"Studied what, indoor plumbing," Sammy said, "I've seen what passes for cooking here. But sure, we can go there. Do know that I will keep an eye on you?"

O'Connor was rather suprised at the quality of the food. He was curious what the meat was, but it was probably better not to ask. He spent the duration of the meal asking Lil' Homie about how he taking to his first shadowrun. He wanted to make sure the guide was holding up okay, and check to see if he wanted out. While Lil' Homie was no doubt used to danger living in this city, that was different than actively working with a team of runners seeking out that danger.

"You know, my magic generally keeps people from doing that very thing, but in your case I will make an exception." Silence teased flirtatiously. The meal was actually very nice, obviously not up to par with some of the upscale places Starlet was used to, but there was some effort put in that did surprise her. Silence was an able meal companion, keeping conversation light, but still was definitely throwing some flirtation in there. Also, he seemed not the least bit surprised at the end of the meal when the manager asked for a pic and an autograph with their famous visitor.

---------------



Lil Homie is a mass of feelings, all of them good at the moment. He is amazed and honored at being considered O'Connor teammate. He is amazed and embarrassed that the runner keeps asking him for advice and confirmation. He feels indebted to the team in general, for being ridiculously overpaid for his services, well fed for probably the first time in his life and for the experiences and adventures he has had in the last several days.

He almost looks hurt and upset when he realizes that O'Connor might be sending him on his way, but covers it quickly and stands up where they are sitting and offers O'Connor his hand as professionally as a kid whose heart is visibly breaking can. "If this is goodbye, I will miss you drekheads."

It took O'Connor a moment to realize Lil' Homie had misinterpreted this as a dismissal. He was caught off guard by how upset it made Lil' Homie, and how guilty it made him feel for inadvertently causing the kid's distress. He hadn't realized how attached Lil' Homie had become to him, nor how attached he'd gotten in turn.

Until this moment, O'Connor believed that his friendship with Darrell was the last remnant of his humanity that hadn't been burned away by his rage and need for vengeance. To learn otherwise was a complete shock, and he wasn't quite sure what to do with the revelation. Introspection was down there with social grace when it came to his proficiencies.

To cover for his discomfort, he gave Lil' Homie an exasperated look, "I'm not sending you on your way. Becoming, basically, a shadowrunner-in-training wasn't what you signed up for. I didn't intend for that either, but you just took to it like a fish to water. I just wanted you to know that you're not trapped, in case you wanted out. Clearly you don't, so stop being overly dramatic."

He rose from the table and ordered them dessert to-go. He checked the time and saw they had a fair bit before having to meet up with the others. The clothes he'd brought were ruined by this point, even by his standards, and wasn't about to ruin the overpriced suits he'd bought. He asked the, hopefully, mollified Lil' Homie, "Anywhere nearby to get some new threads? My clothes are fragged, and Lord only knows how your's are still holding togather."

Sammy would go along with the flirtation, but it wouldn't go any further. She wouldn't mind given autographs, but will try to hold off on the pictures. She'd rather stay a bit more in the shadows if possible.

The boli from that last street vendor was amazing. Torley makes a mental note of where the man sets up.

As Torley returns to the hotel enjoying his lunch, he takes a moment and pats himself on the back. Few white men could have so easily walked among the true slums of Lagos, alone and practically unarmed, and lived to tell the tale. Certainly not unbloodied with his bankroll intact. He not only did that, but he also scored valuable intel for his running crew. Sometimes, just sometimes, he even impresses himself with his high standards.

Among the useful data he acquired, confirmation of everything Silence had told them about the totem he stole. The item was there in the compound, in an ancient mechanical safe in Uzochi Oluleye's personal office, warded by the dibias (Awakened priests) that will conduct the ritual to destroy the totem tomorrow at midnight. Oluleye's grandfather confided in a lovely little washer woman that he is terrified that his grandson's hubris will see their home destroyed by Ife's curses or, more likely, Yoruba soldiers. He wants it gone.

Physical security of the site is definitely an issue, Each of the two entrances to the compound are guarded by a pair of heavily armed and armored orks. The first is a public lobby in the main building and the other is the back gate that is usually kept open during the day. There are no outward facing windows on the first floor of any building in the compound. There seems to be steady bit of visitors to the main building, conducting business with the family. There are also several locations on each side of the compound that could be options for close support points with plenty of good views.

