12:32:33 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - 6 Bellevue Way, One Lincoln Tower - 41st Floor - Penthouse

The drive home was slow going and as Max rolled around the corner onto Bellevue Way he half expected to see One Lincoln Tower swarming with either Lone Star or Knight Errant police...or both for that matter, but much to his relief there was no one. He pulled into the underground garage and parked in his assigned space.

Max did his best to avoid any of his neighbors that were lounging in the lobby area of One Lincoln Tower and only offered a brief smile and wave in passing. As usual his apartment was exactly the way he had left it. The in-house maid service was top rate, if not for the sparkling clean that never seemed to go away, you would never have known they had been there.

Dropping his gym bag onto the couch Max went directly to his phone to check for any messages.

23:25:10 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

As he usually did when in a club, Eyes was people-watching. Even in the normal night crowd like this there were some interesting characters. Across the room a spike-haired ork ganger was chatting up a woman whose dress wouldn't be out of place in an office. An elf was leading an embarrassed-looking man onto the dance floor. An older man, looking confused about where he was and what he was doing, finally noticed the bar and made his way upstairs. A group of humans were dancing in a group on the floor, very pointedly ignoring the metahumans around them.

With a start Eyes realized he had let himself drift off again. Mentally shaking himself he scanned the room again, looking for Ran.

23:29:44 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"He's upstairs!" Ran leaned close to make sure Eyes understood her, as well as shielding the small trideo display she held. A face glowed from the screen, slowly morphing to show profile as well as head on view. The rest of her tribe milled about, covering their activities.

"Got the lead from a friend of mine. It's good, you don't have to worry, but watch your back. I don't have any details. Good luck!" She grinned, serious and childish at the same time. With a wave, she disappeared back onto the dance floor, the tribe following in her wake.

12:15:13 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

Cheryl hesitates for a moment. It's obvious the personal nature of the revelations John shared with her have thrown her for a bit of a loop. She quickly regains her composure and says, "Why don't we focus on biz here first John? Then we can discuss other things as needed."

She takes a bite of food, chewing slowly, using the time to think and organize her thoughts. "The when and where is up to the team. From what I gather, the original team is putting out lines for more members, so you'll contact them directly and work out the details with them. You'd be cut in for an equal share on the back end, although they didn't tell me how much that is."

Taking another bite, she washes it down with another sip of tea before continuing, "There's no worries about them stiffing you. Apparently the Johnson was quite clear no matter how many of them there were, they're working on a per person fee, so you being there won't cut into their margin at all. I don't know much about the team, I was contacted through a fixer of one of the team members, so we're talking real secondhand information here. I can tell you that it involves out of town work, and you would definitely be working on the side of the angels. Figure the pay's probably commensurate with those facts."

Although he continues listening to the fixer, John's thoughts begin to stray. Five well dressed asian men in suits had entered the restaurant, apparently together. That in and of itself wasn't unusual, but two of them had requested a table along the west wall, while the other three had taken a table near the front door. If John was a paranoid man (which he was), he'd noice that their positioning just so happened to put his table into a nice little crossfire between the two groups.

A closer examination made him even more suspicious, when he noticed that all five of them were obviously packing heat. A bunch of hard cases out for lunch, or something more?

"Do you have any more questions for me John?" Cheryl's voice snapped his attention fully back to her. Does she notice, or is she not aware of them? And should I say something...?

12:19:30 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

As John watched from the corner of his eye, the asian hardcases took their seats and began checking out the Garden's expansive menu. Was it his imagination, or were they all being very careful not to look at him or Cheryl? Could just be some Yaks or security drek-heads out for lunch. SOP not to put all yer assets at the same table; split up the targets? Frag it. Too fraggin' convenient.

Triggering his wires, John casually leaned back and stretched, slightly shifting his chair into a better position in case he had to suddenly stand. His jacket was already unzipped from the warmth of the restaurant, and his bag was hanging on the back of his chair. He turned back to the fixer. Thanks to his mirrored eye shields, his eyes never left the other men.

