Dawn considered the situation at hand and the job to be done. Sure she was an elf, but never aqucried the affinity for magic that others of her kind appeared to have in great abundance. That was alright with Dawn anyway. Her magic was with words and turning people to her point of view. Which she would need to do with the package know that they needed to know what was going on with this job.

"Alright, Gregori, I'll see what I can get out of him." There was a pun there, but she was going to avoid it like the plague. Best let the men folk deal with their comrades sudden depature from his body.

Gregori went back into the bedroom, and snatched his vest, throwing it on, and running the fur of a fetish through his fingers before heading back to where Dawn and the package would be so he could begin warding the room, he closed the door as he did so.

Dawn Only

11:15:16, Thursday June 13th, 2064/Loomis' Safehouse



Virgil had taken the news rather well for a man who had just been rejected. He had smile politely, thanked the team for their time and simply left. This, of course, had set their senses on edge. I mean, who does that today? Usually there are threats and promises of pain and suffering for refusal. Strange...
In any case the decisions were made and things were what they were...


Dawn found the package much like she had left him; bound and unconscious. Strange, that. She was unaware of a single dose of any drug that could maintain unconsciousness for this long. Perhaps there's more here than meets the eye. she thought.

Gregori began scribbling on the walls an intricate pattern of swirls and sharp lines, focusing the power of the umbra into an opaque barrier against snoops and eaves droppers...

Gregori sniffed, and scampered about the room, pacing back and forth around the walls like a caged predator, and as he did he traced the signs and symbols of the ward on the walls. As he did, he murmured the words and incantations shown to him by Wolf.

"shield me brother wolf from the blows of my enemies." He said, in his native tongue, continuing the task at hand.

"So, uh, you guys think we're in for a drek-storm cuz we rejected Virgil?" Razz asks anyone within ear shot.

"I'm kinda freaked to think about what kind of resources a man who would offer us a million nuyen can call down."

"Yes, there's alot he could do to us, but that would work against him as he dosen't get the item by geeking us." Dawn said. It was a long stretch. She could also assume that Virgil could just geek them in order to prevent the item from falling into the unwanted hands of their current employer. Neither was very promising.

"And another thing... " Dawn continued. "I was looking at the package seeing if I could wake him up and noticed that he's been druged. Rather heavily I might add."

In her former walk of life, drug abuse went hand in hand. How many nights had she spent worry about a friend who'd pushed their body too hard partying or trying to dull their senses to the kind of live they were living.

"We need to decide we're going to do with him before long. The package can't live like that for long."

(re-edited after getting new information. Game on guys.)

Gregori grunted in acknowledgement of Dawn's comments, as he shook his fetish over the boundaries of the doorway.

"whoever did it to him must really not wanted him awake. Probably, we
do not want to wake him either. At least not yet. Also Dawn?"

Gregori says looking up from his position on his knees near the floor, and offered the elf woman a puzzled expression,

"That is package yes? If we are dead, than package is.. how they say... first come, first serve? Unless you are suggesting we threaten to destroy package if we are assaulted?"

"Hey, if I'm going down, this fragger is getting a nice taste of my laser spell," is all that Razz has to say on the subject.

Dawn considered what Gregoris said.

"If it comes down to that we could hold the package hostage till we get a better situation. But that is if both parties are going to turn hostile against us. I have an unfortunete feeling in my stomach that could happen if we try to turn over the package back to ]b]Mr. Tambaro[/b].

"The option is to upset Mr. Tambaro or whoever his accomplices are and have them come after us."

Indeed what a messed up situation the team was finding themselves in. "This only speculation of course..."

"Either way, the need this guy. If they try something I'm sure one of you magic-men could come up with an interesting solution to discourage those from committing to our total anniliation."

Os emerges from his poking and prodding around the apartment holding a small electronic device: a bug (which he has turned off, hopefully).

"Lookee here what I found," he says, holding the device up for the others' scrutiny. After any of the curious are satisfied, Os reads out the note. "Despite, what this note suggests, there may be more. Keep an eye out for others, and most importantly, don't say anything that you don't want outsiders to hear, especially our hosts. That said I'll keep this brief. Stay out of view from the street, keep an eye out for familiar looking cars or people, and do not get into any strange peoples' cars, even, or especially, if they offer you candy. That is all."

