[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

These arseholes have got big balls to be openly attacking a Finnigan controlled fun house! They clearly believe whatever prize they are after is worth it. You estimate there must be ten to twenty of them to button up this area of the complex…nothing you can’t handle were it not for the civvies that keep getting in the damn way of a clean kill shot!

The China boys have begun herding people towards one of the theatres which opens up opportunities but also risks a whole bunch of innocents being buttoned up together. The Knights should be here shortly though with the amount of panic button calls that must be spamming their switchboards right about now…and that could bring all kinds of trouble down on everyone’s head!

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

What the hell were these Chinamen doing, herding people into a theater? Were they trying to get control of the room for something more complicated than just smashing and stealing? Or was "the girl" someone they didn't know well, but thought was among the casino-goers? Were they going to sift through the crowd for her once they had them all corralled? Or were they just after hostages? But where was the percentage in that - no way to beat the pawns once the situation went static?

Whatever they were doing with those folks, the pawns would handle it better than he could.

And anyway, the whole thing still felt like a distraction. He was staying quiet behind the bar until he had a reason to come up, and right now he didn't really see one.

Weapon ready for any idiot inquisitive enough to check for stragglers behind the bar, Al reached out to the team for a better picture of things.

<<Al here. Me an' Jan're okay, fer now, on the casino floor. Ever'one else check in - someone's supposed ta come after us, an' I hope they didn't bypass us bait types an' go straight fer the damn drives...So keep yer eyes open an' let us know how things look on your end.>>

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

<<I hear you.>> Images appeared before LeFey's eyes, depicting the casino's camera feeds. <<They're not up here. Yet. I'll let you know if that changes.>> Her attention was on the theater full of (she assumed with a sick feeling) hostages. Shoving the data drives under a bed, she moves away from the door. It was as safe as she was going to get. The physical world faded from LeFey's vision as she placed a hand to the wall and tapped into the digital.

Jan
[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Jan was showered in casino chips as the rifle Al tossed him fell short and clattered into the tabletop. He wasn't feeling lucky. There wasn't a chance these chinky-chonks were here for anyone other than them. he rounded the end of the table and hit the silent alarm, he assumed in futility but you can never be sure.

Risking a glance out from behind the table he was the Triads moving... herding punters to the large theatre area. That's where they'd need to be, but not as part of the crowd. He reached up blindly and was fortunate enough to find the barrel of the rifle. Hauling it down he set it for action, and braced against the side of the gaming table. Hearing LeFey was fine was a good start. Things were about to get interesting...

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

They had to get back to LeFay - both to keep her safe, and because that was now where they'd most likely be able to nab some of the real players.

They'd originally hoped that be living large in the casino, Al and Jan would attract the worst of the opposition to themselves. But it looked like the bad guys had done their homework. Now, seconds counted.

Jan was closest to the best stairwell. <<Okay Spock, ol' Al's gon' send some Triad boys off to the Ninth Incense Master Dragon Heaven, or wherever the hell they go. Give yer vat-grown keeb ass a chance to make them stairs over on yer left. Then I'll be right behind ya. On three.>>

Al double-checked his new weapon, used what was left of the mirror behind the bar to spot a couple of nearby street soldiers, then <<One...two...>> and he was up. Just tall enough to fire over the bar, he fired at one gunmen and then another.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

LeFey did realize that she was following up her last message by purposely walking into danger. It had to be done. Their team was outgunned without enemy hackers in the mix. And there was still the matter of learning the intruders' intentions. Her currently transparent persona floated over to the nearest hacker. She gestures, and the faint outline of a magic circle begins forming beneath the other icon, similarly hidden by her abilities.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

In the once busy host LeFey can see that the personas are flocking to the digital exits as it becomes apparent that something is up, leaving her more or less alone with the uninvited guests. Her magic seems to have gone unnoticed, for now, but as soon as she made her first illegal hack the clock started and her OS began to build…the backdoors she’d installed wouldn’t protect her from the patrol or subsequent follow up IC…then again it looked like system resources were going to be diverted to protect against the loud actions of the Triad hackers…almost like they wanted to be seen!

Back in the meat, Al’s fire flung one of the raiders down behind an AR slot machine and drew a murderous response from at least three separate shooters…it was enough though, just, for Jan to make his sprint for the stairwell…

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Al was already back behind the bar before the hail of answering fire annihilated what was left of the mirror and bottles lined up behind it. Of course they dropped their fire to perforate the bar itself, but he'd positioned himself behind the boxes of Nerps syrup under the mixer fountain.