Area Boys do work the area, seemingly at random, but they don't come within a block or so of the compound, they are scared of the orks. This allows the area immediately around the front entrance to a be a bit more commercial, though not to any great degree.

After Con's impromptu shopping trip, and Silence and Starlet's more elegant lunch, all arrive back at the hotel shortly after Torley, It is now the sweltering part of the early afternoon where the air is thick enough to chew. Engelbrecht's guard dog has moved into the lobby and seems engrossed in something on his commlink, though he does note your arrival and throws Bullet Storm a friendly wave.

Upstairs, you get the download from Torley.

O'Connor ignored the goon in lieu of flipping him the bird. It was probably better if Lil' Homie didn't pick up his poorer habits. Back in the room, O'Connor's rather impressed that Torley is still in the same condition as when he left. He nodded to the Face, "What did you find?" As he got the details, he started stringing togather a few ideas. He turned to the group, "How much, and how long, are we thinking it would take to convince/pressure this grandfather to aid us?"

Uncharacteristically, Torley keeps his mouth shut. Earlier, it looked like he might be able to avoid going into the compound. Heavily armed orks. Magician struggling to keep everyone invisible. That kind of thing.

But who here is better able to talk the old man into doing what he really wants to do?

Torley waits for the discussion to proceed.

"What kind of aid are we looking for? He can't publicly go against his grandson, that won't happen." Silence offers.

Torley pipes up after that comment. "Inaction can sometimes be as effective as action."

"Most I'd expect him to be able to do is provide guard shift schedules, and maybe give a few guards some busy work to distract them when we infiltrate."

"Here we might be at an advantage," Sammy said, "if this grandfather doesn't want to go against his grandson publicly, being foreigners can help. We can do things discreetly without being part of one or another faction here in the city and therefore are less of a risk to him for future blackmail. I'm not sure if we can contact him in the timeframe we have, but having, as O'Connor said, someone who can provide us with plans and guard schedules and maybe can provide the distraction as well, could be a huge bonus."

"Do any of you know how to crack a safe? I ask because I can, given enough time, I can also shape my face to match on of the guards if need be." Silence asked "I don't know your capabilities, so I cannot plan this, but I want you to know what I can do."

Given Torley's relationship with technology, O'Connor searched the room for more analogue means for him to sketch a map instead of using a drawing app. As he searched, he put forth an idea, "We've got until midnight tomorrow, so it might be worth trying at least to make contact. Lil' Homie is a known quantity there. Maybe he could get inside to deliver a message and get him to meet Torley. From there, Torley uses his snake tongue to get Gramps onboard."

"If he knows someone in the compound to give a message, that could help, yes," Sammy said, "it's always useful to have people on the inside."

"I met a nice young woman who seems to have an in with the old man. Li'l Homey, do you know the woman?" Torley describes her. "Maybe you could pass a message to her and even wait for a response."

Lil' Homie does know the woman, and agrees to carry any message the team is willing to send, but is confused with Torley calling her young, "The washer lady has to be at least 50! Why would you call her young?"

The closest O'Connor can find with out asking Peaceful is a peel of wall paper and a dried out lizard turd. Putting a turd in Torley's hand may seem like a fun time, but really doesn't seem like a good idea.

Torley smiles and laughs. "I guess her spirit overrode her physical age in my mind."

O'Connor gave up on the analogue map. He could act as a middle man for Torley, he supposed. He pulled out his 'link, and opened a drawing app. He asked Torley, and then Starlet, and Silence several question to put togather as complete a map as possible of the area surrounding the compound.

Torley bent to the task with O'Connor, adding details such as heights of buildings, distinguishing features, anything he could remember.

Sammy of course adds what she knows based on her astral recon. It might not be much, but knowing where the wards and therefore interesting rooms (as they don't put wards around just anything) are can be useful. And she could confirm spirit guards and stuff like that.

After completing the map, O'Connor marked two buildings, "From this one, Lil' Homie can put eyes on the compound, track enemy movement, and call priority targets. From the other, Torley can watch the perimeter in case the Army or Area Boys start moving in."

In a corner of a map, he began a supply list, starting with binoculars x2. After a moment's thought, he also added thermal smoke grenades and flashbangs to the list. While he might have prefered frag and/or HE, he couldn't risk them given that he wouldn't be able to see Starlet or Silence.