"Listen, I know I maybe stepped over a line there. I just wanted ta be straight with ya. If I turn this down I didn't want ya thinkin' that I wasn't reliable or somethin.' But," he said, adding an urgent tone to his voice, "we may have ta continue this later. Don't look now, but I think we got company. 10 and 2 o'clock, facing the door. Asian guys. Dark suits. They're all packing. If I turn my head a little ya may be able to see them in the reflection offa my shields."

So saying, he turned and seemingly checked the clock over the counter area, hopefully giving the fixer a good view of the men. "Know if this place's got a back door?"

12:21:16 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

The fixer shrugs, unconcerned at John’s remark about personal things. Sliding a card with an LTG number towards him, she says, “This is the LTG of the go between. You’ll be contacting and working through him. I’ve already got my cut set, so you don’t have to worry about paying the freight on this.”

Her eyes narrow as she gazes intently into his shades while he casually slides the card into a jacket pocket. “They aren’t mine. I don’t recognize them, but they look like trouble. The place has a back door, through the kitchen. If you decide to take the job, call the number.”

Cheryl grins slightly, although it is without mirth. “Since we’re being so open with each other, if you want my honest opinion, I recommend that you…”

What she was about to recommend would have to wait, as the goons picked that exact moment to make their move. The place seemed to explode as all five of them went for their guns, and it looked like lunch was suddenly going to get switched from ‘dine in’ to ‘take out’. In more ways than one.

12:23:03 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

"Since we’re being so open with each other, if you want my honest opinion, I recommend that you…"

The fixer's words seemed to hang in the air as the goons sprang into sudden, if not unexpected, action. Simultaneously going for their weapons as if commanded to do so (which John realized was pretty likely, and not a good sign for he and Cheryl), they all started to stand and kick their chairs clear. The seasoned runner had been waiting for something just like this, however, and the asian men had barely twitched when he began to move.

Reaching over with his cybered left hand, John gripped the rear edge of the table and stood. Rotating at the hips as he drove with his legs, he raised his arm and flipped the table in the general direction of the 3 enemies nearest the door, grunting with the effort. He felt the strain in his lower back, and in the way the anchoring cables attached to his cybered shoulder drew taut, but the arm had been calibrated when he himself was much stronger and it moved smoothly upwards sending the table spinning.

Chinese food and steaming tea were still in mid-air as he turned and grabbed his bag and started for Cheryl. He yelled, "Get out!" as he reached for her and began to move towards the kitchen and the Garden's back door.

23:29:51 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Eyes had to stifle the urge to jump in surprise when Ran started speaking. He sighed, annoyed at himself for having the urge in the first place. Oh, yeah, you're in the big time now, a little voice whispered, Smooth as soy. Maybe you ought to just forget the whole thing and get a job at the Stuffer Shack.

Nodding in thanks to Ran, Eyes considered the profile he had seen. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like the person he had noticed walking up to the bar a few minutes before. Even if it wasn't the same guy, the bar would be the best place to do any sort of meet, so that's where he went.

After a few moments he noticed the face sitting at the bar. Eyes immediately discarded any illusions of an old, confused man; this guy definitely looked like he could take care of himself. Unconsciously adjusting his glasses, Eyes approached the stranger, knowing he'd have to be the one to initiate. "Hi," he said in a voice that hopefully wouldn't carry too far, as he pulled up to a nearby empty barstool, "Ran told me you has something to discuss?"

12:23:03 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

Time slows as Scrapheap's reflexes kick into high gear. Shoving Cheryl towards the back, the two of them run towards the door as a hail of bullets erupts throughout the restaurant. Amidst the dust rising from bullet holes punching through the plaster walls, the samurai notes that two other men, apparently the fixer's bodyguards, have also drawn weapons and are firing back at the Yakuza(?). Two of the asian gunners go down, one by the door and the other by the west wall, but the fixer catches a pair of slugs, one deep in her thigh and the other coring right through the armor in her back, sending her to the floor in a bloody heap.

It is immediately apparent Cheryl won't even be able to get up, let alone run, and it's quite possible she needs immediate medical attention, although it's hard to say at this millisecond. Frag! What now? the old runner thinks as he moves smoothly into his next course of action...