Os walks up to Gregori and says, quietly, to him, "See if you can get anything off the package astrally, if you haven't tried already."

Os then goes around the apartment, checking locks and so on.

Razz joins Gregori and asks if he can help with the warding.

Gregori nods appreciatively and points the Ork mage towards a section of the room he hadn't yet filled to the brim with intricate signs.

"Help yourself Chum, there is plenty for everyone. " Gregori says, flashing a smile.

He wasn't exactly sure how useful this warding would be. They didn't really have enough time to make a ward thick enough to keep anyone out for long. But it would slow a magical attack down, and keep anyone from gazing at their package from the astral. That was about as much as you could ask for, so Gregori supposed.

It took a moment, but Razz decided not to take offense at whatever "Chum" might mean and went where the shaman directed him. After pausing for a moment to zip up his ultra-vest and strap his AK to his back, he starts to hum the chorus of his favorite thrash-metal band's latest hit and begins chalking the walls.

"I hope we don't have a deposit on this place," Os mutters.

"I think we paid up front," Gregori offers without looking up. He was pleased to see that the others were as nervous as he was. There was something therapuetic too it. That calm before the storm. It seemed to have gelled them as something of a team. There was less arguing now, than there had been earlier, during the negotiations and the drive to meet Tony. Back then it was as if the job was just a theoretical issue to be debated.. Now.. when it could come to blood, no one was squabbling.

What? What is this place? Lethe asked. It seemed, when he had stepped through the glass it was into a new world. He could see, quite literally, the tension in the room behind him. He watched as his fellow team mates began digging in. The walls surrounding the room where the package had been left slowly went from translucent to opaque as the wards were completed. Gargoyle’s words pulled him from his reverie. Do not allow your mind to wandering. In this place allowing yourself to be distracted by your surroundings can be fatal. Come. Gargoyle said and surged into the air with a single beat of its massive wings. WAIT! Lethe shouted. Where are you going? Gargoyle continued on its path, though its voice was clear in Lethe‘s mind. Have you learned nothing? How can hope to face The Dweller if you have not the skills to even follow me?
Lethe began sifting through his memories for Gargoyle’s words. He struggled for what seemed an eternity. Surely Gargoyle was gone by now. Patience was an attribute of high esteem for Gargoyle, but suffering mistakes was not. If Lethe could not remember, Gargoyle would simply leave him here on the balcony. It was in a conversation they had had just after Lethe’s awakened. Gargoyle had spoken of his home, a place where the mind and the will controlled reality. He stood a the edge of the balcony and focused all his will to the task. With a breath Do I need to breathe here? Lethe stepped into the air. The shock of finding the air beneath his foot solid cause him to lose focus for a moment. He fell two meters before reasserting his will and halting his decent. You HAVE been listening. Good. Now come.
They flew like birds over the city, the myriad of life, emotion, violence, apathy and need created a cacophony that threatened to swallow everything. Their journey ended on the bell tower of the St. James cathedral. Lethe, his voice quivering from the exhilaration of flight through the Astral, questions his Totem. What now? A great gray hand, ending in a taloned claw pointed the way. The Dweller awaits…
Lethe drifted down to the massive doors of the cathedral, took a deep breath, and reached for the pull. His hand passed through the pull, emphasizing just how different this world was from the corporeal one. Stepping through the door, Lethe was greeted by the emotions from decades of worshipers, weddings, funerals, and celebrations. They swirled around Lethe like a fog, pulling, pushing, probing his psyche like an ocean of life. At the altar stood a lone figure, cloaked and hooded in brown. The sleeves of the robe were together in typical monk fashion. Lethe approached uneasily, mindful of Gargoyle’s admonition to keep his mind focused. Are you the Dweller? he asked. The voice in his mind rang familiar, though the words confused him. You come to me as a stranger Denethiel Aerendis. What do you seek?

Time passes slowly for the group as Gregori and Razz construct the astral barrier, a strange blend of the feral patterns of wolf and the more precise marks of the ganger (Which, in itself is interesting). The mark remains unconscious but seems to be stable. It seems you have not gone unnoticed. Your old friend, the sports car driver, circles the block twice more in the four and a half hours it takes to complete the ward.