He idly spun his link's stylus between his fingers, "If this goes swimmingly, Starlet and Silence are in and out. No muss, no fuss. That probably won't happen, so it'll be on me to keep the guards occupied. Two dozen or so on one aren't great odds, even with Starlet's spirit causing havoc. I'll need something to increase force projection. Starlet, does enslaving a spirit cause you issues the same way maintaining a spell does? Can you control more than one at a time?"

"I can only summon one spirit at a time," Sammy said, "and as soon as it's summoned, it has no further effect on my abilities. You can control more spirits, but then you have to bind them and that requires the knowledge of the binding rituals and special ingredients, neither of which I currently have. So the extra support will be one spirit and nothing more. Then again, if it's a strong enough spirit, it can do a lot of stuff."

"Let's start there then. What kind of spirit will you use for the distraction, and what can you make it do?"

"That depends on what you want as distraction," Sammy said, "they all have an elemental attack, or at least I can provide them with it. And most can cause confusion, accidents or fear as well. Other than that, if you want heavy direct combat, fire or earth is better than water or air, but the latter is better for illusions for instance."

O'Connor turned to Silence, "How disciplined would you say the guards are? Do you think a little confusion mixed with a few illusions could get them to shoot at each other? How fast would they regroup from that?"

"I wouldn't count on anything going that well. I would think a fire elemental burning up stuff in their barracks and armory would cause enough problems to keep them occupied, and is far enough from the safe that we can get what we need and get gone. I don't think telling the grandfather about that is a good idea though."

O'Connor gave Silence an annoyed look, "We went over this already. No fire." He was getting real sick of Silence's fire suggestions. It just didn't make sense to him either. He was bitching about loud plans earlier, and yet he kept advocating the loudest and showiest distraction with the highest amount of collateral damage.

It was like the thief had picked up on his aversion to fire, and was trying to use it against him. Once that clicked into place, things started to make sense. Starlet and himself were the only tactical threats to Silence. The plan called for Starlet to be alone with the thief, and he'd be tangling with the guards. He could see the betrayal now. Silence would alert the guards to Starlet and his presence, forcing the spirit and himself to enact the distraction. The thief would then be able to kill Starlet, and set the fire. Killing Starlet would set the spirit free, meaning it might attack him or just dissappear. Between the guards and the fire, good chance he goes down too. Silence then has both freedom and revenge.

Now O'Connor just had to figure out how to counter Silence. His own team was probably his biggest obstacle. He couldn't trust them to trust him, so all he had was Lil' Homie. While eager, the kid was going to be of minimal help, at least in a direct confrontation. He didn't have any real options, and little time to create some. He did have the equipment shopping trip as an excuse to sepaerate from the group, so he had one shot to do something.

"We did? Oh, the cook, that's right, never mind then. I didn't want anything but a stealth insertion anyway, if we can just get the grandfather to distract the guards in front, that should be enough. Nothing else is really an obstacle to get to the idol with our combined magic."

Why did people always assume just because he was blunt and straightforward, he was also stupid. He wasn't a great thinker by anymeans, but he wasn't the drooling Neanderthal he was often taken for. Silence's backpedaling, and then acting like he wasn't the one pushing for a fire, was a rather poor attempt at gaslighting. Hopefully Torley would pick up on it, then maybe he'd actually have an ally on his own fragging team to help keep them all from being killed by the thief.

It was clear to Sammy that O'Connor didn't like Silence and while he was not the sharpest tool in the shed, he had to have developed some instincts to have survived as long as he had. And besides, she expected a double cross at some point. He had given up quite easily. Well, she knew his aura, so finding him back shouldn't be too difficult. And she had a few tricks up her sleeve as well, should there be a need.

"No fire," she agreed with O'Connor, "I think that causing fear might actually be the best way, maybe coupled with the illusion of an attack squad. If you could then snipe one or two, not necessarily to kill but to have them scream and add to the confusion, that could work, no? And I can ask the spirit to make the illusion look like the guards of the king. We've seen them in the palace, so we know their uniforms."

Torley could see the tension in the room as if it were syrup dripping down from the ceiling. What to do before it boiled over between O'Connor and Silence? Yeah, O'Connor could be a hothead sometimes, but everybody on the team owed him their life, times over. They all owed him some respect for that. People reader that he was, Torley quickly figured out what to do.