23:30:55 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Tony, way early even for someone raised and trained to hate being anywhere near late, had resigned himself to waiting by the bar for whoever he was supposed to meet while soaking up some club life and a couple of drinks. It mildly surprised him when another, bespecticled man walked up to him. "Hi," the man said "Ran told me you has something to discuss?"

Not another kid. Nice. And I was just getting used to this place... Tony thought as the man sat in the barstool next to him. "Yeah. Name's Tony," he said in a CAS accent, holding out his hand. "Got a job for you. I've had a few names come up recently, a bit too often to be coincidence and both in connection with some gunfire. I need you to do a search on them, pretty discrete though; I don't wanna be the bull in the china shop." he finished, taking a last swig of his drink and signaling the barkeep for another. "You want anything?"

23:31:12 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Eyes took the man's hand and cautiously shook it, noting how weak and pale his hand looked next to the other's. "Ah---huh," he commented dryly, an eyebrow quirked, "Names that draw gunfire, and you want me to go looking into them." He felt like laughing, though he held that urge back as it would probably be rude. What is this guy, insane? Suicidal? I think I am gonna need a drink.

"Standard fact-finding usually runs from a couple hundred to a couple thousand, depending on the detail, but I might have to tack on a handling fee if I'm liable to getting shot at." The last he said with a small grin. The job probably wasn't anything like as bad as Eyes was making it out to be, but he'd really need some of the money in advance to even fund a proper info search, and perhaps this Tony might be persuaded to part with more. He'd forgotten to get anything in advance from Jennifer--note to self: call her tomorow and arrange for this week's retainer--and he was very nearly tapped out as a result.

After a moment's pause Eyes waved the bartender over and ordered another of the same snakebite he had last time he was here. "Oh, you want to get a table or something?" he asked. Tables or booths were a bit more private than the bar, which would probably be a good idea if this guy planned on mentioning things 'in connection with some gunfire.'

23:33:30 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Yeah, let's get someplace a bit more private," Tony drawled, taking his refilled drink over to an empty booth against the back wall of the bar, overlooking the dancefloor. Sliding into the U shaped booth and leaning forward to adjust for the increased volume this close to the DJ, he continued " Well, I don't exactly know that you're going to get shot at, but its something to warn you against. And it may just be something random, new player in town and all that. I'd just like to know. Hell, I don't even know if you'll find anything, or if there's anything to find."

"On payment, I'm not opposed to paying part down and the rest on delivery. I can also barter services, if that's better for you. I don't really wanna say much else if you aren't interested." Tony finished, putting on a hat he hadn't worn in awhile.

12:23:03 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

John's gaze moves from the crumpling form of the fixer, through the red haze left by the bullet's impact, to the Garden's back door. His thoughts raced. Frag! What now? I can't just leave her here, can I? Maybe her muscle takes care of bidness, but maybe not. What if I try and help and get fragged? What happens to Nora then?

Another millisecond passed as he watched Cheryl's body fall. When it became obvious that she wasn't getting up, his decision was made. Frag it, old man. Yer gettin' soft...

Skidding to a halt just inside the kitchen, John whirled about, drawing a Manhunter as he went. Slamming against the wall and using the doorway for cover, he quickly picked the remaining goon from along the west wall as his target and squeezed off two shots. His heightened reflexes made the heavy pistol's roar sound long and drawn-out.

Drop, fragger...

19:18.32 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Di-di-di...Di-di-di...Di-di-di

The telecom's ringing causes a stir in the motionless man lying on the couch. Rolling over, but not yet aware of his surroundings, Marquis tries to turn away from the intrusion.

Di-di-di...Di-di-di...Di-di-di

Finally the alarm awakes him, indicated by the fall short fall to the floor, quickly followed by a drawn out, "Ah...Dreeek."

Di-di-di...Di-di-di...Di-di-di

"Ok, ok...Im coming. Who the hell designed a ringer that sounds like a damned alarm clock?"

Di-di-di... The beeping stops abruptly, as the screen flickers on. "Hello?"

Chavez's face appears on screen, "Hey ...chummer? Now I see my worries weren't completely out of reason."

"Yeah...ran into a little trouble at the airport."

