"Actually, there's a different problem. She saw us when we left, and a magician can call a spirit to track down anyone they've seen. Even if she doesn't know we're there until hours after we've gone, Zuzane would have to be a fool to not think that we might be responsible for the repeat intrusion and the magician could find us. We might hide behind wards and concealment for a while - we'll be doing that anyways because of the Yakuza - but sooner or later we'd have to deal with her.

"I don't think we can rob that warehouse without killing the mage.

"The alternative way to get money would be to hit the Yakuza. They're already after us, so no new enemies, and we want to hurt them anyways. Maybe we can find a Yakuza who knows where they have a stash, and I can get that knowledge from them in order to find us a quick target."

The Office
The flow of the conversation goes back and forth, the tension rising and falling as plans are discussed. Q sits quietly allowing it flow past and through him before rising abruptly. He locks eyes with Strangeglove before nodding once. His voice is firm and resolved as he speaks.

"While I may like the grand exit our former companion took..."

He nods towards the door Jon ran through while transforming and his eyes take on a distant look.

"...I think I will have to settle for a simple good bye and taking my leave. I cannot risk other plans I have to continue this path with all of you. What I can do is lead them on a merry chase for awhile with Strangeglove's assistance. I will try to lead some of the hunters away from here and after us before letting our trail go cold."

As he talks the troll gathers up the remains of his gear and moves around the room saying his goodbyes, mostly clasping hands like brothers in arms leaving for a different port of call or duty station.

"I hope you all survive the coming storm and we may yet meet again in this life."

The two exit and make their way out to the streets of the Barrens.

"I can ask a ravmalakh to peer into the future," Zero offers.

"It is how we found out when to save Emilio. I do not like relying on it, as he power is limited and not always reliable. However, it is an option."

Eklipse
You trigger the icon as you watch a series of safety protocols be enacted and layers of encryption be peeled away with the recognition of your receiving the message.

<< Things have hit the fan big time. The company has requested all and any information pertaining to you and any current and past assignments. People are being called in for debriefings and a unit has been assembled with the sole task of building an active and accurate psycholigcal profile on you. There have been discreet inquires into our mutual friend as well though those have been way below the radar. I am "losing" my current mission files claiming that I have been compromised by inspired bounty hunters looking for your payday. I have also lost the asset I sent you as well so hopefully nothing traces back to me here. Encoding in this message is a blind dropbox which we will need to communicate through going forward. I suspect a retrieval team is being assembled and prepped to bring you in so act accordingly. I hope you get this message and it does some good. I will try to contact you in a bit after I'm no longer under direct surveillance. >>

"Ok. Let's hit Yaks and hope for a good score. I still have Aideen as a contact and she has offered to do us a favor (on my books) and hide us out for a week or two. I expect she could be talked into taking goodies off our hands when the occasion arises. What, besides scorching the earth, do we need to do going forward to limit the ability of the Yaks to magically track us like you feared the Magician would do? Also, with the new IDs, do we need to do some permanent disguising?"

"We need to stay behind wards as much as possible - myself and Zero can work to put up wards on our new safehouse. We can also have spirits of our own protect us from any spirit searches - it will be taxing to keep sufficiently powerful spirits in this plane, but I think it is necessary. Obviously, we also don't want to let the Yakuza get a hold of any of our body parts, blood, hair, or anything like that.

"In the longer term, it would be a good idea to target any powerful magicians the Yakuza have as soon as possible. All a magician needs to look for someone is a clear mental image, and there's no way to prevent the Yakuza from knowing what at least some of us look like sooner or later, and our defenses will slow that down, but we can't hide behind wards and spirits forever and sooner or later someone will get lucky."

"We can also stop them from magically locating us by leaving the area. If it comes to pass that we must go and hide for a time, we should do that in a different city, or outside the cities entirely."

<<@Magda Reiner[unknown]: The moon conceals the sun.>>

The coded message sent, Eklipse's hand drops back to his side. He focuses his attention again on the depleted group around him.

"Well, with our limited resources, I agree that returning to ze warehouse would be foolish. I am believing I can get Zuzanne off of our tails, so we can be focusing on our real targets, ze Yakuza. Perhaps ve will still be needing to be going to the ground. So let us be seeing if we can be getting ourselves a little nest egg for while we are doing ze hiding, ja?"

<<@Thomas O'Malley[Gunther Muller]: Herr O'Malley. I will be out of town for a while but in my investigations I came across some information you may find useful. It concerns a shadowrunner by the name of Zuzanne. I understand she is a person of interest in the assault and murder of some of your colleagues. The information I received indicates that she is currently operating out of a warehouse near the FedBoeing plant. There was an incident there recently related to the extraction of two children so she may be on alert for further trouble. I am sure that you will know the right people to whom this information would be useful. GM>>

"Okay, Zuzanne will hopefully be keeping busy avoiding the local police officers. Given our current team composition, what are our possible Yakuza targets?"

"I say we pick a mid-ranking hot-head - maybe one of the people Q found, take him or her down hard, and use them to find a more lucrative target to hit. I'm not sure how these Yakuza organize themselves, though, so I won't be much good at picking the Yakuza we hit first."