Now it was Jan's turn - he got ready to run like a jackrabbit on novacoke.

Jan
[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Jan braced his foot against the gaming table and catapulted himself into a low sprint, shoulders around table height. The last 5 yards were covered by a dive and scramble as the bullets flew, Jan left exposed as Al ducked back behind the bar. He didn't expect anything better from the self-serving redneck.

Once in the stairway Jan shouldered his way up the wall back to his feet, and spun around one of the frame of the entrance. His new rifle barked as he split one of the chinks in two. That was his preferred method of suppression. Filling an area with bullets is one thing, but it takes a brave man to return fire covered in his friend's insides.

Jan braced his shoulder on the frame and waited to see which of his targets would be stupid enough to expose himself first. He risked staying slightly exposed, but his left side was well covered and he made a narrow target. "Go."

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Al didn't have to be told twice. He broke for it, calling down his Bullet Wall from the voodoo gods as he went, and then congratulating himself as rounds struck all around him but none hit home.

Dashing through the door he slammed it behind him and used the dead guard's swipe card to lock it behind him.

"Right - now we high tail it fer LeFey an' the drives. See what comes for 'em." He thought of their mission parameters. "Time ta go fishin'."

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Al raced up the service stairway. One flight. Half a flight. Another few steps. Completely winded. Smoker's coughs.

He waved Jan on and wheezed into his lapel mic. <<We's on our way up ta you, sweetheart. What's yer status up there?>>

Then started staggering up the next flght of steps.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

<Winter.> LeFey muttered. Or so she assumed, considering he had used a similar plan more than once. For all of his powers, the Dissonance user would prefer to send in a small army of hired guns first. And when his targets had their heads down, he would step in. A reference to his namesake? Or was he just the type who liked stomping on wingless butterflies?

No matter. The identity of the person behind this attack didn't change her counterattack plans in the short term. LeFey forged on, continuing her quiet subversion of the Triad hackers' equipment. Time moved slowly in the digital world, but she would barely have enough to pull off this hack before someone burst into the room. Hidden in the casino host was a ring of magic circles, and a witch stood in the center, working an enchantment that would snare the intruding hackers. One more second ticked by like a minute. One more icon was marked with one of her runes.

<As well as can be expected. They have quite a few hackers of their own, but they haven't spotted me yet.> LeFey glanced sideways at her link to the host itself. Not yet. The gunmen would realize Al and Jan had hacker support if the casino's security began working against them. Not unless her teammates began losing too much ground.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

<<Roger that, sweet cheeks,>> Al acknowledged, resuming his tortuous ascent.

They were just a few floors short of where LeFey was holed up. He was keeping his mind off the burning in his lungs, thighs, and calves by splitting his focus between trying to remember if that one night in Miami was three or four girls, and how far ahead Jan was. Then the sounds of gunfire above gave him the answer to the second question, the clatter of the rifle he'd tossed the elf was echoing down the stairwell, accented by the spang of ricochets off cement and tinkling of spent shell casings cascading down the steps.

So much for staying above the opposition - Al grit his teeth and double-timed his exhausted little legs up the remaining flights.

Jan
[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Two slant-eyes hit the floor before they even knew Jan was there. A third god a shot away, clipping him in the shoulder before Jan closed and a straight right broke the Triad's eye-socket, jaw and cheekbone. He hadn't got time to play nice. "Le Fey, you about?" Jan shouted, looking to secure their friend while Al caught up.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Lungs burning and legs feeling like spaghetti noodles, Al finally dragged himself up to the landing where Jan was. He saw a tear in shoulder of the big elf's jacket, and a Triad soldier with a crushed face at his feet.

"Okay, what'd I miss?" he wheezed before dodging to the side as a fresh fusillade tore through the air between their heads.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

<Under the bed.> It was the best hiding place she could find, given the circumstances. <Jan, Al? I need about five more minutes. Will you guys respect me tomorrow if I asked one of you to lug me to safety while I continue working? I can try and cover you with the Casino systems in the meantime.> LeFey already had access to the rest of the Triad devices. What she needed now was time to comb through their contents for the reason behind this attack. A new sigil appeared behind her, its symbols fading into a portal as she began summoning help.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Al looked up at Jan, more than a head taller and bursting with muscles. "Reckon you do the luggin', I'll do the coverin'."

Jan had already cleared the corridor, at least of anyone they could see, but Al could hear shouts from above and below. He moved out for LeFey's room at a fast, even walk, shotgun at the ready.