"Listen, O'Connor, while the infiltration wizzes figure out the details of infiltration and distraction, why don't you and I and Li'l Homie go for a shopping trip to fill out that list you've been making? Homie can find the right places, you can pick the right stuff, and I can do the haggling. I'm getting a little antsy just sitting around."

O'Connor nodded along with Starlet's plan, "From there, I toss in thermal smokes to hide that the illusions can't get shot. Then liberal usage of flashbangs will keep them off balance. Did you notice any mages or adepts among the guards?" He turned to Torley, "Yeah, sure."

"Some low level adepts," Sammy said, "and the one person who has created the wards. That's a mage of some talent and he might have some apprentices, but that's about it."

"Well, hopefully the spirit can keep the mage occupied. Oh, and since I'm planning on using smoke grenades, an air spirit is probably not ideal. Looks like the distraction plan is set.

Just got to get a few pieces. Torley and I'll go take care of that. Lil' Homie, you should head over to the compound and give Gramps our message." He turned to Torley to instruct the guide further on the matter.

Torley leans in to O'Connor's description of the list as they walk outside. Once out of earshot of allies and enemies, he puts a hand on O'Connor's shoulder and points at an interesting piece of architecture, as if commenting on it to O'Connor. He does not speak about construction techniques, though.

"Listen. You are far and away the best shot we have. Sometimes you do miss, though. I'm the best reader of character. I miss sometimes, too. You seem to have picked up on something about Silence that I missed. As far as I can tell, he is straight up. What do you see that I don't?"

"It's a number of little things. He joined our team without issue. He just had a close call with the army. He should be scrambling for his nearest bolt hole. During the planning, he claimed to want a quiet stealthy approach, but kept pushing for an attention drawing chaotic fire. He then backtracked and tried to gaslight us about not wanting the fire.

While he could just be a pure mercenary, it seems off that he played a pivotal role in a political power play, and then switched sides two days later. I can't imagine we offered him near enough to make enemies of both sides. Nothing about his behavior or statements have added up. He plans on betraying us to his original employeer, I can feel it."

" My sense was that he is indeed mercenary. With his skills he could have given us the slip already, and gone to warn the compound. Or whoever else he might be working for. Your arguments carry some weight. So, what should we do about it? How do we protect ourselves from potential betrayal?

" It would appear that his skills are important for extracting the idol. If he is going to betray us, then Sammy is in the most danger, as she is the one who would go in with him. I don't discount her abilities, but she can't outfight the whole compound.

" I keep coming back to the sense that he isn't working for the people in the compound any more. I think he would have betrayed us already, letting them know a threat is out here. They would secure the idol even more, and do it in tomorrow anyway. Maybe he is working for himself, looking to get the idol and return it to the King himself? If that is the case, he would cooperate with us until the idol is out of the compound.

" That's where I think we have to be on the highest alert for any treachery. Does any of this make sense to you? "

Back in the hotel, Sammy was looking at the map of the compound and trying to figure out how and where to go.
"So, what do you think," she asked Silence, "what way are we least likely to encounter anybody who has astral sight?"

O'Connor shook his head, "Giving us the slip and warning the Compound still leaves us as loose ends and forces us to make a quick attack plan based on violence of action. Pretending to work with us gives him more options in eliminating us while limiting the damage we do.

While he does have a skillset we need, I doubt he's the only person in the city with those skills. I'm thinking that the plan goes forward as discussed until Starlet has the safe in sight. She then releases the spirit working with me and summons an earth spirit to her. She and it incapacitate Silence if possible, eliminate if necessary. Then the spirit gets the safe and Silence out of the area.

From there, we hire a safe cracker for way less than Silence's cut. If Silence is still alive, we turn him over to the Army as a peace offering for my rope-a-dope stunt and then get the idol back to Jane.

While we're on the subject of things I see, but you don't, we really need to eventually loop back to a discussion on Englebrecht. That's for another day though."

" I see some good points in your plan. No need to trust Silence any more than we have to. I'm a little worried about taking the safe wholesale. There may be other things in there that are of value to the family, or the old man in particular. After all, I suspect the safe was there long before the idol. Getting his help, or at least getting him not to interfere, might be compromised if we take something he doesn't want to get rid of. If he sees us walking off with family heirlooms, all bets might be off. If our wording of the note guarantees we only want the idol, he is likely to be more cooperative.