"I don't think where we start matters as much as where we end up. Either way, I agree we need to leave, now. We can keep this direct communication up while we split up and ditch this place, so no reason to sit around here being a good target while we chat. I've got room for one more on my bike, the rest of my vehicles are toast. I'm going to send the drones to the garage, and cruise around until Emilio's contact gets that first safe house down. Sounds like we need to hit the safe house, ward it, set up security, and then hit the Yaks. We can move after a couple of days, keep them from locking on to a place and nailing us down."

He's packing as he's talking, stripping off the heavy armor and packing it away in the armored saddlebags of the bike that came rolling in of it's own accord, several of the smaller drones dropping into obviously custom designed launchers along the bike's chassis. He mounts up and glances back to see who, if anyone, was taking him up on his offer of a ride.

<<Rikik[Fleet]: You any good at hacking cars? We need to get team transportation up and going again as quickly as possible, and I've got a lot of lost gear to make up for. I can handle the physical electronics, but it always helps to have someone that knows the insides.>>

<<Fleet[Rikik]: If I have time, I can do it. I'm not very good at kicking down doors so to speak.>>

"Anyone who wants to come with me is free to do so. I can spoof the van so it won't look like the one they saw leaving your smoking crater. If one of you wants to drive, that would let me do some of the other work with your electronics. You should probably turn anything you aren't using off, and pull out the batteries."

<<Red Queen [Rikik]: It looks like a few people have decided to pull a white rabbit and run on their own, late for their very important dates. Here are image captures of the people. They would like to pay cash for the best quality available on the time constraints.>>

"My truck isn't connected to any of this yet - we can take it. Although maybe Rikik needs to do something with the computer magic? In any case, it will take about a day to put the ward up."

The Office
The people move around the elegant home and begin to gather their gear. The small household drones whirr to life under the direction of the AI and begin to clean up after the occupants hoping to remove any evidence of their being here or biological matter to be used to trace them. Widget spends a bit quietly on the couch and interfacing with the house node and removing any digital records of you being in the house.

Rikik
You receive an address of a small transit station where the new SINs will be available for pick up in 36 hours in locker 34A and the numeric code is attached to access it. They will be there for a 12 hour period then the locker will rollover and the code will be invalid.

You switch gears and look over the data packet to see if you can find any more specific terms to search with other than Yakuza safe houses. Combing over it you find two names - a company called Jinsei connected to the doctor and the Kitai Foundation that was mentioned being a charity started by seed money from the now known Yakuza connected businessman.

Looking around the office, Rikik watches the frenetic activity as people got ready to flee.

"Not to be terribly crass, but are you guys taking this stuff or leaving it for the first batch of scavengers and people coming to kill you? If it is meant to be for you guys to use or something, we can toss it in the van and sell it off to contacts like whoever is lining up the safehouse for Emilio or actually use it and work through modifying it to your needs."

He acknowledges the message from the Red Queen and thanks her. In the pit of his stomach, he knew each little favor like this just dug him deeper into her debt--goods were paid for, but the time and connections would all come due.

While the rest of the team works, the erstwhile hacker offers to start spoofing the electronics that the team will need to keep using. He then wipes a tag eraser over them, just to be sure.

"Take it all. I'll contact Aideen, take her up on her offer, and see if she knows any buyers," chimes Emilio, as he double checks the encryption on his commlink.

<<Aideen[E]: We would like to pursue the guest house you noted. On his way to his date with you, SG messed up the car he was in along with some neighboring ones. Sadly, he then left them where think they will be sold for scrap. Do you know how we can buy them? I'd like to fix them up if I can. Also, do you know any mages who can help? Finally, my great aunt Edith left me a lot of antiques, art, makeup, and such. Could I commission you to help me sell this inheritance?>>

"Oh, I can drive."

Zero sends warning messages to his contacts and friends. He lets Reverend Hannibal and Maggie know that the job that they originally forwarded to him has now grown far more complicated, that a spectre of his past has appeared, and that he will contact them as soon as he can. He warns Dr. Huxtable of what has happened, the appearance of his "Brother," and that he will try to contact her as soon as possible. He offers them all his apologies and prayers, promising that he will do to protect them. After all, that is the calling of a Guardian Theurge.

With the messages sent out, Zero hands his electronics over to Rikik. He is visibly disturbed whenever he crosses the barrier of Rikik's miasma, as each moment in them triggers the flood of emotions his creators programmed into him.

"I would appreciate it if you can...um...satire? no... spoof? Yes, spoof! Um, if you can spoof these."

Emilio
You see a small icon flare into life with a data attached to it from Aideen. You click it and see the decryption process and soon have a set of coordinates for your new home for the next bit of time. Pulling up a map and overlaying the information and see it's in Tarislar district of Puyallup region of Seattle.

<<Emilio[A] Driving instructions sent. I will see if I can get my hands on the salvage and as to a mechanic I may know a duo that does that kind of work. Let me ask around and see what I can find out. Good luck and stay safe. >>

At the Office
The remaining team members move through the house and make short work of the contents of the structure. The piles of clothing, cosmetics, art and household items drifts out into the various vehicles. People begin to gather what hear they have left and wedge amongst the other items. The cars are loaded and people climb in to begin the long drive out to the new safe house. The decision is made to skirt the edge of Seattle by driving south and staying on back roads and smaller freeways through Renton and Auburn into Puyallup. You make your way through the Barrens and only have to fire a few bursts into crowds of scavengers who think you might be easy pickings. You soon feel the lull of streaming urban scape as you drive over the next few hours taking a care to draw as little attention as possible.

