Lenny and Flatline pop back into visible existence.

The strain of spells relieved, Flatline lays down in a Pew (OOC: Or elsewhere depending on where Willie currently is. Based on your last post, you might holed up with the water and food. Some decent locks there if anything shows up.

Over coms Lenny says <<I'm going around the building. No sign of any tech. I guess they'll spring for drones and repurposed mailboxes, but not in the kind of amounts where they can rig up outbuildings for security. Of course we didn't exactly have a lot of spare tech either. I'll head back to the group. By the way the drone is still acting as our guardian angel. I think they're actually watching out for us, maybe in addition to making sure we stay put. Or maybe they're just doing sweeps to make sure they don't have a repeat of the Phoenix business. >>

(OOC: Up to you how you want Willie to burn time. Lenny could rest or Willie could get him chatting. You could describe your defensive posture, but either way you're clear until the butt crack of dawn. It's a calm enough morning, better than when you came. So up to you if you want to skedaddle or wait and see if company comes to visit. )

Willie is not one for hiding in a safe room, locks between him and the things that go bump in the night. He sets up facing the front door and the windows to either side. "Come and get it, beasties" is his attitude. He notes where Flatline stretches out in a pew. To Lenny, he replies, <<Got it, big guy. What you said earlier made me think. I built myself to do what I do. You did the same, and so did Flatline. I couldn't do what you guys do. We are all strong in our own way.>>

He waits. For Flatline to get whole. For sunrise. For the next thing to kill.

The night wears on in the sounds of the countryside at night, dampened by the doors and walls of the old church. Unnaturally silent to Willie's ears.

(OOC: Up to you if he'd start hearing stuff, and if it were more serious I might make a roll for staying awake. In any case Lenny doesn't manage the whole night)

Shortly after dawn Lenny bolts up awake. "Ah! Oh. I set that internal alarm really loud. I didn't exactly plan to fall asleep. I was eavesdropping on the drones feed, and, well now I'm here blabbing in stream of consciousness.

Ok, uh, I'm still worried that they somehow either suspect us for the drone yesterday or something that we've otherwise done. Maybe some Sherlock Holmes type will know the dirt on our pants could only come from the mine.

Wait. What if they've got magic and we're astrally covered in glowdirt? Like a burglars rave?!?

Anyway can't you just leave a note that says "Thanks for the Jerky, it was great" and then we all just get the hell out of here and back civilization.

As it is my streaks are in tatters."

Lenny is getting just a little close to hysteria.

Flatline woke up with all the noise, but seems to be having some trouble opening his eyes. In Willie's magnified vision he's pretty sure they have the sort of problem that's solved with soycaf versus puffing up the night after a fight.

"Getting the hell out of here is fine by me, " says Willie. "Let's pack up, grab a few more pieces of jerky (Willie has a plan for if the squiggly at the dock gets close) and be on our way. Sorry there's no soycaf for you right now, Flatline. Maybe a dose of smelling salts will help you perk up."

Willie gets a few pieces for himself and goes to the door. When the others join him, he unhitches his SMG opens the door and scans the road in both directions. If nothing looks dangerous, he heads out and up towards the docks.

Lenny says "Alright, if nobody else is feeling like being polite. I. Well. I don't know, maybe it'll help things out if they get suspicious. I'm leaving a note that says "Thanks for letting us crash here all night. The jerky was slamming." I figure that seems runner enough. I didn't sign it. Anyway let's get going. "

Flatline says "I'm refreshed enough to make some of us invisible, but I think we want to be seen, maybe heard. At least the drone should pick us up. " Willie notices that despite wanting to go, they're still lining up behind him.

(OOC: If he looks towards the town as he gets towards the boat, Willie should be able to pick up a handful of the locals starting to assemble on the other side of the bridge, including Larissa, if he feels like waving or something. The light is keeping away anything that would be trouble on the way to the boat, so you can get that going fine. )

Willie waits till one of the locals points them out to Larissa, and then he gives one of those American movie salutes where his hand shoots out from his forehead. Then, since the arm is up there, he wipes his nose on his sleeve.

The three of them don't waste any time getting into the boat, just in case Larissa wants to 'chat', and Willie fires up the engine. "Watch for that underwater tentacle thingy. One looking port and to the bow, one starboard and astern." He has a few sticks of jerky ready by his side in case something needs a distraction. The engine oars, and they set out.

Willie's a little tired from lack of sleep, but he's been in a lot tougher binds before and one night missed isn't so bad, especially with the quiet rest after the investigation. Nevertheless, he keeps not too far from shore. His plan is to hop from Cook Point to Black Walnut Point, then along the lee of Poplar Island till he has to cut across to Kent Point. Then along the shore again till the Hwy. 50 bridge.

He'll cut across the sound under the bridge to the west shore and follow it till the cut across to Gibson Island. Around that into the Patapsco River and cruise on home to the dock.