" I'm also worried about taking Silence out too soon. If his skills can help get him and Sammy in without detection, then he can do the same on the way out. As soon as he is taken out, Sammy is on her own. Yeah, with spirit help, but still more vulnerable, with possibly a whole compound of guards hunting her. No matter how good she is, superior numbers win.

" Once they are on the outside, then there's three of us who can each react in their own way to Silence taking a left turn when we want to go right: you with bullets, me with my Voice, and Sammy with her magic and spirits. Any one of those three succeeding, and Silence is stopped in his tracks. Superior numbers again. Then, having shown his hand, we are free to take him out without losing reputation. "

Torley strokes his chin a moment. " Yeah, my Englebrecht thing needs some adjustment. I like a little thrill now and then, but it isn't fair to put you all in jeopardy for my fun. I'll be a little more careful, a little less leap-before-you-look, with the likes of a nation- or world-wide organization. You've kept me alive despite myself before. I'll try to repay the favour. "

O'Connor dipped his head, conceding to the points made, "You're not wrong, but I'm more worried about stopping Silence before he turns on us, rather than getting all the use out of him we can. Besides he plans on betraying us, I doubt he ever intends on opening the safe.

When Starlet turns to take out Silence, I should have most of the Compound engaged. If we do take the safe wholesale, whatever we can get Gramps to do, should already be done. But we'll need to talk to Starlet about all of it. She's the one that's going to be alone with the thief. She should be the one to decided what risks she takes."

"Makes sense. How about we get those materials you need?"

O'Connor nodded in agreement and motioned for them to continue onwards to the market.

"Well, unless someone has arrived since you did you surveillance I would say very small. Not to toot my own horn, but up until last night, I have never been seen as magical when I was trying not to be detected, so even if someone were to be on site, they would be very strong indeed. With you making us invisible as well, we should have free run of the place.

Torley considers the message to the old man as he and O'Connor head to the markets for gear. He bounces ideas off O'Connor.

"The grandfather doesn't want the idol to be in the compound or to be destroyed there, as he fears this will bring retribution from the King's men. He's probably right in that regard. So, our message to him should feed into that fear and offer him a way out that doesn't require direct betrayal of the family, or even implicate him.

"I do my best face to face. Writing doesn't do as much for me, but I figure something like,

'Grandfather, you value the safety and traditions of your people and your family. The King's idol you possess threatens both. The King's men are near. If they come to your compound, there will be death and destruction. We too seek the idol, but wish you and your family no harm, and have the ability to remove the idol without your family knowing we were there or how we did it. If we can do that, the King will know and the King's men will have no reason to come after your family. All we ask is that you allow us to get in quietly.

If you can send a message back about how the guard shifts work, it will make it easier for us to enter without a fight. We believe the idol is in your safe. We can take the whole safe if we have to, but fear there might be other things of value to your family in it. if we can open it, or if it were open when we come tonight, then all we need to take is the idol.

The idol is important to us, but not for any reason that affects your family. Please allow us to serve our need, and yours.'

"What do you think? I hope Li'l Homie can clean up my broken Igbo to make this sound good."

O'Connor nodded, "It's a good pitch, but you're right the wordy bits will only work face to face. You're saying what he probably wants to hear, but he doesn't know you. If you got something like this in a text from some rando, you'd think it was a scam. Send Lil' Homie to just set up a meet, and then in person give Gramps the ol' razzmatazz."

"Yeah, that makes sense. I am a little worried though about whoever might be watching us. Englebrecht's goon down the hall from our room may not be the only eyes on us. And, " Torley chuckles. "I kinda stand out in this crowd. Anybody I talk to would also be marked by any observer.

"I guess they could watch us as we set up for the operation, but talking to the old man hours before would give those eyes a heads up and time to plan. On the other hand, talking to the old man face to face I could suss out exactly what he is willing to do, and what he expects from us. Hmmm. He also might be able to give us some insight into the character of Silence. Alright, that benefit outweighs the risk of showing our hand early. How about this:

'Grandfather, I am one who wishes to foil the plans of the King's Guards who are coming for the idol. They are near and may come before the idol is destroyed tomorrow night. I and my friends offer a chance for you to free yourself and your family of the idol and the danger it bears. Please, name a place where we can meet in private this day so you can look into my eyes and see my truth.'

"How's that sound?"