You arrive in Tarislar and quickly see the signs that the metroplex has signed off on this area. There are generators and solar panels everywhere showing that people out here need to get their own power if they want it to be steady. You see plenty of armed guards and patrols protecting the small villages and collectives that dot the region. You see no evidence of corporate security company monitoring the area and little of the infrastructure of a city - the supermarkets, the gas stations, and the office buildings or high density housing blocks. Instead you see small farms, bio domes and urban towns that all appear to be striving for self sufficiency. The majority of the population appears to be elves and that just adds to the surreal feel of the region.

As you draw closer to the coordinates you crest a small hill and see what looks like a small village of quick erect structures, maybe five in total. One looks to be badly damaged with clear signs of fire and violence having occurred there. As you pass through the low barricade wall that surrounds it you see the main gate has been forcefully torn off its hinges from the outside. Inside the walls you see signs this was a squatters camp or maybe raiders - there is little sign of the usual domestic flairs you saw in the other settlements. Nothing to house families, gardens or communal areas for gatherings. Investigating the compound you discover an underground bunker beneath the shelters that connects to each though the burnt out one looks like it was damaged by the fire and may take some work to make usable again. There are rooms with bunks for sleeping, hijacked power from somewhere and taps into some sort of water supply. The bunker feels very military or hard core survivalist with everything being function over form and basic necessities. You clearly see most everything of value that was portable was taken. Looking over the whole scene you think this nest of vipers was cleared out but by whom or why is not clear.

Climbing down out of the van, Fleet almost unconsciously glances back to ensure that the reality of the bike matched the stream of data he was getting. He'd meant to ride it himself, but it made more sense to be in direct control of the vehicle with most of the group, and allow Rikik to work with the commlinks. It had also given him time to tag vehicles, pinging them as he drove by to reference for later. Two Mercury Comets, just for casual 'rolling around town' and keeping the team together, and a Ford Spiral 115Ti, for when they needed something with some juice. He looked over the location, already creating a series of alternate routes between here and the various small garages he'd originally secured for the now-defunct vehicles without actually plotting locations and maps in his commlink.

<<@Team[Fleet] Anyone see which one of the buildings would be best for stashing vehicles? Definitely don't want to leave them out in the open around here. I'm thinking maybe an old van to replace the gate? No construction required, easily movable, etc.>>

He whistles softly as he gets a look at the underground portion, his respect for Aideen jumping a couple of notches.

<<@Team[Fleet] It's a regular little Jihad bunker under here, isn't it? Hey Emilio, tip your friend for this. Did she say how long we had it for? Or how much it's costing us?>>

Eklipse pulls up behind the others, his grim expression hidden by his bike helmet.

Before leaving the safehouse, he had handed all his gear to Rikik and pointed out his bike, then had backed out of the range of the hacker's astral aura while he did his thing. His fake SINs were now gone and it had then taken him a few moments to reconnect all the devices to one of the links before setting off after the others.

He had not mentioned Martha's warning to the rest of the team. Later, he promised himself. Once we are settled in the new location.

He lets out a whistle as he inspects the bunker. He grins at the mages.

"If you can be warding zis place, I am thinking ve vill be very safe!"

"Yes, this looks quite defensible. Rikik, you will need to keep away from me, Zero, and the boundaries of this place for the day. Otherwise your negative energy will disrupt the flow of chi. I'll get started."

Settling himself out of the way, Rikik reaches out and begins to draw more and more of the tide into himself. The elf feels the strain pull and tear at his body as he holds onto far too much of the tide. With all of that energy trapped within him, Rikik begins scouring the matrix for loose bits of data, finding what ripples are left by each interaction with the Resonance and tracing the datatrails across the globe.

He sits up later, sending the data across the team so everyone could look at it.

"Here's what I found on the Yakuza. Have you guys figured out what you want to do about Management, the Seoulpa, and the connections to the temple, herbalist and community center?"

The Compound
The data flows to each of you and begins to unfold as the silence grows following Rikik's question to the group.

The first packet covers a company called Jinsei. It seems to be a small pharmaceutical firm that specializes in drugs based on "natural remedies". They claim to combine the best of Eastern medicine with Western technology to create a perfect fusion of holistic products that work as well as other mainstream drug therapies and treatments. They have a no physical store front except for a storage facility by the docks here in Seattle. Looking over the extensive information provided you see they have a standing purchasing agreement with The Bodhi Tree for uncommon herbs. You also see a few news clippings claiming that Jinsei is involved in produced the next party drug for the young and spiritually inclined. That they are trying to create the next Awakened party drug for the 6th world. You see the responses from their PR department saying how people have long decried the benefits of traditional medicines and treatments from indigenous cultures and that they are committed to working past this blatant prejudice to bring the cessation of suffering to the people they serve. They defend their use of smaller independent businesses as a way to build stronger communities and to preserve the knowledge of previous generations that typically is lost in the rush of science and progress. The company reports a modest income and appears to be holding their own in the market or at least making enough to continue their R & D projects.

The Kitai Foundation has an office in the International District . It's a non-profit organization that provides education grants to local schools, scholarships to colleges to bright but low income applicants and intern programs to members of the community trying to find work in the area. They promise hope to the next generation by providing opportunities and connections to promote the youth of the region. They boost connections to corporations and their recruitment divisions, to local schools as well as to several prominent individuals already working in education, business and science. Listed at one time as a member in good standing was Choon-Hee Gu and was touted as a shining example of the potential waiting to be unlocked within each young member of the community. You find recent articles calling for audits of their records and see replies that they will be suspending all operations pending their full investigation. You see back lash pieces from the current beneficiaries of the Kitai Foundation picked up by news groups, showing them as the truly innocent victims in this recent tragedy. There is mixed reactions from the people they service ranging from outright shock and disbelief to people urging others to see the good works the organization has done and could continue to do in the future.

