our pocket or alert Dumont now?>>

<<@Team [Book] Right. Who ever Dumont pays protection to might put the kid on a slab, then the Captain becomes a crime crusader grieving father instead of a tied-up, humiliated, crook.>>

<<@Team [Tank] Ok. Game on.>>

It takes him a bit but System comes back with, Whoever Mr. Dumont is, he is serious about his privacy. I was only able to locate a few publicity shots of him when Bliss opened. Ten to one says they are an imposter anyway. Anyone this paranoid about security wouldn't come out in the open. Ok, let me take a look at the logs and footage.

-----

The duo pops out of the building and heads for their car.

-----

A few seconds later, System adds, Done. What's our next move?

<<@Team [Book] Do you have their vehicle's PAN ID so we can follow at a distance? We'll figure out their next stop and try to put together a plan.>>

As Tank pulls the vehicle out onto the street to continue to the next leg of the day, Book looks over the footage to try and ascertain what the duo did.

Oh, they're being tracked by something better than an ID code. System does not elaborate.

-----

Upon reviewing the footage, it isn't obvious what they were after; however, they do show the girl aparently hacking into the system in the back of the office. Carlos swipes a carved, green statue that appears to be made out of jade that was sitting on the desk.

Dalton looks over smugly at his shaman partner, "Ok. What now?"

The cat at mouse wasn't nearly as frustrating as Tank's annoying, continually expecting Book to have all the answers. Snake however was amused. Book could feel his mentor's presence, wrapping around him like a blanket. Snake loves the secrets. Loves finding them. Loves using them as much as keeping them. He breaths deeply, taking a moment to remain calm. "We continue to watch. Do you expect this run to be over in a day?"

Placed on the defensive Dalton meekly replies, "No..." He then smiles, turning on his charm via humor. "A day and half perhaps?"

Book shakes his head. Humor was just what he needed. "We need to find out who Dumont is. "
<<@Team [Book] Here is what I am thinking. Follow Carlos and find out more about Dumont. We still don't know enough about Carlos to move yet. Hell, we obviously don't even need to invent evidence. We do need to stage it properly for the proper effect.... and I haven't quite figured that out. We need to tie the father to the crime if possible.... Oh hell... I think I have it. Let's follow junior and see what he does.>>

System Error - in his own voice - says, I'll see what I can come up with on Dumont. Hang on, it looks like our two birds are exiting the car in a local parking garage. I'll have to see if I can keep them in view.

-----

A few minutes later, he adds in, Got 'em. Headed into the basement. Looks like they have a buyer for whatever she stole. Not very subtle these two. Which one do you want me to track? The car is now moving toward the parking garage.

To have my cake or eat it? Book weighs the options of either strategy.
<<@Team [Book] System - You have some sort of trace on boy wonder and his car? I want to follow that statue for now. I have a small plan that may require it. We may complete this run tonight after all....>>

Tank looks over at the shaman. And he acts like I'm crazy.

Book then turns to the adept. "I need a your fly following them. The statue is now a matter of some importance."

With that, Tank's fly-spy wisps out and off towards young Carlos and the statue.

System answers, I have a friend looking after the car. He won't stay forever though. I'll make a modification to his ID so that we can find his car later. I'll keep the cameras on Carlos and the girl. They appear to be headed inside the building. The buyer must be headed for his car.

-----

The fly-spy buzzes off to find it's quarry. It is met with automatic doors and a lot of closed windows.

-----

I think that they are just getting a bite to eat. Looks like there is a McHughes in the food court of that building. Wait .... looks like a new buyer is coming over. Here, I'm putting this on AR window feed. Book is treated to an AR window showing the two of them sitting down and eating a couple of soyburgers with soy shakes. There is a ark walking over to them. He smiles and takes a seat next to them. The statue comes out and he shakes his head pointing down. Carlos drops the statue into a bag at the ork's feet. He looks up as if examining something only he can see and then shakes his head. He passes the statue back to them. He grabs a few fries and then heads off. The two continue to eat. What do you suppose that was about?

Tank recalls the little drone. "So much for that idea. Any more?"

Book looks over at his wise ass partner. "Yea. First one is to have a pretty mean air spirit toss you out on your head."

"Ok.. Ok. No need to resort to violence." Tank sets the returning fly-spy down at the ready.

The duo wait and watch as a second buyer comes and goes the duo still with the statue. Book remarks, "Either their price is way too either or that thing is really a worthless P-O-S."

Tank leans his seat back. "Wake me if anything interesting happens."