"Was that the name of the troll that hit you?"

"No, his name was Full Auto Gel Round, and he bitch slapped me across the garage...but at least he didn't ding up my car." A semi smile follows that last remark, from both Chavez and Cooper.

Back to business, "I've been calling all day. Thought that dude shot you in the back and took your ride or somethin'. What do you wanna do with this truck? We've got some work coming in, I thought we were gonna have that out today."

"Yeah, first thing tomorrow morning, we'll take it to the storage unit. I still have to pick up the card for the garage. I'll try to pick that up tonight."

"Ok...well, uh...what exactly do you mean by first thing in the morning? Is that eight...maybe ten, somewhere around one or two?"

"Somewhere before that."

"Five it is!"

"Ok, ok, ok...somewhere around seven. It will be out before you need the shop."

"Thanks...and put some ice on that," Chavez says with a smile. "Catch you tomorrow."

"Thanks Dr. Asshole. Later."

23:34:10 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Half up front, half on delivery it is," Eyes nodded. "And I think I'll stick with cash; trading in favors is usually a bad idea." Plus he needed the money.

"Anyway, sounds interesting. So how much detail are you looking for? A quick profile shouldn't take too long, and'll only cost about 2- to 300 or so. If you want to really dig that'll take awhile, and usually costs a bit more. Maybe up to around 3K if you really want to know about the guy."

23:35:01 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Though his haggler's soul was a little depressed at having to spend the money, he couldn't really fault the decker sitting across from him for wanting cash instead of barter. After all, what have I got that he wants, other than money?.

Reaching into the pocket of his Zoe-ripoff matador jacket, Tony pulls out an envelope and slides it across the table. "Money it is then; there's 750 nuyen in foldin' cash, remainer upon reciept," Damn, but Radian's money spends quick. I'll need some work soon at this rate. "As much detail as you can get in a day or so is fine with me; speed is more what I'm looking for. I'd rather have a litte information quick than a lot too late."

Taking another sip of his drink, he continues, "You got a psec? I can beam you over the info and give some explination."

23:35:43 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Never leave home without it." Eyes dug the psec out of a pocket and laid it on the table. As he did it his hand brushed against the trolley token he had gotten at Schrodinger's, which he kept around as a reminder of the vague hints of danger he'd been walking into head-first lately. Well what's one more? he thought amusedly to himself. He also remembered that the only thing on the psec was some notes on a half-baked idea for a new programming project, so wasn't particularly worried about a hack.

23:36:50 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Reaching into his leg pocket, Tony pulls out his psec and beams over the pictures from earlier this week, as well as 2 names. "Ok, here's the files. The first one contains 2 names, Massada and Red Queen. The second file is a couple of pictures. They're of two dead guys. I delivered them to someone who mentioned Red Queen, but I don't know where they fit into this."

Taking a sip of his drink and looking around, Tony continues. "Massada I've only heard of once, earlier today. The lady was dying and jacked up on a trauma patch, and also mentioned Red Queen. I happened on some sort of standoff out at Sea-Tac, and she was in the middle of it. And whoever it was shooting, they had backup; they kicked Ran's friend Todd out of the system, as well as shooting me and another guy up. And, since Todd's no longer in town, I've got some free time to check this out."

Breathing deeply and leaning back, Tony finishes his drink before speaking again. "And that's the score so far. Like I said, I don't even know if this is something."

23:37:21 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Eyes frowned at the picture. "Well I can tell you one thing right off," he muttered, almost to himself, "whoever this Red Queen is, it's not nothing. I've heard the name myself just a while ago, also connected with a dead body. I wasn't sure it was a lead before--just a random comment I caught from a guy I was talking to--but it looks like it's not so random anymore." Ugh, and connected to another body, the thought came to Eyes, bringing a sour twist to his mouth.

A thought occurred to Eyes as he stared at the picture. "Hmm. So far we have this Red Queen connected with at least three dead people," he said with a slight hush. "Whoever this is has a major agenda and isn't shy about generating bodies to further it." He tapped the picture of the dead woman. "Did you get a name or SIN off of the woman? She might have known someone connected to this Red Queen if she mentioned the name herself."