The last packet is a profile of two potential targets for mid level management in the Yakuza. The first is a small gang called the Swords of Wind and Water, a motorcycle gang run by Tony "The Sword Master" Sato that handles all the important transportation and courier needs for the syndicate in the Seattle region. They can be seen driving all around the city moving between businesses and clubs believed to have strong affiliations or to be outright owned by them. They are skilled drivers and excel at passing packages back and forth during transit thwarting attempts to expose their illegal activities. He owns a small ranch in Snohomish where most of the gang lives and makes use of the space to train new members and keep their driving skills sharp. Tony is rumored to be an expert swordsman and trained in several styles of martial arts while the gang seems to be at ease with both small firearms and blades of various sizes. The second is a group of enforcers going by the name of the Mountains of Kabato led by a woman who goes by Kamuishiri. They collect debts and "settle" financial issues for the syndicate all over the city when the normal routes of persuasion have failed to yield results. They are known for using massive polearms or axes and heavy weapons like machine guns along with grenade launchers to get their point across. They are rumored to have a clubhouse of sorts in Tacoma region. You see a list of three likely spots - Belly Up a sports bar catering to mercenaries and contract workers, Inside Seam a strip club with a history of "extra" services being readily available with proof of funds and lastly a place called Skin Deep known for its nano tattoos and cosmetic modifications for the trendy street artists and posers alike.

"I think the Swords of Wind and Water would be a good target. We know where they are, and I expect they have valuables at their ranch we can appropriate. I suggest we do enough reconnaissance to be sure of a time when Sword Master is there, and then hit the ranch, wipe out any of them that are present, grab Sword Master, and loot the place."

Eklipse scans the data and smiles when Fat Man mentions the Swords of Wind and Water.

"Ja. I am thinking the same. These seem worthy foes and vill send a message to ze other scumbags zat we are being coming for zem."

There is a dangerous light in his eyes. Much more so that when he agreed to the warehouse job.

"When do we get the new IDs? I can chat with Aideen, but I need a way to do that without tripping us up. I want to find out how long exactly we have here and to see if she can help with the sales.

"Also, I have another fake ID that I haven't seen tripped up yet. If it's clean, I have a place where I work on guns and explosives. We can prepare some delightful booms for our friends. How do we check this out?"

Fleet's eyes flicker back to Eklipse as he speaks, the hobgoblin looking away from his list making long enough to nod.

"Sounds good. So, we put a couple of people out watching these guys until we're sure the Sword guy is at home, then we meet up and smash them. Meantime, no reason not to follow up on the other leads, the company and the foundation. Rikik, I'm assuming you can dig up some more information on them? Whatever's available, and maybe some idea on who would know more about how they're tied into all of this? And we can put a couple of people out to go there and actually talk to some people...maybe Fat Man and Emilio for the Bodhi Tree, and Eklipse to the Foundation, since you'd be easily sells as outcaste and underprivileged? I can take Zero and Rikik with me to help keep an eye on the gangers and make sure we don't get surprised by anything they have that we can't see? And besides, we need to do some shopping on the way, and I think that Rikik's just the person to help me out with that."

"That sounds reasonable to me. We should be sure to stay inside the warded vehicles as much as possible while we're moving - try not to stay outside one longer than you need to.

"I've never been to the Bodhi Tree myself, but it's the sort of place I might shop at. I should have no problem posing as a customer. Maybe I can inquire about this Awakened drug? What else would we want to learn from them?"

Rikik
Watching the team dive into the data, and overlook his question entirely, Rikik shrugs and moves a few meters down. The elf makes sure that he is still out of the walking path that Fat Man needed for his incense burning and mumbling. He pulls up the commcode he was given for Management, the elusive figure which had guided the team through enough death and mayhem that it made the evening news. The data packet he'd seen showed depths of betrayal and vengeance that Rikik had never experienced before. He slipped into VR before making the call, wanting to be vigilant for any possible treachery.

"Hello. I'm the new technology broker brought in, after your previous one made the news for himself and the rest of your employees. I have some questions. The answers may prevent certain businesses from drawing the wrong attention from your people."

The shimmer of the portal appears as the call goes out. He sees the ripple as the connection is made and his piece is said. There is a long pause as he waits for any kind of reply. The portal slowly changes color to an ivory similar to scroll paper he recalls having seen in Japanese exhibits or art. Rikik watches as elegant brush strokes appear on the surface as if looking over the shoulder of someone doing calligraphy by hand. The kanji flow and sentences emerge.

I apparently hired a very able and skilled broker. I would ask how you find me but honestly my skills in this arena are limited at best. Ask your questions and I may choose to answer.

"Let's start with the simple ones...What is your relationship with Choon-Hee Gu and the Brightman Group? The team has currently chosen to leave the Bodhi Tree and their proprietors out of this conflict, but the young teacher knows too many secrets about the purges and may be brought in for questions. Are you working for the Seoulpa Rings or an independent?"