14:42:09, Thursday June 13th, 2064/Loomis' Safehouse
The ward is completed. You sit down for a moment to relax when Dawn's cell phone rings.

"Yeah, it's Tamburo. Look, I got things set up. I'm sending a few boys over to collect the package and give you your money. They should be there in about twenty, maybe thirty minutes. Capice?"

Lethe looks at the Dweller, as he tries to stop the emotions in the area from affecting him too much.

"I seek knowledge."

And now Tamboro comes to make the situation worse.

"That would be... a bad idea." Dawn said. She was looking out the window through a sliver in the curtains. "We've been compromised by whoever else is looking for your package. I do not mind pointing out, this person had interesting things to say about you, but that has not changed our business relationship between us."

Not yet anyway. Dawn left the comment in the air for Tambaru to pick up.

"The opposition is watching our place right now. You'll understand that we do not want a firefight where we are staying right now. So lets find a place for a safer drop off."

This was going to be interesting as to how Tamboro would react. Mostly she was just buying time.

Gregori sighed heavily, as he moved up behind the elf woman, trying to listen in on what was said, and what was being heard.

I would have told them to come and get the accursed thing Gregori thought to himself. if Tamburo's men get hit after picking up the package, well that was no concern of Gregori's. Meeting somewhere else meant that the team had to leave the safe house, make it past those watching them, and arrived unnoticed at a new hand off position. A position which Tamburo had successfully fortified before hand, killing them all before as soon as the package leaves their position.

He takes OS and Razz aside for a moment, while giving a thumbs up to Dawn to shore her up. Moral Support.

"I am thinking we will need to split up in order to get out of here in one piece. We've seen only the one vehicle. It's possible we've seen them because they want us to see them, but we can only go with what we know. I suppose Aleph team can act as a distraction, while Beta team sneaks out unnoticed. My suggestion.. We trussle up Sleepy over there.." Gregori gestures at the unconcious elf adept lounging peacefully on the couch, "and make him look like the package, Perhaps we can dress the package up like the adept, and with some.. what is the english word... Charade? with some charade, make him look mildly wounded instead of comatose. That's my plan.. if you have a better one , I am anxious to be hearing it."

"That plan would kick ass if we had our driver, but thems the breaks." Os lowers his voice. "Frankly, we could do worse than get another couple of shooters over here. It would at least make the diversion more convincing. And yeah, you're right, they could take him and get shot walking out the door, for all I care."

"Anyway, before we rush off, if either of you two can project, I would be interested to know who's in that sports car if it comes by again. Or if there's anything magical about our package. Just curious, is all."

"Awww, c'mon!" Razz cries. "We just spent hours warding this place and now we're gonna leave under the eyes of the bad guys? I ain't fraggin doin it! Tell Tamburo to get his fat hoop over here and pick up his package. We'll throw him out the window at the same time they throw the credstick."

"I apologize Os, I will see to our package in a split second. I can percieve the spirit world, but not enter it i'm afraid, so the sport's car is beyond me. I don't trust that Tamburo's 'shooters' " Gregori makes the quotations mark motion with his hands, "aren't for us as well." "well see what happens..."

Gregori disappears for a moment inside the warded bedroom, to take a peek at the package. He closed his eyes, and rested for a moment.. before opening them again to view the aura of their charge.

? : ? : ?, Thursday June 13th, 2064/St. James Cathedral


Lethe

"You always were one to reach beyond your grasp." The strange voice resonated in Lethe's mind like the ghost of a memory. The one sense that rang clear was fear. The image of a well-formed dark haired human, perhaps fifty years old, and dressed in an eclectic blend of Eastern and Western clothing. His aura was at once familiar and foreign. A ring on his finger pulsed vibrantly, and in tune, with his own aura. Almost certainly a focus. "It has been a while, my friend. I had not expected to see you again for a very long time." That last comment sounded as ominous as the ball forming in Lethe's stomach.

Foxx

The chill in Tamburo's voice was unmistakable. "Talking, huh? Tell you what. You say it's too hot, it's too hot. The docks, pier 16, lot 27, forty-five minutes. Do... NOT... be late. My boys will follow... discretely. We make the exchange there."