23:38:01 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"Well, I don't think we're going to get much off of the woman," Tony said, leaning forward again in the booth. Blinking his eyes, he saw the afterimage of the garage scene earlier today. "I thought that the Star was pretty hot on my heels, and I didn't think I could get out of there with a shot up, dying person on my hands. She was pretty close to dead anyway; I managed to get her awake, but she didn't look to be too long for the living. She didn't look like the type with a SIN either," Tony finished, leaning forward on his elbows and twirling the ice filled glass around in his hand.

Taking a deep breath to try to cleanse himself of the images of the firefight, he continued "She did say something: 'Tell Massada I failed...Red Queen.' Now, I don't know if she ment that she failed Red Queen, or failed because of Red Queen. I do know that she may have been ment to be taken alive or rescued; there were two groups surrounding her when we drove up, one armed with non-lethal rounds. Looks like the other side hit her." Tony said. Well, you aren't being more paranoid than usual at least. And I should have gotten her out of there, no matter what it took.

12:23:03 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

The heavy pistol's roar rang in John's ears, but it didn't stop him from keeping the gun steady and on target as the rounds impacted into their target with enough force to send him back into the wall. If he wasn't dead, he was definitely out of the fight, the gun dropping from his hand as he flew back into the wall, only to slump to the ground slowly.

More rounds from the bodyguards found their targets as well, and only seconds after the whole thing started, it was all over, leaving five dead or dying assailants, four overturned tables, three waiters still crouching in fear behind cover, two untouched bodyguards, and a cybered partridge standing over a prone and bleeding form in Lee Chee.

19:30.32 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

After fully waking, and a refreshing face wash, Marquis places a call to someone he thinks may be able to help make sense of the days earlier events, along with some other business. Scrolling through the telecoms directory, Marq finds Karma's number.

"Hey...Karma."

"Hoi, chummer. Wasn't expecting a call from you," she says with a smile.

"Well, I would love to say its just to chat, but I actually have a few business questions I thought you might be able to answer. Or at least set me in the right direction. Maybe we...could, um.. meet somewhere."

"Sure...tonight?"

Not expecting such a quick offer, Marq is caught offguard a bit, "...could you meet tonight? When ever is conveinient for you."

"Yeah, tonight is fine. Any particular place in mind?"

"Not really, hadn't thought that far ahead."

"I heard the Miner's Landing is good."

Afraid to run into some of his new associates with the shiner, "Um...I would rather not...well not tonight. How about the Fall Inn?"

"Sounds good, see you there at 930," she smiles again, and ends the call.

12:23:40 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

As the dust began to settle and the last of the asian goons hit the floor, John lowered his pistol to a ready position. Waiters and patrons began to peak from beneath tables, though somewhere someone was crying. As one of Cheryl's muscle-boys turned to look, John noticed that he still held his weapon, maybe waiting to see what the old runner would do. Not waiting to see how it would play-out, he barked "You. Check them out and watch the one I hit, he may not be dead." Motioning to the other bodyguard he added, "You. Get over here."

He then knelt next to the crumpled form of the fixer and used his right hand to check her neck for a pulse, carefully not moving her just yet. When the bodyguard came and squatted beside him, John spoke without turning. "Looks bad. You know if she's got a Docwagon contract?"

12:23:55 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

The bodyguard shakes his head. "We're not regulars for her chummer. We just got hired for this meet. She figured it was a low risk meet, having worked with you before." He looks around and smiles thinly. "Guess she figured wrong, huh?"

Examining her carefully and quickly, John's experience helped him sort out the obvious in a hurry, and all his instincts screamed that 'yes, it's bad'. The fixer still has a pulse, and it doesn't look like she's going to bleed out in the next few minutes, but it's definitely bad, and if she doesn't get good medical attention in a hurry, it's a pretty good bet that she'll be checking out from this world for good.

23:39:12 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Making a few notes from Tony's statement, Eyes frowned at some of the details he was hearing. The woman was in the middle of a standoff, so we've got two decent-sized groups, possibly more than that, involved in this mess. We already knew this, but now the danger is much more real. Also the older man had made a very good point: immediately Eyes had jumped to the conclusion that Red Queen was an enemy of this woman and had been killed for is when the opposite was just as likely. Either possibility was irrelevant without more data, but it was a handy reminder to not get tunnel-vision.