Rikik grabs the picture from the data file, with all of the Yakuza bosses gathered together and uploads it across the link.

"While we're discussing allegiances, a few of these wonderful folks are dead. Messily if the data is any indicator... Is the team supposed to hunt down all of the surviving members, or just some of them? Do you know who is behind the nanite infection?"

The portal ripples and the kanji disappears from its surface as the answer begins to write itself.

The scholar has only lost in this conflict and I was seeking knowledge she alone possessed. The Brightman Group is simply a hollow shell I use to launder funds through and keep tabs in the places that matter to me without drawing undue attention. I once shared history with the Rings but have long since parted ways. They are still concerned with their own profits and not bringing those deserving souls to their rightful deaths. Who would bring her in and question her?

He watches as the image is received and transferred over to the data stream of his employer or at least he assumes so.

Their deaths were long overdue and there are others who need to face the consequences of their actions in this image. My work is more complicated than mere murder. I am redressing the wrongs committed against generations now and seeking to restore the balance to the karma around these souls. As to the nanite infection, I become aware of the power struggle and sought to use it to my advantage but I was unaware of the exact details. I am not surprised that they are repeating their cycle of betrayal and death but I hope to end this cycle if I can.

As he reads the answers forming, he quickly looks over the data packet to see what other questions he can ask while he has the opportunity.

"And why does Choon-Hee route her calls through the Brightman Group? The team may have brought her in for questioning, if you are sure she knows nothing which will assist them, I will push them away from such an idea. Which of the people in this image are left for your karmic balancing? What other secrets about the Yakuza, their businesses, and inner turmoil are there in your possession which will guide the team? Do you know the powers behind the shell companies that were offering the bounty on Dr. Takayasu? The team is preparing to raise their hands against the Swords of Wind and Water. Is there anything you know which can assist them, or messages I should pass on to them?"

The portal once again ripples and the answers begin to appear again.

The scholar thinks she is discussing a potential book offer from the Brightman Group but she rightly fears reprisals from the Yakuza should it become known she is doing so. If I am able to complete my work here in Seattle then she may be finally able to speak her truth to the world and resume the life that was stolen from her. Speak with her but do so without risking her safety or you will find this arrangement terminated with a great deal of hostility.

He arranges the icon representing the data he highlighted from the data dump and shares them with his employer. Rikik sees them again received and transferred over for him or her to look over.

As to the people and which are slated for judgement, I do not know yet. My research continues and as I find each person responsible I have discovered the shadows of another's involvement. They will soon lead me to the next. As to their lies and schemes, I am still searching through what I found when the past caught up with Yamamoto but rest assured as soon as I find another way to weaken them I will send word.

As he watches the calligraphy flow across the surface he marvels at the skill. So far his employer hasn't struck him as the type of person to deal with the end high programs capable of such precision and skill. The security around them has been the "throw lots of nuyen at it" and hope you bought the best you could variety. Rikik thinks they actually may be writing this out on a tablet or pad which means they aren't even using DNI to interface with the matrix.

The bounties you speak of, some of them are ones I offered during my hunt for this people. The others I do not know but would like to. but I will not let it distract me from my work. The misguided fools that follow these men should have asked who they pledged service to, If they had they might have known they would be required to die to shield them from the consequences of their actions. Make them an example so that the others know that retribution has come. While I do not have knowledge to help I can offer to pay five thousand for each death and fifteen thousand for their leader.

Rikik sees several of the kanji change, the ones for "death" and "leader". Looking them over the are icons for file transfers. He quickly analyzes them and finds there are just data files with details to arrange payment for the compensation offered. It seems some proof of demise is required, either a body part or footage of their deaths.

"Very well. I will pass word along to the team regarding your newly placed bounties and the limitations to be placed on any communication with Choon-Hee."

He brings the call to a close as the other runners begin to make plans and toss his name around.

As the call terminates, Rikik heads over to where the others are talking.

"Yes, I can go with Fleet to the ranch and some shopping. I also need to go pick up your new IDs before too long. When we are out, do we need to do anything since we won't be behind the wards you're building?

"Also, I contacted your employer to clarify some things. Choon-Hee Gu needs to be moved around very carefully. She has a lot of information that Management wants, but risking her safety will lead to painful and sudden deaths for anyone Management feels is responsible. She is using the Brightman Group to launder funds as suspected, but is no longer working with the Seoulpa.

"For our current goal with the gangs, if you can provide some kind of body part or proof of death, there is a bounty of five thousand per goon and fifteen thousand for the leader. Also, it looks like we've got a picture of some solid targets for when we start climbing up the Yakuza food chain."

He sends the image of the collected Yakuza leaders out.

"Some of these, I think you already dealt with."

Fleet arches a brow, but holds his tongue until the smaller figure finished talking.

" Remind me one day to ask how you got their number, since I don't think they've given it to anyone here. That said, it's good info, and I'm glad we didn't stumble out and start knocking on doorff that would have gotten uff killed. So, we leave the Brightman Group and the Researcher alone for the moment. Fat Man, I know you wanted to ward the vehicleff before we traveled, but right now there's just not much to ward. Go ahead and do Rikik's van and your truck. Don't think you can ward the bike, right? So, Rikak and I will head out for the acquisition and recon run when the van's warded with Zero, and Fat Man and Emilio can go check out the Bohdi Tree in the truck. That's the only piece we dug up that Management isn't interested in, right? Rikik, is there anything we can do to make our gear and vehicles safer to travel with right now?"