Gregori

Gregori opened his eyes to the umbra and looked down at the unconscious man. Besides a few pieces of brainware the man had little cyberware. The only other piece sat in his arm. It looked like a large syringe pointing toward his elbow. Auto-injector. The man, while heavily sedated, was otherwise in reasonable health. The box, on the other hand, was an entirely dofferent matter. It looked, for all the world, like a simple box. But, as Gregori discovered, it was heaviliy warded against peeking. Whoever had warded the box knew what he, or she, was doing. It was done so well that the only way he had realized it was warded was by trying to touch it. Any deeper probing might alert the creator that the box was being tampered with.

Seeing that his protests were being ignored/outvoted by the rest of the group, Razz shuts up and prepares to leave. But it is clear that he's not in a good mood.

Gregori wasn't very happy either, as he came back to report his findings to the groups.

"Man in Coma is kept under I think by Auto-Injector... The box he has with him, whatever it is... heavily warded by someone who knows what they are doing... We do not want to be messing with it. Nasty stuff, is all I can tell. That's the best I can do, sorry."

Hearing the law come down from Tamburo did not make Gregori any more pleased with the situation. He sighed heavily...

"Well, Unless anyone has better idea, I suppose we are going with my plan? Don't be afraid to mention it... I am not so thrilled with my plan either."

"Hey, I'm no wimp, but I don't feel too great about walking ut that door," Razz says to the group. "I know these flimsy walls won't give us a lot of protection, but if the fraggers want him I wanna make them come and get him."

"I don't disagree with you Razz, but isn't it to late for that?" Gregori says, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't want to go out those doors, and I don't want meet that suka and his men on their ground. And if we change our minds again, we risk seeming disoriented and disunited."

Gregori refrained from pointing out that they apparently were disoriented and disunited, that wasn't necessary.

"Okay then. We commit to this plan. Who has their own transport, how are we dividing up, and who is taking the package?"

Gregori shrugs, "I know Dawn has her Eurocar, Os, you are driving yourself? Plus Lethe. That makes three vehicles. Lethe's vehicle will drive while he's knocked out? he has trick ignition we find ourselves in trouble da?" The package has always been in Lethe's vehicle. I think fake package needs to go on RV too."

Gregori was more than a little pissed off at Lethe.. come to think of it.. doing whatever the hell it was he was doing while in the middle of the job. Hell in front of Virgil, that was problem.

"OS has always been by self. So if that changes.. this is obvious. I have driven with Dawn.. maybe move package to her car?"

Lethe looks somewhat surprised.

"You say you've met me before? I don't ever remember doing anything like this... was this before I lost my memory twenty years ago?"

Lethe

The man's smile exhibits no warmth. "Met?" His aura changes to one of suprise. We were like brothers, inseparable. Interesting that I should find you here, in this place. Denethiel. An interesting choice. It suits you. But enough chatter we have business, you and I." He steps toward you and The Dweller's voice brings him up short. "There will be no violence here, young one." The man smiles, bows to The Dweller and replies. "I wouldn't dream of it, great one. But I will not be put off forever." With a look that speaks volumes, he departs.
The Dweller faces Lethe and asks "Do you wish to continue, young one?"

"Alright then. I guess that means you're at the wheel of Lethe's car, Razz, unless he bloody wakes up in time. You cool with that, mate?"

"I'm better on a chopper, but I think i'l be able to handle it." Razz replies.

"Okay, then. The plan sounds good. Let's get this show on the road, guys. I'll stay on point, Lethe's van goes in the middle, and the Eurocar stays at the back. If things go pear-shaped, get the package out of dodge, and we'll see about regrouping later. Let's get the decoy suited up."

Lethe

Just as The Dweller finished his question, Lethe sensed something happening. His body was being moved. At the moment it wasn't dangerous but the longer he waited the more difficult it would be to find.

"Of course, Mr. Tambaro. We'll be there." Dawn closed the phone on him. Maybe it was an amaturish mistake to go where he was dictating. If he was being dishonest it would allowed him the oppritunity to screw the team over. After all, he wsa there Johnson and he was in a desperate situation. On the other hand, it allowed the oppossing faction to this run to have a little lee-way in how this would play out. Dangerous all around, but thats what it means to run the shadows.