Eyes finished his notes and looked up briefly. "Anything you can tell me about the other? You told me it was a job so I understand if you don't have as much to tell--deniability and all of that--but anything to connect the face to a circumstance would help out."

23:41:35 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Well, I am hiring him for a job, might as well give him the whole picture... Tony thought to himself as he waived for another drink as he tried to work out how much he should tell the man sitting across from him. "The job wasn't exactly as presented; the Johnson had a virtual meet with my fixer askin' for a bodyguard. I get to this place out toward the Barrens, and meet with this scared up guy named Radian and his band of merry machine-gun-toting men," Tony pauses, allowing the waitress to drop off the drink.

Taking another sip, he continues "The job wasn't as advertised. He wanted me to drive a truck with those two dead people I sent you from there, wait a day, then drop it off somewhere else. Before I could really get to negoiatin' the price, another group attacks. Good coordination, heavy weps, the works, on both sides. I get the truck out of there, and drop it off the next day up in Everett. That's where I heard Red Queen mentioned."

Putting the drink down, Tony steepled his hands in front of his face. "One more weird thing. The guys working for Red Queen at the warehouse weren't very old. Still kids, I think. And, to top it off, they jacked directly into the two dead people's heads. I haven't seen that done before; freaked me the frag out."

12:24:31 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

"Well, you fraggers did a good job takin' them down after it started. Nice shootin.' Too bad it was too late by then. Nothin' more you coulda done."

Looking around, John grabs a couple of the cleaner rags he can find and hands them to the bodyguard. "Here, hold these over her wounds. I gotta make a quick call and see what the other guy found."

Standing, he quickly walked to the front of the Garden, knowing that they didn't have much time before Lone Star showed. It wasn't like they were in the middle of the Barrens. He pulled out his cell and dialed Doc Carson's number. While it rang, he squatted down next to the other guard as he searched one of the goons. "Find anything?"

As the guy turned to answer, John said, "Hold a sec." Reaching out, he grabbed a waiter as he tried to scurry by. "Hoi, chummer. You fraggers got a medkit in this joint?"

19:48:06 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Just twenty minutes after Marquis finishes his last, possibly most important phone call, the base unit chimes again. Switching the trideo to mute, he glances at the caller ID before accepting the call: no data.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Marquis. You probably don't remember me, but we spoke in your office on Monday, just before noon."

The man with the strange eyes. Marq nodded to himself, wondering how he'd gotten a hold of this number.

"Yes, I remember."

"My associates were impressed by the work you did for them, and wish to offer you a second job. Would you be free to meet with me tonight? Midnight. There's a coffeeshop in Auburn that's open late, The Last Drop."

19:48:25 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Surprised by the call, but not yet sinking in, Marquis continues on in the conversation. "Sure, the Last Drop you say....hey, wait a minute...how did you get this number?"

23:42:51 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Frag it all, I should've asked for more money, Eyes grumbled to himself. Not that the details were any more disturbing than before--tales of getting shot at and kids jacking into cadavers seemed par for the course with this guy. All together, though, Tony's words painted a disturbing picture. The idea that Red Queen could hire a private army of Otaku, along with whatever mercs and gangers and whatnot that he had over the past few days meant whoever he/she/it is, he's a really big fish, and one Eyes wasn't sure he wanted to draw to him by digging too deeply.

Not that there was much of a choice for him. H wasn't quite to the point where he'd be hocking his deck for rent, but that day was uncomfortably looming over the horizon. Nuyen was nuyen, after all. Besides, what's life without taking a chance now and then? "Okay then," he concluded, remembering his drink and taking a long sip, "this should be enough to be getting on with. Anything else you have for me, or is this where I get working?"

23:43:10 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Massaging his eyeballs with this fingertips for a moment, Tony tries and fails to recall anything else. However, the act of talking about the situtation with someone else (who also seemed to know a bit) did help make thinks more clear, if a little more worrisome. I'm almost ready to just call this off he thinks, before shaking his head slightly.