Eklipse shrugs at the mention of body parts.

"Management has made zis request before. Right hands if I am remembering correctly."

He rubs his temples as if he is struggling to focus his thoughts, while suppressing a yawn.

"As ze Foundation just seems to be a cover, it is perhaps best I stay here until ze new IDs are ready. I am rather standing out from ze crowd and Cypher's data may have alerted one of my former employers to my current wherabouts.

At the mention of 'former employers', he glances to Fleet and gives him a barely perceptible nod before carrying quickly on.

"As ze Foundation just seems to be a cover, it is perhaps best I stay here until ze new IDs are ready. I am rather standing out from ze crowd and Cypher's data may have alerted one of my former employers to my current wherabouts. Plus my kind are creatures of ze night and we do not function well during ze day. Perhaps I can better perfom nighttime surveillance on zese Swords. Or if Fat Man and Emilio are needing ze help, I can be accompanying them to ze Bohdi Tree. Having seen zere driving, I think I can be doing better, even in ze daytime."

Emillio
You settle into the bunker over the day as the magic talent of the team wanders the halls and erects what you seem are magical barriers but all you see is incense and glazed looks as you pass them. You clean up and arrange the areas as best you can for a short term stay and an eye to keeping things defensible and easily retrieved if you need to evacuate quickly. Near the end of the day's work you receive a message - looking it over it seems to be heavily encrypted and to have been bounced all over the globe before arriving to you. You see Aideen's mark on it - a small red bird and risk opening it. It decrypts and unfolds in your AR display.

<< E: Hope all is well. I found the mechanics you were looking for and they come with solid reps but they are eccentric so be prepared. I was able to acquire the salvage you asked for as a favor from SG so no fee attached. >>

Imbedded in the message is a commcode to someone named Zian along with a set of GPS coordinates and tomorrow's date. Enter the data you find a location smack dab in the middle of the Barrens. There is a 72 hour time limit attached to the location and date that shows its start time as being midnight on that date.

The Bodhi Tree
You drive through the International District and see the neighborhoods take on a decidedly Asian feel. With numerous AROs in Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese. You drive past the temple where this series of events first started and take several smaller side streets to arrive in front of a small building. The shop is a single room with a large display window in front. The second floor is clearly a living space and there is a visible rooftop green house and garden from the street level. You can see an elderly man as the sole occupant of the store. The walls are floor to ceiling shelves and there are short aisles in the center of the open floor, only about four feet tall. There are colorful paper kites, lanterns and art hanging from the ceiling. A long counter runs along the back wall and a curtained opening is behind it, perhaps access to the apartment above or to a store room. The street is other small businesses and houses mixed in. There is a steady flow of foot traffic of local people and friendly chatter fills the area.

Acquisition Team
You drive the streets and Fleet throws up an ARO of the tags of the cars he is looking to boost. The map populates with three icons showing their present location along the route you traveled while heading to the bunker. You wind your way to the first vehicle and park a discreet distance away.

Emilio double checks the encryption on his com link, and forwards the data along with the following message:

<<Team[Emilio]: Aideen was able to get what's left of the cars (on Grenade Troll's books), and has a line on some mechanics who can fix them up. I have contact info for a "Zian," a comment that they are solid but eclectic, and a location in the Barrens with a three day window. I suggest we look into it after the recon and when we have new IDs.>>

Finishing up with the third vehicle, Fleet climbs out of the driver's seat as the door swings shut and the car pulls smoothly away from the curb, headed towards the last of garage spaces he'd designated. With a nod towards Rikik a distance away in the van, he scanned the street casually before strolling over and climbing in.

"That's the laffft of them. Let's head on up and check out thiff gang we're supposed to wipe out." A motion transfers a suggested route to the slimmer figure as Fleet settled back in the seat with a grunt, eyes distracted as he scanned the 'pull your own parts' dealers and personal auction sites for the gear he'd need to start outfitting the new vehicles.

He sits up abruptly as he gets Emilio's note, and then settles back down with a disgusted sound.

<<@Team[Fleet] I appreciate your checking into it, but it's going to take any mechanic months to fix them all up, and it's going to cost an arm and a leg. Better off spending all that time and money on new gear that doesn't have the wear and tear.>>

The Bodhi Tree
The street in the front of the shop keeps a steady flow of locals moving their way to and fro. An occasional customer enters the shop, usually having a brief but animated conversation with the elderly man and then leaving with a small paper bag or small paper box.

Emilio
Looking over the store front you see one small camera on the exterior that has what appears to be limited range. Perhaps just a few feet beyond the door. You can see obvious contact points along the door suggesting some sort of alarm system for it as well as some embedded sensors you think in the windows. The style and size of the visible components dates the security measures as being several decades behind the curve.

Fat Man
You glance around at the oddity before you. You still feel the disassociation from this life, the one you have chosen to live for the moment. The flow of human life still seems strange and disconnected as you watch the interactions in front of you. You sense the underlying universal concepts beneath - companionship, caring for their young, survival - but the way these urges play out sometimes still leave you confused and baffled. Shaking yourself from your thoughts you look over the store front. You immediately notice prayer strips affixed to the window and the door - most people probably mistook them for flyers or advertisements. The fact that they exist on the astral only made it easier to notice them. You can see a small altar set up in the corner of the shop with the customary offerings of fruit, rice and water with incense burning in front of it. Something Buddhist perhaps or ancestral worship of some kind - you would need to get a closer look at it to narrow it down further. You see no shimmer of mana that would indicate a ward covering the store.