It still sucked though and Dawn didn't like it one bit. She was a better negotiater then this and hopefully she'll learn from her mistakes. Hopefully meaning living through this first.

"I guess we'll have to go meet with him." She said, spelling out where they were going. "I'll get ready..."

She moved back to a room to stuff herself back into her armor and clothes. Checking her weapons to make sure they were ready. She changed out the magazines, the Ares Crusader she loaded the ADPS and the Ultra-power with regular full rounds. Combat was her thing, talking herself out of situations was. For a job she wasn't getting paid alot to do she was making a sure fire mess of it.

Gregori pulled back the slide of the predator, and than slid it into his holster. He put first his right arm, than his left through the sleeves, and tossed it over his shoulder.

He walked into the room with the package in it, and looked over him ,and the box. Without a word he began to undress him and prepare to make him look like the passed out elf.

"Hey," Razz says, "This might be a little late, but would it help if I made the package invisible? Or anyone else? I think I could get two, maybe three, of us with my spell."

"Yeah, that'd be awesome. Get me and the package, if you like. Dawn, could I get you to open your car for us," Os says, preparing to fireman-carry the package once Gregori is finished with him.

Razz nodded to Os. "Sorry I didn't speak up sooner. Sometimes I'm a little slow on this strategy stuff. I'll cover you and the package with one spell and get myself with another. Be careful though. If you set down the package he'll become visible because the spell is on you, not him."

With that Razz got to work. He placed a hand on Os' chest and with the other began to trace little patterns in the air while softly speaking the words of a language no one in the room was familiar with. As his finger traced through the air it left behind a faintly glowing line. After a few moments, the lines formed some ancient sigil, and then, as Razz spoke the final words, the sigil flared and disappeared. With that, Os and the package disappeared.

"So far so good," Razz said. "Now for the harder part."

Keeping the mana flowing around Os and the package required a good deal of concentration. Fortunately Razz had always been good at maintaining spells while doing other things. He performed the same hand movements, but this time with his eyes closed, touching nothing else with his free hand. When he finished he opened his eyes to find that nothing had changed...at least from his perspective. He could feel the mana swirling around him and knew that it was concealing him.

"Ready to rock," he informed the rest of the team as he made certain that his assault rifle was locked and loaded, unfolding the weapon's stock and clicking off the safety.

"Okay, Dawn. If you please," says Os' disembodied voice.

Gregori watched as Os disappeared from view. Of course if the russian still wanted to see him, he could gaze into the spirit world, but there was no such need yet. Gregori would do that as soon as they stepped outside the building, to keep an eye on anyone who might see through the subterfuge. In the mean time, if those out there were waiting with ill will, Gregori decided it wouldn't hurt to know it.

His fingers twisted into claws as he scratched at the air, and muttered to himself. Anyone staring head on at him could see a shine in his eyes, a wolf in the dark, sniffing out its prey...

"Let us do this thing..."

"Don't make it seem like you're holding the door for anyone," Razz reminded Dawn.

"I'll open the driver side door and you can get in there. I'll look like I am checking out the other car while you do." Dawn said. It was a good plan, but opening the passenger door for no one to get in would have surely tipped anyone off.

She was ready and willing to see this through. However it would turn out.

"I'm thinking the boot would probably be the best place to put him, in terms of concealment. Just so long as he has air."

"What the frag's a boot on a car?" Razz wonders aloud.

Gregori looks at where he thinks Os is, speaking in Russian,

"You and He will be in trunk? I think we may need your firepower comrade. Better not to put you in trunk. And if you let go of package he will be visible. I think this is problem."

In Russian, Os says, "Over here. No, friend, I didn't say I'd go in the car with him. Just stand next to the car with some luggage and look preoccupied. When I say so, put the luggage in and close the trunk."

Os switches back to English. "Hey Dawn, I need you and Gregori to stand in front of the boot and make small talk, just in case we're being watched. Razz, wherever you are, will the package be invisible for as long as I'm touching it, or what?"