"No, that's pretty much it. Remember, be discrete; I'd rather have a little information and no traces than a lot of information along with a knock on my door, especially with this crew. My LTG number is in that transmission. Give me a call when you find something, or if you need to ask anything else."

12:25:00 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

The waiter shakes his head. It's obvious he's quite rattled by what just happened and isn't likely to be very coherent. He tries to pull free of John's grip and the samurai lets him go. The other bodyguard looks up at him and says, "Didn't find any ID on these guys. Beyond their guns and some extra ammo, they were carrying some nuyen notes and cigarettes. But that's it. Nothing to link them to anyone, at least that I can see."

As John digests this information, the secretary at Doc Carson's picks up. "Dr. Carson's office, how may I help you?"

12:25:19 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

Covering the mouthpiece of his cell, John tells the bodyguard, "Check his arms. Ya know, roll up his sleeves. And look for some fraggin' car keys."

As the hired muscle turns back to the unconscious goon, John stood and removed his hand from the phone. "Hoi. I'm a client of Dr. Carson's, uh, special services. I need to see him immediately. Got a patient for him, needs serious medical attention."

19:48:31 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"When I inquired about you at your shop, your coworker was kind enough to transfer my call. Ordinarily I would have waited to approach you at the same location, but this is a matter of some small urgency."

19:48:40 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

Marq's muscles noticebly relax, as they had tensed up by the surprise call. His smile more genuine now as well.

"Well, in that case, lets get some coffee... Wait that sounds like a bad pick up line."

Marquis waits for a response. For one, because he doesn't know what to say next, and second, he waiting for some sort of reaction from this robot of a man. The whole situation, let alone the whole day, is quite odd. He will have to call the shop and check out the man's story.

19:48:46 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"If you so desire. I will meet you at The Last Drop at midnight tonight."

19:48:50 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"I'll come thirsty," Marquis ends the call, then quickly dials the shop.

Before Chavez has time to say hello, Marq is talking, "Hey, did you just transfer me a call?"

19:48:56 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"No, you know I wouldn't bother you at home. Why?"

19:49.01 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"Well, you remember that guy that came in the other day, the strange one? He just called me at home and said you transfered the call. It didn't seem like you to do that, but I went along with it. I'm just wondering how he got my number, its kind of unsettling...not to mention, unprofessional."

23:43:40 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Eyes nodded. "All right; I'll be in touch." Finishing his drink and slipping his psec back into a pocket, he stood, shook Tony's hand, and headed for the stairs.

12:25:55 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

Knowing he's got another minute, maybe two, tops if he's feeling really lucky that day, John rapidly scans what the bodyguard finds. No car keys or tattoos, at least on the guy's arms. Subtlety seems to be the order of the day for these guys. Whoever wanted the move made didn't want to broadcast their affiliations or their future moves, at least not yet.

"Oh, yes...I see," the secretary replies. "Why don't you come by as quickly as you can then, the doctor has a bit of free time on his schedule this afternoon, so please hurry. How...critical is your situation?"

23:44:19 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Releasing the decker's hand and watching him walk off, Tony is again alone with his drink. The bitter, UV-lit drink didn't do much to comfort him, however. I think I'm gettin' in over my head was a thought that kept creeping into his mind and disturbing the mild buzz that he had after a few drinks.

Relax, its just some new player in town. It's always nice to know what's going on, and who and what to avoid, shouldn't be too much of a hassle if that decker just stays low. That thought kept him from glancing around at every unfamilar face in the bar (which was pretty much everyone), and allowed him to finish his drink and wave for another, still trying to rationalize away his worrying.

Making a reminder in his psec to call Marquis tomorrow for a apologetic drink or two, he settles down to watch the crowd dancing below as another drink is delivered. You aren't nearly drunk enough to go down there he thinks, smiling to himself while passing the time.

12:26:07 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

"It's not fraggin' good. Be there in a few."

Putting his phone away, John looked down at the muscle Cheryl had hired. "You willing ta hang on for a bit? If so, grab the fragger I shot and follow me." He then hurried into the kitchen.