Jan
[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Jan hoisted LeFey up onto his shoulder, fireman style, his left hand planted firmly on her arse cheek. He slung his rifle and drew his machine pistol. It wasn't as effective, but a hell of a lot easier to control with one arm. "We should keep moving" Jan suggested, and headed for the stairs. Keep climbing. It may not be the soundest idea, but it puts them a distance from the lobby and that can only be a good thing.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

"Yeah, keep moving, sure, but does it gotta be up again?"

Al forced himself to keep pace with the elf, who was faster even with LeFey over his shoulders.

There were footsteps coming up after them. Al patted Jan's hip, signaling him to keep going. Waited. Then leaned over and took out two Triad thugs. "Dont worry," he called as he chased after his companions, "they warn't the ones we's supposed ta catch."

Two more floors up, another couple of goons popped out onto the landing above them and were cut down by Jan and Al. "It's all right. They warn't the ones neither."

Al sure hoped whoever they were supposed to capture would show up soon, though.

"By the way, big feller, ya got any idear where we's goin'?"

Jan
[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

"Nah" Jan managed while catching his breath "but I figured if we can get to the top then at least we can only get attacked from one direction."

Capturing Jan thought to himself. In all the action he'd almost forgotten that they're baiting their target. Right now his only priority was getting LeFey and Al out of there alive. The trap might have to wait for next time unless an opportunity presented itself pretty sharpish.

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

They reached the door to the roof just when Al thought he'd welcome a bullet if it would keep him from running up another flight of stairs. It was locked, and his stolen card key didn't work - what, bartenders didn't have roof access? - but then the maglock light turned green and they figured LeFey must be doing more than playing dead on Jan's back. The went through, expecting but not receiving a hail of welcoming fire. The lock indicator went red again, but Al found a couple of lengths of rebar to slide though the exterior handles just for extra fun.

It was the tallest building in the vicinity, which meant they didn't have to worry quite as much about snipers. They set LeFey down behind some big HVAC units. Jan set up on the door, and Al squatted beside him trying to keep an eye on everywhere else.

"Well, so far the first part o' the plan's workin' jist great - they definitely after us. Or leastways the data they think we got. Now we jist need they boss ta show up. Let's hope LeFey's havin' more luck findin' 'im than we are." He pitched his voice louder in hopes she could hear him, but in truth had no idea if she could or not.

Jan
[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino Roof, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Jan began scanning the roof for an exit while covering the door. "If we attract much more heat we'll have to retreat." Jan stated matter-of-factly. They were fast approaching a situation they couldn't win, and he was keen they didn't get penned in and shot like fish in a barrel. "Check for a way down and I'll keep the door covered"

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Al did as he was asked, keeping his head low in case some geniums on the other side of that door started shooting through it.

After a few moments they'd started doing just that - until Jan fired several rounds bsck through it. "Idiots," he snickered, dropping back into a squat next to Jan, shoulder hitting the air conditioning unit. "They was takin' a flyin' leap at a rollin' donut, while you was shootin' fish inna barrel."

Jan answered by putting another few rounds through the door for good measure.

Al kept talking - one of his specialties. "They's a window washer platform over there."

The South African looked at him incredulously, his eyes asking "who doesn't just use a drone for that?"

"No, amigo, it's a fuckin' relic. Just sittin' onna roof inna heap. But they's lotsa old rope piled around it - some of it looks like it might could still hold weight."

That earned another impatient look from Jan, who was far heavier than either Al or LeFey.

"Jist an idear, kemo sabe, somethin' ta ponder till ya come up with yer own better plan. Gotta say though, sticks in my craw to beat feet without gittin' what we come here for."

"We won't be." LeFey had opened her eyes and was struggling to an upright position. "I have the info the J wants. Just get us out of here."

Jan
[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

Al's plan sounded like something from an early century action movie. Next he'd be suggesting they grab a fire hose and leap...

"Is there no fire escape? Jan inquired. "If not then platform, it's a roll of the dice."

[Saturday October 5th, 2075, Gates Casino, 830 SE Shoreland Drive, Bellevue, Seattle]

"Well, yeah, there is a fire escape, but it seemed slower an' not nearly so much fun. Plus it's pretty rusty, an' I'd hate ta git a scratch an' then need my tetanus boostered. I'll start securin' the ropes. You know how ta rappel, little girl? Me, ain't never tried it, but how hard can it be?"