Eklipse
You glance up and down the street giving each person a look over. The notion the SK has hunter seeker teams out in the field looking for you keeps the persistent whisper of alertness and paranoia alive in the back of your mind. You see everything as it should be and everyone behaving as they should.

Directing Rikik to pull off the road a few hundred meters from the location they'd been provided, settling back in his seat as he cracked open one window far enough to let the FlySpy's drift out the window on softly buzzing wings. Connecting the group to the network provided by the small drones, he spread them out, leaving them just at the end of each other's sensor range, and move them towards the location.

"Rikik, can you let us know what we've got in the way of electronics? Zero, let's find you a comfortable spot outside the van but within eyesight, and get whatever you can give us from the magic side of things done."

Why are traditional medicines part of a criminal organization here? I don't understand these people.

The owners don't seem dangerous, so maybe they are just smuggling or hiding things...I know James has a some hidden rooms. Maybe we can find them? Or if there are Awakened drugs here, I might be able to spot them from the Astral.

<@Team[Fat Man]:Eklipse, maybe you had better keep watch outside? Emilio, can you take a look around inside and see if you can find hidden rooms or anything like that? I'll keep the owner distracted.

Why did my commlink do that? Is it possessed again? Maybe Rikik's curse did something to it.

Fat Man put the commlink out of sight and headed over to talk to the owner.

"Good day, elder. I am wondering if you carry traditionally gathered Mengding Ganlu tea? I have had difficulty locating it - many places sell only synthetic alternatives, and they do not have the same beneficial properties."

Fat Man
As you entered the shop you heard the delicate chime of bells and the elderly man looked up with a look of mild surprise on his face. As you look through the layers of emotion and thought woven in his aura you see a robust glow of life and purpose laced with curiosity. He does not seem to be able to touch the deeper mysteries of magic and only has one dead spot in his life field - near his head and behind his ear. You see frank surprise on his features from having a stranger enter his shop. He answers your question with smooth English with only the slightest trace of a Korean accent.

"Good day to you as well. We do have a small amount of the tea you mentioned though we can get more in about a week if you have need for more than we currently have. Please allow me to show you what we have."

He motions you towards the counter and he turn and begins to pull a draw out from the bank of drawers behind him. He places in on the counter then unhinges it from the back and swinging the cover up and off.

"How did you hear of me? We don't get many new faces here."

Rikik
Sitting in the car and you hope concealed from casual discovery, you slip from this world and slide into the sea of 1s and 0s all around you. You reach out and look for other connections to the matrix around, quickly discarding the ones you are already aware of - the car and comms of your companions. The image in your mind begins to fill in and you pinpoint 25 nodes in the area of the ranch. Of that number 11 of them feel passive and dormant at present and 1 of them was obscured from your senses - probably hidden from standard searches.

Fat Man
"One of my friends found this place on the commlink. I'm not really sure how he did it, to be honest, I'm not very good with computers."

That sounds a lot less sinister than "our cursed computer shaman says you have something to do with the Yakuza."

He settles back into his seat, shaking his head a little.

What was it that all the other runners didn't like about being close to the odd little hacker? I've never had an issue...

A moment, and then he's free, dividing his attention between all four of the little microdrones that were spinning off into the darkness. One of them he tasked to hover directly over Zero, though twenty or thirty feet up, just to be his eyes and ears while he oversaw the rest of the group. The others he sent towards the area they were watching, letting the onboard pilots wobble and bob their way forward, doing their best to disguise their movement and minimizing chances to be seen based on sightlines and light angles.

Eklipse sulks in the van. The hood of his cheap sweatshirt is pulled up to conceal his blue fur, mirrorshades concealing his tired eyes. He winces as Fat Man's message blasts his eardrums.

No sign of SK at least. But I can't be sure of more than that. My senses just aren't as sharp when it's light. It's not fragging fair. The rest of metahumanity seems to have no problem operating at night, but my kind struggle during the day.

He toys with his commlink, turning the volume down and examing his new fake identity.

Rikik seems competent. I am now Hans Gruber. Where do they come up with these names. I have never met a Hans Gruber in my life.

He focuses his attention back on the street and his companions inside the shop.

I am sure I am missing something important. Something about the temple. Maybe it will come back to me in the evening.

After finishing examining the front of the shop, Emilio enters and walks to Fat Man.

To Fat Man, "Do they have what you need?"

Emilio then turns to the shop keeper and asks, "Oh, excuse me. Do you happen to have a restroom I might use? I just realized I had too much coffee this morning."

Note to self: next time, cook up a cover as someone from the power company or someone else with an excuse to walk around in back.

The Ranch
The large sprawling grounds is surrounded by trees and sparse foliage with a single access road leading from it to the street running by the front of the property. It has a large main house and what looks to be a converted barn that has been turned into a a mechanic bay for bikes with plenty of room for storage and several bikes are clearly in various stages of repair or modification. What used to be a large paddock or riding area for horses had been changed into a parking area and BBQ spot with outdoor grills, tables and sun shades. You can see evidence of lights being strung up all over the compound to adequate light it during the night.