Once there, he'll get on his bike, tell the boys "If you got wheels, follow me, otherwise see you at the safehouse. After I nap a bit. Flatline, keep that soil safe. It could be a gold mine. We did well, boys. I feel good. Lots more to come from Brewster, I'm sure."

As the boat pulls away, Lenny chimes in that he can see the critter in the water, but it's far behind the boat by that point. If it had been stalking the boat, it had moved away in the hours it was just sitting dormant and was far out of position.

Lenny relaxes greatly once they're out of sight of the locals. Eventually he says "Alright, the drone isn't looking at us anymore. The signals fading away as we travel further from it. "

He relaxes completely in the boat as Willie starts getting close enough to civilization and other boats for the usually ever-present wireless matrix to reassert itself. He seems entirely spaced off and in the matrix.

Willie is having a pretty easy time navigating on the less aggressive route home, and the light does make navigation easier.

Flatline says "I'm actually enjoying the trip the time. Maybe as the Nuyen rolls in, I'll get a boat myself sometime. " He also relaxes in the sunny day, and soon he's drifted off as well. Leaving Willie essentially alone with the breeze and rising sun.

They get roused when the smooth sailing stops as they get close to Baltimore. The big ships are easy to dodge with Willie's craft, but he does have to keep dodging one after another, along with smaller craft doing the same in the congested Patapsco.

Once docked and disembarked they all head over to the garage under the watchful and perhaps curious eyes of Brewsters associates out here. Flatline has an old Wuxing pickup truck with a topper on the back near Willie's bike. Flatline motions for Willie to keep his voice down with a lowering hand gesture. "Actually, I don't know the safehouse, maybe because I'm a local and kinda have my own. "

Lenny adds "Actually I'd been pinging Brewster about us being back and all. It'd be nice to wrap things up and I could just get a cab home. "

If the group wait, Brewster does send a message <<Excellent work. I hope. You should already have payment for the Phoenix business in your accounts. I'm seeing if the information you've brought in is sufficient to have meaning, and to ensure I don't get informed that Larrissa is enraged at me for some reason. However I feel confident you'll have the full bonus payment soon. Let me know, securely, who might have any...samples from the job. If those are needed for analysis or might prove to be valuable. I'll be in touch about future payments and future work. >>

Lenny gives a bit of a scowl. "I bet he sent a message instead of calling because he knew at least one of us would have something to say about him not paying out the bonus already. Though I'm kinda eager to just get home. How about the rest of you?"

Willie replies, "I need some sleep, so I am heading back to my place. I'm not sure where you are staying, Lenny, but if it it's Brewster's place for me and the others, I can give you a ride on my bike. Otherwise, I'll check in with you guys after Brewster finishes his analysis. Flatline, If you wanna get the goods to Brewster today, that could speed up payment."

Willie waits for Lenny's decision.

Lenny shakes his head. " It's been fun. Or at least it's been exciting. In any case it's been, and now I'd prefer to get home. Cabs on the way. I guess it would be nice to have someone keep an eye out until I'm clear. "

Flatline leans up against his truck and waits the couple minutes it takes for a cab for Lenny to arrive. "I'm pretty sure Brewster doesn't operate a warehouse, and he's gotten a bit on the paranoid side lately as far as I can tell. I doubt there's anywhere he'd want things dropped off. I'm not sure he even has people who really work for him. Just folks like us, his contacts, and organized crime groups like those watching this place.

My bet is that he'll be trying to put out feelers to figure out what this is and who is willing to pay for that information. At that point I'll be able to drop off some of the stuff at a Talis Mongers. I guess if you're worried have a bag as a memento. He never specified how much he'd get. Though it should go without saying that he'd be furious about the information getting out.

Sometimes I wonder if fixers even really have an endgame, or if they're just collecting money to settle scores or feel like making money is scoring points as if life really is just a game. Me. Well, I have dreams of figuring out how to make the clinic profitable enough I don't need to do any of this nonsense to get by. Or maybe I should be focusing on having kids that could take over?

Maybe I'll celebrate a little and see if a good mood doesn't help with that too. See you around. "

Whether he takes a bag or not, Flatline climbs up into his truck, which starts on the second try, and Willie would find himself alone except for folks arriving at the parking lot to head out for some boating, and the goons watching the place.

Willie accepts the bag of soil from Flatline. "Sounds like you're looking for some quiet time. I'll deal with Brewster if he wants the goods. He knows where I live. Good on you two. We did some fine work there. " He watches Lenny and Flatline go their own ways.

With a nod to the gangers who guard the place, he mounts his bike and roars away. Barring any event along the way, he pulls in to the garage, parks his bike, and heads up to his room. Bongo's door is closed. Looks like a busy night for the boy. Willie hides the parcel in the ceiling secret space and turns in for a much needed sleep. He can eat later.

(OOC: I figure this should merge back into the main thread, unless you want to keep Willie's antics here for a while longer. )