The other bodyguard still knelt by the fallen fixer. The rags he held over her wounds were growing dark. "A'ight. We gotta slot-n-run. How'd you fraggers get here? She drive?" While waiting for an answer, John checked Cheryl's wrist for a DocWagon ID and her pockets for car keys. Have I ever seen her car? Frag, but I can't remember. Think, man!

23:45:33 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Taking another hit from his drink, Tony glanced around again. Movement near the end of the bar caught his attention, and he watched an exotically dressed woman glide through the crowd to stand at the railing. The high-collared Mandarin dress she wore seemed to be laced together from individual panels, the spacing between each revealing a daring amount of naked skin. Her hair hung loose in a cascade of red and gold. Her attention was focussed on the stairs, and as he wached, she fingered the starburst medallion she wore around her neck. After a moment, she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes finding Tony's across the bar. He glanced away quickly, trying to conceal his surveillance.

23:45:48 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Wow. I need to hit places like these more often Tony thought to himself as he tried to follow what the lady was looking at while trying to look like he wasn't trying and keeping his jaw shut at the same time. Ricky or even Sam would already be jumping up to buy the women a drink, but he'd always been the one to wait for at least some sign of acknowledgement. That, or maybe you were too scared of rejection Ricky's deep voice boomed to him over the soundsystem, out of another club in another town in another time.

No, I'm actually more scared of starting a fight in here. People like her don't come alone, or aren't alone for very long. Really though, how many people have looked at her since she got here? I'm just some other guy in here. And her date's twice my size and jealous he thought, bringing himself back to the present, as he tried to mask his movements by flipping through some e-mail on his psec.

Ah, she probably's just waiting on her date Tony thinks after looking at the area where the lady was looking. The guy he just met with was walking down the stairs and I never did get his name, and the whole dance floor was within easy vision.

Nah, not for me apparently. he thought, giving himself this last drink before heading home for the evening.

19:49:06 Thursday 11 January 2063 - Hidden Oaks Condos, Downtown Seattle, UCAS

"Yeah, I remember the guy. You think there's gonna be trouble? Should I close down the shop?"

12:26:45 Tuesday 09 January 2063 - Lee Chee Garden Downtown Seattle

John can hear the sirens in the distance and closing rapidly as the guard looks up at him. "We drove, parked down the block." Dangling car keys in his hand, the guard says, "We'll come with you. Definitely don't want to see our employer flatline on our watch."

The other bodyguard bursts into the kitchen, lugging the unconscious Asian John shot on his shoulders. "Cops are almost here. What's the plan now?" he asks, clearly looking at John for direction.

23:45:58 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

Ok Ricky, you win Tony thinks, after the gin- and memory-fueled internal argument ended. Wondering just when the boyfriend would come up and try to kick his hoop, he sauntered up to the railing where the lady was. Leaning over with his drink, he said "That's an interesting medallion. Are you enjoying yourself this evening?"

23:46:04 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

The woman turns in response to Tony's question, flipping her hair around with a brush of her hand. A faint but intoxicating aroma of honey and jasmine drifts past Tony, and the red laserlight from the dancefloor below licks across her skin, turning the necklace into a blazing sunburst for an instant. At this close range, he can see that the dress is everything promised: crimson silk panels lined with steel grommets and laced together vertically. They shift as she moves, a teasingly seductive dance. She smiles, the cruelly beautiful curve of her lips painted the exact same shade of red as her dress. When she speaks, her voice is pitched to carry over the music, but no further than Tony.

"I am now."

She fingers her necklace with her right hand, while her left slides along the railing to where she can just brush the back of Tony's hand with her fingertips.

"Thank you, it's something of a family heirloom."

23:46:08 Thursday 11 January, 2063 - Bluefish, Tacoma, Seattle, UCAS

"It's a very nice piece," Tony smiles and drawls, shifting on the railing to face the woman. Lit up by the clubs lights, the panels of her dress catch and reflect the moving light in the background, alternatly hiding and showing the smooth skin underneath. "Not to sound too cliche, but what brings you out here this evening?" he says, trying again to keep cool in front of the beautiful, exotic lady next to him. Maybe Ricky was right...