Fleet
The AR windows float around you as the drones bob and weave their way through the air and spread out around the area. You see signs of people walking around and bikes everywhere. The three hubs of activity appear to be the barn, the modified paddock area and a gathering outside the main house in the front. With a series of commands you dispatch one microdrone to each location to see what it can see. You flick through the feeds and so far no one seems aware of your presence. The amount of insects out here in this area seems to be working in your favor - the drones are just three more in a sea of hundreds over the property.

The Bodhi Tree
As Emilio enters the shop keeper cranes his neck around to see who it is and visibly takes more interest in his arrival to the point of stepping sideways to place himself in clear view of him. He relaxes slightly when he addresses his other customer and they seem to know each other.

"Yes we do. You will need to step around the counter this way."

He moves and lifts a section of counter hinged to allow access and leads the tall Nordic man to the curtained opening, drawing it aside and gesturing to the right to a small bathroom built off of the back wall of the shop. The rest of the room appears to be storage with a door leading to behind the shop and a small set of stairs tucked away to the left of the opening leading up to the apartment upstairs. He stands in the doorway until Emilio enters the bathroom before returning to the counter with a nervous smile on his face.

"It seems today is full of surprises. Two new faces. Now where were we?"

His voice is excited but a little tense but his smile is open and honest when he faces Fat Man once again.

The Ranch

"I've got about two dozen different pings out here. Half of them look to be in a low power mode, maybe the bikes? One is being run silent, so someone knows a little bit about matrix security. If we're going to be here for awhile, I can dig into it and see what it is."

Rikik shifts around in the backseat trying to get comfortable. If he had to start hacking stuff, it would take hours and he didn't want to wake up with a knot in his back.

Emilio enters the bathroom, and uses it. Better go now. How.. embarrassing.. if I suddenly needed to really go later.

<<Fat Man[Emilio]: I want to get a quick picture of the back area when I come out. Can you distract him for a bit? Let me know when you're good to go, then do it.>>

Emilio then finishes up and gets his comm link ready to capture a movie when he leaves.

Fleet
You send out commands and pull open four windows dedicated to feeds from the micro-drones. You arrange the windows in the air around you so that it only takes a slight movement to bring your full attention to any single feed. The first window is the area with your team mates and everything looks clear for the moment as the drone sets up a patrol pattern to keep the visual scan as wide as possible. You shift to the next window - the drone dispatched to the barn. You see the interior is converted into a vehicle repair and motivation bay. You see several small drones scattered around the area, most likely to do routine tasks like oil changes, cleaning and tire pressure. You see several bikes in the process of being modified and in various stages of reconstruction. You see only about five of them are operational enough to be ridden at the moment. There is a group of five people here, sitting and talking while they all work on bikes with a trideo playing with the local news streaming on it. All of them are carrying a handgun of some sort openly out in shoulder holsters or tucked into waist bands.

The next feed is the house where it seems a small group is gathered around admiring a motorcycle that was pulled up the driveway to the main entrance. You see three bikes and five people in the front. There seems to be much excitement and gesturing over the one vehicle which by the looks of it is heavily modified. Most of them are dressed in riding leathers or biker armor popular with the urban brawl set. You think they may also be packing weapons underneath their clothing but it is difficult to make out.

The final and four window shows you the paddock area and you see four motorcycles and it looks like three people. They appear to be barbecuing and drinking at the outside grill. There is a cooler and food spread out on one of the tables. They have visible guns and some even sport knives in boot and wrist sheaves. Their jackets are thrown over bikes and benches as they laugh and talk while the food is prepared and eaten.

The Bodhi Tree
<@Emilio[Fat Man]: I'll see if he'll sell me the drugs now - perhaps that will distract him.>

"To attract good fortune, spend a new coin on an old friend, share an old pleasure with a new friend, and lift up the heart of a true friend by writing his name on the wings of a dragon.

"By the way, I have been looking for some herbs that are...difficult to acquire. Do you perhaps have any of them in stock?"

Fat Man listed a few of the herbal ingredients for the illegal drugs Rikik had uncovered that the Bodhi Tree supplied to Jinsei.

<<Fat Man[Emilio]: I'm good when he seems to have bitten.>>

The Bodhi Tree
His eyebrows raise at the mention of the herbs.

"I do indeed carry a small amount of those herbs. I could get more but I would need payment first since they are so difficult to ship in any state that makes them worthwhile."

He turns and places an older looking holographic unit on the counter that audibly hums to life as an interface materializes in the air between you. He taps a few buttons and looks confused when nothing seems to happening before blushing and reaching under the counter for an AR glove.

"I always forget to put these on. My wife was much more comfortable with technology than I am."

He slips them on then begins to open several displays in the air over the counter. Showing the herbs you were asking about along with statistics about each and their potency. Prices are listed along with shipping times.

"As you can see we keep our standards high when buying and I can offer you a small amount of stock that I personally hand grow but I am limited to what I can offer from my own gardens. If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you do exactly?"

Zero
You breathe out and slip free from your flesh. You feel the rush of being one with the flows of life around you, you see the ebb and flow of mana all around you. Looking around you see the growing miasma surrounding Rikik beginning to build and collect. You shudder as you move away and attempt to use the bio masses around the ranch to hide your approach. You slowly sweep through the area and immediately notice that the house is warded along with the converted barn. You see no signs of patrolling spirits or any other active astral structures.

<@Emilio[Fat Man]: now>

"I am a priest of Guan Yu. You may know him as a Chinese god of war or a figure of legend - I understand you are Korean, yourself?"